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Look who’s 8!

Beverly Hills, 90210 alum Tori Spelling and her husband, True Tori star Dean McDermott, shared birthday greetings for their daughter Stella via Instagram Thursday.

“Happy 8th Birthday to my 1st baby girl and my best friend! Stella Doreen you are such an amazing person and touch everyone you encounter with love and light. Always be you! #buggy #ladybug #proudmama,” the proud mama, 43, captioned the image of her growing girl.

Stella’s proud papa also shared a heartfelt message to his birthday girl.

“My beautiful little Stella Doreen Mcdermott turns 8 today!!!! Happy birthday my angel!! Daddy loves you!! #daddysgirl,” McDermott, 49, Instagrammed the image.

The day before her birthday, Stella and her siblings – brothers Liam, 9, and Finn, 3, and sister Hattie, 4 – attended the Hollywood premiere of Finding Dory with their dad.

Happy birthday to Stella!

Happy 8th Birthday to my 1st baby girl and my best friend! Stella Doreen you are such an amazing person and touch everyone you encounter with love and light. Always be you! #buggy #ladybug #proudmama

A photo posted by Tori Spelling (@torispelling) on Jun 9, 2016 at 1:38pm PDT

My beautiful little Stella Doreen Mcdermott turns 8 today!!!! Happy birthday my angel!! Daddy loves you!! #daddysgirl A photo posted by Dean McDermott (@imdeanmcdermott) on Jun 9, 2016 at 6:04pm PDT

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If you’ve been reading multiple media outlets’ coverage of the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard saga, you might feel like Hollywood is split 50/50. There’s been a lot of effort to create a sense of false equivalency around Heard and Depp, with people continually saying “Yeah he probably abused her but let’s be fair, she was no saint.” Because Amber isn’t the perfect victim, get it? While the false equivalency arguments might be this week’s media strategy, I do think there are big forces in Hollywood reconsidering Depp. In fact, he might be persona non grata to a lot of producers and studios. Entertainment Weekly has a piece in their print issue about how Depp has become (or is becoming) radioactive – go here for a taste from EW. There are also rumors that Disney is panicking. But guess who isn’t panicking? Brett Ratner, who is hellbent on producing a film where Depp plays a character loosely based on Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

Brett Ratner is going full steam ahead with his new project, “The Libertine,” starring Johnny Depp as a Dominique Strauss-Kahn-like politician accused of sexual assault — despite all the controversy surrounding the star. Ratner announced his plans for the film at the Cannes Film Festival on May 11. “The Libertine” will star Depp as “a powerful French politician who endures house arrest in a luxury NYC apartment while awaiting trial for sexual assault against a hotel maid,” Deadline reported. The film’s “loosely based” on the 2011 DSK sex-abuse scandal. Criminal charges were dropped against DSK, who settled a civil suit with the maid for an undisclosed amount.

Ratner added, “The whole movie takes place in one location, and I’ve never done that before. It’s one of the best scripts I’ve ever read. People are surprised, because I’ve always been a commercial filmmaker, and this is a much smaller movie.”

But an insider told Page Six of the project, “Everybody agreed it would be impossible to still use Depp in light of the [abuse allegations].” Casting Depp “would create some controversy; they decided it was too hot to go near. You can’t do it. Brett would be devastated as this is a dream project.” But a rep for Ratner said of dumping Depp, “It’s not true,” adding the film is in “active development” with the actor attached.

The film’s produced by Lloyd Braun and Andrew Mittman. Deadline reported at Cannes that Warner Bros. was “involved,” but we hear the project isn’t being developed at the studio.

[From Page Six]

I’ve been doing this too long, because my first thought was “Johnny Depp isn’t capable of pulling off an authentic Frenchman.” As for the film, it sounds awful. It sounds like a terrible premise, and Depp’s people should tell him not to do it. But! Maybe he “needs” to do it? I get the feeling that Depp might be worried about money all of a sudden? But how can that be, he has hundreds of millions of dollars, doesn’t he? Well, he’s selling off his Jean-Michel Basquiat paintings. They could easily go for tens of millions of dollars at auction.

