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Christian Bale Says Moses Could Be Considered A 'Terrorist'

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — To prepare for his role as Moses in "Exodus: Gods and Kings," Christian Bale watched Monty Python's "The Life of Brian" and Mel Brooks' "History of the World, Part One."

The Oscar-winning actor found Moses a complicated man, and didn't want his version of the biblical hero to be too haughty. "It's a very fine line between getting it right and doing an unwished for 'Life of Brian,'" Bale said, adding that the Monty Python classic's chipper tune, "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," played in his mind often on set.

Bale stars opposite Joel Edgerton in the Ridley Scott epic opening Friday. Other stars include Sigourney Weaver and John Turturro. The film has been criticized for casting white actors as Egyptians, and some have called for a boycott. Scott has said those people need to "get a life."

Bale became interested in the role after learning more about Moses, he said: "A man of absolutely ridiculously strong conviction who also is capable of debilitating self-doubt just makes for a really fascinating character."

The actor also suggests the religious icon could be considered a terrorist.

"If you're not religious, you can look at it as one man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist," he said. "You look at empire and the attitudes of empire, and perhaps the necessity that for empires to exist... they (must) have actually a hierarchy among people, whether that's spoken or unspoken. It's fascinating. And it's for our times because it's very human, and Moses was a far more human and fallible character than I had imagined before."

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Follow AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen at www.twitter.com/APSandy .

New 'Inside Out' Trailer Gets Inside Your Parents' Minds

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The first trailer for Pixar's "Inside Out" got inside an 11-year-old's head to find Fear, Sadness Joy, Disgust and Anger. But the new sneak peak, teases more of what goes on inside parents' brains as we see how Mom and Dad deal with Riley, said tween, and her dinner table back-talk

Directed by Pete Docter, "Inside Out" will follow Riley's emotions as she adjusts to a new life in San Francisco, and the main characters aren't really Riley's family. Voiced by Bill Hader, Phyllis Smith, Amy Poehler, Mindy Kaling and Lewis Black, the emotions take center stage. "Inside Out" opens June 19, 2015.

David Letterman To Host Final 'Late Show' Broadcast In May

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David Letterman's tenure on "The Late Show" now has an official end date. CBS announced announced on Wednesday that the late-night veteran would host his final show on May 20, 2015.

“David Letterman has given to all of us a remarkable legacy of achievement and creative brilliance that will never be forgotten,” Leslie Moonves, President and CEO of the CBS Corporation, said in the release. “It’s going to be tough to say goodbye, but I know we will all cherish the shows leading up to Dave’s final broadcast in May.”

Letterman announced his decision to retire during a taping of "The Late Show" in April, and gave an approximate time line of one year for his departure.

“I just want to reiterate my thanks for the support from the network, all of the people who have worked here, all of the people in the theater, all the people on the staff, everybody at home, thank you very much," he said. “We don’t have the timetable for this precisely down -- I think it will be at least a year or so, but sometime in the not too distant future."

Soon after the announcement, Stephen Colbert, of Comedy Central's mega-hit "The Colbert Report" was named Letterman's successor.

“Simply being a guest on David Letterman’s show has been a highlight of my career,” Colbert said at the time. “I never dreamed that I would follow in his footsteps, though everyone in late night follows Dave’s lead.”

J.K. Rowling's 'The Cuckoo's Calling' Is Getting Adapted For TV

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It's been an eventful month so far for fans of creative sorceress author J.K. Rowling, who recently announced that she'll be releasing 12 new stories on her Harry Potter fan site Pottermore during December. The stories will center on beloved villain Draco Malfoy.

Yesterday, she announced even bigger news on Twitter:



Robert Galbraith is, of course, the nom de plume Rowling used while penning her Cormoran Strike series, which features an Afghanistan war vet-turned-private investigator. The first installment, The Cuckoo's Calling, follows Strike on a mission to discover the mystery behind a suddenly stricken-down supermodel (Lula Landry, aka "the Cuckoo"). The second, The Silkworm, investigates the death of a controversial novelist. BBC One commissioned the rights to adapt both books.

If reception of the series matches the buzz generated from the books' releases, it promises to be a major hit -- or at least a greater success than the forthcoming adaptation of Rowling's other adult book, The Casual Vacancy, which will air as a three-part production on BBC One in February. Both adaptations will be produced by Brontë Film and TV, but we're more excited about the fast-paced Galbraith mysteries than the lamentably dull characters Rowling penned in Vacancy.

