This week’s newsletter is mostly brought to you by Nickie, she found almost everything you are about to read! Thanks Nickie, made my life easy this week. Plus, you all missed a supercentenarian! 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Dickie Bird, 92, English cricket umpire and player (Yorkshire, Leicestershire). 
• Claudia Cardinale, 87, Italian actress (Once Upon a Time in the West, The Leopard, 8½). 
• Ruth Posner, 96, Polish Holocaust survivor and actress (Making News, The Ruth Rendell Mysteries, Casualty), assisted suicide. 
• Patricia Crowther, 97, British Wiccan occultist. 
• Ann Granger, 86, British crime writer (Cold in the Earth). 
• Sara Jane Moore, 95, American accountant and convicted attempted assassin (Gerald Ford). 
• Izabel Rosa Pereira, 114, Brazilian supercentenarian, heart failure. 
• Billy Vigar, 21, English footballer (Chichester City), brain injury. 
• Menzies Campbell, Baron Campbell of Pittenweem, 84, British politician and Olympic sprinter, MP (1987–2015), member of the House of Lords. 
• Tony Harrison, 88, English poet (“V“).

In Other News

William Shatner is brushing off reports about his health, calling them “greatly exaggerated.” After online reports claimed the 93-year-old actor was rushed to the hospital on Wednesday, his agency told the Flying Monkeys in a statement that the story was untrue, saying, “He is at home. This is a false report.” On Thursday, Shatner addressed the rumours himself, posting a meme on Instagram that read, “Rumours of my demise have been greatly exaggerated!” “I over indulged,” he wrote in the caption. “I thank you all for caring but I’m perfectly fine. I keep telling you all: don’t trust tabloids or AI! ” This isn’t the first time Shatner has had to debunk rumours about his health. In 2018, he responded to a Facebook ad falsely claiming he had died. At the time, Shatner was alerted to his alleged death by a fan on Twitter, who tagged the icon with the caption, “@WilliamShatner I thought you might want to know you’re dead.” The post included a picture from a sponsored advertisement on Facebook that claimed the “beloved Sci-Fi actor was found” dead. “Hey @facebook isn’t this your messenger app?” he wrote on Twitter at the time in response. “Thought you were doing something about this?” The company quickly took action and removed the ad from the platform. Shatner later followed up in classic fashion, writing, “Thank you. I’m not planning on dying so please continue to block those kinds of ads.”  

Tributes have poured in for an actress and Holocaust survivor who ‘died at a Swiss suicide clinic’ alongside her husband. Devoted couple, Ruth Posner, 96, and husband Michael, 97, informed their family and friends they had taken their own lives in an email. Neither had terminal illnesses but the pair, from Belsize Park, north London, decided they did not want to be apart after almost 75 years married. They addressed a message to ‘Dear family and friends’ on Tuesday and wrote: ‘So sorry not to have mentioned it but when you receive this email we will have “shuffled off this mortal coil”. The decision was mutual and without any outside pressure. We had lived a long life and together for almost 75 years. There came a point when failing senses, of sight and hearing and lack of energy was not living but existing that no care would improve. We had an interesting and varied life and except for the sorrow of losing Jeremy, our son. We enjoyed our time together, we tried not to regret the past, live in the present and not to expect too much from the future. Much love Ruth & Mike.’ Ms Posner used a falsified passport to flee the Warsaw ghetto and posed as a Catholic school student during three years spent on the run with her aunt. The rest of her family were killed at the Treblinka extermination camp. On her arrival in the UK aged 16, Ms Posner did not speak any English but soon started training as a dancer and enrolled at the London Contemporary Dance Theatre. She later started acting school, studying theatre arts at Hunter College in New York before gaining membership at the Royal Shakespeare Company. The Holocaust survivor went on to become a star of both the film and TV worlds, receiving acclaim for roles in movies Leon The Pig Farmer and Love Hurts. She also featured on the small screen in Casualty, The Ruth Rendell Mysteries and a string of other top shows. Ms Posner acted for 80 years and recently played Polish princess Katya in BBC comedy series Count Arthur Strong. She married her British husband Michael in 1950 and the pair travelled the world thanks to his work as a chemist for Unilever and Unicef. The couple are survived by a grandson.  

An aspiring teenage gymnast has died at age 19 after a horrific accident training in Russia. The Indonesian Gymnastics Federation announced the death of 19-year-old Naufal Takdir Al Bari after he had been in intensive care for 12 days. He sustained a severe neck injury, according to reports in Russia, when he fell into a foam pit during a horizontal bar routine. The athlete was training to compete in this year’s Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, which are being held in Indonesia. An IGF statement said: ‘Athlete Naufal Takdir Al Bari has passed away to the mercy of Allah in Penza, Russia. The 19-year-old gymnast breathed his last after undergoing intensive care for 12 days at GA Zakharyin Hospital. ‘Naufal was one of the talented gymnasts and his passing was a blow to the world of sports, especially the Indonesian Gymnastics Federation. He was prepared to compete in the 53rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships 2025, the 2025 SEA Games Bangkok, and was projected to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.’ The statement added: ‘Indonesian Gymnastics has lost the nation’s best. This is a deep blow and sorrow for us. May the family be given strength.’ Vice President of the Russian Gymnastics Federation Vasily Titov, said Al Bari was hurt after performing a routine he had not been prepared to take on. ‘We conducted the necessary investigation, and all the circumstances surrounding the injury have been established. Unfortunately, the athlete was not prepared to perform such a complex element,’ he said. ‘We will certainly provide assistance, if necessary, in the shipment and repatriation of the body.’

