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In de flat die in de jaren zeventig bevroren was en waar de koningin-moeder dol op was: terwijl haar privékamers in het kasteel van Kent voor het publiek worden geopend, krijgt ROBERT HARDMAN een eerste kijkje

Sabir Ansary — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 08:08:15 +0000

Dit gebouw, boordevol kanonnen (allemaal gericht op Frankrijk), werd gebouwd door Henry VIII, belegerd door Cromwell, bezet door de hertog van Wellington (die hier stierf) en Sir Winston Churchill. Het was ook het toneel van een beroemd seksschandaal uit de 20e eeuw.

Meer recentelijk heeft Walmer Castle echter gediend als een weinig bekende – en verrassend bescheiden – koninklijke residentie. En vanaf morgen, slechts een paar maanden lang, zullen deze privévertrekken voor het eerst aan het publiek worden getoond.

Na genoten te hebben van een exclusieve preview, moet ik zeggen dat het niet de Tudor-kantelen of het originele paar Wellington-laarzen zijn die in mijn gedachten blijven hangen. Het is de smaak van wijlen koningin-moeder in een uitbundig decor uit de late jaren 70 – en dat dit zeker de enige plek was waar ze (een paar dagen per jaar) in een flat met drie slaapkamers woonde. Tot op de dag van vandaag staat haar stempel erop.

In 1978, tegen haar negende decennium, verwierf koningin Elizabeth de koningin-moeder een extra huis toen de koningin haar benoemde tot lid van het oude ambt van Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. Deze erepositie dateert uit de middeleeuwen en wordt voor het leven toegekend aan een prominente nationale figuur. Walmer Castle, vlakbij Deal in Kent, wordt levenslang op gunst en gunst verhuurd.

De Queen Elizabeth Room – Hier las de koningin-moeder de kranten (vooral de racepers) en keek ze tv

De koningin-moeder in Walmer Castle, waar ze (een paar dagen per jaar) in een flat met drie slaapkamers woonde

Dit omvat verschillende historische kamers die een deel van het jaar voor het publiek te zien zijn, plus prachtige tuinen, een slotgracht, café, cadeauwinkel en theesalon, allemaal onder toezicht van English Heritage. Het kasteel beschikt echter ook over een privéappartement binnen de wallen. En nadat ze de eerste vrouwelijke Lord Warden in de 800-jarige geschiedenis van dit ambt was geworden, bracht de koningin-moeder een aantal zeer persoonlijke accenten aan.

Vanaf morgen mogen bezoekers door de ‘geheime deur’ in de oude Donjon. Ze worden onmiddellijk getransporteerd van de museumachtige sfeer van de openbare vleugel naar wat aanvoelt als een comfortabel, zij het vervaagd hotel uit het tijdperk van Fawlty Towers. Een versleten rode loper leidt langs een logeerkamer (met veel naoorlogs bruin meubilair) en een paar treden omhoog, met leuningen, naar een gang en een staande klok.

Hier vinden we een eerder functionele dan gezellige keuken met mooi zicht op de tuinen. Ik zie een Morphy Richards-broodrooster en open kasten in Formica-stijl, waaronder een roestvrijstalen theepot en een mengelmoes van mokken die menig kantine kent.

Deze waren eigendom van de meest recente Lord Warden, de voormalige chef van de Defensiestaf, Lord Boyce, en zijn overleden vrouw. Michael Boyce, een vooraanstaande voormalige onderzeeër, werd na de dood van de koningin-moeder in 2002 op deze post benoemd en woonde hier af en toe tot aan zijn eigen dood in 2022.

Sindsdien is de plaats leeg gebleven, in afwachting van de benoeming van een nieuwe Lord Warden door de koning. De Boyces hebben niets aan de plek veranderd, dus we hebben nu een perfecte momentopname van het leven bij Walmer in zijn koninklijke jaren.

We gaan verder naar de privé-eetzaal, ingericht in lentegroene tinten en onlangs omgedoopt tot de Sir Robert Menzies Room, naar de voorganger van de koningin-moeder. De grote Australische staatsman werd in 1965 benoemd tot Lord Warden als opvolger van Sir Winston Churchill en gebruikte het als zijn Britse basis. Zijn nalatenschap is de charmante verzameling Australische landschappen van hedendaagse kunstenaars.

Naast de deur bevindt zich de Queen Elizabeth Room, die ze opnieuw heeft ontworpen in een blauwgroen tint. De bomen en bladeren op het zijden behang passen bij het patroon op de bank. Hier las ze de kranten (vooral de racepers) en keek ze tv. Bezoekers zien op het scherm scènes van haar installatie als Lord Warden. We komen dan naar de slaapkamer van de koningin-moeder.

De privé-eetzaal, ingericht in lentegroene tinten en later omgedoopt tot de Sir Robert Menzies Room, naar de voorganger van de koningin-moeder

De slaapkamer van de koningin-moeder, waar de bloempatronen het meest bloemrijk zijn, met roze rozen die langs de kroonlijst naar beneden stromen, volants, hoofdeinde en gordijnen

De badkamer met zijn grote marmeren randen

Het toilet naast de grote hal, waarvan het kleurenschema is gekozen door de koningin-moeder

Hier zijn de bloempatronen het meest bloemrijk, met roze rozen die langs de kroonlijst, volants, het hoofdeinde en de gordijnen naar beneden stromen. Ze liggen ook overal in de fauteuil. Een sprei uit de jaren zeventig bedekt het bed. Aan de muur hangt naast koningin Victoria een JAK-cartoon uit de Evening Standard uit 1995.

Het toont de Queen Mum op de wallen van het naburige Dover Castle, zwaaiend met haar handtas naar een gehavende Fransman. Destijds was er een enorme ruzie geweest na een Frans bod om de haven van Dover (de belangrijkste van de Cinque Ports) te kopen. De lokale bevolking smeekte de koningin-moeder, als Lord Warden, om in te grijpen.

Hoewel ze geen partij kon kiezen in een politiek dispuut, kwam ze er aardig dichtbij en gaf ze haar privésecretaris de opdracht om namens haar te schrijven naar de minister van Transport, Sir George Young, ‘zodat hij zich bewust zou kunnen zijn van de diepe gevoelens van de burgers van deze oude zeehaven’. De Fransen trokken zich terug.

Zelfs de kaptafel werd naar haar smaak opnieuw ingericht, net als de badkamer ernaast met zijn grote marmeren omlijstingen. In haar latere jaren zou ze het liefst de groen betegelde badkamer aan de overkant van de gang met inloopdouche gebruiken. Het gastentoilet naast de deur heeft nog steeds een levendige oranje en gele bloemenbak met kitsch uit de jaren 70 erop geschreven. In een nis, bekend als het Telefoonbijgebouw, belde de koningin-moeder.

We vinden hier portretten van Lord en Lady Boyce en een telefoon die anekdotes over het leven afspeelt, opgenomen door de kinderen van Lord Boyce uit zijn eerste huwelijk, Hugo en Christine. Hugo Boyce herinnert zich dat hij een rillende bezoeker hoorde klagen dat Walmer (uitgesproken als ‘warmer’) omgedoopt moest worden tot ‘Colder Castle’.

Buiten blijft de meest opmerkelijke bijdrage van de koningin-moeder de tuin die ontwerper Penelope Hobhouse als cadeau voor haar heeft gecreëerd. Het omvat prachtige vormsnoei, een zomerhuis, een rechthoekige vijver en een beeld van een corgi op een bank waar een echte corgi met de koningin-moeder poseerde voor een portret.

