WebProNews

Tag: 20/20

  • Microsoft Blocks 300,000 Advertising Accounts In 2020

    Microsoft Blocks 300,000 Advertising Accounts In 2020

    Microsoft Advertising has released its 2020 year-in-review report, giving a glimpse of the state of online advertising.

    The company blocked some 300,000 accounts from its advertising platform, a 30% increase from 2019. Microsoft also removed 1.6 billion bad ads, as well as 270,000 sites from its system.

    Given the year that was 2020, it’s not surprising what Microsoft’s five key areas of focus were: the pandemic, political advertising, third-party government services, tech support scams and advertiser safety.

    Microsoft emphasized its approach to advertising, one that uses a combination of artificial intelligence and manual reviewers.

    Advertising fraud is fast-moving, and we continue to see new patterns surface globally. We take an all-hands-on-deck approach to ensure we continue to deliver the highest quality content possible. We constantly update and refine our policies to ensure we meet evolving needs. Our fraud detection technology makes use of a wide variety of signals and uses the latest machine-learning algorithms to find fraud patterns which can otherwise be difficult to detect. We also have a geographically distributed team of experts working round the clock to help us conduct detailed investigations on any new patterns we’re seeing, by making use of smart and scalable tools. Detecting fraud before it has a chance to reach customers is one piece of our approach.

    We also address escalations and complaints from customers to quickly remove low-quality ads. In 2020, we received a total of ~50,000 complaints related to ads not being compliant per our advertising policies. We investigated each complaint and found ~ 65% of the reported ads to be in violation of Microsoft Advertising policies. Most of the complaints were related to trademark infringements. As we continue to roll out new products and make it easier for brands to engage with audiences, we made additional investments to protect and respond to advertisers’ concerns around trademark use and were able to reduce the trademark related complaints by ~ 25% year over year. We also received a few complaints related to unlicensed gambling sites, phishing, unauthorized government service provider websites, and other user safety concerns. We have a highly responsive operations team working 24/7 to promptly address concerns relating to our ads. In response to complaints, our operations team took down nearly 400,000 violating ads from our network.

    Microsoft’s 2020 report shows the challenges the advertising industry faces, as well as provides insights into how to manage those challenges.

  • Analyst Predicts 5G iPhone Will Lead to a 2020 ‘Supercycle’ For Apple

    Analyst Predicts 5G iPhone Will Lead to a 2020 ‘Supercycle’ For Apple

    With Apple expected to release four 5G iPhones in 2020, at least one analyst is expecting it to be a “supercycle” for the company’s stock.

    Wedbush analyst Dan Ives told CNBC he believes the demand for 5G iPhones will have a significant impact on the stock price. As a result, Ives raised his target for Apple’s stock to $350, a significant increase over the $284 closing price Monday.

    As CNBC points out, recent Piper Jaffray research shows an increasing level of interest in upgrading to a 5G iPhone, with nearly a quarter of iPhone owners willing to upgrade to a $1,200 model.

    With interest that high, it’s little wonder some reports predict Apple will sell 80 million units in 2020, with at least one source placing that number as high as 100 million. Similarly, Strategy Analytics predicts Apple will easily take the 5G crown in 2020, leap-frogging the competition to take the top spot.

    Even so, not all analysts share Ives’ bullish outlook. Gene Munster, Loup Ventures managing partner, told CNBC that the first year of 5G iPhones would be a “disappointment for investors,” blaming poor coverage on the part of the carriers.

    With such different viewpoints in play, 2020 is shaping up to be a fascinating year for Apple and their 5G plans.

  • Melania Trump Tells The Donald To Tone It Down On Campaign Trail

    Melania Trump doesn’t travel the country with her candidate husband, Donald Trump.

    But, Melania Trump has a great reason.

    As Donald Trump’s third wife and mother of his youngest child, Barron, Melania Trump is choosing to be where she is needed most: At home.

    In an interview with Barbara Walters that aired on Friday night, Melania Trump explained why you don’t see her on the campaign trail as much as the other candidates’ wives.

    She said, “It’s my choice not to be there. I support my husband 100 percent, but … we have a 9-year-old son together, Barron, and I’m raising him.”

