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Chris Rock Exposes Los Angeles’ Dark Underbelly That They’re Trying to Pretend Doesn’t Exist
Entertainment

Chris Rock Exposes Los Angeles’ Dark Underbelly That They’re Trying to Pretend Doesn’t Exist

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Chris Rock offered a blunt assessment of Los Angeles, describing a city where beauty, fame and troubling contradictions exist side by side.

The comedian said Hollywood attracts a dark element that many people would rather ignore, as reported by Fox News.

“L.A. is a complicated place, man,” Rock told Variety in an interview published Tuesday. “Fame’s a complicated thing. I’ve seen the switch in my lifetime.”

The 61-year-old comedian said people once arrived in Hollywood determined to become exceptional performers.

In his view, the focus has shifted toward simply becoming famous, with greatness treated as if it will automatically follow.

Rock argued that talent eventually becomes the deciding factor, regardless of how much attention someone initially receives. “I mean, you’re always gonna be outed at some point if you don’t have the goods,” he said.

Los Angeles, however, stands at the center of that pursuit, according to Rock.

“But L.A. is the mecca of that. It can be beautiful. It’s got the best weather in the world. But it also attracts an underbelly that people want to pretend doesn’t exist.”

Rock owns homes in both New York and Los Angeles, and he made clear that his criticism does not mean he rejects the California city entirely.

He said he loves “parts” of Los Angeles and joked that he “winters” in California.

His current work also brings those observations about the city into sharper focus.

The “Everybody Hates Chris” star is directing the independent movie “Misty Green,” which follows an actress whose successful years are behind her and who is now broke while living in Los Angeles.

Rock said much of the movie centers on Los Angeles and what he considers its distorted priorities.

He pointed to a real estate office near The Ivy on Robertson where homes priced from $30 million to $40 million are displayed while a homeless man sleeps outside.

For Rock, that stark scene captures the divide at the heart of the movie. Extreme wealth is presented in a window while visible hardship sits directly outside, creating what he described as a crazy contrast within the city.

The comedian also discussed the moment Will Smith slapped him during the 2022 Academy Awards. Rock was presenting when the confrontation occurred after he made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith.

“I wish nothing would have happened,” Rock said when reflecting on the incident. Smith went on to win best actor shortly after the confrontation.

Rather than presenting his own experience as the most urgent problem, Rock placed it alongside the suffering visible in everyday life.

“It’s a crazy world,” he told Variety, adding that people regularly walk past homeless residents and that his own bad day is not especially important by comparison.

Rock also addressed whether he would return to the Oscars. He said he would only attend again if he received a nomination, although he made it clear that he does not expect that to happen.

“I’m not getting nominated,” Rock said. “The only way I’ll go back is if I’m nominated, and I’m not getting nominated. And that’s OK. We’ll deal with that if it happens. Like, let’s manage expectations.”

His remarks connected Hollywood’s pursuit of fame with the wider contradictions he sees across Los Angeles.

Even as Rock acknowledged the city’s beauty and weather, he maintained that its glamorous image can obscure a darker reality that remains plainly visible.

Dennis Quaid has also reflected on leaving Los Angeles for Nashville, saying residents are frustrated by high taxes, poor services and the fallout from devastating wildfires.

Rock’s comments focused instead on fame, homelessness and the dramatic divide between wealth and hardship in Los Angeles.

Whoopi Goldberg Campaigns Hard for Democrats in Midterms: ‘Our Lives Literally Depend on This’ [WATCH]
Entertainment

Whoopi Goldberg Campaigns Hard for Democrats in Midterms: ‘Our Lives Literally Depend on This’ [WATCH]

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The View returned from its summer hiatus this week and immediately plunged into political conversations centered on the 2026 midterms.

The program openly pushed viewers toward action that would benefit Democrats, continuing the kind of electioneering that has placed the show under scrutiny, as reported by The Gateway Pundit.

Among the subjects discussed on the show today was the possibility of invoking the 25th Amendment on President Trump.

Olivia Rodrigo Erupts at Trump Administration Over Picking Fights with Pop Stars [WATCH]

The hosts also talked about voting and the approaching election, with Whoopi Goldberg declaring that “our lives literally depend on this.”

The political push came through a conversation involving Goldberg, Joy Behar, and Farah Griffin. Behar opened one exchange by asking, “Let me ask you, you say the emperor had no clothes; what if he took all his clothes off?”