Hoewel haar verblijf nooit meer dan een paar dagen per jaar duurde, was ze dol op deze plek. ‘Mijn slaapkamer was echt prachtig, en we zijn er zelfs in geslaagd een aantal gasten te ontvangen voor een diner in de geïmproviseerde eetkamer. De chef-kok was erg gelukkig in zijn kleine keuken en er hing een heerlijke sfeer in het kasteel’, schreef ze na haar eerste verblijf aan haar binnenhuisarchitect Oliver Ford.

Het personeel werd scherp gehouden. ‘Ze vond het zeker leuk als de dingen op haar manier werden gedaan’, zegt Kathryn Bedford, curator collecties voor English Heritage, met veel plezier. ‘Haar team zou haar eigen gordijnen naar beneden halen, omdat ze de gordijnen die wij hier hadden niet mooi vond.’

Zoals koninklijke biograaf Hugo Vickers opmerkt: ‘Het jaarlijkse bezoek veroorzaakte een enorme opschudding, waarbij zilver, glas en borden uit Londen werden meegenomen, om nog maar te zwijgen van speciale stoelen… Een deel van het meubilair, grapte de koningin-moeder, was ‘uit Windsor geknepen’. ‘

De titel van Lord Warden gaat terug tot de middeleeuwen, toen vijf Kanaalhavens een speciale status kregen. In ruil daarvoor zouden ze schepen voor de koning leveren en werden er forten gebouwd, met name Dover Castle. Walmer was een van de drie die werden toegevoegd voor extra bescherming nadat de scheiding van Hendrik VIII van Catharina van Aragon de paus ertoe aanzette een invasie van Engeland te eisen.

De koningin-moeder had ook een bescheiden waterkoker en broodrooster

De met gordijnen afgesloten toegangsweg naar het privéappartement van de koningin-moeder

De Queen Elizabeth-kamer, ook wel de salon genoemd

Theepotten en mokken in de keuken van de koningin-moeder

De koningin-moeder had ook een prullenbak in de stijl van de jaren zeventig met een bloemmotief

Robert Hardman in het appartement van de koningin-moeder in Walmer Castle

Het telefoonbijgebouw naast de grote hal in het appartement van de koningin-moeder

Walmer Castle heeft prachtige tuinen, een slotgracht, een café, een cadeauwinkel en een theesalon, allemaal onder beheer van English Heritage

Tegen de 18e eeuw was de titel van Lord Warden een ere-sinecure geworden voor een voorname grandee van die tijd. Hoewel de hertog van Wellington grote herenhuizen had in Londen en Hampshire, bracht de hertog elke herfst graag entertainment door in zijn Kentse fort.

In 1842 leende hij het kasteel aan koningin Victoria nadat Brighton werd getroffen door een uitbraak van roodvonk. Victoria merkte op dat de ‘situatie charmant is… maar het huis erg klein is’. Na de Eerste Wereldoorlog trok een andere Lord Warden, Earl Beauchamp, zich plotseling terug in ballingschap in het buitenland om een dreigend seksschandaal te voorkomen.

Hoewel hij een getrouwde vader van zeven kinderen was, had zijn homoseksuele smaak zich uitgebreid tot het voorstellen van lakeien en zelfs lokale vissers, in een tijd dat dit nog een strafbaar feit was.

Tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog bevond Walmer zich binnen het bereik van vijandelijke artillerie, waardoor het te gevaarlijk werd voor Winston Churchill om er zijn intrek te nemen nadat hij in 1941 Lord Warden werd.

Voorlopig zal English Heritage het decor van de koningin-moeder uit de jaren 70 laten zoals het is totdat de koning een nieuwe Lord Warden benoemt. Wie zou dat kunnen zijn? Eén kandidaat die in mijn gedachten opkomt, is zijn zus. Niet alleen heeft de Princess Royal een grote affiniteit met de zee, maar haar man, Sir Tim Laurence, kent de plaats ook heel goed – als voormalig voorzitter van English Heritage.

The post In de flat die in de jaren zeventig bevroren was en waar de koningin-moeder dol op was: terwijl haar privékamers in het kasteel van Kent voor het publiek worden geopend, krijgt ROBERT HARDMAN een eerste kijkje appeared first on USMAIL24.COM.

Robert L. Barry, 89, diplomat who negotiated pact with Soviets, dies

Sabir Ansary — Thu, 21 Mar 2024 20:16:31 +0000

Robert L. Barry, an American diplomat who was the chief American negotiator in reaching a major military agreement with the Soviet Union near the end of the Cold War, died on March 11 at his home in Newton, Massachusetts. He was 89 years old.

His wife, Margaret Barry, said the cause was multi-infarct dementia.

Mr. Barry led an American negotiating team at a security conference in Stockholm in the summer of 1986, when he and his Soviet counterpart, Oleg Grinevsky, reached an agreement on troop inspections that American officials saw as important in easing tensions between East and West .

The agreement stipulated that members of NATO and the Warsaw Pact would have to notify each other at least 42 days in advance if they planned military activities involving at least 13,000 troops or 300 tanks. In addition, any country planning military maneuvers involving 17,000 or more soldiers should invite countries that participated in the Stockholm Conference to observe.

“We have taken an important step toward reducing the risk of military confrontation,” Mr. Barry told reporters after the deal was concluded. The subsequent calm confirmed his comments.

It was the first East-West security agreement since the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty on Nuclear Weapons signed by Jimmy Carter and Leonid I. Brezhnev in 1979.

Mr. Barry had a photo in his bedroom depicting the celebratory vodka toast he shared with Mr. Grinevsky.

The Soviet Union was the main focus of Mr. Barry’s long career in the Foreign Service, which also included posts as U.S. ambassador to Bulgaria from 1981 to 1984 and to Indonesia from 1992 to 1995. In 1971, he became one of the first Western diplomats who were allowed to live as consular officers in what was then Leningrad, now Saint Petersburg.

In an unpublished memoir, he recalled that he was sometimes followed by the KGB as he drove through the city.

“As I often got lost,” he wrote, “there were a number of times when I had to turn around and retrace my steps, which caused considerable confusion among the followers.”

Later in life, Mr. Barry acknowledged that he had missed that era of binary opposites. “Some may find it strange that I am homesick for that simpler world,” with the threat of nuclear annihilation, he wrote. “Despite all that, I felt like I knew who the enemy was, and I felt confident that we understood how to contain the threat.”

Robert Louis Barry was born in Pittsburgh on August 28, 1934, the son of Louis and Margaret (O’Halloran) Barry. His father was a colonel in the Army Air Corps and the family moved from base to base during World War II.

Mr. Barry graduated from Lansdowne High School, outside Philadelphia, and then attended Dartmouth College on a Navy ROTC scholarship. He graduated in 1956 with a degree in international relations and a concentration on the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, and received a James B. Reynolds Fellowship from Dartmouth to study at the University of Oxford. While there, he traveled to Hungary’s border with Austria in an effort to help refugees during the 1956 Hungarian uprising against the Soviets. He spent three years in the U.S. Navy before joining the Foreign Service in 1962.

In later years, in addition to his posts in Bulgaria and Indonesia, Mr. Barry served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe from 1979 to 1981; chief operating officer for Voice of America from 1986 to 1988; and special assistant to Deputy Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger, who coordinated aid to Eastern Europe, from 1991 to 1992.

After retiring from the Department of State, Mr. Barry served as Chief of Mission of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1998 to 2001.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by his daughter Ellen Barry, a reporter for The New York Times; a son, John Barry; and three grandchildren.

