Image courtesy of @kimkardashian

Entertainment

Joe Exotic asks Kim Kardashian for help getting presidential pardon in letter

By Alma Fabiani

Dec 8, 2020

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Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage, better known by his stage name Joe Exotic, is an American (former) zoo operator now turned convicted felon who became infamous after the release of Netflix’s Tiger King documentary, which focused on the 57-year-old and his archenemy, Carole Baskin. What fewer people might be aware of is that Exotic is currently serving a 22-year prison sentence after being convicted of plotting a murder-for-hire against Big Cat Rescue owner Baskin, among other charges.

Since March 2020, he has been incarcerated at FMC Fort Worth in Texas and by June 2020, Baskin received control of Exotic’s zoo property. Now, as if this story wasn’t crazy enough, Exotic is hoping that Kim Kardashian West will help get him out from behind bars. In a new handwritten letter obtained by ET, the Tiger King star writes to the reality star and criminal justice reform activist, asking for her help in getting a presidential pardon from President Donald Trump.

The letter reads, “I know you have never met me and may never want to however I do believe that you hold the values of our justice system dear to your heart,” Joe writes in the letter dated Nov. 4. “I am writing you this letter not as Joe Exotic but as the person Joseph Maldonado-Passage, asking you to please help me by just taking 10 minutes out of your life and placing a call to President Trump to look at my 257 page pardon it’s all the evidence I’m innocent and ask him to sign my pardon so I can return home to [my husband] Dillon and my father.”

Exotic adds, “I have lost 57 years of work, my zoo, my animals, my mother has died, my dad is dying and I’ve been taken away from my husband who I love dearly. Everyone is so busy making movies, getting interviews, selling stuff and dressing up like me that everyone forgot I’m a real live person in prison and kept from even telling my own story for something I didn’t do.”

Towards the end of the letter, he explains to Kardashian that “No one even has to know you did it.”

 

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Une publication partagée par Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian)

Ironically, Kardashian has already shown that she is a big Tiger King fan. Back in October, the mother of four and her friend, Jonathan Cheban, dressed up as Carole Baskin and Joe Exotic for Halloween with her kids as tigers. She also expressed an interest in the series back in March, tweeting, “Wow the amount of texts I’ve gotten about Tiger King since I tweeted about it all have mentioned their belief that Carol killed her husband! What are your thoughts? Do you think Carol killed him?”

So far, it hasn’t been precised whether the celebrity intends to help Exotic out. But in the meantime, Baskin’s Big Cat Rescue has offered to have Kardashian come visit their sanctuary, which she hasn’t responded publicly to either.

Image courtesy of Kaleida

Entertainment

Kanye West bought Kim Kardashian a talking hologram of her late father Robert Kardashian

By Alma Fabiani

Nov 2, 2020

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American rapper, record producer, and fashion designer Kanye West just bought his wife Kim Kardashian West a hologram of her late father, lawyer Robert Kardashian, to celebrate her birthday. The hologram, which was made in part using deepfake technology, spoke about Kardashian West’s childhood, before saying: “I am so proud of the woman you have become.” It also said that she married “the most, most, most, most genius man in the whole world, Kanye West.”

The holographic resurrection was made by the production company Kaleida using a gauze it calls ‘Holonet’. This contains real silver, which reflects projected light to create holographic effects. Parts of the Holonet then become transparent to give the impression of solid objects and real people existing in 3D space. It combines this with motion tracking, SFX, VFX, and deepfake technology.

The hologram, which was paid by Kanye West, told Kardashian West she is the “most amazing mother,” praised her career, and said unashamedly praised Kanye West for being “the most, most, most, most genius man in the whole world.” Should we be surprised? I guess not.

“Sometimes I drop hints that I’m around, like when you hear someone make a big peefee, or when you make a big peefee,” the hologram added, referring to the Armenian word for flatulence. Robert Kardashian’s hologram also danced and sang to Barry Mann’s song ‘Who Put the Bomp’.

Kaleida’s past clients include the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Netflix, Nike, and Madam Tussauds. Other celebrities who have previously appeared as holograms include Tupac, Amy Winehouse and Michael Jackson. In 2017, Celine Dion performed ‘If I Can Dream’ on American Idol alongside a hologram of Elvis Presley, and in 2018, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum unveiled a hologram of the former president.

Robert Kardashian was a lawyer and businessman who was best known for serving as defence attorney during OJ Simpson’s 1995 murder trial. He died of oesophagal cancer in July 2003. Kardashian West, who turned 40 on 21 October and celebrated her birthday with friends and family on a private island, shared the video on her Twitter account.

She called the surprise “the most thoughtful gift of a lifetime,” adding that it was “so lifelike.” She watched the hologram over and over, and shared that it made her emotional.

After the reality star said the trip followed “two weeks of multiple health screens and asking everyone to quarantine,” she was accused of being insensitive to families separated by COVID-19. On Twitter, many fans to her tweet, turning it into a viral meme. 

Meanwhile, after Kendall Jenner celebrated her 25th birthday this weekend with a Halloween-themed party, a second Kardashian celebrity received backlash from fans. Jenner had reportedly asked attendees not to post any images on social media, which clearly did not go to plan! Her sister Kylie Jenner also posted pictures and videos of the party on Instagram.

Attendees included Saweetie, Doja Cat, The Weeknd, Winnie Harlow, Justin Bieber and Jaden Smith, who appeared to be wearing an oxygen mask.