Farah Griffin answered with a mocking assessment of how people around Trump would supposedly react. She said, “People would tell him he looks great and he’s in great shape.”

Behar continued the scenario by asking what would happen if Trump behaved even more dramatically. “If he took all his clothes off and started running around the pool. Would they get him out then?”

Goldberg then moved the discussion away from Behar’s hypothetical and toward what viewers could personally do. She told the audience, “All of these things, all of these things are in our hands.”

The host expanded that message into a direct call for people seeking political change to take action themselves.

“This is what we can tell you, if you want to see change, you got to make the change. It doesn’t matter your color. It doesn’t matter if your a Democrat or Republican, if you want change, you got to get out there and make it happen.”

Although Goldberg said the message applied regardless of political affiliation, the segment unfolded as The View campaigned for Democrats in the 2026 midterms.

Her remarks repeatedly emphasized voting as the mechanism through which the audience could produce the change being discussed.

Goldberg also urged viewers to locate every available way to cast their ballots while warning them not to break any rules.

“And you got to find every way that you can to vote. Don’t cheat. I don’t remember the last time we’ve ever had cheating in voting. We never had these conversations.”

She returned to the idea that responsibility now rested with everyone watching.

“But here’s the deal. This is now on all of us, every one of us, doesn’t matter your color, doesn’t matter your sex, you want it to change, you’re the only one that can do it.”

Goldberg then placed a specific timeline on the appeal, telling viewers that only 56 days remained.

She asked them not only to determine where they could vote, but also to help older people and others reach their voting locations.

Her final appeal was the most dramatic statement of the segment.

“56 days. Find out where you can vote and help your elders get to the places to vote. Help everybody you can to get out this vote because our lives literally depend on this. We’ll be right back.”

The comments amounted to an unmistakable effort to drive turnout during the 2026 midterms.

Goldberg repeatedly told viewers that change was in their hands and made the stakes sound personal, immediate, and potentially life altering.

The View’s willingness to engage in this kind of open electioneering for one political side is also why the program has come under a microscope with the FCC.

The concern is that ABC News is not supposed to engage in such behavior, yet The View is repeatedly allowed to do it.

The segment combined jokes about President Trump with calls for viewers to mobilize before the election.

At the same time, Goldberg framed participation as a responsibility shared by people regardless of their color, sex, or stated political affiliation.

Her final words left no ambiguity about the intensity of the message being delivered.

With 56 days remaining, Goldberg urged viewers to vote, assist their elders, and help everyone possible reach the polls because, in her words, their lives depended on it.

Sydney Sweeney Leaves Little to the Imagination as She Reveals New Partnership with Novig [WATCH]
Entertainment

Sydney Sweeney Leaves Little to the Imagination as She Reveals New Partnership with Novig [WATCH]

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Sydney Sweeney is adding another business venture to a schedule that already includes major acting and producing projects, becoming an equity partner in Novig as the company launches its new “Just Sports” campaign.

The campaign is the first from the 21-and-over sports prediction market and features Sweeney in a role that extends beyond appearing in its advertising.

She participated in the creative process while working in Australia on Netflix’s live-action Gundam, which recently wrapped filming. Sweeney stars in the project alongside Noah Centineo and an ensemble cast.

“Because I’ve been a part of the creative conversations from the very beginning,” Sweeney shared with Complex via phone, “I had built an amazing relationship with everyone involved, and I was really excited to get to set.”

Working on the campaign also provided an opportunity for Sweeney to reconnect with members of her longtime team after spending an extended period away.

“It can be kind of isolating when you’re away for that long,” Sweeney continued, “so being able to have my entire glam team come down, and my team who I’ve been with for almost a decade—they’re like my family—it was really exciting to be able to see them again.”

Sweeney described “Just Sports” as “a very simple and playful idea” intended to “really bring the concept of ‘just sports’ to life.”

WATCH:

Novig describes its approach as a marketplace centered on transparency and efficiency and built by sports traders for sports traders.

For Sweeney, participating in the business and creative sides of the partnership was an important part of becoming involved.

“I’ve always believed that the best partnerships are the ones where everyone’s getting to collaborate,” Sweeney explained.

“I don’t like to just put my face on something. I really want to be able to get into the weeds of it with an amazing team. And I got to meet the Novig team. Jacob’s incredible, and I believed in him as a founder.”

