Jodie Turner-Smith for Vogue Brasil!
Jodie Turner-Smith appeared nothing quick of sensational as she graced the cover of Vogue Brazil
Jodie mounted the digital camera with a sultry stare as she posed in entrance of a black background.
The actress shared the cover to her Instagram account on Wednesday and revealed her outfit was from Gucci.
Alongside the snap, she wrote: ‘my first #vogue cover is right here!!! ❤️❤️❤️thanks @voguebrasil! head to toe in superb @gucci’.
It comes after Jodie sizzled as she shared a topless mirror selfie on the picture-sharing social media late final month.
The star strategically lined up her chest along with her elbows in the gorgeous snap taken from her rest room.
Her actor husband Jackson just lately opened up about the response she obtained when he revealed final month that she had proposed to him.
The Affair star, 43, stated he was shocked by the racist phrases left for the model-actress calling it ‘a actual training for [him] as a white man, really.
‘The manner folks get in her feedback and the ignorance and ugliness that comes her manner is actually surprising,’ he stated.
Alec Baldwin Is Speaking Out After Firing Prop Gun That Killed Cinematographer!😢
Alec Baldwin expressed his “shock and sadness” on Friday after law enforcement officers say he fired a prop gun that struck and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza on a film set Thursday.
“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,” the actor said in a statement.
“I’m fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and I am in touch 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,” he said.
Baldwin and crew had been on the set of the Western film “Rust” on the Bonanza Creek Ranch, a New Mexico movie production spot, when the incident occurred.
It remains unclear how the prop misfired or what sort of projectile might have struck the two crew members.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating; no charges have yet been filed.
Hutchins was airlifted to an Albuquerque hospital but died from her injuries, while Souza was transported by ambulance to receive emergency care at a Santa Fe hospital, Variety reported.
At 42, the Ukrainian-born Hutchins was just starting to make a name for herself in the filmmaking world, having worked on independent films including “The Mad Hatter,” created by Armando Gutierrez, and “Archenemy,” featuring Joe Manganiello. She grew up on a Soviet military base in the Arctic Circle, where she was “surrounded by reindeer and nuclear submarines,” and first pursued a career as a journalist, according to her website.
In 2015, Hutchins graduated from the American Filmmakers Institute Conservatory and, four years later was selected as one of American Cinematographer’s rising stars.
“One thing I learned is that cinematography is not something you do by yourself. It’s a group [project],” she told the industry publication. “You need to develop your own vision, but the key to a successful film is communication with your director and your team.”
“Rust” is a story about a 13-year-old boy in 1880s Kansas who goes on the run with his estranged grandfather, played by Baldwin, after the accidental killing of a local rancher. Production has been halted for an undetermined amount of time.
#RHOA:Oh? NeNe Leakes Allegedly 'Tried to Choke' Kim Zolciak-Biermann During Off-Camera Altercation!
One of the biggest fights to break out among the cast of The Real Housewives of Atlanta happened when cameras weren't even rolling.
In the new book Not All Diamonds and Rosé: The Inside Story of the Real Housewives From the People Who Lived It, it's revealed that NeNe Leakes and Kim Zolciak-Biermann allegedly got into an argument that quickly turned physical during season 2 of RHOA— but the cameras "missed the whole thing."
"The arguments between Kim and NeNe were always next level. All season 2, they went back and forth, fighting and making up," producer Carlos King said. "Then there was an incident that happened off-camera where NeNe allegedly tried to choke Kim in a Target parking lot."
While both Leakes, 53, and Zolciak-Biermann, 43, declined to participate in interviews for Not All Diamonds and Rosé, former Housewife Shereé Whitfield said she witnessed the entire incident go down.
"They were at Atlantic Station. Kim and NeNe were waiting to film a scene shopping at a boutique," she recalled. "But NeNe was upset because Kim had supposedly been talking about her behind her back at the A-List Awards."
According to Whitfield, Leakes approached Zolciak-Biermann to confront her.