    My family has the honor of being interviewed for a full hour by the legendary Barbara Walters tonight at 10PM on @abc2020

    A photo posted by Donald J. Trump (@realdonaldtrump) on

    She added, “This is the age he needs a parent at home.”

    However, that doesn’t mean Melania Trump thinks Donald should be at home.

    Signing a copy of Crippled America for Bill!

    A photo posted by Donald J. Trump (@realdonaldtrump) on

    She said, “I encouraged him because I know what he will do and what he can do for America. He loves the American people and he wants to help them.”

    However, when it comes down to the really heavy talks that Melania Trump has with her husband, it seems she isn’t afraid to put her two cents in.

    While it seems many of Donald Trump’s fans were attracted to him because of his unapologetic comments and ideas, Melania Trump thinks maybe he should tone down the bluster a little.

    Getting ready for @nbcsnl commercial.

    A photo posted by Donald J. Trump (@realdonaldtrump) on

    When Melania Trump was asked if she gives him campaign advice, she shied away from the question. But, Donald was quick to speak in her place.

    He said, “She’s told me a couple of times during the debate, she was very happy with my performances, if you would want to call them a performance. But she said, ‘You could tone it down a little bit on occasion,’ which I understand.”

    He could totally tone it down. But, that just wouldn’t be as much fun, now, would it?

    Barbara Walters didn’t stop with Melania Trump. She also interviewed Donald Trump’s four older kids, all of whom revealed a surprisingly accessible and caring side to Trump that we just don’t see.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVz-XYZP_f0

    Did you watch Barbara Walters’ interview with Donald and Melania Trump? What surprised you about their family? What didn’t?

  • Kathie Lee Gifford Defends Kris Jenner Amid Bruce Jenner Transition

    Kris Jenner’s long-time friend Kathie Lee Gifford weighs in on Bruce Jenner’s 20/20 interview and says that she was “shocked” that he was transitioning.

    The 61-year-old revealed to her Today co-host Hoda Kotb that “I never saw this coming, I’ve got to tell you.” She added that “It would have shocked me as much if Frank had told me [the same thing.]”

    Gifford also mentioned that she had a deep conversation with Bruce before his 20/20 interview and stated that she will never reveal what they talked about. She admitted to being grateful for the talk because it prepared her “for everything he was going to say and even more.”

    Gifford and her husband, sports commentator Frank Gifford, have been friends of the Jenner family for a long time and remain supportive of the former Olympian.

    “How do you deal with that [the news]?” she asked. “The way you do, ultimately, is when you put love first, and try to put yourself in someone else’s high heels I suppose.”

    The TV host also came to the defense of her best friend, Kris Jenner, who’s been unnaturally quiet since Bruce’s revealing interview came out.

    “She’s trying to get her act together, trying to be a good friend to him or her now, trying to be a good parent,” Gifford said of her friend. “And it’s complicated in ways that we cannot even comprehend.

    Gifford also pointed out that while Bruce’s 2 ex-wives (Chrystie Crownover and Linda Thompson) had years to get used to the idea of Bruce transitioning, the idea was still new to Kris.

    This was contrary to Bruce’s claim that Kris knows his secret and that she had seen him cross-dressing. He even added that they would “probably still be together” if she had been more accepting of his situation

  • Chrystie Crownover Says Bruce Jenner’s Struggle ‘Didn’t Threaten Me’, Divorced Him For Other Reasons

    Chrystie Crownover, Bruce Jenner’s first wife, was the first to know about the decathlete’s struggle with his identity.

    During Jenner’s 20/20 interview with Diane Sawyer, the 65-year-old former Olympian revealed that Crownover was the first person he ever told about his struggle and his desire to become a woman.

    Crownover confirmed this during an interview with Good Morning America’s George Stephanopoulos and said that she couldn’t “remember the exact words because it was such a shock to me, but he opened up his heart and confessed, and he had to share this deep, dark secret.”

    Crownover was Jenner’s college sweetheart and the two got married in 1972. They have two children, Burt and Casey Jenner.

    The daughter of a Mormon minister, Crownover admitted that she had a difficult time processing what Jenner said.

    “It’s so hard to wrap your head around it, particularly because he was such a manly man,” she said. “He never indicated anything feminine in his demeanor.”

