Monthly Archives: June 2023

Love Island fans have shared their devastation after show favourites Ekin-Su Culculoglu and Davide Sanclimenti announced their split after 11 months together.

The hunk took to Instagram on Thursday to share the sad news with his followers, remarking that he was ‘grateful for the memories and opportunities’ they shared together.

The announcement came just days after the couple attended the premiere of Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny together.

And reacting to the upsetting news, fans of the couple expressed their disbelief over the break-up just days after they put on a loved-up red carpet display, with one asking ‘make it make sense’. 

Meanwhile, others dramatically declared ‘love is dead’ in the wake of the news that the 2022 winners’ romance was over.

All over: Love Island fans have shared their devastation after show favourites Ekin-Su Culculoglu and Davide Sanclimenti announced their split after 11 months together

Days before: The announcement came just days after the couple attended the premiere of Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny together (pictured together on Monday)

Taking to Twitter following Davide’s statement, one fan penned: ‘ekin-su and davide breaking up making me not invest in any love island couple. i’m done.’

While a second shared: ‘Love doesn’t exist. Ekin-Su and Davide were the realest and most genuine couple (and toxic!) on love island but they were so entertaining

A third tweeted: ‘Davide and Ekin-Su wow… they were just at an event together?? These Love Island couples do not last long at all.’

‘Ekin-Su and Davide were literally just at an event together and he replied to an edit of them together literally yesterday make it make sense?? Wtf happened between the two of them in so little time’ said a fourth. 

‘Ekin-su and davide split up???? love is dead. no one talk to me. really can’t believe this’ declared a fifth upset person.

‘I don’t know how I feel about the news about Davide and Ekin-Su… it just isn’t sitting well for me #loveisland the couple of all couples are over!!!!!!!’ tweeted another.

With an additional follower tweeting: ‘EKIN SU AND DAVIDE BROKE UP?! BRUH LOVE IS DEAD.’

Taking to his Instagram stories, Davide wrote: ‘Ekin-Su and I are no longer together. I am grateful for the memories and opportunities we shared together and I wish her nothing but the best. 

Gutted: Reacting to the upsetting news, fans of the couple expressed their disbelief over the break-up just days after they put on a loved-up red carpet display 

Split: Some Love Island fans dramatically declared ‘love is dead’ in the wake of the news that the 2022 winners’ romance was over

‘I would like for everybody to respect this decision during this difficult time. I will continue to support Ekin in anyway possible.’

Ekin-Su and Davide were crowned the winners of Love Island in 2022 after a turbulent romance.

Sources have also claimed the pair jetted off on a make-or-break trip to Amsterdam, but have struggled to get their relationship back on track.

A source told The Sun: ‘They haven’t been getting along for quite some time and they really tried to make it work, but despite their best efforts, they’ve decided to call it quits.’

Earlier this week, Davide hinted that his relationship with Ekin-Su was on the rocks, when he posted a shirtless snap hinting that he could be heading back to the Love Island villa.

Done! The hunk took to Instagram on Thursday to share the sad news with his followers, remarking that he was ‘grateful for the memories and opportunities’ they shared together

He captioned his post: ‘Guess who’s coming back.’

Ekin-Su is yet to post anything on social media referencing the split, taking to Instagram Stories on Thursday to reveal she’d reunited with her mum and aunts while on holiday.

A representative for Davide Sanclimenti declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline. A representative for Ekin-Su Culculoglu has been contacted for comment.

It comes after earlier this month Davide admitted that he and Ekin-Su still face ‘struggles’ with their relationship.

The Italian businessman spoke candidly about their relationship in an interview with The Sun, in which he reflected on the realities of their life in the spotlight. 

He said: ‘Me and Ekin-Su had our struggles due to our public positions and we still have them sometimes.

‘If there’s something that I would change or would have done differently [with Ekin-Su in the villa] maybe I would have taken things a bit more slowly.’

Davide went on to say that despite this the couple are still very much in the throes of romance, particularly because they have the ‘same background.’ 

‘The best thing about dating Ekin-Su is that we understand each other – not just because we are literally the same person,’ He went on. ‘She is my copy-paste.’

