Author: lehang1

Diana Taurasi, one of the most celebrated figures in women’s basketball and the WNBA, has recently found herself at the center of a heated controversy. The five-time Olympic gold medalist and Phoenix Mercury star has been accused of what some are calling “Gold Medal Fraud.” These allegations suggest that Taurasi’s selection and participation in past Olympic teams may have involved unfair advantages or favoritism, sparking outrage among fans and critics alike.

The term “Gold Medal Fraud” has been trending on social media, with many questioning the legitimacy of Taurasi’s accomplishments. Critics argue that her longstanding presence on the USA Basketball team might have overshadowed other deserving players, and that the selection process may have been influenced by her established reputation rather than her current performance. Taurasi, who has been a dominant force in the WNBA for nearly two decades, is now facing intense scrutiny as fans demand transparency and fairness in the selection process for national teams.

The backlash has also opened a broader conversation about the future of USA Basketball, especially with the 2028 Olympic Games on the horizon. Many fans and analysts are already speculating about the next generation of stars who could represent the United States. Among the most talked-about names is Caitlin Clark, the sensational guard from the University of Iowa. Clark has been making waves in college basketball with her extraordinary scoring ability and leadership on the court. Her style of play, characterized by deep three-point shooting, sharp court vision, and clutch performances, has drawn comparisons to some of the greatest players in the history of the game.

Caitlin Clark’s potential inclusion in the 2028 USA Olympic team is seen as a fresh start for the national program. Her presence could bring a new era of excitement and dominance to USA Basketball, as she represents the next wave of talent poised to take the world stage. With her ability to change the course of a game single-handedly, Clark is viewed as a player who could lead the United States to continued success in international competitions.

The speculation surrounding Clark’s future on the Olympic team also highlights a generational shift in women’s basketball. As legendary players like Taurasi near the end of their careers, there is a growing anticipation for the new faces who will carry the torch forward. Fans are eager to see how this transition will unfold and whether the next crop of talent can live up to the high standards set by their predecessors.

In conclusion, while Diana Taurasi grapples with the backlash over allegations of Gold Medal Fraud, the focus is gradually shifting towards the future of USA Basketball. Caitlin Clark’s emergence as a potential star for the 2028 Olympics is a beacon of hope for fans who are excited to see a new chapter in women’s basketball. The coming years will be crucial in shaping the legacy of the USA Women’s Basketball team, as it transitions from one generation of legends to another, with the hope that the future will be just as bright, if not brighter, than the past.

The hit 2000 song was featured in the film alongside Madonna’s 1989 hit “Like A Prayer” and the Goo Goo Dolls’ 1998 song “Iris”

Kevin Mazur/Getty

Lance Bass (left), Joey Fatone, JC Chasez, Chris Kirkpatrick and Justin Timberlake
*NSYNC is back on top of the music charts worldwide— all thanks to Deadpool & Wolverine.

The band’s hit song “Bye Bye Bye,” which was featured in the beginning of the blockbuster film that has gone on to gross over $1 billion at the global box office, broke into the Top 10 of Billboard’s Global Excl. U.S. chart, according to the outlet.

The song re-entered the music charts and moved up to the No. 8 position on Billboard’s Global Excl. U.S. chart, up from No. 16 last week, per the publication. It is currently in the No. 45 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, which includes U.S. plays.

Deadpool & Wolverine has also been having a stellar run, topping the box office for three weekends in a row. It has garnered $494.3 million domestically and over $1 billion globally as of its third weekend, per Variety.

*NSYNC’s ‘Bye Bye Bye’ music video
Related: No, That’s Not Really Ryan Reynolds Dancing to ‘Bye Bye Bye’ in Deadpool & Wolverine

*NSYNC members JC Chasez, Lance Bass, Chris Kirkpatrick and Joey Fatone previously celebrated the release of Deadpool & Wolverine at its New York City premiere alongside stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. The band members, who wore neutral outfits except for Kirkpatrick, who wore Deadpool red, posed alongside Reynolds, 47, and his wife Blake Lively, 36, at the premiere.

The Deadpool actor showed some love to the group at the premiere of the movie, writing on social media, “These guys had such a huge hand in making a particular Deadpool & Wolverine sequence one of my all time favorites. Can’t thank them enough for their kindness, talent and good fellowship.”

Notably missing from the event was group member Justin Timberlake, who was touring in Europe at the time. However, Reynolds made sure to send him a shoutout on social media, writing, “Justin Timberlake not pictured but no less appreciated.”

