Karu F Daniels – Orange County Register https://www.ocregister.com Get Orange County and California news from Orange County Register Wed, 25 Jun 2025 22:43:51 +0000 en-US hourly 30 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.2 https://www.ocregister.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/cropped-ocr_icon11.jpg?w=32 Karu F Daniels – Orange County Register https://www.ocregister.com 32 32 126836891 Mary Lou Retton says she’s ‘West Virginia’s first daughter’ in bodycam video from arrest https://www.ocregister.com/2025/07/09/mary-lou-retton-dui-arrest-bodycam-video/ Wed, 09 Jul 2025 17:58:21 +0000 https://www.ocregister.com/?p=11033786&preview=true&preview_id=11033786 Newly released bodycam footage of Mary Lou Retton’s recent DUI arrest shows the five-time Olympic medalist attempting to use her star status to avoid being detained, at one point telling police that she’s “West Virginia’s first daughter.”

Retton, who was nabbed on a DUI charge on May 17 in Marion County, W.Va., appears dazed, distressed and disheveled throughout the lengthy clip, released by Entertainment Tonight on Tuesday.

Retton was initially pulled over when she was allegedly seen driving “all over the roadway,” according to an incident report obtained by TMZ. Officers who questioned her said she smelled of alcohol and was slurring her words, while a screw-top bottle of wine was seen in her passenger seat.

The bodycam video shows the 57-year-old mom of four getting testy after refusing to blow into a breathalyzer and failing a field sobriety test conducted by a Fairmont City police officer.

“I’m West Virginia’s first daughter!” she tells the cop. “Bob Huggins gets away and, well, whatever,” she adds, referring to the former West Virginia basketball coach who was arrested for DUI in Pittsburgh in 2023.

Throughout the footage, the trailblazing athlete can be seen with a portable oxygen tank, which she has reportedly relied on daily since a near fatal bout of pneumonia in 2023.

Later, after being transported to the police station, Retton is seen fussing with paramedics when they advise her to go to the hospital to get her oxygen checked.

“No, f–k that! Put me in a cell,” she snaps. “I’ll die here. I’ll die here and you guys will live with that.”

After being taken into custody, Retton was charged with one count of driving under the influence of alcohol, controlled substances or drugs. She was released that same day on $1,500 bond, according to online records.

During a court appearance last month, Retton entered a no contest plea to the first-time, non-aggravated DUI charge and was ordered to pay a $100 penalty.

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11033786 2025-07-09T10:58:21+00:00 2025-07-09T11:07:00+00:00
Singer Jessie J undergoes surgery for breast cancer, awaits results https://www.ocregister.com/2025/06/25/singer-jessie-j-undergoes-surgery-breast-cancer/ Wed, 25 Jun 2025 16:38:57 +0000 https://www.ocregister.com/?p=11010784&preview=true&preview_id=11010784 Singer Jessie J revealed she is resting at home while awaiting results of her surgery for breast cancer.

In social media posts Monday, the 37-year-old Grammy nominee shared a health update — and expressed gratitude to the medical professionals who cared for her.

“This post is some of the honest lows and highs of the last 48 hours,” she captioned a series of photos and videos of her time in hospital. “I will always show the good and hard bits of any journey I go through.”

The Instagram entry, which also included images with her boyfriend and baby’s father, Danish-Israeli basketball player Chanan Safir Colman, continued: “Grateful to my doctor / surgeon and all the nurses who cared for me and all my family / friends who came to visit. I am home now, to rest and wait for my results.”

Jessie J, whose real name is Jessica Ellen Cornish, revealed her early breast cancer diagnosis earlier this month.

“I want to share it with my fans and the people that care about me, and also I’m a sharer,” she said in a social media video. “I’ve always shared everything that I go through in my life. Before ‘No Secrets’ came out, I was diagnosed with early breast cancer.”

“I’m highlighting the word ‘early,’” she wrote. “Cancer sucks in any form, but I’m holding on to the word ‘early.’”

On June 16, the English vocal powerhouse addressed a sold-out crowd at London’s Wembley Stadium, declaring it was the “last show before I go to beat breast cancer!”

