Bruce Willis, the iconic movie star who starred in Die Hard, The Sixth Sense, Pulp Fiction and scores of other blockbusters, is retiring from show business.
The family of Willis, 67, announced that the beloved actor is stepping aside after being diagnosed with aphasia, a language disorder caused by brain damage that affects a person’s ability to communicate.
According to Mayo Clinic, aphasia “is a condition that robs you of the ability to communicate. It can affect your ability to speak, write and understand language, both verbal and written.”
The medical authority adds that the condition “typically occurs suddenly after a stroke or a head injury. But it can also come on gradually from a slow-growing brain tumor or a disease that causes progressive, permanent damage (degenerative).”
Willis’ family members posted a joint statement to Instagram announcing the actor’s retirement.
“To Bruce’s amazing supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities,” the statement reads.
“As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him.”
“This is a really challenging time for our family and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion and support,” the statement continues.
“We are moving through this as a strong family unit, and wanted to bring his fans in because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him. As Bruce always says, ‘Live it up’ and together we plan to do just that.”
From Variety:
Willis’ acting career started in the early 1980s with uncredited roles in films such as Sidney Lumet’s “The Verdict.” His career exploded later that decade thanks to his starring role opposite Cybill Shepherd in the ABC series “Moonlighting ” and his performance as John McClane in the 1988 action movie “Die Hard,” which gave Willis his first major film franchise.
Across his four-decade acting career, Willis’ movies have grossed over $5 billion worldwide. He’s been nominated for five Golden Globes (winning one for “Moonlighting”) and three Emmys (winning one for “Moonlighting” and another for his “Friends” guest role).
Read the full Willis family statement in the Instagram post above.
Lotus is the first major marque to bring pure electric propulsion to the luxury SUV space spearheaded by the likes of Lamborghini, Porsche and Bentley.
The all-new Eletre crossover is a major departure from the lightweight sports cars, like the barebones Elise or more advanced Evora, that standout on the British marque’s timeline.
But the Lotus Eletre “hyper-SUV” (as its billed) was conceived after Chinese automotive giant Geely Holding Group secured a majority stake in Lotus in 2017.
However, Car and Driver reports that the that the Eletre’s architecture is made just for Lotus, meaning it’s not related to existing Volvo or Polestar EVs under the Geely Group umbrella.
Angular body panels, aggressive windshield raking and the yellow presentation color call the Lamborghini Urus to mind. And at 200.9 inches long, 78.7 inches wide, 64.2 inches tall and with a 118.9-inch wheel, C&D adds that its dimensions are nearly identical.
Performance specs haven’t been announced, but at least 600 horsepower from a 100-kWh battery will go to all-four wheels.
A claimed sub-three-second 60-mph time is quicker than than the Urus, Bentayga, and practically ever other production SUV except for the Tesla Model X Plaid. It’s no slouch maxed out at 161 mph, either.
Targeted range is also impressive at 315 miles, with two-thirds of its battery replenished in 20 minutes using a 350-kW fast charger.
The Eletre also boasts active aero components like a closing grille shutter and three-position rear spoiler.
Those striking, 23-inch sculpted rims are upgrades, so expect the 22-inch standard rims to be less dramatic. Tesla-like autonomy will come courtesy of lidar sensors embedded in the roof and above the wheel arches.
The interior was designed to Chinese tastes first, as the Eletre will be built in a new Wuhan factory. It’s clad in a wool-blend fabric, which admittedly isn’t as upscale a treatment as you’d find in a Lambo or Porsche.
A blade of light stretching across the dash changes color as part of the interface, signaling occurrences such as incoming calls, charge status or temperature changes. Below that is what Lotus calls a “ribbon of technology,” a 30mm high display on both driver’s and passenger’ sides that can be configured to show vehicle information or infotainment selections.
Between the front occupants is a 15.1-inch touchscreen that can be used to access 95 percent of vehicle systems in three or fewer screen inputs and folds flat when not in use. An 800-watt, 15-speaker surround sound audio system will be standard, a 23-speaker, 1500-watt system optional, and both funky four- or traditional five-seat layouts are available.
An unconfirmed price should sit at around $120,000 when the Lotus Eletre arrives in the U.S. in 2024.
A preliminary toxicology report indicates that Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins had multiple substances in his system at the time of his tragic passing on March 25 at age 50.
“The toxicology test on urine from Taylor Hawkins’ body preliminarily found 10 types of substances, including: THC, tricyclic antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and opioids,” the Attorney General’s Office of Colombia shared Saturday in a statement on its Twitter account, per People.
“The National Institute of Legal Medicine is continuing medical studies to completely clarify the cause of death for Taylor Hawkins.”
Hawkins’ cause of death has yet to be officially revealed since his body was found at a Colombian hotel, near where the Foo Fighters were set to perform at the Estereo Picnic festival in Bogota.
