ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Broadway Star and Supergirl Actress Laura Benanti Welcomes First Child With Husband Patrick Brown. Laura Benanti just gave birth to her forever Valentine! The Broadway star and Supergirl actress welcomed her first child, a daughter, with husband Patrick Brown on Tuesday, February 14. A rep for the celeb tells E! News in a statement, "Laura gave birth to a healthy and beautiful baby girl at 3:33 pm eastern this afternoon. Baby and mom are doing great!" Benanti joined the cast of Supergirl in 2015 and most recently lent her comedic skills to The Late Show With Stephen Colbert impersonating First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump. She's an onstage veteran in the Broadway community and won a Tony Award in 2008 for her starring role in Gypsy. In August 2016, Benanti and Brown took to Twitter with the exciting news that they were expecting. "Doing a little research with @impbrown," she announced. "Coming this winter... #BabyGirlBrown." A year prior, the Nashville alum opened up about suffering a miscarriage in an essay for Huffington Post. "Believe me, I would much rather be writing about how much I love pizza and fanny packs," Benanti shared. "But the loneliness and isolation I've experienced in dealing with my miscarriage have given me a deep empathy and gratitude for the women who have opened up to me about their own painful stories." Benanti and Brown tied the knot in 2015. Congratulations, you two! (Eonline)

Katherine Heigl's Husband Is Convinced She Dated John Mayer. John Mayer has romanced quite a few famous women. The singer-songwriter never dated Katherine Heigl, though he did "unwittingly" give the Doubt actress some leverage when she was trying to take her relationship with Josh Kelley to the next level in 2005. As Heigl explained on The Late Late Show Tuesday, she and Mayer "grew up in neighboring towns" on the East Coast; Heigl was raised in New Canaan, Ct., while Mayer lived in Fairfield, Ct. Heigl said, "We knew some of the same people and had some friends in common." Years later, after they'd both found fame, "We met up at one of his concerts. Just friends! Just friends!" the actress said. "Josh and I were probably dating about a month, and it was unclear where the relationship was going; I like clarity. I didn't know if he was as serious about me as I was about him. I had run into John, who was in town making a record or something. We were just hanging out, having drinks, having dinners -- as friends! Totally just friends! He wasn't interested in me that way. He would talk to me about other hot girls and stuff; it was friends." By this point, James Corden began to question if she was telling the truth. "It's getting to the point now you're saying 'friends' so much I'm starting to think you slept with him," he joked. Heigl laughed and admitted he's not the only one: "Josh to this day doesn't quite believe me." "Anyway," she added, "that's a whole 'nother argument for another time." Mayer had quite a reputation at the time, and he would go on to date Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Minka Kelly, Katy Perry, Jessica Simpson and Taylor Swift in the years to come. Knowing that, Heigl said she used her friendship with the "Love on the Weekend" singer "to put a fire under Josh. I was like, 'If this isn't exclusive and you're dating other people, that's fine, but I'm going to continue seeing John. You know John Mayer, right? You know his work?" Heigl's plan worked: Kelley proposed in June 2006. The actress and the singer tied the knot in Park City, Utah, the following year, and they later adopted two daughters: Naleigh Mi-Eun and Adalaide Marie Hope. Heigl gave birth to a baby boy, Joshua Bishop Kelley, Jr., eight weeks ago. (Eonline)

Gwen Stefani Jokes Blake Shelton "Forgot" About Valentine's Day. As if Blake Shelton would ever disappoint Gwen Stefani! Today's Carson Daly and Matt Lauer were interviewing Stefani about Season 12 of The Voice Wednesday when the conversation turned towards Valentine's Day with Shelton. "We weren't together. I was here and he was in Oklahoma. He forgot!" she said. "No, just kidding. I got some beautiful flowers and lots of texts. It was fun." Well, as fun as spending the romantic holiday in separate states can be. "I mean, you know..." she said. "I'm in New York and he's in Oklahoma." When Shelton's flowers arrived Tuesday, she documented the moment on Snapchat. "Wee! Wow, that's pretty," the pop star gushed. "Who's that for?" At first, she wasn't sure who the floral arrangement was from. "Um, no card?" she asked. Once the 47-year-old "Make Me Like You" singer figured it out, she thanked Shelton before beginning press for Revlon. Daly still can't believe the musicians are an item. "You're dating Blake Shelton, which is so weird for me. What do you see in that guy?" he joked. "It's crazy." Stefani laughed, saying, "What are you talking about? What are you talking about? Greatest guy ever. You love him. He loves you." The three of them also love doing The Voice with Alicia Keys and Adam Levine. "Three seasons [in], you get comfortable. [I love] the chemistry between the coaches! Alicia Keys is just so magical. Adam and I, we've known each other for a while," Stefani said. "And, of course, [I love] Blake, who I think is the greatest guy ever. It's so fun. It's easy and comfortable." Admittedly, working alongside Shelton made Stefani "nervous at first." "I was like, 'Wait, is this going to be awkward? How am I going to act?'" the pop star confessed to Daly and Lauer. "It's just natural. Sometimes it is a little bit [weird]. We're driving home and I'm like, 'Do you think I should put them together?' And then I'm like, 'Wait a minute! I'm not going to talk to you about this! I don't know if you are the enemy. This is confusing.' We actually do help each other, and I've learned a lot about country music -- just in last year -- through him." The Voice returns Feb. 27 at 8 p.m. on NBC. (Eonline)

Cheryl and boyfriend Liam Payne have reportedly asked their mother's to move in with them to help with the arrival of their soon-to-be-born baby. Cheryl, who is yet to confirm her pregnancy despite sporting a visible bump, is said to have asked both her own mum Joan and Liam's mum Karen, to move into the One Direction star's surrey mansion for six weeks. Speaking to Closer, a source close to the couple said: "Joan and Karen are keen to lend a helping hand in the important but stressful weeks after the baby arrives." "Also, Karen is a nursery nurse so she has a lot of hands-on experience with babies. "Both mothers are excited but have put a time limit on their stay as they know it's important for Cheryl and Liam to have their space - and quality time as a new family." Cheryl and Liam have both remained tight-lipped on the matter since the alleged news broke early last autumn. But the 33-year-old is set to officially announce her pregnancy in an upcoming L'Oreal campaign. However, fans have been speculating that the former X Factor judge might already be in labor after noticing that Liam recently flew back to the UK from Los Angeles, where he is working on his solo album. (British Glamour)

The dramatic final scene of a new flick starring Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron turned a little too real when an inferno broke out on its Brooklyn set, witnesses and fire officials said Tuesday. Jackman was among the roughly 150 people on the Brooklyn Navy Yard set as "The Greatest Showman's'' climatic staged fire spiraled out of control, sources said. In a Hollywood-worthy twist, five retired firefighters working as extras sprang into action, attaching prop hoses fitted with antique-style nozzles to nearby hydrants to try to battle the blaze until roughly 100 real-life Bravest rushed to the rescue, according to an FDNY source. "The fire was tremendous,'' a source said of the 5 a.m. Sunday blaze. "They used too much accelerant, and the whole building burnt down.'' No one was injured in the blaze, authorities said. It was unclear if Efron was there at the time. A rep would say only, "He's not hurt." "The Greatest Showman" is a musical biopic about P.T. Barnum, creator of the Barnum & Bailey circus. In its final scene, which is being staged in a specially constructed building, Jackman, who plays Barnum, carries Efron, his assistant, from a burning house. The firemen extras then place him on a stretcher. But something went wrong with the pyrotechnics Sunday, and six large lights, used to intensify the glow of the blaze, fell from the roof of the building, sparking a much bigger fire than expected, sources said. Firefighters rushed to the set at Flushing Avenue and Navy Street but struggled to put the fire out because it had grown so huge, sources said. "Fire was blowing out through the roof," a fire source said. "It blew right through the roof and melted a lot of really large light fixtures on the top." (Page Six)

Love yourself! Justin Bieber was feeling blue on Valentine's Day when he posted a pair of videos to his Instagram admitting he didn't have a date. The 22-year-old "Sorry" singer looked sad as he revealed: "I got no food, I got no job, our pets heads are falling off and I got no Valentine!" Fortunately, most of his commentary was just a quote from the movie Dumber and Dumber, but he did add the bit about being single. Bieber followed up with a second video where he was equally as glum and said: "All I ever wanted was a Valentine. Now I don't even have a Valentine." The Canadian crooner's Valentine's admission comes in the wake of the news that his ex-girlfriend, Selena Gomez, 24, is dating The Weeknd, 26. They were photographed in January making out in Santa Monica, California and then enjoyed a romantic Italian vacation together. The pair cozied up at the Grammys on Sunday, February 12, while Bieber, despite being nominated for four awards, stayed at home. He took the opportunity to answer questions from his fans in an Instagram Live Video instead, during which he dissed his ex-girlfriend's new beau. One Belieber asked: "Favorite song at the moment?" and the singer paused to think before replying, "'Starboy' by The Weeknd." He then burst into laughter for nearly 15 seconds, to prove he was just joking. Bieber and Gomez dated on and off from 2011 to 2014. (US Weekly)

