Men's Journal's Blog, page 146

'America's Got Talent' Contestant Dead at 72

Alice Tan Ridley, an America’s Got Talent contestant and the mother of Oscar-nominated actor Gabourey Sidibe, has died at 72. She passed on March 25, according to an .

Ridley was a school teacher before becoming “a pillar of the New York City singing circuit,” often seen crooning in subway cars and the Herald Square shopping district. Ridley, a Georgia native, was a paid performer at Harlem’s famed Cotton Club and was featured in a 2005 episode of Showtime at the Apollo. That same year, she appeared in David Lachappelle’s documentary Rize, about competitive dancers in Los Angeles’ South Central neighborhood.

Related: Famed Singer Dead at 69 Following Dominican Roof Collapse

In 2010, she appeared on America’s Got Talent, singing Etta James’ “At Last” and wowing judges Howie Mandel and Piers Morgan. “Alice is just brilliant,” Morgan raved; while Mandel said of her progress through the show’s ranks, “Every time she moves on, it’s heartwarming and moving.”

Dvir Assouline, an Israeli student, began managing Ridley in 2010 after seeing her perform on the subway. “Whenever I saw her performing, there were always hundreds of people around her,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “She brought joy to so many people every day.”

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Ridley’s representation break came the same year that her daughter, Gabourey Sidibe, received an Oscar nomination for her role as the title character in Precious. Director Lee Daniels initially considered casting Ridley as Precious’ abusive mother, but the role ultimately went to Mo’Nique, who won an Oscar for her performance.

Ridley is survived by her two brothers, James D. "Jimmy" Ridley and Tommy Lee "Tom-Tom" Cherry, and two sisters, Julia Van Mater-Miller and Mildred Ridley Dent; as well as two grandchildren and her daughter.

Jay Leno Brings Fight to Keep Classic Cars on the Road to California Capitol

Nothing comes between Jay Leno and his massive collection of vintage cars—not even a little thing like the law.

As we previously reported, the former Tonight Show host’s massive vintage car collection is no joking matter to the comedian. In order to make sure that he can keep trucking along in any one of the estimated 181 cars and 160 motorcycles he owns, he announced in early March that he was partnering with California State Senator Shannon Grove to help pass what has become known as “Leno’s Law.”

Related: Jay Leno Spotted Casually Driving a Tank in L.A.

Officially introduced to the California State Senate as Senate Bill 712, the legislation would allow classic car enthusiasts like Leno to skip the biennial smog check inspection that the state currently requires of all collector vehicles that were manufactured after 1975.

On Tuesday, Leno headed to the California State Capitol in Sacramento to help plead the case on behalf of all classic car aficionados, and pull on some nostalgia-specific heartstrings—all with his trademark sense of humor.

“I know there’s nothing more annoying than Hollywood people involved in politics,” joked Leno by way of introduction. He went on to explain that because of the age of the vehicles, there are few facilities that are equipped to even perform a smog check on his many, many cars—which only leads to more headaches.

“I put more miles on it looking for smog stations than I do driving the thing,” said Leno. Though it was meant to be said in jest, there is a truth behind what he’s saying. While older cars such as the ones Leno loves so much do have a tendency to produce more smog, Leno and his fellow car collectors argue that their vehicles are more like works of art and spend most of their time parked in a garage on display versus being driven. 

They’re also lamenting the huge loss it would be to the history of the state to see the hot rods and other classic cars that have long been part of its culture disappear.

While the bill did pass, it’s just the first step in what will likely prove to be a long road ahead. But for tonight at least, Leno can take his favorite tank for a spin around the neighborhood and rest easy.

'Life Hacks' Influencer Sidney Raz's Tragedy Leads to Potentially Life-Saving Diagnosis

Sidney Raz, the content creator behind the viral "Life Hacks" video series, revealed he has been diagnosed with stomach cancer after undergoing genetic testing prompted by the tragic loss of his daughter.

PEOPLE reported that Raz and his wife sought genetic testing after their daughter was stillborn at 26 weeks due to holoprosencephaly, a rare birth defect that affects brain development. While the cause of the defect remained unclear, the testing uncovered a genetic mutation in his daughter associated with an increased risk of stomach cancer.

Despite having no symptoms of stomach cancer, Raz scheduled an endoscopy. Of 36 biopsies taken during the test, one revealed cancer. Doctors told him the disease was caught early. If he hadn’t taken action, he likely would have returned in three years with Stage 3 or 4 cancer. He talked about the diagnosis in a video on Instagram.

