Reuters People News Summary

08/30/2016 16:58

Following is a summary of current people news briefs.

Gene Wilder, star of 'Willy Wonka,' 'Blazing Saddles,' dead at 83

Gene Wilder, whose wild curls and startling blue eyes brought a frantic air to roles in the movies "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," "Young Frankenstein" and "Blazing Saddles," died on Monday at the age of 83, his family said. Wilder, whose best work included collaborations with director-writer Mel Brooks and actor-comedian Richard Pryor, died at his home in Stamford, Connecticut, from complications of Alzheimer's disease, the family said in a statement.

Star of reality TV's 'Ice Road Truckers' killed in plane crash

One of the stars of "Ice Road Truckers," a reality TV show about the hazards of driving the frozen highways of northern Canada and Alaska, was killed in a plane crash in Montana over the weekend, a spokeswoman for the History channel said on Monday. Darrell Ward, 52, was flying to Missoula to begin filming a pilot episode about the recovery of plane wrecks for a new documentary-style show, according to his Facebook page.

Ryan Lochte to dance with stars, says Rio scandal overblown

Disgraced Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte is joining the "Dancing With the Stars" cast, ABC television announced on Tuesday, as the gold medalist said he thought reaction to his tale about being held up at a Rio de Janeiro gas station had been blown out of proportion. Lochte, 32, was dropped by four of his major sponsors after admitting he "overexaggerated" a tale about being robbed and held at gunpoint with three other swimmers after a party during the Rio Olympics. Brazilian authorities say the group destroyed a bathroom and urinated in public, and have recommended that Lochte be charged with falsely reporting a crime.

Brazil's Gisele holds top spot in Forbes model list; Jenner jumps

Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen remained the highest-paid female model in the world with annual income of $30.5 million, while Kardashian clan member Kendall Jenner more than doubled her earnings, according to Forbes' 2016 list on Tuesday. Jenner, 20-year-old member of reality TV's Kardashian family, tied for third, up from 16th the prior year, and she was the biggest gainer on the 2016 list. Her salary increased from $4 million in 2015 to $10 million in 2016 in part due to partnerships with Estee Lauder and Calvin Klein, Forbes said.

Taylor Swift poses with fans at jury duty a day after VMA snub

Taylor Swift was the most high-profile absence at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) but on Monday but the singer happily took photos with fans after reporting for jury duty in Nashville. Swift, 26, was photographed by other potential jurors as she was waiting to be selected as a jury member ahead of a trial in a Nashville court, according to Twitter user Tracy Bates (@TracysActivism).

Singer Chris Brown, police in standoff after 911 call by woman

Police surrounded the Los Angeles home of Chris Brown on Tuesday in response to a pre-dawn 911 call from a woman there who asked for help, and media reports said the woman claimed the pop star had pointed a gun at her. Brown, 27, denied any wrongdoing and said in posts on Instagram that he had woken up to find police outside and that they would need a warrant to enter the property in the Tarzana neighborhood in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley.

Clinton aide Abedin leaves husband Weiner after sexting report

Huma Abedin, one of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's top aides, said on Monday that she was separating from her husband, Anthony Weiner, after a sex scandal similar to an earlier incident that led him to resign from the U.S. Congress. "After long and painful consideration and work on my marriage, I have made the decision to separate from my husband," Huma Abedin said in a statement.

Beyonce storms Video Music Awards, Rihanna gets lifetime award

Beyonce dominated the MTV Video Music awards on Sunday, prowling the stage with a 15 minute medley from her powerful "Lemonade" album and taking home eight statuettes, including the top prize - video of the year. On a night when women ruled, Britney Spears returned to the VMA stage for the first time in a decade, and Rihanna performed four times to mark her lifetime achievement award.

08/30/2016 16:58