Jamie-Lynn Sigler reveals James Gandolfini was a no-show at her first wedding with ‘no warning’

Jamie-Lynn Sigler revealed that James Gandolfini was a no-show at her first wedding without any warning.

Key Points

• "The Jim I knew wouldn’t have just skipped my wedding without a word or an excuse. Part of me wonders if maybe he didn’t want it for me," Sigler writes.

• And So It Is...A Memoir of Acceptance and Hope is available for purchase wherever books are sold.

Jamie-Lynn Sigleris looking back at her relationship withSopranoscostarJames Gandolfini.

In a new memoir,And So It Is...A Memoir of Acceptance and Hope, the actress reflects on her relationship with the late actor. Gandolfini and Sigler starred as the father-daughter duo Tony and Meadow Soprano on the HBO series.

Sigler, who got married to her then-manager Abraxas "AJ" Discala in 2003 when she was 22 and he was 32, wrote that Gandolfini didn't show up to her wedding.

“Jim didn’t show up. No indication, no warning. I can’t say for certain why. He’s not here, so I can’t ask him," Sigler writes of the actor,who died in 2013. "But Jim had always shown up for me." Sigler noted that Gandolfini and his son,Michael Gandolfini, supported her as Belle inBeauty and the Beaston Broadway, attending a show.

"The Jim I knew wouldn’t have just skipped my wedding without a word or an excuse. Part of me wonders if maybe he didn’t want it for me.”

When she returned toThe Sopranosafter her wedding for a table read, Sigler said she "expected some smiles," applause, or congratulations for her major life event. "Instead, the room was completely silent." The actress writes that only Gandolfini ended the awkward situation with an audible "ooof."

"It was clear: none of them were happy about this for me. It would take me two long years to understand why.” Sigler and Discala would split in 2005. She toldUs Weeklyin April that their "relationship was really toxic and complicated."

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"A marriage at 20 is still a marriage," she added. "I needed a lot of proof to leave. When I went through his phone, I knew something shady was going on. All women feel that way. I wanted to share that not to bash him, but for other women. I felt like such a failure all the time, but I understood I was not going to survive much longer if I stayed in that marriage. I think he knew that, too."

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TheSopranosactress would go on to marry former baseball player Cutter Dykstra in 2016. The couple has two sons.

Elsewhere in her memoir, Sigler praised Gandolfini, calling him "the sun around which the rest of us orbited." "He was larger than life. His energy filled the room. Sometimes I think he hated that power. But it was just part of him. He was magnetic—­ so big, so beautiful. His presence took up space in the most brilliant way. Jim was humble and present. He cared.”

Sigler has been open about her relationship with Gandolfini.In an October 2023 interviewwithMichael Rosenbaumfor hisInside of Youpodcast, she said she wished she could getThe Sopranoscast back together for one more episode.

"I wish we could just do one week of filming right now, because of my awareness of the world and what that [show] was and what we were a part of... I just wish I could experience it, like one episode, give me one episode right now," she said.

As for the type of episode she had in mind, Sigler said a family-heavy episode with "some sort of internal struggle. "I always loved moments when Meadow and Tony got quiet together. And it was — all our scenes when we would get quiet together the dialogue would actually be really limited. It would just be these heavy, pregnant pauses."

She then praised Gandolfini for wanting to bring the best out of her while working on the show. "Jim was the type of scene partner where it felt like he was there and his only intention was to make me as good as I could be," Sigler recalled.

"And it had nothing to do with him. Every time I worked with him, I felt like his sole purpose was... 'I'm going to help you give your best f---ing take, Jamie.'"

And So It Is...A Memoir of Acceptance and Hopeis available for purchase wherever books are sold.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

byAnio Baumeister

in

May 06, 2026

Jamie-Lynn Sigler reveals James Gandolfini was a no-show at her first wedding with ‘no warning’

Jamie-Lynn Sigler revealed that James Gandolfini was a no-show at her first wedding without any warning. Key Points ...

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Vote for Journal Star girls athlete of the week for April 27-May 2, presented by CEFCU

After plenty of solid spring sports performers over the last week, here are the Journal Star high school girls athlete of the week nominees for April 27-May 2, presented by CEFCU.

Head towww.pjstar.com/sportsto vote. The poll closes at noon Friday. Information about the nominees is below.

If you have a nominee for the honor, email us atsports@pjstar.comor tag us onX @pjstarsports. Last week,Jaeleigh Decker of the Pekin softball teamwas voted the Journal Star high school girls athlete of the week for April 20-25, presented by CEFCU.

Brianna Johnson, Richwoods track

The senior helped the Knights win the Peoria All-City girls track meet championship on Wednesday, April 29. She won the 100 in 12.49, edging teammate Jaydah Green. Johnson finished second in the 200 to Green in 26.33, then finished second to Green in the 400 in 1:00.43. Johnson led off the Knights' 4x100 relay winner in 50.15.