    Despite Jenner’s revelation and her own confusion, Crownover shared that “it didn’t threaten me. It didn’t threaten our marriage.” She said that their marriage ended due to other reasons.

    “It was an underlying unrest and an underlying dissatisfaction of being married that led to our divorce. His career as a decathlete was over. There were a lot of changes in his life that made him an unhappy guy right then,” she shared.

    The two have since moved on from their marriage and Crownover said she watched the monumental ABC 20/20 special with Jenner and his family.

    Even though the experience was “surreal,” Crownover said it was still great “because the family was together and that’s what I’m most proud of.”

    And despite the “pain” she saw in Jenner’s eyes while they were watching the interview, she believes “it was cathartic to watch it together.”

  • Linda Thompson Tried To ‘Fix’ Bruce Jenner, Admits To Being Ignorant About Transgender Issues

    Bruce Jenner’s 20/20 interview with Diane Sawyer about his struggle with his gender identity has hopefully opened more than a few eyes and minds.

    Now, his ex-wife Linda Thompson has also opened up about her life and marriage with the Olympic athlete.

    Thompson wrote a compelling piece about her relationship with Bruce on the Huffington Post and said that she was sharing her experience as a means to “enlighten and inform — to lend a modicum of comfort and support for all those disenfranchised, struggling, discriminated-against, searching souls.”

    But she clarified that her experience is “commensurately uniquely my own” and Bruce’s story and struggles are his own.

    The former actress wrote about how she first saw Bruce while watching the Montreal Summer Olympics in 1976 with then boyfriend Elvis Presley and they both agreed that he was “handsome.”

    Flash forward to three years later when she met Bruce at the Playboy Mansion during a charity event. He was already separated from his first wife at the time and Thompson described him as “sweet, shy and very gentlemanly.” The two were married in 1981 and had two sons together, Brandon and Brody. Thompson recalled that those were the happiest years of her life – until he confessed that he identified as a woman and wanted to move forward with the process of becoming a woman.

    Thompson admitted to her own ignorance about being transgender and responded by insisting they go to therapy to see if they could “fix” things. They separated after 6 months of therapy.

    Despite being “heartbroken,” the 64-year-old Thompson wrote she was determined to support her ex-husband and her two sons. Despite waiving alimony and child support, she continued to have an “open door” policy to give Bruce a chance to visit his sons whenever he wanted.

    The powerful piece underlines Thompson’s devotion to her family and her support for her ex-husband. She said that she has already forgiven Bruce for those years and commends him for finally living his life the way he needs to.

  • Kourtney Kardashian Says Family Changes Are Positive Ones, Does That Include Bruce Jenner?

    Kourtney Kardashian spoke with People magazine recently about the many changes the Keeping Up With the Kardashians family has experienced or is experiencing, and says she believes they will all turn out to be positive ones when all is said and done.

    The longtime girlfriend of Scott Disick, and mom of Reign, Penelope, and Mason Disick, Kourtney Kardashian turned 36 this weekend, and celebrated her birthday along with Disick at a Las Vegas nightclub. She admits she isn’t a huge fan of change, but says she thinks those taking place within her family will result in some real positivity.

    “I feel like because we’re all so close it just makes us stronger,” she said, “and I’m not one who loves change but everything is going to be really positive. There’s a lot of good things.”

    So what are some of these family changes to which Kourtney Kardashian is referring? For starters, she believes Scott Disick is truly working on his sobriety. He recently returned from a rehab stint in Costa Rica, where he claims he’ll go again in the near future. The program there is apparently done in one-week increments.

    Kourtney Kardashian is also very supportive of stepdad Bruce Jenner, and his ongoing transition from male to female. Many of the Keeping Up With the Kardashians family members have supported Bruce, even though it was no doubt painful to see him and their mom, Kris Jenner, get divorced. It’s plain to see they realize how difficult it’s been for Bruce Jenner, who admits in a recent promo clip for his upcoming 20/20 interview with Diane Sawyer, that he was born in the wrong body.

    Kourtney reportedly went to bat recently for mom Kris Jenner, who, after claiming Bruce Jenner’s impending sex change ‘humiliated her,’ now wants to help him be the best woman he can be.

    Of course another big change for Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick both is the birth of their son Reign back in January.

