Hilaria Baldwin always wanted to be considered Spanish: ex-dance partner - Page Six

Hilaria Baldwin was always a Spanish-wannabe — but she really put her foot in her mouth when she changed her name from Hillary, her old dance partner says.

“The whole ‘Hilaria’ thing is hilarious to me,” Alexander Rechits, who competitively danced with the now-embattled yoga-bending celeb from 2006 to 2009, told the New York Times.

Rechits, who knew the 36-year-old American wife of actor Alec Baldwin by her given name, Hillary Hayward-Thomas, said it was clear even then that she wanted to portray herself as something she wasn’t.

“I understand why she did it,” Rechits said in an interview published Wednesday, adding that he considered Hilaria sweet and talented.

“It was always her desire to be considered Spanish,’’ he said.

Hilaria BaldwinPatrick McMullan via Getty Image

“She had roots in Spain, her brother lived there, she visited there a lot,’’ he said, referring to the fact that Hilaria’s parents now live in Mallorca and her family would travel to Spain when she was a child.

“But Hillary is a very good strong name, so why would you change that when you were born here and you weren’t born in Spain?” said the Belarus native.

“I have a lot of nicknames in Russian. But I’m still Alexander everywhere I go.”

Hilaria, who has no Spanish ancestry, has been under fire for allegedly misrepresenting herself as Spanish — repeatedly publicly referring to Spain as her “home,” adopting a bad thick Spanish accent at times and failing to correct numerous publications and even one of her official web bios that falsely said she was born on Mallorca.

For her wedding to Alec in 2012, she wore a traditional white Spanish mantilla veil and waved a flamenco fan at her groom at an altar in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan, while the pair traded rings inscribed in Spanish and danced to Puerto Rican crooner Luis Miguel.

The lifestyle influencer was forced to take to social media over the weekend to acknowledge she is “a white girl” who was born in Boston, originally named Hillary and went to high school in Massachusetts.

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New video shows woman attacking teen she falsely accused of stealing her iPhone at Soho hotel - NBC News

Authorities in New York City released parts of a security camera video Wednesday showing a woman rushing at and attempting to tackle the 14-year-old son of jazz musician Keyon Harrold who she falsely accused of stealing her iPhone that she left in an Uber.

The 10-second clip shows the woman tackling Keyon Harrold Jr. and encircling her arms around him on Saturday in the lobby of the Arlo Soho, an upscale, boutique hotel in New York where Harrold and his son were guests, the hotel said.

The New York City Police Department said Tuesday that the teen's father “sustained scratches to his hand.” No other injuries were reported.

Police said they are searching for the woman and have “positively identified” her, but have not publicly identified her. The incident was not being investigated as a bias incident, according to police. Harrold and his son are Black and have suggested that racial bias played a role in the incident.

On Sunday, Harrold shared the initial minute-long video of the heated exchange on social media. In the video, the woman can be heard accosting the father and son, yelling, “Show me my phone!” A man in the video who identified himself as the hotel manager can also be heard asking to see Harrold Jr.’s phone.

Before the video cuts out, the woman appeared to approach Harrold, prompting the jazz musician to shout: “Get your hands off!”

The video quickly went viral over the weekend, with many on social media accusing the woman and the hotel’s employees of racially discriminating against Harrold and his son.

NBC News has not established the woman’s identity, and it is not clear what happened before or after what's shown in the surveillance footage or Harrold’s video.

The woman told CNN on Tuesday that she was assaulted during the altercation on Saturday, but the network was unable to corroborate her claims with investigators or the hotel. The NYPD and Arlo SoHo did not immediately return NBC News’ request for comment.

The 22-year-old woman said she initially asked another person to “empty their pocket” before confronting Harrold Jr., which CNN was also unable to confirm, according to the network.

The woman said she was concerned about how she was depicted in the video, saying that it wasn’t an accurate portrayal.

“That’s not who I am. I actually… try very hard to make sure that I am always doing the right thing," she said.

CNN did not publicly identify the woman due to safety concerns unrelated to the incident.

She added that she was willing to cooperate with investigators, but she said she has not received a call from authorities and has yet to reach out herself. She also said she’d be willing to speak to the Harrold family.

The woman stopped responding to the network after initially agreeing to provide evidence that would confirm her claim that she was assaulted, according to the network.

Arlo Hotel apologized to the Harrold family on Monday, saying “more could have been done to deescalate the dispute.”

“We’re deeply disheartened about the recent incident of baseless accusation, prejudice and assault against an innocent guest of Arlo hotel,” the hotel said in a statement. “No Arlo guest — or any person — should be subject to this kind of behavior."

“We are committed to making sure this never happens again at any of our hotels,” the hotel said.

Civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, who represents Harrold's family, called on the Manhattan District Attorney to bring assault and battery charges against the woman.

Crump also called for a civil rights investigation into the Arlo Hotel for “implicit bias” in its treatment of the Harrold family.

A spokesperson for the Manhattan DA told NBC News on Monday that the office is "thoroughly investigating this incident."

The jazz musician, accompanied by Crump and Rev. Al Sharpton, spoke out at a press conference on Wednesday.

“I can’t even come downstairs in New York City — prime New York City — and just go brunch without being attacked and wrongfully accused of something,” Harrold said. “The idea of trauma goes above any charge that could ever be had.”

“I want my son to grow up whole,” he said.

Wilson Wong

Wilson Wong is a breaking news reporter with NBC News. 

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Ken Jennings of 'Jeopardy!' apologizes for insensitive tweets - CNN

The past tweets resurfaced after it was announced that Jennings would be the first guest host of "Jeopardy!" following the death of longtime host Alex Trebek in November after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

Jennings on Wednesday tweeted, "Hey, I just wanted to own up to the fact that over the years on Twitter, I've definitely tweeted some unartful and insensitive things."

"Sometimes they worked as jokes in my head and I was dismayed to see how they read on screen," he wrote. "In the past, I'd usually leave bad tweets up just so they could be dunked on. At least that way they could lead to smart replies and even advocacy. Deleting them felt like whitewashing a mistake."

He added that by leaving the tweets up he believed he "may have given the impression I stand by every failed joke I've ever posted here." He said that was not the case.

"Sometimes I said dumb things in a dumb way and I want to apologize to people who were (rightfully!) offended," another tweet read. "It wasn't my intention to hurt anyone, but that doesn't matter: I screwed up, and I'm truly sorry."

Some Twitter users responded by sharing some of the now deleted tweets, including one from 2014 in which Jennings wrote "Nothing sadder than a hot person in a wheelchair." He apologized for that tweet in 2018 writing "it was a joke so inept that it meant something very different in my head & I regret the ableist plain reading of it!"

Jennings ended his tweets Wednesday by looking ahead.

"If 2020 has taught us anything, it's that we should be kinder to one another," he wrote. "I look forward to heading into 2021 with that in mind."

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Woman who outed Hilaria Baldwin says fake Spanish accent is 'offensive' - Page Six

The social media sleuth who sparked Hilaria Baldwin’s Spanish-accent scandal said in a new interview that the popular yoga guru should “own what she did” — and called her claims of being born in Spain “offensive and wrong.”

The woman, who started a thread Dec. 21 under @LeniBriscoe that questioned Baldwin’s claim she was born in Mallorca, told the Daily Mail that she has few regrets about being behind the brouhaha.

“People were asking me don’t you have anything better to do and the answer is: No I don’t,” she told the news outlet on condition of anonymity. “It’s a pandemic, it’s cold outside and I don’t celebrate Christmas.”

On Monday, she said in her infamous tweet: “You have to admire Hilaria Baldwin’s commitment to her decade long grift where she impersonates a Spanish person.”

Amid the firestorm, Baldwin was forced to admit that despite speaking with a questionable accent and claiming she was born in Spain, she’s actually just a “white girl” from Boston.

Hilaria Baldwin and Alec Baldwin

Mario Anzuoni/Reuters

The Twitter denizen told the New York Times anonymously Wednesday that she feared going public because Hilaria’s hubby, Alec Baldwin, might beat her up.

Briscoe — who attended the elite Vassar College in upstate New York — slammed Hilaria for claiming she was born in Spain.

“It’s offensive and wrong to pretend you’re an immigrant and that you speak English as a second language and appropriate the actual experience that actual immigrant women have. That’s not what happened,” she told the Daily Mail.

“She made a post saying people at the park think she’s the nanny because her kids are blond and have blue eyes. That is something that happens to moms of color who actually have an accent,” she said.

“That’s offensive, these are hard experiences that people actually have and she pretended. It’s not really necessary. She could be a hot white influencer. Plenty of people do that,” Briscoe added.

She also said that at first, she didn’t realize Baldwin had been impersonating a Spaniard before people found articles in which she spoke about Spanish culture.

“That makes it worse to me,” she told the Daily Mail.

Briscoe also revealed that she has been flooded with messages since her original missive, some of which were not kind.

“Some people said I did it because I’m jealous and uglier. I don’t care if I’m uglier. It seems like a lot of work to look like her,” she told the outlet.

Hilaria Baldwin

Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

But she also said she “feels some responsibility” for the backlash against Baldwin in social media.

“In this case it was funny but social media can be really cruel and harmful when there’s a pile on when someone does something that people don’t like. I don’t think that’s great,” she said.

