Rita Moreno says she combats loneliness by making friends at grocery store
Rita Moreno has revealed the unique way she made friends after finding herself suffering from loneliness. Ahead of her 92nd birthday on 11 December, the West Side Story star opened up about her struggles with loneliness after she moved into a new home. In an interview with People published 28 November, Moreno recalled feeling “so sad” after moving from her house in California’s Berkeley Hills area to a new condominium. The Broadway alum admitted she felt so lonely that it was even “affecting [her] appetite”. It wasn’t until her daughter, jewellerly designer Fernanda Luisa Gordon, noticed something was wrong that Moreno decided to combat her loneliness. “I really didn’t understand what was happening,” she told the outlet. “I remember thinking: ‘I can’t go on like this.’ I’m in the most beautiful apartment in the world as far as I’m concerned, and this is happening. Why is this happening?” The 80 For Brady star said she used her years of “therapy” and “psychotherapy” to help her self-reflect, ultimately deciding that it was her recent move away from friends and family that was making her unhappy. Moreno, who has one daughter and two grandsons, explained that her new home made it difficult for her friends and family to visit. “So when we make plans to see each other, we have to make plans, they can’t just kind of drop by,” she said. “I was really lonely.” Moreno admitted that she was “fascinated” when it dawned on her that she didn’t actually know how to make friends because she “never had to seek people’s company”. “You know why? Because people have always come to me,” she added. When the Family Switch star finally decided to “meet some people” on her own, she went to the supermarket to do some shopping and met a “lovely” woman who she had previously seen at the store. “She had this big smile on her face and she recognised me, obviously, and we started to talk,” Moreno recalled. “I said to her: ‘Would you like to have lunch with me?’” According to Moreno, the woman was shocked when the Hollywood icon asked to have lunch with her but she ended up accepting the invite. “She sat down and she said: ‘Do you always pick people up like this in the market?’” Moreno recounted. “I told her the truth. I said: ‘No, but you always have struck me as such a lovely person. Since I’m new here and I don’t know anybody, I thought I’d take a dip.’” Since then, the woman has become one of many people that Moreno befriended, including those from her apartment building. “I’m so lucky,” she added. The Puerto Rican actor landed her breakout role of Anita in the 1961 movie musical adaptation of Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim’s original Broadway musical, West Side Story. She later won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the role. Moreno also starred as a newly-created character, Valentina, in director Steven Spielberg’s version of West Side Story. In 1965, she married cardiologist Leonard Gordon, who later became her manager. They were married for 45 years, welcoming daughter Fernanda, before his death in 2010. In May, United States surgeon general Dr Vivek Murthy declared loneliness a public health epidemic, posing health risks as deadly as smoking a dozen cigarettes daily. In a report, Murthy stated that nearly half of US adults say they’ve experienced loneliness. The report also stated that loneliness can increase the risk of premature death by nearly 30 per cent, posing a greater risk of stroke and heart disease, as well as increasing a person’s likelihood for experiencing depression, anxiety, and dementia. The crisis was worsened due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as schools and workplaces shut down and people were required to quarantine and socially distance themselves. In 2020, Americans spent about 20 minutes a day in person with friends compared to 60 minutes daily just two decades earlier. “We now know that loneliness is a common feeling that many people experience. It’s like hunger or thirst. It’s a feeling the body sends us when something we need for survival is missing,” Murthy told The Associated Press in an interview. “Millions of people in America are struggling in the shadows, and that’s not right. That’s why I issued this advisory to pull back the curtain on a struggle that too many people are experiencing.” Read More Strictly’s Amy Dowden shares health update after being rushed to hospital Sam Thompson admits fears about ADHD and parenthood on I’m a Celeb Paris Hilton says using surrogacy was a ‘difficult decision to make’ Strictly’s Amy Dowden shares health update after being rushed to hospital Sam Thompson admits fears about ADHD and parenthood on I’m a Celeb Paris Hilton says using surrogacy was a ‘difficult decision to make’
1970-01-01 08:00
On December 1, 1955, a Bus Driver Had Rosa Parks Arrested—But It Wasn’t Their First Encounter
Rosa Parks changed the world on December 1, 1955, when she stood up for civil rights by sitting down. But who was the bus driver on the other side of history?
1970-01-01 08:00
Red Lobster Reports $11 Million in Losses Because Customers Are Eating Way Too Much Unlimited Shrimp
The seafood giant promised patrons as much shrimp as they could eat. It turns out they could eat a lot.
1970-01-01 08:00
'Leaning tower' in Italy on 'high alert' for collapse
The medieval Garisenda tower in Bologna, Italy, will be cordoned off with a safety zone installed around it, after a recent scientific report has said the site is at high risk of 'sudden and unexpected collapse'
1970-01-01 08:00
Brando’s $5 Million Rolex Held in Swiss Dispute With Christie’s
A Rolex GMT-Master watch once owned by Marlon Brando that sold for more than $5 million is among
1970-01-01 08:00
Recreate Buddy the Elf’s Iconic Breakfast Spaghetti With This Meal Kit
Buddy the Elf tops his spaghetti with syrup, marshmallows, and Pop-Tarts. You can, too.
