title: John Mayer

text: In February 2008, Mayer hosted a three-day Caribbean cruise event that included performances with various musicians including David Ryan Harris, Brett Dennen, Colbie Caillat, and Dave Barnes, among others. The event was called "The Mayercraft Carrier" and was held aboard the cruise ship known as the "Carnival Victory". A follow-up cruise titled "Mayercraft Carrier 2" sailed from Los Angeles March 27–31, 2009, on the Carnival Splendor.


title: John Mayer

text: On July 1, 2008, Mayer released "", a live concert film of Mayer's performance at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on December 8, 2007. The film was directed by Danny Clinch. It features Mayer opening with an acoustic set, followed by a blues set with the Trio and concluded by a full set with the band from the "Continuum" album.


title: John Mayer

text: Australian artist Guy Sebastian invited Mayer to collaborate on three songs from his 2009 album "Like It Like That". Mayer also played guitar on the title track of Crosby Loggins' debut LP, "Time to Move".


title: John Mayer

text: On July 7, 2009, Mayer performed an instrumental guitar version of Michael Jackson's "Human Nature" at Jackson's televised memorial service. He co-wrote "World of Chances" with Demi Lovato for Lovato's second album "Here We Go Again", released later that month.


title: John Mayer

text: After the overwhelming success of "Continuum", Mayer confessed to be intimidated with beginning on a follow-up. However, he stated, "I think it got a lot easier when I realized that no matter what I do, it's not going to be "Continuum", good or bad." On November 17, 2009, Mayer's fourth studio album, "Battle Studies", debuted at number one on the U.S. "Billboard" 200 album chart. The first single, "Who Says", was released on September 24, 2009, in advance of the album, followed on October 19 by "Heartbreak Warfare" and "Half of My Heart" on June 21, 2010. The accompanying arena tour grossed 45 million. Despite the album's commercial success, critics reactions were mixed. Some reviews glowed, calling it his "most adventurous", others called the album "safe" and noted that "Mayer the singer-songwriter and Mayer the man about town sometimes seem disconnected, like they don't even belong in the same body". Mayer admitted to "Rolling Stone" that he thought "Battle Studies" was not his best album.


title: John Mayer

text: Following two revealing and highly controversial magazine interviews in February 2010 with "Rolling Stone" and "Playboy" magazines, Mayer withdrew from public life and ceased giving interviews. While still on tour for "Battle Studies", he began work in earnest on his fifth studio album—which drew on the popular music of Laurel Canyon in the early 1970s. Around this time, he began to experience vocal problems, and sought medical assistance. On September 16, 2011, he posted on his blog that his next record, "Born and Raised," would be delayed due to treatment he was receiving for a granuloma discovered on his vocal cords. Mayer described the event as a "temporary setback" and added that the album was entirely finished except for a few vocal tracks. A month later, on October 20, 2011, Mayer posted, "I had surgery this afternoon to remove it and am now on complete vocal rest for a month or more," during which he planned to "travel the country, look, and listen". However, the surgery did not work as expected, and he had to undergo another one that August. During his travels, he visited and fell in love with Bozeman, Montana, where he bought a house and re-settled in the spring of 2012.


title: John Mayer

text: With his treatments complete, Mayer finished the vocals on "Born and Raised", and the album's first single, "Shadow Days", was released on February 27, 2012. The following day, he released the track listing for the album, announcing that it would be released on May 22 of that year. He described it as his "most honest" album, and begin booking dates at more "intimate" venues than for "Battle Studies". He also accepted an invitation to appear at the South by Southwest festival. However, the granuloma returned, and on March 9, 2012, Mayer announced that he had been forced to cancel his tour and refrain from all singing indefinitely. Even so, "Born and Raised" was released as scheduled, and entered the "Billboard" 200 chart at number one, selling 219,000 copies in its first week. It also received generally positive critical feedback; "Rolling Stone" rated it number 17 on its list of the 50 Best Albums of 2012, and "People" magazine called it "a shimmering album". Meanwhile, Mayer brought a new focus to his guitar playing and, fearing that his vocal cords had been permanently damaged, tried to come to terms with a possible future as a session musician. Determined to be cured, he sought help from the UCLA Voice Center. That September, otolaryngologist Dr. Gerald Berke paralyzed Mayer's vocal cords with a series of high-dose Botox injections, hoping that they would allow the granuloma to heal. Mayer's vocal rest extended to several months and, unable to even talk, his performances were limited to accompanying other artists on guitar. He appeared in September 2012 on "Saturday Night Live", where he joined musical guest Frank Ocean. He played with the Rolling Stones in New Jersey in December 2012.


title: John Mayer

text: By January 2013, Mayer had recovered sufficiently enough to perform at a benefit concert in Bozeman, after almost two years without singing publicly. In April 2013, he made an appearance at the Crossroads Guitar Festival, and at the 28th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, where he inducted the late Albert King. A show at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater in Alabama on April 25, 2013, followed by a set at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival the next day, marked his first full-length concerts since his health troubles.


title: John Mayer

text: In June 2013, Mayer announced that he was finishing work on his sixth album, "Paradise Valley." Produced by Don Was, the album features "low-key folk-rock tunes". He collaborated with Frank Ocean on the song "Wildfire Pt. 2", and with Katy Perry on "Who You Love". The latter song would go on to become the album's third single, and an accompanying music video was released on December 17. On June 18, 2013, he released a lyric video for the album's first single, "Paper Doll", on his official YouTube page. The album was released August 20, 2013, and—meeting with positive reviews—debuted at number two on the "Billboard" 200 chart, with first-week sales of 145,560 copies in the United States. Mayer embarked on a tour, his first in three years, in support of "Born and Raised" and "Paradise Valley". The American leg of the tour ran from July to December 2013 with Interscope recording artist Phillip Phillips serving as the supporting act. The tour visited Australia in April 2014.


title: John Mayer

text: During a concert in Adelaide, Mayer covered the Beyoncé song "XO" . One month later, on May 22, he released a studio version of the song on his SoundCloud account. It was made available for digital download by Columbia Records on May 27, 2014, through the iTunes Store. For the week ending June 1, 2014, Mayer's version debuted at number 90 on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 chart and number 13 on the US Hot Rock Songs chart. On the Canadian Hot 100, "XO" peaked at a position of 76. The single also peaked at number 81 on the Australian Singles Chart (its debut week), and at number 95 on the Dutch Singles Chart. In the UK, it peaked at 115 on the UK Singles Chart. Mayer recorded the song "Come Rain or Come Shine" as a duet with Barbra Streisand for her album "Partners", released in September 2014.


title: John Mayer

text: In February 2015, Mayer performed alongside Ed Sheeran at the Grammy Awards. As of March, Mayer said he was taking break from working on a "deeply personal new album". Mayer also recounted that in 2011 he happened upon a song by the Grateful Dead while listening to Pandora, and that soon the band's music was all he would listen to. In February 2015, while guest hosting "The Late Late Show", Mayer invited Grateful Dead guitar player Bob Weir to join him in a studio performance. While Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann (surviving members of the Grateful Dead) were preparing for their tour with Trey Anastasio, Mayer began practicing the band's catalog of songs. That August, Mayer, Weir, Kreutzmann, and Hart formed the group Dead & Company, along with Jeff Chimenti and Oteil Burbridge, and began a fall tour in the United States. The tour was well received ("Billboard" called it "magical"), and they continued to tour the US into 2016. Although Lesh has declined to join Dead & Company, Mayer also performed with Phil Lesh and Friends at Terrapin Crossroads in 2015.


title: John Mayer

text: As a result of his touring with Dead & Company, Mayer postponed working on his next studio album until January 2016, with plans to finish it by the end of the year. On November 17, 2016, Mayer released "Love on the Weekend" as the lead single from his EP "", which was then released on January 20, 2017. A second EP, "", was released on February 24, 2017, along with the single "Still Feel Like Your Man". The album "The Search for Everything" was released on April 14, 2017, and was promoted by a third single titled "In the Blood", released on May 1, 2017, and by The Search for Everything World Tour from March to October of the same year.


title: John Mayer

text: Mayer also continued touring with Dead & Company during the summer and fall of 2017. On December 5, during the Fall Tour, his appendix burst, resulting in an emergency appendectomy and the postponement of the remaining tour dates to February 2018. In January 2018, Dead & Company announced their Dead & Company Summer Tour 2018.


title: John Mayer

text: On May 10, 2018, Mayer released the single "New Light", co-produced by No I.D. and Mayer himself. In an interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music on the release day, he announced "more new music" for 2018. During his performance at the iHeartRadio Theater on October 24, 2018, he premiered a song titled "I Guess I Just Feel Like". On December 12, 2018, he announced a world tour for 2019. Mayer released two singles in 2019; the previously played "I Guess I Just Feel Like" on February 22, and "Carry Me Away" on September 6.


title: John Mayer

text: During an episode of John Mayer's show "Current Mood" on March 15, 2020, he revealed that he was in the process of writing and recording songs for a new album. In early 2021, he stated that the album was completely finished as he began posting snippets of new songs on TikTok ahead of release. In an interview with Kerwin Frost, Mayer hinted at an April release for the album. Later, the date was pushed back. On June 1, 2021, Mayer officially announced his eighth album "Sob Rock" and on June 4, released the lead single, "Last Train Home" along with an accompanying music video. The album was released on July 16, 2021, as well as a music video for the song, "Shot In The Dark". The track list included previously released singles "New Light", "I Guess I Just Feel Like" and "Carry Me Away". "Carry Me Away" was slightly reworked production-wise to fit the album’s 1980s aesthetic.


title: John Mayer

text: Mayer began touring as a solo artist in 2001. While his early records were largely acoustic, early reviewers noted his unexpected electric "guitar heroics" during live performances.


title: John Mayer

text: Mayer has toured North America, Europe and Australia with many musical groups, including Maroon 5,Counting Crows, Ben Folds, the Wallflowers, Sheryl Crow, Colbie Caillat and Train. In 2010, Mayer and Keith Urban performed at a CMT Crossroads concert a medley of their songs and a rendition of George Michael's single "Faith". This performance led to Urban and Mayer teaming up again for future performances, including at the 2010 CMT Music Awards.


