He may have joked about it afterward, but Will Smith's slap of Chris Rock at the Academy Awards affected the comedian deeply, according to good friend Leslie Jones. In a recent interview, the SNL alum said that Rock played it off but it lived with him long after that evening. "That s–t was humiliating. It really affected him,” Jones told People magazine in an interview promoting her new memoir, "Leslie F*cking Jones" (which features a forward from Rock). "People need to understand his daughters, his parents, saw that. He had to go to counseling with his daughters."
Long-time Wheel Of Fortune co-host Vanna White extended her contract and will continue turning letters until at least the middle of 2026. It's reported that she got a "substantial pay increase" from the $3 million per year she was making for nearly two decades. For comparison, host Pat Sajak has reportedly been taking home $15 million per season. This 41st season of "Wheel" is the final one for retiring host Pat Sajak before Ryan Seacrest takes over.
Joby Aviation and the state of Ohio are joining forces to open a manufacturing facility to build cutting-edge electric planes that take off and land vertically. Joby’s production aircraft is designed to transport a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour, with a maximum range of 100 miles. Passengers will summon the vehicles using an app like Uber. The plan is for the vehicles to be available beginning in 2025. Manufacturing will take place in the same Ohio river valley where the Wright brothers pioneered human flight 120 years ago.