Celebrities and the internet have an interesting relationship. Sometimes the internet can make a celebrity, while sometimes a celebrity can break the internet.
Whether strategically planned or genuine, here are 10 times celebrities sparked a flurry of conversations, memes and gossip online.
Hailey Bieber and Selena Gomez pose together
For years Hailey Bieber and Selena Gomez have been pit against each other online, as the wife and ex-girlfriend of Justin Bieber.
However, despite trolls and the online narrative surrounding their relationship, the model and the actress decided to take matters into their own hands and were photographed together at the Academy Museum Gala in Los Angeles on Sunday.
The photo comes weeks after Hailey addressed their alleged feud on the Call Her Daddy podcast.
“I can say, period, point blank, I was never with him when he was in a relationship with anybody — that's the end of it,” she said in the podcast episode, which was released in September. “You're not obligated to like me, but I believe that no matter what, there can always be mutual respect between people. To me that means, you don't have to say anything. You don't have to like me, but you don't have to say anything either.”
Harry Styles, Chris Pine and #SpitGate
Olivia Wilde's Don’t Worry Darling hasn’t been free of controversy. Rumours of on-set feuds and fallouts were fuelled by a video clip that appeared to show Harry Styles spitting on Chris Pine as the singer-turned-actor took a seat at the film’s Venice Film Festival premiere.
However, Pine’s team quickly released a statement to Variety denying what the internet dubbed #SpitGate.
“This is a ridiculous story — a complete fabrication and the result of an odd online illusion that is clearly deceiving and allows for foolish speculation," a representative said. "Just to be clear, Harry Styles did not spit on Chris Pine. There is nothing but respect between these two men and any suggestion otherwise is a blatant attempt to create drama that simply does not exist.”
Will Smith slapping Chris Rock
The slap heard across the world will go down as one of the most controversial moments on live television.
When Will Smith charged the stage at the 94th Academy Awards in March and slapped comedian Chris Rock across the face, audiences in the theatre and at home weren’t sure if it was a staged performance or real.
It didn’t take long for everyone to realise that Smith attacked Rock for making a joke at Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s expense. Rock likened her hair to a GI Jane haircut, which prompted Smith to confront him.
Jennifer Aniston joining Instagram
Friends star Jennifer Aniston caused Instagram to crash when she joined the social media site in October 2019.
Aniston's first post was a photo with her Friends co-stars, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer.
According to Guinness World Records, Aniston's was the fastest account to reach one million followers, achieving the milestone number in five hours and 16 minutes. The record has since been broken by Sir David Attenborough in four hours and 44 minutes.
'Breathtaking' Keanu Reeves
As one of the most likeable Hollywood celebrities, it’s no surprise that Keanu Reeves has gone viral over the years. If it’s not for famous one liners from his films or his apparent inability to age then it’s for his genuine reactions.
In 2019 at the Xbox E3 showcase, Reeves was speaking to a live audience about his cameo in the Cyberpunk 2077 video game when a fan shouted: "You're breathtaking," to which the actor replied: "You're breathtaking," provoking a positive reaction online.
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis's personal hygiene
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis divided online commentators when they shared how little they wash themselves and their children on an episode of Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast.
“I didn’t have hot water growing up as a child so I didn’t shower very much anyway,” Kunis said on the podcast. “I wasn’t that parent that bathed my newborns, ever.”
Kutcher said of their approach to washing their children: “If you can see the dirt on them, clean them. Otherwise, there’s no point.”
And also added that he does wash his own “armpits and my crotch daily and nothing else ever".
Wrapped up Bernie Sanders
The photo of Bernie Sanders sitting at the inauguration of US President Joe Biden, with his arms and legs crossed looking less than happy to be there, took the viral world by storm.
The photo of the Democrat wasn’t only photoshopped into thousands of memes across the internet but became a symbol for the mood of a whole generation.
Billie Eilish on 'Vogue'
Billie Eillish shocked her fans and the fashion world when she appeared on the cover of British Vogue.
The singer and songwriter, who was previously known for her green hair and baggy clothes, went for a complete transformation by channelling Marilyn Monroe by dying her hair blond and wearing figure-hugging corsets and skirts for the shoot.