title: John Mayer

text: Mayer allows audio taping and non-commercial trading of those recordings at most of his live performances. Mayer often shows up at small venues unannounced (or with little advance notice) for surprise concerts—occasionally for free or without accepting the performance fee. He has made appearances throughout the Los Angeles, Atlanta, and New York areas, including shows at the Laugh Factory, Eddie's Attic, and the Village Underground. After a public campaign by their senior class president, Mayer performed a surprise three-song set at the 2004 Pennsbury High School senior prom. In June 2015, Mayer appeared as a guest for two nights with Phil Lesh and Friends at Terrapin Crossroads, recreating the Grateful Dead's notable May 8 and June 9, 1977, concerts.


title: John Mayer

text: Since 2015, Mayer has been touring with Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead. Founding bassist Phil Lesh has notably declined to participate in the project, although he has performed with Mayer on a few occasions since Dead & Company began. The role of bassist in Dead & Company has instead been played by Oteil Burbridge of the Allman Brothers Band. Jeff Chimenti, who has toured with the various spin-offs of the Dead since the 1990s, is the group's keyboardist.


title: John Mayer

text: Although Mayer had been familiar with the music of the Grateful Dead since at least high school, he began to develop a strong interest in their music in 2011 after hearing their song "Althea" by chance on Pandora radio. In 2015, while the Dead's "" shows with Trey Anastasio were also being planned, Mayer performed "Althea" with Weir on The Late Late Show, along with "Truckin'". Weir was impressed with Mayer's take on the material and began planning to work with him after the Fare Thee Well shows, despite them being billed as something of finale for the band and its legacy. Weir discussed the genesis of the band and his thoughts about working with Mayer in an interview with "Rolling Stone" in 2016:


title: John Mayer

text: The thought of pop singer Mayer stepping in for Jerry Garcia was met with some initial skepticism by both fans and music critics, but the shows have since been well received. The band continues to tour 2022 and has considered recording a studio album consisting of songs from the Grateful Dead catalog and potentially some originals. In a 2017 interview with "Rolling Stone", Lesh praised the band's performances and explained his decision not to take part:


title: John Mayer

text: With the June 2004 issue of "Esquire", Mayer began a column called "Music Lessons with John Mayer". Each article featured a lesson and his views on various topics, both of personal and popular interest. In the August 2005 issue, he invited readers to create music for orphaned lyrics he had written. The winner was Tim Fagan of Los Angeles as announced in the following January's issue.


title: John Mayer

text: As social media gained momentum in the 2000s, Mayer became increasingly active online, and maintained four blogs: a Myspace page, a blog at his official site, another at Honeyee.com, one at tumblr, and a photoblog at StunningNikon.com. He was particularly prolific on Twitter, where he was noted for authoring his own posts, and he amassed 3.7 million followers. Although his posts often dealt with career-related matters, they also included jokes, videos, photos, and eventually what he called the "maintenance of vapor"—or misguided, personal responses to the media. On January 23, 2008, he posted the quote "There is danger in theoretical speculation of battle, in prejudice, in false reasoning, in pride, in braggadocio. There is one safe resource, the return to nature."; all the previous blog entries were deleted. On September 14, 2010, he deleted his personal Twitter account.


title: John Mayer

text: In the mid-2000s, he did comedy sporadically, making random appearances at the famed Comedy Cellar in New York and at other venues. He stated that it helped him write better, but that increased media attention made him too careful in his technique. He has since said he has no plans to return to it.


title: John Mayer

text: Mayer is an avid collector of watches, a pastime that he says keeps him "sane". His collection—which he values in the "tens of millions" of dollars—includes a Patek Philippe with a Sky Moon Tourbillion, a Rolex GMT Master 116710 BLNR, and an IWC Big Pilot Ref 5002, his signature watch. He has also served as a juror at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève, a competition rewarding timepieces that champion the values of Swiss-made watches and writes a column for the horology website Hodinkee. In his column for January 16, 2015, he wrote an open letter to the watch brand IWC, encouraging it to "embrace [its] heritage, scale the product line down in terms of model variants, and simplify the design language". IWC replied, defending the changes they've made over the years, saying, "We have a wonderful past, it is true—but in admiring what we achieved thus far, we hope you will feel encouraged to look forward to what we achieve in the future".


title: John Mayer

text: During an appearance on the "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" show in September 2018, Mayer showed a trailer for his new Instagram Live show. The show, entitled "Current Mood", debuted on his IGTV account on Sunday evening on September 30, 2018. Episodes have continued to air on that schedule on a weekly basis. Guests have included Maggie Rogers, Halsey, B.J. Novak, Dave Chappelle, Charlie Puth, Finneas, Cazzie David, and Thundercat. Mayer's latest season of "Current Mood" began on Sunday November 18, 2019, with guest Shawn Mendes and surprise feature with Camila Cabello on his first episode. For Current Mood Mayer coined notable jingles including "Camila Camendes", "CVS Bag", and "Drone Shot of My Yacht".


title: John Mayer

text: In 2004, Mayer hosted a one-shot, half-hour comedy special on VH1 titled "John Mayer Has a TV Show", with antics including wearing a bear suit while anonymously teasing concertgoers in the parking lot outside one of his concerts.


title: John Mayer

text: Steve Jobs invited Mayer to perform during Apple's annual keynote address at the Macworld Conference & Expo in January 2004 as Jobs introduced the music production software GarageBand. Mayer became a fixture of the event, including at the 2007 iPhone announcement. Volkswagen concluded a deal with instrument manufacturer First Act to include a GarageMaster electric guitar that was playable through the stereo system of six of their 2007 models; Mayer (along with Slash and Christopher Guest) were selected to endorse the campaign and were featured playing the guitar in ads. Mayer used and endorsed the BlackBerry Curve.


title: John Mayer

text: Mayer made many appearances on talk shows and other television programs, most notably on a "Chappelle's Show" comedy skit, the "Late Show with David Letterman" and on the final episode of "Late Night with Conan O'Brien". Mayer appeared with Rob Dyrdek in the MTV show "Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory". Mayer wrote the theme song to the OWN network show "Rollin' with Zach", which features Zach Anner. CBS invited him to guest host "The Late Late Show" in early 2015 on three dates, February 4–6, after the retirement of Craig Ferguson.


title: John Mayer

text: Mayer makes a cameo as a truck driver in the 2014 comedy horror film "Zombeavers". In the 2015 film "Get Hard", he played a version of himself who is disgusted with the "monetization of the creative process". Mayer also had a small role in the 2022 film "Vengeance", playing a friend of the lead character.


title: John Mayer

text: John Mayer is a guitar collector and has collaborated with elite guitar companies to design his own instruments. He owns over 200 guitars.


title: John Mayer

text: In 2003, Martin Guitars gave Mayer his own signature model acoustic guitar called the OM-28 John Mayer. The guitar was limited to a run of only 404, an Atlanta area code. This model was followed by the release of two Fender signature Stratocaster electric guitars, beginning in 2005. A third Stratocaster, finished in charcoal frost metallic paint with a racing stripe, was also a limited-release, with only 100 guitars made. In January 2006, Martin Guitars released the Martin OMJM John Mayer acoustic guitar. The guitar was intended to have many of the attributes of the Martin OM-28 John Mayer but with a more affordable price tag. In August 2006, Fender started manufacturing SERIES II John Mayer Stratocasters.


title: John Mayer

text: In January 2007, Two Rock collaborated with Mayer on custom-designed amps. Only 25 (all signed by Mayer himself) were made available to the public, along with a 500-run John Mayer signature Fender Stratocaster in Cypress-Mica. Included in the limited Cypress-Mica model was the INCSvsJM gig bag, on which Mayer collaborated on the in-case designs. In 2006, Mayer was estimated to have more than 200 guitars in his personal collection.


title: John Mayer

text: John Mayer's most iconic guitar is the "Black1". Conceived after the Heavier Things tour, Mayer went to Fender Custom Shop with the desire to build a guitar. He was inspired by guitars of famous players the likes of Rory Gallagher and Stevie Ray Vaughan. He sought out masterbuilder John Cruz to help devise the design. In essence, Mayer wanted an all-black version of Stevie Ray Vaughan's "First Wife" Stratocaster. The guitar is heavily "relic'd" to specs very similar to the guitar used by Stevie Ray Vaughan. The Black1 includes a mint pickguard, custom wound pickups, gold hardware, and gold tuners from the SRV Tribute Stratocaster. It was the principal guitar on the "Continuum" album. It was notably used on tracks such as "I Don't Trust Myself With Loving You", and "Bold as Love". The Black1 has become a trademark to Mayer's music.


title: John Mayer

text: The Fender Custom Shop made a limited run of 83 replica Black1 Stratocasters, all of which were sold within 24 hours. Each one was carefully relic'd by John Cruz. In 2010, Fender announced a production model of Mayer's Black1 guitar. Un-relic'd production versions of the guitar were produced for a limited run of 500 worldwide. In addition, full production signature Stratocasters were produced in three-tone sunburst and Olympic White finishes.


title: John Mayer

text: In 2014, John Mayer announced that he was no longer a Fender Artist. As a result, his signature line of guitars was pulled from production. In 2015, Mayer announced that he was collaborating with PRS Guitars. In March 2016, Mayer and PRS revealed their collaborative project, the Super Eagle. This was a limited release from PRS's Private Stock line of instruments and each guitar features ultra-grade woods, abalone inlay, JCF Audio preamps, and a hand-signed sticker by glass-artist David Smith. Only 100 were produced, each retailing for over $10,000. In January 2017 at NAMM, PRS and Mayer announced the J-MOD 100 signature amp. In June 2017, the Super Eagle II was revealed, limited to 120 instruments.


