Man crashes Jennifer Aniston’s home fenceEntertainment
Blog
-
Nate Bargatze on ‘Big Dumb Eyes’ book, his plans after standup comedy
HOUSTON ‒ On April Fools’ Day, comedian Nate Bargatze steps to a lectern at a fundraiser for the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation. Before Bargatze, historian and author H. W. Brands, novelist Victoria Christopher Murray and “Frasier” actor and author Kelsey Grammer shared publishing anecdotes and advocated for the power of books at The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts.
Bargatze – who had the highest-earning comedy tour of 2024 and has been vocal about a disdain for reading “because every book is just the most words” − wasn’t at this high-brow event as a joke. Though he told plenty. Wearing a black tracksuit, unzipped to reveal a casual white T-shirt, and sneakers, he opens with, “I didn’t know y’all wore suits. My business casual’s different than your business casual. It’s the most ties I’ve ever seen in my life.”
The standup comic known for his clean jokes and witty observations, was in front of this crowd talking about his new book, a collection of essays called “Big Dumb Eyes: Stories from a Simpler Mind” (now available).
Bargatze’s book cover might advertise “a Simpler Mind,” but he certainly isn’t stupid. There’s a genius required for what he does on stage and his burgeoning entertainment empire.
Nate Bargatze says ‘Big Dumb Eyes’ is ‘not a book that’s better than anybody’
The boy who made good from Old Hickory, Tennessee, has standup specials, the Nateland Entertainment production company, a podcast with fellow comics Dusty Slay, Aaron Weber and Brian Bates, and will emcee this year’s Emmy Awards.
On stage, Bargatze flips through his book filled with stories about meeting his wife of nearly 20 years, Laura; falling 62 feet down a cliff; having NBA ambitions with church basketball talent; and the early days of chasing his comedy career in Chicago splitting a basement apartment with a roommate and a rat.
“I kind of jumped around,” he says apologetically to attendants. “Again reading is … just a hard thing. I really do want to do it; I love the idea of it.” And if only he’d known about the Literacy Foundation, “I probably could’ve used some of the help,” he says to howls and applause.
“I never really thought I’d be writing a book,” he says in a separate interview conducted in a room that has “great basketball carpet” that reminds him of the church league he played in. “We’re not a book that’s better than anybody. We’re the one that just sits there, and it’s a fun read. And then after us you go back to the books that you’re actually going to learn something from.”
It’s also how Bargatze’s comedy could be described − a sort of deprecation without derision. Watch any of his specials and witness his strategic pauses, how his Southern drawl artfully wraps around thoughtfully chosen, grammatically jarring phrases creating just enough tension that laughter erupts.
In his 30-minute set on “The Standups,” he remembers a frightful visit to North Carolina’s now-defunct Cape Fear Serpentarium, where a 10-foot crocodile escaped its cage. “It’s like a ‘Godzilla’ movie,” Bargatze quips. “Everybody’s dead behind you, you just assume it. … Some lady was like, ‘My husband …’ I was like, ‘Your husband’s gone, lady!’ He’s gone!”
“The Tennessee Kid,” Bargatze’s first hourlong Netflix special, memorializes a fight he had with his wife about chocolate milk, after which they did not speak for a full day. Laura wasn’t buying a commercial telling people to drink chocolate milk after working out. “She said, ‘That’s just the milk people pushing chocolate milk,’” Bargatze tells the audience. “She went to college, all right, and I did not. But she did not study chocolate milk, when is it good and not good for you.”
A gamble on comedy after flunking college
School proved to be a challenge for Bargatze. After a year of remedial classes at Volunteer State Community College, he received all Fs his first and only semester at Western Kentucky University.
Bargatze, now 46, began hosting at Applebee’s at 20. There he met Laura, a waitress who reminded him of Jennifer Aniston’s character in “Office Space.” He also worked as a water meter reader, managed by a friend who encouraged Bargatze to pursue a career in comedy. Bargatze grew up watching Sinbad and seeing his dad, magician Stephen Bargatze, incorporate jokes into his act.
