All posts tagged: Ricky

Unclear whether Ricky Hatton meant to take own life, coroner rules | UK News

Unclear whether Ricky Hatton meant to take own life, coroner rules | UK News

Boxer Ricky Hatton had brain disease caused by repeated head trauma when he died, an inquest has ruled. Alison Mutch, senior coroner for South Manchester, recorded a verdict of hanging, saying he was the person who caused his own death. But she did not come to the conclusion it was suicide, saying it was unclear whether the former world champion meant to take his own life. The inquest, in Stockport, was told that Hatton was more than twice the alcohol drink drive limit at the time of his death, aged 46, in September last year. Ms Mutch said police found no notes or anything that gave any suggestion of an intent to take his life. He had been under the influence of alcohol and there were also brain changes identified by the pathologist at his post mortem as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) – a brain disease caused by repeated head trauma in contact sports like boxing. Image: World champion boxer Ricky Hatton The condition can cause mood swings, confusion and forgetfulness, things his family said …

Ricky Martin Super Bowl performance was an act of justice for the ’90s

Ricky Martin Super Bowl performance was an act of justice for the ’90s

In the lead-up to the Super Bowl LX halftime show, Bad Bunny fans placed bets on which Puerto Rican star would appear beside the singer. Would it be reggaeton legends like Daddy Yankee and Don Omar? Or even Tego Calderón? But as the halftime show went underway, Ricky Martin appeared. Nine minutes into the performance, musician José Eduardo Santana cut through the atmosphere with his cuatro, a 10-string instrument considered the national instrument of the island. The camera shifted its focus to Martin, who was seated on a white plastic chair — in a scene inspired by the cover of “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” which evoked a familiar nostalgia among Latino communities upon its debut last year. Mic in hand, the pop singer belted out a rendition of “Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii,” a ballad that implores islanders to resist the same compromises for U.S. statehood that the sovereign kingdom of Hawaii made in 1959. Like Puerto Rico, Hawaii became a U.S. colony in 1898 — and both islands have struggled against increasing gentrification …

Ricky Martin’s then-and-now photos display phenomenal transformation over the years

Ricky Martin’s then-and-now photos display phenomenal transformation over the years

As Ricky’s career kept rising, interest in his personal life did too. In August 2008, he became a dad to twin boys – Matteo and Valentino – via surrogacy. Two years later, he came out as gay through a statement to his website. Ricky said: “I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am.” When he opened up about becoming a father as a gay man, he told Out magazine: “Many years I dreamt of being a father, and many, many, many times I went through this grieving process of ‘I am gay, I am a closeted gay man, and I’m not going to be able to be a daddy.’” While navigating the early years of his sons’ lives, Ricky started dating Puerto Rican economist Carlos González Abella. The two were together for four years, breaking up in 2014. In 2016, Ricky started dating Syrian-Swedish painter Jwan Yosef. The two married in 2018, the same year they welcomed their daughter Lucia. At the …

Bad Bunny brings out Lady Gaga, Ricky Martin, more cameos for star-studded Super Bowl LX halftime show

Bad Bunny brings out Lady Gaga, Ricky Martin, more cameos for star-studded Super Bowl LX halftime show

Bad Bunny certainly lived up to his promise of a dance-heavy and legendary halftime show! The Puerto Rican rapper brought out a host of celebrity cameos for his set, filled with his biggest hits and speaking bits predominantly in Spanish, even concluding with a shout-out to several of the world’s Spanish-speaking countries. © Getty ImagesUS singer-songwriter Lady Gaga and Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny perform during Super Bowl LX Patriots vs Seahawks Apple Music Halftime Show at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California on February 8, 2026. But the real stars of the show were his supporting acts, with the rapper bringing out Lady Gaga for a surprise performance of her hit “Die With a Smile,” as well as a performance from Spanish crooner Ricky Martin. At one point during the show, several other stars were on-stage dancing to his performance, from Cardi B and Jessica Alba, to Karol G, Young Miko and Pedro Pascal. A majority of these stars were photographed pregame dressed in white at Levi’s Stadium. © Getty ImagesPuerto Rican singer Bad …

Ricky Gervais criticises celebrities for making political speeches at 2026 Grammys

Ricky Gervais criticises celebrities for making political speeches at 2026 Grammys

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Ricky Gervais has again called out celebrities for making political speeches at a big awards show. The Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on 2 February saw winners like Bad Bunny and Billie Eilish making speeches denouncing US president Donald Trump’s increasingly unpopular immigration crackdown. Gervais didn’t seem impressed by any of it. “They’re still not listening,” the comedian wrote on X, along with a snippet of his 2020 Golden Globes monologue telling the gathered celebrities not to use their acceptance speeches to make political points. “If you do win an award tonight, don’t use it as a political platform to make a political speech. You’re in no position to lecture the public about anything. You know nothing about the real world. Most of you spent less time in school than Greta Thunberg,” the snippet of his speech read. Gervais had done …