Amanda Bynes Breaks Social Media Silence to Reject Claims She Is Pregnant and Engaged. Amanda Bynes is fighting back against unauthorized claims she is engaged and pregnant. The former child star returned to Twitter following almost six months of silence to set the record straight after a separate Twitter and Instagram account rumored to be used by Bynes sparked speculation. "I am not @persianla27. I am not getting married and I am not pregnant. I don't understand why twitter won't take @persianla27 down," she tweeted Tuesday. Amanda shortly followed up, "I have asked repeatedly. This person continues to impersonate and harass me and twitter needs to take the account down." The last time Bynes actively used Twitter was August 2016, where she once again asserted her social media sovereignty. Earlier, the unauthorized Twitter account claiming to be Bynes tweeted alongside an alleged photo of the actress, "Happy Valentines Day! At the gynos office with Matt to see if I am indeed pregnant! The home test says I am but I need a 2nd opinion!!" The 30-year-old was last photographed publicly in December 2016 in West Hollywood with a friend. In the photo, Amanda has dark brunette hair and wears oversized sunglasses. Ahead of her 30th birthday last April, her family's attorney, Tamar Arminak, told E! News, "She is doing great. She is happy and healthy, and excited about the future." Bynes enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in 2014, though it's unclear is she still attends. At the time, a source shared, "She seems to still be doing great and seems really focused on school." E! News has reached out to Bynes' legal representatives for comment. (Eonline)

Sources familiar with the situation tell us ... the situation does not pose "an immediate danger" and the FAA is understaffed and backlogged. As we reported, Ford flew over an American Airlines Boeing 737 that was on the taxiway before touching down. He seemed confused, asking the tower, "Was that airliner meant to be underneath me?" If Ford thought he was landing on an active runway, we're told standard procedure would be to abort because the other aircraft could well be preparing for takeoff and could slam into the smaller plane. The weather conditions were partly cloudy at the time 74-year-old Ford landed, but he could definitely see the runway and taxiway. By the way, the taxiway is unmarked, in sharp contrast to the runway. Ford just passed a pilot's medical exam last month. People at various airports tell us Ford is an excellent and careful pilot. (TMZ)

Sofia Vergara's firing back at her ex, Nick Loeb, for putting her through the legal ringer for more than 2 years over their embryos ... hoping to put an end to the ordeal once and for all. Sofia's asking the court to officially block Nick from trying to take control of their embryos with the intention of bringing them to term without her consent ... according to legal docs she just filed. She says Loeb voluntarily dismissed his case against her in December -- after waging legal war with her since 2014 -- to leave the door open to refile his case again. She insists it would just be a waste of time. According to the docs ... Nick signed a contract about their frozen embryos originally in which his rights were clear -- he CANNOT bring the embryos to term without MUTUAL agreement. In addition to an order, Sofia wants some money for her troubles. (TMZ)

Former NHL star Mike Comrie -- once married to Hilary Duff -- is under investigation by the LAPD for allegedly raping a woman at his L.A. home, but he claims it was consensual ... TMZ has learned. Law enforcement sources tell us the woman claims she met up with Comrie at a bar Saturday night and went back to his West L.A. condo. She claims he raped her multiple times. The woman says she almost immediately went to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center nearby, and a rape kit was administered. Sources connected with Comrie say he's known the woman for a long time and acknowledges he had sex with her but insists she gave full consent. The sources also say the encounter was a 3-way and the other woman has not filed any complaint. We're told so far Comrie has not spoken to cops. (TMZ)

Ricki Lake's Ex-Husband Christian Evans Has Died After Struggle With Bipolar Disorder. Ricki Lake is paying tribute to her ex-husband after his private passing. In a post on social media Tuesday afternoon, the former talk-show host confirmed the death of Christian Evans. "It is with a heavy heart that I share that my beloved soulmate, Christian Evans has passed. The world didn't understand this man, but I did," Ricki shared on Instagram. "He succumbed to his life long struggle with bipolar disorder. For anyone who has ever lost a family member or friend to mental illness, my heart goes out to you." She continued, "I am a greater person for having known him and spent the past 6 and a half years of my life with him." The couple eloped in April of 2012 before separating in October of 2014. When their romance first began, Ricki couldn't help but express her happiness at the special man she met. "We met through my best friend. He's a nobody but he's somebody to me," she explained to People. "He's everything to me." "We just clicked," Ricki added to the publication. "It just feels like he was the right one all along." As those closest to Christian grieve in private, Ricki concluded her post with a thoughtful tribute. "He was a man of love and what mends my broken heart today is knowing that he is finally at peace and his spirit is free," she explained to her followers. "Rest in peace, my love." Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family during this difficult time. (Eonline)

THE OTHER STUFF . . .

Kate Upton Earns Cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue for Third Time. And the cover goes to...Kate Upton! For the third time in her modeling history, the supermodel earned the front page of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. During Tuesday night's Valentine's Day edition of Jimmy Kimmel Live, the late-night host showed this year's three covers featuring Kate. "Is that really a swimsuit that you're wearing?" Jimmy Kimmel joked. "Because it seems just like a hammock that got torn to bits." Kate added while laughing, "I'm pretty sure it's just a rope. It's apparently Sports Illustrated nude magazine." The debut comes only one day after the reveal of pregnant Hannah Jeter's photo that appears inside the magazine. It's the 26-year-old's fifth time appearing in the magazine, but she graced the cover of the 2015 issue. Jeter's sexy photo was taken only a few weeks after she learned she was eating for two. Also appearing in this year's issue are Olympians Simone Biles and Aly Raisman. The gymnasts swapped their leotards for several different bikinis in a previously released video that showed them flaunting their flexibility and strength. Despite the outfit changes, these two posed in a way that proves they're always in a gymnastics frame of mind. Christie Brinkley, 63, also appears in the 2017 issue but turned it into a family affair. The iconic model posed in a black one-piece next to daughters Alexa Ray Joel and Sailor Brinkley Cook. Sailor shared the image on Instagram and opened up about how this project became more important than a simple photo shoot. "I've had issues with my body image since before I can even remember. I grew up not loving how I looked and felt held back because of it," Sailor shared on Instagram. "My body and I have been through it all. But recently I have been liberated. I am healthy, I treat myself well, and for that I'm happy." The 18-year-old continued, "This is more than a magazine to me and always has been. As a growing young woman, SI showed me all bodies are different and all bodies are worthy of celebrating. Thank you thank you @si_swimsuit for celebrating my beautiful mama, my beautiful sister, I, and ALL WOMEN!! How lucky am i?!" Last year's Swimsuit Issue had not one, but three different women cover the magazine, each with a different body type. Ronda Rousey, Ashley Graham and Hailey Clauson each received her own cover, with a source telling E! News at the time that the publication's choice was a "nod to female empowerment." Graham returns to this year's issue in an ad for Swimsuits for All that features non-models for the very first time in the magazine's history. "I was so excited to shoot with local women for this shoot, non-models who represent all different body shapes, proving that everyone can look gorgeous in my swimsuits," Graham said in a press release. "We're continuing to shift perceptions of beauty and encouraging more inclusively in the fashion industry." (Eonline)

Kate Upton Wanted to Look "Strong and Healthy" for Third Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Cover. Kate Upton is once, twice, three times a lady -- a lady who's covered the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, that is. After being named Rookie of the Year in 2011, she scored two covers back-to-back in 2012 and 2013. This year's edition of the magazine is about age inclusion and body diversity -- issues that mean a lot to Sports Illustrated Swimsuit editor MJ Day and Upton. To celebrate the honor, Upton appears on three separate covers. Jimmy Kimmel debuted them on his eponymous late-night show Tuesday night. "We didn't start off with the idea of three covers, regardless of who was on the cover. But when Kate was actually shooting, we were trying so many different looks on her and each photo was coming back just as great as the next," the editor says. "It's a full circle moment for us. We started Kate in her career, and you know, we watched her grow and become not only this worldwide, superstar phenomenon; she changed the direction of the modeling industry." According to Day, Upton was a "trailblazer" for models like Ashley Graham. Upton was understandably "very excited" when she got the call from Day about making a return. "Especially when this year's theme is about every woman of every age and every body type being accepted," the model says. "It was inspiring to be asked to be a part of that issue." Though she's been focused more on her acting career in recent years, it was an opportunity Upton couldn't turn down. "For me, it was MJ's passion for having it be this theme and this issue and that's why I wanted to be a part of this magazine again," she says. "Those are the campaigns I want to do and the career I want to have -- to inspire women to love themselves. That's a balance of working hard and eating healthy but also enjoying life and having cheat days and for the emphasis not to be on the ideal perfect body. It makes me proud to be asked back." "To have an issue that focuses on that is really an amazing moment for me because I think it's important for everyone to be the best they can be," she says, "not to strive to be a company or industry's idea of perfect. For SI to emphasize every different type of perfect is really inspiring."