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As a result of the stomach cancer, Raz will undergo a gastrectomy, which is the complete removal of his stomach. The procedure involves connecting the esophagus directly to the intestines. After the procedure, the influencer will have to undertake a major lifestyle shift that includes a restricted diet, smaller meals, and long-term nutritional adjustments.

"You can just do that, and then keep going, apparently," Raz said in a video update. "It's going to be a big adjustment. But I don’t want cancer."

Raz emphasized that the only reason the cancer was found was because of the genetic screening done in the wake of his daughter’s death. "I had no symptoms," he said. "It was literally just my daughter’s DNA that saved my life."

The influencer, also the author of Life Hacks, Tips & Tricks, continues to share his journey with followers, bringing awareness to the hidden power of genetic testing—even when no warning signs are present.

Related: Viral Dad Life Hack Reveals Why You Should Always Keep a Towel in Your Car

Related: Toby Keith Gives Update on ‘Roller Coaster’ Stomach Cancer Battle

Fans in Disbelief Over LAPD Shooting of Weezer Bassist's Wife

Jillian Shriner, wife of Weezer bassist Scott Shriner, was shot by Los Angeles police and arrested Tuesday on suspicion of attempted murder during a search for a hit-and-run suspect in the Eagle Rock neighborhood. The unexpected incident caused disbelief among the band's fans.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, officers were investigating a nearby residence Tuesday afternoon when they spotted Shriner, armed with a pistol, in the front yard of her home next door. Police say they repeatedly ordered her to drop the weapon, but she allegedly pointed it at them, prompting officers to open fire. Later, she was taken into custody and transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Shriner was later booked on suspicion of attempted murder. No officers or civilians were injured during the incident.

Fans expressed their surprise about the news. X user, Ezinne Ukoha wrote, "This story makes no sense."

Another replied, "So I can be shot as the cops were looking for someone else? Like omg, this is crazy."

"Say it ain't so," another wrote, using lyrics from the band's popular song by the same name. "Is she okay?" wondered another fan.

Weezer, along with bassist Scott Shriner who joined in 2001, is slated to perform at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 12 as a last-minute addition to the weekend’s lineup. Representatives for Scott Shriner have not commented on his wife's arrest or whether it will impact the band’s upcoming performance.

On Reddit, one fan came with jokes, writing, "This is gonna ruin the tour," which alluded to Justin Timberlake's words after his 2024 arrest. 

"Imagine you're preparing for a major work presentation (or, in this case, Coachella) and you get a call that your partner did something like this....I would be.....frustrated, to say the least," another Redditor wrote.

"Wild, crazy story. Weezer is set to play Coachella this weekend but it wouldn’t surprise me if they cancel because of this," another worried.

Related: Wife of Weezer Member Shot by Cops, Facing Felony Charges

Related: Coachella Confirms Set Times for Ed Sheeran and Weezer

Related: Justin Timberlake Reportedly Arrested on DWI Charges in the Hamptons

Prince Harry's 'Life is at Stake,' Lawyer Warns

Britain's Home Office has ruled against giving Prince Harry the highest level of security protection when he is in the United Kingdom after he stepped down from as a senior royal in 2020. His lawyer is now arguing that the decision puts his life in danger.

In February of last year, Prince Harry lost a legal challenge over the government’s decision to take away his automatic right to high-level police protection following his decision to step down as a senior royal.

Britain's Home Office found "no basis for publicly funded security support for the duke and duchess within Great Britain."

In an appeal in the Royal Courts of Justice, the Duke of Sussex's attorney, Shaheed Fatima argued that this decision not to give Prince Harry high-level security puts his life in danger when he is in the United Kingdom.

"One mustn't forget the human dimension to this case. There is a person sitting behind me whose safety, whose security and whose life is at stake," Fatima said, according to The Independent.

"There’s a person sitting behind me who's been told he’s getting a special bespoke process when he knows and has experienced a process that is manifestly inferior," she continued.

A government lawyer, meanwhile, spoke out against Prince Harry's appeal.

"The appeal is fairly to be characterized in the same way," government lawyer James Eadie said on Tuesday. "It involves a continued failure to see the wood for the trees, advancing propositions available only by reading small parts of the evidence, and now the judgment, out of context and ignoring the totality of the picture."

A formal, written decision on the matter is expected at a later date. We'll have to see whether or not Harry wins his appeal.

Final Season of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Snags Rare 100% Rotten Tomatoes Score

After an agonizing two-and-a-half-year wait, The Handmaid’s Tale is back for its sixth and final season. And by some accounts, it might be the best season yet.

On Tuesday, Hulu dropped the first three episodes of the groundbreaking Margaret Atwood adaptation, and the reviews so far have been overwhelmingly positive. So much so, that the series’ final season is currently boasting a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer.