Johnny Depp is auctioning off millions of dollars worth of paintings ahead of his potentially pricey divorce with Amber Heard. The Alice Through the Looking Glass star is set to unload his collection of paintings by famed artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, according to a press release by Christie’s auction house. He will sell nine paintings in total, which he collected over the past 25 years. Most of the pieces were completed by Basquiat in 1981.

‘Nothing can replace the warmth and immediacy of Basquiat’s poetry, or the absolute questions and truths that he delivered,” Depp said, according to Christie’s. He added, “The beautiful and disturbing music of his paintings, the cacophony of his silence that attacks our senses, will live far beyond our breath.”

[From People]

Basquiat’s works are highly collectible and highly sought-after by major collectors. It’s a remarkable thing for NINE Basquiats to come up for auction all at once, and I bet Depp will be making so much money. It’s also an interesting move for someone going through a divorce, right?

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Photos courtesy of WENN.
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52086734 Actress and busy mom Sarah Jessica Parker is spotted out and about with her daughter Tabitha on June 9, 2016. Missing from the outing was Sarah's husband Matthew Broderick and their other daughter, Marion. FameFlynet, Inc - Beverly Hills, CA, USA - +1 (310) 505-9876 RESTRICTIONS APPLY: USA ONLY

Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker stepped out with daughter Tabitha, nearly 7, on Thursday (June 9).

The mother-daughter duo enjoyed some one-on-one time while walking hand-in-hand in their New York City neighborhood.

Last month, we spotted SJP and her entire family-of-five — including husband Matthew Broderick, son James Wilkie, 13, and Tabitha with her twin Loretta — in the Big Apple.

In April, we spotted the actress, 51, and her daughters setting up a lemonade stand outside their home.

And in March, we saw the high-profile couple stepping out with the twins.

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52086734 Actress and busy mom Sarah Jessica Parker is spotted out and about with her daughter Tabitha on June 9, 2016. Missing from the outing was Sarah's husband Matthew Broderick and their other daughter, Marion. FameFlynet, Inc - Beverly Hills, CA, USA - +1 (310) 505-9876 RESTRICTIONS APPLY: USA ONLY
52086729 Actress and busy mom Sarah Jessica Parker is spotted out and about with her daughter Tabitha on June 9, 2016. Missing from the outing was Sarah's husband Matthew Broderick and their other daughter, Marion. FameFlynet, Inc - Beverly Hills, CA, USA - +1 (310) 505-9876 RESTRICTIONS APPLY: USA ONLY
52086735 Actress and busy mom Sarah Jessica Parker is spotted out and about with her daughter Tabitha on June 9, 2016. Missing from the outing was Sarah's husband Matthew Broderick and their other daughter, Marion. FameFlynet, Inc - Beverly Hills, CA, USA - +1 (310) 505-9876 RESTRICTIONS APPLY: USA ONLY

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Serena Williams lost the Singles Final at the Paris Open last weekend. After Serena’s stellar run in 2015 – where she won every major slam except for the US Open – the Paris Open was a bit of a disappointment. But Serena doesn’t wallow, and I think she’s got a good shot at winning Wimbledon for the second year in a row, which would break Steffi Graff’s singles Slam record. Serena covers the new issue of Glamour to talk about her plans for this year, how she’s not going to retire any time soon and more. Melissa Harris Perry did the interview and as I read the full piece (you can see it here), I could feel MHP geeking out on Serena. So the piece is fan-girly, but it’s really good. Some highlights:

Whether she thinks about breaking Graf’s record: “I do. But it’s not the end-all, be-all. It’s something I would like to achieve, but I’ve achieved so much on the court and off already.”