“Being able to be a part of watching this company grow and not just be the face of it is really important to me,” she added.

Her involvement with a sports-focused company also draws on a long personal history with athletics.

Sweeney said she participated in several sports while growing up, including soccer, softball, snow skiing and mixed martial arts. She also learned to slalom ski as a child.

“I grew up loving sports,” she said. “I played sports growing up. I was on a soccer team, I was on a softball team, I was on a snow ski team. I learned how to slalom ski when I was little, and I did MMA.”

Sweeney said she remains particularly interested in hockey and boxing. Her experience playing boxer Christie Martin also increased her appreciation for fighters.

“So sports have been a really big part of my life, and I love watching hockey and boxing, especially after playing Christie Martin,” Sweeney said.

“I have a really huge appreciation for every single fighter.”

Despite her interest in athletics, Sweeney ultimately chose acting, a decision she said allowed her to pursue different interests rather than settle on a single path.

“Well, first, my parents always told me to fall in love with as many things as possible,” Sweeney said, “so they really wanted me to try absolutely everything.”

She said acting provided a way to continue exploring different subjects through the characters she plays, the people she meets and the places her work takes her.

“I think that the idea and concept of acting was my ability and my choice to be able to not have to pick being one thing for the rest of my life,” she said.

“I get to play all these different characters. I get to learn so much about other people and the world. I get to travel. I get to meet interesting and smart, intelligent, creative people, and it’s broadened my world so much more than if I would’ve just chosen one thing.”

There was at least one point when competitive sports remained a possibility.

“There was a moment, though, when I was 12,” Sweeney said, “I really wanted to go to the X Games for wakeboarding, but that didn’t happen.”

Her career has since expanded beyond acting. Since 2023, Sweeney has produced or executive produced four films, including 2023’s Anyone But You and the 2025 films Christy and The Housemaid.

She is also attached as a producer to two upcoming projects, including Gundam.

“I actually find myself being able to work better when I have more hats to wear,” Sweeney said.

“I love being able to be involved in the entire process with every single person from the ground up.”

That work has included decisions involving casting, marketing, budgets, potential buyers, and markets.

Sweeney said having a role throughout production has also changed how she views the contributions of others working on a project.

“It is such a great ownership. I’m challenging myself, I’m learning so much more, but then I also have such a creative authority that is really amazing to be able to sit at a table and be a part of every discussion, whether it’s from casting, marketing, budgeting, who we’re going to sell this to, what market; being involved in all of that has honestly been able to help me appreciate every single person on set.”

With her birthday approaching amid the busy schedule, Sweeney said she plans to keep the occasion simple.

She expects to “spend it with my close friends and my loved ones, and usually also a Pizookie.”

Jaclyn Smith Details Drug Fueled ‘Charlie’s Angels’ Set and Reveals Which Co-Star Had a Bad Temper [WATCH]
Entertainment

Jaclyn Smith Details Drug Fueled ‘Charlie’s Angels’ Set and Reveals Which Co-Star Had a Bad Temper [WATCH]

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Jaclyn Smith is opening up about the turmoil behind “Charlie’s Angels,” calling out co-star Kate Jackson for allegedly having a “temper.”

In her new memoir, Smith describes Jackson as a “complex person” whose anger “could get the best of her.”

“I Once Knew a Guy Named Charlie,” which was released Tuesday, revisits the relationships and behavior Smith witnessed during the series, as reported by Page Six.

The 80-year-old also recalls how the atmosphere on set changed as drug use became increasingly visible to her.

Smith writes that Jackson, 77, could be “savvy and skilled, and at times downright silly.”

However, she also remembers an occasion when Jackson “flew into a fury over some slight” while they were working on the show, which ran from 1976 to 1981.

That outburst led to an unusual drive around the production lot, according to Smith.

“She climbed behind the wheel of her motor home, with me by her side, and just drove it in circles around the lot, over and over,” she wrote.

Smith initially found the spectacle amusing, but others working on the production apparently did not share that reaction. “It was funny at first, but the teamsters were not happy with us.”

Another confrontation reportedly unfolded after Jackson, Smith, and fellow original Angel Farrah Fawcett were asked to surrender their lunch break for a photoshoot.

Smith claims Jackson responded by “lock[ing]” all three women inside her trailer while crew members searched frantically for tools to release them.

