Sad news out of the world of fashion today, as multiple outlets have now confirmed the death of model and actress Caroline Bittencourt. She was just 37 years old. According to press reports, Bittencourt drowned while sailing on a catamaran off the coast of Portugal. Accounts differ with regard to the specifics, but witnesses agree she fell from the deck and the crew was unable to rescue her in time. It was initially reported that Caroline died while attempting to rescue her two dogs who had fallen into the water. However, her father, Orley Bittencourt, disputes those claims and says that his daughter was simply a victim of rough seas and inclement weather. Though Orley was not on the boat, he offered an account from Caroline’s husband, Jorge Sestina, who reportedly jumped into the water in an effort to save her: “Jorge told me a wave hit the side of the boat and the strength of that and strong winds unbalanced Carol and she fell into the water,”Orley Bittencourt, explained in an interview. “He begged her to remain calm because he was coming to get her. “But he could see her disappearing under the water and he couldn’t reach her as the storm separated them. He searched for my daughter for more than three hours and lost sight of the boat.” In a statement issued to The Sun, Captain of São Sebastião Port Authority Wagner Goulart de Souza echoed that sentiment, stating: “We have been informed only two people were on the boat. “We were not given any indication that Caroline jumped off the boat to rescue one of her dogs after it allegedly fell into the water.” In addition to her work as a fashion model, Caroline was a popular actress and TV presenter in her native Brazil. She leaves behind her husband, as well as 17-year-old daughter Isabella, who issued the following statement on Instagram: “We are grateful for the support and affectionate messages we have received from Carol’s friends and fans.” Our thoughts go out to the Sestini and Bittencourt families during this difficult time. View Slideshow: Celebrities Who Died in 2019: In Memoriam
90 Day Fiance 's biggest, baddest spinoff, Happily Ever After? is back with Season 4. During the premiere, fans were alarmed by a clip of Larissa Lima taking the producers out of earshot and confessing that she fears for her safety. Now, Larissa's bestie, Carmen, has weighed in on the nightmare that Larissa was living. These days, Larissa Lima and Colt Johnson are living apart. They're divorced and are mostly, with the exception of a couple of legal conflicts, out of each other's lives. That's a relief, especially considering how their last fight ended — with Larissa's face smeared with her own blood. But Season 4 of Happily Ever After? was filmed before all of that went down, when they were still trying to make it work. The tension is mounting — and so is Larissa's fear. During a disturbing clip from the 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After? premiere, Larissa is interviewed in her car. It's not so that they can enjoy the air conditioning — which Colt famously did not have. As TLC explains with a title card, it's because Larissa asked to speak away from the prying ears of Debbie and Colt. Larissa tells the producer: “I feel [deathly] afraid.” “If they hear something that I say,” Larissa fears. “My life will be hell.” “Something [is] wrong,” Larissa warns during the tense exchange. That moment, shown to viewers on Sunday night, was alarming. And now Larissa's bestie, Carmen, is weighing in via an Instagram comment. “Everyone will see how terrified she looks that day,” Carmen points out. She remarks that “even makeup could not hide her expression.” “She called me 4 times before this interview,” Carmen reveals. With the benefit of hindsight, Carmen wishes that Larissa had done more than call. “it is a pitty she didn't leave this house right there,” Carmen expresses. We can all agree with that. When another commenter, not realizing who Carmen is, demanded to know why Carmen was saying this, she explained. “I'm her friend,” Carmen writes. “She lives in my house.” It's true. Here's a photo of the two women standing together earlier this year. It's no mystery why Larissa was afraid. See, Larissa is loud and emotional. Part of that is inherent to who she is, while part of it may be cultural. Colt likes to try to present a calm demeanor, but many fans who find him “creepy” are picking up odd quirks in his behavior. Clearly, Colt and Larissa have had some nasty confrontations. On January 10 of this year, their final fight resulted in this: After this, Colt told police that Larissa had inflicted the wounds upon herself and had her arrested. But Carmen has previously stated that she has photos dating back from earlier in the marriage — evidence that this was not the first time Larissa was hurt. What we're seeing on Happily Ever After? right now took place before Colt's cheating scandal or their bloody, scary fight. Larissa was still trying to make it work, which was why they attended therapy together. And fans will get to see some of that play out on screen. We're just glad that everyone seems safe these days.
