Lauren Tuck

News Editor, Yahoo Style

[laurentuck]

The Parkland shooting suspect is getting fan mail, money, and sexual pictures in jail

(Photo: tfund)

Nikolas Cruz, who is charged with 17 counts of murder for the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., is getting fan mail, sexually suggestive photographs of young women, money, and more sent to jail.

According to the Sun Sentinal, which obtained copies of some of the letters, the 19-year-old is “being showered with attention” while being held at the Broward County jail. Broward County Public Defender Howard Finkelstein estimated that Cruz has received between 100 and 200 pieces in the mail since he arrived in mid-February. “In my 40 years as public defender, I’ve never seen this many letters to a defendant. Everyone now and then gets a few, but nothing like this,” he told the paper. 

While the jail, which screens all incoming missives (minus legal documents), has read Cruz some of the religious letters, Finkelstein noted that “we have not and will not read him the fan letters or share the photos of scantily-clad teenage girls.”

Cruz currently has about $800 in his commissary account, and Finkelstein shared that this has been filled, in part, by his fanbase. To raise funds, some supporters have gone so far as to create merchandise, including a $2 purple bracelet with the words “Justice for Nik” and T-shirts that read “I stand with Nikolas Cruz.”

(Photo: Ebay)

However for Finkelstein, it’s the letters that shake him up the most because “they are written by regular, everyday teenage girls from across the nation. … That scares me. It’s perverted.” Finkelstein added that he worries “everyday boys and girls are starting to view him in an elevated way, looking up to his fame and notoriety.”

Gaining this celebrity status most likely served as one of Cruz’s motivators for perpetuating the massacre. “This love for notoriety and the desire to get it by being an anti-hero or villain goes back to Bonnie and Clyde, Jesse James, and Jack the Ripper,” Sherry Hamby, PhD, a research professor of psychology at Sewanee, the University of the South, and the founding editor of the American Psychological Association’s journal Psychology of Violence, told Yahoo Lifestyle.

“There are lots of figures from our past that have gone down in history in this way and proven that it’s a successful way to go down in history,” Hamby explained. “The desire to have fame in and of itself is not unusual or pathological, but there’s definitely this subgroup of the population who want to get it any way they can, and violence is not off the table for them.”

The media, Yahoo included, is partly to blame for the accused shooter’s fame. A problem resulting from reporting on mass shootings is, according to Hamby, that the tragedies have been proven to act “like an infectious disease, and have elements of what’s known as social contagion.” Unfortunately, one of the side-effects of so much attention is exposure to high-risk, vulnerable youth. And for those who are experiencing a lot of rejection, alienation, and family problems, associating with figures like Cruz can have a “titillating” effect. While most individuals respond to tragedies like the one at Parkland with horror, distress, or frustration, a person psychologically at risk can yield a completely different response. 

“It’s just hard to even begin to express how different their reaction could be,” Hamby noted. “They see this, and it looks like power, a way of showing everybody. It may remind them of things they’ve seen in other violent media or video games and is now made real to them, and they might have a very positive response.”

Research is starting to emerge revealing how important it is, even in milder cases, how to disperse information during events like mass shootings, Hamby said, adding, “You have to be careful in how you talk about this so it doesn’t cause some to fantasize and project themselves into the world of the bad guy.”

Additional reporting by Jennifer Gerson Uffalussy. 

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94-year-old has the sweetest reaction to finding out her granddaughter likes girls: 'What a relief'

If only coming out to family members could be this easy for everyone.

Hayley Kiyoko, whose fans have bestowed her with the nickname “Lesbian Jesus” for her pop anthems celebrating and exploring LGBT relationships, shared an email she received from her grandmother that has the internet feeling all the feels.

An email from my 94 year old Grandma. I guess she finally knows I like girls. What a relief. pic.twitter.com/diK3PjRW2a

— Hayley Kiyoko (@HayleyKiyoko) March 27, 2018

The note, shared via screenshot in a tweet by Kiyoko, read, “Saw your Video of you Pop song it is interesting to see it seems like such a high energy song. Today it seems like this is what the younger generation like. I am so happy for you that you are doing so well and promoting your album. Take care and keep well. Much Love Grandma.” The singer added herself, “An email from my 94 year old Grandma. I guess she finally knows I like girls. What a relief.”

The email is most likely referencing Kiyoko’s newest music video, which is for the single “Curious,” off her debut album Expectations. In it, a woman shows up to a party to meet a man, but her ex, played by Kiyoko, is there as well. The video ends with Kiyoko and the woman making out in the bathroom, which is how Kiyoko’s grandmother was seemingly tipped off that she likes girls.

People on social media are loving the honest email.

your 94 year old grandma is writing emails?! goals

also, her response: G O A L S

— carla (@carlawaslike) March 27, 2018

Your grandma is so pure I love her pic.twitter.com/jUQOQ0cQiv

— m (@haylesus) March 27, 2018

THIS IS BEAUTIFUL my family could never

— (@ftdtana) March 27, 2018

Damn wish we could all have hit songs it would be so much easier

— Frankie (@stillwaters_) March 27, 2018

So lovely to see. Although open-mindedness and embracing multiculture is growing, there is still a lot of stigma and old fashioned worldviews being held onto in our society, feeling shame and embarrasment of their younger generations choices

— Desi J-V (@DesiJV) March 28, 2018

Kiyoko told Billboard that the “the whole point of doing the video [for “Curious”] was growing up there was no content that was hopeful. Every video or movie that I watched that involved any kind of romantic story between two women ended in suicide. Or made me feel terrible about liking girls. So I felt like I needed to do something that ended on a positive note because there is hope and I need to spread that.”

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Chip Gaines has very controversial opinions about avocado toast

Chip and Joanna Gaines‘s new restaurant Magnolia Table opened this week, and on Tuesday, the behind-the-scenes process from conception to construction to finished product was revealed on the penultimate episode of Fixer Upper.

Obviously, the space is classic Chip and Jo. The couple took the oldest restaurant in Waco, Texas, the Elite Cafe, and gave it a modern farmhouse upgrade complete with vaulted ceilings, exposed and restored shiplap, witty metal signs, custom subway tile, extra-long wood tables (designed by Clint Harp, of course), and other design and construction elements the Gaines’s have become famous for.

However, while fans of the show know that Jo’s a master baker and Chip is a ham sandwich connoisseur, whether or not the mavens behind the Magnolia empire have a flair for crafting a menu too had yet to be revealed.

