While testifying at Donald Trump’s New York hush money trial, Michael Cohen, his former lawyer, admitted that he ridiculed the former president repeatedly and explained why he stopped admiring him.
On Thursday, Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, continued his cross-examination in an attempt to discredit Cohen’s testimony against Trump.
The attorney asked Cohen about the many compliments he gave the former president when he was still his lawyer and the money Cohen had made from books and podcasts since he turned against him.
Cohen wasn’t flustered when his statements were read back to him, and Trump barely reacted to his lawyer’s interrogation.
Regarding the ex-Trump lawyer’s first podcast in 2020, Blanche asked him if he called his former client a “Did you call Trump a ‘boorish cartoon misogynist’ and a ‘Cheeto-dusted cartoon villain’ on your podcast?” Blanche asked.
“Sounds like something I would say,” Cohen stated.
On Thursday, Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, continued his cross-examination in an attempt to discredit Cohen’s testimony against Trump.
The attorney asked Cohen about the many compliments he gave the former president when he was still his lawyer and the money Cohen had made from books and podcasts since he turned against him.
Cohen wasn’t flustered when his statements were read back to him, and Trump barely reacted to his lawyer’s interrogation.
Regarding the ex-Trump lawyer’s first podcast in 2020, Blanche asked him if he called his former client a “Did you call Trump a ‘boorish cartoon misogynist’ and a ‘Cheeto-dusted cartoon villain’ on your podcast?” Blanche asked.
“Sounds like something I would say,” Cohen stated.
- 5/17/2024
- by Alessio Atria
- Uinterview
Update: Michael Cohen appeared to win a battle this afternoon over how reliable his memory is of eight-year-old phone calls with Donald Trump, after faltering in an earlier round of cross-examination questioning today in the former president’s hush money trial in New York.
Before a lunch break, Trump lawyer Todd Blanche got Cohen to admit that his memory of a key call with Trump in late October 2016 — to discuss paying off porn star Stormy Daniels — was largely a product of reviewing phone logs provided by prosecutors.
Blanche showed Cohen texts from the same exact time frame that suggested another matter — a 14-year-old prank caller — was the reason Cohen rang Trump’s bodyguard.
Cohen said he still believed that the bodyguard, Keith Schiller, handed the phone to Trump so he could report to the presidential candidate that a deal with Daniels was close. Cohen was getting ready to pay her...
Before a lunch break, Trump lawyer Todd Blanche got Cohen to admit that his memory of a key call with Trump in late October 2016 — to discuss paying off porn star Stormy Daniels — was largely a product of reviewing phone logs provided by prosecutors.
Blanche showed Cohen texts from the same exact time frame that suggested another matter — a 14-year-old prank caller — was the reason Cohen rang Trump’s bodyguard.
Cohen said he still believed that the bodyguard, Keith Schiller, handed the phone to Trump so he could report to the presidential candidate that a deal with Daniels was close. Cohen was getting ready to pay her...
- 5/16/2024
- by Sean Piccoli
- Deadline Film + TV
Michael Cohen sat for a third day of testimony in Donald Trump’s ongoing criminal hush-money trial on Thursday. The attorney and former fixer sat for rigorous cross-examination by Trump’s lawyers, who attempted to poke holes in Cohen’s previous testimony and cast doubt on his credibility given his past conviction on charges of perjury.
Trump’s attorneys pressed Cohen on his personal feelings regarding the trial, and the possibility that Trump might be convicted. At one point, the jury heard a recording of Cohen discussing the news of...
Trump’s attorneys pressed Cohen on his personal feelings regarding the trial, and the possibility that Trump might be convicted. At one point, the jury heard a recording of Cohen discussing the news of...
- 5/16/2024
- by Catherina Gioino and Nikki McCann Ramirez
- Rollingstone.com
Updated: Donald Trump’s attorney in the former president’s hush money trial went straight at the prosecution’s star witness, Michael Cohen, kicking off a profanity-laced cross examination.
To start off, Todd Blanche introduced himself to Cohen, saying that although they’d never met “you went on TikTok and called me a crying little s—t” after the trial started.
“Sounds like something I would say,” Cohen deadpanned before a prosecutor could finish objecting to the question.
So it went for much of the next two hours in a Manhattan courtroom: Blanche confronting Cohen with insults he’s lobbed mainly at Trump on his podcasts and social media, including a TikTok account he signed up for about six weeks ago to live-stream chats, and Cohen allowing that he had probably said those things.
“Dictator d—bag,” “boorish cartoon misogynist” and “Cheetoh-dusted cartoon villain” were a few of the slurs that Cohen admitted to.
To start off, Todd Blanche introduced himself to Cohen, saying that although they’d never met “you went on TikTok and called me a crying little s—t” after the trial started.
