Milestone Moments: All The Celebrity Vitals

[DearEvette]

I think I read Will and Jada a little more charitably, I guess.

It sounds like they were no longer happy in the relationship but also either did not or just could not break away easily.  It sounds like even though the romance or sexual spark was gone, there was still some sort of emotional connection there.  A lot of people find it hard to give up.  And I would imagine that if you already had one divorce under your belt, it might be doubly hard to see yourself in that boat a second time.

I also don't see the slap any differently either.  Although they may have not be together-together at at point, she is still the the mother of his children and was his partner of many years. He can still love and respect her enough not to want to see some other man disrespect her.

And Chris is still incredibly problematic all on his own. It was very clear he had a personal animus against her going back at least til 2016, if not earlet.  So, yeah, he is still a trash human, imo, regardless of the state if the Smith marriage.

[Zella]

1 hour ago, DearEvette said:

I think I read Will and Jada a little more charitably, I guess.

It sounds like they were no longer happy in the relationship but also either did not or just could not break away easily.  It sounds like even though the romance or sexual spark was gone, there was still some sort of emotional connection there.  A lot of people find it hard to give up.  And I would imagine that if you already had one divorce under your belt, it might be doubly hard to see yourself in that boat a second time.

I think all of that makes sense. I can even understand wanting to keep your long-term separation private. What I don't understand is them spending years essentially lying about it and actively using their marriage as fodder for confessional material under the guise of being authentic and honest wherein they still present themselves as married when they haven't considered themselves married the entire time they were doing so. 

Edited October 12, 2023 by Zella

[Guest]

6 hours ago, Zella said:

I think all of that makes sense. I can even understand wanting to keep your long-term separation private. What I don't understand is them spending years essentially lying about it and actively using their marriage as fodder for confessional material under the guise of being authentic and honest wherein they still present themselves as married when they haven't considered themselves married the entire time they were doing so. 

This. My parents waited years to divorce after the marriage was over so I don’t see that to be a big deal at all. It’s that they keep broadcasting the “truth” of their relationship to create some image of depth and enlightenment. 

 

On 10/10/2023 at 5:30 PM, MissAlmond said:

Former Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton in ICU for rare form of pneumonia.

https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2023-10-10/mary-lou-retton-hospitalized-pneumonia

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/former-olympic-gymnast-mary-lou-retton-icu-battling-pneumonia-1235614586/

https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/10/sport/mary-lou-retton-pneumonia-hospitalized/index.html

https://people.com/former-olympic-gymnast-mary-lou-retton-fighting-for-her-life-in-icu-8349994

I just saw a headline that she has no insurance and her daughter is having to ask for donations. Crazy.

I feel for her family but she forever ruined her reputation, in my eyes, by siding with USA Gymnastics trying to protect itself in the aftermath of Nassar. 

[Blergh]

Boiled down to essentials it seems that Ms. Pickett-Smith made a big effort to pitch her union with Mr. Smith as some kind of idyllic union- despite it being an open one- but now she fesses that they've been separated for 7 years.  OK, I've known folks who've stayed technically wed but separated for a long time for a variety of reasons (including wanting to keep the marital shares of properties rather than chancing it being divvied up). If she'd wanted to have privacy about their union, she truly shouldn't have made a loud spectacle of how   it was allegedly still hunky dory despite having had public bumps. I don't know how that can't be construed as anything but having been deliberately misleading and dishonest.

Yes, if as Ms. Pickett-Smith claims, Mr. Rock bugged her for a fling after the separation became known in their inner circle and he's had a vendetta re her declining it instead of just contenting himself with interested consenting adults, that's wrong.

However, the problem is that, even her own  accounts, she's changed her story so many times, it's hard to say if she's NOW finally telling the whole truth and nothing but.

My sympathies go to her offspring who seem to have had lived their entire lives in a three-ring circus of their so-called parents' making (note I am NOT letting Mr. Smith off the hookeroo for this since he COULD  have easily said 'enough')!

Edited October 13, 2023 by Blergh

[BetterButter]

R.I.P. Rudolph Isley, founding member of the Isley Brothers

[andromeda331]

18 minutes ago, BetterButter said:

R.I.P. Rudolph Isley, founding member of the Isley Brothers

I loved their songs. RIP Rudolph Isley.

