title: Maleficent (film)

text: With King Stefan gone, Maleficent returns the Moors to its former glory, and gives away her position to Aurora, who is crowned queen of the Moors, uniting the two kingdoms. Phillip also comes to visit them.


title: Maleficent (film)

text: In 2003, during Don Hahn's meeting with Disney's animation department, it was suggested to create an origin film about Maleficent from 1959 animated film "Sleeping Beauty" in a similar vein to then recently released Broadway musical "Wicked". The film was originally conceived as animated, but, according to Hahn, it was "too difficult", so it was decided to go for a live-action approach instead. In 2005, Hahn met with Tim Burton to pitch him several projects for Disney, including "Maleficent", which Burton agreed to helm, but did not start working on it until around the summer of 2009, when he was finishing "Alice in Wonderland". Around the same time, Hahn approached Linda Woolverton, with whom he had previously worked on "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Lion King", to write the script, and in March of the following year she officially joined the project, while the studio began negotiations with Angelina Jolie to star as Maleficent. Burton personally supervised the development of the film for six months to a year, until in May 2011 it was announced that he had left the project due to his commitments to "Frankenweenie" and "Dark Shadows". After that, the studio considered David Yates, Darren Aronofsky, and David O. Russell to take over as director. Guillermo del Toro also expressed a desire to direct the film, referring to "Sleeping Beauty" as one of his three favorite Disney films. In September of the same year, Joe Roth joined the project as a producer, and in January 2012 it was announced that Robert Stromberg, the production designer of "Avatar", "Alice in Wonderland" and "Oz the Great and Powerful", would direct the film. A month later, during the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival, Jolie officially confirmed her involvement in the project.


title: Maleficent (film)

text: Linda Woolverton's screenplay went through at least 15 versions as the film progressed in production. Stromberg said: "I met many times with Linda Woolverton, the writer. We did lots of roundtable discussions and sort of cut out the fat as much as we could and sort of purified the storyline as much as we could". Paul Dini also performed rewrites on the project with Stromberg, and was credited in early press. In some earlier versions of the story, Stefan was the half-human, half-fairy bastard son of King Henry. The version of the screenplay that went into shooting originally included two characters called Queen Ulla and King Kinloch, the fairy queen and fairy king of the Moors and the aunt and uncle of Maleficent. Miranda Richardson and Peter Capaldi were cast and shot the Queen Ulla and King Kinloch scenes, but their roles were cut in the editing process together with more than 15 minutes of the first act of the film. Stromberg said, "We spent a bit more time originally in the fairy world before we got into the human side of things ... we wanted to get it [the film] under two hours. So we cut about 15 minutes out of the first act, and then that had to be seamed together with some pretty basic reshoots."


title: Maleficent (film)

text: Stromberg later claimed in an interview that he employed an "age-old" emotional storytelling for the film and called it "the biggest thrill" against all technology advances. "And the way we play with that is we have somebody who's perhaps in love but betrayed and doesn't believe that true love exists. So the moral to it is we can all feel dark ourselves but not to lose hope because there is light in places where we might not be expecting", he explained.


title: Maleficent (film)

text: Principal photography began on June 13, 2012, at Pinewood Studios. Some filming took place in the Buckinghamshire countryside near Turville.


title: Maleficent (film)

text: John Lee Hancock assisted Stromberg with reshoots for the film. Hancock, who had just finished overseeing the final postproduction stages of "Saving Mr. Banks", was approached by producer Joe Roth, with whom he had worked on "Snow White and the Huntsman". Roth said: "He's not directing. He wrote pages, and I hired a first-time director, and it's good to have him on set." Roth was asked why a "film of this magnitude was entrusted to a novice director", and he noted that Stromberg won Academy Awards for production design on "Avatar" and "Alice in Wonderland". Roth said: "The movie is gorgeous to look at, and the last 75 minutes are really entertaining. The issue was the opening, which was reshot over eight days."


title: Maleficent (film)

text: As a previous production designer, Stromberg sought to balance the use of practical and computer-generated effects. For example, while Maleficent's horns and facial prosthetics were created by makeup artist Rick Baker, Digital Domain took facial capture of Imelda Staunton, Lesley Manville, and Juno Temple for the three pixies to be generated with high authenticity with the help of special rigging by Disney Research in Zurich. For the visuals, Stromberg wanted to make it "a bit more grounded" and "not too surreal" because it could be distracting from the simplicity of the story. He also regretted not employing bigger sets and allowing actors to work in a more tangible environment, on "real sets with real lights".


title: Maleficent (film)

text: James Newton Howard was hired to score the film in October 2012. The film marked Howard's first live-action Disney film score, as he had previously scored three films from Walt Disney Animation Studios which include "Dinosaur" (2000), "" (2001) and "Treasure Planet" (2002). On January 23, 2014, recording artist Lana Del Rey was announced as covering the song "Once Upon a Dream", from the 1959 film "Sleeping Beauty", as the title song for "Maleficent". The song "Once Upon a Dream" is based on the Grand Waltz from ballet "Sleeping Beauty" written by Russian composer Tchaikovsky. The single was released on January 26, 2014, during the 56th Grammy Awards and was made available for free for a limited time through Google Play. The soundtrack album, featuring Howard's score and Del Rey's cover of "Once Upon a Dream" was released on May 26, 2014, by Walt Disney Records.


title: Maleficent (film)

text: On August 10, 2013, as part of the live-action motion-picture panel of the 2013 Disney D23 Expo in the Anaheim Convention Center at Anaheim, California, Disney unveiled its first look of "Maleficent" by revealing the new logo of the film's title and a one-minute clip from the film. Angelina Jolie made a surprise visit to the expo and talked with the attendees about her fascination with Disney's "Sleeping Beauty" as a child, her working experience with the filmmakers on the film, and her love of Disney. She also remarked on how she scared little girls when she was in costume, makeup, and acting during shooting; this led to the decision to hire her own daughter, Vivienne Jolie-Pitt, for the role of the young Princess Aurora, since she would not be scared of her own mother during principal photography.


title: Maleficent (film)

text: Walt Disney Pictures released the teaser poster for "Maleficent" on November 12, 2013, featuring Jolie in costume and makeup, akin to the character's depiction in the original film. The first trailer was released the following day, on November 13. The first teaser trailer was attached to "", "", "Frozen", and "". Two more trailers were released in January 2014, revealing Maleficent's appearance. A third trailer featured Lana Del Rey singing "Once Upon a Dream". The final trailer was released on March 18, 2014.


title: Maleficent (film)

text: Starting April 18, 2014, Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disney California Adventure previewed the film inside the ABC Sound Studio and "It's Tough to Be a Bug!" theaters, respectively. "" featured Maleficent as a playable figure using the look from the film.


title: Maleficent (film)

text: A tie-in novelization of the film written by Elizabeth Rudnick was published by Disney Publishing Worldwide on April 29, 2014.


title: Maleficent (film)

text: The film was originally slated for a March 14, 2014 release, before it was changed to July 2, 2014. On September 18, 2013, the film's release date was preponed to May 30, 2014, as Pixar's "The Good Dinosaur" faced production issues and delayed to 2015. In the United Kingdom, the film was released on May 28, 2014.


title: Maleficent (film)

text: On November 22, 2018, a one-time special screening of the film is held in Sofia, Bulgaria at New Bulgarian University, where Bulgarian actor Peter Baykov does the dubbing for every character in the film by changing his voice from male to female live. He later performs part of the film trailer live during the semi-finals on the "Got Talent" show in Bulgaria in 2019 which leads him to the season finale. He later gets cast by Walt Disney Studios to play the role of Prince Phillip in Bulgarian for "".


title: Maleficent (film)

text: In September 2020, the film returned to theaters in the United Kingdom following their reopening from closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.


title: Maleficent (film)

text: "Maleficent" earned a gross of $241.4 million in the US and Canada, and $517.1 million in other countries, for a worldwide total of $758.5 million against a budget of $180 million. Calculating in all expenses, "Deadline Hollywood" estimated that the film made a profit of $190.77 million, making it the sixth most profitable film of 2014. Worldwide, in its opening weekend, the film earned $175.5 million, $9 million of which were from IMAX locations. It is also the biggest debut among films starring Angelina Jolie, and the actress' highest-grossing film of all time worldwide, as well as the fourth-highest grossing 2014 film (behind "", "", and "Guardians of the Galaxy"), and the 15th Disney-distributed film to surpass the $700 million mark at the worldwide box office. The film is also one of four Walt Disney Studios releases in 2014 to gross over $500 million; the other titles being "Guardians of the Galaxy", "", and "Big Hero 6".


title: Maleficent (film)

text: In North America, "Maleficent" earned $4.2 million in Thursday-night showings, surpassing the midnight or late-night grosses of previous live-action fantasy films, "Alice in Wonderland", "Oz the Great and Powerful" and "Snow White and the Huntsman". By the end of its opening day (including late-night Thursday earnings), the film earned $24.3 million, similar to "Oz", but ahead of "Snow White and the Huntsman" and behind "Alice". "Maleficent" finished its debut weekend at first place with $69.4 million ($6.7 million of which was earned from IMAX locations and 35% of which was earned from 3D showings), which exceeded Disney's expectations of a $60 million opening and making it the largest opening-weekend performance for a live-action film starring Jolie (a record previously held by her 2008 film "Wanted"), as well as the third-highest opening weekend for a solo female star (behind the first two films in "The Hunger Games" series). Disney reported that 46% of ticket buyers in Thursday previews were male, while weekend reports said family audiences accounted for 45% of the film's total audience, and couples and teens accounted for 38% and 18%, respectively. Female audiences and moviegoers over 25 years old held respective proportions of 60% and 51%. Dave Hollis, head of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, attributed this success to "some momentum and great word-of-mouth." During its first week, the film earned $93.8 million, ahead of "Snow White" yet behind "Oz" and "Alice". In its second weekend, "Maleficent" dropped by 50.6% to $34.3 million, finishing in second place. It experienced a smaller second-weekend drop than "Snow White", yet still bigger than "Oz" and "Alice". In North America, "Maleficent" is the eighth-highest-grossing 2014 film.