Real mean eat #AvocadoToast @chipgaines #FixerUpper pic.twitter.com/LIioxBbTVQ

— HGTV (@hgtv) March 28, 2018

And while discussing what dishes would be featured in the restaurant, Chip and Jo got into a heated debate about the merits of avocado toast. “That’s disgusting babe nobody wants avocado on their toast,” Chip told Jo, who dismissed his claim with a wave and an “I’m done.” He went on to finish eating his pancakes and eat his wife’s bacon.

To get the public’s opinion, Chip commandeered the sign outside of the restaurant to ask passerby to honk once for yes to avocado toast and twice for no.

What's your vote: 1 honk or 2? #FixerUpper #AvocadoToast pic.twitter.com/llCPcjHkQv

— HGTV (@hgtv) March 28, 2018

When the episode aired, many took to social media to weigh in as well.

“If you want avocado toast you’re not welcome here.” Well said Chip.

— Brecka Moore (@BreckaMoore) March 28, 2018

HONK HONK!!

— Patty Ray (@PattyRay1111) March 28, 2018

I love Chip's use of the marquee sign to ask if people want avocado toast. #FixerUpper …I'd vote no.

— Amy (@Amy_blueeyes) March 28, 2018

LOVE avocado toast!! Sorry Chip.

— Ellen Brink (@ellenb33) March 28, 2018

“If you want avocado on your toast you’re not welcome!” I’m actually Chip Gaines

— Payt (@paytontaughtyou) March 28, 2018

@joannagaines Thanks. Now I want avocado toast. Tell Chip avocados are the best!

— Isabel Archer (@BlueEMT) March 28, 2018

avocado toast is the bomb, but the avocados have to be mashed on the toast. lox, capers, dill, and even an egg makes it extra delicious! #ishouldknowcuzhubbymakesitforme

— Jodi (@lahockeygirl) March 28, 2018

#AvocadoToast is a food group in heaven.

— Joy Hilley (@AmpersandArtist) March 28, 2018

Obviously, enough people sided with Jo because the dish made the cut. The Magnolia Table version of the popular open-faced sandwich consists of wheat berry toast with garlic aioli, fresh avocado served with red pepper flakes, sea salt, and a lemon wedge on the side. It’s finished with micro greens tossed with basil oil. It’s selling for $8 but a poached egg can be added for $1.50.

Team Jo or Team Chip? Tell us in the comments below.

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Don't ignore someone's flirty Instagram messages, bride-to-be warns

The first time Mack Brown saw Jacqueline Laurean Yates, it was on his friend’s Instagram — and he was instantly captivated. So Brown texted their mutual pal and asked for Yate’s number (before he even knew her name).

(GIF: It’s Love)

While Brown’s dreams were immediately shot down by the mutual friend, that didn’t deter him. He started a social media campaign that included liking Yates’ posts and leaving encouraging comments like “lookin’ good as always” to get her attention. But when those efforts failed to make an impression, he sent her direct messages asking her to get ice cream in order to make his intentions abundantly clear.

(GIF: It’s Love)

So Brown and Yates went on their first date at Cold Stone and fittingly enough, the first thing she said to him was pretty chilly. Yates wasn’t shy about letting Brown know her first impression of seeing him IRL, saying, “You look taller on Instagram.” (Side note: He’s 5′ 8.”)

When you train bae so now she got hands…… #betternottrytohitmetho #bodiesbymack1 #fitforlife #fitnessforlife #healthiswealth #instafit #cardio

A post shared by Fitness/lifestyle Coach (@bodiesbymack1) on Jul 11, 2016 at 6:08pm PDT

Despite the shade, they hit it off because of how much they have in common, most notably fitness and kettlebells. And while their shared interests are important to Brown, what really attracted him to Yates was her ambition. The fact that she’s always “trying to go further and further in life” inspired Brown to do the same. “Jackie was the support system I needed,” Brown says of starting his own personal fitness studio, Bodies by Mack.

And because of the major part Yates played in helping Brown chase his dreams, he proposed to her in his gym and invited all their loved ones to witness it. “I called everyone — mom, aunts, uncles, friends from out of state, co-workers,” he says.

So yesterday went a little something like this…Bae told me he wanted me to participate in a fitness shoot at his studio. I thought to myself, “I’m down.”‍♀️I went out and bought a cropped @nike sweatshirt and some fresh new leggings. Yesterday, we ran up to the door, and next thing you know, “SURPRISE!” My beloved family, friends and co-workers were all standing before me with phones in hand. Before I knew it, he was down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I said yes, and the rest will be a movie I’m ready for us to star in! Still in awe! My best friend is now my fiancé. Real recognize real. I love you @bodiesbymack1 foreva evaaaaa!!!✨ #issafiancé

A post shared by Jacqueline Laurean Yates (@jacquelinelaurean) on Nov 19, 2017 at 7:01am PST

Yates concedes that Brown “did a good job” when he popped the question. As for Brown, he’s just overjoyed she said yes. “These past few years have been some of the best years of my life. I got a chance to be engaged to my soulmate and my best friend,” he shares.

(GIF: It’s Love)

For Yates, she wants her love story to be a cautionary tale: “My piece of advice for all the ladies out there: do not sleep on anybody sliding into your DMs — it can be your future husband.”

Want more love? Of course you do!

• How Macklemore helped these 2 superfans come together and find true love

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• Why WWE’s Nattie and T.J. call their relationship of 27 years ‘unorthodox’ and ‘nontraditional’

Do you have a love story to share? Tell us in the comments below, send us an email at [email protected], or message us on on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.

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People are wearing #MSDStrong shirts for nationwide student walkout

Students from James Ferris High School march outside of the school during a student walkout on March 14 in Jersey City, N.J. Students across the country participated in a nationwide walkout Wednesday to protest gun violence, one month after the deadly shooting at a high school in Parkland, Fla. (Photo: Julio Cortez/AP)

On Wednesday, a month after 17 people were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., thousands of students participated in a nationwide walkout. While the larger purpose of the protest serves to highlight what some perceive as the U.S. government’s inaction on preventing gun violence, many participants are making smaller statements of their own through posters, chants, and tweets.

One of the more prominent messages was #MSDStrong, seen emblazoned on maroon T-shirts. So where did everyone get their apparel for a good cause? Following the shooting in February, a group of Marjory Stoneman Douglas students launched an e-commerce platform to sell the T-shirts and sweatshirts, which many saved to wear just for this important occasion.