title: John Mayer

text: In January 2018, Martin Guitar announced the limited-release (45 instruments) John Mayer Signature D-45, with list price $14,999. In March 2018, Mayer's signature Silver Sky model was released by PRS, available in four colors. While "Music Trade" called the Silver Sky "derivative", it said that all the elements were "designed from the ground up" and built with "attention to detail". While acknowledging its similarity to a Stratocaster, Matt Blackett of "Guitar Player" magazine ultimately said, "The Silver Sky absolutely delivers on the promise of being a damn-near-perfect version of this type of guitar." The magazine named its "Editor's Pick".


title: John Mayer

text: Mayer was featured on the cover of "Rolling Stone" (#1020) in February 2007, along with John Frusciante and Derek Trucks in an issue lauding the "New Guitar Gods", and the cover nicknamed him Slowhand Jr., a reference to Eric Clapton. Critics, however, point to how safe his music is. Chris Richards, in review of a 2017 concert, declared "John Mayer is an amazing guitar player", though he says he did so "through clenched teeth", adding that the fact should not absolve the guitarist of "his pillow-soft songcraft, the dull sentimentality of his lyrics, or that cuckoo-racist interview he gave to Playboy back in 2010". Music writer Steve Baltin commented on this dichotomy, saying that Mayer is "one of the sharpest and savviest musical minds you will ever encounter", and added, "While many have found reasons to dislike Mayer since the beginning of his career, he is a consummate musician's musician, an artist who has been embraced by Eric Clapton, Stevie Wonder and Buddy Guy among others."


title: John Mayer

text: Mayer's inclusion in the Grateful Dead was not without its critics. Chris Robinson of the Chris Robinson Brotherhood said that "everything that Jerry Garcia ever talked about or stood for, John Mayer is the antithesis", and that while "Jerry was one of the most unique musicians in the world [...] here's John Mayer playing everyone else's licks". The comment itself drew controversy, and Mayer, for his part, said, "I care about this band too much to give that life", and that "I realized not long ago that I'm done debating my own merits."


title: John Mayer

text: On his third episode of "Current Mood", Mayer revealed he had been sober since 2016. He stopped drinking after having what he says was a six-day hangover after Drake's 30th birthday party.


title: John Mayer

text: Mayer maintains close relationships with his father and siblings and embraces a domestic role when he's not on tour.


title: John Mayer

text: Mayer was a friend of the late comedian and actor Bob Saget, and when Saget unexpectedly died in an Orlando, Florida hotel room in January 2022, Mayer had Saget's body flown back to Los Angeles on a private jet. Likewise, he and Jeff Ross retrieved Saget's car, which was parked at Los Angeles International Airport.


title: John Mayer

text: Mayer has been romantically involved with Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jessica Simpson, Minka Kelly, Jennifer Aniston, Katy Perry, and Taylor Swift.


title: John Mayer

text: In 2002, Mayer created the "Back to You" Fund, a nonprofit organization that focuses on fundraising in the areas of health care, education, the arts and talent development. The foundation auctions exclusive John Mayer items, such as guitar picks, T-shirts and signed CDs. The auctions have been successful, with some tickets selling for more than 17 times their face value.


title: John Mayer

text: Mayer participated at the East Rutherford, New Jersey, location of the Live Earth project, a musical rally to support awareness for climate change held July 7, 2007.


title: John Mayer

text: Mayer performed at a number of benefits and telethons for charity throughout his career. He has participated in benefits for the Elton John AIDS Foundation. In response to the Virginia Tech shooting, Mayer (along with Dave Matthews Band, Phil Vassar, and Nas) performed a free concert at Virginia Tech's Lane Stadium on September 6, 2007. followed by an appearance with Rob Thomas at the Annual Holiday Concert at Blythedale Children's Hospital in Valhalla that winter. On December 8, 2007, Mayer hosted the first annual Charity Revue, a tradition he has continued each year. Charities who have benefited from the concerts include Toys for Tots, Inner City Arts and the Los Angeles Mission. CDs and DVDs of the first concert were released as "Where the Light Is" in July 2008. Mayer appeared on "", a celebrity initiative to support Tibet and the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. Mayer (along with Keith Urban) headlined Tiger Jam 2011 in Las Vegas to help raise around $750,000 for the Tiger Woods Foundation. In January 2013, Mayer participated with Zac Brown in a benefit concert in Bozeman, Montana where they raised more than $100,000 for firefighters who battled a wildfire in the summer of 2012 in Paradise Valley that destroyed 12,000 acres.


title: John Mayer

text: On March 1, 2019, John Mayer established the Heart and Armor Foundation in support of veterans of war. John has been actively involved in initiatives to help returning veterans for about 12 years.


title: John Mayer

text: Mayer's relationship with Jessica Simpson coincided with behavior changes that significantly increased his tabloid exposure. Early in his career, he had expressed his resolve to completely avoid drugs, alcohol, clubbing, "red-carpet" events, dating celebrities, and anything that he felt would detract the focus from his music. In interviews, however, Mayer alluded to experiencing an extreme "anxiety bender" episode in his twenties that motivated him to be less reclusive. In 2006, he first mentioned that he had begun using marijuana. He began making appearances at clubs in Los Angeles and New York City, and Simpson became the first in a string of famous girlfriends, including Jennifer Aniston and Minka Kelly. By 2007, his personal life had become regular fodder for the gossip media and, as a result, Mayer made efforts to control his public image. His online presence increased, he began to stage pranks for the paparazzi, and he hosted a segment for the gossip show "TMZ".


title: John Mayer

text: In early 2010, Mayer gave a controversial interview to "Playboy" magazine in which he revealed sexually explicit details about his former girlfriends Jessica Simpson and Jennifer Aniston—calling his relationship with the former "sexual napalm". In response to a question about whether black women were interested in him, he said, "My dick is sort of like a white supremacist. I've got a Benetton heart and a fuckin' David Duke cock. I'm going to start dating separately from my dick." He also used the word "nigger" in the interview. This set off accusations in the media of him being a misogynist, kiss-and-tell ex-boyfriend, and racist. He apologized via Twitter for his use of the word "nigger", saying, "It was arrogant of me to think I could intellectualize...a word that is so emotionally charged". He also tearfully apologized to his band and fans at his concert in Nashville later that night. In the following two years, he left New York and retreated from the media. Reflecting on that time in a May 2012 episode of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show", he said, "I lost my head for a little while and I did a couple of dumb interviews and it kind of woke me up...It was a violent crash into being an adult. For a couple of years, it was just figuring it all out, and I'm glad I actually stayed out of the spotlight."


title: John Mayer

text: Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift performed vocals for the song "Half of My Heart" on Mayer's November 2009 album "Battle Studies". Rumors began to circulate in the media that the two were a couple, an assertion that neither addressed. However, Swift released a song called "Dear John" in 2010, which was widely believed to be about her relationship with him. In June 2012, Mayer criticized the song, saying she never contacted him and that "it's abusing your talent to rub your hands together and go, 'Wait till he gets a load of this!'" The song "Paper Doll" was reported to be a response. In the March 21, 2019, episode of "Current Mood", however, Mayer said, "When 'Paper Doll' came out, 100% of the people believed it was about somebody...But the song was not about that person and I could never tell anybody, 'That's not true,' because then I would be breaking my rule that songwriters don't say who the songs are about or not about."


title: John Mayer

text: In March 2014, Mayer sued watch dealer Robert Maron for $656,000 when he discovered that seven of the $5 million in watches he purchased from the dealer contained counterfeit parts. He dropped the action in May 2015, releasing a statement that asserted that research restored his "belief that Bob Maron is an expert on Rolex watches and confirmed that Bob Maron never sold him a counterfeit watch".


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: Colin Rand Kaepernick ( ; born November 3, 1987) is an American civil rights activist and football quarterback who is a free agent. He played six seasons for the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League (NFL). In 2016, he knelt during the national anthem at the start of NFL games in protest of police brutality and racial inequality in the United States.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: Kaepernick played college football for the Nevada Wolf Pack, where he was named the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Offensive Player of the Year twice and became the only player in NCAA Division I history to amass 10,000 passing yards and 4,000 rushing yards in a career. After graduating, he was selected by the 49ers in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Kaepernick began his professional football career as a backup quarterback to Alex Smith, and became the 49ers' starter in the middle of the 2012 season after Smith suffered a concussion. He then remained the team's starting quarterback for the rest of the season, leading the team to their first Super Bowl appearance since 1994. During the 2013 season, his first full season as a starter, Kaepernick helped the 49ers reach the . Over the next three seasons, Kaepernick lost and won back his starting quarterback job, with the 49ers missing the playoffs for three seasons.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: In the 49ers' third preseason game in 2016, Kaepernick sat during the playing of the U.S. national anthem prior to the game, rather than stand as is customary, as a protest against racial injustice, police brutality and oppression in the country. The following week, and throughout the regular season, Kaepernick kneeled during the anthem. The protests received highly polarized reactions, with some praising him and his stand against racism and others denouncing the protests. The actions resulted in a wider protest movement, which intensified in September 2017 after President Donald Trump said that NFL owners should "fire" players who protest during the national anthem. Kaepernick became a free agent after the season and remained unsigned, which numerous analysts and observers have attributed to political reasons. In November 2017, he filed a grievance against the NFL and its owners, accusing them of colluding to keep him out of the league. Kaepernick withdrew the grievance in February 2019 after reaching a confidential settlement with the NFL. His protests received renewed attention in 2020 amid the George Floyd protests against police brutality and racism, but he remains unsigned by any professional football team.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: Kaepernick was born in 1987 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to 19-year-old Heidi Russo, who is white. His birth father, who is African-American (of Ghanaian, Nigerian, and Ivorian ancestry) and whose identity is unknown, separated from Russo before Kaepernick was born. Russo placed Kaepernick up for adoption and at 5 weeks old he was placed with a white couple named Rick and Teresa Kaepernick. The couple had two biological children: son Kyle and daughter Devon. The Kaepernicks decided to adopt a boy after losing two other sons to heart defects.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: Kaepernick lived in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, until age four, when his family moved to California. When he was eight years old, Kaepernick began playing youth football as a defensive end and punter. At age nine, he was the starting quarterback on his youth team, and he completed his first pass for a long touchdown. A 4.0 GPA student at John H. Pitman High School in Turlock, California, Kaepernick played football, basketball and baseball and was nominated for all-state selection in all three sports his senior year. He was the most valuable player (MVP) of the Central California Conference in football, leading his school to its first-ever playoff victory. In basketball, he was a first-team All-CCC selection at forward and led his 16th-ranked team to a near upset of No. 1-ranked Oak Ridge High School in the opening round of the playoffs. In that game, Kaepernick scored 34 points, but future NBA player Ryan Anderson of Oak Ridge scored 50 points to lead his team to a victory.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: Kaepernick received most of his high school accolades as a baseball pitcher. He received several scholarship offers in that sport, but he wanted to play college football. The University of Nevada, Reno was the only college to offer him a football scholarship, and Kaepernick signed with Nevada in February 2006.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: Kaepernick started his college career in 2007 with the Wolf Pack as a back-up quarterback, playing in 11 of the team's 13 games. He finished the season with 19 passing touchdowns, three interceptions and 2,175 passing yards, garnering a 53.8% completion percentage. Kaepernick also added 593 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns as Nevada finished 6–7.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: As a sophomore, Kaepernick recorded 2,849 passing yards, 22 passing touchdowns, seven interceptions, 1,130 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns. He became just the fifth player in NCAA history to pass for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 or more yards in a single season. At the Humanitarian Bowl, he had 370 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, two interceptions, 15 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown, earning the game's MVP award despite his team losing the game. At the conclusion of the game, Kaepernick was designated the WAC Offensive Player of the Year. He was the first sophomore to win this award since Marshall Faulk of San Diego State did in 1992. He was also named first-team All-WAC quarterback.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: In the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft, Kaepernick was selected in the 43rd round by the Chicago Cubs. He decided that he wanted to continue to play football at the University of Nevada and did not sign with the Cubs.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: Kaepernick finished his junior season with 2,052 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns, six interceptions 1,183 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns. Kaepernick led the Wolf Pack to an 8–5 record and a second-place finish in the WAC behind undefeated Boise State. He was named second-team All-WAC quarterback for the season.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: On November 26, 2010, Kaepernick led his team to a 34–31 overtime victory against the previously undefeated Boise State Broncos, snapping their 24-game win streak that had dated back to the 2008 Poinsettia Bowl. This game was played on Nevada's senior night, the final home game for Kaepernick. Nevada Head Coach Chris Ault would later call this game the "most important win in program history".


