Jeff

Paramount President Jeff Shell is expected to exit the company after being entangled in a legal battle with a controversial Las Vegas gambler and self-styled “fixer.”

Shell has been negotiating his exit and is expected to leave imminently after just eight months on the job, said two people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to comment publicly.

The veteran entertainment executive officially joined the media company with David Ellison’s takeover in August, though he had been a key member of Ellison’s team for nearly two years as the group worked to assemble the pieces of the tech scion’s growing empire. Ellison’s Skydance Media acquired Paramount and then pulled off a stunning $111-billion deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery in late February.

Shell brought substantial experience running a media company to Ellison’s inner circle, a group that included former investment bankers and others who haven’t run a large-scale enterprise. Shell also served as a member of Paramount’s board and is expected to leave that role, too.

His exit comes after the high-roller, Robert James “R.J.” Cipriani, sued Shell in Los Angeles County Superior Court on March 9, alleging fraud and breach of an oral contract. Cipriani claimed that he provided Shell with “sophisticated, high-value crisis communications services,” according to his suit. He alleged Shell spilled corporate secrets, which Shell has denied, and also failed to deliver on a verbal pledge to help Cipriani develop an English-language version of a Roku TV Spanish music show.

Shell maintains Cipriani fictionalized the two men’s dealings, then spread “false and salacious lies to extract a massive payday.” Cipriani has been seeking $150 million in damages. Shell filed a counterclaim, saying the two men met only twice and that Shell owed him nothing.

The legal skirmish cast a cloud over Shell’s tenure helping lead the company because the Ellisons wanted to stay focused on their Warner Bros. takeover and lining up regulators approvals in the U.S. and abroad. The Cipriani controversy made Shell’s future at Paramount untenable, the sources said.

Shell’s departure comes three years after he was ousted as NBCUniversal chief executive.

NBCUniversal-owner Comcast hired a law firm to investigate him after a CNBC anchor filed an internal sexual harassment claim against him. Shell stepped down, acknowledging that he’d had an “inappropriate relationship” with the journalist, who has since left the company.

The job at Paramount was envisioned to be his second act.

Shell’s dealings with Cipriani began with an August 2024 meeting at litigator Patty Glaser’s Century City office. At the time, Glaser represented both men and urged Cipriani to “cease” his efforts to drum up damaging stories about Shell, who was trying to recover from the scandal that cost him his job at NBC.

Jeff Shell, Paramount Skydance president.

(Paramount / Skydance)

The most serious of Cipriani’s allegations was that he made a report about Shell to the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission that Shell had discussed highly sensitive Paramount information with him: Paramount’s proposed $7.7-billion deal with the UFC owner to bring the mixed-martial arts fights to CBS and other Paramount outlets. Shell, in his lawsuit, denied the allegation.

Robert James “R.J.” Cipriani in Amazon Prime Video’s 2025 series, “Cocaine Quarterback.”

(Courtesy of Prime)

Paramount’s brass hired the Gibson Dunn law firm to investigate Shell’s surreptitious dealings with Cipriani. Investigators have been reviewing whether Shell had divulged any secrets. The review is still pending.

“Nobody believed me,” Cipriani said Wednesday. “The best thing I did was cooperate with Gibson Dunn and showed them that the texts were real.”

It’s unclear whether Ellison will look to bring in other experienced media executives or look to senior Warner Bros. Discovery executives following Paramount’s proposed takeover of that company.

Jeff Webb, known as the “founder of modern cheerleading” for his role in turning the activity into a competitive sport, died Thursday following “a tragic accident,” a family spokesperson said Tuesday. He was 76.

A former yell leader for the University of Oklahoma cheerleading squad, Webb went on to form several organizations — including Varsity Spirit, the Universal Cheerleaders Assn. and the International Cheer Union — that helped him reshape what was once largely a sideline activity into an International Olympic Committee-recognized sport that features elements of gymnastics, stunts and dance.

Cheer Daily reports that an email sent by Varsity Spirit president Bill Seely to the company’s community said that Webb fell while playing pickleball earlier this month and suffered a severe head injury.

Webb was buried in a private ceremony for family on Sunday. A larger celebration of life will be held at a later date.

“Our father was, at his core, a man of inexhaustible energy, and he poured that energy into everything he did, from revolutionizing cheerleading to his never-ending — and constantly growing — list of activities,” Webb’s children said in a statement.

An avid outdoorsman, Webb managed a farm and hunting lodge and enjoyed offshore fishing and boating. He was also a pilot, author, publisher and guitar player.

“He brought that same spirit of dedication and encouragement to being a father and grandfather,” his children added. “To most people he is a legendary entrepreneur — to us, he was our soccer coach and on-demand comedian, our mentor and father-daughter dance partner, our solace and our source of strength.

“He taught us by example that a life well lived contains balance, that seriousness and silliness are not in fact opposites, that focus and discipline do not and should not preclude care and kindness.”

Through his organizations, Webb established hundreds of cheerleading competitions — including national championships that have been broadcast on ESPN for decades — and training camps. He was a pioneer in the manufacturing and marketing of cheerleading apparel and equipment and also played a role in establishing safety guidelines for the sport.

“The founder of modern cheerleading, [Webb] spent his life building the sport he loved and advocating for young people everywhere,” the International Cheer Union wrote on Facebook. “Our thoughts are with his family, friends and the entire global cheer community.

