These 5 Celebs are hoping August turns around on the back 15.
5. Jussie Smollett because he's trying to make a Hollywood back after his hate crime scandal.
Jussie faced a huge scandal after he allegedly hired two men to stage an attack on him in 2019. Gloria Rodriguez, the attorney representing brothers Abel and Ola Osundairo, says that Smollett is making his comeback harder on himself and wasting his talent by not being honest.
Jussie recently told Variety that the real "villains" in the alleged attack are the Chicago Police Department and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. He continues to stand by his story that two MAGA hat–wearing Trump supporters in masks attacked him, doused him with bleach, put a noose around his neck, and shouted racist and homophobic slurs at him.
Rodriguez claims that Smollett's career will be marred by the attack story until he comes clean. She says "the public is tired of his lies," implying that people still remember what Smollett did. Jussie was convicted in connection with the hoax, but the conviction was later overturned on a technicality before he struck a deal with prosecutors, allowing him to avoid fines by donating $50,000 to charity.
Rodriguez believes, "Jussie is as guilty as he was when he concocted this plan. He filed a false police report." She also says there is no world in which both Jussie and the Osundairo brothers can be telling the truth. The brothers want Jussie to be honest with himself and the public, but according to their lawyer, they are not spiteful about what happened and wish him the best.
4. Atlanta Falcons' Quarter Back Michael Penix Jr. because of a news station mistake.
In a tragic error for whoever was in charge of graphics at a Georgia news station, the nameplate on the lower third of the screen did not read “Michael Penix Jr.” In what can only be described as either a huge mistake or a case of 7th graders running the graphics department, the on-screen graphic identified the QB as “Michael ‘Penis’ Jr.”
While the letters X and S are definitely close to each other on the keyboard, the content checks clearly failed this time. What’s especially embarrassing is that Penix isn’t even new to Atlanta — he’s been on the team since last year.
3. Wendy Williams because the keys to her life are still being played out in the courts.
A&E is attempting to depose her early, but Wendy Williams’ guardian is trying to block those efforts, arguing that issues must first be resolved in guardianship court before moving forward with anything related to the civil suit.
The request was made by Sabrina E. Morrissey in documents filed Wednesday. She argues that she could be placed at an impasse if the judge in the civil case issues an order that conflicts with one from the guardianship court.
Morrissey also says that Wendy’s diagnosis means she requires extensive accommodations, which will take time to arrange since medical professionals, rulings from both courts, and other factors must first be agreed upon. She is asking the judge to deny A&E’s request for an early deposition and to hold off on making any decisions in the case until the guardianship matter is settled.
Wendy recently completed a series of medical tests, with some reports suggesting she had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia. However, Wendy’s attorney, Joe Tacopina, blasted those claims as “false.” The ongoing battle over Wendy Williams’ care and control of her estate appears far from resolution.
2. John Cena because his 20 year wrestling career is coming to an end.
he WWE superstar is reflecting on his 20-year career, admitting that his body is feeling the impact of each of those years. The actor appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday and told the late-night host that he needs to retire so the next generation of WWE superstars can have their chance to shine as he did.
John admitted that his body is “yelling” at him to hang up the boots and explained to Jimmy that he isn’t trying to dwell on the past during his farewell tour. Instead, he’s focusing on keeping his “feet on the ground” and soaking up every last second as he finishes the final 11 matches of this last season.
He noted that he’ll reflect on his legendary career once the tour is complete, but for now, his attention is on his highly anticipated fight against Logan Paul at Clash in Paris. The 17-time world champion announced his retirement in 2024, confirming at a press conference that he’s not just taking a break, he’s done. Cena says he still plans to be involved with WWE in some capacity, though it’s unclear how.
1. Jeff Bezos because his mother passed away.
Jeff Bezos is facing a difficult time following the death of his mother, Jacklyn Bezos, at age 78. The Bezos Family Foundation announced the news with a lengthy tribute, saying she died peacefully at her home in Miami. The cause of death has not been disclosed, but Jacklyn was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia in 2020.
Jeff and his wife both shared heartfelt tributes to her on Instagram, with Jeff reflecting on her experience having him as a 17-year-old. Jacklyn had Jeff with Ted Jorgensen and split from him when Jeff was a toddler. She later married Miguel Bezos, and in 1995, the couple gave Jeff $250,000 to invest in his startup, Amazon. Our condolences go out to Jeff and his family during this time of grief.