Jackson also allegedly relied on loud profanity when preparing to perform certain scenes. Smith recalls her “shout[ing] every four-letter word in the book (including some [she’d] never heard before) at the top of her lungs” before filming.

The ritual was intense enough to shock workers who regularly spent time around the cast. “[She’d let out] just a long, bellowed string of expletives that made even the cameramen and lighting guys blush,” Smith wrote.

According to Smith, Jackson carried “a lot of resentment” toward “Charlie’s Angels.”

Smith says Jackson helped create the title and the concept that the Angels would never meet their boss, instead receiving his directions through a speakerphone.

Jackson believed those contributions entitled her to recognition and financial compensation, Smith writes. Specifically, “she felt that she was owed both an acknowledgment and a piece of the profit as a creator.”

That view was not shared by the people overseeing the series. Smith states simply that “the producers disagreed,” leaving Jackson without the acknowledgment or share she felt she deserved.

Tension also allegedly emerged between Jackson and Cheryl Ladd, who joined the series after Fawcett left following the first season.

Smith remembers being placed in an uncomfortable position as she tried to navigate the strained relationship between the two women.

“It was difficult feeling caught between Kate and Cheryl,” Smith explained. “Kate never fully accepted Cheryl. Maybe it was because she missed Farrah, and in Kate’s mind no one could take her place.”

Smith also describes a darker shift on set during the show’s later years. “People were doing drugs, in particular, cocaine … with some people using it constantly,” she remembered.

The visible drug use caused Smith to withdraw from the activity around the production. “The more drug use I saw on set, the more time I spent in my motor home. I was in there a lot by the end of the series.”

Elsewhere in the memoir, Smith names Tanya Roberts as the castmate who propositioned her for a threesome with her husband, Barry Roberts. Smith declined the invitation but praised Tanya’s “honesty about her sexuality” as “brave and self-aware.”

Elizabeth Smart Shares Emotional Message After Finishing at Bottom of Bodybuilding Competition [WATCH]
Entertainment

Elizabeth Smart Shares Emotional Message After Finishing at Bottom of Bodybuilding Competition [WATCH]

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Elizabeth Smart shared an emotional message after placing at the bottom of a bodybuilding competition, but the activist made clear that the result did not diminish her excitement about taking part, as reported by Page Six.

Smart, 38, reflected on the experience in an Instagram post Saturday after competing in the North American Championships in Pittsburgh.

She told followers that she had “such a blast” despite not placing highly in either of her classes.

The post included a video showing Smart onstage in a metallic blue bikini as she presented the physique and stage presence she had worked to develop.

“Another show for the books! Had such a blast,” Smart wrote alongside the competition footage. Her message focused on the experience, the people who supported her, and the effort required to reach the stage.

Smart said her definition of success went beyond her final position in the competition.

“I’ve always said ‘just stepping on stage is a win for me!’ And I completely stand by that.”

She competed in two classes at the North American Championships. The Masters 35+ class required competitors to be 35 or older, while Open Class D was determined by height.

Smart openly acknowledged her results rather than letting them overshadow the occasion. She placed at the bottom of both classes, but emphasized that she still valued everything surrounding the competition.

“Regardless of where I placed, I loved the whole experience, had an amazing coach (@slcrobynmaher), got to step onstage with my best friend (@mpholsombake), and had the best support squad in the audience I could ask for.”

The activist also measured her performance against what she had accomplished at earlier shows.

Smart said she “brought a better physique and stage presence than at my previous shows, and I’m so proud of myself for the hard work, discipline, and bravery it takes me to compete.”

Rather than dwelling on the rankings, Smart ended her message by celebrating persistence. “So here’s to pursuing goals and not giving up!” she concluded.

Smart surprised fans in April when she revealed that she was a competitive bodybuilder. At the time, she showed off the highly conditioned physique she had developed through her demanding training routine.

That same month, Smart earned first place in the Fit Model Novice category at the Wasatch Warrior competition in Salt Lake City.

The victory marked a stronger competitive result than her later finish at the North American Championships.

Smart also secured additional placements at the Wasatch Warrior competition. She finished second in the Fit Model category and took third place in the Fit Model Masters 35+ category.

Her bodybuilding schedule requires a considerable commitment to both exercise and nutrition. Smart’s routine consists of weight training five to six days a week while also eating healthy meals.

Long before entering bodybuilding competitions, Smart became known for surviving an abduction and later advocating for others. In 2002, she was taken from her bedroom in Salt Lake City when she was 14 years old.