“Sounds like something I would say,” Cohen deadpanned before a prosecutor could finish objecting to the question.
So it went for much of the next two hours in a Manhattan courtroom: Blanche confronting Cohen with insults he’s lobbed mainly at Trump on his podcasts and social media, including a TikTok account he signed up for about six weeks ago to live-stream chats, and Cohen allowing that he had probably said those things.
“Dictator d—bag,” “boorish cartoon misogynist” and “Cheetoh-dusted cartoon villain” were a few of the slurs that Cohen admitted to.
- 5/14/2024
- by Sean Piccoli
- Deadline Film + TV
Update: Judge Juan Merchan told the prosecutors in Donald Trump’s hush money trial to pass along a message to one of their likely witnesses, lawyer Michael Cohen: Please stop talking or posting on social media about the case.
Moments before the day in court ended early around lunchtime, Judge Merchan took up a request from defense lawyer Todd Blanche, who said, “Mr. Cohen continues to speak publicly about this trial.”
Blanche cited a TikTok post this week by Cohen wearing a white t-shirt with a picture of Trump behind bars. He asked that Cohen — the lawyer whose $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels in 2016 triggered the Manhattan District Attorney’s investigation — be ordered to not talk about Trump or the criminal proceedings against him.
Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass replied, “We have repeatedly asked the witnesses not to do that. And not just Mr. Cohen. All the witnesses.”
“We have no remedy,...
Moments before the day in court ended early around lunchtime, Judge Merchan took up a request from defense lawyer Todd Blanche, who said, “Mr. Cohen continues to speak publicly about this trial.”
Blanche cited a TikTok post this week by Cohen wearing a white t-shirt with a picture of Trump behind bars. He asked that Cohen — the lawyer whose $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels in 2016 triggered the Manhattan District Attorney’s investigation — be ordered to not talk about Trump or the criminal proceedings against him.
Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass replied, “We have repeatedly asked the witnesses not to do that. And not just Mr. Cohen. All the witnesses.”
“We have no remedy,...
- 5/10/2024
- by Sean Piccoli
- Deadline Film + TV
Update: Stormy Daniels took a swipe at Donald Trump and his legal team for their complaints about her testimony over two days in the New York hush money trial.
“Real men respond to testimony by being sworn in and taking the stand in court. Oh…wait. Nevermind,” Daniels wrote on X/Twitter.
Real men respond to testimony by being sworn in and taking the stand in court. Oh…wait. Nevermind.
— Stormy Daniels (@StormyDaniels) May 9, 2024
That was an apparent reference to a request from Trump’s lawyer for a modified gag order so the former president could respond to her. The former president’s legal team also sought a mistrial, arguing that Daniels was allowed to go too far in describing her claim of a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006. Judge Juan Merchan denied both requests.
As Daniels suggested, Trump also could be sworn in and take the stand in the...
“Real men respond to testimony by being sworn in and taking the stand in court. Oh…wait. Nevermind,” Daniels wrote on X/Twitter.
Real men respond to testimony by being sworn in and taking the stand in court. Oh…wait. Nevermind.
— Stormy Daniels (@StormyDaniels) May 9, 2024
That was an apparent reference to a request from Trump’s lawyer for a modified gag order so the former president could respond to her. The former president’s legal team also sought a mistrial, arguing that Daniels was allowed to go too far in describing her claim of a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006. Judge Juan Merchan denied both requests.
As Daniels suggested, Trump also could be sworn in and take the stand in the...
- 5/10/2024
- by Sean Piccoli
- Deadline Film + TV
As Stormy Daniels took the stand in Donald Trump’s hush money trial today, the judge in the case complained to the former president’s lawyer that he could hear his client “cursing audibly” about what was being said.
The judge, Juan Merchan, even suggested that Trump’s behavior put him again at risk of contempt of court.
“I understand that your client is upset at this point, but he is cursing audibly, and he is shaking his head visually and that’s contemptuous,” Merchan told Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, according to a transcript of a sidebar conversation between the two.
Merchan added, “It has to potential to intimidate the witness and the jury can see that.”
Blanche said that he would talk to Trump. The judge said that he wanted to speak to Blanche and not to Trump directly “because I don’t want to embarrass him.”
“You need to speak to him,...
The judge, Juan Merchan, even suggested that Trump’s behavior put him again at risk of contempt of court.
“I understand that your client is upset at this point, but he is cursing audibly, and he is shaking his head visually and that’s contemptuous,” Merchan told Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, according to a transcript of a sidebar conversation between the two.
Merchan added, “It has to potential to intimidate the witness and the jury can see that.”
Blanche said that he would talk to Trump. The judge said that he wanted to speak to Blanche and not to Trump directly “because I don’t want to embarrass him.”