The details of the series have yet to be revealed, but we suggest picking up the books in the meantime -- The Silkworm even made its way onto our Best Books of 2013 list.

Whoopi Goldberg Farts On 'The View,' Proves You Shouldn't Mess With Breakfast Burritos

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She's done it again.

On Tuesday's taping of "The View," host Whoopi Goldberg let out a loud fart while guest host Ashanti was passionately discussing her feelings on the flu shot.

"Excuse me, oh!" Goldberg cried as fellow host Rosie O'Donnell got up and started fanning the air, saying, "You know those breakfast burritos, they kill ya!"

This isn't the first time Goldberg has passed gas on "The View." In 2011, the EGOT winner let one rip while "Homeland" star Claire Danes was discussing issues of post-9/11 American identity -- though a spokesperson denied it.

"It was clearly a joke and all in good fun. Secretly we hoped it would get posted on YouToot," an ABC spokesperson told HuffPost TV at the time.

Guilty until proven innocent, Whoopi!




Ariana Grande Pairs Cat Ears With Fur Cuffs For Jingle Ball

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Ariana Grande took her cat style to another level with some faux fur accents Wednesday night while performing at Q102's Jingle Ball in Philadelphia.

Grande donned a pair of white cat ears -- an accessory the pop singer rarely goes without as of late -- and white fur cuffs on her wrists when she hit the stage at the Wells Fargo Center. She has been rocking the cuffs at other stops on the Jingle Ball tour. But, on Wednesday, along with the ears and cuffs, she had a white fur jacket on hand to complete the feline look.

It's pretty clear by now that the 21-year-old really loves a pair of ears.

“Polka dots and hair bows -- I can’t,” Grande told InStyle for the magazine's December 2014 issue. “Give me a skinny jean, a YSL top, and a cat ear, and we’re good.”

ariana grande

ariana grande

ariana grande

Melissa Rivers Honors Her Mother Joan In Emotional Tribute

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It was an emotional morning for Melissa Rivers on Wednesday as she was honored at The Hollywood Reporter's Women in Entertainment breakfast, making her first red carpet appearance since the death of her mother Joan.

Listen To Coldplay's New Song 'Miracles' From The 'Unbroken' Soundtrack

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Coldplay has released their new song, "Miracles," which comes from the soundtrack to the upcoming film "Unbroken" and is a big contender in this year's Oscars race for Best Original Song. Sonically similar to the band's most recent album, "Ghost Stories," "Miracles" is a classic Coldplay mixture of sad, yet inspirational, with a dash more of the latter in keeping with the movie's story. The most surprising part of "Miracles" is the fact that it took this long for Coldplay to write a song called "Miracles."

Frontman Chris Martin recently announced that the band was working on their seventh, and possibly final album, "A Head Full of Dreams." Listen to "Miracles":


Nick Jonas Talks About Playing Gay

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Nick Jonas is proud to play a gay character on television and isn't afraid to do a sex scene, either.

On Wednesday night's finale of DirecTV's "Kingdom," it was revealed that Jonas' character, MMA fighter Nate Kulina, is gay. The 22-year-old former Disney Channel star sees the role as part of a new chapter in his life. He opened up about playing a gay man during an interview with Buzzfeed, saying his religious family was "proud" of him for landing the gig.

“I’ve really been trying to make an effort to talk with my gay fan base and find unique opportunities to set up the next chapter of my life and my career with them in it,” Jonas told Buzzfeed. “The attitude I take in the stories I want to share and my personal life and my view is that I think we’re in a time where there’s a new progression. For all people of all walks of life to accept all people … I’d be thrilled if I’m any part of that.”

Jonas, whose father is an ordained minister and who used to wear a purity ring as a symbol of his then-virginity, is also open to filming a gay love scene if the story calls for it.

"I’m absolutely willing to go anywhere the story needs to go," he said, adding: “I have trust in [showrunner Byron Balasco] and the writing team to tell these stories in a really honest and grounded way and it’s my responsibility as an actor to be that person and tell those stories the best I can. So, absolutely I will do all I need to do.”

The signer, who has been dating former Miss Universe Olivia Culpo for almost two years, certainly isn't shy about showing his body these days. Along with a sexy spread for Flaunt magazine, he has been flashing his abs at gay bars around New York City.