27 minutes ago, Blergh said:

Boiled down to essentials it seems that Ms. Pickett-Smith made a big effort to pitch her union with Mr. Smith as some kind of idyllic union- despite it being an open one- but now she fesses that they've been separated for 7 years.  OK, I've known folks who've stayed technically wed but separated for a long time for a variety of reasons (including wanting to keep the marital shares of properties rather than chancing it being divvied up). If she'd wanted to have privacy about their union, she truly shouldn't have made a loud spectacle of hot it   it was allegedly still hunky dory despite having had public bumps. I don't know how that can't be construed as anything but having been deliberately misleading and dishonest.

This! If they separated but didn't want to tell anyone. That would be fine. If they told people they were separated but staying married. That's fine too. A lot of couples do that for various reasons. But nope, she acted like it was this perfect union. Then claimed they had an open marriage. Which would also be fine but it's clear they weren't in an open marriage.

 

Quote

However, the problem is that, even her own  accounts, she's changed her story so many times, it's hard to say if she's NOW finally telling the whole truth and nothing but.

Exactly. She keeps changing what the truth is. 

10 hours ago, bluegirl147 said:

In Will's book he writes that his first divorce wasn't finalized yet when he became involved with Jada.  Before the papers were signed his first wife Sheree was willing to give their marriage another try but Will signed the papers and went off to be with Jada.  I think he had regrets over that and might be why he doesn't want to get divorced again.  

I guess Will now knows how his ex-wife feels? Sucks to be in that position Will but it's hard to be sympathetic when your now in the same spot you put your ex in.

[shapeshifter]

14 minutes ago, andromeda331 said:

I loved their songs. RIP Rudolph Isley.

❤️

[Annber03]

33 minutes ago, BetterButter said:

R.I.P. Rudolph Isley, founding member of the Isley Brothers

"Shout" came up on my Spotify today. Interesting timing. 

Aw. May he rest in peace. 

[ProudMary]

Great music. My favorite Isley Brothers' songs are "This Old Heart of Mine" and Fight the Power."  Another big loss. 😢

 

[Blergh]

In addition to their wonderful original music, let's not forget that Mr.Isley and his brothers took Michael 'screams every single note like his toe is in an electric socket' Bolton to court over 'Love is a Wonderful Thing' (1991) which not only had the same title as title as their own 1966 song but a 1994 jury  agreed that he'd plagiarized   their earlier work and would reward them. THANK you Mr. Isley for standing up for your innovations and hard work against the aforementioned Mr. Bolton and winning! RIP,Mr. Isley!

[BetterButter]

Louise Glück, Nobel-winning poet of terse and candid lyricism, dies at 80

[scarynikki12]

On 10/12/2023 at 4:03 PM, Dani said:

I just saw a headline that she has no insurance and her daughter is having to ask for donations. Crazy.

She doesn't have insurance voluntarily. She lives in a six bedroom mansion and is worth millions but it seems like her family doesn't want to pay the medical expenses themselves so they're getting the public to pay for it via that GFM and implying she's now destitute. They've raised a few hundred grand last I read so the scam is working. 

[BetterButter]

R.I.P. original Lost In Space star Mark Goddard

[MissAlmond]

Actor Phyllis Coates who was the original Lois Lane on The Adventures of Superman has died, age 96.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/phyllis-coates-dead-lois-lane-superman-1235616582/

https://deadline.com/2023/10/phyllis-coates-dead-1235571420/

https://www.thewrap.com/phyllis-coates-tvs-first-lois-lane-dead-dies-obit/

https://www.avclub.com/r-i-p-phyllis-coates-tv-s-first-lois-lane-superman-1850921993

 

[Blergh]

6 hours ago, BetterButter said:

R.I.P. original Lost In Space star Mark Goddard

I always liked Mr. Goddard's character Major Don West who not only seemed to have excellent chemistry with the Robinson's eldest daughter Judy (played by the always stunning Marta Kristen) but also was the ONE regular who never faked having any liking for Dr. Smith yet was professionally civil to him out of respect for Commander and Mrs. Robinson (even though he disagreed with the family's call to somewhat embrace the untrustworthy, cowardly Dr. Smith and all the messes he wrought).