“You need to speak to him,...
- 5/8/2024
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Updated, 3:04 Pm: The judge in Donald Trump’s hush-money trial hasn’t tossed the ex-president behind bars yet for violating a gag order, but the former Celebrity Apprentice host won’t be getting out of the courtroom anytime soon either.
On a dry day in front of Judge Juan Merchan, the jury on Monday saw prosecutors put another Trump Organization accounting employee on the stand in the start of the third week of Trump’s trial to walk jurors through the gritty details and record-keeping behind checks signed by the Art of the Deal author to his fixer and lawyer Michael Cohen.
Deborah Tarasoff, who still works for Trump as an accounts payable supervisor, followed her former boss, the company’s retired comptroller Jeffrey McConney on the stand today in the Manhattan courtroom.
With cable news jumping to a possible ceasefire in Gaza for parts of the day, Tarasoff...
On a dry day in front of Judge Juan Merchan, the jury on Monday saw prosecutors put another Trump Organization accounting employee on the stand in the start of the third week of Trump’s trial to walk jurors through the gritty details and record-keeping behind checks signed by the Art of the Deal author to his fixer and lawyer Michael Cohen.
Deborah Tarasoff, who still works for Trump as an accounts payable supervisor, followed her former boss, the company’s retired comptroller Jeffrey McConney on the stand today in the Manhattan courtroom.
With cable news jumping to a possible ceasefire in Gaza for parts of the day, Tarasoff...
- 5/6/2024
- by Sean Piccoli
- Deadline Film + TV
Former President Barack Obama slammed Donald Trump for a lack of “seriousness.”
Obama joined Joe Biden and Bill Clinton during an episode of the Smartless podcast to criticize Trump’s behavior.
Actor Jason Bateman, one of the podcast’s hosts, asked Obama if he was surprised “how quickly that protection and passion for democracy was diluted” and “how primed the country was to just sort of dissolve and – and get lazy with it and let it go.”
“You know, I will say – and Bill saw this begin to happen during his presidency – it then accelerated during my presidency – I have been surprised that there haven’t been guard rails inside the Republican Party,” Obama replied.
“Trump didn’t surprise me, no,” he added. “You watch Trump’s campaign, you watch his career. If you know anybody who’s a—I mean, he comes from New York, there’s nobody in...
Obama joined Joe Biden and Bill Clinton during an episode of the Smartless podcast to criticize Trump’s behavior.
Actor Jason Bateman, one of the podcast’s hosts, asked Obama if he was surprised “how quickly that protection and passion for democracy was diluted” and “how primed the country was to just sort of dissolve and – and get lazy with it and let it go.”
“You know, I will say – and Bill saw this begin to happen during his presidency – it then accelerated during my presidency – I have been surprised that there haven’t been guard rails inside the Republican Party,” Obama replied.
“Trump didn’t surprise me, no,” he added. “You watch Trump’s campaign, you watch his career. If you know anybody who’s a—I mean, he comes from New York, there’s nobody in...
- 5/2/2024
- by Alessio Atria
- Uinterview
A new rumor has the internet buzzing. It claims that Disney plans to reboot the popular 1980s hit “The Golden Girls.” The new cast would include Tina Fey as Dorothy, Amy Poehler as Sophia, Lisa Kudrow as Rose, and Maya Rudolph as Blanche. The show is rumored to have ten episodes and will be released this summer on Disney+.
Is this true?
No. It’s a satirical post from the Facebook Page Yoda Bby Aby.
“Golden Girls – 10 Episodes!!!
This June, get ready to laugh until it hurts with Disney+’s brand new series, “The Golden Girls,” featuring the comedic genius of Tina Fey as Dorothy, Amy Poehler as Sophia, Lisa Kudrow as Rose, and Maya Rudolph as Blanche. Dive into 10 hilarious episodes where Dorothy and her feisty mother Sophia shake up life in Miami by moving in with the flirtatious Blanche and the sweetly naive Rose. Prepare for a whirlwind of witty banter,...
Is this true?
No. It’s a satirical post from the Facebook Page Yoda Bby Aby.
“Golden Girls – 10 Episodes!!!
This June, get ready to laugh until it hurts with Disney+’s brand new series, “The Golden Girls,” featuring the comedic genius of Tina Fey as Dorothy, Amy Poehler as Sophia, Lisa Kudrow as Rose, and Maya Rudolph as Blanche. Dive into 10 hilarious episodes where Dorothy and her feisty mother Sophia shake up life in Miami by moving in with the flirtatious Blanche and the sweetly naive Rose. Prepare for a whirlwind of witty banter,...
