Exclusive: Jenner Furst, the Peabody-winning Emmy nominated director and exec producer of numerous hot button documentaries, has teamed with Arnold Rifkin and former Cj Entertainment exec Justin Lee to form Incite. Rifkin is the Hollywood vet who ran Wma for years and was producing partner with Bruce Willis after that, and who will move Incite into scripted fare next year.
Incite’s aim is to finance and produce premium non-fiction fare, and they have started out with a bang. Furst just sat with George Santos, the former Queens pol who became only the sixth person in history to be expelled from US Congress. Santos has left a trail of lies and fabrications that started being exposed before he became the first openly LGBTQ+ person to be voted in on the Republican ticket.
When Deadline spoke to Furst on Thursday, he was tired after completing 8 hours worth of interviews with Santos...
Incite’s aim is to finance and produce premium non-fiction fare, and they have started out with a bang. Furst just sat with George Santos, the former Queens pol who became only the sixth person in history to be expelled from US Congress. Santos has left a trail of lies and fabrications that started being exposed before he became the first openly LGBTQ+ person to be voted in on the Republican ticket.
When Deadline spoke to Furst on Thursday, he was tired after completing 8 hours worth of interviews with Santos...
- 12/22/2023
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
The scammy, salacious saga of George Santos’ fraudulent life and short-lived congressional career will soon get the documentary treatment.
According to The New York Times the project, which is already in the works, will be directed by self-proclaimed “scammer whisperer” and Fyre Fraud documentarian Jenner Furst — who has also already secured Santos’ participation in the film and plans to pay him an “archival materials fee.”
Furst is the award-winning director behind projects including Time: The Kalief Browder Story, LuLaRich, and the smash hit Hulu documentary Fyre Fraud, which chronicled the disastrous,...
According to The New York Times the project, which is already in the works, will be directed by self-proclaimed “scammer whisperer” and Fyre Fraud documentarian Jenner Furst — who has also already secured Santos’ participation in the film and plans to pay him an “archival materials fee.”
Furst is the award-winning director behind projects including Time: The Kalief Browder Story, LuLaRich, and the smash hit Hulu documentary Fyre Fraud, which chronicled the disastrous,...
- 12/21/2023
- by Nikki McCann Ramirez
- Rollingstone.com
If you expect the Netflix docuseries “Big Vape: The Rise and Fall of Juul” to be the ultimate takedown of controversial e-cigarettes, think again.
The four-part series, directed by R.J. Cutler and based on Time reporter Jamie Ducharme’s book “Big Vape: The Incendiary Rise of Juul,” examines all the mistakes Juul executives made, including marketing the e-cigarette to millennials. The series also suggests that the product might very well be a better option than conventional cigarettes.
Stanford graduate students and Juul founders Adam Bowen and James Monsee, who did not participate in the series, were on a smoke break when they had an “a-ha” moment. Could they create a nicotine product that was less harmful than cigarettes? Bowen and Monsee wanted to “erase combustible cigarettes from the face of the earth.” The result was Juul, an electronic cigarette startup meant to save lives that came under federal scrutiny for its own health risks.
The four-part series, directed by R.J. Cutler and based on Time reporter Jamie Ducharme’s book “Big Vape: The Incendiary Rise of Juul,” examines all the mistakes Juul executives made, including marketing the e-cigarette to millennials. The series also suggests that the product might very well be a better option than conventional cigarettes.
Stanford graduate students and Juul founders Adam Bowen and James Monsee, who did not participate in the series, were on a smoke break when they had an “a-ha” moment. Could they create a nicotine product that was less harmful than cigarettes? Bowen and Monsee wanted to “erase combustible cigarettes from the face of the earth.” The result was Juul, an electronic cigarette startup meant to save lives that came under federal scrutiny for its own health risks.
- 10/11/2023
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Pack your water bottles, because a second Fyre Festival seems to be in the works. On Aug. 20, Billy McFarland, the organizer behind the original failed event, revealed that tickets for a second installment of the festival were on sale for $499 apiece in an Instagram video. He also said the event was scheduled for December 2024.
Just two days later, McFarland claimed that the festival had sold out entirely. However, event's website claims more tickets are "coming soon," though they'll cost between $799 and $7,999 each.
Not many details or specifics about the second Fyre Festival are available, and the website merely says that the festival will take place somewhere in "The Caribbean." Meanwhile, in 2022, the Bahamas Tourism Industry said it would "not endorse or approve any event" on the islands "associated with" McFarland, per NBC.
Speculation about a second Fyre Festival began to swirl when McFarland shared a series of cryptic tweets on April 9 teasing a follow-up.
Just two days later, McFarland claimed that the festival had sold out entirely. However, event's website claims more tickets are "coming soon," though they'll cost between $799 and $7,999 each.
Not many details or specifics about the second Fyre Festival are available, and the website merely says that the festival will take place somewhere in "The Caribbean." Meanwhile, in 2022, the Bahamas Tourism Industry said it would "not endorse or approve any event" on the islands "associated with" McFarland, per NBC.
Speculation about a second Fyre Festival began to swirl when McFarland shared a series of cryptic tweets on April 9 teasing a follow-up.
- 8/24/2023
- by Chandler Plante
- Popsugar.com
Despite having no announced lineup, location, or date, the initial allotment of tickets for Fyre Fest 2.0 has sold out, according to founder and convicted fraudster Billy McFarland.
“The First 100” tier of tickets went on sale Sunday for the price of $499. “They sold out very very quickly,” McFarland claimed in an interview with TMZ.
McFarland previously said that Fyre Fest 2.0 would take place in the Caribbean sometime at the end of 2024. The remaining festival tickets will go on sale at a future date, with some premium levels priced for as high as $7,999.
In 2018, McFarland pleaded guilty to multiple counts of wire fraud in connection to Fyre Fest 1.0, admitting that he defrauded investors over the festival’s financial status and provided falsified documents to secure funding. He ended up serving four years in prison and was ordered to pay restitution of $26 million to the defrauded investors.
McFarland claims that he has new...
“The First 100” tier of tickets went on sale Sunday for the price of $499. “They sold out very very quickly,” McFarland claimed in an interview with TMZ.
McFarland previously said that Fyre Fest 2.0 would take place in the Caribbean sometime at the end of 2024. The remaining festival tickets will go on sale at a future date, with some premium levels priced for as high as $7,999.
In 2018, McFarland pleaded guilty to multiple counts of wire fraud in connection to Fyre Fest 1.0, admitting that he defrauded investors over the festival’s financial status and provided falsified documents to secure funding. He ended up serving four years in prison and was ordered to pay restitution of $26 million to the defrauded investors.
McFarland claims that he has new...
- 8/23/2023
- by Scoop Harrison
- Consequence - Music
Billy McFarland is giving the Fyre Festival concept a second shot and made an announcement about ticket sales going on sale.
Fyre Festival II has no specific location set yet but it’s supposed to take place by the end of 2024 in the Caribbean. Per the festival’s website, ticket prices start at $499 and go up to $7,999.
“This is a big day because as of right now, Fyre Festival II tickets are officially on sale,” McFarland says in a video he posted on YouTube. “It has been the absolute wildest journey to get here and it really all started during the seventh-month stint in solitary confinement. I wrote out this 50-page plan of how would take this overall interest and demand and fire and how would take my ability to bring people from around the world together to make the impossible happen.”
McFarland pled guilty in 2018 to two counts of...
Fyre Festival II has no specific location set yet but it’s supposed to take place by the end of 2024 in the Caribbean. Per the festival’s website, ticket prices start at $499 and go up to $7,999.
“This is a big day because as of right now, Fyre Festival II tickets are officially on sale,” McFarland says in a video he posted on YouTube. “It has been the absolute wildest journey to get here and it really all started during the seventh-month stint in solitary confinement. I wrote out this 50-page plan of how would take this overall interest and demand and fire and how would take my ability to bring people from around the world together to make the impossible happen.”
