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Adam Driver Fans Donate Nearly $70,000 to His Non-Profit in Honor of Ben Solo Performance

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  • A GoFundMe page dedicated to honoring Adam Driver’s performance in recent Star Wars films has raised nearly $70,000 for the actor’s non-profit. 
  • Driver’s organization, Arts In The Armed Forces, provides arts programming to active duty members, veterans, and their families free of cost. 
  • The actor thanked his fans for their support in a video message posted Tuesday.

GoFundMe Created 

While Star Wars fans may have mixed opinions about The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker, it seems that most agree actor Adam Driver delivered a stellar performance as Kylo Ren/Ben Solo in all three films. 

Just before the release of The Rise of Skywalker, posts appeared on a subreddit dedicated to leaks and rumors about the Star Wars franchise confirming previously guessed details about the film’s plot. Of course, that quickly set off heated debates about the movie, but rather than endlessly spewing criticism online, some decided to focus on praising Driver for his work. 

On December 18, a GoFundMe page was created by a user named “Matt the Radar Technician,” on behalf of the /r/StarWarsLeaks subreddit. The user encouraged people to donate to Driver’s non-profit, Arts in the Armed Forces, to honor him for his performance. 

Driver, who previously served as a U.S. Marine, founded the organization in 2006 with his now-wife Joanne Tucker with the goal of bringing free high-quality arts programming to active-duty members of the armed forces, as well as veterans, military support staff, and their families. The organization offers a variety of opportunities and experiences including film screenings, internships, contests, stage productions, and more. 

The GoFundMe page descriptions reads: “Adam Driver’s portrayal of Kylo Ren/Ben Solo has been one of the greatest things to ever happen in the last three movies of the Star Wars saga. As a way of showing gratitude and appreciation for his hard work and because we believe in the mission of AITAF – using art as a tool to more fully understand ourselves and heal – we at r/StarWarsLeaks have decided to set up this fundraiser.”

The user went on to say that they hope this gesture shows how much Driver’s work impacts people. 

Fans Raise Thousands 

The page quickly spread across social media and was met with support from both fans and critics of the film. For some critics, it became an opportunity to channel their frustration about the film’s ending into something positive. 

Those who donated to the cause also showed their appreciation in messages left alongside their contributions. 

“Ben Solo’s ending may have left many of us feeling stunned and wanting a different ending, but being able to channel and rationalize those stirred emotions into something positive brings us closer to closure – it serves to reminds us what a great actor you are and how we want to say a heartfelt thank you by supporting what’s close to your heart,” one supporter wrote.

“I had plans in December to go and see TROS many times in the theatre so hopeful was I to see Ben Solo get justice…We didn’t get that. So instead of giving my money to DLF, I gladly put it to good use for AITAF,” another shared.

Driver Thanks Fans 

Though Driver isn’t on social media himself, news of the GoFundMe page caught his attention. On Tuesday, the actor shared a video message to his fans via the AITAF’s Twitter account. 

“It means a whole lot to me that this thing exists, and that so many people have participated in it,” he said in the post. “Not only did you buy a ticket to see the movie, but now you’re also giving money on top of it to this organization that I deeply care about, so I just wanted to take a moment from me to you to say: thank you very much.”

Joonas Suotamo, who plays Chewbacca in the sequel films, then took to Twitter to share the message and encourage fans to increase the fundraising goal to $75,000.  

Donations have continued to pour in and stand at about $70,000 as of Wednesday morning. 

See what others are saying: (ComicBook) (Men’s Health) (Comic Years

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Max to Agrees to “Properly” Credit Writers and Directors After Facing Backlash For Lumping Them in As “Creators”

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The company said the credits were laid out incorrectly due to “an oversight in the technical transition from HBO Max to Max.”


After film and television writers slammed Max for crediting all writers, producers, and directors as general “creators” on its platform, the company said it will be adjusting its credits display.

“We agree that the talent behind the content on Max deserve their work to be properly recognized,” the streaming service said in a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. 

Max — the new rebrand of HBO Max that incorporates Discovery content — launched on Tuesday to much criticism. Amid glitches and app-switching confusion, the biggest backlash it faced was over the choice to lump creative roles into one credit section called “creators.” As one viral tweet noted, if a user were to select the film “Raging Bull,” the service’s display would not specifically credit Martin Scorsese as the director, rather, his name would be included at random with half a dozen other people, including writers and producers. 

The decision was condemned by many in the industry who argued it minimizes writers and directors by not properly giving them credit where it is due. Especially amid the ongoing writers’ strike, and with directors and actors starting negotiations with studios, some took it as a slap in the face. 

“The studios don’t want anyone to know our names,” writer Christina Strain tweeted. “It’s easier to pay us nothing if we’re faceless.”