Nate Bargatze’s revelations about his dad’s upbringing in “Big Dumb Eyes” are the tenderest parts of the book. Stephen’s mom neglected and physically abused her son, he writes. Once she left the toddler unattended at a bowling alley while she played. A bulldog attacked his face, biting off part of his tongue.
“His jokes came from a place of darkness,” Bargatze writes. “He believed we needed to laugh at ourselves − and at each other − otherwise we’d probably cry.”
Stephen’s discovery that God would “love my dad no matter what,” changed everything, Bargatze continues. It’s a faith instilled in his own standup.
“When you’re on stage, it’s a lot,” Bargatze says. “It’s 15,000, 20,000 people and they’re all cheering and they’re going crazy. I just don’t think you can sustain it if you make it, like, ‘It’s about me.’ It’s just about the gift I was given and just doing it and putting it out there and hopefully making people laugh.”
Bargatze also felt inspired by the comedians who appeared on Bob Kevoian and Tom Griswold’s syndicated radio program, “The Bob & Tom Show,” which Bargatze listened to between reading meters.
“You get influenced by that and you just kind of fall in love with it,” Bargatze says. “I didn’t really know how to start, and my buddy wanted to go to Chicago to go to Second City. I think I needed someone with direction, and then I was like, alright, ‘I’ll just follow you and go from there.’”
A life-altering move to New York: ‘You’ve got to see people make it’
In Chicago, Bargatze took three eight-week courses before being convinced by Jerry Seinfeld’s 2002 documentary “Comedian” that he needed to be in New York City. There he witnessed other standups breaking through.
“That’s a giant thing,” he says. “You’ve got to see people make it. Because if you can see people … become big, then you at least can see that there’s a path. Otherwise, it’s very daunting.”
Bargatze attributes his success to “being around, not stopping, not giving up.” And where he is today eclipses the biggest dream: playing Bridgestone Arena on Nashville’s famed, honky-tonk lined Broadway Street.
“When I started in New York, I would stand on the corner handing out flyers and I would get stage time if you could bring people into the show,” Bargatze says. “So I would always daydream about that, but it was a safe daydream. It wasn’t like I thought it was going to happen.”
Bargatze has not only performed in the arena, on April 15, 2023, he set a record for most people in attendance, with 19,365 in the crowd. There will be three Bridgestone performances on the Big Dumb Eyes World Tour.
“I didn’t imagine it to be the level that it has gotten,” Bargatze says. “It’s kind of weird because you hit a moment of, this thing has been driving me for 20 years. And so now you’ve got to think about what is the next thing that’s going to drive you. And that’s where the Nateland company and all the other stuff came in.”
The next chapter: Nateland and his final standup bow
With his production company Nateland, Bargatze aims to create family friendly content across film, TV, podcasts and more that can be enjoyed by everyone. “Good, clean, funny!” as the tagline says. It has produced comedy specials released on its YouTube channel and curates a weekly lineup of comics at Zanies comedy club in Nashville.
As a newer comic, Bargatze had doubts about his future as a clean standup.
“There (were) times you would feel like, ‘All right, if I went another route, maybe I would get to jump up,’” he says. “But fortunately I always just would (tell) myself, ‘No, just stay the course,’ and just trust that it’s going to work out.” And creating entertainment that you can experience with the entire family isn’t a bad strategy when it comes to ticket sales.
Bargatze is also using Nateland as a platform to promote new acts as he prepares for his retirement from touring.
“I could see five more years of standup,” he says. “I want to build all this other stuff.”
Coming up in entertainment, he says, “you get stuck behind people that don’t really get out of the way. I think your job as an older showman … is to be able to step somewhat out of the way and really try to get the new, next wave coming in.”
