Jill Biden bid staggering amount of money for ‘Heated Rivalry’ Season 2 cameo: ‘It was worth a shot’

Jill Biden bid a whopping $35,000 for a cameo in Season 2 of “Heated Rivalry,” but was outbid by some more diehard fans of the show.

The former first lady tried her luck at securing a walk-on role on the HBO Max sports romance during the NYC LGBT Center’s annual Center Dinner gala Thursday night.

“Dr Jill Biden was a surprise guest tonight – and just bid $35k for a walk on [sic] role in Heated Rivalry season 2!” former Teen Vogue editor-in-chief Versha Sharmatweeted after the event.

However, the 74-year-old educator was ultimately outbid by $90,000.

“Final winners bid $125k each, for a total of $250k raised for the center!” Sharma added.

But Biden was a good sport about losing out on the “Heated Rivalry” opportunity, andtook to Xto celebrate the NYC LGBT Center.

“Guess I won’t be heading to the cottage after all—but it was worth a shot!” she wrote. “What a wonderful evening supporting @LGBTCenterNYC.”

Biden was at the gala dinner as a surprise guest and appeared to attend the annual event with multimillionaire tech entrepreneur Tim Gill, a spy told Page Six.

“She wasn’t a part of the program. She didn’t get on stage and speak,” the insider told us. “They announced she was there, and everyone gave her a standing ovation.”

The former first lady ended up staying the entire night and was even said to have danced center stage as Mel C performed her newest song, “Sweat,” with the Season 18 “Rupaul’s Drag Race” finalistsDarlene Mitchell, Myki Meeks and Nini Coco.

While Biden spoke to other attendees throughout the star-studded night, a source said the Secret Service stepped in at one point to let the eager crowd know it was time for her to enjoy dinner.

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Other VIPs at the bash included Brooks Brothers CEO Ken Chashi and husband Adam Freed, former “Good Day New York” anchor Baruch Shemtov and CBS News Business analyst Jill Schelsinger.

Thursday night’s gala dinner also honored several people behind “Heated Rivalry,” including creator Jacob Tierney and executive producer Brendan Brady.

Author Rachel Reid, who penned the “Game Changers” book series that “Heated Rivalry” was adapted from, was also there to present Tierney with the center’s Cultural Impact Award.

Starring Hudson Williams, 25, as Shane Hollander and Connor Storrie, 26, as Ilya Rozanov, “Heated Rivalry” follows the two pro hockey rivals as they navigate a secret romance off the ice.

But the characters step away from the spotlight and escape to a secluded Ontario cottage togetherduring the season’s pivotal and tender finale.

Filming for the fan-favorite episode took place at a real lakeside cottage in Muskoka, and fans of the show can now book a stay at the property through Airbnb for $248.10 CAD per night ($181 USD).

“Airbnb wanted the price to be reduced to make it affordable for more people,” Jayne McCaw, who manages the property,told the New York Timesearlier this year.

“It is their two hockey numbers put together,” she added of the $248.10 CAD rental price. Williams’ Shane wears 24 for the Montreal Metros in “Heated Rivalry,” while Storries’ Ilya wears 81 for the Boston Raiders.

Meanwhile, Biden wouldn’t be the only A-lister to reveal her obsession with the steamy hockey love story.

Pedro Pascal and Jon Hammboth gushed over Storrieahead of the his“Saturday Night Live” hosting debutin February.

Dylan O’Brien also gave François Arnaud, who stars as Scott Hunter in the show, a shoutoutduring an interviewearlier this year.

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

April 19, 2026

Jill Biden bid staggering amount of money for ‘Heated Rivalry’ Season 2 cameo: ‘It was worth a shot’

Jill Biden bid a whopping $35,000 for a cameo in Season 2 of “Heated Rivalry,” but was outbid by some more diehard fans of the show. ...

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Police investigating potential shooting near University of Iowa, campus says

Police were investigating potential gunshots early on Sunday near the University of Iowa, the campus said in an alert.