Our daughters wanted to do something to support the #MSDstrong kids. So they will wear these today at their Academy. All kids want to feel safe, they need to know we support them #NationalWalkoutDay pic.twitter.com/HbYvO7ucu0

— Ron L Pitts™ (@RonLPitts) March 14, 2018

In honor of the 1 month anniversary, I take the @ParentsPromise and we wear our #MSDStrong shirts to school & work today.#ParentsPromiseToKids #PPTK#SafetyOverGuns#NeverAgain#NeverAgainMSD#CrazyHairDay Take note @FLGovScott @marcorubio @SenBillNelson – we aren't going away pic.twitter.com/yLk3MroYbM

— Traci Halky (@TraciHalky) March 14, 2018

#MSDStrong repped Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS today, and although me buying a t-shirt doesn’t fix the problem at hand, i’m proud to show my support to the community that has gone through the unimaginable. our generation is the change. pic.twitter.com/srGpxrjAay

— presley (@PresleyWoodbury) March 13, 2018

According to USA Today, the online shop made $175,000 in one week. Profits from the sales of the items — T-shirts are $20 and hoodies are $35 — benefit the Broward Education Foundation’s GoFundMe, which was launched a day after the shooting and has raised $4 million to date. 

Not only did people wear the official #MSDStrong shirts, they made their own — with a twist. At Clearwater High School, for example, students sported tees with their own mascot, a tornado, and an eagle to represent solidarity with the nearby Florida school.

Students have designed shirts combined Clearwater’s mascot, the Tornado, with Marjory Stoneman Douglas High’s mascot, the Eagle. pic.twitter.com/LlmkfPBONO

— Colleen Wright (@Colleen_Wright) March 14, 2018

Clearwater High seniors had these shirt made to show their support of #MarjoryStonemanDouglasHigh and the #Parkland victims @WFLA pic.twitter.com/E2Znocd9hz

— Amanda Ciavarri (@WFLAAmanda) March 14, 2018

At Tulpehocken High School in Pennsylvania, students weren’t allowed to participate in the walkout, so members of the student council wore long-sleeved shirts with #DouglasStrong on them instead.

Since Tulpehocken couldn’t do the #walkout the student council wore these shirts in support of parkland @PrincipalMSD pic.twitter.com/SxfmJFINqO

— Ari.Ari.A (@Aria64082411) March 14, 2018

Of course, people also purchased shirts through Etsy, Redbubble, Teespring, and other online stores, all profiting from the tragedy instead of donating the funds to victims. However, the people wearing them seem to be doing so for the right reasons — and that’s what counts.

Today marks one month since the tragedy at Stoneman Douglas, teachers at my school are wearing this shirt in honor of the 17 victims and to raise awareness ❤️ #MSDstrong #NeverAgain pic.twitter.com/tFRgoy8eLS

— Javi (@Perdomus_) March 14, 2018

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Two Jewish mothers played matchmaker at Sweetgreen and got their kids to fall in love

When Jillian Hershman and her parents popped into Sweetgreen, a fast casual salad chain, in New York City to grab a bite to eat after a long day of shopping, she knew she’d have a great meal — but she never expected to leave with a date.

For Aaron Marcus though, as soon as he saw Jillian walk into the restaurant he was determined to not “let her leave without talking to her.” And thanks to his Jewish mother’s matchmaking, he was able to do just that.

While Jillian went to the counter to order, her mom saved the family a table. And instead of playing Words With Friends on her phone, she instead talked with Mrs. Marcus about vinaigrette. The conversation quickly shifted away from Guacamole Greens and onto dating. “My mom said is that your daughter, is she single? She said, this is my single Jewish son,” Aaron remembers.

When Jillian got back to the table to eat, her mom kept elbowing her and winking at her new friend. “I was mortified, refused to look in his direction,” she says of avoiding Aaron’s gaze.

Despite the lack of eye contact, Aaron made a move anyway. “I introduced myself to Jillian, who still didn’t really look at me, and then got her phone number.” He adds, “Thanks, Mom, who knew you’d be the best wing woman.”

(GIF: It’s Love)

After parting ways, Aaron basically spent the entire rest of the afternoon attempting to craft the perfect text message to ask Jillian out. Instead, he kept things straight and just asked when she was free that week and they went on their first date a few days later. “A Friday seemed a little bit aggressive for a first date but I just went with my gut and decided to do it,” Jillian says.

They went on their second date two days later and, according to Aaron, “that was it, we were dating” from then on — but not Jillian because he waited two and a half months to actually ask her to be his girlfriend. “I didn’t know we still had to do that, I was planning on just proposing soon but I guess I had to ask her to be my girlfriend first.”

Cut to three years later, Aaron did just that. “He brought me to this really awesome restaurant upstate with a farm,” she says. “We were walking around the farm before dinner and he dropped down to one knee and propped to me. It was a really nice surprise.”

(GIF: It’s Love)

They got married this past October and you better believe that they still eat Sweetgreen all the time. And while the saying goes “Alcohol: because no great story ever started with someone eating a salad,” Jillian and Aaron prove that’s far from the truth.

Want more love? Read about how the WWE’s Nattie and T.J. met as kids and have been going strong — literally — ever since. Also check out how Macklemore helped 2 superfans come together and find true love.

Do you have a love story to share? Tell us in the comments below, send us an email at [email protected], or message us on on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.

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Ashley Graham didn't attend the Oscars but her stunning after party look stole the show

Ashley Graham arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party on Sunday, March 4, 2018, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Leave it to Ashley Graham to steal the show — even though she wasn’t invited.

While the model didn’t score a coveted ticked to the 2018 Oscars ceremony, she did attend the Vanity Fair after party where she wore a metallic gown that made her one of the best dressed of the night.

Ashley Graham arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party on Sunday, March 4, 2018, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

The dress, which gave off the appearance of being made with liquid metal, featured a sweetheart neckline and a ruched bodice. The stunning piece also had a thigh-high slit that showed off her left leg.

Graham was also at the event in 2016 and on Instagram she said the red look she wore was one of her favorite dresses.

Still one of my favorite dress from #VanityFair Oscars 2016 ..looking forward to tonight!!!!!!!!

A post shared by A S H L E Y G R A H A M (@theashleygraham) on Mar 4, 2018 at 9:36pm PST

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Paris Jackson shows off her tattoos in plunging bodysuit for the 2018 Oscars party

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – MARCH 04: Paris Jackson attends the 2018 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 4, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)

On Sunday night at the 2018 Vanity Fair Oscar Party, Paris Jackson wore a green gown that, as many on social media said, gave off major Tinker Bell vibes.

Of course, this comparison would be more fitting if the fictional Peter Pan character could get her hands on Versace and pull off a sparkly bodysuit with attached chiffon train like the 19-year-old. Jackson’s look also included crystal embellished shoulder pads and the plunging neckline showed off the line of tattoos down her chest. She kept her accessorizing simple and let the ensemble be the centerpiece of her look and pulled her blonde hair up into a messy ponytail.

