ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Janet Jackson Steps Out After Giving Birth. Hi Mama Janet Jackson! The 50-year-old pop star was spotted shopping at a luxury baby boutique in London Tuesday, marking the first time she has been photographed in public since she and husband Wissam Al Mana welcomed their first child, son Eissa, three weeks ago. Jackson sported a brown fur wrap over a loose-fitting black top and pants and black high-top sneakers and wore her hair in an updo. The boutique Jackson had visited, Blue Almonds, is a favorite of celebs in London. In 2013, while pregnant with son Prince George, Kate Middleton and her mother Carole Middleton were spotted buying a $371 Moses Basket at the shop. Jackson and Al Mana, a Qatari billionaire and businessman, wed in 2012 in front of family and friends. She confirmed last October they were expecting their first child. E! News had learned earlier this month that some of Jackson and her husband's family members and friends have met the baby. A source had told E! News days after the child was born that Jackson is "getting her strength back and feeling well," as she did not have an easy pregnancy. The source also talked about Eissa, saying the boy "looks like Janet in so many ways with a touch of her man." "She is totally in love," the source said about the proud mama. "She is taking time to just be with her baby at this time and that's all she really wants." (Eonline)
Scarlett Johansson Gave No Sign Her Marriage Was Over for 6 Months--but Privacy Has Always Been the Name of Her Game. Scarlett Johansson didn't just smile through the pain. She traveled, entertained, worked, promoted, bantered and marched through it. All of which probably helped ease the pain in the meantime, but...we digress. The news broke seemingly out of nowhere that Johansson and her husband of two years, Romain Dauriac, had separated. And though we know by now that there's no such thing as "out of nowhere" when it comes to a celebrity's marriage, the Lost in Translation star really kept a lid on this development, aided in part by the fact that she and Dauriac have largely split their time between France and New York since tying the knot. Not quite as much hanging around the courthouse over there as there is in sunny Los Angeles. But that is exactly what we could have expected from Johansson, who operates in more of an old-Hollywood style than some of her contemporaries as far as her personal life goes, not being one to share much when it doesn't have anything to do with her work. Such is a lifestyle choice that is much harder to pull off than it might sound -- especially for someone whose stature in the Marvel Universe has made her one of the top-earning actresses in show business. Johansson has always pulled her promotional weight when it comes to talk shows, press junkets, Comic-Con and everything else that goes into playing Black Widow and the various other memorable characters she's tackled in recent years, nor is she a spotlight-eschewing hermit. She just refuses to test the potential perils of too much public engagement. For instance, the 32-year-old actress has over the years been a face of Mango, Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana, Calvin Klein fragrance and L'Oreal. But she's not on social media. Not Twitter, not Instagram, not Snapchat -- not even Facebook, the home of other tweet-shy stars like Jennifer Lawrence. Her lack of social media footprint calls to mind another fiercely private actress, one who also up until recently was based in France -- Natalie Portman, Johansson's co-star in The Other Boleyn Girl. Portman actually recently credited Johansson with helping her to overcome her fear of being labeled "difficult" at work, telling Yahoo! Movies last year that Scarlett saw her shivering on set one day and asked why she hadn't said anything. "I was like, 'I don't know, I didn't want to be a problem,'" Portman recalled, "and she was like, 'Say you're cold!' And it was good to have someone point it out to me that I even had a hard time making a very reasonable complaint about my own discomfort."
Chrisley Knows Best's Savannah Chrisley and Blaire Hanks Break Up After 2 Years of Dating. Savannah Chrisley is letting her heart break. The Chrisley Knows Best star headed to Facebook Live Wednesday evening with an emotional message to her fans and followers. As it turns out, the beauty queen and her longtime boyfriend Blaire Hanks have split after two years of dating. "All of you guys are so invested in my family and our lives and I feel like when we signed up for the show, we gave you a promise to show you our lives and to be as honest as we can about it and that's just what I'm trying to do now," she explained through tears. "So to cut to the point... Blaire and I are no longer dating." Savannah continued, "It hurts, it does because for me he was that definition of just my first true love and I'm trying to stay strong y'all." Those who watched Chrisley Knows Best witnessed the couple's love story in several seasons. While Savannah admitted that it wasn't always perfect, she also confessed that it was "truly the definition of young love." And while being in the spotlight brought about its own challenges, the romance helped Savannah have some of the best times of her life. "I hope that you will please do me a favor and don't send negative vibes to him. He doesn't deserve that. We are young. We had our young love," Savannah shared. "It wasn't my fault. It wasn't his fault. There were faults on both sides." As the pair decides to focus on themselves in the coming days, Savannah assures fans that everything happens for a reason and that she will love the singer forever. "I will always love him and it just is what it is," she shared. "I am so grateful that God has let me experience this kind of love." Chrisley Knows Best returns February 21 at 10 p.m. on USA Network. (Eonline)
Milla Jovovich's standing firm against letting her 9-year-old daughter watch "Resident Evil: The Final Chapter" ... even though the kid played a key role in the new flick. We caught up with Milla Wednesday at LAX and asked her about keeping 'Evil' in the family. Remember ... Milla's hubby, Paul W.S. Anderson, wrote and directed the series, and it now includes daughter Ever Gabo, who plays Red Queen -- a diabolical holographic avatar. But it sounds like Ever's got some growing up to do before she gets the full Hollywood experience. (TMZ)
Dakota Johnson has a new love of sex toys. Dakota Johnson is no longer afraid to let her freak flag fly. The "Fifty Shades of Grey" starlet dished on her newfound appreciation or sex toys. "Oh some of that stuff is just so beautiful," the 27-year-old quipped in the March issue of Glamour UK. "We when first started 'Fifty Shades,' that wasn't a world I was privy to at all, and I soon found out there are all these different tiers." Although she has found her pleasure zone, she's not quite ready to jump down a rabbit hole. "There are some things out there that are really grimy and nasty, and then there are really beautiful, intricate and chic toys," she said. "Actually, whole aspects of the BDSM world are truly beautiful." And since she began starring in these films, the second installment of "Fifty Shades Dark" hits theaters next month, her fame has skyrocketed. But that doesn't mean her parents Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson have seen her work. "They haven't because it's such a tricky thing," she carefully explained. "It's too uncomfortable for them. It's one thing if a film has one sex scene in it, but with this, a large part of the premise is the arc of their sexual relationship, and I think that's a little inappropriate for my family to watch." (PageSix)
Drew Carey's son is the mystery kid from the Trump protest who claimed he started a bonfire and yelled, "Screw our president" ... TMZ has learned. News footage of the boy went viral after the inauguration eve protest in Washington D.C. -- and we've confirmed it was 11-year-old Connor behind one of the night's most memorable moments. A source close to Drew tells us Connor got caught up in the emotions of the crowd around him, and he was in hot water afterward. We're told Drew and Connor's mom were upset about how he expressed himself to the reporter, and talked to him about his language. The source says Connor "regretted his choice of words" after the chat with his folks. Our own photog ran into Drew that night at the rally, and it was clear he had no idea Connor was in the heat of the action. (TMZ)
Shia LaBeouf Arrested During Live Stream. Shia LaBeouf has had another run-in with the law. The 30-year-old actor was arrested in New York City early Thursday morning after getting into an altercation with a protestor. LaBeouf's fight, which began after an unnamed person got in front of the camera and said something that upset the Transformers actor, and arrest was caught on camera during his political protest's live stream. LaBeouf grabbed the man's scarf and allegedly scratched him, and nearby cops who witnessed the act moved in and arrested him. The American Honey actor was released after being charged with misdemeanor assault and harassment, E! News confirms. He is scheduled to appear in court on April 4. The Even Stevens alum has had his fair share of legal troubles, having been charged with criminal trespassing and disorderly conduct after refusing to leave a Manhattan theater. LaBeouf also has participated in a variety of public performance art projects over the past few years, including occupying an elevator for 24 hours, re-watching all of his movies in a theater and sitting in a room in complete silence in Los Angeles. (Eonline)
Allman Brothers drummer fatally shot himself in front of wife. Allman Brothers Band drummer Butch Trucks fatally shot himself in front of his wife in Florida, according to law enforcement records. A police dispatcher noted that Trucks' suicide Tuesday night in West Palm Beach was witnessed by his wife Melinda, the Daily Mail reported, citing police reports. The wife called 911 to frantically report that her "husband just shot himself" with a pistol. (PageSix)
THE OTHER STUFF . . .
