'Knock Knock,' Who's there? Ryan Seacrest
Fairmount resident wins $50K
AN UNSUSPECTING local resident got the surprise of his life Tuesday night when he opened his front door to live TV cameras and a gorgeous woman with a microphone handing him a five-figure check.
The new Ryan Seacrest-produced TV show on Fox 29, "Knock Knock: Live," traveled to Rashaun Williams' house and one other in Fairmount.
Tyler Posey, from MTV's "Teen Wolf," gave Williams a check for $25,000 from Ace Hardware to go toward whatever he wants, as well as an additional $25,000 in Ace store credit to go toward home improvements. Williams and his community organization hope to renovate a dilapidated home in his neighborhood. He was awarded based solely on his goodwill and recommendations from leaders in his community.
"We're trying to get this house ready to get these programs together for the work that we're doing in the community, and it's a late night," Williams told Adrienne Bailon, the actress, singer and TV personality probably best known as lead singer in "The Cheetah Girls."
"I have no words. I need to hug my bro."
Earlier in the night, Bailon, Posey and Seacrest (via satellite), surprised Fairmount couple Jarret and Hillary Kleppel with $1,820.
"It was funny, I had seen them earlier in the evening at the Philly mag wine event . . . an hour later they were on Fox 29," said HughE Dillon, a blogger, correspondent, frequent contributor to my column and photographer of the shot below.
(Justin Bieber took part in Seacrest's show, giving a California family $50,000 and taking a girl to the prom.)
WLP lawyer honored
The managing attorney for Philly's Women's Law Project (125 S. 9th St.), the feminist organization devoted to advancing women's rights, especially in the legal field, will receive a distinguished award next week alongside Vice President Joe Biden.
Terry Fromson has been chosen to receive the 20/20 Vision Award from the American Bar Association's Commission on Domestic & Sexual Violence. The award is handed out to 20 lawyers across the country who have played key roles in improving society's response to violence at home. Fromson will be honored this Saturday during a ceremony in Chicago, along with Biden, who introduced the Violence Against Women Act in 1990.
A star in the making
JoJo Siwa, star of Lifetime's very dramatic and sometimes controversial reality series, "Dance Moms," is holding a meet-and-greet in Newtown Square today to promote her "Big Bow Tour."
At the budding age of 12, Siwa has won several national titles in the "Dance Moms" dance competition, earning her recognition from TV producers.
Following her September 2012 debut on the show and over the course of two years, Siwa has skyrocketed to reality fame. She was the youngest cast member that season and said that that was her first big TV experience. In April, she launched her "Big Bow Tour," and she's now traveling around the U.S., to cities including Boston, Chicago, New York, Seattle and, of course, Philadelphia.
"All of 2014, I was a normal kid. Then, in October, I got the call to come be on the TV show, 'Dance Moms,' which is Lifetime's No. 1 show," Siwa told me, adding that her dream in life is to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
"I would just say a message for my fans that look up to me - be yourself and do what you want to do."
"Dance Moms" airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on Lifetime.