title: Maleficent (film)

text: "Maleficent" opened outside North America on the same weekend as North America, earning $20.1 million from 35 territories in its first two days (May 28–29, 2014). During its opening weekend, the film topped the box office with $106.1 million from 47 territories. Its largest opening weekends were in China ($22.2 million), Mexico ($14.0 million), and Russia and the CIS ($13.0 million). On the second weekend of release, "Maleficent" fell to $61.7 million, earning from 52 markets. It was in first place at the box office outside North America on three weekends, its first, third ($39.2 million) and fourth ($47.9 million).


title: Maleficent (film)

text: "Maleficent" is the fourth-highest grossing 2014 film, and Angelina Jolie's highest-grossing live-action film. In total earnings, the film's top markets after North America are Japan ($57.6 million), China ($47.7 million), Mexico ($46.2 million), Russia ($37.7 million), Brazil ($33.2 million), the United Kingdom ($31.7 million), Venezuela ($24.5 million), and Italy ($19.1 million). It was also the most watched film at the Maltese box office in 2014, enjoying an eighteen-week run.


title: Maleficent (film)

text: Dave Lewis, writing for HitFix, predicted that although Disney fairy tales and Angelina Jolie's performance might attract audiences, "Maleficent" would not gross even as much as "Oz the Great and Powerful", explaining that the film was released on the same time frame with competitive releases such as "", "Godzilla", and "A Million Ways to Die in the West", though it outperformed those films later on. "Boxoffice" wrote that "Maleficent" had a successful marketing campaign, featured Jolie in the title role, and its "female-driven" themes and plot aimed at women. However, the site also noted that the film would have to compete with other summer releases, and the character of Maleficent may not attract young children. Todd Cunningham of "The Wrap" shared the same opinion, writing, "[the film's] connecting with parents and that Jolie's considerable star power is having a big impact." Wells Fargo's Marci Ryvicker predicted that "Maleficent" might be "too dark and scary to be profitable" and was likely to force Disney "into a write-down", as reported by "The New York Times"; while RBC Capital Markets' David Bank commented that "It's definitely in the 'not a sure thing' bucket." "Wall St. Cheat Sheet" explained that the film approached to a more "grown-up" and "sinister" aspect of the classic, and targeted for an older audience like young adults. "It's just too scary for younger children," the site wrote. "ScreenRant" added that the PG rating of the film would "fill a void in the marketplace, which is currently without a traditional "family friendly" option." Box Office Mojo primarily compared the film with 2012's "Snow White and the Huntsman" (another film that also focused on a fairy tale villain), predicting that "Maleficent" "has a good chance" of matching "Snow White"s gross in North America box office. The film, however, ended up grossing double the amount projected.


title: Maleficent (film)

text: "Variety" wrote that the film's opening weekend outperforming initial box-office projections was later attributed by analysts in part to Disney's successful marketing to the "potent demographic" (female audiences) much like the studio accomplished with "Frozen", in which both films feature a strong female lead. Disney argued that a lack of family-friendly options in the marketplace would "bode well for "Maleficent"s [box-office] performance" in its two first weeks of release.


title: Maleficent (film)

text: The cost of the film was offset by a rebate from the UK in the amount of £23,535,108 ($37 million in 2012, the period in which it was shot).


title: Maleficent (film)

text: "Maleficent" was released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on Blu-ray, DVD, Blu-ray 3D, and digital download on November 4, 2014. The film topped the home-video sales chart in its first week of release. , "Maleficent" has made over $74 million in total home-video sales. "Maleficent" was released on 4K UHD Blu-ray on September 24, 2019.


title: Maleficent (film)

text: On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 54% based on 273 reviews, with an average rating of 5.70/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Angelina Jolie's magnetic performance outshines "Maleficent"s dazzling special effects; unfortunately, the movie around them fails to justify all that impressive effort." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 56 out of 100 based on 44 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an "A" grade on a scale of A+ to F. Jolie's performance in the film was repeatedly singled out for praise.


title: Maleficent (film)

text: "The New York Times" stated, "with two shorn wings and an astonishing maternal kiss, "Maleficent" demolishes stereotypes that were only tweaked in "Frozen"." Kate Taylor of the "Globe and Mail" was very positive about the film, writing that "[it] surprises not for its baroque visions of a colourful woodland enlivened by joyous fairies and a forbidding castle peopled by unhappy humans, but rather for the thematic richness of its story gloriously personified by Angelina Jolie in the title role." While criticizing the overuse of CGI and 3D effects, she particularly praised the positive message of the film and Jolie's performance. She concluded her review with, "Long live the feminist revisionist backstory." On the contrary, Keith Staskiewicz, writing for the "Entertainment Weekly", awarded the film a "B−" and wrote that "there's a lot of levitating cliffs and odd flora. But despite their bleeding-edge digital design, the backgrounds have all the depth of the old matte-painted backgrounds of the analog days," which made the film "[feel] classical in nature." He further commented that "The characters are boiled down to their essentials, the humor is timelessly broad." Michael Philips of the "Chicago Tribune" gave the film two and a half stars, commenting that the recent "formula" that "a new angle on a well-known fairy tale appears in the light" "works" with "Maleficent". He also said that the film "is all about second thoughts" since Maleficent "spends much of the film as Aurora's conflicted fairy godmother." Phillips particularly praised Jolie and Elle Fanning's acting, Rick Baker's makeup (for Jolie's "angular, serrated look"), but criticized James Newton Howard's "sloshy, pushy" musical score. Robbie Collin of "The Daily Telegraph" wrote, "This Disney reimagining of "Sleeping Beauty" lacks true enchantment, but Angelina Jolie saves the day." Betsy Sharkey of the "Los Angeles Times" gave the film a positive review, writing "This is Jolie's film because of the Maleficent she makes. Everyone else, even Aurora, fades in her presence." J.C. Maçek III of PopMatters wrote, "Even at its silliest, "Maleficent" is a well-acted film, with Sharlto Copley turning in a memorable performance and Elle Fanning proving to be an inspired choice for Aurora/Sleeping Beauty. Jolie manages to steal her own show in most every scene. Jolie is excellent as the hopeful fairy, enjoying the world she flies through. She is also brilliant as the Dark Lady, who could be a perfect counterpart to any Darth Vader, as she malevolently takes her revenge on those who have wronged her."


title: Maleficent (film)

text: Ann Hornaday of "The Washington Post" awarded the film three-and-a-half out of four stars, commenting, "Still, for all its limitations, "Maleficent" manages to be improbably entertaining to watch, due solely to its title character." Writing for Roger Ebert's website, Matt Zoller Seitz awarded "Maleficent" three out of four stars, praising the themes of the film and the acting of Jolie. Seitz also called the scene in which Maleficent discovers the loss of her wings "the most traumatizing image I've seen in a Hollywood fairy tale since the Christ-like sacrifice of Aslan in 2005's ""." The review in "The Globe and Mail" further explained that "in the simple context of a fairy tale, Jolie does make both the terrifying horned creature and her gradual awakening heartfelt," extolling the "emotional richness" behind her physical acts. Richard Roeper of the "Chicago Sun-Times" felt more negatively, assigning it a D. Although Roeper praised the visuals, he criticized the acting and writing, stating that "the story itself might well put you into the same type of coma that befalls the heroine."


title: Maleficent (film)

text: Mary Costa, who voiced Aurora in the 1959 animated motion picture, called the film, "a very good movie". She added that "the concept and perspective are totally different than the original film's, which makes it new and interesting." As for Jolie's performance, she said, "No one could have played the part of Maleficent better," concluding that "she was absolutely magnificent!"


title: Maleficent (film)

text: Multiple reviewers and commentators have opined that an early scene in the movie, in which Stefan drugs Maleficent and removes her wings from her unconscious body, is a metaphor for rape. Hayley Krischer of "The Huffington Post" interpreted the scene as an important reference to rape culture: "This is the horrific side of rape culture. We're so enmeshed in it that it's impossible to ignore a metaphoric rape that occurs in a Disney movie". She went on to praise the film for giving a positive and hopeful message to rape victims, ultimately allowing "the woman to recover. It gives her agency. It gives her power. It allows her to reclaim the story". Monika Bartyzel of "The Week" noted the scene's implications in her review: "In its first act, "Maleficent" offers a dark, surprisingly adult exploration of rape and female mutilation".


title: Maleficent (film)

text: However, Bartyzel went on to opine that the film portrayed Maleficent's actions as "a rape revenge fantasy" and criticized the film for not following through on its early subtext, ultimately calling it less feminist and reductive compared to its 1959 counterpart: "In "Maleficent", Aurora is the product of a cold and loveless marriage and a vengeful, unhinged rapist. Her safety relies on a trio of clueless and dangerously careless fairies, and her Godmother is the woman who cursed her—and who had, in turn, been violated by her own father".


title: Maleficent (film)

text: Angelina Jolie addressed the issue during an interview with BBC Radio 4 on the "Woman's Hour" programme and claimed that the subtext was intentional: "The question was asked: 'What could make a woman become so dark and lose all sense of her maternity, her womanhood, and her softness?' ... We were very conscious, the writer and I, that [the scene] was a metaphor for rape". She further explained that the answer to the question "What could bring her back?" was still "an extreme "Disney", fun version [of the story]", but "at the core it is abuse, and how the abused then have a choice of abusing others or overcoming and remaining loving, open people".


title: Maleficent (film)

text: Jordan Shapiro of "Forbes" argued that the film's main subtext was the detrimental effects of ultimata between capitalist and socialist societies. He pointed out that the Moors represented a socialist, nature-oriented, democratic society, while the human kingdom was one of capitalism, industry, and absolute monarchy. Shapiro further commented that the character of Stefan, his theft of the Moors' riches (the jewel), and his mutilation of Maleficent's wings for the sake of his ambition were references to the American Dream.


title: Maleficent (film)

text: He conceived the wing-tearing scene as "a social commentary that any hierarchical rise to power inherently happens through the exploitation of others", explaining that it was the reason why "without her wings, Maleficent also becomes an oppressive ruler of the Moors. Everything she represents, believes, and stands for has been grounded", and "like most victims of oppression", "she takes it out on those who are smaller and weaker". He concluded that through the merge of the two kingdoms at the end of the film, it sought to weave together capitalism and socialism and let go oppositions: "It is time to leave the kingdom of familiar partisan oppositions: let's replace "either/or" with "neither/nor" or "both/and"".


