ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Xosha Roquemore Gives Birth to First Child With Lakeith Stanfield. It seems as if Xosha Roquemore and Lakeith Stanfield are officially parents! According to People, The Mindy Project star shared a since-deleted snapshot of her newborn baby captioned "Mom." Super sleuths also pointed out a baby's head in the corner of yesterday's Instagram post, which might have confirmed the actress and her Atlanta star beau welcomed their first little one sometime in the recent past. Xosha has yet to address the possible baby news but did allude to wiping a recent post from her social media to avoid "vultures" looking to "upset the flow" in a tweet shared Wednesday. The actress is also enjoying alcohol and seafood once again, and over Father's Day weekend told her Twitter followers, "This Father's Day Mimosa and Lox platter is soooooo bomb rn!! I haven't had either of the aforementioned in like a year." As for Stanfield, he referred to entering a "new chapter" in his life on Twitter a couple of weeks ago, adding, "Been in a complete dream world past 24 hours." Not so subtle now, right?! A couple months after the couple slyly posed together on the Sundance Film Festival red carpet -- Roquemore's baby bump peeking through -- she revealed her bare belly to the world in March on social media. In early May, the proud parents gathered their closest family and friends for a baby shower, which was documented on Xosha's Instagram page. She couldn't help but shout out fellow pregnant bestie, Chelsea Peretti, who is expecting with Lakeith's Get Out director, Jordan Peele. "My partner in preg, vent sister, and craving sharerrrrr QUEEN @chelsanity!!" Xosha wrote alongside a snapshot of the pair. Congratulations, you two! (Eonline)

Christina Perri Is Engaged to Paul Costabile! See the Singer's Engagement Ring. Christina Perri's proposal may just make your jar of hearts melt. On Wednesday evening, the singer took to social media with some very personal news. As it turns out, the woman behind "A Thousand Years" is engaged. "Paul asked me to marry him tonight and i said yes!" she shared alongside a photo of her new piece of bling. As for the lucky guy, he's host Paul Costabile who also posted a romantic message after the proposal. "I knew I wanted to ask this girl to marry me the day she walked into the green screen for an interview almost 4 years ago," he shared. "I finally asked her right here tonight and she said yes !!!" Whether calling him the "love of my life" or enjoying romantic date nights, the "Jar of Hearts" singer couldn't help but showcase the special man in her life on rare occasions. While the couple may like to keep their romance on the private side, there is one relationship these two may be able to look up to. Look no further than the love story involving Christina's parents. "Mary and Dante are married 39 years today!!! wow!!!" she recently shared online. "Thanks mom and dad for being such an adorable and wonderful example of what love can be." The engagement announcement comes just one day after the singer's song was featured on America's Got Talent. Thirteen year old Evie Clair wowed the judges when she dedicated her rendition of Christina's hit song "Arms" to her father who is battling Stage 4 colon cancer. After hearing the Arizona resident's voice and story, Christina couldn't help but become a fan. "THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL," she wrote on Twitter after the episode aired. "hi, @evieclair! Thanks so much for choosing my song for this special moment in ur life! ur incredible! im sending so much love to u & dad." (Eonline)

Courteney Cox Wants to Have a Baby With Johnny McDaid. Courteney Cox has baby fever! The Friends alum appears on the cover of NewBeauty magazine's Summer-Fall 2017 issue, where she revealed that welcoming a baby with longtime partner Johnny McDaid isn't out of the question. Cox shared, "I would love to have a baby now. I mean, I could carry someone else's egg." Courteney and ex-husband David Arquette co-parent 13-year-old Coco Arquette together, while McDaid has no children of his own. At 53, the actress understands she "may be one of the older people doing it, but I would love to, with Johnny that is. I know it's crazy, but I would." The A-lister and Snow Patrol rocker called off their year-long engagement in 2015, only to reunite months later. Shortly after getting back together, Johnny, 40, gushed to E! News, "Just look at us. I love her. I've always loved her." Courteney had nothing but amazing things to say about her beau, telling the mag, "Well, he's younger than me, and with any other guy that would be the hardest thing in the world, but looks are not that important to him or his family. External beauty isn't even on his radar." "I used to worry about the age difference, but I don't think it matters," she admitted. "He appreciates beauty, but it's deeper than that. It's deeper for me too, but luckily I find him gorgeous and extremely sexy." And if the couple does decide to expand their family, Cox says she began prioritizing her health like never before after finding out she carries the MTHFR gene mutation. "I suffered miscarriages," she explained, "my dad died of a really rare cancer, and depression runs in my family, which made my doctor think I should get this gene checked out." "Once I found out how I could absorb nutrients and protect myself from toxins, my whole life shifted," she added. "I felt so much better and had more energy. I used to get so tired and would literally crumble after I ate something." Now, Cox gives herself a shot of methylated B-12 daily and realized, that if she becomes pregnant, should take a methylfolate and methylated B. Only time will tell if Courteney and Johnny take the next step in their relationship, but we're totally cheering this hopeful mama on! Courteney's NewBeauty cover hits newsstands June 27. (Eonline)

Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins Reunite After 2009 Split. Friendly exes alert! Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins reunited Tuesday, eight years after their split, and dined with their son Jack Robbins, 28, and two other people in Venice, California. The whole group was later spotted walking down the street together. The actress carried a dog during their outing. Sarandon, 70, and Robbins, 58, began dating in the late '80s after meeting on the set of the film Bull Durham and split in 2009. They also share son Miles, 24. In 2014, Sarandon told AARP the Magazine that her role in the Broadway play Exit the King made her reevaluate her relationship with Robbins. "You can't do a meditation on death and stay in a situation that's not authentic," she said. "It made me examine where I was in my union and in my life, and to have discussions about making changes." Sarandon and Robbins split marked one of the most shocking Hollywood breakups. "People were coming up to me in the street and saying, 'I cried and cried when I heard.' Well, I was sadder! I didn't think it would ever happen, either," Sarandon told the U.K. newspaper The Telegraph in 2010, adding, "You bring people into your life at certain times. Maybe you have a relationship to have children and you realize that it's fulfilled after that point." Also in 2010, Sarandon began dating Jonathan Bricklin who later appeared with her on Morgan Spurlock's AOL Originals series Connected. The actress and her now-40-year-old co-star split in 2015. Sarandon opened up about her love life in an interview with PrideSource.com earlier this year. She said she is a "serial monogamist." She also talked about her sexuality. "Yeah, I'm open. My sexual orientation is up for grabs, I guess you could say," she joked. (Eonline)

