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'Star Trek's' William Shatner and George Takei's wedding squabble
It's a case of he said, he said in the ongoing celebrity feud between Star Trek stars William Shatner, aka Captain Kirk, and George Takei, aka Mr. Sulu.
Last week, Shatner posted the following video rant about being snubbed by not being invited to Takei's wedding in September to longtime partner Brad Altman. Other Trek co-stars were invited, and even Nichellle Nichols and Walter Koenig (Uhura and Chekov) were the maid of honor and best man, respectively.
In the video, Shatner plays armchair psychologist. "Poor man. There is such a sickness there," he says. "It's so patently obvious that there is a psychosis there ... I pity him."
The video seems never-ending, with Shatner expressing condescension for Takei for holding such an unfounded grudge for so many years. Even though Shatner is outraged by not being invited, at the same time he claims, "I literally don't know him ... He makes this big deal about not inviting me to his wedding ... There must be something else inside George that is festering and makes him so unhappy that he takes it out on me, in effect, a total stranger."
So wait, Takei should want to invite strangers to his wedding? I don't get it.
Apparently, neither does Takei, who in an Entertainment Tonight interview on Thursday is absolutely gobsmacked on two counts. First, he claims that he DID in fact invite Shatner to the wedding, but true to form, Shatner didn't RSVP since he doesn't attend any important event for his former Star Trek cohorts.
"Every time there was something happy to celebrate amongst us, whether it's getting a star on Hollywood Boulevard -- whether it's DeForest Kelley, Jimmy Doohan, Leonard Nimoy, Nichelle Nichols -- he never showed up," says Takei. "Even for [Star Trek creator] Gene Roddenberry. In fact, the most surprising thing was that he didn't show up for Gene Roddenberry's funeral."
Second, Takei expresses shock that Shatner claims they don't know each other and are essentially strangers. "We've done six movies together. We did three seasons of television together, we've been doing Star Trek conventions together for the last 40-plus years. Yes, I guess he doesn't know us."
The former Enterprise helmsman says the wedding invitation was another attempt to let bygones be bygones and that he'll continue to try and hold out the olive branch to Shatner. In fact, he invites Shatner to join him in the campaign against Proposition 8, an initiative measure in California that seeks to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry.
Your thoughts? Kirk or Sulu? Who's psychotic and who's silly? Do you even care?
Shatner seems a horrible person. I was once a fan, but now I dislike this person very much.
Walther Schoonenberg | Oct 24, 2008 10:47:43 AM | #Bill, You need to "get a life" and "get over it"
Invited? not Invited, who cares, just bury the hatchet and help defeat Prop. 8
Shatner has never voiced any expectation of a wedding invite, and his gracious response to media inquiry was reported by the New York Post of 4 June 2008: "No, we have not been in touch [with George Takei and his soon-to-be husband] but I wish the happy couple all the best. George deserves a moment of happiness."
[Link: tinyurl.com/49uyf9]
Shatner has now hit a raw nerve, drawing widespread media attention to his new YouTube channel. Funny, too, that A&E's new talk show -- "Shatner's Raw Nerve" -- premieres on the Biography Channel sometime between now and December, so there is some urgency to promote Shat's capability as a badass on the edge!
;-)
Fringe | Oct 24, 2008 11:00:57 AM | #Chris Doohan wrote on his blog a few years ago that Shatner and his father, James Doohan made up after years of feuding, but at the last minute and the last time they saw each other, William Shatner did a terrible thing to Doohan.
It was the last day of the “Beam me up, Scotty, one last time” convention at the Renaissance Hotel in Hollywood, when all the original Star Trek Stars were to get up on stage for the last time. Although James was ill, he still had his wits about him and was looking forward to this event.
Chris wrote that it was about 5 minutes before the big event, when he heard Shatner (who was right behind Chris, talking to Nimoy) say “I don’t want to deal with all this Alzheimer’s crap anymore, I’m outta here” (Mr. Doohan had the early stages of the disease).
Well, he left and without even saying goodbye to his old pal (I use that term lightly). The crowd of hundred paid good money to see this final event, but Shatner was gone. It was said by the promoter of the event, Sky Conway, that Shatner was mad because he wanted to go on stage earlier in the day with Neil Armstrong, but he refused (Mr. Armstrong is a bit stage shy). It should be known that Leonard Nimoy left too. There was no comment about that mystery.
I don't know what to think! Chris, I am very sorry that you had to hear that after the hatchet had been buried. IMO Shatner is an Alzheimer's-phoebe. I hope your father didn't hear him.
Not a fan of Shatner, though I have met him. His character is great, though. Too bad he has to spoil it just a little because he'd got an out of control ego.