"They started arguing and NeNe went for Kim's neck and was choking her," Whitfield claimed. "She lunged at her twice. Kim ended up calling the police but dropped the charges. The cameras were inside the store, so they missed the whole thing."
Reps for Leakes and Zolciak-Biermann did not respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
The two women, who were friendly before filming for the series first began in 2008, never fully made up. They continued to clash until Zolciak-Biermann unexpectedly left the show in the middle of season 5.
"As soon as you're not getting along with NeNe, she has no need for you," Whitfield said. "She throws you out."
But while some saw Leakes' growing ego as the problem, their costar Cynthia Bailey argued that Zolciak-Biermann certainly wasn't innocent, saying the Don't Be Tardy alum was held to different "standards" as the franchise's only white cast member.
"Kim can be disrespectful as hell, that's for sure," she said in Not All Diamonds and Rosé. "And we all felt that because she was white, she wasn't held to the same standards as we were."
According to Bailey, 54, Zolciak-Biermann had a reputation for refusing to film and rebelling against production's rules — often using her then-growing family as an excuse not to work.
"For me — I don't care who you are, I don't care what color you are, I don't care how many kids you got — when it's time to come to work, bring your a-- to work," Bailey said.
#NewMusicVideo from H.E.R ‘For Anyone’!
With each new video, H.E.R. invites us to know more about who she is as an artist and a young woman. The closely followed visual for her song “For Anyone,” from her debut album Back of My Mind, captures a tender side of the once elusive artist, following her around a spacious vocal booth.
Bearing burnt orange apparel and unframed in her signature specs, she lounges in comfy spaces, brooding, eventually choked up and teary-eyed, about an ex who has made it difficult for her to explore other love options.
WATCH HERE
Recently, H.E.R.’s Lil Durk-assisted remix of “Find A Way” featuring Lil Baby was serviced to urban radio as the next airplay single. It rounded out 36 new adds on urban stations in its first wave.
The early spins on the format above are incredible considering she’s a magnet on R&B radio, currently charting in the top ten with “Come Through,” a Chris Brown-guested collaboration also a recent top ten entry on the Billboard R&B chart.
#HipHopNews: Crypto Group Buys Wu-Tang Album For $4 Million!
The new owner of Wu-Tang Clan’s unreleased album Once Upon a Time in Shaolin has been revealed.
On Wednesday, a group called PleasrDAO announced that it has purchased the only existing copy from the U.S. government for $4 million. PleasrDAO, which consists of 70 members, describes itself as “a collective of artists, anons, crypto degens, cypherpunks, and visionaries.”
The 31-track album was seized from convicted pharmaceutical CEO Martin Shkreli, known as “Pharma Bro,” and sold in July to an anonymous buyer for an undisclosed amount. Proceeds from the sale went toward a $7.4 million forfeiture judgment that Shkreli was required to pay as a result of his securities fraud conviction in 2018.
Shkreli purchased Shaolin at auction in 2015 for a reported $2 million. The “unique work of art” came in a hand-carved nickel-silver box with a 174-page leather-bound book containing lyrics and a certificate of authenticity.
“This beautiful piece of art, this ultimate protest against middlemen and rent seekers of musicians and artists, went south by going into the hands of Martin Shkreli, the ultimate internet villain,” Jamis Johnson, PleasrDAO’s Chief Pleasing Officer, tells Rolling Stone.
“We want this to be us bringing this back to the people. We want fans to participate in this album at some level,” adds Johnson, whose previous purchases include NFTs connected to Edward Snowden and the Russian band Pussy Riot.
PleasrDAO aims to approach the album from the “polar opposite” direction of Shkreli, who once threatened to destroy the album and played some of it on a livestream against Wu-Tang’s wishes.
There are restrictions around the album’s use, but Johnson hopes that PleasrDAO can help it reach a wider audience. “We see ourselves as the Willy Wonka factory of NFTs,” he says. “We want to do crazy shit, and we want to have a really strong charitable component.”