Elton John to Write Broadway-Bound 'Devil Wears Prada' Musical. Paul Rudnick will also pen the stage show based on the hit 2006 film starring Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep. The Devil Wears Prada stage musical is definitely not moving at a glacial pace. Elton John and Paul Rudnick have signed on to write the Broadway-bound musical adaptation of Lauren Weisberger's best-selling 2003 novel and the hit 2006 film, which starred Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt. Kevin McCollum (Rent, Avenue Q) is producing with Fox Stage Productions and Rocket Entertainment. Production timelines will be announced at a later date. "To bring The Devil Wears Prada to the stage, we knew we needed to find artists as inimitable as the characters in the story," said Bob Cohen of Fox Stage Productions and Kevin McCollum in a joint statement: "We needed artists whose work has run the gamut from music and publishing to drama and fashion. We could think of only two names: Elton John and Paul Rudnick. ... That's all!" Elton John said, "Re-imagining The Devil Wears Prada for the musical theatre is super exciting. I'm a huge fan of both the book and the feature film, and a huge aficionado of the fashion world. I can't wait to sink my musical teeth into this hunk of popular culture." The David Frankel film, which followed a fish-out-of-water journalist working at a fashion magazine with an intolerable boss and also starred Stanley Tucci and Adrien Grenier, grossed $324 million worldwide. (Hollywood Reporter)
Pamela Anderson 'speechless' after visiting refugee camp. Pamela Anderson made a surprise visit to a refugee camp in France, and was left "speechless." "I'm so angry," wrote the star. "The children are so lovely and polite. I gave out blankets, hats, gloves, fruit, coloring books and crayons. Some were so fearful they wouldn't get a blanket or crayons or an apple .?.?. It was chaos. I'll never forget today." Anderson wrote on her blog, "They have been there for months, years .?.?. The politics are incomprehensibly devastating. People must see what is happening. Beautiful and innocent people are shown such little respect." She added, "I encourage more people to come visit and volunteer." (PageSix)
Frances Bean Cobain Picked to Model Marc Jacob's Newest Campaign. Marc Jacobs' newest inspiration has been unveiled. The fashion mogul announced Frances Bean Cobain as the face of his spring-summer 2017 campaign and, in the process, added her famous moniker to his revered list of muses. "I first met Frances Bean when she was 2 years old at a dinner with her mom (Courtney) and Anna Sui in 1994 at Bar Six in NYC," the designer recalled on social media. "I have always wanted to work with Frances. Her beauty, uniqueness, and strength is something I have long admired and respected. Few things remain as constant as my continued inspiration from those whose honesty, integrity, courage, and curiosity lead them to explore and venture beyond preconceived boundaries." The 24-year-old daughter and only child of Courtney Love and the late Kurt Cobain has dabbled minimally in modeling since she was she was a pre-teen, first striking a pose in Elle in 2006 dressed in her father's iconic sweater and checkered pajama pants. A decade later, the dark-haired beauty is facing the camera head-on as Jacob's cover girl, sporting a lacy frock with tousled hair and an expression packed with attitude. Despite seeming to have an ease in front of the camera, Cobain told Vogue she doesn't intend on making this foray in front of the camera a permanent gig. "I don't think I'll be modeling for anybody else for a very long time -- this is 100 percent outside my comfort zone," she told the magazine. "I wouldn't have done it with anyone other than Marc." "I was flattered that Marc thought of me for this. What I said to Marc when I was saying yes was that he's an underdog for the masses," she continued. "He's still very rebellious within the fashion world, and he's been like that his entire career." Jacobs is known for fostering a diverse crop of female figures to represent his brand, ranging from model Emily Ratajkowski to musical icon Bette Midler. The method? Picking models who catch his interest. "For example, I've also worked with Jessica Lange, and when I met her I just thought 'how great would it be to work with Jessica Lange?' in the same way that I thought 'how great would it be to work with Kaia Gerber?,'" he explained to Vogue. "It wasn't 'how great would it be to work with someone under 16 and how great would it be to work with someone over 40?'" (Eonline)
Emma Stone, Amy Adams, Natalie Portman and More Actresses Stun in Vanity Fair's 2017 Hollywood Issue. They truly look like wonder women. Pregnant Natalie Portman, Emma Stone, Amy Adams, Lupita Nyong'o, Ruth Negga, sisters Dakota Fanning and Elle Fanning, Dakota Johnson, Greta Gerwig, Aja Naomi King and Janelle Monáe are the stars of Vanity Fair's 2017 Hollywood issue, and the cover is nothing short of glamorous. Wearing hues of pink, gold and red, the A-list stars stare deadpan into the lens of famed photographer Annie Leibovitz's camera, proving that they really are the women running Hollywood. Just take a look at the statistics: among the 11 cover stars are 12 Oscar nominations and two wins. Three of this year's Best Actress nominees -- Stone, Portman and Negga -- are included. Inside the pages of the magazine the stars continue to stun. Portman channels the iconic Demi Moore Vanity Fair cover from August 1991 that was also shot by Leibovitz, posing simply in a silk stole to let her baby bump steal the show. "It was about capturing Natalie at her most radiant," Vanity Fair fashion and style director Jessica Diehl says of the photo shoot. The magazine profiles each woman's accomplishments, ranging from their various awards nominations and wins to their up-and-coming projects, but also made sure to capture their fun spirit as they goofed around on the Paramount back lot. These might be some of the hardest working women in Hollywood, but they still know how to have fun. The Hollywood Issue of Vanity Fair is available on newsstands in New York and Los Angeles, and on the iPhone, Kindle, and other devices, on Thursday, Feb. 2 and nationally on Tuesday, Feb. 7. (Eonline)
Kardashians on Cosmopolitan: See Kim, Khloe and Kourtney's Fun, Fearless and Sexy Magazine Covers! These dolls are oh so Cosmo! In anticipation of the upcoming premiere of E!'s new series So Cosmo, we're celebrating with every single time the Kardashians have graced the cover of Cosmopolitan magazine -- and it's a whole lot! Kim Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian and Khloe Kardashian have posed for the posh publication numerous times each, while Kylie Jenner made her solo Cosmo cover debut back in February 2015. You certainly can't deny that these fabulous sisters are the definition of fun, fearless and sexy! Plus, who could forget that time all six of these boss moguls, including Kris Jenner and Kendall Jenner, landed the cover together for one powerhouse photo shoot in November 2015? Talk about stunning! (Eonline)
'I Screamed at the Sky': How Mary Tyler Moore Was Forever Changed by the Death of Her 24-Year-Old Son. Mary Tyler Moore, known for the Dick Van Dyke Show and Mary Tyler Moore Show, died on Wednesday. She was 80. Though the actress was known for portraying sunny and upbeat characters on screen, her personal life was marred with tragedies. Moore was divorced twice (first from Richard Meeker in 1961 and later Grant Tinker in 1981) before marrying Dr. Robert Levine in 1983, struggled with alcoholism and was suffered from Type 1 diabetes. But perhaps her biggest tragedy came in 1980 when her only child, son Ritchie, died at the age of 24. Moore gave birth to Richie just one year into her first marriage with Richard Meeker at the age of 18. By the time he was 3, she had steady work on TV. When he was 6, she and Meeker divorced. Six months later, she married Tinker, who had four children from a previous marriage. The heavy workload of both parents left little time for their children. "I demanded a lot of Richie," Moore later admitted. "I was responsible for a lot of alienation." In her 1995 memoir, After All, she wrote, "There is no question about it. By the time Richie was 5, I had already let him down. When he needed me the most, I was busier and even more self-concerned than I had been when he was an impressionable infant." Their relationship grew strained as Richie grew up and rebelled, and for a long period, mother and son were estranged. In 1971, Richie moved with his father to Fresno, California, where the teenager thrived and even talked of plans for college. But when Meeker was transferred out of town, Richie persuaded his parents to let him remain in Fresno on his own to complete his senior year. But soon afterward, he fell prey to drugs. In her memoir, Moore recalled receiving a phone call from a "frantic and sobbing" Richie, admitting that he was in trouble with a drug dealer. "I realized the extent of the tangle that was now my son's life." After receiving treatment, Richie turned his life around, moving back in with his mother and eventually graduating from high school. (Though Moore wrote that she was unable to attend the ceremony due to an acting job.) Over time, Moore and Ritchie reconciled their relationship, and he even began landing some small acting roles on TV. But in 1980, Moore received a fateful phone call that would forever change her life: her son was dead. "On Oct. 15, 1980, at 5 a.m., the phone awakened me," she wrote in her memoir. "It was Grant. 'If you're standing, you should sit down ... It's Richie. He's dead."' Richie died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 24. Richie, an avid gun collector, was toying with a gun called the "Snake Charmer" while watching TV in his bedroom when it went off. A formal investigation by the Los Angeles Coroner's Office later confirmed that his death was an accident. The "Snake Charmer" was eventually taken off the market because of its "hair-trigger" instability. Moore recalled spreading her son's ashes into the Owen River in the days following his death. "The water was clear and high as I knelt over it," she wrote. "I opened the container and emptied it into the rushing water. What was meant to be a prayer became an outraged demand. 'You take care of him,' I screamed at the sky." With the help of her psychotherapist, Moore began to deal with the tragedy. To keep going, she kept busy. More than 6,000 letters of condolence had come in. Hour after hour, Moore sat and answered them in her own hand. (People)
Barack Obama's Memoir Could Fetch $20 Million Advance. "There is a broader fascination with Obama, from conservatives who really hate him as well as liberals who deeply admire what he did," says presidential historian Julian Zelizer. If you believe Esther Newberg, co-head of ICM Partners' publishing unit, former President Barack Obama is about to come into some serious cash -- $20 million or more. "There's no doubt Obama's memoir will go for more than any president's has ever gone," she predicts. The bar is high. George W. Bush got $7 million for 2010's Decision Points (which sold more than 2.6 million copies), and Bill Clinton got a whopping $15 million -- a presidential record -- for 2001's My Life (sales of 2.2 million). Princeton University presidential historian Julian Zelizer predicts Obama's advance and sales will top both: "There is broader fascination with Obama, from conservatives who really hate him as well as liberals who deeply admire what he did." Obama, 55, who likely will be repped by Washington lawyer Bob Barnett, recently told senior adviser turned CNN commentator David Axelrod that the book is his top priority. And he hired Cody Keenan, former White House director of speechwriting, to help. While every major publisher likely will bid, Random House, which published Obama's 1995 memoir Dreams of My Father and 2008 campaign book The Audacity of Hope (combined sales: 5 million), as well as both the Clinton and Bush books, has the inside track. One wild card: Obama might find a rival in wife Michelle, whom Newberg predicts will "easily" surpass the $8 million Hillary Clinton got in 2000 for her memoir. Says the University of Virginia's Brian Balogh, who co-hosts the popular history podcast Backstory: "We haven't heard as much from [Michelle], and he won't be running for president, whereas she ... " (Hollywood Reporter)
Ashley Graham Isn't Ashamed of Her Cellulite, and Says You Shouldn't Be Either. Ashley Graham wants everyone to embrace the skin they're in. The model and America's Next Top Model judge shared a candid, body positive message on Instagram Wednesday night, reminding her three million followers that beauty isn't limited to a size zero. In the snapshot, Ashley, who's seemingly vacationing in the Philippines at the moment, wears an animal print bikini while soaking up the sun on a lounge chair. Graham captioned the shot, "I workout. I do my best to eat well. I love the skin I'm in." She added, "And I'm not ashamed of a few lumps, bumps or cellulite... and you shouldn't be either. #beautybeyondsize #lovetheskinyourein" As if we needed yet another reason to adore this star! Ashley's latest remarks about confidence and self-love are far from her first. Since landing the cover of Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue at the start of 2016, she's blazed quite a trail for fellow curvy catwalk queens. Nearly one year, plenty of magazine covers, a racy DNCE music video and the launch of her own swimsuit line (preceded by a lingerie line) later, Graham rightfully took home one of Glamour's Women of the Year awards. "This isn't just for me," Graham shared during her acceptance speech. This is for the girl who got into a bikini for the first time this year, the mother who just had a child and she's embracing her stretch marks on her stomach, for that girl who said, 'No I'm actually not going to lose weight for you, boyfriend,' and for the woman who can actually look in the mirror and say 'I love you' and mean it. It's for those girls." We applaud you, Ashley! (Eonline)