-
Jurors questioned in sweeping sex crimes trial
The many names of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
Music mogul Sean Combs, who’s on trial for sexual abuse and trafficking, has had a series of name changes while also maintaining his given name.
After a busy kickoff of proceedings, the Sean “Diddy” Combs criminal trial continues with its jury selection.
Day two of the selection process begins May 6 after several dozen potential jurors were brought into a courtroom the previous day and questioned one by one by Judge Arun Subramanian, the prosecution and defense to determine whether they’re qualified to serve on Combs’ jury.
In a May 1 pretrial conference, lawyers said they planned to question as many as 150 potential jurors, with each questionnaire lasting 20-30 minutes. On May 5, Judge Subramanian deemed 19 qualified to serve, including two who said they were fans of 1990s hip-hop, while the rest were dismissed.
Federal prosecutors indicated they’d be able to find the 45 qualified jurors needed in three days, and it’s possible they won’t need to speak to all 150 people.
The embattled hip-hop mogul, who at one time was among the most powerful figures in the music industry, has experienced a sharp fall from grace after facing a bevy of lawsuits and criminal charges accusing him of rape and sexual assault.
During his final pretrial hearing on May 2, Combs confirmed he turned down a potential plea deal. A judge previously rejected a request from the rapper’s legal team to delay the start of the trial.
Combs could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted.
As jury selection got underway, prospective jurors said they had heard news about allegations against the hip-hop star, seen a video of him allegedly assaulting a woman and even heard a comedian joke about the baby oil authorities say they found at his residences.
Jurors were given a list of people and places related to the defendant in some way, including Hollywood and music industry celebrities such as Michael B. Jordan, Kid Cudi, Michelle Williams, Mike Myers and others.
The group of jurors who weren’t struck ranged in age from 30 to 75; most were college-educated, with careers spanning scientists, behavioral health associates, professional movers and grocery-store deli clerks.
The 17-page questionnaire given to potential jurors in Combs’ case is fairly standard.
The 31-question form asks if they or a family member or friend has been a victim of sexual assault, sexual harassment or domestic violence and whether they or a family member or friend has been charged or accused of sexual assault, sexual harassment or domestic violence. It also asks if they have read about Combs and if they have formed an opinion of his guilt.
However one question could be interesting for some: Have you communicated to others, posted your opinion on social media or online, or ‘liked’ any social media posts about Mr. Combs. If so, when and were did you post or state your opinion.
Prosecutors also said several of the questions they wanted potential jurors to be asked will have to do with their feelings on law enforcement and experiences with the government.
Combs’ team wants potential jurors to describe the music they like and their opinions about the hip-hop and rap music industry. The defense team’s proposed questionnaire also suggested they want to know if jurors are open-minded to alternative sexual lifestyles.
The most head-turning dismissal on May 5 came when a potential juror noted a possible conflict of interest with his wife, who served as an attorney in the trial of the 1991 City College stampede. The infamous incident occurred when nine people were killed during a fatal crush at a celebrity basketball game in New York that Combs helped organize.
Combs was never criminally charged, although he did face lawsuits for his role in promoting the would-be deadly event.
The potential juror said his wife had a negative opinion of Combs from the court case: “She found his behavior disturbing,” the man said. “In general, she doesn’t like him.” Despite claiming he could still be impartial, Judge Subramanian agreed with Combs’ team, who moved to have him excused from the trial.
Another prospective juror, who is a marketing officer at a large book publishing house, was excluded for cause after saying that the company is publishing a memoir from Al B. Sure! this fall that contains accusations or references to Combs. The prospective juror said she would “be unlikely to read that book,” but the judge said this was “too close to home.”
Combs made his first trial appearance on May 5, arriving shortly after 9 a.m. EDT from the federal lockup in Brooklyn where he is being held. The rapper, sporting a salt-and-pepper goatee, wore dark glasses and a dark sweater over a white shirt. He was also seen smiling and hugging his attorneys upon entering the courtroom.