In an oral history for the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training, Mr. Barry recalled the biggest moment of his career: when he negotiated the inspection agreement with the Soviet Union in Stockholm. It came at a time of personal tragedy for him and his wife Margaret, who had just lost their 20-year-old son Peter in a fishing vessel accident in Alaska.

Mr Barry went to Stockholm anyway and stuck to his mandate. “The idea that they should open their borders for on-the-spot inspection to see if there are any military maneuvers – or to check if there are any reports of where their troops were stationed or where their exercises were held – didn’t really appeal to people . them,” he recalled. “But we kept the pressure on.”

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With Robert Menendez Indicted, His Children Feel Spotlight’s Glare

Sabir Ansary — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 11:39:56 +0000

It was the night before federal prosecutors would reveal explosive bribery charges against Senator Robert Menendez, and his adult children appeared unaware of the news storm that was about to hit the family.

Alicia and Rob Menendez seemed to be in great spirits at a glitzy political gala celebrating a new generation of Latino leaders.

Ms. Menendez, an increasingly high-profile anchor on the cable news network MSNBC, stood before a room filled with Latino politicians, media executives and entertainment figures, as the emcee of the annual Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute party in Washington.

Among those in attendance was her brother, a Democratic congressman from New Jersey who is in his first term representing a majority Hispanic district, a seat once held by his father.

In her opening remarks that evening last fall, Ms. Menendez exuded confidence, poise and glamour. The event was a triumph for the Menendezes, who hammed it up in selfies that Ms. Menendez shared the following morning.

“So fun to host @chcidc’s 46th Annual Awards Gala,” she wrote on Instagram. “Sibling time was a bonus.”

The Menendezes have surely enjoyed the privileges of being children of a powerful political leader. But the very next day, they began to confront — not for the first time — a corollary dynamic: the anguish and embarrassment of having their father accused of public corruption.

Amid heart emojis in praise of her performance the night before, Ms. Menendez’s Instagram feed became littered with comments like “How corrupt is your family?” and “Your dad’s going to the gallows.”

Since then, the drama has been relentless. Just this month, new developments have underscored the gravity of the case against the Menendezes’ father, who, with his wife, Nadine Menendez, is accused of accepting bribes of gold, cash and a Mercedes-Benz in exchange for an array of political favors.

After a former ally pleaded guilty and began cooperating with prosecutors, Senator Menendez and Nadine Menendez were additionally charged with obstructing justice. Both have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Alicia and Rob Menendez used to be game to talk publicly about their father, joking about his penchant for playing Super Mario Bros., his love of musical theater — “Wicked” is his favorite show, they said in a 2011 campaign ad — and his bragging about being on the varsity bowling team in high school.

These days, they are understandably less eager to talk about him. But their desire for privacy is complicated by the fact that they too are public figures who cannot, without sacrificing their own careers, avoid a public spotlight.

Rob Menendez, 38, is fighting for political survival in a Democratic primary that falls less than a month after the day his father’s trial is expected to start, May 6. The men share a name, and Senator Menendez has not ruled out running for re-election — leaving open the possibility that both could appear on the same ballot and confuse voters.

Alicia Menendez, 40, has been forced to address the charges against her father — and calls for his resignation — on live television.

The legal drama has unfolded in parallel with important events in the siblings’ own careers. Earlier this month, a judge ordered Senator Menendez and his wife back to court just as Alicia and Rob were preparing for President Biden’s State of the Union address — Alicia would be contributing to MSNBC’s live coverage of the event, and Rob would be in attendance, a member of the congressional assembly.

Friends and colleagues say that it is a challenging time emotionally and professionally for Alicia and Rob Menendez, both of whom declined through spokesmen to comment for this article.

They are unlikely — however unfair it may be — to escape the stigma of the allegations against their father, said Sally Quinn, the longtime Washington Post writer who does not know the Menendezes but has observed the familial fallout of political scandal from the Nixons to the Clintons to the Cuomos to the Trumps.

“When your close loved one is at the center of a political scandal,” she said, “it’s in your obit too.”

On the afternoon of Jan. 2, Alicia Menendez was sitting in the most high-profile seat of her career, filling in for Nicolle Wallace on the highly rated MSNBC news show, “Deadline: White House.”

She was conducting a live interview with an airline safety consultant when she abruptly ended the conversation. “We’re going to take a quick break, and we’ll be back with some breaking news right after this,” she said.

Seconds later, Ms. Menendez was gone, and a colleague was on the air in her place. “Hello, I’m Ari Melber with some breaking legal news,” he said. “New Jersey United States Senator Robert Menendez now facing new allegations in a second superseding indictment.”

Ms. Menendez’s quick exit that day was part of a promise she had made to viewers months earlier, when her father was first indicted.

“I have been watching along with all of you as a citizen, and also as his daughter,” she said on the air in September. “I will not be reporting on the legal case.”

In the past, she has described herself as someone who cries easily, but that day she betrayed no emotion. She concluded by saying that her colleagues would continue to cover the story, “as they should.”

Asked if MSNBC was troubled by the complications of Ms. Menendez’s connection to the subject of a significant political scandal, a spokesman for the network declined to comment or to make available any of her colleagues, producers or bosses to discuss her work.

Ms. Menendez has been grappling with the realities of being a politician’s daughter for years. “You can’t have a private life as an elected official,” she told The Washington Post in 2013. “It’s not a family-friendly institution.”

She and her brother were raised in Union City, N.J., a densely packed city in northern New Jersey that for decades has been a hub of immigrant life. Their father is the child of Cuban immigrants, and their mother, Jane Jacobsen, is of Irish-German-Norwegian descent — a “gringa,” as Alicia wrote in a 2012 essay. She said that Ms. Jacobsen helped to instill in her children a strong Latino identity, even if they did not speak Spanish. (Their parents divorced in 2005.)

When she and her brother were young, their mother was a teacher and guidance counselor, and the family lived in an apartment above their father’s law firm. “He was terrible at making money,” Ms. Menendez told The Washington Post.

Mr. Menendez became mayor of Union City and was elected to Congress when Alicia was 9. She spent “Take Your Daughter to Work” days at the Capitol. Though Mr. Menendez traveled frequently to Washington, he remained a demanding figure. “Dad was an original tiger mom,” she told The New York Times in 2015.

Ms. Menendez landed at Harvard University, class of 2005. She majored in women’s studies, was the president of an elite “final club” and considered herself an “ethnically ambiguous feminist,” she said in a 2004 article in The Harvard Crimson.

Her ambitions were set on politics. She worked for Jon Corzine’s New Jersey gubernatorial campaign (when Mr. Corzine won, he appointed then-Representative Robert Menendez to his seat in the U.S. Senate). And she managed the campaigns of peers running for Harvard student government, including Rohit Chopra, now director of the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

“She really could sell a pork chop to a rabbi,” Mr. Chopra said, describing Ms. Menendez’s political skills to The Crimson in 2004.

She worked in television production and progressive politics, eventually focusing on media. She appeared on HuffPost Live, Fusion and PBS before landing at MSNBC in 2019.

She is also the host of a podcast, “Latina to Latina,” a weekly interview show, now in its sixth year. As an interviewer, “she has this ability to bring people to the point of self-discovery,” said Juleyka Lantigua, who owns and produces the podcast with Ms. Menendez.

