Jason Merritt/Getty Image(LOS ANGELES) — Amber Heard took the stand on Monday in Johnny Depp’s libel case against the British tabloid The Sun and continued to make claims against her ex-husband.
One of the accusations Heard made towards the Pirates of the Caribbean star was that she was often subjected to “punching, slapping, kicking, head-butting and choking” during their relationship. She even claimed that there were instances that caused her to fear for her life.
The 34-year-old actress also addressed allegations she made in a written statement that was submitted to the court. According to E! News, who obtained the statement, Heard said that Depp, “accused me of having affairs with each of my co-stars, movie after movie: Eddie Redmayne, James Franco, Jim Sturgess, Kevin Costner, Liam Hemsworth, Billy-Bob Thornton, Channing Tatum; even women co-stars like Kelly Garner.”
“He also accused me of having affairs with stars I auditioned with, like Leonardo DiCaprio. He would taunt me about it—especially when he was drunk or high—and had derogatory nicknames for every one of my male co-stars he considered a sexual threat,” she claimed. “For example, Leonardo DiCaprio was ‘pumpkin-head’, Channing Tatum was ‘potato-head’ and ‘Jim Turd Sturgess’.”
A rep told E! News, “This is complete nonsense and absolutely untrue.”
(NEW YORK) — Since officials announced Georgia’s first confirmed cases of COVID-19 on March 2, the state has drawn national attention over the coronavirus pandemic. It was one of the first states in the country to begin reopening its economy, and has since joined others in pausing its phased approach amid rising numbers of new cases and hospitalizations.
Most recently, its Republican governor, Brian Kemp, has become engaged in a legal dispute with the mayor of Atlanta over mask mandates, which more states and cities have been issuing as coronavirus cases rise.
As of Monday, Georgia had 145,575 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 3,176 deaths, according to state data. Hospitalizations have also steadily increased since mid-June. The state reported a record number of new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, with 4,689.
Here’s a look at some of the key moments in Kemp’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic so far:
Feb. 28
With COVID-19 spreading around the globe, including in the United States, Kemp announces the creation of a coronavirus task force to assess the state’s preparedness in addressing the virus.
March 2
In a late-night press conference, Kemp announces Georgia’s first cases of COVID-19, involving two residents of Fulton County in the same household, one of whom had recently returned from Italy. The state health department later determines that Georgia had cases as early as Feb. 1.
March 12
The governor directs state agencies to implement teleworking policies and suspend nonessential travel for most state employees. The same day, the state reports its first death from COVID-19 — a 63-year-old man who had underlying medical conditions. Later, the health department updates its data to report that the first death was on March 5.
March 14
With 64 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state, Kemp declares a public health state of emergency. He also authorizes up to 2,000 National Guard troops to assist in the emergency response.
March 16
Kemp signs an executive order closing all elementary, secondary and post-secondary public schools from March 18 to March 31.
March 19
Per federal and state health officials, Kemp urges that the state start prioritizing COVID-19 tests “for our most vulnerable populations,” first responders and healthcare workers, in an effort to conserve hard-to-find medical supplies.
March 24
An executive order goes into effect closing all bars and nightclubs, banning gatherings of 10 or more people unless social distancing is in place, and requiring at-risk populations to shelter in place for two weeks.
April 1
Schools are closed through the end of the school year. At a coronavirus press briefing, Kemp draws ridicule after saying that he only recently became aware that asymptomatic people could spread the virus.
April 3
A statewide shelter-in-place order goes into effect, issued as the state reports more than 4,600 confirmed COVID-19 cases.
April 8
Kemp signs executive orders extending Georgia’s public health state of emergency through May 13 and activating 1,000 more National Guard troops. He also extends the statewide shelter-in-place order through the end of the month.
April 13
The state expands testing criteria to include symptomatic critical infrastructure workers and asymptomatic people who have had direct contact with positive COVID-19 patients. In a statement, Kemp says, “Our testing numbers in Georgia continue to lag.”
The governor also signs an order suspending enforcement of Georgia’s anti-mask statute “so people can follow the guidance of public health officials without fear of prosecution,” Kemp says, adding, “I want to thank Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms for raising awareness about this issue.”
April 17
Kemp announces the completion of a 200-bed alternate care facility at the Georgia World Congress Center to provide treatment to non-critical COVID-19 patients.
April 20
In the wake of new reopening guidelines released by the White House, Kemp announces that he will let his shelter-in-place order expire on April 30 and allow some nonessential businesses to reopen, starting with gyms, bowling alleys, hair salons, barbershops, nail salons and other similar businesses on April 24 and restaurant dine-in service on April 27. The move draws criticism, including from President Donald Trump, who says, “I think it’s too soon.”
April 30
On the day the statewide shelter-in-place order expires, Kemp extends the public health state of emergency through June 12 “to continue enhanced testing across Georgia, ramp up contact tracing, and maintain effective emergency response operations in every region.” Vulnerable populations are also ordered to continue to shelter in place through June 12.
May 28
The governor renews the state of emergency for a third time, through July 12. On the same day, he loosens public gathering restrictions up to 25 people and announces more reopenings, including bars and nightclubs starting June 1 and amusement parks and water parks starting June 12.
June 11
Kemp rolls out more reopenings, including live performance venues starting July 1, and increases limitations on gatherings to up to 50 people with social distancing in place.
June 29
Kemp extends the public health emergency through Aug. 11 as the state “has seen an increase in new cases reported and current hospitalizations.” An ABC News analysis finds that Georgia has recently seen record numbers of new cases.
July 10
The governor announces he is reactivating the Georgia World Congress Center, which had discharged its last patient in early May. That day, the state reports a record number of new coronavirus cases, with 4,484.