"Kingdom" was picked up for 20 more episodes in October, Deadline.com reported.

Here's How Twitter Reacted To The Golden Globes Nomination Surprises

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The 72nd annual Golden Globe nominations were announced Thursday morning, highlighting the best in film and television this year. As usual, there were a handful of delightful surprises, unfortunate snubs and disappointments. Here's how people reacted to the news on Twitter:

"Maps to the Stars"
Julianne Moore grabbed two Best Actress nominations this year, one Drama for "Still Alice" (for which she has also earned a SAG nomination) and one Comedy for "Maps to the Stars." That film definitely divided critics this year (it left us at HuffPost Entertainment with a mix of intrigue and frustration). Moore might have won the Best Actress award for the David Cronenberg dark satire at Cannes earlier this year, but Twitter was still perplexed that the Hollywood Foreign Press even recognized it, especially as a Comedy.







"Big Eyes"
Tim Burton's "Big Eyes" has a 75-percent Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and earned three nominations for Best Actor (Christoph Waltz), Best Actress (Amy Adams) and Best Original Song (Lana Del Rey), but not everyone understood why:






Quvenzhané Wallis
Well, this was a shocker! Not that we don't all love the talented young actress (and more important, how excited we are for what purse she'll bring to the Globes?), but the fact that Wallis was nominated for "Annie" was a big surprise and made some question why the actress wasn't recognized by the HFPA in 2013 for her Oscar-nominated role in "Beasts of Southern Wild."








"Into the Woods"
Rob Marshall's musical film nabbed three nominations on Thursday, one for Best Musical or Comedy Film, Best Actress for Emily Blunt and Best Supporting for Meryl Streep. That was still was a bit much for some.




But at end of the day ...
The Globes can be right, but they can also be so wrong.






Because the truth is:


Nothing's Ever Meant More To Angelina Jolie Than 'Unbroken'

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Angelina Jolie has discussed her relationship with Louis Zamperini, the late World War II hero who is the focus of Jolie's new film, "Unbroken," in the past. But in a new featurette about the film, Jolie explains why the movie was so important to her. "I was so inspired by Louie's life. I had this fever to be a part of it," Jolie says in the clip, which HuffPost Entertainment is debuting above. "Because I wanted to walk in his footsteps and take this journey. I wanted to know how he grew as a man and endured. It was such a huge responsibility. It keeps me up at night. Nothing's ever meant more."

"Unbroken" is out on Christmas Day. Watch the feature above; check out an interview with the cast of "Unbroken" from HuffPost Live below.

The Thing No One Notices About Kenny G's Best-Selling Holiday Albums (VIDEO)

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If there's one thing everyone can agree on about Kenny G., it's that he's a truly talented saxophonist. From solo performances to beautiful collaborations, he mesmerizes audiences with his smooth jazz sounds -- and it's all been played on the same decades-old saxophone.

"I've had the same sax since I was in high school. Same one," Kenny G. tells "Oprah: Where Are They Now?" in the above video, showing off the instrument. "Everything I've ever played and recorded has been on this horn. Everything."

Though he has produced best-selling albums and has performed for packed crowds throughout his career, Kenny G. humbly attributes his talent to sheer hard work. "I practice my saxophone three hours every day," he says. "I'm not saying that I'm anything super special, but I've practiced for 40-plus years. If you do something for 40-plus years every day and you work hard at it, you're going to get good."

Kenny G.'s albums delight fans year-round, but the time of year that many associate with this beloved artist is Christmas. His 1994 holiday album "Miracles" is the second-best-selling Christmas record of all time (behind Elvis Presley's "Christmas Album"), and Kenny G. continues to play holiday classics on his saxophone every time the spirited season rolls around.

"'Deck the Halls' is probably my most favorite Christmas arrangement I've done," Kenny G. says. "It just gets you in the mood. I'm real proud of it, I love the melody and it's a song everybody knows. It's fun."

But what sparked a Jewish, self-taught saxophonist to put out an album of Christmas classics in the first place? Turns out, the better question is, who?

"The reason I started making holiday music was I would play 'White Christmas' at a live show. Dyan Cannon, the actress -- she was a friend of mine -- and she goes, 'You should make a whole album like that,'" Kenny G. says. "Then I go to Clive Davis and I say, 'Clive, I'm thinking about doing a Christmas record, but I'm Jewish.' Clive says, 'Hey me, too! We're all Jewish!'"