In fact, the only actor I am a fan of is James Doohan. I met him once and he tells it and lives it like IT IS.
Scott | Oct 24, 2008 12:37:32 PM | #Maybe it is just me but it seems like Shatner is everywhere anymore. He has turned into a media whore. Always trying to grab and be in the spotlight. I realize this is the nature of the Hollywood world but he is acting like these no talent Diva's we are over populated with these days. It is time for a return to days of Hollywood glamour and class. We could then get rid of Shatner, Lohan, Hilton, Spears etc. Isn't it time he retreated to the old age home anyway.
Sam | Oct 24, 2008 2:16:39 PM | #Just shameless self-promotion ("any press is good press") by Shatner for his new show and for the final season of Boston Legal.
tupperkenn | Oct 24, 2008 4:21:25 PM | #Wow. This just makes Shatner look like a fool. If he truly wasn't invited, he could be offended in private. This is just embarrassing for him.
Mandy | Oct 24, 2008 8:13:51 PM | #To Shatner there is no such thing as bad publicity! He now looks positively decrepit, but insists on being everywhere (except--to his dismay--at George Takai's wedding apparently).
Hanna | Oct 25, 2008 2:33:00 AM | #This is a PHONY feud! I'm sure Bill and George are giggling like schoolgirls over how much mileage they are getting out of it!
Whopbop | Oct 25, 2008 9:52:38 AM | #AMEN my brother... AMEN!
I'm a hard working acting practicing my craft since I was 11 now 26 and I can tell you that all those non talented divas get to all of us who are trying to make it. For me I don't give a rats ass about William Shatner because I grew up with ST:TNG and Patrick Stewart is my hero, he's gone well BEYOND what shatner has done as far as movies and have proven himself. Educated far beyond shatner in real life a well.
quote- SAM posting:
"Maybe it is just me but it seems like Shatner is everywhere anymore. He has turned into a media whore. Always trying to grab and be in the spotlight. I realize this is the nature of the Hollywood world but he is acting like these no talent Diva's we are over populated with these days. It is time for a return to days of Hollywood glamour and class. We could then get rid of Shatner, Lohan, Hilton, Spears etc. Isn't it time he retreated to the old age home anyway."
Why do all these stories ignore the first Salvo? AP Radio had Taki on and he said that Shatner was NOT invited.
Which prompted Shatners response.
I agree that the response from Shatner was uneeded and throws up quite a few questions about his Ego.
That is not excuse for the half ass coverage the media is giving on this.
Then again. Half Assed Media is all we have now.
Lee | Oct 25, 2008 12:30:53 PM | #@ Lee,
It's very good of you to point out the AP Radio story, but you weren't quite accurate. In the interview, Takei said that their guest list was so long, that "I don't know if William Shatner is going to make the cut."
Takei and his partner apparently found room for Shatner and decided to invite him, as was corroborated by Peter David, who wrote on his site how he had asked the couple earlier if they planned to invite Shatner. Their response:
"Yes," said Brad, nodding firmly, and George agreed, adding, "I think it's time to let the past go." They could not have been more definitive: the olive branch was being extended, bygones allowed to be bygones, hatchets being buried and every other cliche you'd care to roll out.
So you can see that none of this info was really necessary to the story. The invitation was sent.
Hanh Nguyen, Zap2it.com | Oct 25, 2008 7:55:57 PM | #I got a chance to interview Shatner for a piece on a documentary "How Star Trek Changed the World." It was only airing in Canada and he had just won an Emmy for Boston Legal two days earlier. I had been worried about doing the interview because I had heard he could be difficult but he was gracious, if a bit demanding, and we spoke for nearly an hour. I can only say nice things. He was very gracious.
Elaine | Oct 28, 2008 9:33:36 AM | #Shatner is so Denny Crane. Not a stretch at all
Terry | Oct 30, 2008 8:52:03 AM | #Love Star Trek , like both the actors, always had a huge crush on mr. Shatner.
I wish mr .Takei all the luck, again, like you both.
Where did my comment go?
Diana | Mar 1, 2009 1:09:04 PM | #Sorry , there it is.
Diana | Mar 1, 2009 1:09:35 PM | #It is a shame that two people who worked together on this successfull show, a very good and humorfull show, have to feel so hatefull about each other.
Or is this just a publicity stunt?
I hope so.
Who even cares? It's nobody's business. Maybe if the media stayed out of it and people put on some maturity which means to dispense with the fetish to gossip and find fault with either side, it wouldn't be an issue. The human need for drama never ceases to amaze me.
soozeekew | May 14, 2009 1:33:42 PM | #
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