Muhammad Ali Dies; Legendary Boxer Was 74

The Greatest.  The People’s Champion.

Those were just two nicknames that will forever describe the late boxing legend, Muhammad Ali, who passed away on June 3rd at the age of 74.

“After a 32-year battle with Parkinson’s disease, Muhammad Ali has passed away at the age of 74. The three-time World Heavyweight Champion boxer died this evening,” spokesman Bob Gunnell said in a statement to CNN.

“The Ali family would like to thank everyone for their thoughts, prayers, and support and asks for privacy at this time.”

Ali, who’s real name is Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., was born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1942.

He was famous for heckling his opponents, and came up with the quote, “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” in 1964 when he beat Sonny Liston to become the heavyweight champion of the world.

The boxer changed his name from Clay to Ali that same year after converting to Islam.

Earlier today, sources told Radar Online that Ali’s family was “preparing for the worst” inside an Arizona hospital, where the athlete – who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1984 – was being treated.

“Ali is in dire straits and is rapidly deteriorating,” a source told the site. “His breathing has become very shallow, requiring tubes.”

“Shallow breathing does not bring enough oxygen into your body,” the source explained.

“This exacerbates a number of unfavorable things, including, in his advanced case, fatigue and constipation. The latter is a large intestine issue that negatively impacts the lungs & the skin.

“Ali no longer feels the touch on the surface of his skin, mosquito bites, or cuts, etc. due to his age. And this is a degenerative situation that can’t be reversed.”

Ali was admitted to the hospital on June 2nd in “fair condition,” according to People, and was expected to only stay for a brief time.

His daughter, boxer Laila Ali told the magazine in March how much her father’s determination inspires her.

“He’s such a fighter, still, when at times he seems weak and not able to handle it,” she said.

“He comes through stronger than ever. He’s still fighting regardless and I love my dad for that.” 

Ali is survived by his nine children and his fourth wife, actress Yolonda Williams.

View Slideshow: Celebrities Who Passed Away in 2016: Gone, But Not Forgotten

Muhammad Ali Dies; Legendary Boxer Was 74

The Greatest.  The People’s Champion.

Those were just two nicknames that will forever describe the late boxing legend, Muhammad Ali, who passed away on June 3rd at the age of 74.

“After a 32-year battle with Parkinson’s disease, Muhammad Ali has passed away at the age of 74. The three-time World Heavyweight Champion boxer died this evening,” spokesman Bob Gunnell said in a statement to CNN.

“The Ali family would like to thank everyone for their thoughts, prayers, and support and asks for privacy at this time.”

Ali, who’s real name is Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., was born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1942.

He was famous for heckling his opponents, and came up with the quote, “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” in 1964 when he beat Sonny Liston to become the heavyweight champion of the world.

The boxer changed his name from Clay to Ali that same year after converting to Islam.

Earlier today, sources told Radar Online that Ali’s family was “preparing for the worst” inside an Arizona hospital, where the athlete – who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1984 – was being treated.

“Ali is in dire straits and is rapidly deteriorating,” a source told the site. “His breathing has become very shallow, requiring tubes.”

“Shallow breathing does not bring enough oxygen into your body,” the source explained.

“This exacerbates a number of unfavorable things, including, in his advanced case, fatigue and constipation. The latter is a large intestine issue that negatively impacts the lungs & the skin.

“Ali no longer feels the touch on the surface of his skin, mosquito bites, or cuts, etc. due to his age. And this is a degenerative situation that can’t be reversed.”

Ali was admitted to the hospital on June 2nd in “fair condition,” according to People, and was expected to only stay for a brief time.

His daughter, boxer Laila Ali told the magazine in March how much her father’s determination inspires her.

“He’s such a fighter, still, when at times he seems weak and not able to handle it,” she said.

“He comes through stronger than ever. He’s still fighting regardless and I love my dad for that.” 

Ali is survived by his nine children and his fourth wife, actress Yolonda Williams.