A post shared by Paris-Michael K. Jackalope (@parisjackson) on Mar 5, 2018 at 4:02am PST

Jackson’s look was certainly a standout at the event, but her dispatches from inside the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hill, Calif., highlighted others in attendance.

j law’s bangin

— Paris-Michael K. J. (@ParisJackson) March 5, 2018

frances mcdormand deserves the world

— Paris-Michael K. J. (@ParisJackson) March 5, 2018

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Why so many celebrities are wearing white on the Oscars red carpet

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Accused rapist Kobe Bryant wins Oscar in time of #MeToo

On Sunday night, Kobe Bryant won an Oscar for Best Animated Short for Dear Basketball, which is based on a poem he wrote in 2015 after announcing his retirement from the Los Angeles Lakers.

In his acceptance speech, the five-time NBA championship winner took a dig at Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham: “As basketball players, we’re really supposed to shut up and dribble. But I’m glad we do a little bit more than that,” he said.

However, while the athlete’s win and dig is being celebrated by some, many are also noting the fact that it comes at a time when the entertainment industry is empowered by the #MeToo movement and most attendees are wearing Time’s Up pins. Meanwhile, Bryant was accused of and arrested for sexual assault.

In 2003, a 19-year-old hotel employee in Eagle, Colorado, claimed she was raped by the former NBA player. According to court documents, what started as consensual kissing quickly escalated. “Putting his hands on me, grabbing my butt, my chest. Trying to lift up my skirt. Proceeded to take off his own pants. Trying to grab my hand and make me touch him,” she said.

“He lifted up my skirt, took off my underwear and, and came inside me,” she told police. “Then he leaned his face toward mine and asked me if I liked it when a guy came on my face, I said no. Then he was like what did you say. Grabbed and like tightened his hold on my neck, I said no. He said he was gonna do it anyway.”

Bryant initially denied any interaction with the victim when he was first questioned by the police. He later was informed that she had submitted to a physical exam, and then he claimed that the encounter was consensual. Bryant continued to deny the sexual assault accusation, though.

The case against Bryant was dismissed after the accuser opted not to testify. A civil case was settled out of court. “Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognize now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did,” Bryant stated through his lawyer. “After months of reviewing discovery, listening to her attorney, and even her testimony in person, I now understand how she feels that she did not consent to this encounter.”

While Bryant’s alleged crimes happened more than a decade ago and have largely been overlooked the past few years — especially when it comes to celebrating his basketball achievements — many on social media couldn’t help but notice the inconsistency of the Academy Awards honoring both #MeToo and an accused rapist.

Kobe Bryant winning an oscar is a good reminder that #MeToo is… not enough

— (@alyssakeiko) March 5, 2018

Anyway, Kobe Bryant has an Oscar AND a sexual assault allegation.

— Anne T. Donahue (@annetdonahue) March 5, 2018

Hollywood: TIME'S UP Also Hollywood: Congratulations to Oscar winner Kobe Bryant!!!

— Caroline Framke (@carolineframke) March 5, 2018

Anything inconsistent in Kobe Bryant winning an Oscar in the midst of #MeToo ?

— Scott Simon (@nprscottsimon) March 5, 2018

So Harvey Weinstein gets kicked out of Hollywood and Kobe Bryant gets two jerseys retired and wins an Oscar in the same #metoo year. Simply amazing.

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) March 5, 2018

So we're all just… ignoring the whole Kobe rape accusation thing I guess huh?

— Dana Schwartz (@DanaSchwartzzz) March 5, 2018

Hollywood – "Women are important!"

Also Hollywood – "Here's Kobe Bryant, who sexually assaulted a woman!"

— [email protected] (@ChrisWarcraft) March 5, 2018

On Sunday night, Hollywood sent a powerful message that time was UP…

… on Kobe Bryant’s Oscar-less years!

— Todd VanDerWerff (@tvoti) March 5, 2018

The hypocrisy of Bryant’s win — and presence in general — is notable too because men like James Franco, Casey Affleck, Kevin Spacey, and more have been ostracized from Hollywood for their sexual misconduct allegations.

As Los Angeles Times writer Robin Abcarian put it, “Why are the sexual misdeeds of some men forgivable, while others are not?”

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Disclosure: Verizon, Oath’s parent company (which Yahoo Lifestyle is a part of), distributed the film Dear Basketball.

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Meryl Streep wore one of the most revealing gowns at the Oscars (seriously)

Unlike the Golden Globes, the Oscars on Sunday night did not have a dress code. But, if there was one thing that most attendees’s looks had in common, it was showing a lot of skin. From Meryl Streep’s low neckline to Nicole Kidman’s high leg slit, here are the most revealing dresses — and one suit! — of the night.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

•Jane Fonda, 80, rocks tight white gown with shoulder pads to the 2018 Oscars

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•#MeToo trailblazers Ashley Judd and Mira Sorvino stand in solidarity on the red carpet 

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.

Meryl Streep in Dior

Meryl Streep’s red Dior gown was pretty simple — but was a stand out thanks to the color and the plunging neckline. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage)

Source: Yahoo Lifestyle

Molly Sims in Naeem Khan

Molly Sims not only wore a sheer dress, but she showed skin thanks to a low neckline and high leg slit too. (Photo: Getty Images)

Source: Yahoo Lifestyle

Nicole Kidman in Armani Prive

Nicole Kidman’s front slit and sweetheart neckline made for a stunning and sexy look. (Photo: Getty Images)

Source: Yahoo Lifestyle

Emma Stone in Louis Vuitton

Emma Stone proves that you don’t need to wear a dress to be a standout on the red carpet. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage)

Source: Yahoo Lifestyle

Gal Gadot in Givenchy

Gal Gadot accessorized her decolletage with a large pendant. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Source: Yahoo Lifestyle

Kate Capshaw

Kate Capshaw covered up her chest with sheer fabric. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

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Rita Hayek

Lebanese actress Rita Hayek flashed sideboob and side leg in a rainbow dress. (Photo credit should read ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images)

Source: Yahoo Lifestyle

Lupita Nyong’o in Versace

Nyong’o attends the 90th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage)

Source: Yahoo Lifestyle

Taraji P. Henson in Vera Wang

Henson worked a black chiffon gown with a thigh-high leg slit. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Source: Yahoo Lifestyle

Gina Rodriguez

Gina Rodriguez attends the 90th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

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Abbie Cornish

Abbie Cornish attends the 90th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

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Leslie Bibb

Leslie Bibb attends the 90th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Source: Yahoo Lifestyle

Samara Weaving

Samara Weaving attends the 90th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Source: Yahoo Lifestyle

Annie Clark

Annie Clark of St. Vincent attends the 90th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage)

Source: Yahoo Lifestyle

Kelly Marie Tran

Kelly Marie Tran attends the 90th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Source: Yahoo Lifestyle

Blanca Blanco

Blanca Blanco attends the 90th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Source: Yahoo Lifestyle

Betty Gabriel

Betty Gabriel attends the 90th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage)

Source: Yahoo Lifestyle

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Kathy Griffin offers to hire the stylist who accused Ryan Seacrest of sexual misconduct

Kathy Griffin. (Photo: Getty Images)

Kathy Griffin wants to help Suzie Hardy, the stylist who accused Ryan Seacrest of sexual misconduct, because no one did the same for her after she faced public backlash for appearing in a photo shoot in which she held a bloodied severed fake head of President Donald Trump.