Prince Harry and Meghan's Oprah Winfrey interview
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex have made a habit of breaking the internet since the early days of their relationship. However, it was their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey that set social media alight.
It’s estimated that nearly 50 million people tuned into CBS in the US and Britain’s ITV to watch the couple make accusations of racism and neglect, and address the rumours of feuding inside the royal family.
Kim Kardashian at the Met Gala
Kim Kardashian is no stranger to breaking the internet, in fact the term's popularity is attributed to a 2014 cover of Paper magazine featuring her, although it is not where the phrase was coined.
Typically, dramatic storylines from the Kardashian/Jenner family's reality shows, details from her personal life or photoshoots are the reason for her trending name.
However, at the Met Gala last year, Kardashian became a meme when she surprised the fashion world and the internet by arriving covered from head-to-toe in a fully-masked black Balenciaga outfit.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sri Lanka v England
First Test, at Galle
England won by 211
Second Test, at Kandy
England won by 57 runs
Third Test, at Colombo
From Nov 23-27
RESULTS
Men
1 Marius Kipserem (KEN) 2:04:04
2 Abraham Kiptum (KEN) 2:04:16
3 Dejene Debela Gonfra (ETH) 2:07:06
4 Thomas Rono (KEN) 2:07:12
5 Stanley Biwott (KEN) 2:09:18
Women
1 Ababel Yeshaneh (ETH) 2:20:16
2 Eunice Chumba (BRN) 2:20:54
3 Gelete Burka (ETH) 2:24:07
4 Chaltu Tafa (ETH) 2:25:09
5 Caroline Kilel (KEN) 2:29:14
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
MATHC INFO
England 19 (Try: Tuilagi; Cons: Farrell; Pens: Ford (4)
New Zealand 7 (Try: Savea; Con: Mo'unga)
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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If you go
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
It's up to you to go green
Nils El Accad, chief executive and owner of Organic Foods and Café, says going green is about “lifestyle and attitude” rather than a “money change”; people need to plan ahead to fill water bottles in advance and take their own bags to the supermarket, he says.
“People always want someone else to do the work; it doesn’t work like that,” he adds. “The first step: you have to consciously make that decision and change.”
When he gets a takeaway, says Mr El Accad, he takes his own glass jars instead of accepting disposable aluminium containers, paper napkins and plastic tubs, cutlery and bags from restaurants.
He also plants his own crops and herbs at home and at the Sheikh Zayed store, from basil and rosemary to beans, squashes and papayas. “If you’re going to water anything, better it be tomatoes and cucumbers, something edible, than grass,” he says.
“All this throwaway plastic - cups, bottles, forks - has to go first,” says Mr El Accad, who has banned all disposable straws, whether plastic or even paper, from the café chain.
One of the latest changes he has implemented at his stores is to offer refills of liquid laundry detergent, to save plastic. The two brands Organic Foods stocks, Organic Larder and Sonnett, are both “triple-certified - you could eat the product”.
The Organic Larder detergent will soon be delivered in 200-litre metal oil drums before being decanted into 20-litre containers in-store.
Customers can refill their bottles at least 30 times before they start to degrade, he says. Organic Larder costs Dh35.75 for one litre and Dh62 for 2.75 litres and refills will cost 15 to 20 per cent less, Mr El Accad says.
But while there are savings to be had, going green tends to come with upfront costs and extra work and planning. Are we ready to refill bottles rather than throw them away? “You have to change,” says Mr El Accad. “I can only make it available.”
Match info
Manchester City 3 (Jesus 22', 50', Sterling 69')
Everton 1 (Calvert-Lewin 65')
Brief scores:
Everton 0
Leicester City 1
Vardy 58'
THREE
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Nayla%20Al%20Khaja%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Jefferson%20Hall%2C%20Faten%20Ahmed%2C%20Noura%20Alabed%2C%20Saud%20Alzarooni%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Duminy's Test career in numbers
Tests 46; Runs 2,103; Best 166; Average 32.85; 100s 6; 50s 8; Wickets 42; Best 4-47
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
