TheWrap https://www.thewrap.com/ Your trusted source for breaking entertainment news, film reviews, TV updates and Hollywood insights. Stay informed with the latest entertainment headlines and analysis from TheWrap. Wed, 04 Dec 2024 00:05:27 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 https://i0.wp.com/www.thewrap.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/the_wrap_symbol_black_bkg.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 TheWrap https://www.thewrap.com/ 32 32 Celebrity Stylists Sound Off on Finding Power in Reclaiming Fashion: ‘Who You Are Gets to Evolve’ | Video https://www.thewrap.com/celebrity-stylists-reclaiming-fashion/ Tue, 03 Dec 2024 23:52:19 +0000 https://www.thewrap.com/?p=7662356 Power Women Summit: Actress, model and activist Lauren Wasser encourages women to "invest in yourself first and foremost"

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As women continue to make strides in and out of the workplace, celebrity stylists encourage finding power by reclaiming one’s style, with Lalaluxe founder and stylist Nicole Pollard Bayme noting that Joan Didion used to write about slipping into her “armor” as she went into the field. Now, women can dress however they want.

“She was working in a time where she had to armor up to go out into the world, and we don’t have to do that anymore, and that’s the beauty of the time we’re in now,” Bayme said on the Her Wardrobe, Her Power panel, presented by South Coast Plaza, at TheWrap’s Power Women Summit on Tuesday in Los Angeles. “We can be vulnerable and we can dress in a way that suits who we are and not have to show up in a man’s world looking like a man unless you want to.”

For Micaela Erlanger, a celebrity stylist and brand strategist who has dressed the likes of Meryl Streep and Lupita Nyong’o, reclaiming that power might be as simple as thinking about “who you want to show up in the world as,” which might differ across the days of the week. “Who you are gets to evolve just as you do when you get dressed,” Erlanger said.

Actress, model and activist Lauren Wasser took on the mission of evolution and reinvention when she suffered from toxic shock syndrome in her 20s, which caused her to lose her legs. She recalled that the tragedy prompted her to “really dig deep and find out what life is really about.”

“It’s not really about what we wear and all this hoopla — it’s really about your heart and you wear the clothes, the clothes don’t wear you,” Wasser said, encouraging audience members to “love yourself, take care of yourself [and] invest in yourself first and foremost,” even if that means slipping into a comfy pair of sweatpants. “I think your body tells you what you want to do … at the end of the day, loving yourself unconditionally and being you every single day when you leave that house is so powerful.”

Listening to your own intuition and finding an individual approach to style — rather than relying on capsule collections or social media trends — is also more likely to bring joy into your life, according to celebrity stylist Katie Bofshever. “Individuals that don’t look like everybody else — that is what’s powerful,” she said. “You should dress to light yourself up and find the core of who you are. Dress for your body and leave the rest.”

And when the doubts of judgements creep up, fashion historian Dr. Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell reminded audience members that judgements based on appearance aren’t bad, and are simply a human “evolutionary” trait we all share.

“We are presenting a person to the world, whether we are aware of it or not,” Chrisman-Campbell said. “Be aware of that, and then be aware that this is what makes us human. This is what makes us glamorous. This is something that we are all we are. We are all fashion experts, because we all get dressed every day.”

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‘I’m Still Here’ Director Walter Salles Says Quiet Inner Strength Can Knock Down Dictatorships https://www.thewrap.com/im-still-here-director-walter-salles-interview/ Tue, 03 Dec 2024 23:47:02 +0000 https://www.thewrap.com/?p=7659437 TheWrap magazine: The Brazilian director explains the power and persistence of Eunice Paiva, who fought against a murderous regime in the 1970s

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The latest feature from Walter Salles (“Central Station,” “The Motorcycle Diaries”) tells the remarkable story of Eunice Paiva. Known as a human rights activist in Brazil, Paiva became a lawyer after her husband Rubens was disappeared during the Brazilian dictatorship, in 1971. The film follows her quest for justice all the way up to the modern day.

“I’m Still Here” marks the first feature film by Salles since 2012’s “On the Road,” though he directed shorts and a documentary about Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhang-ke. As a child Salles knew the Paiva family, though the film is not a memoir from his perspective.

