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PEOPLE & ARTS Wednesday 8 august 2018
H.F. Lenfest, former media mogul, philanthropist, dies

Associated Press to perpetuate itself than
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — H.F. help others.
"Gerry" Lenfest, who made "During your lifetime, you
a $1 billion fortune in the can direct how your wealth
cable industry and gave is spent for the most good.
almost all of it away, sup- But after your death, it is
porting schools, museums, problematic. You don't
journalism and the arts in have the control," Lenfest
Philadelphia and beyond, told The Philadelphia In-
died Sunday, a family quirer in 2004.
spokesman said. Within four years, the Len-
Gerry Lenfest was 88. He fests had given away $325
was taken Sunday from his million and dropped off
Rittenhouse Square home Forbes magazine's list of
to Penn Presbyterian Medi- the 400 richest Americans.
cal Center, where he was Nearly half that money
pronounced dead of com- — $150 million — went to
plications from chronic ill- a foundation named for
ness, said Fred Stein. Stein them that must spend its
will handle a memorial ser- last penny within 20 years
vice planned in Philadel- of the last spouse's death.
phia in September. At age 84, Lenfest unex-
"There is likely not an orga- In this Jan. 12, 2016, file photo, H.F. "Gerry" Lenfest, owner and Chairman of Philadelphia Media pectedly became the
nization or charity in Phila- Network (PMN), makes announcement during news conference at the National Constitution sole owner of The Philadel-
delphia that didn't benefit Center in Philadelphia, Pa. phia Inquirer, Philadelphia
from the Lenfest family's Associated Press Daily News and the web-
generosity in some way," site Philly.com. His business
said Pennsylvania Gov. mated he had given away News?" Museum of the American partner, Lewis Katz, had
Tom Wolf. "Gerry was a $1.1 billion. The Lenfests also gave to Revolution, which opened died in a plane crash in
great human being and an "Money is a responsibil- the Philadelphia Museum in April 2017 and, he felt, June 2014 just days after
even better citizen." ity when you have that of Art, Barnes Foundation, provided the "missing link" they paid $88 million to buy
Lenfest and his wife, Mar- kind of wealth. I've tried to Kimmel Center for the Per- to tie together the city's his- the company from rival co-
guerite, made about $1.2 do right by it. Perhaps the forming Arts and Lenfest's toric sites. owner George Norcross.
billion when they sold Sub- greatest opportunity came alma maters: Mercersburg Their three children didn't Harold FitzGerald "Gerry"
urban Cable to Comcast with the ownership of these Academy, Washington need the money — they Lenfest and his twin sister,
Corp. in 2000. The Lenfests newspapers," Lenfest said and Lee University and Co- were given stakes in Len- Marie, were born in 1930
immediately set out to give in 2016 when he donated lumbia University. Wilson fest's cable company in Jacksonville, Florida, but
away the fortune. By 2014, the newspapers to a newly College, Marguerite's alma when it wasn't worth much soon moved to Scarsdale,
as he stepped in to help created nonprofit. "What mater, also received funds. — and Gerry Lenfest said New York, where their fa-
Philadelphia's ailing news- would this city be with- Lenfest also gave $50 mil- he feared a permanent ther worked in the shipping
papers, Gerry Lenfest esti- out the Inquirer and Daily lion to champion the new foundation would do more industry.q

'Charmed' reboot cast, producers defend TV show's changes

By LYNN ELBER yourself being the hero of "Charmed belongs to the
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — the story," Urman said. 4 of us, our vast amount of
The cast and producers of The varied backgrounds writers, crews and predomi-
CW's new "Charmed" are of the witches played by nantly the fans," she wrote
defending the reboot as a Sarah Jeffrey, Melonie Diaz on Twitter last January. "FYI
story for its time. and Madeleine Mantock you will not fool them by
The drama series about also allows the show to ex- owning" a title.
three young half-sisters who plore witchcraft as it exists Those involved with the
are witches will confront in different cultures, she reboot understand that
modern issues including the said. "Charmed" is a "sacred
MeToo movement, execu- Urman acknowledged thing" to the original cast
tive producer Jennie Sny- there's been fan un- and its fans, Jeffrey said.
der Urman told a TV critics' happiness with the fact "Of course, we can't help
meeting Monday. "Charmed" is a reboot and but be a little disappointed
The varied ethnicity of the not a revival of the original because I think the script
sisterly trio — white, Latina series. The drama debuted is fantastic," Mantock said.
and African-American — Executive producers Jessica O'Toole, Jennie Snyder Urman, Amy in 1998 with Holly Marie She added that she hopes
also gives the reboot more Rardin, and Ellen Tamaki, Rupert Evans, Sarah Jeffery, Melonie Combs, Alyssa Milano and Combs watches the show
Diaz, Madeleine Mantock and Ser'Darius Blain participate in the
currency, Urman said. The "Charmed" panel during the CW Television Critics Association Shannen Doherty as the and likes it, but understands
women have the same Summer Press Tour in Beverly Hills, Calif. three Halliwell witch-sisters. she is protective of the dra-
mother but different fa- Associated Press Rose McGowan joined the ma and "entitled to feel
thers. series in 2006. however she wants."
Most people she's talked "Jane The Virgin," which will es. And obviously coming Combs has expressed an- At its core, the show is a
to are in favor of the switch end after its upcoming fifth off 'Jane,' I know so much noyance as well, posting love story of the three sis-
to characters of color, said season. more about what it means tweets in which she derides ters, Urman said, making it
Urman. She also produces "We've had the chance to be on screen, to see the series remake as "capi- true to the original despite
CW's Latino family comedy to see three white witch- yourself represented, to see talizing on our hard work." changes.q