At MSNBC, she was the solo anchor of the network’s “American Voices” program, which first aired in 2020, and is now one of three anchors on “The Weekend,” with Michael Steele and Symone D. Sanders Townsend.

Ms. Menendez is a go-to source of support and strategy for friends, said Jose Antonio Vargas, a journalist and immigrant rights activist.

Before Mr. Vargas, who was born in the Philippines, revealed himself to be an undocumented immigrant in a 2011 New York Times Magazine story, he turned to Ms. Menendez for advice. He stayed on her couch in her Washington apartment, and she prepared him to answer tough questions from the public and from TV personalities like Bill O’Reilly. “She is the kind of person that you want in a crisis,” Mr. Vargas said.

(Ms. Menendez has interviewed Mr. Vargas on her news shows, as she has other friends, including Mr. Chopra, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director, who declined to comment.)

In a crisis of her own, Ms. Menendez has maintained her composure, Mr. Vargas said. Last fall, she joined him for a Broadway performance of “Here Lies Love,” a play he helped to produce. It was the first time he had seen her since her father was first indicted.

“How are you holding up?” he asked her.

“I am OK,” he said she told him, in a manner that didn’t invite further questions. “I can tell from the way she looked at me that that was all I could ask.”

‘His father’s umbrella’

While Alicia Menendez has seemingly found a way to keep the bribery scandal at arm’s length, it has been more difficult for her brother, whose career is more overtly tied to their father.

Two years ago, Rob Menendez announced he would run for his father’s former congressional seat, and he was instantly embraced by a cadre of powerful New Jersey politicians, essentially guaranteeing him a win in the heavily Democratic district. He traded a job at a law firm where he was earning $456,000 a year for a seat in Washington and a commuter marriage — something his father cautioned, from experience, would be a strain on his wife and two young children, according to a confidant of both men.

He has since focused heavily on constituent services and sought to carve out a bipartisan policy niche. It is an effort driven by a desire to prove his mettle and to dispatch the whispers that he is in Congress only because he was anointed, according to interviews with more than a dozen colleagues, constituents and friends.

“He has really made strides to get out from under — from the beginning — his father’s umbrella,” said Jimmy Davis, the mayor of Bayonne, N.J., one of the largest cities in the congressional district. “His thing was to make his mark and to set his own legacy.”

But even as he tries to chart his own course, he appears intent on remaining the same loyal son who, at 32 years old, was the first witness called by his father’s defense team during an unrelated 2017 corruption trial that ended with a hung jury.

In September, after Senator Menendez was again charged with accepting bribes, a cascade of prominent Democrats in New Jersey began calling for the senator’s resignation.

Rob Menendez has not.

“He’s my father,” he said in a recent interview on PBS, by way of explanation.

“In a situation where a family member is going through a challenge, you support them,” he added, noting that “everybody deserves their shot in court to present their case.”

But there is little doubt that his father’s legal troubles have cast a shadow on Rob Menendez’s re-election effort.

In a state where party bosses can tamp down most viable primary challenges, particularly for popular incumbents, he is locked in a spirited contest for the Democratic nomination with the mayor of Hoboken, Ravi Bhalla.

Unlike in his first race in 2022, Rob Menendez struggled to raise money last year; as of January Mr. Bhalla had raised three times as much for the June 4 primary. Senator Menendez’s trial is scheduled to take place in the weeks before the election, creating a potential public-relations disaster for his son.

“Clearly it is a horrible situation, and he doesn’t deny that,” said Bill Matsikoudis, a political supporter and friend. The congressman’s strategy, Mr. Matsikoudis said, was to “double down on his work in the capital” and to be omnipresent in the district.

“I’ve seen some pretty impressive maturity, actually,” Mr. Matsikoudis said.

But in late January, a social media feud flared between Mr. Menendez and Mr. Bhalla that vividly demonstrated his vulnerabilities.

Mr. Bhalla called Mr. Menendez the “entitled son of corrupt Bob ‘Gold Bar’ Menendez.” Mr. Menendez said Mr. Bhalla’s “posturing” about ending machine politics in New Jersey “was as believable as Donald Trump being a stable genius.”

Each campaign has since released an internal poll that showed their candidate had the edge, and Democratic strategists expect the election to be close.

“Rob came out of the gate already swinging,” said Hector Oseguera, a left-leaning Democrat who competed in 2020 for the seat Rob Menendez now holds and has been following the race closely. “That says he’s concerned.”

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Wales boss Robert Page has sympathy for the fact that number one at the club is out in the cold

Jeffrey Bailey — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 01:05:28 +0000

ROBERT PAGE has been left torn by Danny Ward’s exile in Leicester.

The Foxes goalkeeper, who is also Wales’ number 1, has not played a single minute at club level this season, in contrast to five appearances for his country.

Danny Ward has remained Wales’ No.1 this season despite zero minutes for LeicesterCredit: Alamy

Dragons keeper Ward denies England’s Marcus Rashford at the 2022 World CupCredit: Getty

Wales boss Page asked for his out-of-favour stars to get January moves but Ward, who cost £12.5million from Liverpool in 2018, failed to leave the King Power.

Page said: “I spoke to Danny. It wasn’t that he didn’t listen to my advice. I’ve had a few conversations with him.

“If you put your player on the head, you get it, I get it.

“When there are politics involved and you have a certain amount of time left on your contract, it’s not as simple as just going away and playing a game of football. There are many aspects to this.

“In the past we have dealt with players who did not play for clubs.

“I’m just going to focus on the positives and the positives are that the majority of our squad are playing football and playing well.

“If I attack my player head-on, I sympathize with Danny, if I attack my manager head-on, no, but with my player head-on, of course I understand.

“It’s sometimes difficult and not easy to just get away when there are wages, benefits and all kinds of things involved, you have no control over them.”

Gary Lineker is calling for a major change to the FA Cup rules after Chelsea eliminated their beloved Leicester in a thrilling match

Ward, 30, was on the bench during Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final against Chelsea.

But his preparation is hardly ideal for Thursday’s play-off semi-final against Finland in Cardiff.

Page added: “He has played in a few under-23s games, he said he was going to do that and he has, I think he has played three or four.

“It doesn’t depend on the level, we know that, but he has at least made the effort to play matches.

“In all positions it is important to have that rhythm of playing matches.

“We’ve done it before in the past, we’ve never had the luxury of the number of players playing now. We’ll keep them informed and ready for the game.”

Ipswich’s Wes Burns is unlikely to be fit after limping off with a hamstring injury in Saturday’s 6-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday.

Wycombe’s Joe Low has withdrawn due to a minor hamstring injury.

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Kristen Stewart’s dating history: Robert Pattinson, Dylan Meyer, more

Sabir Ansary — Sun, 17 Mar 2024 09:20:28 +0000

Kristen Stewart has become more comfortable over the years now that her dating life is public.

The actress recalls struggling during her first high-profile romance with Twilight Co-star Robert Pattinson.

“I wasn’t hiding anything. I didn’t talk about my first relationships becoming public because I wanted things that are mine to be mine,” she told the newspaper Sunday Times in March 2017. “I hated how details of my life were turned into commodities and sold around the world. But with so many eyes on me, I suddenly realized [my private life] affects a larger number of people than just me. It was a chance to give up a piece of what was mine, to make even one other person feel good about themselves.”

She was later linked to model Stella Maxwell before she got engaged to a screenwriter Dylan Meijer in 2020.

The Oscar-nominated actress discussed how dating in the public eye affected her journey with her sexuality.