Ariel Winter Defends Levi Meaden After "Fake News" About Their Romance Surfaces. Ariel Winter is standing up for her man. As the Modern Family star continues her romance with Levi Meaden, the couple continues to experience their share of wild and false headlines in tabloids. One recent story, however, propelled Ariel to speak out and defend the actor on social media. "I have a BOYFRIEND and a PERSONAL ASSISTANT who are NOT the same person. I would NEVER pay my boyfriend ANY sort of allowance, nor would he EVER accept if I offered," Ariel wrote to her followers. "He BUYS his own stuff whether it's for me for himself, and he more than pulls his weight for our life." She continued, "I HATE fake news, but I guess that's what our world has come to. Get your s--t straight. I don't support anyone, and I don't need anyone to support me. He's got a full career (including something huge that's new) and works hard for it. He's not just someone's boyfriend. So if you don't know us, don't comment. Xoxo." For those who want the real story, it appears Ariel and Levi have never been happier. In addition to walking red carpets and attending Hollywood events together, the couple recently got matching tattoos. Plus, the two are living together and dividing the typical household duties between themselves. "My boyfriend and I live together and he cooks," Ariel recently shared with Jimmy Kimmel. "I can't cook at all. He takes care of all that handy stuff. He's great. He does all that. I can bake pies occasionally, pumpkin and apple." "I'm like, the worst 'wifely' person but whatever," she added. "Like I said, I baked those pies. He does everything else." And because these two are familiar faces in the industry, chances are more rumors will surface soon. Next time around, Ariel hopes her fans will look towards the source of the information being reported. "Star Magazine is OBVIOUSLY a non-reputable source and a trash magazine, but seriously how dare you make up stuff that you have no idea about?" Ariel added. (Eonline)

Lily Collins Opens Up About Past Eating Disorders and a New Sense of Body Pride in Shape Magazine. In this exclusive first look at the July-August 2017 issue of Shape magazine, Lily Collins is once again getting candid about her past struggles with eating disorders. "I never dreamed I'd be posing in a bikini on the cover of Shape. It's a complete 180 for me. It's a magazine about what it means to be healthy," the actress reveals. "I used to see healthy as this image of what I thought perfect looked like -- the perfect muscle definition, etc. But healthy now is how strong I feel. It's a beautiful change, because if you're strong and confident, it doesn't matter what muscles are showing. Today I love my shape. My body is the shape it is because it holds my heart." The Mirror Mirror star didn't start out as an actress but instead, took the role of a journalist. At age 15, she began writing and corresponding for Elle Girl U.K., and in 2008, she appeared as a reporter for Nickelodeon on the U.S. presidential election. She later continued her writing career for Cosmo Girl and the Los Angeles Times Magazine. Her journalism background helped share her story which led to writing a book. "In October 2015, when I got the book deal, I wasn't filming anything. Then I got flooded with work. People told me to put the book on hold, but I knew it would be worth it to keep going. And as luck would have it, To the Bone came up" where Collins will be playing a woman sent to a rehab center for her eating disorder. "Although I was in recovery for several years before the movie, preparing for the film allowed me to gather facts about eating disorders from professionals. It was a new form of recovery for me. I got to experience it as my character, Ellen, but also as Lily. I was terrified that doing the movie would take me backward, but I had to remind myself that they hired me to tell a story, not to be a certain weight. In the end, it was a gift to be able to step back into shoes I had once worn but from a more mature place." Lily goes on to say that her recently published book, Unfiltered, ended up being "even more honest than I was intending." "I didn't realize I'd cover so much." But she was ready to talk. And that's a good thing, because she has a lot to say. Here are the chapters on her recovery.' The 28-year-old actress also shares exciting news about her most recent projects. Her next appearance onscreen is Okja with Jake Gyllenhaal opening in theaters on June 28. In addition, the Golden Globes nominee will be starring in the Amazon TV show The Last Tycoon, set to begin streaming this summer. "I did consider that talking about my struggles with an eating disorder would overshadow my accomplishments as an actor, but I also knew this was something I needed to do to move forward as a human and an actress. I needed to let go. I've always strived to start conversations about taboo subjects with young women. Sharing my story in Unfiltered happened to coincide -- not strategically! -- with To the Bone, but I've always admired people who are relatable and honest. Having suffered from an eating disorder doesn't define me; I'm not ashamed of my past." (Eonline)

Glee Star Charice Pempengco Changes Name to Jake Zyrus. World, meet Jake Zyrus. The 25-year-old Filipino singer, formerly known as Charice Pempengco, announced the name change on social media nearly three years after telling Oprah Winfrey that "my soul is like male." Zyrus, who found fame through YouTube and guest appearances on Glee in 2010, shared a heartfelt message to fans over the weekend. "My first tweet as Jake," the performer wrote. "Overwhelmed. Saw all your love comments and I'm so happy. Finally. I love you, everyone and see you soon. I won't let anyone ruin this moment. I won't let anyone ruin my happiness. Thank you to all the beautiful write ups about me." Shortly after deleting all social media posts, Jake also shared on Instagram, "From the bottom of my heart, thank you for the love and respect. I love you back and I'm sending peace to everyone." In 2013, Zyrus came out as lesbian, later addressing an obvious image change. "I know some people are more used to the old Charice, a ballad singer with the pigtails," the entertainer reportedly shared at the time. "For me, in my heart, I've always wanted to be more edgy, rock, more [on the] dark side. I know some people think that this is very rebellious but it's not. It's just me evolving. It's me transforming into another person that is totally me." Then one year later, the "Pyramid" singer -- who Winfrey dubbed "the most talented girl in the world" -- sat down to share a new revelation with the media mogul. When asked about a possible transition, Zyrus explained, "Not exactly transitioning to a male, but basically my soul is like male." Jake added, "But I'm not going to go through that stage where I'm going to change everything -- not change my body. I would change, like, this look: Cut my hair and wear boy clothes and everything, but that's all." Zyrus also made history as the first Asian solo singer to land in the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 albums chart with 2010's Charice. The celeb released a fifth studio album, Catharsis, last year. (Eonline)

Shannen Doherty is slowly coming back to her old self. The 46-year-old actress gave fans an update on how she was doing by posting a photo on Instagram on Wednesday of her growing hair. In the cute pic, beside her husband Kurt Iswarienko, Doherty looks calm and happy enjoying a beach day in Tulum, Mexico. "I think my husband and I are morphing into each other... #twins #curlyhairdontcare #tulum @kurtiswarienko," Doherty wrote in the caption. She also enjoyed the company of a friendly dog named Sophia while on vacation. "For me, there is always a dog," she writes on Instagram, her black locks on display. "This is Sophia. She can't give enough love. Neither can I." The cancer survivor announced she was in remission in April, sharing the good news in an emotional Instagram post. "Moments. They happen. Today was and is a moment," she wrote. "What does remission mean? I heard that word and have no idea how to react. Good news? YES. Overwhelming. YES. Now more waiting." She continued, "As every single one of my fellow cancer family knows, the next five years is crucial. Reoccurrences happen all the time. Many of you have shared that very story with me. So with a heart that is certainly lighter, I wait." The former Charmed star was diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2015 and has documented her battle against cancer ever since on her Instagram page. She has shared her workout routines with supporters, her chemotherapy sessions and how they've left her feeling afterward, as well as loving moments between her and her family. (People)