R. Kelly Placed On Suicide Watch After Conviction!
R. Kelly was on suicide watch following his conviction on racketeering charges.
In the first court hearing since a Brooklyn federal jury found the R&B singer guilty, Kelly’s attorney Steve Greenberg said the U.S. Bureau of Prisons placed his client on suicide watch but that has since been lifted.
According to the Chicago Tribune, monitoring a recently convicted inmate is common practice in the federal prison system. Greenberg did not say whether Kelly had actually expressed a desire to harm himself.
Kelly appeared via video from a federal jail in Brooklyn during the hearing, but did not speak because no one could figure out how to unmute him.
Last month, the 54-year-old was convicted on all nine counts by a federal jury in New York, including racketeering, sex trafficking, and the sexual exploitation of a child. He faces anywhere from 10 years to life in prison when he’s sentenced on May 4.
Following the guilty verdict, he shared a message with his followers on Facebook, in which he said he was disappointed and proclaimed his innocence.
“To all my fans and supporters I love you all and thank you for all the support,” he wrote in the statement. “Today’s verdict was disappointing and I will continue to prove my innocence and fight for my freedom. #notguilty.”
Kelly is still facing charges of child pornography and obstruction in Chicago. The jury trial is slated to start Aug. 1, 2022 and is expected to last three to four weeks.
Darius McCrary Kisses Girlfriend In Interview Amid Rumors He’s Dating Sidney Starr!
Darius McCrary wants everyone to know he is taken.
Earlier this week, rumors of actor Darius McCrary and transgender reality star Sidney Starr began circulating after she alleged the two have been dating since February. The actor later denied the rumors and even suggested he was engaged.
Now in a new interview, Darius McCrary is showing off his girlfriend and addressing the rumors.
Speaking on the rumors he says,
“You spend all your resources fighting someone’s allegations you know because nine times out of ten, they’re trying to clout chase.”
Following his comments, the interviewer asks the couple when’s the last time they kissed, and without replying McCrary and his girlfriend kiss before she proceeds to kiss others in the room.
Despite denying the allegations, footage of Darius McCrary and Sidney Starr continued to surface, including a video of the pair dancing and kissing.
Although Sidney Starr has not addressed McCrary, she recently posted another photo with him saying,
“He’s still my friend …. Powerful @dariusmccrary#Familymatters All positivity… #transisbeautiful let’s leave it at that.”
Do you believe the two were dating?
FDA Authorizes Johnson & Johnson And Moderna Booster Shots!
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the booster shots of the Johnson & Johnson and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.
On Wednesday night (Oct. 20), the FDA gave emergency use authorization for a half dose of Moderna’s booster vaccine for those who have been fully vaccinated for at least six months, at least 65, at high risk of severe COVID-19 or have frequent occupational or institutional exposure to the virus. The federal agency also authorized the Johnson & Johnson booster shot. “The use of a single booster dose of the Janssen (Johnson and Johnson) COVID-19 Vaccine may be administered at least 2 months after completion of the single-dose primary regimen to individuals 18 years of age and older,” the FDA said in a statement.
The FDA also stated that any of the approved booster vaccine shots, including Pfizer, could be used in a “mix and match” approach. “The use of each of the available COVID-19 vaccines as a heterologous (or ‘mix and match’) booster dose in eligible individuals following completion of primary vaccination with a different available COVID-19 vaccine,” the FDA said.
“Today’s actions demonstrate our commitment to public health in proactively fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic,” Dr. Janet Woodcock, acting FDA Commissioner, said in a statement.
Pfizer’s CEO thinks we will return to “normal life” within a year
“As the pandemic continues to impact the country, science has shown that vaccination continues to be the safest and most effective way to prevent COVID-19, including the most serious consequences of the disease, such as hospitalization and death,” she added.
The authorization could open up booster shots to more than 15 million people who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and the 69 million people who have received the Moderna vaccine. According to a study published by the National Institutes of Health last week, all three booster shots enhanced antibody levels, however, Moderna’s and Pfizer’s boosters seemed to work best.
Jack Nicholson Makes Rare Public Appearance for the First Time In Almost 2 Years!