Jaydah Green, Richwoods track

The senior finished second in the 100 to teammate Brianna Johnson in 12.70, a personal best. Green won the 200 in a personal-best 26.33, edging Johnson. Green won the 400 in 59.88, edging runner-up Johnson. And Green anchored Richwoods' 4x100 relay winner in 50.15.

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Kylea Seidell, Pekin softball

The Dragons senior hit three home runs to lead Pekin softball to a 16-7 win over Lincoln on April 29. She had seven RBIs on a three-run homer in the first inning, solo shot in the fifth and another three-run homer in the sixth. She hit .417 with three homers and eight RBIs in three games for the week.

Rylee Dare, Eureka softball

The junior pitcher threw a no-hitter in a 15-0 win over Fieldcrest on April 29. She worked four innings, walked two, struck out eight and also contributed a pair of doubles at the plate. She took a 14-game hitting streak into this week.

Addie McClure, Morton soccer

The senior forward notched a hat trick in a 9-0 win over East Peoria on Tuesday, April 28. The Potters took a 15-1-1 record into this week.

Dave Eminian is the Journal Star senior writer and sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star:Vote for high school girls athlete of the week for April 27-May 2

byAnio Baumeister

in

May 06, 2026

Vote for Journal Star girls athlete of the week for April 27-May 2, presented by CEFCU

After plenty of solid spring sports performers over the last week, here are the Journal Star high school girls athlete of the week nomi...

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Jon Cryer Looks Back on Duckie’s Iconic “Pretty in Pink” Dance: ‘I Wanted to Make a Point’

Jon Cryer is remembering his iconic dance as Duckie in Pretty in Pink

NEED TO KNOW

• In a new interview, the actor said he "always felt like it was Duckie's moment to sort of prove how great he could be"

• He acknowledged, however, that some of his costars thought it was "cringe" at the time

AsPretty in Pinkcelebrates its 40th anniversary, Jon Cryer is looking back on one of the film's most unforgettable scenes — Duckie's now-legendary dance.

During an appearance onThe Viewon Friday, May 1, while he was promoting his role in the Off-Broadway revival ofThe 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Cryer was reminded just how much time has passed since the beloved John Hughes film first hit theaters on Feb. 28, 1986.

When Cryer, 60, was reminded that the film turned 40 in February, he playfully pushed back, joking, “I don't know what you're talking about! We shot that about a month ago!”

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Cryer then touched on the moment that has stood the test of time — his character Duckie's energetic dance at the record store set to Otis Redding's “Try a Little Tenderness.” The scene has become one of the most iconic sequences in teen movie history, and one that fans, and the cast, still talk about decades later.

“[I] feel great about it now, obviously, and I felt good about it at the time,” Cryer said. “I wanted to make a point. I always felt like it was Duckie's moment to sort of prove how great he could be.”

At the time, however, not everyone saw it the same way.

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“Whereas Andrew [McCarthy] at the time thought it was kind of cringe,” Cryer added, referencing his costar, who played Blane. “But that's who we were at the time.”

McCarthy, 63, spoke to PEOPLE ina recent interview, saying, "I remember watching John Cryer do that dance scene. And I remember watching him do the beginning of it. I was like, 'Wow, this is really embarrassing for him.' "

McCarthy continued: "And then I kept watching and I went, 'Wow, this is really great of him,' you know? So it was an interesting evolution — and I don't know if it was me, that I gave it up or whether he relaxed in the infinitesimal degree — but Jon always jumped right in."

Looking back, Cryer said age and a bit of hindsight have changed how they view those moments.

“And it's funny because as adults — we've talked and I went on his podcast and he made a documentary calledBrats, he did a great job on it,” Cryer shared of McCarthy. “And he's a wonderful travel writer by the way, if you've ever read any of his travel writing. But as adults, you just go, ‘Oh my God, we were such teenage idiots.' "

McCarthy's relationship with Cryer was the subject of headlines in the 1980s, withPretty in Pinkthe source of some reported clashes between the two, who played rivals in the film.The two ultimately mended their rift in 2012 while backstage at — of all places —The View.

Read the original article onPeople

byAnio Baumeister

in

May 06, 2026

Jon Cryer Looks Back on Duckie’s Iconic “Pretty in Pink” Dance: ‘I Wanted to Make a Point’

Jon Cryer is remembering his iconic dance as Duckie in Pretty in Pink NEED TO KNOW In a new interview, the actor s...

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Inside the Met Gala, an Olympic champion learns just how famous she's become

NEW YORK (AP) — Alysa Liu surveyed the glittery crowd arrayed in front of her, sipping cocktails and chatting. It washer first Met Gala,and she hesitated for a second, searching for a word to describe it.