“The first time I went out with a girl, I was immediately asked if I was a lesbian. And it’s like, ‘God, I’m 21 years old.’ I felt like maybe there were things that hurt people I’ve been with. Not because I was ashamed of being openly gay, but because I didn’t like giving myself to the public in some way. It felt like such a theft. This was a period where I was quite reserved,” Stewart explained In style in November 2020. “Even in my previous relationships, which were straight, we made every effort not to be photographed doing things – things that weren’t going to be ours. So I think the added pressure of representing a group of people, of representing queerness, was something I didn’t understand at the time. Only now can I see it.”

Scroll down for Stewart’s full dating history:

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ROBERT JOBSON: William and Harry may now understand their mother better. But not enough to keep their promise to her…

Sabir Ansary — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 13:45:08 +0000

Diana, Princess of Wales, gave her boys a special assignment: “You must promise me that you will always be each other’s best friends,” she told them.

At the time, the brotherly promise seemed simple.

Their agreement was sealed with high-fives and a motherly hug. It speaks volumes about the late princess’s aspirations for William and Harry.

Sadly, this vow, revealed in royal historian Robert Lacey’s bestseller, Battle of the Brothers, has not stood the tumultuous tests of time.

More than a quarter of a century after Diana died in a car crash in Paris, her “boys” are now men and can barely speak to each other.

Princess Diana, with Prince William and Prince Harry on holiday in Mallorca in 1987

After what has happened in recent years, there seems little prospect of the bitter feud between them healing anytime soon.

A new statue at Kensington Palace, a silent testament to their mother’s legacy, briefly brought them together in July 2021, a lull in their estranged relationships, on the eve of what would have been Diana’s 60th birthday.

But it was a fleeting truce in a story marked by distance and disagreement.

Now tonight at The Diana Award – a worthy charity that captures the essence of their mother’s vision and belief in the transformative power of youth – the brothers will make a rare joint appearance to honor her at the Science Museum in London.

However, neither will be in the room at the same time – clearly a prerequisite – even virtually.

William will personally give a speech to mark the charity’s 25th anniversary and present awards to 20 recipients.

According to reports, Harry will take part in a video call with the winners, but only after his big brother has left.

In the past, they often appeared together in person to pose with the award winners.

Since Harry’s marriage to his wife Meghan in 2018, relations between the brothers have deteriorated

The brothers at the funeral of their mother Diana. Her parenting was based on love and hugs

What would she have made of it all?

“She would have butted heads, she wouldn’t have put up with it,” said one former loyal employee.

Diana’s upbringing, based on love and hugs, was also one of discipline. She would occasionally slap her or cut her ear when she felt the situation warranted it. She gave the babysitter permission to do the same.

It shaped William and Harry with a mix of royal duty and human frailty.

There was a lot of laughter and a few tears, the insider said. She made the boys do everyday chores, showing how she then wanted to grow up with a sense of normalcy, despite their royal rank.

She clashed with the staff who reminded them they were special.

Growing up, William and Harry were inseparable. They relied on each other in the aftermath of their parents’ estrangement and divorce.

Despite the normal rivalry between siblings, they always had each other’s backs throughout their school years, with Harry following William to Ludgrove and then to Eton.

Harry looked up to his brother, William always looked after Harry.

Their brotherly relationship, against the backdrop of loss, love and legacy, was always strong.

Growing up, William and Harry were inseparable. They relied on each other in the aftermath of their parents’ estrangement and divorce

Who can forget the images of them at her funeral as they struggled with the colossal loss of their iconic mother.

Hearts around the world went out to the grieving sons she helped shape.

Robert Lacey also revealed in his book that Diana’s friend, Simone Simmons, recalled the princess also telling her boys, “Never let anyone come between you.”

“Both boys then promised that they would keep that promise and then went on to play football,” Lacey said.

It was typical Diana. Straight away. She was good with them, straightforward and firm when necessary.

Critics of her approach missed the point. They said she smothered them with love. But Diana made princes.

William and Harry, now parents themselves, may understand their mother better. But not enough…

Reconciliation seems a distant hope.

The gap between them reflects the complexity of their lives and the emotional burden they carry.

It’s sad but perhaps not surprising that they parted ways. The weight of history and personal grief under the watch of millions has marked the journey of two princes who seem to be searching for the promise they made to their mother long ago.

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Robert Hur, special counsel who investigated Biden, will testify before Congress

Sabir Ansary — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 09:36:05 +0000

Robert K. Hur will walk into a Capitol Hill hearing room Tuesday as a unique unifying figure in divided Washington — a man despised by Democrats and Republicans alike.

In February, Mr. Hur, the special counsel who investigated President Biden, concluded a year-long investigation into Mr. Biden’s retention of sensitive government documents with the conclusion that the president should not face criminal charges.

But Mr. Hur used language that Biden’s team viewed as unnecessary, politically damaging and outside his job description, describing the octogenarian president as “a likable, well-meaning, older man with a bad memory” who is likely to be acquitted by all. jury.

Mr Hur, 51, will face withering questioning from both sides when he testifies before the House Judiciary Committee to explain his acquittal of Mr Biden and the barbed wire prose in his 345-page report.

Republicans are likely to grill him over his interactions with Justice Department officials and his legal justifications for not indicting Mr. Biden, despite finding evidence suggesting he knew some of the material that he possessed was secret. Democrats will almost certainly condemn him for making broad claims about Biden’s memory and seek to undermine his authority to make such an assessment.

“No one ever said this would be easy,” said Rod J. Rosenstein, a former deputy attorney general who appointed Hur as his top aide during a tumultuous period that included the appointment of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. to investigate his then-boss, President Donald J. Trump.

“They are going to ask him a lot of tough questions, but I expect him to limit his answers to the four corners of his report and provide truthful answers within that context,” he added.

Mr. Hur will testify as a private citizen, not as an employee of the Justice Department: As of Monday, he has resigned as special prosecutor and will be represented by a private attorney, William A. Burck, according to a department spokesman , which did not explain Mr. Hur’s reason for doing this.

Mr. Burck, a former deputy counsel in George W. Bush’s White House, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The political stakes of Tuesday’s hearing, while still high, will become clear days after Mr. Biden delivered a fiery defense of his presidency during a State of the Union address that appeared to address some of the concerns about age and mental fitness by the special counsel.

“Thirty-two million Americans saw him in command during his State of the Union address,” said Anthony Coley, the spokesman for Attorney General Merrick B. Garland when Mr. Hur was appointed in January 2023. transcript of an interview or testimony from someone they’ve never heard of to answer a question Biden addressed last week.”

It is not uncommon for witnesses in federal cases to cite their flawed memories in interviews with investigators, especially about events that occurred years earlier. But Mr. Hur included references to Mr. Biden’s memory that were not directly related to the preservation of classified documents — including the president’s struggle to remember the year (2015) his son Beau died.

Mr. Hur, a registered Republican who has avoided partisan politics during his two-decade career as a prosecutor, was chosen in part because of his reputation for calmly handling the pressures of high-speed investigations and internal department politics.

The Hur report underscores the challenges of deploying special counsel, a measure intended to protect prosecutors from political interference but which often results in the release of negative information about people cleared of criminal wrongdoing.

Current and former department officials said Mr. Hur’s unvarnished story was likely motivated by self-preservation. He had to justify his decision not to charge Mr. Biden, they said, when the administration had charged Mr. Trump over his handling and retention of government documents — even though the charges against Mr. Trump would involve much more serious offenses.