On This Day

• 1066 – William the Conqueror lands in England, beginning the Norman conquest.
• 1889 – The General Conference on Weights and Measures defines the length of a metre.
• 1912 – Corporal Frank S. Scott of the United States Army becomes the first enlisted man to die in an airplane crash. 
• 1928 – Alexander Fleming notices a bacteria-killing mold growing in his laboratory, discovering what later became known as penicillin.

Deaths

• 1891 – Herman Melville, American author and poet (born 1819).
• 1895 – Louis Pasteur, French chemist and microbiologist (born 1822).
• 1953 – Edwin Hubble, American astronomer and scholar (born 1889).
• 1964 – Harpo Marx, American comedian, actor, and singer (born 1888).
• 2024 – Kris Kristofferson, American singer, songwriter, and actor (born 1936).

The Rapper and the Tragic Schoolgirl

Celeste Rivas Hernandez, described as a ‘studious’ and ‘intelligent’ schoolgirl, vanished from her suburban family home in May 2024, aged just 13. Her decomposed body was discovered earlier this month in the Hollywood Hills, wrapped in plastic and hidden inside a Tesla registered in the name of David Anthony Burke, a viral music star known as D4vd.

While police have opened a homicide investigation, no arrests have been made and Burke, 20, has not been named as a suspect or person of interest.

Yet the chilling discovery has sparked frenzied speculation online and a torrent of conspiracy theories all obsessing over one question: what really happened to Celeste?

‘Sweet’ and ‘studious’ Celeste grew up in Lake Elsinore, a suburban city located 76 miles from where her decomposed remains were uncovered on September 8th.

She had been reported missing from the family home in May 2024 aged 13 – after previous brief disappearances – and her whereabouts thereafter remained a mystery.

Her brother, Matthew Rivas, claimed she left home to see a film with Burke – whose songs have been streamed more than three billion times on Spotify – and never came back. 

Mr Rivas claimed Burke would regularly pick his younger sister up in the same Tesla in which she would later be found dead.

Two sources close to Celeste’s family claimed Burke had been in an underage relationship with the teenager.

One of those sources claimed the musician had first made contact with Celeste through social media when she was aged just ’11 or 12’.

Though Celeste’s body was discovered a day after her 15th birthday, officials described her body as ‘severely decomposed’, suggesting she died while aged just 14.

The dented black 2023 Tesla Model Y in which her body was found was impounded on September 5th, having been abandoned a short distance from a four-bedroom mansion where Burke had been living.

Workers at a Hollywood tow yard raised the alarm after noticing a ‘foul odour’ coming from the vehicle.

The 5ft 2ins teen was found wearing a tube top with black leggings and a yellow bracelet with similar metal stud earrings. 

Celeste’s cause of death has not been revealed. Her partial remains have since been released back to her family.

Burke, 20, was on the US leg of his Withered World Tour when the grisly discovery was made.

The rapper, known as D4vd, shot to fame on TikTok after making soundtracks for video games.

His rapid rise culminated in national television appearances, a coveted slot at Coachella, and tours alongside singer SZA.

Images show the platinum-selling singer rubbing shoulders with the likes of Billie Eilish, Rosalia and producer Benny Blanco.

Burke, who received a $3m record advance aged 17, had been on a tour promoting his debut album, ‘Withered‘, when Celeste’s body was found.

The rest of the schedule – including dates in Europe, the UK, and Australia – has now been suspended indefinitely.

When the discovery of Celeste’s remains were first made, a representative for the singer claimed he was helping police.

Burke subsequently hired powerhouse Hollywood lawyer Blair Berk, who has yet to issue a public statement. 

His 2022 song Romantic Homicide, which features the line ‘I killed you and I didn’t even regret it’ has subsequently rebounded up the music charts as fans and sleuths dissect his songs for hints.

Detectives now face the difficult task of piecing together the 16 months between Celeste’s disappearance and the grim discovery in Burke’s car.

Officials said Celeste had been ‘inside the vehicle for an extended period of time before being found’ and her reportedly dismembered body was ‘severely decomposed’.

Investigators are also examining the nature of the relationship between the teenager and the rapper, after family members alleged Celeste and Burke were romantically involved.

Both were reported to have matching tattoos reading: ‘Shhh…’ in red ink, though other stars have the same tattoo, including Rihanna and Lindsay Lohan.

Police have searched the £3.5m Hollywood Hills mansion Burke had been renting – a property once occupied by Halle Berry – and removed electronics and boxes. The singer’s manager has since cancelled his $20,000-a-month lease.

No suspects or persons of interest have yet been publicly  named and this week an LAPD spokesperson simply described the investigation as ‘ongoing’.

Burke, who boasts two million Instagram followers, has not been accused of any wrongdoing and is ‘fully cooperating with the authorities’.

However, he has been dropped from brand campaigns with footwear company Crocs and fashion brand Hollister.

In the absence of official answers, social media detectives have filled the vacuum. 

Some claim to have uncovered an unreleased track allegedly recorded by Burke titled Celeste Demo unfin. The song, leaked online, appears to reference a girl named Celeste – though its authenticity has not been confirmed.

