Entertainment
US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka claims fourth Grand Slam title
NEW YORK: US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka may be nicknamed “The Tiger”, but her New York triumph on Saturday was less about raw aggression and more poise, as the world number one steadied herself and regrouped in key moments to claim a fourth Grand Slam title.
Determined to become the first woman since American great Serena Williams (2012–14) to defend her crown at Flushing Meadows, the Belarusian carried the weight of recent major setbacks to claim a 6-3 7-6(3) win over Amanda Anisimova in the final and retain her crown.
After final defeats at Melbourne and Paris, and a Wimbledon semi-final setback against Anisimova, Sabalenka turned all that disappointment into fuel, earning the right to show up to her press conference in party mode, goggles perched on her head and a bottle of champagne in hand.
“After the Australian Open I thought that the right way would be just to forget it and move on, but then the same thing happened at the French Open. So I figured that, okay, maybe it’s time for me to sit back and to look at those finals and to maybe learn something,” an ecstatic Sabalenka told reporters.
“Going into this final I decided for myself that I’m going to control my emotions. I’m not going to let them take control over me, and doesn’t matter what happens in the match.
“My mindset was just going out there, fight for every point. Doesn’t matter of the situation. Just focus on myself and focus on things that I have to do to win the match.”
The occasion seemed ripe for Sabalenka to crumble under the roar of a partisan Arthur Ashe crowd cheering her American opponent, but the 27-year-old showed that she was equipped to prevail in the toughest moments.
Sabalenka was serving for the match when she gifted Anisimova a break with a flubbed smash in what seemed a pivotal momentum shift. Yet the top seed did not miss when it mattered the most, winning a record 19th straight tiebreak.
“There were moments where I was really close to losing control, but I told myself, ‘No, it’s not going to happen. It’s absolutely okay’,” Sabalenka said.
“I was really close to losing it, because you cannot make these kinds of mistakes on important points. Sometimes it can be crucial, from my experience.
“But then I turn around and I took a deep breath in, and I was, like, okay, it happens. It’s in the past. Let’s focus on the next one.”
Sabalenka added that her milestone 100th Grand Slam match win carried extra weight because of the road it took to get there.
“You know, this one felt like I had to overcome a lot of things to get this one,” she said. “I knew that the hard work we put in, like, I deserved to have a Grand Slam title this season.
“It means a lot to defend this title and to bring such great tennis on the court. To bring the fight and be able to handle my emotions the way I did in this final, it means a lot. I’m super proud right now of myself.”
Entertainment
Amanda Seyfried is ‘going to keep campaigning’ for ‘Mamma Mia 3′
Amanda Seyfried is not letting go of her hopes for a third Mamma Mia! film and says she’s more motivated than ever to see it happen.
Speaking with PEOPLE at the Los Angeles premiere of The Testament of Ann Lee on Dec. 14, the actress made it clear she’s ready to keep pushing for Mamma Mia 3, especially if it allows her beloved character Sophie to step into a new phase of life.
When asked what Sophie’s future might look like if the franchise returns, Seyfried immediately imagined motherhood.
“Oh, with kids. I mean, I love being a mother,” the 40-year-old said, drawing a parallel between her own life and Sophie’s journey.
“I love playing a mother, and I would love to dive into the curiosities of motherhood and raising children on a Greek island, just like Donna did with Sophie.”
Meryl Streep famously played Donna, Sophie’s free-spirited mother, in the original 2008 musical.
Seyfried believes that exploring Sophie as a parent could open up fresh emotional ground for the story.
“I think that would be really interesting,” she said, adding that while she doesn’t know exactly where the plot would go, she’s confident the heart of the franchise would remain the same.
“I have no idea where the story is going to go, but I know there’s going to be a lot of singing and dancing.”
Her enthusiasm doesn’t stop there. Seyfried made it clear she’s not quietly waiting on the sidelines.
“I’m going to keep campaigning for that movie until I’m blue in the face,” she said, emphasizing just how committed she is to seeing the third installment made.
There is reason for optimism.
Producer Judy Craymer has confirmed that a script for Mamma Mia 3 has already been completed and that the film remains in development as a follow-up to 2018’s Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.
“Well, we know what we want to do with the movie, and it will happen,” Craymer told Deadline in May, while also discussing the possibility of Sabrina Carpenter joining the cast alongside Seyfried and Streep.
Off screen, Seyfried brings real-life experience to the idea of motherhood.
She shares daughter Nina, 8, and son Thomas, 5, with her husband, actor Thomas Sadoski.
The couple got engaged in 2016, eloped the following year, and now live with their children on a farm in upstate New York.
For Seyfried, both on screen and off, motherhood seems like a story she’s more than ready to keep telling.
Entertainment
Actor James Ransone, known for his roles in “The Wire” and “It: Chapter Two,” dies at 46
James Ransone, the actor who played Ziggy Sobotka in the HBO series “The Wire” and appeared in many other TV shows and movies, has died. He was 46.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office said in online records that Ransone died by suicide on Friday.
Ransone’s film credits include “It: Chapter Two,” “The Black Phone” and “Black Phone 2,” and he appeared in TV shows including the cop drama “Bosch” and “Poker Face.”
CBS News reached out to representatives of Ransone on Sunday, as well as to a spokesperson for the medical examiner’s office, for comment.
Emma McIntyre/FilmMagic
Ransone, a Maryland native, told Interview Magazine in 2016 that he had realized he was a full-blown actor while shooting “Generation Kill,” a 2008 HBO mini-series also starring Alexander Skarsgård and Jon Huertas. He also spoke about struggling with addiction for several years before he sobered up ahead of filming the series.
According to the interview, Ransone’s passion for performing arts was cultivated when he was a teenager in Baltimore.
“Baltimore breeds a really specific type of weirdo,” he told Interview Magazine. “Animal Collective is from Baltimore. Dan Deacon, John Waters. There’s a through line of weirdness and a hard edge that I see when I meet people from that area.”
Ransone is survived by his wife and their two children.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or a suicidal crisis, you can reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. You can also chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline here.
For more information about mental health care resources and support, The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. ET, at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264).
Entertainment
Vogue Williams says ‘end of era’ as couple sell Battersea flat
Irish media personality and model, Vogue Williams and her husband Spencer Matthews have taken a major step in their personal lives by selling their £4.25million Battersea apartment and buying their ‘forever’ home in London.
The couple first put their luxurious London flat on the market two years ago, slashing the price but a staggering £1million during that time.
In the latest episode of her YouTube vlog, Vogue shared the couple have finally sold the first home where they made memories together and purchased their ‘forever’ family house in London back in June.
The I’m A Celeb star gave fans a sneak peak of the stunning new property but admitted the family will have to wait at least 18 months in due to extensive renovations.
‘We sold our apartment. It’s gone. End of an era. The apartment is gone,’ Vogue told viewers.
‘We’ve got a rental around the corner so that the kids can stay in school because we have bought our dream house.’
‘I’ll miss this apartment. We’ve lived here for seven years. It’s the first place we lived together. All our kids were born here. So, it’s going to be weird saying goodbye, but at the end of the day, we have this amazing house that we’re going to love so much.’
‘This is our forever house. I know that people say that, but it actually is our forever house. It’s like my dream home I have in Ireland. And this is the dream home here where I think the kids will grow up.’
Back in April it was revealed that Vogue and Spencer had knocked a further £450,000 off the asking price of their luxurious London apartment.
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