“If the target of a special counsel investigation has no complaints about the investigation, that means the investigation is likely a cupcake investigation,” said John P. Fishwick Jr., who served as U.S. attorney for the Western District of Virginia served. 2017.

“Mr. Hur got the mix just right as Republicans say he was too soft and the Biden team says Hur took cheap shots,” he said.

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Jimmy Kimmel’s Oscars Monologue Jokes About Robert Downey Jr.’s Drug Use

Sabir Ansary — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 06:49:03 +0000

Jimmy Kimmel PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images

Jimmy Kimmel kicked off the 96th Academy Awards Sunday March 10 make a joke about the nominee Robert Downey Jr.‘s previous drug history.

“congratulations for Cillian [Murphy]‘s costar Robert Downey Jr.,” Kimmel, 56, joked in his monologue during the discussion Oppenheimer and the many nominations. “This is the pinnacle of Robert Downey Jr.’s long and illustrious career. Well, one of the highest points.”

Downey, 58, immediately pointed to his nose as he played Emily Bluntwho sat behind him seemed to comfort him by rubbing his back.

“Was it too much on the nose or was that a medicine motion you made?” Kimmel added this during the awards ceremony, which was held at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. “Well, look at this man, he’s so handsome and talented, he’s won every award there is to win… and is that an acceptance speech or do you just have a very rectangular penis?”

Kimmell added: “What a story, just twenty years ago things weren’t going so well. He played the bad guy in a movie where Tim Allen turns into a dog, right? And if you ever decide to remake that movie, I have the right man to play it Tim Allen. Messi [the dog from Anatomy of a Fall].

Although Downey seemed to be a good sport during Kimmel’s monologue, his history of addiction began in 1996. He was arrested several times before undergoing treatment programs. He has been sober since 2003, thanks to his wife Susan Downey for his success.

Giphy

Sunday evening marks Kimmel’s fourth time presenting the Oscar broadcast. He previously hosted the awards ceremony in 2017, 2018 and 2023.

“It’s an experience that I try to remember is special,” Kimmel said ABC earlier this month. “I just want to make sure that for the people watching and the people who are there, we bring the right amount of respect and also the right amount of disrespect into the proceedings.”

While Kimmel is no stranger to creating monologues for award shows, comedians have been under fire lately for their jokes. Jo Koy, for his part, he hosted the Golden Globes in January, where he infamously joked that the broadcast would have fewer cutscenes. Taylor Swift than the NFL did at games. Nominee Swift, 34, appeared visibly irritated by the jab. (Swift is dating a football player Travis Kelce since the summer of 2023, often attending his Kansas City Chiefs games during the 2023-2024 season.)

When it became clear that Koy’s jokes were bombing, he blamed his writers during the broadcast. Kimmel, for his part, plans to take a different approach if he finds himself in a similar situation

“I will do it privately when I go to their homes and discharge them in front of their families,” says the Jimmy Kimmel! Live the host joked Deadline in March, noting that he “felt bad” for Koy, 52, at the Globes. “I don’t think he’s been put in a great position. I think he’d be the first person to tell you that publicly blaming his writers wasn’t the right move, but you know, it’s overwhelming.

Kimmel added, “I just think he’s a funny guy, and I think it’s unfortunate that for a lot of people who saw him for the first time, that was the impression they got, and I hope they go to his look at other work. .”

Susan Downey and Robert Downey Jr. Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Kimmel, for his part, planned to test his jokes in advance on “people.” [he knows] who get it,” including former Oscar-goers “who understand the dynamics.” While speaking to Deadline, he hinted that his jokes would be about all the nominated films.

“I’ve made a lot of jokes about all the movies, and I’m not holding back,” Kimmel told the outlet. “I mean, that’s basically what it is. We’re pretty focused on writing jokes, and writing jokes that haven’t been killed yet, and having some fun with the people in the audience, which is constantly changing, and hopefully it will carry over.

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Barbenheimer bombshell! Oppenheimer takes home SEVEN Oscars – including first wins for Robert Downey Jr., Cillian Murphy and Christopher Nolan… as rival Barbie wins ONLY one

Sabir Ansary — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 04:43:54 +0000

Oppenheimer won a whopping seven Oscars at Sunday night’s Academy Awards – while rival Barbie only won one.

The historical epic directed by Christopher Nolan swept the major categories with wins for Best Actor Cillian Murphy, Best Supporting Actor Robert Downey Jr. and Nolan – with the film also winning Best Picture.

In contrast, Barbie, who memorably won against Oppenheimer in the ‘Barbenheimer’ box office showdown over the summer, walked away with just one award for Best Original Song for What Was I Made For? by Billie Eilish and Finneas McConnell.

Downey Jr. jokingly thanked his ‘terrible childhood’ as he finally won an Oscar for his portrayal of Lewis Strauss, was delighted as he took to the stage – after host Jimmy Kimmel made a very awkward quip about his drug use.

The veteran actor – who has acted for over five decades – took home the Academy Award over stiff competition including Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction, Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon, Ryan Gosling, Barbie, and Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things.

Oppenheimer won a whopping seven Oscars at Sunday night’s Academy Awards – while rival Barbie only won one – pictured Robert Downey Jr. with the Best Supporting Actor Oscar

Downey Jr., 58, Lewis Strauss (pictured), was delighted as he took to the stage – after host Jimmy Kimmel made a very awkward quip about his drug use

Cillian Murphy finally won the Oscar in the coveted Best Actor category for Oppenheimer

Barbie – starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling (pictured) was nominated for nine Oscars but won only one

The talented star took to the podium to showcase his signature wit and even joked about his ‘terrible childhood’ while accepting the honor.

He said: ‘Thank you, thank you. Ah — thanks, Sam, thanks, fellas. You only flubbed one line. I’d like to thank my terrible childhood and The Academy, in that order.

‘I’d like to thank my — veterinarian — I meant wife, Susan Downey over there. She found me a snarling rescue pet and you loved me back to life. That’s why I’m here. Thank you.’

The talented actor went on talk about how much he needed his role in Oppenheimer while thanking director Christopher Nolan and castmates Emily Blunt and Cillian Murphy.

He continued: ‘Here’s my little secret. I needed this job more than it needed me. Chris knew it, Emma made sure that she surrounded me with one of the great casts and crews of all time, Emily, Cillian, it was fantastic.

‘And I stand here before you a better man because of it. What we do is meaningful, and the stuff that we decide to make is important. So, back to my publicist — my agent, Phillip Raskin is here and Andrew Dunlap, my den mother joy Feeley, thank you.

‘I want to thank my stylist, in case no one else does. Thanks, Erika, thank you very much. And I’m just going to say this. My entertainment lawyer Tom Hanson, or 40 years, the half of which he spent trying to get me insured and bailing me out, thanks, bro. Avery in India, this one’s for you.’

One noticeable omission from his acceptance speech was Mel Gibson who he has previously credited with his comeback when he helped him land a role in 2003’s The Singing Detective.