Instead, it’s adapted from an autobiography by Marcelo Rubens Paiva, the son in the family, and reorients the story around matriarch Eunice. She’s played in a fiercely concentrated, Gena Rowlands-caliber performance, by Fernanda Torres – and in a late-film cameo by Torres’s mother Fernanda Montenegro, 95, an Oscar nominee for Salles’s “Central Station.”

That beloved movie was also the last Brazilian film nominated for the Best International Film Oscar. “I’m Still Here,” which will be released by Sony Pictures Classics in January, is the country’s submission this year.

The first 30 minutes of the movie take place in the family’s home near the beach. We see kids playing in the street. One of those boys, back then, was actually you, right?
That’s correct.  I lived in the same neighborhood. Meeting the five kids and being invited to that house opened up a world of new possibilities to me. Suddenly I was in an environment where different groups were freely discussing politics and listening to music that was forbidden at the time. The windows were open and there was no key in the door, which was so rare given the political situation of the country. And we adolescents were allowed to listen to conversations that I never accessed in my own house.

The film does not obsess over politics. Its larger point is that Rubens’ abduction and murder was a crime, regardless of what he believed. 
I think it is political, in essence, but the political stems from the humanity of the characters. It’s an effective way of being political, because by embracing Eunice’s point of view, we go through the institutional channels with her. She became a lawyer who was extremely effective in eroding the dictatorship and ensuring the re-democratization of Brazil. But that came out of her quiet inner strength. And her understatement, politically, was very destabilizing.

Eunice is played by Fernanda Torres. She has said that if her character cried in the film, you would edit it out.
Well, when people are struggling with loss, the first thing they do is try to retain the emotion. And in real life, Eunice never allowed herself to be seen as a victim. Whenever the family would be photographed, she would ask the kids to smile. So to portray this woman in full honesty, we had to embrace her perception of life.

Fernanda’s goal was so difficult: To portray an emotion that would be steaming and bubbling inside her, without allowing it to be expressed in any melodramatic manner. And for her as an actress, it was like walking on a tightrope in between buildings. Because if she diminished the information too much, then the audience doesn’t see what the character is truly enduring. But if she overdid it, then the film would be betraying the very essence of her character. Somehow, incredibly, she did it. There are very few who could hit that balance of emotion.

The film has been screened at many festivals since winning a prize at Venice in September. What has been the reaction of audiences so far?
It’s so interesting how many different cultures react similarly to the story. Something happened after a screening in New York, when I was approached by a tall, young man who told me that the film reminded him so much of his relationship with his father. His father was killed on September 11th. 

Oh, wow.
I was touched by talking to that man, because for him the film was a life affirmative story about how you can survive terrible loss. But also there’s the feeling of when someone disappears, which he can relate to, unfortunately. The person who was literally there is then all of a sudden not there anymore. And how painful that is, even beyond grief. Without the presence of the body, you don’t go through the same rituals.

I’m reminded of the Virgil quote at the 9/11 museum, now in the context of your movie: “No day shall erase you from the memory of time.”
Exactly. That’s an extraordinary quote and it applies so powerfully, not just to Rubens Paiva in our film, but to all the loved ones who have been lost and disappeared.

A version of this story first appeared in the SAG Preview/Documentaries/ International issue of TheWrap awards magazine. Read more from the SAG Preview/Documentaries/International issue here.

Saturday Night SAG preview
Photographed by Peter Yang for TheWrap

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Ariana Grande Receives Glinda’s Original ‘Wizard of Oz’ Wand From Drew Barrymore: ‘Oh My God!’ | Video https://www.thewrap.com/wicked-ariana-grande-glinda-wand-wizard-of-oz-drew-barrymore/ Tue, 03 Dec 2024 23:45:52 +0000 https://www.thewrap.com/?p=7662658 The "Wicked" actress can barely believe she's holding the prop originally held by Billie Burke in the 1939 film

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The “Wicked” press tour continues to defy expectations, this time in the form of Drew Barrymore’s new interview with Ariana Grande.