She’s going to the Rio Olympics: “I’m not taking Zika lightly. Especially being older, I definitely am going everywhere protected. I’m protecting myself.

Being called “the world’s greatest athlete.” “Oh my gosh, I don’t know. That’s so hard to say. I try to be the best that I can be every day. I have bad days. I had a bad day the other day. I hit for only, like, 30 minutes, and I stormed off the court. But that was the best I could do on that day. So am I the greatest? I don’t know. I’m the greatest that I can be.

Carrying the hopes & dreams of so many young black girls: “That’s something. I meet people who say, “Girl, I watch every match, and I pray for you.” I feel that energy and those prayers. Sometimes when I’m down on the court, in the back of my mind, I’m thinking, “They want me to win. Is there anything else I can give?” It encourages me to do better, to fight harder.”

How she feels about losing: “No one takes a loss harder than I do. In any sport. I hate losing more than I like winning. I work harder. I study to see where I went wrong. But I carry the loss. My coach has said to me, “When you win a match or a tournament, you don’t even think about it—the very next minute you’re like, ‘Now I’ve got to focus on Wimbledon.’ You should take the losses the same way.” I need to look at those losses as learning experiences.

Whether she feels her age (she’s 35) on the court: “Who says that your thirties is when you’re supposed to be done? I would like to know who made that rule! I was talking to my mom one time, like, “Gosh, I’m 30.” And she’s like, “In your thirties you’re even stronger than in your twenties.” I didn’t believe her, but I have played better in my thirties. And I played pretty well in my twenties, don’t get me wrong! But my consistency is better, my momentum is better, my wins are quicker.

Equal pay in sports: “These sports have a lot of work to do. And I really hope that I can be helpful in that journey because I do believe that women deserve the same pay. We work just as hard as men do. I’ve been working, playing tennis, since I was three years old. And to be paid less just because of my sex—it doesn’t seem fair. Will I have to explain to my daughter that her brother is gonna make more money doing the exact same job because he’s a man? If they both played sports since they were three years old, they both worked just as hard, but because he’s a boy, they’re gonna give him more money? Like, how am I gonna explain that to her? In tennis we’ve had great pioneers that paved the way—including Venus, who fought so hard for Wimbledon to pay women the same prize money they pay men, and Billie Jean King, who is one of the main reasons Title IX exists.

Dealing with racist BS: “I try not to be protected. Because I feel like you can become a little bit of a robot. That’s not who I am. And I don’t want to be monotone. It’s important to be yourself, whatever the cost.

[From Glamour]

When I think of all of the stuff Serena Williams has to carry and how she carries it almost entirely with grace and lightness, it sort of astounds me that she is able to win, that she is the #GOAT, that she is still fighting and winning on the court at her age. But what I love about Serena is that she has benefited so much from the long view, from having a career that has spanned decades. All of that bulls—t that she’s faced – from racism and sexism and beyond – is nothing compared to her actual career, and the physical proof that she is one of the greatest athletes of all time.

Photos courtesy of Glamour.
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Liv Tyler: “Me & My Babies”

Author: Admin | Filed under: Celebrities
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Expectant mama Liv Tyler posted a precious photo with son Sailor, 15 months, via Instagram Thursday.

“Me and my babies @mario_sorrenti @vogueitalia @themelanieward #itsallaboutfamily @davidgardner,” The Leftovers star, 38, captioned the image modeling her full-term bare baby bump while holding her barenaked boy.

Last month, we spotted the mom-to-be donning a chic animal print maternity top while out and about in New York City.

The Lord of the Rings star and her fiancé David Gardner are expecting their second child together.

The Empire Records star is also mom to 11-year-old son Milo, and Gardner is dad to son Gray, 8, both from previous relationships.