As jurors continued to be dismissed, Combs asked Judge Subramanian for a short bathroom break, according to multiple reports. He told the judge, “I’m sorry, your honor, I’m a little nervous today.”
During his final pretrial hearing on May 2, Combs confirmed he turned down a potential plea deal. It is unclear what the plea deal consisted of.
Combs’ six-person defense team, led by attorneys Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos, added one more member on May 2, the last business day before jury selection.
Xavier R. Donaldson, a New York-based criminal defense lawyer, filed a notice of appearance as a retained attorney for Combs in a document reviewed by USA TODAY on May 2.
The last attorney who joined Combs’ team was Brian Steel, the lawyer who represented rapper Young Thug in his lengthy RICO trial.
The trial will not be televised, as cameras are typically not allowed in federal criminal trial proceedings.
USA TODAY will be reporting live from the courtroom.
How long will Diddy’s trial be?
Assuming all parties can agree on 45 jurors by the end of the May 7 session, the prosecution and defense will spend May 8-9 preparing for opening statements, which begin May 12.
Why is Diddy on trial?
Combs is facing federal sex-crimes and trafficking charges in a sprawling suit that has eroded his status as a power player and king-maker in the entertainment industry.
He was arrested in September and has been charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to all five counts.
His indictment emerged alongside dozens of separate civil suits suggesting a pattern of abusive behavior and exploitation spanning decades, including accusations of rape, sexual assault and physical violence.
Is Diddy in jail?
Despite repeated attempts at bail, Combs was ordered to remain in custody at the Special Housing Unit in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center ahead of trial — a ruling his legal team has challenged in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. He’s been jailed since his arrest on Sept. 16, 2024.
Contributing: KiMi Robinson, Aysha Bagchi, Brendan Morrow, Pamela Avila, Anna Kaufman and Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY
-
Crossword Blog & Answers for May 6, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher
There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today’s puzzle before reading further! Sit Down
Constructor: Kapil Mehta
Editor: Anna Gundlach
Comments from Today’s Crossword Constructor
Kapil: The title Sit Down came out of my attempts, mostly unsuccessful, to train our pet dog Chip (picture below)! There were two aspects of this crossword that I liked. First, I had relatively few three letter words and those were mostly not abbreviations. And second, I has happy to include the word Sherpa in the grid. Sherpas are legendary Himalayan mountaineers. When this crossword is published it will be a hot 104 degree Farenheit in Delhi, where I live. How I wish I could go live with the Sherpas through the summer!
Random Thoughts & Interesting Things
- SHERPA (17A: Tibetan ethnic group) The SHERPA people are a Tibetan ethnic group native to the high mountain region of the Himalayas, a mountain range in Asia. Mount Everest, Earth’s highest peak, is located in the Himalayas. Many climbers who attempt to reach the peak of Mount Everest use SHERPA guides.
- NOUN (21A: Person, place or thing) As the Schoolhouse Rock song about NOUNs says it, “…I find it quite interesting / A NOUN’s a person, place, or thing…”
- YETIS (27A: Himalayan cryptids) YETIS, also known as Bigfoot or Abominable Snowmen, are creatures in Himalayan Folklore.
- ALASKA (33A: Its state sport is dog mushing) This clue made me wonder whether all U.S. states have an official state sport. The answer is no. Including ALASKA, eighteen U.S. states have state sports that have been recognized by their legislatures. Colorado has a state summer sport (pack burro racing) and two state winter sports (skiing and snowboarding). Two states just recently adopted state sports in 2022: Missouri (archery) and Washington (pickleball).
- TORTILLA (35A: Crispy chilaquiles ingredient) Chilaquiles are a traditional dish in Mexican cuisine, often made from leftover TORTILLAs and served for breakfast. Crisp TORTILLA triangles are topped with salsa (either green or red) and the mixture is simmered to soften the TORTILLAs. Other toppings are added such as chicken, cream, queso fresco, onion, avocado, refried beans, or scrambled eggs.