Clint Eastwood's Pebble Beach home is up for sale ... and rich folks looking to buy could score an iconic bonus. Clint's 6 bed, 6,900 sq. ft. mansion perched on an ocean bluff is on the market for $9.75 mil, and guess what's in the courtyard ... the Bird Girl statue featured in his 1997 flick, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil." We're told Clint is willing to throw in the statue ... for the right price, of course. The house was built in 1928 and even has a name -- Hacienda Este Madera, which roughly translates to "House East Wood." (TMZ)
Neil Diamond scores sweet deal on $725M Malibu estate. Legendary singer-songwriter Neil Diamond has purchased a Malibu estate for $7.25 million, says real estate gossip Yolanda of Yolanda's Little Black Book. Diamond bought the house just off Pacific Coast Highway through an LLC in November 2016. It appears Diamond scored a gem of a deal, because the sellers paid $8.15 million for the home in August 2010. Built in 1996, the house is filled with curved walls and sits on a large lot behind a privacy hedge. The five-bedroom, seven-bath home features spectacular ocean views, an open kitchen with granite counters and stainless-steel range, and a great room with vaulted ceiling. Outside there's a stone patio, spa, and infinity pool. The house is part of Malibu's Blue Whale Estates neighborhood, an oceanfront, gated community of just five homes. Diamond's 4,692-square-feet property is the largest of the five. Diamond, 75, began his career in the 1960s and has since sold more than 120 million records worldwide. Among his most famous hits are "Cracklin' Rosie," "Song Sung Blue," "You Don't Bring Me Flowers," and "Sweet Caroline," which has become the Boston Red Sox' anthem. (PageSix)
'Vanderpump Rules' star Jax wants to help Leah Remini fight Scientology. Leah Remini's crusade against Scientology just gained another supporter: Jax Taylor. Speaking to Bravo's Daily Dish, the "Vanderpump Rules" star weighed in on the actress's A&E docu-series, "Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath," and how the show's footage struck a chord with him. "Any documentary-type show I love watching, so I just watched it," Taylor explained. "I was actually in Florida over Christmas and my mom and I were just watching this marathon and were like, 'Oh my God, this is happening down the street from your house.' It was all being taped in Clearwater, and my parents live in Clearwater, so oh my God. It was just so interesting, the things that these people do." Remini, 46, left Church of Scientology after 30 years in 2013. The church has since blasted the "King of Queens" star, alleging she "seeks publicity by maliciously spreading lines ... using the same handful of bitter zealots who were kicked out years ago." In response, Remini challenged to the controversial organization to sue her. "Why do I wish they would? Because they'd have to be deposed ... I'd have to be deposed, so we'd get some real information out," she told Dr. Oz in November. Watching Remini's series prompted Taylor to reveal his own connection to Scientology. The Bravo personality said that he modeled for some of the organization's promotional materials at the Hemet, Calif., facility. "It was just a modeling job. And it just seemed like a very weird place," Taylor recalled. " There's all these people walking around with keys. And they're always in these outfits. And they're always walking somewhere." "Where are you guys going? What are you guys doing? There's all these secret doors everywhere. What's going on?" he continued. In late December, Taylor, 37, shared a screen shot of Remini's show on Twitter, urging her to let him help. "Like the old days when I was a kid watching tv on the floor with pillows love my hero @LeahRemini I want to help!! #ScientologyTheAftermath," he wrote. A rep for Scientology did not immediately return a request for comment. (PageSix)
Melania Trump ready to fight back against left-wing haters. Melania Trump has had enough of left-leaning stars such as Chelsea Handler taking cheap shots at her and her son, Barron -- and is finalizing her own team of staffers to fight back. The first lady has so far remained silent amid a torrent of social-media attacks on herself and her and President Donald Trump's 10-year-old son. Comedian Handler said in a video interview with Variety that Melania "can barely speak English," then followed up with the tweet, "Blink if you need help @MELANIATRUMP." Now President Trump's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, is firing back on Melania's behalf. He told Page Six, "Shame on Chelsea Handler for attacking our first lady in such a despicable manner." Cohen added, "Don't be fooled by her accent. Melania is bright and articulate. To be clear, our first lady speaks multiple languages, I believe five. How many languages do you speak, Chelsea?" White House insiders say that the first lady is close to finalizing her team to manage these attacks. Sources close to the administration exclusively tell Page Six former Vogue staffer and Met Ball organizer Stephanie Winston Wolkoff -- who also masterminded Trump's inauguration events with Tom Barrack -- is being tapped as Melania's chief strategist and is helping interview and select candidates for the first lady's chief of staff, communications chief and social secretary. On Tuesday, the White House asked for privacy for Barron, after a wave of unwarranted comments including one from "Saturday Night Live" writer Katie Rich, who tweeted that the president's youngest son would become the nation's "first -- homeschool shooter." Rich was suspended from the NBC show and later apologized for the "insensitive" and "inexcusable" tweet. In a brief statement to the media, which did not mention Barron by name, the White House noted the "longstanding tradition that the children of presidents are afforded the opportunity to grow up outside of the political spotlight." (PageSix)
Barron Trump is back in school -- this time as a member of the First Family -- and no one in NYC really noticed. The 10-year-old was taken to his private school Thursday morning in an SUV, accompanied by a second SUV. There was no motorcade, which leads us to believe Melania did not accompany him which she frequently did before the inauguration. There were no traffic tie-ups as Barron made his way uptown. Secret Service did not stop traffic along the route. There was a lot of concern by New Yorkers Barron's trek back and forth would create unbearable gridlock. So far, so good. (TMZ)
Carnegie Deli drama heats up at auction. The Carnegie Deli may have closed -- but its scandals continue. At an auction to sell the iconic restaurant's equipment, the goods sold out in less than an hour -- except one $10 KitchenAid coffee maker. "It had the name 'Kay' written on the box, the name of a former waitress and alleged mistress of the scoundrel ex-husband of Marian Harper, the owner," said a source at the sale. Added the source, "Marian was seen last week giving away two dozen old photos to loyal customers. Many wondered why -- but most of those particular photos tossed included her ex or were taken by him." (PageSix)
Music
Mariah Carey Excited to Get Back in the Studio Amid James Packer Split: ''Songwriting Is Very Healing for Me." "I need to be in the studio." Mariah Carey wraps up her European tour on this Sunday's Mariah's World season finale. And now that her tour is over, Mariah is ready to get back in the studio, especially after everything that's been going on in her personal life. Sunday's episode shows Mariah going through her breakup with James Packer and in the clip, Mimi admits that songwriting is "healing" for her. "I feel like a different person when I'm not in the studio," Mariah tells her makeup artist Kristofer. "Performing is a whole different thing, but being in the studio is creating and that's what I love to do best." Mariah has been talking about working with Jermaine Dupri and DJ Khaled when she gets back in the studio. "Songwriting is very healing for me," Mariah says. "The studio and the experience of creating new music, it feels so much more like home to me than anywhere else." (Eonline)
Ludacris Releases New Word Game 'Slang N' Friendz'. Rapper/actor Ludacris (real name Christopher Bridges) and CEO/founder Edwin Benton are remixing the word game with their new mobile game, Slang N' Friendz. Launching Thursday (Jan. 26), the free game will pull words from a dictionary database loaded with slang that may not be readily available on Merriam-Webster. Players have the ability to plug in their own slang words and also add new terms. Slang N' Friendz is also equipped with definitions. "In a time when so much of the world is divided, technology has the opportunity to bring us together," Ludacris said in a statement. "Slang N' Friendz encourages users to connect, be friendly and identify what they have in common through language. It's also a chance for different generations to learn about each other's unique forms of communication and find ways to use language to bridge generation gaps." Adds Benton: "Our goal is to provide users with a fun, compelling and unintimidating word game where they can be themselves, learn and represent where they come from. Our purpose is to connect people across the world and allow users to engage with someone they wouldn't normally meet. Slang is universal and could the driving factor that brings us together and one day, possibly change the world." Beyond his latest tech venture, Ludacris is also filming Fast & Furious 8. Throughout his 16-year rap career, Ludacris has released two Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 singles: 2006's "Money Maker" featuring Pharrell and 2003's Shawnna-assisted "Stand Up." Slang N' Friendz is available via the App Store or Google Play. (Billboard)
T.I. to Host Fifth Annual Global Spin Awards. T.I. is set to host this year's Global Spin Awards in New Orleans on Feb. 16. The fifth annual awards show will honor DJs from across the world. DJ Khaled, DJ Envy and DJ Drama are nominated for DJ of the year along with DJ Snake, Diplo and Calvin Harris. The awards will also feature a special No Limit reunion with Master P, Silkk the Shocker, Mia X, Mystikal and Romeo. "Throughout my career, I've formed long-standing relationships with DJs and have always noticed the lack of recognition given to them and the roles they play within the culture, music and entertainment," Global Spin Awards founder Shawn Prez states on the GSA website. "The GSAs were created to fill that void and finally honor the DJs exclusively for their achievements, especially amongst their peers." The show will air Feb. 23 at 10 p.m. ET on Revolt TV. (Billboard)
Cyndi Lauper on Madonna's Women's March Speech: 'I Don't Think It Served Our Purpose'. About one million people participated in the Women's March last weekend (Jan. 21) making it a record-breaking movement across the nation, with the core march taking place in Washington, D.C. Madonna was one of the speakers at the Washington march who expressed their views. The outspoken artist addressed the crowd opening with "... Welcome to the revolution of love -- to the rebellion and our refusal as women to accept this new age of tyranny." She further addressed Donald Trump, who was inaugurated the day before -- and the "Rebel Heart" singer dropped a few F-bombs in the process. The other night on Bravo's Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, Cyndi Lauper made an appearance and gave feedback on Madonna's controversial speech. "I don't think it served our purpose because anger is not better than clarity and humanity," said Lauper, who believes sharing personal stories helps change people's minds. Lauper then used Scarlett Johanson's speech as an example, saying "she shared her story, it was clear it was elequant." Lauper did mention that she was glad Madonna came out to the march. (Billboard)
Movies
'Mary Tyler Moore Show' sales skyrocket after star's death. Fans of Mary Tyler Moore are stocking up on the late actress's work. The beloved television star passed away at 80 on Wednesday due to complications from diabetes, sending sales of her various projects surging online. Amazon's "Movers and Shakers" list saw a 26,785 percent increase in DVD sales of the first season of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," with season 2 and season 3 not far behind with respective increases of more than 24,000 and 23,000 percent at press time; a boxed set of the complete series saw a nearly 20,000 percent surge. "The Dick Van Dyke Show," where she starred in her breakthrough role as Laura Petrie, saw an upwards of 12,000 percent rise in Blu-Ray sales of the complete series, with a more than 5,300 percent uptick in the full DVD set. DVD sales of "Change of Habit," the 1969 film in which she starred with Elvis Presley, shot up 3,000 percent. "Ordinary People," for which Moore was nominated for an Oscar in 1981, saw an increase of more than 2,500 percent in DVD sales, and "Thoroughly Modern Millie," which co-starred Julie Andrews, rose nearly 1,200 percent. (PageSix)
TV