Ahead of her upcoming episode on Thursday, “The Drew Barrymore Show” dropped a teaser with the actress behind Galinda/Glinda, where she was surprised with the iconic wand from the “The Wizard of Oz.”

“I have something that’s extremely exciting and special. It actually was owned by The Smithsonian and now it’s owned in private hands — but for the purposes of our sit-down, they loaned it to us,” Barrymore explained in Tuesday’s preview clip. “Bring out the original Glinda wand, please.”

“Are you serious right now? Thank you guys, it’s been fun,” Grande replied as she feigned an early exit with the prop. “How did you even pull this off? Oh my god, did you break in?”

“I have to give credit to everyone on this show, because literally we were so excited about you coming here, we were like, ‘OK, let’s get the wand, let’s get Nonna,'” Barrymore added. “That is the original wand from ‘Wizard of Oz.’”

Indeed, the starry silver wand was first seen held by actress Billie Burke in the 1939 film. But this isn’t the first time Grande has been in awe over a thrillifying set piece as of late.

As part of NBC and Peacock’s “Defying Gravity: The Curtain Rises on Wicked,” the “Popular” singer discussed with co-stars Cynthia Erivo and Jonathan Bailey just how important props and costumes were in bringing their musical film to life.

“I’m excited to attempt to get through airport security with this,” she joked while holding her pink iteration of the wand on the Universal set. “I don’t think I’ll be stopped. We have to take these home. It’s kind of emotional, I don’t want to let go of it.”

“We’re so lucky to have these physically grounding pieces,” Grande added of Elphaba’s broom. “When you put the costume on, when you put her shoes on, when you hold our things and wear our crowns, when we’re supported by such brilliant artists who designed these pieces — that just takes it to the next level.”

“Wicked – Part I” is now playing in theaters. “The Drew Barrymore Show” airs weekdays in syndication on CBS stations.

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Kathryn Hahn Says Working With Female Creatives on ‘Agatha All Along’ Fostered ‘Emotional Safety’ | Video https://www.thewrap.com/kathryn-hahn-agatha-all-along-power-women-summit-2024/ Tue, 03 Dec 2024 23:30:00 +0000 https://www.thewrap.com/?p=7662401 Power Women Summit: "There is something a little less black and white or binary about working with a woman," the actress shares

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Kathryn Hahn believes there’s an “emotional safety” on sets that are run by other women, especially on the set of Marvel’s hit Disney+ series “Agatha All Along.”

While speaking at TheWrap’s Power Women Summit Actress Roundtable, Hahn was asked about working on the “WandaVision” spinoff series and, specifically, with showrunner Jac Schaeffer, and the star said that having a woman steering the ship did indeed change things.

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with mostly women – women writers, directors – and there is a shift that happens where it just feels like a wholeness wanted to be brought to the table,” Hahn said. “This is me speaking crazy generalizations because there’s a lot of men that come to it with a more female point of view or female energy, but there is something a little less black and white or binary about working with a woman. There is not only expected but encouraged complexity.”

She continued, “So that’s the end of like an allowance. That I guess, would be the thing that feels different. There’s a safety and just emotional safety, especially being with a group of women. That coven in particular was vibing and buzzing.”

TheWrap’s PWS Actress Roundtable also included “True Detective: Night Country” star Kali Reis, “Before” actress Judith Light and “Thelma” star June Squibb. Light echoed Hahn’s sentiment about how an emotional safety net can make the work better – though, in her case, it was working with longtime scene partner Billy Crystal who stars opposite her in the Apple TV+ show.

“Because you’re with someone that you know and you love, and there’s comfort in that, you actually can have this incredible freedom,” Light shared. She later added, “It’s such a joy when you know somebody, relating with them, that there’s an intimacy where you don’t express and really push yourself, but because there is comfort you can go forward. You can put yourself into a different place with that person, and we can really love each other in a very deep way.”

Ultimately, Hahn further praised Schaeffer’s writing of Agatha in the “WandaVision” sequel series.

“We wanted to start with a woman without her powers, powerless, getting her powers back and finding the truth … which we also thought was really potent,” the actress said. “It felt very much in the literal sense of trying to get her power, find her voice, and at the same time being chased and in a very tangled, complicated relationship with death.”