Jack Nicholson attended the Los Angeles Lakers' season opener against the Golden State Warriors at the Staples Center in L.A. on Oct. 19. The 84-year-old actor sat courtside with his son Ray, 29, as they cheered on the home team.
"Jack seemed so happy to be back!" a source told E! News. "He's such a fixture courtside for the Lakers! He looked great and was so into the game and intensely watched each play!"
Nicholson wasn't the only star in attendance. Adele, Usher, Justin Bieber, Kevin Hart, James Corden, Kid Cudi, Saweetie, Lil Wayne and Floyd Mayweather Jr. were among the other celebrities who watched the Warriors beat the Lakers with a final score of 121 to 114.
It's been a minute since fans have seen Nicholson. The last time the Oscar winner was photographed out in public was in January 2020, when he attended another Lakers game (that time against the New York Knicks). His most recent film was the 2010 rom-com How Do You Know, which also starred Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd and Owen Wilson.
While he's been spotted a few times over the years—such as at award shows and a 2015 episode of Saturday Night Live—he lives a relatively private life.
However, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Nicholson would resurface for a Lakers game. After all, The Shining alum is a huge fan.
"In the beginning, when I used to start hanging with him, he would always say, 'Come over. Let yourself like the Lakers. It's good for you,'" New York native Adam Sandler, who's attended Lakers games with Nicholson, recalled on a 2018 episode of the Dan Patrick Show. "And I'd be like, 'I can't do it…I'm not allowed to do that.' And he'd always be like, 'I had that too and then I just let it go.'"
In January 2020, after Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash, Nicholson gave a rare interview in which he mourned the late athlete.
"My reaction is the same as almost all of L.A," he told CBS Los Angeles. "You just suddenly—where everything was solid, there's a big hole in the wall. I was so used to seeing and talking to Kobe that, you know, I mean, it kills you. It's just a terrible event."
Nicholson also shared a few of his memories of Bryant. "I remember him in totality, just how great a player he was. But, you know, I teased him the first time we met. It was in the [Madison Square] Garden in New York, and I offered him a basketball and asked him, did he want me to autograph it for him? He looked at me like I was crazy," he said, adding that Bryant had a great sense of humor and "got all the jokes."
"We'll think of him all the time," Nicholson noted, "and we miss him."
Dr. Dre Served With Divorce Docs At His Grandmother’s Funeral!
Whew! Dr. Dre’s divorce battle with estranged wife Nicole Young is getting messier.
According to new reports by TMZ, Young reportedly served him with divorce papers at his grandmother’s funeral! Insiders told the news outlet that Dre was standing right beside his grandma’s casket when the server allegedly tried to give him the papers. Dre reportedly was so furious that he would not take the court papers in his hands, which forced the process server to drop the documents by the gravesite or the parking lot.
However, sources on Young’s side claim the documents were actually served at the cemetery’s parking lot instead. TMZ notes that the documents ordered Dre to pay a balance of $1,224,567 for Young’s attorney’s fees.
As we previously reported, the former couple, were were married for 24 years before Young, 51, filed for divorce in June 2020. She accused the hip hop star in court papers of abuse that was so bad she now has “post-traumatic stress syndrome.” Dre has strongly denied the abuse claims.
So far in their divorce battle, a judge ordered Dre to pay Young nearly $300,000 in spousal support monthly.
Billie Eilish Announces Her Debut Fragrance, 'Eilish'!
Billie Eilish is breaking into the fragrance market.
The 19-year-old Happier Than Ever star made the announcement on Wednesday (October 20).
“i am SO EXCITED to finally share my debut fragrance ‘Eilish’ with you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” she wrote.
“this is a scent that i’ve been chasing for years and years. this is my favorite smell in the WORLD.🤎🤎🤎,” she continued.
“fragrance has always been such an enormous part of my life and existence since i can remember, and it was a dream to create this scent and bring my ideas to life. this has been one of the most exciting things i’ve ever done. i can’t wait for it to be yours so soon!!!!!”
For more information, head to billieeilishfragrances.com.
Zahara Jolie-Pitt Looks Stunning In Her Mother's 2014 Oscars Dress At 'Eternals' Premiere!