    “He’s just the sweetest little boy. Whenever people say ‘How’s the new addition?’ He really is such an addition to the family. He’s added so much,” she said. “Everything is so easy. It’s such an easy transition. It’s been so amazing,” Kourtney says.

    It seems change really can be good. Some of the changes the Keeping Up With the Kardashians family members are dealing with aren’t necessarily easy ones, but sound like they truly will turn out to be positive ones as Kourtney Kardashian claims.

    Do you think Kourtney Kardashian is kidding herself by believing all these changes will, in fact, remain positive? Or do you think she really has her finger on the pulse of her family?

  • Bruce Jenner Speaks in 2nd Promo for Interview With Diane Sawyer

    Bruce Jenner appears in a second promo for his upcoming interview with Diane Sawyer. The interview is scheduled for April 24th on a special episode of 20/20. In this second promo–unlike the first one–Bruce Jenner speaks.

    “My whole life has been getting me ready for this,” the Keeping Up With the Kardashians patriarch says in the promo.

    “Bruce’s primary goal is to bring awareness to this issue in order to help others in the transgender community,” a source tells People of the upcoming interview.

    Bruce Jenner “wants this to be taken seriously so that his situation can have the most positive impact on society’s perception of the transgender community,” the source adds.

    Jenner is comforted by the support he receives from his family–sons Burt, Brandon, and Brody Jenner, and Kylie and Kendall Jenner–as well as stepdaughters Kourtney, Khloe, and Kim Kardashian.

    “Everything is going great with the family,” Brody Jenner said during a recent interview.

    “Everybody’s very happy. Everybody’s living life. And it’s a great time for all of us,” he added. “Everything’s really great.”

    Will you be checking out Bruce Jenner during his interview with Diane Sawyer on April 24th at 9:00 PM ET on ABC’s 20/20?

  • Georgia Fualaau, Sister Audrey: Parents Vili Fualaau, Mary Kay Letourneau Introduce Them in Barbara Walters Interview

    Georgia Fualaau and her sister Audrey Fualaau were introduced on TV Friday night during an interview on 20/20 with Barbara Walters. Now why do their names sound so familiar?

    It was back in 1996, when their father, Vili Fualaau, was just 12 years old, that he had a relationship with his teacher, Mary Kay Letourneau. That affair resulted in Audrey Fualaau’s birth nine months later. Yes, Vili Fualaau and Mary Kay Letourneau are Audrey and Georgia Fualaau’s parents.

    Mary Kay Letourneau was a married mother of four at the time she and Vili Fialaau began their illicit relationship. Daughter Georgia Fualaau was born when Letourneau was behind bars for her sexual relationship with the then-young boy.

    Both girls are now older than their father was when he and their mother began their relationship.

    “Probably why I looked so forward to getting married is because I already knew what kind of father he was,” Mary Kay Letourneau told Walters of Vili Fualaau, who is now 31. “Just knowing his personality and how invested he was in being a father.”

    Both Audrey and Georgia Fualaau now attend school in the same school district where Mary Kay Letourneau was a teacher.

    Their mother says the girls “seemed unfazed” by their parents’ scandal.

    Mary Kay Letourneau says Audrey and Georgia Fualaau became aware that their family was different when they visited their mother in prison.

    “There was never a sit-down chat, ‘Now is the time we’re going to talk to our children about this,’” Letourneau explained. “They seemed to already know… because they grew up with it… There’s just never been a ‘Wow, we better explain.’”

    So why have Mary Kay Letourneau and Vili Fualaau chosen to introduce both Audrey and Georgia Fualaau to the media now?

    It’s their 10-year anniversary.

    “It is our 10-year anniversary, and we already know that no matter how protective we are, that there’s going to be a wave of intrusion in our life right now that we can’t stop,” Letourneau reflected. “So it’s about doing the most responsible thing to protect our girls for the inevitable.”

    Do you expect that Audrey and Georgia Fualaau will experience some serious fallout in the coming days, following Friday night’s interview with Barbara Walters?

    Have Mary Kay Letourneau and Vili Fualaau done a positive thing or made a stupid mistake in being so open with the media?

  • Diane Sawyer: Check Out Promo for Her Upcoming Bruce Jenner Interview

    Diane Sawyer and Bruce Jenner will appear on a special episode of ABC’s 20/20 on April 24th, as she interviews the Keeping Up With the Kardashians patriarch about his transition from a man to a woman.