Police rescued Smart nine months later. She subsequently became an advocate for survivors of sexual violence as well as a child safety activist.

In 2011, Smart created the Elizabeth Smart Foundation. The organization seeks to bring hope, empowerment, and change in the fight against sexual violence.

Her latest bodybuilding appearance did not produce the placements she had previously achieved, but Smart’s own message remained proud and upbeat.

For her, reaching the stage, improving her presentation, and sharing the moment with her coach, best friend, and supporters were all reasons to celebrate.

Billy Baldwin Exposes A-List Actress He Refused to Kiss and Vows Never to Work with Her Again [WATCH]
Entertainment

Billy Baldwin Exposes A-List Actress He Refused to Kiss and Vows Never to Work with Her Again [WATCH]

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Billy Baldwin says he will “never, ever work with” Sharon Stone again following their difficult experience filming the 1993 erotic thriller “Sliver.”

The actor identified Stone during Tuesday’s episode of the “Lisa Guerrero Unleashed” podcast.

He also explained why he eventually refused to kiss his former costar while shooting one of the movie’s love scenes, as reported by Page Six.

Baldwin, 63, claimed there was significant “tension” between him and the Golden Globe winner, 68, during production. According to his account, the strained atmosphere left “everybody miserable” on the set.

“We got along pretty well the first couple weeks,” Baldwin recalled. “And then she wouldn’t say ‘hello’ or ‘goodbye’ to me for the next three months.”

As the uncomfortable situation continued, Baldwin said he arranged a meeting with the film’s producers. He intended to tell them that he could not shoot the final one of the movie’s four love scenes.

The former model ultimately agreed to complete the scene, but he asked that kissing Stone not be part of it. “I can do the scene but just please don’t make me kiss her. … I can’t kiss her,” he recalled telling the producers.

Baldwin alleged that his request led to an iconic moment involving his character, Zeke Hawkins, and Stone’s character, Carly Norris. The two characters instead hooked up against a support column during the scene.

The actor said he had “never told anyone [the story] before” discussing it on the podcast. Aware that his version of what happened could attract plenty of attention, Baldwin predicted, “This could go viral.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Baldwin challenged a story Stone told in her 2021 memoir, “The Beauty of Living Twice,” and during the book’s promotional tour. He characterized her version as a “lie.”

Stone claimed producer Robert Evans had pressured her to sleep with Baldwin in an effort to make his performance “better.”

However, Baldwin insisted that Evans had given him the same message about the tension surrounding the two stars.

“He wasn’t talking about Sharon not being able to act,” Baldwin said while praising her “11 out of 10” screen presence.

Baldwin maintained that the producer’s concern was the conflict between them rather than Stone’s ability as a performer.

“He was saying, ‘I keep getting reports that there’s incredibly bad tension. We know what it’s all about. All this pent-up sexual energy tension. Just do it and get it over with,’ ” Baldwin recalled.

Baldwin called Stone “silly” for suggesting that the producer’s remarks were about his acting performance.

He also accused her of “badmouth[ing]” his acting skills on “Larry King Live” during the week of the movie’s premiere and again 30 years after its release.

The actor made several other allegations about Stone during the conversation. He claimed she had “a shrine to [him] in her trailer,” featuring “candles and pictures.”

Baldwin also alleged that Stone walked on crutches for days after he stepped on her while wearing a sock during a scene.

He further claimed she made comments about him to her friend Janice Dickinson, though Dickinson has previously denied his account.

Despite declaring that he would never work with Stone again, Baldwin said he would “love to bury the hatchet” after allegedly “setting the record straight.”

He expressed hope that he might someday “shake her hand” or “give her a hug.”

Baldwin said the former co-stars have “run into each other” at an airport and at a car show since making the movie. However, he added that they have “never talked” during those encounters.

Stone’s representative did not respond to Page Six’s request for comment about Baldwin’s latest remarks. Stone had previously brought the dispute back into the headlines in 2024.

At that time, Baldwin threatened to disclose “so much dirt” about Stone. He ultimately refrained from revealing those claims then, but has now shared his account of their troubled experience making “Sliver.”

Adam Carolla Blows Up One of the Left’s Favorite Illegal Alien Talking Points in 90 Seconds [WATCH]
Entertainment

Adam Carolla Blows Up One of the Left’s Favorite Illegal Alien Talking Points in 90 Seconds [WATCH]

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Adam Carolla criticized arguments comparing crime rates among illegal immigrants with those of American-born citizens, saying the comparison misses the central issue of whether people who entered the country illegally should have been present in the first place.