title: Maleficent (film)

text: On June 3, 2014, Angelina Jolie hinted about the possibility of a sequel. On June 15, 2015, Disney announced the sequel with Linda Woolverton returning to write the screenplay and Joe Roth to produce the film. On April 26, 2016, it was confirmed that Jolie would reprise her role as Maleficent. On August 30, 2017, Disney hired screenwriter Jez Butterworth to rewrite the initial script by Woolverton. On October 3, 2017, it was reported that Joachim Rønning ("") is in talks on directing the sequel.


title: Maleficent (film)

text: In January 2018, the sequel was reported to start filming in spring 2018, and that Patrick Tatopoulos had joined the crew as production designer. In April 2018, Ed Skrein was announced to play the film's villain, and that Elle Fanning was set to reprise her role as Aurora.


title: Maleficent (film)

text: On April 27, 2018, it was reported that Michelle Pfeiffer was in advanced talks to play a queen in the sequel, while the script's most recent draft was written by Noah Harpster and Micah Fitzerman-Blue. On May 2, 2018, it was reported that Harris Dickinson had joined the cast as Prince Phillip, replacing Brenton Thwaites, who was unable to reprise the role due to scheduling conflicts. On May 4, 2018, it was announced that Chiwetel Ejiofor (who previously worked with Jolie in "Salt"), was in talks to join the cast of the sequel as a potential love interest to Maleficent. On May 17, 2018, Jenn Murray was announced to join the cast.


title: Maleficent (film)

text: On May 23, 2018, David Gyasi was reported as joining the cast in an unspecified role. On May 29, the movie officially started filming as the cast and synopsis were revealed.


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: Margaret LeAnn Rimes Cibrian (born August 28, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She originally rose to success as a country music artist at age 13 with 1996's "Blue". She has since crossed over into pop, contemporary Christian, and other musical genres. Rimes has placed over 40 singles on international charts since 1996. In addition, she has sold over 37 million records worldwide, with 20.8 million album sales in the United States according to Nielsen SoundScan. "Billboard" ranked her number 17 in terms of sales success in the 1990–2000 decade.


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: Rimes was raised in Texas and demonstrated a unique singing ability from a young age. Through her parents' efforts, Rimes began performing in various programs, including musical theater and local music contests. Developing a local following, Rimes recorded two studio albums as a preteen. These records helped bring her to the attention of Nashville label Curb Records. She signed a contract with Curb at age 13 and released 1996's "Blue". It became a top ten hit on the "Billboard" country songs chart. Her 1996 album of the same name sold over six million copies and established her as a major country artist. In 1997, Rimes crossed over into pop music with "How Do I Live". The song became one of the best-selling singles of the 1990s. An extended mix of the track was included on her next album "", which sold over four million copies. Over the next several years, Rimes's singles demonstrated further crossover success. These include "I Need You" and "Can't Fight the Moonlight".


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: Breaking away from her father's management in the 2000s, Rimes experimented with several styles. In 2002, she released the pop-inspired "Twisted Angel" and in 2004 released the Christmas record "What a Wonderful World". She returned to her country origins with 2005's "This Woman", which produced three country hits. A similar album project followed in 2007 titled "Family". After appearing in the 2009 television film "Northern Lights", Rimes began an affair with fellow actor Eddie Cibrian. The relationship received notable media attention over the next several years. Her 2013 album, "Spitfire" chronicled the affair and her personal difficulties from the experience.


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: Ending her long-time professional relationship with Curb Records, Rimes released a series of Christmas recordings over the next several years. This included 2014's "" and 2015's "Today Is Christmas". In 2016, she returned with the pop-flavored studio effort "Remnants", which featured two "Billboard" dance club hits. Her most recent efforts include a 2020 album titled "", which centers on personal mantras and chants inspired by Rimes's mental health journeys. Rimes further developed her acting career during this period. She has since appeared in several feature and television films including "Good Intentions" (2010), "Reel Love" (2011), and "It's Christmas, Eve" (2018). She also guest appeared in the Netflix series "Country Comfort" (2021) as herself.


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: Rimes was born in Jackson, Mississippi. She is the only child of Wilbur Rimes and Belinda Butler. The family moved to Garland, Texas, when she was six. She was enrolled in vocal and dance classes, and was performing at local talent shows at the age of five. Rimes began her career in musical theatre, performing in a Dallas, Texas, production of "A Christmas Carol", and almost landing the lead part in the Broadway production of "Annie". After appearing on the network television competition show "Star Search", where she clearly charmed host Ed McMahon in addition to being a one-week champion, Rimes decided to go into country music. Rimes appeared a number of times on "Johnnie High's Country Music Revue" in Arlington, Texas, which gained the attention of national talent scouts.


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: By age nine, Rimes was an experienced singer. She toured nationally with her father and also regularly performed a cappella renditions of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the opening of the Dallas Cowboys football games. Wilbur Rimes began recording his daughter under the independent label Nor Va Jak when she turned 11. Her debut studio album was released on the label in 1991 entitled "Everybody's Sweetheart". Rimes was then discovered by Dallas disc jockey and record promoter Bill Mack. Mack was impressed by Rimes's vocal ability, and over the following three years, he made various attempts to take Rimes to a mainstream level. The center of Mack's plan to bring her success was his composition, "Blue". In July 1994, Rimes recorded the song on her second studio album, "All That". Mack then arranged a recording contract for Rimes with Curb Records. She signed with the Nashville label in 1996.


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: After signing with Curb Records, Rimes recorded a new version of "Blue" as a single. However, Rimes told a BBC radio program in October 2016 that the record company accidentally released the version she had recorded as an 11-year-old. She said it was this version that peaked at number ten on the "Billboard" Country Chart. Writers and critics drew comparisons to Rimes with that of Patsy Cline. Promotion for the single incorrectly stated that Rimes was the first person to record the song. The statement proved false as the song had been recorded by multiple artists over the years including Bill Mack himself. Nonetheless, the media attention to "Blue" further added to the belief that Rimes was the successor to Cline's legacy.


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: Rimes third album of the same name was also released in 1996. The disc sold 123,000 copies in its first week, the highest figure in SoundScan history at that time. It peaked at number one on the Top Country Albums and debuted at number three on the "Billboard" 200 albums chart, eventually selling a total of four million copies in the United States and eight million copies worldwide. AllMusic considered the album to be "delightful" and that it could "help inspire other young teens". Rimes followed up the single with "One Way Ticket (Because I Can)". The song became her first and only number one single on the "Billboard" Country Chart. A remake of Eddy Arnold's 1955 hit "The Cattle Call" was later released as a single as well. "Blue" would also spawn the charting single "Hurt Me" and the top five country song "The Light in Your Eyes".


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: With the album's success, Rimes received many major industry awards. In 1997 at 14 years old she became the youngest person to win a Grammy, for Best New Artist and Best Female Country Vocal Performance for "Blue". She was also the first Country music artist to win the Best New Artist category. The same year she won the Country Music Association's "Horizon Award" for Best New Artist Of The Year, becoming the youngest person to ever be nominated and win a Country Music Association award. She was nominated for similar awards from the Academy of Country Music.


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: In 1997, Rimes released a compilation of previously recorded material under the Nor Va Jak label, "". The album mainly consisted of remakes, ranging from Country to pop, including songs originally recorded by The Beatles, Whitney Houston, Bill Monroe, and Dolly Parton. Rimes's version of the title track became a major country hit in early 1997 and helped increase sales for the album. In June 1997, Rimes would appear on the Disney Channel for television special called "LeAnn Rimes in Concert". In September 1997, Rimes released her follow-up studio album to "Blue" titled "". The album covered classic inspirational songs and several pop songs. The album was a departure from Rimes's previous releases as it contained more Adult Contemporary-styled music than Country. The album sold over four million copies in the United States, certifying 4× Multi-Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The album contained an extended version of the single "How Do I Live", which became a major pop hit on the "Billboard" Hot 100, reaching number two. "How Do I Live" set a new record for becoming the longest-running single in "Billboard" Hot 100 history, spending 69 weeks on the chart. In later years, the song was ranked as the most successful song of the 1990s by "Billboard" magazine.


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: Rimes released her third album in May 1998 titled "Sittin' on Top of the World". The album leaned towards Adult Contemporary and mid-tempo pop music. It included pop material written by Carole Bayer Sager and David Foster. It also included a remake of Prince's "Purple Rain" and was produced by her father. The album was given mixed reviews. Allmusic gave the album two out of five stars. "Rolling Stone" stated that Rimes "holds her own in the more popular style of Mariah Carey and Celine Dion, wherein a spectacular voice upstages a song, grins and goes on about her business." "Sittin' on Top of the World" debuted at number two on the Top Country Albums chart, and number three on the "Billboard" 200, and sold over a million copies in the United States, certifying "Platinum" in sales by the RIAA. The project spawned the number four "Billboard" country hit "Commitment", the Top 20 Pop hit "Looking Through Your Eyes", and the number 10 country hit "Nothin' New Under the Moon".


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: In October 1999, Curb released Rimes's self-titled fourth studio album. The record was a collection of country music cover songs mainly by Patsy Cline. It included "Crazy", "I Fall to Pieces", and "She's Got You". These recordings were primarily taken from Cline's "12 Greatest Hits" album. Rimes' album received mostly positive reviews. Allmusic called the song, "a return to her roots" and "a salute to one of her idols, Patsy Cline." The album in general received much praise. Allmusic called the album one of her "better" efforts, since they had disliked her previous releases. "Entertainment Weekly" gave the album a positive review and said that Rimes's voice, "dares listeners to take note of what is missing in her interpretations – the gutsiness and gut-wrenching urgency of performers who felt what they sang." The album debuted at number one on the Top Country Albums chart, topping the country albums chart for two weeks. It also peaked at number eight on the "Billboard" 200 albums chart. The album also sold over one million copies in the United States, and was certified "Platinum" in sales by the RIAA. The project also included the new song "Big Deal". Released as the lead single, "Big Deal" reached number six on the "Billboard" country chart. Also in 1999, Rimes recorded a duet with Elton John for the stage musical "Aida", titled "Written in the Stars".