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: Kaepernick ended his senior season with 3,022 passing yards, 21 passing touchdowns, eight interceptions, 1,206 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns. He joined Florida's Tim Tebow as the second quarterback in FBS history to have 20 passing touchdowns and 20 rushing touchdowns in the same season. Nevada claimed a share of the WAC title after defeating Louisiana Tech. Kaepernick was named WAC Co-Offensive Player of the Year with Kellen Moore, who had won the award in 2009.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: Kaepernick finished his collegiate career with 10,098 passing yards, 82 passing touchdowns, 24 interceptions, 4,112 rushing yards and 59 rushing touchdowns. He became the first quarterback in the history of Division I FBS college football to have passed for over 10,000 yards and rushed for over 4,000 yards in a collegiate career, a feat that has not been duplicated. He also tied former Nebraska quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch for most career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in FBS history.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: Kaepernick maintained a 4.0 grade point average during his college years and graduated in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in business management. After his senior season, Kaepernick was eligible for the 2011 NFL Draft.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: On April 29, 2011, the San Francisco 49ers traded up with the Denver Broncos from the thirteenth pick in the second round (45th overall) to select Kaepernick as the fourth pick in the second round (36th overall) at the 2011 NFL Draft. The Broncos received picks 45, 108, and 141 overall in exchange for the 36th overall pick.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: Kaepernick spent the 2011 season as backup to Alex Smith and attempted just five passes during the season.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: In 2012, Kaepernick was initially used sparingly to run certain plays. He scored his first career touchdown in the team's fourth game when he scored on a seven-yard run against the New York Jets. In Week 10, against the St. Louis Rams, Kaepernick replaced Smith in the second half of the game after he suffered a concussion in the first half. Kaepernick completed eleven of seventeen passes for 117 yards and added 66 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown as the 49ers and the Rams ended the game in a 24–24 tie. He got his first NFL start the next game on November 19, during a "Monday Night Football" game against the Chicago Bears at Candlestick Park. Kaepernick completed 16-of-23 for 246 yards with two touchdowns in a 32–7 win against a highly ranked Bears defense. A quarterback controversy began. Smith was ranked third in the NFL in passer rating (104.1), led the league in completion percentage (70%), and had been 19–5–1 as a starter under Harbaugh, while Kaepernick was considered more dynamic with his scrambling ability and arm strength. Smith was cleared to play the day before the following game, but Harbaugh chose not to rush him back and again started Kaepernick. He remained the starter for the rest of the season and led the 49ers to an 11–4–1 record and a berth in the NFL playoffs.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: In his first career postseason start, against the Green Bay Packers, Kaepernick had 263 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, one interception and 181 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns as the 49ers defeated the Packers 45–31. With his performance, he set an NFL single-game record for most rushing yards by a quarterback with 181, breaking Michael Vick's record of 173 in a 2002 regular season game. He also broke the 49ers postseason rushing record, regardless of position and joined Jay Cutler and Otto Graham in both as the only players in NFL history to run for two touchdowns and pass for two others in a playoff game. In the NFC Championship, the 49ers defeated the Atlanta Falcons 28–24 with Kaepernick completing 16-of-21 passes for 233 yards and one touchdown. The team advanced to Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans against the Baltimore Ravens. Kaepernick threw for 302 yards, one passing touchdown, and ran for a touchdown, but the 49ers fell behind early and could not come back, losing by a score of 34–31.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: In the season opener of the 2013 season against the Green Bay Packers, Kaepernick threw for a career-high 412 yards and three touchdowns, the first 400-yard game by a 49ers quarterback since Tim Rattay on October 10, 2004. Kaepernick ended the season with 3,197 yards passing, 21 touchdowns, and eight interceptions, 524 yards rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns and led the 49ers to a 12–4 record and a berth in the NFL playoffs.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: In the Wild Card Round, the 49ers played the Green Bay Packers. Kaepernick had 227 passing yards, one passing touchdown, one interception and added 98 rushing yards as the 49ers beat the Packers 23–20. In the divisional round, against the Carolina Panthers, Kaepernick had 196 passing yards, one passing touchdown, 15 rushing yards, and one rushing touchdown as the 49ers beat the Panthers 23–10. In the NFC Championship Game, against eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, Kaepernick had 153 passing yards, one passing touchdown, two interceptions and rushed for 130 yards as the 49ers lost to the Seahawks 23–17, ending the 49ers' season and attempt to return to the Super Bowl.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: On June 4, Kaepernick signed a six-year contract extension with the 49ers, worth up to $126 million, including $54 million in potential guarantees, and $13 million fully guaranteed.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: On September 17, Kaepernick was fined by the NFL for using inappropriate language on the field. On October 9, he was fined $10,000 by the NFL for appearing at a post-game press conference wearing headphones from Beats by Dre, while the league's headphone sponsor was Bose. In a game against the San Diego Chargers, he ran for a 90-yard touchdown. The 49ers finished the season 8–8 and failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2010. Kaepernick threw for 3,369 yards with 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He rushed for 639 yards and one touchdown. Following the season, head coach Jim Harbaugh left to coach the University of Michigan.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: In 2015, Kaepernick struggled under new head coach Jim Tomsula. A day after a 27–6 collapse at St. Louis in Week 8, Kaepernick lost his starting job to backup Blaine Gabbert for Week 9 against Atlanta. With Gabbert starting as their new quarterback, the 49ers narrowly won 17–16. On November 21, the 49ers announced that Kaepernick would miss the rest of the season because of an injured left shoulder that required surgery. He ended the season with 1,615 yards passing, six passing touchdowns, five interceptions and 256 rushing yards with one rushing touchdown in nine games.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: Head coach Tomsula was fired following the season and the 49ers hired Chip Kelly as his replacement. In February 2016, Kaepernick expressed an interest in being traded.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: Kaepernick was coming off three surgeries entering the 2016 season, needing operations on his thumb and knee in addition to the season-ending shoulder procedure. After having lost weight and muscle mass because of the injuries, he competed for the starting quarterback position with Gabbert. Kelly named Gabbert as the starter to open the season.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: Prior to the 49ers Week 6 game against the Buffalo Bills, Kelly announced Kaepernick would start, marking his first start of the season. On October 13, it was announced that he and the 49ers restructured his contract, turning it into a two-year deal with a player option for the next season. He completed 13-of-29 passes, with 187 passing yards, one passing touchdown and 66 rushing yards in the 49ers 45–16 loss to the Buffalo Bills. On November 27, he recorded 296 passing yards, three passing touchdowns and 113 yards rushing in the 49ers' 31–24 loss to the Miami Dolphins. He joined Michael Vick, Cam Newton, Randall Cunningham, and Marcus Mariota as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to record at least three passing touchdowns and 100 yards rushing in a game. In a Week 13 loss to the Chicago Bears, Kaepernick threw a career-low four yards before getting benched for Gabbert. He returned to the starting lineup the following week and threw for 183 yards and two touchdowns in the 49ers' 41–13 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. On December 24, Kaepernick recorded 281 total yards, two passing touchdowns, one interception, one rushing touchdown, and a two-point conversion on the game-winning drive as the 49ers beat the Los Angeles Rams 22–21 to get their first victory on the season with Kaepernick as the starter. For the 2016 NFL season, Kaepernick played twelve games and ended the season with 2,241 passing yards, sixteen passing touchdowns, four interceptions and added 468 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: During the offseason, San Francisco hired Kyle Shanahan from Atlanta to be their new coach. He planned to run the same offense which he ran the previous year with the Falcons, and did not believe that Kaepernick fit the scheme. The 49ers told Kaepernick that they planned to release him. On March 3, 2017, he opted out of his contract and became a free agent at the start of the 2017 league year on March 9.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: Following his departure from the 49ers in 2016, Kaepernick went unsigned through the off-season and 2017 training camps, leading to allegations that he was being blackballed because of his on-field political statements as opposed to his performance. The Seattle Seahawks brought Kaepernick in for a visit in May 2017, but did not work him out or offer a contract. Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said, "He's a starter in this league. And we have a starter. But he's a starter in this league, and I can't imagine that someone won't give him a chance to play." The Baltimore Ravens considered signing Kaepernick as a backup to starting quarterback Joe Flacco before the 2017 season. According to former Raven Ray Lewis, the team did not go through with this after Kaepernick's girlfriend made comparisons of Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti to a slave owner, and Lewis his slave, in a tweet; Bisciotti reportedly believed the signing would result in heavy backlash and criticism from the general public, a claim that was refuted by the team. By August 2017, the statistics website FiveThirtyEight concluded that "it's obvious Kaepernick is being frozen out for his political opinions", calling it "extraordinary... that a player like him can't find a team", based on the observation that "no above-average quarterback [measured by the total quarterback rating] has been unemployed nearly as long as Kaepernick this offseason".