    The 15-second promo clip aired for the first time on Thursday evening.

    “Friday, April 24 on ABC, Bruce Jenner, The Interview,” the announcer says,. “The journey, the decisions, the future, the Diane Sawyer exclusive.”

    According to a report from Us Weekly, Diane Sawyer was chosen to interview Bruce Jenner because she has long supported the LGBT community.

    The publication also reports that Bruce Jenner has the support of all of his children and stepchildren.

    “They all have become protective of him and just want him to live the way he wants,” a source told Us Weekly.

    Will you be tuning in to see Diane Sawyer interview Bruce Jenner on 20/20 on April 24th? Many speculated the interview would be put off because of the fatal car crash Bruce was involved in several weeks ago. What those speculating didn’t realize, however, was that Diane Sawyer had already completed her interview at the time of the accident.

    It will be interesting to see what news reports say about Bruce Jenner and his transition following the Diane Sawyer interview. Do you think it will be a bit more positive once Bruce talks about how he has always believed he was living in the wrong body?

    Hopefully compassion will overrule prejudice.

  • Diane Sawyer Interview With Bruce Jenner Airs April 24th, Two Hours in Primetime on 20/20

    Diane Sawyer will be interviewing Bruce Jenner on April 24th in a two-hour primetime special. The interview will take place on ABC’s 20/20. The network announced the date and time of the interview earlier on Monday.

    Bruce Jenner is in the process of transitioning from a man to a woman, and it’s been no secret that Diane Sawyer scored the interview. Following the Keeping Up With the Kardashians patriarch’s recent car accident–during which a woman was killed–there was some speculation that the interview might get postponed.

    Diane Sawyer reportedly interviewed Bruce Jenner “some time ago,” however. The interview had actually taken place prior to his car accident.

    When Us Weekly confirmed back in February that Diane Sawyer would be interviewing Bruce Jenner, they also reported that he will follow up that interview with a docu-series on E! that follows the transition he’s been undergoing for several months now.

    Bruce Jenner–The Interview will in fact detail the former Olympian’s transition from male to female. His family–daughters Kylie and Kendall Jenner, sons Burt, Brandon, and Brody Jenner, and stepdaughters Kourtney, Khloe, and Kim Kardashian all support the transition.

    “I think everyone goes through things in life, and I think that story and what Bruce is going through, I think he’ll share whenever the time is right,” Kim Kardashian told Entertainment Tonight back in February. “I feel like that’s his journey to talk about.”

    Bruce Jenner’s mother said several weeks back that she is more proud of her son for sharing his transition journey than she was when he won an Olympic Gold medal.

    “It takes a lot of courage to do what he’s doing,” Esther Jenner told the Associated Press. “He said, ‘Mom, I’m still the same person.’ He said, ‘I’m still going to race cars, I’m still going to fly airplanes and I’m going to get my helicopter license.’”

    Unfortunately Kris Jenner isn’t particularly supportive of her ex-husband’s transition. She was reportedly embarrassed about Bruce Jenner’s recent breast implant surgery.

    Will you be tuning in to 20/20 on Friday night, April 24th at 9:00 PM ET to see Diane Sawyer interview Bruce Jenner?

    This interview may be among the most highly anticipated interviews of the year.

  • Elizabeth Vargas: Return to Rehab and Divorce

    Elizabeth Vargas not only returned to rehab this past week, she and her husband Marc Cohn have decided to get a divorce as well. The 20/20 anchor and Good Morning America news reporter is seeking treatment for alcohol addiction. It was Marc Cohn who urged Vargas to go to rehab the first time around.

    “You have a problem. You’re an alcoholic,” the ‘Walking in Memphis’ songwriter told his wife.

    “It made me really angry, really angry. But he was right,” Elizabeth Vargas said following her first stint in a rehab facility.

    Elizabeth Vargas issued a statement last weekend about her decision to return to rehab.

    “While on vacation this weekend, I decided to return to a recovery center. As so many other recovering alcoholics know, overcoming the disease can be a long and incredibly difficult process. I feel I have let myself, my co-workers and most importantly my family down, and for that I am ashamed and sorry,” she said. “I am committed to battling and addressing this debilitating disease and want to thank everyone who has offered their unwavering support during this trying time.”