It’s time to pull out your iPhones and open up that nifty calculator app, folks. This is not a drill — get these suckers ready for some serious math I am about to throw your way because there may be another pregnant Duggar! And it may have been Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar’s fault for revealing the news! After Josh and Anna Duggar revealed to Instagram on April 26th that they’re expecting their sixth child , Jim Bob and Michelle left a questionable message in the comment section. The two included their five other kiddos (Michael, 7, Meredith, 3, Marcus, 5, Mason, 1, and Mackynize, 9) to help with their exciting announcement as Anna kept the caption sweet and simple. “As we watch our children grow and thrive — we look forward to baby six joining us this fall!” she wrote. And while fans celebrated the news, many were surprised and well, a tad flustered thanks to Jim Bob and Michelle. The couple — who birthed 19 kids together — congratulated Anna and Josh in the comment section, noting that they now have 16 grandkids in total! Hold up… that’s just not right. Considering the actual number is 15 (even taking into account the current pregnancies), fans are totally convinced that another baby announcement will soon be underway. Yep, it seems Michelle and Jim Bob just leaked some major news. Or maybe they just mistyped or miscalculated? Either way, nice going, you two! “We are so happy for Josh and Anna, expecting their 6th child and our 16th grandchild!” the couple wrote in a joint statement. But let’s double check their math, shall we? Anna Duggar rings in with 5 children + 1 pregnancy. Kendra Duggar offers us 1 baby + 1 more pregnancy. We are at 8, people. Keep up! Jinger Duggar and Joy-Anna Duggar tie for last place with 1 child. As Jessa Duggar gives us 2 kids + 1 pregnancy. Oh, and we can’t forget about Jill Duggar’s 2 little ones. All together that puts us at, yep, 15! Fans are absolutely losing it over the meaning of number 16. Some people think Joy and Abbie Duggar are likely shoo-ins, while others think Michelle just can’t keep her family straight. “I think it’s a toss up between Joy and Abbie for the next pregnancy announcement,” someone shared. “Also, Michelle probably barely knows her grandchildren’s names, let alone how many there are.” I must agree with them on that, but also we can’t dismiss the possibility of another future Duggar — because it’s not far-fetched in the slightest. Another commenter brought up Lauren’s recent miscarriage and the possibility that she could be pregnant again. “It would have been Lauren, but she seemed to indicate she wasn’t recently on Instagram. However, I fully expect any of them to announce at any time, so…” While all of these options are fair, it does make sense that Michelle and Jim Bob could have included Lauren’s miscarriage in their count of 16. According to Romper , the couple sometimes says they have 20 kids — in reference to their miscarriage in 2011. “It’s hard to believe Jubilee would have been 6 years old today,” Michelle and Jim Bob wrote about losing the pregnancy in the second trimester. “Jubilee is our 20th child who was stillborn. We so look forward to seeing Jubilee in heaven.” But if this were the case, wouldn’t they have included Anna’s miscarriage, which happened sometime before 2010? That would’ve knocked them up (no pun intended) to a total of 17 grandkids. Either way, it’s really none of our business nor our place to be stirring rumors about the family’s fertility. We are really just as clueless as the rest of you — but we do know that this is enough mental exhaustion for one day. Stay tuned to see if the Duggars do not shock us at all with yet another pregnancy. View Slideshow: Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar: 5 Tips for a Healthy Marriage
Farrah Abraham doesn’t mind getting bent over and simply railed by some guy in front of a camera. It’s how the former Teen Mom star has made her living in the past. But Abraham opens up in a new interview about something she does mind, something that does bother her on a near-daily basis and something she wishes she could change: How frequently she must be away from her daughter, Sophia. “The biggest challenge of being a single mom right now is doing all of these companies and projects … and balancing being there a lot for my daughter,” Abraham explained to Us Weekly at a skincare launch event a couple days ago. She added, in a bit more detail: “Throughout the year, I’m probably gone, like, two months out of the year away from her, if not more. “Even though we’re always together it seems, I still wish