October 24, 2022 - Music Observer

Sacheen Littlefeather is a ‘Fraud,’ According to Sisters

Music Observer Staff on October 24, 2022

Sacheen Littlefeather’s younger siblings oppose their sister’s claim on her heritage.

For context, Littlefeather is the late actress and Native American civil rights activist who famously took the stage to decline Marlon Brando’s Oscar at the 1973 Academy Awards.

Her sisters, Rosalind Cruz and Trudy Orlandi, said Littlefeather was not Native American. They revealed the information in a new investigative report published Saturday in the San Francisco Chronicle.

“It is a fraud,” Cruz said of Littlefeather, who recently died.

Moreover, Orlandi said: “It’s disgusting to the heritage of the tribal people. And it’s just insulting to my parents. It’s a lie.”

Littlefeather said she is from the White Mountain Apache and has carried on the tradition of the Yaki Indians throughout his life. However, her sisters revealed to Native American journalist Jacqueline Keeler that they were Spanish.

In addition, her family had nothing to do with tribal identity.

Keeler’s research into Littlefeather’s ancestry found something in favor of her sisters’ claims. The reporter discovered that the actress was born Maria Louise Cruz in 1946 in Salinas, California to parents Manuel Ybarra Cruz and Gertrude Barnitz.

In her research, Keeler said, “My review of her father’s side of the family tree, where she claimed her Native heritage, found no documented ties between his extended family and any extant Native American nations in the United States.”

Orlandi and Cruz said their decision to dismiss their sister’s claims stemmed from the need to protect their parents’ names. (Littlefeather’s nickname is “Deb.”)

Littlefeather isn’t Real

Previously, the actress said in a 1974 interview with The Berkeley Gazette that she was raised in poverty. She was living “in a shack in Salinas,” according to the Chronicle. Additionally, she said her father was abusive.

“My father was deaf. And he had lost his hearing at nine years old through meningitis,” Cruz elaborated.

“He was born into poverty. His father, George Cruz, was an alcoholic who was violent and used to beat him. And he was passed to foster homes and family. But my sister Sacheen took what happened to him.”

In addition, they disputed Littlfeather’s claims about how she got her last name.

The sisters said: “That she danced in front of my father and always wore a feather in her hair, in her head? And that’s when my father called her ‘Littlefeather’? That’s another fantasy.”

Furthermore, her sisters were not informed of her death and were not invited to her funeral.

The sisters also noted they were worried after witnessing their sister “being venerated as a saint.”

In August, the Academy formally apologized to her for the “abuse” and “emotional burden” that weighed her after her appearance at the ceremony.

Orlandi claimed: “Sacheen did not like herself. She didn’t like being Mexican.”

“So, yes, it was better for her that way to play someone else.”

Cruz added: “The best way that I could think of summing up my sister is that she created a fantasy.

“She lived in a fantasy, and she died in a fantasy.”

Photo: EW

Beyonce Refutes Right Said Fred’s Accusation that She Didn’t Ask Consent to Use ‘I’m Too Sexy’

Music Observer Staff on October 24, 2022

Beyonce is repulsing statements that she didn’t ask permission from Right Said Fred to use their song “I’m Too Sexy,” referring to it as merely plain wrong.

The musical duo, whose members are Fred and Richard Fairbrass, called the superstar “arrogant” during an interview with The Sun earlier this week. Both claimed that she didn’t ask consent to interlope their 1992 smash-hit “I’m Too Sexy” on her track “Alien Superstar,” which is on her newest album, Renaissance.

But Beyonce contradicts that statement.

“The comments made by Right Said Fred stating that Beyonce used ‘I’m Too Sexy’ in ‘Alien Superstar’ without permission are erroneous and incredibly disparaging,” the Queen Bey’s representative told EW.

“Permission was not only granted for its use, but they publicly spoke of their gratitude for being on the album.”

The statement stressed that “no sound recording” from “I’m Too Sexy” was utilized within “Alien Superstar,” merely the song’s “composition,” and it offered proof to back its claims.

“Permission was asked of their publisher on May 11, 2022, and the publisher approved the use on June 15, 2022. They were paid for the usage in August 2022,” the statement said.