July 13
Three days after Bottoms announces that Atlanta is reverting to “Phase One” due to rising cases in the city, Kemp releases a statement that the action is “non-binding and legally unenforceable” and asks residents to follow his orders.
July 15
Kemp voids at least 15 local mask mandates, including those in Atlanta, Augusta, Savannah and Rome, instead encouraging voluntary mask wearing in the state.
July 16
Kemp sues the city of Atlanta over its requirement to wear masks in public.
“Governor Kemp must be allowed, as the chief executive of this state, to manage the public health emergency without Mayor Bottoms issuing void and unenforceable orders which only serve to confuse the public,” the lawsuit states.
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) — Nick Cannon took to Instagram on Monday to share part of a conversation with a Rabbi he plans to air on an upcoming episode of his podcast and YouTube series Cannon’s Class.
“I made a lot of people mad,” The Masked Singer host tells Rabbi Abraham Cooper in the clip. “[I made] your community mad, I made my community mad by apologizing.”
Cooper interrupts by saying that the question his community asks regarding Cannon’s apology is whether it’s sincere. Cannon then asks the Rabbi if he believes that he’s being sincere, to which Cooper replies, “At this point, yes.”
“Hate,” says Cannon, is “an energy,” adding that he “doesn’t have a hatred for any group of people…specifically the Jewish people,” because he feels a connection between the two communities.
Cannon has been facing serious backlash following anti-Semitic comments he made during a June episode of Cannon’s Class.
Cannon gave no indication of when the episode will air, aside from the caption, “Coming soon…”
Warner Music NashvilleGabby Barrett already made it to number one on the country chart with her debut single, “I Hope,” and now she’s well on her way to following suit on the adult contemporary side, thanks to a new duet version with pop star Charlie Puth.
Gabby wrote “I Hope” from the perspective of a woman who sounds like she’s about to wish her ex well with his new love — but then ends up saying she hopes the new girl cheats on him, the way he cheated on her. Turns out Charlie was a big fan of the original song, so he reached out to Gabby on Instagram.
“He had originally posted about the song, saying that he loved it,” Gabby explains. “And he messaged me later and said that he wanted to remix it and be on it. And so our teams kind of just collabed together — and now we have an awesome feature on a pretty cool song! So we’re excited about it.”
One reason Gabby’s excited is that adding a male point of view to the song makes it more relatable to both sexes.
“I definitely think with Charlie being on this track, it changes the perspective of the song,” she explains. “Because when I wrote it, I was just writing from a woman’s kind of perspective. And so with him being on it, it kind of shows a men’s perspective too, that both sides get cheated on and it’s not just a one-sided thing.”
“So he’s gonna be kind of talking to the guys,” she notes. “And I’m talking to the girls.”
Gabby’s new country single is the track, “The Good Ones,” from her debut album Goldmine.
Courtesy the Linscotts(LOUISVILLE) — BY: ABIGAIL ROBERTS
A Kentucky couple says they’ve been placed under house arrest for refusing to sign self-quarantine documents.
It all started when Elizabeth Linscott planned to visit her parents and decided to get tested for COVID-19 before traveling. After testing positive on July 11, Elizabeth was contacted by Kentucky’s Hardin County Health Department.
They requested she sign documents that required daily check-ins and would limit her from traveling anywhere — including health facilities — unless she called the health department first.
After receiving the documents in an email, Elizabeth refused to sign them.
“I just didn’t agree with the wording, because I know for a fact that if I signed it and I had an emergency it would have been held against me by not calling,” she said. “I have no problem self-quarantining, I said, but if I have to leave my house to get a necessity for an emergency, I’m going to do that without your prior consent.”
Elizabeth received a call from the Hardin County Health Department asking why she decided not to sign the documents. Following a discussion with a staffer, Elizabeth hung up the phone in frustration. She then received a text informing her that because she had refused to sign, law enforcement would get involved.
The couple didn’t hear anything for several days, but on Thursday, July 16, around 5 p.m., law enforcement knocked on the Linscotts’ door.
“My husband answers the door and he’s like, ‘What is this about?'” Elizabeth recalled.
“They said, ‘We have three court orders for you, your wife and your daughter that states you guys refused quarantine. So now you have to wear these ankle monitors,'” Isaiah Linscott, Elizabeth’s husband said. “We were like, ‘What’s going to happen if we refuse? It’s just going to get escalated higher and higher.'”
The two were told that if they traveled more than 200 feet from the home, the county would be alerted, and if they refused to cooperate, the sheriff’s department would get involved.
The Hardin Country Sheriff’s office told ABC News that the notices delivered by the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office on July 16 are confidential.
“Therefore, the Hardin County Sheriff’s will not be making any further comment and cannot release documents or additional information unless directed by a court,” they said in a statement.
The Linscotts are not the only ones who’ve had a run-in with the law over quarantine-related issues. On March 30, Kentucky Circuit judges ordered at least four COVID-19 patients to wear ankle monitors for allegedly breaking self-isolation orders. And on April 6, Kanawha County Circuit Court approved the sheriff’s department to issue ankle monitors for those who refuse to quarantine. Colorado and Hawaii have both also considered using ankle monitors to monitor those ordered to quarantine.
“We should not be put on an unlawful house arrest, this should not be happening to anybody,” Elizabeth said.
As of Monday, Kentucky has confirmed more than 23,700 coronavirus cases and nearly 700 deaths. Gov. Andy Beshear said 30 of these cases are of children 5 years old or younger.
Jason Merritt/Getty Image(LOS ANGELES) — Amber Heard took the stand on Monday in Johnny Depp’s libel case against the British tabloid The Sun and continued to make claims against her ex-husband.