“People were saying some cruel and unnecessary things. That bothered me. There are so many things you could criticize Hillary Baldwin for, it’s not necessary to make fun of how many kids she has, that was really offensive to me,” she added.

“It reminded me of when people make fun of Melania Trump for modeling nude. Who cares? That’s not hurting anyone. She’s done other things that you can make fun of,” Briscoe said.

“There are elements of misogyny that come in but it’s important to call people out when they are doing things that are harmful, which I think this was,” she said.

Asked what she’d say to Baldwin, Briscoe said: “I would say she should say sorry to all the immigrants and English second language learners and moms of color who are actually mistaken for their children’s nannies. She should own what she did.”

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Jeopardy! guest host Ken Jennings issues apology for 'insensitive' tweets - Daily Mail

Jeopardy! guest host Ken Jennings issues apology for posting 'insensitive' tweets... weeks after he was slammed for writing there was 'nothing sadder than a hot person in a wheelchair'

• Ken Jennings, who is guest hosting Jeopardy! following the death of Alex Trebek, faced backlash for a 2014 tweet he posted about 'hot' people in wheelchairs
• He had apologised for the tweet back in 2018, calling in an 'inept' post, but it garnered more attention last month after he was announced as a Jeopardy! host 
• Jennings, 46, is the first of a series of guest hosts announced to replace beloved TV host Trebek, following his death from cancer at age 80 last month
• Former contestant Jennings, a 74-time champ, claimed the long-running quiz show's  coveted 'Greatest Of All Time' title in a competition last year

By Ryan Smith for MailOnline

Published: 11:12 GMT, 31 December 2020 | Updated: 12:23 GMT, 31 December 2020

Jeopardy! guest host Ken Jennings has apologised for 'insensitive' tweets he has posted in the past, after he was slammed for making ableist comments.

The 46-year-old quiz champ – who is replacing late television icon Alex Trebek on the game show following his death last month – took to Twitter on Thursday to address previous 'failed' jokes he's made on the micro-blogging platform.

He wrote: 'Hey, I just wanted to own up to the fact that over the years on Twitter, I've definitely tweeted some unartful and insensitive things. Sometimes they worked as jokes in my head and I was dismayed to see how they read on screen.

Apology: Jeopardy! guest host Ken Jennings has apologised for 'insensitive' tweets he has posted in the past, after he was slammed for making ableist comments 

'In the past, I'd usually leave bad tweets up just so they could be dunked on. At least that way they could lead to smart replies and even advocacy. Deleting them felt like whitewashing a mistake.

'But I think that practice may have given the impression I stand by every failed joke I've ever posted here. Not at all!'

Although Jennings didn't refer specifically to any particular posts, he acknowledged he had 'screwed up' and promised to 'be kinder' to others in 2021.

He continued: 'Sometimes I said dumb things in a dumb way and I want to apologize to people who were (rightfully!) offended. It wasn't my intention to hurt anyone, but that doesn't matter: I screwed up, and I'm truly sorry.

Failed: Jennings – who is replacing late television icon Alex Trebek (pictured) on the game show following his death – took to Twitter on Thursday to address his previous 'failed' jokes

Kinder approach: Although Jennings didn't refer specifically to any particular posts, he acknowledged he had 'screwed up' and promised to 'be kinder' to others in 2021

'If 2020 has taught us anything, it's that we should be kinder to one another. I look forward to heading into 2021 with that in mind. (sic)' 

One month before his apology, Jennings was the focus of much outrage over a resurfaced tweet he posted in 2014 about 'hot' people in wheelchairs.

'Nothing sadder than a hot person in a wheelchair,' Jennings wrote at the time.

Jennings, who has since deleted the tweet, addressed the insensitive post in 2018, but the message has regained steam in light of his upcoming hosting role.  

Jeopardy! record-holder: Quiz champ Jennings has won 74 games of the game show in a row 

 

Resurfaced: His 2014 tweet first resurfaced in 2018, and Jennings addressed it at the time

Jennings said in 2018 he apologised 'personally' to those who reached out to him about the tweet, which he called an 'inept' joke.

'I never did a public flogging thing for this but I did apologise personally to angry/hurt people who reached out personally,' he tweeted at the time.

'It was a joke so inept that it meant something very different in my head & I regret the ableist plain reading of it!' 

With the resurfacing of the tweet, Jennings faced the wrath of angry Twitter users hurt and angered over his original post. 

Renewed outrage: Jennings faced renewed outrage over the tweet when he was announced as one of Jeopardy's incoming guest hosts

Objections: Twitter users flooded the micro-blogging platform with their objections last month

Actress Yvette Nicole Brown even weighed in on the controversy as she posted a link announcing his guest hosting role. 'Nope,' she tweeted along with the story.

