Russell Simmons Escapes To Bali Yoga Retreat Amid Allegations After a short-lived attempt at a “countermovement” against women speaking out on rape and sexual deviancy they’ve experienced throughout their lives and careers…Russell Simmons has decided to ghost on the USA altogether. About 12 women have come out with detailed accounts of Russell Simmons being sexually inappropriate or outright raping them, with experiences ranging from the late 80’s until nowadays. Russell stepped down from his leading roles at all his businesses , and it seems has taken a long break from being at home in the United States altogether. Page Six has discovered that Russell has been hiding out and getting “re-centered” at a lavish Yoga retreat in Bali called The Yoga Barn. A source in the know reports that: “Russell is focusing on yoga and meditation, as well as his spiritual and emotional health. He has also been seen wearing robes and walking the streets and markets of Ubud, the yoga town in the jungle.” In addition, he’s working on a book. But it’s not about “his side” of the rape stories or addressing any of the allegations against him at all — just a guidebook of sorts on yoga and meditation . As for the Yoga Barn facility, they recently took a strong stance on their website in support of victims speaking their truths regarding experiences with sexual harassment and misconduct, and they have a strict zero-tolerance policy of such things going down at their facility. Russell is currently under investigation by the NYPD for several of the allegations , so it’s unclear how long he plans to duck and dodge life in NYC. Getty/Splash
‘The stock dismissal ‘more of the same’ has rarely been more accurately applied to a sequel,’ one reviewer writes. By Eric Ditzian Ed Helms, Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis in “The Hangover Part II” Photo: Warner Bros. By this point, if anyone is still doubting whether “The Hangover Part II” will be a massive worldwide hit, Wednesday’s midnight screenings should quiet skeptics. Warner Bros. announced that the follow-up to 2009’s record-smashing hit roped in $10.4 million in those early showings, setting a new midnight opening record for an R-rated film on its way to what many are predicting will become a $125 million opening over the five-day holiday weekend. All this box-office talk gets even more impressive when you note reviews for the film have been decidedly mixed. While the first “Hangover” won over both critics and moviegoers, the sequel is currently languishing at just a 31 percent approval at the Rotten Tomatoes review aggregator. Critics have pointed out how the second film follows the plot points of the original far too closely. They’ve also argued that the sequel simply isn’t as funny as the first. Other reviews, however, are still getting a kick out of watching the Wolf Pack flail and fail all over again, similarities are not. Read on for a deep dive into the “Hangover Part II” reviews: The Story ” ‘The Hangover Part II’ opts for the most popular cure: the hair of the dog that bit it. In other words, the sequel is almost identical to the first ‘Hangover.’ This time, dweeby Stu (Ed Helms), slick Phil (Bradley Cooper) and attention sponge Alan (Zach Galifianakis) are at a wedding (Stu’s) in Thailand, instead of Las Vegas, but the rest is pretty much the same. The movie starts with the three waking up after a night of debauchery, with one of their pals missing, with a threatening crook on their tails and with vague knowledge of peccadilloes both sexual and chemical. Oh, and Mike Tyson is tangentially involved (Stu has a facial tattoo just like the former champ’s). They spend the rest of the movie trying to make it to the wedding while piecing together clues to what happened the previous night and searching desperately for their missing bud.” — Chris Hewitt, St. Paul Pioneer Press The Laughs “[The] laughs aren’t just staged, they’re superlatively engineered — even if that means, at moments, that they feel like they’re falling into formatted slots. When they don’t, the movie can be flat-out hilarious. As the guys begin their desperate search for a missing bank account number (they have to give it to a drug lord or he’ll kill them), it’s no surprise to discover that they went to a Bangkok strip bar. And when we learn what happened in that club to Stu — who hasn’t shaken his tendency to fall drunkenly head over heels in love with hookers — you may see the twist coming, but you won’t foresee the casual outrageousness of the dialogue, the kind that keeps on giving. Yet that sort of choke-on-your-popcorn laugh is more the exception than the