Latest news with #WrexhamAFC
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Ryan Reynolds drops awkward reference to Blake Lively's legal battle as her Taylor Swift texts set for release
Ryan Reynolds stirred buzz at the Cannes Lions 2025 festival on Thursday after making a remark that many interpreted as a nod to the ongoing legal firestorm surrounding his wife Blake Lively, and her former co-star Justin Baldoni. The legal saga began in December 2024 when Blake Lively accused Justin Baldoni of sexually harassing her on set — claims he denied — prompting Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios to sue Lively, her publicist Leslie Sloane, and Ryan Reynolds for defamation. Baldoni later escalated the fight with a $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times over its explosive New Year's Eve exposé detailing Lively's allegations. Earlier this month, a judge dismissed Baldoni's defamation case in a major blow to the actor, though his legal team will still gain access to Lively's private text messages with Taylor Swift — whom Blake infamously referred to as 'my dragon' in an exchange allegedly meant to intimidate Baldoni — after withdrawing a subpoena aimed at the singer directly. Now, at Cannes Lions, Reynolds took the stage at Stagwell's Sport Beach to promote his soccer team, Wrexham AFC — and raised eyebrows with an unexpected quip. While handing a water bottle to someone in the crowd, the Deadpool star joked, 'I'm not throwing this. I've been around lawyers. You can walk up here and grab it,' according to Page Six. Earlier this month, a judge dismissed Baldoni's defamation case in a major blow to the actor, though his legal team will still gain access to Lively's private text messages with Taylor Swift — whom Blake infamously referred to as 'my dragon' in an exchange allegedly meant to intimidate Baldoni — after withdrawing a subpoena aimed at the singer directly; (Lively seen on June 9) He also took a moment to reflect on how sports can bring people together in a world fractured by division, per the outlet. 'We live in a world right now that is so… identity politics… almost a religion,' Reynolds said. 'For that to be checked at the door in sports, in theatrical film, and in music, concerts, we all walk in, we go together.' Reynolds added, 'We're all feeling the same thing at the same time and the same moment. 'You have this bonding mechanism — and I don't mean to over romanticize it, but it's romantic. 'It's a beautiful thing to watch people come together, especially when we feel so divided in every other aspect of our life.' The panel comes after exclusively learned that Baldoni's lawyers will be allowed to peruse a tranche of messages exchanged by Blake and Taylor, with all communications related to It Ends With Us now set for scrutiny. Swift and Lively's relationship has cratered in recent months, with the singer left furious at being dragged into the case. And she is not the only Swift to be dragged in: last week the Daily Mail revealed the subpoena against her had been withdrawn because Baldoni's team had managed to acquire the information they were seeking – from none other than her dad Scott, 73. 'Scott Swift did not want his daughter to be dragged into this any further and he voluntarily gave up this information as part of a deal that would include [Baldoni's team] withdrawing their subpoena for Taylor,' the source explained. The pop star's doting dad - who has played a key role in building Swift's billion-dollar empire as her financial advisor - came to his daughter's rescue after she was allegedly blackmailed by Lively's lawyers. That 'blackmail' revelation appeared in a legal letter filed last month by Baldoni's lawyers, who alleged that Lively's team had attempted to 'coerce' Swift to issue a public statement in support of her. The filing claimed Lively's lawyer, Michael Gottlieb, had contacted Swift's team and demanded she 'release a statement of support for Ms. Lively, intimating that, if Ms. Swift refused to do so, private text messages of a personal nature in Ms. Lively's possession would be released.' Swift's team allegedly responded to Gossip Girl star Lively's 'inappropriate and apparently extortionate threats in at least one written communication' sent to Gottlieb, according to the letter. 'It is those communications that [Baldoni's team] seeks to obtain by way of subpoena, as they would evidence an attempt to intimidate and coerce a percipient witness in this litigation,' the letter stated. Scott seemingly didn't take this alleged attempt to extort his 35-year-old daughter lightly, and decided to take matters into his own hands by cooperating with Baldoni and Bryan Freedman in order to protect Swift from any further legal involvement. 'Plain and simple – they tried to extort Taylor by threatening to release private information about her so that she would support a narrative that she was not a part of,' our source added. In a statement to People magazine, Gottlieb described the suggestion that Lively's lawyers had threatened Swift as 'categorically false.' Lively's lawyers later filed a motion asking the court to strike the accusations from its docket as 'baseless, unnecessary, improper and abusive.' The motion to dismiss the letter was granted. However, the drama sheds further light on the collapse of the pair's close friendship, which has gone cold amid the actress's high-stakes lawsuit. The drama began last December when Lively, 37, accused Baldoni, her It Ends With Us co-star and director, of sexual harassment and coordinating a smear campaign against her. Baldoni, 41, hit back in January, with a $400 million countersuit accusing Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, 48, of defamation. All parties have denied the allegations. Last week, the defamation element of Baldoni's lawsuit was scrapped by a judge, although he is still suing for civil extortion and invasion of privacy among other claims. But contained in Baldoni's filing were screenshots of alleged text