1. Woman allegedly tries to steal presents from under Robert De Niro's Christmas tree
You're a mean one … and you talkin' to me? A woman has been arrested after allegedly breaking into Robert De Niro's home in New York and attempting to steal presents right from underneath his Christmas tree, according to ABC 7. The suspect, 30-year-old Shanice Aviles, reportedly entered the Taxi Driver star's home at 2:45 in the morning, but police were already following her because she was wanted in connection with several other alleged burglaries, and she was just arrested less than two weeks ago, the report says. Police reportedly entered the home and caught the suspect while she was trying to put presents from underneath De Niro's tree into a bag, and the actor came downstairs while this was all going on. She was arrested on burglary charges, and sources indicated she's as cuddly as a cactus and as charming as an eel.
ABC 7 People
2. Steven Spielberg fears 'sharks are somehow mad at me' for 'Jaws'
You're gonna need a bigger apology. Steven Spielberg has extended an olive branch to the shark community, expressing regret that his film Jaws made everyone hate them. The 1975 classic famously left audiences afraid to go in the water, but Florida Program for Shark Research director George Burgess also told BBC in 2015 that "thousands of fishers set out to catch trophy sharks after seeing" it. Spielberg addressed this on BBC's Desert Island Discs. "That's one of the things I still fear — not to get eaten by a shark, but that sharks are somehow mad at me for the feeding frenzy of crazy sport fisherman that happened after 1975, which I truly, and to this day, regret the decimation of the shark population because of the book and the film," he said. "I really, truly regret that." The director has yet to apologize for the way Ready Player One may have led to discrimination against gamers.
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3. Amber Heard settles Johnny Depp defamation case, will pay $1 million
It's officially, mercifully over. Amber Heard said Monday she has made the "very difficult decision" to settle the defamation case with her ex-husband Johnny Depp and will no longer appeal the verdict in their Virginia trial. She's set to pay $1 million, which will come from her insurance company, TMZ reports. Depp attorneys Camille Vasquez and Benjamin Chew told TMZ he'll donate the money to charity. After Depp sued Heard over an op-ed she wrote about being a victim of domestic abuse, a jury found she defamed him and ordered her to pay over $10 million. She was appealing the verdict but has now realized "the best outcome" of this would just be another trial, and she said she "simply cannot go through that" again. Heard added that she has now "lost faith in the American legal system," while Depp's attorneys said they are "pleased to formally close the door on this painful chapter."
TMZ The Week
4. Chris Harrison announces 'most dramatic podcast ever' after 'Bachelor' exit
He's not here to make friends, but he is here to make a podcast. Former Bachelor host Chris Harrison is launching his own podcast after his exit from the reality show, and not to overhype it or anything, but it's literally titled The Most Dramatic Podcast Ever … With Chris Harrison. He left The Bachelor in 2021 after facing backlash for defending contestant Rachael Kirkconnell, who attended an antebellum South-themed party in 2018. A preview suggested Harrison will address his exit on the podcast's Jan. 9 premiere episode. "I have not spoken publicly for two years about this, and I have a lot of thoughts," he says, adding that he's "looking forward to getting this off my shoulders." The podcast's logline said Harrison will "dig into all things relationships," but he'll also "discuss everything," and "there's no telling what he will have to say." Finally, we might be lucky enough to hear his take on The Slap!
Deadline
5. James Cameron flips off booing autograph-seekers
This time, "I see" weren't the four letters that preceded "you." Director James Cameron was spotted flipping the bird to a group of autograph-seekers in Beverly Hills after exiting a screening of his new film Avatar: The Way of Water. Video showed Cameron walking right past the crowd on the way to his car without signing any autographs, which infuriated them. So the crowd started angrily booing him, and multiple people even shouted "F--k Avatar!" It was at that point that Cameron extended his hand back through the window of his car, which was slightly rolled down, and flipped the bird — and the crowd responded in kind, shouting back, "F--k you!" Clearly, some fans are taking their hatred of high frame rate way too far.
TMZ