I could spend more time with her, and I think quality time is good right now.” This is a fair and understandable complaint from Farrah’s point of view. It’s unclear exactly what she does for work these days, but Abraham still somehow gets invited to random openings and premiere events where she’s paid to stand on a red carpet — which does mean flying around the country without her 10-year old child. Critics, however, might say this is a net positive for young Sophia. Farrah has never come across as the best role model or parent for the little girl, sometimes posing naked right in front of her and pretty much always exploiting Sophia on social media in some way, shape or form. Yes, a daughter needs her mother. But only if she’s a responsible mother, right? While she’s away, Abraham says her daughter stays with her grandparents, a situation for which Farrah is grateful. “There are many issues with babysitters and privacy, so before it takes off, I’d rather have her with family,” she told Us Weekly in this chat. The MTV personality (she’s gone from Teen Mom, but still appears on Ex on the Beach) welcomed Sophia in 2009, conceiving her with then-boyfriend, Derek Underwood… died in a car crash before his daughter was born. “She is really focused on finishing up her school work right now, so I am very excited and proud of her,” Abraham offered as an update on the 10-year old, adding: “She’s been cooking. She has been doing little scripted stuff in between her activities.” Wait… what? She’s been doing scripted stuff ?!? Yes, Farrah says, although she doesn’t supply many details beyond the above description. The single mother simply says her child is going to be “a much bigger star” than she is. We REALLY hope she means as a non-adult movie actress. Sorry. We hate to even go there with this subject. It’s just Farrah Abraham, you know? You can never be exactly sure what she has in mind — or what the heck she’s talking about . View Slideshow: Farrah Abraham to Teen Mom: I’m Here if Y’all Need Me! Just Give Me a Call! [Crickets]
Jana Kramer and husband Mike Caussin aren’t afraid to speak their minds. No matter what. Whether they’re discussing hot nannies , Mike’s sex addiction, or the struggles of parenthood — they love opening up about (what they believe are) the “hot topics” of today on the Whine Down with Jana Kramer podcast. And then there’s the couple’s latest target — Danny Amendola and Olivia Culpo’s messy split. In the NFL player’s recent social media rant , which we’re still not over — and apparently, neither is Mike and Jana — Olivia Culpo got slammed by her ex-boyfriend after she was spotted getting close with Zedd at Coachella. “I believe there should be a boundary btw private life and social media. Olivia believes in fishbowl lifestyle,” Danny wrote. The Detroit Lions wide receiver explained what he meant by saying: “Olivia chooses and wants to be noticed on the internet and in Hollywood to make money. Which was hard for [me] to understand but quickly had to learn.” Called! Out! The post has since been deleted, and he even blamed his outburst on a “miscommunication.” But the attack was enough to gain major headlines and obviously enough to spark a conversation on iHeartRadio’s latest episode, where both Jana and her husband weighed in on the drama. Caussin, 32, isn’t buying that excuse. “Miscommunication, my ass,” he said. The NFL alum declared on Monday, April 29, “He said what he said. He was either drunk or just angry and typed away.” “And here’s the deal,” he continued. “I don’t understand. They’ve been on and off for a couple of years or whatever it is.” “I don’t know their whole history but Olivia Culpo has clearly been a climber.” “Look at her dating history,” Mike shared. “She’s dated Tim Tebow. She’s dated Ryan Lochte. She dated Nick Jonas. She dated Danny. Now she’s talking to Zedd.” Kramer, 35, immediately realized her husband was being slightly insulting and backed up Culpo. Kind of. “Are you saying she’s famous for dating celebrities?” she asked. Mike added, “What else has she done?” Olivia, who won the title of Miss Universe in 2012 (so she’s obviously gifted), has stayed quiet regarding her ex’s backlash. And while Danny makes it clear that Olivia obviously cares a lot about how she is viewed by the public eye, Jana admitted that they don’t know their whole story until they hear her side. “Who knows because we don’t have her side of the story, but I can see why you think she is a social climber,” Jana explained. Mike chimed in, again, adding that these social media problems aren’t just for celebrities, but that ordinary couples can