“Furthermore, the copyright percentage of the Right Said Fred writers with respect to the use of ‘I’m Too Sexy’ is a substantial portion of the composition. Collectively, the Right Said Fred writers own more than any other singular writer and have co-writer credit. This accusation is false.”

‘I’m Too Sexy’ Feature without Permission

In their interview, Right Said Fred alleged they had no knowledge whatsoever that Beyonce had used their track until its release.

“Normally, the artist approaches us, but Beyonce didn’t because she is such an arrogant person,” they stated. “She just had probably thought, ‘Come and get me,’ so we heard about it after the fact when you did.”

This is opposed to Beyonce’s statement and Right Said Fred’s own previous remarks about the song being used in Renaissance. A week prior to the album being released on July 29, the band took to Twitter to express their joy, writing, “It’s nice to get a writing credit on the new ‘Beyonce’ album.”

Usually, according to the duo, artists who have utilized the song’s melody – like Drake and Taylor Swift – have all asked for consent from the brothers. Drake used the track in his 2021 single “Way 2 Sexy,” while Swift incorporated it in her 2017 song “Look What You Made Me Do.”

They stated that there was nothing they could do about the track now.

“You are going to get into a conversation with someone who has a lot more presence and power and money than we do. And that won’t go well,” the band stated. “It’s best to let it go. If you’re not careful, you spend your life looking back. We keep looking forward the whole time.”

Right Said Fred isn’t the first artist to have called out Beyonce for featuring their music in Renaissance. Back in August, Kelis – singer and chef – stated that it was “stupid and disrespectful” that her 2003 track “Milkshake” was incorporated into the song “Energy” without her permission. Since then, the sample has been pulled out from the track on several streaming platforms.

Photo: Madamenoire

Johnny Knoxville Remains Fond of Bam Margera Despite Public Clash

Music Observer Staff on October 24, 2022

Johnny Knoxville remains fond of former Jackass co-actor Bam Margera, even though they have clashed publicly.

Notably, Margera sued Knoxville for wrongful termination last year (but eventually dropped the complaint).

Although the 51-year-old star hasn’t communicated with the former professional skateboarder, he said in an interview with Variety that he loves Margera. Additionally, he hopes for the healing of his co-star as he is still being treated for substance abuse.

“I haven’t spoken to Bam in about a year and a half, give or take six months,” he stated.

“[Jackass director] Jeff Tremaine, Steve-O, and I had a face-to-face meeting with Bam and his wife, trying to figure out how to get him help. Then we had a Zoom as a group not long after that. And that was the last time I talked to him.”

He added: “It boils down to – I love Bam.

“I know that a lot has happened. And I just want him to get well for himself and his family. I love the guy, and I want him to get well and stay well.”

Against Knoxville and Production

Previously, in August 2021, Margera filed a lawsuit against Knoxville, filmmaker Spike Jonze, MTV, Paramount Pictures and others for wrongfully dismissing him from Jackass Forever.

He alleged that the production looked to “steal the popular and lucrative movie franchise and not compensate him.”

Additionally, the lawsuit alleged that Margera signed a contract with Paramount as part of a “Wellness Agreement.” It should be noted that he has been open about his struggles with addiction.

Margera then claimed that Knoxville and Jonze forced him to sign the deal. He accused both his co-actor and his director of approaching him during his time in a rehab facility in 2019.

The agreement stipulates that Margera must undergo a daily drug test. The lawsuit alleged that her wrongful dismissal was rooted in a test that found the Adderall prescription. And that “defendants knew full well that Margera took Adderall to treat his attention deficit disorder.”

At the time of filing, Margera told EW that his intent to sue “isn’t just about compensation. It’s about treating people with mental health and addiction issues in an honest manner. And not taking advantage of their disabilities to rip them off.”

Margera Dropped the Case

But eventually, Margera had a private settlement with all parties involved and dropped the lawsuit in April.

Alongside Margera, the franchise featured Knoxville, Steve-O, and other personalities in 2000’s Jackass reality show.

