Laurie Hernandez to Appear in Peacock’s Women’s Gymnastics-Themed Docuseries “Golden”

Laurie Hernandez is golden

The 20-year-old Puerto Rican Olympic gold medal gymnast and Dancing with the Stars champion will appear on Golden, a docuseries about women’s gymnasts vying for a spot on the U.S. team heading to the Tokyo Olympics.

Laurie Hernandez

The six-episode series, which hails from Peacock and LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s Uninterrupted will track five hopefuls competing for four spots on the U.S. Olympic team.

A premiere date hasn’t yet been confirmed for the show, which is part of a broad array of live and on-demand Tokyo programming heading to NBCUniversal platforms.

In addition to Hernandez, the series also features Morgan HurdSunisa LeeKonnor McClain, and MyKayla Skinner.

A major theme will be the coronavirus pandemic, which forced the postponement of the Games from 2020 to 2021 and also dramatically altered athletes’ preparations and training.

Each hour-long episode of Golden will center on one of the individual gymnasts, with storylines of the other competitors woven into the narrative.

Hernandez is known to Olympic viewers for winning a gold medal as a member of the “Final Five” team and an individual silver on beam at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

The series will cover a five-month span and milestones like national team training camps, the U.S. Gymnastics Championships, and the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, which start June 24.

Three-time Olympian Dominique Dawes is executive producing, along with James, Carter and Uninterrupted’s Jamal Henderson and Philip Byron.

“When I look back, I remember the tremendous sacrifice it took me to achieve my own Olympic pursuits,” Dawes said. “Similarly, these gymnasts have and will continue to endure physical, emotional and mental hurdles that most cannot fathom. The millions of viewers who watch the Summer Games are accustomed to witnessing the short-lived glory of the podium without truly understanding the demands these young female athletes face.”

Bad Bunny to Take Part in LeBron James’ “Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020” Special

Bad Bunnyis celebrating the Class of 2020

The LeBron James Family Foundation announced that it’s paying tribute to the class of 2020 with a one-hour multimedia event called Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020, with the 26-year-old Puerto Rican reggaeton and Latin trap singer joining the roster of participating artists.

Bad Bunny

James’ virtual graduation party for this year’s graduation class, who’s seen their school year cancelled because of the coronavirus, will take place on Saturday, May 16 at 8:00 pm ET simultaneously on NBCABCCBS, and Fox— as well as on the streaming platforms Complex NetworksFacebook app, InstagramPeople TVSnapchatTikTok and YouTube.

In addition to Bad Bunny, the lineup includes Kane BrownLana CondorDavid DobrikDolan TwinsKarol GLiza KoshyMaren Morris, National Teacher of the Year Rodney RobinsonOlivia WildeZendaya, Charli D’AmelioDixie D’AmelioChika, YBN Cordae, Loren GrayH.E.R., the Jonas BrothersBrandan Bmike Odums, Ben PlattHenry PlattJonah Platt, Megan RapinoeYara ShahidiLena Waithe, Pharrell WilliamsMalala Yousafzaiand many more.

Working with the XQ Instituteand The Entertainment Industry Foundation, the show will allow the companies to honor the more than three million high school seniors who’ll miss out on the annual rite of passage due to the national shutdown caused by the COVID-19pandemic.

“We learned early on in our work with students and families in Akron that education is so much more than academics,” said James in a statement.

“It’s about a shared experience, a journey we’re all on together—students, parents, educators, community members, and everyone around them. With that not being possible right now, we’ve been working to find ways to help families get through this really difficult time. These students have worked incredibly hard for this and there’s no way we can let that go unrecognized. While this won’t be the graduation experience they were supposed to get, we hope we can still give them something special because they deserve it.”

The commercial-free show will be curated by high school students and educators from across the country, with support from the American Federation of Teachers, highlighted by a collection of commencement addresses, celebrity performances and inspirational vignettes.

Students, educators, and families are encouraged to submit their videos and photos online for consideration to be included in the telecast using #GraduateTogether. Artist JR is also inviting seniors to share their portraits for a national virtual yearbook celebrating the entire Class of 2020

Local TV stations will feature custom breakaways to celebrate the achievements of high school students in their communities.

Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020will be broadcast commercial-free on May 16 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC.

Victoria Justice to Host Nickelodeon’s Rescheduled Kids’ Choice Awards

Victoria Justiceis Nickelodeon’s choice…

The network is moving forward with its Kids’ Choice Awards with a new date, and with the 27-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress/singer and former Nickelodeon star as host. 

Victoria Justice

Initially scheduled for March 22, the awards ceremony was postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic. The newly titled virtually-produced Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards 2020: Celebrate Together will air on Saturday, May 2 at 8:00 pm ET/PT.

