Andy Warhol's "Shot Sage Blue Marilyn" sold for a cool $195 million on Monday, making the iconic portrait of Marilyn Monroe the most expensive work by a U.S. artist ever sold at auction.
The 1964 silkscreen image shows Monroe in vibrant close-up — hair yellow, eyeshadow blue and lips red — on a rich blue background. It's also the most expensive piece from the 20th century ever auctioned, according to Christie's auction house in New York, where the sale took place.
Full StoryQueen Elizabeth II will not attend the opening of Parliament on Tuesday for the first time in nearly 60 years, as she struggles with difficulties in getting around.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement Monday that the decision was made in consultation with her doctors and that the 96-year-old had "reluctantly'' decided not to attend. Prince Charles will read her speech, while for the first time her grandson Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, will have an official role in the event.
Full StoryWhen she was 18, she was handpicked by Mikhail Baryshnikov to dance a high-profile role at American Ballet Theatre, launching a celebrated career as one of the world's top ballerinas. Now, 40 years later, Susan Jaffe has been named to lead the company.
Jaffe takes over in December as artistic director at ABT, succeeding Kevin McKenzie as the first new director in 30 years. Jaffe says her goals include making the overwhelmingly white ballet world more accessible and inclusive.
Full StorySome of the movies' biggest stars barely speak a word of English, or any other language for that matter. Sure, you can occasionally hear them say "Banana!" or possibly "Smoochy smoochy!" but most of what they say is gibberish. The Minions may be the world's most popular, and lucrative, foreign language movie stars — even if "Minionese" isn't an officially recognized language.
This summer, the goggle-wearing yellow ones will return yet again to further expand their sizable empire in "Minions: Rise of Gru" (in theaters July 1). The "Despicable Me" franchise (a fourth is due in 2024) and its "Minions" spinoffs already rank as the highest-grossing animated film franchise ever with more than $3.7 billion in tickets sold worldwide.
Full StoryMaroon 5 and Usher will headline a benefit concert in Atlanta to honor the legacy of the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis.
The Grammy Award-winning pop band and singer will perform during the Beloved Benefit at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on July 7, concert officials announced Thursday. The event was rescheduled from its initial date in February due to COVID-19 concerns.
Full StoryMay 27, 2016, was the day that Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's marriage went from private misery to public, career-killing spectacle.
Heard, who had just filed for divorce, arrived at a Los Angeles courthouse that day to seek a temporary restraining order, showing up with a clear mark on her face, which she said Depp inflicted during a fight six days prior. Photographers captured the scene, and the allegations became tabloid fodder across the globe.
Full StoryJames Corden said he will be bowing out of his late-night CBS TV show next year, calling it a "good time to move on and see what else might be out there."
Corden announced his decision during the taping of Thursday's "The Late Late Show," which he began hosting in 2015.
Full StoryHelen Mirren graces People magazine's "The Beautiful Issue" in a cover story that touches on her thoughts of beauty and how the Oscar winner still gets nervous before filming a role.
The magazine on Wednesday revealed the cover of the annual issue, which hits newsstands Friday.
Full StoryAs Egyptians mark the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, they are being treated to a blockbuster TV series that celebrates their army marshal turned president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Fans hail "Al-Ikhtiyar 3" (The Choice 3) for enlightening the masses about Egypt's turbulent recent history. Critics see it as propaganda by a regime that rules with an iron fist.
Full StoryActor Johnny Depp has concluded a grueling four days on the witness stand, telling jurors in a calm voice that he filed his libel lawsuit against his ex-wife because it was his best chance to reclaim his reputation, just hours after they heard audio clips of him berating his wife with coarse vulgarities.
"It was the only time I was able to fight back and use my own voice," Depp said of his decision to sue Amber Heard for a 2018 op-ed piece in The Washington Post in which she refers to herself as "a public figure representing domestic abuse."
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