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: The Seahawks set up another visit and workout with him in April 2018, but the team postponed it indefinitely after he would not say whether he would continue his national anthem protest or not.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: In October 2017, Kaepernick filed a grievance against the NFL, accusing league owners of collusion to keep him out of the league. The NFL requested to dismiss the case but was denied by an arbitrator which meant the case would go to trial. On February 15, 2019, it was announced that Kaepernick reached a confidential settlement with the NFL and withdrew the grievance. In a related case, Eric Reid, who was the first to join Kaepernick in kneeling when they were 49ers teammates, also settled with the league. Reid had been unsigned for a stretch before joining the Carolina Panthers.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: Before November 2019, Kaepernick had not had an NFL tryout since becoming a free agent. He continued working out five days a week, and stated publicly and privately that he wished to continue playing.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: On November 12, 2019, the NFL set up a workout for him in Atlanta on Saturday, November 16. All 32 NFL teams were invited to attend the private session, which was to be closed to the media. It was to include an on-field workout and an interview, with videos of both to be sent to teams afterward. Aside from its scouting combine, the league rarely organizes workouts for all of its teams. Typically, NFL teams schedule workouts for Tuesdays, when head coaches and general managers can more readily attend. On Saturdays, teams are preparing for games the next day and travelling to away games. On November 16, about 30 minutes before the scheduled start of the workout, Kaepernick nixed the plans over concerns about the workout not being public and issues with the liability waiver the NFL asked him to sign. He instead moved to an Atlanta-area high school, where he held a public throwing session attended by scouts from seven NFL teams.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: In an opinion piece published by "The New York Times" on November 22, 2019, Ta-Nehisi Coates said Kaepernick is "not fighting for a job" but that he is "fighting against cancellation".


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: In February 2019, it was reported that Kaepernick spoke with the Alliance of American Football and XFL about becoming a quarterback for them but wanted a guaranteed $20,000,000 per season. XFL quarterbacks were paid $250,000 per season while AAF quarterbacks were signed to an unguaranteed $250,000 over three seasons.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: In June 2020, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said that he regretted not signing Kaepernick in 2017; however for the 2020 season, he would not be signing him and was happy with Geno Smith as the team's backup quarterback. Carroll indicated "someone is interested" in Kaepernick and that a team contacted him about Kaepernick to get some insight on him and Carroll said that it is the first time any team has contacted him since his 2017 meeting with Kaepernick. Kaepernick worked out for the Las Vegas Raiders in May 2022.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: Leading up to the 2016 season, Kaepernick was active in July on social media with social commentary on the fatal police shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, the police shooting of Charles Kinsey and the acquittal of police in the death of Freddie Gray. In the 49ers third preseason game of the season, reporter Steve Wyche noticed Kaepernick sitting down during the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner", as opposed to the tradition of standing. During a post-game interview, Kaepernick explained his position stating, "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder", referencing a series of African-American deaths caused by law enforcement that led to the Black Lives Matter movement and adding that he would continue to protest until he feels like "[the American flag] represents what it's supposed to represent". It had gone largely unnoticed that Kaepernick was also sitting during the anthem in the previous two weeks, when he was inactive and not in uniform while recovering from injuries.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: In the 49ers' fourth and final preseason game, Kaepernick kneeled during the U.S. national anthem to show more respect to former and current U.S. military members while still protesting during the anthem after having a conversation with former NFL player and U.S. military veteran Nate Boyer. After the September 2016 police shootings of Terence Crutcher and Keith Lamont Scott, Kaepernick commented publicly on the shootings saying, "this is a perfect example of what this is about". Photos then surfaced of him wearing socks depicting police officers as pigs. In a statement, he acknowledged wearing them as a statement against "rogue cops". He maintained that he has friends/family in law enforcement and that there are cops with "good intentions" who protect and serve and he was not targeting all police. Kaepernick went on to kneel during the anthem prior to every 49ers game that season.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: After initial backlash against his protests, Kaepernick pledged to donate $1 million to "organizations working in oppressed communities". He donated $25,000 to the Mothers Against Police Brutality organization that was started by Collette Flanagan, whose son fell victim to police brutality. In 2018, Kaepernick announced that he would make the final $100,000 donation of his "Million Dollar Pledge" in the form of $10,000 donations to charities that would be matched by celebrities.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: Inspired by Kaepernick, other NFL players and pro athletes conducted various forms of silent protests during the national anthem. His San Francisco teammates awarded him the team's Len Eshmont Award, as the player who best epitomized the inspirational and courageous play of former 49er Len Eshmont. Then-49ers head coach Chip Kelly later said that Kaepernick was "zero distraction" that season.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: Also in 2016, Kaepernick and his partner Nessa founded the "Know Your Rights Camp", an organization which held free seminars to disadvantaged youths to teach them about self-empowerment, American history, and legal rights. In April 2020, the Know Your Rights Camp launched a relief fund for individuals impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Kaepernick donated $100,000 to the fund.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: In 2018, Nike released an ad featuring Kaepernick with the text, "Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything." NFL spokesperson Jocelyn Moore responded to the ad saying Kaepernick's social justice campaign, "deserve(s) our attention and action".


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: In July 2019, Nike released a shoe featuring the Betsy Ross flag called the Air Max 1 Quick Strike Fourth of July trainers. The trainers were designed to celebrate Independence Day. The model was subsequently withdrawn after Colin Kaepernick told the brand he and others found the flag offensive because they associated it with slavery. Joe Scarborough decried Nike's decision as "politically correct madness", saying that the flag should be seen as a symbol of resistance against King George III. Scarborough also felt that this instance of political correctness could help Donald Trump to be re-elected. Charles Taylor of "Forbes" described Nike's decision as a blunder, noting that no significant number of Americans view the Betsy Ross flag as a racist symbol and that a poll shows that 85% of American millennials like seeing the U.S. flag on Independence Day. Nike's decision to withdraw the product drew criticism from Arizona's Republican Governor, Doug Ducey, who subsequently pulled a tax incentive for a Nike factory in the state, and Texas's Republican Senator Ted Cruz.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: In June 2020, amid the George Floyd protests, "The New York Times" wrote that the NFL had wrestled with the issue of race, noting that three-quarters of NFL players are African-American, yet nearly every NFL team owner is white (and several are prominent Trump supporters). NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell put out a statement in which he apologized for not listening to the concerns of African-American players. "The Times" wrote that Goodell's "words were panned as hypocritical because of the league owners' rejection of Kaepernick." Michael Rosenberg of "Sports Illustrated" wrote, "Mainstream white America is going to reconsider Kaepernick at some point – the way it reconsidered Muhammad Ali years after he refused to go to Vietnam, the way it reconsidered Jackie Robinson and Jack Johnson. Progress comes in fits and starts, and this country tends to punish those who urge it to move faster. The reconsideration of Kaepernick has begun." In August, after the shooting of Jacob Blake, a black man, Goodell said that he wished the NFL had listened earlier to Kaepernick's reasons for kneeling.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: Kaepernick supports the abolition of police and prisons. In October 2020, Kaepernick Publishing launched a project with "Medium" titled "Abolition For The People", a collection of 30 essays written by several activists calling for police and prison abolition and criticizing prison reform as only "reforming, reshaping, and rebranding" systemic racism.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: Kaepernick was baptized Methodist, confirmed Lutheran, and attended a Baptist church during his college years. Kaepernick spoke about his faith saying, "I think God guides me through every day and helps me take the right steps and has helped me to get to where I'm at." Kaepernick has multiple tattoos about his faith. His right arm features a scroll with the Bible verse Psalm 18:39 written on it. Tattooed under the scroll are praying hands with the phrase "To God The Glory" written on them. To the left of both the scroll and praying hands is the word "Faith" written vertically. His left arm features a Christian cross with the words "Heaven Sent" on it referring to Jesus Christ. Written above and below the cross is the phrase "God Will Guide Me". Written to the left and right of the cross is the Bible verse Psalm 27:3.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: Kaepernick reportedly started dating radio personality and television host Nessa Diab in July 2015, and officially went public about their relationship in February 2016. Their child was born in August, 2022.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: In February 2020, Kaepernick started Kaepernick Publishing. Kaepernick published a children's book titled "I Color Myself Different" in April 2022 through his publishing company and Scholastic.


