PARK CITY, Utah—Lance Armstrong’s two-night interview with Oprah Winfrey — in which the disgraced cyclist admitted to doping, bullying his detractors and never considering himself a cheater — left a slew of questions unanswered and the fate of Armstrong’s hoped-for public redemption uncertain.
People remain angry at the seven-time Tour de France winner. Armstrong’s good friend Matthew McConaughey understands where they’re coming from, as the actor exclusively told MTV News at the Sundance Film Festival, because he too was upset.
“My first reaction was I was pissed off,” he said, explaining that he wanted to be “delicate” in how he addressed the scandal. “I was mad. I then got kind of sad for him. First off, I had a part of me that took it kind of personally, which I think a lot of people have.”
“For him, it was impersonal because he was living a lie,” McConaughey added. “It was a whole unanimous facade he had to carry around.”
Their friendship stretches back years. Both men call Austin, Texas home, and their longtime bromance included shirtless marathon training sessions, beach vacations, and work together on Armstrong’s Livestrong nonprofit to support people affected by cancer. McConaughey’s initial anger at his pal’s lies, though, gradually gave way to a more nuanced and generous understanding of the unfolding scandal.
“What I realized is that those of us that took that personally, like, ‘Oh, he lied to me,’ it’s not true,” said McConaughey, who was in Sundance to promote his buzzy drama, “Mud.” “What I mean by this is, what was he supposed to do? Call me to the side and go, ‘Hey man, I did it but don’t tell anybody.’ Then I would have really had a reason to be pissed off at him, going, ‘You want me to walk around holding this?’ “
During Friday’s Oprah interview, Armstrong spoke directly to the millions of fans who felt betrayed by his vehement cover-up effort. “I lied to you and I’m sorry,” he said. “I am committed to spending as long as I have to to make amends, knowing full well I won’t get many back.”
McConaughey, for his part, is trying to find his way back. “Where I am now is I’ve put myself out of the way and I am happy for this guy, who has now chosen to reenter this new chapter of his life a truly free man. And the weight he had on his shoulders, without the boogieman under the bed, the skeleton in the closet that he’s carried for 14 years. Fourteen years he lied and carried the lie with him.”
Like Armstrong, McConaughey acknowledged that many fans might never forgive the disgraced hero, a fact the actor completely understands. So too does he understand the long, painful road his friend must now travel.
“You know the old line that Oprah said the other night, ‘The truth will set you free,’ ” he explained. “Yeah, but she forgot one part. It’s miserable in the beginning. And it’s going to be miserable. But he’s looking it in the eye, and he’ll handle it. He’ll deal. And he’s ready for how hard it’s going to be to deal.”
In my opinion, at the end of it all, this so-called life, his legacy will be what he did for cancer,” he added. “That’s what will go on living. That’s if he doesn’t do anything else.”
The 2013 Sundance Film Festival is officially under way, and the MTV Movies team is on the ground reporting on the hottest stars and the movies everyone will be talking about in the year to come. Keep it locked with MTV Movies for everything there is to know about Sundance.
The only narrative more compelling than a sports hero’s rise to world-wide fame and adoration is his (perhaps inevitable) fall from grace. And so it is that after Sony’s failed attempt to bring an uplifting Lance Armstrong biopic to the big-screen, Paramount and JJ Abrams’ Bad Robot will tell the darker side of the cyclist’s tale, per a report from Deadline.
Paramount had no comment when contacted by MTV News.
The project is based on a book proposal by New York Times sports reporter Juliet Macur, titled “Cycle of Lies: The Fall of Lance Armstrong,” to be published by HarperCollins.
Armstrong, 41, famously overcame stage-three cancer to win a record seven Tour de France titles. He’s also well-known for his philanthropic work, having established the Lance Armstrong Foundation (now the Livestrong Foundation) to benefit cancer patients. Since its inception in 1997, the foundation has raised $325 million and sold 72 million of those instantly recognizable yellow Livestrong bracelets, according to The Associated Press.
Doping allegations followed Armstrong throughout much of his career — claims he vehemently denied. He retired from the sport in 2011, and in 2012, was sanctioned by the United States Anti-Doping Agency for using and distributing performance-enhancing drugs. The agency stripped him of his cycling titles and banned him from the sport for life.
Armstrong maintained his innocence until just this week, coming clean during an interview with Oprah Winfrey that got Hollywood — producers included — buzzing.