McFarland pled guilty in 2018 to two counts of...
- 8/23/2023
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
Years after the disastrous 2017 Fyre Festival, Billy McFarland has announced that Fyre Festival II is in the works.
McFarland said in a video posted on social media Sunday that after speaking with “people as far away as the Middle East and South America” to host the festival, he ultimately decided that the festival would be “coming back to the Caribbean” with a target date at the end of 2024. Specific locations, dates and festival lineup have yet to be revealed.
“This is a big day,” he added in the clip. “It has been the absolute wildest journey to get here, and it really all started during a seventh-month stint in solitary confinement. I wrote out this 50-page plan of how it would take this overall interest and demand in Fyre and how it would take my ability to bring people from around the world together to make the impossible happen.
On Tuesday morning,...
McFarland said in a video posted on social media Sunday that after speaking with “people as far away as the Middle East and South America” to host the festival, he ultimately decided that the festival would be “coming back to the Caribbean” with a target date at the end of 2024. Specific locations, dates and festival lineup have yet to be revealed.
“This is a big day,” he added in the clip. “It has been the absolute wildest journey to get here, and it really all started during a seventh-month stint in solitary confinement. I wrote out this 50-page plan of how it would take this overall interest and demand in Fyre and how it would take my ability to bring people from around the world together to make the impossible happen.
On Tuesday morning,...
- 8/23/2023
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
You may get your chance if you want to be stranded on an island for several days without proper food and amenities.
After the disastrous outcome of 2017’s Fyre Festival, which saw event founder and entrepreneur Billy McFarland get charged with six counts of fraud, he’s out of prison and ready to host another Fyre Festival for anyone who somehow doesn’t know what happened to the first festival.
Read More: Fyre Festival 2 Is ‘Finally Happening,’ According To Co-Founder Billy McFarland
In a YouTube clip shared on Tuesday, McFarland, who was released from prison in May 2022 and served house arrest until September last year, announces the grand return of his famously screwed-up festival, which left hundreds of event attendees stranded on an island in the Bahamas with nothing but tents and pre-packaged food.
“This is a big day because, as of right now, Fyre Festival 2 tickets are officially on sale,...
After the disastrous outcome of 2017’s Fyre Festival, which saw event founder and entrepreneur Billy McFarland get charged with six counts of fraud, he’s out of prison and ready to host another Fyre Festival for anyone who somehow doesn’t know what happened to the first festival.
Read More: Fyre Festival 2 Is ‘Finally Happening,’ According To Co-Founder Billy McFarland
In a YouTube clip shared on Tuesday, McFarland, who was released from prison in May 2022 and served house arrest until September last year, announces the grand return of his famously screwed-up festival, which left hundreds of event attendees stranded on an island in the Bahamas with nothing but tents and pre-packaged food.
“This is a big day because, as of right now, Fyre Festival 2 tickets are officially on sale,...
- 8/22/2023
- by Emerson Pearson
- ET Canada
The world’s most poorly planned, money-grabbing, disgusting music festival is back! No, not Woodstock ‘99, but the Fyre Festival, which is set to return next year. Just when you got the image of that cheese sandwich out of your head…
The brain cell behind the first Fyre Festival, Billy McFarland, announced the event in a YouTube video this week. “This is a big day because as of right now, Fyre Festival II tickets are officially on sale. It has been the absolute wildest journey to get here, and it really all started during a seventh-month stint in solitary confinement. I wrote out this 50-page plan of how it would take this overall interest and demand in Fyre and how it would take my ability to bring people from around the world together to make the impossible happen.”
The 2024 edition of Fyre Festival, like 2017’s event, will be held in the Caribbean,...
The brain cell behind the first Fyre Festival, Billy McFarland, announced the event in a YouTube video this week. “This is a big day because as of right now, Fyre Festival II tickets are officially on sale. It has been the absolute wildest journey to get here, and it really all started during a seventh-month stint in solitary confinement. I wrote out this 50-page plan of how it would take this overall interest and demand in Fyre and how it would take my ability to bring people from around the world together to make the impossible happen.”
The 2024 edition of Fyre Festival, like 2017’s event, will be held in the Caribbean,...
- 8/22/2023
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Fyre Festival promoter Billy McFarland is selling tickets to Fyre Festival II.
“Guys, this is your chance to get in,” he said in a TikTok video Sunday. “This is everything we’ve been working towards. Let’s f–king go.”
McFarland, who was released early from prison last year after being convicted of wire fraud in 2018, described “the absolute wildest journey to get here” as he advertised the opening sale window on TikTok Sunday. The link in the influencer’s bio takes users to a Posh VIP link that advertises the second Fyre Festival as targeted for Dec. 6, 2024.
“We’re dropping the first 777 Pre-Sale Fyre Passes which includes 1 ticket to Fyre Festival II and access to Fyre Pop-Ups, Experiences and the Fyre Crew Community,” the description reads.
@pyrtbilly
Fyre Festival 2 is Live! in bio
♬ original sound – Billy McFarland
“It really all started during the seventh month stint in solitary confinement,...
“Guys, this is your chance to get in,” he said in a TikTok video Sunday. “This is everything we’ve been working towards. Let’s f–king go.”
McFarland, who was released early from prison last year after being convicted of wire fraud in 2018, described “the absolute wildest journey to get here” as he advertised the opening sale window on TikTok Sunday. The link in the influencer’s bio takes users to a Posh VIP link that advertises the second Fyre Festival as targeted for Dec. 6, 2024.
“We’re dropping the first 777 Pre-Sale Fyre Passes which includes 1 ticket to Fyre Festival II and access to Fyre Pop-Ups, Experiences and the Fyre Crew Community,” the description reads.
@pyrtbilly
Fyre Festival 2 is Live! in bio
♬ original sound – Billy McFarland
“It really all started during the seventh month stint in solitary confinement,...
- 8/21/2023
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
Everyone’s favorite grilled cheese salesman and concert industry scammer Billy McFarland is back with a brand new opportunity for you to give him money and ostensibly see a concert.
The infamous Fyre Festival founder/fraudster — who pleaded guilty to fraud charges and spent a little less than four years in prison the last time he tried to throw a music festival in the Caribbean — has put tickets on sale for a second music festival in the Caribbean. Fyre Festival II does not have an official date (they’re targeting end of 2024), location,...
The infamous Fyre Festival founder/fraudster — who pleaded guilty to fraud charges and spent a little less than four years in prison the last time he tried to throw a music festival in the Caribbean — has put tickets on sale for a second music festival in the Caribbean. Fyre Festival II does not have an official date (they’re targeting end of 2024), location,...
- 8/21/2023
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Convicted felon and Fyre Fest founder Billy McFarland is officially selling tickets for his “2.0 version” of the festival.
With a voice full of hubris, McFarland made the announcement on TikTok with a video he shot while clothed in a rather comfortable-looking white bathrobe. “This is a big day, because as of right now, Fyre Festival II tickets are officially on sale,” he said. “We spoke to people as far away as the Middle East and South America, and ultimately, we decided that Fyre Festival II is coming back to the Caribbean. We are targeting Fyre Festival II for the end of next year. In the meantime, we’ll be doing pop-ups and events across the world. Guys, this is your chance to get in. This is everything I’ve been working towards. Let’s fucking go.”
Though Fyre Festival II doesn’t have a lineup, venue, or date, McFarland has...
With a voice full of hubris, McFarland made the announcement on TikTok with a video he shot while clothed in a rather comfortable-looking white bathrobe. “This is a big day, because as of right now, Fyre Festival II tickets are officially on sale,” he said. “We spoke to people as far away as the Middle East and South America, and ultimately, we decided that Fyre Festival II is coming back to the Caribbean. We are targeting Fyre Festival II for the end of next year. In the meantime, we’ll be doing pop-ups and events across the world. Guys, this is your chance to get in. This is everything I’ve been working towards. Let’s fucking go.”