- PASTA (53A: Bucatini or pappardelle) Bucatini PASTA is essentially hollow spaghetti noodles. Pappardelle are wide, flat, PASTA noodles.
- HODA (56A: “Today” co-host Kotb) HODA Kotb co-hosted Today (NBC’s morning news show) from 2007 to 2025. She’s also an author, and has written books for children and adults. Her 2010 autobiography is titled, HODA: How I Survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer, and Kathie Lee. One of her children’s books, I’ve Loved You Since Forever (2018), was adapted into a lullaby by Kelly Clarkson.
- NOVA (57A: ___ Scotia) NOVA Scotia, whose name translates to New Scotland, is a province in eastern Canada. Halifax is its capital. NOVA Scotia is Canada’s second-smallest province by area. (Prince Edward Island is Canada’s smallest province.)
- PUBLIC TRANSIT (19D: Topic discussed on the YouTube channel Not Just Bikes) Not Just Bikes is Jason Slaughter’s You Tube channel where he posts commentary about urbanist issues including PUBLIC TRANSIT. He also discusses cycling in the Netherlands (where he and his family now live).
- ELLA (28D: “First Lady of Song” Fitzgerald) ELLA Fitzgerald (1917-1996) was known as the “First Lady of Song” and the “Queen of Jazz.” She was particularly known for her scat singing skills (vocal improvisation with nonsense syllables or no words at all)
- TAIL (29D: Part of a cat or turkey) and TOM (31D: Male cat or turkey) My cat, Willow, (who is not a TOM, but has a TAIL) thinks it was a fun choice to link these consecutive clues with the repetition of “cat or turkey.”
- ARGO (34D: 2013 Best Picture Oscar winner) The 2012 movie, ARGO, is a historical drama that tells the story of a CIA agent named Tony Mendez (portrayed by Ben Affleck), who led the rescue of six U.S. diplomats from Iran under the guise of filming a science fiction movie. Argo was adapted from Tony Mendez’s 1999 memoir, The Master of Disguise, and a 2007 Wired article by Joshuah Bearman titled, “The Great Escape: How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue Americans from Tehran.”
- LOIS (37D: Daily Planet reporter Lane) LOIS Lane is a character who first appeared in DC Comics comic books in 1938. She is a journalist for the Daily Planet, and the primary love interest of Clark Kent and his alter ego Superman. LOIS Lane has appeared in many other media adaptations including movies, TV shows, and video games.
- HEN (41D: Female fowl) HEN is making back-to-back puzzle appearances. We saw it yesterday clued as [Female bird or lobster].
- APT (46D: Letters that can fittingly fill in the blanks in _ppro_ria_e) This is an interesting fill-in-the-blank clue. It is indeed fitting that the word APT is found in the word ApproPriaTe.
- CACAO (50D: Chocolate-yielding tree) I, for one, give thanks for the CACAO tree and the chocolate it yields.
- A couple of other clues I especially enjoyed:
- RHYME (40A: What “miss you” and “this clue” do)
- OH NO (58D: Reaction to breaking a glass table)
Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis
- SURPRISE VISIT (4D: Unexpected pop-in)
- SECURITY DEPOSIT (6D: Payment that might cover a tenant’s damage)
- PUBLIC TRANSIT (19D: Topic discussed on the YouTube channel Not Just Bikes)
SIT DOWN: Each vertical (DOWN) theme answer ends with the letters S-I-T: SURPRISE VISIT, SECURITY DEPOSIT, and PUBLIC TRANSIT.
This is a clever theme and a nice set of theme answers to illustrate it. I appreciate that in each theme answer the word SIT is at the end of a longer word, as opposed to the word splitting up, as in the phrase, “easy does it,” for example. That feels nicely consistent. Thank you, Kapil, for this excellent puzzle.
