Entertainment

Sweet Valley High author Francine Pascal dies at 92

Published

11 months ago

August 1, 2024

editor

Sweet Valley High author Francine Pascal has died at the age of 92.

Her agent Amy Bekower told the BBC she died on Sunday.

Pascal died of lymphoma in hospital in New York, her daughter Laurie Wenk-Pascal confirmed to the New York Times.

Pascal’s popular book series about identical US twins Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield was a hit around the world with its tales of teen romance, friendship and sibling rivalry.

Set in the fictional Los Angeles suburb of Sweet Valley, the first book from the series was published in 1983, with 180 more produced over the following 20 years.

There were also several spin-offs, including Sweet Valley Twins and Sweet Valley University.

The books were translated into 27 languages, selling hundreds of millions of copies worldwide.

There was also an accompanying TV series, starring real-life twins Cynthia and Brittany Daniel, which ran for four seasons from 1994 to 1997.

In fact, Sweet Valley had gone full circle as Pascal had originally planned to sell the idea for a daytime drama featuring teenage characters “until a friend suggested that a book series, rather than a television series, might be the best way to fully develop the fictitious southern California town of Sweet Valley.”

She said some of her ideas came from her three daughters but also from her own experiences of growing up.

Pascal came up with the idea of Jessica and Elizabeth because she “always had a fascination with twins. The trick is to think of Elizabeth and Jessica as the good and bad sides of one person”.

A graphic novel called Sweet Valley Twins was published in 2022.

Pascal’s writing career began in the 1960s, co-writing for the soap opera The Young Marrieds alongside husband John Pascal.

She wrote several other young adult novels before creating Sweet Valley, including Hangin’ Out with Cici, My First Love and Other Disasters and The Hand-Me-Down-Kid.

She also penned adult novels Save Johanna! in 1981 and If Wishes Were Horses in 1994.

(BBC News)

Entertainment

Star Wars actor Kenneth Colley dies aged 87

Published

2 days ago

July 4, 2025

editor

Star Wars actor Kenneth Colley has died after contracting Covid and developing pneumonia, his agent has announced

Star Wars actor Kenneth Colley has died at the age of 87, his agent has announced.

The film and television performer is best known for starring in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi as Admiral Piett, an imperial officer in command of Darth Vader’s flagship.

He died peacefully at his home in Ashford, Kent, on Monday after contracting Covid and developing pneumonia, his agent Julian Owen said in a statement.

“Ken Colley was one of our finest character actors with a career spanning 60 years,” Mr Owens said.

“Ken continually worked on stage, film and television playing a vast array of characters, from Jesus in Monty Python’s Life of Brian to evil and eccentric characters in Ken Russell films, and the Duke of Vienna in Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure for the BBC.”

The statement said Colley had been admitted to hospital with an injured arm after a fall, but he quickly contracted Covid which developed into pneumonia.

He died with friends at his bedside, it added.

In later years, Colley reprised his role of Admiral Piett when he voiced the character in the 2012 animated Lego production, Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out.

He also had parts in international productions including Clint Eastwood’s Firefox and the Second World War series War and Remembrance.

Mr Owen said Colley’s paticipation in Star Wars led him to being invited to conventions and fan events all over the world.

“Ken also loved his garden, art collecting and had a passion for fast cars,” he added.

Colley is also known for playing Jesus in Monty Python’s Life of Brian alongside John Cleese, Graham Chapman and Michael Palin.

(BBC News)

Entertainment

‘Diddy’ denied bail after being cleared of most serious charges

Published

3 days ago

July 3, 2025

editor

A judge has denied bail to Sean “Diddy” Combs after a jury convicted the hip-hop mogul of transportation to engage in prostitution, but acquitted him of the most serious charges: racketeering and sex-trafficking.

Lawyers for the recording artist had argued he posed no flight risk, pointing out his jet is being chartered in Hawaii.

But Judge Arun Subramanian cited Combs’ history of violence as he ruled the rapper must remain behind bars until sentencing later this year when he faces up to 20 years in prison.

In the nearly two-month federal trial in New York City, prosecutors accused Combs of using his celebrity status and business empire to run a criminal enterprise to sex traffic women.

A panel of 12 jurors deliberated for 13 hours before acquitting Combs of three of the most serious five charges.

He will continue to be held at the same federal jail in Brooklyn where he has been detained since last September.

The sentencing was tentatively scheduled for 3 October.

(BBC News)

Entertainment

SRK confirmed as special guest at “City of Dreams” launch

Published

4 days ago

July 2, 2025

editor

It has been officially announced that Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan will indeed be joining the grand opening of the “City of Dreams Sri Lanka” on Aug. 02 as a special guest.

The “City of Dreams Sri Lanka” has confirmed this in a statement on Facebook.