The singer’s dark stage persona has fuelled intrigue, with D4vd performing alongside a casket and also featuring in a video in which one blood-soaked version of his body carries another into a trunk.

Numerous images have since emerged on social media, purporting to show Celeste and Burke together during the time she was reported missing.

One photo purports to show Burke and a teenage girl believed to be Celeste sitting side by side in a green booth.

Speaking to the Flying Monkeys, unnamed friends who ‘frequently’ partied with Burke and Celeste said they believed the pair to be ‘romantically involved’.

They described the singer as ‘a very gentle person’ and said Celeste seemed to ‘mirror’ Burke’s shyness.

Celeste’s mother meanwhile claimed that her daughter had been dating someone called ‘David’.

Former Department of Justice prosecutor Neama Rahmani described the mounting evidence as ‘staggering’ and said it was ‘shocking’ no-one had yet been arrested.

He said: ‘Whenever they find a body in your car, that’s not good. And when it’s been dismembered, it’s even worse – and that’s without considering everything else we’ve heard in this case. So it’s shocking to me that nobody has been arrested – but I expect that to change within days. It’s just a matter of time. There are so many possibilities here: that she died from other causes like an overdose, and someone tried to conceal it, but there’s also a lot of bad evidence in this case, too. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.’

Neighbours, meanwhile, painted a picture of two young people who kept to themselves.

A man who lives next to the Hollywood Hills home where Burke had been staying told how he often saw Celeste and the singer together.

‘They were with each other all the time. I thought they were just kids, like 18 or 19 years old. I had no idea anything was wrong. Any time I tried to talk to them, they weren’t very engaging.’

Meanwhile, friends of the singer claim that Celeste had fake IDs and they believed her to be 19-year old who studied at the University of Southern California (USC).

The owner of the rental home, Mladen Trifunovic, said Burke’s manager had signed the lease but recently asked to end the agreement. He said: ‘They didn’t want to be there anymore because of the ongoing circumstances. I had no idea what was going on until police searched the house. This has all been such a big shock. I’m still trying to process everything, and I’m anxiously waiting for the story to conclude itself.’

Despite the feverish speculation, major gaps remain. It is unclear when an autopsy will be completed and the precise cause of Celeste’s death known.

Her movements in the months after she went missing are also unclear. Some residents in Lake Elsinore reported seeing her after her disappearance was logged in May 2024.

It is also not known what Tesla’s inbuilt cameras may have recorded.

Detectives have reportedly seized electronic devices from the rented home but have not revealed what was recovered.

Police say they are ‘following up on several leads’ but Mr Rahmani warned progress may be slow. He claimed it could take the LAPD up to eight months to prepare a report for a basic road or traffic accident. ‘Obviously, a murder is a very different type of case, but I haven’t dealt with a law enforcement agency as slow as LAPD There is a lot of criticism of the LAPD for this exact reason’

Last Week’s Birthdays

Naomi Watts (57), Jeffrey Jones (79), Hilary Duff (38), Brigitte Bardot (91), Jenna Ortega (23), Indira Varma (52), Gwyneth Paltrow (53), Linda Hamilton (69), Catherine Zeta-Jones (56), Will Smith (57), Mark Hamill (74), Bella Ramsey (22), Donald Glover (42), Heather Locklear (64), Kevin Sorbo (67), Sven-Ole Thorsen (81), Anthony Mackie (47), Rosalind Chao (68), Bruce Springsteen (76), Karl Pilkington (53), Billie Piper (43), Tatiana Maslany (40), Tom Felton (38), and Ruth Jones (59).

As we mourn the death of free speech in the US, perhaps we should start listing American  journalists next year? After all, I’m pretty sure we’re only a few months away from a second Night of the Long Knives…

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Stephen Luscombe, 70, English musician (Blancmange) and songwriter (“Living on the Ceiling“, “Don’t Tell Me“). 
• Robert Redford, 89, American actor (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President’s Men) and film director (Ordinary People). 
• Sonny Curtis, 88, American musician (The Crickets) and songwriter (“I Fought the Law“, “Love is All Around“).
• Matt Beard, 47, English football manager (Burnley F.C. Women, Liverpool F.C. Women).
• John Stapleton, 79, English broadcaster (Nationwide, Watchdog) and journalist, complications from Parkinson’s disease.

In Other News

Steve Martin has canceled two comedy tour stops over the weekend after contracting COVID, the Only Murders in the Building star shared on Instagram. He and co-star Martin Short were set to continue The Dukes of Funnytown! Tour. “Dear Virginia Beach and Richmond. Sadly, I have come down with Covid. I can’t possibly do the shows that you deserve. So Marty and I must cancel tonight & tomorrow. But we will return under better circumstances.,” Martin wrote on Instagram yesterday alongside a photo of his pup looking weary. In a separate joke. Martin and Short were recently at the Emmys this past Sunday, after which they attended The Walt Disney Company’s Emmys bash. This is now the second time one of the veteran comics’ contraction of COVID has forced a tour cancellation or rescheduling. Earlier this year, it was Short who contracted COVID after attending the star-studded weekend-long celebration that was SNL50. “Maya Rudolph]had Covid. Marty has Covid. I wonder why? The SNL 50th Covid curse is real,” Martin wrote on Instagram in February. As a result, The Dukes of Funnytown! moved its Tennessee and North Carolina stops to mid-October.  

