
Stormzy becomes latest celebrity to buy a football club
South London rapper Stormzy has become the latest celebrity to become the owner of a sports team after buying part of his hometown club AFC Croydon Athletic. Alongside Crystal Palace footballer, Wilfried Zaha, and the former head of player care at Palace, Danny Young, the trio has agreed a deal to buy the non-League club. According to a statement, “the consortium will own, operate and develop their childhood hometown football club”. The statement continued: “While completion is subject to legislative and governance procedures, the three consortium members are excited about developing a community asset in the borough that gave them their own opportunities. “They hope to take the entire community on this exciting journey with them.” Stormzy and Zaha made the announcement on their respective social media pages, with many left excited about the opportunities it may bring for AFC Croydon Athletic which currently competes in the Combined Counties League Premier South Division in the ninth tier of English football. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Many of their fans praised them for investing in their local community as South Londoners, with Stormzy born and raised in Croydon and Zaha growing up in the area. “Investing in youth,” one Instagrammer praised, adding some raised hands emojis. Another wrote: “Giving back to the ends. Love to see it.” Someone else commented: “Black excellence.” With the acquisition, Stormzy and Zaha become two of many celebrities who have begun to invest in the sporting world, as Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds Rob McElhenney famously bought Wrexham football club and recently acquired a stake in the F1 team Alpine. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
1970-01-01 08:00

Melanie Martinez fans left disappointed with "interactive photo experience" for VIP guests
Melanie Martinez fans have expressed their disappointment with the popstar over her VIP package on her Portals tour. The description of the package on Ticketmaster promises an "interactive photo experience" for VIP ticketholders, leading fans to believe this meant an in-person meet-and-greet with Martinez herself. However, this wasn't the case as the photo experience was Martinez in the form of an AI-generated hologram of that greets fans in her prosthetic mask, so the fans didn't get to meet the singer in person. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter With VIP tickets costing around $400, it has led to fans sharing their discontent on social media. "Does anyone else think the VIP AI meet and greet with Melanie is kinda stupid? I mean, the VIP tickets were $400, and you didn't even really get anything," one fan complained on TikTok. @melsgrippingtoes I still love melane and everything Im literally going to her concert. But she could atleast put in some more effort @kbhorsefan I’d be beyond upset oh my god #melaniemartinez #portals Another added: "When I saw videos of it, I thought that it was a joke, but then no that’s the real thing and it’s so disappointing." "It’s not even ai it’s just a pre-recorded video of her," someone else replied. A fourth person commented: "I would not pay for that… imma just take someone else’s video and photoshop me in. Same thing." Though some fans did defend Martinez, noting that a meet-and-greet was not mentioned in the package. One person said: "I thought it was cute everyone's hating it never said anywhere there was going to be a meet and greet. The concert was so fun." @katebellla I thought it was cute everyones hating it never said anywhere there was going to be a meet and greet. The concert was so fun ? #portalstour @Melanie Martinez "It wasn’t labeled as a meet and greet tho. It was 400 to be upfront in her concert, the ai thing was just an extra thing included," another person wrote. Someone else added: "I mean if it stated AI meet and greet and cost $400 maybe just don’t go." While other fans also claimed they didn't receive their VIP merchandise such as a signed poster, VIP merch and tote bag. One person said: "I didn’t even get the merch bruh," as another similarly echoed: "I heard someone bought VIP and didn't even get the merchandise stuff." Melanie Martinez's third album, Portals is out now after being released back on March 31. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
1970-01-01 08:00

America's 10 Most Beautiful—and Surprisingly Affordable—Places to Live
Great location doesn't equal high real estate prices in these American cities.
1970-01-01 08:00

Disney Channel star shares mental health update after ditching acting for OnlyFans
Wizards of Waverley Place star, Dan Benson, has shared a poignant mental health update with fans, a year on from starting up his OnlyFans account. The 34-year-old went into adult entertainment after nude photos were leaked online, and he wanted to take back control. "I expected a lot more hate and instead people have just been like...'go you, empowerment!' which is awesome", he said in a TikTok video. "I don't feel bad about myself, I feel kind of like a badass!" Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter
1970-01-01 08:00

Mark Zuckerberg denies he contacted UFC legend about a date for Elon Musk fight
Mark Zuckerberg has denied that he contacted UFC legend Chael Sonnen to confirm he wanted to fight Elon Musk at UFC 300. The former fighter claimed that he wanted to make the touted bout a part of the event, which is expected to take place in the next year. However, Zuckerberg has reportedly denied he ever spoke to Sonnen. Speaking on the MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Sonnen said he’d just got off the phone with the Meta CEO, adding: “Zuckerberg has told me that he has agreed to fight Elon Musk at UFC 300. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter “It was a very big deal. He kept bringing up the dates, because, ‘Elon could never say he has something to do. He could never say that he was busy.'” Since then, a spokesperson for Zuckerberg has denied that this exchange happened, according to TMZ. They did not, however, deny that the fight could potentially take place at UFC 300. “I have confirmed with Mark that he did not call Chael Sonnen,” the spokesperson reportedly said. UFC 300 is rumoured to be taking place in April or May next year. The billionaires have verbally agreed to a fight after Musk said that he was “up for a cage match” after rumours emerged that the Meta boss was working on a Twitter rival. Zuckerberg responded with a screenshot of Musk’s tweet with the caption “send me location”. UFC boss Dana White previously appeared on TMZ Live and explained that he’d spoken to both Musk and Zuckerberg and they were "absolutely dead serious" about the cage fight. "There's no limit on what this thing can make," said White. "Both guys are absolutely dead serious about this." Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
1970-01-01 08:00