It's Official: Nina Dobrev Is Returning for The Vampire Diaries Series Finale. She's ba-aaack. Nina Dobrev is set to return as Elena Gilbert in The Vampire Diaries' series finale, E! News has confirmed. Did you hear that? That was the sound of Delena fans cheering across the world over the news of Nina's return in the Friday, March 10 finale. Dobrev announced the news of her return on Instagram, posting a photo of the series finale script. "I know it's Thursday, but this is not a TBT," she wrote, adding the hashtags, "#BackOnSet #TVDForever." The photo revealed the epic title of the finale, "I Was Feeling Epic," and that co-creators Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson wrote the series ender together, with Plec set to direct. And yes, we're already getting emotional over bidding farewell to Mystic Falls. "I'm thrilled to bring this show to an end the way we always intended - with Nina back to help us say goodbye," Plec said in a statement. Williamson added, "I'm so excited to have Nina back to ensure our farewell episode is truly epic!" While she didn't appear, Nina's voice was featured in the season seven finale of TVD, with the star recording new dialogue for a particularly emotional Damon scene in the episode. Nina announced she was leaving the series after six seasons in a touching tribute to the show, writing, "I always knew I wanted Elena's story to be a six season adventure, and within those six years I got the journey of a lifetime. I was a human, a vampire, a doppelganger, a crazy immortal, a doppelganger pretending to be human, a human pretending to be a doppelganger. I got kidnapped, killed, resurrected, tortured, cursed, body-snatched, was dead and undead, and there's still so much more to come before the season finale in May. Elena fell in love not once, but twice, with two epic soulmates, and I myself made some of the best friends I'll ever know and built an extended family I will love forever." Since leaving TVD, Dobrev has starred in films such as xXx: Return of Xander Cage and the upcoming Flatliners remake. The Vampire Diaries series finale will air on Friday, March 10 on the CW. (Eonline)
'Scandal' star: Political climate makes new season fascinating. "Scandal" star Joe Morton says the new season of the show will be fascinating, considering the current political climate. Morton, who plays Olivia Pope's father on the ABC hit series, told Page Six, "We are not mirroring what is going on in the real world, although we talk about many of the same things. What will become interesting over the course of the season [is] .?.?. to what extent will someone go to get what they want, especially when everyone is sniffing around power." As for playing a bad guy, "This is one my favorite roles .?.?. He is someone who cares [about] and loathes people at the same time. He is charming and aloof all at the same time." (PageSix)
Suits' Patrick J. Adams Talks Directing That Shocking Midseason Harvey & Donna Premiere Scene. There are moments when all long-running shows must face the inevitable and, either because of poor ratings or depleted story, dim the lights and say goodbye. This is not that moment for Suits. At least, not according to star Patrick J. Adams. Especially after Wednesday night's midseason premiere. "I think the show did something did kind of amazing that starts in the first episode and continues in the next five episodes, which is it kind of goes back to its roots in a way. It seems to be going back... by facing us all with the struggle of having to start anew, by putting Mike in the situation now where he's not under the pressure of this horrible secret, but by having Jessica Pearson suddenly leave, it put the whole firm in this new situation where suddenly there's this void of leadership and people have to figure out how to fix the problem," Adams, who also directed the episode, told E! News. "There's all these really new, dynamic, important problems and people with very different ideas about how to fix them. All these people that we love and they care about each other and they've been working together for so long are shifted into this brand-new place where they have to figure out who they want to be and how they want to continue. I think it certainly makes the show really vibrant and exciting and essential that maybe even for this past season, even though it was doing something new by putting me in prison, it didn't know where it was going to go." "And now that it knows, it's suddenly like this great hard reset where we get to see these characters really fighting for something again and to kind of build a new world... And that's hard," he continued. "We've been on for a long time. It's usually the moment where a lot of shows go, 'Thank you very much for having us. That's our show, that's our story.' And they go quietly into the good night. But the direction we seem to be heading in is a complete and sort of beautiful reset of the priorities of these characters and people who have loved these characters for so long get to go, 'Oh yeah, there's the Harvey Specter that I love and miss. There's the Mike Ross I remember.' You get to see these people really coming into their own in a way that I think maybe people might've thought we were done with. And we're not." In the episode, Harvey (Gabriel Macht) and Louis (Rick Hoffman) struggled with the sudden departure of Pearson Specter Litt den mother Jessica Pearson (Gina Torres, who left the show last year) the only way they know how: By fighting like the most dysfunctional of brothers, rather than banding together. Meanwhile, Mike (Adams) struggled to find a job, any job, that'll hire him now that he's an ex-con and Anita Gibbs (Leslie Hope) intends to make sure he never works in law again, which led to a brief foray into teaching at the school he attended growing up, all while he adamantly refused Harvey's offer to return to the firm. The only person who things were truly looking up for? Rachel (Meghan Markle), who got the offer to work at PSL she's dreamed of for so long -- and as a second-year associate, to boot! "They're put into a new situation where suddenly they have to rise to the occasion because Jessica's been such an important part of the show," Adams said. "She's been the backbone of this place, and she's been the place where Harvey can turn when Harvey can't be the stoic leader that everybody thinks he has. He has this sort of safe space where he can go when he needs that person, and now that person's gone. It put everybody in a situation where they need to step up and they need to grow up and they need to take responsibility they weren't taking before. They need to mature." That said, Adams was quick to remind that Jessica may be gone, but she's not gone. "While she's out of the show and no longer there, it's not like she died in the last episode," he teased. "So you know Jessica's out there somewhere and there is the possibility that she steps back in to help these guys out. Speaking of teases, there's no way we can talk about this episode without talking about that whopper of an opening scene with Harvey and Donna (Sarah Rafferty), a bit of fan service that seemed to be the morning after the pair knocking boots that wound up being nothing more than a dream. For Adams, dream or not, getting to direct that long-time-coming moment was a thrill. "The opening scene of the episode is one of my favorite scenes in Suits history because it's obviously a moment that I think a lot of fans of the show have been waiting to see. Even though it's got a little twist to it, I still think it's a really satisfying and exciting way to come back into the show and throw people right into the deep end," he said. "It's a scene that I typically wouldn't have a lot of experience -- if it was a normal episode I wouldn't be there, obviously, shooting it and I wouldn't have anything to do with it because it doesn't have to do with Mike Ross, so getting to be a part of an iconic moment of the show was an exciting moment as a director." What did you think of the fake-out? Suits airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on USA. (Eonline)
All Hail The Magicians & the Best Dirty Dancing Tribute Fillory Has Ever Seen. Royalty, bitches! The Magicians is finally back, and with it comes a whole new administration in the not-so-imaginary world of Fillory. Eliot (Hale Appleman), Margo (Summer Bishil), Quentin (Jason Ralph), and Alice (Olivia Taylor Dudley) have all been officially crowned as the kings and queens of the fantasy world that turned out to not only be real but also the source of all magic, and it's all thanks to their collective knowledge of '90s pop culture trivia. Yes, you read that right. Since Fillory can only be ruled by someone from Earth, its rulers must pass a series of questions in order to get the Knight of Crowns to hand the headpieces over. Naturally, those questions are about American music and TV shows from the 1990s. Fed up with q's about TV shows starring Tim Daly (Wings) and songs by famous offspring ("Hold On" by Wilson Phillips), High King Eliot knew there was really only one way to win it all: with a Patrick Swayze impression. Sure, he didn't end his "I always do the last dance of the season" speech with the lift (you know the one), but he won the crowns, and what followed was a truly beautiful coronation ceremony, filled with apologies and kind words. It was a lovely bit of peace and happiness in the midst of the insanity that followed their attempt to kill the Beast/Martin Chatwin, which ended in nearly everyone dying for a second. Obviously, they didn't stay dead. Alice was thankfully still under the influence of god juice and was able to revive Margo, Eliot, and Penny, and they all tracked down Quentin, who had sought help from a witch in a candy house (and gave her a vial of his blood, which will surely not be forgotten). Since their beast-killing knife had been stolen and all their plans changed by Julia (Stella Maeve), the gang needed a new plan for defeating the Beast. To learn battle magic, they'd need books, and to get the books they needed to get into the castle, and to be taken to the castle, they needed their crowns, which leads us all the way back to Patrick Swayze. Unfortunately, the books were missing from the castle's armory, so now they need another new plan, and it involves going back to Brakebills...without Eliot, who's stuck in his castle with his wife (who he may or may not like). Speaking of Julia, she and the Beast ended up back on Earth, and Julia made a deal with him. He was going to help her get rid of Reynard (the trickster god who raped her and killed all of her friends), and in return, he would get control of the knife. So now, they're hunting down reports of god-like massacres and hoping to catch themselves a trickster, but something tells us all is not going to go as planned. And finally, poor Penny. Not even Alice's god powers were able to restore his hands after the Beast magically chopped them off, so he made his way to a magical stream that was supposed to fully put him back together. Unfortunately, he was an asshole to the keeper of the river, so now his hands are cursed. It's a somewhat hilarious curse, but not a very convenient curse when magic spells require precise control of your hands. So hopefully he'll either figure it out, or he'll provide us a whole new kind of comic relief this season. The Magicians airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on Syfy. (Eonline)
TV Ratings: 'Hunted' Takes a Hit, ABC's White House Interview Leads Wednesday. After its record-breaking premiere following the NFL, CBS' new reality show comes back to earth. Hunted suffered a very steep drop after Sunday's post-NFL sampling. The new reality show, airing for an extended two hours on CBS, averaged a 1.3 rating among adults 18-49 and 5.5 million viewers. A drop from the premiere, a 2016-17 best in the key demo, was expected, but the effort came back down to earth slightly earlier than expected. Elsewhere on CBS, Code Black posted an even 0.9 rating among adults 18-49. With quite a few repeats across the board, ABC nabbed a demo victory for the night with David Muir's sit-down with U.S. president and The Apprentice executive producer Donald Trump. The special, repurposed across the ABC News suite, earned a 1.7 rating among adults 18-49 and 7.5 million viewers. Fox was the only other Big Four network with anything new on Wednesday. Lethal Weapon (1.4 adults) and Star (1.2 adults) retained last week's scores. (Hollywood Reporter)
Scarlett Johansson Gave No Sign Her Marriage Was Over for 6 Months--but Privacy Has Always Been the Name of Her Game. Scarlett Johansson didn't just smile through the pain. She traveled, entertained, worked, promoted, bantered and marched through it. All of which probably helped ease the pain in the meantime, but...we digress. The news broke seemingly out of nowhere that Johansson and her husband of two years, Romain Dauriac, had separated. And though we know by now that there's no such thing as "out of nowhere" when it comes to a celebrity's marriage, the Lost in Translation star really kept a lid on this development, aided in part by the fact that she and Dauriac have largely split their time between France and New York since tying the knot. Not quite as much hanging around the courthouse over there as there is in sunny Los Angeles. But that is exactly what we could have expected from Johansson, who operates in more of an old-Hollywood style than some of her contemporaries as far as her personal life goes, not being one to share much when it doesn't have anything to do with her work. Such is a lifestyle choice that is much harder to pull off than it might sound -- especially for someone whose stature in the Marvel Universe has made her one of the top-earning actresses in show business. Johansson has always pulled her promotional weight when it comes to talk shows, press junkets, Comic-Con and everything else that goes into playing Black Widow and the various other memorable characters she's tackled in recent years, nor is she a spotlight-eschewing hermit. She just refuses to test the potential perils of too much public engagement. For instance, the 32-year-old actress has over the years been a face of Mango, Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana, Calvin Klein fragrance and L'Oreal. But she's not on social media. Not Twitter, not Instagram, not Snapchat -- not even Facebook, the home of other tweet-shy stars like Jennifer Lawrence. Her lack of social media footprint calls to mind another fiercely private actress, one who also up until recently was based in France -- Natalie Portman, Johansson's co-star in The Other Boleyn Girl. Portman actually recently credited Johansson with helping her to overcome her fear of being labeled "difficult" at work, telling Yahoo! Movies last year that Scarlett saw her shivering on set one day and asked why she hadn't said anything. "I was like, 'I don't know, I didn't want to be a problem,'" Portman recalled, "and she was like, 'Say you're cold!' And it was good to have someone point it out to me that I even had a hard time making a very reasonable complaint about my own discomfort."