For that reason, there's one small fact that many people don't seem to notice about Kenny G.'s albums.

"If you'll notice... any Christmas record that I do is never really called a 'Christmas' record," he says. "It's called a 'holiday' record."

His "Miracles" holiday record still has a clear place among the Christmas greats, even 20 years after its release. "To know 'Miracles' is played in so many homes and it's a big part of people's holiday season is really flattering," Kenny G. says. "That CD was really, really heartfelt."

Related: Watch Kenny G. drop a bombshell during his 1986 appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show"

"Oprah: Where Are They Now?" airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on OWN. Find OWN on your TV.



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Watch Mark Wahlberg And Jimmy Fallon Slap Each Other Silly With Giant Fake Hands

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"Hit me" just took on a whole new meaning.

In honor of Mark Wahlberg's new movie "The Gambler," Jimmy Fallon and the actor decided it would be a good idea to play a game of Blackjack and slap each other in the face with giant prosthetic hands. It turns out, they were right.

Wahlberg made news recently by seeking a pardon for charges stemming back to his troubled youth. Though there's no answer on that yet, at least there's one question we don't have to wonder about anymore. Namely, "What'd the giant rubber hand say to the face?"

"The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on NBC.

Scott Rudin & Amy Pascal Apologize After Racially Insensitive Emails About Obama Leak

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Sony co-chairman Amy Pascal and producer Scott Rudin have apologized after racially insensitive emails they sent to each other leaked online as part of a massive hack of Sony Pictures.

"The content of my emails were insensitive and inappropriate but are not an accurate reflection of who I am," Pascal said in a statement provided to The Huffington Post. "Although this was a private communication that was stolen, I accept full responsibility for what I wrote and apologize to everyone who was offended."

In a statement to Deadline.com, Rudin said that while the emails were private correspondences between friends that were "written in haste and without much thought or sensitivity," he understood the notes were out of line. "I made a series of remarks that were meant only to be funny, but in the cold light of day, they are in fact thoughtless and insensitive," he said.

In the emails, published by BuzzFeed on Wednesday night, Pascal and Rudin discussed what movies President Barack Obama would probably count among his favorites. "'Ride-Along,'" Rudin wrote. "I bet he likes Kevin Hart." Other films with black casts that Pascal and Rudin presumed Obama would enjoy included "Django Unchained," "12 Years A Slave," "Lee Daniels' The Butler" and "Think Like A Man Too."

The Obama emails were the second embarrassing chain of emails between Rudin and Pascal to leak this week. On Tuesday, Defamer published emails between the pair that detailed their battles over Aaron Sorkin's Steve Jobs movie. Other information that has leaked out in the wake of the data breach include Sony's discussions about the future of Spider-Man, a potential crossover between "21 Jump Street" and "Men in Black" as well as the budget of "Spectre," the new James Bond film.

From Dexter to Drag: Michael C. Hall Talks Broadway, Playing Gay Characters and His Childhood

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2014-12-11-HedwigsingingJoanMarcuscredit.jpgFrom repressed funeral director on Six Feet Under to serial killer on Dexter, Michael C. Hall has the ability to warm his way into our hearts by portraying some of the most troubled individuals you hope you'd never meet. Now in the Broadway musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch (written by the show's original star, John Cameron Mitchell), Hall tackles the role of an East German rock star who had a botched gender-reassignment surgery.

Hall may have always been destined to take center stage in the production.

"I saw it downtown when I was doing Cabaret [in 1999]," he recalled in his dressing room a few hours before a Friday show. "I came down for a late show a couple times. I was so excited when the movie came out. I met John [Cameron Mitchell] in a Kim's Video in the West Village and geeked out on him. I was blown away by the piece, his performance and the music."

Hall's performance comes on the heels of Neil Patrick Harris, who won the Tony for Best Actor in a Musical earlier this year for his role as Hedwig, and Andrew Rannells.

When you see Hall on stage, he's full of piss and vinegar, but as he sits in his dressing room, barefoot and in jeans, a T-shirt and painted nails, he's reflective and gentle. He chooses his words so carefully that you can't help but hang on to every one. To get to Hall, though, you have to first go through Sal, his 5-year-old long-haired Dachshund/spaniel mix he fondly says has some snake, pony, bat, and unicorn thrown in. While Sal couldn't have weighed more than 15 pounds, she was very protective of the star. Eventually she calmed down but never left Hall's side as he delicately petted her throughout the entire interview. The kind of compassion he showed is what keeps us under his spell with every role.