Celebrities scheduled to appear via video include Dwayne JohnsonAriana GrandeKristen Bell, Josh GadCamila CabelloMillie Bobby BrownEllen DeGeneresBTSShawn MendesLil Nas X, Dove CameronDavid DobrikTom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakkeand SSSniperWolf

Also scheduled are appearances by cast members of The Avengers: Endgame, and a sneak peek of Nickelodeon’s new live-action series The Astronauts,from Imagine Entertainment.

Leading nominees for the awards show, which honors kids’ favorite celebs, movies, TV shows, games and more, include Avengers: Endgamewith 11, followed by Taylor Swift with five noms and Frozen 2, Henry Danger and Lil Nas Xwith four apiece.

NBA championLeBron Jameswill receive the 2020 Generation Change Award, honoring his commitment to creating real and lasting change through education.

Nickelodeon also will support the mission of No Kid Hungry, a national campaign to end childhood hunger in America, and present within the show a $1 million donation in support of those affected by the COVID-19pandemic.

Justice rose to acclaim as the star of the Nickelodeon series Victorious.

Bobby Cannavale to Voice DAZN’s New Documentary Series “40 Days”

Bobby Cannavale’s best days are here…

The 47-year-old half-Cuban American actor will voice rising sports streaming outlet DAZN‘s 40 Days, a new documentary series co-produced with LeBron James and Maverick Carter

Bobby Cannavale

The plan is for him to recur as the series evolves into an umbrella for various behind-the-scenes sports series.

These types of follow docs are a sports media mainstays especially with the rise of digital video — similar to 24/7Hard Knocks, and Tom Vs. Time.

But 40 Days, which is named for the eight Monday-to-Friday weeks of training for a boxing match, is aiming to give the series a bit more flair, with individual episodes and series being directed by different filmmakers. 

The show premieres with a boxing focus on Tuesday night on DAZN, which recently launched in the U.S. after successfully bringing soccer, basketball and ring sports to fans in Europe and elsewhere.

The streaming service also operates in Canada, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain and Japan, with a launch in Brazil up next.

In addition to the company’s channels and DAZN, 40 Days will air the following day on UnivisionNBC Sports Networkand regional sports networks including MSG.

The first edition of 40 Days will spotlight the build-up to the May 4 matchup between Canelo Alvarezand Daniel Jacobs. A screening of the show is planned for May 2 in Las Vegas ahead of the fight.

Lionel Messi: The World’s Most Famous Latino Athlete

Lionel Messiis kickin’ it to the top of the popularity charts…

The 31-year-old Argentine soccer star is the top-ranking Latino on ESPN’s World Fame 100 list, which identifies the most famous athletes in the world.

Lionel Messi

Messi, a five-time Ballon d’Or winner who plays for the Spanish club BarcelonaFC and the Argentina national team, comes in at No. 3 on this year’s list, behind soccer rival Cristiano Ronaldo and NBAsuperstar LeBron James. It’s the same position Messi held last year.

The World Fame 100 ranks athletes based on their Google search score, their endorsement dollars and social media followers.

Nipping at Messi’s heels… Neymar.

The 27-year-old Brazilian soccer star, who plays for the Brazil national team and French club Paris Saint-Germain, comes in at No. 4, the same position he held in 2018.

Also earning a spot in the Top 10… Rafael Nadal.

The 32-year-old Spanish tennis star comes in at No. 8, two spots behind his rival Roger Federer. Nadal held the same ranking last year.

In all, Latino athletes took up 23 spots on the list, the majority of them international soccer players like Andres Iniesta (Spain), James Rodriguez (Colombia), Alexis Sanchez (Chile) and Javier Hernandez (Mexico).

Mexican boxer Canelo Alvarezis the sole Latino boxer on the list, at No. 68, while Puerto Rican basketball player Carmelo Anthony, at No. 65, is the only Latino basketball player to make the grade.

There are no Latina athletes on this year’s list, which features tennis sensation Serena Williams as the top female athlete at No. 17.