“Another move from studios to diminish the role of writers, directors, actors and other craftspeople. Miss me wit this nonsense,” Jorge Rivera, the Vice-Chair of the Writers Guild’s Latinx Writers Committee, added. 

In a statement, Directors Guild President Lesli Linka Glatter said that Warner Bros. Discovery’s choice to “collapse” these roles into one credit “while we are in negotiations with them is a grave insult to our members and our union.”

“The DGA will not stand for it,” Glatter continued.

WGA West President Meredith Stiehm claimed the move was “a credits violation,” as well as an insult “to the artists that make the films and TV shows that make their corporation billions.”

On Wednesday, Max said it would rework its crediting. 

“We will correct the credits, which were altered due to an oversight in the technical transition from HBO Max to Max and we apologize for this mistake,” the platform said.

See what others are saying: (Gizmodo) (The Hollywood Reporter) (The Los Angeles Times)

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A Quarter of Young British Men Support Andrew Tate’s Thoughts on Women

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U.K. residents at large, however, do not view him favorably.


Even under house arrest in Romania, misogynist influencer Andrew Tate still holds substantial sway over young men. 

According to data from YouGov that was obtained by The Independent, 26% of U.K. men between 18 and 29 years old who know of Tate agree with his views on women. That figure was largely the same for men between 30 and 39, as 28% agreed with Tate’s opinions on the subject. 

Men in their 30s were slightly more likely to agree with Tate on his thoughts about masculinity. Three out of ten supported those views, compared to just a quarter of men 18 to 29.

Those statistics only include the thoughts of men who have heard of Tate, but per YouGov, most have. In the 18 to 29 group, 93% were familiar with him, and 86% of men in their 30s knew of him. 

The U.K. at large was less aware of Tate, with just 63% of British adults having heard of him. Of that group, only 6% held a positive view of him. 

Tate has faced substantial backlash for his sexist rhetoric over the years. In the past, he said that men should have “authority” over their wives or girlfriends, and that women should “bear some responsibility” for being raped. He was previously banned from Twitter over his extremist views on women but has since been allowed back on the platform. 

He is currently being investigated in Romania for organized crime and human trafficking. He was arrested and held in custody in December but was released to house arrest earlier this year. No formal charges have been filed against him yet and he has maintained his innocence. 

Tate currently boasts a Twitter following of 6.7 million. It has grown significantly since he was enveloped in legal controversy, and many of his supporters have demanded his release. 

See what others are saying: (The Independent) (Glamour U.K.)

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Involved in “Near Catastrophic” Paparazzi Chase

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“While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety,” a spokesperson for the couple said.


“Aggressive” Paparazzi Chase Couple in New York

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were involved in a “near catastrophic” paparazzi car chase Tuesday night in New York City, according to a spokesperson for the couple.

In a statement, the spokesperson described the photographers as “highly aggressive.”

“While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety,” the statement added.

“This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers,” it continued. 

Details of the incident are still emerging, but BBC News reported that there are claims the chase involved roughly six cars driving recklessly by running red lights, driving on the sidewalk, carrying out blocking moves, going backward on a one-way road, and taking pictures while driving. 

The chase happened after Harry and Meghan were leaving the Women of Vision Awards with Meghan’s mother, Doria. They did not want photographers to learn where they were staying and attempted to avoid them in what turned into a 75-minute chase on a main road in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. They eventually ducked into a New York Police Department Precinct to hide out before getting into a different vehicle.

The NYPD released a statement confirming that they assisted in protecting the couple as “numerous photographers” hindered their transport. Officials said they made it to their destination and there were no collisions, injuries, or arrests. 

The couple’s spokesperson is asking the public to not share or post footage of the incident. 

“Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all in involved,” the spokesperson said. 

Memories of Princess Diana

The chase evokes the brutal press hounding Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, was subjected to throughout her life. The paparazzi’s obsession with her ultimately resulted in her death in 1997, when she was killed in a car crash after being chased by photographers in Paris. 

Since marrying Meghan and later bowing out of the Royal Family, Harry has made it explicitly clear that he fears those events could happen again. Meghan has been the subject of endless tabloid scrutiny, enduring racism and harassment from the press. Part of the reason they left the Royal Family was to keep their family protected from such attacks.

Mayor Eric Adams brought up Diana’s tragic passing while speaking about Tuesday night’s chase. 

“I don’t think there’s many of us who don’t recall how [Harry’s] mom died,” Adams said while speaking to reporters. “And it would be horrific to lose an innocent bystander during a chase like this and something to have happened to them as well…I think that was a bit reckless and irresponsible.” 

Adams also questioned whether or not he believes a chase could go on for two hours in a city as congested as New York, but noted that even a 10-minute chase would be dangerous. He said he will be briefed on the exact timeline and details later. 

See what others are saying: (BBC News) (Associated Press) (Yahoo News)

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