Prince Philip Leaves London Hospital After 2-Night Stay. Prince Philip is on the up and up. The 96-year-old was discharged from King Edward VII Hospital in London Thursday, where he was being treated for an infection. "I can confirm that The Duke of Edinburgh left hospital this morning," a spokesperson for Buckingham Palace said. Queen Elizabeth II's husband of 70 years was admitted to the hospital Tuesday as a precautionary measure to treat an infection related to a pre-existing health condition. Though Philip has previously suffered from a recurring bladder infection, Buckingham Palace did not reveal the specifics of his latest current condition. Philip left the hospital through a private exit. He is rumor to be resting at Windsor Castle. Prince Charles said his father was "getting better" during an appearance at a Finsbury Park mosque in London; officials said he was in "good spirits" during his two-night hospitalization. Philip's latest stint in the hospital meant he had to sit out two major events in Queen Elizabeth's calendar: the State Opening of Parliament Wednesday and the Royal Ascot races. In early May, Philip announced he was retiring from public duties after more than six decades of service. Buckingham Palace later clarified that his decision to step away is not health-related. (Philip was treated for a blocked coronary artery in 2011 and a bladder infection in 2012, but he's enjoyed good health for most of his life, as he believes in healthy eating and daily exercise.) Philip will continue to attend pre-scheduled events (with and without his wife) through August, but he "will not be accepting new invitations for visits and engagements," Buckingham Palace added. However, the Duke "may still choose to attend certain public events from time to time." (Eonline)

Chris Brown does not have to attend domestic violence prevention classes after all. The 28-year-old rapper was reportedly sentenced to a 52-week batterer intervention program after a judge ordered him to stay away from ex-girlfriend Karrueche Tran, but it was actually a clerical error. An amended restraining order filed on Monday reveals, "The issue was not raised at the hearing and the court makes no order for respondent to participate in a batterer intervention program." The document, which was obtained by Page Six, says the court has since fixed the error. Last week, the judge ordered the restraining order be kept in place for five years, Tran's lawyer confirmed to Page Six. TMZ reported Brown became aggressive toward Tran when she refused to return money and diamonds he gave her when they were together. The 29-year-old model reportedly said in court he sent threatening texts like, "Bitch I will beat the s–t out of you." The pair dated on and off for five years. (Page Six)

After eight long years, Cameron Douglas can finally travel to LA while on probation to visit his 100-year-old grandfather, Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas, it emerged on Wednesday. Page Six reported that Cameron -- son of "Wall Street" star Michael Douglas -- missed Kirk's 100th birthday because he wasn't allowed to travel on parole after serving nearly seven years on drug charges. But on Wednesday, a Manhattan federal judge approved his request to make the trip after Cameron, 38, proved he's remained sober following an embarrassing parole violation in April. He'll make the trip in about a week. A family friend told us: "Without question this is a great relief to the family. They've been really eager to have him go and reconnect, so he can have a solid, stable base." Sources say Cameron's penning a tell-all about his Hollywood upbringing, jail time and recovery -- and could use reuniting with Kirk as material. At Wednesday's hearing, a probation officer told Judge Richard Berman that the "sweat patches" Douglas has been forced to wear to test for drugs have routinely shown he's clean since he was caught with marijuana in his system in April. He's also been in a treatment program that includes a daily chaperone to therapy sessions. The clean bill of health opened the door for Cameron's lawyer to request that his client be allowed to travel to see his famous granddad, despite parole restrictions requiring him to remain in the area. "Every time he speaks with Cameron on the telephone, he asks when he will come visit him," the lawyer said of Kirk. "They have a very close relationship." Cameron thanked the judge profusely, and said outside court that the trip to LA has nothing to do with his grandfather's health. "He is healthy," he said. Cameron was accompanied to court by his Brazilian yoga-instructor girlfriend, Viviane Thibes. A pal tells us that these days Cameron's "a homebody.?.?. He mainly likes to just walk the dog or stay home." (Page Six)

Bill Cosby Sexual Assault Trial: 2 Jurors Refused to Convict the Comedian. Two holdouts in Bill Cosby's sexual assault trial refused to convict him, per ABC News. The comedian had been charged in 2015 with three counts of felony aggravated indecent assault stemming from a 2004 incident involving Andrea Constand at his home in Pennsylvania. The juror, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said 10 of the 12 jurors thought he was guilty on the first and third felony count; one juror thought he was guilty on the second count. Constand testified during the six-day trial that Cosby gave her a drug that prevented her from stopping his alleged assault. Though Cosby did not take the stand, he said in a decade-old deposition that he gave Benadryl to Constand to "relax" her, and then they had a consensual sexual encounter. The 79-year-old pleaded not guilty to the felony charge and categorically denied the other accusations made against him. After 52 hours of deliberations, the holdouts were "not moving, no matter what," the juror said, so Judge Steven O'Neill declared a mistrial. ABC News published its interview with the juror Wednesday night after O'Neill ordered the public release of the jurors' names, granting requests made by at least a dozen media entities. The judge had warned jurors -- seven men and five women -- not to discuss their deliberations. The jury was deadlocked after about 30 hours of deliberations over four days, but after O'Neill read a "dynamite" charge, they kept trying for another 22 hours. The juror said the extra time did not make a difference, and emotions ran high as deliberations wore on in a cramped room. "People couldn't even pace," the juror said. "They were just literally walking in circles where they were standing because they were losing their minds. People would just start crying out of nowhere, we wouldn't even be talking about [the case] -- and people would just start crying." At one point, according to the juror, tensions became so high that a male juror punched the concrete wall of the jury room. "I think he broke his pinky knuckle," the juror said. "If we kept going, there was definitely going to be a fight. They had five sheriff's deputies at the door and they could hear us and they kept coming in because they thought we were already fighting." Today, the juror said, they all speak to each other by text and phone regularly. Meanwhile, District Attorney Kevin Steele has said that he will retry Cosby. O'Neill he wants the retrial to happen within four months. (Eonline)

Harry Styles' stepfather, Robin Twist, has died. He was 49. "Harry's step-father, Robin Twist, sadly passed away this week after a long battle with cancer. The family asks for privacy at this time," a rep for Styles, 23, said in a statement. Twist married Harry's mother, Anne Cox, in June 2013. The One Direction member served as the best man at the wedding and even walked Anne down the aisle during the ceremony at the town of Congleton in Cheshire, England. Earlier this month, Anne celebrated their four-year wedding anniversary on Instagram writing, "Thank you for all the anniversary wishes." Twist, who is the father of Mike, 31, and Amy from previous relationships, helped raise the Dunkirk actor since he was 7 years old after Anne split from the singer's birth father, Des Styles. Twist's ex-wife Erica Jane Morgan shared a photo of the former couple on Facebook, and received condolences in the picture's comment section. Morgan thanked them and commented with a broken heart emoji. (People)

