People
LOS ANGELES — Just a month after funeral services for his sister-in-law, comic-actor David Spade was back to business, promoting his new movie. But he also offered a few words about his family tragedy.
Fashion designer Kate Spade was married to David's brother, entrepreneur Andy Spade. Kate Spade killed herself in June. In an interview, David Spade said “everyone's pulling it together.” He added: “I think we're getting in the best place we can at this point.”
Less than three weeks after Spade's death, her father, Earl Brosnahan, died at age 89 — the day before his daughter's funeral.
Shortly after his wife's death, Andy Spade released a statement noting she had “suffered from depression n and anxiety.” David Spade has made a $100,000 donation to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, which provides education and support for families impacted by the disease.
When asked about the donation, Spade replied, “Well, I think there's a lot of people that are at a lot of different levels of situations. (New York) is a tough town. It gets stressful. And everybody feels like they're an inch away from a breakdown. It's very hard. So, you can't look down at those people. You just say, 'Hey! You help each other out if you can.”'
Spade's new film, the comedy “Father of the Year,” made its Netflix debut Friday.
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NEW YORK — Rapper Common has won three Grammys, a Golden Globe and an Academy Award but a recent visit to a New York City school was “humbling” — mainly because many of the students were too young to know his music.
The award-winner showed up at P.S. 111 in midtown Manhattan on Thursday as an ambassador for the Adopt-A-Classroom initiative. He made the surprise appearance with his mother, Dr. Mahalia Hines, to present the school with a $10,000 check.
According to Adopt-A-Classroom, 96 percent of teachers nationwide bear the cost each year to equip their classrooms with the basic materials students need to learn.
The organization estimates that teachers spend more than $700 out of their own pocket each year. The program provides funds for teachers to purchase school supplies.
After addressing the students in the school's gymnasium, Common went upstairs to visit a classroom. He shared his love of writing, and even recited the lyrics to his acclaimed hit, “Black America Again.”
By The Associated Press
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