Ashley Graham Does a Victory Dance After Learning Her Cosmo Cover Was One of the Best-Selling Magazines of the Year. "Did you guys hear that?!" Ashley Graham learns some very exciting news on So Cosmo! It's New York Fashion Week on the second episode of the new E! series, and the Cosmopolitan magazine's Aya and Tiffany talk to supermodel Ashley while at Christian Siriano's runway show. And during their chat, Aya makes a major announcement to the model. "Your Cosmo cover is one of the best-selling covers of the year," Aya tells Ashley. An excited Ashley then jokes, "When's the next cover?" "Can we have a shoot tomorrow?" Tiffany asks. Aya then tells Ashley, "Literally we're like, once a year, we're ready for you... maybe once every quarter!" When Ashley hears this, she does a super cute victory dance! (Eonline)

Karlie Kloss Apologizes for Appropriating Japanese Culture in Vogue Photo Shoot. Karlie Kloss' latest photo shoot for Vogue, in which she appears as a Japanese woman, caused backlash on social media this week, and now the model is apologizing for appropriating a culture that's not her own. The 24-year-old model released her statement on Twitter. "These images appropriate a culture that is not my own and I am truly sorry for participating in a shoot that was not culturally sensitive," she wrote. "My goal is, and always will be, to empower and inspire women. I will ensure my future shoots and projects reflect that mission. Sincerely, Karlie." The controversial photos feature Karlie with a painted white face, a black wig, a traditional Japanese robe and black flip-flops. She poses in front of walls with Japanese tiles while holding a basket full of branches and also stands by a water well washing her hands. Fans were not happy with the leaked photos. "In 2017, Karlie Kloss is featured in US Vogue in yellow face," one Twitter user wrote. "Absolute madness but I can't say I'm shocked." "Emma Stone, Scarlett Johansson, and Tilda Swinton turn to Karlie Kloss. 'Your turn, girl,'" wrote another. "Karlie on phone: 'Hello, Vogue? Make me Asian.'" Another Twitter user commented on editors' constant choices to not hire models of the right ethnicity. "omg... can creative directors get the right models for the culture they're trying to portray? is it that f--king hard?" the user noted. "And I understand models have no control but Karlie Kloss knows the Vogue shoot is a mess? Use your voice? They need u more than u need them." E! News has reached out to Vogue for comment. (Eonline)

Bubbles, darling! Mariah Carey proved things are getting pretty steamy between her and boyfriend Bryan Tanaka, when she posted a photo of them in a hot tub together. The 46-year-old sported a bikini and a very big smile in the picture she shared via Instagram on Tuesday, February 14. Carey and her shirtless younger beau, 33, raised their glasses of champagne as she showed off her cleavage and he flaunted his muscles. "Happy Valentine's Day!! #happyvalentinesdays #happy #moments #bubbles," she wrote along with some heart emojis. The backup dancer reposted the snap and captioned it "Happy Valentines Day!!! #AllYouNeedIsLove." As if that wasn't enough, Carey then posted two more photos of herself wearing a spiky, silver bra and lounging in a colorful tub adorned with streamers and balloons. Carey's ex-husband recently revealed he doesn't believe her relationship with Tanaka is real. On Wednesday, February 8, he chatted candidly to Howard Stern on his SiriusXM radio show and opened up about his ex and her show Mariah's World. "First of all, I think the whole reality show is fake," he said. "I'm a producer, so I know how [it works]. Like, you can't have a well-lit private conversation. Like, that s--t doesn't happen. I don't buy none of that s--t." Cannon added: "I don't even get into it. It feels like they wrote the story. That s--t is like a soap opera." But that doesn't mean he doesn't care for Carey, who he shares 5-year-old twins Moroccan and Monroe with. "I love Mariah. I'll never stop loving her," he admitted. "She gave me two, amazing beautiful gifts. We talk every day." (US Weekly)

Khloe Kardashian ''Totally Understood'' Rob's Desire to Stay Inside After His Weight Gain: ''I Was in His Shoes." If anyone can empathize, it's Khloe Kardashian. Ranella Ferrer is opening up to Khloe about her battle with her weight gain and low self-esteem in this sneak peek from tomorrow's episode of Revenge Body With Khloe Kardashian. After moving to America from the Philippines, the aspiring singer became "depressed" because her mother didn't support her musical dreams. "My mom used to look at me and think I was a loser because I was pursuing music but yet I was broke," Ranella shares. "I started working a lot more. I had no time to work out. I was tired. I worked 10-hour days. I stopped doing music." "Then, next thing you know," she continues, "I just started eating and eating. I gained over 50 pounds." That eventually led to Ranella's lack of confidence. "Now, I don't want to go to parties, I don't want to perform," she confesses. "If someone takes a picture of me, I'm like, 'Dude, take that down.' I'm so embarrassed. I don't want to be seen." And, Khloe could definitely sympathize as she mentioned brother Rob Kardashian's similar struggle. "I get it," she explains. "My weight has always yo-yoed, and my brother gained a lot of weight. I totally understood because I was in his shoes, not wanting to be seen. He would literally only leave the house when it was dark outside." So, what's Ranella's end goal for this journey? (Eonline)

Kris Jenner spent the day of love with a very special valentine: her granddaughter, Dream Kardashian. The two were photographed on Rob Kardashian's Instagram, where he captioned the photo, "Stealing hearts mama." Jenner was dressed in a black sweater and black choker, complete with diamond earrings, while Dream wore a white and red onesie that read "Stealing Hearts," as well as a red tutu and red shoes. Shortly after his daughter was born, Rob mentioned on his fiancee Blac Chyna's Instagram that Dream was already taking after her famous grandmother. "Look at your Kris Jenner haircut," he said of Dream's hair looking like Jenner's short signature look. Rob, 29, and Chyna, 28, welcomed Dream via c-section at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on Nov. 10. The couple had cameras rolling in the delivery room, and Dream's arrival was chronicled in an hour-long baby special that later aired on E! (People)

Jamie Lynn Spears' daughter, Maddie, is looking strong after her horrific ATV accident a little more than a week ago. Spears shared a smiling photo of her 8-year-old daughter on Instagram on Tuesday with the caption, "Maddie isn't quite ready to return to school, but her doctors did clear her to bring in her Valentine's Day treats to her class today." "It made her so happy to see her friends, and be able to give them such cute treats," she continued. "It was a great moment for us after everything that has happened. We are so thankful to celebrate Valentine's Day with the ones we love, and we don't take a second of it for granted Happy Valentine's Day Maddie was hospitalized in early February after driving an ATV into a pond on the family's property in Louisiana. Maddie, whose aunt is pop star Britney Spears, was initially put on a ventilator, but she is home now and on her way to a full recovery, doctors previously said. (Page Six)

Former "Real Housewives of New York" star Jules Wainstein's estranged husband, Michael Wainstein, must look for a new home, because a Manhattan divorce judge ordered him to sell his penthouse apartment in a famed Upper West Side building. Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Michael Katz said Tuesday that although Michael is living in the condo, it is in Jules' name, so her reputation will suffer if they are evicted for nonpayment of fees. (Page Six)

Half of the GLAMOUR office made borderline inaudible screams on Wednesday morning as news broke that Philip Pullman is writing a companion trilogy to His Dark Materials, one of the most popular literary series of recent times (do not mention the film). Published between 1995 and 2000, His Dark Materials has sold over 17.5 million copies, largely because they are utterly fantastic: a hypnotic combination of fantasy, science, coming-of-age and love all set in a parallel universe that is at once totally familiar and completely different. The first book of the new trilogy is published on October 19. It's been 17 years since the final instalment, The Amber Spyglass, was published, but Pullman has at least promised that readers won't have that long to wait between volumes of his new trilogy, The Book of Dust– and best of all, it brings back Lyra Belacqua, the formidable lead in his previous story. However, Pullman corrected journalists who said that the new series consists of a prequel and two follow-ups, instead calling it an "equel" that exists at the same time. His Dark Materials took place in a parallel universe where human souls are manifested in daemons-animals that change form during childhood and settle in adulthood. The Magisterium, an order inspired by the Catholic church, is working on a project to separate children from their daemons, and young Lyra, along with her friend Will who comes from our world join forces with armored polar bears, witches and even face the spirits of the dead in order to bring down the order. Pullman's new series stems from his focusing on the idea of dust, a cosmic particle in the series. He told BBC Radio 4's The Today Program that the first book will begin around 10 years before the first book, Northern Lights, and the second will take place about the same time after The Amber Spyglass. A film version of Northern Lights, renamed The Golden Compass, was released in 2007 starring Nicole Kidman, Eva Green and Ian McKellen. It proved to be a nightmare for Hollywood to reconcile the series' strong anti-Church sentiment with a significantly more pro-Church American audience, and the film suffered as a result. The results looked spectacular but in the way of a Faberge egg- stunning to look at, but absolutely nothing on the inside. Instead, fans have relied on other media to bring their beloved characters to life, notably the audiobooks, read by Pullman; a 2002 radio series aired on BBC Radio 4; and a stage adaptation by the National Theatre which ran from 2003 to 2004. The series has also been turned into graphic novels, but it will get a major revamp from the BBC. In 2015, they announced a full-scale His Dark Materials TV adaptation. It was due to start pre-production in late 2016, but so far news has been quiet, although Pullman has tweeted that it's still very much on the cards. The TV series might be uncertain but we've all pre-ordered our copies of the book. Volume 1 of The Book of Dust is out on October 19. (British Glamour)