But according to the Daily Mail, forensic experts examining Hawkins postmortem found that his heart weighed “at least 600 grams”—double the 300-to-350-gram weight of an average male’s heart. Investigators believe that he suffered from cardiovascular collapse due to a cocktail of drugs.
Citing Brazilian news site Globo 1, the U.S. Sun reports that Lollapalooza creator and Jane’s Addiction singer Perry Farrell shared an audio message he received from Hawkins on the Thursday night before he died.
“Take care of each other. And I’ll take care of myself. And I’ll see you in Sao Paulo. I love, love, love you. Sleep well.”
The Foo Fighters were slated to headline Lollapalooza Brasil in Sao Paolo on the following Sunday, but canceled the remainder of their South American tour.
Miley Cyrus filled in and dedicated her song “Angels Like You” to Hawkins.
“I would have done anything to hang out with him one more time,” a teary-eyed Cyrus told the crowd, per ET Canada.
“But I know that any time that I get onstage and any time that I get to play with my band, which if anything ever fucking happened to any one of them it would fucking kill me, so I couldn’t imagine how the Foo Fighters felt today,” she said.
Bandmates Dave Grohl, Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett, Nate Mendel, and Rami Jaffee haven’t addressed Hawkins’ death individually, but the Foo Fighters Twitter account posted the following statement as the tragic news broke.
“The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins. His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever. Our hearts go out to his wife, children and family, and we ask that their privacy be treated with the utmost respect in this unimaginably difficult time.”
A bevy of tributes and reactions poured in from Tom Morello, Travis Barker, Lars Ulrich, The Smashing Pumpkins, Slash, LL Cool J, Guns N’ Roses, and several other fellow musicians and celebrities.
During his final in-person interview with Rolling Stone in 2021, Hawkins refused to answer a question about his sobriety, insisting “I just lead a really healthy lifestyle.”
“I’ve been down that road with people so much, and it’s been like a thing,” he shared. “That’s kind of been an arc of my life so much. It’s like my story and the band too, almost sometimes, is my big fucking fuckup in London 20 years ago,” Hawkins said in reference to a 2001 overdose that put him in a two-week-long coma.
He added that he didn’t want substance use to be the “centerpiece” of his legacy.
“I don’t want to talk about it, I don’t want my son reading it,” he added. “Listen, for anyone out there who has problems and their fucking life is a mess, yeah, I get it. You know, my life has been there plenty of times, so I get it.”
Hawkins is survived by his wife Alison and three children.
Mercedes-Benz is celebrating 55 years of its high-performance subsidiary AMG with an appropriately maxed-out new G-Wagen.
Hot on the heels of a special-edition non-AMG G63 Edition 550 announced in early-March comes the all-new Mercedes-AMG G63 Edition 55, named in honor of AMG’s 55th anniversary.
The crucial difference between the two special edition G-Wagens is the engine. Both run twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8s, but the AMG is uptuned from 416 to a whopping 577 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque.
The finish pictured is Opalite White, but Car and Driver reports that U.S.-bound examples will wear Obsidian Black metallic—here’s an example of what that color looks like:
The 22-inch AMG forged wheels feature a cross-spoke design with a matte grey paint finish and a high-sheen rim flange, while an AMG Night Package adds black accents across the exterior. The fuel filler cap in silver chrome with AMG lettering and various other AMG badges serve as more exclusive touches markers.
The pictured interior, however, is depicted correctly with a black and red theme and two-tone Nappa leather seats. Stainless steel door sill trims with red illuminated AMG lettering greet occupants, while black AMG floor mats made of high-quality velour feature red contrasting stitching and “Edition 55” lettering woven in red. AMG’s performance wheel is clad in microfiber and marked with a “55” badge.
Mercedes didn’t provide details on a price or release. Contact a dealership for further details, and expect a quote significantly higher than the standard AMG G63’s $160,000 base price.
Welcome back for another fantastic Maxim Australia cover, Nat. How does it feel the second time around?
Spectacular! My previous Maxim Australia cover has been one of my favorite covers for years, until now! I’m so happy to be gracing the cover for the second time. Crazy to note that the first was in 2016!
What have you been up to since then?
I’ve moved countries a few times. I lived in L.A. for three years and now I’m back in Sydney where my whole modelling career started. I’m also married with a handful of new and exciting business ventures keeping me busy. I increased my list of traveled countries to 25 and welcomed two cute Cavalier King Charles puppies into my life.
Nice. Give us the top three biggest changes in your life since 2016.
In May 2021 I underwent a major surgery to correct a spinal disorder called Scoliosis. I had a nice and strong titanium rod installed along my spine to correct a curve that I have had since I was 13. It had been getting worse with time – thanks gravity – so it was a definite requirement to prevent my organs from shutting down with a lack of space in my shortening torso. It was a crazy surgery and I’m actually still on the 12-month long recovery journey. My whole body is readjusting to its new position. It’s worthwhile and life-saving, but a huge personal change.