“Hey Suzie Hardy, I will do for you that which no one did for me after May 30,” the 57-year-old comedienne tweeted on Sunday night. “After you were brave enough to speak out I’m happy to offer you a job as my stylist to dress me this week for Jimmy Kimmel and Real Time & I’ll PAY you. What ya think?”

Hey Suzie Hardy, I will do for you that which no one did for me after May 30. After you were brave enough to speak out I’m happy to offer you a job as my stylist to dress me this week for Jimmy Kimmel and Real Time & I’ll PAY you. What ya think? KG #Oscars

— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) March 5, 2018

While Hardy, who went public with her claims against Seacrest, 43, on Monday saying she was subjected to years of “unwanted sexual aggression,” has yet to respond to Griffin’s offer, many on social media are.

Thanks for using your platform to speak for Suzie Hardy when so many others have been silent.

— Kathy Feeley (@kafeeley) March 5, 2018

Money talks…. …I❤️Kathy

— Shanice Goodwin (@ShaniceNinja) March 5, 2018

You are the Queen Bee !!!

— kim young (@kimyoun11732107) March 5, 2018

You are amazing.

— Stephanie Marie (@smsauceda) March 5, 2018

Class act

— Rhonda Lomazow (@rhondareads) March 5, 2018

Griffin has been vocal about the lack of support she received after the Trump scandal in May 2017. At the Writers Guild Awards in February, she said, “I just want to thank all the powerful writers and showrunners in this room for f***ing no support. Where the f*** have you been?…I was supposed to thank everyone for their support, and no one [lifted] their finger.”

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: 

Jane Fonda, 80, rocks tight white gown with shoulder pads to the 2018 Oscars

Adam Rippon’s bondage suit at the Oscars has the internet reacting

Actress Blanca Blanco wears a red gown to the Oscars that’s basically a ‘wardrobe malfunction waiting to happen’

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.

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Jane Fonda, 80, rocks tight white gown with shoulder pads to the 2018 Oscars

Jane Fonda attends the 90th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. (Photo: Getty Images)

Jane Fonda loves a good shoulder pad moment.

The 1980s exercise icon is still a fan of the bygone fashion trend, as evidenced by the white gown she wore to the Oscars on Sunday. The fitted gown featured long sleeves, a short train, and an angular neckline. Most notably, the Balmain number has shoulder pads, a favorite style of Fonda’s over the years.

She wore them to the 2013 Academy Awards.

Jane Fonda at the Oscars on February 24, 2013 in Hollywood, California. (Photo: Getty Images)

The 2016 Grammy Awards.

Jane Fonda attends the 2016 Pre-GRAMMY Gala and Salute to Industry Icons honoring Irving Azoff at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on February 14, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo: Getty Images)

The 2015 Grammy Awards.

Jane Fonda at the Grammys in 2015 wearing Balmain. (Photo: Getty Images)

And the 2016 Hollywood Film Awards.

Jane Fonda in Balmain at the Hollywood Film Awards in 2016. (Photo: Getty Images)

Fonda’s been wearing shoulder pads for decades, but at 80, she’s better than ever. And Twitter agrees:

JANE FONDA IS ALWAYS SERVING LOOKS, SHE IS FLAWLESS #Oscars pic.twitter.com/EXKrYKv50d

— ‏ً (@nicolskidman) March 4, 2018

jane fonda is an actual goddess, she looks ethereal. she really snapped pic.twitter.com/PFS7HlpuUG

— ellie (@griiffinskane) March 4, 2018

JANE FONDA IN ALL WHITE OHMYGOD #Oscars pic.twitter.com/YF3qpLOP9r

— panchhi (@catexblanchett) March 4, 2018

Here’s Jane Fonda. You’re welcome. #oscars pic.twitter.com/IQvblNJG9u

— Rebecca Keegan (@ThatRebecca) March 4, 2018

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: 

Actress Blanca Blanco wears a red gown to the Oscars that’s basically a ‘wardrobe malfunction waiting to happen’

Pregnant Chrissy Teigen is giving away her Oscar dress so she can eat tacos

Sofía Vergara complaining about a tight dress and heels is all of us

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.

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Actress Blanca Blanco wears a red gown to the Oscars that's basically a 'wardrobe malfunction waiting to happen'

Blanca Blanco attends the 90th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. (Photo: Getty Images)

Blanca Blanco, the actress who made a statement at the Golden Globes by wearing a red dress while a majority of the other attendees opted for black gowns to protest sexual harassment in the entertainment industry, is back with another standout look.

At the Oscars on Sunday, Blanco again walked the red carpet in the standout color from designer Atria Couture. According to Fox News, Blanco helped design the dress. “The colors I selected were important to me because those colors symbolize equality, new beginnings and passion,” she said.

And while her last look featured cutouts across the front, her number for the Academy Awards similarly revealed a lot of skin but in a different manner. The front of the dress was plunging and dipped to her torso, just right above her bellybutton. The piece also had a high leg slit.

As one person on Twitter put it, the dress was basically a “wardrobe malfunction waiting to happen.”

Blanca Blanco … oh there's a wardrobe malfunction waiting to happen… eek #oscars pic.twitter.com/ErqxiWomib

— Skinny Doll (@theskinnydoll) March 4, 2018

After being criticized for her sexy look in January, she said that the critique hurt her feelings. “But I guess it’s part of being in our industry,” she said. “We have people who appreciate you and others that don’t. The designer Atria Couture did an amazing job with my dress and I appreciate them for dressing me. Shaming is part of the problem.”

