Chuck Connors, celebrated for his portrayal of Lucas McCain in The Rifleman, underwent an extraordinary transformation from a gifted athlete to a versatile actor. Born in 1921, he first made his name in baseball and caught the attention of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1940.
Although his career in Major League Baseball was short-lived, Connors ventured into acting in the early 1950s and achieved notable success with his role in the 1952 film “Pat and Mike.” His defining moment came in 1958’s “The Rifleman,” where he portrayed McCain, a New Mexico rancher. Connors fully embraced the character, honing skills such as horseback riding and stunt work. The show flourished largely thanks to Connors’ powerful presence and the authentic chemistry he shared with his son Johnny Crawford on screen.
In contrast to his TV persona as a model father, Connor’s personal life was full of complexity, including multiple marriages and infidelities that belied his wholesome image. He also stood out in the predominantly liberal Hollywood landscape as a vocal conservative who supported leaders such as Nixon and Reagan.
After The Rifleman, Connors found it difficult to break free from McCain’s legacy and explored various roles in television and film. In his later years, he reprised the beloved character in a 1991 TV movie before dying of lung cancer in 1992 at the age of 71.
Connors’ legacy lives on through his significant contributions to classic Westerns and the Golden Age of Television, highlighted by his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Despite his personal flaws, Connors’ authenticity and lasting impact on the entertainment industry leave a lasting impression.
Elon Musk Just Had His 12th Baby, and People Noticed One Detail
Elon Musk, the 52-year-old Tesla founder and tech mogul, quietly welcomed a new member to his ever-growing family earlier this year. The baby’s mother is Shivon Zilis, the director of special projects at Neuralink Corp., another of Musk’s ventures.
A private family life
Musk and his partners have consistently aimed to shield their children’s lives from the public eye. This commitment to privacy was underscored in September 2023, when Claire Boucher, better known as Grimes and the mother of three of Musk’s children, took to X (formerly Twitter) to request privacy for their children. In a lengthy post, she addressed the media frenzy surrounding her co-parenting relationship with Musk and the recent revelation of their third child, a son named Techno Mechanicus, born shortly after Musk’s children with Zilis.
Musk’s expanding family
Elon Musk’s journey into fatherhood began in 2002 with the birth of his first son, Nevada Alexander, with his first wife, Justine Wilson. Tragically, Nevada passed away at 10 weeks old due to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Wilson and Musk later had twins, Vivian Jenna, and Griffin, in 2004, followed by triplets Kai, Saxon, and Damian in 2006, all conceived through IVF.
In May 2020, Musk and Grimes welcomed their first child together, a son named X Æ A-Xii. The couple later had a daughter via surrogate in December 2021, named Exa Dark Sideræl. Around the same time, Musk secretly welcomed twins Strider and Azure with Shivon Zilis in November 2021.
The revelation of Musk’s newest child coincides with the release of Walter Isaacson’s 2023 biography about Musk, which disclosed the birth of Musk and Grimes’ third child, a son named Techno Mechanicus, who also goes by “Tau.”
Musk confirmed the birth of his latest child with Shivon Zilis, dismissing any notions of secrecy. “As for ‘secretly fathered,’ that is also false,” he stated. “All our friends and family know. Failure to issue a press release, which would be bizarre, does not mean ‘secret,’” he added. Despite this clarification, the sex and name of Musk’s youngest child remain undisclosed, highlighting the couple’s commitment to privacy.
The online buzz
The news of Elon Musk’s 12th child came as a surprise to those who follow his life online. Comparisons to Nick Cannon, known for his large family, quickly surfaced. “Nick Cannon and Elon single-handedly repopulating the earth,” joked one Instagram user. “Elon and Nick Cannon competing?” and “Nick, you got 24 hours to respond!” were other common comments.
Elon Musk’s personal life has often been a topic of intense public interest and scrutiny, given his high-profile relationships and significant professional achievements. His growing brood of children and the dynamics between his partners illustrate the complexities of his personal life, often played out under the public’s watchful eye.
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