Morrissey has cancelled two shows in the US after receiving a death threat ahead of a concert in Ottawa, Canada. A 26-year-old Ottawa man was released on bail after allegedly uttering a threat to kill the singer, whose real name is Steven Morrissey, ahead of his performance at a music festival last week. The event went on as planned, but the singer later cancelled two shows in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Morrissey was the front man of the rock band The Smiths, but left the band in 1987 to pursue a solo career. He is known for being outspoken on issues such as animal welfare and politics. In 2006, he refused to tour in Canada in protest at the annual seal hunt. After the threat against his life in Ottawa last week, he cancelled Friday’s show in Connecticut and one in Boston. “In recent days, there has been a credible threat on Morrissey’s life,” said a statement from the Boston venue on Instagram. “Out of an abundance of caution for the safety of both the artist and the band, tomorrow’s engagement at the MGM Music Hall at Fenway has been canceled.” 

Springwatch icon Bill Oddie has confessed to struggling with his health in recent years after an “almost fatal” ordeal that left him “very ill”. The Goodies star, now 84, was diagnosed with lithium toxicity in 2020 which left him “very confused”, admitting he “didn’t know” if he would ever return to his former self. The BBC presenter said “Just so you know, I have been very ill most of this summer. Lithium toxicity. Almost fatal! I am still here but very confused about most things! But then aren’t many of us. It fuddles my brain. Confusion. Will I return? I really dunno. I hope so. Please wish me luck.” According to the NHS, too much lithium in the blood can cause serious side effects – causing confusion, drowsiness, blackouts and blurred vision. Used as a mood stabiliser, he was prescribed lithium after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Bill plunged into a spiral of depression after being axed from Springwatch in 2008, and attempted suicide twice. He explained it took “10 years” to get a diagnosis of bipolar disorder after years of mood swings – excessive energy and over-confidence followed by sudden dark periods. He explained: “It happened to me. It’s happening to others right now. “It could be fatal. You don’t know what to do except sleep. So you take a couple of sleeping pills, and then you take another until they’re all gone,” he said in 2017. The star added: “A producer said, ‘People are scared of you. You’re abrasive’. If I knew then what I know now, I’d have accepted that I was going through a manic phase. When my GP watched The Goodies he recognised I was bipolar.” Oddie was “in and out of hospital” in 2009, branding it his “lost year”. He was admitted to a private clinic in London – the same one that treated Amy Winehouse – but said it was “like being medicated in a hotel”. He told the Flying Monkeys: “I really was suicidal. I took too many sleeping pills, twice. I can only say the feeling wasn’t, ‘I want to kill myself’. It was, ‘I want to go to sleep and just blank out’. But I did take risks, a couple of times.” Bill also suffers from musical hallucination, a form of tinnitus where instead of a ringing or buzzing noise, sufferers hear music that isn’t really there. He explained that the music is “only in his right ear”, explaining: “At first, I thought it must be outside but when I closed the windows, the volume stayed the same. I started moving from room to room, looking to see if there was a radio on somewhere, but there wasn’t. It really was quite confounding.”

On This Day

• 1921 – A storage silo in Oppau, Germany, explodes, killing 500–600 people. 
• 1934 – A large typhoon hits western Honshū, Japan, killing more than 3,000 people.
• 1937 – J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit is published for the first time.

Deaths

• 19BC – Virgil, Roman poet (born 70 BC).
• 1327 – Edward II of England (born 1284).
• 1998 – Florence Griffith Joyner, American sprinter (born 1959).

When The King Met Ethel

King Charles paid a special visit to the world’s oldest person, Ethel Caterham, who entertained him with her memories of how “all the girls were in love with you and wanted to marry you”. 

The monarch travelled to see 116-year-old Mrs Caterham at her care home in Lightwater, Surrey, on Thursday, shortly after bidding a formal farewell to US Dickhead in Charge Donald Trump at Windsor. 

Mrs Caterham became the oldest living person in April after the death of Brazilian nun Sister Inah Canabarro Lucas at 116. 

She chose to celebrate her latest birthday in August quietly with just her family – but it was revealed at the time that she would have made a concession for the King. The monarch duly obliged just a few weeks later by travelling to see her in person. 

Charles held Mrs Caterham’s hand at the start as he introduced himself. Then, sitting in an armchair next to Mrs Caterham, who was wearing gold fur-lined sequinned slippers, a patterned sage dress and a pale pink shawl, the King listened intently as she told him: “I remember when your mother crowned you in Caernarfon Castle.” 

The King expressed delight at her recollection of his 1969 investiture as the Prince of Wales when he was 21, saying “oh yes” and adding to others in the room: “You see, fascinating.” Mrs Caterham continued: “And all the girls were in love with you and wanted to marry you.” 

The remark prompted a hearty laugh from the King and a raise of his eyebrows. 

One of Mrs Caterham’s granddaughters, Kate Henderson, added: “You were saying that the other day, weren’t you? “You said ‘Prince Charles was so handsome. All the girls were in love with him’. A true prince – and now the King.” 

Charles, who responded with a playful grimace, quipped: “Yes well, all that’s left of him anyway.” 

The pair also spoke about Mrs Caterham’s fond memories of a Buckingham Palace garden party she attended in the 1960’s. 