Chrisley Knows Best's Savannah Chrisley and Blaire Hanks Break Up After 2 Years of Dating. Savannah Chrisley is letting her heart break. The Chrisley Knows Best star headed to Facebook Live Wednesday evening with an emotional message to her fans and followers. As it turns out, the beauty queen and her longtime boyfriend Blaire Hanks have split after two years of dating. "All of you guys are so invested in my family and our lives and I feel like when we signed up for the show, we gave you a promise to show you our lives and to be as honest as we can about it and that's just what I'm trying to do now," she explained through tears. "So to cut to the point... Blaire and I are no longer dating." Savannah continued, "It hurts, it does because for me he was that definition of just my first true love and I'm trying to stay strong y'all." Those who watched Chrisley Knows Best witnessed the couple's love story in several seasons. While Savannah admitted that it wasn't always perfect, she also confessed that it was "truly the definition of young love." And while being in the spotlight brought about its own challenges, the romance helped Savannah have some of the best times of her life. "I hope that you will please do me a favor and don't send negative vibes to him. He doesn't deserve that. We are young. We had our young love," Savannah shared. "It wasn't my fault. It wasn't his fault. There were faults on both sides." As the pair decides to focus on themselves in the coming days, Savannah assures fans that everything happens for a reason and that she will love the singer forever. "I will always love him and it just is what it is," she shared. "I am so grateful that God has let me experience this kind of love." Chrisley Knows Best returns February 21 at 10 p.m. on USA Network. (Eonline)
Milla Jovovich's standing firm against letting her 9-year-old daughter watch "Resident Evil: The Final Chapter" ... even though the kid played a key role in the new flick. We caught up with Milla Wednesday at LAX and asked her about keeping 'Evil' in the family. Remember ... Milla's hubby, Paul W.S. Anderson, wrote and directed the series, and it now includes daughter Ever Gabo, who plays Red Queen -- a diabolical holographic avatar. But it sounds like Ever's got some growing up to do before she gets the full Hollywood experience. (TMZ)
Dakota Johnson has a new love of sex toys. Dakota Johnson is no longer afraid to let her freak flag fly. The "Fifty Shades of Grey" starlet dished on her newfound appreciation or sex toys. "Oh some of that stuff is just so beautiful," the 27-year-old quipped in the March issue of Glamour UK. "We when first started 'Fifty Shades,' that wasn't a world I was privy to at all, and I soon found out there are all these different tiers." Although she has found her pleasure zone, she's not quite ready to jump down a rabbit hole. "There are some things out there that are really grimy and nasty, and then there are really beautiful, intricate and chic toys," she said. "Actually, whole aspects of the BDSM world are truly beautiful." And since she began starring in these films, the second installment of "Fifty Shades Dark" hits theaters next month, her fame has skyrocketed. But that doesn't mean her parents Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson have seen her work. "They haven't because it's such a tricky thing," she carefully explained. "It's too uncomfortable for them. It's one thing if a film has one sex scene in it, but with this, a large part of the premise is the arc of their sexual relationship, and I think that's a little inappropriate for my family to watch." (PageSix)
Drew Carey's son is the mystery kid from the Trump protest who claimed he started a bonfire and yelled, "Screw our president" ... TMZ has learned. News footage of the boy went viral after the inauguration eve protest in Washington D.C. -- and we've confirmed it was 11-year-old Connor behind one of the night's most memorable moments. A source close to Drew tells us Connor got caught up in the emotions of the crowd around him, and he was in hot water afterward. We're told Drew and Connor's mom were upset about how he expressed himself to the reporter, and talked to him about his language. The source says Connor "regretted his choice of words" after the chat with his folks. Our own photog ran into Drew that night at the rally, and it was clear he had no idea Connor was in the heat of the action. (TMZ)
Shia LaBeouf Arrested During Live Stream. Shia LaBeouf has had another run-in with the law. The 30-year-old actor was arrested in New York City early Thursday morning after getting into an altercation with a protestor. LaBeouf's fight, which began after an unnamed person got in front of the camera and said something that upset the Transformers actor, and arrest was caught on camera during his political protest's live stream. LaBeouf grabbed the man's scarf and allegedly scratched him, and nearby cops who witnessed the act moved in and arrested him. The American Honey actor was released after being charged with misdemeanor assault and harassment, E! News confirms. He is scheduled to appear in court on April 4. The Even Stevens alum has had his fair share of legal troubles, having been charged with criminal trespassing and disorderly conduct after refusing to leave a Manhattan theater. LaBeouf also has participated in a variety of public performance art projects over the past few years, including occupying an elevator for 24 hours, re-watching all of his movies in a theater and sitting in a room in complete silence in Los Angeles. (Eonline)
Allman Brothers drummer fatally shot himself in front of wife. Allman Brothers Band drummer Butch Trucks fatally shot himself in front of his wife in Florida, according to law enforcement records. A police dispatcher noted that Trucks' suicide Tuesday night in West Palm Beach was witnessed by his wife Melinda, the Daily Mail reported, citing police reports. The wife called 911 to frantically report that her "husband just shot himself" with a pistol. (PageSix)
THE OTHER STUFF . . .