Blanca Blanco was shamed for not participating in the all-black dress code at the Golden Globes and instead wearing a sexy, red dress. (Photo: Getty Images)

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: 

Allison Janney, 58, wows in fuchsia on Independent Spirit Awards red carpet

Pregnant Chrissy Teigen is giving away her Oscar dress so she can eat tacos

Sofía Vergara complaining about a tight dress and heels is all of us

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.

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Why WWE's Nattie and T.J. call their relationship 'unorthodox' and 'non-traditional'

Natalya Neidhart and T.J. Wilson have known each other 27 years since meeting as kids. But theirs isn’t your typical girl falls in love with the boy next door and live happily ever after kind of story. “I can remember meeting Nattie at her grandfather’s house — and about 5 minutes later she told me off,” Wilson fondly recalls of his first interaction with his longtime love.

(Photo: Courtesy of Nattie and T.J.)

While Nattie disputes this account, she doesn’t argue with the fact that he “drove her crazy until I was about 15” and that their relationship is “unorthodox” and “non-traditional” (but, as T.J. says, “it’s love nonetheless”) — which makes sense considering their lives have revolved around wrestling for decades.

(GIF: It’s Love)

Call Nattie the Kate Middleton of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. Her father, Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart was a two-time WWE tag-team champion and her uncle Bret “The Hitman” Hart and grandfather Stu Hart are both WWE Hall of Famers. But her royal rumble blood line isn’t why T.J. was initially drawn to her when he was 12 and she 10. “When I first saw Nattie, it sounds so made up, but I liked her instantly,” he says.

Nattie’s attraction towards T.J. took a little more time though. “For me, it wasn’t love at first sight,” she admits. “It wasn’t until I started learning how to wrestle that there was this connection with T.J. that changed everything. He always would catch me, he’d always put himself on the line to make sure that I was safe and when you’re in the ring and you’re learning how to wrestle, it’s all about trust with your partner.”

(GIF: It’s Love)

And T.J. agrees: “You become like-minded and understand what the other is possibly going through because you’re probably going through it or have gone through it.”

(Photo: Courtesy of Nattie and T.J.)

Their connection has, in part, fueled their success. In addition to their work with WWE, Nattie is a major player on the reality show Total Divas, which plays a surprisingly important role in their relationship.

Because Nattie and T.J. have been together for so long, T.J. never proposed or asked her parents for permission to do so because they were basically married. They never actually spoke about tying the knot, happy to spend time at home with their families and cats, until producers from E! approached the couple about planning a wedding for them so it could be filmed for the show.

(Photo: Courtesy of Nattie and T.J.)

So, according to Nattie, the network took charge and planned a wedding in 5 weeks for 50 of their closest friends and family surrounded by $20,000 worth of flowers. “My dad and my cat walked me down the aisle,” she remembers of the big day, noting there was no way she was going to get married without her cat. The cat actually had its own car service to the wedding and a custom bowtie and tuxedo.

And while their life seems extravagant now, Nattie says they “started together with absolutely nothing and we built everything together. Now we have such a beautiful life. We built our relationship together and it feels good because we fell in love having nothing. I don’t think T.J. had $100 to his name when I fell in love with him and I was working as a waitress. Now it feels so good to share the fruits of our labor when we started with nothing so that’s why I appreciate it so much. I appreciate every trip to Louis Vuitton.”

Want more love? Read about how Macklemore helped these 2 superfans find each other.

Do you have a love story to share? Tell us in the comments below, send us an email at [email protected], or message us on on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.

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Being an elite athlete is a full-time job — so how do Olympians make money?

(Photo: Getty Images/Quinn Lemmers for Yahoo Lifestyle)

For two weeks of the year every four years, athletes competing in the Winter Olympics become celebrities. Moments like Chloe Kim’s halfpipe run, Mikaela Shiffrin’s super fast slalom skiing, Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson’s gold medal-winning penalty shot, Jessie Diggins’s cross-country skiing photo finish, and more lead the nightly news, dominate prime time, and trend on social media.

Despite the adoration and attention Olympians receive during this time period, most aren’t making bank like the other famous figures that regularly appear on NBC programming. In fact, elite athletes have to be the best of the best to even qualify for stipends from their respective sports’s organizing body. “There are support systems put in place once you reach a certain level so you can minimize costs and focus on training,” Erin Hamlin explains. “I had a part-time job when I needed to buy a car or for personal expenses.”

Hamlin isn’t alone when it comes to juggling work with working out. From waitressing to Wanderlust, here’s what seven Olympians do to make some dough.

Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson, ice hockey player

Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson (Photo: Getty Images/Quinn Lemmers for Yahoo Lifestyle)

The last three years, I’ve worked as a strength coach back home. I worked with the University of North Dakota’s women’s hockey team and in a facility in Grand Forks coaching adults or high school athletes. I was doing that on top of training.

When we moved to Florida this year for residency to be with the national team full-time, I stopped working. Since Sochi, I’d been working full-time and also training, so that’s a lot of balancing. I was trying to rest as much as I could in between.

Sarah Hendrickson, ski jumper

Sarah Hendrickson (Photo: Getty Images/Quinn Lemmers for Yahoo Lifestyle)

I’m not in school right now, but I was taking classes part-time, on-and-off for the past couple years. I was kind of making a dent, but not at the current moment. I was working on my general [courses,] and my dream is to go into some kind of medical work. With all my knee surgeries, I was interested in PT. After I retire, that’s my next path.

Summer Britcher, luger

Summer Britcher (Photo: Getty Images/Quinn Lemmers for Yahoo Lifestyle)

Right now, I don’t have a job. A few years ago, I worked as waitress to save up money, but I had to decide, am I training as well as I could be? Is the stress on my body holding me back? I couldn’t have distractions. I’d be really tired from working. I would get to the restaurant and my coworkers said, “You’re supposed to be an athlete, how are you tired?”

Erin Hamlin, luger

(Photo: Getty Images/Quinn Lemmers for Yahoo Lifestyle)

I have had a plethora of part-time jobs over the years, trying to get to the point in my career where my results would qualify me for a stipend. There are support systems put in place once you reach a certain level so you can minimize costs and focus on training. I had a part- time job when I needed to buy a car or for personal expenses. I picked up a sponsor after Sochi, a local bank where I’m from. So that’s kind of a job but it makes it easier to not have financial pressure.

Emily Sweeney, luger

(Photo: Getty Images/Quinn Lemmers for Yahoo Lifestyle)

I’m in the military. I am part of world class athletes program which is a full army unit based out of Fort Carson in Colorado but they allow us to train, travel, and compete and it partners well with luge. Other than that, which is literally designed to allow us to do this sport, it’s so difficult for women to have jobs at this.