Ricky Gervais’s long-term partner Jane Fallon shares rare insight into 40-year relationship with comedian

Ricky Gervais’s long-term partner Jane Fallon shares rare insight into 40-year relationship with comedian

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Ricky Gervais’s long-term partner Jane Fallon has shared a rare insight into her 40-year relationship with the comedian, explaining their decision not to have children. Fallon, 65, forged a successful career as a TV producer but left the industry behind when she landed a book deal in the late Noughties. Fallon’s first novel, Getting Rid of Matthew, was released in 2007 and she has since penned another 11 titles. The writer has been in a relationship with Gervais for more than 40 years, but the pair decided against getting married and having children. Appearing on the Second Act podcast, Fallon said she has no regrets about not having kids. “When I was little, you know the cliche of a little girl is they imagine their wedding day and their wedding dress… it was none of that ever,” she said. “It was …

Jane Fallon’s ‘brave and bonkers’ life shift in her 40s – and partner Ricky Gervais

Jane Fallon’s ‘brave and bonkers’ life shift in her 40s – and partner Ricky Gervais

Before the award-winning comedian Ricky Gervais hit the big time, his partner, the best-selling author Jane Fallon, was the breadwinner in their relationship. At the start of their careers in the mid-1980s, the couple, who met at university and have been together for more than 40 years, lived above a “scary” brothel in King’s Cross, London, during what she recalls as a “bleak” period in their lives.  Although Ricky was undecided about which path to follow, Jane, 65, became a TV producer, going on to work on shows including EastEnders and having hits with Teachers and This Life. “I was always saying: ‘I’m going to get us out of this. I’m going to work my way out of this,’” the author of Welcome to the Neighbourhood tells Ateh Jewel on this week’s episode of HELLO!’s Second Act podcast. © GettyJane with her long-term partner Ricky Gervais “I felt as though I was on the rung of the ladder I wanted to be on. I knew that once I got a proper road into TV, that would be something …

Ricky Gervais reveals The Office casting that surprised him

Ricky Gervais reveals The Office casting that surprised him

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Ricky Gervais has opened up about casting Mackenzie Crook in The Office, revealing he didn’t look anything like how he originally envisioned the character of Gareth. Acclaimed sitcom The Office aired on the BBC from 2001 to 2003, and spawned international spin-offs, including the long-running American version. In the U.S. version, Steve Carell took the role of the boss that Gervais had originally played, while the character of Dwight Schrute (played by Rainn Wilson) was created as an Americanized version of Gareth. During an appearance on actors Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett’s podcast Smartless, Gervais said that he originally had a very different type of actor in mind to play Gareth after basing the character on a school friend. “Gareth was based on a kid I went to school with when I was 14 or 15,” said Gervais. “He …

Ricky Gervais proves he really doesn’t care about his legacy in crass Netflix special Mortality

Ricky Gervais proves he really doesn’t care about his legacy in crass Netflix special Mortality

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter I had high hopes when I heard that Ricky Gervais’s new blockbuster Netflix stand-up special is titled Mortality. The idea of the sharp comic mind behind genius television such as The Office and Extras applying itself scalpel-like to the deepest questions of the human condition seemed full of rich promise. The reality, a parade of mundane whinges peppered with controversy bait, is rather more blunt. Some of history’s greatest comedians have wrestled meaning and laughter from the topic of our inevitable demise, from George Carlin’s timeless routine suggesting we all get a two-minute warning to Norm Macdonald railing against having to talk about “battling cancer” instead of just getting sick and dying. Gervais, who is now 64, has himself explored grief in his series After Life. But if he has anything new to contribute on this darkest and most profound of …

Ricky Gervais reveals he cut Jason Momoa joke from Globes appearance over fears it was racist

Ricky Gervais reveals he cut Jason Momoa joke from Globes appearance over fears it was racist

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Ricky Gervais has revealed he cut a joke about Jason Momoa from one of his Golden Globes monologues because he was worried it was racist. In the comedian’s new Netflix stand-up special, Mortality, released Tuesday, he praised the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for never censoring his jokes during the five times he has hosted the awards show, but explained that he stopped himself from making a joke that might have sparked backlash. “I said earlier, I’ve never had a joke stopped by the Golden Globes, and that is absolutely true,” Gervais, 64, said. “But I’ve just remembered the joke that I stopped myself, ’cause I bottled it a bit, and I think I was being over-cautious. I want to share it with you.” He continued, “So I’ve got the chance to introduce Jason Momoa. So I thought the meta joke would …