The apparent gunshots were reported near College and Clinton streets in Iowa City, the campus said.

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"First responders on scene. Confirmed victims," the university said in an update posted at 2:03 a.m. "Please continue to avoid the area."

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

April 19, 2026

Police investigating potential shooting near University of Iowa, campus says

Police were investigating potential gunshots early on Sunday near the University of Iowa, the campus said in an alert. The appare...

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Jon Rahm overcomes rocky start to take LIV Golf Mexico City lead

Jon Rahm used a strong back nine during Friday's second round to take a narrow lead at the halfway point of LIV Golf Mexico City in Naucalpan, Mexico.

Rahm -- who backdoored his way into a top-40 finish last week at the Masters by shooting 4 under in the final round to finish at 1 over -- overcame a rocky front nine to shoot 4 under on the back nine, post 67 at Club de Golf Chapultepec and sit at 10-under-par 132.

The Spaniard was in second place after the opening round at 6 under. He's now one stroke clear of Matthew Wolff, Tom McKibbin of Northern Ireland and Harold Varner III, who are all tied at 9 under.

"I was even par on that 9th tee, and I thought, ‘Well, if I hit a good tee shot on 9, I'm going to give myself a birdie chance,'" Rahm said after the round. "If I keep hitting good drives like I've been doing so far, I was going to give myself really good chances at 10, 11 and 12, so I think I told (caddie) Adam (Hayes), ‘If we can get one or two before we get to the par-5s, I think we're in a good spot,' and kind of took it that way."

Rahm, who started on the first tee at the shotgun-start event, opened with a bogey, which set the tone for an even-par front nine with three birdies and three bogeys. That included a ball into the water at No. 8, which led to a second consecutive bogey.

He changed the tune by starting his back nine with a birdie on the par-4 10th hole, kicking off a bogey-free final half of his round. Rahm racked up four birdies to put himself in pole position as he seeks his second 2026 win and sixth straight top-five finish to begin the season.

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Wolff, McKibbin and Luis Masaveu of Spain (who is in fifth place at 8 under) each shot 6-under 65 to shoot up the leaderboard.

Wolff navigated a number of tough situations with par saves to come away with a bogey-free round.

"I was a bit all over the place, to be honest. I told my caddie after I finished up, I said, ‘I would have never guessed that that round would be bogey-free.' I feel really good with the putter, so I think that helped a lot," Wolff said. "... Overall, obviously I'm really happy, but definitely would like to tighten the ball-striking up a little bit. But it's day by day. Hopefully I can leave that bad ball-striking behind and hit it good the next few days."

Australia's Marc Leishman had the low round of the day, posting a 7-under 64 to move past his 3-over opening round to move into a tie for 11th at 4 under. He eagled Nos. 7 and 12, finishing 5 under at the three par-5 holes during his Friday round.

First-round leader Victor Perez of France followed up his career-best 9-under 62 by shooting 2 over on Friday. He's tied for sixth at 7 under along with Canada's Richard T. Lee and England's Tyrrell Hatton.

Bryson DeChambeau, aiming to become the first player in LIV Golf history to win three straight individual events, posted his second straight even-par 71 and is in a tie for 31st.

--Field Level Media

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

April 18, 2026

Jon Rahm overcomes rocky start to take LIV Golf Mexico City lead

Jon Rahm used a strong back nine during Friday's second round to take a narrow lead at the halfway point of LIV Golf Mexico City in...

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What's next for Warriors? Steve Kerr's future most pressing question

TheGolden State Warriorsended their seasonwith a 111-96 lossto the Phoenix Suns on April 18 in the NBA Play-In Tournament.

After finishing the regular season with a 37-45 overall record and getting bounced in the postseason's qualifying round, the Warriors enter the offseason with a number of questions that need to be answered.

With franchise cornerstone Stephen Curry in the twilight of his career, the Warriors should look to improve their team to maintain a competitive nature in the latter part of his NBA tenure.

