Sad news out of the world of television: Al Molinaro, a veteran actor best known for having portrayed a restaurant owner on Happy Days, died in Wisconsin on Thursday. He was 96 years old. Molinaro’s son, Michael, confirmed to TMZ that his father had been suffering from gall stones prior to his passing. The actor also played Murray the police officer on the original Odd Couple. But he’ll forever be remembered for his role on ABC’s beloved Happy Days, which he joined during its second season in 1974 by taking over the diner, Al’s Drive-In. The establishment was Fonzie’s favorite spot at which to hang out and be cool. He starred on the series for a decade and then reprised his Big Al role on the spinoff, Joanie Loves Chachi, where his character came up with the now-famous storytelling intro of, “Yep, yep, yep, yep, yep.” Molinaro is survived Michael and by his wife, Betty. We send the actor’s family, friends and loved ones our best wishes. View Slideshow: Celebrities We Lost in 2015
We have our second story this week about a 300-plus-pound pumpkin. Fortunately, however, this one has nothing to do with Donald Trump . But the residents of Peoria, Arizona may have preferred a visit by Trump than the near-catastrophe that befell them on Thursday after a giant inflatable pumpkin broke free and bounced around a busy intersection. Jim Barton, the owner of Big AZ Promotions (and, by extension, the fake gourd), told People Magazine that it was a miracle no one was hurt… considering the pumpkin weighs over 300 pounds is is over 25 feet tall. “Either it was an act of God, just a microburst that caused it to get loose, or there was vandalism involved,” Barton says. A city spokesperson named Bo Larden, though, explains that a big windstorm blew through town and freed the pumpkin, which Barton says was nearly twice the size of a typical child’s bouncy castle. Just in case you needed a comparison of some kind. The point is that this was a giant pumpkin and, as humorous as it appears to see it bouncing around, the potential for danger was clear throughout. Major damage could have been caused. Thankfully, traffic at the intersection was already stopped; and Barton says the pumpkin broke free “one split second before” people and cars began moving again, allowing pedestrian and vehicles the chance to stay out off harm’s way. Following a few scary moments, the pumpkin began to deflate after being ripped apart and was eventually captured on some playground equipment. Barton says his company uses inflatable items all the time and this has only happened once before. “Mother Nature can be very, very formidable,” he says. Watch the craziness unfold below:
We have our second story this week about a 300-plus-pound pumpkin. Fortunately, however, this one has nothing to do with Donald Trump . But the residents of Peoria, Arizona may have preferred a visit by Trump than the near-catastrophe that befell them on Thursday after a giant inflatable pumpkin broke free and bounced around a busy intersection. Jim Barton, the owner of Big AZ Promotions (and, by extension, the fake gourd), told People Magazine that it was a miracle no one was hurt… considering the pumpkin weighs over 300 pounds is is over 25 feet tall. “Either it was an act of God, just a microburst that caused it to get loose, or there was vandalism involved,” Barton says. A city spokesperson named Bo Larden, though, explains that a big windstorm blew through town and freed the pumpkin, which Barton says was nearly twice the size of a typical child’s bouncy castle. Just in case you needed a comparison of some kind. The point is that this was a giant pumpkin and, as humorous as it appears to see it bouncing around, the potential for danger was clear throughout. Major damage could have been caused. Thankfully, traffic at the intersection was already stopped; and Barton says the pumpkin broke free “one split second before” people and cars began moving again, allowing pedestrian and vehicles the chance to stay out off harm’s way. Following a few scary moments, the pumpkin began to deflate after being ripped apart and was eventually captured on some playground equipment. Barton says his company uses inflatable items all the time and this has only happened once before. “Mother Nature can be very, very formidable,” he says. Watch the craziness unfold below:
Back in May, ESPN fired Bill Simmons unexpectedly, thus forcing sports fans everywhere (read: Boston) to go to Gisele Bundchen’s Twitter page in order to read the boastful ramblings of someone who regularly fellates Tom Brady. We kid Simmons, but he’s really one of the funniest and most insightful sports journalists working today, and he deserved better than to be unceremoniously canned in very public fashion. Now, ESPN has twisted the knife by shutting down Grantland, the irreverent sports and pop culture site that Simmons created in 2011. Many of the site’s writers stated that they found out they’d been laid off only when they saw the network’s tweets about the site being suspended. In a statement, ESPN said that it plans to honor the contracts of all current Grantland writers and hopes to hire many of them to write for other ESPN platforms. So while several casualties of the move have lamented the end of the site, most of them have kept any outrage they may be feeling in check. But not Simmons: “I loved everyone I worked with at G and loved what we built. Watching good/kind/talented people get treated so callously = simply appalling,” Simmons tweeted moments ago. The 46-year-old journalist has butted heads with ESPN many times over the course of his career. He was most recently suspended by the network last year for calling NFL commissioner Roger Goodell a “liar.” His termination a few months later is believed to be the result of his tense relationship with network brass. In a statement, ESPN claimed that the decision to shut down Grantland has nothing to do with Simmons or the nature of the site’s content, but was simply a result of the need to “direct our time and energy going forward to projects that we believe will have a broader and more significant impact across our enterprise.” We’re sure Simmons will have more to say on the topic in the very near future.