messages, in which Lively regularly mentioned Swift by name. And she is not the only Swift to be dragged in: last week the Daily Mail revealed the subpoena against her had been withdrawn because Baldoni's team had managed to acquire the information they were seeking – from none other than her dad Scott, 73; The pair pictured May 18 in NYC In one now infamous and toe-curling exchange, Lively appeared to refer to herself as the character Khaleesi – from Game of Thrones – and to Swift as one of her 'dragons.' Elsewhere in Baldoni's filing is the claim that Swift was present at a meeting convened by Lively at her New York penthouse to discuss It Ends With Us script changes. Sources close to Swift insisted the singer had no knowledge of the meeting and simply turned up to find it underway. Nonetheless, the whole furor reportedly left Swift - who is godmother to Lively's three daughters – feeling 'exploited' by her pal of ten years. Scott, a former stockbroker and financial advisor for Merrill Lynch, has long been credited as smoothing his daughter's path to financial success. A disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission lists him as linked to 10 companies affiliated with his daughter, according to Bloomberg. Last year, he was accused of assaulting a photographer who was 'waiting' for Swift's arrival off a luxury yacht in Sydney following the Australian leg of her Eras Tour. In a statement to Daily Mail Australia at the time, a rep for Swift described the photographers as 'aggressive' and her father later avoided charges. Scott isn't the only member of Swift's inner circle to defend the pop star amid the legal drama. Her boyfriend, NFL star Travis Kelce, recently unfollowed Ryan Reynolds on Instagram while supermodel Gigi Hadid, another of Swift's closest friends, has reportedly 'iced out' Lively in solidarity. In a statement released to the Daily Mail, a spokesman for Lively accused Baldoni's lawyers of repeatedly attempting to drag Swift into the case and attempting to 'exploit' her popularity. It continued: 'The Court outright denied the Wayfarer Parties' motion to compel documents from Ms. Lively, who has produced far more documents in this case than the Wayfarer Parties combined. 'Further, the Court's protective order ruling rests on the Wayfarer Parties' admission that they received nothing from Taylor Swift, which is exactly the opposite of what their 'insider' claimed two weeks ago. As for the rest, Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer parties demanded access to Taylor Swift's private communications—despite having already subpoenaed and then withdrawn that subpoena. Baldoni's desire to drag Taylor Swift into this has been constant dating back to August 2024, when the crisis PR firm led by Melissa Nathan included her in their 'Scenario Planning' document (Lively Amended Complaint, Exhibit D), referred to her as a bully, and called for a strategy to influence the 'TS fan base '. We will continue to call out Baldoni's relentless efforts to exploit Ms Swift's popularity, which from day one has been nothing more than a distraction from the serious sexual harassment and retaliation accusations he and the Wayfarer parties are facing.
Powys County Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Powys County Times
Powys village school wins Welsh language gold award
A village primary school that is in walking distance of the English border is celebrating after becoming the third school in Powys to win a prestigious Welsh language award. Carreghofa Primary School on the outskirts of Llanymynech is now the proud owners of the Cymraeg Campus Gold Award after working hard to achieve several targets that not only look to improve Welsh within the school, but within the local community too. The award is part of the Cymraeg Campus Language Charter which was specifically created to develop Welsh in English-medium schools. The school's Welsh committee, 'Y Criw Cymraeg', with the support of Welsh co-ordinator Rachel Hill, create initiatives and displays to promote the use of Welsh, and helped staff develop their Welsh language skills. READ MORE | School campus in Powys set to begin process of becoming Welsh all-through site A big part of promoting Welsh in school is meeting Welsh-speaking visitors to the school and taking part in activities and workshops. During the past few months, the school have welcomed many visitors, including Wrexham AFC footballer Rebecca Pritchard, triathlete Deri McCluskey, singer Mr Phormula and actor Llion Williams. Pupils also held a cake sale to raise money to buy recordable teddy bears. Local care homes received the bears which pupils had recorded familiar Welsh phrases and questions for residents. Year 5 and 6 helped organise a digital 'Guide to Llanymynech ' which can be accessed through QR codes around the village in Welsh and English. A book containing stories written by Years 3,4,5 and 6 pupils about the Welsh Not was delivered to a local café, and a Welsh language display board was created for the village hall. The school also organised Welsh games for nursery-age pupils who attend Owlets, Border Preschool and Julie's Family Daycare. A group of Year 5 and 6 pupils also won the local 'Cwis Dim Clem' competition, which was organised by Menter Maldwyn across Montgomeryshire, with Carreghofa finishing in first place. The school has been invited to an awards evening in July after winning a Welsh Heritage Award, recognising their efforts to promote Welsh language and culture in the area. Welsh co-ordinator Rachel Hill, who was proud of the children, said: 'It has been hugely rewarding to see our children become so passionate about the Welsh language and culture. Receiving the gold award is like the icing on the cake.' Headteacher Claire Pritchard was also very pleased with the gold award. 'I am proud of all the children's efforts to achieve this award,' she said. 'Mrs Hill alongside her Criw have ensured all of our children enjoy learning Welsh and are proud to be part of a school in Wales.'