View Slideshow: Celebrities Who Passed Away in 2016: Gone, But Not Forgotten

Amber Heard Files Defamation Lawsuit Against Doug Stanhope

With each day that’s passed since Amber Heard filed for divorce from Johnny Depp, a new, more heated story has emerged.

Heard accused Depp of committing acts of domestic violence against her in their marriage, and a number of his friends and associates have rushed to his defense.

In a scathing counter-allegation targeted at Heard, comedian Doug Stanhope accused the actress of trying to blackmail Depp in hopes of a juicy divorce settlement.

Stanhope, a close friend of Depp’s who claimed he was with the couple on the day of the alleged abuse, paints Heard in a malignant light. 

“Amber was now going to leave him, threatening to lie about him publicly in any and every possible duplicitous way if he didn’t agree to her terms,” Stanhope wrote in a column for The Wrap.

Heard is not taking the accusations lightly. 

She has now filed a defamation lawsuit against the comic, claiming everything he said in the article was false.

An attorney for Heard gave a statement to E! News:

“The Complaint alleges that Stanhope is a close friend of Johnny Depp and, as part of a coordinated effort, wrote a highly defamatory article about Ms. Heard, filled with completely false, highly defamatory and very hurtful statements.

“Ms. Heard seeks the maximum possible jury award, and will donate 100 percent of the proceeds from the lawsuit to Chrysalis, a domestic violence shelter in Arizona, in an effort to counter the setback made to women by the defendants’ defamatory article and related wrongful acts.”

ln addition, court documents state the following:

“Defendants are engaged in a classic case of ‘attacking the victim,’ in an effort to discredit Heard, destroy her good name and reputation, and severely harm her hard-earned entertainment career, on top of the campaign of violence that Depp has inflicted upon her for years.”

This new development is the latest in a string of he said-she said accounts in which one party accuses the other of lying.

Earlier this week, leaked text messages from Heard to Depp’s assistant Stephen Deuters revealed a conversation that seemed to confirm an abusive incident from two years ago.

But shortly after the leak, Deuters claimed no such texts existed and he was not aware of any abuse in the marriage.

The only thing we know for sure in this case is that someone is lying, but at this juncture, it’s impossible to know who.

While friends and fans are all taking sides in the matter, the fact remains that the only people who know what truly happened are Heard and Depp.

View Slideshow: Johnny Depp Domestic Abuse Allegations: Stars React

21 Stars Who Spoke Out Against Sexism in Hollywood

To say there"s a little bit of a sexism problem in Hollywood is like saying David Duke is a little bit racist.

From slut-shaming to body-shaming, from the pay gap to the number of female speaking characters in films (it"s just 29.9 percent), celebrity women are regularly given the short end of the stick compared to their male counterparts.

We"ve got a long way to go, but some celebrities are now speaking out against the injustices women in Tinseltown must deal with on a daily basis.

1. Taylor Swift

For years, Taylor Swift was called out for writing songs about her exes, but she asked a curious question: why aren’t male artists targeted for doing the same thing?

2. Scarlett Johansson

During a press conference promoting Avengers with Robert Downey, Jr., Johansson was questioned on how she got in shape for the role while Downey was asked about character development. Her response: “How come you get the really interesting existential question, and I get the like, ‘rabbit food’ question?”

3. Tom Hardy

Speaking about Mad Max: Fury Road, Tom Hardy had this to say: “The lead of this movie is a female amputee. It’s a total empowerment of women. It’s actually about f**king time.”

4. Rihanna

When a reporter assumed Rihanna was looking for her “next man,” she shut it down like a total badass.

5. John Legend

When Chrissy Teigen was mom-shamed for going out a week after giving birth, husband John Legend questioned why he wasn’t targeted. “Funny there’s no dad-shaming,” he wrote on Twitter. “When both of us go out to dinner, shame both of us so Chrissy doesn’t have to take it all. We’ll split it.”

6. Madonna

Madonna brilliantly points out the sexist and ageist double standard surrounding women dating younger men by comparing herself to Mick Jagger.

View Slideshow