For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles
-
Glennon Doyle, wife Abby Wambach discuss ‘We Can Do Hard Things’ book
Abby Wambach on USWNT critics: They’re missing out
SportsPulse: USWNT legend Abby Wambach claps back at critics of the women’s team. In an interview with Trysta Krick, she makes the case that Megan Rapinoe and the 2019 team may have the biggest impact of any U.S. team.
USA TODAY
An interview with the hosts of the award-winning podcast “We Can Do Hard Things” feels like one of the show’s hundreds of episodes. Bestselling author Glennon Doyle, her gold-medal soccer icon wife Abby Wambach and her advocate sister Amanda Doyle have assembled to talk about the launch of their book, “We Can Do Hard Things: Answers to Life’s 20 Questions” (available now), which accumulates knowledge dispersed through their podcast, which launched in 2021.
They talk about hard topics, grappling with mortality and existential fear. Yet the discussion, had so freely and openly, feels like a gift. It’s like by hearing about their lives and earned wisdom, we’ve been given tools to better tackle the ongoing home-improvement project that is our own lives.
“The biggest and most fearful thing that I can think of, where all of my fear and worry and anxiety stems from … is the idea of what happens when we die,” says Wambach, whose older brother, Peter, died in December 2023. “What I have learned is I have to accept that this is the thing that I will not understand, and it will also happen to me. My fear is being scared for my last moment.”
“That’s so interesting, Abby,” Amanda Doyle, a founder of Treat Media, replies. “Because if you extrapolate from that, if you’re like, ‘My biggest fear is living my last moment scared,’ then it’s also like shouldn’t our biggest fear be living all of the moments scared?”
“That’s exactly right,” Wambach says.
The “We Can Do Hard Things” book assembles the knowledge and experience of not only the famous podcasts hosts, but their esteemed guests such as Martha Beck, Brené Brown, Tracee Ellis Ross, Kamala Harris, Michelle Obama, Esther Perel, Gloria Steinem and Kerry Washington. The catalyst was a string of misfortune.
“Within a year, Amanda was diagnosed with breast cancer, I was diagnosed with anorexia, and Abby lost her brother Peter,” says Glennon. “We were really just spinning out all together at the same time, which hadn’t happened before.” Usually one of the three could be “the anchor for the others,” she adds. “It’s really like we had to create an anchor outside of ourselves.”
The book is sectioned into 20 existential questions, seeking to provide wisdom for queries like “Who am I really?” “How do I return to myself?” and “How do I let go?” as well as share insight on topics like love, sex, anger, forgiveness and parenting.
“We’re all traveling as if we’re the first ones, but that is just so silly,” Amanda says. When we see issues as “brand new challenges, we think they are personal challenges. We think the fact that I am struggling in my marriage, in this particular issue, means there’s something either wrong with me or wrong with my marriage, as opposed to having Michelle Obama saying — as she does in this book — the reason you’re struggling with that is because it’s the hardest thing on the planet to do.”
Keeping sight of those revelations once the adversity is over is another battle, says Amanda.
“The things that I went through with my cancer where I was like, ‘Surely I’ll always remember that this is the point. Surely I will carry this deep reservoir of calm within my soul,’ and 30 seconds later it’s gone,” she says. Adding this book “was a place to put all of those things that were like, ‘Please, please let me not unlearn this thing. I know I will unlearn it, and so it’ll be here when I need to relearn it.’”
Wambach wants to spotlight the chapter on parenting, “because it’s so prevalent in my consistent, day-to-day life,” she says. “A lot of us parents and our parents were taught that parenting is about the kids, and I actually think that parenting is about the relationship I have with myself first, before I go to my kids with anything parenting-wise. And that is what the wayfinders of this book, in this chapter, constantly remind me.”