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: In 2000, Rimes contributed to the soundtrack from the 1999 TV movie "Jesus". The song, "I Need You", was issued as the lead single from the soundtrack in July 2000. A country mix was released as a single to radio along with a pop version. "I Need You" was characterized by Allmusic as having similarities to that of Adult Contemporary and Pop music. The song reached number eight on the "Billboard" country songs chart and number 11 on the Hot 100. Rimes would then make an appearance in the 2000 film "Coyote Ugly" and contribute four songs to the soundtrack. "Can't Fight the Moonlight" was released as a single from the film, reaching number 11 on the Hot 100. By February 2002 "Can't Fight the Moonlight" had become a crossover pop hit, reaching number 11 in United States and becoming the highest selling single of 2001 in Australia. "Can't Fight the Moonlight" won Rimes a "Blockbuster Entertainment Award" for "Favorite Song from a Movie". Also issued from the soundtrack was "But I Do Love You", which reached the American country top 20.


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: In January 2001, Curb Records released another compilation of previously recorded material, "I Need You". The album received mostly unfavorable reviews. "Rolling Stone" gave the album two and a half stars, describing it as "synthetic-feeling". Despite very little praise from critics, the album sold well, and was certified "Gold" in sales by the RIAA. Rimes would later go on to publicly disown the album, which she stated was compiled from studio outtakes her father had produced and that it was released without her knowledge or input. At the time, during the litigation with her label Curb, Rimes was asking that Curb give her the rights to all past recordings and videos, give up all publishing interests in her compositions, and destroy all currently available recordings. In 2002, she released her fifth studio effort "Twisted Angel," which contained more adult material. It was certified "Gold" by the RIAA, her second Gold-certified album. "Rolling Stone" gave the album two out of five stars, stating that the album sounded too "country-pop crossover". The following year when Rimes turned 21, she released her first children's book, titled "Jag", in July and she also released a "Greatest Hits" compilation in November.


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: In January 2005, Rimes's ninth studio album "This Woman" was released. The disc's songwriting and production was a return to her country origins. "It's mainly a Country album, but it's my kind of Country music," she told the "Voice of America". It was Rimes's best-selling album in over five years, reaching the top five of both the "Billboard" Country Albums chart and the Billboard 200.


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: The album spawned the singles "Nothin' 'Bout Love Makes Sense", "Probably Wouldn't Be This Way", and "Something's Gotta Give". All three songs reached the top five of the "Billboard" country songs chart, becoming her highest-charting singles in over five years. In summer 2006, Rimes released the studio album "Whatever We Wanna". Due to the increased success of "This Woman" in North America, it was sold exclusively to European audiences. In the United Kingdom, the album reached number 15.


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: In October 2007, Asylum-Curb issued Rimes's eleventh studio disc titled "Family". The country-flavored project as the first album in her career in which every track featured writing credits from Rimes herself. "Rolling Stone" called the record "uneven" and gave it a rating of three and half stars. Allmusic gave "Family" four stars and said that it "illustrates her range as a singer along with some true strength as a writer."


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: The project's lead single "Nothin' Better to Do" reached the top 20 of the "Billboard" country songs chart while the second single, "Good Friend and a Glass of Wine", reached the top 40. In 2008, Rimes joined Kenny Chesney on his "Poets and Pirates Tour", along with Brooks & Dunn, Keith Urban, Sammy Hagar, Gary Allan, Big & Rich, and Luke Bryan. Around the same time, she collaborated with Joss Stone for a CMT "Crossroads" special aired in fall 2007. In 2009, Rimes published "What I Cannot Change" along with song co-writer, Darrell Brown. It was released on April 14, 2009, and contains a bonus CD with an exclusive live performance of the song and both Brown and Rimes reading excerpts from the book.


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: In 2011, Rimes released her twelfth studio collection called "Lady & Gentlemen". Co-produced by Vince Gill, the disc contained a set of classic country songs originally made successful by male artists that Rimes re-recorded from a female perspective. It also featured production credits from Rimes herself, becoming her first album that she produced. Included on the project were songs by John Conlee, George Jones and Merle Haggard. AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine commented, "As concept albums go, LeAnn Rimes’ 2011 album "Lady & Gentlemen" is a good one: a collection of masculine country classics reinterpreted by a female singer. "Entertainment Weekly"'s Mikael Wood concluded that "The result is predictably solid, though it rarely sheds new light on the top-shelf material." The album's cover of John Anderson's "Swingin'" was nominated for a Grammy award. "Lady & Gentlemen" also featured two bonus tracks that were original recordings: "Crazy Women" and "Give". Both tracks were released as singles and reached charting positions on the "Billboard" country survey.


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: Over the next several years, Rimes went into the studio to record songs for her next project. In 2013, "Spitfire" was released and marked her final album with the Curb label. It was co-produced by Rimes, along with Darrell Brown. The disc centered around Rimes's affair with future husband Eddie Cibrian and the media speculation around their relationship. "I used to get mad at the tabloids, but I should be thanking them because they helped me write this whole record," she commented. The album sold 10,798 copies in its first week and debuted at number 36 on the "Billboard" 200. It also debuted at number nine on the country albums chart. The official first single to be released from "Spitfire", "What Have I Done", was released to digital download originally in 2012, but was replaced by the second single, "Borrowed", also issued in 2012 for radio release. Sales of the album were considered "disappointing" by several news outlets, including "US Weekly" while singles released from the album failed to become commercially-successful.


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: In 2014, Rimes announced that she would release three Christmas EPs over the course of three years: 2014, 2015 and 2016. In October 2014, the first of these planned EP's was released entitled "". It was issued through Iconic Entertainment and contained six holiday cover tunes. This included the lead single, a cover of "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas". It peaked at number 20 on the Top Country Albums chart and number 35 on the Top Holiday Albums list. Rimes later embarked on a holiday tour to promote the project titled the "One Christmas Tour", which played multiple shows around the United States in the winter months of 2014. Rimes's original plan of multiple EP releases was dropped and replaced with a full-length holiday album in 2015. That year, she released "Today Is Christmas" through Prodigy Entertainment. The 12-track holiday record contained a mixture of cover tunes and original songs, including the title track. This included was a duet of "Celebrate Me Home" with Gavin DeGraw. The record reached number two on the Holiday albums chart and number nine on the Country Albums chart.


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: In 2016, Rimes signed with RCA UK and released a cover of Brandi Carlile's "The Story". It was included on her fifteenth studio album titled "Remnants", which was also issued on RCA. First issued in the United Kingdom in 2016, "Remnants" was later released in the United States in February 2017. The disc reached number 15 on the UK Albums Chart and number 88 on the "Billboard" 200. The record received mixed reviews. AllMusic concluded that "She may be able to sing just about anything but the album would've been stronger if it had a greater connective thread than sheer skill." Meanwhile, Matt Bjorke of "Roughstock" wrote, "With these 14 fantastic songs, "Remnants" is easily an early contender for my album of the year." The album would also spawn the singles "Long Live Love" and "Love Is Love Is Love". Both recordings topped the "Billboard" Dance Club Songs, becoming her second and third number one Dance hits.


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: In June 2018, Rimes released "Re-Imagined" through EverLe Records and the Thirty Tigers label. The EP contained five tracks from her back-catalogue that she re-recorded ("Can't Fight the Moonlight", "Blue", "One Way Ticket", "How Do I Live" and "Borrowed"). The new recording of "Borrowed" featured duet vocals from Stevie Nicks. Later in 2018, Rimes appeared in the Hallmark original television film titled "It's Christmas, Eve". She recorded the film's soundtrack of the same name, which was released in October 2018. Included were covers of Christmas standards, as well as new recordings she composed with producer Darrell Brown. In 2019, Rimes recorded and released her first live album titled "". A mixture of country, pop and rock covers were featured and were all recorded at Gruene Hall, a venue located in Texas.


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: In November 2020, Rimes released her seventeenth studio record "". The project was a change in musical directions, as its 12 tracks were built from chants and daily mantras rather than traditional songs. A corresponding health and wellness podcast titled "Wholly Human" followed around the same time that focused on similar themes. Rimes produced and composed the album with longtime musical collaborator Darrell Brown. "As I started meditating I started chanting and singing. And as I felt what was coming through needed to come through and felt good, I would press record on my phone and get it down, then expand it from there," Rimes explained of the projects.


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: Rimes announced that she will release a new studio album on September 16, 2022 entitled "God's Work".


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: In 1997, Rimes's parents divorced. While her father stayed in Nashville, Rimes chose to move to Los Angeles with her mother. In Los Angeles, Rimes started an acting career at age 16. The same year, Rimes starred in the ABC television film "Holiday in Your Heart". The film was based on Rimes's book of the same name, which was also released in 1997. The film was the start of three-movie contract that Rimes was offered by ABC in 1998. The film was partially semi-autobiographical, with Rimes playing a country performer who discovers that her grandmother becomes hospitalized. In the film, Rimes also performed several of her hits including "Blue" and "One Way Ticket (Because I Can)". In 1998, she played a teen runaway in one episode of "Days of Our Lives". "My grandmother used to ... I used to want to watch Sesame Street and she would make me watch Days of Our Lives and so I got hooked on it. I watch Days all the time," Rimes explained.


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: In 2000, Rimes not only contributed to the soundtrack of "Coyote Ugly", but also appeared in the film itself. Rimes only appeared at the end of the movie, dancing on top of a bar alongside actresses Tyra Banks and Piper Perabo. "I was trying to be this sexy singer performing on a bar, and that was so opposite of me. I was really acting at the time 'cause I was still figuring all that out about myself," she told "Entertainment Tonight". In addition, Rimes provided the singing voice for Piper Perabo's character Violet Sanford.


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: In 2005, Rimes became the host of the USA Network talent competition "Nashville Star". The show was broadcast from the BellSouth Acuff Theater in Nashville. However, a vocal chord illness stopped Rimes from maintaining hosting duties. In 2006, Rimes sang the theme song to the "Holly Hobbie & Friends" series of animated specials. She also guest starred in the series' Christmas episode. In 2007, Rimes contributed to the soundtrack of "Evan Almighty". For the film, she contributed the song "Ready For A Miracle" (previously recorded by Patti LaBelle). The song can be heard in the movie, during the end credits, and in the trailers of "Evan Almighty."