The 43-year-old appeared in the movies: Jackass: The Movie, Jackass Number Two, Jackass 2.5, Jackass 3D, and Jackass 3.5. He has also spearheaded the franchise’s spin-off Viva La Bam and Bam’s Unholy Union.

Knoxville delivered a safe answer when asked about Margera’s possible return to the Jackass world.

“I think that would be a discussion,” he said.

“I only want him to get better. That’s the first step. He has to take that step and maintain that step. Because everything else is just gravy. Jackass is not important when you’re talking about someone’s life.”

Photo: Hot World Report

Kelly Ripa is Unaffected by Kathie Lee Gifford’s Statements

Music Observer Staff on October 24, 2022

Kelly Ripa isn’t too bothered by Kathie Lee Gifford’s latest comments about her new book.

Ripa says only this: Thank you. This comes in response to Gifford’s remarks that she won’t read the much-discussed Live Wire: Long-Winded Short Stories: A book which discusses Ripa’s barely normal relationship with the former Live With Regis and Kelly co-host, Regis Philbin.

“I didn’t see the interview, so I tend to, like, not go into deep dives about things I can’t comment on because I haven’t seen them,” Ripa said in an appearance in Not Skinny But Not Fat episode on Tuesday.

Citing the chapters that provide insight into her relationship with Philbin, she continued: “I knew writing a book was going to open me up to all sorts of criticisms, right? But people who read the book have a very different take on those chapters because they read the book.”

Saying that she’s “a big free-speech person,” Ripa elaborated that she believes Gifford has a right to speak out. As a matter of fact, Gifford also hosted Live alongside Philbin between 1985 and 2000.

“You don’t have to read every book,” she stated. “Nobody has read every book on earth. The comments I’ve gotten about those chapters have been overwhelmingly positive. And the people who read the book took away a lot of positivity from it.”

Ripa later said: “It is ironic that it is that chapter where I talked about ‘What do I do in these situations? Do I advance a media narrative with clickbait and all of that stuff? Or do I just drop it?’”

Express Gratitude for Traction

But above all, the TV host is filled with gratitude for all the traction her memoir has garnered.

“It’s really hard to sell a book, right? And this is, like, week three of the book,” Ripa stated.

“I mean, honestly, I’m not going to lie. I was not reading any headlines anywhere. And suddenly, all of these headlines pop up. And there’s all of this attention in my book. So, I am a person that tends to take a negative and turn it into a positive. And so, my ultimate comment is: ‘Thank you.’”

Ripa calls the late Philbin chapter “the hardest” part to write. From 2001 until 2011, when she appeared in Live with Philbin, her time was like a roller coaster ride. In an interview with PEOPLE last month, she admitted that she has “good and bad days.”

“I don’t want to feel like I’m slamming anyone or that I’m being disrespectful,” Ripa stated. “But I also want people to know it was not a cakewalk.”

It took years to earn, Says Ripa

She also revealed how it took some time to gain the things typically just handed out to men.

She said: “It took years to earn my place there and earn things that are routinely given to men I worked with. Including an office and a place to put my computer.”

Ripa recalled a specific encounter with Philbin that stung her heart. The cohost greeted her and showrunner Michael Gelman on her first day, saying, “Uh-oh, Gelman, it’s got an entourage.”

In recent times, Gifford replied to the anecdote on Good Day New York.

“I was really sorry to see the headlines,” she stated. “What’s the point?”

She even said she had no intention whatsoever of reading Ripa’s memoir.

Gifford added: “I just know what Regis was to me. He was, for 15 years, the best partner a person could ever, ever have professionally. But he was my friend. We were dear friends. And after I left the show, for the next 20 years, we became better friends, dearer friends.”

Live Wire: Long-Winged Short Stories is available in bookstores now.

Photo: My Med Tale

Kim Burrell Says Jamie Foxx Stood By Her After Ellen DeGeneres Show Canceled Her Appearance

Music Observer Staff on October 24, 2022

Kim Burrell, the controversial gospel singer, said Thursday that Jamie Foxx stood up for her after she was banned from appearing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show after a clip of her preaching a homophobic sermon resurfaced.

