Celebrity gossip and sightings
Yankees reliever Mariano Rivera was the first player voted unanimously into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 01:
Paul Dano attends “The Batman” World Premiere on March 01, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/WireImage)
UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 21:
Michael Bolton attends the premiere of NBC’s “American Song Contest” at The Lot at Universal Studios Hollywood on March 21, 2022 in Universal City, California. (Photo by JC Olivera/WireImage)
(L-R) Gold medalists Diana Taurasi #12, head coach Geno Auriemma and Sue Bird #6 of United States celebrate during the medal ceremony after the Women’s Basketball competition on Day 15 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Carioca Arena 1 on August 20, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Tom Pennington/Getty Images/TNS)
From celebrities with strong ties to Connecticut like Troy Kotsur taking center stage at the Oscars to the namesake of “Maury” ending his 30-year-old show, Connecticut had no shortage of celebrity news in March.
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 27:
Troy Kotsur, winner of the Actor in a Supporting Role award for ‘CODA’ poses in the press room at the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on March 27, 2022 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images )
Troy Kotsur, who has starred in a production of “Ophelia” in Connecticut National Theatre of the Deaf, made history as the first deaf male actor to receive an Oscar after winning Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Rossi in “CODA.”
Jessica Chastain, who recently filmed for “The Good Nurse” in Connecticut, took home an Oscar for Best Actress for portraying Tammy Faye Bakker in “The Eyes of Tammy Faye.”
Fairfield’s Brooklyn Skylar Rodriguez, 8, voiced three characters known as the “Town Kids” in Disney’s “Encanto.” “Encanto” won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film at the 2022 Academy Awards. Lin-Manuel Miranda, who graduated from Wesleyan University, also wrote the song “Dos Orguitas,” which is featured in “Encanto.”
– Joseph Tucci and Verónica Del Valle
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith attend the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on March 27, 2022 in Hollywood, California.
New Haven nail artist Temeka Jackson was in charge of the manicures of Oscar-winning actors Will Smith and Ariana DeBose, according to her Instagram.
DeBose won Best Supporting Actress for her role as Anita in “West Side Story” and Smith won Best actor in a leading role for his portrayal of Richard Williams in “King Richard.”
TOPSHOT – US actor Chris Rock speaks onstage during the 94th Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 27, 2022. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP) (Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)
After Chris Rock got slapped by Will Smith during the Oscars, tickets for his show at the Mohegan Sun Arena on June 2 experienced an “immediate uptick in sales,” according to President of Sports and Entertainment at Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment Tom Cantone.
Yankees reliever Mariano Rivera was the first player voted unanimously into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
These two sports icons discussed their famed careers and gave fans an opportunity to take photos with them at the Ridgefield Playhouse on March 31.
– Joseph Tucci
Actor Peter Bergman appears onstage at the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on June 23, 2012 in Beverly Hills, California.
Actor Peter Bergman, best known for his roles on the popular soap operas “All My Children” and “The Young and the Restless,” was seen grocery shopping at Stop & Shop in Greenwich in the beginning of March.
– Susie Costaregni
Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz of The Tom Tom Club and Talking Heads host children of Newton, CT to perform “A Song From Sandy Hook” at their home on January 9, 2013 in Fairfield, Connecticut. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Tim Hayes)
Former drummer for “Talking Heads” Chris Frantz and his wife and fellow bandmate Tina Weymouth were allegedly hit head-on by a drunk driver in Fairfield.
While the couple says they “walked away” from the crash, Weymouth suffered three fractured ribs, according to a Facebook post by Frantz.
TODAY — Pictured: Maury Povich on Tuesday, December 10, 2019 — (Photo by: Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
NBCUniversal announced that the “Maury” show, filmed in Stamford, ended after it aired its last episode in September.
– Andrew DaRosa
AMERICAN SONG CONTEST — The Live Qualifiers Premiere Episode 101 — Pictured: Michael Bolton (CT) — (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
New Haven native, Westport resident and singer-songwriter Michael Bolton advanced to the semifinals of NBC’s “American Song Contest” in late March.
When Snoop Dogg said “Connecticut’s Michael Bolton,” the singer appeared stunned and clapped with the other contestants and audience members.
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 28:
(L-R) Judith Light, Dylan Gage, Gus Birney, Jeff Astrof, Mira Sorvino, Merrin Dungey, Courteney Cox, Greg Kinnear, and Alysia Reiner attend the “Shining Vale” Global Premiere Event And Screening on February 28, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for STARZ)
Over the years, Connecticut has been a constant source of inspiration for the horror movie community. From the haunted hallways of Yankee Pedlar Inn found in “The Innkeepers” to the shores of the fictional Crystal Lake in “Friday the 13th: Part 2,” Connecticut’s horror roots run deep. Starz’s new horror-comedy show, “Shining Vale,” set in Connecticut, is adding to the state’s reputation as a horror capital.
“Shining Vale,” which premiered March 6, tells the story of a couple going through marital troubles; they purchase a mansion in the fictional town of Shining Vale, Conn. But just as they begin to settle into their new home, haunted happenings begin to surround the family.