George Clooney has been married for just over a year. And, during this brief period of time, tabloids have written ad nauseam that the actor and wife Amal were headed for a divorce. View Slideshow: 51 Hilariously Untrue Tabloid Stories It was going to happen any day now , according to a tabloid story in April. The marriage could not even last 87 days , according to a different tabloid story. The split is about to turn nasty , a third story hilarious screamed. But The National Enquirer deserves mad props for coming up with the most outlandish reason yet why Clooney will apparently be breaking up with Amal: Because he’s engaged in an affair! WITH ANOTHER MAN! To prove this alleged point, the publication has printed what it deems to be “gay photos that will destroy the marriage,” pointing an arrow at a picture of some dude kissing Clooney on the cheek. Nevermind that the dude in question is former ER co-star Noah Wyle and that the picture was snapped (this is not a joke) at the premiere of the film Desperado . Which took place 20 years ago. These “secret spy photos” could still “seal the deal on [Clooney’s] $220 million divorce,” dammit! If you choose to believe The National Enquirer for some off reason. That’s entirely up to you, but it may be time for magazines around the world to simply accept the fact that George and Amal are very happily married. Sorry. We know how boring that must be for you.
The most famous transgender individual on the planet celebrates a birthday today. But Caitlyn Jenner actually celebrated the 66-year anniversary of her coming into this world with an early lunch on Tuesday. The former Olympic Gold Medalist got the festivities started yesterday via a date with daughter Kylie Jenner and step-daughters Kim Kardashian and Kourtney Kardashian With an E! camera crew on hand (of course), the women got together at The Villa Restaurant in Woodland Hills, California, joined there by Kourtney’s three-year old daughter Penelope. As you can see above, Kylie did what Kylie often does, snapping a selfie at the family lunch to commemorate the special day. “Early birthday lunch with @caitlynjenner Happy birthday dad what an amazing year for you,” she wrote as a caption. That’s for sure. Caitlyn started the year as Bruce Jenner. She then opened up about her desire to transition into womanhood during an April 24 sit-down on ABC with Diane Sawyer. View Slideshow: Caitlyn Jenner Photos: So Long, Bruce! What a Year! Just a few weeks later, Vanity Fair depicted Bruce as Caitlyn Jenner on its cover, running the one of the most iconic images a print publication will ever feature. From there, Caitlyn starred in her own E! reality series, taking viewers into her ever-changing world via I Am Cait , which just got picked up for a second season. She won an ESPY Award, took on a role of national prominence and established herself as an important voice in the LGBT community. Jenner is now headed for a multiple-city speaking tour titled “Up Close and Personal” in 2016. She will offer inspirational words across five cities, with the first date scheduled on February 22 in Toronto. HAPPY 66TH BIRTHDAY, CAITLYN JENNER!
It is tragically all over for Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield. The beloved couple, who managed to maintain a significant amount of privacy while still coming across as totally adorable, have split after four years of dating. “They still have a lot of love for one another and they are on good terms with each another and remain close,” an insider tell Us Weekly of the Amazing Spider-Man costars. “It just wasn’t working.” According to E! News, the relationship actually ended months ago and the stars remain on “good terms.” There was actually talk back in April that Stone and Garfield broke up (due to alleged cheating by the latter ), but those rumors were never confirmed. Multiple reliable outlets are reporting on this split, however. And most of them point to busy schedules on both ends as the basis for things not working out. “I understand the interest in it completely, because I’ve had it, too,” Stone told WSJ Magazine this summer when asked about her romance with Garfield. “But it’s so special to me that it never feels good to talk about, so I just continually don’t talk about it.” See. This is why we loved these two so much! Earlier today, it was announced that Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez will file for divorce after two years of dating. Both these famous twosomes now join MANY others that have called it quits in 2015. To wit… View Slideshow: Celebrity Breakups of 2015: They’re Dropping Like Flies!