On the table between the chairs was a previous birthday card from Charles and Camilla, one from the late Queen Elizabeth II, and a framed, signed letter from the King congratulating Mrs Caterham on her 116th birthday and becoming the world’s oldest living person. The cards were just some of the 17 she has received from both the King and the late Queen Elizabeth II to mark her birthdays since turning 100, including the one marking her centenary. 

In 2023, Mrs Caterham featured on the monarchy’s official Instagram when she was filmed receiving a card from the King in the post to mark her 114th birthday. She was joined by three granddaughters, Kate, Julia Pauling and Lucy Robinson. 

Mrs Caterham was born on August 21st in 1909, in Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire, five years before the start of the First World War, as the second youngest of eight siblings. 

She is the last surviving subject of Edward VII, who died in May 1910. 

In 1927, aged 18 she travelled to India and worked as an au pair to a military family until she was 21. 

She met her husband, Norman, who was a lieutenant colonel in the British Army who died in 1976, at a dinner party in the UK in 1931. They lived in Salisbury before being stationed in Gibraltar and Hong Kong and Mrs Caterham set up a nursery school while in Hong Kong and raised two daughters, both of whom died before her. 

One of her sisters, Gladys, lived to be 104. 

Mrs Caterham drove until she was 97 and enjoyed playing contract bridge in her centenarian years. 

She survived Covid in 2020 aged 110. 

The title of the oldest person ever is held by French woman Jeanne Calment, who lived to 122 years 164 days, according to Guinness World Records.

Last Week’s Birthdays

Bill Murray (75), Stephen King (78), David Wenham (60), Alfonso Ribeiro (54), Ricki Lake (57), Jon Bernthal (49), Sophia Loren (91), Moon Bloodgood (50), George R.R. Martin (77), Twiggy (76), Jimmy Fallon (51), Danielle Panabaker (38), Jeremy Irons (77), Christina Chong (42), Patrick Schwarzenegger (32), James Marsden (52), Jason Sudeikis (50), Keeley Hazell (39), Babs Olusanmokun (41), Jada Pinkett Smith (54), Tim McInnerny (69), Danielle Brooks (36), Ella Purnell (29), Cassandra Peterson (74), Bruce Spence (80), Mickey Rourke (73), Madeline Zima (40), Jennifer Tilly (67), Amy Poehler (54), Nick Jonas (33), Danny John-Jules (65), Tom Hardy (48), Tommy Lee Jones (79), John Bradley (37), and Jimmy Carr (53).

Bit of a deadly week for drummers. No points though, so I best leave those Flying Monkeys out for another week. 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Rick Davies, 81, English musician (Supertramp), and songwriter (“Bloody Well Right“, “Goodbye Stranger“), complications from multiple myeloma. 
• Charlie Kirk, 31, American conservative activist, co-founder of Turning Point USA, shot. 
• Jay Wynne, 56, British weather presenter (BBC Weather)
• Viv Prince, 84, English drummer (Pretty Things). 
• Allen Blickle, 42, American heavy metal drummer (Baroness). 
• Atomic Steif, 57, German thrash metal drummer (Sodom). 
• Ricky Hatton, 46, English professional boxer. 

In Other News

A Japanese racehorse who became famous for having never won a single race has died, Haru Urara, who was the inspiration for a popular mobile game character, passed away in the early hours of Tuesday at the age of 29. She was surrounded by her keepers at Martha Farm in Chiba prefecture, in eastern Japan, according to the Flying Monkeys. The thoroughbred mare, known for donning a pink Hello Kitty face mask while racing, was once dubbed “the shining star of losers everywhere.” “Haru Urara was 29 years old, which would be nearly 90 years old in human terms, but she was in great health until yesterday,” her caretaker, Yuko Miyahara, said. “Recently, more and more people, not only from Japan but also from overseas, have been coming to see Haru Urara. So it’s really unfortunate.” The horse was still receiving visits from fans and was reportedly still in good health the weekend before her death. Haru Urara, whose name means “glorious spring” was born in the northern island of Hokkaido in 1996. She suffered her first loss at the Kochi Racecourse in southwestern Japan in November 1998. However it was not until 2003 when she first found fame when local media in Japan reported on her 80th racing loss in a row, postponing her planned retirement. She continued the impressive streak until her retirement in 2004 – having lost 113 races – and later became a national symbol of perseverance and tenacity. The horse’s fame also took a bump recently in July, following the launch of the Uma Musume: Pretty Derby mobile game, where she appeared as a pink-haired anime character.  

John Lennon’s killer Mark David Chapman has received a decision in his 14th parole hearing last week. The 70-year-old attended a parole board interview to learn whether or not he’d be sprung from the Green Haven Correctional Facility in Beekman, New York. Chapman was sentenced to 20 years to life back in 1981 for killing the music legend. Online records updated by the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision reveal Chapman’s request for parole was denied. While it’s not yet publicly known what Chapman said during his most recent parole hearing, he has shown remorse in the past for his actions, even stating he only went after Lennon because of The Beatles’ legend’s level of fame. Chapman has reportedly stated, “I assassinated him…because he was very famous. That is the only reason and I was very, very, very much seeking self-glory.” He’s also said, “I’m sorry for the pain that I caused to his wife, to his son. I think about it all of the time.” Chapman has also admitted he feels he should spend the rest of his days locked up, adding, “I deserve zero, nothing. I should be in prison for the rest of my life.” Following the shooting, Ono released a statement which read, in part, “John loved and prayed for the human race. Please do the same for him.” Paul McCartney received some criticism for his comments after Lennon’s death when he said “It’s a drag,” but later went on to clarify he was in a state of shock. Chapman’s next parole hearing is scheduled for 2027. 