While 2013 is the year Kimye will add a baby to the mix, 2012 was all about their whirlwind romance. Kanye West and Kim Kardashian spent the last year dating, courting, jet-setting and falling in love with the whole world watching.
However, Kim and Kanye had been friends for years. In fact, Yeezy was in the studio with Kim K when she recorded her 2010 track “Jam (Turn It Up).” But Kim and Kanye didn’t turn it up on their relationship status until this past year. So before they become parents, MTV News is taking a look back on their timeline to baby.
April
Kimye are spotted hitting the town and catching a screening of “The Hunger Games.” The date prompts speculation that a romance between the longtime friends is blooming. To add to the gossip, Kanye releases the track “Way Too Cold,” in which he mentions Kim and her estranged husband, Kris Humphries. Regardless of the many hints, Kim plays coy.
“I completely respect and understand you have to ask these questions, but I said before, Kanye and I have been friends for years, and you never know what the future holds,” Kim says on the “Today” show shortly after the rumors begin, adding her thoughts on “Way Too Cold”: “I like the song.”
May
The globe-trotting begins. In addition to stops in London and Toronto, Kanye is spotted hitting up Kim’s sister Kourtney’s baby shower on the West Coast. Then, Kim attends his “Cruel Summer” event at the famed Cannes Film Festival in France.
Celebs send love after Kanye and Kim’s baby news!
“I don’t know if I’m ready to talk about him,” Kim tells MTV News that month. “I feel like I’ve had such a hard time sharing my love life that now I’m a little bit more reserved on that.”
Khloé, however, has something to say: “For me, we’ve known Kanye for so many years and he’s always been such a good friend to all of us,” she said. “We’ve all been good friends with him. For me, I think friendships make the best relationships. Kim is so happy and is such a different person. … She crowd-surfs now.”
June
As the summer heats up, so does the relationship. Kim gifts Kanye with a Lamborghini for his birthday that month. He returns the favor by giving her a pair of his very limited-edition Nike Air Yeezy sneakers. And, to really prove she’s been accepted by his inner circle, she is spotted chilling with Beyoncé at a Watch the Throne Tour stop in Birmingham, U.K.
Kim feels “blessed” by baby news.
“I don’t know why it took so long for us to kind of get together,” Kim tells Oprah Winfrey about the long wait to Kimye. “But I think I needed to go through all my experiences and some that he’s gone through.”
July
For any fans who thought they weren’t serious about each other, the couple makes a splash at the BET Awards, where they chill together in the audience alongside pals Beyoncé and Jay-Z. That same month, Yeezy makes his first appearance on her reality show, “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.”
August
Kanye pens yet another track about Kim, called “Perfect Bitch.” But it doesn’t make the cut for his Cruel Summer album release.
What does make the cut is the couple, who both appear in a VMA promo alongside Kevin Hart. And they take their love to the screen one more time, appearing together in the music video for “Way Too Cold.”
That same month, Kim opens up about rap music in an interview in V magazine. “When rap music first came out, people were like, ‘We don’t understand this, what is this, it’s just a fad,’ ” she says. “But rap music is definitely here to stay, and I think reality shows have proven they are as well. But when something is newer, people don’t really understand it.”
September
Always a fashionista, Kim credits Kanye West for helping her up her fashion game in an interview. “I introduced my stylist into the mix so we can kind of collaborate on a more sophisticated look on something that I felt kind of reflects my own personality and the changes that I’ve had in my life,” she says of her Yeezy-inspired look.
October
Despite denying a wedding is in the works, Kim appears in a wedding dress in Tatler magazine and chats about her beau.
“It’s so nice to have a best friend in this game who understands everything you’re going through,” she says. “Being with someone I’ve known for so many years is comforting. He’s been there through so many different stages of my life and before I was famous, so this relationship is a different thing entirely. It’s good to be aware that he definitely doesn’t want anything from me too, because he understands the business. I can’t even think about being with anyone else than the man I’m with.”
November
Kim opens up (again) about her love for Yeezy in Cosmo U.K., sharing, “He’s great at boosting my confidence. He gives me compliments in every way possible.”
December
Just in time to ring in the New Year, Kanye announces at his Revel show in Atlantic City, New Jersey, that he and Kim are expecting a baby. Kim later confirms the news on her blog. “It’s true!! Kanye and I are expecting a baby,” she writes. “Looking forward to great new beginnings in 2013 and to starting a family. Happy New Year!!! Xo.”
Share your well-wishes for Kim and Kanye in the comments below!
Justin Bieber has gotten inked again, this time adding an owl to his ever-expanding collection of tattoos.