Though Fyre Festival II doesn’t have a lineup, venue, or date, McFarland has...
- 8/21/2023
- by Eddie Fu
- Consequence - Music
Two Friends Edm music duo Eli Sones and Matthew Halper recently revealed that Fyre Festival promoter, Billy McFarland contacted them about performing at a future Fyre Festival.
McFarland’s 2018 Fyre Festival infamously became known as the dumpster fire of music events when McFarland promised hundreds of concert-goers the luxury music festival of a lifetime – and it turned out to be a total con. McFarland ultimately pleaded guilty to defrauding investors, was fined $39 million, and served four years in prison.
Since his release, he’s promised to do Fyre Festival the right way. However, finding strong acts may be pretty tough.
Two Friends wouldn’t consider doing Fyre Festival
McFarland hinted in the press that Fyre Festival 2.0 could be in the works and Two Friends confirmed that the disgraced promoter contacted them.
“Funny enough, I would say probably not,” Sones told Showbiz Cheat Sheet about the possibility of playing Fyre. “But he actually did.
McFarland’s 2018 Fyre Festival infamously became known as the dumpster fire of music events when McFarland promised hundreds of concert-goers the luxury music festival of a lifetime – and it turned out to be a total con. McFarland ultimately pleaded guilty to defrauding investors, was fined $39 million, and served four years in prison.
Since his release, he’s promised to do Fyre Festival the right way. However, finding strong acts may be pretty tough.
Two Friends wouldn’t consider doing Fyre Festival
McFarland hinted in the press that Fyre Festival 2.0 could be in the works and Two Friends confirmed that the disgraced promoter contacted them.
“Funny enough, I would say probably not,” Sones told Showbiz Cheat Sheet about the possibility of playing Fyre. “But he actually did.
- 7/26/2023
- by Gina Ragusa
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
It’s been more than three years since Sofia Franklyn and Alex Cooper disbanded the original iteration of the popular “Call Her Daddy” podcast that appeared under Barstool Sports’ umbrella. The dramatic split between the two co-hosts, who were best friends and roommates, divided fans of the show and sparked major backlash online. At the time, Cooper and Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy revealed certain details of how and why the “Call Her Daddy” deal fell apart, placing most of the blame on Franklyn and publicly aligning against her. The...
- 7/11/2023
- by Krystie Lee Yandoli
- Rollingstone.com
This will be the last interview Caroline Calloway gives before she’s officially a memoirist. A scammer? Perhaps. Guided by grandiose ambitions? Definitely. But she’s about to have fulfilled the largest, most infamous promise she’s known for having broken: She finally wrote a book.
For those who aren’t terminally online, Calloway is a 31-year-old “It Girl” — or “satanic shroom trip,” depending on your persuasion — living in Sarasota, Florida who performs for “the theater of the internet” and enjoys pinning orchids in her hair. Before that, starting around...
For those who aren’t terminally online, Calloway is a 31-year-old “It Girl” — or “satanic shroom trip,” depending on your persuasion — living in Sarasota, Florida who performs for “the theater of the internet” and enjoys pinning orchids in her hair. Before that, starting around...
- 6/13/2023
- by Olivia Messer
- Rollingstone.com
Disgraced Fyre Fest founder Billy McFarland says he has secured funding to stage to a “2.0 version” of the festival, as well as a companion Broadway musical.
McFarland made the announcement via his TikTok, as well as in an interview with NYC street journalist Adam Glyn (see below). In the latter clip, he spoke while standing outside of a bar with venture capitalist John Cerasani, who appears to be backing McFarland’s ventures.
The musical, which will apparently preempt the festival, is dubbed “Fyre Fest 1.5” As McFarland explained, “Instead of like traditional Broadway actors, it’s going to be current music artists, combined with the Broadway format of the play — making fun of me, but also I think sharing some of the good sides as well.”
“That’s going to lead to the Island, McFarland continued, where he will attempt to stage a second version of Fyre Fest.
He said his...
McFarland made the announcement via his TikTok, as well as in an interview with NYC street journalist Adam Glyn (see below). In the latter clip, he spoke while standing outside of a bar with venture capitalist John Cerasani, who appears to be backing McFarland’s ventures.
The musical, which will apparently preempt the festival, is dubbed “Fyre Fest 1.5” As McFarland explained, “Instead of like traditional Broadway actors, it’s going to be current music artists, combined with the Broadway format of the play — making fun of me, but also I think sharing some of the good sides as well.”
“That’s going to lead to the Island, McFarland continued, where he will attempt to stage a second version of Fyre Fest.
He said his...
- 5/17/2023
- by Scoop Harrison
- Consequence - Music
It’s Sunday afternoon, and the sun is slowly coming out on New York City’s Orchard Street. Patches of the street are covered in soapy water and last night’s party detritus — cups, cigarettes, and ripped wristbands dot the sidewalks. Dogs pull their owners down the street, last night’s revelers clutch coffees and sandwiches like lifelines, and a few marathoners head home, wrapped in foil blankets. In fact, there are people everywhere — everywhere except 7th Street Burger, that is, where inside, Billy McFarland is sweating behind a grill,...
- 4/24/2023
- by CT Jones
- Rollingstone.com
Billy McFarland has declared that Fyre Festival II, the follow-up to his fraudulent 2017 Bahamas-based event, is “finally happening,” though it’s unclear how long the controversial co-founder will leave potential concertgoers stranded without firm details.
McFarland made the announcement on Sunday evening, tweeting: “...
McFarland made the announcement on Sunday evening, tweeting: “...
- 4/18/2023
- by Bryan Kress
- Consequence - Music
Ja Rule has distanced himself from a follow-up to Fyre Festival, after Billy McFarland, the creator behind the disastrous event, teased its possible return.
In 2017, McFarland was at the centre of a scandal in which ticket holders were lured to a “luxury music festival” held on Pablo Escobar’s former private island in the Bahamas, with Migos and Blink-182 booked to perform.
The event, which Rule co-founded, was a catastrophe. “Deluxe housing” actually turned out to be disaster-relief tents, and attendees were served soggy cheese sandwiches. Many of the musical acts didn’t turn up, and ticketholders were left stranded on the island.
In 2018, McFarland pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud, was sentenced to six years in prison – but was released early in March 2022 – and ordered to pay back £23m to festival investors. The entire scandal around the festival was the subject of two documentaries, including one by Netflix.
In 2017, McFarland was at the centre of a scandal in which ticket holders were lured to a “luxury music festival” held on Pablo Escobar’s former private island in the Bahamas, with Migos and Blink-182 booked to perform.
The event, which Rule co-founded, was a catastrophe. “Deluxe housing” actually turned out to be disaster-relief tents, and attendees were served soggy cheese sandwiches. Many of the musical acts didn’t turn up, and ticketholders were left stranded on the island.
In 2018, McFarland pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud, was sentenced to six years in prison – but was released early in March 2022 – and ordered to pay back £23m to festival investors. The entire scandal around the festival was the subject of two documentaries, including one by Netflix.
- 4/15/2023
- by Ellie Harrison
- The Independent - Music
Doja Cat has reacted to losing her blue tick on Twitter.
The social media platform is currently in the process of removing verified checkmarks from legacy accounts that won’t pay a fee of $8 for Twitter Blue.
When a fan noticed Doja Cat’s missing blue tick, telling her that “it’s over” for her, the “Woman” singer replied, saying: “Only fans have blue ticks.”
She added: “Having a blue tick now means there’s a higher chance that you’re a complete loser and that you’re desperate for validation from famous people.”