Prodigy's partner in Mobb Deep thought his death was one of those rumors they hear all the time, and he even joked around about it ... until he confirmed the devastating news hours later. Havoc spoke out for the first time since Prodigy died, and told us he left Las Vegas Sunday knowing Prodigy was in the hospital. Unfortunately, that wasn't uncommon and Havoc says he wasn't too concerned -- his friend had battled sickle cell throughout their 28 years together. Plus, he'd checked up on him multiple times by phone ... and his condition was improving. Havoc thought nothing of a "weird rumor" he heard Tuesday morning, saying ... "I was really laughing, to be honest with you." One call to their road manager changed that. Havoc says he made the call while driving from his 5-year-old son's kindergarten graduation -- "I could've crashed with my kids in the car." As for remembering Prodigy with their music -- Havoc says, "I'm still f**ked up. I can't listen." (TMZ)

THE OTHER STUFF . . .

Prince Harry Recalls Princess Diana's Funeral and Admits No One Wants to Be King or Queen. Prince Harry has seen and done a lot in his 32 years. In a candid conversation with Newsweek's Angela Levin, Harry looks back on the death of his mother, Princess Diana, who was killed in a car crash in 1997. "She had the most wonderful sense of humor and always wanted to make things fun for us," he says, "as well as protect us." Sharing fond memories his mother -- and carrying on her charitable legacy -- comes easily. But talking about Diana's funeral is much more difficult for Harry, who was 12 at the time. "My mother had just died, and I had to walk a long way behind her coffin, surrounded by thousands of people watching me while millions more did on television. I don't think any child should be asked to do that, under any circumstances," Harry recalls. "I don't think it would happen today." Harry "shut down" his emotions for nearly two decades, until his older brother Prince William encouraged him to seek professional help at age 28. "My search began when I was in my mid-20s," says Harry, who admits he partied too hard. "I needed to fix the mistakes I was making." The prince now wants to be seen as a passionate, emotional person. "Sometimes, I can have too much passion," he tells Newsweek. "It has got me into trouble in the past, partly because I cannot stand the idea of people mincing around the subject rather than just getting on with it." Now that he's older, Harry can better appreciate his role in the royal family. "My mother died when I was very young. I didn't want to be in the position I was in, but I eventually pulled my head out of the sand, started listening to people and decided to use my role for good. I am now fired up and energized and love charity stuff, meeting people and making them laugh," says Harry, who retired from the army two years ago. "I sometimes still feel I am living in a goldfish bowl, but I now manage it better. I still have a naughty streak too, which I enjoy and is how I relate to those individuals who have got themselves into trouble." Maintaining an "ordinary life" is a top priority. "My mother took a huge part in showing me an ordinary life, including taking me and my brother to see homeless people. Thank goodness I'm not completely cut off from reality. People would be amazed by the ordinary life William and I live. I do my own shopping. Sometimes, when I come away from the meat counter in my local supermarket, I worry someone will snap me with their phone. But I am determined to have a relatively normal life, and if I am lucky enough to have children, they can have one too," says Harry, who is now fifth in line to the throne. "Even if I was king, I would do my own shopping." In a time when stars are "Just Like Us," he hopes there's still an air of mystery about the royal family. "It's a tricky balancing act," says Harry, who declines to discuss his personal life. "We don't want to dilute the magic... The British public and the whole world need institutions like it." "The monarchy is a force for good, and we want to carry on the positive atmosphere that the Queen has achieved for over 60 years," he continues, "but we won't be trying to fill her boots." Along with his brother and sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, Harry has been shaking things up a bit. "We are involved in modernizing the British monarchy. We are not doing this for ourselves but for the greater good of the people. Is there any one of the royal family who wants to be king or queen?" Harry asks. "I don't think so, but we will carry out our duties at the right time." With so much attention on Prince George and Princess Charlotte, now is the time for Harry to "make something of my life," he tells Newsweek. "I feel there is just a smallish window when people are interested in me before [the siblings] take over, and I've got to make the most of it." (Eonline)

Whitney Port Is Skipping Sex Throughout Her Pregnancy Because She's ''Uncomfortable'' With Her Body. Whitney Port's road to baby couldn't end sooner. The Hills reality star-turned-lifestyle guru told the LadyGang Podcast she's "so ready for this pregnancy to be over," partly because she hasn't had sex with hubby Tim Rosenman in some time. Port, who is currently in her third-trimester, revealed that intimacy while pregnant isn't exactly her cup of tea. She revealed, "It is so not for me! It's not. I feel so uncomfortable with my body that I can't get into the mood. Like, I can't feel sexy." The 32-year-old confessed her and Tim did "other things" in the bedroom, but "once the belly really started happening," sex was out of the question. Apparently, Whitney's man is also pretty hesitant about doing the deed. "I think if I was one of those pregnant women that loved it and was confident, then he'd be into it," she explained. "I think I've turned him off of it because I'm like, 'Don't look!' I'll even not say anything and he'll see me getting undressed and be like, 'I'm not looking, I'm not looking!'" Port said she's more than ready to hit the gym after giving birth, telling the LadyGang co-hosts, "I'm so excited to get back in shape. I love it. That was such a big part of my life. It made me feel so good." When it comes to former co-stars Lauren Conrad, Heidi Montag's pregnancies, Whitney said she's barely fazed by The Hills recent baby boom. "I don't really care," she quipped, before clarifying, "I'm so happy for them, but I don't really keep in touch with them." As Whitney continues her pregnancy journey, the fashion designer is staying busy with new flower delivery service called bloom2Bloom and candid YouTube series, "I Love My Baby, But I Hate My Pregnancy." After celebrating her baby shower, the stunning blond took to Instagram with a heartfelt message about accepting her new curves and growing belly. "At first, I must be honest, I had a very hard time coming to terms with my changing body," she penned. "I had always prided myself on being healthy from the inside out and it was difficult not labeling my pregnant body 'fat.' But as time has gone on, I have come to appreciate what my body is ACTUALLY doing." "Don't get me wrong, I still look at myself in the mirror every day in disbelief about the fact that my boobs are now triple d's or that when I look down, I can't see my feet, etc., but I remind myself I'm growing a gift and this gift needs room to grow," Port added. "Just as we all do." (Eonline)

Jay Leno is too big for the Hamptons -- at least, his private jet is. We're told the standup comic is flying in for a July 1 gig in East Hampton, but his airplane has been refused permission to land by the East Hampton Airport. So the former "Tonight Show" host will have to land at the Francis S. Gabreski Airport in Suffolk County, then drive an hour to his appearance at the annual Guild Hall Season Spectacular instead. We're told there's a dinner for Guild Hall donors afterward, and expected guests include power lawyer Allen Grubman, Linda Macklowe, Vera and Donald Blinken and Marty and Michele Cohen. (Page Six)