Music

Carlos Santana Clarifies Remarks About Beyonce Not Being a "Singer." Guitar legend Carlos Santana says negative comments he was quoted as making about Beyonce were "regretfully taken out of context." In a recent interview with the Australian Associated Press, he was quoted as saying Adele beat the fellow pop star ton win the major awards at the 2017 Grammys "because she can sing, sing," adding, "With all respect to our sister Beyonce, Beyonce is very beautiful to look at and it's more like modelling kind of music -- music to model a dress - she's not a singer, singer, with all respect to her." Naturally, he sustained the wrath of the Beyhive, who swarmed to her defense -- even flooding a different Carlos Santana's Instagram page with bee emojis. "My intent was to congratulate Adele on her amazing night at the Grammies (sic)," the guitarist wrote on Facebook Tuesday. "My comment about Beyonce was regretfully taken out of context. I have the utmost respect for her as an artist and a person. She deserves all the accolades that come her way. I wish Beyonce and her family all the best." At the 2017 Grammys, both pop stars earned kudos for their onstage performances -- especially Beyonce, who wowed with artistic special effects highlighting her pregnancy. But Adele emerged the big winner of the night when her album 25 and song "Hello" beat Beyonce's album Lemonade and song "Formation" to win Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Adele professed her admiration for Beyonce in her final onstage acceptance speech, saying, tearfully, "I can't possibly accept this award, and I'm very humbled and very grateful and gracious, but my life is Beyonce, and the album to me -- the Lemonade album, Beyonce -- was so monumental, and so well thought out, and so beautiful and soul-bearing." "We all got to see another side of you that you don't always let us see, and we appreciate that," she said. "All us artists adore you. You are our light. The way that you make me and my friends feel, the way you make my black friends feel is empowering, and you make them stand up for themselves. I love you. I always have. And I always will. Grammys, I appreciate it." She later told reporters backstage, "What the f--k does she have to do to win Album of the Year?" (Eonline)

Katy Perry, Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendes and More Singers Set to Perform at 2017 iHeartRadio Music Awards. You're going to heart this award show announcement. With less than three weeks until the 2017 iHeartRadio Music Awards, event organizers dropped a huge announcement to fans Wednesday morning. On the heels of their individual 2017 Grammys performances, Ed Sheeran and Katy Perry will take to the stage for music's upcoming award show. But wait, there's more! The Chainsmokers, Shawn Mendes, Thomas Rhett, Noah Cyrus and Big Sean will join previously confirmed performer Bruno Mars at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., for a show fueled by the fans. "The biggest artists in music show up each year," this year's host Ryan Seacrest shared. "iHeartRadio reaches hundreds of millions of people across the country every day, so this is an opportunity for the fans to have a voice in who's the best and brightest, and the artists, in turn to show their appreciation." The On-Air With Ryan Seacrest host added, "It's always a lively celebration and an evening of special performances and appearances." Just last month, nominations were announced for the show. Drake leads the night with an impressive 12 nominations followed by The Chainsmokers with 11. Perhaps one of the most buzzed about categories is the Best Fan Army presented by Taco Bell. The Beyhive, Selenators, Little Monsters, Katy Cats, Harmonizers and Beliebers are just some of the nominees in a category that always comes down to the final votes. Fans can find out the winners plus watch all the performances when the 2017 iHeartRadio Music Awards air March 5 on TBS, TNT and truTV at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST. (Eonline)

Do the Grammys Have a Race Problem? Recording Academy President Responds. Nope, #GrammysSoWhite is not a thing, according to Neil Portnow, president of the Recording Academy, which votes on the winners of the Grammy Awards. Many people took to social media after the 2017 Grammys Sunday to accuse the group of racism after Adele beat Beyonce to win the top awards, including Album of the Year. The latter star's sister Solange also voiced her criticism. Herbie Hancock is the most recent black artist to win the honor and had received it in 2008. When asked if the thinks the Grammys show has a race problem, Portnow told Pitchfork in comments posted Tuesday, "No, I don't think there's a race problem at all." "Remember, this is a peer-voted award," he continued. "So when we say the Grammys, it's not a corporate entity -- it's the 14,000 members of the Academy. They have to qualify in order to be members, which means they have to have recorded and released music, and so they are sort of the experts and the highest level of professionals in the industry." Voting members of the Recording Academy are artists, writers and other music professionals who have released several recordings to recognized retailers or were just nominated for a Grammy within the past five years. "It's always hard to create objectivity out of something that's inherently subjective, which is what art and music is about," Portnow said. "We do the best we can. We have 84 categories where we recognize all kinds of music, from across all spectrums. We don't, as musicians, in my humble opinion, listen to music based on gender or race or ethnicity." "When you go to vote on a piece of music -- at least the way that I approach it -- is you almost put a blindfold on and you listen," he added. "It's a matter of what you react to and what in your mind as a professional really rises to the highest level of excellence in any given year. And that is going to be very subjective. That's what we ask our members to do, even in the ballots. We ask that they not pay attention to sales and marketing and popularity and charts. You have to listen to the music." Portnow said Grammy winners are chosen via a "democratic vote by majority." "So somebody could either receive or not receive a Grammy based on one vote," he said. "It could be that tight." Last year, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences came under fire when it was revealed that all of the acting nominees for its annual Oscars ceremony were white -- for the second year in a row. The group later appointed three new governors, including a black man and a woman born in South Korea, to the Academy's 51-seat board. Portnow told Pitchfork the Recording Academy is "always working on increase diversity in membership, whether it's ethnicity, gender, genre, or age." "You don't get Chance the Rapper as the Best New Artist of the year if you have a membership that isn't diverse and isn't open-minded and isn't really listening to the music, and not really considering other elements beyond how great the music is," he said. (Eonline)

Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo Are in Bed in Maroon 5's "Cold" Music Video Sneak Peek. Get under the covers because it's cold. E! News can exclusively reveal a scene from Maroon 5's music video for their new single "Cold" featuring Future. In the clip frontman Adam Levine gets into bed where his wife Behati Prinsloo is already sleeping. Adam starts to tell her about the crazy night he had, but the sleepy Victoria's Secret isn't really paying attention. "How was it?" Behati, asleep, asks. "It was weird. Somebody slipped something into my drink," Adam says. "I think it was acid because I started tripping balls. Future turned into a teddy bear and James was getting blown by a chicken. It was crazy." Seemingly unfazed, Behati continues to sleep as Adam lists the shenanigans he got into that night. "I got arrested when the cops came, but they weren't really the cops. It was like this adorable little cartoon stripper and she gave me an adorable little cartoon lap dance. That was weird, and then these two girls pulled me into a room for a threesome." And that is when Behati decides to take her eye mask off and acknowledge Adam. "Nothing happened," Adam reassures her. "Nothing happened." And back to sleep the Angel goes. "One had the head of a donkey and the other had a head of a skull I guess," Adam adds. After going on and on about his night, Behati asks if he got the milk. Fortunately, he was able to pick some up despite the antics he experienced. This clip falls at the very end of the video, so we can only assume we'll get a glimpse into Adam's crazy trip when the full music video drops Wednesday on Vevo. Viewers will be able to see how a quick trip for milk turns into an all-night affair. Until then, watch the video to see the adorable couple working together. (Eonline)

Erika Jayne's "Xxpen$ive" Music Video Is an "Over-the-Top Fabulous" Ode to the '80s. Erika Jayne knows her worth. A scintillating clip from the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star's "Xxpen$ive" music video premiered exclusively on E! News Tuesday, and now the full version is making its online debut. Jayne's sassy new single, which is available for download on iTunes, was produced by Space Primates and co-written by singer/songwriters Ferras, Sarah Hudson and Jesse Saint John. Jayne first performed "Xxpen$ive" on Bravo's Watch Happens Live in January. Bravo's The Daily Dish was on set when Jayne shot the music video in L.A. last year (Viewers got a behind-the-scenes look during a recent Real Housewives of Beverly Hills episode). "First and foremost, it's '80s Madonna all the way down. There's a little Pam Anderson thrown in there, even though she's a '90s icon," Jayne said. "All the great hair and makeup references [of the era], the supermodels of the '80s, Cindy Crawford a little bit -- that's what makes it so cool." Clearly, the dance artist doesn't take her image too seriously. "It's my goal to always bring a smile to everyone's face. No one should ever read too much into it," Jayne said at the time. "The title of the song is 'XXpen$ive' -- it's over-the-top, it's fabulous and it's meant to be fun." Jayne collaborated with her longtime creative director, Mikey Minden, to create the concept. "This is the wild, wild world of Erika Jayne. It's over-the-top fabulous, full of '80s fantasy," he said. "It's very screen siren bombshell. Tits and ass, tons of hair, super fashion-forward retro-remixed, but still thinking 2017..." Minden added, "[It has] full Erika Jayne fantasy all the way." (Eonline)

