Hollywood Week: Biden/Clooney, Paramount/Skydance, Baldwin Trial Tossed, Shelly Duvall

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Category: Entertainment News

Published on Saturday, 13 July 2024 10:02

Written by Janet Walker

President Biden responded to the New York Times Op-Ed by actor George Clooney, which effused affection yet called on him to drop out of the race, saying, the comments stem from "pre-existing tensions" over his wife's Israeli war crimes push.

Biden Responds to George Clooney

President Biden responded to George Clooney's New York Times Op-Ed, which called on the president to abandon his reelection campaign stating, "pre-existing tensions" over comments the president made after the actor's wife, Amal Clooney, a British-Lebanese Human Rights attorney, who worked with the International Criminal Court to evaluate evidence of war crimes against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which the president called "outrageous."

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As the president denounced the ICC's work, he placed himself in the firing line of Democratic supporters, including the actor's barrister wife, Amal Clooney, who agreed that Israel, under the leadership of Netanyahu, has committed war crimes.

The Op-Ed began by effusing affection, a common tactic called "love bombing," used with the intent to manipulate, and ended by explaining the president's poor debate performance solidifies the evidence of early-stage dementia or cognitive decline and as he is an expert, the president should heed his affectionate words and do the country a favor.

Biden has responded to all by stating emphatically he is running. It is a closed matter. Support your president, remember January 6, or keep your comments to yourself.

Judge Tosses Alec Baldwin Trial Tossed

In a shocking twist, after years of wasted taxpayer dollars, and the time of an empaneled grand jury, plus multiple assistant prosecutors resigning as each attempt to bring justice for Halyna Hutchins, who was murdered on the set of the film "Rust," ended in the exposure of prosecutorial wrongdoing, the charges against Baldwin were dismissed with prejudice, meaning he cannot be retried for the wrongful death of the cinematographer.

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Judge Mary Marlow Sommer had sent the jury home on Friday to consider the Motion to Dismiss presented by Baldwin's attorneys after it was discovered the prosecution withheld evidence from the defense, in what is usually called bad faith.

In her decision, the judge explained the prosecution withheld "Good Samaritan" evidence which had been presented after the trial of the film's armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who was found guilty and is currently serving an 18-month sentence as her attorney appeals the conviction, which resulted in the Motion to Dismiss with Prejudice.

"We respect the court's decision. We look forward to presenting all the evidence to a jury and holding Mr. Baldwin accountable for his actions in the senseless death of Halyna Hutchins," Brian J. Panish, an attorney for Matthew Hutchins, said in a statement," reported TheWrap.com.

Paramount/Skydance – Did He Put a Ring on It?

Skydance CEO David Ellison is once again talking with Shari Redstone, who holds the controlling interest in National Amusements, and Paramount Global, as the billionaire son of tech entrepreneur Larry Ellison, has once again approached Redstone in what insiders are calling a done deal.  

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Although it appears Skydance and National Amusements had reached a tentative agreement. "Under that new deal, Ellison would pay Redstone $1.75 billion to acquire her holding company, which controls about 77% of Paramount's class A voting stock. It also includes a 45-day go-shop provision, which would allow other bidders the opportunity to make a better offer," reported TheWrap.com.

If during this next 45-day window, Redstone receives a better offer that Skydance does not match, the company will pay Ellison $400 million. There is the possibility that Redstone will gamble the break-up fee to leverage a larger sale price, as Ellison and Skydance have shown a dedicated interest in securing the studio.

Shelly Duvall, Protégé of Director Robert Altman, Dies

Shelly Duvall, who once had a thriving film career and producer of children's television programming which netted her two Emmy nominations, died this week. She was 75.

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"Shelley Duvall, the saucer-eyed, rail-thin waif who starred in seven films directed by her mentor, Robert Altman, and avoided the ax wielded by an unhinged Jack Nicholson in Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining," died Thursday," reported The Hollywood Reporter.

Duvall, who also suffered from mental illness, fled Hollywood in the 1990s and returned to her hometown in Texas. She died from complications of diabetes.