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Reynolds previously discussed the opening sequence of the film featuring the song, which shows choreographer Nick Pauley dressed in a Deadpool suit dancing while taking out a bunch of Time Variance Authority guards seeking to capture the title character.

“He’s doing a lot of the moves that have been established previously by *NSYNC,” Reynolds said of the dance scene, per With Ashley and Company. “If it looks like the person who’s dancing doesn’t have arthritis, that’s him.”

Related: Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively Go Head-to-Head at the Box Office — Here’s Who Won!

Though he indicated there are some moments of him in Deadpool’s suit on camera during the sequence, particularly the scenes where “there’s a bit of a pop and lock.” Though he added, “I will hang on Nick Pauley’s talent. I will hang my hat on his talent there and thank him for his contribution and services.”

The film also featured several throwback songs including Madonna’s 1989 hit “Like A Prayer,” the Goo Goo Dolls’ 1998 song “Iris” and even “The Greatest Show” from Jackman’s 2017 film The Greatest Showman.

Deadpool & Wolverine is now in theaters.

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Read the original article on People.

Emma McIntyre/WireImage via Getty
Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake attend the Los Angeles premiere FYC event for Hulu’s “Candy” at El Capitan Theatre on May 9, 2022 in Los Angeles.

You can’t stop the feeling when it comes to Justin Timberlake’s birthday tribute to wife Jessica Biel.

To celebrate the “Sinner” actress turning 42, the “SexyBack” singer shared a sweet montage of family photos, including rare images of their sons Silas, 8, and Phinneas, 3, set to the late Tina Turner’s 1989 hit “The Best.”

One of the pics the Grammy winner posted was a 2018 photo of Biel kissing their eldest son during a family vacation to Paris. Timberlake also posted a more recent video of his wife hugging Phinneas.

The actress is also shown in the “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” singer’s montage working out, going boating, dancing with her husband onstage and appearing with him on a few date nights.

“There ain’t no other way to say it. You’re the best,” Timberlake captioned the March 3 Instagram post. “I love you. Happy birthday, ya [goat emoji]!

Biel, who has been married to Timberlake since 2012, had also shared a sweet tribute to her husband for his 43rd birthday back in January.

“I ALWAYS got you. Happy birthday, babe,” she captioned an Instagram video featuring videos and photos of the couple, paired with Boom Forest’s cover of Sonny & Cher’s 1965 hit “I Got You.”

The two have occasionally offered their Instagram followers glimpses of their family life with their children.

“My kids make my life totally insane and so fun,” Biel told E! News’ Francesca Amiker last June, “and so full of love.”

Stylish at any age! Jessica Biel just proved that the ’90s really are back. The actress and producer poked fun at her Y2K-era fashion with a fun Instagram post this week, showing off the attire she wore to events such as the “American Pie” premiere in 1999. Though more than 20 years have passed, Biel noted that she may have been ahead of her time with those now-vintage ensembles. “I hear all of these outfits are cool again. Love that for me because I was worried they were questionable the first time,” she joked in her caption. Fans loved seeing her throw it back to her younger days and at least one famous follower dropped in the comment section to share their approval, too – her husband, Justin Timberlake. “Teenage me just started sweating,” he teased.

A new waxwork figure of Taylor Swift was unveiled at the Panoptikum museum in Hamburg, Germany on Wednesday. 

The life size figurine has been in the works for seven months, carefully crafted by Berlin artist Lisa Büscher.

Dressed in a blue, sequinned one-piece, similar to an outfit the songstress, 34, wore to the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards, her outfit is completed with knee-high boots.

Taylor is seen holding her hands in a heart shape, a symbol which is well known amongst her fans.

‘Achieving the perfect likeness is particularly challenging when it comes to a wrinkle-free, flawless beauty,’ said artist Lisa in a statement.

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A new waxwork figure of Taylor Swift was unveiled at the Panoptikum museum in Hamburg, Germany on Wednesday

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Dressed in a blue, sequinned one-piece, similar to an outfit the songstress, 34, wore to the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards, her outfit is completed with knee-high boots

She added: ‘A particular challenge was designing her hands in the typical heart pose. Coordinating so that the hands meet well at the front was not easy

‘The same goes for the painting of the head. After all, a wax figure shouldn’t look ‘waxy.”

Panoptikum CEO Dr Susanne Faerber revealed the museum’s latest edition and posed for photos with the artist.

Taylor’s waxwork will join several other figures in the museum including replicas of Ed Sheeran Angelina Jolie, Queen Elizabeth II, Karl Lagerfeld and Henry VIII.