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 09:
Actor/Writer Paul Dano attends The Wildlife Los Angeles Premiere on October 9, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by John Sciulli/Getty Images for FIJI Water)
Hollywood star Paul Dano, who portrayed The Riddler in “The Batman” movie released in early March, got his start by involving himself in local arts programs in Wilton.
Outside of his recent role as the titular villain of “The Batman” Dano has an extensive list of Hollywood credits to his name that range from nuanced roles in “There Will Be Blood” and “Okja” to comedic chops in “Little Miss Sunshine” and “Swiss Army Man.”
– Andrew DaRosa
Joey (left) and Justin Young, 24 of Brookfield will compete on season 19 of “The Bachelorette.”
Season 19 of ABC’s “The Bachelorette” will not only feature two bachelorettes, but also a set of twins — from Brookfield. A UConn alum is also on the cast list. Among the contestants are Justin and Joey Young, 24, from Brookfield. According to the brothers’ social media, both attended Quinnipiac University in 2016. And Matt Labagh, 25, is a Connecticut Husky. According to UConn Phi Delt’s twitter, Labagh is a UConn alum and was the 51st founding father of Phi Delt.
MASTERCHEF JUNIOR: L-R: Contestant Malia with judge / host Gordon Ramsay and judges Christina Tosi and Aarón Sanchez in the Junior Edition: Off the Hook episode of MASTERCHEF airing Tuesday, March 26 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (Photo by FOX Image Collection via Getty Images)
A Darien fifth-grader named Ivy Childs became one of 16 young chefs from across the country competing to be named the next “MasterChef Junior.” The 11-year-old prepared food for the celebrity judges Chefs Gordon Ramsay and Aarón Sánchez.
Diana Taurasi #12 and Sue Bird #6 of Team United States bite their gold medals during the Women’s Basketball medal ceremony on day sixteen of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games at Saitama Super Arena on August 08, 2021 in Saitama, Japan.
The former UConn women’s basketball teammates, turned Olympic gold metal winners, will be broadcasting from the Final Four section of the NCAA tournament on several ESPN platforms. They will be hosting the show as their former team takes on Stanford for a shot at the national title.
Spectators watching the relaunch of Mystic Seaport Museum’s flagship whaling ship Charles W. Morgan on July 21, 2013 in Mystic, Connecticut. Photo by Lisa Wiltse (Photo by Lisa Wiltse/Corbis via Getty Images)
“Floatchella,” a small, non-profit music festival on the banks of the Mystic River, recently received a troubling piece of mail — a cease-and-desist order from AEG Worldwide, the organizer behind the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Bruce Flax, President of the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce, said he was “taken aback” upon receiving a 17-page cease-and-desist letter for the Chamber’s summer festival that draws a few hundred fans during the summer.
Flax said the Chamber was given seven days to change the name of their festival, which they since have. All references of “Floatchella” have since been scrubbed from the Chamber’s website and any merchandise with the “Floatchella” name will no longer be sold, Flax said. The interim name of the festival is “Floatfest.” Flax said that the Chamber is asking the community for suggestions for permanent names.
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO – DECEMBER 31: Puerto Rican native Daddy Yankee performs on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2022 during the show’s first ever Spanish countdown, from Distrito T-Mobile in San Juan, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Gladys Vega/Getty Images for Discover Puerto Rico)
“King of Reggaeton” Daddy Yankee is going on his last tour and will be making a stop at the Mohegan Sun Arena Sept. 2.
In March, the Puerto Rican reggaetonero, 45, announced he was retiring from music after 32 years. He will be releasing one final album “Legendaddy” Friday and going on his final “La Ultima Vuelta” tour starting Aug. 10.
Author Maria Scrivan poses ahead of the release of her third book: “Absolutely Nat” at her home in Greenwich, Conn., on Friday September 17, 2021.
Best-selling author of “Nat Enough,” “Forget Me Nat” and “Absolutely Nat” Maria Scrivan, spoke to elementary and middle school students about how her childhood in Greenwich inspired her best-selling graphic novel series at the new Athena Books in Old Greenwich in early March.
To celebrate radio host Danny Lyons’ 35 years with WEBE-108, Sky Mercede, of Forever Sweet Bakery in Norwalk, presented him with a cake.
Danny Lyons, the host of the Lyons Den on WEBE-108 FM, celebrated 35 years at the radio station in late March. He was given a cake from Forever Sweet Bakery as well as sandwiches from Nardelli’s Grinder Shoppe in Norwalk by Sky Mercede.
Andrew DaRosa is a web producer and reporter with Hearst Connecticut Media Group.
Andrew is an award-winning journalist and holds a degree in digital journalism from Fairfield University.
When he’s not writing, he is spending time with his dogs or going to see live music.
Peter Yankowski is a breaking news reporter for Hearst Connecticut Media Group. He was previously a reporter for the Danbury News-Times and the Ridgefield Press.