2014-12-11-HedwigMCH0015r.jpgWhen you first saw Hedwig all those years ago, did you ever say, "I'd like to star in this one day"?

In the same way you listen to rock albums and say, "Man, I want to be in that band." Not in an eventual reality way -- more in a fantasy way.

This is your first musical since Cabaret in 1999. Did you feel any pressure returning to the musical stage?

Sure. I think if you don't have some sense of pressure, fear or uncertainty, then it's probably not worth doing. I received the invitation from John to do this, and I couldn't pass it up.

Did you keep your voice in shape during your long hiatus from musicals?

Not as consistently as I'd like to moving forward. I have enough experience singing and enough under my belt that I was able to get myself in shape.

We spoke of pressure musically, but how about the pressure of taking over the role after Neil Patrick Harris and Andrew Rannells?

Some of the edge was maybe taken off because Neil had the pressure of doing it for the first time since the original production and all the people who played it then. I had the experience of replacing Alan Cumming in Cabaret, so I've done the jumping-on-a-moving-train thing before. I also felt charged with the task or the invitation to play my Hedwig and not simulate someone else's.

How would you describe your Hedwig?

I'm inside of it, so it's hard for me to provide you with an objective description of who she is. I think she is hurting and dealing with more than the average share of regret and resentment and bitterness and, frankly, obsessiveness about her unfulfilled relationship with Tommy. She is in desperate need of a witness, and the audience is that. I think out of the course of the evening, she comes to recon with her own responsibility in this world. She is thankfully able to come to a place of self-acceptance and a sense of her own wholeness without armor or artifice. I think that's the thing that resonates with everyone who sees it.

Throughout the course of your career, you have played many gay characters. What draws you to those roles?

I don't know. I feel like I choose roles, and I also feel like roles choose me at times. I think I gravitate toward characters who are defined by some sense of conflict or secret keeping. I think in the case of David Fisher [on Six Feet Under], it was about the character's inherent conflict -- something that made him inherently dramatic. In case of Hedwig, it was the chance to front a rock band and sing awesome rock-and-roll music. There is something about people, for one reason or the other, who are marginalized by their circumstance that is compelling to me. That has manifested itself into me playing a few, or more than a few, characters who are gay.

You recently said, "It's very liberating to dress up like a woman." How do you feel when you are fully made up as Hedwig?

I feel amazing. I wake up in the morning and see myself in the mirror and go, "Oh, God, look at that tired, old face." Then I come here, lie down in the makeup chair, sit up and say, "There I am!" I'm definitely on board with that experience.

How long does the transformation take?

About 40 to 45 minutes to get the makeup on, then an additional five to 10 to get the wigs on.

Andrew Rannells gave you some makeup-removal tips. Did you receive any other advice from the previous Hedwigs?

No, just basically, "Good luck, and climb that mountain, baby!"

Speaking of climbing, you must know that when you're bumping and grinding yourself on another guy's lap in the audience, you're making a dream come true.

It's definitely a better feeling than someone looking at me like, "Get the fuck away from me!"

Has that happened?

Not really. I definitely had people who were screaming "Please don't!" with their eyes. For the most part people are game. It's also nice for [Hedwig]. She's never been in this situation. She's never been in an audience this big or a theater this legitimate. To be embraced in any way is the sweetest, sweetest drug for her.

Since you always had a fantasy of being a rock-and-roll singer, what song would you rock out to at karaoke?

Oh, man! Depends how many drinks I've had. I've always enjoyed "Kiss" by Prince. You can sort of give it the Tom Jones treatment too.

Your father died when you were 11. Also, your parents' first child died in infancy before you were born. How would you describe yourself as a kid growing up in North Carolina?

I think I was a kid who was surrounded by a certain amount of sadness. I probably absorbed some of that but managed to maintain some enthusiasm and maybe loved performing more than anything because it was a place where I was able to be free.

Was your mother very supportive of your decision to go into the arts?

I wouldn't say "very supportive." I wouldn't say "discouraging," either. I would say my mom is just more neutral in a way that, in hindsight, I actually appreciate. She didn't make any claim on my interest. I think early on she had some concerns about the viability of such a choice.