Barbie walked away with just one award for Best Original Song for What Was I Made For? by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell – despite beating Oppenheimer at the box office

The talented star took to the podium to showcase his signature wit and even joked about his ‘terrible childhood’ while accepting the honor as he said: ‘Thank you, thank you. Ah — thanks, Sam, thanks, fellas. You only flubbed one line. I’d like to thank my terrible childhood and The Academy, in that order’

Downey Jr. was earlier left stony-faced as host Jimmy Kimmel made a crass joke at the start of the ceremony (pictured with wife Susan)

The star looked joyous as he posed with Best Actor winner and co-star Cillian Murphy, Best Supporting Actress winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Best Actress winner Emma Stone

Murphy played physicist J.Robert Oppenheimer in the film

He kept his acceptance speech short and sweet as he said: ‘ Oh. I’m a little overwhelmed. Thank you to the academy. Um — Chris Nolan and Emma Thomas, it’s been the wildest, most exhilarating, most creatively satisfying journey you’ve taken me on over the last 20 years’

Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan won his first Oscar after eight nominations in the Best Director category

Oscars 2024 winners: AT A GLANCE

Best Picture: Oppenheimer

Best Actress: Emma Stone – Poor Things

Best Director: Cillian Murphy – Oppenheimer

Best Director: Christopher Nolan – Oppenheimer

Supporting Actress: Da’Vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers

Supporting Actor: Robert Downey Jr. – Oppenheimer

Original Song: Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell – What Was I Made For? from Barbie

Seen left to right: Actor In A Supporting Role – Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer), Actress In A Supporting Role – Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers ), Actress In A Leading Role – Emma Stone (Poor Things), and Actor In A Leading Role – Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer)

Original Score – Ludwig Göransson – Oppenheimer

Cinematography: Hoyte van Hoytema – Oppenheimer

Achievement in Film Editing: Jennifer Lame – Oppenheimer

Production Design: James Price and Shona Heath; Set Decoration: Zsuzsa Mihale – Poor Things

Make-up and Hairstyling: Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier and Josh Weston – Poor Things

Achievement in Costume Design: Holly Waddington – Poor Things

Original Screenplay: Justine Triet and Arthur Harari – Anatomy Of A Fall

Adapted Screenplay: Cord Jefferson – American Fiction

International Feature Film – The Zone of Interest from United Kingdom

Gibson’s, now 68, fall from grace began in 2006, when the actor was pulled over for speeding. After the police on the scene found an open bottle of alcohol in Gibson’s vehicle, the Braveheart actor launched into an angry tirade filled with anti-Semitic slurs and sexist overtones towards the arresting officer.

In a police report leaked by TMZ, Gibson allegedly shouted to the arresting officers: ‘“F*****g Jews. . . The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world.’

Gibson issued apologies through his publicist and in an interview with Diane Sawyer, during which he described his behavior on the night of his arrest as ‘despicable.’

The actor/director later pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor drunken-driving charge and was sentenced to three years probation.

It may not have been a wise decision to thank Gibson who famously used those anti-Semitic slurs as Oppenheimer follows the story of American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atomic bomb which was used during World War II amid the Holocaust.

In Oppenheimer Downey Jr. portrays as Rear Admiral Lewis Strauss, a retired Naval officer and high-ranking member of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC).

Earlier in the evening, Jimmy Kimmel roasted Robert’s manhood and past drug use in his bombshell opening monologue.

The host, 56, returning for the fourth time, left the A-listers grinning and cringing in equal measure as he took to the stage.

Oppenheimer won seven awards in total including Best Picture and Original Score for Ludwig Göransson (pictured Al Pacino Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas, and Charles Roven)

Cillian posed with his fellow Best Actor winners from years gone by – Ben Kingsley, Matthew McConaughey, Forest Whitaker, Brendan Fraser, and Nicolas Cage

Downey was stony-faced as Kimmel made a crass joke at the start of the ceremony – referring to the reformed coke addict’s past addictions.

He said: ‘And Robert Downey Jr., one of the highest points of his career. But Robert has been’ – as RDJ pointed at his face, leading Kimmel to add: ‘Was that too on the nose or a drug motion you made?

‘But look at him, he’s so handsome, so talented, he’s won every award there is to win. Is that an acceptance speech in your pocket or do you just have a very rectangular penis?’

The joke fell flat as RDJ looked somber while staring at the camera while fans slammed Kimmel for his ‘bottom of the barrel’ jokes about substance abuse.

Downey Jr. had previously spent time behind bars in 1999 after a long period of substance abuse which stifled his career.

He added: ’20 years ago, Robert played the villain, and correct me if I have this wrong, in a movie where Tim Allen turns into a dog, right? And if you ever decide to remake that film, I have just the guy to play Tim Allen.

The actor’s legal troubles began in 1996 when he was stopped for speeding and authorities found of heroin, cocaine and an unloaded .357 caliber Magnum. A year later, he skipped a court-ordered drug test and spent nearly four months in the Los Angeles County jail.

Following this, he then skipped another drug test and was sentenced to three years of prison in 1999. During this time, Downey Jr. served 15 months in state prison in Corcoran, California.

The stars of Oppenheimer celebrated as the film won Best Cinematography

Cillian cracked a rare smile in the winner’s room

A few months after his release, he was arrested on Thanksgiving weekend for alleged cocaine and Valium possession and being under the influence of drugs.

The valium charge was eventually reduced to a misdemeanor, he pleaded no contest to the remaining charges and avoided more jail time.

In 2001, he was found walking bare foot around Culver City, Los Angeles, and was arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of drugs.

Following year of substance abuse, arrests, rehabs and relapse, Downey made a full recovery and has since gone on to achieve global recognition.

The Oscars was Oppenheimer’s night as Cillian Murphy won the Best Actor award after being nominated for an Academy Award for the first time in his career as he triumphed over Bradley Cooper, Maestro, Colman Domingo, Rustin, Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers, and Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction.

The stars of the hit film gathered onstage as the film won Best Picture

Barbie was the highest-grossing movie of the year on both the domestic ($636.2 million) and worldwide ($1.445 billion) box office charts

‘Every single crew member, every single cast member on Oppenheimer, you guys carried me through.

‘All my fellow nominees, I remain in awe of you guys. I want to thank my incredible team. Brendan Murphy, Mary Murphy, my two boys who are sitting up there, I love you so much, and I’m a very proud Irishman standing here tonight, so — [ applause ] You know, we made a film — we made a film about the man who created the atomic bomb, and for better or for worse, we’re all living in Oppenheimer’s world, so, I would like to dedicate this to the peacemakers everywhere.

The talented star played the titular role of American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer as the film is centered around his involvement in the development of the atomic bomb.

Oppenheimer won seven awards in total – as well as Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Director for Christopher Nolan, and Best Picture, it won Original Score for Ludwig Göransson – along with cinematography and achievement in film editing.

Al Pacino announced Oppenheimer as the Best Picture winner without bothering to name all the other nominees

The 83-year-old Scarface star hit the stage and made an awkward joke about performing Shakespeare before jumping straight to announcing the Best Picture winner.

He said: ‘Wow. What — thank you. Oh, my friends. Thank you, thank you. I don’t know. Should I do some Shakespeare now? That’s in order, right? To be — no, I’m not going to do Sorry. Well, this is the time for the last award of the evening. And it’s my honor to present it.

‘Ten wonderful films are nominated, but only one will take the award for best picture. And I have to go to the envelope for that. And I will. Here it comes. And my eyes see Oppenheimer, yes!’

Nolan beat out Jonathan Glazer of The Zone of Interest, Yorgos Lanthimos of Poor Things, Martin Scorsese of Killers of the Flower Moon and Justine Triet of Anatomy of a Fall.

Nolan said: ‘We don’t know where this incredible journey is going from here. But to know that you think I am a meaningful part of it means the world to me.’

After the two films were released on the same day – July 21 – Barbenheimer gripped film fans who made an event out of going directly from the screening of one to the other.

Barbie was the highest-grossing movie of the year on both the domestic ($636.2 million) and worldwide ($1.445 billion) box office charts.

