Author: Abram Francis

TOKYO (Kyodo) — Popular Kabuki actor Ichikawa Ennosuke was taken to hospital Thursday after his manager found him collapsed along with his parents at their home in Tokyo, with police suspecting he attempted suicide. The 47-year-old actor’s life was not in danger, an investigative source said. But his mother, 75, was confirmed to have died at their home in Tokyo’s Meguro Ward, while his 76-year-old father Ichikawa Danshiro, also a Kabuki actor, was confirmed dead after reaching the hospital. The shocking incident came as a weekly magazine on Thursday reported on Ennosuke’s alleged involvement in sexual abuse and power harassment…

A new stage adaptation of Brokeback Mountain has received middling reviews from critics after receiving its world premiere in London. The play, based on the 1997 short story by Annie Proulx, has previously been made into an Oscar-winning film. US actors Lucas Hedges and Mike Faist play the two leading roles in the show, which is not a musical but features a live band who perform songs throughout. Most critics awarded three stars to the show, which is playing at Soho Place. “Here comes another play riding on the coat-tails of a successful film,” wrote Clive Davis in the Times. “The results…

Mediacorp actress Rebecca Lim, 36, was in Seoul on May 16 for the Gucci Cruise 2024 show, which took place at the city’s historical landmark, Gyeongbokgung Palace.  The star, who got hitched in November last year, flew to Seoul from England, where she’s been honeymooning for the past two weeks or so. FYI: She was in London at the same time as King Charles’ coronation. According to Rebecca’s manager, she flew back to England after the Gucci event to resume her honeymoon. But back to her Seoul fashionable trip. “I had goosebumps upon entering the show venue, the palace is synonymous…

As the saying goes, imitation is the highest form of flattery. And when it comes to Martha Stewart’s history-making Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover, emulation has been served up by “Shark Tank” star Barbara Corcoran. The self-proclaimed “queen of New York City real estate” showed the queen of domesticity what she’s working with in a revealing Instagram selfie. “I can’t cook, but I sure can swim,” Corcoran, 74, captioned the photo, in which she wears a white swimsuit and orange cover-up, much like the ensemble Stewart dons for her Sports Illustrated cover. However, instead of posing in the tropical landscape of the Dominican…

The nostalgic John Williams-composed score of the “Indiana Jones” movies played as Harrison Ford walked up to the stage at the Grand Theatre Lumière in Cannes to accept his honorary Palme d’Or on Thursday. Raucous applause resounded through the theater as Ford was handed his statuette. “I’m very touched,” the Hollywood icon said as he began his speech in the packed theater. “They say when you’re about to die, you see your life flash before your eyes. And I just saw my life flash before my eyes – a great part of my life.” The “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” actor appeared to get emotional when he…

Disney World will shutter the squad-bay doors on its immersive Star Wars-themed luxury hotel in late September — less than two years after its opening. The Walt Disney Co. announced Thursday that the “Star Wars: Galactic Starcruise” two-night hotel will embark on its “final voyage” on Sept. 28 to Sept. 30. “We are so proud of all of the Cast Members and Imagineers who brought Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser to life,” Disney said. “Thank you to our Guests and fans for making this experience so special. The vacation experience based at Orlando’s Walt Disney World debuted in March 2022. The company did…

Reality TV contestant Dannii Erskine has reportedly died following a fatal car accident last week. Erskine, 28, rose to prominence in the 2019 season of Bride and Prejudice: The Forbidden Weddings when she made a bid to marry her then-partner Denton Ansley. So Dramatic broke the news on Tuesday, confirming the 28-year-old had died after being struck by a car last week.  It is understood Erskine was on her way home from the shops when she was allegedly T-boned by another car on April 28. According to Erskine’s sister, the former public figure had gone through a green light however the…

It’s time to lace up your kicks: Ben Affleck’s “Air” will be available to stream on Prime Video beginning May 12. “Air” debuted April 5 on more than 3,500 screens, which marked an unprecedented theatrical release for Amazon, as the studio affirmed its billion-dollar commitment to making movies for the big screen. The film is produced by Amazon Studios, Skydance Sports, Mandalay Pictures, and is the inaugural project from Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity. Directed by Affleck, from a script by Alex Convery, “Air” tells the true story of how Nike’s basketball division signed then-NBA rookie Michael Jordan into a historic partnership that revolutionized the world of…

Woody Harrelson is not changing his ways. In a recent interview with Esquire, Harrelson got candid about his “Saturday Night Live” monologue that circulated the internet and sparked backlash from some viewers. Harrelson hosted the NBC comedy sketch series in February and stirred controversy after he appeared to poke fun at COVID-19 vaccine mandates. “Well, people told me it was, shall we say, ‘trending.’ No, I don’t look at that s—,” he told Esquire after the outlet asked if Harrelson saw the controversy his monologue had caused. “I feel like, ‘I said it on SNL.’ I don’t need to go further with it [pause]…other…

Had Choupette deigned to attend the Met Gala, she would have joined many other immaculately groomed guests with elite pedigrees. But she might have been the only one to require a litter box. Choupette, the Birman cat once owned by Karl Lagerfeld, led a life of decadence by the designer’s side. She flew private. She had an iPad. She took her meals from three Goyard dishes, according to Mr. Lagerfeld: “one for water, one for her little croquette and one for her pâté.” Since Mr. Lagerfeld’s death, Choupette has remained an obsession of fans and fashion insiders, becoming something of a…