DeMario Jackson -- the guy who had oral sex with Corinne Olympios during filming of "Bachelor in Paradise" -- is done with the show. Sources close to DeMario tell TMZ he's suffered from anxiety over the scandal after living under a cloud of suspicion for a week. He's even started seeing a therapist. And, he's upset because his name will now forever be linked to a sex scandal, even though Warner Bros. essentially concluded he did nothing wrong. We're told DeMario claims producers spoke to his lawyer and invited him back on the show, but he's done. Other sources dispute that he was invited back and say no decision has been made. We're told DeMario now wants to ditch reality TV for a career as an on-air personality. Our sources also tell us Corinne has not been invited back, and it's highly likely she will never re-appear on 'B.I.P.' or any other 'Bachelor' franchise. (TMZ)

The house Madonna grew up in outside of Detroit is fully restored and up for sale ... and can be yours for about half a mil. The Queen of Pop's dad and stepmother sold the Rochester Hills, Michigan home in July 2001. It almost burned to the ground in 2008, the result of suspected arson, and sat empty until 2012, when it sold for $91,700. The current owner refurbished the home and now the 5 bedroom 3 bath, 2,700 sq. foot home is on the market for $479,900. If Madge's childhood pad makes you vogue ... realtor Robert Kabbani of Remax is holding an open house this Saturday from 5-8 PM. (TMZ)

Music

Kelly Clarkson Helps Her Biggest Fan Pull of Surprise Proposal During Meet and Greet. Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this. After performing in Las Vegas Tuesday evening, Kelly Clarkson was on hand to witness two of her biggest fans live out their dream proposal. Self-proclaimed Kelly fanatic Alex Malerba dropped down one knee and asked his longtime boyfriend, Justin Blake, to marry him right in front of the American Idol champ during a meet and greet... and it's pretty freakin' adorable. Lucky for us, Malerba shared a video of the proposal to Instagram, which he captioned, "Asking the love of my life to marry me in front of the one and only @kellyclarkson was an amazing moment!!!! HE SAID YES" Clarkson has the biggest smile on her face as the soon-to-be husband realizes he was brought backstage for more than just a photo opp with the pop star, and tells him, "Oh my God, I'm so happy!" As the couple embraces, Kelly runs over to join the group hug and screams, "I'm like a part of it!" Turns out Alex clued Kelly in on wanting to propose to Justin in front of her, and she was totally down for the plan. He told TooFab that after receiving an impromptu shout-out from the singer during the concert, Alex made his way backstage and convinced security to let him have a few moments with Clarkson. Malerba told Kelly, "'My boyfriend is out here and I was planning on proposing to him and I want you to help.'" And she was like, 'You should have told me! I would have done it during the show' and I was like, 'Well he's out there. Can I go get him and we can do that now?' And she was like, 'Yes we are gonna do it. We aren't waiting another minute!'" "And I just went running down to the end of the hallway, probably 50 feet away from me to get him and I was like, 'Kelly wants to meet you.'" The rest, as they say, was history and sooner than later Alex will be a married man! He said Clarkson is "absolutely" invited to their wedding, but hopes she'll officiate their big day. Something tells us Kelly would love nothing more. Congratulations, you two! (Eonline)

In response to the devastating Grenfell Tower fire ... Simon Cowell brought together a supergroup ... including Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Geri Halliwell, Pete Townshend, and Roger Daltrey for a moving tribute. The Artists For Grenfell gathered in a London studio over 3 days to record a new version of Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge over Troubled Water." They were just a half mile away from the tower where at least 79 were killed. Others on the track include Nile Rodgers, Robbie Williams, Rita Ora, Jessie J, James Blunt, Bastille and Leona Lewis. In all, more than 50 artists contributed. The song is available on iTunes, and proceeds will support victims and their families. You can also make donations at ArtistsForGrenfell.com. (TMZ)

Nick Jonas Embraces Streaming Services, Teases 'Upbeat' New Music. He also teased a new sound following this breakup album last year: "It's time for some positivity I think." Nick Jonas was singing the praises of streaming services during his speaker session at Cannes Lions, saying the new method of music consumption has actually given him artistic freedom. "At first there was a little fear in this new, very progressive way that people were receiving and listening to music, how it was going to affect us in compensation as artists, as songwriters, as producers but also how it would change the traditional album model," he said, but after reflecting on the new style of playlists he feels freer as an artist. "I can sort of experiment with different things and sort of jump around a bit and be a bit of a scatterbrain creatively, which is exciting," Jonas said. "I think this new age in music is something to embrace and it just empowers everybody." His next album will be a creative departure for him and a more upbeat sound. "I think for the fan experience coming to the shows where the songs are a bit more uptempo and brighter will be better than the breakup album I released last year. It's time for some positivity, I think," he said. The Kingdom star said after wrapping three years of the DirecTV show and the Hawaiian shoot for Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, he took some time off to travel around Europe with friends. The trip was inspirational and will influence this new sound. Following his recent move to WME, Jonas said he is focusing on causes that are close to his heart, including education on and work towards finding a cure for Type 1 diabetes, which he suffers from, and LBTGQ rights. "I'm in a big moment of excitement with a new team at WME and we're going to talk about what the right partnerships are for the next chapter of my career [and] also for what is going to move the needle ... and finding a way to make a difference beyond music and film projects." The star also added that he is eager to get involved in startups that align with his causes, what he termed a "dream scenario" where he can prioritize equity in a company and "not a paycheck up front ... that might end up being a strong investment for me in a long play." But as audience members seemed eager to pitch ideas, he said he trusts his new team to find those opportunities for him. "Singing and acting is about all I can do," he joked. "When it comes to business I'm staying out of that conversation." (Billboard)

Yandel Launches New App With escapex. Yandel's fans now can be even closer to him: The Puerto Rican superstar has released a new mobile app in conjunction with escapex, Billboard has learned. With the app, fans will be able to directly interact with the singer, and they will have a deeper look into Yandel's life. "My fans mean the world to me and my new mobile app will enable me to interact with them directly like never before," he said in a press release announcing the app. Yandel now joins the escapex roster, which includes many celebrities such as Marc Anthony, Prince Royce, Farruko, J Alvarez, Baby Rasta & Gringo, Bob Marley and Janis Joplin. "We are excited to team up with a star like Yandel," said Joe Cuello (escapex general manager). "Yandel is known for his love of his fans and we are honored to help him connect and more closely interact with the social media base he has created." The app will be available on iTunes and Android stores. (Billboard)