Longtime Dead Pool favourite, Charlie Sheen has candidly revealed he would die if he touches drugs again after past, public battles with addictions. The Hollywood star is eight years sober and has admitted the scary outcome as he updates fans on his health. The Two and a Half Men star, 60, is telling his story in his new memoir as well as a two-part Netflix documentary. In it, he opens up on his on his past behaviour and admits, he never thought he’d see his current milestone age, nor did we Charlie, nor did we! He admits he is currently feeling “pretty good” as he revealed he has a rigid fitness regime that he follows. He explained the new memoir is simply him telling the stories the way they actually happened. That included several trips to rehab, and he claims it was a miracle had only had one overdose and close brush with death in his heaviest partying days. “I keep a mental list of the worst, most shameful things I’ve done, and I can look at that in my head if I feel like having a drink,” he said before admitting he has no interest in returning to his drug-taking self. However, he also candidly claimed: “Whether it’s true or not, I like to think the next hit would kill me.” He said that during the height of his fame, where he was earning $1.8m per episode of his hit sitcom, he became erratic. And he previously boasted of “banging seven gram rocks” of cocaine and claiming to have “tiger blood” running through his veins. Charlie said that he is still evolving as he tries to forgive his former ways and actions. He said there are sometimes moments that give him the “shame shivers”. But he said thankfully those times are getting further apart, labelling it “progress”.

On This Day

• 1752 – The British Empire adopts the Gregorian calendar, skipping eleven days (the previous day was September 2).
• 1901 – U.S. president William McKinley dies after being mortally wounded on September 6 by anarchist Leon Czolgosz and is succeeded by Vice President Theodore Roosevelt.
• 2022 – Death of Queen Elizabeth II: The Queen’s coffin is taken from Buckingham Palace, placed on a gun carriage of The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery and moved in a procession to Westminster Hall for her lying in state over the next four days with the queue of mourners stretching for miles along the River Thames.

Deaths

• 1715 – Dom Pérignon, French monk and priest (born 1638).
• 1852 – Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, Irish-English field marshal & politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (born 1769).
• 1982  – Grace Kelly, American-Monegasque actress; Princess of Monaco (born 1929).
• 2009 – Keith Floyd, English chef and author (born 1943).
• 2009 – Patrick Swayze, American actor, singer, and dancer (born 1952).

Last Week’s Birthdays

Sam Neill (78), Andrew Lincoln (52), Walter Koenig (89), Sydney Sweeney (28), Alfie Allen (39), Hans Zimmer (68), Linda Gray (85), Virginia Madsen (64), Tyler Hoechlin (38), Elizabeth Henstridge (38), Johnny Vegas (54), Colin Firth (65), Matt Rife (30), Adam Sandler (59), Hugh Grant (65), Eric Stonestreet (54), Jeffrey Combs (71), Martin Freeman (54), Heather Thomas (68), Miles Jupp (46), and P!nk (46).

Let’s begin this week’s newsletter by awarding some points! With the passing of Joe Bugner, Mark W. Scores 75 points! Well done that man! The Flying Monkeys were quite successful this week, I think we shall leave them out for another week. 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Joe Bugner, 75, Hungarian-born British-Australian European heavyweight champion boxer and actor (I’m for the Hippopotamus, Street Fighter). 
• Graham Greene, 73, Canadian actor (Dances With Wolves, Die Hard with a Vengeance, The Green Mile). 
• David Warburton, 59, British politician
• Giorgio Armani, 91, Italian fashion designer, founder of Armani.
• Katharine, Duchess of Kent, 92, British royal. 
• Maru, 18, Japanese Internet cat, lung cancer. 

In Other News

Former US President Joe Biden recently underwent skin cancer surgery, his spokeswoman said. Biden had Mohs surgery, she told the Flying Monkeys, but did not immediately provide further details. The procedure is used to cut away skin until no evidence of cancer remains. The 82-year-old had been spotted with a wound on the right side of his head in recent days. In 2023, Biden had a cancerous skin lesion removed from his chest during a routine health screening. In May, he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones. “Cancer touches us all,” Biden wrote on social media at the time. “Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Biden also had several non-melanoma skin cancers removed in the past, before he became president. He has largely retreated from the public eye since leaving the White House in January and has made few public appearances. The Bidens have long been strong advocates for fighting and curing cancer. Their adult son, Beau, died in 2015 from brain cancer.  