Since the beginning, The Handmaid’s Tale has been described as somewhat prophetic for debuting at a moment in time where women’s rights have come under attack. So it feels important to keep that spirit of resistance alive and well in the final episodes—and The Handmaid’s Tale does just that.

“Like its first season, the drama’s sixth one arrives designed to meet this moment, showing us the risks that must be taken, again and again, to dismantle an out-of-control, overreaching ,” writes Jen Chaney for Vulture. “It can’t happen overnight, or even during the course of a season or two or five of streaming television. It takes a long time, and the effort is emotionally and physically crushing. Even when progress is made, that progress is often undone. This may not necessarily make you emotionally eager to watch these final episodes, but it does make this season as attuned to where we are in 2025 as the first was to the Zeitgeist in 2017.”

As far as overall season rankings go, The Handmaid’s Tale’s latest season is so-far being touted as its very best with a perfect score; Season 1 comes in second, with a seemingly paltry 94 percent rating (at least compared to the current one).

“The Handmaid’s Tale’s last act may be more of a cliffhanger than a conclusion,” writes the Observer’s Emily Zemler. But it can still give us hope and recognition, an artistic mirror of our own modern history that has only become more prescient since Atwood conceptualized it.”

The Handmaid’s Tale season 6 is streaming on Hulu now.

Scottie Scheffler's Wife Meredith Scudder Makes Big Gesture Before Masters

Pro golfer Scottie Scheffler's wife Meredith Scudder made a big gesture before the Masters.

According to People, Scheffler's wife and their son functioned as his "caddie crew" before the tournament.

The mother and son caddied for Scheffler "during the Par 3 contest," which People described as "a family-forward tradition of the tournament that dates back to 1960."

Scheffler's son Bennett, not yet 1 year old, wore a white jumpsuit emblazoned with the last name "Scheffler" on the back.

The New York Post described Bennett as having stolen "the show."

Scheffler and his wife were high school sweethearts.

“At the beginning of high school I always thought he had a super humble ambiance about him, that he was just a really down-to-earth guy that doesn’t take himself too seriously,” Meredith Scheffler told Golf Digest in 2022 of the golfer. “Even when he had amazing accomplishments, that wasn’t the most important thing about him.”

Scottie Scheffler of the United States interacts with his wife, Meredith Scheffler, and son, Bennett Scheffler on the fourth hole during the Par Three Contest prior to the 2025 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 09, 2025 in Augusta, Georgia.

Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

Scheffler spoke about his wife during a 2023 press conference, saying he had to "woo her for a few years."

Scheffler told the PGA Tour that being a dad was "pretty wild." He also described fatherhood as "a pretty exciting time."

"I think it's just wild watching Meredith go through that," Scheffler told the PGA Tour. "It's just nuts. I don't really know how to describe it, watching the little dude come out of Meredith, and we waited, and it was a surprise for us whether it was going to be a boy or girl, so being able to tell my wife that it was a boy, yeah, it was a wild ride."

He added: "Extremely proud of Meredith after watching her go through that. It's nuts. I'm glad it was her going through it and not me because I don't know if I could have done it. It was pretty nuts. Extremely proud of her, and the look on her face right after birth, she was just glowing, so proud of herself and so excited to have our little boy."

Rory McIlroy Reveals Wife Erica Stoll's Surprise Suggestion

Pro golfer Rory McIlroy has shared a surprise suggestion he received from his wife Erica Stoll leading up to the Masters.

She suggested that he watch the Netflix show Bridgerton, and he actually took her up on it.

McIlroy made the revelation in an interview with UK Mirror.

"I've gotten into Bridgerton - I didn't think I would. I was very against watching it, but Erica convinced me. So we're on a bit of a Bridgerton kick this week, yeah," McIlroy told UK Mirror.

"And I for the first time in a long time am reading a novel. I actually got some fiction into my life. It's a John Grisham book. The Reckoning. It's got off to a pretty good start," he added.

Bridgerton "follows Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor), the eldest daughter of the powerful Bridgerton family as she makes her debut onto Regency London’s competitive marriage market," according to Rotten Tomatoes.

According to The New York Post, McIlroy and Stoll have demonstrated that their marital problems were in the past.

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and his wife, Erica Stoll embrace their daughter, Poppy McIlroy after she holed out on the ninth green during the Par Three Contest prior to the 2025 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 09, 2025 in Augusta, Georgia.

Harry How/Getty Images

McIlroy, Stoll, and their 4-year-old daughter, Poppy, "posed in front of water at the Masters Par 3 Contest on Wednesday" April 9, 2025, according to The Post,

In May, McIlroy filed for divorce from Stoll, The Post reported, but he dismissed the action a month later. However, the pair have presented a loving relationship since that time. 