Influencer quits social media after admitting she killed two cats
A lifestyle influencer and self-styled “mummy blogger” has quit social media after being pummelled with abuse after making a disturbing admission. Emma Claiir said she’d been subjected to a flood of death threats and harassment from “haters trying to ruin [her] life” after speaking openly about some worrying incidents from her past. During a discussion on her ‘Simply Chaotic’ podcast back in April, Claiir told listeners that she had killed not one, but two cats when she was a child. In a statement posted to Instagram on Monday, the mum-of-one said she’d been left suicidal and had gone into hiding because of the resulting outcry. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter In the clip, Claiir confessed to her co-host: “I killed my cat,” before stressing that she “didn’t mean to”. “I was young, I was a child, and I was like swinging my cat around – I was just thinking it was like a stuffed toy and I accidentally let go of it and it died. It died from the fright.” She continued: “My sister did not speak to me for months – months – and my mum was f***king fuming at me.” She then added: “And then if you really want to know more about me, I also killed my best friend's cat.” @indigoreports Influencer Emma Claiir dropped from brand deals after ‘admitting to k!lling cats’ #emmaclaiir #influencer #aussieinfluencer #aussieinfluencers #aussieinfluenceropinions #influencernews #news #popculture #popculturenews #podcast #show #viraledits The brutal online backlash came not just from appalled fans, but from a number of brands who declared they would be ending their relationship with the 29-year-old. Claiir initially responded to the furore by doubling down, telling her followers via an Instagram story that it was all a “bit of light humour” and they needed to “chill”. “I was a small child,” she pointed out, before adding: “After that accident, I have been the best mother to multiple cats.” However, after the retribution and threats showed no sign of abating, she issued a more considered statement, apologising for her behaviour. She conceded that the story was “not light humour” but was, in fact, “very serious”. “I have taken time to think about my actions and want to confirm that I do have empathy about the situation,” she stressed. “It’s not something I am proud of as it really hurt myself and my family 21 years ago.” And yet, two months after that fateful podcast segment, Claiir revealed that her whole life had been turned upside down. In her lengthy Instagram statement, posted on 26 June, she wrote: “As most of you know I gave birth on the 12.4.23 to the most amazing, precious little boy and he changed my life completely. “I was so excited to share my life with you all, share where things were from and just be real with my postpartum journey and experiences with my baby. “But unfortunately that all became not possible when I shared a story from when I was kid on my podcast. I quickly became cancelled and the death threats started rolling in.” Claiir then insisted that the story had been blown “out of proportion” and “turned into something it never was”. “People started a witch hunt on me and were doing everything to make sure my life was ruined,” she continued. “I lost my job, my mental health was impacted massively and people were just having a laugh about it.” She said she then decided to take a “small break” from social media to spend more time with her son but, once she returned, “people decided it was OK to spread cheating rumours, make up lies and try to continue to ruin the life of a new mother who was already pretty open about her mental health struggles in life”. The 29-year-old said that even people she’d considered close friends “joined in on the lies and rumours”, even sharing her private messages online. Describing this as “breaking point” for her, she said she “started to feel unsafe in [her] own home” as the death threats, lies and rumours grew louder and louder. “My mental health finally crumbled. I entered a very dark space that was extremely scary and unfamiliar,” she went on. “I was constantly telling myself that the only thing that would make this all go away is if I took my own life. The only way to make the haters happy is if I disappeared for good and officially left this world. “Maybe my son and my husband really would be better off with out me and I should just let them go, maybe my friends and family would also be better off with out me so I should just let them go. “These are thoughts no new mother should be having.” Claiir wrapped up her impassioned monologue by saying she had since sought “professional help” for her anxiety and depression and was now on “the right path”. She then said that it was now “officially time to say goodbye to Emma Claiir,” adding: “Will it be forever? I don’t know yet.” But, she insisted, she felt proud that she was now “taking back ownership of her life”. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
1970-01-01 08:00