Here’s a look at the Latinos who made the World Fame 100:

Rank, Name, Sport, Country, Search Score, Endorsements, Social Stats
No. 3, Lionel Messi, Soccer, Argentina, 54, $28m, 103.1 million
No. 4, Neymar, Soccer, Brazil, 55, $19m, 107.2 million
No. 8, Rafael Nadal, Tennis, Spain, 40, $29.3m, 15.6 million
No. 27, Andres Iniesta, Soccer, Spain, 8, $2.2m, 26.7 million
No. 29, James Rodriguez, Soccer, Colombia, 11, $4.8m, 40.5 million
No. 36, Luis Suarez, Soccer, Uruguay, 6, $7.4m, 31.2 million
No. 38, Sergio Ramos, Soccer, Spain, 13, $4m, 28.7 million
No. 44, Marcelo Vieira, Soccer, Brazil, 4, $3.2m, 33.8 million
No. 48, Radamel Falcao, Soccer, Brazil, 4, $4m, 16.9 million
No. 52, Sergio Aguero, Soccer, Argentina, 1, $6m, 28.7 million
No. 53, David De Gea, Soccer, Spain, 3, $7m, 11.8 million
No. 55, Paulo Dybala, Soccer, Argentina, 4, $4.03m, 24.7 million
No. 56, Dani Alves, Soccer, Brazil, 2, $8.75m, 21.5 million
No. 61, Philippe Coutinho, Soccer, Brazil, 15, $3.1m, 19.3 million
No. 62, David Luiz, Soccer, Brazil, 1, $1.3m, 24.9 million
No. 65, Carmelo Anthony, Basketball, USA, 6, $7m, 9.1 million
No. 66, Gerard Pique, Soccer, Spain, 5, $3.8m, 18.6 million
No. 68, Canelo Alvarez, Boxing, Mexico, 44, $2.5m, 4 million
No. 72, Alexis Sanchez, Soccer, Chile, 24, $3.8m, 9.6 million
No. 79, Cesc Fabregas, Soccer, Spain, 1, $5m, 10.3 million
No. 80, Gonzalo Higuain, Soccer, Argentina, 7, $6m, 6.8 million
No. 81, Isco, Soccer, Spain, 2, $5m, 16.4 million
No. 88, Javier Hernandez, Soccer, Mexico, 6, $9.9m, 5.1 million

Miami Marlins’ Star Giancarlo Stanton Named MLB’s National League MVP

Giancarlo Stanton is a National (League) hero…

The 28-year-old part-Puerto Rican baseball star, an outfielder for the Miami Marlins, won the National League MVP title, edging Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds in the closest vote since 1979.

Giancarlo Stanton

Stanton became only the sixth player to win from a losing team. The Marlins were 77-85.

“I’m so thankful it happened and I’m going to enjoy this and work to get better,” Stanton said on ESPN’s SportsCenter.

Stanton finished the season batting .281 with 168 hits, 59 HRs and 132 RBIs. His homer total was the most in the majors since 2001, when Barry Bonds hit a record 73 and Sammy Sosa had 64.

Stanton got 10 first-place votes and 302 points in balloting by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Votto also got 10 firsts and had 300 points.

“Just so close,” Votto said, according to MLB.com, after learning the outcome. “[I’m] really, really grateful for the support. I cannot believe how close it was. I just can’t believe coming up two points short. It’s so cool in a way coming up that short. Most of the time it’s a landslide or it’s clear. This wasn’t that. That was one of the entertaining aspects of it. Because Giancarlo and I did things so differently and because we’re both on losing clubs, it was for me a very interesting vote.”

“I don’t feel terribly disappointed, not really because I think that it was just two very, very good seasons that went head-to-head,” Votto said.

Stanton is the first player in Marlins history to win an MVP award.

He led the majors in home runs, RBI, extra-base hits and slugging percentage, each of which set a Marlins single-season record, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Votto topped the majors with a .454 on-base percentage. Arizona first baseman Paul Goldschmidt was third in the voting.

The last player from a losing team to win an MVP was Alex Rodriguez, who took the AL award in 2003 with Texas. The last NL MVP from a losing team was Andre Dawson with the 1987 Chicago Cubs.

Stanton joins Dan Marino and LeBron James as the only Miami pro athletes in a major sport to win MVP.

“That’s definitely good company,” Stanton said.

Anthony Leads Team USA to Third Straight Olympic Gold in Men’s Basketball

2016 Rio Games

Carmelo Anthony is basketball’s golden boy…

The 32-year-old half-Puerto Rican basketball star helped lead Team USA to a 96-66 win over Serbia at the 2016 Rio Games, to give the United States the gold medal in Men’s Basketball.

Carmelo Anthony & Team USA

It’s Anthony, who has won his third gold medal in four tries, says he’s done with international competition.

The New York Knicks star first represented the United States at the 2004 Athens Games when Team USA won bronze under Larry Brown.

“I knew this is the end,” Anthony told Ros Gold-Onwude on NBC moments after the team’s big win. “This is it for me. I committed to something …” Anthony then paused for 21 seconds, soaking in the cheers from the crowd. “I committed to this in ’04. I’ve seen the worst and I’ve seen the best. And I stuck with it. And we stuck with it. And I’m here today, three gold medals later. I’m just, I’m excited for me but also for the other guys who never experienced anything like this.”

