Elizabeth Edwards, the estranged wife of former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, has been advised by doctors that “further treatment of her cancer would be unproductive,” according to a statement from the Edwards family.
A source close to the family told CBS News, “She is dying.” The source said Edwards would likely die within weeks and possibly days. Edwards, 61, posted to her personal Facebook page a message to friends reading in part, “The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that.”
CBS News has confirmed that the Edwards family, including husband John, are now gathered with Elizabeth Edwards at the family home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
You all know that I have been sustained throughout my life by three saving graces – my family, my friends, and a faith in the power of resilience and hope,” Edwards wrote in the Facebook post. “These graces have carried me through difficult times and they have brought more joy to the good times than I ever could have imagined.”
“…there are certainly times when we aren’t able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like,” she added. “It’s called being human. But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful. It isn’t possible to put into words the love and gratitude I feel to everyone who has and continues to support and inspire me every day. To you I simply say: you know.”
Legendary CBS anchorman Walter Cronkite, 92, long known as the “Most Trusted Man in America,” is gravely ill, according to multiple CBS News sources and published reports.
According to Mediabistro’s blog, TVNewser, the network began updating his obituary more than a week ago; a CBS News executive had no comment to TVNewser on the reports of Cronkite’s failing health.
One of the most recognized and honored journalists in America, Walter Cronkite anchored the “CBS Evening News” for 19 years, when he was replaced by Dan Rather.
Cronkite remained a special correspondent for the network through the years.
The St. Joseph, Mo., native got his start as a battlefield correspondent during World War II for the United Press. In 1950 he came to CBS radio as a Washington correspondent.
Cronkite jumped into the fledgling TV news world in 1962 when he was named anchor of the 15-minute “CBS Evening News,” which became the first 30-minute network newscast the following year with Cronkite at the anchor desk.
From the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. to publicly questioning U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War to the landing of the first man on the moon, Cronkite was known for a tell-it-like-it-is reporting style that was often tinged with genuine emotion.
Thought of as the dean of broadcast journalism, Cronkite’s style has long been the hallmark of television reporting. A journalism school at Arizona State University was named for him, and a number of industry awards are in his name, too.
In addition to leading the “Evening News” to perpetual first-place ratings, Cronkite gave the country one of the best-known catchphrases in TV history with his nightly sign-off, “And that’s the way it is…”
TVNewser quotes Cronkite speaking on his own mortality from a 2006 interview:
“When you get to be 89, you have to think about it a little bit. It doesn’t prey on me, and it doesn’t keep me awake nights. Occasionally, when I’m upset about something else, I think, ‘My gosh, I don’t know if I should do this or that because I’m not sure I’ll be here that long to enjoy it.’”
source: Legendary CBS journalist Walter Cronkite reportedly gravely ill [chicago sun times]
Continuing to add to his reputation as one of the most kind-hearted Hollywood actors, Ben Affleckgave a dying 18-year-old the weekend of his dreams.
Robin Leachreports in his Luxe Life blog that Affleck had been contacted years ago by a terminally ill teenager who had been told his life expectancy wasn’t much more than 18 years of age.
The unidentified teen then wrote a letter to Affleck, saying the one thing he wanted to do before he died was to gamble with the ‘Armageddon’ star.
Affleck, abiding by gambling rules, told the teen that when he was 18, his wish would be granted.
Making good on his promise, Affleck reportedly partied it up with his fan this past weekend in Las Vegas. They reportedly dined at N9NE Steakhouse with a party of 15, and later hit the blackjack and craps tables together.
Leach reports that Affleck “then led the group up to The Playboy Club atop the Fantasy Tower, where they won a dance floor VIP table and continued partying there early this morning.”
Grieving John Travolta is the center of an alleged extortion plot that is said to involve a photograph of his son Jett Travolta that was taken as he was dying.
Tragedy: Actor John Travolta with his late son Jett, who had a history of seizures and collapsed at the family's holiday home in Grand Bahama on January 2
He was contacted by a pair of alleged extortionists who demanded ‘millions of dollars‘ or threatened to sell the photo to the highest bidder.
Travolta, 54, immediately contacted his lawyers to deal with the matter and they flew to the Bahamas over the weekend to meet with the alleged extortionists.
Two men, including a local politician from Grand Bahama where Jett died, are being quizzed over the allegations, according to local reports. The other man involved is thought to be connected with the ambulance service.
A police source said: ‘The investigation is at an early stage. Mr Travolta is co-operating fully.’
Close and loving: John with his daughter Ella, son Jett and wife Kelly
Jett Travolta,16, who had a history of seizures, collapsed at the family’s holiday home in Grand Bahama on January 2nd after returning from a family boating trip. His father battled to keep him alive with heart massage before paramedics arrived to take over.
The extortion plot was revealed as Travolta remained in seclusion at his sprawling home on the Jumbolair estate in central Florida. Friends say he is still struggling to come to terms with the death of his son.
He has yet to be seen in public, and has rarely ventured from his home into the nearby town of Ocala where he is well known and despite his Hollywood status left alone
The extortion plot is believed to revolve around a photograph of Jett as he lay in the back of an ambulance. It is understood to have been taken on a mobile phone.
The alleged blackmailers are thought to have made contact with Travola and his Florida based lawyers Michael Ossi and Howard Butler.
Michael Jackson‘s biographer claims the King of Pop is waging the fight of his life against a genetic disease that has left him nearly blind and desperately in need of a lung transplant.
According to author Ian Halperin (via The Sun), Jackson “needs a lung transplant, but may be too weak to go through with it.” Jackson’s biographer Halperin also claims that the pop legend “has emphysema and chronic gastrointestinal bleeding, which his doctors have had a lot of trouble stopping.”
Jackson, who turned 50 just a few months ago, is said to be barely able to speak.
Halperin says Jackson is battling an inherited condition called A1AD — alpha-1 anti-trypsin deficiency — where those affected by it lack a protein that helps protect the lungs. Halperin says that due to the ailment, Jackson “can barely speak” and that the “vision in his left eye is 95 percent gone.”
And while the breathing woes are surely something to worry about, Halperin claims that “it’s the bleeding that’s the most problematic part. It could kill him.”
Jermaine Jackson, Michael’s brother, even commented on the situation, telling The Sun that his little brother is “not doing so well right now. This isn’t a good time.”
Halperin is a well respected and long-time investigative reporter. He made a name for himself by going undercover and posing as a model to report on the fashion industry in his book ” Shut Up and Smile,” and most recently skewered Hollywood in ‘Hollywood Undercover: Revealing the Sordid Secrets of Tinseltown.’
