Entertainment Brief 10/24/22

From bombshells to new beginnings, this is your weekly entertainment brief from last week’s biggest entertainment news.

Sacheen Littlefeather Lied About Native American Ethnicity

         Less than a month after her death, the sisters of Native American actress and activist Sacheen Littlefeather claim she wasn’t Native American after all.

         The sisters explained Littlefeather’s father was actually of Mexican descent. The actress had claimed for decades he was a White Mountain Apache and Yaqui Indian. The mother, Gertrude Barnitz, was white.

         These bombshell confessions come courtesy of the San Francisco Chronicle, who interviewed Littlefeather’s sisters, Rosalind Cruz and Trudy Orlandi.

                     “It’s a fraud,” Cruz said during the interview. “It’s disgusting to the heritage of the tribal people. It’s just…insulting to my parents.”

         Littlefeather died on Oct. 2, one month before her 76 birthday.

         Nearly 50 years ago, Littlefeather came into prominence when, at age 26, she took the stage at the Academy Awards in place of Marlon Brando.

The actor was going to be recognized as Best Actor for his performance in The Godfather when he decided to forgo the ceremony in order to bring awareness to the mistreatment and oppression of Native Americans.

In an interview on the Dick Cavett Show, Brando recounted the event and explained his reasoning for rejecting his Oscar.

“I felt there was an opportunity,” Brando said. “Since the American Indian hasn’t been able to have his voice heard anywhere in the history of the United States, I felt it was a marvelous opportunity to have an American Indian voice their opinion.”

Ellen DeGeneres to Begin New TV Series

         As the final season of her long-running talk show has come to a close, Ellen DeGeneres is set to embark on a new adventure.

         The 64-year-old comedian and talk show host has released a new show entitled About Time for Yourself…With Ellen. This docu-style series follows DeGeneres as she tries new hobbies.

         “After stepping out of the spotlight of her iconic talk show,” the show’s press release states, “Ellen is trying something bold and new – being unemployed.”

         The first of the series’ eight episodes debuted on DeGeneres’ YouTube Channel on Saturday, Oct. 22.

         This new endeavor for DeGeneres follows the ending of her daytime talk show this past May after 19 seasons.

Zac Brown Band Cancels Concert

         Many fans were disappointed when Zac Brown Band canceled an Oct. 21 show in Vancouver. The band says “a single border agent” is to blame.

         The band released a statement which explained the reasoning behind the concert’s cancellation: some crew members had charges on their records from decades ago which have since been removed.

         “We are a family, a tribe. We stick together, support each other and never leave anyone behind,” the band’s statement said. “As a band who prides themselves on showing up with excitement and professionalism, we will always play where we are welcomed and appreciated, and we’re so sorry we can’t be there.”

         It is worth noting Zac Brown has performed in Canada multiple times in the past 10 years, including twice this year, with no border problems.

         The band continued their tour on Saturday, performing in Portland, Oregon. From there, they will perform at the Hollywood Bowl on Nov. 4 and play a few more shows before the American leg of their tour closes on Dec. 31 in Nashville, Tennessee.

         A full list of the remaining Zac Brown Band tour dates can be found here.

Ron Masak Dies at 86

         Ron Masak, an actor from Murder, She Wrote died on Oct. 20, 2022, apparently from natural causes.

         The 86 year old actor’s daughter posted a statement on Facebook to announce his passing to the world.

         “[He] was known for his expansive career in the entertainment industry,” the statement read. “He was best known as “The King of Commercials,” as well as for his role as Sheriff Mort Metzger on Murder, She Wrote.”

         Masak’s death comes just weeks after his Murder, She Wrote costar Angela Lansbury died at 96.        

Masak was known for more than just Murder, She Wrote. He made countless appearances on other TV shows such as Bewitched and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. He also starred in the 1971 film Evel Knievel.