When McIlroy subsequently won the Players Championship, his wife celebrated the victory with a kiss, The Post reported.

“Erica and I have realized that our best future was as a family together," McIlroy told The Guardian when the couple reconciled.

"Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a new beginning," McIlroy told The Guardian.

Skiing Star Dies at Age 26 in Tragic Tahoe Accident on Slopes

Ellery Curtis was a 26-year-old skier who died in a tragic accident at Palisades Tahoe.

She died after an accident that occurred at 3:45 p.m. Saturday, April 5, 2025, "on terrain accessed from the KT-22 chairlift," SFGate reported.

Ski patrol "responded immediately and provided onsite medical care, but the skier succumbed to a fatal head injury," according to SFGate.

According to Powder.com, Curtis died on "Ahhh Chute, a challenging trail on Palisades' famous KT-22 lift."

Curtis skied for Dartmouth University.

She "earned a spot on the All-America Second Team by placing eighth in the giant slalom at the NCAA Championships," the university's page for Curtis says. She was also named to the All-East Second Team "as the seventh-ranked women’s alpine skier in the East." And she was named to the USCSCA National Collegiate All-Academic Ski Team "for a third straight year," the university wrote on its page for Curtis, referred to as Ellie Curtis on the page.

A drone photo shows cable car as skiers flock Palisades Tahoe ski resort in Olympic Valley, California, United States on March 4, 2024 as blizzard warning issued for California's Sierra Nevada.

Anadolu/Getty Images

She "pushed the limits every time on the slopes that led to great results or DNF results … completed both runs in three races, reaching the podium each time, starting with a third-place showing in the slalom in the Vermont race that was held at Dartmouth," according to the website.

Under "personal," the website says she was the "daughter of Charles Curtis and Katherine Dolan … has one sister … interested in a business career … enjoys camping, biking and hiking."

“Ellie was amazing. She was one of the hardest workers I’ve had in my 10 years at Dartmouth, and that’s off the snow also,” Dartmouth women’s Alpine ski coach John Dwyer told Valley News. “She was a tremendous student.”

Curtis was working as a public utilities regulatory analyst, according to her LinkedIn page.

Hollywood’s First and Only Publicist to Win an Oscar Dies at 96

Hollywood lost one of its most unique talents on Monday, April 7 when publicist Marvin Levy passed away at the age of 96.

Levy was lovingly referred to as the “Spielberg Whisperer” because of his close relationship with Steven Spielberg that transcended the typical job of a publicist. The two worked together for approximately half-a-century, trusting each other implicitly with each one becoming one of the other’s most trusted advisors.

Related: Former Child Star Dead at 73

Levy and Spielberg first met when they were both relative newcomers to Hollywood: Spielberg was just coming off the record-breaking success of Jaws and Levy was working on the campaigns for Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver (1976), Peter Yates’ The Deep (1977), and Robert Benton’s Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), which scooped up five Academy Awards in 1980—including Best Picture.

But Spielberg valued Levy’s insights so much that he wanted him all to himself. So he offered him a job in publicity with his company, Amblin Entertainment, and the two spent the next 50 years collaborating on dozens of major projects. On Tuesday, per The Hollywood Reporter, Spielberg issued a statement that reads as follows:

“Marvin’s passing is a huge loss for me and our industry writ large. There are many talented PR executives, but Marvin was one of a kind. For over 50 years, he was a deeply loyal and exceptional collaborator who was respected and appreciated by all those who were lucky enough to learn from his counsel. When it came to handling the press, he had no peer. To the media and the world of exhibition, Marvin was the face of Amblin."

“We were opposite ends of the moviemaking process,” Spielberg’s statement continued. “Every time I reached the end of production on a film, Marvin’s work had only begun. Through countless films, TV series, Amblin events, awards campaigns and our public relations strategy—this is where Marvin came alive. He loved his work, and was endlessly enthusiastic about our business. He was creative, innovative and respected for his knowledge and honesty. He was excited to figure [out] new and better ways to present films to audiences. As a result, he was the first and only publicist to receive an Academy Award.”

That very distinct honor came in 2018, when Levy was given an Honorary Oscar. His reaction to the news was typically understated: He likened it to a sports agent winning an MVP award.

“It was way out of left field for me,” Levy later said. “I couldn’t have imagined it. It’s not like I could say ‘Gee, I’d love to get that one day.’ It was not on my to-do list.”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Levy is survived by his wife, Carol; their sons, Don and Doug; and two grandsons, Brian and Daniel.