Entertainment
Ashanti and Nelly Rev Up for Baby KK’s First Birthday in Car-Themed Bash (Exclusive)
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NEED TO KNOW
- Nelly and Ashanti celebrated their son KK’s first birthday party on July 19
- Attendees included family and famous friend Todd “LL Cool J” Smith and singer Lloyd
- “This year has flown by and we have enjoyed every minute of seeing his milestones, funny moments and growth,” Nelly and Ashanti tell PEOPLE exclusively
Happy birthday, KK!
Nelly and Ashanti were all smiles as they celebrated their son’s first birthday on July 19 on Long Island, New York. The couple welcomed their baby boy, born Kareem Kenkaide Haynes, last year on July 18.
The Kunda and Friends themed bash was filled with endless activities for the partygoers. The event space featured a dual slide and playpen, a race track with cars and trucks featuring the “KK Turns One” logo on each vehicle, a stage setup with Kunda and the Lion waving to guests and a bounce house for the children.
Louisa Kiwana Olafuyi, Co-Creator of Kunda and Friends, flew from Uganda to surprise the Haynes family with a special presentation of an animated version of Kunda and Friends, including Ashanti, Nelly and KK.
Soul Brother/Soul B Photos
Attendees included Simone Smith and Todd “LL Cool J” Smith, singer Lloyd and many friends and family members, who wore custom shirts detailing their relationship with KK.
Soul Brother/Soul B Photos
Hot Wheels provided gift bag goodies for the kids, which included an Ultimate Garage Playset and toy cars. Organic juices, smoothies and food were provided by Evelyn’s Kitchen and Cuts & Slices and desserts were provided by Toni’s Minis and Hanoli Cakes NY.
KK entered the Long Island venue in a miniature white Lamborghini, sporting sunglasses and a crown, waving and giggling to guests. His parents were beaming the entire day.
Soul Brother/Soul B Photos
“We cannot believe KK is 1,” Nelly and Ashanti tell PEOPLE exclusively. “This year has flown by and we have enjoyed every minute of seeing his milestones, funny moments and growth. He brings us and our family so much joy.”
After giving birth to KK last year, Ashanti decided that she wasn’t quite ready to show his face to the world. During a panel at the American Black Film Festival earlier this summer, the hitmaking songstress, 44, explained that it was her way of keeping her “sacred” bond with her son.
“I just feel like I’m kind of like a mama bear already, you know? Very protective. And I just feel like, I didn’t wanna show my son to the world,” she said while promoting her new reality series Nelly and Ashanti: We Belong Together.
“I haven’t even posted him on Instagram or anything like that,” she continued. “I just feel like those moments are very sacred to me, and we’ll make the decision on when he’s ready to pop out and show.”
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
While Ashanti takes all the precautions she can when it comes to KK, Nelly, 50, has more of a laid back approach. In a chat with PEOPLE last month, the rapper described Ashanti as “motherly overprotective,” while he considers himself more “safety overprotective.”
“I know if they don’t learn certain things by the time they reach a certain age, we’re going to pay for that, I promise you. And it’s going to backfire on us in a big way.”
All eight episodes of Nelly and Ashanti: We Belong Together are available to stream on Peacock.
Entertainment
Christina Applegate hospitalized amid MS battle: report

Christina Applegate is reportedly hospitalized in Los Angeles, according to a report from TMZ.
The actress, 54, who has battled multiple sclerosis since a diagnosis in 2021, is said by the outlet to have been admitted in late March.
It is not apparent if her alleged hospitalization is related to that condition.
A representative for Applegate told Page Six: “I have no comment on whether she is in the hospital or what her medical treatments are. She’s had a long history of complicated medical conditions that she has been refreshingly open about, as evidenced in her memoir and on her podcast.”
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Getty Images for Critics Choice Association
Applegate has been consistently open about her condition, giving details about it as recently as Feburary, revealing that she’s confined to her bed due to ongoing pain.
The “Married… with Children” alum made the heartbreaking confession while discussing how she still tries to take her 15-year-old daughter, Sadie, to school and other activities during an interview with People.
“I want to take her; it’s my favorite thing to do. It’s the only time we have together by ourselves,” she said. “I tell myself, ‘Just get her there safely and get home so you can get back into bed.’ And that’s what I do,” she told the outlet.
Applegate shares her daughter with Dutch musician Martyn Lenoble, whom she married in 2013.
The “Sweetest Thing” star revealed her MS diagnosis in August 2021 in an emotional statement on X (formerly Twitter).
“Hi friends. A few months ago I was diagnosed with MS. It’s been a strange journey. But I have been so supported by people that I know who also have this condition,” she wrote at the time.
“It’s been a tough road. But as we all know, the road keeps going. Unless some a–hole blocks it,” she continued.
“As one of my friends that has MS said, ‘We wake up and take the indicated action.’ And that’s what I do. So now I ask for privacy. As I go through this thing. Thank you xo.”
She’s probably best known for her breakout role as rebellious teenager Kelly Bundy on the bawdy sitcom “Married … with Children,” on which she starred from 1987 to 1997.
Applegate has a recently released memoir, “You With the Sad Eyes,” which discusses her tenure in Hollywood as well as her struggles with MS.
Entertainment
After Dianna Russini exit, Times staffers slam Athletic’s ‘reflexive’ response to Mike Vrabel photos