Zahara Jolie-Pitt is a little fashionista in the making!
Marvel hosted the premiere of The Eternals in Los Angeles at the Dolby Theatre.
Angelina Jolie - who stars as Thena in the new Marvel installment, hit the carpet alongside her five children - Zahara, 16, Maddox, 20, Shiloh, 15, and twins Vivienne and Knox, 13.
Call us bias, but Zahara was a SHOWSTOPPER. For the occasion, the 16-year-old beauty rocked a dress straight from her mother's closet. Looking ever so gorgeous, the Teen donned her mother's 2014 Oscar gown, which was a glittery silver gown by Elie Saab Couture.
"My kids are all mixed with vintage, and in my old Oscars dress," Angelina dished to Entertainment Tonight on the red carpet. "We did all vintage and upcycled my old stuff."
And Zahara does the upcycled vintage pieces justice.
Star Of ‘Fresh Prince’ Reboot Involved In Fatal Car Accident In Los Angeles!
Actor Adrian Holmes, who is set to star in the upcoming “Fresh Prince” reboot, was involved in a car accident that resulted in fatal injuries for a man who was lying in the middle of a freeway.
The accident happened on Monday evening as the actor was traveling southbound on the 110 freeway in Los Angeles. Law enforcement says that Holmes hit a man who was lying down in the middle of the freeway.
Holmes said that he was unable to avoid hitting the man, and the person driving behind him struck the man as well. When the second car struck the man, he was pushed into an adjacent lane and struck by a third car.
Drugs and/or alcohol are not believed to be a factor for the drivers involved in the fatal car accident. At this time it is unsure if the man lying on the freeway was under the influence.
Holmes is set to play Uncle Phil in the upcoming reboot. The reimagined version of the classic 90’s sitcom was picked up for 2 seasons by Peacock.
Human Remains Found in Search for Brian Laundrie, Along with His Backpack, Notebook!
Authorities searching a Florida park for Brian Laundrie have discovered human remains, along with a backpack and notebook belonging to the 23-year-old fugitive.
via People: Michael McPherson of FBI Tampa announced the news during a Wednesday press conference. He did not confirm whether the remains, found in Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, were Laundrie’s.
The area in which the remains were found had previously been underwater, he said.
McPherson said an evidence response team is on the scene, and likely will be there for several days.
McPherson did not answer questions following his statement. After the brief press conference, a small crowd of people, some seated in lawn chairs, chanted “Justice for Gabby!”
Prior to the discovery of the remains, the Sarasota County medical examiner’s office and a cadaver dog were sent to the park after several items belonging to him were found there on Wednesday, Laundrie family attorney Steven Bertolino confirmed to PEOPLE.
Laundrie’s parents had searched the park with officials from the FBI and the North Port, Fla., police, Bertolino said.
Laundrie is the subject of a search after the death of his 22-year-old fiancée, Gabby Petito, whose body was found in Wyoming in August. Authorities have said Petito died by strangulation, labeling her death a homicide. Laundrie has been named a person of interest in Petito’s case.
Laundrie was allegedly last seen on Sept. 13, when he left his parents’ North Port, Fla. home, saying he was going on a hike at nearby Carlton Reserve, a 25,000-acre nature preserve consisting primarily of swampy wetlands. Carlton Reserve is close to Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park.
He is currently considered a fugitive. A warrant for his arrest was issued in late September, accusing Laundrie of unauthorized use of a debit card. His family’s attorney has said his parents have no idea where he is.
Petito — a Long Island, N.Y. native — and Laundrie had embarked on a cross-country journey in July, traveling from Florida to New York in her white Ford van, then heading west. Petito documented their adventures on her YouTube channel and planned to start a blog about their new, so-called “vandwelling” lifestyle.
Alicia Keys Has Forgiven Lil Mama For Getting On Stage During During 2009 VMA Performance With Jay-Z!
Alicia Keys revealed during a recent interview that she has forgiven Lil Mama for getting on stage during her performance of “Empire State of Mind” with Jay-Z at the 2009 VMA Awards.