- 4/27/2024
- by Kambrea Pratt
- Pirates & Princesses
It’s been Donald Trump’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week.
The past and potentially future leader of the free world spent most of it in a dingy Manhattan courtroom, no longer the master of his domain. It’s a place where he dutifully sits down when the judge tells him to sit, where he’s unable to say whatever he wants, where he’s not allowed to use his phone. And worst of all, where there’s no red button for him to push when he wants a Diet Coke. And according to him, it was bitterly cold — “freezing,” in fact, sounding like your elderly uncle at Thanksgiving. Forget a legal defense; someone needs to give him a sweater.
The criminal hearing in which he’s facing 34 felony counts is not the trial we deserve. That would be either the Georgia election interference case, the federal classified...
The past and potentially future leader of the free world spent most of it in a dingy Manhattan courtroom, no longer the master of his domain. It’s a place where he dutifully sits down when the judge tells him to sit, where he’s unable to say whatever he wants, where he’s not allowed to use his phone. And worst of all, where there’s no red button for him to push when he wants a Diet Coke. And according to him, it was bitterly cold — “freezing,” in fact, sounding like your elderly uncle at Thanksgiving. Forget a legal defense; someone needs to give him a sweater.
The criminal hearing in which he’s facing 34 felony counts is not the trial we deserve. That would be either the Georgia election interference case, the federal classified...
- 4/26/2024
- by Frank Scheck
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
We’ve got questions, and you’ve (maybe) got answers! With another week of TV gone by, we’re lobbing queries left and right about lotsa shows including Ghosts, Outlander, American Idol and NCIS!
1 | Has any series finale more exhaustively recapped every major moment that came before than Alice & Jack’s six-minute montage?
More from TVLineGhosts' Richie Moriarty Talks Pete's 'Exciting' Power and the Surprising Turn It Takes in Season FinaleAmerican Idol's Luke Bryan Offers Live Update After Falling On Stage: 'It Was the Best Moment of the Night'Mandisa, Grammy Award-Winning American Idol Alum, Dead at 47
2 | Who would have expected...
1 | Has any series finale more exhaustively recapped every major moment that came before than Alice & Jack’s six-minute montage?
More from TVLineGhosts' Richie Moriarty Talks Pete's 'Exciting' Power and the Surprising Turn It Takes in Season FinaleAmerican Idol's Luke Bryan Offers Live Update After Falling On Stage: 'It Was the Best Moment of the Night'Mandisa, Grammy Award-Winning American Idol Alum, Dead at 47
2 | Who would have expected...
- 4/26/2024
- by Vlada Gelman, Matt Webb Mitovich, Andy Swift, Dave Nemetz, Rebecca Iannucci, Ryan Schwartz, Charlie Mason and Kimberly Roots
- TVLine.com
David Pecker, a former publisher for the National Enquirer, confessed that an article which claimed a connection between Sen. Ted Cruz‘s (R-Texas) father, Rafael Cruz, and Lee Harvey Oswald was completely fabricated.
The story, published in 2016, claimed that a previously unidentified man photographed with Oswald handing out leaflets to support the former Cuban president Fidel Castro in New Orleans was actually Rafael.
The report noted that “experts” who reviewed photos of the evangelical preacher from this period found that he appeared to look similar to the assassin’s companion.
Former President Donald Trump made comments about this article by saying that Sen. Cruz’s father was in the company of Oswald just months before when he shot John F. Kennedy in 1963.
Even though Rafael confessed that he once backed Castro, he says he had been “duped” and did not know he was a communist.
One of Sen. Cruz’s...
The story, published in 2016, claimed that a previously unidentified man photographed with Oswald handing out leaflets to support the former Cuban president Fidel Castro in New Orleans was actually Rafael.
The report noted that “experts” who reviewed photos of the evangelical preacher from this period found that he appeared to look similar to the assassin’s companion.
Former President Donald Trump made comments about this article by saying that Sen. Cruz’s father was in the company of Oswald just months before when he shot John F. Kennedy in 1963.
Even though Rafael confessed that he once backed Castro, he says he had been “duped” and did not know he was a communist.
One of Sen. Cruz’s...
- 4/25/2024
- by Alessio Atria
- Uinterview
On Tuesday, Donald Trump‘s lawyer, Todd Blanche, was slammed by Judge Juan Merchan in court while discussing a gag order on the former president.
When Blanche said that Trump was doing his best to comply with the order, Judge Merchan cut him off, snapping, “You are losing all credibility with the court.”
Initially, the gag order blocked the former president’s ability to make public statements about witnesses, prosecutors and court staff if they had been “made with the intent to materially interfere with” the case.
On April 1, Merchan expanded a gag order in the hush money case, including family members of the court and prosecution. Trump repeatedly attacked Merchan’s daughter, Loren Merchan.