Elton John to Write Broadway-Bound 'Devil Wears Prada' Musical. Paul Rudnick will also pen the stage show based on the hit 2006 film starring Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep. The Devil Wears Prada stage musical is definitely not moving at a glacial pace. Elton John and Paul Rudnick have signed on to write the Broadway-bound musical adaptation of Lauren Weisberger's best-selling 2003 novel and the hit 2006 film, which starred Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt. Kevin McCollum (Rent, Avenue Q) is producing with Fox Stage Productions and Rocket Entertainment. Production timelines will be announced at a later date. "To bring The Devil Wears Prada to the stage, we knew we needed to find artists as inimitable as the characters in the story," said Bob Cohen of Fox Stage Productions and Kevin McCollum in a joint statement: "We needed artists whose work has run the gamut from music and publishing to drama and fashion. We could think of only two names: Elton John and Paul Rudnick. ... That's all!" Elton John said, "Re-imagining The Devil Wears Prada for the musical theatre is super exciting. I'm a huge fan of both the book and the feature film, and a huge aficionado of the fashion world. I can't wait to sink my musical teeth into this hunk of popular culture." The David Frankel film, which followed a fish-out-of-water journalist working at a fashion magazine with an intolerable boss and also starred Stanley Tucci and Adrien Grenier, grossed $324 million worldwide. (Hollywood Reporter)
Pamela Anderson 'speechless' after visiting refugee camp. Pamela Anderson made a surprise visit to a refugee camp in France, and was left "speechless." "I'm so angry," wrote the star. "The children are so lovely and polite. I gave out blankets, hats, gloves, fruit, coloring books and crayons. Some were so fearful they wouldn't get a blanket or crayons or an apple .?.?. It was chaos. I'll never forget today." Anderson wrote on her blog, "They have been there for months, years .?.?. The politics are incomprehensibly devastating. People must see what is happening. Beautiful and innocent people are shown such little respect." She added, "I encourage more people to come visit and volunteer." (PageSix)
Frances Bean Cobain Picked to Model Marc Jacob's Newest Campaign. Marc Jacobs' newest inspiration has been unveiled. The fashion mogul announced Frances Bean Cobain as the face of his spring-summer 2017 campaign and, in the process, added her famous moniker to his revered list of muses. "I first met Frances Bean when she was 2 years old at a dinner with her mom (Courtney) and Anna Sui in 1994 at Bar Six in NYC," the designer recalled on social media. "I have always wanted to work with Frances. Her beauty, uniqueness, and strength is something I have long admired and respected. Few things remain as constant as my continued inspiration from those whose honesty, integrity, courage, and curiosity lead them to explore and venture beyond preconceived boundaries." The 24-year-old daughter and only child of Courtney Love and the late Kurt Cobain has dabbled minimally in modeling since she was she was a pre-teen, first striking a pose in Elle in 2006 dressed in her father's iconic sweater and checkered pajama pants. A decade later, the dark-haired beauty is facing the camera head-on as Jacob's cover girl, sporting a lacy frock with tousled hair and an expression packed with attitude. Despite seeming to have an ease in front of the camera, Cobain told Vogue she doesn't intend on making this foray in front of the camera a permanent gig. "I don't think I'll be modeling for anybody else for a very long time -- this is 100 percent outside my comfort zone," she told the magazine. "I wouldn't have done it with anyone other than Marc." "I was flattered that Marc thought of me for this. What I said to Marc when I was saying yes was that he's an underdog for the masses," she continued. "He's still very rebellious within the fashion world, and he's been like that his entire career." Jacobs is known for fostering a diverse crop of female figures to represent his brand, ranging from model Emily Ratajkowski to musical icon Bette Midler. The method? Picking models who catch his interest. "For example, I've also worked with Jessica Lange, and when I met her I just thought 'how great would it be to work with Jessica Lange?' in the same way that I thought 'how great would it be to work with Kaia Gerber?,'" he explained to Vogue. "It wasn't 'how great would it be to work with someone under 16 and how great would it be to work with someone over 40?'" (Eonline)
Emma Stone, Amy Adams, Natalie Portman and More Actresses Stun in Vanity Fair's 2017 Hollywood Issue. They truly look like wonder women. Pregnant Natalie Portman, Emma Stone, Amy Adams, Lupita Nyong'o, Ruth Negga, sisters Dakota Fanning and Elle Fanning, Dakota Johnson, Greta Gerwig, Aja Naomi King and Janelle Monáe are the stars of Vanity Fair's 2017 Hollywood issue, and the cover is nothing short of glamorous. Wearing hues of pink, gold and red, the A-list stars stare deadpan into the lens of famed photographer Annie Leibovitz's camera, proving that they really are the women running Hollywood. Just take a look at the statistics: among the 11 cover stars are 12 Oscar nominations and two wins. Three of this year's Best Actress nominees -- Stone, Portman and Negga -- are included. Inside the pages of the magazine the stars continue to stun. Portman channels the iconic Demi Moore Vanity Fair cover from August 1991 that was also shot by Leibovitz, posing simply in a silk stole to let her baby bump steal the show. "It was about capturing Natalie at her most radiant," Vanity Fair fashion and style director Jessica Diehl says of the photo shoot. The magazine profiles each woman's accomplishments, ranging from their various awards nominations and wins to their up-and-coming projects, but also made sure to capture their fun spirit as they goofed around on the Paramount back lot. These might be some of the hardest working women in Hollywood, but they still know how to have fun. The Hollywood Issue of Vanity Fair is available on newsstands in New York and Los Angeles, and on the iPhone, Kindle, and other devices, on Thursday, Feb. 2 and nationally on Tuesday, Feb. 7. (Eonline)
Kardashians on Cosmopolitan: See Kim, Khloe and Kourtney's Fun, Fearless and Sexy Magazine Covers! These dolls are oh so Cosmo! In anticipation of the upcoming premiere of E!'s new series So Cosmo, we're celebrating with every single time the Kardashians have graced the cover of Cosmopolitan magazine -- and it's a whole lot! Kim Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian and Khloe Kardashian have posed for the posh publication numerous times each, while Kylie Jenner made her solo Cosmo cover debut back in February 2015. You certainly can't deny that these fabulous sisters are the definition of fun, fearless and sexy! Plus, who could forget that time all six of these boss moguls, including Kris Jenner and Kendall Jenner, landed the cover together for one powerhouse photo shoot in November 2015? Talk about stunning! (Eonline)
'I Screamed at the Sky': How Mary Tyler Moore Was Forever Changed by the Death of Her 24-Year-Old Son. Mary Tyler Moore, known for the Dick Van Dyke Show and Mary Tyler Moore Show, died on Wednesday. She was 80. Though the actress was known for portraying sunny and upbeat characters on screen, her personal life was marred with tragedies. Moore was divorced twice (first from Richard Meeker in 1961 and later Grant Tinker in 1981) before marrying Dr. Robert Levine in 1983, struggled with alcoholism and was suffered from Type 1 diabetes. But perhaps her biggest tragedy came in 1980 when her only child, son Ritchie, died at the age of 24. Moore gave birth to Richie just one year into her first marriage with Richard Meeker at the age of 18. By the time he was 3, she had steady work on TV. When he was 6, she and Meeker divorced. Six months later, she married Tinker, who had four children from a previous marriage. The heavy workload of both parents left little time for their children. "I demanded a lot of Richie," Moore later admitted. "I was responsible for a lot of alienation." In her 1995 memoir, After All, she wrote, "There is no question about it. By the time Richie was 5, I had already let him down. When he needed me the most, I was busier and even more self-concerned than I had been when he was an impressionable infant." Their relationship grew strained as Richie grew up and rebelled, and for a long period, mother and son were estranged. In 1971, Richie moved with his father to Fresno, California, where the teenager thrived and even talked of plans for college. But when Meeker was transferred out of town, Richie persuaded his parents to let him remain in Fresno on his own to complete his senior year. But soon afterward, he fell prey to drugs. In her memoir, Moore recalled receiving a phone call from a "frantic and sobbing" Richie, admitting that he was in trouble with a drug dealer. "I realized the extent of the tangle that was now my son's life." After receiving treatment, Richie turned his life around, moving back in with his mother and eventually graduating from high school. (Though Moore wrote that she was unable to attend the ceremony due to an acting job.) Over time, Moore and Ritchie reconciled their relationship, and he even began landing some small acting roles on TV. But in 1980, Moore received a fateful phone call that would forever change her life: her son was dead. "On Oct. 15, 1980, at 5 a.m., the phone awakened me," she wrote in her memoir. "It was Grant. 'If you're standing, you should sit down ... It's Richie. He's dead."' Richie died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 24. Richie, an avid gun collector, was toying with a gun called the "Snake Charmer" while watching TV in his bedroom when it went off. A formal investigation by the Los Angeles Coroner's Office later confirmed that his death was an accident. The "Snake Charmer" was eventually taken off the market because of its "hair-trigger" instability. Moore recalled spreading her son's ashes into the Owen River in the days following his death. "The water was clear and high as I knelt over it," she wrote. "I opened the container and emptied it into the rushing water. What was meant to be a prayer became an outraged demand. 'You take care of him,' I screamed at the sky." With the help of her psychotherapist, Moore began to deal with the tragedy. To keep going, she kept busy. More than 6,000 letters of condolence had come in. Hour after hour, Moore sat and answered them in her own hand. (People)
Barack Obama's Memoir Could Fetch $20 Million Advance. "There is a broader fascination with Obama, from conservatives who really hate him as well as liberals who deeply admire what he did," says presidential historian Julian Zelizer. If you believe Esther Newberg, co-head of ICM Partners' publishing unit, former President Barack Obama is about to come into some serious cash -- $20 million or more. "There's no doubt Obama's memoir will go for more than any president's has ever gone," she predicts. The bar is high. George W. Bush got $7 million for 2010's Decision Points (which sold more than 2.6 million copies), and Bill Clinton got a whopping $15 million -- a presidential record -- for 2001's My Life (sales of 2.2 million). Princeton University presidential historian Julian Zelizer predicts Obama's advance and sales will top both: "There is broader fascination with Obama, from conservatives who really hate him as well as liberals who deeply admire what he did." Obama, 55, who likely will be repped by Washington lawyer Bob Barnett, recently told senior adviser turned CNN commentator David Axelrod that the book is his top priority. And he hired Cody Keenan, former White House director of speechwriting, to help. While every major publisher likely will bid, Random House, which published Obama's 1995 memoir Dreams of My Father and 2008 campaign book The Audacity of Hope (combined sales: 5 million), as well as both the Clinton and Bush books, has the inside track. One wild card: Obama might find a rival in wife Michelle, whom Newberg predicts will "easily" surpass the $8 million Hillary Clinton got in 2000 for her memoir. Says the University of Virginia's Brian Balogh, who co-hosts the popular history podcast Backstory: "We haven't heard as much from [Michelle], and he won't be running for president, whereas she ... " (Hollywood Reporter)