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: In 2009, Rimes played the role of Meg Galloway in the made-for-television film "Northern Lights". The show was aired on the Lifetime network. The film was based on Nora Roberts's book of the same name. At the time of the film's announcement, it was reported that Rimes's character would have love scenes with a fellow male actor. "I definitely will be making out with someone...I think I know who but I can't say yet," she told "The Boot" in 2008. It was later announced the Eddie Cibrian would be playing her love interest. Rumors of their real-life affair helped make "Northern Lights" the network's most-watched television movie, with four and a half million viewers in March 2009.


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: Rimes played a supporting role in the movie "Good Intentions" with Elaine Hendrix, which filmed near Atlanta, Georgia. "I've been wanting to act...It’s just been finding the right thing. And "Good Intentions" was the right thing at the right time. It was the right script," she told "Sounds Like Nashville". Rimes also contributed to the film's soundtrack. In 2011, she played a guest role in the television show "Drop Dead Diva", starring as the ex-wife of fictional celebrity. In 2011, Rimes played the role of an attorney who returns to her hometown in the television film "Reel Love". The film aired on Country Music Television and also starred actor Burt Reynolds. In 2013, she appeared on the FX television show "Anger Management" alongside Charlie Sheen. In 2014, Rimes starred in the reality television series "LeAnn & Eddie" alongside Eddie Cibrian. The program aired on the VH1 network. The intention of the reality show was to "help clear the air" about their romantic relationship. "This show gave us an opportunity to take back our lives in a way and show a different side of us than what people really believe," Rimes commented. After one season, the show was cancelled by VH1.


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: In 2017, Rimes made a cameo appearance in the film "Logan Lucky" where she sang "America the Beautiful". One year later, Rimes starred as the main character in the Hallmark Channel's television film "It's Christmas, Eve". Rimes played the fictional character Eve Morgan who is a high school superintendent who helps saves the district's music program. In 2020, Rimes competed as the "Sun" on the fourth season of the Fox reality singing competition "The Masked Singer". Her identity was revealed during the season finale on December 16, 2020, where she was declared the winner of the season. She was later a guest panelist in the season five finale. Darius Rucker also joined her in the show.


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: Rimes celebrated her 25th year in the music industry with a special CMT Crossroads episode featuring Carly Pearce, Brandy Clark, Ashley McBryde and Mickey Guyton airing on April 14, 2022.


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: Rimes's voice has been described as a soprano. She has often been described by critics as having "powerhouse vocals". Critics took notice from her earliest recordings. "Entertainment Weekly"'s Don McLeese commented, "Though 'Young Country' doesn’t get much younger than Rimes, she already shows more poise and maturity than many artists twice her age." In similar vein, "The Washington Post" wrote in 2005 "Rimes's voice is far and away her strongest selling point. Rich and worldly, it belied her young age -- especially when she tackled a vintage-sounding country song like 'Blue'." From a young age, Rimes also chose material that was considered beyond her years. In her first album, Rimes recorded such material as Deborah Allen's "My Baby", whose lyrics say, "my baby is a full-time lover, my baby is a full-grown man." Other material such as Diane Warren's "How Do I Live" had also been considered too mature for Rimes's age and was the main reason why her version of the song was not chosen to be used in the soundtrack for the film "Con Air".


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: As Rimes matured into adulthood, critics continued to take notice of her voice. In reviewing a 2005 concert, Chrissie Dickinson of "The Chicago Tribune" found that while her stage presence was lacking, Rimes's voice had significant power: "But what Rimes lacked in stage electricity she made up for in vocal power. She has superlative control over that big voice, a soaring instrument that can belt and whisper within the same song." In reviewing her 2011 album "Lady & Gentlemen" Stephen Thomas Erlewine stated, "Throughout it all, Rimes hits her marks with ease...she’s become a stronger, more nuanced singer over the years." Jessica Goodman of "Glamour" found that her 2016 song "Remnants" "showcases the powerhouse vocals that made Rimes famous all those years ago."


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: Rimes has credited performers of different musical styles as career influences, including Alanis Morissette, Reba McEntire, Wynonna Judd, Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand and Whitney Houston. Early in her career, Rimes commented on McEntire's influence with "The New York Times": "If I had to model my career after anyone it would have to be Reba. She's made some great business decisions in her career to stay around for 20 years, and my biggest goal right now is to stay around for a long time."


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: Rimes was most notably influenced by Patsy Cline. Listeners and critics drew similarities to Cline's voice through Rimes's phrasing and vocal delivery Rimes later stated that Cline's voice largely influenced the way she created her own unique sound. "[Patsy Cline] was such a huge part of how I created my sound. From [Cline], really it was about this true, honest, emotional connection and the way that she could just take you to a place that you don't normally go within yourself when you listened to her music," she told "popculture." In 2013, Rimes performed a tribute to Cline at the American Country Awards she sang a tribute medley of Cline's songs. "I mean I know how much I've been influenced by her and how I feel about her and then you see a sea of people and artists who have been just as influenced and she's touched so many people," she told "E!".


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: Rimes has been categorized in the musical genres of country, pop, Contemporary Christian, adult contemporary and dance pop. Rimes began her career rooted in the country genre with debut Curb release, "Blue" and its subsequent country chart hits. After crossing over with songs like "How Do I Live" and "Can't Fight the Moonlight", Rimes was then described as a pop artist. Further releases like "Sittin' on Top of the World" demonstrated a more adult contemporary style. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic found that while she dabbled in many styles, Rimes was tied to the country genre: " During the decade that separated "Can't Fight the Moonlight" and "Remnants", Rimes dabbled in pop, but she remained anchored in country music, regularly placing on Billboard's Country Top 40 and occasionally landing a big hit."


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: In 1998, Rimes dated actor Andrew Keegan. When they first met, Rimes was 15 and Keegan was 19. The couple dated when Rimes and her father were involved in a lawsuit. In the same lawsuit, Rimes's father claimed that Keegan was attempting to "get his hands" on Rimes's finances. The relationship ended in 2001. According to press reports, Keegan became romantically interested in Rimes's co-star in "Coyote Ugly" (Piper Perabo).


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: Shortly after the couple parted ways, Rimes met dancer Dean Sheremet at the 2001 Academy of Country Music Awards. By December 2001, the pair became engaged. In 2002 and at age 19, Rimes wed Sheremet in a church ceremony in Dallas, Texas. In 2003, the couple purchased a 1.7 million dollar home, located in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2007, Sheremet directed the choreography for Rimes's single "Nothin' Better to Do". According to "People", the couple spent more time apart in later years of their marriage as Rimes devoted energy towards an acting career in Los Angeles while Sheremet remained in Nashville. In July 2009, the couple separated and in September 2009, Rimes announced their plans to divorce. The divorce was finalized on June 19, 2010, exactly six months after Sheremet filed divorce documents for dissolution of marriage.


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: Rimes began an extramarital affair with actor Eddie Cibrian, whom she worked with on the TV film "Northern Lights" Reports surfaced in March 2009 of the couple embracing while eating at a restaurant. Brandi Glanville, Cibrian's wife at the time and the mother of his two sons, filed for divorce as a result of the affair in August 2009, ending eight years of marriage. In June 2010, Rimes spoke for the first time about the end of her first marriage, stating; "I take responsibility for everything I've done. I hate that people got hurt, but I don't regret the outcome." In June 2010, Rimes moved into Cibrian's California home. In an interview with ABC, Rimes discussed her new relationship: "What happened is not who I am, period. But I do know how much I love him. So I've always said I don't live my life with regret. I can't." In December 2010, it was announced via "Billboard" that Rimes and Cibrian were engaged. Rimes and Cibrian wed on April 22, 2011, at a private home in California. The 40-person ceremony also included Cibrian's sons from his first marriage. In 2013, the couple bought a home in Hidden Hills, California, listed for three million dollars.


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: From the beginning of Rimes' career, father Wilbur Rimes managed his daughter and served as producer on her records. In May 2000, Rimes and her mother sued Wilbur, alleging that he took more than seven million dollars of her income over the course of five years. The lawsuit claimed that money was being taken away from Rimes personally as well as from a management company that was founded back in 1995. The suit also included her former manager, Lyle Walker, who assisted her father in management duties. The suit was filed in a district court in Dallas, Texas. Rimes also alleged that both men made unreasonable fees and took advantage of Rimes's label (Curb Records). Rimes sought unspecified damages because her attorney was not sure of how much money had been lost in the preceding five years. In May 2001, she was informed by a Nashville court that she could not break her contract with Curb Records. Amidst the reaction, she visibly mouthed the words, "I hate you" to her father. When Rimes was 18, she filed a lawsuit against Curb Records on her own, successfully petitioning a court to remove her position as a "minority" on the recording contract. As a result, this change made the contract binding.


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: In 2002, Rimes's lawsuit with her father was "settled on undisclosed terms." "It is difficult to express just how happy I am that all of the legal troubles between my daughter and I are over," Rimes's father commented. Rimes reconciled with her father for her wedding. During her wedding ceremony to Dean Sheremet, Wilbur Rimes walked his daughter down the aisle. "I've never hated my dad. I just wanted a dad. I guess I just really disliked where he was in my life. I just wanted him to be my father," she told ABC News.


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: In 2008, she opened up about her lifelong struggle with the autoimmune disease psoriasis. She participated in a PSA to raise awareness about the disease. In August 2012, one day after her birthday, Rimes checked into treatment for anxiety and stress. "This is just a time for me to emotionally check out for a second and take care of myself and come back in 30 days as the best 30-year-old woman I can be," she explained. In March 2014, Rimes's jaw became dislocated while performing, ending her concert encore early. Rimes attributed the dislocation to temporomandibular joint dysfunction, a disorder of the jaw joint and surrounding muscles. She has publicly posted about her struggles with this disorder via Twitter. In 2020, following a stress-related flare up of psoriasis, Rimes posed for a nude photo shoot for Glamour magazine as part of her efforts to raise awareness and acceptance about the disease on 2020 World Psoriasis Day (observed October 29). Later that year, she told "People" magazine that in addition to anxiety and stress, she was also suffering from depression in 2010: "It's something I've been very vocal about, because I feel like there's so much stigma around it."