Keys was asked about the incident recently on The Morning Hustle Show. When asked if he has forgiven Lil Mama, she says, “of course.” She admitted that she never even knew Mama was on the stage, and Keys thinks she was just feeling the record’s energy.
“So umm, that was wild to me,” Keys said. “But I absolutely — it’s not even a statement. That was then. You know, she’s from New York, too. You know, I think she really felt the energy of the record, and she loved it, and she couldn’t hold herself back. Look, this is what my music does to people. What can we say?”
Following the infamous moment, Lil Mama became the butt of a lot of jokes. She previously said that she reached out to both Keys and Jay to apologize, and neither responded.
Hopefully, she sees this clip and knows it’s water under the bridge as far as Keys is concerned.
Delonte West arrested for reportedly resisting arrest, banging on police doors while intoxicated!
Former NBA player Delonte West was arrested Tuesday night after allegedly resisting arrest after banging on doors at a police department while intoxicated, according to Scott Sutton of WPTV.
West, 38, was arrested in Boynton Beach, Florida. West reportedly started banging on glass doors at the Boynton Beach police department lobby. West was also yelling obscenities and carrying two open containers of alcohol, according to the police report.
West reportedly walked away from police. He was ordered to place his alcohol containers on the ground. West complied with that order, but then moved his hands to his waistband. An officer pulled out a Taser. At that point, West cooperated. He reportedly "continued to be belligerent and screaming profanities and obscure rants" when placed in the police car, according to the report.
Police said West smelled of alcohol and was slurring his speech. He was charged with "resisting an officer without violence, disorderly intoxication and having an open container," according to WPTV.
West was reportedly released on bail Wednesday morning.
The arrest is a troubling development for West, who entered rehab in 2020. West was involved in two disturbing videos in 2020. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban got involved, and made sure West went to rehab. Cuban shared encouraging updates on West's recovery.
In January, West got a job working at his rehab center.
Meghan McCain Opens Up About Her Fallouts With Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar in Her New Book ‘Bad Republican’!
Meghan McCain allegedly claims her former co-hosts on “The View” are why she left the show.
In August, McCain announced that she would be departing from her role as co-host on the hit daytime talk show “The View.” In her new memoir “Bad Republican,” the 36-year-old details her experiences being on the show. McCain, who was on the program for four years, alleges the program had a toxic work environment and discusses her fallouts with Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar.
She writes that there was “toxic, direct and purposeful hostility” from Goldberg and Behar that “grew meaner and less forgiving” as Donald Trump carried on as president at the time. She says that it was “as if [she] had become an avatar for everything they hated about the president,” adding that “Whoopi and Joy saw front and center the emotional trauma [she] had experienced from President Trump’s attacks on my family.
McCain also allegedly included a story about how when she returned back to the show after giving birth to her daughter Behar told her that she didn’t “miss” her.
“Joy, you missed me so much when I was on maternity leave. You missed fighting with me,” McCain said to Behar after the two had a heated back and forth. Behar responded, “I did not. “I did not miss you. Zero.” This allegedly upset McCain, leading her ask the show’s executive producer to ask Behar to apologize, saying Behar “humiliated” her on air.
Fox News reports McCain goes on to address other moments in her life, including her controversial appearance Seth Meyer’s show in 2019, drunk tweeting in her early twenties and more.
Nikolas Cruz Pleads Guilty To 17 Counts Of Murder In 2018 Parkland School Shooting!
Nikolas Cruz pleaded guilty Wednesday to 17 counts of murder and 17 counts of attempted murder, more than three years after gunning down 14 students and three staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer noted that the murder counts he pleaded guilty to carry a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison with no parole.
Cruz, 23, and his lawyers last week surprised Scherer and prosecutors when they announced he planned to plead guilty to all 34 counts.
Also during last week's hearing, the gunman pleaded guilty to four charges that he faced after he attacked a Broward County Jail guard nine months after the shooting.
In a rushed statement to the court Wednesday, a trembling Cruz apologized for his crimes.