Glennon’s intentions for the book align with those of her previous writing and appearances, she says. She wants readers to understand “what you think is your deep, personal shame is in fact the human experience. Most of the problems you think you have, you don’t have problems, you just have a life.”
-
Carnie Wilson on mental health, sobriety, Beach Boys dad Brian Wilson
‘Ice Bucket Challenge’ is back to raise awareness of mental health
In 2025, participants are doing the ‘Ice Bucket Challenge’ to raise awareness and funds for mental health causes.
“Hold on for one more day.”
Yes, these are the lyrics to “Hold On” by Wilson Phillips. They’re also the mantra by which Wilson Phillips singer Carnie Wilson abides as a champion for all those struggling in silence from myriad health conditions.
“I was my own advocate that had to to advocate for my own depression and anxiety and OCD,” Wilson, 57, says over a Zoom call from Los Angeles. “I suffer from these things, and they’re not debilitating for me. They were at some point, and that’s why I think I was hiding in a closet drinking vodka. I believe it was debilitating. And then it really became debilitating when I was suicidal.” Wilson, the daughter of 82-year-old Beach Boys singer Brian Wilson, is vocal about her sobriety journey and hasn’t drank alcohol in more than 20 years.
As part of her advocacy efforts, she’s partnering with Neurocrine Biosciences on a “Connecting with Carnie” initiative, which looks to support those with the condition tardive dyskinesia (TD). It’s an involuntary movement disorder linked to some mental health medications which can hamper quality of life; more than 800,000 Americans have it, 60% of whom are undiagnosed.
“I want to be the catalyst for them to come out of the shadows and and open up and seek treatment,” she says, echoing her own different but relevant health journey.
‘I know what it’s like to isolate’
Wilson’s happy place is usually her kitchen. But she’s in the middle of a remodel.
“It’s been a little hectic around here,” Wilson says, “crazy, (with) two kids, dogs, and, you know, life, there’s a lot happening, but this is a very exciting time.” She and musician husband Rob Bonfiglio share two daughters, “American Idol” contestant Lola and Luci.
Wilson understands what it’s like to have a lot on your mind, on top of any excess health worries at any given moment. That’s where her empathy for TD patients comes from.
“I know what it’s like to isolate just in general,” she says. “When I was addicted to drugs and alcohol, I remember that feeling of just wanting to hide and not show my vulnerability, that I needed help.”
People may develop TD while taking dopamine-targeted medicines used for depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and more. The condition can affect any body part – tongue, lips, eyes, feet, and further complicate one’s mental health. Anyone taking a psychiatric medication should monitor themselves for any atypical symptoms.
“One of the things that’s hard about it is this movement looks abnormal,” says psychiatrist Dr. Greg Mattingly, president of the American Professional Society for ADHD and Related Disorders. It’s noticeable and “tends to be very stigmatizing.” People will avoid going out to restaurants on account of the shame; it ranges in severity.
“It’s more than just a tremor,” Mattingly adds. “It’s an involuntary movement that’s causing people to become isolated, to become increasingly withdrawn and stop doing things that used to give them pleasure.”
It will likely never go away, but can be treated with certain medications including Ingrezza. Still, there is no cure.
People’s mental health journeys, too, aren’t so linear, cut-and-dry.
“The goal is not happiness,” Wilson says. “The goal for me is balance.”
Carnie Wilson discusses dad Brian Wilson’s mental health journey
Wilson always felt different as a young girl, and turned to sugar and food as she strove for comfort and safety. A mild, chronic depression lay under the surface of her mind. Both her father and grandmother on her mother’s side have dealt with depression, too; her father Brian Wilson also has schizoaffective disorder.
“I’ve watched him really overcome so much, just so so much,” she says, adding that she loves her father “more than anything in the world. And he’s been through a lot, but he’s the strongest person I know. I mean, truly the strongest person.”
She encourages anyone with mental health concerns or symptoms of conditions like TD to get checked out by professionals.