Paul McCartney Talks Koalas, 'Sgt. Pepper' & Kanye West in Web Chat With Tim Minchin. As he announced his first tour Down Under in 24 years, Paul McCartney chatted with comic Tim Minchin for a Facebook Live session Wednesday (June 21) which lasted roughly 30 minutes but rolled-back 50 years of memories as the Beatles legend shared old stories and some more recent moments. Asked his best memories of Australia, which he last toured in 1993, McCartney said, "I think it's the wildlife because we don't have that here. We don't have kangaroos or koalas. So we went to a zoo and were able, me and the kids, were able to hold a little peaceful koala." A fan asked if he'd consider adding the McCartney solo song "Ode to a Koala Bear" to his set list and he said whimsically, "That's a thought, isn't it?" A question about his favorite album gave McCartney a chance to talk about the making of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band during its 50th anniversary year and the long chord at the end of "A Day in the Life." "I just came in and said, 'Have you ever put the loud pedal down on the piano and hear a chord and see how long it lasts for?' I was just fascinated. It goes for a good minute. I still hear it, I think. We did that idea, but then George Martin would say, 'O.K., it's running out.' So he fed in another piano. So George would do expert things like that, which was very cool, you know." He also talked about a more recent piece of music, his collaboration with Kanye West and Rihanna on "FourFive Seconds" and how he didn't know how it would work out. "I got a phone call and my manager said, 'Kanye West would like to work with you.' And I go, 'Yeah, we'll do it.' I was a little bit nervous at first, because I thought it could go horribly wrong. But I was intrigued to see what he was up to and how he did it. And it was a very intriguing process. You basically don't write songs. You basically just talk and noodle a bit and you record it all on your phone. And then he goes away. And that's basically his record. But it was great doing it because I don't work like that." He also equated what West did in putting together "FourFive Seconds" with how the Beatles worked. "So I was waiting three months after we'd finished. I didn't really hear anything but 'Hey, bro, what's going on?' But I'm thinking, should I say, 'Did we write a song? Will a record come out of this?' Anyway, this arrives and it's a Rihanna song... I said, 'This is great! I have to ring up and say, 'Am I on this?' And he goes, 'Oh, yeah. You're the guitar player.' I go, 'I don't remember.' And he said, 'We sped it up.' So they manipulated this kind of ... although, we're talking about 'Sgt. Pepper,' we loved manipulating. So I think we would have been into a lot of these tricks nowadays because we did speed things up a little bit." McCartney talked about his philosophy in what music fans hear during his three-hour concerts. "I start with the fact I used to go to concerts when I was a kid when I didn't have any money. And so I know what I want. And so I think the average audience member wants what I wanted. Which is the performer to do songs you know and hits you with love. So I kind of start with that." He says he eats little before a show. "I don't eat or drink before I go on because I sort of like to feel light. Then afterwards I can get heavy and have a drink. But before I go on I don't do that. I do have little sort of snacky things in the dressing room that I might just grab like chocolate covered raisins." And not surprisingly, he spoke of the Beatles with pride. "I always say we were a great little band. And that for me is what's precious about the Beatles. We were a great little band that expanded beyond all expansion. But the fact that we could sit down and go 'One for the money ...' and we all knew it. Just a tight little band. With me, instead of thinking about the quality of the sound, what I'm thinking about is when we recorded it or the young kids that recorded this, because you know what I was like in my mid-20s when I did something like 'Eleanor Rigby.' So I'm singing it going, 'It's pretty good. This kid's not bad. I like those words. The face by the jar by the door ... '" McCartney will perform five shows: four in Australia and one in New Zealand. The Australia dates will be Dec. 2 at nib Stadium in Perth; Dec. 5 at AAMI Park in Melbourne; Dec. 9 at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane; and Dec. 11 at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. The New Zealand show takes place Dec. 16 at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland. Pre-sale tickets are available from June 27 (via paulmccartney.com) and the general onsale begins July 4. "I'm going to come to Australia and New Zealand in December to play some concerts. And you know, I'm very excited. Haven't been there in a long time," he told the online audience. (Billboard)

Britney Spears is Loving Her Trip To Thailand: Watch Her do Bikini Cartwheels on the Beach, Jump Off High Dive. Britney Spears is having the best time in Thailand, ya'll! How do we know? Mainly because she posted an Instagram video montage with a series of highlights from her downtime activities during her current Southeast Asian tour, most of which require her to be in a bikini on the beach. The video, cued to Toni Braxton's "You're Makin' Me High," finds Spears, 35, frolicking on the beach with her sons, Sean, 11, and Jayden, 10, doing cartwheels, dancing on the beach and freaking out a bit before taking a jump off a high dive at a water park. "Having such an incredible time in Thailand!!!! Excited to perform in Bangkok this weekend," she wrote. Spears also posted video of a very sweet greeting she got from a pair of little fans whens he arrived in Bangkok. Taking a break from her smash Las Vegas residency, Spears is in the midst of a month-long international tour that includes shows in South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore and Israel. (Billboard)

Wyclef Jean, Jagged Edge, Ice-T & More Slated for 'Unsung' Profiles. Starting its 11th season, the TV One series will now air on Sunday nights. The 11th season of TV One's popular series Unsung will premiere with Wyclef Jean and Jagged Edge starring in a double-feature kickoff. The critically-acclaimed show will also begin airing in a new Sunday time slot. Unsung's forthcoming season will launch with a profile of Jean on July 9 at 9 p.m. ET. Then the Jagged Edge episode will follow at 10 p.m. ET. Subsequent episodes of the docu-series -- featuring Marvin Sapp (July 16), Switch (July 23), the Dramatics (July 30), Shanice (Aug. 6) and Ice-T (Aug. 13) -- will be broadcast each succeeding Sunday at 10 p.m. ET. "From classic R&B to hip-hop and gospel, Unsung is known for offering music lovers an in-depth behind-the-scenes views into the lives of their favorite performers," said TV president Brad Siegel in a statement announcing the coming season. "We are moving the series to Sunday nights to allow more of our viewers a chance to wind down their summer weekends with an evening of inspiring music to take you down memory lane." Unsung, narrated by actor Gary Anthony Williams, has profiled a diverse artist lineup that includes Xscape, Donny Hathaway, DeBarge, the Clark Sisters and Gil Scott-Heron. (Billboard)