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11010784 2025-06-25T09:38:57+00:00 2025-06-25T15:43:51+00:00
Breast milk-flavored ice cream to be delivered in 9 months https://www.ocregister.com/2025/03/31/breast-milk-flavored-ice-cream-frida/ Mon, 31 Mar 2025 18:26:09 +0000 https://www.ocregister.com/?p=10819473&preview=true&preview_id=10819473 Just when we thought we’ve seen everything, a company has announced its plans to sell breast milk-flavored ice cream.

To promote the launch of its new 2-in-1 Manual Breast Pump, baby brand Frida said it will be releasing the limited-edition sweet treat in nine months’ time.

According to a company memo issued Wednesday, the ice cream aims to answer the question “everyone’s secretly wondered” — “What does breast milk actually taste like?”

On its social media channels, Frida teased the forthcoming product will be “sweet, nutty and with a hint of salt,” while featuring Omega-3 fatty acids, energy-boosting lactose and important vitamins and minerals similar to the nutrients found in breast milk and formula.

“Satisfies late-night cravings and fuels your body too,” the company said.

Frida’s upcoming offering is apparently not the type of April Fool’s Day ploy that many brands have resorted to in recent years to create social media hype around their products.

However, a rep for Frida at Alison Brod Marketing and Communications declined to offer comment or give further background on the product’s launch, instead saying interested customers “can stay tuned” to the company’s website “for the full scoop on where to purchase.”

Founded by a mother of four who built the company around her own pain points with pregnancy, postpartum and early motherhood, Frida specializes in products that prepare parents “for the unfiltered realities of parenthood with simple-yet-genius solutions that get the job done.”

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10819473 2025-03-31T11:26:09+00:00 2025-03-31T11:45:16+00:00
Betty White’s collectible Forever stamp to be released March 27 https://www.ocregister.com/2025/02/25/betty-white-forever-stamp-usps/ Tue, 25 Feb 2025 18:26:01 +0000 https://www.ocregister.com/?p=10745215&preview=true&preview_id=10745215 Betty White has officially been given the stamp of approval from the U.S. Postal Service.

A previously announced Forever stamp bearing the image of the late “Golden Girls” star will finally see the light of day next month.

The collectible stamp featuring White will be available beginning March 27, the same day an unveiling event is scheduled at the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens.

The location is fitting given White was a well-known animal advocate who worked with the zoo throughout her life. Since 1974, she served on the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association’s Board of Trustees, and became chair of the board in 2010.

“This collectible Forever stamp honors beloved American actress and comedienne Betty White, whose impish smile is depicted on the stamp,” USPS said in a statement. “The Betty White stamp features a digitally created portrait of the cherished star against a violet-colored background and, in a lighter shade, bubbly spots that befit her sparkling personality.”

Available in panes of 20, the stamps — which never expire — will always retain a value equal to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.

Digital artist Dale Stephanos created the stamp’s illustration, based on a photograph shot by Kwaku Alston for the cover of the second edition of “Betty White: 100 Remarkable Moments in an Extraordinary Life.”

“Feeling incredibly proud and honored to have my image of the legendary Betty White selected to represent her enduring legacy as one of America’s most beloved icons,” the photog shared on social media.

White appeared in a variety of TV series, movies and even Super Bowl commercials throughout a career spanning 75 years.

Though a mainstay on game shows throughout the 1960s, she gained a heightened level of fame as the man-hungry Sue Ann Nivens on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” from 1973 to 1977, and the ditzy Rose Nylund on “The Golden Girls” from 1985 to 1992. She continued working into the last years of her life, rightfully earning her title as the “First Lady of Television.”

The Oak Park, Illinois native died of natural causes on Dec. 31, 2021, just weeks shy of her 100th birthday.

She was preceded in death by game show host Allen Ludden, to whom she was married from 1963 until he died from stomach cancer in 1981. When later asked why she never remarried, she told Larry King, “Once you’ve had the best, who needs the rest?”