Me and my babies @mario_sorrenti @vogueitalia @themelanieward #itsallaboutfamily @davidgardner

A photo posted by Liv Tyler (@misslivalittle) on Jun 9, 2016 at 8:21am PDT

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“There’s more behind the star.” Yeah, domestic violence and bro-gaslighting!!! As you can see above, Benicio del Toro is the current face of Heineken beer. He’s doing print ads and commercials for the brand, and I’m sure he’s contractually obligated to attend a certain number of Heineken-sponsored events throughout the year. One of those events was this week, Tuesday night. And because Heineken wanted lots of press coverage of their event, they of course invited reporters and media outlets to the event. That was a bad idea, because the New York Daily News asked Benicio point-blank about his friend Johnny Depp and the accusations of domestic abuse lodged against Depp by Amber Heard. As we covered yesterday, Benicio’s answers were not good, especially when he called Amber “manipulative” and “a little twisted.”

In yesterday’s story, I even noted that Heineken probably wasn’t happy that Benicio used their event to discuss the Depp-Heard stuff. I wrote: “I bet the Heineken people were really glad that Benicio used their event to speak about this. ‘Heineken does not endorse the misogyny of their spokesperson,’ is probably what some beer publicist is writing now.” Well guess what? A glorious follow-up from the NYDN:

While Dos Equis is searching to replace their “Most Interesting Man in the World,” Heineken is distancing themselves from the most embarrassing spokesman in the beer business. On Tuesday, Heineken sponsored a promotional event hosted by Benicio Del Toro, who took the opportunity to defend his “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” co-star Johnny Depp against domestic abuse charges. Del Toro argued that Amber Heard, Depp’s wife, seemed “manipulative” and “twisted.”

Apparently that wasn’t the kind of press that Heineken had in mind. After the Daily News story ran, a staffer for the Edelman public relations firm, which represents Heineken, called and emailed, asking that we disassociate their client from that damning Del Toro article.

“Can you please remove the mention of the Heineken event in the quote?” read the request from Edelman P.R. “That was not the intent of the press day and would appreciate if you could do so.”

It gets better. That rep then asked if, after sanitizing the story we have online, we might be doing another article about their beer, where Del Toro doesn’t come across as an advocate for spousal abuse.

“Will there be another piece focused on BDT + his relationship with the brand?” we were asked.

Voila! Here it is. Once again, we’re assuming this isn’t what they had in mind. Del Toro is involved in a two-year campaign with Heineken, which is billing the partnership as the actor’s “first-ever brand deal of this scale.”

Edelman calls itself “the world’s largest P.R. firm” and has done damage control for both the Saudi monarchy and Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. during its phone hacking scandal. But there isn’t much that can be done to spin the fact that Del Toro plays for Team Depp when it comes to his ongoing domestic abuse controversy. Heineken USA spokeswoman Tara Rush stands by Del Toro.

“Heineken does not intend to distance itself from Benicio del Toro,” according to Rush. “Benecio’s (sic) comments on a friend’s personal matter are strictly his own views and opinion, and do not reflect those of Heineken.”

[From The NYDN]

This is so funny. Props to the NYDN for publishing this. I doubt the PR firm knew they were making comments on the record. Heineken really, really does not want you to associate their brand with domestic violence or apologists for abusers or gaslighting abuse victims. I wonder if Benicio is getting a call right now too.

Photos courtesy of WENN, Heineken.
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Above is a photo of the cover of Yolanda Hadid’s memoir, which I assume is not written yet because it’s not out until next year. It was smart of her to put a husky puppy on the cover with her because your eye just goes to that beautiful animal and you want to open the book for more, which is so illogical but puppies. This is not Yolanda’s dog and according to her Instagram she was just puppy sitting. There are more photos of furballs below to get you through this post. Yolanda is currently in Tahiti, where she is posting bikini photos which look vaguely Photoshopped (I’m sure her body is great but I side-eye her waist in that pic in front of the ocean) and recovering from being fired from Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, if rumors are to be believed. In Touch reported that producers were telling her to stop focusing on her lyme disease because “The viewers are tired of hearing about it.” Instead they reportedly gave her an ultimatum that “her storyline this season will be looking for love since she is now single.” If she’s truly as sick as she seems, that sounds pretty dumb but they have to go with what people will watch I guess.