face similar discussions. “I will say any relationship — whether it’s a public one like this or even a private one where there aren’t celebrities — there’s some people that are like, ‘Why aren’t you posting about me? Why aren’t you posting a picture on Facebook or social media?'” “Regardless of celebrity or not, I’ve experienced and seen people like that where they want to be part of your life more or post more,” Mike said. Jana and Mike open up a lot about their own relationship as much as they sound in on others. Last month on the podcast they revealed that Mike had a “massive” relapse in his sex addiction about a year prior, with Jana saying her husband did “something he should not have done.” “We’re just happy that someone didn’t show up,” she told her listeners. “I showed up at the hotel instead.” The couple has been married since 2015 and shares two adorable children together: daughter Jolie, 3, and son Jace, 5 months. Even though the two more times than not get criticized for their “offensive” conversations — their true listeners love their raw and candid talks. At the end of the day — this mom is just trying to have a glass of wine and vent. And can’t we all relate to that?!
Kylie Jenner has made it very clear in a brand new Instagram post. Like, very, very, VERY clear: Things are just fine between her and Travis Scott, several weeks after their relationship appeared to be on the rocks due to rumors that the rapper was cheating on the reality star . “watching you evolve into the partner, friend, son, and father you are today has been so fulfilling. my real life bestie & hubby all wrapped into one,” Jenner wrote this morning as an Instagram caption. The caption accompanied a multitude of photos of Scott, Kylie and their daughter, Stormi. She’s just over a year old and it sounds like Jenner is open to giving her a brother or sister at some point in the relatively near future. “i love you and I’m so so proud of you. happy happy birthday. let’s fuck around and have another baby,” she concluded in this message, which was penned in honor of her boyfriend’s 28th birthday. The Kylie Cosmetics CEO’s romantic message was shared a few days after she purchased a billboard (yes, a billboard) in Los Angeles in tribute of her long-time lover. “Happy birthday daddy,” the giant poster read. “Love, Mommy & Stormi xo.” In early March, we didn’t envision Kylie doing such a thing for Scott. The artist canceled a tour stop in Buffalo back then amid reports that Kylie caught him cheating. To Scott’s credit, he seemingly put his professional life on hold in order to remain in Los Angeles and convince Kylie that such a rumor was nonsense. And it wasn’t all that difficult to do, we guess, because the only evidence with which Kylie was armed was s ome random woman contacting her online and simply saying she was sleeping with Travis. This was enough to cause Jenner some distress, but Scott admirably did his part to make sure she knew he was no Tristan Thompson; he was dedicated and in love and loyal. Fast forwad about a month after this romantic hiccup and Scott and Jenner went on vacation in Mexico to smooth out their relationship, probably having a lot of sex in the process. More power to them, right? The question now turns to when that sex will be without any sort of birth control. When might Jenner and Scott truly commit to expanding their immediate family? Jenner is only 21 years old. She has tons of time to procreate some more down the line. But if this is what she wants right now, she might as well get right to it — things with Scott seem as strong as ever. “Kylie doesn’t feel like she has to watch over Travis like a hawk,” an insider told Us Weekly earlier this month. “That’s one of the main reasons their relationship works so well, is successful and continues to grow… “He’s a very proactive dad and is involved in Stormi’s life.” We’re so very glad to hear it! View Slideshow: Kylie Jenner Officially Named Youngest Self-Made Billionaire of All-Time