On Sunday, the pop star shared a photo on Instagram of his new ink, a large black-and-grey owl sitting on a branch with the caption, “Befo the paps get me.” It’s located on his forearm, right beside his “Believe” tattoo.
The tat is Bieber’s eighth, and his sixth of the year. In September, Bieber tweeted a photo of a crown tattoo, which sits on the right side of his chest, just below his shoulder. The 18-year-old singer got his first tattoo on his 16th Birthday back in March of 2010, which was a small outline of a bird on his left hip.
Whooo: Justin’s owl ink has Buzzworthy sensing a trend!
While he hasn’t shared the significance of his latest ink, Bieber recently sat down with Oprah Winfrey for the November 25th episode of “Oprah’s Next Chapter,” where he opened up about the media scrutiny surrounding himself and girlfriend Selena Gomez.
“Sometimes… sometimes we gotta to take the back exits and do different things, but I never make her separate from me cause I don’t want her to feel like I’m ashamed of her,” he said during a tease that aired on “Good Morning America.”
“I feel like a lot of guys do that — especially in the business,” Bieber added. “They don’t want to be seen with their girl so they’ll make them ride in separate cars and do all that ‘getaway’ stuff. When we get away, we’re getting away together.”
What do you think of Justin’s new tattoo? Let us know in the comments!
Wondering just what Selena Gomez might look like in her next film, the thriller “Getaway”? Well, consider your Friday wish granted. A first look at the flick is finally out, and it appears that the Disney starlet is looking for some action, alongside co-star Ethan Hawke.
The still features hooded Gomez and Hawke sitting together in a car, appearing to be on some sort of stakeout. Until now, details about the plot have been light. But according to a new synopsis, the film will revolve around Hawke, playing a former racecar driver, who must try and track down his kidnapped wife. Enter Gomez, a computer hacker enlisted to help Hawke out on his mission. Jon Voight has been tapped to play “the villain.”
Gomez first dished about the part back in April, noting that she was looking forward to starring in an action film. “It’s really, really exciting,” she said at the time. “I go to Bulgaria and then I start filming. It’s more of an action movie, which is also different.”
The film will open on August 30, 2013, with Courtney Solomon and Yaron Levy co-directing and Sean Finegan and Gregg Maxwell Parker manning the script.
Justin Bieber opens up to Oprah Winfrey about his love for Selena!
It’s one of many projects on Gomez’s plate. Earlier this fall she starred in the family-friendly animated flick, “Hotel Transylvania.” And, in addition to working on new music, she’s also banked roles in “Spring Breakers,” “Aftershock” and “Parental Guidance Suggested.”
In addition to more mature roles, Gomez will return to the “Wizards of Waverly Place” in a one-off special set to air sometime in early 2013. The Disney show officially signed off the air back in January, but now fans will get the chance to see Gomez cast a spell one last time.
Earlier this week, the singer tweeted out the cover page of the script, which featured the name of the special, “The Wizards Return: Alex vs. Alex.” It will reunite her with her former castmates, including Jennifer Stone, Maria Canals-Barrera, Jake T. Austin, David DeLuise and Gregg Sulkin.
“I wanted to do it really badly,” she said about the in-the-works special. “I want to make sure I promise the cast and the fans a really, really good hourlong event that they can enjoy and will leave them feeling good.”
Which Selena Gomez project are you most looking forward to? Tell us in the comments!
Things got pretty political on Wednesday’s “RapFix Live.” In anticipation of the first 2012 presidential debate between President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, “RFL” guests Ryan Leslie and Machine Gun Kelly spoke politics as well.
Ryan Leslie understands how the youth can become disenfranchised with the U.S. political system, but he encourages young voters to get involved on the local level if they’d like to see more direct results. “They feel like they can tune in, they might be able to cast a vote, but they always feel so apathetic about what the results could actually be,” he said. “My work has really been focused on looking at emerging candidates. So, yes, I am someone who is definitely active in that arena.”
Leslie spoke about Michael Tubbs, a 22-year-old who is running for City Council in his native Stockton, California, a city plagued with crime and financial woes. The Stanford University graduate even secured a $10,000 donation from Oprah Winfrey after he impressed the media mogul in April. “That’s an example of something that I definitely want to support and be a part of,” Leslie said.
The singer/rapper — who is set to release his next album, Les Is More, on October 22 — didn’t discourage new voters from participating in the upcoming November 6 presidential election but stressed the importance of local politics as well. “I think that on a very local and individual and personal level, there’s a lot that can be done to start rebuilding this nation,” he said.
