Michelle Obama has a big hit on her hands with “Becoming,” and here tour dates are more like rock concerts. Neil de Grasse Tyson is cooperating into the allegation of sexual misconduct brought against him, and Casey Kasem’s death has finally been put to rest.
Michelle Obama’s Becoming A Hit
Michelle Obama’s “Becoming” is selling at a pace rarely seen for a political memoir, or any nonfiction book.
Combined hardcover, e-book and audio sales in the U.S. and Canada topped 2 million copies in the first 15 days, Crown Publishing announced Friday. By comparison, former first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton’s memoir “Living History” needed a month to sell 1 million copies. Former President George W. Bush’s “Decision Points” took several weeks to reach 2 million. Former President Bill Clinton’s “My Life” quickly sold 1 million copies but took far longer to hit 2 million.
“Becoming,” which came out Nov. 13, now has 3.4 million hardcover copies in print. The former first lady is in the midst of a promotional tour, with guests including Oprah Winfrey and Reese Witherspoon.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama took to the stage in Brooklyn on Saturday to promote her book, and dazzled the crowd with anecdotes about her life and marriage to the first African-American president.
Although billed as “An Intimate Conversation with Michelle Obama,” the energy at the former First Lady’s book tour stop in New York City was more akin to a rock concert, with roughly 19,000 fans packed into Brooklyn’s Barclays Center to hear Obama speak about her new memoir “Becoming.” In barely a week, the book claimed the title of best-selling book of the year with over 2 million copies sold.
Saturday’s stop on the 10-city tour was completely sold out. The day before the event, tickets on resale site StubHub ranged from $130 for the upper level to $3,700 for a front row seat.
Neil deGrasse Tyson Has His Say
Renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson says he will cooperate fully with an “impartial investigation” into allegations of sexual misconduct that have been leveled against him.
Patheos.com recently published accounts from two women who say that Tyson behaved in a sexually inappropriate manner toward them. Tyson was the host of “Cosmos: Possible Worlds” on Fox in 2014 and a new edition of the series was to air on National Geographic next year.
In a Facebook post Saturday, Tyson denied an accusation that he groped a woman and he denied that he made sexual advances toward a production assistant when he invited her to share wine and cheese at his home. He apologized for making the production assistant feel uncomfortable.
Fox and National Geographic Networks have said they will conduct a thorough investigation.
Casey Kasem Death Update
Police found no evidence of wrongdoing after investigating allegations that relatives of radio personality Casey Kasem were responsible for his 2014 death but will now turn the matter over to prosecutors, officials in Washington state said Friday.
The administrative investigation didn’t find evidence of a crime, said Gig Harbor Police Chief Kelly Busey. He said he would forward the case to Pierce County prosecutors for review.
The longtime “American Top 40” host had a form of dementia and a severe bedsore when died at age 82 at a hospital in Gig Harbor, southwest of Seattle.
Gig Harbor police opened their investigation last month after Kasem’s wife, former actress Jean Kasem, submitted a private investigator’s report claiming three of Casey Kasem’s children from a previous marriage were responsible for the radio host’s death.
Jean Kasem has not commented.
It’s the latest development in years of legal wrangling between Jean Kasem and her three stepchildren. The groups fought over visitation access to Casey Kasem before his death, with his daughter Kerri Kasem assuming control of his medical care.
Jean Kasem, who appeared on “Cheers,” was married to the announcer for more than 30 years but was stripped of control over his medical care in the final days of his life. He died in June 2014 in Gig Harbor, where his wife had taken him after checking him out of a Los Angeles-area medical facility where he was receiving round-the-clock care.
Jean Kasem, 64, has contended her decision to move her husband to Washington state was made to protect his privacy.
Prosecutors in Los Angeles County in 2015 declined to charge Jean Kasem with elder abuse. That year, three of Casey Kasem’s children and his brother filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court, accusing their stepmother of elder abuse.
That lawsuit against Jean Kasem is still pending, as well as a countersuit she filed in response, KOMO-TV reported.
The administrative investigation released this week by Gig Harbor Police found that Casey Kasem received appropriate care and that any medical decisions were made by family authorized to act on his behalf, Busey said.
There was also no evidence of collusion between the family members and doctors “that would construe any part of this incident to be considered a homicide,” the department said in a statement.
Kasem’s two daughters told KOMO they feel vindicated by the police findings.
“We’re very grateful to the police department for conducting this investigation and concluding there is no evidence to support Jean’s wildly ridiculous claims,” Julie Kasem told the TV station.