Serena Williams, Pitbull, and (Another) Escaped Snake: This Week’s NYC Celeb News Map

There’s nothing quite like late August in New York City–the air is sticky, the streets are crowded, and the sensation of snowfall seems but a distant memory. Intermittent thunderstorms and sweltering humidity couldn’t stop the rich and famous, though, as they were out and about performing new music, protesting in the name of the oceans, and, of course, celebrating Taco Tuesday. Here, we’ve compiled the best of the best star sightings, outfits, and other famous-ish things, making news across New York City’s five boroughs during the week of August 19th.

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PITBULL at GRIT BXING, UNION SQUARE, MANHATTAN

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1YqDZnho7s/

Pitbull (a.k.a. Mr. 305, a.k.a. Mr. Worldwide) made an appearance at GRIT BXING in Union Square on Monday to inspire and encourage a morning class. Pitbull (along with author and life coach Tony Robbins) is an investor in the boxing gym, where patrons can experience full body workouts to the sweet, Spanglish melodies of Pitbull (plus a full bar!) You can’t get that at Equinox.

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SERENA WILLIAMS, NAOMI OSAKA, MARIA SHARAPOVA, SLOANE STEPHENS, and MORE at the WILLIAM F. PASSANNANTE BALLFIELD, GREENWICH VILLAGE, MANHATTAN

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1bsu3Tlbcy/

Serena Williams (a.k.a. the greatest athlete of our time), played a few rounds of the classic tennis game  “queen of the court” at Nike’s Queens of the Future event in Soho, alongside fellow superstars Naomi Osaka, Maria Sharapova, Sloane Stephens, Petra Kvitova, Aryna Sabalenka, and Simona Halep. The event was organized in partnership with New York Junior Tennis & Learning and the United States Tennis Association, bringing young aspiring female tennis players together to play with the masters. Serena’s daughter Olympia Ohanian, already a title-winner herself, was obviously in tow. 

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GIGI HADID and SERENA WILLIAMS at LA ESQUINA, SOHO, MANHATTAN

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1aptsajRzM/

Williams took a break from tennis to celebrate Taco Tuesday with her friend, Gigi Hadid, at La Esquina in Soho. The pair was joined by Hadid’s rumored boyfriend, former Bachelorette contestant Tyler Cameron, and a couple other friends. We can only imagine what that group chat looks like. Did someone say tequila?

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JAVIER BARDEM in TIMES SQUARE, MANHATTAN

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1W96bMIVCg/

Javier Bardem was in Times Square on Monday, urging delegates of the United Nations to expand environmental protections for the oceans with a Global Oceans Treaty, which would increase protections of the oceans from 1% to 30% by 2030. The Oscar-winner’s latest documentary project, Sanctuary, expands on Bardem and Greenpeace’s efforts to bring attention to their cause. Perhaps Bardem should give noted environmental activist Winona Ryder a call to see if they can join forces in environmental justice.

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YET ANOTHER ESCAPED SNAKE, this time slithering about NEWARK LIBERTY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, NEW JERSEY

Finally, in what is apparently (and terrifyingly) a running theme, another escaped snake was captured at the security checkpoint inside Newark airport on Tuesday. Seemingly abandoned by its owner, the snake was apprehended by TSA staff with the help of an overturned grey bin. It’s unknown where the snake will end up if its owner doesn’t call to claim it, since the airport (shockingly!) doesn’t have a lost snake department. If you’ll recall, this comes to us following the disappearance of a 3-foot mangrove snake from the Bronx Zoo, which is still still missing. For now, it seems the impromptu remake of Snakes on a Plane is back in development hell.