Tragedy has struck the family of long-time singer Toni Braxton. Lauren Braxton, the daughter of Toni’s younger brother, Michael Conrad Braxton Jr., died yesterday as the result of a heart condition. She was 24 years old. The Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in the state of Maryland confirmed this awful news to Radar Online, while Lauren’s dad did the same to TMZ. No further details related to the cause of death are available at this time. Law enforcement officials say they received a 911 call around noon on Monday — and that Lauren (who went by the nickname LoLo) was unresponsive when they arrived. She was pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene. “We ask that you please respect the family’s privacy in this time of sadness and loss,” the Braxton Family said in a statement this afternoon. Michael is a Maryland based singer-songwriter and is the only son of the Braxton siblings, having appeared on numerous episodes of their show, Braxton Family Values. He and Toni, 51, are the elder siblings to sisters Traci, 48, Towanda, 45, Trina, 44, and Tamar, 42. Following the heart-shattering news, Trina posted the above photo of Lauren to her Instagram page and wrote as a caption: “God sent me another angel! Rest in Heaven Lauren ‘LoLo’ Braxton.” Traci has also chimed in on the awful development as follows: LoLo was more than my niece, she was my daughter; and I, my son and husband are truly heartbroken over her passing. According to the witness cited in the official police report, she had been having a conversation with Lauren in a kitchen prior to heading upstairs for about 10 minutes. When she returned, she found Lauren on the floor and called the authorities. Simply terrible all around, especially in light of another tragedy suffered by the family just a few months ago. Last December, Trina Braxton’s ex-husband, Gabe Solis, died of cancer in Texas at age 43. Friends, family members and followed have flooded Lauren’s Instagram page – which frequently featured her famous loved ones – to post condolences in her comments in the wake of her death. Braxton Family Values is currently in its sixth season and airs on Thursdays at 9/8c on We TV. Lauren would have turned 25 years old on May 9. Lauren Braxton rest in peace. View Slideshow: Celebrities Who Died in 2019: In Memoriam
The ugliness is over. And the celebration can now begin for Shannon Beador. Back on April 24, Shannon and ex-husband David agreed to terms on their divorce settlement, putting to an end one of the more vicious break-ups in recent memory. At the time, however, the details of this settlment were kept private, with fans asking the expected question of who came out on top, financially speaking. We now appear to have an answer. According to court documents obtained by The Blast, David has agreed to pay Shannon $1.4 million “to equalize the division of community property as set forth herein.” The former couple will also share joint legal and physical custody of their three daughters — and they both agreed not to move outside Orange County with the kids. Moreover, David pay Shannon $2,935 per month in child support, plus $7,065 for spousal support … for a total $10,000 a month. This is a huge figure, but it’s actually a drastic reduction from $22,000 she was being paid on temporary basis over the past few months. Reads the divorce judgment: “The parties shall communicate with one another to ensure the children are appropriately cared for at all times. “The parties shall cooperate to promote healthy parent-child relationships between each party and each of the children, and neither party shall make derogatory remarks about the other in the presence of the children.” The kids in question are 17-year old Sophie and 14-year-old twins Stella and Adeline. The reality stars split in September of 2017 after over 17 years of marriage and then Shannon filed to end their relationship in December of 2017. The romance was rocky even before it ended, with Season 10 of The Real Housewives of Orange County focusing on David’s admitted infidelity. The couple tried to repair its marriage on air through therapy and open dialogue with their family — but to no avail in the end. “The truth about the state of my marriage is that it’s not good,” Shannon said on an episode of this Bravo reality show, adding at the time: “I just want to know how David feels because living in this limbo, it’s kind of a form of torture. I just want to know.” Eventually, Shannon got what she asked for — but this information came in the form of David accusing his estranged wife of being a drunk . In March, Shannon won joint legal and physical custody of her daughters, along $22,500 per month for child and spousal support After having referred to David as both “disgusting” and a “nickel and dimer” in previous statements, Shannon may not be thrilled with this figure being slashed by more than half in the final settlement. But at least she’s now free from the constraints of her marriage. The settlement prevents the exes from having to go through with a scheduled trial and avoids Shannon from having David’s allegations made even more public, considering he said in the past that her drinking and her “behavior” were “detrimental