During a recent episode of Tamron Hall, the recording artist answered the daytime show host’s question about a 2016 religious speech in which she made statements along the lines of “perverted homosexual spirit.”

“No one has ever interviewed me about what it is I’m offended by and why should it matter. A reaction from a community that says, ‘we’re extreme on love,’ didn’t respond in love, in thinking that I was being deliberate to hurt. Truth hurts. I was standing there preaching what I know is the truth,” Burrell stated, claiming that people shot at her car (she didn’t make a police report) and that her home was surveyed by helicopters after the statements were made.

“I have to stand on the truth, no matter what. I can be criticized for it, I can be so-called ‘canceled’ for it, no one has reported that my friend Jamie Foxx felt the need to call Ellen and say, ‘You got this one wrong. She has been more to our community than what the world is willing to see, and we don’t think that the extreme of canceling her from a show was a proper response compared to what she’s done for our community.’”

In addition, Burrell berated fellow singer Yolanda Adams for her response to the sermon, which she called an “unwarranted” attack.

“I was disappointed because we’ve all shared the same stage, back rooms, and green rooms, and some of their public display in conversation is somewhat opposite of what it is behind stage,” Burrell added.

“I would’ve much preferred, especially dealing with the gospel, Yolanda Adams, we’re both from Houston, Texas, to pick up the cellphone and say, ‘Het, I have a career to save, and I can’t agree with your stance right now, I need to say something different to my public.’ I would’ve preferred that.”

Burrell Dropped from Ellen DeGeneres Show

When a sermon video resurfaced in 2016, DeGeneres slammed Burrell, calling Burrell’s words “not nice” and announcing her final decision to scrap her planned talk show appearance.

“I didn’t feel that was good of me to have her on the show to give her a platform after she was saying things about me,” DeGeneres stated on her show, interviewing Pharrell Williams instead. (Williams is Burrell’s musical collaborator on the soundtrack for Hidden Figures in 2016).

“There’s no room for any kind of prejudice in 2017, and moving on. There’s no room,” Williams shared with DeGeneres, despite that, he still called Burrell a “fantastic singer.”

Apart from her successful career in the gospel act industry, Burrell has teamed up with several pop acts over the past few years, like Harry Connick Jr. on “I Pray on Christmas” in 2003, Mariah Carey on 2008’s “I Understand” from Randy Jackson’s Music Club: Volume One album, “Goodspeed” by Frank Ocean in 2016, and Jay-Z’s “4:44” in 2017.

In July, Burrell drew another backlash after another clip of her at the Kingdom City Church went viral. The video showed her appear to have encouraged parishioners to talk to people to ensure they’re not “broke” ahead of letting them into their lives.

Furthermore, she called people “ugly” and straight out expressed her opposition to COVID vaccines.

Photo: Meredith Corp

Belle and Sebastian to Tour North America in 2023

Music Observer Staff on October 24, 2022

Belle and Sebastian delivered plans to tour North America in 2023.

And after wrapping up several dates on their European leg this winter, the indie band will launch the new dates in Mexico on April 24.

Moreover the tour runs through May 19th in Missouri. Check out the full list of Belle and Sebastian tour dates below.

All the while, Belle and Sebastian’s first studio album in seven years, A Bit of Previous, was delivered in May.

Later, the band finally dropped the non-album single “A Bit of Previous”. And they came to NPR’s Tiny Desk to perform “Unnecessary Drama,” “Working Boy in New York City,” “Reclaim the Night,” and “Judy and the Dream of Horses.”

Birth of a Group

Indie pop band Belle and Sebastian was formed in Scotland, more specifically Glasgow, in 1996. The band has 7 members: Stuart Murdoch, Stevie Jackson, Sarah Martin, Chris Geddes, Richard Colburn, Bobby Kildea, Dave McGowan.

They are frequently set side by side to acts like The Smiths and Nick Drake.

The group’s name comes from a children’s book by Cécile Aubry published in 1965. It was later adapted for television.

However, Belle and Sebastian have had limited commercial success.