Here's what they need to consider this summer now that their offseason has commenced:

As the NBA Play‑In Tournament unfolds, every possession carries extra weight with postseason spots on the line.

See the action and emotion from across the tournament as teams battle through high‑stakes games.

Above, LaMelo Ball #1 celebrates with Coby White #3 of the Charlotte Hornets in overtime against the Miami Heat during their game at Spectrum Center on April 14, 2026, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

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NBA Play-In Tournament photos showcase final push to the postseason

As theNBA Play‑In Tournamentunfolds, every possession carries extra weight with postseason spots on the line.See the action and emotion from across the tournament as teams battle through high‑stakes games.Above, LaMelo Ball #1 celebrates with Coby White #3 of the Charlotte Hornets in overtime against the Miami Heat during their game at Spectrum Center on April 14, 2026, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Questions about contracts

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr had an embrace with Curry and Draymond Green as the elimination play-in game against the Suns started to wind down. It was an emotional moment because it could be the final embrace those three have as coach and players as Kerr's contract expires this summer.

According to audio captured by Prime Video, Kerr told Green and Curry, "I don't know what's going to happen next, but I love you guys to death. Thank you. I appreciate you."

Kerr was named Warriors head coach in 2014 and has coached the franchise to four championships. As questions loom about his future, Kerr is forever stamped in the Bay Area as the coach of a dynasty. But he told reporters that he doesn't know what his future holds, and understands that when dynasties come to an end changes are made, especially regarding who is at the helm.

"I don't know what's going to happen. I still love coaching. But I get it. These jobs all have an expiration date," Kerr said.

Curry said he wants his longtime coach to "be happy."

"I want him to be excited about the job. I want him to believe he's the right guy for the job. I want him to have an opportunity to, again, enjoy what he does. Whatever that means for him," Curry said. "Everybody's plan is their own.

"I'm not going to try and tell anybody what to do. He knows how I feel about him. Shouldn't even need to be said. However it goes, you're thankful for what we've been able to accomplish over this run. Thankful for an opportunity to hopefully put it together, do something again next year.

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"I just want coach to be able to look at the situation as a whole and feel like he's the right guy."

The team also has to decide whether to exercise a team option on Brandin Podziemski, while Al Horford and De'Anthony Melton have more leverage with player options.

Kristaps Porzingis, who was acquired from the Atlanta Hawks in a trade, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. He has made indications that he wants to be back in the Bay, andreports have said the Warriors are interested, as well.

Other expiring contracts include Gary Payton II, Quinten Post, Seth Curry and Pat Spencer.

An area to watch for are players signed through 2027. Current contracts on the Warriors expected to expire after next season include Curry, Green (he holds a player option) and Butler.

Curry said he wants to play several more years and would be interested in an extension but hasn't had those conversations with the Warriors.

"(Will) be a busy summer for the Warriors," Curry said.

Which free agents do the Warriors sign, seek out?

With the understanding that next season could be the final hurrah as Curry and Green have expiring contracts, the Warriors' brass of Joe Lacob and Mike Dunleavy Jr. will have to put something together to make themselves a contender again, especially in the twilight of Curry's career.

Golden State pursued Giannis Antetokounmpo during the regular season near the trade deadline, so maybe the Warriors renew conversations with Milwaukee.

Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard has had his name swirl around the rumor mill following their loss to Golden State, being eliminated from the NBA Play-In Tournament. With the Aspiration still looming in the background, maybe Golden State pounces on the opportunity to swindle the Clips.

Per ESPN's Anthony Slater, the Warriors currently have the 11th spot in the lottery with a 9.4% chance of getting a top-four pick.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Warriors eliminated from NBA playoffs contention: What's next?

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

April 18, 2026

What's next for Warriors? Steve Kerr's future most pressing question

TheGolden State Warriorsended their seasonwith a 111-96 lossto the Phoenix Suns on April 18 in the NBA Play-In Tournament. After ...