After taking over Twitter, Elon Musk announced that he was launching a “Blue” paid subscription service for users who want a blue check, and other features after an initial rollout included a wave of parody accounts posing as brands.
A previous verification system in place for the last several years used blue ticks for government officials,...
The social media platform is currently in the process of removing verified checkmarks from legacy accounts that won’t pay a fee of $8 for Twitter Blue.
When a fan noticed Doja Cat’s missing blue tick, telling her that “it’s over” for her, the “Woman” singer replied, saying: “Only fans have blue ticks.”
She added: “Having a blue tick now means there’s a higher chance that you’re a complete loser and that you’re desperate for validation from famous people.”
After taking over Twitter, Elon Musk announced that he was launching a “Blue” paid subscription service for users who want a blue check, and other features after an initial rollout included a wave of parody accounts posing as brands.
A previous verification system in place for the last several years used blue ticks for government officials,...
- 4/12/2023
- by Peony Hirwani
- The Independent - Music
Fyre Festival 2 is reportedly in the works, six years after that disastrous event.
American con artist and convicted felon, Billy McFarland — who co-founded the ill-fated festival — took to Twitter on Monday to reveal the news.
He wrote, “ Fyre Festival II is finally happening. Tell me why you should be invited.”
Fyre Festival II is finally happening.
Tell me why you should be invited.
— Billy McFarland (@pyrtbilly) April 10, 2023
McFarland was released from prison in late March 2022 after serving over four years of a six-year sentence. He pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud in March 2018.
Read More: Fyre Festival Organizer Billy McFarland Breaks Silence From Jail: ‘What The F**k Was I Thinking?’
McFarland recently posted about owing people $26 million Usd after defrauding more than 100 investors in the disastrous 2017 festival.
I owe people $26m
Here's how I'm going to pay it back:
I spend half my time filming TV shows.
American con artist and convicted felon, Billy McFarland — who co-founded the ill-fated festival — took to Twitter on Monday to reveal the news.
He wrote, “ Fyre Festival II is finally happening. Tell me why you should be invited.”
Fyre Festival II is finally happening.
Tell me why you should be invited.
— Billy McFarland (@pyrtbilly) April 10, 2023
McFarland was released from prison in late March 2022 after serving over four years of a six-year sentence. He pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud in March 2018.
Read More: Fyre Festival Organizer Billy McFarland Breaks Silence From Jail: ‘What The F**k Was I Thinking?’
McFarland recently posted about owing people $26 million Usd after defrauding more than 100 investors in the disastrous 2017 festival.
I owe people $26m
Here's how I'm going to pay it back:
I spend half my time filming TV shows.
- 4/11/2023
- by Becca Longmire
- ET Canada
A punk band from Germany was allegedly refused entry into the UK due to post-Brexit rule changes.
The Stuttgart-based band called Trigger Cut was due to play at seven UK venues this week but was refused entry into the country.
“Today we got refused at the UK border for weird reasons,” the band wrote in a Facebook post. “We would have needed a special certificate of sponsorship but no one knew before, not even the venues, promoters, or the German customs authority.
“Brexit bureaucracy??? A post-Brexit nightmare.”
The band, which consists of three members, also said that the whole experience “at the UK border was humiliating and sad”.
In another post, the band explained that the UK authorities wanted them to have “ a so-called certificate of sponsorship from all seven clubs,” claiming that “this certificate or number was unknown even to the organisers”.
“Nobody knew about it!!” the post read.
The Stuttgart-based band called Trigger Cut was due to play at seven UK venues this week but was refused entry into the country.
“Today we got refused at the UK border for weird reasons,” the band wrote in a Facebook post. “We would have needed a special certificate of sponsorship but no one knew before, not even the venues, promoters, or the German customs authority.
“Brexit bureaucracy??? A post-Brexit nightmare.”
The band, which consists of three members, also said that the whole experience “at the UK border was humiliating and sad”.
In another post, the band explained that the UK authorities wanted them to have “ a so-called certificate of sponsorship from all seven clubs,” claiming that “this certificate or number was unknown even to the organisers”.
“Nobody knew about it!!” the post read.
- 4/11/2023
- by Peony Hirwani
- The Independent - Music
Howard Stern has condemned Kid Rock and Travis Tritt’s transphobic comments about TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney’s new partnership with brewing company Anheuser-Busch.
Earlier this month, Mulvaney, who is transgender, shared a sponsored post on her Instagram account promoting Bud Light’s March Madness contest.
The partnership prompted a wave of transphobic backlash on social media, as well as a boycott of Bud Light.
Last week, country singer Tritt shared a range of tweets in support of the Anheuser-Busch boycott.
“I will be deleting all Anheuser-Busch products from my tour hospitality rider. I know many other artists who are doing the same,” he wrote. “Other artists who are deleting Anheuser-Busch products from their hospitality rider might not say so in public for fear of being ridiculed and cancelled. I have no such fear.”
Kid Rock, meanwhile, posted a video of himself shooting three cases of Bud Light with an assault rifle,...
Earlier this month, Mulvaney, who is transgender, shared a sponsored post on her Instagram account promoting Bud Light’s March Madness contest.
The partnership prompted a wave of transphobic backlash on social media, as well as a boycott of Bud Light.
Last week, country singer Tritt shared a range of tweets in support of the Anheuser-Busch boycott.
“I will be deleting all Anheuser-Busch products from my tour hospitality rider. I know many other artists who are doing the same,” he wrote. “Other artists who are deleting Anheuser-Busch products from their hospitality rider might not say so in public for fear of being ridiculed and cancelled. I have no such fear.”
Kid Rock, meanwhile, posted a video of himself shooting three cases of Bud Light with an assault rifle,...
- 4/11/2023
- by Peony Hirwani
- The Independent - TV
The creator behind the botched Fyre Festival has teased a possible resurgence of the event.
In 2017, Billy McFarland was at the centre of a scandal in which ticket holders were lured to a “luxury music festival” held on Pablo Escobar’s former private island in the Bahamas, with Migos and Blink-182 booked to perform.
However, the event was a disaster after festivalgoers faced issues with food, security, and accommodation.
In 2018, McFarland pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud, was sentenced to six years in prison – but was released early in March 2022 – and ordered to pay back £23m to festival investors. The entire scandal around the festival was the subject of two documentaries, including one by Netflix that aired in 2019.
“Fyre Festival II is finally happening,” McFarland tweeted on Monday (10 April).
In the tweet, he asked his followers to tell him why they should be invited.
In 2017, Billy McFarland was at the centre of a scandal in which ticket holders were lured to a “luxury music festival” held on Pablo Escobar’s former private island in the Bahamas, with Migos and Blink-182 booked to perform.
However, the event was a disaster after festivalgoers faced issues with food, security, and accommodation.
In 2018, McFarland pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud, was sentenced to six years in prison – but was released early in March 2022 – and ordered to pay back £23m to festival investors. The entire scandal around the festival was the subject of two documentaries, including one by Netflix that aired in 2019.
“Fyre Festival II is finally happening,” McFarland tweeted on Monday (10 April).
In the tweet, he asked his followers to tell him why they should be invited.
- 4/11/2023
- by Peony Hirwani
- The Independent - Music
The creator of Fyre Festival is sharing his side of the story.
On this week’s “Forbidden Fruits” podcast with Julia Fox and Niki Takesh, convicted fraudster Billy McFarland joined the show to talk about his experiences.
Read More: Fyre Festival Ordered To Pay Ticket Holders $7,200 Each In $2M Class Action Settlement
McFarland was released from prison in March 2022, four years after pleading guilty to fraud over the disastrous music festival in 2017.
While he was in prison, several documentaries were made about Fyre Fest and McFarland’s role in the ill-fated festival.