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10745215 2025-02-25T10:26:01+00:00 2025-02-25T10:47:10+00:00
Jean Smart calls on Hollywood to cancel awards shows, donate revenue to fire victims https://www.ocregister.com/2025/01/10/jean-smart-awards-show-cancellations-wildfire-donations/ Fri, 10 Jan 2025 20:06:35 +0000 https://www.ocregister.com/?p=10657054&preview=true&preview_id=10657054 Award-winning actress Jean Smart wants Hollywood to cancel its award show season plans and instead donate the revenue amid the historic Los Angeles wildfires that have displaced more than 130,000 residents.

The “Hacks” star, who most recently nabbed the award for Best Lead Actress in a TV Musical or Comedy at Sunday’s Golden Globes, took to social media to call on networks to nix the broadcast of any upcoming ceremonies.

“ATTENTION!” she wrote on Instagram early Thursday morning. “With ALL due respect, during Hollywood’s season of celebration, I hope any of the networks televising the upcoming awards will seriously consider NOT televising them and donating the revenue they would have garnered to the victims of the fires and the firefighters.”

In response to the multiple fires raging in and around Los Angeles, producers of several awards shows have already begun shifting previously scheduled plans, but so far no ceremonies have been canceled.

The Critics Choice Awards, which were set to take place this Sunday and where Smart is nominated for Best Actress in a Comedy Series, have been pushed back until Jan. 26.

Nomination announcements for the Oscars have also been postponed to Jan. 19, while this week’s live nomination ceremony for the SAG Awards was abruptly canceled in favor of releasing the nominations via press release.

Smart earned another nod from the Screen Actors Guild, while “Hacks” was nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. The SAG Awards are still currently scheduled to take place on Feb. 23 and stream live on Netflix.

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10657054 2025-01-10T12:06:35+00:00 2025-01-10T12:07:38+00:00
Elton John calls marijuana legalization ‘greatest mistake of all time’ https://www.ocregister.com/2024/12/13/elton-john-marijuana-legalization-drug-use/ Fri, 13 Dec 2024 19:27:21 +0000 https://www.ocregister.com/?p=10609292&preview=true&preview_id=10609292 Elton John is no fan of the legalization of marijuana, calling it “one of the greatest mistakes of all time.”

“I maintain that it’s addictive. It leads to other drugs. And when you’re stoned — and I’ve been stoned — you don’t think normally,” the legendary singer told Time in an interview this week as part of their Icon of the Year coverage.

John’s past struggles seemingly led him to that conclusion. The EGOT winner battled years of drug abuse through much of the ’70s and ’80s, and has reportedly been sober since 1990.

At first, he says he used cocaine to help him overcome his shyness, but eventually addiction took over.

“I’d smoke joints, I’d drink a bottle of Johnnie Walker and then I’d stay up for three days and then I’d go to sleep for a day and half … and then do the whole thing all over again,” John said in a 2010 TV interview with Piers Morgan. “When I look back, I shudder at the behavior and what I was doing to myself.”

Bernie Taupin, his longtime writing partner, described seeing John in the throes of his addiction as “absolutely horrible.”

“A lot of the work that we did in the times when he was at his worst wasn’t the best of both of us,” Taupin told Time. “I wasn’t able to creatively invest any time in writing material that related to him until he actually found himself.”

Since getting clean, John has devoted much of his life to helping others do the same. According to Time, the “Rocket Man” crooner is rapper Eminem’s sponsor, and helped set up a stint in rehab for English singer Robbie Williams. He tried, unsuccessfully, to save his friend George Michael before he died in 2016 at the age of 53.

“It’s tough to tell someone that they’re being an a–hole, and it’s tough to hear,” John revealed of his feeble attempt to help the former WHAM frontman get sober. “Eventually I made the choice to admit that I’m being an a–hole.”

Since 2012, numerous U.S. states have legalized marijuana, and the federal government has made little attempt to stop them. Recreational weed is now legal in 24 states, including New York, with medical marijuana permitted in 14 others.

In May, the Justice Department formally moved to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug following a recommendation from the Health and Human Services Department.

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Willie Nelson, 91, announces 153rd album, ‘Last Leaf on the Tree’ https://www.ocregister.com/2024/08/16/willie-nelson-new-album-last-leaf-on-the-tree/ Fri, 16 Aug 2024 18:45:49 +0000 https://www.ocregister.com/?p=10364736&preview=true&preview_id=10364736 At 91 years old, Willie Nelson is proving he’s still going strong as the country music veteran announced Thursday the upcoming release of his 153rd album.