“My father did seek help with his own mental illness, and he’s come to a great place,” she says. “He found the right medication for him that has helped the voices in his head, his own depression and I find a lot of similarities in me. I see myself in him in many ways, and that’s sort of driven by fear, but a lot of drive and a lot of will to survive and connect with people.”
Like father, like daughter.
-
Judges save one singer, send another home
Carrie Underwood dishes on her first date at 16: ‘It did not go well’
In an exclusive “Idol To Icon” clip, Underwood admits she never heard back from her first date. “American Idol” airs Sundays/Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC.
ABC
A day after “American Idol” nixed its remaining platinum ticket winners on May 4, viewers further trimmed the competition down to the Top 7.
The Top 8 vote saw Canaan James Hill and Kolbi Jordan eliminated in a shock vote. In a brutal fan vote, another singer was cut from the competition as Season 23’s Top 7 was revealed May 5.
The aspiring stars took part in the “judge’s song contest” in Episode 15, with contestants selecting from a slate of songs chosen for them by each judge (who’d submitted anonymously). After Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie each earned three singers’ favor, they not only won bragging rights but also the responsibility of deciding which singer would be spared from leaving the competition.
Fellow judge Carrie Underwood was left in a huff. “I don’t lose on ‘American Idol.’ I win!” she said. But later, she seemed more than happy to be excluded from the high-pressure debate over which contestant to send home from the chopping block.
Who was sent home on ‘American Idol?’ Who was saved?
Mattie Pruitt and Josh King didn’t earn enough votes for the Top 6.
After Richie and Bryan conferred in a brief whispered conversation, they came to a quick decision. As Pruitt was on the brink of tears, the two judges called out “Mattie!” This meant the airport pianist was out of the competition.
Who is in the ‘American Idol’ Top 6?
- John Foster
- Josh King
- Jamal Roberts
- Mattie Pruitt
- Thunderstorm Artis
- Slater Nalley
- Gabby Samone
- Breanna Nix
-
The Met Gala theme is Superfine: Tailoring Black Style. See pics.Entertainment
The Met Gala theme is Superfine: Tailoring Black Style. See pics.Entertainment
-
Kamala Harris makes surprise Met Gala debut in a classic fashion look
Former Vice President Kamala Harris made her Met Gala debut at this year’s annual fashion extravaganza.
Coinciding with this year’s theme of “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” the Democrat donned an asymmetrical classic black and white gown at the ceremony but did not walk the blue carpet.
The appearance marks a return to the public eye following the November election, where she ran and lost as the Democratic nominee. On April 30, she delivered a speech at the Emerge 20th Anniversary Gala in San Francisco, where she condemned the first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s second term.
“Instead of an administration working to advance America’s highest ideals, we are witnessing the wholesale abandonment of those ideals,” Harris said. “But in the face of crisis, the lesson is: Don’t scatter. The instinct has to be to immediately find each other and to know that the circle will be strong.”
She warned Americans that things are probably “going to get worse before they get better,” but urged people to lose focus. “Please always remember this country is ours,” she said. “It doesn’t belong to whoever is in the White House. It belongs to you.”
Is Donald Trump banned from the Met Gala 2025?
Trump has not been welcomed to the Met Gala for nearly a decade since Vogue Editor-in-Chief and gala chair Anna Wintour announced in 2017 that he would no longer be invited.
What is the Met Gala?
The Costume Institute Benefit, commonly known as the Met Gala, is a fundraiser for the museum’s Costume Institute, which hosts a collection of over 33,000 fashion artifacts. The 2024 Met Gala raised approximately $26 million, according to The New York Times and The Associated Press.
Contributing: Rebecca Morin and Juan Carlos Castillo, USA TODAY Network
-
Sabrina Carpenter is giving 'espresso' for Met GalaEntertain This!
Sabrina Carpenter is giving ‘espresso’ for Met GalaEntertain This!