“I still haven’t watched them,” he told the hosts, admitting that at this point it may just be “a source of pride” to not have seen them.
He also revealed that he was actually in jail with former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, and reality TV star Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino.
Explaining that he spent his first six...
On this week’s “Forbidden Fruits” podcast with Julia Fox and Niki Takesh, convicted fraudster Billy McFarland joined the show to talk about his experiences.
Read More: Fyre Festival Ordered To Pay Ticket Holders $7,200 Each In $2M Class Action Settlement
McFarland was released from prison in March 2022, four years after pleading guilty to fraud over the disastrous music festival in 2017.
While he was in prison, several documentaries were made about Fyre Fest and McFarland’s role in the ill-fated festival.
“I still haven’t watched them,” he told the hosts, admitting that at this point it may just be “a source of pride” to not have seen them.
He also revealed that he was actually in jail with former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, and reality TV star Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino.
Explaining that he spent his first six...
- 3/17/2023
- by Corey Atad
- ET Canada
“What in the white boy Hell is this?” Cyrus wonders in TVLine’s exclusive sneak peek from Tuesday’s American Auto, in which Superstore vet Ben Feldman reunites with his former costar Jon Barinholtz.
In the episode (airing at 8:30/7:30c on NBC), Feldman guest-stars as Chase, the preppy, tech bro college best friend of Wesley (played by Barinholtz). Chase’s “ability to spin a yarn puts Fyre Festival’s Billy McFarland to shame,” per the official character description.
More from TVLineRatings: Magnum Dips With Move to NBC/Sunday; Idol, 60 Minutes LeadMagnum P.I.: Jay Hernandez Talks New Season 5 Threat,...
In the episode (airing at 8:30/7:30c on NBC), Feldman guest-stars as Chase, the preppy, tech bro college best friend of Wesley (played by Barinholtz). Chase’s “ability to spin a yarn puts Fyre Festival’s Billy McFarland to shame,” per the official character description.
More from TVLineRatings: Magnum Dips With Move to NBC/Sunday; Idol, 60 Minutes LeadMagnum P.I.: Jay Hernandez Talks New Season 5 Threat,...
- 2/20/2023
- by Vlada Gelman
- TVLine.com
American Auto is staging a mini Superstore reunion.
Ben Feldman will guest-star in the NBC comedy’s Feb. 21 episode as Chase, the preppy, tech bro college best friend of Wesley (played by Jon Barinholtz), TVLine has learned.
More from TVLineTVLine Items: Flash Sets Three Returns, Jay-Z Joins Grammys Lineup and MoreTVLine Items: Uzo Aduba's Shondaland Series, Family Feud Renewed and MoreThe King of the Hill Revival Needs to Address the Show's Kahn Problem
Chase’s “ability to spin a yarn puts Fyre Festival’s Billy McFarland to shame,” which should come in handy when “Wesley introduces Katherine to Chase...
Ben Feldman will guest-star in the NBC comedy’s Feb. 21 episode as Chase, the preppy, tech bro college best friend of Wesley (played by Jon Barinholtz), TVLine has learned.
More from TVLineTVLine Items: Flash Sets Three Returns, Jay-Z Joins Grammys Lineup and MoreTVLine Items: Uzo Aduba's Shondaland Series, Family Feud Renewed and MoreThe King of the Hill Revival Needs to Address the Show's Kahn Problem
Chase’s “ability to spin a yarn puts Fyre Festival’s Billy McFarland to shame,” which should come in handy when “Wesley introduces Katherine to Chase...
- 2/2/2023
- by Erianne Lewis and Vlada Gelman
- TVLine.com
Michael Strahan wasn’t nervous to go to space. He wasn’t antsy about playing in the most-watched event of the year. He’s not overwhelmed by being live in front of millions each morning. But receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame? Now that’s scary.
“I’m so nervous about this — of all the things in the world,” he says about the star he will receive on Jan. 23. “It’s beyond even my comprehension, knowing where I started and what this all signifies for me, it’s overwhelming.”
Where he started is a bit different than most NFL players; he didn’t begin playing football until his senior year of high school. One season was enough to get him a scholarship to Texas Southern University. He graduated in 1993 and headed to the NFL, signing with the New York Giants, the team he remained with for his entire 15-year career.
“I’m so nervous about this — of all the things in the world,” he says about the star he will receive on Jan. 23. “It’s beyond even my comprehension, knowing where I started and what this all signifies for me, it’s overwhelming.”
Where he started is a bit different than most NFL players; he didn’t begin playing football until his senior year of high school. One season was enough to get him a scholarship to Texas Southern University. He graduated in 1993 and headed to the NFL, signing with the New York Giants, the team he remained with for his entire 15-year career.
- 1/23/2023
- by Emily Longeretta
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
It’s easy to forget that in his early 2000s heyday, Ja Rule had a case to be considered the biggest hip-hop artist in the world.
Following back-to-back chart-topping albums with Rule 3:36 in 2000 and the massive Pain Is Love in 2001, Ja was on constant rotation on the radio and on MTV and in constant demand for featured guest spots. The 46-year-old isn’t troubling the charts with as much frequency today, but the rapper and entrepreneur has maintained a level of cultural relevance through recent television projects, his sprawling business empire and his growing presence in the music streaming space.
Nostalgia for the hip-hop of Ja’s golden era has kept him touring but also informed the rapper’s Vibes Concert Series, where legendary MCs perform their most classic albums in an intimate setting. On Nov. 21, New York rapper Rakim will be...
It’s easy to forget that in his early 2000s heyday, Ja Rule had a case to be considered the biggest hip-hop artist in the world.
Following back-to-back chart-topping albums with Rule 3:36 in 2000 and the massive Pain Is Love in 2001, Ja was on constant rotation on the radio and on MTV and in constant demand for featured guest spots. The 46-year-old isn’t troubling the charts with as much frequency today, but the rapper and entrepreneur has maintained a level of cultural relevance through recent television projects, his sprawling business empire and his growing presence in the music streaming space.
Nostalgia for the hip-hop of Ja’s golden era has kept him touring but also informed the rapper’s Vibes Concert Series, where legendary MCs perform their most classic albums in an intimate setting. On Nov. 21, New York rapper Rakim will be...
- 11/19/2022
- by Abid Rahman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
The latest documentary about Billy McFarland — whose disastrous Fyre Festival ended in a felony conviction — is moving forward despite a threat from the Bahamian government.
Ample Entertainment is producing the doc, After the Fyre, which also hails from Fremantle. The project, at the time of announcement, was described as following McFarland as he returns to the Bahamas for his post-prison business venture, a treasure hunt, in an attempt at restitution of the 26 million dollars he owes to Fyre investors and attendees, among other parties.
In late October, McFarland began posting about the treasure hunt, known as Pyrt, on his social media channels. But a letter this week from the Bahamian office of tourism, which is essentially barring McFarland from travel to the country, said that McFarland is considered to be “fugitive” with standing complaints at the Royal Bahamas Police Force. “Anyone knowing of...
The latest documentary about Billy McFarland — whose disastrous Fyre Festival ended in a felony conviction — is moving forward despite a threat from the Bahamian government.
Ample Entertainment is producing the doc, After the Fyre, which also hails from Fremantle. The project, at the time of announcement, was described as following McFarland as he returns to the Bahamas for his post-prison business venture, a treasure hunt, in an attempt at restitution of the 26 million dollars he owes to Fyre investors and attendees, among other parties.
In late October, McFarland began posting about the treasure hunt, known as Pyrt, on his social media channels. But a letter this week from the Bahamian office of tourism, which is essentially barring McFarland from travel to the country, said that McFarland is considered to be “fugitive” with standing complaints at the Royal Bahamas Police Force. “Anyone knowing of...