Titled “Last Leaf on the Tree,” the opus — due out Nov. 1 — will feature covers of songs previously recorded by rock legends, indie folk heroes and soulful jazz singers like Keith Richards, Neil Young, Nina Simone and Beck.

The album will also feature some original material written by the singer and his son, Micah Nelson, who has previously performed with his father and also serves as the record’s producer.

“The result is a gorgeously cohesive rumination on loss, love and world-weary hope, perfectly complemented by spare and spooky musical production,” Thursday’s announcement said.

The album has already yielded its first single, “Last Leaf,” on which the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee delivers a melancholy rendition of the 2011 Tom Waits ballad of the same name while playing his “trusty acoustic guitar Trigger.”

Other contributors on the album include Willie’s longtime harmonica player Mickey Raphael, seven-time Grammy winner Daniel Lanois, Senegalese percussionist Magatte Sow and former Doors drummer John Densmore.

Co-headlining the final leg of this year’s Outlaw Music Festival Tour with Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp and more, Willie Nelson & Family will conclude their trek on Sept. 21 at the annual Farm Aid benefit concert in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

“Last Leaf on the Tree” is available for pre-order on Willie Nelson’s website, Amazon Music, or through your local record store.

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10364736 2024-08-16T11:45:49+00:00 2024-08-16T11:49:08+00:00
Flavor Flav gifts Jordan Chiles blinged-out consolation prize after losing bronze medal https://www.ocregister.com/2024/08/14/flavor-flav-jordan-chiles-bronze-clock-olympic-medal-drama/ Wed, 14 Aug 2024 18:31:14 +0000 https://www.ocregister.com/?p=10349675&preview=true&preview_id=10349675 Flavor Flav is coming to the aid of yet another Olympian.

The Public Enemy co-founder came up with the perfect consolation prize for Jordan Chiles, after the U.S. gymnast was ordered to return her bronze medal following a controversial technicality ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The rapper offered the athlete a bronze version of the oversized clock necklace that’s been his trademark since the 1980s.

“USA gonna Fight the Powers that be,,, but in the meantime between time,,, Imma always a man of my word,” he wrote on X late Monday night alongside a video of the bejeweled pendant spinning in front of an American flag.

The previous day he promised to make Chiles a bronze clock necklace shortly after USA Gymnastics announced that the CAS had denied the tumbler’s appeal to reinstate the bronze she received in the Aug. 5 floor final at the Paris Olympics.

On Sunday, the agency appealed the decision that would strip Chiles of her bronze medal and instead award it to Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu.

With a score of 13.666, Chiles initially came in fifth place when the competition ended, placing her behind Barbosu and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, who were tied at 13.700.

But after her coach filed an appeal with the judges, arguing the gymnast’s difficulty score had been too low, the tribunal agreed and changed Chiles’ score to 13.766, which placed her on the podium.

On Saturday, the CAS ruled the coach’s challenge came four seconds too late and reinstated Chiles’ earlier score. The International Gymnastics Federation upheld the court’s decision, resulting in the two-time Olympian losing her bronze medal.

In response to Flavor Flav’s glittering gesture, Chiles’ mother, Gina, showed her appreciation.

“Thank you. Means the world,” she wrote on X. “She’s not on socials right now as you can imagine. I’ll share it with her.”

The 65-year-old “Fight the Power” rapper also had the back of U.S. track and field star Veronica Fraley when she hit hard times earlier this month. Flavor Flav and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian chipped in to pay the discus thrower’s rent after she revealed on social media that she was struggling to make ends meet.

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Bruce Springsteen, 74, achieves billionaire status https://www.ocregister.com/2024/07/22/bruce-springsteen-billionaire-net-worth/ Mon, 22 Jul 2024 18:04:10 +0000 https://www.ocregister.com/?p=10279041&preview=true&preview_id=10279041 The Boss can now be known as “the Billionaire” — Bruce Springsteen is the latest musician to achieve billionaire status.

According to Forbes, the 74-year-old New Jersey native now has an estimated net worth of $1.1 billion.

