NEW YORK  — James Corden casually held his arms up as if he owned the Metropolitan Museum of Art while strolling through the hallways heading to cocktails. Joking around with Jeff Bezos and his partner Lauren Sánchez, who happened to be strolling behind him, he remarked, pointing to the priceless artwork on the walls. “Let me know if you want me to talk you through any of this.”

Corden, like many celebs, regularly attends the Met Gala; it was all in good humor.

And then there are the novices. No matter how well-known they are in their industry, these guests frequently express awe at the concentration of notoriety around them and some nervousness akin to a child attending a new school.

Consider Stray Kids. The eight members of the K-pop group showed up for their first gala together, each wearing a distinct combination of red, navy, and white that designer Tommy Hilfiger had created. After climbing the magnificent internal staircase to enter the museum, they went to the receiving queue and proceeded to the drink area, where they claimed to have gradually begun to unwind.

AP News – VOR News Image

Inside The Met Gala: A Fairytale Forest, Woodland Creatures, And Some Starstruck First-Timers

“At first, we were anxious,” band member Bang Chan admitted. Felix, the bandmate, said, “We had no idea who we would meet or what to expect.” However, they were getting along well and had previously had conversations with Steven Yeun, Chris Hemsworth, and Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons.

The star of “The Bear,” Ayo Edebiri, was also present. She had won numerous honors this year and was attending her first gala. After welcoming hosts Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny, Hemsworth, and Anna Wintour at the top of the staircase, she appeared to be nearly out of breath.

She exclaimed, “I’m really, really, really excited to be here.” “This is yet another truly lovely thing that I will make an effort to keep in mind.”

The accompanying exhibit for the event was titled “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” but it wasn’t really about our beloved Princess Aurora. Instead, the goal was to draw attention to and shed light on delicate clothing items from the museum’s collection that were being “awakened” to the public. Nevertheless, the museum fully embraced the fantasy atmosphere.

Guests passed a massive centerpiece that stood 32 feet tall and symbolized a “whimsical tree” as they entered the Great Hall. Over a forest-like undergrowth with twisted branches that resembled the vegetation Sleeping Beauty’s prince had to cut through to give her a genuine love kiss, enormous green fabric flowers began to blossom. Following that, guests were treated to a live string orchestra and a scene that included actors dressed as forest animals playing in tights and tunics.

AP News – VOR News Image

Inside The Met Gala: A Fairytale Forest, Woodland Creatures, And Some Starstruck First-Timers

When asked if they would rather see the exhibit or go to the cocktails, most guests opted for the latter. However, a few people attended the event, which was a multi-sensory fashion experience that included touch, smell, sound, and sight. Lena Waithe was “just blown away by the work that I’m seeing” after spending some alone time reviewing the clothing.

Like many others, the actor/producer continued, she finds fashion lighthearted and enjoyable. She remarked, “But then I come here and am reminded that it’s an art form.” She also brought up a comment made by Meryl Streep, who played a role akin to Wintour, to Anne Hathaway in “The Devil Wears Prada,” regarding how our wardrobe choices are predetermined. Waithe stated, “I think we need to be reminded of that, that people who are long gone influence our style.”

After spending the evening away from childcare, late-night host Meyers, who was at the event with his wife, commented that it was a pleasant respite. He also playfully questioned why his children, who are 2, 6, and 8 years old, weren’t invited. Meyers joked, “I think it’s very rude that Vogue didn’t invite them.” This place is kid-friendly. Additionally, they excel at keeping their hands off objects.

Meyers claimed that meeting “a lot of people that I’m a fan of, or have interviewed on the show,” was his favorite part of the evening. Regarding style, however, he prefers to play things safe, saying that “nobody wants a guy like me taking a big swing.” I remain in my lane.

Because Wintour is such a theater enthusiast, a sizable Broadway contingent typically exists at the Met Gala. Jonathan Groff, who was nominated for a Tony Award for “Merrily We Roll Along,” laughed and joked at this gala with fellow “Glee” alum and “Funny Girl” actor Lea Michele. Michele is expecting her second child and looks stunning in baby blue Rodarte. Groff reminisced about other Met Gala appearances, such as one in which he performed the television series “Hair” and another in which Beyoncé appeared and sang her song “Lemonade,” which had just been released a week prior. That was epic, he recalled.

Her clothing scraped the floor with an equally unique sound as Sánchez and Bezos walked through the display. “You won’t be lost,” Bezos said in jest. Sánchez claimed that when she initially tried on the striking design by Oscar de la Renta’s Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim, she had started crying. The flowing skirt was intended to mimic Tiffany’s glass with pearl and mirror appliques.