- 11/18/2022
- by Mia Galuppo and Katie Kilkenny
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Billy McFarland, the co-founder of the infamous Fyre Festival, the fraudulent luxury music festival that was scheduled to take place in the spring of 2017, has been released from jail. In the two months since he finished his sentence, the businessman has already begun planning his next ventures. McFarland pled guilty in 2018 for his […]
The post Fyre Festival Founder Billy McFarland Released From Jail and Already Planning New ‘Pirates’ Event appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Fyre Festival Founder Billy McFarland Released From Jail and Already Planning New ‘Pirates’ Event appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 11/14/2022
- by Grady Owen
- ShockYa
One year after Robert Downey Sr.’s death, a celebration of his life is coming to Netflix. The streamer released the official trailer for “Sr.,” a documentary about the final days of the director.
A prominent figure in the independent and counterculture film scene of the ’60s and ’70s, Downey Sr. is best known for his 1969 film “Putney Swope,” a vicious satire of the New York advertising world that has been cited as an influence from acclaimed directors like Paul Thomas Anderson and Jim Jarmusch. Of course, today, many probably know Downey Sr. better as the father of his son, Robert Downey Jr., who developed a much more mainstream level of fame through acting, particularly as Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Filmed across the last three years of Downey Sr.’s life, “Sr.” profiles the filmmaker’s career and features extensive interviews between him and his son about...
A prominent figure in the independent and counterculture film scene of the ’60s and ’70s, Downey Sr. is best known for his 1969 film “Putney Swope,” a vicious satire of the New York advertising world that has been cited as an influence from acclaimed directors like Paul Thomas Anderson and Jim Jarmusch. Of course, today, many probably know Downey Sr. better as the father of his son, Robert Downey Jr., who developed a much more mainstream level of fame through acting, particularly as Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Filmed across the last three years of Downey Sr.’s life, “Sr.” profiles the filmmaker’s career and features extensive interviews between him and his son about...
- 11/14/2022
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Billy McFarland, the famed fraudster who went to prison for wire fraud over the Fyre Festival fiasco, will be the subject of a brand-new documentary. This time around, it’s not a failed music festival that made good on just about zero promises but rather a…treasure hunt in the Bahamas.
According to Deadline, After the Fyre “will feature…disgraced entrepreneur [Billy McFarland] as he launches his next business venture and attempts to pay back the 26 million dollars he still owes after scandalously defrauding investors, partners and attendees of the promised-but-botched luxurious music event that took place in 2017.”
Billy McFarland, who was released from prison in March, has gone on to apologize for his fraudulent actions, saying, “I need to apologize. That is the first and the last thing that needs to be done…I let people down. I let down employees. I let down their families. I let down investors. I...
According to Deadline, After the Fyre “will feature…disgraced entrepreneur [Billy McFarland] as he launches his next business venture and attempts to pay back the 26 million dollars he still owes after scandalously defrauding investors, partners and attendees of the promised-but-botched luxurious music event that took place in 2017.”
Billy McFarland, who was released from prison in March, has gone on to apologize for his fraudulent actions, saying, “I need to apologize. That is the first and the last thing that needs to be done…I let people down. I let down employees. I let down their families. I let down investors. I...
- 11/7/2022
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: Billy McFarland, the founder of the notorious Fyre Festival, is out of prison and starting his latest venture – returning to the Bahamas for a treasure hunt.
This time, it’s all being captured up front for a feature documentary from The Invisible Pilot producer Ample Entertainment and distributor Fremantle.
After the Fyre follows convicted felon McFarland as he was released from prison earlier this year after pleading guilty to two counts of wire fraud and serving four years of his six year sentence.
The film will feature the disgraced entrepreneur as he launches his next business venture and attempts to pay back the 26 million dollars he still owes after scandalously defrauding investors, partners and attendees of the promised-but-botched luxurious music event that took place in 2017.
As you may have seen in either Hulu’s Fyre Fraud, directed by Jenner Furst and Julia Willoughby Nason and launched on January 14 2019, or Netflix’s Fyre,...
This time, it’s all being captured up front for a feature documentary from The Invisible Pilot producer Ample Entertainment and distributor Fremantle.
After the Fyre follows convicted felon McFarland as he was released from prison earlier this year after pleading guilty to two counts of wire fraud and serving four years of his six year sentence.
The film will feature the disgraced entrepreneur as he launches his next business venture and attempts to pay back the 26 million dollars he still owes after scandalously defrauding investors, partners and attendees of the promised-but-botched luxurious music event that took place in 2017.
As you may have seen in either Hulu’s Fyre Fraud, directed by Jenner Furst and Julia Willoughby Nason and launched on January 14 2019, or Netflix’s Fyre,...
- 11/7/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Billy McFarland has admitted that he was “wrong” to go ahead with Fyre Festival in his first interview since being released from prison.
McFarland was at the centre of a high-profile scandal in which ticketholders were lured to a “luxury music festival” held on Pablo Escobar’s former private island in the Bahamas, with Blink-182, Migos and Disclosure booked to perform.
However, the event was a notorious disaster, collapsing in chaos after issues with food, security and accommodation arose. It was the subject of two documentaries that aired on Hulu and Netflix in 2019.
In 2018, McFarland – a repeated scammer – pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud. He was sentenced to six years in prison and ordered to pay back 26m (£23m) to investors, but was released early in March 2022.
On Friday (4 November), McFarland made his return to our screens as he sat down with Good Morning America for his first TV appearance following his release.
McFarland was at the centre of a high-profile scandal in which ticketholders were lured to a “luxury music festival” held on Pablo Escobar’s former private island in the Bahamas, with Blink-182, Migos and Disclosure booked to perform.
However, the event was a notorious disaster, collapsing in chaos after issues with food, security and accommodation arose. It was the subject of two documentaries that aired on Hulu and Netflix in 2019.
In 2018, McFarland – a repeated scammer – pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud. He was sentenced to six years in prison and ordered to pay back 26m (£23m) to investors, but was released early in March 2022.
On Friday (4 November), McFarland made his return to our screens as he sat down with Good Morning America for his first TV appearance following his release.
- 11/4/2022
- by Isobel Lewis
- The Independent - Music
The Hulu original unscripted series “Captive Audience” has lived up to its name, earning record-breaking viewership for the streamer.
Hulu documentary chief Belisa Balaban told Variety exclusively that the show — which explores the harrowing kidnapping of 7-year-old Steven Stayner and its resulting media frenzy — has set a record for most-viewed nonfiction TV program in its first month of release.
Launched on April 21, “Captive Audience” is also the second-most watched unscripted series in Hulu’s history. Directed by Jessica Dimmock and produced by Wonderburst, High Five Content and Joe and Anthony Russo’s Agbo, the program is second only to “The Kardashians” in total viewership for its category.
“This is really a huge credit to that team, whose bold creative choices and empathy brought it to life. This project is a great example of what a Hulu true crime story is — not just the story of a family and what they’ve endured over the years,...
Hulu documentary chief Belisa Balaban told Variety exclusively that the show — which explores the harrowing kidnapping of 7-year-old Steven Stayner and its resulting media frenzy — has set a record for most-viewed nonfiction TV program in its first month of release.
Launched on April 21, “Captive Audience” is also the second-most watched unscripted series in Hulu’s history. Directed by Jessica Dimmock and produced by Wonderburst, High Five Content and Joe and Anthony Russo’s Agbo, the program is second only to “The Kardashians” in total viewership for its category.
“This is really a huge credit to that team, whose bold creative choices and empathy brought it to life. This project is a great example of what a Hulu true crime story is — not just the story of a family and what they’ve endured over the years,...
- 7/6/2022
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Billy McFarland, the man behind the doomed Fyre Festival in 2017, was partially made a free man when he was released early from prison and transferred this week to a halfway house in Brooklyn, New York.