Ashley Graham Isn't Ashamed of Her Cellulite, and Says You Shouldn't Be Either. Ashley Graham wants everyone to embrace the skin they're in. The model and America's Next Top Model judge shared a candid, body positive message on Instagram Wednesday night, reminding her three million followers that beauty isn't limited to a size zero. In the snapshot, Ashley, who's seemingly vacationing in the Philippines at the moment, wears an animal print bikini while soaking up the sun on a lounge chair. Graham captioned the shot, "I workout. I do my best to eat well. I love the skin I'm in." She added, "And I'm not ashamed of a few lumps, bumps or cellulite... and you shouldn't be either. #beautybeyondsize #lovetheskinyourein" As if we needed yet another reason to adore this star! Ashley's latest remarks about confidence and self-love are far from her first. Since landing the cover of Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue at the start of 2016, she's blazed quite a trail for fellow curvy catwalk queens. Nearly one year, plenty of magazine covers, a racy DNCE music video and the launch of her own swimsuit line (preceded by a lingerie line) later, Graham rightfully took home one of Glamour's Women of the Year awards. "This isn't just for me," Graham shared during her acceptance speech. This is for the girl who got into a bikini for the first time this year, the mother who just had a child and she's embracing her stretch marks on her stomach, for that girl who said, 'No I'm actually not going to lose weight for you, boyfriend,' and for the woman who can actually look in the mirror and say 'I love you' and mean it. It's for those girls." We applaud you, Ashley! (Eonline)
Clint Eastwood's Pebble Beach home is up for sale ... and rich folks looking to buy could score an iconic bonus. Clint's 6 bed, 6,900 sq. ft. mansion perched on an ocean bluff is on the market for $9.75 mil, and guess what's in the courtyard ... the Bird Girl statue featured in his 1997 flick, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil." We're told Clint is willing to throw in the statue ... for the right price, of course. The house was built in 1928 and even has a name -- Hacienda Este Madera, which roughly translates to "House East Wood." (TMZ)
Neil Diamond scores sweet deal on $725M Malibu estate. Legendary singer-songwriter Neil Diamond has purchased a Malibu estate for $7.25 million, says real estate gossip Yolanda of Yolanda's Little Black Book. Diamond bought the house just off Pacific Coast Highway through an LLC in November 2016. It appears Diamond scored a gem of a deal, because the sellers paid $8.15 million for the home in August 2010. Built in 1996, the house is filled with curved walls and sits on a large lot behind a privacy hedge. The five-bedroom, seven-bath home features spectacular ocean views, an open kitchen with granite counters and stainless-steel range, and a great room with vaulted ceiling. Outside there's a stone patio, spa, and infinity pool. The house is part of Malibu's Blue Whale Estates neighborhood, an oceanfront, gated community of just five homes. Diamond's 4,692-square-feet property is the largest of the five. Diamond, 75, began his career in the 1960s and has since sold more than 120 million records worldwide. Among his most famous hits are "Cracklin' Rosie," "Song Sung Blue," "You Don't Bring Me Flowers," and "Sweet Caroline," which has become the Boston Red Sox' anthem. (PageSix)
'Vanderpump Rules' star Jax wants to help Leah Remini fight Scientology. Leah Remini's crusade against Scientology just gained another supporter: Jax Taylor. Speaking to Bravo's Daily Dish, the "Vanderpump Rules" star weighed in on the actress's A&E docu-series, "Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath," and how the show's footage struck a chord with him. "Any documentary-type show I love watching, so I just watched it," Taylor explained. "I was actually in Florida over Christmas and my mom and I were just watching this marathon and were like, 'Oh my God, this is happening down the street from your house.' It was all being taped in Clearwater, and my parents live in Clearwater, so oh my God. It was just so interesting, the things that these people do." Remini, 46, left Church of Scientology after 30 years in 2013. The church has since blasted the "King of Queens" star, alleging she "seeks publicity by maliciously spreading lines ... using the same handful of bitter zealots who were kicked out years ago." In response, Remini challenged to the controversial organization to sue her. "Why do I wish they would? Because they'd have to be deposed ... I'd have to be deposed, so we'd get some real information out," she told Dr. Oz in November. Watching Remini's series prompted Taylor to reveal his own connection to Scientology. The Bravo personality said that he modeled for some of the organization's promotional materials at the Hemet, Calif., facility. "It was just a modeling job. And it just seemed like a very weird place," Taylor recalled. " There's all these people walking around with keys. And they're always in these outfits. And they're always walking somewhere." "Where are you guys going? What are you guys doing? There's all these secret doors everywhere. What's going on?" he continued. In late December, Taylor, 37, shared a screen shot of Remini's show on Twitter, urging her to let him help. "Like the old days when I was a kid watching tv on the floor with pillows love my hero @LeahRemini I want to help!! #ScientologyTheAftermath," he wrote. A rep for Scientology did not immediately return a request for comment. (PageSix)
Melania Trump ready to fight back against left-wing haters. Melania Trump has had enough of left-leaning stars such as Chelsea Handler taking cheap shots at her and her son, Barron -- and is finalizing her own team of staffers to fight back. The first lady has so far remained silent amid a torrent of social-media attacks on herself and her and President Donald Trump's 10-year-old son. Comedian Handler said in a video interview with Variety that Melania "can barely speak English," then followed up with the tweet, "Blink if you need help @MELANIATRUMP." Now President Trump's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, is firing back on Melania's behalf. He told Page Six, "Shame on Chelsea Handler for attacking our first lady in such a despicable manner." Cohen added, "Don't be fooled by her accent. Melania is bright and articulate. To be clear, our first lady speaks multiple languages, I believe five. How many languages do you speak, Chelsea?" White House insiders say that the first lady is close to finalizing her team to manage these attacks. Sources close to the administration exclusively tell Page Six former Vogue staffer and Met Ball organizer Stephanie Winston Wolkoff -- who also masterminded Trump's inauguration events with Tom Barrack -- is being tapped as Melania's chief strategist and is helping interview and select candidates for the first lady's chief of staff, communications chief and social secretary. On Tuesday, the White House asked for privacy for Barron, after a wave of unwarranted comments including one from "Saturday Night Live" writer Katie Rich, who tweeted that the president's youngest son would become the nation's "first -- homeschool shooter." Rich was suspended from the NBC show and later apologized for the "insensitive" and "inexcusable" tweet. In a brief statement to the media, which did not mention Barron by name, the White House noted the "longstanding tradition that the children of presidents are afforded the opportunity to grow up outside of the political spotlight." (PageSix)
Barron Trump is back in school -- this time as a member of the First Family -- and no one in NYC really noticed. The 10-year-old was taken to his private school Thursday morning in an SUV, accompanied by a second SUV. There was no motorcade, which leads us to believe Melania did not accompany him which she frequently did before the inauguration. There were no traffic tie-ups as Barron made his way uptown. Secret Service did not stop traffic along the route. There was a lot of concern by New Yorkers Barron's trek back and forth would create unbearable gridlock. So far, so good. (TMZ)
Carnegie Deli drama heats up at auction. The Carnegie Deli may have closed -- but its scandals continue. At an auction to sell the iconic restaurant's equipment, the goods sold out in less than an hour -- except one $10 KitchenAid coffee maker. "It had the name 'Kay' written on the box, the name of a former waitress and alleged mistress of the scoundrel ex-husband of Marian Harper, the owner," said a source at the sale. Added the source, "Marian was seen last week giving away two dozen old photos to loyal customers. Many wondered why -- but most of those particular photos tossed included her ex or were taken by him." (PageSix)
Music
Mariah Carey Excited to Get Back in the Studio Amid James Packer Split: ''Songwriting Is Very Healing for Me." "I need to be in the studio." Mariah Carey wraps up her European tour on this Sunday's Mariah's World season finale. And now that her tour is over, Mariah is ready to get back in the studio, especially after everything that's been going on in her personal life. Sunday's episode shows Mariah going through her breakup with James Packer and in the clip, Mimi admits that songwriting is "healing" for her. "I feel like a different person when I'm not in the studio," Mariah tells her makeup artist Kristofer. "Performing is a whole different thing, but being in the studio is creating and that's what I love to do best." Mariah has been talking about working with Jermaine Dupri and DJ Khaled when she gets back in the studio. "Songwriting is very healing for me," Mariah says. "The studio and the experience of creating new music, it feels so much more like home to me than anywhere else." (Eonline)
Ludacris Releases New Word Game 'Slang N' Friendz'. Rapper/actor Ludacris (real name Christopher Bridges) and CEO/founder Edwin Benton are remixing the word game with their new mobile game, Slang N' Friendz. Launching Thursday (Jan. 26), the free game will pull words from a dictionary database loaded with slang that may not be readily available on Merriam-Webster. Players have the ability to plug in their own slang words and also add new terms. Slang N' Friendz is also equipped with definitions. "In a time when so much of the world is divided, technology has the opportunity to bring us together," Ludacris said in a statement. "Slang N' Friendz encourages users to connect, be friendly and identify what they have in common through language. It's also a chance for different generations to learn about each other's unique forms of communication and find ways to use language to bridge generation gaps." Adds Benton: "Our goal is to provide users with a fun, compelling and unintimidating word game where they can be themselves, learn and represent where they come from. Our purpose is to connect people across the world and allow users to engage with someone they wouldn't normally meet. Slang is universal and could the driving factor that brings us together and one day, possibly change the world." Beyond his latest tech venture, Ludacris is also filming Fast & Furious 8. Throughout his 16-year rap career, Ludacris has released two Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 singles: 2006's "Money Maker" featuring Pharrell and 2003's Shawnna-assisted "Stand Up." Slang N' Friendz is available via the App Store or Google Play. (Billboard)
T.I. to Host Fifth Annual Global Spin Awards. T.I. is set to host this year's Global Spin Awards in New Orleans on Feb. 16. The fifth annual awards show will honor DJs from across the world. DJ Khaled, DJ Envy and DJ Drama are nominated for DJ of the year along with DJ Snake, Diplo and Calvin Harris. The awards will also feature a special No Limit reunion with Master P, Silkk the Shocker, Mia X, Mystikal and Romeo. "Throughout my career, I've formed long-standing relationships with DJs and have always noticed the lack of recognition given to them and the roles they play within the culture, music and entertainment," Global Spin Awards founder Shawn Prez states on the GSA website. "The GSAs were created to fill that void and finally honor the DJs exclusively for their achievements, especially amongst their peers." The show will air Feb. 23 at 10 p.m. ET on Revolt TV. (Billboard)
Cyndi Lauper on Madonna's Women's March Speech: 'I Don't Think It Served Our Purpose'. About one million people participated in the Women's March last weekend (Jan. 21) making it a record-breaking movement across the nation, with the core march taking place in Washington, D.C. Madonna was one of the speakers at the Washington march who expressed their views. The outspoken artist addressed the crowd opening with "... Welcome to the revolution of love -- to the rebellion and our refusal as women to accept this new age of tyranny." She further addressed Donald Trump, who was inaugurated the day before -- and the "Rebel Heart" singer dropped a few F-bombs in the process. The other night on Bravo's Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, Cyndi Lauper made an appearance and gave feedback on Madonna's controversial speech. "I don't think it served our purpose because anger is not better than clarity and humanity," said Lauper, who believes sharing personal stories helps change people's minds. Lauper then used Scarlett Johanson's speech as an example, saying "she shared her story, it was clear it was elequant." Lauper did mention that she was glad Madonna came out to the march. (Billboard)
Movies