The financial outlet reported Friday that most of Springsteen’s net worth was accumulated in recent years with the 2021 sale of his music catalog to Sony for a reported $550 million. At the time, the transaction was the biggest ever sale of a single artist’s body of work.

Springsteen also generated $380 million in revenue from selling more than 1.6 million concert tickets in 2023, Pollstar reported.

Throughout a career that began in the early 1970s, Springsteen has sold well over 140 million albums internationally. His 2017 Broadway debut became a hot ticket, grossing more than $2 million in its first five performances.

The 20-time Grammy winner, whose vast repertoire includes the rock and pop hits “Dancing in the Dark,” “Born in the USA,” and “Hungry Heart,” joins a growing list of music acts who are worth more than a billion dollars.

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band perform during their 2024 World Tour at the Strawberry Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, on July 15, 2024. (MAGNUS LEJHALL/TT News Agency/AFP via Getty Images)
TOPSHOT – Fans cheer as US musician Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band perform during their 2024 World Tour at the Strawberry Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, on July 15, 2024. (Photo by Magnus LEJHALL / TT News Agency / AFP) / Sweden OUT (Photo by MAGNUS LEJHALL/TT News Agency/AFP via Getty Images)

With a career spanning more than six decades, Beatles founder Paul McCartney, 82, ranked as the first U.K. musician to become a billionaire in May.

Forbes’ wealth tracking, however, has younger acts — 54-year-old Jay-Z ($2.5 billion), 36-year-old Rihanna ($1.4 billion) and 34-year-old Taylor Swift ($1.1 billion) — reaching riches far sooner.

With her record-breaking Grammy wins, “Eras Tour” global dominance and No. 1 box office concert film, Swift cemented her billionaire status in October 2023.

Springsteen, who suspended European concert dates under “doctor’s directions” in late May, is currently touring with the E Street Band around the world. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers are scheduled to headline the 2024 Sea. Hear. Now Festival on Sept. 15 in his hometown of Asbury Park, New Jersey.

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‘Flip or Flop’ star Christina Hall, husband Josh file for divorce after nearly 3 years of marriage https://www.ocregister.com/2024/07/17/christina-hall-husband-josh-file-for-divorce/ Wed, 17 Jul 2024 18:54:01 +0000 https://www.ocregister.com/?p=10266581&preview=true&preview_id=10266581 “Flip or Flop” star Christina Hall’s latest marriage has hit the skids, as she and her husband of nearly three years both filed for divorce on Monday.

The estranged couple cited irreconcilable differences in legal documents for the dissolution of marriage, US Weekly reported.

Josh Hall, 43, listed the date of separation as July 8, while his soon-to-be-ex wife (nee Christina Haack) also filed for divorce but listed July 7 as the date of separation.

Christina, 41, is asking the court to restore her maiden name.

Josh is seeking spousal support and requested all rights to his property before they tied the knot, as well as equal division of the property they acquired during their marriage — including the rights to any HGTV or Discovery shows they developed or produced.

Christina, meanwhile, is not requesting spousal support and does not want her husband to be awarded it.

The 41-year-old house flipper began a relationship with the Texas real estate agent following her split from British TV personality Ant Anstead. She married the “Wheeler Dealers” host — currently dating Oscar winner Renee Zellweger — in 2018.

The exes are the parents of 4-year-old son Hudson.

Christina — who first gained fame on HGTV’s home makeover series “Flip or Flop” before expanding her brand with shows such as “Christina on the Coast” and “Christina in the Country” — also shares kids Taylor, 13, and Brayden, 8, with ex-husband Tarek El Moussa.

She was married to the wealthy real estate investor, who also co-hosted “Flip or Flop,” for nine years.

In a since-deleted 2022 Instagram post, Christina was defiant amid scuttlebutt about her third high-profile marriage.

“I may be a bit crazy and I’m definitely not perfect, but I will never live my life based on other people’s judgments or opinions,” she wrote. “We pride ourselves on never judging others and always wanting others to be happy and we wish others would have the same respect…. So yes ‘another relationship’ and guess what. I’m 38 — I’ll do what I want.”

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10266581 2024-07-17T11:54:01+00:00 2024-07-17T12:02:20+00:00