Metallica's Lars Ulrich Reveals James Hetfield Was "Livid" After 2017 Grammys Performance. Metallica and Lady Gaga powered through a malfunctioning microphone Sunday night to give the 2017 Grammys one of the liveliest performances of the evening, but afterwards, it wasn't smooth sailing. Lars Ulrich, the drummer for the heavy metal band, appeared on The Late Late Show Tuesday and told host James Corden that lead singer James Hetfield acted like a professional onstage, but once the performance ended it was a very different situation. "Well, in the heat of the battle you're out there you're playing when it's a technical issue you don't really know is it going to the house, is his vocals gong to the truck?" Ulrich explained. "Maybe it's the monitors, so you just gotta keep playing." But once the group got backstage, Hetfield unleashed his fury. "I haven't seen him like that in 20 years," Ulrich shared. "I mean he was livid. I mean, he's aged really well and he's a pretty chill guy, but the first five or 10 minutes in that dressing room was not a lot of fun." Despite Hetfield's anger, Ulrich told the British host that he felt the performance with Gaga was a solid one. "We fought through it, and, you know, with the fire and Gaga in my lap for a minute at one point, it was just keep going, keep going, keep going," he said. "So we just fought through it, and a lot of people said it at least made for great television." Gaga diving into the crowd also gave the performance an extra bit of excitement! Because Metallica has suffered from a couple of technological glitches over its multiple-decade career, Ulrich was able to brush the Grammys off. "In 35 years we've had a few mishaps," noting one concert where his platform didn't rise, "I spent 15 minutes playing two or three songs under the stage." (Eonline)

Camila Cabello opens up about why she left Fifth Harmony. And Lauren Jauregui may have just responded...Camila Cabello has revealed why she left Fifth Harmony in a new interview with Seventeen. "Fifth Harmony wasn't the maximum expression of me individually," Cabello told the magazine. "My fans are really going to know me from the music I'm writing. My goal is to be brave and open up my soul." She added: "I'll continue to wish [Fifth Harmony] all the best, and I'm happy they are continuing their journey as Fifth Harmony. I'm also looking forward to hearing new music from the group and their solo endeavors." Not the cleanest of splits (is there ever one in the world of pop?), Camila came under criticism from her former bandmates after her "shock" departure at the end of last year. The four remaining women in Fifth Harmony -- Ally Brooke, Normani Kordei, Dinah Jane, and Lauren Jauregui -- claimed they heard of her exit from her representatives, which if true, is pretty damn shady, right? Camila insists she tried for months to talk to the band about her inevitable departure but they weren't open to hearing about it. This she-did-this-she-did-that went back and forth on Twitter for a good while and the drama raged on... Following Camila's Seventeen interview, it seems Lauren Jauregui has spoken out again. In a cryptic Tweet Tuesday, she wrote: "Fake that confidence bih, one day it'll be real." Looks like the drama's still raging... (British Glamour)

N' SYNC Sing 'Happy Birthday' in 'Britney Ever After' Sneak Peek. There was a time when a birthday message from *NSYNC was the stuff of dreams. That dream came true for Britney Spears. In a teaser originally posted by Entertainment Weekly from the upcoming biopic Britney Ever After, the five dreamboats sing a round of "Happy Birthday" a capella for their label mate and rising pop superstar. Justin Timberlake gives a special shout out to the birthday girl in the sugarcoated reenactment. Natasha Bassett plays Britney in the Lifetime TV movie, while Nathan Keyes, Zac Vran, Connor Paton, Frankie Cena and Matt Visser respectively take on the roles of Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Lance Bass, Chris Kirkpatrick and Joey Fatone. The unauthorized drama -- which did not have cooperation from Spears and her team-will chronicle the singers' life and career, from her humble beginnings to superstardom, as well as her public meltdown and her iconic comeback. Britney Ever After premieres Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on Lifetime. (Billboard)

John Legend Sings 'Happy' and Metallica Tackles Rihanna's 'Diamonds' in Extended 'Carpool Karaoke' Trailer. How many superstars can you cram into a car? And how many of those cars can you squeeze into 2-and-a-half minute clip? Quite a lot, it turns out. The spin-and-sing Carpool Karaoke series is revving with a new, extended trailer featuring more songs, gags, and a couple of surprises. In one shot, John Legend dons Pharrell's "Grammy hat" and hits "Happy" in the wrong key, as Keys laughs uncontrollably in the passenger seat. "Old white women think I'm Pharrell sometimes," he quips. In another, Chelsea Handler and Blake Shelton get plastered in a bar as they belt out Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer." And veteran metal masters Metallica roll with it as they tackle Rihanna's "Diamonds" and stop by a supermarket where they enlist the help of delicatessen staff to blast "Enter Sandman." The Late Late Show spin-off, coming soon to Apple Music, will feature 16 celebrity pairings. Other stars seen sharing a ride (and a song) include James Corden with Will Smith, John Cena and Shaquille O'Neal, and Ariana Grande with Seth MacFarlane. (Billboard)

Movies

Taraji P. Henson, Kirsten Dunst and Kate Beckinsale to Present at the Independent Spirit Awards. The end of award season is just around the corner. With that in mind, I can now exclusively report that Taraji P. Henson, Kirsten Dunst, Kate Beckinsale, Janelle Monáe, Issa Rae and Aubrey Plaza have signed on to present at the 32nd Film Independent Spirit Awards on Feb. 25. They join previously announced presenters Jon Hamm, Jessica Chastain, David Oyelowo, Édgar Ramírez and Danny McBride. American Honey, Chronic, Jackie, Manchester by the Sea and Moonlight are nominated for best feature. Best female lead contenders include Annette Bening (20th Century Women), Isabelle Huppert (Elle), Sasha Lane (American Honey), Ruth Negga (Loving) and Natalie Portman (Jackie). Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea), David Harewood (Free in Deed), Viggo Mortensen (Captain Fantastic), Jesse Plemons (Other People) and Tim Roth (Chronic) are up for best male lead. Moonlight will be honored with the Robert Altman Award. Nick Kroll and John Mulaney will co-host the show, which will be broadcasted live on IFC starting at 2 p.m. PT on Feb. 25. And then the following day, the Oscars will be handed out at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. (Eonline)

'Batman' Star Recalls Disastrous First Day on Set That Sent Him to the Hospital. Burt Ward quickly learned that playing Robin in the 1960s classic could be hazardous to his health: "I was in incredible pain." Sometimes being a Boy Wonder isn't as glamorous as it sounds. Burt Ward was just 19 when he landed the role of Robin for the 1966-68 TV show, and he soon learned the job would be hazardous to his health. He was sent to the emergency room four of the first five days of shooting, because the production team insisted he perform his own stunts. When he showed up to his first day of the job, Ward was asked to hop into the Batmobile for a dangerous stunt. Rather than seeing co-star Adam West (Batman) in the driver's seat, he saw a stuntman dressed as the Caped Crusader. "He says, 'They don't want to take a chance of Adam getting hurt so they hired me to do it.' I said, 'Oh. Is it really dangerous?'" recalls Ward, who this weekend he will have a panel at LA Cookie Con and Sweets Show. "He says, 'Oh yeah! In fact, the more bones I break, the more money I make." Ward learned he did indeed have a Robin stunt double and spotted him having coffee with West during the scene. He asked the assistant director why the double wasn't being used in the scene, and the AD replied, "Because your stuntman doesn't look like you!' " The stunt went poorly. The door flew open and nearly flung Ward out of the Batmobile at 55 miles per hour. "I instinctively threw my arm back and managed to catch my little finger around the gearshift knob, which pulled it right out of the joint, but it kept me in the car," says Ward. "Even with the glove on, my hand was twice the size. I was in incredible pain." Though he needed to go to the hospital, it was only 7:30 a.m. and the production staff said they couldn't possibly dismiss him yet, because it would have cost too much time. "I got to the emergency hospital at noon. That was the first of four days in a row," says Ward. "Each day I came back and it happened to be the same emergency room doctor. 'Are you accident prone? Whatever you are doing, this is dangerous stuff. You need to be more careful!' " Now, Ward has traded in his Caped Crusader days to become the Canine Crusader. He spends his days on his five-acre estate, 50 miles east of Los Angeles, where he lives with his wife, Tracy Posner Ward, and their 50 rescue dogs. (If that sounds like a crazy high number, he insists the pooches are so well-trained that you'd never guess there were so many.) In a strange twist of fate, Ward went from playing the partner of billionaire Bruce Wayne to decades later marrying the daughter of a billionaire Wall Street raider. His wife is the daughter of Victor Posner, whose vast portfolio at one point included ownership of Arby's and RC Cola and who was said to share similarities with Michael Douglas' Wall Street character Gordon Gekko. "Every week when I was dating my wife, on average she and her father bought a company for $150 million to $200 million a week," says Ward, who admits even the whirlwind of Batman hadn't prepared him to be around that level of wealth and influence. He and his wife spend their days caring for their dogs and running the for the non-profit Gentle Giants Rescue and Adoptions. In all, they estimate they've rescued more than 15,500 dogs. A 2016 Inside Edition segment estimated their monthly spending on dog food at $14,000 a month for their dog, though Ward clarifies that is not only for the 50 at their estate but also for dogs fostered out to other people whom they provide food for. According to Ward, his brand of dog food is so healthy that it's allowed his dog to live unusually long. "Dogs that are in our program of feeding and care are living as long as 27 healthy, active years," says Ward. Ward has been able to enjoy a resurgence as Robin, thanks to the animated film Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders and its upcoming sequel. He says he's also keeping up on what Warner Bros. is doing in live action with the character. "I try to watch them, and Ben Affleck is a very good actor," says Ward. "For their audience, they want the darker version. On television, like Adam west likes to say, In the movie theaters there is a Dark knight. On television, you have the Bright Knight.'" If you are in the Los Angeles area and want to hear more from Ward, check out the L.A. Cookie Con, running this weekend. (Hollywood Reporter)

