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John Cleese refused to bend the knee to the outrage mob who called for a joke to be removed from an upcoming stage version of Monty Python’s “Life Of Brian.” The controversial scene features a man claiming that he is a woman and he can have a baby.

Cleese is working on a stage production of Monty Python’s “Life of Brian,” a 1979 movie about a man who is mistaken for Jesus Christ. However, actors allegedly told Cleese that one scene would need to be cut out of the reproduction for it not to be offensive in today’s social environment.

The scene in question features a character named “Stan” – who wants to become a woman and have babies.

“I want to be a woman,” Stan declares. “From now on, I want you all to call me Loretta.”

Cleese’s character Reg bewilderedly asked, “What?”

Stan fires back, “It’s my right as a man.”

When asked why he wants to be a woman, Stan explains, “I want to have babies.”

Reg quizzically replies, “You want to have babies?”

Stan shoots back, “It’s every man’s right to have babies if he wants them.”

When Reg informs Stan that he “can’t have babies,” Stan plays the victim, “Don’t you oppress me.”

Cleese’s character notes, “I’m not oppressing you, Stan, you haven’t got a womb. Where’s the fetus going to gestate? You gonna keep it in a box?”

Other characters agree that Stan can’t have babies, but argue that he should have the “right to have babies.”

Reg responds, “What’s the point of fighting for his right to have babies when he can’t have babies?”

Another character says, “It is symbolic of our struggle against oppression.”

Reg quips that Stan has a “struggle with reality” for thinking he can give birth to a baby.

Monty Python – “Loretta”www.youtube.com

Critics claim the scene in the movie from 44 years ago is “transphobic.”

Despite the controversy, Cleese confirmed that he would not be removing the questionable scene from the upcoming stage show of “Life of Brian.”

Cleese wrote on Twitter, “A few days ago I spoke to an audience outside London. I told them I was adapting the Life of Brian so that we could do it as a stage show ( NOT a musical ). I said that we’d had a table reading of the latest draft in NYC a year ago and that all the actors – several of them Tony winners – had advised me strongly to cut the Loretta scene. I have, of course, no intention of doing so.”

Cleese slammed the media for “misreporting” him about cutting the Loretta scene from the new version, “Amazingly none of the British media called to check.”

Cleese said of the actors in the upcoming production, “These were absolutely top-class Broadway performers and they were adamant that we would not get away with doing the scene in NYC! I asked them, ‘Are Python fans not going to come because we’re doing a scene they’ve been laughing at for 40 years.'”

The Monty Python comedian said, “Producers tend to be scaredy-cats, and they don’t remember that the protests in NYC when ‘Brian’ was released meant we never needed to do publicity!”

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In a video that has since gone viral, a couple walking in downtown Chicago was brutally assaulted by a large group of people Saturday night in the Loop, and they’re sharing the story of how a Good Samaritan may have saved their lives.

The couple, Ashley Knutson and Devontae Garrisson-Johnson, say they had just left Nordstrom and were walking through the Loop looking for a place to eat when they were caught up in a large group of teens and young adults Saturday.

Knutson, visiting the area from South Carolina, and Garrison-Johnsson, of Maywood, tried to make their way through the crowd, but they were quickly overwhelmed.

“We were trying to walk through the crowd, and I was holding his hand and he was walking in front me,” Knutson said. “First they shoved him, and then they ended up shoving me too.”

A now-viral video, originally posted by CWB Chicago, shows a large group of people viciously attacking the couple, punching and kicking both of them while stomping on Garrison-Johnsson’s head.

“I said ‘DJ! I just got pushed,’ and he turned around and said ‘don’t put your hands on her,’” Knutson said. “And as soon as he said that, everything went crazy.”

The video’s audio reveals Knutson yelling for help as the attack took place, and that’s when an unlikely hero emerged.

“I felt like at that moment I needed to take action,” Lenora Dennis said.

Dennis jumped in to help and was able to deescalate the attack.

“By the time he got up, he was bleeding from the mouth, his head, his eyes,” she said. “He couldn’t make straight eye contact. It felt like he might have been concussed.”

Garrisson-Johnson suffered most of the injuries. His eyes are still filled with blood, and other injuries will still require medical attention.

Dennis says what frustrates her the most was that she didn’t receive any help from Chicago police.

“I literally went in front of a police car that I saw coming, like literally stood in front of their car, and I was like ‘stop! There’s people over here getting assaulted,’ and he looked, there were four police officers in the car. The driver looked, and he just cut a path and drove around me,” she said.

“They didn’t stop. Who knows what would have happened if it wasn’t for her,” Garrisson-Johnson added.