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: Rimes lent her voice to the 2008 song "Just Stand Up". The proceeds benefited Stand Up to Cancer. As a result of SU2C fundraising endeavors, the SU2C scientific advisory committee, overseen by the American Association for Cancer Research, was able to award $73.6 million towards cancer research. In 2009, Rimes was given a special humanitarian award from the Academy of Country Music in honor of her philanthropic efforts. In December 2010, she performed "The Rose", joined by The Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles in remembrance of the many gay teenagers who committed suicide in 2010. On her weblog she wrote on June 18, 2011: "I believe in equality for everyone. I believe everyone should have the right to love and commit to whomever they want. [...] All I know is that in God's eyes we are all the same. I just wish we could see through the eyes of God more often." In 2017, Rimes revealed that her uncle was gay and died from the AIDS virus. "Now, every time, everywhere I get to sing — or when I get stand up alongside my LGBTQ brothers and sisters — I get to give him a voice," she commented.


title: LeAnn Rimes

text: Rimes has won several awards for her work as a music artist. This includes three accolades from the Academy of Country Music and two accolades from the Grammy Awards.


title: Meningitis

text: Meningitis is acute or chronic inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, collectively called the meninges. The most common symptoms are fever, headache, and neck stiffness. Other symptoms include confusion or altered consciousness, nausea, vomiting, and an inability to tolerate light or loud noises. Young children often exhibit only nonspecific symptoms, such as irritability, drowsiness, or poor feeding. A non-blanching rash (a rash that does not fade when a glass is rolled over it) may also be present.


title: Meningitis

text: The inflammation may be caused by infection with viruses, bacteria or other microorganisms. Non-infectious causes include malignancy (cancer), subarachnoid haemorrhage, chronic inflammatory disease (sarcoidosis) and certain drugs. Meningitis can be life-threatening because of the inflammation's proximity to the brain and spinal cord; therefore, the condition is classified as a medical emergency. A lumbar puncture, in which a needle is inserted into the spinal canal to collect a sample of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), can diagnose or exclude meningitis.


title: Meningitis

text: Some forms of meningitis are preventable by immunization with the meningococcal, mumps, pneumococcal, and Hib vaccines. Giving antibiotics to people with significant exposure to certain types of meningitis may also be useful. The first treatment in acute meningitis consists of promptly giving antibiotics and sometimes antiviral drugs. Corticosteroids can also be used to prevent complications from excessive inflammation. Meningitis can lead to serious long-term consequences such as deafness, epilepsy, hydrocephalus, or cognitive deficits, especially if not treated quickly.


title: Meningitis

text: In 2019, meningitis was prevalent in about 7.7 million people worldwide. This resulted in 236,000 deaths, down from 433,000 deaths in 1990. With appropriate treatment, the risk of death in bacterial meningitis is less than 15%. Outbreaks of bacterial meningitis occur between December and June each year in an area of sub-Saharan Africa known as the meningitis belt. Smaller outbreaks may also occur in other areas of the world. The word meningitis comes from the Greek μῆνιγξ "meninx", "membrane", and the medical suffix "-itis", "inflammation".


title: Meningitis

text: In adults, the most common symptom of meningitis is a severe headache, occurring in almost 90% of cases of bacterial meningitis, followed by neck stiffness (the inability to flex the neck forward passively due to increased neck muscle tone and stiffness). The classic triad of diagnostic signs consists of neck stiffness, sudden high fever, and altered mental status; however, all three features are present in only 44–46% of bacterial meningitis cases. If none of the three signs are present, acute meningitis is extremely unlikely. Other signs commonly associated with meningitis include photophobia (intolerance to bright light) and phonophobia (intolerance to loud noises). Small children often do not exhibit the aforementioned symptoms, and may only be irritable and look unwell. The fontanelle (the soft spot on the top of a baby's head) can bulge in infants aged up to 6 months. Other features that distinguish meningitis from less severe illnesses in young children are leg pain, cold extremities, and an abnormal skin color.


title: Meningitis

text: Nuchal rigidity occurs in 70% of bacterial meningitis in adults. Other signs include the presence of positive Kernig's sign or Brudziński sign. Kernig's sign is assessed with the person lying supine, with the hip and knee flexed to 90 degrees. In a person with a positive Kernig's sign, pain limits passive extension of the knee. A positive Brudzinski's sign occurs when flexion of the neck causes involuntary flexion of the knee and hip. Although Kernig's sign and Brudzinski's sign are both commonly used to screen for meningitis, the sensitivity of these tests is limited. They do, however, have very good specificity for meningitis: the signs rarely occur in other diseases. Another test, known as the "jolt accentuation maneuver" helps determine whether meningitis is present in those reporting fever and headache. A person is asked to rapidly rotate the head horizontally; if this does not make the headache worse, meningitis is unlikely.


title: Meningitis

text: Other problems can produce symptoms similar to those above, but from non-meningitic causes. This is called meningism or pseudomeningitis.


title: Meningitis

text: Meningitis caused by the bacterium "Neisseria meningitidis" (known as "meningococcal meningitis") can be differentiated from meningitis with other causes by a rapidly spreading petechial rash, which may precede other symptoms. The rash consists of numerous small, irregular purple or red spots ("petechiae") on the trunk, lower extremities, mucous membranes, conjunctiva, and (occasionally) the palms of the hands or soles of the feet. The rash is typically non-blanching; the redness does not disappear when pressed with a finger or a glass tumbler. Although this rash is not necessarily present in meningococcal meningitis, it is relatively specific for the disease; it does, however, occasionally occur in meningitis due to other bacteria. Other clues on the cause of meningitis may be the skin signs of hand, foot and mouth disease and genital herpes, both of which are associated with various forms of viral meningitis.


title: Meningitis

text: Additional problems may occur in the early stage of the illness. These may require specific treatment, and sometimes indicate severe illness or worse prognosis. The infection may trigger sepsis, a systemic inflammatory response syndrome of falling blood pressure, fast heart rate, high or abnormally low temperature, and rapid breathing. Very low blood pressure may occur at an early stage, especially but not exclusively in meningococcal meningitis; this may lead to insufficient blood supply to other organs. Disseminated intravascular coagulation, the excessive activation of blood clotting, may obstruct blood flow to organs and paradoxically increase the bleeding risk. Gangrene of limbs can occur in meningococcal disease. Severe meningococcal and pneumococcal infections may result in hemorrhaging of the adrenal glands, leading to Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome, which is often fatal.


title: Meningitis

text: The brain tissue may swell, pressure inside the skull may increase and the swollen brain may herniate through the skull base. This may be noticed by a decreasing level of consciousness, loss of the pupillary light reflex, and abnormal posturing. The inflammation of the brain tissue may also obstruct the normal flow of CSF around the brain (hydrocephalus). Seizures may occur for various reasons; in children, seizures are common in the early stages of meningitis (in 30% of cases) and do not necessarily indicate an underlying cause. Seizures may result from increased pressure and from areas of inflammation in the brain tissue. Focal seizures (seizures that involve one limb or part of the body), persistent seizures, late-onset seizures and those that are difficult to control with medication indicate a poorer long-term outcome.


title: Meningitis

text: Inflammation of the meninges may lead to abnormalities of the cranial nerves, a group of nerves arising from the brain stem that supply the head and neck area and which control, among other functions, eye movement, facial muscles, and hearing. Visual symptoms and hearing loss may persist after an episode of meningitis. Inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) or its blood vessels (cerebral vasculitis), as well as the formation of blood clots in the veins (cerebral venous thrombosis), may all lead to weakness, loss of sensation, or abnormal movement or function of the part of the body supplied by the affected area of the brain.


title: Meningitis

text: Meningitis is typically caused by an infection with microorganisms. Most infections are due to viruses, with bacteria, fungi, and protozoa being the next most common causes. It may also result from various non-infectious causes. The term "aseptic meningitis" refers to cases of meningitis in which no bacterial infection can be demonstrated. This type of meningitis is usually caused by viruses but it may be due to bacterial infection that has already been partially treated, when bacteria disappear from the meninges, or pathogens infect a space adjacent to the meninges (e.g. sinusitis). Endocarditis (an infection of the heart valves which spreads small clusters of bacteria through the bloodstream) may cause aseptic meningitis. Aseptic meningitis may also result from infection with spirochetes, a group of bacteria that includes "Treponema pallidum" (the cause of syphilis) and "Borrelia burgdorferi" (known for causing Lyme disease). Meningitis may be encountered in cerebral malaria (malaria infecting the brain) or amoebic meningitis, meningitis due to infection with amoebae such as "Naegleria fowleri", contracted from freshwater sources.


title: Meningitis

text: The types of bacteria that cause bacterial meningitis vary according to the infected individual's age group.


title: Meningitis

text: Recent skull trauma potentially allows nasal cavity bacteria to enter the meningeal space. Similarly, devices in the brain and meninges, such as cerebral shunts, extraventricular drains or Ommaya reservoirs, carry an increased risk of meningitis. In these cases, people are more likely to be infected with Staphylococci, Pseudomonas, and other Gram-negative bacteria. These pathogens are also associated with meningitis in people with an impaired immune system. An infection in the head and neck area, such as otitis media or mastoiditis, can lead to meningitis in a small proportion of people. Recipients of cochlear implants for hearing loss are more at risk for pneumococcal meningitis.


title: Meningitis

text: Tuberculous meningitis, which is meningitis caused by "Mycobacterium tuberculosis", is more common in people from countries in which tuberculosis is endemic, but is also encountered in people with immune problems, such as AIDS.


title: Meningitis

text: Recurrent bacterial meningitis may be caused by persisting anatomical defects, either congenital or acquired, or by disorders of the immune system. Anatomical defects allow continuity between the external environment and the nervous system. The most common cause of recurrent meningitis is a skull fracture, particularly fractures that affect the base of the skull or extend towards the sinuses and petrous pyramids. Approximately 59% of recurrent meningitis cases are due to such anatomical abnormalities, 36% are due to immune deficiencies (such as complement deficiency, which predisposes especially to recurrent meningococcal meningitis), and 5% are due to ongoing infections in areas adjacent to the meninges.