Then there is Dexter.

Now that was a rough childhood!

Yes! Everyone has a favorite season. What was yours?

The final season. I'm kidding! The first season was amazing because it hadn't aired, and it felt like we were telling a secret. Then, of course, the fourth season ["The Trinity Killer"] was amazing.

Do you have any plans to return to episodic TV?

I never say "never," but I don't have any concrete plans at this point. Right now I'm just enjoying doing this, and I'd love to do some film work. It is nice at this point to do things that have an end in sight from the beginning.

What would people be surprised to know about you?

I have a dog and two cats. I have a real capacity for silliness. I like to eat sardines out of the can.

After everything you've done, what are you the most proud of?

Currently I'm really proud of telling this story. I'm really proud of the TV work I've done. Maybe I'm most proud that the vast majority of the work I've done is stuff that I am, in fact, proud of.

Michael C. Hall stars in Hedwig and the Angry Inch through Jan. 18. For more information visit hedwigbroadway.com.

Mark Ruffalo's A Babe In This Clearasil Commercial From 1989

Celebrities Tweet Reactions To 2015 Golden Globes Nominations

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Celebrities: they're just like us! They too take to Twitter to express their glee or disappointment about the 2015 Golden Globes nominations. Though "Modern Family" was snubbed from the nominations this year, Sofia Vergara and the show's producer clearly still felt up for cracking jokes about watching the awards show in their underwear. And as usual, supermodel Chrissy Teigen tweeted about her husband John Legend's nomination in the most Chrissy Teigen way possible (read: hilarious.) Scroll for some of our favorite celebrity Twitter reactions, and see the full list of nominees here.




































Mark Wahlberg's Assault Victim Forgives Actor, Wants Him Pardoned For Crimes

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Mark Wahlberg recently made headlines for requesting a pardon for the assault he was convicted of in 1988.

Now, Johnny Trinh, the man Wahlberg hit in the head with a five foot long wooden stick while trying to steal two cases of beer, is speaking out for the first time to say he has forgiven the actor.

"[Wahlberg] was young and reckless but I forgive him now. Everyone deserves another chance," Trinh told the Daily Mail. "I would like to see him get a pardon. He should not have the crime hanging over him any longer."

Though the actor was 16 at the time he committed the assault, he was charged as an adult and served 45 days of a 90 day sentence.

The 59-year-old Trinh said he doesn't hold a grudge against the actor and would like to meet him in person.

"He paid for his crime when he went to prison. I am not saying that it did not hurt when he punched me in the face, but it was a long time ago," he told the U.K. paper. "He has grown up now. I am sure he has his own family and is a responsible man."

Additionally, Trinh cleared up reports that Wahlberg blinded him in his left eye, when he hit him.

"I was not blinded by Mark Wahlberg. He did hurt me, but my left eye was already gone. He was not responsible for that," he said.

Request for comment made to Walhberg's managers has yet to be returned at this time; however, at the premiere of his new movie, "The Gambler," on Wednesday the actor told the Associated Press he's well aware that not everyone believes he deserves to pardoned.

"Everyone has an opinion and has a reason why they think I'm doing it. I've been working very hard to correct a lot of mistakes that I made since the day that I woke up and realized, 'You know what? I need to be a leader instead of a follower,'" he said.

The actor wanted to clarify that he's not trying to use his celebrity or success to say that he feels entitled to be pardoned, and said prepared regardless of the outcome.

"I will continue to do that whether the pardon is granted or not," he said.

Top 10 Lies, Hoaxes and Pranks of 2014

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2014 was full of Hollywood stars behaving oddly (See Shia LaBeouf and Amanda Bynes) and loads of fake viral videos (Did you see "The Drunk Girl video?" - Fake!) But this year saw fabrication with dead-serious ripple effects as well.

Here are the prevaricators who rose to the top of the LieSpotting list this year:

10. Seeing triple

tridevil


Alisha Jasmine Hessler, a 21-year-old Tampa, Florida resident, became an Internet sensation when a selfie of her in short shorts and a revealing halter top seemed to attest to her claim of having a third breast surgically added. Calling herself "Jasmine Tridevil," Hessler's hoax became public record when she went to claim luggage that had been stolen at Tampa Airport. Before returning her bag, the police made Hessler sign an inventory of its contents, which as posted on The Smoking Gun, included among other items, something referred to as a "3 Breast Prosthesis." Chest -- er -- case Closed!