It has been a decade since legendary actor Alan Alda was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and to his credit he is still acting after it at 90. And recently, the iconic “M*A*S*H” star revealed what really fuels him in an interview with the Flying Monkeys. “I think the main thing that keeps me alive is laughing,” Alda said. “When something goes wrong, I often see it as funny. Take my Parkinson’s. (Please). The night I accidentally fell into the dishwasher, I reassured our dinner guests by telling them, ‘I’m fine. It was only on rinse cycle.’ Fortunately, when you’re old, pretty much any bizarre thing you say gets a laugh.” And true to that form, Alda recently updated how he was doing in his health battle, telling the Flying Monkeys that he was “making progress.” “I didn’t say in which direction,” he joked. Alda also has prosopagnosia, a condition which is known as face blindness. The outlet said it makes it hard for Alda to recognise people. Alda said the issues cause him to face new puzzles that he has to solve each day. “It’s a little like a game,” he said. “I’ve found whatever the little problem is, if I keep at it, I can eventually solve it, and then I feel like a million bucks. It’s a way to have a good time under poor circumstances.” Sadly, he said that dealing with Parkinson’s has gone from a part-time job to a full-time one. “But it keeps me always looking for the funny side,” he said. Along with laughing, Alda has also found things he is passionate in, such as his current podcast. “To go a little deeper with your question about being productive while being old, I think a few embers still have to be glowing,” he said. “A passionate interest in something you haven’t yet followed up on. I’ve always been interested in how many people relate and communicate,” he added. “And now I’m spending most of my time exploring that on my podcast. But I think it’s important to follow a passion even if it doesn’t deliver the same status hits you’ve had in the past.”  

President Donald Trump put to rest rumours he was dying or near death with a post on Truth Social last Sunday. Trump, 79,  replied to another user by writing, “NEVER FELT BETTER IN MY LIFE. Also, DC IS A CRIME FREE ZONE! President DJT.” The original post called out the alleged hypocrisy of covering former President Joe Biden and Trump, saying it was a “comical double standard.” “Joe Biden would go multiple days at a time without any public appearances and the media would say he’s “sharp” and ‘top of his game,’” the user wrote. “Meanwhile he was wearing diapers and napping. President Trump puts in more public work hours than any other POTUS in US history and media freaks out if he disappears for 24 hours,” the poster added. “Comical double standard.” Speculation surrounding Trump’s health started around the time journalist Laura Rozen wrote about Trump’s weekend schedule. “Trump has no public events scheduled all weekend. Don’t believe he was seen today either,” Rozen wrote. She also posted the official White House schedule that said “no public events scheduled” for the extended weekend period. Rozen later wrote, “An observation that he has not been seen publicly since Tuesday and has no public events on his public schedule thru the long weekend has set off a deluge. but that was not my intention.” On Friday, Trump gave an interview with “Daily Caller” White House correspondent Reagan Reese. Reese was surprised by the rumours of Trump’s health. “I wake up to see people freaking out that Trump’s sick or dead or something because he hasn’t been seen in a few days,” Reese said. “I was with the president yesterday afternoon. I interviewed him for an hour. More details on our conversation to come today and through the weekend. We talked about everything. He was lively and chatty. It’s a great interview.” Concerns over Trump’s health do have some merit as he has been seen with bruising on his hand.  The White House said last month that Trump suffered from “chronic venous insufficiency,” which also caused swelling in his ankles. However,  press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the bruising was a result of vigorous hand-shaking. “Importantly, there was no evidence of deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease,” she added about when Trump was checked by his doctor. Some medical professionals and cable pundits have speculated that there is an issue with Trump’s health — including possible congestive heart failure. Vice President JD Vance spoke of his preparedness if he were to become president.  “Yes, things can always happen. Yes, terrible tragedies happen,” Vance said. “But I feel very confident the president of the United States is in good shape, is gonna serve out the remainder of his term, and do great things for the American people, and if, God forbid, there’s a terrible tragedy, I can’t think of better on-the-job training than what I’ve gotten over the last 200 days.”

On This Day

• 1909 – Eugène Lefebvre crashes a new biplane during a test flight at Port-Aviation, south of Paris, becoming the first aviator in the world to lose his life piloting a powered heavier-than-air craft.
• 1936 – The last thylacine, a carnivorous marsupial, dies alone in its cage at the Hobart Zoo in Tasmania.
• 1978 – While walking across Waterloo Bridge in London, Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov is assassinated by Bulgarian secret police agent Francesco Gullino by means of a ricin pellet fired from a specially designed umbrella.

Deaths

• 1601 – John Shakespeare, father of William Shakespeare (born 1529).
• 1978 – Keith Moon, English drummer (The Who) (born 1946.
• 1996 – Bibi Besch, Austrian-American actress (born 1942).

Last Week’s Birthdays

Evan Rachel Wood (38), Toby Jones (59), Julie Kavner (75), Doug Bradley (71), Idris Elba(53), Mathew Horne (47), Michael Keaton (74), Paddy Considine (52), Carice van Houten (49), Rose McGowan (52), George Lazenby (86), Michael Berryman (77), Beyoncé (44), Charlie Sheen (60), Pauline Collins (85), Keanu Reeves (61), Salma Hayek (59), Zendaya (29), Burn Gorman (51), Steve Pemberton (58), Lily Tomlin (86), and Gloria Estefan (68).

A  very quiet week for celebrity deaths, we will have to release the flying monkeys! 

• Floyd Levine, 93, American actor (Bloodbrothers, Melrose Place, Airplane II: The Sequel). 
• Purple Aki, 64, British convicted criminal. 
• Angela Mortimer, 93, British Hall of Fame tennis player.