Fox Studio Chief Stacey Snider Advocates for Shorter Theatrical Windows. "It's not about smashing the window, maybe it's about opening it up a little," Snider said Tuesday. Streaming giant Netflix has changed the way that movies get released, bringing them directly to consumer's homes without a theatrical release. But while 21st Century Fox CEO Stacey Snider might see the value in shortening theatrical distribution windows, she's not advocating for them to go away entirely. "It's not about smashing the window, maybe it's about opening it up a little," she said Tuesday evening at the Code Media conference in Laguna Beach, Calif. "I don't think it's controversial to say that for a business to not be able to sell what it makes for periods of time is anachronistic." But Snider, who is prepping the launch of Logan next month for the studio, said that a theatrical experience is something that should be preserved. She described the movie business as one that creates "huge, global, big, beautiful cinematic experiences," adding, "the last thing we want to do is commoditize it and make it feel like it's interchangeable with the home entertainment experience." Fox-distributed Hidden Figures, which has been successful at the box office and is nominated for three Academy Awards, including best picture. On the surprise success of the film, about the female African-American mathematicians at NASA during the space race, Snider said, "It was a lovely surprise. We all knew that it was an incredible story." Snider also touched on the role of the studio to make projects that appeal to a broad audience. "It's our obligation if you're going to be involved in culture, to be inclusive and not to make people feel excluded," she said. (Hollywood Reporter)

'Fist Fight' Premiere: The Cast and Crew on the Film's "Epic" Brawl and Return of Tracy Morgan. "I have the most epic fist fight in American cinema," director Richie Keen tells THR. Ice Cube, Charlie Day, Tracy Morgan, Jillian Bell came together on the red carpet to celebrate the premiere of Fist Fight on Monday night at the Regency Village Theatre in Westwood. "It's the most insane comedy that anyone will have seen in a couple of years," director Richie Keen told The Hollywood Reporter of the film. "Let's put it this way, the last 25 minutes of this movie are crazy. I can't believe the studio let me keep it the way I wanted to keep it. I have the most epic fist fight in American cinema." While set in a high school, the film strays from being a traditional "high school/teen" movie. Instead of centering on students, the film focuses on two teachers (Cube and Day) anticipating an after-school fist fight to settle their differences. The film could be a fun alternative of Ferris Bueller's Day Off, yet highlighting that those that are a school's most trustworthy figures are the ones that are ready to rebel the most. "I always remember fights after school being like the most exciting thing. What if it were two teachers instead of students? It's a really good idea and a bunch of other people thought it was a good idea," producer and story creator Max Greenfield told THR. "I think that as soon as Max Greenfield came into my company with this idea, we knew that it was a big clean, funny idea to have two teachers behaving like basically misguided students," added producer Dan Cohen. The film may be titled Fist Fight, but Cube assures there a surprise element to the film that many wouldn't expect. "I think our movie is really unpredictable. You think you know what it's about. You think it's just about a fist fight, but it's so much more. So I think it's full of surprises," said Cube. "My goal was to get the funniest people on the planet and put them next to the people you didn't know where the funniest people on the planet," said Keen. His goal was met, as the film features a cast that Joanna Garcia-Swisher described as "iconic in their own way." The cast includes Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley), Dean Norris (Breaking Bad), Christina Hendrix (Mad Men) and most importantly, the return of Tracy Morgan. "I think it was really special for me to be the one to have Tracy in his first movie back," said Keen. "He was nervous. He knew he had to prove to everyone that he was still funny. The first day I put my hand on his shoulder and said, 'Brother I got you. You're gonna be brilliant.' He smiled and from then forward, he was the magic Tracy that everyone knows and loves." Although this film marks Morgan's revival on the big screen after the aftermath of his near-fatal accident, the cast assures that he brought his a-game to set and nothing but joy. "Just to see him back and healthy and being his inappropriate self-was pretty cool. I'm glad it's his first movie that he's back on the big screen with us, it's only right," said Cube. Writers Van Robichaux and Evan Susser recalled their first day on set with Morgan, saying he gave them an "inspirational speech," reminding them that everyone on set was there because of them and their words. "Nobody can be happy when they see Tracy or hear Tracy so distinct in his comedic persona and I just think he's so kinda crowd pleasing and showcases what he can do in such a great way," said Cohen. Clearly humbled and grateful to be a part of the film, Morgan owes Keen for giving him the chance that many wouldn't probably give. "Most people don't deal with someone that just got hit by a semi, but Richie Keen came to me and he believed in me and gave the love and support on set to be creative. He gave me the space to be creative," said Morgan. Fist Fight is set to hit theaters Feb. 17. (Hollywood Reporter)

TV

Charlie Puth Visits Life in Pieces & Things Do Not Go Well in This Sneak Peek. We're just going to guess that no one in the Hughes family is going to be invited back to the Grammys any time soon. In this week's episode of Life in Pieces, Tim (Dan Bakkedahl) gets backstage passes to the Grammys, thanks to his patient, singer Charlie Puth. He takes his daughter, Samantha (Holly Barrett), in order to impress her, but in our exclusive sneak peek above, she seems a lot more mortified than impressed when a leather-clad Tim sneaks them into Puth's dressing room and starts breaking things and singing about his underwear (which is plaid). Then, Puth shows up, and things only get worse from there. If we were Charlie Puth, we would probably have been a little more astounded to find our doctor in our dressing room, holding our broken guitar from Paul McCartney, but we are not Charlie Puth, so what do we know? Elsewhere in this week's episode, titled, "Facebook Fish Planner Backstage," Matt (Thomas Sadoski) and Colleen (Angelique Cabral) struggle with their offbeat wedding planner (guest star Lyle Lovett) while John (James Brolin) and Joan (Dianne Wiest) join Facebook in order to keep up with their kids. Meanwhile, Heather (Betsy Brandt) "manically" tries to save a dying goldfish. Life in Pieces airs Thursdays at 9:30 p.m. on CBS. (Eonline)

Mandy Moore Will Have Two TV Shows Thanks to Tangled: The Series' Season 2 Renewal. Rapunzel better keep taking that biotin. Tangled: The Series has officially been picked up for a second season, Disney Channel announced on Wednesday. But wait, you may be asking, I don't even remember seeing the first season of the animated series based on the 2010 film. Well, that's because it hasn't even premiered yet: Tangled: The Series premieres Friday, March 24, with Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi will officially be back in action as Rapunzel and Eugene (formerly Flynn Rider). And fans won't even have to wait that long to be reunited with the Tangled crew, as Disney Channel is set to debut the new original movie, Tangled Before Ever After, on Friday, March 10. Moore and Levi recently reunited to record an adorable video in an attempt to tease fans about their characters' highly anticipated returns. "Songs and adventure and everything in between," This Is Us' Moore is able to say in between her giggle fits, also adding, "I feel like you get to know mom and dad a whole lot better, because family is important." As for the whole name-change with Levi's character, the Chuck star said, "And Flynn is now Eugene, but he's also still kind of Flynn, isn't he?" Tangled: The Series will take place between the events of the 2010 movie and the start of the 2012 short film, Tangled Ever After, and follow Rapunzel on her adventures as she acquaints herself with her parents, her kingdom of Corona and its people. Tangled: The Series will debut on Friday, March 24 on Disney Channel, with the original movie, Tangled Before Ever After premieres on Friday, March 10. (Eonline)