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From backlash to Pacific title: The Golden Knights’ Tortorella gamble paying off so far

LAS VEGAS (AP) — General manager Kelly McCrimmon was walking away from the Golden Knights' locker room Monday night after avictory over the Jets, but he could have easily reversed course and done a victory lap in front of the assembled media.

Golden Knights Canucks Hockey

McCrimmon probably would say it's too early to celebrate because the NHL playoffs have yet to begin, and that will be the true measure of how successful Vegas' season is viewed.

But it's difficult to argue his controversial decision March 29 tofire popular and successful coach Bruce Cassidyand hireJohn Tortorellahasn't worked out.

Going into its playoff opener at home Sunday against Utah, Vegas is 7-0-1 under the fiery coach known as Torts. A team struggling to hang on to a playoff spot just wonthe Pacific Divisionfor the fifth time in their nine years.

Top center Jack Eichel, who had 90 points for the second consecutive season, said Tortorella injected confidence in a team that was lacking it just three years afterwinning the Stanley Cup.

“Sometimes you need a reminder,” Eichel said. “He saw we have a really good hockey team in here and we need to believe in ourselves and in each other. That's the first step to being a great hockey team is believing in ourselves. I think you've started to see that the last few weeks. We started to build more confidence in each other and our game.”

The 67-year-old Tortorella, who led the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Stanley Cup title in 2004, said at his introductory news conference that he wouldn't overload the team with information and make massive changes. It's a strategy he's stuck to since then.

“I knew it was a good team coming in,” Tortorella said this week. “I know it was coached well prior to me. I had some points of emphasis, probably three or four, that I want to bring across to them. We've done that. I think they feel good about themselves. When you win some games, you feel good about yourself, and hopefully we keep on building on that.”

Tortorella made two notable changes that have worked.

One was to create a more aggressive north-south game. Vegas went from scoring 3.12 goals per game and allowing 3.07 to outscoring opponents on average 4.13 to 1.88.

“Attack the games. Put pressure on the other team,” Eichel said.

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The other move was to go with Carter Hart as his primary goalie. Cassidy installed Adin Hill in that role down the stretch, but Tortorella coached Hart in Philadelphia and has spoken glowingly about him. Tortorella said Hart was carrying the Flyers into contender status in 2024 before he was suspended by the NHL as one of five 2018 Canada world junior hockey players accused in a high-profile sexual assault case.

Theywere acquittedlast July. The league reinstated those players beginning Dec. 1 and the Golden Knightsgave Hart a chance. He has delivered under Tortorella's watch, going 6-0 with a .930 save percentage and a 1.66 goals-against average.

“I think he looks dialed in,” Tortorella said. “I just think he's making saves. He just looks confident, and hopefully that'll continue. I think Hilly's last couple of starts, he's made some really good saves also. So going into the playoffs, if both of them are going well, that's a good thing for us.”

McCrimmon said the decision to fire Cassidy was a difficult one, especially since the coach was responsible for the organization's only Stanley Cup and they were consistently on the same page. But the GM said the season and its playoff chances appeared to be slipping away and there was little time to wait. He knew the decision would be criticized but that wasn't the point.

“When we've changed coaches along the way — I'm going to say each time — it was likely viewed in this room as being unpopular or not the right time,” McCrimmon said March 30 at a news conference. “And I think in each case, the decisions were good ones.”

The decisions to fire Gerard Gallant in 2020, Pete DeBoer in 2022 and Cassidy this year — all with winning playoff records — were met with wide skepticism but management largely got the results they desired.

That includes with Tortorella, but the postseason is coming.

Then the true verdict will be delivered.

So the victory lap is on hold — for now.

AP NHL:https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

April 18, 2026

From backlash to Pacific title: The Golden Knights’ Tortorella gamble paying off so far

LAS VEGAS (AP) — General manager Kelly McCrimmon was walking away from the Golden Knights' locker room Monday night after avictory ...

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