1970-01-01 08:00
A yoga leader promised followers enlightenment. But he's now accused of sexual abuse
Gregorian Bivolaru was known by his followers as “Grieg” and their guide through tantra yoga toward enlightenment and a higher state of consciousness
1970-01-01 08:00
Binance’s VIP Traders Got Sneak Peek of Record US Crypto Penalty
As the contours of Binance Holdings Ltd.’s multibillion-dollar settlement with US authorities coalesced in September, some of its
1970-01-01 08:00
Viaplay Shares Plunge as Investors to Lose Out in Rescue Deal
Viaplay Group AB dropped more than 80% after striking a rescue deal with its lenders. Before the deal
1970-01-01 08:00
Greek PM Says 'It Takes Two To Tango' After UK Elgin Marbles Dispute
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said he wants to preserve good relations with London, following a cancellation of
1970-01-01 08:00
Strictly’s Amy Dowden shares health update after being rushed to hospital
Strictly Come Dancing’s Amy Dowden has revealed that she was rushed to hospital on Monday, where she learnt that a blood clot had been found on her lung. The professional dancer, 33, who first joined the cast of Strictly in 2017, announced that she could no longer compete in the BBC show earlier this year after she was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer and started receiving chemotherapy treatment. Dowden has been sharing health updates with her fans on social media throughout her treatment and shared the happy news last month that she had completed all eight rounds of chemotherapy. However, in a new update, Dowden told her fans on Thursday (30 November) that she has had a “nightmare week” after she was unexpectedly rushed to hospital. “It seems to be never-ending,” she said in a video shared on Instagram. “I was rushed into hospital on Monday and it came to our knowledge on Tuesday that I’ve got another blood clot on my lung and they were really worried that the clot was travelling to my heart or affecting my heart… luckily enough it’s not,” she said. “This was shock and it just means now… I’m really gutted… I was on blood thinners anyway for the blood clots in my arm…. I’ve still got a blood clot on my lung and obviously, it’s quite close to my heart – there’s a risk. Dowden said she is receiving regular blood thinning rejections for the “foreseeable” and will have another scan in a few weeks. The Welsh choreographer added that she felt frustrated from experiencing another setback, just weeks after she told her fans that she had fractured her foot and would not longer be able to appear in remaining episodes of Strictly. While she was not competing, she had been heavily involved in the latest series wherever she could. Dowden said that she had been working hard to get her “life back” post-chemotherapy and had planned a busy week with voiceover work. “You just get into your head when you finish chemo that that’s it. But you learn… it really isn’t. This chemo is still in my body. It’s three weeks today since I finished chemo. “I’m home now after a few nights in hospital and I’ve for the [Christmas] tree up so at least it’s cosy.” She admitted that she’d had a “rubbish rubbish week” after her hospital scare and was also concerned about the lack of growth of her hair post-chemotherapy. “I’m really frustrated because I thought my hair was coming back way quicker. Looking at photos from a couple of weeks ago, I look like I had more hair than I do now,” she said. “I have to wait until this chemo comes out of my system. But I just sem to be losing… they’re microbladed… but my eyebrows and eyelashes are just going. That’s what’s frustrated [me] and is getting me down.” “I’m gonna rest up because I want to get back to Amy and get back to doing what I love.” Despite not being able to be involved competitively in Strictly, Dowden has delighted fans when she’s made several surprise appearances throughout the current series. In October, Dowden arrived on the show in a sparkly gown to read out the terms and conditions for voting. Dowden later revealed that she decided to “brave the bald” just moments before appearing in front of the cameras, with the professional dancer crediting her Strictly cast members for giving her the “courage” to ditch her wig. Dowden was diagnosed with breast cancer in May, and underwent a mastectomy in July. The professional dancer was later told she would have to begin a course of chemo after doctors discovered the cancer had spread. In a new interview, Dowden shared that watching Strictly was “a great help” while she was undergoing treatment, adding the BBC team has also “gone above and beyond” to include her this season. “I’m my fellow professionals’ biggest cheerleader. I know people are like, ‘Yeah, yeah...’ but we’re the best of friends,” she told Women’s Health magazine. Dowden also said that her castmates – including Dianne Buswell, Carlos Gu, and Katya Jones – “check in on me” every day, while the production team has aimed to involve her in each week. Strictly Come Dancing continues Saturday 2 December at 18.40pm on BBC One. Read More Sam Thompson admits fears about ADHD and parenthood on I’m a Celeb Paris Hilton says using surrogacy was a ‘difficult decision to make’ Megan Fox says she’s raising her sons so they are ‘not like men that I’ve been with’ Sam Thompson admits fears about ADHD and parenthood on I’m a Celeb Paris Hilton says using surrogacy was a ‘difficult decision to make’ Megan Fox says she’s raising her sons so they are ‘not like men that I’ve been with’
1970-01-01 08:00
Kinepolis Shelves Potential Bid for Canada’s Cineplex
Kinepolis Group NV, one of the largest theater operators in Europe, recently considered making a bid for Cineplex
1970-01-01 08:00