What’s going on? Earlier this week, Davide hinted that his relationship with Ekin-Su was on the rocks, when he hinted that he could be heading back to the Love Island villa

Drama! In April, Ekin-Su was said to be left ‘fuming and upset’ after finding messages and pictures from two models on Davide’s phone

They moved in together after winning Love Island last year but earlier this year were forced to dismiss claims their relationship was a showmance.

In April, Ekin-Su was said to be left ‘fuming and upset’ after finding messages and pictures from two models on Davide’s phone.

A source said at the time: ‘It all exploded last Sunday after she found messages on Davide’s phone discussing their time together.

‘He had been messaging both of the girls and she suspected they had all met up one night.

‘Ekin-Su contacted one of the girls to tell them she knew about things. She was furious and really upset.’

A representative for Ekin-Su declined to comment on the story. MailOnline had also reached out for comment from Davide who is yet to respond.

Davide’s interview came after Ekin-Su revealed that she has ‘no friends left’ after being thrown into the public eye.

The beauty spoke candidly to Cosmopolitan about her struggles with personal relationships.

She admitted that since finding fame, people don’t ‘want’ to be her friend because of her ‘status’.

The star even revealed that close friends, such as one she has known for over 10 years, went on to sell stories about her.

Despite reflecting that she has ‘no friends left’, Ekin-Su insisted that she is ‘much ‘happier this way, particularly with the support of her boyfriend Davide.

She told the publication: ‘I’ve lost every friend I had. I don’t have any friends. I have one friend and that’s it.

Fame game: The couple rose to prominence after they appeared on Love Island and won the ITV2 dating show last summer (seen on the show)

‘Unfortunately, with the fame, you see people’s true colours. People just want to be your friend because of your status, and it’s a hard industry to trust. 

‘No, I don’t actually have friends left. People I’d known for 10 years who were in my life…Selling stories is not very nice. I wouldn’t do that to someone. If they were happy, I would support them. 

‘Unfortunately, I had that coming out of the villa, I had to delete people out of my life. 

‘But I am happier this way. Sometimes keeping your circle small is the best, and you don’t always need friends. So long as you know who you are, that’s fine.’

By Peter Mayer

As Dead & Company’s “Final Tour” rolls into town for three concerts at Folsom Field July 1 -3, Deadheads across the region will gather at the foot of the Flatirons one last time to celebrate the music of the Grateful Dead and bring to a close a 50-year relationship between the band and Colorado fans. Over that time, the Grateful Dead has had a huge influence on Boulder’s local music scene and Dead & Company has chosen Boulder as one of their favorite places to perform.

Folsom Field has a long tradition of live music featuring some of the world’s biggest bands including the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, the Grateful Dead, Simon & Garfunkel, Fleetwood Mac, the Eagles, Dave Matthews Band and many others. But recently, Dead & Company has been the only stadium show in town.

For the past seven years, no other musical act except Dead & Company has performed at Folsom Field. On this “final tour,” Boulder’s three concerts are more shows than at any other stop on the tour. Boulder holds a special place for the band and for fans. The July 1 show is already sold out and anticipation is building for a three-day celebration of Grateful Dead music across the community with pre- and post-concert music and events.

When I went to Boulder High from 1979 and 1982 there were two kinds of rock fans: Deadheads and everyone else. The Grateful Dead was not played on commercial FM radio and attracted fans and allegiance by allowing their concerts to be taped and traded by fans. I first saw the Grateful Dead in the rain at Red Rocks on June 13, 1984, and then managed to see them ten times over the years before Jerry Garcia died in 1995. Garcia was the central figure of the band and the real deal — a uniquely American singer, songwriter, guitar player, a titanic cultural figure and an irreplaceable musical talent.

There was public mourning, grief and sadness in Boulder and across America as news spread that Garcia had died in a California rehab facility, trying to get himself healthy. Everyone understood that this was the end of the Grateful Dead and the end of an incredible era of American music. We had been through this before with other irreplaceable pieces — John Lennon, John Bonham, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix. It was over. But the Dead lives on.