The Gray Lady is feeling a little exposed, it seems.
Page Six hears that the Dianna Russini-Mike Vrabel scandal has caused some tension between New York Times staffers and the leadership of new stablemate the Athletic — with Times insiders grousing that the Athletic’s “reflexive” downplaying of the story embarassed Times journalists.
The Times bought sports site the Athletic in 2022 for around half a billion dollars, shut down its owns sports department and began, in effect, using the Athletic as its sports desk.
But in theory, the Athletic remains a separate entity under the Times’ umbrella, much like consumer vertical Wirecutter, which it acquired in 2013. Its staffer also don’t have to observe the official Times Code of Conduct.
As Page Six prepared to published photographs of the Athletic’s top NFL reporter Russini holding hands with New England Patriots head coach Vrabel at a luxurious Arizona resort, the Athletic’s executive editor, Stephen Ginsburg, told us, “These photos are misleading and lack essential context. These were public interactions in front of many people. Dianna is a premier journalist covering the NFL and we’re proud to have her at the Athletic.”
(Russini and Vrabel — who are both married to other people — have denied that there was anything improper about the meetup, and have said that they were both with groups of other friends at the hotel, though nobody else appears in any of the photographs).
Two days later, we reported that the Times launched an investigation into the matter and that Russini had been sidelined until the probe could be completed.
“It was really embarassing for the Times,” said one insider, who told us that after the story broke it was a major talking point on various desks across the Times newsroom, “It raised a lot of concerns because its something that should be taken seriously and [the statement] made it seems as if they didn’t think it warranted investigation.”
Our source said that its drilled into Times staff that they have to avoid even the appearance of an improper relationship with sources, and that the photographs raised unavoidable questions about whether Russini had crossed that line.
They said that staff at the Athletic and the Times “should be abiding by the same standard,” because the Vrabel episode makes in clear that — while “the Times likes to pretend they’re separate” — readers don’t make a distinction.
“It’s frustrating that in this instance it comes back to bite us,” said the source, “It lays bare this fake distinction.”
The source was at pains to point out that the gripe isn’t about the Athletic staff. “Anyone could make a mistake [like Russini appeared to have done in the pictures],” they said, “Someone on the Times could just as easily do that.” “It’s about the leadship,” they said.
Russini resigned on Tuesday, posting a statement on X saying, “I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published,” the letter said. “When the Page Six item first appeared, The Athletic supported me unequivocally, expressed confidence in my work and pride in my journalism. For that I am grateful.”
“In the days that followed, unfortunately, commentators in various media have engaged in self-feeding speculation that is simply unmoored from the facts,” Russini continued, adding that she has “no interest in submitting to a public inquiry that has already caused far more damage than I am willing to accept.”
Meanwhile, Ginsberg told staff on Slack that he had begun an investigation as soon as he learned of the Vrabel issue, though “our instinct [was] to support and defend a colleague [publicly] while we continued to review the matter.”
He said that as “additional information emerged… new questions were raised that became part of our investigation.”
He said that the inquiry would continue even though Russini had quit the publication would “continue a standards review of Dianna’s work that [the Athletic editorial director for standards and editorial quality] Mike Semel is leading.”
A rep for the Times didn’t comment.
Entertainment
‘Hunger Games’ actor arrested for assault with a deadly weapon, intent to kill

“Hunger Games” star Ethan Jamieson was arrested for allegedly assaulting three men with a deadly weapon with the intent to kill.
The actor, who portrayed the District 4 male tribute in the 2012 movie, was taken into custody after allegedly attacking the men with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun in Raleigh, North Carolina, TMZ reported Tuesday.
The alleged victim’s names weren’t revealed and were instead listed as E.F., J.M., and K.W.
According to Jamieson’s arrest report, he was previously arrested for allegedly “resisting a public officer” while in Raleigh in March 2025, per Us Weekly.
He was sentenced for the offense on March 26, according to People.
Jamieson, 27, got his start in the limelight when he scored a guest role in “One Tree Hill” in 2009.
He then starred in the 2010 movie “The Rusty Bucket Kids: Lincoln, Journey to 16” as Ethan.
Jamieson’s last role was in a 2013 episode of “Justified” as Milo Truth.
The actor previously gushed over filming “The Hunger Games” alongside Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson.
“I knew that the books were popular, but I didn’t know that the movie was going to be so big,” he told Lancaster Online when the movie was released in 2012.
However, Jamieson admitted that he didn’t want to be a full-time actor and wanted to be a “normal person.”
That same month, he recalled working on the Gary Ross-directed set, telling Clevver TV, “There are a lot of good things [about production], but pulling pranks on each other was pretty fun.”
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