Carolla argued that removing people who are in the United States illegally remains worthwhile even if only a portion of those removed would otherwise commit serious crimes.

He said preventing crimes committed by people who should not be in the country is sufficient reason to enforce immigration laws.

“It is worth getting rid of 70% of people who are here illegally to get 30, which turns out to be a large group of people if you’re getting into the millions, of rapists and child abusers and murderers. I’m fine with that. So I’ll use your math,” Carolla said.

He then addressed an argument he said is frequently made in discussions about illegal immigration: that American-born citizens commit crimes at a higher rate than people who entered the country illegally.

Carolla disputed the premise but said that even accepting it for the sake of argument would not change his position.

“The other math that you assholes like to use is, which is another lie, but it’s fine. We’ll use it. They go, Well, you know, American-born citizens, people here, kill at a higher rate than the illegals who are here. You understand that? Which is a lie, but fine. I’ll go along with you,” Carolla said.

For Carolla, the comparison does not address crimes committed by people whose presence in the United States was already unlawful.

He argued that a lower comparative crime rate would not make those individual crimes acceptable or unavoidable.

“So your argument is, however many of these chicks got raped or killed by illegals, that’s okay because a higher percentage of white folks, or maybe a white guy would have killed them later in the week? I guess that’s your argument. I don’t want anybody. It should be zero!” Carolla said.

Carolla continued by rejecting the idea that pointing out that most illegal aliens do not commit violent crimes resolves the issue.

His position centered on eliminating preventable crimes rather than comparing the percentage of offenders between different populations.

“That is an argument. It’s a retarded argument where they go, Well, these guys come in, and most of them don’t murder anybody, and then you guys who are born here, you murder more. All right, but there’s still some amount of murder that you’re just agreeing on there’s some amount of murder,” Carolla said.

He illustrated his argument with hypothetical numbers, comparing 100 killings committed by American-born people with 37 committed by people in the country illegally.

Carolla said his concern was that the latter category would not exist if those offenders had never been permitted to remain in the United States.

“So, the white guys kill 100 of our daughters, and then the guys who are here illegally only kill 37 of our daughters. Is that your argument? How about my argument? They shouldn’t be here!” Carolla said.

Carolla’s argument focused on prevention rather than relative statistics.

He maintained that crimes committed by American citizens do not provide a justification for accepting additional crimes committed by people who are in the country illegally.

He ended his remarks with a profanity-filled rejection of the crime-rate comparison and a demand for enforcement against illegal immigration.

“Then we’d just have 100 dead from Whitey. F**king retards! Shut the f**k up with your retarded arguments! They’re not supposed to be here! Go the f**k home! You’re not doing anything, and you’re getting people killed,” Carolla said.

WATCH:

Sophie Cunningham Makes Waves With Her Latest Bikini Photo
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Sophie Cunningham Makes Waves With Her Latest Bikini Photo

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Sophie Cunningham is making the most of the WNBA’s month-long break, taking time to relax before the league returns for the final stretch of the season, Fox News reported.

The Indiana Fever guard recently enjoyed a bikini boat day as players around the league stepped away from WNBA competition during the FIBA World Cup in Germany.

With the regular season on pause, Cunningham took advantage of the downtime and headed out on the water.

Cunningham’s boat outing comes as the WNBA takes an extended break for international basketball competition.

The FIBA World Cup has drawn players from around the world, leaving WNBA teams and their fans waiting for the league to resume before the playoffs begin.

For Cunningham, the break has provided an opportunity to spend some time away from the basketball court.

The Indiana Fever guard has remained a prominent figure during her first season with the team, and her off-court activities have also continued to draw attention.

Her latest boat day adds to a summer in which Cunningham has embraced time on the water while preparing for the second half of the WNBA season.

The outing comes shortly before the league is expected to turn its attention back toward the playoff race.

The timing of Cunningham’s trip also provided an unusual contrast with what many of her fellow WNBA players were doing.

While players representing their countries were competing in Germany, Cunningham was enjoying some downtime aboard a boat.

The WNBA’s international break has created a rare pause in the league schedule. Players have had an opportunity to rest and recharge, while others have remained involved in international competition.