title: Meningitis

text: Viruses that cause meningitis include enteroviruses, herpes simplex virus (generally type 2, which produces most genital sores; less commonly type 1), varicella zoster virus (known for causing chickenpox and shingles), mumps virus, HIV, LCMV, Arboviruses (acquired from a mosquito or other insect), and the Influenza virus. Mollaret's meningitis is a chronic recurrent form of herpes meningitis; it is thought to be caused by herpes simplex virus type 2.


title: Meningitis

text: There are a number of risk factors for fungal meningitis, including the use of immunosuppressants (such as after organ transplantation), HIV/AIDS, and the loss of immunity associated with aging. It is uncommon in those with a normal immune system but has occurred with medication contamination. Symptom onset is typically more gradual, with headaches and fever being present for at least a couple of weeks before diagnosis. The most common fungal meningitis is cryptococcal meningitis due to "Cryptococcus neoformans". In Africa, cryptococcal meningitis is now the most common cause of meningitis in multiple studies, and it accounts for 20–25% of AIDS-related deaths in Africa. Other less common fungal pathogens which can cause meningitis include: "Coccidioides immitis", "Histoplasma capsulatum", "Blastomyces dermatitidis", and "Candida" species.


title: Meningitis

text: A parasitic cause is often assumed when there is a predominance of eosinophils (a type of white blood cell) in the CSF. The most common parasites implicated are "Angiostrongylus cantonensis", "Gnathostoma spinigerum", "Schistosoma", as well as the conditions cysticercosis, toxocariasis, baylisascariasis, paragonimiasis, and a number of rarer infections and noninfective conditions.


title: Meningitis

text: Meningitis may occur as the result of several non-infectious causes: spread of cancer to the meninges ("malignant or neoplastic meningitis") and certain drugs (mainly non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics and intravenous immunoglobulins). It may also be caused by several inflammatory conditions, such as sarcoidosis (which is then called neurosarcoidosis), connective tissue disorders such as systemic lupus erythematosus, and certain forms of vasculitis (inflammatory conditions of the blood vessel wall), such as Behçet's disease. Epidermoid cysts and dermoid cysts may cause meningitis by releasing irritant matter into the subarachnoid space. Rarely, migraine may cause meningitis, but this diagnosis is usually only made when other causes have been eliminated.


title: Meningitis

text: The meninges comprise three membranes that, together with the cerebrospinal fluid, enclose and protect the brain and spinal cord (the central nervous system). The pia mater is a delicate impermeable membrane that firmly adheres to the surface of the brain, following all the minor contours. The arachnoid mater (so named because of its spider-web-like appearance) is a loosely fitting sac on top of the pia mater. The subarachnoid space separates the arachnoid and pia mater membranes and is filled with cerebrospinal fluid. The outermost membrane, the dura mater, is a thick durable membrane, which is attached to both the arachnoid membrane and the skull.


title: Meningitis

text: In bacterial meningitis, bacteria reach the meninges by one of two main routes: through the bloodstream (hematogenous spread) or through direct contact between the meninges and either the nasal cavity or the skin. In most cases, meningitis follows invasion of the bloodstream by organisms that live on mucosal surfaces such as the nasal cavity. This is often in turn preceded by viral infections, which break down the normal barrier provided by the mucosal surfaces. Once bacteria have entered the bloodstream, they enter the subarachnoid space in places where the blood–brain barrier is vulnerable – such as the choroid plexus. Meningitis occurs in 25% of newborns with bloodstream infections due to group B streptococci; this phenomenon is much less common in adults. Direct contamination of the cerebrospinal fluid may arise from indwelling devices, skull fractures, or infections of the nasopharynx or the nasal sinuses that have formed a tract with the subarachnoid space (see above); occasionally, congenital defects of the dura mater can be identified.


title: Meningitis

text: The large-scale inflammation that occurs in the subarachnoid space during meningitis is not a direct result of bacterial infection but can rather largely be attributed to the response of the immune system to the entry of bacteria into the central nervous system. When components of the bacterial cell membrane are identified by the immune cells of the brain (astrocytes and microglia), they respond by releasing large amounts of cytokines, hormone-like mediators that recruit other immune cells and stimulate other tissues to participate in an immune response. The blood–brain barrier becomes more permeable, leading to "vasogenic" cerebral edema (swelling of the brain due to fluid leakage from blood vessels). Large numbers of white blood cells enter the CSF, causing inflammation of the meninges and leading to "interstitial" edema (swelling due to fluid between the cells). In addition, the walls of the blood vessels themselves become inflamed (cerebral vasculitis), which leads to decreased blood flow and a third type of edema, "cytotoxic" edema. The three forms of cerebral edema all lead to increased intracranial pressure; together with the lowered blood pressure often encountered in sepsis, this means that it is harder for blood to enter the brain; consequently brain cells are deprived of oxygen and undergo apoptosis (programmed cell death).


title: Meningitis

text: It is recognized that administration of antibiotics may initially worsen the process outlined above, by increasing the amount of bacterial cell membrane products released through the destruction of bacteria. Particular treatments, such as the use of corticosteroids, are aimed at dampening the immune system's response to this phenomenon.


title: Meningitis

text: Diagnosing meningitis as promptly as possible can improve outcomes. There is no specific sign or symptom that can diagnose meningitis and a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) to examine the cerebrospinal fluid is recommended for diagnosis. Lumbar puncture is contraindicated if there is a mass in the brain (tumor or abscess) or the intracranial pressure (ICP) is elevated, as it may lead to brain herniation. If someone is at risk for either a mass or raised ICP (recent head injury, a known immune system problem, localizing neurological signs, or evidence on examination of a raised ICP), a CT or MRI scan is recommended prior to the lumbar puncture. This applies in 45% of all adult cases.


title: Meningitis

text: There are no physical tests that can rule out or determine if a person has meningitis. The jolt accentuation test is not specific or sensitive enough to completely rule out meningitis.


title: Meningitis

text: If someone is suspected of having meningitis, blood tests are performed for markers of inflammation (e.g. C-reactive protein, complete blood count), as well as blood cultures. If a CT or MRI is required before LP, or if LP proves difficult, professional guidelines suggest that antibiotics should be administered first to prevent delay in treatment, especially if this may be longer than 30 minutes. Often, CT or MRI scans are performed at a later stage to assess for complications of meningitis.


title: Meningitis

text: In severe forms of meningitis, monitoring of blood electrolytes may be important; for example, hyponatremia is common in bacterial meningitis. The cause of hyponatremia, however, is controversial and may include dehydration, the inappropriate secretion of the antidiuretic hormone (SIADH), or overly aggressive intravenous fluid administration.


title: Meningitis

text: A lumbar puncture is done by positioning the person, usually lying on the side, applying local anesthetic, and inserting a needle into the dural sac (a sac around the spinal cord) to collect cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). When this has been achieved, the "opening pressure" of the CSF is measured using a manometer. The pressure is normally between 6 and 18 cm water (cmHO); in bacterial meningitis the pressure is usually elevated. In cryptococcal meningitis, intracranial pressure is markedly elevated. The initial appearance of the fluid may prove an indication of the nature of the infection: cloudy CSF indicates higher levels of protein, white and red blood cells and/or bacteria, and therefore may suggest bacterial meningitis.


title: Meningitis

text: The CSF sample is examined for presence and types of white blood cells, red blood cells, protein content and glucose level. Gram staining of the sample may demonstrate bacteria in bacterial meningitis, but absence of bacteria does not exclude bacterial meningitis as they are only seen in 60% of cases; this figure is reduced by a further 20% if antibiotics were administered before the sample was taken. Gram staining is also less reliable in particular infections such as listeriosis. Microbiological culture of the sample is more sensitive (it identifies the organism in 70–85% of cases) but results can take up to 48 hours to become available. The type of white blood cell predominantly present (see table) indicates whether meningitis is bacterial (usually neutrophil-predominant) or viral (usually lymphocyte-predominant), although at the beginning of the disease this is not always a reliable indicator. Less commonly, eosinophils predominate, suggesting parasitic or fungal etiology, among others.


title: Meningitis

text: The concentration of glucose in CSF is normally above 40% of that in blood. In bacterial meningitis it is typically lower; the CSF glucose level is therefore divided by the blood glucose (CSF glucose to serum glucose ratio). A ratio ≤0.4 is indicative of bacterial meningitis; in the newborn, glucose levels in CSF are normally higher, and a ratio below 0.6 (60%) is therefore considered abnormal. High levels of lactate in CSF indicate a higher likelihood of bacterial meningitis, as does a higher white blood cell count. If lactate levels are less than 35 mg/dl and the person has not previously received antibiotics then this may rule out bacterial meningitis.


title: Meningitis

text: Various other specialized tests may be used to distinguish between different types of meningitis. A latex agglutination test may be positive in meningitis caused by "Streptococcus pneumoniae", "Neisseria meningitidis", "Haemophilus influenzae", "Escherichia coli" and "group B streptococci"; its routine use is not encouraged as it rarely leads to changes in treatment, but it may be used if other tests are not diagnostic. Similarly, the limulus lysate test may be positive in meningitis caused by Gram-negative bacteria, but it is of limited use unless other tests have been unhelpful. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a technique used to amplify small traces of bacterial DNA in order to detect the presence of bacterial or viral DNA in cerebrospinal fluid; it is a highly sensitive and specific test since only trace amounts of the infecting agent's DNA is required. It may identify bacteria in bacterial meningitis and may assist in distinguishing the various causes of viral meningitis (enterovirus, herpes simplex virus 2 and mumps in those not vaccinated for this). Serology (identification of antibodies to viruses) may be useful in viral meningitis. If tuberculous meningitis is suspected, the sample is processed for Ziehl–Neelsen stain, which has a low sensitivity, and tuberculosis culture, which takes a long time to process; PCR is being used increasingly. Diagnosis of cryptococcal meningitis can be made at low cost using an India ink stain of the CSF; however, testing for cryptococcal antigen in blood or CSF is more sensitive.


title: Meningitis

text: A diagnostic and therapeutic difficulty is "partially treated meningitis", where there are meningitis symptoms after receiving antibiotics (such as for presumptive sinusitis). When this happens, CSF findings may resemble those of viral meningitis, but antibiotic treatment may need to be continued until there is definitive positive evidence of a viral cause (e.g. a positive enterovirus PCR).