In 1998, the group dropped their third LP, The Boy with the Arab Strap. It secured the top 12 spot in the UK charts. The LP earned them an NPR interview and good reviews from Rolling Stone and the Village Voice.

But there are no further milestones.

Belle and Sebastian North American Leg

November

11-09 Dublin, Ireland – Olympia

11-10 Belfast, Ireland – The Telegraph Building

11-13 Cardiff, Wales – Great Hall – Student’s Union

11-14 London, England – The Roundhouse

11-15 London, England – The Roundhouse

11-17 Sheffield, England – O2 Academy Sheffield

11-18 Liverpool, England – Olympia

11-19 Hull, England – Asylum, Hull University Union

11-21 Aberdeen, Scotland – Beach Ballroom

11-23 Edinburgh, Scotland – Usher Hall

11-24 Newcastle upon Tyne, England – O2 City Hall

11-25 Manchester, England – Manchester Academy

11-27 Cambridge, England – Corn Exchange

11-28 Birmingham, England – O2 Academy Birmingham

11-29 Southampton, England – O2 Guildhall Southampton

11-30 Brighton, England – Brighton Dome

December

12-05 Buenos Aires, Argentina – Complejo Art Media

12-07 Santiago, Chile – Fauna Primavera

12-09 São Paulo, Brazil – Audio

12-10 Rio de Janiero, Brazil – Circo Voador

12-12 Montevideo, Uruguay – La Trastienda

January

01-08 Rennes, France – Le Mem

01-10 Paris, France – Casino de Paris

01-11 Utrech, Netherlands – Tivoli Grote Zaal

01-13 Luxembourg City, Luxembourg – Den Atelier

01-14 Hamburg, Germany – Laeiszhalle

01-16 Gothenburg, Sweden – Tradgarn

01-17 Stockholm, Sweden – Filadelfia

01-18 Oslo, Norway – Sentrum Scene

01-19 Copenhagen, Denmark – Copenhagen Vega

01-21 Berlin, Germany – Tempodrom

01-22 Munich, Germany – Muffathalle

01-23 Zurich, Switzerland – X-tra Limmathaus

01-25 Clermont-Ferrand, France – Co-op de Mai

01-26 Milan, Italy – Fabrique

April

04-24 Guadalajara, Mexico – Theatre Diana

04-25 Mexico City, Mexico – Metropolitan Theatre

04-28 Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall

04-29 Detroit, MI – Majestic Theatre

04-30 Columbus, OH – Athenaeum Theatre

May

05-02 Toronto, Ontario – History

05-03 Ottawa, Ontario – Bronson Centre

05-04 Burlington, VT – Higher Ground

05-05 Ithaca, NY – State Theatre

05-06 New Haven, CT – College Street Music Hall

05-08 Hudson, NY – Basilica Hudson

05-09 Jersey City, NJ – White Eagle Hall

05-10 Richmond, VA – The National

05-12 Atlanta, GA – The Eastern

05-13 St. Augustine, FL – Backyard at St. Augustine Amphitheatre

05-14 Fort Lauderdale, FL – Culture Room

05-15 St. Petersburg, FL – Jannus Landing

05-17 Birmingham, AL – Saturn

05-18 St. Louis, MO – The Pageant

05-19 Kalamazoo, MI – Bell’s Brewery (Outdoor)

Photo: Pinimg

Paloma Elsesser Paved the Way for Plus-Size Models

Music Observer Staff on October 24, 2022

Paloma Elsesser is a woman who has lived her dream into reality.

“I’m shooting a Vogue cover as a chubby, short, mixed-raced woman who never imagined this would be her reality,” said Elsesser of the “surreal” moment. That day Annie Leibovitz photographed her for Vogue’s January 2021 issue.

It was a triumph, and it’s not just for Elsesser.

For a long time, the standard of beauty on Vogue’s cover has been on a limited scope: White, tall and, of course, thin.

When the magazine placed highly-esteemed Black media personality Oprah Winfrey, on its cover on October 1998, editor-in-chief Anna Wintour allegedly recommended that Winfrey lose 20 pounds ahead of the shoot.