Let's face it: Scott Disick is not the most sympathetic of figures. The guy acts like a douchebag at every opportunity, flaunts his wealth all the time and very likely cheated on Kourtney Kardashian. We haven't exactly been crying a river for Scott ever since Kourtney finally wised up and kicked him to the proverbial curb. But Scott himself is crying a river in this sneak peek Keeping Up With the Kardashians Season 11. It features an intervention between various family members and Disick, who openly weeps when told about how his drinking and partying have affected all around him. “It's been a really hard time having all of you guys to having nobody,” Disick tells Kourtney, Kim, Khloe and Kris Jenner through many tears. Who knew Disick, who checked into rehab earlier this month, had such emotion in him?!? Elsewhere in the 30-second sneak peek: Caitlyn Jenner happily shows up and hangs out with her family. Kendall complains that her parents are making her choose between them. The family takes a vacation (sorry, a “vacay”) that involves many selfies, a lot of bikini-wearing and some ATV-driving. Tyga shows off his tattoo of his girlfriend's first name. Khloe tells viewers that her family often goes through some “crazy sh-t” but comes out of it “okay.” Check out footage from upcoming episodes, which premiere on Sunday, November 15, and head over to TV Fanatic if you need to watch Keeping Up with the Kardashians online before then. Enjoy!
Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Flip Saunders has passed away at the age of 60. Saunders had been battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma since August. On Friday, the Timberwolves organization announced that Saunders would miss the upcoming season due to complications from the illness. Saunders began his coaching career at Golden Valley Lutheran College back in 1977. After successful stints with several colleges and CBA teams, Saunders took his first NBA coaching job with the Timberwolves in 1995. He went on to coach for the Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards, but returned to the Timberwolves at the start of the 2014 season. As recently as last month, Saunders had planned to remain in his position for the 2015 season, having described his treatment as a “very treatable and curable form of cancer.” Sadly, his condition worsened rapidly, and Saunders was forced to step down, appointing assistant coach Sam Mitchell to take over in his absence. NBA stars such as LeBron James, Kevin Love and John Wall have posted tributes to Saunders on social media. “Lost a great person in our fraternity way too early,” James tweeted moments ago. Saunders is survived by his wife, Debbie, and their four children. His eldest son, Ryan Saunders, was recently hired as an assistant coach for the Timberwolves. View Slideshow: Celebrities We Lost in 2015
On The Walking Dead Season 6 Episode 3 , we learned that Rick, Daryl, Glenn, Michonne, Abraham, Sasha, Nicholas and Heath were up to while Carol was fighting off wolves in Alexandria. We also learned which one of these favorites did not make it home in the end. Watch The Walking Dead Season 6 Episode 3 Online GULP! And also: SOB! We opened the intense hour with Rick discussing a new plan for the aforementioned survivors, along with a few other residents. They would go home and he would go back to the RV, leading away half of the herd being drawn to the horn in the process. Rick then spoke only to Glenn and Michonne, explaining to them that some of the Alexandrians would likely die, a prediction overheard by Heath. Once Rick had left for his part of the mission, he spent most of the rest of the episode running… and running some more, taking out the occasional walker along the way while checking in with his crew via walkie talkie. View Slideshow: The Walking Dead Cast: Before They Were Stars… Meanwhile, Glenn, Michonne and the others went toe-to-toe with a bunch of walkers. The Alexandrians were a mixed bag when it came to fighting, though no one fared worse than Sturgess, who actually shot a neighbor in the led by accident by running off into the woods. Nicholas later found Sturgess’ remains. This group eventually hit in a pet store in order to patch up the gunshot victim’s leg, with Glenn coming up with a plan to prevent the oncoming herd from making to Alexandria: he would set a building on fire as a distraction. Aiming to help redeem Nicholas, Glenn invited him to do the fiery deed to a nearby feed store with him. Once this pair left, Heath talked trash to Michonne about how they do not “leave people behind.” This led to some back-and-forth between Michonne and Heath, as they argued about their past experiences and the sacrifices they had to make at times. Unfortunately, Heath learned what Michonne meant in the end because the group made a run for it in the face of a walker attack… and Heath was the one to say they had to leave a newlywed resident behind in order for the rest to survive. Things weren’t going much better for Glenn and Nicholas, who discovered that the feed store had already burned to the ground. Pondering what to do next, they ended up trapped by endless walkers atop a dumpster. Unable to handle the pressure, Nicholas thanked Glenn… and then shot himself in the head. He accidentally took Glenn down with him into a sea of walkers… and yeah. Glenn was devoured by the enemy. To close this painful episode, Rick arrived at the RV and was jumped by two wolves. One of them had a jar of Judith’s baby food on him. Rick was left to shoot down several other wolves, yet was finally able to lead the herd away… except the stupid RV wouldn’t start! So, as we mourned Glenn and were left shaking our heads over his death, we were also left wondering about Rick when the hour cut to black and he was surrounded by wolves. Yikes. Go ahead and watch The Walking Dead online in order to relive all this sad and violent chaos.
