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Ian McKellen Reveals 'Star Wars' Star Alec Guinness Once Warned Him To Stay Quiet About Gay Rights
May 13, 2026
Though many believe that celebrities and major social media influencers should use their platforms and their voices to discuss important issues like equality, gay rights, and politics, some people would rather those worlds not mix.
During a recent Q&A interview with The Guardian, Lord of the Rings star Sir Ian McKellen opened up about a variety of topics and experiences from his lifelong career.
One prompt was for McKellen to share the "worst piece of advice" he'd ever received as an actor, and it came from a certain Star Wars icon who was not feeling the Force at the time.
Sir Ian reflected:
"He took me for an Italian lunch in Pimlico, where we chatted about this and that until he brought up the real reason for his invitation."
"He had heard about my work to establish Stonewall, a lobby group to present to the government and the world at large the case for treating U.K. lesbians and gays equally under the law with the rest of the population."
"He thought it somewhat unseemly for an actor to dabble in public or political affairs and advised me, and sort of pleaded with me, to withdraw."
"It was advice from an older generation, which I didn’t follow.”
Fans appreciated McKellen's recounting of the situation and how he respected his elders while choosing his own path.
Others were simply glad that McKellen carved his own path.
The conversation also became popular on the "Entertainment" subReddit, and Redditors applauded Sir Ian for following through with Stonewall instead of listening to Guinness's advice.
"Good on you, Sir Ian." - Obesz
"To be fair, being gay in 1980 would have been a career killer. The only reason it isn't now is because some people didn't follow that advice, sometimes at great personal cost." - No-Pie-7211
"While I don’t agree with it, I can understand he grew up in an era where people had their careers ruined by even being insinuated to be gay or aligning themselves with gay issues."
"That said, progress never would have happened had people not spoken up and defended the rights of minority groups, so it’s always been the right thing to do. (Even if it’s hard and scary, especially back then)." - ryan13ts
"This is, I think, a reasonable way to be 'from another time.' Sir Alec wasn’t giving bad or hateful advice; he was giving outdated advice. But I AM glad that Sir Ian didn't listen." - ScreenMuch90210
"Sorry, but as a married gay man, I have tremendous respect for those who pushed for gay rights while they were the sub one percent. But I’m not going to have disrespect for those who had to hide who they were and stay in the closet because of the very real threat of violence."
"I can’t say what I would have done in their shoes." - jb_nelson_
"It’s advice I respect McKellen for not taking, but I do definitely understand where Alec Guinness was coming from to an extent."
"He was born in 19 hundred f**king fourteen, during a time where it was still illegal in the UK for queer men to be open about their sexuality and still heavily stigmatized for queer women to do so, even if it wasn’t illegal in the same way."
"McKellen was too, but the fact that he was part of a different generation may well have affected his own viewpoint differently."
"I can’t judge Guinness for giving advice that was rooted in a life experience many of us can’t relate to as easily. LGBTQ+ rights are being increasingly threatened, but in some places, it is still much more acceptable to be open about it than it once was."
"That is why I do respect McKellen for not taking that advice, because without people who were willing to take a stand, that wouldn’t have happened. But we can and also should try to understand why people like Guinness felt the way they did, as well." - Life-Cantaloupe-3184
Some could see where Guinness was coming from, at least in the context of the time.
"I don't really blame Guinness for this. He was a product of his era and probably thought he was being genuinely helpful, but I'm glad McKellen was strong enough to say, 'No, I'm going to use what influence I have to try and make things better.'"
"There are a lot of people today still encouraging queer people to tone it down and make ourselves more palatable, or telling celebrities to stay in their lane. Politics is everyone's lane, and celebrities who use their power to help people are a necessary part of the fight."
"Unfortunately, we also have celebrities who use their power to hurt people, but that's another topic..." - Grey_Belkin
"Being openly gay (or founding Stonewall) could very well have derailed or destroyed another actor's career. Sir Ian was talented enough, eloquent enough, and in the right time to have both." - Lews-Therin-Telamon
"To be fair, Ian McKellen didn't see as much widespread fame as others of his generation until he was much older, so it could well have had an effect."
"Considering he was acting alongside people like Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, John Hurt, and Derek Jacobi in the theatre in his youth, they all became household names in film and TV well before he did." - jaymz668
"You have to remember the context of the times. This was solid info back in the day when simply being different could completely end your career or even life. It's different now, fortunately." - N00BAL0T
Most on X and Reddit could understand why Guinness gave the advice he did, based on the time in which he was born and raised, which was much more closed-minded toward, and even dangerous for, people promoting gay rights.