title: Meningitis

text: Meningitis can be diagnosed after death has occurred. The findings from a post mortem are usually a widespread inflammation of the pia mater and arachnoid layers of the meninges. Neutrophil granulocytes tend to have migrated to the cerebrospinal fluid and the base of the brain, along with cranial nerves and the spinal cord, may be surrounded with pus – as may the meningeal vessels.


title: Meningitis

text: For some causes of meningitis, protection can be provided in the long term through vaccination, or in the short term with antibiotics. Some behavioral measures may also be effective.


title: Meningitis

text: Bacterial and viral meningitis are contagious, but neither is as contagious as the common cold or flu. Both can be transmitted through droplets of respiratory secretions during close contact such as kissing, sneezing or coughing on someone, but bacterial meningitis cannot be spread by only breathing the air where a person with meningitis has been. Viral meningitis is typically caused by enteroviruses, and is most commonly spread through fecal contamination. The risk of infection can be decreased by changing the behavior that led to transmission.


title: Meningitis

text: Since the 1980s, many countries have included immunization against "Haemophilus influenzae" type B in their routine childhood vaccination schemes. This has practically eliminated this pathogen as a cause of meningitis in young children in those countries. In the countries in which the disease burden is highest, however, the vaccine is still too expensive. Similarly, immunization against mumps has led to a sharp fall in the number of cases of mumps meningitis, which prior to vaccination occurred in 15% of all cases of mumps.


title: Meningitis

text: Meningococcus vaccines exist against groups A, B, C, W135 and Y. In countries where the vaccine for meningococcus group C was introduced, cases caused by this pathogen have decreased substantially. A quadrivalent vaccine now exists, which combines four vaccines with the exception of B; immunization with this ACW135Y vaccine is now a visa requirement for taking part in Hajj. Development of a vaccine against group B meningococci has proved much more difficult, as its surface proteins (which would normally be used to make a vaccine) only elicit a weak response from the immune system, or cross-react with normal human proteins. Still, some countries (New Zealand, Cuba, Norway and Chile) have developed vaccines against local strains of group B meningococci; some have shown good results and are used in local immunization schedules. Two new vaccines, both approved in 2014, are effective against a wider range of group B meningococci strains. In Africa, until recently, the approach for prevention and control of meningococcal epidemics was based on early detection of the disease and emergency reactive mass vaccination of the at-risk population with bivalent A/C or trivalent A/C/W135 polysaccharide vaccines, though the introduction of MenAfriVac (meningococcus group A vaccine) has demonstrated effectiveness in young people and has been described as a model for product development partnerships in resource-limited settings.


title: Meningitis

text: Routine vaccination against "Streptococcus pneumoniae" with the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV), which is active against seven common serotypes of this pathogen, significantly reduces the incidence of pneumococcal meningitis. The pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine, which covers 23 strains, is only administered to certain groups (e.g. those who have had a splenectomy, the surgical removal of the spleen); it does not elicit a significant immune response in all recipients, e.g. small children. Childhood vaccination with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin has been reported to significantly reduce the rate of tuberculous meningitis, but its waning effectiveness in adulthood has prompted a search for a better vaccine.


title: Meningitis

text: Short-term antibiotic prophylaxis is another method of prevention, particularly of meningococcal meningitis. In cases of meningococcal meningitis, preventative treatment in close contacts with antibiotics (e.g. rifampicin, ciprofloxacin or ceftriaxone) can reduce their risk of contracting the condition, but does not protect against future infections. Resistance to rifampicin has been noted to increase after use, which has caused some to recommend considering other agents. While antibiotics are frequently used in an attempt to prevent meningitis in those with a basilar skull fracture there is not enough evidence to determine whether this is beneficial or harmful. This applies to those with or without a CSF leak.


title: Meningitis

text: Meningitis is potentially life-threatening and has a high mortality rate if untreated; delay in treatment has been associated with a poorer outcome. Thus, treatment with wide-spectrum antibiotics should not be delayed while confirmatory tests are being conducted. If meningococcal disease is suspected in primary care, guidelines recommend that benzylpenicillin be administered before transfer to hospital. Intravenous fluids should be administered if hypotension (low blood pressure) or shock are present. It is not clear whether intravenous fluid should be given routinely or whether this should be restricted. Given that meningitis can cause a number of early severe complications, regular medical review is recommended to identify these complications early and to admit the person to an intensive care unit if deemed necessary.


title: Meningitis

text: Mechanical ventilation may be needed if the level of consciousness is very low, or if there is evidence of respiratory failure. If there are signs of raised intracranial pressure, measures to monitor the pressure may be taken; this would allow the optimization of the cerebral perfusion pressure and various treatments to decrease the intracranial pressure with medication (e.g. mannitol). Seizures are treated with anticonvulsants. Hydrocephalus (obstructed flow of CSF) may require insertion of a temporary or long-term drainage device, such as a cerebral shunt. The osmotic therapy, glycerol, has an unclear effect on mortality but may decrease hearing problems.


title: Meningitis

text: Empiric antibiotics (treatment without exact diagnosis) should be started immediately, even before the results of the lumbar puncture and CSF analysis are known. The choice of initial treatment depends largely on the kind of bacteria that cause meningitis in a particular place and population. For instance, in the United Kingdom, empirical treatment consists of a third-generation cefalosporin such as cefotaxime or ceftriaxone. In the US, where resistance to cefalosporins is increasingly found in streptococci, addition of vancomycin to the initial treatment is recommended. Chloramphenicol, either alone or in combination with ampicillin, however, appears to work equally well.


title: Meningitis

text: Empirical therapy may be chosen on the basis of the person's age, whether the infection was preceded by a head injury, whether the person has undergone recent neurosurgery and whether or not a cerebral shunt is present. In young children and those over 50 years of age, as well as those who are immunocompromised, the addition of ampicillin is recommended to cover "Listeria monocytogenes". Once the Gram stain results become available, and the broad type of bacterial cause is known, it may be possible to change the antibiotics to those likely to deal with the presumed group of pathogens. The results of the CSF culture generally take longer to become available (24–48 hours). Once they do, empiric therapy may be switched to specific antibiotic therapy targeted to the specific causative organism and its sensitivities to antibiotics. For an antibiotic to be effective in meningitis it must not only be active against the pathogenic bacterium but also reach the meninges in adequate quantities; some antibiotics have inadequate penetrance and therefore have little use in meningitis. Most of the antibiotics used in meningitis have not been tested directly on people with meningitis in clinical trials. Rather, the relevant knowledge has mostly derived from laboratory studies in rabbits. Tuberculous meningitis requires prolonged treatment with antibiotics. While tuberculosis of the lungs is typically treated for six months, those with tuberculous meningitis are typically treated for a year or longer.


title: Meningitis

text: Fluid given intravenously are an essential part of treatment of bacterial meningitis. There is no difference in terms of mortality or acute severe neurological complications in children given a maintenance regimen over restricted-fluid regimen, but evidence is in favor of the maintenance regimen in terms of emergence of chronic severe neurological complications.


title: Meningitis

text: Additional treatment with corticosteroids (usually dexamethasone) has shown some benefits, such as a reduction of hearing loss, and better short term neurological outcomes in adolescents and adults from high-income countries with low rates of HIV. Some research has found reduced rates of death while other research has not. They also appear to be beneficial in those with tuberculosis meningitis, at least in those who are HIV negative.


title: Meningitis

text: Professional guidelines therefore recommend the commencement of dexamethasone or a similar corticosteroid just before the first dose of antibiotics is given, and continued for four days. Given that most of the benefit of the treatment is confined to those with pneumococcal meningitis, some guidelines suggest that dexamethasone be discontinued if another cause for meningitis is identified. The likely mechanism is suppression of overactive inflammation.


title: Meningitis

text: Additional treatment with corticosteroids have a different role in children than in adults. Though the benefit of corticosteroids has been demonstrated in adults as well as in children from high-income countries, their use in children from low-income countries is not supported by the evidence; the reason for this discrepancy is not clear. Even in high-income countries, the benefit of corticosteroids is only seen when they are given prior to the first dose of antibiotics, and is greatest in cases of "H. influenzae" meningitis, the incidence of which has decreased dramatically since the introduction of the Hib vaccine. Thus, corticosteroids are recommended in the treatment of pediatric meningitis if the cause is "H. influenzae", and only if given prior to the first dose of antibiotics; other uses are controversial.


title: Meningitis

text: Viral meningitis typically only requires supportive therapy; most viruses responsible for causing meningitis are not amenable to specific treatment. Viral meningitis tends to run a more benign course than bacterial meningitis. Herpes simplex virus and varicella zoster virus may respond to treatment with antiviral drugs such as aciclovir, but there are no clinical trials that have specifically addressed whether this treatment is effective. Mild cases of viral meningitis can be treated at home with conservative measures such as fluid, bedrest, and analgesics.


title: Meningitis

text: Fungal meningitis, such as cryptococcal meningitis, is treated with long courses of high dose antifungals, such as amphotericin B and flucytosine. Raised intracranial pressure is common in fungal meningitis, and frequent (ideally daily) lumbar punctures to relieve the pressure are recommended, or alternatively a lumbar drain.


title: Meningitis

text: Untreated, bacterial meningitis is almost always fatal. Viral meningitis, in contrast, tends to resolve spontaneously and is rarely fatal. With treatment, mortality (risk of death) from bacterial meningitis depends on the age of the person and the underlying cause. Of newborns, 20–30% may die from an episode of bacterial meningitis. This risk is much lower in older children, whose mortality is about 2%, but rises again to about 19–37% in adults.


title: Meningitis

text: Risk of death is predicted by various factors apart from age, such as the pathogen and the time it takes for the pathogen to be cleared from the cerebrospinal fluid, the severity of the generalized illness, a decreased level of consciousness or an abnormally low count of white blood cells in the CSF. Meningitis caused by "H. influenzae" and meningococci has a better prognosis than cases caused by group B streptococci, coliforms and "S. pneumoniae". In adults, too, meningococcal meningitis has a lower mortality (3–7%) than pneumococcal disease.