TheWrap’s Power Women Summit is the essential gathering of the most influential women across entertainment and media. The event aims to inspire and empower women across the landscape of their professional careers and personal lives. With the theme, “Aspire,” this year’s PWS provides one day of keynotes, panels, workshops and networking. For more information visit thewrap.com/pwsFor all of TheWrap’s Power Women Summit 2024 coverage, click here.

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Inside TheWrap’s Changemakers Event: Ariana Madix, Diane Warren and More | Photos https://www.thewrap.com/changemakers-cocktail-party-photos-2024/ Tue, 03 Dec 2024 23:22:05 +0000 https://www.thewrap.com/?p=7661262 The event kicked off TheWrap's annual Power Women Summit conference

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TheWrap kicked off its 2024 Power Women Summit with a cocktail party on Monday night at The Terrace at The Maybourne Beverly Hills, where attendees celebrated TheWrap’s Changemakers list including “Vanderpump Rules” and Broadway star Ariana Madix, songwriter Diane Warren, filmmaker Lauren Greenfield, poet and actress Yasmin Monet Watkins, What’s Trending CEO Shira Lazar, and TheWrap’s founder and CEO Sharon Waxman.

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Max Password Sharing Crackdown to Kick Off Next Week, WBD Exec Says https://www.thewrap.com/max-password-sharing-crackdown-strategy-kick-off/ Tue, 03 Dec 2024 23:12:43 +0000 https://www.thewrap.com/?p=7662660 JB Perrette says users can expect messaging to start popping up next week, and also shares updates on "The White Lotus" and "Euphoria"

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Max’s password sharing crackdown will kick off next week with some “early, gentle messaging,” according to WBD exec JB Perrette.

“We will kick off literally in about a week, some very early, gentle messaging,” Perrette said during a tech and media conference hosted by Wells Fargo on Tuesday. “We’ll start some early messaging to people who we think are definitely in the higher tier of usage.”

Beginning in the first quarter of 2025, Max will offer “a way to essentially add a member,” according to Perrette, who serves as Warner Bros. Discovery’s global streaming chief. He added that it’s an “art and a science” to figure out which Max users are sharing their passwords or if their account is being used in a vacation home or on a business trip.

“We will then start, gradually as we get the data … figuring out, with some explicit and implicit signals … how good we are at detecting and then as we go through [20]25 you’re going to see the filters get tighter and tighter,” Perrette said. “We think that’s a meaningful growth driver, likely more as it … begins to kick in in the back half of [20]25 and into [20]26.”

Perrette cautioned that he didn’t want to “oversell the scale” of the password crackdown and its potential margin for growth, saying “it won’t be Netflix — we haven’t been in the market for 15 years.” Still, the executive predicted the crackdown could translate into “meaningful growth driver on subs and on revenue,” likely beginning the back half of 2025 and into 2026 and 2027.

Perrette also provided several updates on HBO’s upcoming slate of releases, including revealing a February launch date for the third season of Mike White’s “The White Lotus.” He revealed that “The Last of Us” Season 2 slated for spring 2025 premiere while “Game of Thrones” prequel series “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” is eyeing launching in late 2025.

“Euphoria,” which is gearing up to begin production on its third season in January 2025, is looking at a 2026 premiere date, moving from its previously aimed release date in 2025.

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Kathy Bates Says She Had One Request for ‘Matlock’ Creator Jennie Snyder Urman Before Signing On: ‘Don’t Abandon Me’ https://www.thewrap.com/kathy-bates-skye-p-marshall-matlock-interview/ Tue, 03 Dec 2024 23:00:00 +0000 https://www.thewrap.com/?p=7658759 TheWrap magazine: Co-star Skye P. Marshall joins the Oscar winner to discuss the expectation-defying series and how "the fight's not over"

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Before Kathy Bates agreed to lead CBS’ “Matlock”, she had two requests for
creator Jennie Snyder Urman: “Don’t change a word” of the script and
“Don’t abandon me.”