On a more serious note, later in life Mr. Goddard  realized that performing wasn't his true calling. Hence, he went back to complete his college education and became (of all professions) a special education teacher and even taught his students acting as a means to expand their horizons despite their extra challenges! Good for him and, RIP Mr. Goddard!

[Avabelle]

Taking Chris Rock and The Slap out of the Pinkett - Smith mess, I find Jada comes across incredibly toxic. I’m sure he is just as bad but his silence makes him look slightly better by comparison. She says they couldn’t end it due to some sort of connection or loyalty to each other yet didn’t she have a relationship with their kids friend and then announce that on tv? It comes across to me that she’s been done with the relationship for years but potentially he won’t let it go and has convinced her to keep up the pretense. This connection shes saying that has kept them together is now just resentment on her part and feels to me like she just keeps finding new ways of humiliating him via this book and her red table. Again I’m just talking about their relationship in general, not The Slap.

They're a great example of when a couple should just divorce rather than stay together for whatever noble reason they think requires.

[Zella]

6 hours ago, Avabelle said:

Taking Chris Rock and The Slap out of the Pinkett - Smith mess, I find Jada comes across incredibly toxic. I’m sure he is just as bad but his silence makes him look slightly better by comparison.

I don't follow them, but various things I've heard over the years makes me think that the relationship was never very healthy and that neither of them are very functional people. I know she's said she stopped taking her meds for depression and used him as a substitute and that apparently one of the factors in their marriage breaking down was a birthday party he threw for her that was all about him, in her eyes. He also apparently played one of her movie sex scenes when he introduced her to his grandma, which is just beyond the pale to me. On the flip side, the things their kids say about her and Tupac Shakur and the way she seems to be the primary instigator in the oversharing, even when he looks uncomfortable with it, makes me think that they're equally problematic. I think they're fundamentally incompatible and always have been.  

[Cobalt Stargazer]

3 hours ago, Zella said:

On the flip side, the things their kids say about her and Tupac Shakur and the way she seems to be the primary instigator in the oversharing, even when he looks uncomfortable with it, makes me think that they're equally problematic. I think they're fundamentally incompatible and always have been.  

 

[Zella]

2 minutes ago, Cobalt Stargazer said:

 

What was wild to me was her admitting they never had a romantic relationship, but her son indicating that Tupac would have been his dad if he'd lived rather than Will Smith. It makes me think during arguments that Tupac must be thrown in Will Smith's face a lot and her kids grew up overhearing it That or she spends a lot of time actively talking to her kids about him as an alternative. 

[MissAlmond]

On 10/12/2023 at 10:10 PM, ProudMary said:

Great music. My favorite Isley Brothers' songs are "This Old Heart of Mine" and Fight the Power." 

🎵I tried to play my music
    They say my music's too loud
    I tried talking about it
    I got the big run around

   And when I rolled with the punches
   I got knocked on the ground
  By all this bulls**t going down.

Truth still relevant today. R.I.P. Mr. Isley.

 

Edited October 14, 2023 by MissAlmond
Corrected lyrics

[MissAlmond]

R.I.P. Mark Goddard.

From Bill Mumy's (Will Robinson on Lost in Space) Facebook page:

Quote

I hate writing this.

R.I.P. to Mark Goddard. A truly beloved friend and brother to me for 59 years. I knew this was coming for the past few months. Shortly after a great phone chat he and I had on his 87th birthday in late July, I became aware that I would most likely never see or speak with him again.

The last words we exchanged were "I love you."

Mark’s “real” name was Charles Harvey. Mine is Charles William. We called each other by those birth names often. We also called each other “Captain Panther” and “Fox” based on the crude childhood comic books I wrote and drew in my spare time while filming Lost in Space. He and I had a lot of great memorable times together during the three years of filming the series. We got into some pretty goofy trouble.

Mark was a truly fine actor. Naturally gifted as well as trained. I know he sometimes felt constricted by the campy frame that LIS constrained him within, but he also embraced and loved it.

Mark was a sports nut. He passionately followed his Boston teams. He was a die hard Celtics fan. I’m a die hard Lakers fan. We teased each other about that classic rivalry and we both had great respect for many of the players on the teams we rooted against.