title: Colin Kaepernick

text: On October 29, 2021, Netflix premiered "Colin in Black & White", a six-episode limited series about Kaepernick's teenage years. The series was co-created by Kaepernick and Ava DuVernay.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: "The Conjuring" Universe is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of supernatural horror films. The franchise is produced by New Line Cinema, the Safran Company, and Atomic Monster Productions and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The films present a dramatization of the real-life cases of Ed and Lorraine Warren, paranormal investigators and authors associated with prominent yet controversial cases of haunting. The main series follows their attempts to assist people who find themselves possessed by demonic spirits, while the spin-off films focus on the origins of some of the entities the Warrens have encountered.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: The franchise has been commercially successful, having grossed a combined $2.1billion against a combined budget of $178million, becoming the highest-grossing horror franchise to date. The franchise has predominantly received positive to mixed reviews.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: The franchise consists of three films in the main series: "The Conjuring" (2013), "The Conjuring 2" (2016), and "" (2021). The first two films were directed by James Wan, while the third film was directed by Michael Chaves. The first two installments revolve around two of the many famous paranormal cases of which the Warrens have been a part, with the first film depicting the case of the Perron family, who are experiencing disturbing events in their newly acquired house in Rhode Island. The second entry focused on the controversial case of the Enfield poltergeist while briefly referring to the events that inspired "The Amityville Horror". A sequel to the two films, "", was released on June 4, 2021, and revolves around the trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson, a murder that took place in 1981 in Connecticut.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: The franchise also includes "Annabelle" (2014), a prequel directed by "The Conjuring" cinematographer John R. Leonetti and produced by Peter Safran and Wan, which revealed the events of the doll of the same name before the Warrens came into contact with it at the start of the first film. A prequel, "" (2017), directed by David F. Sandberg shows the events of the origins of the demon-manipulated doll. A third "Annabelle" film, "Annabelle Comes Home", was released on June 26, 2019, with franchise writer Gary Dauberman making his directorial debut from a script he wrote. Producer Wan has likened the story to "Night at the Museum", where Annabelle activates the haunted objects in the Warrens' artifact room.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: "The Nun", a prequel based on a character introduced in "The Conjuring 2", was released in 2018. The plot focused on the origins of the demonic nun Valak before coming in contact with the Warrens. A sequel to "The Nun" was announced, with Akela Cooper penning the script and Wan and Safran co-producing the project. By 2022, a sequel, titled "The Nun 2", was in production, with Michael Chaves directing. A standalone film, "The Curse of La Llorona", was released in April 2019.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: Wan stated that they sought accuracy to real life in making the main films, while the spin-offs allowed them to "just explore different sub-genres in the horror genre".


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: The first two "Conjuring" films were met with generally positive reviews by both critics and horror fans, earning praise for Wan's directing and main cast performances, particularly Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga's on-screen chemistry as Ed and Lorraine. Critics also acknowledged the effect the films have had on popular culture as well as in the production of modern horror films. The third entry received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the performances of Wilson and Farmiga but noted it as weaker than the previous "Conjuring" installments. The first entry in the "Annabelle" film series received more mixed to negative reviews, considered an inferior film to its forerunner. "Annabelle: Creation" was met with generally positive reviews. A sequel to both "Annabelle" films, "Annabelle Comes Home", received mixed reviews. "The Nun" and "The Curse of La Llorona", on the other hand, received generally mixed to negative reviews. The three main films and its five spin-offs have proven themselves to be successful at the box office, having combined earnings of over $2.1billion worldwide, against a combined budget of $178.5million, making "The Conjuring" Universe the highest-grossing horror franchise in history and one of the most critically acclaimed.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: Development began over 20 years before the first film's debut, when Ed Warren played a tape of Lorraine Warren's original interview with Carolyn Perron for producer Tony DeRosa-Grund. DeRosa-Grund made a recording of Warren playing back the tape and of their subsequent discussion. At the end of the tape, Warren said to DeRosa-Grund: "If we can't make this into a film I don't know what we can". DeRosa-Grund then described his vision of the film for Ed.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: DeRosa-Grund wrote the original treatment and titled the project "The Conjuring". For nearly 14 years, he tried to get the film made without any success. He originally landed a deal to make the film at Gold Circle Films, the production company behind "The Haunting in Connecticut", but a contract could not be finalized and the deal was dropped.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: DeRosa-Grund allied with producer Peter Safran, and sibling writers Chad and Carey W. Hayes were brought on board to refine the script. Using DeRosa-Grund's treatment and the Ed Warren tape, the Hayes brothers changed the story's point of view from the Perron family to that of the Warrens. The brothers interviewed Lorraine many times over the phone to clarify details. By mid-2009, the property became the subject of a six-studio bidding war that landed the film at Summit Entertainment; however, DeRosa-Grund and Summit could not conclude the transaction and the film went into turnaround. DeRosa-Grund reconnected with New Line Cinema, who had lost in the original bidding war, and the studio ultimately picked up the film. The same year on November 11, a deal was made between New Line and DeRosa-Grund's Evergreen Media Group.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: The first installment of the series (originally entitled "The Warren Files", later retitled "The Conjuring") centers on the real-life exploits of Ed and Lorraine Warren, a married couple who investigated paranormal events. Patrick Wilson starred alongside Vera Farmiga in the main roles of Ed and Lorraine. The film focused on the Warrens' 1971 case in which they investigated a witch's curse at a farmhouse in Harrisville, Rhode Island. "The Conjuring" was released on July 19, 2013, to positive reviews. It earned $320million worldwide against a budget of $20million, becoming one of the most profitable horror films in history.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: A spin-off film, focusing on the origins of the Annabelle doll that was introduced in "The Conjuring", was announced shortly after the release of its forerunner, mainly due to the film's worldwide box office success, and positive reception towards the character. The plot focused on John and Mia Form, a married couple expecting a child, whose vintage doll, Annabelle, becomes possessed by a vengeful spirit after two devil worshippers break into their home and are killed. The film was directed by "The Conjuring" cinematographer John R. Leonetti and produced by Safran and Wan, with Gary Dauberman behind the script. The film was released worldwide on October 3, 2014, to major commercial success, becoming the 14th most profitable horror film in North America. Many critics found "Annabelle" to be an inferior film compared to "The Conjuring".


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: A sequel, "The Conjuring 2", was commissioned after the success of the original film and was also directed by Wan, with both Farmiga and Wilson reprising their roles. The film focused on the Enfield poltergeist case in London in 1977, while briefly referring to the events that inspired "The Amityville Horror". It was released on June 10, 2016, to positive reviews from both critics and audiences; some agreed that the film was vastly superior to other horror sequels, while others debated whether the film had surpassed its predecessor in quality. Proving to be similarly successful to the first entry in the series, the film became another profitable addition to the franchise, having earned $320.3million worldwide from a budget of $40million, and becoming the second highest-grossing horror film of all time, after "The Exorcist", until "It" was released in 2017.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: An "Annabelle" sequel was in development, eventually revealed to be a prequel to the original film. The plot of the film centers on a dollmaker and his wife, whose daughter tragically died twelve years earlier, as they decide to open their home to a nun and several girls from a shuttered orphanage; the dollmaker's possessed creation Annabelle sets her sights on the children and turns their shelter into a storm of ultimate evil. "Lights Out" director David F. Sandberg replaced Leonetti as director, with Dauberman returning to write the script and Safran and Wan returning to produce. The film was released worldwide on August 11, 2017, to critical and commercial success, with many critics stating "Annabelle: Creation" was a vast improvement over its predecessor.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: A spin-off film titled "The Nun", featuring the "Demon Nun" character Valak from "The Conjuring 2", was directed by Corin Hardy, with "The Conjuring 2" co-scribe David Leslie Johnson initially announced as the writer before being replaced by Gary Dauberman and Wan, who also produced with Safran. Demián Bichir starred in the lead role, while Bonnie Aarons reprised her role in the film. The plot of the film follows a nun, a priest and a novitiate as they investigate an unholy secret and confront a malevolent force in the form of a demonic nun. The film was released on September 7, 2018, and grossed $365.6million on a budget of $22million, becoming the highest grossing film in the franchise.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: In October 2017, Wan served as a producer of a horror film directed by Michael Chaves and starring Linda Cardellini, which was then titled "The Children". The film was later retitled "The Curse of La Llorona" (also known as "The Curse of the Weeping Woman" in some international markets). Though marketed as a standalone film, there is a nod to "The Conjuring" Universe in the form of Tony Amendola, who reprises his role from "Annabelle" as Father Perez. The character gives direction to the family being tormented by the titular spirit, and relates the haunting to his experiences with the demonic entity attached to the doll.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: Raymond Cruz, Patricia Velásquez and Sean Patrick Thomas co-star in the film. "The Curse of La Llorona" premiered at South by Southwest on March 15, 2019, to mixed reviews and had a wide theatrical release on April 19.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: The third installment in the "Annabelle" series, "Annabelle Comes Home", featured Gary Dauberman as a writer and the director in his directorial debut. It was based on a story treatment written by Dauberman and Wan. Wan and Peter Safran co-produced the project.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: "Annabelle Comes Home" takes place after "Annabelle" and "The Conjuring" and focuses on the doll after she was kept in the glass box in the Warrens' museum. Wilson and Farmiga reprised their roles as Ed and Lorraine Warren, alongside Mckenna Grace as Judy Warren and Madison Iseman as Judy's teenage babysitter. The film was released on June 26, 2019.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: After "The Conjuring 2" was released, Wan revealed he would not return to direct another installment in the series, due to scheduling conflicts, but expressed interest in seeing other filmmakers direct more "Conjuring" films. Wan said that the next film in the series would take place during the 1980s and spoke of ideas for the films to explore lycanthropy, citing "American Werewolf in London" and "The Hound of the Baskervilles" as inspiration. Safran stated that the next film would not be a haunted house movie. David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick was hired to write the screenplay.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: "The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It" was directed by Michael Chaves, after previously directing "The Curse of La Llorona", with James Wan in producer's role. Wilson and Farmiga reprised their roles as Ed and Lorraine Warren, with the plot revolving around the real-life "Devil Made Me Do It" case, a legal trial where the defendant claimed to have been possessed during the crimes of which he is accused. The film was initially scheduled for a September 11, 2020, release, before being pushed to June 4, 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The movie was, however, released by Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema in the United Kingdom on May 26, 2021, followed by United States on June 4, where it also had a month-long simultaneous release on the HBO Max streaming service.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: Prior to the film's release, Wan discussed the possibility of a "Nun" sequel and what its storyline may be: "I do know where potentially, if "The Nun" works out, where "The Nun 2" could lead to and how that ties to Lorraine's story that we've set up with the first two "Conjuring"s and make it all come full circle".