And Vogue wasn’t the only one. Curvy and London-bord daughter of an African-American mother and a Swiss Chilean father, Elsesser won’t forget an event that happened in Paris that made her shed tears.

Then 22 years old in 2015, Elsesser came together with make-up artist Pat McGrath, who brought her first eyeshadow promotion.

One day, the model remained backstage at the Lanvin. As a self-proclaimed tomboy in Supreme, she had not attended a single Paris show before. And her first-time thrill vanished into thin air when she saw the cast: White and thin.

She is gorgeous, with warm brown eyes and an appealing smile. However, broken by the concept of her otherness, tears started to fall down her eyes.

“I’m not supposed to be here. I don’t look like anyone here,” she recounted. “Who am I kidding? I’m not a f—king model.”

Things Changed for Elsesser

Now, things have changed.

Elsesser is among fashion’s most-coveted muses. Currently 30, she sashayed the runway for European luxury labels from Fendi to Chloe: Shows that matter to the industry like Lanvin.

Furthermore, she has appeared in massive advertising campaigns for Marc Jacobs, Coach, and H&M. Victoria’s Secret, once known for its limited beauty standards, has recruited the plus size model.

With society changing and fashion surfacing “from the dark ages,” demands for plus-size women are through the roof, according to Becca Thorpe, a Next Models agent. (Dark ages was when bigger models faced a huge obstacle for jobs and equal compensation.)

“Clients are paying equal or above what they’ve been paying for traditional models to get access to (bigger models,” added Treanna Lawrence, casting director at Cast Partner.

Plus-size models are those above a size 4 in high fashion and more than a size 12 in the general market. Now, they are essential in the business.

“Once agencies saw there’s a real route to success for a girl like Paloma, they started signing more,” said stylist Carlos Nazario.

“And when brands saw the engagement and attention they receive on the runway and in campaigns, they wanted a piece of the pie as well.”

However, the industry didn’t just give Elsesser’s journey to success to her. Instead, she paved the way for models like her, making the path for others.

“I think a lot of her modeling has been confronting the industry,” said DM Casting’s Samuel Ellis Scheinman.

Photo: Fem Competitor

Meghan Trainor Shares Journey in Writing ‘Takin’ It Back’

Music Observer Staff on October 24, 2022

Since she gained popularity eight years ago with the crowd-pleasing song “All About That Bass” and her debut album, Title, a feel-good record that created an update to classic song stylings with a modern gist, Meghan Trainor and her music have been a total hit with fans.

Now she’s releasing a sound that’s perfect for her, but this time it’s more mature and personal.

“The concepts are way more intense,” Trainor said in an interview with EW of her forthcoming full-length, Takin’ It Back.

“In previous albums, there would be a simple love song or an ‘I’m going to be confident today’ song. These songs are like, ‘Y’all, I’m struggling. This is real, but we’re all in this together. Who’s with me?’ It’s just more real and raw.”

Takin’ It Back is not only music about her growth as an artist (her voice has a different texture update), but it’s also the first album she’s released since giving birth to her son in February 2021.

The first song she wrote for it was the ballad “Remind Me”, which she says got her through a tough time in her life.

“I started writing it after I had a C-section and was covered in stretch marks with a scar crossing them,” she recounts.

“I’ve been open about my struggles with my body, and this was just a whole new layer. I didn’t go in thinking, ‘I’m going to write a sad song or a song about how I’m feeling.’ It just kind of happened, and it was a great therapy session.”

Trainor worked with another mother, who has one young son, to write the song, and worked with the showrunner, who has two young sons.

“We were all in that room tired, and I was just talking about how I was feeling at the time,” she said. “I am the only one out of all my friends who’s married and has a baby, so I was very lonely during the pregnancy and felt like no one could really understand what I was feeling.”

Since then, she has started a “mom group” to share fresh joys and sorrows. However, that initial feeling of isolation led to feeling her emotions more. She has also enhanced her songwriting skills.

“I used to go in with just the melody and be like, We’ll figure out the words later,’” Trainor revealed.