That said, the world needs more people like Sir Ian McKellen who carve their own path and do things, like creating Stonewall, that may be difficult but help so many people.
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@redactedreadingroom/Instagram
Pop-Up Exhibit In New York Featuring All 3.5 Million Pages Of The Epstein Files Goes Viral—And Wow
May 13, 2026
A pop-up exhibition in New York City titled The Donald J. Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Memorial Reading Room just opened in a two-story space in the Mriya Gallery in the city’s Tribeca neighborhood of Lower Manhattan.
It houses roughly 3.5 million printed pages in 3,437 individual volumes of redacted copies of files that were compiled by the FBI and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to indict and arrest convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in July of 2019, during MAGA Republican President Donald Trump's first term in office. The Palm Beach police first investigated Epstein in 2005, and then the FBI opened an investigation in 2006.
Epstein was a longtime friend of Trump who didn't cut ties with him until 2007.
As a result of that first investigation, he pleaded guilty in 2008 for soliciting prostitution and soliciting prostitution from a minor as part of a sweetheart deal negotiated by former Trump Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta when he served as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida.
In August of 2019, the registered sex offender would die by what was determined by the DOJ to be a suicide while still in their custody.
The Institute for Primary Facts, a nonprofit that describes itself as "advancing civic literacy through immersive traveling museum exhibits," sponsored the "educational experience" which runs until May 21.
The installation includes a detailed timeline of Epstein's relationship with Trump, from their reported first meeting in Palm Beach, Florida, in 1987 to two decades later when Epstein was kicked out of Mar-a-Lago in 2007 for, according to the President, poaching Trump's spa workers, which included the underage, now-deceased Virginia Giuffre—the woman who received an undisclosed cash settlement from former Prince Andrew.
Shelves holding the Epstein files are organized around an exhibit dedicated to Epstein's more than 1,400 victims, represented by candles arranged on the floor.

The organizers created a promo for the exhibit in advance of its opening, seen here:
Organizer David Garrett, told Wired:
"The evidence in this room is evidence of one of the most horrific crimes in American history. When people come through this room, I hope they realize that in America, we have the rule of law, and if they stand up, they can take action and demand accountability for the crimes that were committed."
The exhibit is open to all aged 16 and up, but an appointment is highly recommended as walk-in slots are extremely limited.
Due to errors by the Department of Justice, specifically failing to redact the names of some of the victims while they were making certain all the perpetrators were protected, only accredited members of the press, Congress, law enforcement, victims/survivors, and their legal advocates are permitted to read through the actual volumes of files on display.
Garrett told artnet:
"Many survivors and victims have not come forward publicly. They have requested that the Department of Justice redact their names, but the DoJ has done such a poor job, that caused further harm to the victims and survivors."
"Hopefully we can use the attention derived from this space to pressure the Department of Justice to release all of the files, properly redacted, so there can be true transparency, and in turn accountability."
Garrett told Wired that the goal was to convey the overwhelming scale of Epstein's crimes, which having the printouts of the redacted files achieves even if visitors cannot read through them.
It took Primary Facts volunteers about a month to print the 3.5 million pages of Epstein files, and the compiled volumes weigh about 17,000 pounds in total.
You can view visitor videos of the exhibit below:
People appreciated the Institute for Primary Facts' efforts.









You can schedule a visit to The Donald J. Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Memorial Reading Room via the link here, which the organization named the Trumpsonian.
The Institute for Primary Facts is raising funds via ActBlue to bring the exhibit to further American cities.
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Ted Cruz Accidentally Rips Himself With Epic Self-Own While Attempting To Attack AOC In Viral Clip
May 13, 2026
Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz accidentally told on himself while trying to insult New York Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez during a Fox News interview on Monday for going from working as a bartender to being a federal government employee—what he called a "parasite."
Cruz appeared on the network after Ocasio-Cortez argued during a speaking event last week that the American Revolution was fought “against the billionaires of their time” and defended her previous claim that billionaires cannot truly “earn” that level of wealth without others suffering in the process.
Ocasio-Cortez spent several years working as a bartender in the Bronx to help her single mother avoid foreclosure on their home following the 2008 financial crisis. By contrast, Cruz attended Princeton University and Harvard University and has spent nearly all of his professional career in public office.