“Many times when we work on projects, you get the job, and then you don’t
have a relationship with the creator or the producers. And I hate that,”
Bates said, adding that she had thought about going into “semi-retirement”
prior to reading the script. “I’ve always said I felt like a little capsule out in
space in my pod and the people behind the video screen, they’re in their
own bubble. And it makes me feel alone. It makes me feel like a child.”

With Urman’s assurances, Bates sealed the deal to star in the reimagining
of the 1980s Andy Griffith drama as Madeline “Matty” Matlock, a lawyer in
her 70s who infiltrates a prestigious law firm to expose wrongdoing. Little
did the Oscar-winning actress know at the time that she would find kinship
with her costar Skye P. Marshall, who plays Olympia, the tough-to-crack
senior attorney for whom Matty works. When the they popped up on Zoom
to do one of their first joint interviews for the series, they greeted each
other warmly. “I was so excited that we’re doing this together,” Bates said,
smiling.

For Marshall, who can be seen on CBS’ “Good Sam,” the CW’s “Black
Lightning” and “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,” the prospect of working
opposite a legend like Bates was initially intimidating, though it ended up
being what she called “the easiest acting” she’s ever done. “All I had to do
is look into her eyes and listen to her because when she delivers the line, it
comes from such a true place that if I allow myself to just feel it from an
equally truthful place, I’m going to react, I’m going to respond,” Marshall
said.

Portraying a senior woman reentering the workforce and a Black senior
attorney, respectively, both Bates and Marshall portray characters who are
historically underestimated. Matty even uses stereotypes of harmless older
women as a weapon to get ahead as she attempts to avenge the death of her
daughter. Matty resonated with Bates as she reflected on her own mother’s
journey of having Bates as an unplanned child later in life. “She gave to me
the things that I needed to grow into the woman that I wish she could have
been,” she said.

Likewise, Marshall notes Olympia isn’t “awarded the luxury to be
average”— a challenge she herself has felt tenfold across her career, which,
in addition to acting, has included active duty in the Air Force as well as
positions in the medical industry and a corporate pharmaceutical company.

“I have always had to stretch myself further to be seen, to be recognized
like Olympia,” Marshall said. “She is a warrior and sometimes she’s a mess.
It didn’t come easy and the fight’s not over, and I feel like Olympia and
Matty both hold on to that fight, hold on to that gumption that is required to
rise above.”

Any chatter about Matlock being Bates’ final project is a “misunderstanding,” according to the actress, who has no plan to slow down any time soon, especially now that “Matlock” scored an early Season 2 renewal at CBS after just two episodes. After joking that she’ll have to hire Swarovski to craft a “gorgeous walker,” she added, “I’m in really good health now. I’ve been in this business for a long time. I had talent, but it took me a long time to develop it. And I’m still developing it.”

A version of this story first appeared in the SAG Preview issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine. Read more from the SAG issue here.

Saturday Night SAG preview
Photographed by Peter Yang for TheWrap

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LGBTQ+, Fat and Disabled Characters Combined Only Make Up 10% of Film Roles, Study Finds https://www.thewrap.com/geena-davis-institute-film-study-queer-disabled-fat-representation/ Tue, 03 Dec 2024 22:45:00 +0000 https://www.thewrap.com/?p=7662304 Power Women Summit: The Geena Davis Institute's new film study additionally finds that roles given to people over age 50 are less than 20%

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LGBTQ+, fat and disabled characters combined only make up a total 10% of the 100 highest-grossing U.S. films, according to a new study shared Tuesday by the Geena Davis Institute.

The institute’s 2024 GDI film study, titled “Charting Progress in Film Diversity,” examines children’s and family programming to “better understand the influence of media on young audiences who are most vulnerable to media effects.”

“Our goal is to drive industry change by providing creators with the data and insights they need to improve how gender, race, LGBTQIA+ identity, disability, body size and age are presented on screen,” the study reads.

The study was presented exclusively at TheWrap’s 2024 Power Women Summit in Los Angeles on Tuesday during a panel sponsored by the Geena Davis Institute. Featured speakers were Dr. Meredith Conroy, the institute’s VP of research and insights; Madeline Di Nonno, the institute’s president and CEO; Janine Jones-Clark, Universal Filmed Entertainment Group’s EVP of filmmaker and content strategies; and Ramsey Naito, Paramount and Nickelodeon Animation president. Ellie Austin, deputy editorial director of Most Powerful Women at Fortune, moderated.