    Elizabeth Vargas and Marc Cohn married on July 20, 2002 after dating for three years. They have two children. Zachary is eleven and Samuel is eight. Marc Cohn released a statement addressing the couple’s decision to divorce and the support he has pledged to her regardless of their marital status.

    “On behalf of Elizabeth’s family,” Cohn said. ”we are in total support of her recovery and want her to be well.”

    Hopefully Marc Cohn’s support of Elizabeth Vargas will make her time away as well as their divorce a bit easier for their two boys. When life hands kids a double whammy like these kids have just received, they need all the love and support they can get.

  • Elizabeth Vargas Returns to Rehab, ABC ‘Squarely Behind Her’

    ABC anchor Elizabeth Vargas left her vacation early to enter rehab for alcohol dependency for a second time.

    The 20/20 co-anchor announced the news in an emailed statement Sunday.

    “While on vacation this weekend, I decided to return to a recovery center. As so many other recovering alcoholics know, overcoming the disease can be a long and incredibly difficult process,” Vargas said. “I feel I have let myself, my co-workers and most importantly my family down and for that I am ashamed and sorry.”

    Vargas, 51, apologized for the relapse and said she was committed to addressing her disease.

    “I feel I have let myself, my co-workers and most importantly my family down and for that I am ashamed and sorry. I am committed to battling and addressing this debilitating disease and want to thank everyone who has offered their unwavering support during this trying time,” she said.

    The network said it stands “squarely behind her” and looks forward to her return to work as soon as her health permits.

    “Nothing is more important than Elizabeth’s health and well-being and we stand squarely behind her,” said ABC News rep Julie Townsend in a statement. “Our thoughts are with Elizabeth and her family and we look forward to having her back at ABC News when she feels ready to return.”

    Vargas, who is married to singer Marc Cohn and has two children, spent several weeks in a treatment facility in November. She is apparently going through a divorce with Cohn, who allegedly cheated on her while she was in treatment last fall. They have two young sons.

    Vargas courageously admitted her alcoholism in an interview with Good Morning America‘s George Stephanopoulos in January, saying it took years to admit she battled the disease, calling it a “staggering burden” to carry.

    “I am an alcoholic,” she said. “It took me a long time to admit that to myself. It took me a long time to admit it to my family, but I am. The amount of energy I expended keeping that secret and keeping this problem hidden from view was exhausting.”

    “Even to admit it to myself was admitting, I thought, that I was a failure,” she said. “You become so isolated with the secret and so lonely, because you can’t tell anyone what’s happening,” she said.

    She said she had suffered panic attacks since she was a child, and wound up self-medicating with alcohol.

    “I dealt with that anxiety, and with the stress that the anxiety brought, by starting to drink,” she said.

    Image via Elizabeth Vargas, Twitter

  • Elizabeth Vargas: 20/20 Anchor Checks Into Rehab Center For Alcoholism

    While on vacation in California, 20/20 anchor Elizabeth Vargas checked herself into a rehabilitation center for her alcohol addiction, which she has been reportedly struggling with for years. On Saturday, August 16, Vargas checked into rehab when she realized that she needed more help to achieve sobriety. The last time she was in rehab was last fall, when she checked herself in for several weeks in November.

    “While on vacation this weekend, I decided to return to a recovery center. As so many other recovering alcoholics know, overcoming the disease can be a long and incredibly difficult process.” said Vargas. “I feel I have let myself, my co-workers and most importantly my family down and for that I am ashamed and sorry. I am committed to battling and addressing this debilitating disease and want to thank everyone who has offered their unwavering support during this trying time.”

    Meanwhile, ABC has expressed full support for Vargas’ recovery in a statement that says, “Nothing is more important than Elizabeth’s health and well-being and we stand squarely behind her. Our thoughts are with Elizabeth and her family and we look forward to having her back at ABC News when she feels ready to return.”

    In an interview with Good Morning America in January, she revealed that she was an alcoholic, which took her years before she could admit it. She has suffered from panic attacks since she was a child and sought comfort in the bottle. “I dealt with that anxiety, and with the stress that the anxiety brought, by starting to drink,” she said.