Cruz said, "AOC had this bizarre take on the history of America," and said it, "was American free enterprise capitalists who invested in seeking freedom," adding the following to network host Sean Hannity:
"By the way, AOC also said it is impossible for anybody to earn a billion dollars. Which look, I recognize for her given that she was a bartender, that is probably true, and there is no disrespect to bartenders. Bartenders are an honorable profession. But she went from that to being a government employee and a parasite sucking on the taxpayer."
"Think of Henry Ford, who invented the Model T, who invented the assembly line, and basically created the American middle class, you don’t think that produced billions of dollars?"
"Look at Elon Musk, making electric cars, making self-driving cars, sending rocket ships to the moon, he’s going to be sending rocket ships to Mars, and yet these left-wing zealots say if you are successful and you are producing and creative, you are bad, we want to take everything from you, and we want to put a bunch of Washington politicians in charge of your life."
"I’ve got to say, Sean, if you’re a 25-year-old guy starting your career, or a 25-year-old woman starting your career, that is a horrible, dystopic future, and if they take over the Congress, God help this country."
You can hear what he said in the video below.
Cruz was swiftly mocked for his remarks.
When approached for a response to Cruz's remarks, Ocasio-Cortez had this to say:
"It’s not a secret the disdain that Ted Cruz has for people who work working-class jobs. It’s not a secret what he thinks of the waitresses, the line cooks—he thinks we’re less than him. He thinks that because he has a Harvard degree and has never scrubbed a table that it makes him better than someone who has actually had to work for a living."
"I think it’s funny that he’s been taking a government paycheck for 23 years but has the audacity to criticize someone who has come from a family that had to work their way up and earn their place here."
"If that's how he feels, that's how he feels. I don't take it personally. I'm okay with it."
You can hear what she said in the video below.
People loved her response—and criticized Cruz even more.
You might want to take several seats, Ted.
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UCF Graduation Speaker Visibly Stunned After Her Remark About The Future Of AI Gets Booed By Crowd
May 13, 2026
Artificial intelligence might be dominating boardrooms and tech conferences, but graduates at the University of Central Florida were clearly not interested in hearing about it during commencement.
Gloria Caulfield, vice president of strategic alliances at Orlando-based Tavistock Development Company, was met with loud boos Friday night after praising artificial intelligence during UCF’s graduation ceremony for the College of Arts and Humanities and Nicholson School of Communication and Media.
Before the crowd turned on her, Caulfield framed artificial intelligence as part of a broader era of disruption and innovation.
She began building toward her remarks about AI:
“We are living in a time of profound change. That’s an understatement, right? Profound change. Change is exciting. Very exciting. And let’s face it, change can be daunting.”
She also referenced Jeff Bezos, Magic Johnson, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton as examples of ambitious dreamers whose ideas reshaped industries and culture.
Then the speech took a sharp turn.
Caulfield continued as a loud chorus of boos began to rain down on the arena:
“The rise of artificial intelligence is the next Industrial Revolution…”
One attendee could even be heard yelling, “AI sucks!” as the crowd reaction intensified.
The response caught Caulfield visibly off guard. She stepped away from the podium and appeared to ask faculty members seated behind her, “What happened?” before attempting to regain control of the room.
She tried to calm the increasingly divided audience:
“OK, I struck a chord. May I finish?”
Ma’am, let’s be serious.
She tried (and failed) to regain control of the crowd by returning to her prepared remarks—at least briefly.
Some graduates applauded as she pushed forward with the speech:
“Only a few years ago, AI was not a factor in our lives...”
Caulfield then tried to awkwardly laugh off the increasingly divided reaction, joking that artificial intelligence had become “a bipolar topic” before losing half the audience again. As she continued praising AI’s growing accessibility, the crowd responded with another mixture of applause and jeers, prompting her to laugh and praise the audience’s “passion.”
You can view the whole debacle here:
the tech world has genuinely not grappled with how many people
despise them and what they make pic.twitter.com/t2VIuYEjLW
— onion person (@CantEverDie) May 11, 2026
Caulfield continued comparing artificial intelligence to past technological shifts, including the rise of the internet, email, and cellphones, arguing that fear surrounding innovation is nothing new:
“I know it sounds amusing, but at the time, we had no idea how any of these technologies would impact the world and our lives.”
As she concluded her speech, Caulfield shared her belief that artificial intelligence could be a powerful tool for the world if properly controlled.
She offered:
“Being an optimist here, AI alongside human intelligence has the potential to help us solve some of humanity’s biggest problems. Many of you in this graduating class will play a role in making this happen.”