Looking to films that were rated G, PG or PG-13, were made for $10 million or more, were English-language and were made for theatrical or streaming release, the study finds that LGBTQ+ characters accounted for 1.5% of film roles, disabled characters accounted for 2% and fat characters for 6.5%. Additionally, female characters make up 37.8% of screen roles and non-white characters make up 40.5%. The study additionally found characters that are 50 and older is an underrepresented group on screen, making up only 18.7%.

In regards to the study’s use of the word “fat,” the study clarified that it’s used as a value-neutral descriptor in order to differentiate from “obese” or “overweight,” as those terms are “rooted in medical practices that often reinforce stigma and bias against larger bodies,” nor is “fat” suggestive of being outside of some sort of “norm” or “average” (such as “plus size” or “bigger”).

Other key findings included that women are five times as likely as men to be objectified on screen and are three times as likely as men to be presented in sexually revealing clothing. Also, when it comes to the careers women have in film or TV, women are less likely to have an occupation, but are equally as likely as men to be a leader and equally as likely as men to work in business, blue collar professions, education, the arts and the government or royalty.

TheWrap’s Power Women Summit is the essential gathering of the most influential women across entertainment and media. The event aims to inspire and empower women across the landscape of their professional careers and personal lives. With the theme, “Aspire,” this year’s PWS provides one day of keynotes, panels, workshops and networking. For more information visit thewrap.com/pws. For all of TheWrap’s Power Women Summit 2024 coverage, click here.

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Jordan Chiles Reveals Teammate Simone Biles ‘Gave Me Hope’ When She Almost Quit Gymnastics | Video https://www.thewrap.com/jordan-chiles-power-women-summit-2024-keynote-speech/ Tue, 03 Dec 2024 22:29:57 +0000 https://www.thewrap.com/?p=7662296 Power Women Summit: The Olympic gold medalist thanks her best friend in her aspirational Keynote Speech for TheWrap

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A few years ago, Jordan Chiles was close to quitting the sport she’d loved since she was a child. That is, until her best friend — and fellow gold medal-winning Team USA gymnast — Simone Biles talked her into staying, the Olympian told Power Women Summit attendees Tuesday morning in her Keynote Speech.

“In 2018, I was struggling mentally, physically, emotionally, and I began to doubt if this work still had a place for me. The weight of expectations, the fear of failure, the pressure of being perfect, and the hurt caused by being overlooked made me question everything,” Chiles said. “I learned that the system wasn’t built for people who looked or even acted like me. For so long, I was told that in order to achieve my dream, I had to fit into a space that felt unnatural.”

The athlete further explained, “It was my best friend Simone who gave me hope and a new path to my dream when I was about to give it up.”

As the Olympic keynote speaker told Elle earlier this year, “Every single time I went into a competition, I was like, ‘Well, what are they going to say this time?’ I was racially attacked. I was always told, ‘You’re not the typical gymnast. You look like a man. You’re too muscular.'”

Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles
Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles show off their medals at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. (CREDIT: Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Speaking on the Summit’s theme of “Aspire,” Chiles added, “The journey from aspiration to reality is never a straight line. My career has been defined, not only by the time I soared, but by the time I experienced deep hurt and disappointment and then chose to rise again.”

She also praised “women who refused to accept limits, who showed us that not only do we belong in these spaces, but we can thrive and redefine them.” And Chiles called out her doubters, who questioned her childhood goal to one day “stand on the podium with a gold medal around my neck.”

“News flash for the people who said that would never happen, I think gold definitely is my color,” Chiles beamed as the audience laughed.

Chiles was a member of the gold medal-winning team at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, as well as the silver medal-winning team at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. A bronze individual medal that was awarded to her in the 2024 Olympics for her floor exercise was, controversially, revoked by an arbitration court, and given to Romanian Ana Bărbosu instead.