rule.” — Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly The Performances “Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis slide into their roles as if they didn’t go on to play other characters in the interim, although at least two of the three (Helms being the exception) have seen significant career upticks. Phil is the good-looking leader, Stu is the worry-wart nerd, and Alan is quite possibly the most loathsome individual to have crawled out from under a rock. He’s not a loveable loser; he’s a detestable loser — and that’s where a lot of the comedy comes from. Galifianakis stole the show in ‘The Hangover,’ and he steals it here. Refreshingly, [director Todd] Phillips does not feel the need to give Alan a heroic moment of redemption.” — James Berardinelli, ReelViews The Comparison “The stock dismissal ‘more of the same’ has rarely been more accurately applied to a sequel than to ‘The Hangover Part II,’ which ranks as little more than a faded copy of its predecessor superimposed on a more brightly colored background. One can understand director Todd Phillips’ initial reluctance to tinker with a formula that made the 2009 romp the highest-grossing R-rated comedy ever, but the rote professionalism on display verges on cynicism, and despite some occasional sparks, this ranks as a considerable disappointment. Box office should be huge all the same.” — Andrew Barker, Variety The Final Word That comfortable air of familiarity provided by the returning characters also extends to many of the original’s more inspired bits — but to less potent effect. Still, even a milder ‘Hangover’ manages to deliver more laughs than most of the competition. … In addition to that hard-to-replicate element of surprise, also in short supply here is the manic energy that made the original such a delightfully unpredictable ride. The reunited cast looks to have been up for a greater challenge, especially gonzo Galifianakis, who emerged as the breakout star of the first ‘Hangover.’ ” — Michael Rechtshaffen, The Hollywood Reporter Check out everything we’ve got on “The Hangover Part II.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: ‘The Hangover Part II’ Related Photos ‘The Hangover Part II’ Premiere “The Hangover Part II” Set Photos
‘It’s really like me being at home with my brothers when it comes to Birdman and Lil Wayne,’ Ross says. By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway Rick Ross Photo: Sohyung Kang/ MTV News Through the years, Rick Ross has developed a strong relationship with Cash Money and Lil Wayne. This year Ross toured with Wayne on the first leg of his I Am Still Music Tour, and he’s already kicked around the idea of a joint album with Birdman and appeared on his fair share of songs with the YMCMB roster. During this week’s “RapFix Live,” the Boss spoke to host Sway about his relationship with Wayne and his favorite memory from his I Am Still Music run. “The very first night the tour kicked off, just being backstage and me having a great relationship with Cash Money,” he revealed. “So it’s really like me being at home with my brothers when it comes to Birdman and Lil Wayne.” Rozay and Weezy currently appear together on DJ Khaled’s brand-new “I’m On One,” Ross’ “9 Piece (Remix)” and, of course, Wayne’s Tha Carter IV street single “John.” For “John,” Wayne found inspiration in “I’m Not a Star,” the opening track from Ross’ 2010 Teflon Don. “When [Wayne] first came home [from jail] he was like, ‘That ‘”I’m Not a Star,” that’s one of my favorite joints, let’s do something in that vibe,’ ” Ross recalled. “I’m like, ‘Easy.’ He actually gave me the track and I was like, ‘Wow, this is too easy.’ ” With Tha Carter IV scheduled to drop on June 21 and the Colin Tilley-directed “John” clip in rotation and video outlets, Ross is excited for the future. “Sitting in the studio at the Hit factory in Miami, I remember him just playing joints off his album and us constantly going back to that joint and I was just like, ‘It’s gonna be a hot summer.’ ” What’s your favorite Ross and Weezy track? Tell us in the comments! Related Videos ‘RapFix Live’ With Rick Ross And Maybach Music Group Related Artists Rick Ross (Hip-Hop)
“He#39;s making a lot of progress,” TJ Lavin#39;s fianceé Roxanne Siordia tells us. “He starts outpatient rehab (Tuesday). Everything is going good. He loves being at home on the couch with his dogs.” A brutal BMX accident forced doctors to put him into a medically induced coma, but now TJ Lavin is finally home. While Siordia says the adjustment hasn#39;t been too difficult for Lavin, 33, there are still a few things he misses. “It#39;s hard because we are both super active,” Siordia says. “I