“It’s … BIG,” the Olympic skater finally said with a grin.

But what Liu, dressed in a blood-red custom Louis Vuitton gown with a full skirt and huge ruffles, couldn’t quite get was how big SHE had become. Even at a party full of very, very famous people, everyone wanted to greet her.

Some Met Gala guests have been famous for many years. Others have achieved fame with dizzying speed. For Liu, all it took was agold-medal performance that charmedthe whole world.

“Everybody recognizes me!” she said, with genuine surprise, of the crowd packed into the airy Charles Engelhard Court at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. “It’s crazy. Imagine that overnight, suddenly everyone knows who you are!”

And then America’s skating sweetheart was off, soon to be spotted laughing withConnor Storrie of “Heated Rivalry,”another star of the night who also arrived from an ice rink.

Some more scenes from inside the Met Gala:

Under a full moon, the strains of harp music

After guests made their way up the carpeted steps to the museum, they entered into the Great Hall, which had been transformed into “a Northern Italian garden,” in the museum’s words. There was a huge moon hanging and swaying from the ceiling, and below it a floral centerpiece surrounded by cypress branches.

A half dozen harpists serenaded the guests, who waited to shake the hands of the gala co-chairs — Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, Vogue’s Anna Wintour, and honorary chair Lauren Sánchez Bezos — but not, for now, the late-arriving Beyoncé.

The receiving line was a long wait, reported Sarah Paulson.

“I waited 45 minutes,” the actor said, explaining why she hadn’t made it yet to the Conde M. Nast Galleries to see thefashion exhibit, “Costume Art,”which examines the dressed body through centuries of art history. Her feet hurt. “You could cut my legs off at the ankle,” she said.

Lobster crostini and tomato-mozzarella pillows

As the Engelhard court gradually filled, guests milled about snacking on lobster crostini or tomato and mozzarella “pillows.”

Zoë Kravitz, who headed the host committee, greeted Storrie — did we mention he was a top attraction? — and complimented him on his work. Bradley Cooper and Gigi Hadid sat quietly chatting on the sidelines, hand in hand.

Near them, Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster did the same. Jackman stood up whenskier Lindsey Vonncame by, giving her a hug. Vonn, who suffered a traumatic leg injury at the Winter Olympics, used only a cane and sparkled in a Thom Browne gown.

Billionaires, he’s seen ‘em before

Ever since Amazon founderJeff Bezosand wife Lauren Sánchez Bezos had been announced as honorary chairs, there had been anti-billionaire backlash in liberal New York City. Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he would not come. A group called Everyone Hates Elon — a reference to Musk — had plastered posters at bus stops, like one on the East Side saying “Dress code: Willful ignorance,” and on subways.

The Rev. Al Sharpton, though, had a different take. He'd attended a few Met Galas, and said billionaires were nothing new.

“There have always been billionaires here,” Sharpton said. “I may not agree with everything Bezos does, but do I abandon Beyoncé and Venus Williams?” He also praised Wintour for paying attention to diversity. “I opted to come.”

He said the gala “brings a cultured meeting space” for people who haven't yet met.

A date night for Jon Batiste

At previous galas,Jon Batiste has performed,sometimes leading a musical band with his melodica to get crowds to head to dinner. This time around, he had no gala responsibilities — and he was happy.

After all, he said, “it’s date night” with his wife, Suleika Jaouad. “A night in the museum,” he quipped. The couple were dinner guests of Wintour herself.

Batiste wore a look by Eli Russell Linnetz that he said echoed the work of lateBlack portraitist Barkley L. Hendricks— a long white coat and white ensemble underneath. Hendricks often juxtaposed Black skin with white clothes, Batiste noted. Jaouad wore a sumptuous Christian Siriano gown.

Progress in the fight for diversity

Sinéad Burke, the Irish disability activist, said that when she was first approached to be on the host committee, “I said no.”

Unless, she says she told organizers, they made the gala fully accessible.

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They did, Burke says, arranging for a step-free entrance for guests who need it, south of the main entrance.

Burke ended up working closely with the museum for 18 months before the gala. She made sure there was room for disabled press to cover the gala carpet. She and her organization, Tilting the Lens, also helped train guides who will assist the public when they view “Costume Art,” which has a large section on the disabled body.

And Burke herself, who was born with dwarfism,agreed to pose for a custom mannequin;two outfits are displayed on mannequins created in her image.

“I’m proud of the small moments,” she said.

But a step backward, elsewhere

Model Lauren Wasser, also on the host committee, attended in a custom Prabal Gurung ensemble all in gold, including her trademark gold prosthetic legs.

She said she was glad the museum was shining a light on diversity in body types. But she cautioned that in the outside world, things are looking bleaker. (Research has found that designers are starting to turn away from using plus-size models, for example.)