Yolanda has been accused of faking her illness, of having Munchausen and Munchausen by proxy for claiming her children have lyme too, and of playing it up for the cameras and social media. So now she’s putting out a book to further tell her side of the story. The folks at Reality Tea think the title is a dig at her co-stars on RHOBH, who have thrown shade her her and often discount her symptoms. Here’s the announcement from Bravo:

Yolanda Hadid’s battle with Lyme disease has been well documented over the last few seasons of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Now the mother of Gigi and Bella Hadid is telling all in a brand-new memoir, Believe Me: My Battle with the Invisible Disability of Lyme Disease.

Yolanda spoke to The Daily Dish about her new book, to be published by St. Martin’s Press in February 2017, and why she felt it was time to write it. “Once I started to uncover the mystery of chronic Lyme disease and the stigma around it, I felt a strong sense of obligation towards the millions of people suffering from this debilitating disease to share my journey and to be a voice for those who can’t be heard,” she says.

The title is most certainly a nod to accusations that came up during Season 6 of RHOBH that Yolanda might have Munchausen Syndrome, a mental disorder in which someone makes others believe he or she is sick by pretending to be ill, by purposely getting sick, or through self-injury, according to the Mayo Clinic.

“I would hope that anyone who watched or knows about my journey will take the time to read Believe Me as I truly hope it will educate and open people’s hearts in order to gain a much deeper respect and understanding of this journey,” Yolanda says. “The message here is really about how we can learn to be less judgmental and deal with chronically ill people in a more kind, compassionate and understanding way.”

Of course it is those already suffering from Lyme disease that Yolanda was thinking of when writing the book. “I have met so many debilitated and financially devastated patients, parents who’ve sold their homes in order to pay for their children’s treatment all while fighting to keep them alive. I documented my journey with photos, daily logs, lab results and short videos, because I wasn’t sure I would make it through alive, but I did. I am here to tell my story because we need a cure affordable for all.”

Yolanda says the memoir will contain information on every treatment she’s tried over the last five years — both the ones that helped and the ones that didn’t. “I was raised to blindly trust doctors, but learned I had to be my own health advocate,” she explains.

[From Bravo.TV]

I’ve had a lyme-type disorder and have had invisible illness so while I can very much relate to Yolanda’s plight that does not mean that I agree with the way she’s tried to “raise awareness.” She posts a lot of sickbed selfies, but she’s a former model, both her daughters are models and she’s on a reality show. That just goes with the territory, it doesn’t mean she’s faking or playing it up at all. Some people, often people who have been healthy all their lives, cannot grasp that someone can be extremely ill and still look ok or manage to fake it for a couple of hours. It seems like a double edged sword for Yolanda in that she can’t appear well or she’s accused of not really being sick and she can’t appear sick or she’s accused of wallowing or exaggerating. That’s kind of the nature of lyme, you can appear and feel ok one day and be on your ass the next. Of course she’s seeking every treatment possible, she has money, she feels horrible and she wants to get better but somehow that’s a strike against her too.

These shows rely on the women fighting and sniping at each other so it’s only expected that if one is sick the others are going to say she’s not really sick. They have to find reasons to hate each other. Lyme needs a better spokesperson than Yolanda but at least she’s making it more visible. Now let’s look at puppies.

??Baby sitting for the day…… #PuppyLove #Precious #FurryBaby

A photo posted by YOLANDA (@yolanda.hadid) on Apr 27, 2016 at 10:40am PDT

??Sunday morning love fest…….. #PuppyLove #Huskies

A photo posted by YOLANDA (@yolanda.hadid) on Apr 17, 2016 at 10:12am PDT

This photo makes it look like Yolanda went to Tahiti on the advance from her book.