Clare Egan, biathlete

(Photo: Getty Images/Quinn Lemmers for Yahoo Lifestyle)

This is my full-time job. I make about $14,000 a year which is pretty good for a U.S. Olympic athlete. But there’s my stipend that comes from U.S. biathalon, which is from private sponsors. Other countries have government support for national elite athletes and are usually employed through the military or a similar system, and they often go into the military after they’re done with their professional athletic career. Whereas in the U.S. all of our athletes are supported by private sponsors.

Being an athlete at the top of the international field is a full-time job. We train year-round, usually six days a week, usually twice a day, and on the road five months in the winter plus a month or two here and there for training camps, so there’s not really time in the day or year to be doing another job. The whole lifestyle is also part of the job — I’m eating and stretching and filling out my training log between those trainings, I’m resting and eating again, and at night I’m not going out with my friends, I’m going on my training log again and maybe doing some practice shooting and going to bed early. I think that’s pretty typical for an elite athlete.

Faye Guilini, snowboarder

(Photo: Getty Images/Quinn Lemmers for Yahoo Lifestyle)

It’s not super lucrative currently. I do odd jobs. Right now I do event stuff like Wanderlust in Tahoe that big yoga event. I’ll go there for a week, make some good money there and then go home. I worked Sturgis, which is a big motorcycle rally, this year. Events where I can go, it’s pretty dense for about 11 days, but then I can come home with a chunk of change. I’m fortunate enough that all my snowboarding is paid for, my schooling’s paid for, my health insurance, and I do get money snowboarding, but this way I have a cushion. The money I have from snowboarding is usually from a short contract or prize money so this way I have guaranteed income, $1,000 here, $1,000 there, which is more for security. I could probably get away without working but this offers me some peace of mind.

Additional reporting by Laureen Irat, Kerry Justich, Dana Oliver, Rachel Bender, Alexandra Mondalek, Beth Greenfield, Elise Solé, and Abby Haglage.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: 

Meet Maame Biney, the first black woman to compete as a U.S. Olympic speed skater

What 11 Olympians do in the morning to start their days off right

Mirai Nagasu just landed a triple axel at the Olympics. Here’s how she did it.

This biathlete casually learned how to speak Korean before heading to the Olympics

What 11 Olympians packed to make PyeongChang feel a little more like home

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.

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Is fate real? This husband thinks so: 'I just think the universe had it out for us to meet each other'

In 2013, Macklemore, known for hits “Can’t Hold Us,” “Thrift Shop,” and “Downtown,” performed at Pier 36 in Manhattan, New York, for a YouTube promotional event. Two of the rapper’s biggest superfans — Carey, originally from Montgomery, N.J., and Ammar, from Mclean, Va. — applied to dance onstage through a Facebook post. And, as fate would have it, both made the cut and met outside the venue while corralled in a holding area.

Image: It’s Love

Ammar, who had thrown himself a Macklemore-themed 29th birthday party just a few weeks before the concert, dressed for the occasion. “My roommates and I saw this guy in this cheetah onesie and I just remember thinking that guy is totally crazy and I think I’m a little bit afraid of him,” Carey said of her first impression of Ammar.

However, because of his jumpsuit, Ammar and his roommate were approached by producers to get a prime spot onstage. Since Carey and her friends, all physical therapy students at Columbia University, just wore “normal” clothes, the groups were separated.

Image: It’s Love

While Ammar thought that was going to be the last time he’d see Carey and her friends, Cupid intervened. As Carey was walking toward the subway station, she heard someone call out, “Yo PTs!” — as in “physical therapists” — and “we turned around and lo and behold: Cheetah Onesie Guy,” she recalled.

The group went to the bar Schiller’s together, and as they were wrapping up, Ammar realized he wanted to stay in touch with his new friends — Carey in particular. “I didn’t want to make it awkward, there were five of us, and I just said, ‘Hey, you guys seem pretty awesome, and I don’t want to make this weird but can I get one of your numbers?’” he explained. “And at that point, her roommate actually pulled out her phone and gave me her number.”

But that exchange didn’t deter Carey from reaching out to Ammar over Facebook shortly thereafter, writing that she was out with a few of her friends and he and his roommate should come hang out.

“I showed up and she was talking to some other guy!” Ammar remembered.

Image: It’s Love

Once Carey was done with that conversation she turned to Ammar, and from there they hit it off.

Ammar, who was moving to Washington, D.C., for a few months, asked Carey to accompany him on a road trip for their first date. “And I said absolutely not because why would any sane person go on a road trip with a guy they just met?!” she said of her response. But then she had a change of heart. “My mom made me send pictures of his license plate and made me text her like every hour to make sure I was OK,” she said.

And that she was. “I don’t know what I was thinking, but it was kind of love from there on,” Carey explained. Two years later, Ammar took Carey back to the bar Schiller’s and proposed. “She said yes — thankfully,” Ammar joked.

Image: It’s Love

For their wedding, Macklemore, who brought the couple together, played a major part. Carey walked down the aisle to a piano version of “Same Love.” For their first dance, they had to “really step it up a notch” so they choreographed a dance-off to, fittingly enough, Macklemore’s “Dance Off.”

“It was kind of cool bringing Macklemore back to our wedding, kind of full circle,” Carey said. “Meeting Ammar dancing onstage and then starting this new chapter of our life together again dancing to Macklemore in front of all of our favorite people.”

Image: It’s Love

But if it wasn’t for Macklemore, Ammar believes their paths would’ve crossed anyway. “I just think the universe had it out for us to meet each other.”

And for the couple to meet Macklemore too. While visiting D.C. recently for an event, the musician, whose real name is Ben Haggerty, walked into the restaurant Bus Boys & Poets, where Carey, who’s pregnant with her first child, and Ammar were eating. “It was completely surreal but at the same time, we had so much to thank him for. So we walked up to him and thanked him for his music and for helping guide us to find each other,” Ammar said.

Photo: Courtesy of Carey and Ammar Shallal

“Ben was incredible, he was completely engaged, and chatted with us for about 15 minutes. He asked to see our first dance wedding video and was more than happy to take photos with us,” he added. “It was really a dream encounter with someone who has had such an impact on our relationship.”

Do you have a love story to share? Tell us in the comments below, send us an email at [email protected], or message us on on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.

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Michelle Obama, Serena Williams, and moms are inspiring these Olympians

Olympians might be role models themselves, but the athletes have people they look up to as well. Yahoo Lifestyle asked 13 athletes competing at the 2018 PyeongChang Games who inspires them and the common theme: moms, Michelle Obama, and Serena Williams.