He was ridiculously handsome and eternally boyish. Mark was very funny and spontaneous. He enjoyed having a good time.

My deepest condolences and love to Mark's amazing and strong wife Evelyn and his wonderful children, Melissa, (Missy), Michael, Caleb and John.

There's a part of me that envisions him having a martini in Heaven right now with Jonathan Harris, Kevin Burns, Guy Williams and other comrades who left this world of woe before him. There's a part of me that believes he's in a better place now. A much better place.

But I still hate writing this.

 

 

Edited October 14, 2023 by MissAlmond

[Cobalt Stargazer]

3 hours ago, Zella said:

What was wild to me was her admitting they never had a romantic relationship, but her son indicating that Tupac would have been his dad if he'd lived rather than Will Smith. It makes me think during arguments that Tupac must be thrown in Will Smith's face a lot and her kids grew up overhearing it That or she spends a lot of time actively talking to her kids about him as an alternative. 

From what I've been able to gather, Jada never wanted to marry Will, but she was pregnant with their first kid and felt pressured to go through with it, so they got hitched and it's been a miserable hell ever since. At least in private, which just makes it weirder that they're still married and playing happy family in public. It seems like living with him would be difficult, since there's something of the glory hound under that 'down to earth' persona, but it also feels like she goes out of her way to embarrass him every chance she gets. Jesus, Tupac's been dead for thirty years, and she's still invoking him as the love of her life? Just. Get. A. Damn. Divorce. Already.

[Zella]

1 minute ago, Cobalt Stargazer said:

there's something of the glory hound under that 'down to earth' persona, but it also feels like she goes out of her way to embarrass him every chance she gets.

Yes that's my read on the situation too! I've also heard that bit about her not wanting to get married. She apparently cried all the way down the aisle and not happy tears.  

3 minutes ago, Cobalt Stargazer said:

At least in private, which just makes it weirder that they're still married and playing happy family in public.

To be honest, my friends who are the most vocal about how magical their marriage is are the ones who are in the worst marriages. I am not sure if they think telling other people will convince themselves it's better than what it is or if they are so embarrassed about it that they feel the need to put on a good public face. But I could see a similar thing being at work here. It doesn't make the performative oversharing any less obnoxious, though. 

[Crashcourse]

2 hours ago, Cobalt Stargazer said:

Jesus, Tupac's been dead for thirty years, and she's still invoking him as the love of her life? Just. Get. A. Damn. Divorce. Already.

And since Tupac is dead, we don't know how he really felt about her.  It's her story only.

[Zella]

32 minutes ago, Crashcourse said:

And since Tupac is dead, we don't know how he really felt about her.  It's her story only.

One of the more telling stories I've heard about their friendship is that when she started dating Smith, she begged Shakur not to beat him up, and apparently Shakur was really confused and even rather offended that she thought that would be his reaction to the news. 

[Domestic Assassin]

RIP Piper Laurie

https://www.indiewire.com/news/obituary/piper-laurie-dead-1234916783/

[MissAlmond]

 

[Spartan Girl]

RIP to one of the most terrifying movie mothers of all time. I am of course referring to Carrie. I love that Piper insisted on keeping in Margaret’s “Red, I might have known known it’s be red” line in the movie, even when the dress was changed to pink, because it showed just how off her rocker that bitch was.

[Bastet]

I liked Piper Laurie in everything I ever saw her in.  But 91 is a great run, especially as she was able to work right up until the end of it.

[Annber03]

4 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

RIP to one of the most terrifying movie mothers of all time. I am of course referring to Carrie. I love that Piper insisted on keeping in Margaret’s “Red, I might have known known it’s be red” line in the movie, even when the dress was changed to pink, because it showed just how off her rocker that bitch was.

There's a scene in that movie where she's turning on Carrie and coming at her with a knife in her hand, and at one point you see her from Carrie's perspective, and it's one of the scariest moments in the movie for me. The look on Laurie's face there is...EEK. 

But yeah, she was great in that movie. I also liked when she popped up on an episode of "Frasier" as the mother of Dr. Nora (who was supposed to be a parody of Dr. Laura). Her character's behavior towards Nora there seemed to be a fun little nod of sorts to her role in Carrie, which made it all the more entertaining :D. 