to the children.” He also said on many occasions that she had gotten really fat. Among the things Shannon will maintain in the divorce: She will keep a 2015 Cadillac Escalade; a leased 2018 BMW7 Series sedan; her bank accounts; and household furniture and furnishings currently in her possession. David will keep a property near Corona, California; the Beador Construction Company; a 1998 Ford Expedition; a 2008 Ford Explorer; a 2011 Land Rover Range Rover SC; a 2017 BMW X3; a 2018 Ford Raptor Truck; a leased 2018 Porsche Carrera Turbo Cabriolet; a 2019 Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV; and household furniture and furnishings presently in his possession. As stated above, The Blast was the website that obtained these documents and broke this news. You can read more about who receives what in the Beador divorce HERE . View Slideshow: Shannon Beador Slammed by David’s Girlfriend in Scathing Callout
According to Jenni Farley, she cannot stop smiling over the presence of Zack Carpinello in her life. The Jersey Shore veteran and her 24-year old lover seem quite content with each other at the moment. Conversely, Farley has made it clear once again that she REALLY is displeased with estranged husband Roger Mathews right about now. Following an Easter Sunday in which Farley and Mathews put their differences aside in order to spend time as a family with their two young kids, something appears to have gone awry. For a reason Jenni tried to make clear in a scathing Tweet yesterday, she now has yet another reason to think Mathews is a very bad parent and role model. In her Instagram Story message, posted late on Sunday, the MTV personality best known as JWoww said that her son and daughter wouldn’t be spending the weekend with their dad because he wanted to “rage.” She later deleted the note, but nothing ever dies on the Internet. “When you find out on Wednesday your kids will be with someone other than their father over the weekend because he wants to rage during HIS time because it’s been planned ‘for months,'” Farley wrote along with rolling eyes emojis. “Yeahhhh ok. Loving all your ‘dad posts,'” she added, mocking Mathews for how often he claims to be a dedicated and loving father and concluding: “Please keep over posting…really shows how ‘involved you are.'” It certainly is true that during the crux of their VERY ugly exchanges late last year and earlier this year, Mathews often claimed that Farley was ignoring their kids in order to film Jersey Shore. After his estranged wife obtained a restraining order against him several months ago, Mathews went on an all-time Instagram rant . He trashed Farley as a fake and phony sand vowed that the “truth” would come out and that all he cares about in life is being a responsible parent. It hasn’t really been made clear exactly what Mathews was referring to at the time, but a sad truth has seemingly come out about him since this argument: He admitted in an open letter to having been abusive with Farley, as documented below: View Slideshow: Roger Mathews Pens Letter to Jenni Farley, Admits to Abuse In this case, JWoww’s post apears to be in response to Roger’s Instagram video, posted Saturday, showing him on a “rare dad night out.” “Had this night planned for a few months now,” Mathews wrote along with the video, adding: “Kids are enjoying a sleepover with my best friends kids @fitmom_meg and Dads going to see @louiedevito tonight with some 20 year friends @jamiemalloy35 @dannycars13 @maximillian143 @aimeedanger @chrissyjules. “Rare dad night out. Leeeeeeets goo.” We can totally understand Farley’s frustration here. Her kids and two and three years old, seemingly pretty young to have a sleepover. It also seems a bit odd for Mathews to celebrate a “rare” night out, considering he doesn’t have primary custody of these children. Farley filed for divorce from the 43-year-old truck driver in September of 2018 after a three-year marriage, full of ups and down. The reality star has since moved on with Carpinello, whom Mathews seemingly approves of, having been asked for his opinion by Us Weekly a few days back. “He seems like a terrific guy and they seem to really be happy, and I’m very happy for them,” Mathews told this tabloid shortly after it revealed her new man is the 24-year-old professional wrestler from New York. Mathews added at the time that Carpinello is a “good friend of her little brother” and that they’ve been dating for “a few months.” We’re very glad to hear it. And we hope, for the sake of their kids, that Jenni and Roger can find an amicable co-parenting solution in the near future. View Slideshow: JWoww Files For Restraining Order Against Husband; Roger Mathews Slams “Hate-Filled” Wife