Carmelo Anthony & Team USA

It’s the most emotional Anthony has ever been publicly, and it’s understandable.

Throughout his 13 years in the NBA, he has received all sorts of criticism for his teams being unable to win big. While he has been a terrific playoff performer, he has only been to the conference finals once.

On the international stage, though, Anthony has been more successful than just about anybody.

Anthony is the only male basketball player to win three Olympic gold medals. He is Team USA’s all-time leader in points, games played and rebounds at the Olympics. He can retire from the national team knowing that his dedication to USA Basketball can never be questioned.

That is unless Anthony isn’t convinced to do it all over again at the 2020 Tokyo Games.

LeBron James is around the same age as Anthony, and he has intentionally left the door open to participate, as he would like to play for new Team USA coach Gregg Popovich. Also read: Do you have a friend, kid or relative that you are looking to surprise with a basketball related gift? Well, I understand it’s a confusing and tedious process. Lucky for you I have put together a hand-picked list of the best basketball gifts for players and fans. Roadtoreno helps you to choose best gift. Chances are that they will love whichever product you will choose.

Anthony Committed to Representing the U.S. at the 2016 Summer Games

Carmelo Anthony is ready to play (Olympic) ball…

The United States men’s Olympic basketball team is taking shape, with the 32-year-old half-Puerto Rican basketball star among the players committed to representing the U.S. at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Carmelo Anthony

Anthony has been a member of the United States Olympic men’s national team three times, winning a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics and gold medals at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. In 2012, Anthony set the USA men’s Olympic team record for most points in a single game when he scored 37 points against Nigeria.

In addition to Anthony, DeAndre JordanJimmy ButlerKlay Thompson and Toronto Raptors teammates Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan have committed to representing the U.S.

Meanwhile, LeBron James confirmed Thursday that he won’t be a part of it.

Anthony has a chance to become the first men’s basketball player to win three Olympic gold medals.

USA Basketball will officially announce its 12-man roster for Rio next week.

Anthony said last month that he was unsure whether he’d play, in part because of concerns over the Zika virus, a mosquito-borne illness affecting Brazil. Other Olympics athletes have expressed concern over the virus.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski and his staff will hold a four-day training camp in Las Vegas from July 18 to July 21, and then the team will play five exhibition games, starting July 22 against Argentina and ending August 1 against Nigeria.

The Olympic basketball tournament will take place Aug. 6-21 in Rio de Janeiro.

Segarra Lands Role in Judd Apatow’s Comedy “Trainwreck”

 

Josh Segarra is a trainwreck

 

The 28-year-old Puerto Rican actor has landed a role in Judd Apatow’s latest comedy Trainwreck.

Josh Segarra

 

Segarra, who was recently upped to series regular for the second season of USA Network’s comedy series Sirens, will portray the role of Oli, a Staten Island smooth talking guy.

 

The ensemble cast includes Amy Schumer, Daniel Radcliffe, Tilda Swinton, Marisa Tomei, Bill Hader, Brie Larson, Colin Quinn, Barkhad Abdi, Mike Birbiglia, Jon Glaser, Vanessa Bayer, John Cena, Ezra Miller, LeBron James and Method Man.

 

Trainwreck is scheduled to hit theaters on July 24, 2015.

 

 

Princess Letizia Named to Vanity Fair’s International Best-Dressed List

Kate Middleton isn’t the only best-dressed royal… Spain’s Letizia, Princess of Asturias, is giving the British royal a style run for her money.

The 40-year-old Spanish royal – the wife of Felipe, Prince of Asturias, the heir apparent to the Spanish throne – has been named to Vanity Fair‘s International Best-Dressed List of 2013.

Princess Letizia

Born Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano, the former journalist and news anchor joins a stellar list of stylish celebrities, including Middleton, Carmen Dell’Orefice, Tory Burch, Victoria Beckham, LeBron James and Justin Timberlake.

Princess Letizia, known for wearing designers like Felipe Varela, Max Mara and Hugo Boss, was noted by the magazine for the blue lace Varela gown, matching heels by Margriet, and Maria Nieto hat, that she wore at the inauguration of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands.

But Princess Letizia isn’t the only Latina to make this year’s least…

Gisele Bündchen and her stylish husband, star NFL quarterback Tom Brady, were selected as style icons this year.

Bündchen, who called her mother her style icon, revealed that her favorite place to shop is L’Eclaireur in Paris. And her favorite accessory is Chanel’s Boy bag.

Visit VanityFair.com to see the complete list.