Movies

Ron Howard Replaces Han Solo Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller. It's official: Ron Howard is stepping in to direct the Han Solo movie. The 63-year-old filmmaker replaces directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who were fired Monday due to "creative differences." Sources first confirmed Howard's hiring to The Hollywood Reporter Thursday; an official announcement from Lucasfilm followed soon after. "At Lucasfilm, we believe the highest goal of each film is to delight, carrying forward the spirit of the saga that George Lucas began forty years ago," Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said in a statement. "With that in mind, we're thrilled to announce that Ron Howard will step in to direct the untitled Han Solo film. We have a wonderful script, an incredible cast and crew, and the absolute commitment to make a great movie. Filming will resume the 10th of July." Howard, who'd been approached by George Lucas to direct 1999's Star Wars: Episode I-The Phantom Menace, won an Academy Award for directing 2001's A Beautiful Mind. His recent feature films include 2013's Rush, 2016's The Beatles: Eight Days a Week and 2016's Inferno. On Tuesday, Kennedy announced the untitled Han Solo film would be moving forward with a directorial change. She called Lord and Miller "talented filmmakers who have assembled an incredible cast and crew," which includes actors Emilia Clarke, Alden Ehrenreich, Donald Glover, Woody Harrelson, Thandie Newton, Joonas Suotamo and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Filming began at Pinewood Studios in London in February, but recently, she said, "It's become clear that we had different creative visions on this film, and we've decided to part ways." The movie was scheduled to shoot for three-and-a-half more weeks, with five weeks of reshoots built into the schedule -- a common practice for blockbusters of the Star Wars caliber. "Unfortunately, our vision and process weren't aligned with our partners on this project. We normally aren't fans of the phrase 'creative differences,' but for once this cliche is true," Lord and Miller said. "We're really proud of the amazing and world-class work of our cast and crew." According to The Hollywood Reporter, Howard will soon meet with the cast to improve morale. He will also review a rough edit of the previously shot footage to ascertain what the film needs. The Han Solo standalone is still on target for its May 25, 2018 release date. (Eonline)

Jurassic World 2 Gets Official Title and First Poster With Jeff Goldblum's Original Quote. "Life finds a way" in the new Jurassic World sequel. Universal Pictures on Thursday revealed on Twitter the first poster for the sequel, which reveals its official title is Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. The image bears some fiery debris and the tag line, "Life Finds a Way" -- a call-back to a line Jeff Goldblum says in Jurassic Park, the movie that started it all, when he talks about how living species will find a way to survive even in seemingly impossible circumstances. The actor, who starred in the first two films in the '90s, reprises his role as Ian Malcolm in the new film. Jurassic World stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard return as raptor trainer Owen Grady and love interest and park operations manager Claire Dearing. Details about the plot of the sequel, which is scheduled to hit theaters on June 22, 2018, have not been released. Howard talked to E! News last year about her character's transformation at the event of the 2015 film Jurassic World, noting that her super impractical white high heels will not be making a comeback. In Jurassic World, Owen and Claire work to stop a terrifying hybrid dinosaur, Indominus rex, who was freed from its cage and wreaks havoc upon the park and its guests. Jurassic World made more than $1.67 billion worldwide -- more than all three of the Jurassic Park movies made individually. (Eonline)

Judd Apatow's new Lionsgate movie is "The Big Sick." Said someone: "'The Big Sick' is a turn-off title." Said Mamie or Grace, one of Meryl Streep's Gummers: "No! Kevin Kline's in 'The Big Chill.' Big is in. Or we'd be home watching boring CNN. Our friend Zoe Kazan's in this and invited us to this screening. Big is biiiggg." OK. So this true story film's about Mrs. Kumail Nanjiani's illness. Its back story comes from Pakistan. So where'd they film? "Brooklyn," said Zoe. "But it really felt like the Nanjianis' Muslim family house. "Kumail's wife, Emily, co-wrote the film with him. In true life, Emily was studying at University of Chicago. In movie life, I play her friend. Look, I worked very hard to get this role. I read the script. I talked with the director. I auditioned. A really long audition. I've seen the movie twice, but not being objective about how I look, I don't even know how I look." Not to worry. In person, she wore a long red gown, "which I'd like to keep" and long fake eyelashes, which I know she'll keep. Ray Romano: "It's a love story. I play the father looking to meet the Pakistani boyfriend this American girl's in love with. What happened is she becomes ill and ends in a coma. Meantime, his parents are pressing him to have a traditional Muslim lifestyle and Pakistani wife." Romano ever been to Pakistan? "No. But I know its capital. I'm anal. I always want to learn. I know every single country's capital. Ask me a country." I said "Sri Lanka." He spit out "Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte." Me: "Colombia." Him: "Bogotá." There we stood. Two idiots on Second Avenue playing geography "Scrabble." Drifting by, blond Holly Hunter, inside a tight tight super skinny dress, said: "I play a mother." Me: But you don't look like a mother. Holly: "Oh .?.?. please .?.?." (Page Six)

How Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon Manage That 'Big Sick' Illness in Real Life. The married co-writers tell THR of dealing with the extremely rare form of arthritis that brought them together ten years ago. It's not ideal to fall in love with someone who's in a coma, but that's what happens to Kumail Nanjiani in The Big Sick -- and in real life. The Silicon Valley actor co-wrote the romantic dramedy with wife Emily V. Gordon, based on their actual courtship (Zoe Kazan portrays her onscreen, and Holly Hunter and Ray Romano play her parents). The titular sickness remains unnamed throughout most of the movie, as it was to Gordon for much of her life. Ten years ago, she was a therapist in Chicago who was eight months into a relationship with the standup comedian. Gordon initially thought she simply caught a stubborn cold or, at worst, pneumonia. She fainted while getting an X-ray and soon found herself in the emergency room. After eight days of tests while in a medically-induced coma, she was diagnosed with adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD), an extremely rare form of arthritis that can shut down major organs when left untreated -- as with Gordon, who had accumulated fluid in her lungs and was having trouble breathing. "Basically, your organs can start getting inflamed as if they're under attacked and have an infection, but they're not," Gordon tells The Hollywood Reporter during a chat at New York City's Four Seasons Hotel. "Because I wasn't diagnosed or being treated for it, it just kept getting worse and worse. My organs kept getting more and more inflamed until I had to be hospitalized." The autoimmune disease is extremely rare -- there are an estimated 1.5 cases per 100,000 to 1,000,000 people -- and usually manifests when patients are between the ages of 18 and 40. Its cause and ultimate cure are still unknown, though the condition is relatively manageable after diagnosis. "I just have to practice self-care in the ways we all should be doing -- get enough sleep, eat healthy and regularly, exercise and keep my stress and drinking down -- but I have to be a little more diligent about it because if I slip on any of those, my immune system can act up," Gordon explains of controlling her condition, which she does with Nanjiani's help. "My parents call him my lion, and he really is. At times when I'm not great at self-care, he will force me to be good about it." AOSD can either be episodic or chronic, and its symptoms, which can vary and range in severity, include high fever, skin rashes and joint pain. Gordon's condition is episodic, with relatively manageable flare-ups occurring only a few times each year. When an episode seems imminent, Gordon makes sure to communicate openly with Nanjiani. "When it first happened, [I felt] the guilt of, how could I not see this happening? She was with me, and she got so sick -- how could I not know?" he recalls. "Emily can be so stoic about it. She can be super sick and still have a great attitude. So part of the process for us has been Emily telling me, 'Hey, I feel something coming on,' and then me trying not to freak out for a little while." Gordon then cancels all her upcoming commitments so she can rest and take medication. "If I'm sick, I don't have the ability to work through it -- I have to stop," says Gordon. "It's not that bad. I just can't leave the house for a few days." Nanjiani -- who admits that "when I have a 99-degree fever and a sniffling nose, I'm such a baby" -- follows suit in solidarity. "I don't really take care of her in the traditional sense, but what happens is on day two, Emily is cleaning the entire house or trying on dresses!" he laughs. "Let's try and own this, and have a good time if we can. It's time to relax, lie on the couch and watch movies. Let's eat cakes and shit." Coincidentally, The Big Sick debuts alongside drafts of Trump's health care bill, which allows states to opt out of Obamacare's ban on refusing to cover pre-existing conditions like AOSD. "This movie wasn't supposed to be political, but [if not for my insurance coverage,] I would still have those astronomical bills," says Gordon. "We all need to take care of our health, and we all need help to do that." (Hollywood Reporter)