“I have no words. This decision feels unjust and comes as a significant blow, not just to me, but to everyone who has championed my journey,” Chiles said in a statement at the time. “To add to the heartbreak, the unprompted racially driven attacks on social media are wrong and extremely hurtful.”

At the Power Women Summit, she said that competing often took a heavy toll on her mental and physical well-being, adding, “I learned that I would have to change the culture and rebuild what society believed was acceptable.”

“But each time I’ve been knocked out, I found a way to stand back up, wipe the tears and go again, not just for myself, but for every little Black girl watching me, for every child dreaming big and waiting to see someone who looks like them rise above the noise and success,” Chiles continued. “My journey is our open door.”

TheWrap’s Power Women Summit is the essential gathering of the most influential women across entertainment and media. The event aims to inspire and empower women across the landscape of their professional careers and personal lives. With the theme, “Aspire,” this year’s PWS provides one day of keynotes, panels, workshops and networking. For more information visit thewrap.com/pws. For all of TheWrap’s Power Women Summit 2024 coverage, click here.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger Swears in LA District Attorney Nathan Hochman, Who Rejects ‘Blanket Extreme Policies on Both Sides’ https://www.thewrap.com/arnold-schwarzenegger-los-angeles-district-attorney-nathan-hochman/ Tue, 03 Dec 2024 22:21:58 +0000 https://www.thewrap.com/?p=7662543 The new Los Angeles DA replaces George Gascón amid their differing views on the Menendez Brothers case, with help from the former California governor

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Los Angeles officially has a new District Attorney now that Nathan Hochman has replaced George Gascón following last month’s vote.

Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger swore Hochman in as the new L.A. DA on Tuesday outside the city’s Hall of Justice. Hochman’s wife Vivienne Vella was also in attendance.

“District attorneys must have only two things as their North Stars: the facts and the law,” DA Hochman told the crowd. “I reject blanket extreme policies on both sides of the pendulum swing — decarceration policies that predetermine that certain crimes and certain criminals are not going to be prosecuted and mass incarceration policies that also are not anchored in the facts and the law.”

His appointment notably comes amid the county’s handling of the Menendez Brothers case. Hochman and Gascón have publicly stated their opposing views on granting Lyle and Erik Menendez clemency and/or resentencing after the success of Netflix’s “Monsters” anthology series. Most recently, their December hearing was postponed until Jan. 30 and 31, 2025.

While Hochman did not mention the brothers specifically in his Tuesday speech, he did discuss the pair with reporters after the press conference. “We’re going to look at all potential eventualities with the Menendez case,” he told TMZ. “But what I want to make crystal clear is two things: One, the Menendez case, though it has received high levels of media attention, will not get preferential treatment because it is on the media stage.”

The new DA continued, “The second is, I love the fact that the Menendez case has gotten media attention, because what it has done — I’m hoping — is it’s an entry point for people to get involved with the criminal justice system.”

During his swearing in ceremony, Hochman also addressed Los Angeles’ myriad crises — including homelessness, fentanyl, human trafficking, hate crimes and burglary. 

“No longer is this can getting kicked down the road,” he said. “The DA’s Office will partner with federal, state and local law enforcement, government organizations, nonprofits and other groups to seek solutions to problems that have severely affected public safety and the quality of life of residents throughout the county.”

Additionally, Hochman promised to implement Day 1 changes to his predecessor’s more liberal regulations — such as restoring sentencing enhancements and rescinding a prohibition against charging minors with misdemeanors for theft of <$950.

“The solemn and bedrock promise that the government makes to each of you is that it will keep you and your families safe and do so in the most legal, fair, and impartial way possible,” he further noted. “Working with the 2,100 employees of the DA’s Office, the tens of thousands of law enforcement officers, firefighters and first responders, and the hundreds of community organizations and neighborhood associations, we will keep that promise.”

Fellow Republican Schwarzenegger previously served as California’s governor from 2003-2011, though he stated in 2024 he now dislikes both parties.

The post Arnold Schwarzenegger Swears in LA District Attorney Nathan Hochman, Who Rejects ‘Blanket Extreme Policies on Both Sides’ appeared first on TheWrap.

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