“I want to see it in real life, too,” Wasser said of such diversity. “We had a moment. But we’ve taken a step back.”

Wearing silver, feeling golden

The songwriter whowon an Oscar for “Golden”from “KPop Demon Hunters” was wearing, well, silver. But she said she was feeling golden.

In fact, EJAE, part of the team that won best original song for the impossibly catchy tune, said she was trying to channel a specific lyric with her gown, a Swarovski number dripping with crystals.

“I’m done hidin’, now I’m shinin’ like I’m born to be,” the song goes.

“I wanted to literally be shining,” EJAE said. Mission accomplished.

Sarah Paulson has the Met’s secrets — remember?

This wasn’t the first rodeo for Paulson. In fact in was her sixth Met Gala, she said.

But Paulson has more after-hours experience at the Met. She shot the movie “Ocean’s 8” there, a film about a heist during … the Met Gala.

“I spent a lot of time here — I know the secrets,” Paulson said. “They should watch out!”

Asked if six Met Galas got a little tiresome, Paulson said they did not.

“You can’t really believe the people here and the oxygen you’re sharing,” the actor said. “People from all the great talents of the world.”

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky are Heidi Klum fans

Dinner was under way. Beyoncé had arrived, with Jay-Z and Blue Ivy.

But the assembled media on the carpet and various staffers in the museum lobby weren’t breaking for the night. There was one more big arrival to come. Yes, Rihanna.

When she and partner A$AP Rocky arrived in the Great Hall, they stopped for photos quickly and then headed toward the Temple of Dendur for dinner. But then they ran into Heidi Klum, who knows her way around a costume, virtually unrecognizable as a marble statue.

The couple spent 10 minutes or so laughing with Klum and complimenting her.

“This is the coolest outfit tonight, ain’t gonna lie,” A$AP Rocky noted.

“Oh my god, I can’t stand you!” Rihanna said admiringly.

“How much did they pay you to just stand here for the rest of the night?” the singer asked the statue. They all laughed.

byAnio Baumeister

in

May 05, 2026

Inside the Met Gala, an Olympic champion learns just how famous she's become

NEW YORK (AP) — Alysa Liu surveyed the glittery crowd arrayed in front of her, sipping cocktails and chatting. It washer first Met Gala...

Read More

Van Halen’s David Lee Roth Says He Made the Song 'Jump' with One Specific Audience in Mind

David Lee Roth says Van Halen's music, including ‘Jump,' was intentionally made to appeal to women with its 126 bpm

NEED TO KNOW

• Roth performed ‘Jump' with Teddy Swims at Stagecoach and described the song's universal emotional and physical appeal

• The Grammy-winning band's hit ‘Jump' was their only Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper and won the first MTV Video Music Award

David Lee Roth confirmed that ‘Jump' and other Van Halen songs were for the girls.

In an interview withBillboardat Stagecoach, the Van Halen frontman wanted to set the record straight on why they made the music at the BPM that they did.

“I purposely licensed only to contact sports, girl-friendly commercials and movies that were really physical, but girl-friendly,” he shared.

The interviewer noted, “and alsoGlee.”

“Let me show you,” he said to the interviewer, getting up to demonstrate. “Most rock and roll is meant for fellas. It's all what we call tits and pits. All right. This is Ozzy. I'll demonstrate. Tits and pits, that's for fellas,” Lee Roth shared.

“All Van Halen music is 126 bpm. There you go. Miracle perhaps. And it goes here,” he said, mimicking dancing to the beat of the music. “Hey, see that's not for fellas.”

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The song "Jump" was ranked No. 177 on Rolling Stone's500 Best Songs of All Timelist, which noted that it was “the only chart topper the band ever achieved.”

Roth joined Teddy Swims for a performance of ‘Jump' at Stagecoach. In an interview withRolling Stoneafter the performance, the rocker said that “Classic Van Halen is probably 30 percent cowboy hat and boot.”

When asked why he keeps playing "Jump," the frontman said that the song has a universal appeal that is both physical and emotional.

“It's a song about ascending, taking a shot, testing the deep end,” he said. “It's about leading with your forehead, and I've been places with mine you wouldn't go with a pistol — which is cowboy humor.”

Roth was the lead singer of Van Halen from 1974 to 1985, 1996 and again in 2007 up until bandmate Eddie Van Halen's death in 2020. The Grammy-winning band won the inaugural MTV Video Music Award for "Jump."

Read the original article onPeople

byAnio Baumeister

in

May 04, 2026

Van Halen’s David Lee Roth Says He Made the Song 'Jump' with One Specific Audience in Mind

David Lee Roth says Van Halen's music, including ‘Jump,' was intentionally made to appeal to women with its 126 bpm NEED ...

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