The Love Actually Cast Is Reuniting: All the Details. Need further proof that love actually is all around us? British broadcaster Emma Freud announced Wednesday that Love Actually director Richard Curtis is reuniting the film's cast for Red Nose Day in the U.K. late next month. Addressing her 167,000 Twitter followers, Freud wrote, "30 minutes til we announce a new and unexpected and really gorgeous new thing for this year's @rednoseday campaign... worth the wait..." After keeping fans on their toes for half an hour, Freud shared the "big announcement" with the world. Curtis "is reconvening the cast" for this year's Comic Relief special, and it will be called Red Nose Day Actually. "The cast are standing by," she said. "Filming starts tomorrow." Freud added that the script is "still being written." "Any story developments you'd like to see?" she asked. "Ideas welcome." Well, maybe not all ideas. One user suggested that "after *all* this time, Rowan Atkinson's character deserves to find some love of his own at the till." Freud replied, "Not gonna happen." Atkinson, Marcus Brigstocke, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, Andrew Lincoln, Martine McCutcheon, Lúcia Moniz, Liam Neeson, Bill Nighy and Olivia Olson will reprise their roles from the 2003 movie for the charity telethon, which raises money and awareness to help children living in poverty around the world. The special will premiere on BBC 1 in the U.K. on March 24 and before it re-airs on NBC in the U.S. on May 25. "Over the years I've enjoyed doing Red Nose Day specials of TV things I've worked on -- Blackadder, The Vicar of Dibley and Mr. Bean. It seemed like a fun idea this year to do a special sketch based one of my films since Red Nose Day is now in both the U.K. and America," Curtis said in a statement. "I would never have dreamt of writing a sequel to Love Actually, but I thought it might be fun to do 10 minutes to see what everyone is now up to. Who has aged best? -- I guess that's the big question... or is it so obviously Liam? We've been delighted and grateful that so many of the cast are around and able to take part -- and it'll certainly be a nostalgic moment getting back together and recreating their characters 14 years later." Curtis predicted fans will be delighted to see their characters back together, saying, "We hope to make something that'll be fun -- very much in the spirit of the original film and of Red Nose Day -- and which we hope will help bring lots of viewers and cash to the Red Nose Day shows." Given the sizable cast, not everyone could participate. Still, fans are already campaigning to see surprise cameos from the likes of Elisha Cuthbert, Shannon Elizabeth, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Gregor Fisher, Martin Freeman, January Jones, Laura Linney, Kris Marshall, Heike Makatsch, Joanna Page, Denise Richards, Abdul Salis, Thomas Sangster, Rodrigo Santoro, Claudia Schiffer, Emma Thompson, Billy Bob Thornton and other cast members. (Sadly, Alan Rickman passed away in 2016.) American viewers can wear Red Noses (sold exclusively at Walgreens and Duane Reade) as they raise money and awareness to help children living in poverty in America and around the world. Red Nose Day has raised more than $60 million since it started in the U.S. two years ago. (Eonline)

This Is Us Starts to Pull Back the Curtain on Jack and Rebecca's Perfect Relationship. Oh how the tables are turning. Just last week we were worried that Jack Pearson (Milo Ventimiglia) was too perfect of a man on This Is Us, and Tuesday night, his flawless facade started to fall apart a bit. Turns out his support of his wife going on tour with her band was not exactly unwavering, and the resulting fight between Jack and Rebecca (Mandy Moore) almost made Jack unappealing, for once. At first, to Rebecca, he acted as if everything were great. He was happy to play single parent for a month while she went on tour, and was even joking that he has met their kids before and knows a little bit about how to take care of them. Then, Jack unleashed his real feelings to Miguel (Jon Huertas). "How the hell is she going on tour?" he wondered. "I mean, I could deal with the piano bar a couple nights a week, but a tour? I mean, who does she think she is, Janice Freakin' Joplin?" Then, at one of Rebecca's shows, Jack learned that she once briefly dated her bandmate, Sam from True Blood (that's his name, right?). Jack sorta lost it and even abandoned his and Rebecca's Valentine's Day plans for bacon cheeseburgers and onion rings. At home, Jack confronted Rebecca, and while she explained that she and True Blood Sam only dated for two months when they were teenagers, Jack didn't want to hear it. "I don't want you going on tour," he told her, saying that he was only being supportive earlier because he was trying to be a "good guy." Rebecca expressed that she just wanted to be able to do something without the kids or Jack in her way, and that set Jack off again since never thought of himself as being in her way. Jack ended up enjoying their Valentine's Day tradition all alone. Meanwhile, this is clearly the start of Miguel's "I'm not that bad, I promise!" tour. He did his best to tell Jack he was being crazy when he was all worried about Rebecca's bandmate, and then years later, he was there for Kevin (Justin Hartley) when Kevin was on the verge of a nervous breakdown before his play premiered. Apparently, Kevin reminds Miguel a lot of Jack, and Jack was always Miguel's go-to when he was feeling nervous. While this did not help Kevin with his play (since he bailed before the lights went up), it did help him with Randall (Sterling K. Brown). Randall spent the entire episode in various stages of panic attack. Between Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson) having to go spend time with her injured mother and William (Ron Cephas Jones) antagonizing his nurse, along with his job being threatened by Sanjay, Randall was in full meltdown mode. When he told Kevin over the phone that he wasn't going to make it, Kevin could tell there was something wrong and did what he thought Jack would have done (and what he had seen Jack do when they were teens) by rushing to comfort Randall instead of being there for his play. And elsewhere, Kate did not go to hook up with Duke in cabin 13, but she did go to tell him off for being a jerk. That got her kicked out of the camp since his family owned the camp. She reunited with Toby and together, they decided that before they got married, they needed to know each other's secrets. But when Kate couldn't get herself to talk about her dad's death, Toby thought that maybe they needed to put the wedding on hold until they both felt totally comfortable sharing everything with each other. So to recap this recap: This is the most we've ever liked Kevin or Miguel, and the least we've ever liked Jack, and it's really throwing us off. This is us, confused about everything. Side notes: Loved Rebecca popping out from behind that wall after hearing about Kevin having sex with Sophie. Then, when Jack's sex speech mostly just consisted of him yelling, "Condoms!" and "Respect!," we decided we need an entire episode of the Big 3 getting "the talk." This Is Us airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on NBC. (Eonline)

'Good Girls Revolt' Breakout Genevieve Angelson to Star in NBC Comedy 'Happy Peppers'. The project hails from 'Will and Grace' co-creator Max Mutchnick. Good Girls Revolt breakout Genevieve Angelson has lined up her next role. The actress, who fielded multiple offers this pilot season, has been tapped to star in NBC comedy Happy Peppers, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. From Will and Grace co-creator Max Mutchnick, Happy Peppers revolves around an adult brother and sister who wind up living together for the first time since they were kids after one of them suffers a big loss. They become each other's wingmen, shoulders to cry on, best friends and punching bags as they navigate love, loss and work while helping to get each other "un-stuck." Angelson will star as Heather, who, after dropping out of grad school and bouncing from bad relationship to worse, is still trying to find herself. Right now she finds herself on the couch of her best friend/brother, Henry (currently uncast). He's the one stable thing in her life, and right now he needs her, which is good -- and bad -- for both of them. Mutchnick and Jeff Astrof will pen the script and executive produce the Warner Bros. Television multicamera comedy. Repped by UTA and Suskin Management, Angelson starred on Amazon's short-lived 1960s drama Good Girls Revolt. The critically praised show was unceremoniously canceled in December, barely a month after its debut. The feminist-themed drama was shopped to other networks, but ultimately producers Sony Pictures Television could not find a new home for the series. (Hollywood Reporter)

'Superstore' Renewed for Season 3 at NBC. The comedy will return for a 22-episode third season. Superstore is staying put at NBC. The network on Tuesday handed out a renewal to the America Ferrera-led comedy. The series will return for a 22-episode third season. "We are extremely proud of Superstore, which is one of the smartest and funniest comedies on television today," NBC Entertainment president Jennifer Salke said in a statement. "Through the show's expertly drawn characters, our producers and cast do a remarkable job touching on many issues in which audiences can relate. To its credit, not only does Superstore make us laugh, but it makes us think as well." The single-camera workplace comedy centers on a group of employees at a Wal-Mart-like retail store in St. Louis. Justin Spitzer (The Office) created the series and executive producer with Ruben Fleischer, David Bernad and Gabe Miller & Jonathan Green. Universal Television produces in association with Spitzer Holding Company and The District. Superstore was a solid performer for NBC in its first season last winter and became one of just two half-hours at the network to return for the 2016-17 season (the other being The Carmichael Show). Going into its second season, Superstore also got the benefit of airing a special episode behind the Summer Olympics in August -- an episode which drew 9.7 million viewers. So far this season, the show has averaged a 1.8 demo rating among adults 18-49 in live-plus-seven-day numbers. Although the series was originally only picked up for a 13-episode season two, NBC ordered a back-nine in September. Superstore is the second comedy at NBC to get an early renewal, joining the Kristen Bell-Ted Danson starred The Good Place. The network also handed out a two-season renewal to family drama This Is Us last month. While the latter hails from outside studio 20th Century Fox Television, Superstore, and The Good Place are both produced in-house -- a sign of the times as networks continue to push for vertical integration. NBC still has yet to launch several first-year comedies, including legal satire Trial & Error, Marlon Wayans 'Marlon and Great News from 30 Rock exec producers Tina Fey and Robert Carlock. In addition to Superstore and The Good Place, the network also has the Will & Grace revival on deck for the 2017-18 season. (Hollywood Reporter)