Aja Evans, bobsledder

(Photo: Getty Images)

Serena Williams is a huge inspiration for me. I’m like really obsessed with her. She’s always been one of my favorite athletes — her and Venus Williams — and just to see how she continues to trailblaze and do whatever she wants and just owns it, I’m just in love with that passion, that drive. No matter what she’s doing, from being around her kid, going back into tennis, and just sharing that with the world. I really love that about her.

Monique Lamoureux, ice hockey player

I would say Serena Williams. I think she’s showing women all over the world you can have it all. You can have a family, be married, and still pursue what you’re passionate about. To see debatably one of best athletes of all time doing that and coming back after having a child says a lot about women in this day and age.

For myself and my sister, we’re both hoping to go home and start families after these Olympics are over, and after that I would like to come back and continue to play. I wouldn’t say it’s frowned upon, but some wonder if you’ll come back and play after kids. Your priority would be kids, they think. But no one would tell a man to pick between his job and passion and kids.

Sarah Hendrickson, ice hockey player

(Photo: Getty Images)

Lindsey Vonn. She’s gone through so many injuries. Every year she gets slammed with something because she pushes the limits. So, I have so much respect for those people who come back time after time. For her to keep pushing, to see the dedication and passion for her sport is inspirational.

Jessie Diggins, cross country skier

My mom. And I know that sounds maybe cheesy, but I’m really, really close with my family. I Skype with them every week. And my mom is just an incredible woman. She’s so smart, she’s witty, she’s funny. But she’s so hardworking and so driven, and I really hope that I turn out like her someday. It’s been really inspiring to me how she always knows exactly what to say if I’m nervous before a race, or if a race hasn’t gone well, she also knows what to say. Which is probably more important.

Kikkan Randall, cross country skier

(Photo: Getty Images)

That is a tough question. I’ve been fortunate to have some pretty amazing role models growing up. My Aunt Betsy was an Olympic skier in 1980, and so growing up I really looked up to her and got to hear her Olympic stories and chased after her Alaska state mile record. Didn’t quite get it, her record actually still stands. But she always gave me something to chase, and what’s been really cool is she’s been to almost every Olympics that I’ve been to. In fact, I think she’s been to almost every one. And so she’s been really supportive of my career and that person who’s always making sure that I’m staying happy and just mentally healthy being an athlete. And she’s also a very successful business woman. She’s an executive vice president with Alyeska Pipeline, so she’s a strong, female leader in the business world and something I aspire to beyond my ski career. So it’s been so cool to have her in my life.

Summer Britcher, luger

Sloane Stephens. She won the U.S. Open. She won something big and she didn’t expect to.

Erin Hamlin, luger

Billie Jean King. She’s a rock star and I met her at the Women’s Sport Foundation. She’s been amazing for female athletes and for getting girls into sports. I’m in awe of her and how ballsy she is. And Michelle Obama. She’s awesome.

Emily Sweeney, luger

I’ll say sports first: All the females we’re surrounded by at the training center, all the time. There are so many women pushing boundaries in sports every day. Also, I am a sucker for Ellen DeGeneres. She makes me happy and if I’m in a bad mood, all I have to do is watch an Ellen video. Being able to spread that much positivity.

Jocelyne Lamoureux

(Photo: Getty Images)

After the Golden Globes, I loved all the women who wore black, Oprah’s speech was so inspirational. What our team went through fighting for equitable sport in hockey, but their speeches, it transcends sports.

It’s important for there to be equality in sports and a safe working environment for women across all professions. Oprah’s speech was incredible. All the women who stood behind her and their speeches as well, that was cool to see.

I’ve personally not had any experience like that [with sexual harassment.] A lot of what’s coming out today, in sports and in the working world, it’s unfortunate that it’s so common. I’ve personally not had experiences like that, but I hope that the sharing of people’s experiences and not being afraid to speak out about any inappropriateness going on, I hope that starts to change the environment for working women.

It’s unfortunate and sad, but hopefully we can learn and grow from women speaking out. And with men, they’re the second half of the equation. You need men to equally support this and look at what behaviors that have seemingly become so status quo that need to change.

Maame Biney, short track speed skater

Yeah, I have quite a few. Simone Biles, Serena Williams, Gabby Douglas, Beyonce. All those African American women who have really stood out and really changed the world and how people see them. That’s what I aspire to be because then all the little kids who want to be in a sport or something, a winter sport especially, they can really say, ‘I can also do that because Maame Biney’s doing it.’

Jessica Smith Kooreman, short track speed skater

There’s so many out there doing things. My mom, obviously. She’s probably the strongest woman I personally know and have been around. She’s my rock, she’s there for me through thick and thin, tells me what I may not want to hear, but need to hear. She’s raised me to be the person that I am. There’s a bunch of different women out there who I feel have some sort of empowerment that I can take something away from.

I tend to lean a little bit towards Serena Williams just because I think that she’s such a powerful athlete. She reminds me of myself because she’s come through the ranks since she was a kid. Most people don’t understand that it’s hard to stay on top. It’s easy to get there, but it’s hard to stay there. She’s done a really great job at staying on top of her game and representing herself well. She’s one that I watch and follow to see what she’s up to. There’s so many other women out there that I take something from, and that’s the best thing. They’re doing so well in their lives and in their careers, whether it’s athletes, business, or actresses. It’s nice to know that there are way more women out there doing more good than not.

Mirai Nagasu, figure skater

(Photo: Getty Images)

I definitely love comedy and comedians, and I feel like life is about laughter. She’s not a comedian at all, but I definitely look up to Michelle Obama, just the way she handled stuff as the first lady, and I wish that I was as well-spoken and as well put together as she is.

Jaelin Kauf, freestyle skier 

My mom, definitely. She has always been the most inspirational woman to me and still is. I mean, she’s always pushed the limits and done what people thought was impossible. She was competing in the X-Games when she was 40 — with two kids. I think she’s still the last U.S. female to podium in ski cross. And she proved herself as a female athlete in ski cross and in moguls. She grew up an alpine racer and after college just decided she wanted to ski moguls and I think at her first competition, she blew her knee. But she fought to come back and had a great career. And she’s also always been a big promoter of women’s sports which is something I really admire. I kind of want to be one of those people as well that kind of takes part in growing mogul skiing and encourages young female athletes to be in sports, and I don’t know she’s always just proven — and taught me — that you can do whatever you want, it’s just about working hard and going after what you want.

Additional reporting by Laureen Irat, Kerry Justich, Dana Oliver, Rachel Bender, Alexandra Mondalek, Beth Greenfield, Elise Solé, and Abby Haglage.

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