When asked why Yvette disliked the selection, she replied, 'Peep his old tweets and get back at me.'

Jennings was announced as the first of a series of guest hosts replacing Trebek just a few days ago.

An official tweet revealed: 'We will resume production on 11/30 with a series of interim guest hosts from the Jeopardy! family – starting with Ken Jennings. Additional guest hosts to be announced.' 

Quiz: Jennings had been largely celebrated for his memorable role on the long-running show

Unimpressed: Actress Yvette Nicole Brown even weighed in on the controversy as she posted a link announcing his guest hosting role. 'Nope,' she tweeted along with the story

Jennings won 74 games of Jeopardy! in a row and claimed the show's 'Greatest Of All Time' title in a competition last year.

A long-term host for Trebek, who passed away at age 80 following a battle with pancreatic cancer last month, will be named later.

Last month, Jennings paid tribute to Trebek as he was announced as the programme's new guest host.

He said at the time: 'There will only ever be one Alex Trebek, but I'm honoured to be helping Jeopardy! out with this in January.'

Icon: Alex Trebek passed away at age 80 following a battle with pancreatic cancer last month

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Justin Bieber in good spirits in LA as he rehearses for New Year's Eve performance to ring out 2020 - Daily Mail

Justin Bieber in good spirits in LA as he rehearses for New Year’s Eve performance to ring out 2020

By Adam S. Levy For Dailymail.com

Published: 06:46 GMT, 31 December 2020 | Updated: 09:02 GMT, 31 December 2020

Justin Bieber looked ready to go for his New Year’s Eve performance following rehearsals in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

The 26-year-old appeared calm amid a final practice for T-Mobile Presents: NYE Live with Justin Bieber, his first live show since 2017.

The Canadian singer donned a grey Dickie's jacket over a brown shirt with a graphic, with black pants and brown and white sneakers.

At work: Justin Bieber, 26, looked ready to go for his New Year’s Eve performance following rehearsals in Los Angeles on Wednesday

He topped off his shaggy locks with a black beanie on the Chilly day in Southern California, as he got ready to take the stage for the first time in almost four years for a live show.

Bieber chat about the upcoming concert in a set of tweets Wednesday, writing, 'Feeling so blessed for this opportunity to perform this New Years ... excited to celebrate with you all.'

He added: 'Oh yeah I’m performing my new single #ANYONE during #BieberNYE tomorrow night.'

Bieber previously said in a statement, 'I've worked with T-Mobile for a long time - they’re such a fun brand, and we’re working on more surprises to watch out for during this special night. I can’t wait to partner on this epic New Year’s Eve concert with them, and give everyone a safe way to kick 2020 out the door, together.'

Relaxed: Bieber appeared calm amid a final practice for T-Mobile Presents: NYE Live with Justin Bieber, his first live show since 2017 

Moving along: The musical artist was snapped in a robe on the busy day in rehearsal

The Yummy artist is set to perform at what a source described to People as 'an iconic LA venue' that will impress viewers. All crew members have undergone rigorous COVID-19 protocols amid production, the outlet reported.

The Grammy-nominated artist's playlist for the year-ending show include recent tracks like Habitual, Holy, Lonely, and Intentions in addition to some of his biggest past hits, including Love Yourself, Sorry and What Do U Mean.

T-Mobile customers are able to stream the show as part of their membership; to order Bieber's special, which airs for $25 plus service fees, check out Momenthouse.com. The show is slated to commence live Thursday at 7:15 p.m. PT/10:15 p.m. ET. 

Excited: Bieber chat about the upcoming concert in a set of tweets

The Canadian artist has had great success on the charts this year with his album Changes 

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Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden Will Ring In 2021 With Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve - Vulture

Photo: Andrew Harnik-Pool/Getty Images

When you’re deciding which network’s coverage you’ll watch this New Year’s Eve (the answer is, as it is every year, flipping between every channel’s programming, in a nonstop loop, for hours), ABC hopes you’ll throw your vote behind their Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve special, which will feature a guest appearance by President-elect Joe Biden and his wife Dr. Jill Biden. The Vice President and the future First Lady will join host Ryan Seacrest for what Variety notes will be “the future president’s last interview of the calendar year,” unless, of course, the Bidens find themselves in some sort of time-bending Tenet-type situation, and have to repeat the last few months in reverse, which would just be the most fitting end to 2020, wouldn’t it?

Times Square’s annual crowded gathering won’t be happening due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but New Year’s Rockin’ Eve will feature performances in New York, where Seacrest will be joined by Billy Porter and Lucy Hale, Los Angeles, where Ciara will host, and New Orleans with host Big Freedia, with Jennifer Lopez closing out the evening as headliner. Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest kicks off at Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.

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