Varsity Spirit wrote on Instagram: “Join us in honoring the life and legacy of Jeff Webb, founder of Varsity Spirit and modern cheerleading. His impact has built a community that will continue to inspire generations to come.”

The Varsity Spirit post included a tribute video that featured an audio clip of Webb discussing the instant he realized just how much of an impact his efforts had on the sport.

“I was at UCA High School Nationals, and I looked out there — everybody had a smile on their face,” Webb said. “People think this is a little corny, but I had this almost epiphany experience. And it was just this emotion that came over me. It was, how lucky am I? How fortunate have I been to be able to have this idea and to build on it and have fabulous people kind of hook their star to my vision and for us together to build this great thing?”

Webb is survived by his wife, Gina, and his children, Jeffery and Caroline, and two grandchildren.

JEFF Brazier looks every inch the doting grandad as he shared a gushing tribute to his first grandchild Isla Jade Brazier online.

Son Freddy, 21, and ex-girlfriend Holly Swinburn, 22, announced on Friday that they’d welcomed their first child together, a baby daughter whose middle name is a sweet nod to the star’s late mum Jade Goody.

In a new Instagram post, Jeff showed off baby Isla in a number of new photos, including snaps of fellow son and EastEnders star Bobby Brazier meeting the tot.

His photo montage begins with one of Jeff smiling and looking down at his granddaughter, while she’s cradled in his arms.

While a second snap shows new dad Freddy holding Isla, while Uncle Bobby affectionately gazes down at her behind his brother’s back.

“Dear Isla Jade,” Jeff’s caption begins. “You have no idea how deeply loved you are.

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“There are so many good people standing behind you, and a very special angel watching over you.

“Mummy and Daddy gave you her name, and were going to tell you all about her,” Jeff added, confirming the child’s middle name is a sweet tribute to his late ex-wife Jade Goody.

“You already feel like the greatest gift. I will be forever grateful to Mummy and Daddy for filling my heart and bringing such joy into our lives.

“Thank you, Holly and Freddy, with all my heart. Holding you is pure peace.

He signed off: “All my love, Grandad (Though you’re welcome to call me something a bit cooler when you’re older!).”

In one funny photo, new Grandad Jeff was seen dozing off while sat in a chair holding Isla.

In a final whole picture, he poses next to new parents Freddy and Holly with Isla and eldest son Bobby.

The comments section was flooded with messages of support for the TV presenter and his family following the happy new addition.

“Congratulations to you all she will be so so loved,” wrote Strictly star Dianne Buswell, who has just welcomed her first child with partner Joe Sugg this week.

Big Brother winner Kate Lawler penned: “Ah Jeff beautiful news congratulations to you all.”

Meanwhile, Jeff’s This Morning co-star Josie Gibson commented with lots of love heart emojis.

Singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor and model Kelly Brook also sent their congratulations in the comments section.

Freddy and Holly announced Isla’s arrival late on Friday in a photo shared to Holly’s Instagram Stories.

The former couple are seen in a black and white snap in a hospital bed with their new daughter following the birth.

New dad Freddie has a huge smile on his face, as Holly cradles the tot.

“Isla Jade Brazier,” simply reads the caption, revealing the child’s name.

Freddie’s late mum was TV star Jade Goody, who shot to fame when she appeared on the third series of Big Brother, then aired on Channel 4.

In August 2008, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer, which was later deemed terminal as it spread to her liver, bowel and groin.

She died aged 27 in March 2009, leaving behind her two sons with ex-husband Jeff Brazier.

At the time, Freddy was four and his brother Bobby was five.

In an exclusive chat with The Sun prior to his daughter’s birth, Freddy revealed his plans to pay tribute to his mum with her name.

“We are calling her Isla Jade,” he told us.

“I think it’s lovely to incorporate the name Jade into her name as a middle name as I am sure there will be part of my mother in Isla.

“I was so pleased when I found out we were having a little girl. I want to be protective of her and take care of her.

“Calling the baby Jade as the first name felt like too much expectation on the baby . . .  I don’t want to put any pressure on her.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren has earned a rare rebuke by the Senate for — believe it or not — quoting Coretta Scott King on the Senate floor.

The Massachusetts Democrat ran afoul of the chamber’s arcane rules by reading a 30-year-old letter from Dr. Martin Luther King’s widow that dated to Sen. Jeff Sessions’ failed judicial nomination three decades ago.

The chamber is debating the Alabama Republican’s nomination for attorney general, with Democrats dropping senatorial niceties to oppose Sessions and Republicans sticking up for him.

King wrote that when acting as a federal prosecutor, Sessions used his power to “chill the free exercise of the vote by black citizens.”

Quoting King technically put Warren in violation of Senate rules for “impugning the motives” of Sessions, though senators have said far worse stuff. And Warren was reading from a letter that was written 10 years before Sessions was even elected to the Senate.

Still, top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell invoked the rules. After a few parliamentary moves, the GOP-controlled Senate voted to back him up.

Now, Warren is forbidden from speaking again on Sessions’ nomination. A vote on Sessions is expected Wednesday evening.

Democrats pointed out that McConnell didn’t object when Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) called him a liar in a 2015 dustup.

“I’m reading a letter from Coretta Scott King to the Judiciary Committee from 1986 that was admitted into the record. I’m simply reading what she wrote about what the nomination of Jeff Sessions to be a federal court judge meant and what it would mean in history for her,” Warren said.