Ed was revealed last summer and bears a strong resemblance to the singer, complete with a guitar over his shoulder.

Last month, a Dublin museum promised to ‘do better’ and vowed to create a more accurate waxwork of Sinéad O’Connor – after their sculpture, which was unveiled to commemorate the one year anniversary of her death – was slammed by fans.

‘In response to the public’s feedback regarding the wax figure, we acknowledge that the current representation did not meet our high standards or the expectations of Sinéad’s devoted fans,’ a spokesperson for the National Wax Museum in Dublin said.

‘We have listened closely to the reactions and agree that the figure does not fully capture Sinéad’s unique presence and essence as we intended.’

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‘Achieving the perfect likeness is particularly challenging when it comes to a wrinkle-free, flawless beauty,’ said artist Lisa (R) in a statement (Panoptikum CEO Dr Susanne Faerber, left)

They added that her impact on Ireland and the global music community ‘is immeasurable’, and their goal ‘has always been to honour her in the most fitting and respectful manner’.

‘With this in mind, we are committed to creating a new wax figure that better reflects Sinéad O’Connor’s true spirit and iconic image,’ they revealed.

‘Our team of skilled artists will begin this project immediately, ensuring that every detail is meticulously crafted to celebrate her legacy appropriately.

‘We extend our gratitude to everyone who provided their feedback and assure you that your voices are heard. We look forward to unveiling a new figure that truly honours Sinéad O’Connor and her extraordinary impact.

The legendary musician, who died on July 26, 2023, aged 56, was presented in a waxwork earlier today – but unimpressed visitors have taken to social media to hit out at the sculpture, stating that it looks like ‘they just found an old mannequin in a skip and said, yep that will do’.

Even more bizarrely, the work was placed next to Liam Neeson in character as Qui-Gon Jinn and Darth Vader – both in Star Wars regalia.

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Taylor’s waxwork will join several other figures in the museum including replicas of Ed Sheeran (pictured) Angelina Jolie, Queen Elizabeth II, Karl Lagerfeld and Henry VIII.

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Last month, a Dublin museum promised to ‘do better’ and vowed to create a more accurate waxwork of Sinéad O’Connor – after their sculpture was slammed by fans

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Elsewhere, a waxwork figure of Beyoncé, which was unveiled at the Grevin Museum in Paris two weeks ago, sparked outrage among fans who claimed she had been ‘whitewashed’

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Onlookers watched as the statue depicting the legendary American singer, 42, was revealed for the first time (left)

Elsewhere, a waxwork figure of Beyoncé, which was unveiled at the Grevin Museum in Paris two weeks ago, sparked outrage among fans who claimed she had been ‘whitewashed’ and like ‘anything but’ the singer.

The actor, 52, took to social media to reveal he would be contacting The Musée Grévin in Paris after the controversial waxwork under heavy criticism from fans.

It has joined the likes of Ryan Gosling, Angelina Jolie, and Christiano Ronaldo at the popular French museum, which is home to more than 500 famous figures.

The Texas Hold ‘Em singer’s wax self is wearing a busty sequin silver dress complete with a long cape and silver heels.

While the figure bears many glamorous similarities to the star, there has been a lot of backlash on social media about certain features, including the colour of her skin.

Outraged X (formerly Twitter) users penned: ‘So according to the Grevin Museum in Paris That’s Beyoncé’; ‘Well it’s not her’; ‘Ma’am that’s Jade from Little Mix’; ‘Beyoncé at the Grévin Museum, she’s white.’

It comes just nine months after Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson asked for ‘important changes’ to be made after his figure was displayed there in October 2023.

Dwayne and his fans have commented on the waxwork’s seemingly lighter skin tone, with the star telling how he will be asking for the skin color to be ‘updated’.

The Rock commented on his controversial figure shortly after it was revealed last year, by sharing an Instagram to poke fun at it.

On a more serious note, he added that he was going to reach out to the museum to have the artwork ‘updated’ with some ‘important details and improvements’.

The Jumanji star wrote: ‘I knew my boy @jamesjeffersonj had this Rock wax statue in his roasting crosshairs. Legit belly laughed at this.

‘For the record, I’m going to have my team reach out to our friends at Grevin Museum, in Paris France so we can work at “updating” my wax figure here with some important details and improvements – starting with my skin color.’

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It comes just nine months after Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson asked for ‘important changes’ to be made after his figure was displayed in October 2023

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The Rock commented on his figure shortly after it was revealed last year, by sharing an Instagram to poke fun at it – but added that he seeks to reach out to the museum to have the artwork ‘updated’ with some ‘important details and improvements’

He concluded, ‘And next time I’m in Paris, I’ll stop in and have a drink with myself,’ adding a wink emoji.

