Cruise receives surprise Palme d’Or
Tom Cruise mania descended Wednesday in Cannes where the actor made a whirlwind appearance at the film festival, walking the red carpet, receiving a surprise Palme d’Or and watching a squadron of French fighter jets fly over the European premiere of “Top Gun: Maverick.”
Cannes pulled out all the stops to fete the star, paying tribute to Cruise,
59, with not just a rare interview onstage and a red-carpet premiere but with the unexpected presentation of an honorary Palme d’Or. Festival president Pierre Lescure announced the award — about 15 honorary Palmes have been given before — onstage just before the screening was to begin. Cruise clutched Cannes’ top prize while the audience gave the actor a standing ovation.
“Top Gun: Maverick,” directed by Joseph Kosinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, brought out what’s likely to be among the most star-studded red carpets of the Cannes Film Festival, which concludes May 28. Among those in attendance were Viola Davis, Dakota Fanning, Omar Sy and Eva Longoria — along with “Top Gun: Maverick” stars Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm and Glen Powell. “Top Gun: Maverick” opens May 27 in U.S. theaters.
Gomez joins talk on youth mental health:
Selena Gomez joined first lady Jill Biden and U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy at the White House on Wednesday for a conversation about youth mental health. The singer/actor has been public about her struggles and revealed in 2020 that she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Biden, Murthy and
Gomez held a conversation with several young people. The strategies they shared ranged from going through multiple therapists to find one who is right for you to using baking as a way to encourage conversation with others facing similar challenges.
“Mental health is very personal for me, and I hope that by using my platform to share my own story ... I can help others feel less alone,” Gomez said.
MTV Entertainment sponsored the conversation in advance of the second Mental Health Action Day on Thursday.
Swift gets honorary degree:
Taylor Swift has Grammys galore and now she has a new title — “doctor.” The superstar received an honorary doctorate of fine arts from New York University on Wednesday.
Sporting her newly awarded honorary robe, Swift shared advice with the class of 2022 but offered the warning that, “I in no way feel qualified to tell you what to do … but I will however give you life hacks for when I was starting out my dreams as
a career.
“Never be ashamed of trying. Effortlessness is a myth,” she said.
Country stars to join Judd on tour:
Country stars Faith Hill, Trisha Yearwood, Brandi Carlile, Little Big Town, Martina McBride and Ashley McBryde will join Wynonna Judd on tour this fall after the sudden death of her mother and musical partner, Naomi Judd, on April 30. The mother-daughter duo’s final tour together was set to start in September.
“I am humbled, once again, by the loyalty of the fans who have been with us for 38-plus years, who continue to show up for me when I need them the most,” Wynonna Judd said in a statement Thursday.
May 20 birthdays: Actor David Proval is 80. Singer Cher is 76. Guitarist Jane Wiedlin is 64. Actor Bronson Pinchot is 63. Singer Susan Cowsill is 63. Actor John Billingsley is 62. TV personality Ted Allen is 57. Actor Mindy Cohn is 56. Rapper Busta Rhymes is
50. Actor Matt Czuchry is
45. Singer Naturi Naughton is 38.