??Thank you to @stmartinspress for publishing my book “BELIEVE ME” It took so much time, research, money and effort to get properly diagnosed…only to find out that there is no cure! It has been an eye opening experience. While I started to uncover the mystery of chronic neurological Lyme disease and the stigma around it, I felt a strong sense of obligation to share my journey with the millions of people suffering from this debilitating disease and world wide epidemic. It feels so good to finally be able to write and share with you the details of my treatments, diagnosis and the spiritual growth I acquired during the darkest days of my live while navigating the uncertainties in the maze of chronic invisible diseases………. #LymeDiseaseAwareness #WeMustFindACure #BELIEVEME Pre-orders available on Amazon, Link is in my bio

A photo posted by YOLANDA (@yolanda.hadid) on Jun 9, 2016 at 11:46am PDT

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Here are some photos of the Duchess of Cambridge and other royals today at St. Paul’s Cathedral. They attended a service of thanksgiving for Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday, which is funny because today is actually the Duke of Edinburgh’s 95th birthday. But today is the start of a three-day celebration for the Queen, her birthday and her historic reign. In addition to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, this church service was also attended by the York princesses, Prince Harry, the Prince of Wales, the Countess of Wessex, the Duke of York, the Princess Royal, the Duchess of Cornwall, Zara Phillips, Tony Blair, David Cameron and John Major. You can see the Daily Mail’s photos here.

While the Queen wore a bright yellow, Kate decided on a more muted palate. She chose this light blue Catherine Walker coatdress, because Kate is obsessed with coatdresses. The white, lacy lattice-work down the front is not my cup of tea, but I think the look is appropriate for a morning church service. The thing that bugs me most of all is that I believe with all my heart that Kate had the hem raised so she could show off more leg, and whomever did it made a hash of it – look at how uneven that looks! Kate’s hat is by Jane Taylor, and Kate paired the ensemble with a pair of much-beloved nude heels. I have to say… the York princesses looked fantastic this morning. The Duke of York, not so much.

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Photos courtesy of WENN.
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Before we get to the latest sad stuff from the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard saga, I’d just like to make one superficial observation: I’ve spent a lot of time the past few weeks going through years of photos of Amber, and I have a growing appreciation for her hair. She has really great hair, you guys. Okay, superficial stuff over. E! News has a new story based off of quotes from unnamed sources. The sources are pro-Amber, so E! News might be ready to choose sides. This story is basically “what was going through Amber’s mind when she decided to stay for two years as the abuse got worse.”

The fallout from Amber Heard and Johnny Depp’s divorce continues. Ever since Heard filed for—and received—a restraining order against her soon-to-be ex-husband, it has become a he-said, she-said case filled with allegations of domestic violence. Now a source on Heard’s side tells E! News that the couple’s relationship varied depending on Depp’s alleged drug use, but Heard would say she had faith that things would improve.

“Amber didn’t want to come forward about the abuse because she had faith he’d get better and that it would stop,” the source claims. But Heard has said that when Johnny was sober he wouldn’t lay a hand on her, but when it was a different story when he was under the influence. The source also claims Heard didn’t come forward before because she has “suffered severe emotional trauma.”

Our insider explains Heard would say that Depp would try to atone for his actions.

“Whenever there was an incident he’d apologize profusely and she’d forgive him. Until now,” the source says. “She’s now realized that his addictions got the best of him and that she couldn’t continue living this way.” Heard eventually told people that she became “scared of him and his temper” but managed to stay strong. “Amber is a tough girl and thick-skinned, which is why those close to her are surprised she has let this happen to her, and it’s taken so long for her to divorce him. But their love is unlike anything she has ever experienced and even through what is happening now she still loves him and wants him to get help.”