Machine Gun Kelly, who identifies himself as an anarchist, found truth in Leslie’s stance. “As a youth, you don’t make an impact — at least you don’t feel as if you make an impact,” he said. “Voting for the presidents is like voting for the lesser of two evils.”
Instead, Kells echoed Leslie’s sentiment in hopes of getting kids more involved in their communities. “What you were saying about youth can come out and start by helping their community, I felt like that’s really where our views can mesh,” he said.
Stick with MTV’s Power of 12 throughout the 2012 election season.
On the heels of Tuesday night’s $4 million fundraiser in New York for President Obama hosted by Jay-Z and Beyonce, Katy Perry is getting political.
The “California Gurls” singer will perform at the Obama “30 Days To Victory” fundraising concert in Los Angeles on October 7 according to the Hollywood Reporter. The other acts on the bill at the Nokia Theater show have not been announced, but tickets will be available from the campaign starting at $44 per person for supporters under the age of 40. General admission for the show is $250 a person. Spokespeople for Nokia and Perry could not be reached for confirmation at press time.
The concert will be followed by a dinner with the president hosted by Hollywood mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg at a local restaurant, with tickets for that event starting at $25,000.
Though the star power on both sides of the political spectrum has dimmed considerably since the 2008 election, Obama has been the beneficiary of support from a number of A-list stars during the campaign season. In addition to the $40,000 per person shindig at Jay’s 40/40 Club on Tuesday, George Clooney hosted an Obama event at his Los Angeles home, director Tyler Perry held one at his Atlanta mansion and Sarah Jessica Parker hosted a party at her New York townhouse in June that raised $2 million.
Other celebs who’ve stepped forward to support Obama include Meryl Streep, Oprah Winfrey, Spike Lee, Julia Roberts, Dave Grohl, Ellen DeGeneres, Jessica Alba, Alicia Keys, Jon Bon Jovi, Cher and Cee Lo Green.
Visit MTV’s Power of 12 campaign for more information on this year’s election or check out Fantasy Election ’12 for details on how to get involved in the game!
By Jocelyn Vena
During his in-depth interview on Oprah’s Next Chapter Usher got honest about the aspects of his work and personal life that have become media fodder over the past few months. The RB singer spent time talking about his divorce from ex-wife Tameka Foster, and all the messy details that came with it.
Not only did he face off in court with his ex-wife, Tameka Foster, over the custody of their two children, but he also lost his stepson, Kile Glover, in a tragic jet-ski accident over the summer. ”I miss Kile,” he told Oprah Winfrey during the latest episode of her OWN talk show, “Oprah’s Next Chapter,” in an episode that aired Sunday. “We cooked together, we laughed, we sang. He loved to sing and dance. He loved to tell jokes.”
He then cleared up speculation that he wasn’t there for the 11-year-old before he passed away, sharing that he did visit him in the hospital and that he did attend the funeral. “It hurts me to hear people speculating that I wasn’t at the funeral. I absolutely was at the funeral. I was at the burial as well,” he said.
Usher also opened up about the heated custody hearings over his two sons (Usher Raymond V, 4, and Naviyd Ely Raymond, 3). “This will be the only time that I’ve ever chosen to speak about it. I’ve been a man of integrity throughout the entire process,” he said. “Which I hope my boys will understand.”
He then shut down claims by Foster that he has been an “absentee” father. He said, “Absentee from the aspect of having to go and work, that probably would be her version or idea what absentee would be,” he explained. “But no, I’m not an absentee father at all.”
Usher has since gotten sole custody of his sons but notes that things will never be the same with his ex. “We don’t see eye-to-eye,” he said of his current relationship with Foster. “The friend that I was to Tameka, I don’t know that I could ever be again, because I really felt like we were friends. She made us enemies in a way that I could never understood. It wasn’t until I was on the stand, where I cried, when I realized, ‘Oh, this is an attack.’ “
When asked if he was faithful to Foster during their marriage, Usher admitted that he did have intimate relationships with other women while they were “separated” including one of Foster’s bridesmaids.
But it wasn’t all dark. Oprah soon steered the conversation to a more light-hearted topic: Does he get into the mood by playing his own music? “Some may say this may be rather narcissistic, but, um, yeah. I’m a good motivator for the moment,” he said. “Some guys don’t take their time; they don’t even put music on. I like to set the mood. A little Luther [Vandross], Marvin Gaye, then your more modern songs, like Usher.”