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: In April 2019, Safran said that a sequel was in development, stating that there was a "really fun" storyline planned for the film. Later that month, Akela Cooper signed onto the project as writer for the film while Safran and Wan were set as producers. Bonnie Aarons expressed interest in reprising her role as the titular demon in the sequel. In February 2022, Taissa Farmiga stated that she has had discussions with Warner Bros. Pictures regarding reprising her role from the first film while stating that the restrictions on the film industry as a result of the coronavirus pandemic had delayed the project. Warner Bros. officially announced the film in April as part of its upcoming slate at the 2022 CinemaCon. Michael Chaves was confirmed as director. Initial photography began on April 29, 2022, with Bonnie Aarons reprising her role as Valak. In September 2022, it was revealed that Ian Goldberg and Richard Naing had contributed to the scipt as co-authors of the most recent draft. Storm Reid had joined the cast in a lead role for the film, principal photography began on October 6, 2022. Taissa Farmiga and Jonas Bloquet are reprising their roles as Sister Irene and Maurice "Frenchie" Theriault, with Anna Popplewell and Katelyn Rose Downey joining the cast.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: In October 2022, it was announced that a sequel to "The Devil Made Me Do It" was in development. David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick will serve as screenwriter, while James Wan and Peter Safran will serve as producers, with Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga in early negotiations to reprise their roles from the previous films. Wan later confirmed that Wilson and Farmiga will reprise their roles.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: In June 2017, producer Peter Safran stated that while the studio will not incorporate characters from other standalone original works, there are various projects in development. He later reiterated that future projects will only be made that have a direct connection to the Warrens and the other released films in the franchise; stating that they will continue to be made "as long as [we] keep having original stories to tell". By May 2021, he said that there were multiple future projects in various stages of development, with Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga intended to reprise their roles. Safran stated: "[They] are such unique actors and they portray Ed and Lorraine so beautifully that we'd love to keep making these movies with them. Ed and Lorraine investigated cases for 50 years, so we have another 40 years with Patrick and Vera before we run out".


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: Following the release of "Annabelle Comes Home" in June 2019, Gary Dauberman acknowledged the possibility of a fourth "Annabelle" film, while stating that there's potential for a number of spin-off films centered around the other cursed artifacts and their entities, as well. The filmmaker revealed that specific entities received detailed backstories that he wrote during the production for "Annabelle Comes Home". Developed with Wan, he stated that the future of the franchise will explore different sub-genres of horror; stating that a psychological horror film centered around The Bride, and a slasher horror film centered around The Samurai, were examples of options that were discussed for development.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: In June 2021, after the release of "The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It", Michael Chaves revealed that the movie was originally intended to directly tie into the next spin-off film. Centered around a demonic character that was cut from the third "Conjuring", referred to as the Lost Demon, Chaves stated that this entity would be notable because it was entirely based on descriptions from true account witnesses. Though the full character reveal was removed from the final cut, as well as a subplot where Isla the occultist was working with the demon, the filmmaker noted that it is the same entity that torments David in the waterbed and ultimately enters his body. He expressed hope that one day the project would be green-lit. Chaves commented that James Wan has several Warren "cases up his sleeve", with "a lot of things... to explore". The filmmaker acknowledged that he knew what was being developed while expressing his excitement as a fan to see what is released first.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: In May 2017, Safran said that the Crooked Man character from "The Conjuring 2" was being considered by the studio for a feature film. By June of the same year, a spin-off film titled "The Crooked Man" was officially in development with Mike Van Waes serving as screenwriter, based on an original story by Wan; Wan and Safran were set to produce the project. Though in its early stages of development, the filmmaker stated that the sub-genre of horror would be a "dark fairytale". By September 2018, Safran stated that work on the script was ongoing, and that the studio wants to wait until they have a draft that they like before further production will commence. The producer reiterated what Wan had stated, reaffirming that the intention is for each installment in the franchise to have its own style. He later stated that while "The Crooked Man" was intended to be the next movie following "The Conjuring 2", the project had been delayed in favor of fast-tracking production on "The Nun" due to the audience response to the character. In November 2022, Wan announced that the project was cancelled and not moving forward at this time, stating that the decision was outside of his control.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: In July 2017, Warner Bros. Pictures, in conjunction with Wan, announced the "My Annabelle Creation" competition as a promotion for the then-upcoming film "Annabelle: Creation". Participants of the competition were to shoot a short film which would "feel like (it) could exist within the established Conjuring world", with the winning films' directors having their films made a part of the shared film universe, and winning a trip to Los Angeles to meet with David F. Sandberg, the director of the film. The entry deadline was July 27 with five separate competition winners being selected from the United States, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Sweden and Colombia. All five short films were released from August through November.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: The winner from the United States competition was Julian Terry for his short film "The Nurse". Just under two minutes in length and filmed over four days, it was released on August 16.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: The short film begins with Emily (Aria Walters), a young girl with bandages wrapped around her eyes, hearing the door to her ward opening and the scraping sound of a gurney moving. As she goes outside to investigate, holding onto her drip for balance, a strange nurse (Hannah Palazzi) approaches, whom Emily cannot see. Panicking, she gets back to her ward and hits the call button for help. The nurse appears and tells Emily in a normal voice that she can remove the bandaging. Emily turns around to see the nurse's disfigured, demonic face smiling back at her. Emily screams in terror as the film ends, leaving her fate unknown.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: "The Confession" is a British horror short film directed by Liam Banks which was the winner of the United Kingdom competition. Just over two minutes in length and filmed over one week, it was released on August 26.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: The short film revolves around a psychologically-damaged young woman named Fiona (Esmee Matthews) who seeks refuge in her local church, confiding in a priest (Ernest Vernon) regarding her terrifying encounters with supernatural entities. However, having escaped the evil within her house, she finds that something far darker sits in the confession booth next to her.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: "What's Wrong With Mom?" is a Mexican horror short film directed by Raúl Bribiesca, the winner of the Mexican competition. Exactly two minutes in length and filmed in a single take, it was released on September 4.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: In the film, a mother's health begins to deteriorate. Her daughter starts praying for her mother's health to improve but soon she finds out what is happening to her. The film revolves around a father (Fabián Hurtado) and daughter (Carina Pámenes) as they're praying to God to exorcise the family's mother (Perla Corona) of the "Marifer", a teleporting demon possessing her.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: "Blund's Lullaby" is a 2017 Swedish horror short film directed by Amanda Nilsson and Magda Lindblom, which was the winner of the Swedish competition. Just over two minutes in length, the film was inspired by the Nordic version of the Sandman, known as John Blund. The short film was released on September 14.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: "Innocent Souls" is a Colombian horror short film directed, written, and produced by Alejandro López. "Innocent Souls" was the winner of the Colombian competition. The short film was released on November 3.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: In May 2021, Peter Safran said that there were ongoing developments for a television series set within "The Conjuring" Universe. The producer stated that while they did not want to take away from the film installments, there were "some more long-form stories that would be better told over eight episodes or eight hours as opposed to just a two-hour movie". Safran acknowledged that an expansion of the franchise into television shows has been in discussion for some time, with the launch of HBO Max providing Warner Bros. Entertainment with a distributor for any potential series.<ref name="Future/TV_Yahoo"></ref>


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: This table lists the main characters who appear in "The Conjuring" Universe, in alphabetical order by the character's last name.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: The franchise has been notable for its profit, with "The Conjuring" and its follow-up having earned a combined profit of $260million, according to "Deadline", while "Annabelle" managed to make 40 times its $6.5million budget. Film critic and box office expert Scott Mendelson of "Forbes" has called the franchise the "first successful post–Marvel cinematic universe".


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: In April 2021, DC Comics began forming a new horror imprint called DC Horror with a series of comics set in "The Conjuring" Universe, with the first of these released on June 1 the same year. "The Conjuring: The Lover" is a 5-issue limited series that serves as a prequel to "". The story involves a college student named Jessica. She struggles with college life and her discovery that something sinister is targeting her. Each issue includes backup stories, which explore the cursed artifacts in the Warren's basement museum. The limited series is co-written by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Rex Ogle, with artwork by Garry Brown and cover art by Bill Sienkiewicz. The backup stories featuring the occult items from the Warrens' artifact room were written by various writers: the first by Scott Snyder, with Denys Cowan serving as artist, the second from writer Che Grayson and artist Juan Ferreyra, the third from writer Tim Seeley and artist Kelley Jones, followed by the fourth from writer Ray Fawkes and artist Christopher Mitten, and by the fifth from writer and artist Dominike "Domo" Stanton. In March 2022, a trade hardcover collecting the issues was released.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: In July 2013, prior to the theatrical release of "The Conjuring", Vice Media alongside Warner Bros. Entertainment and New Line Cinema (under the banner of "The Conjuring") presented a series of anthology horror short-films, titled "The 3:07 A.M. Project". In the series of shorts, the witching hour of 3:07 A.M. is the only recurring theme within each short. The shorts were presented as a marketing device that drew attention to the first installment of "The Conjuring" Universe, leading up to its release date. The short films were met with mixed reception, while each filmmaker would later find success in other noteworthy horror franchises. While the series does not connect directly to the franchise, it serves as the first attempt at expanding the franchise, while this specific time was referenced in the first movie of the franchise.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: Norma Sutcliffe and Gerald Helfrich, previous owners of the house on which "The Conjuring" was based, have sued Wan, Warner Bros. and other producers in 2015 because their property was being constantly vandalized as a consequence of the film. "Entertainment Weekly" obtained documents in which the owners affirm various invasions and ratify that they have found numerous objects affiliated with satanic cults. The lawsuit also reveals that the previous owners bought the house in 1987 and lived "in peace" until 2013. Both owners had been seeking unspecified damages. When questioned, a spokesperson for Warner Bros. declined to comment on the issue.