[From E! News]

This is pretty much what I gathered from those text messages (now authenticated by People Mag) between Amber and Depp’s assistant. Depp would get high and/or drunk, he would abuse her, she would leave, and then he and his people would work in concert to manipulate Amber into coming back. Plus, as I’ve said, addicts always see themselves as the victims. Amber probably saw Depp that way too. As in, how can this man be an abuser if he’s the victim of his own addiction? And: if I tell someone, if I press charges, if I leave, that will just hurt him even more. That’s how people get caught up in the cycle of violence.

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Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet.
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As we discussed yesterday, Maria Sharapova received a two-year ban on professional tennis after she admitted (after she tested positive) to using a banned substance. Sharapova’s version of the verdict is that the ITF found that she did not intentionally use banned substances, that it was all some big misunderstanding. But if you read the full decision – you can see the PDF file of the decision here – you might realize that the ITF investigated Sharapova thoroughly and they had many good reasons for implementing the two-year ban. Still, most people aren’t going to delve that deeply into it, especially because Sharapova is going to appeal the decision and she’s still fronting like she really didn’t do anything wrong. What’s surprising is that so many of Sharapova’s sponsors aren’t delving too deeply into the ITF’s decision either. Many of the sponsors are sticking with her. Shock of shocks.

Maria Sharapova has found support from sponsors after being given a two-year suspension for failing a drugs test at the Australian Open. Sharapova has vowed to fight the ban, announced by the International Tennis Federation on Wednesday, after she tested positive for prohibited substance meldonium and high-profile sponsors Nike, Head and Evian are standing by the Russian, with Nike lifting the suspension they imposed on their contract when news of her failed drugs test emerged in March. At the time of the failed test, the sportswear company said it was putting its eight-year, $70m deal on hold. But in a statement on Wednesday night, it said that it had decided to continue working with Sharapova.

“The ITF Tribunal has found that Maria did not intentionally break its rules. Maria has always made her position clear, has apologised for her mistake and is now appealing the length of the ban,” read Nike’s statement. “Based on the decision of the ITF and their factual findings, we hope to see Maria back on court and will continue to partner with her.”

Sharapova’s racket provider Head never wavered in its support of her, citing her as a “role model and woman of integrity” at the time of her failed test and proceeding to extend her deal. On Thursday, Evian said in a statement: “The ITF tribunal concluded that Maria Sharapova’s contravention was not intentional. Following this announcement, Evian has decided to maintain its long-lasting relationship with the champion.”

Two of Sharapova’s other sponsors, watchmaker Tag Heuer and luxury car brand Porsche, have been less supportive. Porsche suspended activities with Sharapova following her failed test, and will now wait for the verdict to her appeal to the Court of Arbitration to Sport. The company said in a statement: “We have taken note of the recent International Tennis Federation ruling in the case of Maria Sharapova and are especially aware that it was decided that she was not accused of intentionally violating the World Anti-Doping Code. As Maria will appeal the decision, we will continue to keep all activities with her on hold until the final judgement has been reached.”

Tag Heuer announced in March it had decided not to renew Sharapova’s contract, but has not ruled out working with her again in the future. Cosmetics brand Avon are also severing ties with Sharapova but insist that is not because of her doping ban. A spokesperson said: “Avon’s relationship with Maria Sharapova was a limited engagement that focused on one of our fragrances. The engagement is set to expire and we had not planned to extend this relationship regardless of the current situation.”

[From The Guardian]

The biggest deal was Nike, because that’s her most lucrative contract, and I’m absolutely shocked that they’re sticking with her. While Sharapova has always been more of a model than a professional tennis player, surely it’s bad business for an athleticswear company to continue spending tens of millions of dollars on an athlete banned from her sport following a thorough investigation? Surely it would just be easier for Nike to sever ties with Sharapova – for good cause, mind you – and start over with another player?

And of course there’s a larger conversation to be had about privilege and what the reaction would have been if one of the Williams sisters had tested positive. Can anyone say that this would have the reaction if Serena was in this situation?

Photos courtesy of WENN.
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