Cunningham’s appearance on the boat quickly became one of the lighter sports stories surrounding the break.

Her decision to enjoy the summer weather while the WNBA is paused gave fans another glimpse of what players are doing away from the court.

The Indiana Fever will eventually return to action with the postseason approaching, putting the focus back on Cunningham and her teammates as they attempt to finish the season strongly.

Until then, the extended break has allowed Cunningham to enjoy some of the summer that can be difficult to find during a demanding professional basketball schedule.

The Fever guard has also developed a significant following outside traditional game coverage, making her social-media appearances and off-court activities subjects of attention among sports fans.

Cunningham’s latest outing comes at a time when the broader sports calendar is becoming increasingly busy.

Football is returning, international basketball is underway, and the WNBA is preparing for its final push toward the playoffs.

For Cunningham, however, the immediate priority appears to be enjoying the break before basketball takes center stage again.

The bikini boat day offers a simple snapshot of the WNBA’s unusual September pause.

While some players are competing overseas and others are preparing for the conclusion of the season, Cunningham has used the opportunity to get outside, spend time on the water, and enjoy a little downtime.

The Indiana Fever guard will soon have to trade the boat for the basketball court as the WNBA season resumes and the playoff picture takes shape.

For now, Cunningham appears to be taking full advantage of the break.

Rick Springfield Reveals Chilling Vietnam War Story From Troop Tour [WATCH]
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Rick Springfield Reveals Chilling Vietnam War Story From Troop Tour [WATCH]

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Long before Rick Springfield became a rock star and heartthrob, the Australian singer had a frightening encounter with the Vietnam War. Springfield said a decision he made during an attack ended another man’s life and has remained with him for decades, as reported by Fox News.

Springfield discussed the experience during an appearance on the “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast. His unlikely exposure to combat began after his band traveled to Vietnam in 1968 to perform for American troops during the war.

The singer explained that the soldiers “wanted to see, you know, girls that reminded them of home.” Having female performers in the group therefore helped the band secure work in the war zone.

“So as long as we had a couple of girls in the band, they would hire you, and you could tour Vietnam during the war zone,” Springfield said.

What sounded like another performance opportunity quickly placed the musicians near the dangers of the conflict.

The trip was not brief, either. “It was pretty insane. We were there for about four months.”

Springfield said he entered the situation with few expectations beyond the possibility of earning a paycheck. Instead, he and the band spent what little they earned while they were there.

“It was insane. I thought, ‘Oh, great. We’ll make money, you know.'” Springfield said the plan did not work out as he had initially imagined.

“And, of course, we didn’t make any money. We spent it all at the PX, and we weren’t making much money anyway.”

The experience took a far more serious turn after Springfield and his band met a group of soldiers and decided to remain with them overnight.

An attack then sent everyone into bunkers as Springfield stayed inside the radio shack.

“We met these guys, and we really got along well, and we stayed overnight with them, and we all got in the bunkers, in the perimeter bunkers, and I stayed in the radio shack, and we got attacked, and I’m throwing mortars down the freaking tube of the radio shack.”

Springfield described the experience as “freaky.” He was not simply watching the attack unfold because he was directly involved in firing mortars from the radio shack.

The full weight of his actions did not immediately register with him. Springfield said the hardest part came when he later learned that one of the mortars he had dropped down the tube had struck somebody.

“The hardest thing for me was that I had thrown a mortar down, and it had hit somebody,” Springfield recalled.

The soldiers delivered the news to him the following day. Springfield remembered them saying:

“Hey, you got one. You got one.”

That message became the part of the experience that Springfield could not leave behind after returning from Vietnam.

He said the knowledge that his action had contributed to the end of a life still has no comfortable place in his mind.

“And that still has a hard place to land in me, you know?” he said. “That’s really kind of the one thing I brought back with me that I couldn’t really find a place for that to land.”

While speaking with Joe Rogan, Springfield also offered more detail about what happened before he fired the mortar.

He recalled hearing a warning over the radio about movement nearby, followed by confirmation that no friendly forces were in the area.

Springfield said someone then offered him the chance to send mortars down the tube. “They said, ‘Hey, you want to throw some mortars down the tube?'”

“And it was John Wayne time, you know,” Springfield said. The singer connected his reaction during the attack to his youth and his limited understanding of what he was actually doing.

“I mean, as a young kid, I didn’t really understand what I was doing.”