    The TV journalist is currently going through a divorce with her husband, singer-songwriter Marc Cohn, who reportedly cheated on her while she was in rehab last year. Cohn, with whom Vargas has two children, is reportedly supportive of her recovery.

    Image via YouTube

  • Siegfried & Roy Tiger Dies 11 Years After Attack

    The male tiger that attacked Roy Horn–of the famous entertainment duo Siegfried & Roy–died last Wed., on March 19.

    The news was revealed through Siegfried and Roy’s Facebook page. The white tiger, they say, was 17 years old.

    “It is with great sorrow that I am writing you this note today, that on March 19, 2014, in the early afternoon, our beloved 17 year old white tiger friend and brother, Mantecore, left us and is now with his siblings in white tiger heaven.”

    And despite the 2003 attack, the duo said the tiger actually helped to save Horn’s life when he felt dizzy and collapsed on stage.

    “My lifesaver, Mantecore, who was the one responsible for pulling me to safety where the Paramedics could help me after my high blood pressure made me dizzy on stage,” the post stated. He is greatly missed, however, I have my memories and I know that now he is playing with his brother and sister.”

    Post by Siegfried & Roy.

    In an interview six years after the incident, Siegfried and Roy sat down with 20/20’s Elizabeth Vargas, and said both of them suffered a great deal after the attack, and Siegfried sank into a deep depression.

    “I was so alone, and I was so lost,” he stated. “And of course, I got in depression, but the depression was more because of the show…because it was over.”

    In the Facebook post Horn also said that he saved Mantecore from being neglected, because when he was born, his mother was not well enough to care for him.

    “Mantecore was one of a litter of three cubs born to a first time mother,” reads the post.

    “She was able to care for the first two babies, but by the time Mantecore arrived, she was so exhausted she wasn’t paying any attention to him. Without thinking twice I went into her space and got slowly closer, his umbilical cord was still attached, so I pinched it off with my fingernail and scooped him and placed him near her, and then she started to lick him.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Elizabeth Vargas’ Husband Denies Cheating On Her

    ABC journalist Elizabeth Vargas’ husband, Marc Cohn, is vehemently denying that he had an affair while his wife was in rehab.

    “I have no comment regarding vicious rumors about a so-called ‘affair,’” a spokesperson said on Cohn’s behalf to the Daily Mail on Thursday.

    “I have encouraged and supported Elizabeth’s recovery as her years of struggle have been hard on everyone,” said Cohn in the statement. “Out of deference to my family’s privacy, I will not comment further.”

    This denial comes in the wake of a New York Post‘s Page Six report claiming the grammy-award winning singer had an affair with their friend, Flywheel instructor Ruth Zukerman.

    According to a source, Cohn and Zukerman are “just friends” and only had one dinner together.

    “Ruth is friends with the both of them,” said the source. “Elizabeth and Marc are separated. Both are legitimately entitled to have dinner with a friend. Ruth and Marc don’t have an ongoing relationship. They had one dinner together. There is no affair.”

    Vargas, 51, entered rehab in November to treat her addiction to alcohol.

    “Like so many people, I am dealing with addiction,” said Vargas. “I realized I was becoming increasingly dependent on alcohol. I am in treatment and am so thankful for the love and support of my family, friends and colleagues at ABC News.”

    The mother of two left rehab in January and shared about her struggle with the disease and the moment she realized she needed help.

    “On a Saturday afternoon I showed up for a 20/20 shoot and I was in no shape to do that interview,” Vargas told Good Morning America‘s George Stephanopoulos in a Jan. 24 interview. “I got out of the car I realized what am I doing? And that’s when I knew I needed to get help.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Elizabeth Vargas Speaks Out: “I Am an Alcoholic”

    ABC News anchor Elizabeth Vargas is embarking on a new journey, and its alcohol-free. On Friday, Jan. 24, the 51-year-old television journalist returned to TV for the first time since her stint in rehab last fall for alcoholism, says Hollywood Reporter. 

    In an interview with Good Morning America, Vargas publicly acknowledged her addiction, revealing how exhausting it has been to conceal the problem for so long.

    “I am. I am an alcoholic,” she told GMA co-anchor George Stephanopoulos. “The amount of energy I expended keeping that secret and keeping this problem hidden from view was exhausting,” she said.