title: The Conjuring Universe

text: Gerald Brittle, author of a book about the Warrens called "The Demonologist", filed a $900million lawsuit on March 29, 2017, against Warner Bros., New Line Cinema, Wan and others, claiming that he had the exclusive rights to the Warrens' story and that it had been illegally stolen by the studios and producers. The case was scheduled to go to trial on April 16, 2018, with a Warner Bros. spokesperson commenting: "We're pleased the Court significantly narrowed the case and look forward to addressing the remaining claims at summary judgment. Mr. Brittle's claims are not only without merit, but contradict Mr. Brittle's prior admissions in other failed lawsuits concerning "The Conjuring" movies". However, on December 13, 2017, Warner Bros. settled the lawsuit, revealing that Tony DeRosa-Grund, the producer of the original film, was the "mastermind" behind the lawsuit, without Brittle ever having been involved. A spokesperson commented: "New Line has contended all along that DeRosa-Grund was the mastermind behind the lawsuit, was controlling and directing the lawsuit, and had attempted to enter into secret side deals with Brittle". Brittle himself commented that "Mr. DeRosa-Grund has been controlling this litigation from the start. [...] Based on a review of text messages between Mr. DeRosa-Grund and my attorney, I understand that he even threatened my attorneys that if they sent information from me without him seeing it first they would be fired". Brittle went into further detail in the settlement. This follows repeated failed lawsuits by DeRosa-Grund to Warner Bros. for claims of owed millions of dollars from the franchise to the point where he was getting into trouble with the courts and settled with Warner Bros. to never sue them again for anything related to the franchise.


title: Warren Beatty

text: Henry Warren Beatty (né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker, whose career spans over six decades. He was nominated for 15 Academy Awards, including four for Best Actor, four for Best Picture, two for Best Director, three for Original Screenplay, and one for Adapted Screenplay – winning Best Director for "Reds" (1981). Beatty is the only person to have been nominated for acting in, directing, writing, and producing the same film, and he did so twice: first for "Heaven Can Wait" (with Buck Henry as co-director), and again for "Reds".


title: Warren Beatty

text: Eight of the films he produced earned 53 Academy nominations. In 1999, he was awarded the Academy's highest honor, the Irving G. Thalberg Award. Beatty was nominated for 18 Golden Globe Awards, winning six, including the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2007. Among his Golden Globe nominated films are, his screen debut, "Splendor in the Grass" (1961), "Bonnie and Clyde" (1967), "Shampoo" (1975), "Heaven Can Wait" (1978), "Reds" (1981), "Dick Tracy" (1990), "Bugsy" (1991), "Bulworth" (1998), and "Rules Don't Apply" (2016), all of which he also produced. Director and collaborator Arthur Penn described Beatty as "the perfect producer", adding, "He makes everyone demand the best of themselves. Warren stays with a picture through editing, mixing, and scoring. He plain works harder than anyone else I have ever seen."


title: Warren Beatty

text: Henry Warren Beaty was born March 30, 1937, in Richmond, Virginia. His mother, Kathlyn Corinne (née MacLean), was a teacher from Nova Scotia. His father, Ira Owens Beaty, studied for a PhD in educational psychology and was a teacher and school administrator, in addition to working in real estate. His grandparents were also teachers. The family was Baptist. During Warren's childhood, Ira Beaty moved his family from Richmond to Norfolk and then to Arlington and Waverly, then back to Arlington, eventually taking a position at Arlington's Thomas Jefferson Junior High School in 1945. During the 1950s, the family resided in the Dominion Hills section of Arlington. Beatty's older sister is the actress, dancer and writer Shirley MacLaine. His uncle by marriage was Canadian politician A. A. MacLeod.


title: Warren Beatty

text: Beatty became interested in movies as a child, often accompanying his sister to theaters. One film that had an important early influence on him was "The Philadelphia Story" (1940), which he saw when it was re-released in the 1950s. He noticed a strong resemblance between its star, Katharine Hepburn, and his mother, in both appearance and personality, saying that they symbolized "perpetual integrity". Another film that influenced him was "Love Affair" (1939), starring one of his favorite actors, Charles Boyer. He found it "deeply moving," and recalled that "[t]his is a movie I always wanted to make." He remade "Love Affair" in 1994, starring alongside Annette Bening and Katharine Hepburn.


title: Warren Beatty

text: Among his favorite TV shows in the 1950s was the "Texaco Star Theatre", and he began to mimic one of its regular host comedians, Milton Berle. Beatty learned to do a "superb imitation of Berle and his routine", said a friend, and often used Berle-type humor at home. His sister's memories of her brother include seeing him reading books by Eugene O'Neill or singing along to Al Jolson records. In "Rules Don't Apply" (2016), Beatty plays Howard Hughes, who is shown talking about and singing Jolson songs while flying his plane.


title: Warren Beatty

text: MacLaine noted — on what made her brother want to become a filmmaker, sometimes writing, producing, directing and starring in his films: "That's why he's more comfortable behind the camera ... He's in the total-control aspect. He has to have control over everything." Beatty doesn't deny that need; in speaking about his earliest parts, he said "When I acted in films I used to come with suggestions about the script, the lighting, the wardrobe, and people used to say 'Waddya want, to produce the picture as well?' And I used to say that I supposed I did."


title: Warren Beatty

text: Beatty was a star football player at Washington-Lee High School in Arlington. Encouraged to act by the success of his sister, who established herself as a Hollywood star, he decided to work as a stagehand at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C. during the summer before his senior year. After graduation, he was reportedly offered ten college football scholarships, but turned them down to study liberal arts at Northwestern University (1954–55), where he joined the Sigma Chi fraternity. Beatty left college after his first year and moved to New York City to study acting under Stella Adler at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting. He often subsisted on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and worked odd jobs, including dishwasher, piano player, bricklayer's assistant, construction worker, and, relatively briefly, a Sandhog.


title: Warren Beatty

text: Beatty started his career making appearances on television shows such as "Studio One" (1957), "Kraft Television Theatre" (1957), and "Playhouse 90" (1959). He was a semi-regular on "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" during its first season (1959–60). His performance in William Inge's "A Loss of Roses" on Broadway garnered him a 1960 Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Play and a 1960 Theatre World Award. It was his sole appearance on Broadway.


title: Warren Beatty

text: He made his film debut in Elia Kazan's "Splendor in the Grass" (1961), opposite Natalie Wood. The film was a critical and box office success and Beatty was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor, and received the award for New Star of the Year – Actor. The film was also nominated for two Oscars, winning one.


title: Warren Beatty

text: Author Peter Biskind points out that Kazan "was the first in a string of major directors Beatty sought out, mentors or father figures from whom he wanted to learn." Beatty, years later during a Kennedy Center tribute to Kazan, told the audience that Kazan "had given him the most important break in his career." Biskind adds that they "were wildly dissimilar—mentor vs. protegé, director vs. actor, immigrant outsider vs. native son. Kazan was armed with the confidence born of age and success, while Beatty was virtually aflame with the arrogance of youth." Kazan recalls his impressions of Beatty:


title: Warren Beatty

text: He followed his initial film with Tennessee Williams' "The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone" (1961), with Vivien Leigh and Lotte Lenya, directed by Jose Quintero; "All Fall Down" (1962), with Angela Lansbury, Karl Malden and Eva Marie Saint, directed by John Frankenheimer; "Lilith" (1963), with Jean Seberg and Peter Fonda, directed by Robert Rossen; "Promise Her Anything" (1964), with Leslie Caron, Bob Cummings and Keenan Wynn, directed by Arthur Hiller; "Mickey One" (1965), with Alexandra Stewart and Hurd Hatfield, directed by Arthur Penn; and "Kaleidoscope" (1966), with Susannah York and Clive Revill, directed by Jack Smight. In 1965, he formed a production company, Tatira, which he named for Kathlyn (whose nickname was "Tat") and Ira.


title: Warren Beatty

text: At age 29, Beatty produced and acted in "Bonnie and Clyde", released in 1967. He assembled a team that included the writers Robert Benton and David Newman, and the director, Arthur Penn. Beatty selected most of the cast, including Faye Dunaway, Gene Hackman, Estelle Parsons, Gene Wilder and Michael J. Pollard. Beatty also oversaw the script and spearheaded the delivery of the film.


title: Warren Beatty

text: Beatty chose Gene Hackman because he had acted with him in "Lilith" in 1964 and felt he was a "great" actor. Upon completion of the film, he credited Hackman with giving the "most authentic performance in the movie, so textured and so moving", recalls Dunaway. Beatty was so impressed with Gene Wilder after seeing him in a play and did not ask him to audition for what became Wilder's screen debut. And Beatty had already known Pollard: "Michael J. Pollard was one of my oldest friends", Beatty said. "I'd known him forever; I met him the day I got my first television show. We did a play together on Broadway."


title: Warren Beatty

text: "Bonnie and Clyde became" a critical and commercial success, despite the early misgivings by studio head Jack Warner, who put up the production money. Before filming began, Warner said, "What does Warren Beatty think he's doing? How did he ever get us into this thing? This gangster stuff went out with Cagney." The film was nominated for ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor, and seven Golden Globe Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor. Beatty was originally entitled to 40% of the film's profits but gave 10% to Penn and his 30% share earned him more than US$6 million.


title: Warren Beatty

text: After "Bonnie and Clyde", Beatty acted with Elizabeth Taylor in "The Only Game in Town" (1970), directed by George Stevens; "McCabe & Mrs. Miller" (1971), directed by Robert Altman; and "Dollars" (1971), directed by Richard Brooks.


title: Warren Beatty

text: In 1972, Beatty produced a series of benefit concerts to help with publicity and fundraising in the George McGovern 1972 presidential campaign. Beatty first put together Four for McGovern at The Forum in the Los Angeles area, convincing Barbra Streisand, Carole King and James Taylor to perform. Streisand brought Quincy Jones and his Orchestra, and recorded the album "Live Concert at the Forum". Two weeks later, Beatty mounted another concert at the Cleveland Arena, in which Joni Mitchell and Paul Simon joined James Taylor.