Oppenhimer took fifth place ($326.1 million) on the domestic box office charts and third place ($957.8 million) on the worldwide charts.

Oscar winners 2024 full list – see who received trophies for this year’s Academy Awards

Best Picture

American Fiction

Anatomy of a Fall

Barbie

The Holdovers

Killers of the Flower Moon

Maestro

Oppenheimer – WINNER

Past Lives

Poor Things

The Zone of Interest

Oppenheimer was the biggest winner of the night with seven including top honor Best Picture; Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan, and Charles Roven are seen

Best Director

Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall

Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon

Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer – WINNER

Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things

Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest

Actress in a Leading Role

Annette Bening, Nyad

Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon

Sandra Huller, Anatomy of a Fall

Carey Mulligan, Maestro

Emma Stone, Poor Things – WINNER

Emma Stone earned a shock win in the Actress in a Leading Role category for Poor Things

Actor in a Leading Role

Bradley Cooper, Maestro

Colman Domingo, Rustin

Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers

Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer – WINNER

Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction

Actress in a Supporting Role

Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer

Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple

America Ferrera, Barbie

Jodie Foster, Nyad

Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers – WINER

Da’Vine Joy Randolph triumphed in the Actress in a Supporting Role category for The Holdovers

Actor in a Supporting Role

Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction

Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon

Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer – WINNER

Ryan Gosling, Barbie

Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things

Animated Feature Film

The Boy and the Heron – WINNER

Elemental

Nimona

Robot Dreams

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Cinematography

El Conde

Killers of the Flower Moon

Maestro

Oppenheimer, Hoyte van Hoytema – WINNER

Poor Things

Original Screenplay

Anatomy of a Fall, Justine Triet and Arthur Harari – WINNER

The Holdovers, David Hemingson

Maestro, Bradley Cooper and Josh Singer

May December, Samy Burch (Story b Samy Burch & Alex Mechanik)

Past Lives, Celine Song

Adapted Screenplay

American Fiction, Cord Jefferson – WINNER

Barbie, Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach

Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan

Poor Things, Tony McNamara

The Zone of Interest, Jonathan Glazer

Cord Jefferson won Adapted Screenplay for American Fiction

Achievement in Production Design

Barbie

Killers of the Flower Moon

Napoleon

Oppenheimer

Poor Things, Production Design: James Price and Shona Heath; Set Decoration: Zsuzsa Mihalek – WINNER

Achievement in Sound

The Creator

Maestro

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One

Oppenheimer

The Zone of Interest, Tarn Willers and Johnnie Burn – WINNER

Original Song

‘The Fire Inside’ from Flamin’ Hot

‘I’m Just Ken’ from Barbie

‘It Never Went Away’ from American Symphony

‘Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)’ from Killers of the Flower Moon

‘What Was I Made For?’ from Barbie, Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell – WINNERS

Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell earned Original Song for Barbie’s What Was I Made For?

Original Score

American Fiction

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Killers of the Flower Moon

Oppenheimer, Ludwig Göransson – WINNER

Poor Things

Live Action Short Film

The After

Invincible

Knight of Fortune

Red, White and Blue

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, Wes Anderson and Steven Rales – WINNER

Animated Short Film

Letter to a Pig

95 Senses

Our Uniform

Pachyderme

WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko – WINNER

WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko won Animated Short Film; Dave Mullins and Brad Booker pictured

Documentary Feature Film

Bobi Wine: The People’s President

The Eternal Memory

Four Daughters

To Kill a Tiger

20 Days in Mariupol – WINNER

Documentary Short Film

The ABCs of Book Banning

The Barber of Little Rock

Island in Between

The Last Repair Shop – WINNER

Nǎi Nai and Wài Pó

International Feature Film

Io Capitano, Italy

Perfect Days, Japan

Society of the Snow, Spain

The Teachers’ Lounge, Germany

The Zone of Interest, United Kingdom – WINNER

The Zone Of Interest took home two Oscars including International Feature Film; Jonathan Glazer and James Wilson are pictured

Makeup and Hairstyling

Golda

Maestro

Oppenheimer

Poor Things, Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier and Josh Weston – WINNER

Society of the Snow

Achievement in Costume Design

Barbie

Killers of the Flower Moon

Napoleon

Oppenheimer

Poor Things, Holly Waddington – WINNER

Achievement in Film Editing

Anatomy of a Fall

The Holdovers

Killers of the Flower Moon

Oppenheimer, Jennifer Lame – WINNER

Poor Things

Visual Effects

The Creator

Godzilla Minus One, Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi and Tatsuji Nojima – WINNER

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One

Napoleon

Godzilla Minus One won the Visual Effects award as Masaki Takahashi, Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya and Tatsuji Nojima are pictured

The post Barbenheimer bombshell! Oppenheimer takes home SEVEN Oscars – including first wins for Robert Downey Jr., Cillian Murphy and Christopher Nolan… as rival Barbie wins ONLY one appeared first on USMAIL24.COM.

Oscars 2024 winners revealed! Robert Downey Jr. jokingly thanks his ‘terrible childhood’ while FINALLY tasting Academy Awards gold – as he shakes off Jimmy Kimmel’s VERY awkward quip about his drug use

Albert Elence — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 01:29:49 +0000

Robert Downey Jr. finally won the illusive Oscar in the Actor in a Supporting Role category for Oppenheimer after host Jimmy Kimmel made a very awkward quip about his drug use.

The 58-year-old veteran actor – who has acted for over five decades – took home the Academy Award over stiff competition including Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction, Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon, Ryan Gosling, Barbie, and Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things.

The talented star took to the podium to showcase his signature wit and even joked about his ‘terrible childhood’ while accepting the honor.

He said: ‘Thank you, thank you. Ah — thanks, Sam, thanks, fellas. You only flubbed one line. I’d like to thank my terrible childhood and The Academy, in that order.

‘I’d like to thank my — veterinarian — I meant wife, Susan Downey over there. She found me a snarling rescue pet and you loved me back to life. That’s why I’m here. Thank you.’

Robert Downey Jr. finally won the illusive Oscar in the Actor in a Supporting Role category for Oppenheimer

The talented actor went on talk about how much he needed his role in Oppenheimer while thanking director Christopher Nolan and castmates Emily Blunt and Cillian Murphy.

One noticeable omission from his acceptance speech was Mel Gibson who he has previously credited with his comeback when he helped him land a role in 2003’s The Singing Detective.

In a police report leaked by TMZ, Gibson allegedly shouted to the arresting officers: ‘“F*****g Jews. . . The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world.’

Gibson issued apologies through his publicist and in an interview with Diane Sawyer, during which he described his behavior on the night of his arrest as ‘despicable.’

The talented actor went on talk about how much he needed his role in Oppenheimer while thanking director Christopher Nolan and castmates Emily Blunt and Cillian Murphy

In Oppenheimer Downey Jr portrays as Rear Admiral Lewis Strauss, a retired Naval officer and high-ranking member of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)

The actor/director later pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor drunken-driving charge and was sentenced to three years probation.

In Oppenheimer Downey Jr portrays as Rear Admiral Lewis Strauss, a retired Naval officer and high-ranking member of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC).

Earlier in the evening, Jimmy Kimmel roasted Robert’s manhood and past drug use in his bombshell opening monologue.

The host, 56, returning for the fourth time, left the A-listers grinning and cringing in equal measure as he took to the stage.

Downey Jr. 58, who is nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Oppenheimer was stony-faced as Kimmel made a crass joke at the start of the ceremony – referring to the reformed coke addict’s past addictions.