Cardi B warns Offset after he accuses her of cheating on him
Cardi B has issued a warning to her husband Offset after he claimed she cheated on him in a now-deleted Instagram story. Rappers Cardi B and Offset have been married since 2017 and have two children together, but it seems all is not well in their union. The revelation came on Monday 26 June, when Offset posted a shocking claim on his Instagram story, writing: “My wife f**ked a N**** on me gang yall n****s know how I come.” Later that day, Cardi B also took to social media, singing in a Twitter Space conversation the verse of the Keyshia Cole song “I Should Have Cheated”. She sang: “First of all, let me say, you can't accuse me of all the things you know that you are guilty of. Sing it with me, y'all! And I see that it is easy for you to blame everything on me. Yes, honey!” Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Cardi B went on, telling fans, “Listen, don’t pay attention to that country man,” adding, “That motherf**ker spiraling and thinking s**t.” She continued, arguing that if she really had cheated on him, the rumours would have already gotten out. The native New Yorker explained: “Can't f**k no regular degular shmegular because they gonna tell the world. And I can't f**k nobody in the industry because they gonna tell too.” The rapper then specifically addressed her husband Offset, saying: “Please boy, stop acting stupid. Stop acting stupid. “Going crazy over a f**king Space. Don’t play with me. What the f**k. Stop playing. That’s all I’m gonna motherf**king say.” Cardi continued: “Get the f**k out of here, n****. Like, you can’t be serious. Don’t play, motherf**ker. Got me looking f**king crazy and s**t for no reason. Anyways, I'm out. Y’all know what it is.” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
1970-01-01 08:00

New Zealand seeks to exterminate predators to save native birds
New Zealand plans to wipe out every last rat, possum and stoat. Can the plan work?
1970-01-01 08:00

When Does FIFA 23 Shapeshifters Team 2 Leave Packs?
FIFA 23 Shapeshifters Team 2 will leave packs on Friday, June 30 at 1 p.m. ET. At that time, it's unknown if a third squad will enter packs or a brand new promotion.
1970-01-01 08:00

Valorant Deadlock Abilities Explained
Valorant's Deadlock is equipped with abilities perfect for slowing down enemies and gathering intel, including a broken ultimate that can guarantee 1v1 victories.
1970-01-01 08:00

Lily Alllen steps-in to help anyone struggling with a post-Glastonbury comedown
More than 200,000 people went to Glastonbury this year, and a significant amount of them will be suffering crushing comedowns this week (from all that alcohol they’ve been drinking, obviously). But they need not worry, because Lily Allen has given her qualified medical opinion on the matter – and it’s pretty good advice. The 'Smile' and 'LDN' singer tweeted on 26 June: “Thoughts are with those starting their post Glastonbury comedowns today, YOU WILL GET THROUGH THIS." Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter “It will take somewhere between a week and month depending on your age and what exactly you may have consumed, but you will get through this.” She added in another post: “Start with a good fry up, some electrolytes, berocca, plenty of water and stay away from anything like Grey's Anatomy or The Notebook.” Twitter users were quick to thank the singer. One user said: “Thank you Lily, you got me and @MarisaMuramatsu through the early hours journey home.” Another added: “I’m still recovering from 1987 tbh.” And one other said: “Needed to see this. This car journey home, emotions are all over the gaff!” This year’s Glastonbury, which finished yesterday, saw headliners Arctic Monkeys, Guns N’ Roses and Sir Elton John play to vast crowds. While Allen was not on the lineup, her 2022 rendition of her hit 'F*** You' will still be fresh in the minds of fans, when she joined pop star Olivia Rodrigo on stage for a surprise appearance. Meanwhile, her 2009 song, 'Everyone’s At It', took a pop at people in the media and politics who are hypocritical about alcohol and drug use in wider society. The chorus goes: “Why can't we all, all just be honest / Admit to ourselves that everyone's on it / From grown politicians to young adolescents”. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
1970-01-01 08:00

Mark Zuckerberg trainer warns Elon Musk that fight 'could go badly' for him
We recently looked ahead to the fight being touted between Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk and predicted a comfortable win for the Meta CEO – and it turns out Musk thinks that could very well be the case. The billionaires have verbally agreed to a fight after Musk said that he was “up for a cage match” after rumours emerged that the Meta boss was working on a Twitter rival. Zuckerberg responded with a screenshot of Musk’s tweet with the caption “send me location”, and his trainer has now spoken about his chances. It looks like the fight could well happen, and Musk might be wise to take a word of warning. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter MMA fighter Khai "The Shadow" Wu has been training with Zuckerberg since last year, and speaking to Forbes about the potential bout, he emphasised how dedicated the Meta CEO is to martial arts. "I just go and train. I can only speak on how hard he works." He added: “He works really hard. He's a really nice guy to be honest with you. I'm not sure how the fight will play out, so I don't want to speculate, but I'm like you, I'm like 'how crazy is this?'" Wu went on to say Zuckerberg "shows up, trains hard, puts in the effort” and also described him as a "student of the game". As Insider reports, Musk spoke to Bloomberg reporter Ashley Vance on a Twitter Space session, and admitted: “Well I haven’t started training yet. If it does happen I will train.” Vance said that the fight “could go badly” as Zuckerberg “takes this stuff pretty seriously”. Musk admitted “yeah that’s possible,” before saying that he thinks the fight still “might actually happen”. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
1970-01-01 08:00