It is difficult to understate the influence of the Grateful Dead on Boulder’s musical tastes. The Grateful Dead was a jam band — part rock, part jazz, part folk and part bluegrass with lots of improvisation, all things Boulder music fans love. Boulder’s enduring musical legends Leftover Salmon, the String Cheese Incident, Yonder Mountain String Band, and Big Head Todd and the Monsters emerged in the early 1990s music scene which was fed by Deadhead energy and musical appetite. Grateful Dead cover bands like Shakedown Street and Steely Dead still sell out shows across the region.

In truth, Dead & Company is the best Grateful Dead cover band out there. The band currently features two original members — Bob Weir and Mickey Hart — along with John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge, Jeff Chimenti and Jay Lane. Dead & Company will sell out three nights at Folsom Field on the strength of the original source material — the songs of Grateful Dead — and the outstanding supporting cast that make Dead & Company musically exciting and stadium worthy. 

Statuesque guitar hero John Mayer never really listened much to the Grateful Dead as his own career blossomed, but after a chance meeting, Bob Weir recognized that Mayer brought the guitar and vocal fire and flame needed to ignite a new musical project. Then there’s Oteil Burbridge, who played bass for the final incarnation of the Allman Brothers and is the groove master, sonic glue and essential harmonizer. Chimenti and Lane have played Grateful Dead music with Bob Weir for more than 20 years and are consummate pros. Dead & Company succeeds because it keeps the spirit of the Grateful Dead alive and well while adding its own style and interpretation to songs that the audience knows and loves.

For Boulder area fans, the annual July Dead & Company shows at Folsom Field have been a welcome return of big live music to Folsom Field which is as good a stadium venue as you will find. I rode my bike to see Fleetwood Mac play at Folsom in 1977, I’ll do it again this year for the final Dead & Company run. There is something energizing and beautiful about a big stadium show in Boulder. Dead & Company is saying goodbye to Boulder, but this shouldn’t be the end of concerts at Folsom Field. Wouldn’t it be great if Boulder could attract other big acts like Taylor Swift or Beyonce to perform at Folsom Field? 

Peter Mayer is the co-chair of PLAN-Boulder County.

Lowell Weicker Jr. a three-term maverick Republic senator from Connecticut during the Watergate era and later an independent governor in his home state, died Tuesday. He was 92.

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According to a family statement, Weicker died after a short illness in a Middletown hospital, The New York Times reported.

Weicker was one of President Richard Nixon’s adversaries during the Watergate era in the early 1970s. He was part of the Senate select committee investigating the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C., according to The Washington Post.

His criticism of Nixon during the hearings alternately made him a hero or a demon, depending on party affiliation.

In one memorable moment, White House counsel John Dean had revealed that Nixon had kept an “enemies list,” which prompted a sharp response from Weicker, the Times reported.

“Let me make it clear, because I have got to have my partisan moment: Republicans do not cover up; Republicans do not go ahead and threaten; Republicans do not go ahead and commit illegal acts; and, God knows, Republicans don’t view their fellow Americans as enemies to be harassed,” Weicker said.

“I think he was just incredibly genuine, a little unfiltered,” Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, a Democrat who considered Weicker a friend, told The Associated Press in 2021. “And we sort of miss that in this day and age with the teleprompter.”

Weicker co-authored the Americans with Disabilities Act, introduced in his final year in the U.S. Senate and passed 18 months after he left office, CT Mirror reported.

The liberal Republican served in the Senate from 1970 until he was defeated in 1988 by Democrat Joe Lieberman, the lone defeat of his career, the Post reported.

Weicker was elected as Connecticut’s governor in 1990. He restructured the state’s revenue system with a new income tax, the Times reported. He pushed the legislation through without a vote from a single member of his party in Connecticut’s General Assembly, according to the newspaper.

“I sometimes did see myself as a maverick,” Weicker once wrote. “Independent, unafraid.”

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont directed flags flown at half-staff in honor of Weicker, WFSB-TV reported.

“Lowell and Claudia have been great friends to Annie and me for many years, and I am grateful for the counsel and advice that he provided,” Lamont said in a statement. “He truly cared about implementing policies that improve Connecticut for the better, and I admire his independent way of leading. Lowell never ducked a tough battle, absolutely convinced that he was right, and he usually was.”{