The prosecution cited ten incidents in recent days when Trump violated the order.
Last week, Trump reposted a clip from Fox News host Jesse Watters claiming that liberals were “lying” to get the jury. “They...
When Blanche said that Trump was doing his best to comply with the order, Judge Merchan cut him off, snapping, “You are losing all credibility with the court.”
Initially, the gag order blocked the former president’s ability to make public statements about witnesses, prosecutors and court staff if they had been “made with the intent to materially interfere with” the case.
On April 1, Merchan expanded a gag order in the hush money case, including family members of the court and prosecution. Trump repeatedly attacked Merchan’s daughter, Loren Merchan.
The prosecution cited ten incidents in recent days when Trump violated the order.
Last week, Trump reposted a clip from Fox News host Jesse Watters claiming that liberals were “lying” to get the jury. “They...
- 4/24/2024
- by Alessio Atria
- Uinterview
Young and the Restless sees the drama heats up as a two-week spoiler reveals high stakes and unexpected twists from April 22-May 3, 2024. When Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) and Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) unearth a major clue regarding Harrison Abbott’s kidnapping, tension intensifies. The race to rescue Harrison and Claire Howard (Hayley Erin) from their captor, Jordan Howard (Colleen Zenk), turns fierce, with Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott) even offering herself as bait to lure the kidnapper.
Y&r 2-Week Spoilers Sizzle!
In the corporate sphere, Chancellor Winters is in turmoil as Billy Abbott (Jason Thompson) and Devon Hamilton (Bryton James) go head-to-head over board seats. Meanwhile, Ashley Abbott’s (Eileen Davidson) new alter-ego, Blanche, makes a startling appearance on the CBS soap opera, posing a potential threat to Tucker McCall (Trevor St. John) and Audra Charles (Zuleyka Silver). Victoria Newman (Amelia Heinle) finds herself caught in a romantic reminiscence...
Y&r 2-Week Spoilers Sizzle!
In the corporate sphere, Chancellor Winters is in turmoil as Billy Abbott (Jason Thompson) and Devon Hamilton (Bryton James) go head-to-head over board seats. Meanwhile, Ashley Abbott’s (Eileen Davidson) new alter-ego, Blanche, makes a startling appearance on the CBS soap opera, posing a potential threat to Tucker McCall (Trevor St. John) and Audra Charles (Zuleyka Silver). Victoria Newman (Amelia Heinle) finds herself caught in a romantic reminiscence...
- 4/23/2024
- by Belynda Gates-Turner
- Soap Dirt
Update: Judge Juan Merchan has not yet issued a decision on whether Donald Trump violated a gag order and, if so, what kind of sanction he should face.
Merchan listened to both sides during an hourlong hearing, at one point getting perturbed at Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche.
“You’re losing all credibility with the court,” Merchan told Blanche at one point, after Trump’s attorney said that the former president was “being very careful” to comply with the order.
Prosecutors are pointing to at least ten instances where they say Trump has violated the order. That includes a Truth Social post that appeared to quote Fox News host Jesse Watters. “They are catching undercover Liberal Activists lying to the Judge in order to get on the Trump Jury,” the post quoted Watters as saying.
But prosecutors said that Trump added words to the quote, and it was not merely a repost.
Merchan listened to both sides during an hourlong hearing, at one point getting perturbed at Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche.
“You’re losing all credibility with the court,” Merchan told Blanche at one point, after Trump’s attorney said that the former president was “being very careful” to comply with the order.
Prosecutors are pointing to at least ten instances where they say Trump has violated the order. That includes a Truth Social post that appeared to quote Fox News host Jesse Watters. “They are catching undercover Liberal Activists lying to the Judge in order to get on the Trump Jury,” the post quoted Watters as saying.
But prosecutors said that Trump added words to the quote, and it was not merely a repost.
- 4/23/2024
- by Sean Piccoli
- Deadline Film + TV
Donald Trump’s alleged violations of a gag order restricting him from attacking witnesses, jurors, prosecutors, and court staff during his ongoing criminal hush money trial got their own day in court on Tuesday.
During a tense hearing, Judge Juan Merchan heard arguments from Manhattan prosecutors requesting that Trump be sanctioned for “willful” violations of the gag order — and sparred with Trump’s attorneys over claims of ignorance by the president. No decision was handed down Tuesday, but prosecutors have requested that Trump be fined $1,000 for each violation, and reminded...
During a tense hearing, Judge Juan Merchan heard arguments from Manhattan prosecutors requesting that Trump be sanctioned for “willful” violations of the gag order — and sparred with Trump’s attorneys over claims of ignorance by the president. No decision was handed down Tuesday, but prosecutors have requested that Trump be fined $1,000 for each violation, and reminded...