Leader Live
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Leader Live
MS for North Wales speaks about sporting success in Wrexham
MS for North Wales It's great news that the one of the biggest women's tennis tournaments in the United Kingdom is coming to Wrexham later this year. The Lexus Wrexham Open will take place in October at Wrexham Tennis and Padel Centre, with players from around the UK and the rest of the world. It's the first time that the competition is being held in North Wales, and it really is a brilliant opportunity for people in our area to watch some top-class sport and support the Centre. Tickets start from £7.50 for adults and £3.50 for under-16s, with 800 seats available for each day of the competition. They're already on sale, so I'd definitely encourage you to snap those tickets up and enjoy some live sport! I particularly hope that the Wrexham Open will inspire the next generation. It's important for young people to have access to occasions like this, and it's perfectly situated right on our doorstep. Even if young people don't go on to hit the sporting heights of Andy Murray or Emma Raducanu, it's important for them to be active. Not only is it essential for physical health, it has great mental health benefits too. This applies to adults and older people as well. The most recent Wales Activity Tracker (a regular survey run by Sport Wales) found that 49% of adults in Wales participate in physical activity 2 to 4 days a week. I am sure we can improve those numbers, and it's essential to the future of the country that we do so. I would argue that attracting quality sporting events to Wales can motivate and inspire people to pick up a tennis racket or cricket bat, put on their football boots or running shoes and get moving. There's no doubt that the Open will boost Wrexham's reputation for professional sport and hosting major events. The outstanding success of Wrexham AFC is well known around the world, and this tournament will further underline why Wrexham and North Wales more broadly is a great place to host events. I certainly hope to see more in future, and I regularly call on the Welsh Government to prioritise North Wales as a destination location for these high-quality events. If you'd like to get in touch, then you can drop me a line at
Leader Live
13-06-2025
- Business
- Leader Live
Wrexham's new club shop to be based at former H&M site
Last month, The Leader reported that the club had signed for a 17,000 sq ft unit at the shopping centre, which is based in the city centre. International real estate advisor Savills, acting on behalf of EEH Ventures and Adynaton Asset Management, completed the deal with the world's third oldest professional football club. This will be Wrexham AFC's main club shop, serving both loyal fans and followers of the acclaimed series "Welcome to Wrexham", which documents the rise of the club following its 2021 purchase by Hollywood actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds. On Thursday (June 12), signs were beginning to be put in place for the new shop. TOP STORIES It appears as though it will be based at the former H&M site, which has most recently been used by the 'Wrexham School of Art'. 'AFC' lettering has appeared in the top floor window and building work is taking place on site. The front of the building is also being decorated in the red of Wrexham AFC. The old pop-up Wrexham shop at Eagles Meadow Shopping Centre. (Image: Newsquest) That means the new shop will be based just a stone's throw away from the club's previous pop-up store (pictured above) which closed earlier this month after a successful year of trading. Plans for the shop include a space reserved for fans and local community, as well as the installation of a content creation area. Wrexham AFC say that further details on the new shop and its opening date will be 'confirmed soon'.
RTÉ News
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Snoop Dogg hopes to open burger van at Celtic Park
Snoop Dogg has said he hopes to open a burger van at Celtic Park - and serve fans himself. The Californian rapper - real name Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr - has previously spoken of investing in the Glasgow football club, similar to Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds's involvement with Wrexham AFC. Snoop Dogg has already published a cookbook and claims to have spoken to chef Gordon Ramsay about a possible venture in Glasgow together - but he has now revealed he wants to set up a fast-food van at Celtic's stadium in the city's east end. He has described Celtic supporters as "special" and the best fans in European football. Snoop Dogg said he identifies strongly with the club's mascot Hoopy the Hound - describing it in a previous interview as a "match made in Heaven". The keen sports fan worked as a correspondent for NBC at the Paris Olympics last year. He has launched two youth football leagues and has been a vocal advocate for pay equality for female athletes. Snoop Dogg told The Sunday Mail that Celtic fans would support the burger van and that it would become a foodie "Paradise" - the nickname given to Celtic Park. He said: "I would love to bring a pop-up burger [van] to a sports stadium to show fans that food at stadiums can be good. "It's got to be Celtic Park, man. The secret to a good burger is the love in the preparation. The ground beef has got to be mixed with some secret spices, then add a good quality cheese and some maple-cured bacon. "The Celtic fans are gonna love it, and to make sure they are just right, Snoop is going to be serving them himself." But he said he would not be taking his culinary ventures to Celtic's Old Firm rivals at Ibrox. Snoop Dogg told The Sunday Mail: "Am I going to bring my burgers to Rangers as well? Nah, I think we will give that a miss."