And she was also in a super creepy episode of the 1980s Twilight Zone. Her character wasn't creepy, but she had some great lines in it, and it's one of my favorite episodes of that version of the show.

Rest in peace, Piper Laurie.

Also enjoyed reading Billy Mumy's tribute to Mark Goddard up above. Aw. What a lovely, touching post. 

[bluegirl147]

1 hour ago, Zella said:

One of the more telling stories I've heard about their friendship is that when she started dating Smith, she begged Shakur not to beat him up, and apparently Shakur was really confused and even rather offended that she thought that would be his reaction to the news. 

I've always thought that Jada thinks everyone thinks as highly of her as she thinks of herself.  My take is she loved Tupac but he only liked her as a friend and Jada not believing that thought being with Will would make him jealous.  Wonder how things would have played out if Tupac hadn't died.  And I absolutely believe Jada threw Tupac in Will's face any chance she got.

[Spartan Girl]

22 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

There's a scene in that movie where she's turning on Carrie and coming at her with a knife in her hand, and at one point you see her from Carrie's perspective, and it's one of the scariest moments in the movie for me. The look on Laurie's face there is...EEK. 

You mean the part where she makes the sign of the cross with the knife and that freaky smile on her face? Oh yeah. Nightmare fuel.

[Vermicious Knid]

Michael Caine Officially Announces Retirement. For real, this time. But yeah he's 90 and has been working practically non-stop his whole life. He's got nothing left to prove. 

Quote

 

“I keep saying I’m going to retire. Well, I am now,” Caine said. He had previously suggested his retirement was imminent in an interview with The Telegraph last month, saying he was “sort of” retired.

His final turn on screen is in Oliver Parker’s “The Great Escaper,” a biographical film about World War II veteran Bernard Jordan breaking out of a care home to attend the 70th anniversary commemoration of D-Day in 2014...

“I’ve figured, I’ve had a picture where I’ve played the lead and it’s got incredible reviews,” Caine said. “The only parts I’m likely to get now are old men, 90-year-old men, maybe 85. And I thought, ‘Well, I might as well leave with all this — I’ve got wonderful reviews. What have I got to do to beat this?'” 

 

[Wiendish Fitch]

On 10/13/2023 at 7:39 PM, scarynikki12 said:

She doesn't have insurance voluntarily. She lives in a six bedroom mansion and is worth millions but it seems like her family doesn't want to pay the medical expenses themselves so they're getting the public to pay for it via that GFM and implying she's now destitute. They've raised a few hundred grand last I read so the scam is working. 

Update: Mary Lou Retton is on the mend, according to her daughter.

It doesn't make her choice to not have health insurance any less appallingly stupid. 

Edited October 15, 2023 by Wiendish Fitch

[GreekGeek]

19 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

RIP to one of the most terrifying movie mothers of all time. I am of course referring to Carrie. I love that Piper insisted on keeping in Margaret’s “Red, I might have known known it’s be red” line in the movie, even when the dress was changed to pink, because it showed just how off her rocker that bitch was.

It was always pink from the beginning. But yes, the fact that she disapproved of a modest pink dress shows how extreme she was. I was a bit surprised at first by how different Piper Laurie's Margaret was from the book's, where she was described as very large and unattractive. Laurie made her more of a Southern fundamentalist than the New England Puritan that King imagined. But she was certainly memorable!

For a look at her playing a very different character, check out The Hustler, where she played Paul Newman's depressed alcoholic girlfriend.

[AgathaC]

19 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

You mean the part where she makes the sign of the cross with the knife and that freaky smile on her face? Oh yeah. Nightmare fuel.

Oh my. I’ve never seen that whole movie, but as I was channel surfing once, I happened to see that one bit. Years later, it still pops, unbidden and unwanted, into my brain and freaks me out. So, yeah. Incredibly effective.

[Spartan Girl]

25 minutes ago, GreekGeek said:

It was always pink from the beginning. But yes, the fact that she disapproved of a modest pink dress shows how extreme she was. I was a bit surprised at first by how different Piper Laurie's Margaret was from the book's, where she was described as very large and unattractive.

It was red in the book and the original script kept it that way until the costume designers realized a pink dress would work better with the corn syrup/pig blood. But Piper insisted on keeping that line because it was her favorite.