Can 'America's Got Talent' Host Nick Cannon Avoid An NBC Legal Fight? "They probably never thought he would go public and resign," says attorney Richard Marks. "I don't think that they wanted to fire him." Just weeks before season 12 of America's Got Talent begins production, longtime host Nick Cannon is vowing to leave the series because of the fallout from racially charged jokes he told during a recent Showtime stand-up special. But entertainment attorneys say the resolution to his dust-up with NBC will be much less attention grabbing than the headlines suggest. Cannon wrote a note to fans explaining that he wants to leave the show and his team told him NBC believed he was in breach of contract because he'd disparaged its brand in Stand Up, Don't Shoot. During the special, which premiered Friday, Cannon warned the crowd they were going to see a different side of him. He poked fun at his freedom to use language that would "mess up the white money" if he used it in his AGT hosting gig. "America's got talent, but America's got n -- as too," he said. The comedian also created new meanings for the acronym NBC, such as "N -- a Be Careful." NBC has declined to comment, including late Tuesday amid reports that the network might be holding the door open for Cannon to keep his job. If Cannon really wants to quit, legal experts say NBC can't force him to perform on the show -- even if he is still under contract. However, if Cannon signed a non-compete agreement, the network could keep him from taking a similar job elsewhere. "Clearly they're not going to sue him," says entertainment attorney Richard Marks. "They'll need a replacement host, if he's really serious. I would think that they would try to do it quietly. It's all bad publicity." Whether Cannon's jokes actually rise to the level of disparagement is up for debate -- especially since they were made in the context of a comedy special. It may depend on how the term "disparagement" was defined in his contract, and experts say courts have been known to rely on the dictionary definition even though some might consider it too vague. "On the one hand, it's not surprising that NBC might be offended given the juxtaposition of the 'n word' in the context of their brand -- particularly given that AGT is considered a 'family show' and Nick is the host," says Kinsella Weitzman litigator Jeremiah Reynolds. "However, you have to consider Nick's behavior in the context of him previously being a stand-up comic when he was brought on to AGT." Reynolds adds it's surprising that NBC would react negatively, as Cannon has described because Howard Stern said and did far more controversial things during his tenure as a judge on the show. However, he says the resulting controversy is likely enough for Cannon and AGT to part ways. "He's going to be uncomfortable and they're going to be uncomfortable," says Reynolds. "So I think they'll work out some sort of deal where he leaves." It wouldn't be out of the question for the network to fight to keep him -- especially since production is imminent and the show's judges are all returning. Whatever NBC relayed to Cannon's team was likely meant to only be a slap on the wrist, according to attorneys. The network also might not want to mess with a good thing: The show's eleventh-season finale in September scored 14.4 million viewers to produce the biggest final episode in six years. It also marked a 49 percent jump from the previous year, juiced up by the arrival of executive producer Simon Cowell as a judge when he replaced Stern. "They probably never thought he would go public and resign," says Marks. "Why not bring it up? 'Nick, you can talk about lots of things in your standup, but we'd like you not to alienate a certain demographic from watching our show.' I don't think that they wanted to fire him." But now that Cannon feels restrained, there may not be anything the network could do to convince him to stay. After all, when signing contracts that contain non-disparagement clauses, the talent waives his or her right to free speech in that context. Greenburg Glusker dealmaker Alla Savranskaia says comedians are considered more high-risk than other talent -- because their jobs require mocking people, places and things -- and the non-disparagement clauses are becoming harsher. "It seems to me, personally, a little bit ridiculous," she says. "They're comedians. People should be able to take a joke." She attributes the change, at least in part, to social media. Cannon has more than 5.2 million Twitter followers -- and his post about quitting was shared by tens of thousands of fans across several social media platforms. "Companies are becoming so much more fearful about their brands," says Savranskaia. "Entertainers have millions of followers and if they say something 'disparaging' on one of their social media accounts that statement would have such visibility." (Hollywood Reporter)

Josh Elliott's Possible Moves in TV News Musical Chairs. Elliott, fired from CBS News, might look to Fox Sports for a safe landing after previously working at NBC, ABC, and ESPN. Josh Elliott's untimely News marks three national outlets that he's left under a cloud. And television insiders now are wondering -- where the anchor will go for his next act? Elliott declined to comment, but people familiar with the matter say it's unlikely he'll return to ESPN, where he anchored a weekday morning SportsCenter before jumping to ABC's Good Morning America in 2011. He left ABC News after three years amid rancorous contract talks with the network -- then presided over by Ben Sherwood, who has since risen to become president of Disney-ABC Television Group. ESPN is also part of the Disney brand. But one lifeline might come in the way of Fox Sports. Jamie Horowitz, who runs cable networks Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports 2, is known to have liked Elliott and may be interested in exploring a role for him. Horowitz worked closely with Elliott during the former's stint as the executive in charge of Today. Elliott jumped to NBC Sports in March 2014 for a reported three-year, $4 million annual salary. (GMA had offered him about $5 million a year to stay.) But sources say his time at NBC was unhappy, as management -- which initially was said to be eyeing Elliott to one day replace Bob Costas (who just handed the reins to Mike Tirico) -- decided early on that he wasn't the right fit. "He torched the relationship with Disney; no shot ESPN brings him in; he torched the relationship with NBC and now torched the relationship with CBS. So where does he go?" speculates one insider. "Home. For a while." It's unclear exactly what Elliott's settlement with CBS News will look like; he joined the news division in March 2015 as the lead afternoon anchor on digital channel CBSN. At the time, it was a big hire for the nascent platform. And while Elliott has been known to alienate colleagues -- his final months at GMA were rather strained -- some sources at CBS News tell The Hollywood Reporter that he was working out well there. But CBS News management, including president David Rhodes, were apparently blindsided by his coy announcement from the CBS News control room on Friday that it was his "last day" at CBSN "in a regular capacity." He did not say where he was going but added, "Although knowing how things work around here, I may see you again on Monday morning." CBS News had planned to move Elliott to a correspondent role to give him some more reporting experience. But they hadn't yet planned to announce the move, aware that there has been tremendous speculation about its morning news team and also Scott Pelley's future at CBS Evening News. Elliott had filled in on CBS Evening News as well as CBS This Morning, which is anchored by Gayle King, Charlie Rose, and Norah O'Donnell. King just signed a new long-term deal. And Rose, who is recovering from heart surgery, and O'Donnell are expected to be in contract extension talks in the coming months. Rhodes and CTM executive producer Ryan Kadro have made it clear that their priority is to keep the current anchor team intact. To many media observers, Elliott's announcement was indicative of what one source described as his "perpetual impatience" for a bigger job. "His work ethic doesn't match his overinflated ambition," notes news analyst Andrew Tyndall, "If you really want to succeed in this business, you've got to be obsessed with success." Elliott lasted less than a year at CBS News; a spokesperson announced Monday that Elliott and the company were "parting ways." The statement continued: "We are grateful for his contributions over the last year, and we wish him the very best in his future endeavors." High-profile shuffling is nothing unusual for network news, with a number of celebrated cases of anchors bouncing between news outlets and, in some cases, even returning to the same networks they had previously quit. But the contraction of the industry has made it more difficult for anchors who are not enormous stars (like Megyn Kelly) to continue to secure jobs with the same exposure and lucrative paycheck. Industry observers were shocked that Tamron Hall decided to leave NBC News and MSNBC after 10 years at the network despite what multiple sources say was a rich offer of more than $3 million annually to stay. Yes, the 9 a.m. hour of Today -- which Hall anchored with Al Roker -- will soon come in for a major overhaul to make room for Kelly, who departed Fox News after more than a decade. But Hall had her own show on MSNBC, and network executives had expressed a desire to keep her in the Today family, where she often filled in. Kelly passed up a four-year, $100 million offer from Fox News parent 21st Century Fox. And while her deal at NBC News -- which includes the Today hour, a Sunday news magazine and event coverage -- is surely paying her well, it is known to be less than what she would have earned by staying at Fox News. "Where's Soledad O'Brien now? Where's Ann Curry now?" adds Tyndall. "There's a list of people who were solid mid-tier talent who could do hours but were never superstars. And now they've dropped off the face of the earth." (Hollywood Reporter)