9. Kim Kardashian makes an impression but barely dents the Internet.

kim


Speaking of vast oil reserves, Kardashian's oiled derriere as displayed in the hipster monthly Paper was supposed to break the Internet, but that goal proved somewhat slippery. Hundreds of thousands did view and discuss her assets. She shared the photo with her 21 million Instagram followers and in the immediate aftermath of the pictures release, the BBC reported 178,000 mentions of #breaktheinternet on Twitter. A greater accomplishment was present on Paper's cover where Kim K. balanced a glass of champagne on her rear platform. Many have since tried to replicate the task, including an Australian TV host who Kim told did not have a large enough "butt." But really, all this is beside the point. As Kim stated on that same Aussie program: "I love the photos. I did it for me." Of course you did. And that may be one of the biggest whoppers told this year.

8. A Megalodon-sized shark of a tale.

great white shark

During the Discovery Channel's "Shark Week" the channel presented "Megalodon: The New Evidence" with purported footage of a giant prehistoric shark attacking a sperm whale. Ratings, once again, went through the roof. However, according to Snopes, Slate, CNN, The Daily Show, and SouthernFriedScience.com the evidence presented in the program is "100% completely and totally fake." Megadolon last roamed the seas millions of years ago and is considered absolutely extinct. Except at the Discovery Channel.

7. Say "Sayonara" to your Takata airbag

takata airbag

Holy Shrapnel-shooting inflator parts! Takata, the Japanese airbag manufacturer has had to recall around 8 million airbags in more than two dozen automobile brands, with revelations about lies, destroyed reports and tests, and more lies continuing to be uncovered. According to Car and Driver, "more than 7 million vehicles are potentially affected in the United States."

Takata first announced this fault in April 2013, but it was only in June of this year that a Toyota recall brought the issue to national attention. In a response reminiscent of Martin Short's Ed Grimley, Takata at first said it did not know which cars used the defective airbags and what the cause of the defect was. Toyota, for its part, said the airbags had caused no injuries or deaths because of the defect.

If only. An investigation by the New York Times uncovered 139 injuries, and that Takata knew about the default since 2004. Reuters revealed that rust, bad welds, and even chewing gum dropped into at least one inflator were at fault and that Takata's Mexican plant had a defect rate that was six to eight times the allowable level. Takata's response: They called the Times report "fundamentally inaccurate." The Times stood by its sources and its reporting.

The world agreed: In November the National Transportation and Highway Safety Administration formally called for a nationwide recall. Officials in Japan are also calling for an expansion of the recall. Takata executives were scolded before Congress but appeared little chastened. Accura, BMW, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Honda, Infiniti, Lexus, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Pontiac, Saab, Subaru and Toyota have all instituted recalls of the defective airbags. Drive safely!

6. Secret Service or Keystone Cops?

secret service


Julia Pierson, who became the first female director of the Secret Service on March 13, took over after numerous breaches including a prostitution scandal involving agents traveling with the president, and gate crashers at a White House State dinner. She had a hard time explaining to Congress how Omar Gonzalez, a war veteran who had a knife on him, was able scale a White House fence and make it far inside the White House itself. First there was the matter of the false Secret Service accounts which originally stated that Gonzalez "was physically apprehended after entering the White House North Portico doors" and didn't mention that he had been overpowered and gotten by several secret service agents and that an alarm inside the White House had been silenced. Summoned to explain before Congress, Pierson assured them: "It will never happen again." And that part is true: Not under her watch -- she resigned the next day.

5. The wild world of Donald Sterling, Shelly Sterling, and V. Stiviano

donald sterling


Do we really need to explain? The facts, as best we can tell, are that a conversation between 74-year-old Clippers owner Donald Sterling and V. Stiviano, a much, much younger woman with whom he attended Clippers games and for whom he purchased a Ferrari, two Bentleys, a Range Rover and a $2 million duplex, was recorded and leaked to the media. In the audio recording Sterling was identified making racist remarks. Sterling was banned for life from the NBA - Steviano made numerous press appearances including rollerblading while wearing a mirrored face guard; Sterling's wife, Shelly sued Stiviano, sued her husband for divorce, wanted him declared mentally incompetent, and managed to engineer the sale of the Clippers for $2 billion dollars to Steve Ballmer. Who planned what, and how everyone, including the Clippers, came out better funded than they were before, no one can explain. It's almost like they couldn't have had a better result if they planned the whole thing. Hmm, makes one think.