    “Even to admit it to myself was admitting, I thought, that I was a failure,” said Vargas. “It took me a long time to admit that to myself,” she explained. “It took me a long time to admit it to my family, but I am.”

    She also mentioned that she’d personally conducted a number of “20/20” segments on alcoholism, but couldn’t acknowledge her own dependency.

    Vargas went on to reveal the very moment she realized she had a serious problem. The 20/20 anchor recounted one day where she was “in no shape” to even conduct an interview. She also admitted that she had a preference for wine, as a means of coping with stress levels and anxiety as her drinking “slowly escalated and got worse and worse,” she said.

    “At night I — that was a ritual,” she said.”I should’ve realized it was a problem way back when Zachary, my oldest son, was born. And he used to call my nightly glass of wine ‘mommy’s juice.’ You know, and I thought that was hysterical. It didn’t occur to me that that was a problem.”

    She also admitted to bargaining with herself as a means of justifying the problem. “I started thinking ‘Well, you know, I’ll only drink, you know, on weekends. I’ll only drink, you know, two glasses of wine a night. I won’t drink on nights before I have to get up and do Good Morning America,” Vargas recalled. “But those deals never work.”

    Back in November, Vargas announced that she would be seeking help and spent a number of weeks in a rehabilitation facility. She also tweeted that she had left rehab two weeks after the initial announcement. 

    She is proud that she’s been able to admit and deal with her problem. “I have a sponsor. I have great, great friends who I love and who love me,” she said. “Alcohol for me is no longer an option.”

    Vargas will resume her role as co-anchor on 20/20 tonight.

    Image via Facebook | Elizabeth Vargus

  • Elizabeth Vargas Checks Into Rehab

    If you have been wondering why Elizabeth Vargas has been missing from her desk on ABC’s “20/20”, we finally have an answer. ABC confirmed Wednesday that Vargas has checked into a rehab facility to battle her alcohol addiction.

    ABC is fully supportive of Vargas and says she will have her job waiting on her when she gets better. “We look forward to having her back home at ABC News where she has done so much distinguished work over the years,” said ABC News representative Jeffrey Schneider. “Elizabeth is a member of our family and we will support her in every way we can.” In the meantime, Vargas’ co-anchor, David Muir, will continue to host the show.

    “She’s checked herself into a facility, and she’s getting treatment,” a source close to Vargas said. “She’s been there for a few weeks and will be there for another few weeks.”

    Vargas realized that she was becoming increasingly more dependent on alcohol and recognized that it was time for her to seek professional help.

    “I realized I was becoming increasingly dependent on alcohol,” she said. “And feel fortunate to have recognized it for the problem it was becoming. I am in treatment and am so thankful for the love and support of my family, friends and colleagues at ABC News. Like so many others, I will deal with this challenge one day at a time. If coming forward today gives one other person the courage to seek help, I’m grateful.”

    Vargas joined ABC for “Good Morning America” in 1996, and then became co-anchor of “20/20” in 2004.

    Image via Twitter

  • Elizabeth Vargas in Rehab For Alcohol Abuse

    Co-anchor of ABC’S 20/20, Elizabeth Vargas has reportedly checked into rehab due to alcohol abuse.

    She had been absent on the show for a long time and fans started to wonder where she was. All that was said was that she was on ‘medical leave’. It had not been released until recently that she has been battling alcoholism for a long time now.

    No statement has been released at this time as to how well she is doing but all of her friends, family and colleagues continue to support her.

    She recently made the statement, ““Like so many people, I am dealing with addiction,” the anchor said in a statement obtained by multiple outlets. “I realized I was becoming increasingly dependent on alcohol. And feel fortunate to have recognized it for the problem it was becoming. I am in treatment and am so thankful for the love and support of my family, friends and colleagues at ABC News. Like so many others, I will deal with this challenge one day at a time. If coming forward today gives one other person the courage to seek help, I’m grateful.”, according to US Magazine.

    It has also been reported that she will begin working with ABC again, when she feels up to it.
    Vargas is married to Marc Cohn. Cohn is a singer/songwriter and is best known for his song “Walking in Memphis”. They have two sons together, Zachary, 10 and Samuel, 7. They reside on the Upper West Side in New York City.

    [Photo via Youtube]