AP News – VOR News Image

Inside The Met Gala: A Fairytale Forest, Woodland Creatures, And Some Starstruck First-Timers

Sánchez said, “Use my dress if you need a mirror.” She continued by saying that she believed the outfit represented life, in which everything is somewhat shattered, and what you do with the parts determines the outcome. She also mentioned trying the dress on for Bezos, crying as she said. “He told me I had never looked so beautiful,” she remarked.

Interesting fact: according to Sánchez, Garcia had informed her he needed to get a part from Amazon in order to mend the outfit.

How do you obtain meals for hundreds of chit-chatting celebs around the museum? The organizers have made several attempts. It was a group of buglers one year. In a different year, Jon Batiste led a band snapping across the audience with his melodica. David Byrne did the honors last year. A massive choir with dancers accompanying them performed original song “Future of Us” on Monday. “To dinner!” was yelled by the performers as a bell sounded. The throng then moved slowly to the Temple of Dendur, where tables with “enchanted candelabras entwined with flower arrangements” maintained the fairytale theme.

SOURCE – (AP)

NEW YORK — Opening the hush money case on Monday, with jury selection, is Donald Trump, who will become the first former president to face criminal charges.

The case would require the presumed Republican presidential nominee to balance weeks of court appearances in Manhattan to defend himself against accusations of marital infidelity that surfaced during his 2016 first campaign for president.

It is the only one of the four criminal charges against Trump that might result in a decision before voters decide in November whether to return him to the White House, and it has significant political repercussions.

The following information pertains to the charges against Trump and the hush money case:

The former president is charged with fabricating internal Trump Organization documents as part of a plot to suppress negative news that he believed would harm his candidacy in 2016. This accusation is especially serious given that, at the time, Trump’s remarks about women were negatively impacting his reputation.

The allegations center on payments made to two women who claim to have had extramarital affairs with Trump years ago: porn star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal. Another person who claims to have information regarding a kid he believes Trump may have fathered out of wedlock is a doorman at Trump Tower. Trump claims that none of these reported sex dates are real.

The National Enquirer supermarket tabloid’s publisher paid McDougal $150,000 and Daniels $130,000 thanks to Trump’s former fixer and lawyer, Michael Cohen. This is part of a dubious journalistic practice known as “catch-and-kill,” in which a publication pays for exclusive rights to someone’s story with no intention of publishing it, either as a favor to a celebrity subject or to gain leverage over the person.

AP News – VOR News Image

Trump Will Be First Ex-President On Criminal Trial. Here’s What To Know About The Hush Money Case

Cohen was paid incentives and additional payments by Trump’s company, according to the prosecution, and all of these payments were fraudulently recorded in Trump Organization records as legal fees. Cohen has separately entered a guilty plea to breaking federal campaign finance law in relation to the payments.

Thirty-four felony counts of manipulating business records are brought against Trump. The charge carries a maximum four-year prison sentence; however, the judge will ultimately decide whether or not he serves time in prison if found guilty.

The counts are connected to many checks issued to Cohen as payment for his assistance in clearing Daniels’ debt. These payments, spread over a year, were noted in several internal business documents as legal costs.

Prosecutors must prove that Trump intended to commit or hide a second crime in addition to falsifying or causing business records to be filed falsely, which would be a misdemeanor, to prevail on the felony accusation.

Although the additional offense was not included in Trump’s indictment, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has subsequently stated that evidence indicates his activities were intended to hide tax and campaign finance violations on both a state and federal level. Some experts say it’s an unconventional legal tactic that can backfire.

Judge Juan M. Merchan will summon a large number of people into his courtroom to start the process of selecting 12 jurors plus 6 alternates. The goal is to exclude candidates who cannot serve due to suspected prejudices or other reasons. Before sending groups of the remaining jurors into the jury box to answer 42 questions, the judge stated that he would excuse anyone who showed by a show of hands that they could not serve or be fair and impartial. The only way potential jurors will be identified is by number since the judge has mandated that only prosecutors, Trump, and their legal teams will be aware of their identities.

AP News – VOR News Image

Trump Will Be First Ex-President On Criminal Trial. Here’s What To Know About The Hush Money Case

Potential jurors will be questioned about a variety of topics, including whether they follow the former president on social media, whether they have ever worked for a Trump organization or attended a rally, and whether they support or follow far-right organizations or groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, whose members were part of the pro-Trump crowd that stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, or the far-left group known as Antifa, which stands up to fascists and neo-Nazis, especially during demonstrations.

Given that he was the one who oversaw the payoffs, Cohen—a former Trump supporter turned critic—is anticipated to be a crucial prosecution witness. Cohen stated that his objective was “to tell the truth” and that he is not seeking retribution, but he did state that Trump “needs to be held accountable for his dirty deeds” before testifying before the grand jury that delivered the indictment last year. After entering a guilty plea in 2018 to federal charges involving violations of campaign finance laws for orchestrating the payments to Daniels and McDougal, Cohen was sentenced to prison.

Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, is one of the other anticipated witnesses. Daniels claims that in 2006, she had an unwanted but consenting sexual encounter with Trump. Trump claims it never took place.

Trump has blasted the lawsuit as an attempt to harm his chances of winning the presidency in 2024 and denied any wrongdoing. Trump has admitted to paying Cohen back and stated that the purpose of the payment was to prevent Daniels from disclosing the alleged encounter to the public. However, Trump claimed in 2018 that it was unrelated to the campaign.

It is probable that the legal team representing Trump would attempt to discredit prosecution witnesses like Daniels and Cohen to attack the case. In an attempt to circumvent the judge’s gag order, Trump called the two of them liars. This aims to reduce the president’s divisive remarks regarding the case. To try to convince jurors that Cohen cannot be believed, Trump’s attorneys are anticipated to portray Cohen as a con man and bring up his conviction for several federal offenses in addition to his disbarment.

Recently, Trump shared a photo of Daniels’s 2018 written statement on social media, in which she denied having a sexual relationship with him. Daniels quickly denied making the claim and admitted to having a sexual encounter. She claimed that a non-disclosure agreement was the reason for her denials and that she felt compelled to sign the statement because the individuals concerned “made it seem like I had no choice.”

AP News – VOR News Image

Trump Will Be First Ex-President On Criminal Trial. Here’s What To Know About The Hush Money Case

Due to court battles and appeals, Trump’s three other criminal matters will likely remain unsettled until after the November election.

Special Counsel Jack Smith’s 2020 election interference case is still pending, as President Trump continues to argue that his conduct inside the White House exempts him from prosecution. The US Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments on the case in late April.

In his other lawsuit, Smith is accused of illegally keeping secret documents at his Mar-a-Lago residence. Although the trial was supposed to start in May, the court still needs to set a new trial date after hearing arguments last month.

The Georgia lawsuit, which charges Trump and his associates of plotting to reverse their loss in the state’s 2020 election, has to schedule a trial. Lawyers are now asking an appeals court to examine whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis should be removed from the prosecution due to a romantic relationship she had with a former top prosecutor who withdrew from the case, despite the prosecution’s suggestion that the trial takes place in August.

Trump has entered a not guilty plea in all three cases and maintained his innocence.

SOURCE – (AP)

Kim Kardashian made a surprise cameo on Netflix’s The Greatest Roast of All Time: Tom Brady, which was met with loud boos at Kia Forum in Inglewood, California. She was introduced by comedian Kevin Hart to deliver a toast to which the audience booed.

“Alright, alright, alright,” Kardashian responded, as the boos became more intense.

Hart exclaimed, “Whoa! Whoa!”

When the booing faded, Kardashian resumed her roast, focusing on Brady.

“I am actually here tonight for Tom. I wasn’t planning to come tonight, but since I’m not here as Tom’s date, there’s a high possibility I will,” she laughed.

Kardashian made another joke, comparing Brady’s features to her stepfather, Caitlyn Jenner.

“I do know it would’ve never worked out,” Kardashian stated of a relationship with Brady. “The ex-athlete has high cheekbones and silky hair…” You remind me too much of my stepfather right now.”

A meme depicting “the evolution of Tom Brady” emerged on screen, depicting Brady’s physical transition into Jenner.

Kardashian went on, “Part of me believes you would trust me just to try on my clothing. I realize the move from the NFL must have been difficult, but I believe my stepfather is an excellent example for you.

She’s one of the world’s top athletes, and she proved that you can do anything in this next phase of your life. You can be a commentator, a far-right Republica, or a strong, confident lady.

Kardashian concluded her speech by referencing O.J. Simpson, stating, “Honestly, it’s painful for me to see people mock you. But I believe plenty of my family members have defended past football players.

Watch the footage of Kim Kardashian being booed.

Kim Kardashian is a reality TV personality, socialite, and businesswoman who catapulted to prominence with the release of her infamous sex tape with Ray J in 2007. She co-starred in the successful reality show “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” with her family, which showed their opulent lifestyles and personal struggles.

Kim’s popularity increased, resulting in multiple endorsement deals, product lines, and media appearances. She’s a fashion and beauty trendsetter, having founded successful brands such as her shapewear company SKIMS and KKW Beauty. Despite criticism for her “famous for being famous” status, Kim’s astute business decisions and ability to remain relevant have elevated her to the rank of multi-millionaire and cultural icon.

Kim Kardashian’s romances and personal life, which include marriages to Damon Thomas, Kris Humphries, and Kanye West, have made headlines. Kim’s daring style and voluptuous physique have stirred discussions about body image and cultural appropriation. Love her or hate her, Kim has built an empire and is still one of the world’s most famous superstars.

Source: CTN