In Other News

Gordon Ramsay has revealed he has undergone surgery to remove basal cell carcinoma, a type of non-melanoma skin cancer. The 58-year-old TV chef shared pictures of a stitched-up area below his ear on Instagram on Saturday, telling his followers he was “grateful and so appreciative” of his medical team for their “fast reactive work”. He wrote: “Grateful and so appreciative for the incredible team at The Skin Associates and their fast reactive work on removing this Basal Cell Carcinoma thank you!” The chef reminded fans: “Please don’t forget your sunscreen this weekend,” adding that the stitches were not from any cosmetic procedures. “I promise you it’s not a face lift! I’d need a refund,” he quipped. Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common type of skin cancer that starts in the top layer of skin, and can often be easily treated. According to the NHS, the main cause is ultraviolet light, which comes from the sun and is used in sun-beds. Risk can be increased by age, having pale skin and having had a history of skin cancer in the past. Basal cell carcinomas can occur anywhere on the body, but most commonly grow in areas that are exposed to the sun, including the face, head, neck, and ears. It can be removed surgically before a biopsy is performed for the results to be examined. 

Four-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome has undergone “successful” surgery after a serious training accident in France that left him with a fractured  vertebrae, collapsed lung and five broken ribs. Froome, 40, crashed while on a training ride on Wednesday and was airlifted to hospital in Toulon, around 100 miles from his home in Monaco. A statement from his Israel Premier-Tech team said: “We can confirm that Chris has successfully undergone surgery following his recent injuries. The procedures went as planned, and Chris is currently recovering in hospital under the care of his medical team. “He is in good spirits and grateful for the excellent medical support he has received. Chris and his family would like to thank fans, friends, and the cycling community for their concern and kind messages during this time.” Froome’s injuries will end his season and could therefore mean the end of one of the most successful Grand Tour careers in cycling’s history, with Froome in the final months of the five-year contract he signed when he left the Ineos Grenadiers to join Israel Premier-Tech ahead of the 2021 campaign. Froome won the Tour de France in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017, also winning the Giro d’Italia in 2018 and the Vuelta a Espana in both 2011 and 2017 – all with Team Sky. However, Froome has never recovered the form he enjoyed before a serious crash he suffered during the 2019 Criterium du Dauphine, which left him in intensive care with a fractured femur, elbow, ribs and pelvis.  

Madness star Chris Foreman has revealed he has incurable cancer in a heartbreaking post to fans. The ’80s pop legend wrote about his shock diagnosis on the Madness Facebook page. The 69-year-old guitarist and backing vocalist said his first symptom was “severe pain” across his upper back and shoulders that became “unbearable”. He went for checks in June and was told he had myeloma, an incurable blood cancer that occurs in the bone marrow. Known to Madness fans as Chrissy Boy, explained they found a tumour on his spine, writing: “Earlier this year I had severe pain in my upper back and shoulders. On the 28th of June we played a show in France and it had become unbearable. I had an MRI scan at the end of June and they found a tumour on my spine. On the 4th of July I went to the Royal Sussex and had all sorts of stuff done to me. I had radiotherapy which blasted it and stopped the pain. I actually had a Spinal Tap too – rock n roll! I wasn’t in good shape, to say the least. My kidneys were only at 14% function, which has greatly improved since then.” Despite the diagnosis, he ended on a positive note, telling fans: “What I’ve got is a form of cancer called myeloma. It’s treatable but not curable. When I get it into remission (I will!) I should be able to get back to normal life.” He’s hoping to be well enough to perform again next year, and thanked his tour crew and family for their unwavering support.  He’s also adopted a healthier lifestyle – ditching booze in favour of non alcoholic Margaritas. He added: “Some people have had this for 20 years or more. I have a long way to go before I get back onstage but I aim to be back next year. The band, my family, my road crew family and my management team have all been very loving and supportive. One of the worst side effects is that I can’t drink alcohol but I’ve mastered a non alcoholic Margarita and those Zero alcohol beers ain’t too bad these days.”

On This Day

• 1888 – Mary Ann Nichols is murdered. She is the first of Jack the Ripper’s confirmed victims.
• 1997 – Diana, Princess of Wales, her partner, Dodi Fayed, and driver Henri Paul die in a car crash in Paris.
• 2006 – Edvard Munch’s famous painting, The Scream, stolen on August 22nd 2004, is recovered in a raid by Norwegian police.

Deaths

• 1422 – Henry V of England (born 1386).
• 1869 – Mary Ward, Irish astronomer and entomologist (born 1827).
• 1969 – Rocky Marciano, American boxer (born 1923).
• 1973 – John Ford, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1894).
• 1997 – Diana, Princess of Wales (born 1961).
• 1997 – Dodi Fayed, Egyptian film producer (born 1955).
• 2012 – Max Bygraves, English actor (born 1922).
• 2013  – David Frost, English journalist and game show host (born 1939).

Last Week’s Birthdays

Richard Gere (76), Chris Tucker (54), Cameron Diaz (53), Julian Richings (69), Carla Gugino (54), Elliott Gould (87), Rebecca De Mornay (66), Lenny Henry (67), Luis Guzmán (69), Jack Black (56), Billy Boyd (57), Brian Thompson (66), Barbara Bach (79), Shania Twain (60), Peter Stormare (72), Reece Shearsmith (56), Aaron Paul (46), Chris Pine (45), Melissa McCarthy (55), Macaulay Culkin (45), Tim Burton (67), Alexander Skarsgård (49), Blake Lively (38), Tom Skerritt (92), Gene Simmons (76), and Billy Ray Cyrus (64).