Top 5 Stories of 2021
As we wrap up this year and prepare for the new year a few major stories stood out defining our year in entertainment. Aside from the pandemic and politics, there have been an endless number of reports on the following stories. Here are the top 5 stories of 2021.
1. The Interview Heard Around The World
The Interview heard Around The World: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex: Harry and Meghan
In a CBS special aired in March, the Duchess of Sussex sat down for a candid interview with Oprah Winfrey and discussed problems with the royal family.
According to Meghan, she was suicidal during her pregnancy with Harry’s son, Archie, and someone from “the institution” discouraged her from getting help. She also corrected the tabloid story claiming she made Kate Middleton cry before her royal wedding. It was the opposite way around, rather her sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, caused Meghan to cry before her wedding to Harry – though Kate had since apologized and Meghan held no grudges.
Her most shocking statement was that a member of Harry’s family expressed “concerns and conversations about how dark [Archie’s] skin might be when he’s born.”
In his book Brothers and Wives: Inside the Private Lives of William, Kate, Harry and Meghan, Christopher Andersen claims that Prince Charles asked about the complexion of his son, though the prince denied the claim in a Palace statement.
“This is fiction and not worth further comment,” a palace representative said to multiple media outlets.
During the special, Harry also spoke about family issues with his dad and older brother, Prince William. He also suggested that Charles stopped taking his phone calls and insisted that he did not blindside anyone with his royal exit, and that he had a difficult time communicating with his only sibling.
“I love William to bits. He’s my brother. We’ve been through hell together,” Harry said of his relationship with William, which has reportedly been strained recently. “I mean, we have a shared experience. But we’re on different paths.”
“The relationship [with William] is space at the moment. Time heals all things,” he explained.
2. Former Fly Girl Goes back to Former Husband: Bennifer 2.0
The surprise reunion we didn’t expect was Bennifer 2.0. This year, fans were enthralled by Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez rekindling their romance after breaking off their engagement in 2004.
According to ET in March, Affleck made the first move after her split from Alex Rodriguez.
“Ben has always had an affinity for Jennifer and was the one who initially started pursuing her and making an effort to reconnect, romantically speaking,” according to the source. “He wanted to explore things with her beyond friendship and they’ve both really been enjoying spending time together.”
In July, the two shared a romantic photo of them sharing a kiss while celebrating her 52nd birthday, making them Instagram official.
The pair later made a stunning appearance when they walked the red carpet together at the premiere of The Last Duel at the Venice Film Festival, their first public appearance together in 18 years. The nostalgia was everything.
4. The Dissolution of “Kimye”
Kim Kardashian filed for divorce from Kanye West in February after six years of marriage. They struggled publicly after West’s failed presidential bid. This was around the time Kanye West went public regarding their initial plans to abort their eldest daughter North West.
“Kim filing for divorce from Kanye is just a formal part of the process,” an ET source said. “The couple has been done for a while and have been amicable for a while. At the end of the day, Kanye and Kim love each other immensely but knew it was time to call it quits. Their children are their number one priority and no matter what will maintain a positive relationship for them.”
Although West was linked to supermodel Irina Shayk, Kardashian, 41, shocked fans in November when she was spotted holding hands with comedian Pete Davidson while riding a roller coaster at Knotts’ Scary Farm. The two have been sighted together multiple times since then.
In November, West attended the Los Angeles Mission’s annual Thanksgiving event on Skid Row and admitted he had made mistakes in his marriage.
“…I’ve made mistakes. I’ve publicly done things that were not acceptable as a husband,” Page Six reported. “But … I’m here to change the narrative. If the enemy can separate Kimye, there’s going to be millions of families that feel like that separation is OK… but when God brings Kimye together, there’s going to be millions of families that are going to be influenced to see that they can overcome the work of the separation.”
Even so, Kardashian filed for legal single status in December. According to court documents, she said that her marriage to West is irreparable and that no amount of counseling could save it.
3. The Newest Kardashian Family Member: Travis Barker
This year, Kim was not the only Kardashian in the news for her relationship. She began a whirlwind romance this year with her longtime neighbor and friend, Travis Barker, who ended up getting engaged.
As Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian’s relationship progresses, he got some new ink in honor of her. Earlier this week, Kardashian showed off a new tattoo on Instagram, a cursive version of her name.
On Thursday, the 45-year-old musician was also pictured shirtless while working on a new project in Hollywood, and the tattoo is visible above his left nipple. Before their relationship turned romantic, Barker and 41-year-old Kardashian were longtime friends. Fans speculated last month that Barker’s new tattoo on his right thigh reads “You’re so cool!” and has a small heart.
In January, Kardashian and Barker began dating, and the couple’s relationship has been intense ever since. Kardashian and Barker made it no secret that they were in love, with Barker getting a tattoo of Kardashian’s name on his chest in April and sharing a video of her sucking his thumb.
2. Travis Scott: Astroworld – 10 Dead Hundreds Injured
The tragic turn of Travis Scott’s Nov. 5 concert at Astroworld Fest in Houston, Texas, turned tragic after ten people died. During a press conference, Houston Fire Department Chief Sam Pena confirmed the deaths, noting that 17 people had been transported to hospitals from the “chaotic event,” 11 of whom were in cardiac arrest. At the festival, which took place at Houston’s NRG Park and had around 50,000 attendees, a field hospital treated 300 concertgoers.
“At approximately 9 or 9:15 p.m., the crowd began to compress toward the front of the stage, and that caused some panic and it started causing some injuries,” Pena reported. “People began to fall out and become unconscious, and that created additional panic. People were getting injured.”
Scott, 30, tweeted, “I am absolutely devastated by what took place last night. My prayers go out to the families and all those impacted by what happened at Astroworld Festival.”
A number of lawsuits have been filed against Scott since the concert. He denied knowing that people were in distress during his set or hearing any cries for help in his first interview since the tragedy with Charlamagne tha God.
According to documents obtained from the medical examiner, all 10 victims died of “compression asphyxia,” one of whom also succumbed to “combined toxic effects of cocaine, methamphetamine and ethanol.”
1. #FreeBritney Becomes #BritneyFree
Britney Spears won her 13-year conservatorship battle on Nov. 12 after a long legal battle. Popstar Britney Spears’s father, Jamie Spears, has controlled her career and finances since 2008 after she was hospitalized for mental health issues, which she had been battling for years. As the #FreeBritney movement went viral, documentaries examined her conservatorship, as well as the way she has been treated by the media in the past, including The New York Times, Presents Framing Britney Spears. Spears received an outpouring of support from fans as well as fellow celebrities, and even an apology from her ex-boyfriend, Justin Timberlake.
In June, Spears gave an emotional testimony in which she shared in her own words the struggles she faced under the conservatorship. It was claimed that Spears was put on lithium, was “traumatized” in rehab, and was not allowed to marry or have children with her longtime love Sam Asghari under the conservatorship.
According to Spears, her father and “anyone involved in this conservatorship and my management, who played a huge role in punishing me when I said, ‘No ma’am,’ they should be in jail.”
The pop star responded by sharing a video of the crowds cheering her newfound freedom outside the courthouse following the official ruling that her conservatorship had ended on Nov. 12.
“Good God I love my fans so much it’s crazy!!!” she tweeted. “I think I’m gonna cry the rest of the day!!!! Best day ever … praise the Lord … can I get an Amen???? #FreedBritney.”
