ABC/Randy Holmes(LOS ANGELES) — (NOTE LANGUAGE) It seems Ellen DeGeneres has had enough.
The 62-year-old reportedly “wants out” of the syndicated talk show she’s hosted since 2003 amid employee claims of mistreatment.
Sources told Us Weekly, “She is p****d that people have come forward to share these negative stories about her and feels betrayed.”
The insider added, “She knows she can be tough at times but believes she works hard and is extremely creative and that it’s a privilege to work for her and be around her.”
Both Ellen and her talk show came under fire in mid-July after former employees alleged to BuzzFeed News that their work environment was a toxic one, in which they faced racism, fear, and intimidation.
Ellen issued addressed the claims and issued an apology to her staff on July 30 in an email obtained by ABC News.
“As we’ve grown exponentially, I’ve not been able to stay on top of everything and relied on others to do their jobs as they knew I’d want them done,” she wrote. “Clearly some didn’t. That will now change and I’m committed to ensuring this does not happen again.”
ABC/Image Group LACountry singer Luke Combs didn’t let COVID-19 or impending Tropical Storm Isaias dash his wedding plans with longtime love Nicole Hocking. The two tied the knot in a romantic beachside ceremony in Florida over the weekend.
The 30-year-old shared several images of his big day on Sunday, which not only showed off the lovely sunset ceremony but also Hocking’s gorgeous wedding gown and bouquet.
“Yesterday was the best day of my life,” wrote Combs. ” I got to marry my best friend. I love you @nicohocking, here’s to forever.”
Hocking also announced her nuptials on Sunday, who wrote a little more about their ultra private ceremony and how the two plan to make up for having to rein in the guest list.
“Yesterday was the most special day!! I’m so happy to spend the rest of my life with you!,” She gushed to Combs in the caption. “Although we wish would could have had every single one of our family & friends there, we can’t wait to celebrate with everyone next year!”
Of course, the country industry flooded the newlyweds with an abundance of well wishes, among them Tanya Tucker, Kane Brown, Dan Smyers, Carly Pearce and Baker Mayfield.
Also sending their enthusiastic congratulations to the wedded couple were This Is Us star Chrissy Metz, Good Charlotte frontman Joel Madden and celebrity chef and Nailed It! judge Jean-Paul Bourgeois.
Combs and his wife, who started dating in 2016, expressed to their followers that they intend to share more about their big day sometime “soon.”
(ST. LOUIS) — Catch up on the developing stories making headlines.
A 27-day-old elephant with developmental impairments that limited his ability to feed since he was born has died at the St. Louis Zoo.
The male Asian elephant calf named Avi was born to his mother, named Rani, on July 6 but after intensive care efforts and life support measures, including assistance with feedings and continuous intravenous treatments, the zoo’s elephant care team made the decision to humanely euthanize the baby elephant after the calf’s already compromised health deteriorated rapidly over the previous two days.
“Everyone here is just devastated right now,” said Jeffrey P. Bonner, Ph.D. and Dana Brown, the president and CEO of the Saint Louis Zoo in a statement on the zoo’s website. “Our team of professional elephant care experts did everything possible to help improve the calf’s health. Unfortunately, in the end, it just wasn’t enough as his health complications were too severe.”
The Elephant Care Team said they had prepared for his arrival for almost three years and decided to name him Avi — which means “the sun and air” — during that period.
“The animal care team who worked so closely with this calf every day of his short life, and all those who loved him, are understandably grieving,” said vice president of animal collections at the Saint Louis Zoo. Luis Padilla, “Avi will be missed, but never forgotten.”
Padilla continued: “The community followed Rani’s journey from pregnancy to birth and provided support and positive thoughts for the calf and the Elephant Care Team when they learned of the calf’s developmental and health impairments. The outpouring of support that we have received from the community has been incredible. I know everyone joins us in our sense of loss, and that helps our team get through these difficult times.”
According to the St. Louis Zoo, there are fewer than 35,000 Asian elephants left in the wild and they face extinction due to challenges like poaching for ivory and habitat destruction.
The zoo said that Avi was Rani’s third baby and that she has previously given birth to Jade in 2007 and Kenzi in 2011, although Kenzi passed away at the age of seven in 2018. The father, 27-year-old Raja, was the first ever Asian elephant born at the St. Louis Zoo in 1992.