Holy crap, that is a big change! Do we dare ask about the other two?
Second would be COVID. Who didn’t have their life changed from the pandemic? I relocated back to Australia from L.A. right at the start of 2020 with the plan to go back at some point, but that changed as we settled here in Sydney. Third would be my new husband – my personal favorite!
Yes! Huge congrats on your recent marriage to [Australian TV actor] Harley Bonner. We hear that he actually proposed to you during this photo shoot?
He did! He managed to surprise me while I was distracted with the shoot. I was planning all the shots of the day and had decided that last one will be a sunset image. While I was getting ready Harley had set up “the shot” and I remember thinking he didn’t set it up the way I would have and wondered why. It took me a very long minute to figure out that the set up wasn’t for my Instagram and that he was up to something much more special. I was so shocked – I just wasn’t expecting it right there and then. After that shock settled, I just cried and smiled for the rest of the night. It was magic.
And you definitely created magic for this shoot. What goes through your mind whilst shooting in lingerie?
Abs and toes! I’m super aware that I’m always elongating my legs by pointing my toes and keeping my abs engaged. Other than that, I make sure I know where the light is so that it hits my body in the right places, and try to relax and work with the environment.
Well, as always, you look amazing. What do you think is the sexiest thing about you?
Thank you! I think I always feel my sexiest when my hair is on point. I love when my hair looks full and wild. I always love when I come home from a shoot and I have my hair and make-up all done and without fail Harley makes a comment saying how beautiful I look – even if I’ve swapped to sweats and an old tee. That makes me feel sexy.
What would people be most surprised to know about you?
Probably that I spend most of my time with no make-up on and wearing activewear, but my Instagram would portray a little different to that. I’m very laid back with my appearance most of the time.
When and why did you decide to launch your lingerie range Rose & Bare?
Rose & Bare was a dream of mine for many years before I launched in late 2018. It took me about five years to develop the product and save my pennies to create the brand I’m now so proud of. The idea came from my own struggles to find a “nude” underwear that actually matched my skin. So I developed four tones that better matched as many women as I could.
How is the business going?
It’s so great! It’s always nice when you surprise yourself, and Rose & Bare has been full of exciting surprises. The products have been so well received and R&B now has its own cult following! I think its success has come from a real need for the product I’m offering.
You promote Rose & Bare as the “nude specialists” and have always embraced artistic nudity – when was the last time you did a nudie run?
Haha! Nude is best! I think my last nudie run was two weeks ago for a shoot for my online magazine, Series.
Body image is a big part of Rose & Bare, but you recently felt the need to defend yourself after The Daily Mail called some of your photos on social media “raunchy.” Please explain?
They were talking about my Series magazine, which is an art magazine I created two years ago to provide a safe and female dominant publication for women to create nude art. I feature in the subscription magazine once a month and I share a few of these images on my social media.
They could absolutely be described as “raunchy” but they’re tasteful and something I’m proud of. To me, raunchy isn’t a dirty word and my IG will stay the same no matter what publications like The Daily Mail say about it.
You’ve said you love posing nude and don’t see shame in it if it’s created for the purpose of self-empowerment. Why is this so important to you?
I think shaming someone for sharing theirbody in an environment where they feel safe and beautiful is completely uncalled for. General Society sees nudity as something to hide and keep “secret” and I have no issue with people who have that view for themselves. However, when people start telling others what they can and can’t do with their own skin and bones, I think a line needs to be drawn.
The next generation are really praising body positivity and freedom of expressing who you are. I’m all for that. I love creating nude art. I use to do that for fun with no monetary benefit so now I’ve found a way to continue creating and pay myself and my amazing creative teams.
You have 1.4 million (and counting) Instagram followers. How do you keep them coming back for more?
I have no idea! I’m very lucky to be in the position I am. I just share my life (the highlight reel) and I feel very grateful that everyone responds the way they do.
You’re a model, business owner, influencer, ambassador, editor, wife… which role do you love the most?
I think my favorite role is editor. I just love the freedom to create. It’s that same creation role that I love in all aspects of my career. Editing Series just allows me to flex my creative muscles and I’m obsessed with it!
Speaking of roles, has living with an actor given you the acting bug?
It kind of has! I’ve loved watching Harley do his thing and have been given an amazing insight into the world of acting. I’m terrified and excited by it at the same time. It’s something I’d consider in the future.
You were recently featured in Maxim U.S.A. who described you as “taking the world by storm.” Is world domination something you strive for?
Such a beautiful comment from Maxim U.S.A.! I don’t really strive for domination, but I do strive to be the best version of myself and always release quality work. I don’t do anything in halves. If I have an idea, I need to commit to it 100 percent. I think this is what leads me to my success.
What’s next for you?
For once, I’m not sure! I don’t have a plan! COVID has really taught me the art of living in the moment. So, I’m going to enjoy my time living in Sydney until life leads me onto my next chapter!