- 4/23/2024
- by Nikki McCann Ramirez and Catherina Gioino
- Rollingstone.com
Update: David Pecker, the former CEO of the celebrity magazine and tabloid company American Media, was first witness today, as prosecutors try to show the extent to which Donald Trump sought to suppress embarrassing stories in advance of the 2016 election.
Pecker testified for about 25 minutes, telling the jury about his work publishing Star magazine, National Enquirer and other periodicals before the clock ran out on a court day that was scheduled to end early. He said matter-of-factly that he practiced “checkbook journalism, with budgets of $10,000 per story, sometimes more, for paying sources.
Pecker will return to the stand on Tuesday after a morning hearing on a request by prosecutors to seek a contempt ruling against Trump for allegedly violating the judge’s gag order in the case.
In opening statements, prosecutor Matthew Colangelo identified Pecker — who is testifying under a subpoena — as “the eyes and ears” in the “catch and...
Pecker testified for about 25 minutes, telling the jury about his work publishing Star magazine, National Enquirer and other periodicals before the clock ran out on a court day that was scheduled to end early. He said matter-of-factly that he practiced “checkbook journalism, with budgets of $10,000 per story, sometimes more, for paying sources.
Pecker will return to the stand on Tuesday after a morning hearing on a request by prosecutors to seek a contempt ruling against Trump for allegedly violating the judge’s gag order in the case.
In opening statements, prosecutor Matthew Colangelo identified Pecker — who is testifying under a subpoena — as “the eyes and ears” in the “catch and...
- 4/22/2024
- by Sean Piccoli
- Deadline Film + TV
In October of 2016, Donald Trump’s fixer paid $130,000 to Stormy Daniels, a porn star who was shopping out claims of a scandalous affair between herself and Trump — who at the time was in the heat of his first campaign for president. The long tail of the scandal’s fallout would ultimately land Trump in criminal court, where on Monday prosecutors delivered opening arguments to a jury they hope to convince of the former president’s guilt.
Trump didn’t seem too concerned with the gravity of the situation — bobbing his...
Trump didn’t seem too concerned with the gravity of the situation — bobbing his...
- 4/22/2024
- by Catherina Gioino, Nikki McCann Ramirez and Ryan Bort
- Rollingstone.com
In Tennessee Williams' play "A Streetcar Named Desire," Blanche DuBois desperately clings to certain beliefs. She is keenly intent on reinforcing the societal values and morals inherent in her aristocratic lineage, shunning realism for the magic of a nostalgic past that hides something darker, and repressing her guilt with the help of self-soothing mechanisms. When faced with the terrible nature of reality, which culminates in the character of her brother-in-law Stanley, Blanche is forced to reckon with the cycles of the violence that mark her existence, along with the precious fantasies woven to protect herself from true growth or healing. When she smashes a mirror, the delusions also shatter, with fantasy having no hold on her perception of reality anymore.
The mirror-smashing scene is seminal to understanding Blanche in Williams' play, and "On the Waterfront" director Elia Kazan's film adaptation of the story also dramatizes this to chilling effect,...
The mirror-smashing scene is seminal to understanding Blanche in Williams' play, and "On the Waterfront" director Elia Kazan's film adaptation of the story also dramatizes this to chilling effect,...
- 4/20/2024
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
Update: A 12-person jury has been selected for Donald Trump’s hush money trial.
“We have our jury,” said Judge Juan Merchan, after several days of lengthy questioning of prospective jurors on the panel.
Jury selection is not over, as the process now moves to selecting alternates. One was selected later in the day today, with as many as five more to go.
And even as the additional jurors were sworn in this afternoon, issues can still be raised. Earlier today, two of the seven jurors who already had been sworn in were excused from the case. One of the jurors raised issues about her ability to be impartial and over the disclosure of some of her personal information; the other was excused after prosecutors raised issues over a prior arrest.
Trump himself continued to blast the case. “I’m sitting here for days now, from morning til night in that freezing room.
“We have our jury,” said Judge Juan Merchan, after several days of lengthy questioning of prospective jurors on the panel.
Jury selection is not over, as the process now moves to selecting alternates. One was selected later in the day today, with as many as five more to go.
And even as the additional jurors were sworn in this afternoon, issues can still be raised. Earlier today, two of the seven jurors who already had been sworn in were excused from the case. One of the jurors raised issues about her ability to be impartial and over the disclosure of some of her personal information; the other was excused after prosecutors raised issues over a prior arrest.
Trump himself continued to blast the case. “I’m sitting here for days now, from morning til night in that freezing room.
- 4/18/2024
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Judge Juan Merchan issued a warning to former President Donald Trump, saying that he would be arrested if he disrupted or skipped his hush money trial.