'Mary Tyler Moore Show' sales skyrocket after star's death. Fans of Mary Tyler Moore are stocking up on the late actress's work. The beloved television star passed away at 80 on Wednesday due to complications from diabetes, sending sales of her various projects surging online. Amazon's "Movers and Shakers" list saw a 26,785 percent increase in DVD sales of the first season of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," with season 2 and season 3 not far behind with respective increases of more than 24,000 and 23,000 percent at press time; a boxed set of the complete series saw a nearly 20,000 percent surge. "The Dick Van Dyke Show," where she starred in her breakthrough role as Laura Petrie, saw an upwards of 12,000 percent rise in Blu-Ray sales of the complete series, with a more than 5,300 percent uptick in the full DVD set. DVD sales of "Change of Habit," the 1969 film in which she starred with Elvis Presley, shot up 3,000 percent. "Ordinary People," for which Moore was nominated for an Oscar in 1981, saw an increase of more than 2,500 percent in DVD sales, and "Thoroughly Modern Millie," which co-starred Julie Andrews, rose nearly 1,200 percent. (PageSix)
TV
It's Official: Nina Dobrev Is Returning for The Vampire Diaries Series Finale. She's ba-aaack. Nina Dobrev is set to return as Elena Gilbert in The Vampire Diaries' series finale, E! News has confirmed. Did you hear that? That was the sound of Delena fans cheering across the world over the news of Nina's return in the Friday, March 10 finale. Dobrev announced the news of her return on Instagram, posting a photo of the series finale script. "I know it's Thursday, but this is not a TBT," she wrote, adding the hashtags, "#BackOnSet #TVDForever." The photo revealed the epic title of the finale, "I Was Feeling Epic," and that co-creators Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson wrote the series ender together, with Plec set to direct. And yes, we're already getting emotional over bidding farewell to Mystic Falls. "I'm thrilled to bring this show to an end the way we always intended - with Nina back to help us say goodbye," Plec said in a statement. Williamson added, "I'm so excited to have Nina back to ensure our farewell episode is truly epic!" While she didn't appear, Nina's voice was featured in the season seven finale of TVD, with the star recording new dialogue for a particularly emotional Damon scene in the episode. Nina announced she was leaving the series after six seasons in a touching tribute to the show, writing, "I always knew I wanted Elena's story to be a six season adventure, and within those six years I got the journey of a lifetime. I was a human, a vampire, a doppelganger, a crazy immortal, a doppelganger pretending to be human, a human pretending to be a doppelganger. I got kidnapped, killed, resurrected, tortured, cursed, body-snatched, was dead and undead, and there's still so much more to come before the season finale in May. Elena fell in love not once, but twice, with two epic soulmates, and I myself made some of the best friends I'll ever know and built an extended family I will love forever." Since leaving TVD, Dobrev has starred in films such as xXx: Return of Xander Cage and the upcoming Flatliners remake. The Vampire Diaries series finale will air on Friday, March 10 on the CW. (Eonline)
'Scandal' star: Political climate makes new season fascinating. "Scandal" star Joe Morton says the new season of the show will be fascinating, considering the current political climate. Morton, who plays Olivia Pope's father on the ABC hit series, told Page Six, "We are not mirroring what is going on in the real world, although we talk about many of the same things. What will become interesting over the course of the season [is] .?.?. to what extent will someone go to get what they want, especially when everyone is sniffing around power." As for playing a bad guy, "This is one my favorite roles .?.?. He is someone who cares [about] and loathes people at the same time. He is charming and aloof all at the same time." (PageSix)
Suits' Patrick J. Adams Talks Directing That Shocking Midseason Harvey & Donna Premiere Scene. There are moments when all long-running shows must face the inevitable and, either because of poor ratings or depleted story, dim the lights and say goodbye. This is not that moment for Suits. At least, not according to star Patrick J. Adams. Especially after Wednesday night's midseason premiere. "I think the show did something did kind of amazing that starts in the first episode and continues in the next five episodes, which is it kind of goes back to its roots in a way. It seems to be going back... by facing us all with the struggle of having to start anew, by putting Mike in the situation now where he's not under the pressure of this horrible secret, but by having Jessica Pearson suddenly leave, it put the whole firm in this new situation where suddenly there's this void of leadership and people have to figure out how to fix the problem," Adams, who also directed the episode, told E! News. "There's all these really new, dynamic, important problems and people with very different ideas about how to fix them. All these people that we love and they care about each other and they've been working together for so long are shifted into this brand-new place where they have to figure out who they want to be and how they want to continue. I think it certainly makes the show really vibrant and exciting and essential that maybe even for this past season, even though it was doing something new by putting me in prison, it didn't know where it was going to go." "And now that it knows, it's suddenly like this great hard reset where we get to see these characters really fighting for something again and to kind of build a new world... And that's hard," he continued. "We've been on for a long time. It's usually the moment where a lot of shows go, 'Thank you very much for having us. That's our show, that's our story.' And they go quietly into the good night. But the direction we seem to be heading in is a complete and sort of beautiful reset of the priorities of these characters and people who have loved these characters for so long get to go, 'Oh yeah, there's the Harvey Specter that I love and miss. There's the Mike Ross I remember.' You get to see these people really coming into their own in a way that I think maybe people might've thought we were done with. And we're not." In the episode, Harvey (Gabriel Macht) and Louis (Rick Hoffman) struggled with the sudden departure of Pearson Specter Litt den mother Jessica Pearson (Gina Torres, who left the show last year) the only way they know how: By fighting like the most dysfunctional of brothers, rather than banding together. Meanwhile, Mike (Adams) struggled to find a job, any job, that'll hire him now that he's an ex-con and Anita Gibbs (Leslie Hope) intends to make sure he never works in law again, which led to a brief foray into teaching at the school he attended growing up, all while he adamantly refused Harvey's offer to return to the firm. The only person who things were truly looking up for? Rachel (Meghan Markle), who got the offer to work at PSL she's dreamed of for so long -- and as a second-year associate, to boot! "They're put into a new situation where suddenly they have to rise to the occasion because Jessica's been such an important part of the show," Adams said. "She's been the backbone of this place, and she's been the place where Harvey can turn when Harvey can't be the stoic leader that everybody thinks he has. He has this sort of safe space where he can go when he needs that person, and now that person's gone. It put everybody in a situation where they need to step up and they need to grow up and they need to take responsibility they weren't taking before. They need to mature." That said, Adams was quick to remind that Jessica may be gone, but she's not gone. "While she's out of the show and no longer there, it's not like she died in the last episode," he teased. "So you know Jessica's out there somewhere and there is the possibility that she steps back in to help these guys out. Speaking of teases, there's no way we can talk about this episode without talking about that whopper of an opening scene with Harvey and Donna (Sarah Rafferty), a bit of fan service that seemed to be the morning after the pair knocking boots that wound up being nothing more than a dream. For Adams, dream or not, getting to direct that long-time-coming moment was a thrill. "The opening scene of the episode is one of my favorite scenes in Suits history because it's obviously a moment that I think a lot of fans of the show have been waiting to see. Even though it's got a little twist to it, I still think it's a really satisfying and exciting way to come back into the show and throw people right into the deep end," he said. "It's a scene that I typically wouldn't have a lot of experience -- if it was a normal episode I wouldn't be there, obviously, shooting it and I wouldn't have anything to do with it because it doesn't have to do with Mike Ross, so getting to be a part of an iconic moment of the show was an exciting moment as a director." What did you think of the fake-out? Suits airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on USA. (Eonline)
All Hail The Magicians & the Best Dirty Dancing Tribute Fillory Has Ever Seen. Royalty, bitches! The Magicians is finally back, and with it comes a whole new administration in the not-so-imaginary world of Fillory. Eliot (Hale Appleman), Margo (Summer Bishil), Quentin (Jason Ralph), and Alice (Olivia Taylor Dudley) have all been officially crowned as the kings and queens of the fantasy world that turned out to not only be real but also the source of all magic, and it's all thanks to their collective knowledge of '90s pop culture trivia. Yes, you read that right. Since Fillory can only be ruled by someone from Earth, its rulers must pass a series of questions in order to get the Knight of Crowns to hand the headpieces over. Naturally, those questions are about American music and TV shows from the 1990s. Fed up with q's about TV shows starring Tim Daly (Wings) and songs by famous offspring ("Hold On" by Wilson Phillips), High King Eliot knew there was really only one way to win it all: with a Patrick Swayze impression. Sure, he didn't end his "I always do the last dance of the season" speech with the lift (you know the one), but he won the crowns, and what followed was a truly beautiful coronation ceremony, filled with apologies and kind words. It was a lovely bit of peace and happiness in the midst of the insanity that followed their attempt to kill the Beast/Martin Chatwin, which ended in nearly everyone dying for a second. Obviously, they didn't stay dead. Alice was thankfully still under the influence of god juice and was able to revive Margo, Eliot, and Penny, and they all tracked down Quentin, who had sought help from a witch in a candy house (and gave her a vial of his blood, which will surely not be forgotten). Since their beast-killing knife had been stolen and all their plans changed by Julia (Stella Maeve), the gang needed a new plan for defeating the Beast. To learn battle magic, they'd need books, and to get the books they needed to get into the castle, and to be taken to the castle, they needed their crowns, which leads us all the way back to Patrick Swayze. Unfortunately, the books were missing from the castle's armory, so now they need another new plan, and it involves going back to Brakebills...without Eliot, who's stuck in his castle with his wife (who he may or may not like). Speaking of Julia, she and the Beast ended up back on Earth, and Julia made a deal with him. He was going to help her get rid of Reynard (the trickster god who raped her and killed all of her friends), and in return, he would get control of the knife. So now, they're hunting down reports of god-like massacres and hoping to catch themselves a trickster, but something tells us all is not going to go as planned. And finally, poor Penny. Not even Alice's god powers were able to restore his hands after the Beast magically chopped them off, so he made his way to a magical stream that was supposed to fully put him back together. Unfortunately, he was an asshole to the keeper of the river, so now his hands are cursed. It's a somewhat hilarious curse, but not a very convenient curse when magic spells require precise control of your hands. So hopefully he'll either figure it out, or he'll provide us a whole new kind of comic relief this season. The Magicians airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on Syfy. (Eonline)
TV Ratings: 'Hunted' Takes a Hit, ABC's White House Interview Leads Wednesday. After its record-breaking premiere following the NFL, CBS' new reality show comes back to earth. Hunted suffered a very steep drop after Sunday's post-NFL sampling. The new reality show, airing for an extended two hours on CBS, averaged a 1.3 rating among adults 18-49 and 5.5 million viewers. A drop from the premiere, a 2016-17 best in the key demo, was expected, but the effort came back down to earth slightly earlier than expected. Elsewhere on CBS, Code Black posted an even 0.9 rating among adults 18-49. With quite a few repeats across the board, ABC nabbed a demo victory for the night with David Muir's sit-down with U.S. president and The Apprentice executive producer Donald Trump. The special, repurposed across the ABC News suite, earned a 1.7 rating among adults 18-49 and 7.5 million viewers. Fox was the only other Big Four network with anything new on Wednesday. Lethal Weapon (1.4 adults) and Star (1.2 adults) retained last week's scores. (Hollywood Reporter)
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