The 30-year-old still had another 14 months to serve on his six-year sentence for wire fraud after he duped investors out of 26 million over the disastrous festival that ended up serving pathetic cheese sandwiches to ticket holders while they were effectively stranded in The Bahamas.
One such investor is John Nemeth, who works as a director...
The 30-year-old still had another 14 months to serve on his six-year sentence for wire fraud after he duped investors out of 26 million over the disastrous festival that ended up serving pathetic cheese sandwiches to ticket holders while they were effectively stranded in The Bahamas.
One such investor is John Nemeth, who works as a director...
- 5/22/2022
- by Cheyenne Roundtree
- Rollingstone.com
Two legendary fraudster bros who were both serving prison sentences for differing grifts have been released from prison and will both see out the rest of their time in halfway houses. These are Martin Shkreli and Billy McFarland, who were serving seven-year and six-year prison sentences respectively. McFarland pled guilty to two counts of wire fraud […]
The post ‘Pharma Bro’ Martin Shkreli & Fyre Festival’s Billy McFarland Released Early From Prison appeared first on uInterview.
The post ‘Pharma Bro’ Martin Shkreli & Fyre Festival’s Billy McFarland Released Early From Prison appeared first on uInterview.
- 5/19/2022
- by Jacob Linden
- Uinterview
Billy McFarland is officially out of prison before the expected end of his sentence. The organizer behind the well-known 2017 Fyre Festival was released on May 19, his lawyer, Jason Russo, confirmed in a statement to NBC News. His lawyer also noted his early release, which is a little more than two years before the end of the original six-year sentence handed down to the 30-year-old in 2018, was due to McFarland earning "good time credit." NBC News also stated that upon his release, McFarland is currently staying at a halfway house in New York City. In a statement issued to the outlet, the Bureau of Prisons confirmed that McFarland was transferred from a low-security...
- 5/19/2022
- E! Online
Billy McFarland, the brains behind the infamously fraudulent Fyre Festival, has been released from federal prison over a year before the completion of his sentence, prison records show.
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ online inmate search, McFarland was released into the custody of New York’s Residential Reentry Management, the federal agency responsible for placing released prisoners into halfway houses. TMZ reported that McFarland, who was scheduled to remain incarcerated until August 2023, was placed into the Residential Reentry Management on March 30.
Fyre Festival, which McFarland organized alongside rapper JaRule,...
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ online inmate search, McFarland was released into the custody of New York’s Residential Reentry Management, the federal agency responsible for placing released prisoners into halfway houses. TMZ reported that McFarland, who was scheduled to remain incarcerated until August 2023, was placed into the Residential Reentry Management on March 30.
Fyre Festival, which McFarland organized alongside rapper JaRule,...
- 5/19/2022
- by Kat Bouza
- Rollingstone.com
“Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives” is the latest documentary from Chris Smith, the director of “Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened” and “100 Foot Wave,” and an executive producer of “Tiger King.” The four-part Netflix docuseries, which Smith executive produced and directed, explores how New York City celebrity restaurateur Sarma Melngailis went from being the queen of vegan cuisine to fugitive on the run. In 2011, Melngailis – owner of Manhattan’s Pure Food and Wine – began draining the restaurant’s funds and funneling the money to Shane Fox, a con man. Fox convinced Melngalis that he could make her pet pitbull terrier immortal if she obeyed his every request without question. After stealing nearly $2 million from the restaurant and its staff, Melngalis and Fox were found holed up in a Tennessee motel by law enforcement. Their undoing? A charge made under Fox’s real name, Anthony Strangis, for a Domino’s pizza.
- 3/15/2022
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix has ordered a docuseries about the recently arrested Ilya Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan, who are accused of running a large cryptocurrency laundering scheme, the streamer announced this Friday.
As reported by the New York Times, Lichtenstein and Morgan were arrested on Feb. 8 for charges relating to a 2016 hack of the Bitcoin virtual currency exchange. Allegedly, the two hacked into the exchange and stole around $120,000 Bitcoin. As the value of the stolen cryptocurrency rose from from $71 million to nearly $5 billion, the two allegedly tried to launder the assets by creating fake identities and online accounts to buy physical gold and NFTs. A press release from Netflix describes Lichtenstein and Morgan’s case as “the biggest financial crime case in history.”
The series will be directed by Chris Smith, who has directed several documentaries and docuseries for Netflix, many of which focus on scam artists and criminal activity. In 2019, he directed...
As reported by the New York Times, Lichtenstein and Morgan were arrested on Feb. 8 for charges relating to a 2016 hack of the Bitcoin virtual currency exchange. Allegedly, the two hacked into the exchange and stole around $120,000 Bitcoin. As the value of the stolen cryptocurrency rose from from $71 million to nearly $5 billion, the two allegedly tried to launder the assets by creating fake identities and online accounts to buy physical gold and NFTs. A press release from Netflix describes Lichtenstein and Morgan’s case as “the biggest financial crime case in history.”
The series will be directed by Chris Smith, who has directed several documentaries and docuseries for Netflix, many of which focus on scam artists and criminal activity. In 2019, he directed...
- 2/11/2022
- by Wilson Chapman
- Variety Film + TV
The US Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of New York has approved a $2 million class-action settlement for ticket-holders to the ill-fated Fyre Festival.
The disastrous April 2017 event, which promised blissful luxury and delivered tents and cheese sandwiches, was the subject of two films and widely ridiculed. The event was co-created by promoter Billy McFarland and rapper Ja Rule. Promoted by such influencers as Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski, the festival, set on the Bahamian island of Great Exuma, failed on almost every level.
In March 2018, McFarland pled guilty to one count of wire fraud and a second count to defraud a ticket vendor. He was sentenced to six years in prison and ordered to forfeit US$26 million. He is still imprisoned.
Two documentaries detailing the monumental disaster, Fyre Fraud on Hulu and Netflix’s Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened, captured the post-event outrage.
The class-action...
The disastrous April 2017 event, which promised blissful luxury and delivered tents and cheese sandwiches, was the subject of two films and widely ridiculed. The event was co-created by promoter Billy McFarland and rapper Ja Rule. Promoted by such influencers as Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski, the festival, set on the Bahamian island of Great Exuma, failed on almost every level.
In March 2018, McFarland pled guilty to one count of wire fraud and a second count to defraud a ticket vendor. He was sentenced to six years in prison and ordered to forfeit US$26 million. He is still imprisoned.
Two documentaries detailing the monumental disaster, Fyre Fraud on Hulu and Netflix’s Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened, captured the post-event outrage.
The class-action...
- 4/16/2021
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
A new Netflix documentary will pull back the curtain on the notorious college admissions bribery scandal that ensnared Hollywood celebrities, financiers and other members of the monied elite.
“Operation Varsity Blues,” directed by Chris Smith, will debut on the streaming service on March 17, 2021. The film promises to provide a deep dive into the methods used by Rick Singer to get the children of his wealthy clients into top schools. These schemes included everything from enabling kids to cheat on their college admissions tests to falsifying sports credentials or bribing school officials.
“Desperate Housewives” star Felicity Huffman, “Full House” actress Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli and Tpg Growth founder Bill McGlashan were among Singer’s clients. When the scandal erupted in 2019, it became front page news. Not only did it involve household names, but it also illustrated the massive gap between the haves and have nots and...
“Operation Varsity Blues,” directed by Chris Smith, will debut on the streaming service on March 17, 2021. The film promises to provide a deep dive into the methods used by Rick Singer to get the children of his wealthy clients into top schools. These schemes included everything from enabling kids to cheat on their college admissions tests to falsifying sports credentials or bribing school officials.
“Desperate Housewives” star Felicity Huffman, “Full House” actress Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli and Tpg Growth founder Bill McGlashan were among Singer’s clients. When the scandal erupted in 2019, it became front page news. Not only did it involve household names, but it also illustrated the massive gap between the haves and have nots and...
