Ariana Grande watches ‘Wicked’ alongside her Nonna at hometown theater
Universal
Ariana Grande turned a Wicked screening into a family affair.
The star of the production took to Instagram on Monday to share that she flew to her hometown theater in Boca Raton, Florida, to see her new film with her grandmother, Marjorie “Nonna” Grande.
Ari posted a video of her grandmother taking in the movie which hit theaters on Friday, Nov. 22. The video shows her grandmother watching the film’s rendition of the song “Popular,” smiling and clapping at the song’s conclusion.
“Flew to Boca for a day to watch with Nonna,” she wrote on her Instagram Story. “At the movie theater I grew up going to every weekend, Cinemark 20 in Boca,” she continued, tagging Ethan Slater and her brother Frankie Grande.
In another photo, Ariana wrote, “Thrilled to report that when the sugar glider had her drum solo nonna exclaimed loudly ‘oh i LOVE that,'” tagging director Jon M. Chu.
Ari plays Glinda alongside Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba in the new film adaption of the Broadway classic.
In March, at the age of 98, Marjorie Grande became the oldest living person to appear on the Billboard Hot 100 chart since the chart’s inception in August 1958, thanks to her feature on Grande’s song “ordinary things.”
Gal Gadot is opening up about a scary medical condition she faced midpregnancy this year.
The Wonder Womanactress shared in an Instagram post Sunday that she had been diagnosed with “a massive blood clot” in her brain eight months into her most recent pregnancy.
Gadot wrote in the caption that 2024 had been a year “of profound challenges and deep reflections.” She added that along with raising awareness and supporting others facing similar conditions, detailing her experience was her way of “pulling back the curtain on the fragile reality behind the curated moments we share on social media.”
Gadot went on to explain the diagnosis she received while pregnant with her daughter Ori, whose birth she announced in March 2024.
“In February, during my eighth month of pregnancy, I was diagnosed with a massive blood clot in my brain,” she wrote. “For weeks, I had endured excruciating headaches that confined me to bed, until I finally underwent an MRI that revealed the terrifying truth. In one moment, my family and I were faced with how fragile life can be. It was a stark reminder of how quickly everything can change, and in the midst of a difficult year, all I wanted was to hold on and live.”
Gadot wrote that after the diagnosis, she rushed to the hospital and “underwent emergency surgery.”
“My daughter, Ori, was born during that moment of uncertainty and fear. Her name, meaning ‘my light,’ wasn’t chosen by chance. Before the surgery, I told Jaron that when our daughter arrived, she would be the light waiting for me at the end of this tunnel,” she wrote.
Gadot thanked the team of doctors for the care she received at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles, writing, “Today, I am fully healed and filled with gratitude for the life I’ve been given back.”
The actress said the experience taught her “it’s vital to listen to our bodies and trust what it’s telling us.”
“Pain, discomfort, or even subtle changes often carry deeper meaning, and being attuned to your body can be life saving,” she wrote, sharing that while her condition, cerebral venous thrombosis, is “rare,” it is crucial to “identify early because it’s treatable.”
Gadot wrote in her post Sunday that she decided to share her experience “to empower” others.
“I had no idea that 3 in 100,000 pregnant women in the 30s+ age group are diagnosed with CVT (develop a blood clot in the brain),” she wrote. “[K]nowing it exists is the first step to addressing it.”
“If even one person feels compelled to take action for their health because of this story, it will have been worth sharing,” she wrote.
In addition to Ori, Gadot and her husband, Jaron Varsano, are parents to three other daughters, Alma, Maya and Daniella.
The deadly wildfires that continue to rage in Los Angeles County are disrupting scheduled awards season events and the filming of several TV shows.
ABC suspended production on the shows Grey’s Anatomy and Doctor Odyssey, and canceled Wednesday’s taping of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, it confirmed to ABC Audio.
ABC Audio also confirmed that production on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, California, was closed on Wednesday because of the fires. This halted production on Abbott Elementary, as well as All American and The Pitt. It also stopped production on the multicamera sitcom Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage.
Additionally, the 30th annual Critics Choice Awards, which were originally scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 12, have been postponed to Jan. 26 “due to the catastrophic fires ravaging Southern California,” according to a press release.
“This unfolding tragedy has already had a profound impact on our community. All our thoughts and prayers are with those battling the devastating fires and with all who have been affected,” Critics Choice Awards CEO Joey Berlin said.
BAFTA has also canceled its Tea Party, a key event during awards season. The event was scheduled for Saturday at The Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills.
“In light of the dangerous winds and wildfires in Los Angeles, we are cancelling this weekend’s BAFTA Tea Party. The safety of our colleagues, friends and peers in Los Angeles remains our utmost priority and our thoughts are with everyone impacted,” BAFTA shared in a statement to the press.
Alec Baldwin is suing the New Mexico officials who charged him with manslaughter over the death of Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust, charges that were later thrown out.
Baldwin’s attorneys Luke Nikos and Alex Spiro said in a statement, “Criminal prosecutions are supposed to be about the search for truth and justice, not to pursue personal or political gain or harass the innocent. Kari Morrissey and the other defendants violated that basic principle, over and over, and trampled on Alec Baldwin’s rights. We bring this action to hold the defendants accountable for their misconduct and to prevent them from doing this to anyone else.”
In response special prosecutor Kari Morrisey said, “In October 2023 the prosecution team became aware that Mr. Baldwin intended to file a retaliatory civil lawsuit. We look forward to our day in court.”
In October 2024, a New Mexico judge declined to reconsider criminal charges against Baldwin over the 2021 fatal shooting on the set of Rust.
Manslaughter charges against Baldwin were thrown out in July after it was learned during trial that prosecutors withheld evidence from the defense, namely ammunition brought to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.
Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed on Oct. 21, 2021, when she was shot by Baldwin while he was practicing using a Colt .45 revolver. The prop gun, which Baldwin believed to contain dummy rounds, actually had a live round of ammunition in it. Director Joel Souza was also struck in the shooting, but recovered from his injuries.
Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in connection with Hutchins’ death in March. Prosecutors argued during the trial she was the source of the live bullet and had failed to follow safety protocols meant to protect the crew while handling the firearms.