The post, which received over 150,000 likes, saw fans express both their disappointment and confusion at the waxwork.

The Grévin Museum has since unveiled the updated figure, which is open to the public. The Rock is yet to comment on the changes.

A spokesperson for The Grévin Museum told MailOnline: ‘These criticisms are due to the photo taken by a flash photo press agency thus distorting the real skin color of the character who is absolutely not white.’

After having heard insults about the singer for far too long, the 25-year-old ultimately decided to block her pal. 

Now, she has taken to the Am I Wrong? subreddit to question if she was in the wrong for expressing her love for the pop sensation.

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A Taylor Swift-obsessed fan has revealed her love for the pop star ‘split’ up her friend group because one of her close pals hated the songwriter

The post was titled: ‘Am I wrong for blocking my friend over her obsessive Taylor Swift hatred?’

She went on to explain: ‘This issue has literally split my friend group right down the middle.

Who do YOU think is in the wrong?

Taylor Swift fan

Taylor troll

‘I (25F) have a friend Izzy (26F). We’ve been friends since our last year of undergrad. We’re not super close or anything, but we run in the same circles, have a laugh together, and have helped each other out in the past.

‘Now, I am a die hard Swiftie and she hates her. Which in my eyes shouldn’t be a deal breaker, we have other things in common and we just won’t talk about Taylor. I have friends who I can gush about T-Swift with, so I’m not bothered. Recently though, Izzy has become bothered and it seems her hatred for Taylor Swift has grown.’

The 25-year-old explained that Izzy had begun going out of her way to tear down the singer and her friend because of her love for Taylor.

She noted that situation came to a fever pitch last year, just before she was going to attend the Eras Tour in the UK.

‘I can’t remember exactly when it started, but I guess it was around last year when I bought tickets for the Eras tour in the UK. I was beside myself with excitement, and of course Izzy asked when she ran into me why I was so excited,’ she recalled.

‘I told her, and she immediately shut me town and told me was stupid for paying “extortionate amounts of money to see such a mediocre artist” while also complaining about rent and my job not paying me enough.

The 25-year-old woman took to Reddit to share her frustrations about her 26-year-old friend, Izzy, who did not enjoy the Shake It Off hitmaker’s music

‘I was quite shocked, to put it mildly. I told her I’m not in the habit of buying concert tickets every month and pointed out that she just paid a lot for a holiday in Spain, but she just rolled her eyes and told me “that’s different”. I tried not to take it personally, but it did really sting.’

And while the 25-year-old hoped that was the end of Izzy’s outright dislike for the All Too Well songstress, it seemed it was only the beginning.

She noted that she ‘really noticed it growing’ after that initial encounter.

Read More

Taylor Swift beefs up security for her London shows as ‘Swiftonomics’ show the cost of axed gigs

She added: ‘Previously, there were occasional jibes about not giving me the aux cord or not trusting my music taste, but those grew into her sending me memes on Instagram about how much Taylor sucks and when I asked why she was sending me these, she would complain that I can’t take a joke.

‘If I was listening to music, she would ask me what song and if it was a Swift song, she’d make a show of rolling her eyes and if it wasn’t, she’d be incredibly over the top sarcastic about “oh you can listen to other music”. Every time I posted about Taylor on my socials (because there’s no rule in our friendship saying I can’t do that), like when Speak Now TV, 1989 TV and TTPD were announced, she would reply to them to complain that I’m subjecting her to more terrible music. I pointed out that she doesn’t have to listen if she doesn’t like her, and she replied “yeah but you never shut up about her”.

‘I off-handedly shopping for a new dress for the Eras tour and Izzy went on a five minute rant about why would I get a new outfit for “a stupid concert” and that “most of her fans are little kids or have the mentality of little kids”.

‘I guess she noticed my sad face because she rolled her eyes and said “this is why no-one likes Swifties, you’re all so sensitive”.

‘She even grills me about Taylor’s actions, like her private jet flights. Ftr (for the record), yes she uses the jet excessively but I don’t think she’s Captain Planet villain and I have issues with how the article was written and presented.

‘When I said this to Izzy though, she just sighed and said something about how I’d let Taylor destroy the planet. I once posted my volunteering with a local green spaces initiative and Izzy made sure to comment “but you’re fine with Taylor destroying the planet?”. Again, she defended it with “it’s just a joke”.’