Very sad news today out of Hollywood. John Singleton, the Academy Award-nominated director and veteran of the entertainment industry, has passed away 12 days after suffering a stroke. He was 51 years old. As previously reported, Singleton checked himself into the hospital in mid-April after suffering leg pain following a trip to Costa Rica. He then suffered a stroke a short while later while under doctor’s supervision. He had been in a medically-induced coma ever since, with his family announcing on Monday afternoon that it had made the impossible decision to remove the director from life support. “It is with heavy hearts we announce that our beloved son, father and friend, John Daniel Singleton will be taken off of life support today,” a statement from the Singleton family read. “This was an agonizing decision, one that our family made, over a number of days, with the careful counsel of John’s doctors.” The statement went on to reference Singleton’s breakout film, for which he became the first African-American ever nominated at the Oscars for Best Director. John grew up in South Central L.A with a love of cinema that showed itself early on. He went on to become one of the most lauded graduates of the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Within months of graduating, John returned to South Central to shoot his debut feature, Boyz N the Hood. The movie, which was unusually shot in sequence, masterfully captured a story of friendship, youth and the peril of hard choices in a community marred by gang violence. Singleton also directed such movies as Poetic Justice, Four Brothers and 2 Fast 2 Furious. More recently, he had moved over to television and helped produce the FX drama Snowfall. But it was Boyz N the Hood that truly put Singleton on the Hollywood map. “The film earned special honors at its debut at Cannes and Singleton went onto become the youngest director and first African-American writer-director nominated for the Academy Award,” the statement continued. “Two decades later, the film was placed in the Library of Congress, a marker of its cultural and historical significance.” Continues this statement: “John was such a supernova in his youth that we forget that he was only beginning to fully assert his gifts as a director. Kurosawa was 52 when he directed High Low. Hitchcock was 56 when he directed To Catch a Thief. “As much as we will treasure his body of work, we were looking forward to the films John would have made in the years ahead.” Singleton’s loved ones went on to cite the star’s hypertension diagnosis, an affliction that affects 40% of African-Americans. They urged everyone to visit Heart.org in order to learn more about this disease and its symptoms. “John’s confidence in his place in Hollywood was only matched for his passion for the sea,” concludes the statement. “John kayaked in Marina Del Rey every morning. His greatest joy, when not on set, was sailing his boat, J’s Dream, up and down the Pacific Coast. “The American writer Willa Cather once said, ‘There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in the storm.’ “We who have grown up with John, made movies with him, sailed with John and laughed with John, know the universe of calm and creativity he created for so many. Now in the wake of his death, we must navigate the storm without him. “It is, for us, heartbreaking.” Singleton is survived by his mother, Shelia, and his seven children: Daughters Justice, Hadar, Cleopatra, Selenesol, Issis, and his sons Maasai and Seven. May he rest in eternal peace. UPDATE: The family has released this statement since taking Singleton off life support and watching him pass away. It is with heavy hearts that we announce that our beloved son, father and friend, John Daniel Singleton passed away today due to complications from a stroke he suffered last Wednesday. John Singleton was a prolific, groundbreaking director who changed the game and opened doors in Hollywood, a world that was just a few miles away, yet worlds away, from the neighborhood in which he grew up. In his private life, John was a loving and supporting father, son, brother and friend who believed in higher education, black culture, old school music and the power of film. John’s confidence in his place in Hollywood was only matched for his passion for the sea. John kayaked in Marina Del Rey every morning. His greatest joy, when not on set, was sailing on his boat, J’s Dream, up and down the Pacific Coast. View Slideshow: Celebrities Who Died in 2019: In Memoriam