The couple was able to find refuge in a nearby department store, and then were driven to a police station.

The group stole the couple’s shoes and phones, along with their credit cards.

It is unclear whether any arrests have been made in the case, and police say at least 15 people were arrested on a variety of charges stemming from the downtown disturbances.

Tom Holland, is that you? Wait, no it’s… Halle Bailey? Turns out that the The Little Mermaid star does a pretty great impression of the Spider-Man actor, not to mention a pitch perfect Beyoncé.

Bailey unveiled her mimicry talents alongside her Little Mermaid costar Jonah Hauer-King, who plays Prince Eric, for an episode of “First Impressions” for LADBible TV. Bailey was up first for the game, and was challenged to mimic her mentor, the one and only Queen Bey, and did so flawlessly. If you closed your eyes, you’d think it was actually Beyoncé in the room, not her protégée. 

“First-hand knowledge, that’s why,” Hauer-King joked of Bailey’s skills; the “Do It” singer must have picked up Bey’s vocal pattern during all the quality time they’ve spent together, because the impression is exact to the point of uncanniness.

Later in the game, after her costar Hauer-King tries and fails to capture the essence of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Bailey takes on Tom Holland and switches to a British accent. Her Holland impression might not be quite as scary accurate as her Beyoncé, but after a well-timed “I love Zendaya,” Hauer-King guesses right. (After all, you can’t have Tom without Z.) 

Bailey also takes on Jennifer Coolidge — a universally popular celebrity impression if there ever was one — and Ariana Grande, singing snippets of her hit songs “The Way” and “7 Rings.” Hauer-King has a bit of difficulty with that one, but finally gets it when Bailey references the upcoming Wicked adaptation.

The game keeps going, with Bailey taking on other celebs like Kylie Jenner and Barbie star Margot Robbie before mimicking herself — she makes a hash browns reference to get Hauer-King to guess correctly, which must be a secret inside joke between them — and finally moves on to impersonate her sister Chloë. Though Hauer-King puts up a good fight, spoiler alert: Bailey wins the game. Probably because of that flawless Bey impression.

Watch Halle Bailey and Jonah Hauer-King play First Impressions for yourself below:

Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin has hit out at the AFL in a new Welcome to Country storm.

The senior Indigenous elder says she was snubbed by league executives including Gillon McLachlan during a pre-game function before Dreamtime at the ‘G on Saturday night.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Aunty Joy hits out at the AFL for Welcome to Country snub.

Analysis, local footy and the biggest moments, Seven and 7plus are the home of footy shows for every fan. Stream them all for free on 7plus >>

She played a powerful role at the post-game presentation, but it was her pre-game involvement that has rocked the AFL.

Aunty Joy is furious not enough AFL executives were at Essendon’s pre-game function, where she delivered the Welcome to Country.

“I was shocked,” she told 7NEWS.

“It broke my heart because I want to see that people who are leading the AFL, who are leading all of this, should be there honouring particularly traditional owners.”

7NEWS understands Aunty Joy was overcome with emotion at the perceived snub, but witnesses say her outburst offended some guests, who left the room.

AFL commissioner Helen Milroy, who is also an Indigenous woman, gave an impromptu speech to calm Aunty Joy.

“There’s never ever just been three commissioners; it’s really crazy. Where is the genuine support for Dreamtime at the ‘G?” Joy added.

The AFL says at least three executives, Essendon bosses, and commissioners were all at the function. A number had also been at the Long Walk at the ‘G, so opted to stand at the back of the room so they didn’t interrupt Aunty Joy’s speech.

Incoming CEO Andrew Dillon was also at the game but was with Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles during the speech.

Outgoing Boss Gill McLachlan was in Adelaide at a pre-arranged function for a good friend. He had already let Michael Long know he wouldn’t be at the Long Walk before the game.

But Joy was still left fuming, and she wasn’t alone.

“Everyone in our community that I spoke to, or spoke to me, has just been shattered to think that the people who profile this event were not there,” she told 7NEWS.

“We’ve gone back now; absolutely backwards.”

The AFL were reluctant to comment on Sunday.

However, sources have pointed out that it wasn’t really all about Aunty Joy on Saturday night; there’s a broader context, which is the Dreamtime celebration.

And it’s a national competition with Dreamtime games across the country. There were three commissioners at the MCG on Saturday night but other commissioners were at other games across the country.

Aunty Joy caused headlines during Barack Obama’s Melbourne tour last month when organisers cancelled her Welcome To Country speech after she asked to bring a support person up on stage. Tour organisers later apologised over the incident.

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Yep, that’s a house just chillin’ in the middle of a highway.