Relief pitch
Ryan Reynolds, Bethenny Frankel help
Ukraine; Wilson and Ciara in NYC
BY FLO ANTHONY
Ryan Reynolds and his wife, Gossip
Girl star Blake Lively, didn’t
let the icy temperatures on Feb.
27 stop them from taking a stroll
around Manhattan with their arms
linked together.
The prior day, Reynolds took to Twitter
to make a pledge to help citizens in
Ukraine who are in peril. The popular actor
posted, “In 48 hours, countless Ukrainians
were forced to fl ee their homes to
neighboring countries. They need protection
. When you donate, we’ll match it up
$1,000,000, creating double the support.”
The funds will go to the United Nations
Refugee Agency, which says Ukrainians
will be in need of humanitarian aide as a
result of the Russian invasion……..
Meanwhile, the Reynolds were not the
only hot married couple braving the New
York cold. Russell Wilson and Ciara enjoyed
a date night out and about in New
York City on Feb. 24. There has been talk
in football land for quite sometime that
the Seattle Seahawks quarterback could
be traded to another NFL team, possibly
either the Giants or Jets.
Reliable sources claim that Ciara would
love to see her husband play in a major
market for a team such as the Giants.
With the Giants’ bleak past season, it’s a
sure bet that Wilson would be a welcome
addition to the team………
Bethenny Frankel has reportedly
jumped into action to assist Ukrainians
fl eeing their country during the
Russian invasion.
On Feb. 24, the day the takeover began,
the former Real Housewives of New York
cast member announced she was preparing
to ship supplies to NATO countries
BIG APPLE BUZZ
bordering Ukraine through her organization,
B Strong. Frankel’s organization
originally committed to distributing $10
million worth of aid, however, on Feb. 25,
she announced she decided to increase her
goal to $20 million.
According to the Daily Mail, Frankel
documented the relief efforts on her Instagram
account, posting a video of boxes
being packed with supplies by members
of her B Strong team amidst a warehouse
fi lled with boxes……….
Two-time Tony Award winner Patti
LuPone will miss performances of Broadway’s
Company at the Bernard B. Jacobs
Theatre after testing positive for COVID
19, producers announced Feb. 27.
Also a two-time Grammy winner, Lu-
Pone experienced symptoms prior to the
show’s matinee on Feb. 26 and took an
additional test that day that returned a
positive diagnosis, with another test confi
Top left: Russell Wilson and Ciara. Top right: Blake Lively and Ryan
Reynolds. At left: Bethenny Frankel
rming her diagnosis over night, reports
The Hollywood Reporter. She is expected
to return to Company March 8.
“She is home resting, and everyone
wishes her a speedy recovery. To ensure
the safety of everyone at the Jacobs Theatre,
increased testing protocols were automatically
triggered.,” said a statement
from show producers……..
The Weeknd‘s rumored new girlfriend
Simi Khadra, and her twin sister, Haze,
were out and about in Manhattan on Feb.
23. The 29-year-old DJ duo, who have
over 1.4 million followers on Instagram,
coordinated their sisterly style in matching
black boots and green leather jackets.
Their Big Apple outing comes just days
after Simi was seen sharing a passionate
kiss with The Weeknd during the Toronto
crooner’s Las Vegas birthday bash……..
We hear…
Sir Paul McCartney and his wife,
Nancy Shevell, recently sold their penthouse
co-op on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan
for $8.5 million, the Wall Street
Journal reported.
The sale price is barely half of the
REUTERS
$15.5 million the couple bought it for
in 2015. The apartment went through
several price cuts before being sold to
a mystery buyer. The unit was listed for
$12 million in June before being reduced
to $10.5 million, which is the asking
price under which it went into contract
the last time….
Sightings
Following hosting Saturday Night
Live on February 26, John Mulaney
was spotted entering the SNL postparty
at the Black Barn on East 26
Street with girlfriend Olivia Munn,
SNL executive producer Lorne Michaels,
Conan O’Brien and Chris
Redd, who loves to impersonate
Mayor Eric Adams.
Academy Award winning actor/
Tribeca Grill co-owner Robert DeNiro
arriving at University of Cambridge in
the United Kingdom to deliver an address
to the students with his rumored
new girlfriend Tiffany Chen………
Debra Messing posing at a photo call
for the Broadway production of the new
play Birthday Candles on Feb. 25…….
Schneps Media March 3, 2022 19