4. The "courage" of USC football player Josh Shaw... ouch!

josh shaw usc


Shaw told a whopper: He claimed that he sustained two ankle sprains jumping from a second floor balcony to save his 7-year-old nephew from drowning in a pool in Palmdale. Shaw, who had been elected team captain, later admitted that he had what the AP referred to as a "heated argument" with his girlfriend in their apartment in downtown LA. Neighbors called the police and when Shaw them arriving he decided to flee by dropping himself 20 feet from the balcony and injuring his ankles. Shaw was suspended from the team; the DA declined to press charges.

3. Rolling Stone: "Too good to check... Sorry"

fraternity


After Rolling Stone published a bombshell story of a brutal sexual assault, the nation's sympathy poured out for the victim. Going only by "Jackie," the young student at the University of Virginia spun a horrifying tale of gang rape and dehumanization. The story electrified the country, but also attracted the suspicious eye of Washington Post reporters. Pressed on a few outstanding questions, like why the assailants were not given the opportunity to respond to the allegations, Rolling Stone's story fell apart. Rolling Stone issued a lengthy editor's note and author Sabrina Erdley went dark on social media -- a safe bet lawyers were involved. The editor's note regretted the colossal error, but loosely translated it read: "Too good to check, sorry."

2. "This government does not torture people!"

torture


"The government doesn't torture." That's what Bush administration officials would have you believe. Instead, they labeled their harsh treatment of terrorists detainees "enhanced interrogation." The subterfuge persisted for years, until the Senate Intelligence Committee released an exhaustive report of detainee treatment in the years following 9/11. The report was tough to stomach: secret prisons, denial of basic human rights, torture-via-waterboarding. The years it took get to the bottom of all the intrigue should put this in the running for top lies of the past decade.

1. Putin: "Yes, we have no troops in Ukraine!"

poroshenko putin


Vladmir Putin, President of Russia, is angling to become a perennial on our list. With much of the Russian media under his control, and most Russian citizens satisfied with Putin, he has taken to increasing the gap between what he says and what he does. The situation in the Ukraine being a prime example. As Russian forces not bearing any identifying tags entered Crimea, as reported on NPR, Putin told a press conference that the heavily armed men were "local self-defense forces" who were on a "humanitarian mission" to protect ethnic Russians. When similarly unmarked units massed on Ukraine's Eastern border, Putin went on live TV in Russia and said "It's all nonsense, there are no Russian units, special forces or instructors in the east of Ukraine." On this occasion, he did admit, however, that similar unmarked units were used in Crimea prior to its annexation, re-appropriation, or reunification, depending on your point of view. Lying about invading a country takes the cake.

Laci Green Reminds Us That Sexism Hurts Men Too

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While sexism negatively affects women, Laci Green is here to remind us that everyone is impacted by gender inequality.

Green, a sex-positive video blogger and peer sex educator, breaks down how sexism affects men and young boys in her video "Does Sexism Hurt Men?" Her answer? Damn straight it does.

“Obviously, the fact that women and girls face inequalities is reason enough to stand up against sexism," Green says. "But let’s not forget that sexism also affects men and boys."

Sexist conditioning tells men that the worst thing they can be is "like a woman" -- meaning being emotional, vulnerable or generally feminine. While none of these stereotypical gendered traits are actually bad (and don't ring true for all women), our culture pressures men to be the complete opposite, which can be just as hard as subscribing to the standards women face.

As Green says in the clip, boys are told from a young age that they can't be emotional, they should be into sports and have "manly hobbies," some of which include having lots of (heterosexual) sex to prove their manhood. While women are traditionally taught to stay at home as caregivers, men are told they need to be the sole breadwinners and leaders in their households. That's a lot of pressure for everyone.

Sexism perpetuates “one version of masculinity, one way of being a real man that we impose on boys in a million subtle ways all throughout their lives and the effects of that are serious," Green says. She also points out that out sexism affects gay men, lesbian women, trans* people and "everyone in between."

“Understanding how these inequalities and attitudes permeate our society, and working to correct them, is in the best interest of everyone.” *Mic drop*

Head over to Green's YouTube channel Sex+ for more information on sex-positive education.
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