[MerBearHou]

Suzanne Somers passed away this morning at age 76.  She battled cancer for decades.  

[LexieLily]

36 minutes ago, MerBearHou said:

Suzanne Somers passed away this morning at age 76.  She battled cancer for decades.  

Joyce DeWitt is the only OG from "Three's Company" left 😥

I want to say Joyce made peace with John Ritter before he died, did she and Suzanne ever make peace? 

[Annber03]

43 minutes ago, MerBearHou said:

Suzanne Somers passed away this morning at age 76.  She battled cancer for decades.  

Oh, my god. I did not know that.

Aw, that's sad. May she rest in peace. 

[Quof]

29 minutes ago, LexieLily said:

I want to say Joyce made peace with John Ritter before he died, did she and Suzanne ever make peace? 

Joyce was never on the outs with John.  She did appear on (one of?) Suzanne's talk show(s)  and they agreed to let bygones be bygones.  

Edited to add link, it's in a couple of parts: Suzanne and Joyce talk Three's Company

Edited October 15, 2023 by Quof

[Blergh]

1 hour ago, MerBearHou said:

Suzanne Somers passed away this morning at age 76.  She battled cancer for decades.  

I sure wasn't expecting that to happen! But then again, I didn't expect Olivia Newton-John to leave this world despite her having detailed her own cancer fight!

If nothing else, Ms. Somers was dedicated to her family and I truly believe that that likely gave her motivation to survive longer than she would have despite the cancer! RIP, Ms. Somers!

[andromeda331]

I was surprised buy Suzanne Somers' death. I never got into Threes Company but I loved her in Step By Step. I also loved her in a TV movie Love-Struck where Cupid gets hit by his own arrow and falls in love with a human Emily. She played Cupid's mother Venus. It was a cute movie.

[Bastet]

I don't think I've ever seen Suzanne Somers in anything other than Three's Company and as the mysterious blonde in the Thunderbird in American Graffiti, but, as cheesy as it is, to this day I sometimes use her Thighmaster while watching TV.

[Fool to cry]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

I don't think I've ever seen Suzanne Somers in anything other than Three's Company and as the mysterious blonde in the Thunderbird in American Graffiti, but, as cheesy as it is, to this day I sometimes use her Thighmaster while watching TV.

My family didn't get cable until fall of 1988 when I was 11 so I watched a LOT of bad syndicated TV on the weekends and She's the Sheriff, Somers 1987 sitcom was one of them! 

Favorite Chrissy episode of Three's Company was when she and Jack got accidentally handcuffed together.

[Quof]

"This must be the episode of Three's Company when there's some kind of misunderstanding."

[JustHereForFood]

I knew her from Step by Step, I must have seen it at least 4-5 times. RIP.

[GHScorpiosRule]

8 hours ago, Bastet said:

I don't think I've ever seen Suzanne Somers in anything other than Three's Company and as the mysterious blonde in the Thunderbird in American Graffiti, but, as cheesy as it is, to this day I sometimes use her Thighmaster while watching TV.

Three's Company and then Step-By-Step. Then of course, the E! True Story behind all the Three's Company bad blood. And yes, the Thighmaster  commercials.

On a more serious note, I remember how she was one of the first celebrities to speak out on behalf of battered women who were sent to prison for killing their abusers/defending their lives. I recall how she described one woman's face after her husband had nearly beaten her to death. It was heart breaking. She was more than just "Chrissy the ditz" to me.

I think I also recall reading how she had cancer. 

May she rest in peace.

[bluegirl147]

1 hour ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Then of course, the E! True Story behind all the Three's Company bad blood.

She might have went about it the wrong way but she was right to question the huge pay disparity between her and John Ritter.  And of course she was labeled "difficult" afterwards.

Edited October 16, 2023 by bluegirl147

[Laura Holt]

17 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

She might have went about it the wrong way but she was right to question the huge pay disparity between her and John Ritter.  And of course she was labeled "difficult" afterwards.

Absolutely!  I can't remember now if John Ritter was a particularly big star when the show started  - better known than the two women, yes, but it's not like he was a major name.  And even given that once the show got popular, in no small part due to "Chrissy" then a significant pay raise was in order.