On April 15, the day this warning was issued, Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, claimed that the former president wanted to be present for trial proceedings. Such proceedings include sidebar conferences during the trial and voir dire, the initial examination of a witness or a juror.
In response, Merchan warned that Trump’s presence may also pose logistical challenges involving the Secret Service.
Judge Merchan warned Trump that if he disrupted the proceedings, he could be imprisoned, and the trial would continue in his absence. The judge also warned the former president that he might face an arrest warrant if he skipped his trial for no reason—a statement given to defendants in New York called the Parker Warning.
In addition, Blanche stated that the...
On April 15, the day this warning was issued, Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, claimed that the former president wanted to be present for trial proceedings. Such proceedings include sidebar conferences during the trial and voir dire, the initial examination of a witness or a juror.
In response, Merchan warned that Trump’s presence may also pose logistical challenges involving the Secret Service.
Judge Merchan warned Trump that if he disrupted the proceedings, he could be imprisoned, and the trial would continue in his absence. The judge also warned the former president that he might face an arrest warrant if he skipped his trial for no reason—a statement given to defendants in New York called the Parker Warning.
In addition, Blanche stated that the...
- 4/18/2024
- by Alessio Atria
- Uinterview
During jury selection for Donald Trump’s New York hush money trial, Judge Juan Merchan accused the former president of “intimidating” a juror after he made a gesture and muttered at him.
Merchan asked Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, to “speak to him” about his behavior.
“Your client was audibly uttering something. He was gesturing and muttering in the direction [of the juror],” the judge said to Blanche.
“I will not tolerate that,” Judge Merchan added, raising his voice. “I will not have any jurors intimidated in this courtroom. Take a minute and speak to your client about it!”
On day two of jury selection, the former president and his lawyers had a potential juror dismissed over a Facebook post he wrote about Trump in 2017.
“Get him out and lock him up,” the man wrote.
When the potential juror had been called into court to explain his actions, he admitted that he had...
Merchan asked Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, to “speak to him” about his behavior.
“Your client was audibly uttering something. He was gesturing and muttering in the direction [of the juror],” the judge said to Blanche.
“I will not tolerate that,” Judge Merchan added, raising his voice. “I will not have any jurors intimidated in this courtroom. Take a minute and speak to your client about it!”
On day two of jury selection, the former president and his lawyers had a potential juror dismissed over a Facebook post he wrote about Trump in 2017.
“Get him out and lock him up,” the man wrote.
When the potential juror had been called into court to explain his actions, he admitted that he had...
- 4/17/2024
- by Alessio Atria
- Uinterview
Donald Trump, a man renowned for craving adulation and approval, has this week been confronted with the disdain of Manhattanites called as prospective jurors in his New York criminal trial for allegedly falsifying business records to cover up a hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. No wonder he’s apparently trying to sleep through the proceedings.
While no jurors were selected on Monday — with dozens excused after indicating they could not be fair and impartial in weighing the 34 felony charges against Trump — seven made the cut on Tuesday. (The...
While no jurors were selected on Monday — with dozens excused after indicating they could not be fair and impartial in weighing the 34 felony charges against Trump — seven made the cut on Tuesday. (The...
- 4/16/2024
- by Miles Klee
- Rollingstone.com
Update: Jury selection has ended for the day in Donald Trump’s hush money trial, with 11 people so far having gone through an extensive questionnaire. A total of 32 potential jurors were left in the courtroom.
After the prospective jurors left the courtroom, Trump’s attorney Todd Blanche requested that his client be excused from the proceedings on April 25. That’s the day that the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Trump’s claims of immunity from prosecution.
But Merchan rejected the request. “Arguing before the Supreme Court is a big deal, and I can certainly appreciate why your client would want to be there. But a trial in New York Supreme Court … is also a big deal,” he said, per a pool report. “I will see him here next week.”
The trial will be dark on Wednesdays, when Merchan has other court duties. But he has not ruled out...
After the prospective jurors left the courtroom, Trump’s attorney Todd Blanche requested that his client be excused from the proceedings on April 25. That’s the day that the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Trump’s claims of immunity from prosecution.
But Merchan rejected the request. “Arguing before the Supreme Court is a big deal, and I can certainly appreciate why your client would want to be there. But a trial in New York Supreme Court … is also a big deal,” he said, per a pool report. “I will see him here next week.”
The trial will be dark on Wednesdays, when Merchan has other court duties. But he has not ruled out...
- 4/15/2024
- by Sean Piccoli and Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
High profile — and deeply polarizing — attorney Joseph Tacopina is no longer representing Donald Trump in the ex-president’s cases in New York City. Tacopina had previously represented Trump in a criminal hush money case as well as in E. Jean Carroll’s sexual abuse and defamation civil suit last year.