“An elephant pregnancy lasts about 22 months and a newborn weighs about 250-350 pounds,” the zoo’s statement read. “Rani received regular prenatal health checkups by the zoo’s elephant care team throughout her pregnancy.”
The veterinary team at the zoo have confirmed that they will now conduct a full necropsy on Avi and that the results will be available in several weeks.
Brett Carlsen/Getty ImagesBy MARK HANRAHAN, ABC News
(NEW YORK) — The U.S. Navy SEALS have announced an investigation into a video showing a man wearing a Colin Kaepernick jersey being attacked by dogs at a demonstration at a Florida museum with links to several former SEALs.
The first video shows a man in protective clothing and a Kaepernick jersey being bitten by SEAL attack dogs as part of a demonstration in front of a crowd of spectators.
Another video of the same event shows men in military clothing performing a mock capture of the man after the dogs have been removed. As he lies on the ground, he says “Oh man, I’ll stand,” eliciting laughter from the watching crowd.
The videos were originally shared on Instagram in January 2020, but went viral in the first weekend of August.
In a statement on their official Twitter account, the U.S. Navy SEALs said: “The inherent message of this video is completely inconsistent with the values and ethos of Naval Special Warfare and the U.S. Navy.”
The statement added that the SEALs are investigating the incident and that “initial indications” were that there were no active duty Navy personnel or equipment involved in the display.
The event depicted in the videos took place at the Navy Seal Museum in Fort Pierce, Florida. The museum is not officially affiliated with the SEALs or the U.S. military, but it lists several retired SEALs on its board of directors and advisory board.
The dog demonstration incident is not the only one associated with the museum and Kaepernick’s protests. Video of the museum’s 33rd Annual Muster event in November 2018, showed a mock military engagement in which an SUV with “Take a knee,” and “Nike” painted in large letters on the side was a target.
Nike hired Kaepernick to appear in a commercial after he had stopped playing in the NFL and also released a Kaepernick-branded shoe.
The clip, embedded below, shows a group enter the display area in the vehicle, before they are subject to a mock assault by men in military fatigues, one of whom is seen carrying an American flag on his back. In the video, the car appears at around the two minute 24 second mark.
The mock soldiers proceed to fire their weapons at the car, and the people who arrived in it lie down, acting as though they had been shot.
Kaepernick played six seasons as a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, but has not played in the NFL since 2016, when he began kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial injustice.
Kaepernick and other players who chose to protest during the anthem attracted criticism with many, including President Donald Trump, who said that players who did not stand for the anthem “shouldn’t be in the country.”
The NFL subsequently brought in a rule banning players from kneeling on the field during the anthem.
In the wake of the nationwide racial injustice protests sparked by the death of George Floyd, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell admitted that the league had been wrong not to listen to its players about racism.
“We, the National Football League, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all players to speak out and peacefully protest. We, the National Football League, believe that black lives matter,” he said in a video statement, reported by ESPN.
S.W.A.T., CBS’ remake of the 1970s police drama, could be the first broadcast TV’s first scripted primetime series to resume production, according to Deadline.
The show starring Shemar Moore, is tentatively slated to begin filming Tuesday in Los Angeles, with the standard COVID-19 safety protocols in place. S.W.A.T., originally tapped as a mid-season replacement, will join Seal Team as a replacement for the COVID-stalled Survivor in the network’s fall lineup. CBS’ The Good Doctor is also set to resume production by mid-August in Vancouver.
Meanwhile, the trade also reports that the syndicated gameshow Family Feud is set to resume production in Atlanta on Tuesday, August 4. The show, hosted by Steve Harvey, is scheduled to kick off its 22nd season on September 14. Family Feud should have the same look and feel as previous seasons, but as with other production resumptions, it’ll be shot with minimal crew wearing personal protective equipment and no audience. Regular temperature checks, along with other health and safety protocols will be in place, as per state, local and union requirements.
The same is going for ABC’s reboot of the classic game show, Supermarket Sweep, starring Saturday Night Live alum Leslie Jones. Deadline says taping started on Friday in California, and additionally, all of the edible produce and grocery items shown in the mock-up supermarket will be donated to various charities including the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. A premiere date for the show has yet to be announced.
ABC/Randy Holmes(LOS ANGELES) — (NOTE LANGUAGE) It seems Ellen DeGeneres has had enough.