“I am very sorry for what I did and I have to live with it every day," he said. “I have to live with this every day, and it brings me nightmares that I can’t live with myself sometimes but I try to push through."
The case will now go straight to a penalty phase, to determine if he should face the death penalty. Jury selection is set to begin on Jan. 4.
In a statement, March for Our Lives, a group formed by Parkland student activists to advocate for tighter gun laws, said it had no comment on the gunman and that they would "never dignify him by referring to his name."
But the group said: "A single guilty plea does not bring closure as long as it is still possible for another person anywhere in this country to be murdered by a gun at school, in a place of worship, or in their very own home."
David Hogg, a former Stoneman Douglas high school student and March for Our Lives co-founder, said he drew little satisfaction from the convictions against the gunman.
"Ultimately there is no closure, in that our classmates are never coming back, our teachers are never coming back," Hogg told MSNBC's "Andrea Mitchell Reports" on Wednesday afternoon.
"The closest thing to closure that I know many of my classmates and I can even think of is creating a world, a country, in which our children don't have to be born into a situation where they live in danger of gun violence."
In court Wednesday, the gunman answered a series of questions from Scherer, showing that he understood the court proceedings.
Scherer reminded him that in pleading guilty to all charges, his best-case scenario would be to die in prison.
"Life in prison means the term of your life," she said. "It means you will not come out until you are no longer alive."
Bringing an abrupt end to the guilt phase of the proceedings was a wise choice by the gunman's lawyers who want to save their client from execution, veteran Miami defense attorney Phil Reizenstein said.
With no doubt that Cruz pulled the trigger in killing all 17 people that day, enduring a painful trial wouldn't have helped the defense, according to Reizenstein.
“Why go through that and lose a small advantage we can get of saying he’s remorseful, he’s accepted responsibility, wants to spare the families," he told NBC South Florida on Wednesday.
“That’s the probably only the advantage they saw, so they realized they had to take it. They did this after 3½ years of preparation, so you can’t say the decision was rushed.”
Tony Montalto, the father of victim Gina Montalto, and other parents of victims founded Stand With Parkland, which demands responsible gun laws, school safety enhancements and greater attention to students' mental health.
“Today we saw a cold and calculating killer confess to the murder of my daughter Gina and 16 other innocent victims at their school,” he said. “His guilty pleas are the first step in the judicial process but there is no change for my family. Our bright, beautiful, and beloved daughter Gina is gone while her killer still enjoys the blessing of life in prison.”
The trial has been delayed by the pandemic and arguments over witnesses and evidence.
The pleas will come with no conditions and prosecutors still plan to seek the death penalty.
Sentencing for the first-degree murder charges will be decided by a jury. Scherer has said she hopes to start the trial early next year after choosing a jury from thousands of prospects starting in November.
Much of the penalty phase would likely focus on the shooter's mental condition at the time of the slayings, with prosecutors emphasizing their horrific nature and his intensive planning beforehand.
The families of the 17 people killed, most of the wounded and others traumatized have reached a $25 million settlement with the Broward County school district in a lawsuit that had accused it of negligence, an attorney for the families said earlier this week.
Armed with an AR-15, the gunman arrived at Marjory Stoneman Douglas in an Uber, just before classes were over on Valentine's Day 2018. He killed 17 people and wounded 17 more in what became the deadliest high school shooting in recent U.S. history.
Then 19, he had been expelled from the school the previous year.
He confessed to the attack, telling investigators he had brought the weapon and several loaded magazines stuffed into a backpack and planned to leave them behind in an effort to blend in with fleeing students, according to a police affidavit.
He was arrested about an hour after the shooting.
He had legally bought the .223-caliber rifle in early 2017 at Sunrise Tactical Supply, a federally licensed gun store in Coral Springs, authorities said
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
DUMB OR STUPID?
I don’t know what to do with people with this kind of intellect.
EGGPLANT NATION: Meet Tony
Meet Tony! You can see more when GO HERE TO SEE THE PICS! And remember they’re NSFW!
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HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND ALL!!!
EFREM
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