- 2/22/2021
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Another nonfiction film about Britney Spears hoping to compete with the popular Hulu documentary “Framing Britney Spears,” as Netflix is working on its own project about the pop star.
According to Bloomberg, filmmaker Erin Lee Carr is directing her own nonfiction film about Spears for Netflix — a project that began prior to the debut of “Framing Britney Spears” earlier this month.
Carr is known for previously directing the Netflix miniseries “How to Fix a Drug Scandal” and the HBO documentary “At the Heart of Gold” about the scandal surrounding physician Larry Nassar and the U.S. Olympic gymnast team.
No other details were available about the specific focus of Netflix’s project, which Bloomberg said has not been completed and does not have an air date. Netflix had no comment. Representatives for Carr did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“Framing Britney Spears,” which comes from The New York Times and FX,...
According to Bloomberg, filmmaker Erin Lee Carr is directing her own nonfiction film about Spears for Netflix — a project that began prior to the debut of “Framing Britney Spears” earlier this month.
Carr is known for previously directing the Netflix miniseries “How to Fix a Drug Scandal” and the HBO documentary “At the Heart of Gold” about the scandal surrounding physician Larry Nassar and the U.S. Olympic gymnast team.
No other details were available about the specific focus of Netflix’s project, which Bloomberg said has not been completed and does not have an air date. Netflix had no comment. Representatives for Carr did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“Framing Britney Spears,” which comes from The New York Times and FX,...
- 2/15/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
While Brooklyn Nine-Nine typically coasts on the charms of its ensemble cast and their silly and sweet camaraderie, the show arguably is at its best when the Nine-Nine has a common enemy to unite against. Between dim bulb Captain C.J. Stentley (Ken Marino), smug saboteur Commissioner John Kelly (Phil Reeves), and Holt’s long-time rival Madeline Wuntch (Kyra Sedgwick), there hasn’t been a shortage of antagonists during Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s seven season run. However, there’s one frequent persona non grata that seems to constantly get underneath the entire precinct’s skin. His name? Keith Pembroke, but you may know him better as The Vulture.
Played by Dean Winters, The Vulture made his introduction way back in the series’ fifth episode, aptly titled “The Vulture” and has appeared several times throughout the course of the show, even serving as the replacement captain of the Nine-Nine during Season 3. As...
Played by Dean Winters, The Vulture made his introduction way back in the series’ fifth episode, aptly titled “The Vulture” and has appeared several times throughout the course of the show, even serving as the replacement captain of the Nine-Nine during Season 3. As...
- 9/9/2020
- by Nick Harley
- Den of Geek
Unsold merchandise from the infamous Fyre Festival has been put on the auction block by the U.S. Marshals in an attempt to recoup some money for the fest’s many victims.
Auction vendor Gaston & Sheehan will handle the sale, which includes 126 items ranging from Fyre-branded t-shirts and sweatpants to Fyre hats, Fyre wristbands and Fyre “tokens.” The lot also includes a pair of t-shirts from Ja Rule and Ashanti’s Fyre-sponsored 2016 tour.
“This Fyre Festival-branded clothing and other items that were seized from Billy McFarland were originally intended to...
Auction vendor Gaston & Sheehan will handle the sale, which includes 126 items ranging from Fyre-branded t-shirts and sweatpants to Fyre hats, Fyre wristbands and Fyre “tokens.” The lot also includes a pair of t-shirts from Ja Rule and Ashanti’s Fyre-sponsored 2016 tour.
“This Fyre Festival-branded clothing and other items that were seized from Billy McFarland were originally intended to...
- 8/1/2020
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Take Peter III of Russia for instance, played by Nicholas Hoult in Hulu’s “The Great.” Peter is the son of one of Russia’s greatest emperors and a mother who refused to love him. The result is someone who is “psychologically scarred” and “deeply insecure,” as Hoult puts it.
“Peter is completely a product of his environment,” Hoult says. “He is someone who is basically a child put in this position of power, and he doesn’t really understand it. He just wants to have fun, but he has fully grasped what his position is or how to run the country.”
Peter can be sweet and caring toward his wife, Catherine (Elle Fanning), in one moment, and then violent the next. But while Hoult has played his fair share of odd, potentially violent characters, he says he found Peter to be the most likable because of his honesty.
“He...
“Peter is completely a product of his environment,” Hoult says. “He is someone who is basically a child put in this position of power, and he doesn’t really understand it. He just wants to have fun, but he has fully grasped what his position is or how to run the country.”
Peter can be sweet and caring toward his wife, Catherine (Elle Fanning), in one moment, and then violent the next. But while Hoult has played his fair share of odd, potentially violent characters, he says he found Peter to be the most likable because of his honesty.
“He...
- 6/23/2020
- by Will Thorne
- Variety Film + TV
Ja Rule has tried all kinds of commercial endeavors since the debacle of the Fyre Festival — which he co-produced — three years ago, but he may have hit on a way back into positive public opinion with a completely bonkers commercial for Papa Cristo’s Greek Grill in Los Angeles that seems more like a “Saturday Night Live” skit.
The ad is so funny that it can’t possibly be serious — and, basically, it’s not, created for the new TBS reality show, “Celebrity Show-Off,” where stars compete to see whose “most compelling home videos” can rack up the most YouTube views.
The ad, which apparently premiered on Saturday, is nearly 100% self-parody as Ja Rule mispronounces (or gives up trying) several intentionally difficult-to-pronounce meals and drops in (bleeped-out) F-bombs and even dances while traditional Greek music plays.
The restaurant has the “best motherf—ing gyros,” the veteran rapper yells, before mispronouncing oktapodakia,...
The ad is so funny that it can’t possibly be serious — and, basically, it’s not, created for the new TBS reality show, “Celebrity Show-Off,” where stars compete to see whose “most compelling home videos” can rack up the most YouTube views.
The ad, which apparently premiered on Saturday, is nearly 100% self-parody as Ja Rule mispronounces (or gives up trying) several intentionally difficult-to-pronounce meals and drops in (bleeped-out) F-bombs and even dances while traditional Greek music plays.
The restaurant has the “best motherf—ing gyros,” the veteran rapper yells, before mispronouncing oktapodakia,...
- 6/22/2020
- by Jem Aswad
- Variety Film + TV
Set 40 years into the future, series creator Armando Iannucci takes viewers into his reimagined world on the maiden voyage of “Avenue 5.” Although it will take another four decades before anyone can praise Iannucci on his predictions, the hilarious HBO comedy leaves fans wondering if flashy tracksuits, inadequate personnel and cheap billion dollar ships will be a part of everyone’s unforeseen future.
Recently, “Avenue 5” stars Hugh Laurie, Josh Gad, Zach Woods, Rebecca Front, Suzy Nakamura, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Lenora Crichlow, Ethan Phillips and Iannucci sat down with Variety’s Michael Schneider in the Variety Streaming Room to breakdown the scientific research they did for the series and dissected the characters of the show.
The sci-fi series takes place aboard a billion dollar space cruise ship known as Avenue 5. The titular vessel is set for an eight-week journey around Saturn, but when the ship suddenly encounters technical difficulties, it...
Recently, “Avenue 5” stars Hugh Laurie, Josh Gad, Zach Woods, Rebecca Front, Suzy Nakamura, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Lenora Crichlow, Ethan Phillips and Iannucci sat down with Variety’s Michael Schneider in the Variety Streaming Room to breakdown the scientific research they did for the series and dissected the characters of the show.
The sci-fi series takes place aboard a billion dollar space cruise ship known as Avenue 5. The titular vessel is set for an eight-week journey around Saturn, but when the ship suddenly encounters technical difficulties, it...
- 6/19/2020
- by Klaritza Rico
- Variety Film + TV
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