“And now I go in with a concept of like, ‘Remind me because I forgot any positive things about myself. Show me love like my husband does.’ Or I’ll go in with, ‘Don’t I make it look easy? Because this s— is not easy, but I make it look good, right?’”

Trainor Gets Cozy with Motherhood

Creating her fourth studio album made her realize a lot, too, such as how horrible it is not to have paid family leave in the US.

“I’ve been bitching and complaining when I can’t see my kid, but I get weekends off and some extra days off and I’m like, ‘Oh, no. Like, regular jobs are every single day, maybe even Saturday, and you don’t get to see your kid at all.’

“It’s very eye-opening and heartbreaking, especially in America, how you only get a few weeks with your baby then it’s back to work! Other countries get a whole year for both parents.”

Furthermore, motherhood has also taught her how “precious” life is.

“You know how the cliches say, ‘You don’t know what love is until you have your own child?’ It’s just more chances of your heart being destroyed because you love something so much,” Trainor figured.

“Like when he was a week old, I cried every time I thought anything bad could happen. I had all these racing, horrifying thoughts, and it was just because of how much I loved this nugget, this new person. Everything is just extra important. It’s a wake-up call.”

Although Trainor will have to focus on work to promote Takin’ It Back this fall, touring isn’t an option.

Takin’ It Back drops October 21.

Keke Palmer Looks Forward to the Completion of ‘Being Mortal’ Even Amid Bill Murray Complaints

Music Observer Staff on October 24, 2022

Keke Palmer wants to complete production on Being Mortal, comedian Aziz Ansari’s directorial debut and an adaptation of Atul Gawande’s book of the same name.

In April, the movie’s production was canceled by Searchlight Pictures after an employee filed a lawsuit against actor Bill Murray for alleged misconduct.

Although she didn’t specifically point out to her co-star, Palmer said in an interview with Variety that she’s looking forward to Ansari being able to finish an “amazing film” soon. A film she thought would have to undergo a “major rewrite” after Murray’s controversy.

“If somebody could figure it out, it would be Aziz,” Palmer stated at the Los Angeles Academy Museum Gala on Saturday, revealing that she has no knowledge of the film’s completion.

“Obviously, we got cut short at a certain point, but I will say that I am pretty devastated. It’s an amazing film. If there is some way to be able to complete, salvage it, I would want to do it.”

Without citing the controversy, Palmer said Ansari “would probably have to do a major rewrite, but I know what we got was gold.”

Incident Report

Reports of the incident surfaced after Puck released details earlier this month. According to multiple sources, Murray was kissing and straddling a young female production crew member on set.

Murray, who allegedly felt the staff member was watching him, also allegedly kissed the staff on the mouth despite COVID-19 protocol to wear a mask.

The unidentified woman and another employee who saw the incident sued Murray, leading to Searchlight’s decision to halt production. However, according to reports, the reason for the move was not disclosed to the cast and staff.

Murray, who allegedly attributed the incident to a miscommunication, and the woman eventually settled the lawsuit – the former paying for damages to the latter “just north of $100,000.”

Representatives for Murray, Ansari and Searchlight did not respond when asked for comment on the report.

Not the First Time Murray Did This

Murray previously addressed the accusations in April; however, he did not break down any details of the legal complaint.

“I did something I thought was funny, and it wasn’t taken the way,” the actor said in an interview with CNBC. “The company, the movie studio, wanted to do the right thing, so they wanted to check it all out, investigate it, and so they stopped the production.”

He added, “But as of now, we’re talking, and we’re trying to make peace with each other.

“We’re both professionals. We like each other’s work, and if you can’t really get along and trust each other, there’s no point in going further working together or making a movie as well.”

It is not the only time that Murray has been caught up in these controversies. He has faced misconduct allegations on the set of Quick Change – a 1990 comedy also starring Geena Davis – and Saturday Night Live.

Davis said Murray shouted at her privately and before the cast and crew on the movie’s set and gave her a massage using a massage device without her consent during her audition for the movie.

Meanwhile, Seth Green claimed that Murray pushed him into a trashcan behind the stage on SNL when he was only 9 years old.

Click here to watch Palmer’s interview from the Academy Museum Gala.

Photo: J-14