Social media users flocked to the comments sections and ran to the 25-year-old’s defense

And when The Tortured Poets Department – Taylor’s newest album – came out, Izzy went so far as to send her pal messages slamming the songs.

The 25-year-old wrote: ‘It came to a head a few weeks ago, when I posted a photo of a new tattoo I got. My Eras tour date was so special to me for many reasons that I got a tattoo of it with one of Taylor’s lyrics underneath. Of course, Izzy was one of the first to reply, telling me how stupid and childish that was and what a waste of my money it was.

‘She said I was a basic white girl (when I told Izzy she is also white, she replied “I’m not that brand of white”). And I realized I had had enough; when you looked back at our messages, all of them were us arguing. It felt like we weren’t even friends anymore. So I just blocked her.’

At the end of the post, she asked people on the web if she was in the wrong for cutting off her friend.

Social media users flocked to the comments sections and ran to the 25-year-old’s defense.

One person said: ‘Not the a**hole – I’m not a fan. A friend of mine is a huge Swifty. I just don’t click on the videos but will still interact with her concert photos because I support my friend having fun even if I don’t care for the artist. It isn’t hard to go “you must be really excited, I hope you have fun” and then change the topic.’

Someone else wrote: ‘Not the a**hole. You can be friends with people who disagree with you (to a point). What you don’t have to is submit to them being mean and a bully to you over something that’s honestly not that serious. I love Taylor swift. Went to one of her Paris concert and it was sensational. But I know people who don’t like her or her music and it’s perfectly fine. We can’t all like the same stuff, would be boring anyway. But you’re not at fault for protecting yourself from someone whose main hobby seems to be putting you down.’

Another user added: ‘For someone that has such intense hate for T swift, she sounds pretty obsessed with her.’

‘Not the a**hole. Your friend is a bully. And I say that as someone who doesn’t like TS much,’ one commenter wrote.

‘You have the right to like whoever you want without being berated by your friends for it.’

GettyImages-2131369662© Getty Images for iHeartRadio

As calamitous comebacks go, Justin Timberlake’s latest chapter feels particularly cursed. Not only did his sixth LP, Everything I Thought It Was, receive a critical drubbing on release back in March, but his public image has taken a battering too – first from unflattering revelations in Britney Spears’ bestselling memoir, and then as a result of June’s much memed arrest for driving while intoxicated.

And yet, if Timberlake really is as troubled as the gossip would have you believe, he was hiding it well on the second sell-out London date of his Forget Tomorrow World Tour.

Moving with the effortless ease of a veteran performer, the former *NSYNC star put on an impressively tight show with the support of his backing band, The Tennessee Kids.

Featuring a roaming horn section and three dynamic backing vocalists alongside the traditional band set-up, they proved almost as light on their feet as the dancers helping the 43-year-old revive the iconic moves of Rock Your Body and the rest.

Timberlake often took his turn in the ensemble too, leading the band on guitar during Say Something, and standing to hammer out the staccato organ riff during Señorita.

Rather than delivering straight run-throughs of the classics, they frequently had fun with arrangements, interpolating Chic’s Good Times into Rock Your Body and George Michael’s Careless Whisper into the climax of What Goes Around. Meanwhile, My Love was expanded into an ambitious R&B epic, complete with classical keyboard trills, stunning a cappella vocals and a hard rock outro.

Justin Timberlake’s drinking buddy ‘allowed by cops to drive singer’s car home after DWI arrest’

Though Timberlake didn’t quite succeed in confirming Everything I Thought It Was’ genius, the new material often felt less lacklustre in the context of a live set. The sinuous gospel-funk of Sanctified was particularly strong, while an atmospheric version of Drown teed up crowd-pleaser Cry Me A River nicely.

While there was no mention of recent misdemeanours, Timberlake seemed on a charm offensive throughout, stopping to read out signs, clamber down to the barriers and effusively thank fans for giving him “such a blessed life.” How rehearsed these ad libs were was unclear, but 25 years into his solo career it’s impossible to deny his ability to connect with arena-sized audiences on a personal level.

For the encore, he rode a giant video screen across the arena for a life-affirming rendition of Mirrors, which turns 11 this year. It remains his last truly great single. And with his recorded output increasingly delivering diminishing returns, it’s performances like these that prove Timberlake’s worth as an artist who always fulfils his potential in the live arena.

Justin Timberlake played The O2. Priority from O2 offers Virgin Media broadband and O2 customers exclusive early access to some of the biggest events and best venues in the UK, including The O2, with the ability to purchase tickets 48-hours before general release.

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