Reps for Tacopina didn’t immediately reply to request for comment. Trump campaign spokesman Steve Cheung said in a statement that Trump “has the most experienced, qualified, disciplined, and overall strongest legal team ever assembled.”
Trump currently faces a flurry...
Reps for Tacopina didn’t immediately reply to request for comment. Trump campaign spokesman Steve Cheung said in a statement that Trump “has the most experienced, qualified, disciplined, and overall strongest legal team ever assembled.”
Trump currently faces a flurry...
- 1/15/2024
- by Ethan Millman
- Rollingstone.com
Donald Trump has been arrested again.
The former president turned himself over to authorities in Miami on Tuesday, to be arraigned after being charged last week with 37 federal counts related to his handling of classified material. Trump stayed at his nearby Doral resort on Monday night, and left for the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. federal courthouse a little after 1:30 p.m. local time.
The court prohibited journalists from bringing any phones or electronic devices into the courthouse, although a transcript of the proceedings was provided. Trump was not be...
The former president turned himself over to authorities in Miami on Tuesday, to be arraigned after being charged last week with 37 federal counts related to his handling of classified material. Trump stayed at his nearby Doral resort on Monday night, and left for the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. federal courthouse a little after 1:30 p.m. local time.
The court prohibited journalists from bringing any phones or electronic devices into the courthouse, although a transcript of the proceedings was provided. Trump was not be...
- 6/13/2023
- by Mike Seemuth and Ryan Bort
- Rollingstone.com
Right up until the day Donald Trump’s federal indictment was unsealed, the legal team tasked with defending him was engaged in petty internal feuds — including fights over TV appearances, accusations of disloyalty, and even a so-called “coup,” three people familiar with the situation, as well as others on or close to Trump’s legal defense, tell Rolling Stone.
The clashes were dramatic enough that Friday, hours before Trump’s federal indictment in the Mar-a-Lago documents probe was unsealed, top lawyers John Rowley and Jim Trusty abruptly resigned. The resignations...
The clashes were dramatic enough that Friday, hours before Trump’s federal indictment in the Mar-a-Lago documents probe was unsealed, top lawyers John Rowley and Jim Trusty abruptly resigned. The resignations...
- 6/13/2023
- by Asawin Suebsaeng and Adam Rawnsley
- Rollingstone.com
Bea Arthur was The Golden Girls star who opted to leave the show after season 7. Her decision ended the show’s iconic run. In an interview, Arthur’s son confided that his mother had tired of the process of filming a sitcom and was ready to slow down when she walked away. Other sources claim Arthur had grown resentful of the constant barrage of insults aimed at her character, Dorothy Zbornak’s looks. Both reasons are completely feasible. They are probably both right. Dorothy was treated awfully by her roommates. The character really did deserve much better.
Dorothy’s roommates were mean to her
Dorothy agreed to room with Rose Nylund and Blanche Devereaux after being cheated on by her husband, Stan Zbornak. Her mother, Sophia Petrillo, moved in soon after. Despite being in a similar position to Rose Nylund and Blanche Devereaux, Dorothy was almost immediately treated as the odd one.
Dorothy’s roommates were mean to her
Dorothy agreed to room with Rose Nylund and Blanche Devereaux after being cheated on by her husband, Stan Zbornak. Her mother, Sophia Petrillo, moved in soon after. Despite being in a similar position to Rose Nylund and Blanche Devereaux, Dorothy was almost immediately treated as the odd one.
- 4/2/2023
- by Andrea Francese
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Last year, everyone’s minds were blown when we realized Carrie Bradshaw and her besties were the same age in And Just Like That… as The Golden Girls roomies were when their show premiered in 1985. Times have certainly changed, and how we expect women in their 50s to present themselves has changed, too. They don’t just have their ages in common. There is a deeper connection between Sex and the City and The Golden Girls if you think about it. You can draw a parallel between some of the characters.
The cast of ‘Sex and the City’ | Brian Ach/WireImage Samantha Jones was as unapologetically sexual as Blanche Devereaux
When you look at The Golden Girls and Sex and the City, it’s easy to see the similarities between Blanche Devereaux and Samantha Jones. The two ladies were deeply enthralled with sex and garnering the attention of men. They are the most alike.
The cast of ‘Sex and the City’ | Brian Ach/WireImage Samantha Jones was as unapologetically sexual as Blanche Devereaux
When you look at The Golden Girls and Sex and the City, it’s easy to see the similarities between Blanche Devereaux and Samantha Jones. The two ladies were deeply enthralled with sex and garnering the attention of men. They are the most alike.
- 4/1/2023
- by Andrea Francese
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
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