The backlash likely was not just about hearing another executive praise artificial intelligence. The speech was delivered to arts, humanities, and communication graduates, and many are entering industries already grappling with layoffs, fears of automation, and growing anxiety over generative AI replacing creative work.
The moment quickly spread across social media, where many viewers argued the crowd’s reaction reflected a broader exhaustion with nonstop AI evangelism.
You can view the reactions here:
Caulfield’s AI remarks, which made up roughly three minutes of the 11-minute speech, appeared to leave a sour taste with some graduates preparing to enter industries already being reshaped by automation and generative AI tools.
Nicholson School of Communication and Media graduate Houda Eletr later criticized the speech in comments shared with the Orlando Weekly.
Eletr slammed the AI-heavy remarks after the ceremony:
“To stand in front of a graduating class of artists and communicators and discuss Jeff Bezos and Howard Schultz is to spit on our efforts to flip the script. I’m embarrassed to have had to endure the most embarrassing, unskippable, tone-deaf, ad-like commencement. Boo to AI and boo to your agenda.”
According to Business Wire, 80% of seniors surveyed believe that artificial intelligence is reducing entry-level opportunities, even as AI adoption continues to expand among younger workers.
Eletr doubled down on the criticism while praising the graduates who booed:
“It will not be the rise of AI that is the next Industrial Revolution; it will be the boo-ers who refuse to take a check from the top 1% to present an empty agenda. It will be humans for humans.”
That audience's reaction made it clear that college graduates entering creative fields are not exactly eager to hear wealthy executives compare artificial intelligence to humanity’s next great revolution.
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Democrats Waste No Time Turning Trump's Tone-Deaf Response To Question About Americans' 'Financial Situation' Amid Iran War Into An Ad
May 13, 2026
Ahead of a trip to China, President Donald Trump was asked whether he thinks about Americans' "financial situation" when negotiating with Iran—and his extremely revealing remarks were quickly seized on by Democrats, who gleefully turned the clip into a damning political ad.
Republicans have faced pressure from constituents nationwide to address the rising cost of living, but Americans are feeling pain at the pump now that the Iran war, which the Trump administration kicked off in late February, has prompted a spike in gas prices.
Several days ago, Trump rejected Iran’s latest response to U.S. proposals aimed at ending the war, calling Tehran’s terms “totally unacceptable.” Iran’s proposal—reportedly delivered through Pakistan, which has acted as a mediator—called for an immediate halt to fighting on all fronts, an end to the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports, and guarantees against future attacks on Iran.
The U.S. proposal, by contrast, reportedly included demands such as suspending Iranian nuclear enrichment, restoring free passage through the Strait of Hormuz, and lifting sanctions.
When asked by a reporter how much he considers the "financial situation" of Americans when he goes into negotiations, Trump was brutally honest, saying:
"Not even a little bit. The only thing that matters when I'm talking about Iran, they can't have a nuclear weapon."
"I don't think about Americans' financial situation. I don't think about anybody. I think about one thing: we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That’s all."
You can hear what he said in the video below.
Shortly afterward, the official X account for the Democratic Party posted a video on X revealing they'd wasted no time in turning his words into a campaign ad titled, "Trump In His Own Words," remarking:
"Today, Trump admitted he doesn't care about Americans' financial situations."
The ad starts off with Trump saying, "I don't think about Americans' financial situation" and "I don't think about anybody" before sharing a clip of a similar recent remark:
"We're fighting wars. We can't take care of daycare, Medicaid, Medicare, all these individual things."
The ad concludes with these words:
"You deserve better."
You can see the ad below.
People loved it.
Trump's remarks have also been widely condemned.
While this is certainly the most honest thing we've heard from Trump in a while, he has already made it very clear he doesn't care about the affordability crisis.
Last year, insisting prices are down despite rising inflation, he claimed that affordability "doesn't mean a thing to anybody." He went on to accuse Democrats of crafting a “fake narrative” and “con job” to trick the American people into not voting for Republicans.
Trump previously dismissed the concerns of a MAGA voter who begged him to fulfill his campaign promise to lower the price of groceries. Trump, responding to the North Carolina woman, said, "I think of groceries, you know, it's an old-fashioned word, but it's a beautiful word," and nonetheless insisted that "beef, we have to get down, but we've got prices way down."
Trump said that under his administration, the U.S. has seen "the biggest reduction in costs in the history of that chart or whatever that thing is they do." He also said he doesn't "want to hear a thing about the affordability because right now we're much less."
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