That youthful view eventually gave way to a much more painful understanding of what happened. “I think it’s still there, you know?” Springfield said of the emotional weight he continues to carry.

“It’s hard for me to kind of face that I was responsible for the end of a life, even though it’s distant, and it’s war,” Springfield explained. He said he did not fully understand his role in the moment.

“And I didn’t really have anything to do with it and didn’t really know what I was doing, but you know as a kid and playing, like I said, John Wayne.”

Even with that context, Springfield said the reality remains difficult for him to confront. “But it was… pretty heavy when I think about the reality of it.”

Ted Cruz Takes On The View in Heated Clarence Thomas Clash [WATCH]
Entertainment

Ted Cruz Takes On The View in Heated Clarence Thomas Clash [WATCH]

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Senator Ted Cruz defended Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on Wednesday during a pointed appearance on “The View,” where the co-hosts challenged him over affirmative action and the arguments in his new book, “The Incomparable Clarence Thomas.”

The conversation repeatedly returned to Thomas’ experience and his understanding of constitutional protections, as reported by Fox News.

Sunny Hostin opened the questioning by addressing Thomas’ belief that affirmative action diminished his achievements because it allowed people to think he had not earned his place at Yale.

She said affirmative action was created to give qualified Black students opportunities at institutions that historically denied those opportunities.

Hostin then pressed Cruz about the framing of Thomas’ experience in the book.

She asked, “So what I don’t understand how you handle in the book is, why is the lesson from his experience that we should eliminate the remedy rather than eliminate the racism that made the remedy necessary?”

Hostin continued to challenge the argument and told Cruz, “I mean, I genuinely don’t understand the framing in the book about that.”

Thomas sided with the Supreme Court majority in its 2023 ruling on affirmative action.

Cruz responded by saying that affirmative action “encompasses a lot of things” and began explaining Thomas’ position.

He distinguished efforts to remove barriers and expand access from policies involving quotas and racial discrimination.

“If you’re talking about removing barriers, if you’re talking about expanding access, then I’m for that, he’s for that, everyone is for that,” Cruz said.

He then turned to the constitutional principle that he said Thomas has consistently defended.

Cruz continued, “If you’re talking about quotas and discriminating based on race, then Justice Thomas has been the clearest defender of the principle that the Constitution prohibits the government discriminating based on race.”

Hostin responded by asking why Thomas believed his Yale degree had been diminished because people thought it resulted from affirmative action.

Cruz said the concern was tied to what Thomas experienced after completing law school.

According to Cruz, Thomas performed well at Yale Law School but was unable to secure a position with any of the law firms where he interviewed.

“Not a single law firm would hire him. Every law firm he interviewed said, ‘No.'” Cruz said while recounting Thomas’ experience. Whoopi Goldberg immediately interjected with a blunt response: “Welcome to being Black.”

Goldberg then noted that Thomas was a constitutional scholar and questioned how he viewed the country’s founding document in light of the treatment of Black Americans.

She asked how Thomas could overlook that Black people were not originally included equally under the Constitution.

“How does he not remember that we weren’t part of the Constitution? Right? We were not. So there’s a reason people didn’t start off; we weren’t all equal,” Goldberg said.

Cruz replied that Thomas had discussed those issues at length.

Cruz pointed to the Civil War, Reconstruction, and three constitutional amendments while explaining his answer.

He said, “The 13th Amendment ended slavery. The 14th Amendment protected equal protection. And the 15th Amendment protected the right to vote, specifically for African Americans.”

Goldberg responded by asking why the country was still discussing those issues if the constitutional amendments protected those rights.

“So why are we still talking about it if it protects all of this? That’s the thing, I guess,” she said before ending the interview because the show had run out of time.

The exchange concluded without additional discussion from Cruz on the program. Cruz’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital following the interview.

Earlier in the show, Goldberg had admonished members of “The View” audience after they groaned when Cruz was announced as an upcoming guest.

She reminded them that Barbara Walters had established the show as a place where people could come and have conversations.

“Look, this is a place where Barbara Walters made sure that anybody who wanted to come and have a good conversation could come,” Goldberg said as she shut down the negative audience reaction.

She added that the hosts do not always agree or connect with their guests, but they remain respectful.

Goldberg also compared the audience’s reaction to swallowing a burp rather than letting it out. “Sometimes you know stuff; it’s like a burp. It comes up, and so just swallow it back down.”


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