Film Movement Picks Up 'Bye Bye Germany' for North America. Sam Garbarski's period drama follows the adventures of a group of smooth-talking Jewish businessmen trying to get the money to leave Germany after WWII. Film Movement has acquired Sam Garbarski's Bye Bye Germany, a dramedy about Jewish businessmen in post-WWII Germany, for North America. Moritz Bleibtreu (World War Z, Run Lola Run) stars in Bye Bye Germany as David Bermann, a smooth-taking huckster who, as the only member of his family to survive the Holocaust, concocts a plan to raise money to emigrate to the United States. He leads a group of similarly-minded Jewish businessmen as they struggle to make a buck while dealing with the trauma of what they just lived through. The film premiered at the Berlin Film Festival this year. "Not only is Bye Bye Germany a witty, one-of-a-kind post-war comedy, it's a film with real chutzpah," said Film Movement president Michael E. Rosenberg, who inked the deal for the film with The Match Factory's Julien Razafindranaly. "We're pleased to have this crowd-pleaser in our catalog." Film Movement plans to bow Bye Bye Germany in North America this winter. The New York specialty label also recently acquired Rachel Perkin's Australian thriller Jasper Jones, Laurie Simmons' My Art, which premiered in Venice last year, Jean-Stephane Bron's documentary The Paris Opera, and In Between, a drama from director Maysaloun Hamoud about three Palestinian women living in an apartment in Tel Aviv. (Hollywood Reporter)

TV

Alexis Bledel Returning for The Handmaid's Tale Season 2 As a Series Regular...But How? Praise be! Alexis Bledel is returning to The Handmaid's Tale for season two. The Gilmore Girls veteran appeared as a guest star in a handful of episodes of season one, but will serve as a series regular in the upcoming second season of the acclaimed Hulu drama... but how? Bledel's character, Emily/Ofglen, was last scene being taken away by the authoritarian police force after she stole a car and ran over a guard. This was after her character, who is involved with the Mayday Rebellion, was caught having a lesbian relationship and had her clitoris surgically removed by the regime. Dark stuff. No word on how her character will be reintroduced. Bledel, who is best known as Rory Gilmore, was one of the highlights of the first season, doing what is arguably the best work of her career. The show first season (and Bledel) received rave reviews. The Handmaid's Tale also stars Elisabeth Moss, Samira Wiley, Yvonne Strahovski, Ann Dowd, Madeline Brewer, Max Minghella, Joseph Fienees and O.T. Fagbenle. The Handmaid's Tale, which is based on the book of the same name by Margaret Atwood, takes place in Gilead, a totalitarian society that was once the United States. Plagued by environmental disasters and a plunging birthrate, Gilead treats women -- especially fertile ones -- as property. Bledel and Moss play Handmaids, fertile women assigned to homes of Commanders to have their children. "I think it's a timely project, no matter who you are. I think everyone's going to be able to take something away from it that is really resonate and probably a bit emotional," Bledel previously told E! News about the series. It brings everything into focus, right? It's a time in your life when you only want to leave home to work if you absolutely love the project and feel it's important." The second season, which will be 13 episodes, is set to begin production in the fall with a 2018 premiere. The premiere became Hulu's most-viewed premiere of any series -- original and acquired. (Eonline)

The Defenders Debuts New Key Art That Really Accentuates the Attractiveness of Netflix's New Marvel Show. If looks could kill... Consider this our official petition for outtakes of the shoot for the new key art for The Defenders, because we are buying whatever these heroes are selling and we need more. Netflix's newest Marvel outing, which puts Luke Cage, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Iron Fist all together for some serious crime fighting (or elevator riding), doesn't debut until August, but it's not hard to tell that this is going to be a good time, especially if this key art is what it always looks like when you get Mike Colter, Krysten Ritter, Charlie Cox, and Finn Jones in the same room. It's like they're staring into our soul, and we will happily let them continue to do that all the way until the show finally premieres. The Defenders also stars Sigourney Weaver, who plays the mysterious villain Alexandria, as well as Eka Darville as Malcolm, Rachael Taylor as Trish Walker and Carrie-Anne Moss as Jeri Hogarth from Jessica Jones, Luke Cage's Simone Missick as Misty Knight, Daredevil's Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, Scott Glenn as Stick and Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson, Iron Fist's Jessica Henwick as Colleen Wing and Rosario Dawson as Claire Temple. The Defenders will hit Netflix on August 18. (Eonline)

Just Who Is The Gong Show Host Tommy Maitland?! Who is Tommy Maitland? That is the questions viewers will be asking when they tune into The Gong Show, ABC's revival of iconic game show, which premiered Thursday night. Will Arnett, who produces the new show, said he became a huge fan of Maitland's after seeing him perform stand-up in the U.K. when he was a teenager. But American viewers may not be quite so familiar with the British comedy legend. E! News sat down with Tommy Maitland to learn a little bit more about him ahead of The Gong Show's premiere, although we were too afraid to address those Mike Myers rumors. "I've been an entertainer my whole life," Maitland told us. "On my tombstone, it will read, 'Here lies Tommy Maitland. British entertainer. Please check the coffin to make sure he's actually dead.'" And, of course, because he's British, we had to ask if he knows any members of the royal family. "I had a bit of a falling out with them," Tommy revealed. "It was an incident with Princess Margaret way back when. And they know how to rule a country and hold a grudge it seems. But they're wonderful people. They're gorgeous." Maitland even opened up about his one encounter with Queen Elizabeth II. "I'll never forget what the Queen said to me when I saw her. She said, 'Get out of my way.' She didn't have to say that. That's why she's she. That's why she's her." Tommy said he was a fan of The Gong Show growing up, and he was excited for the show to just entertain people in a time where it's largely "sad and frustrating" new stories dominating the airwaves. Calling the show "the place where the insanely talented and the insane cane find a home," he advised viewers to "turn on your telly, turn off your brain, this is just for funsies." The Gong Show premiered Thursday night at 10 p.m. on ABC. (Eonline)

Kacey Musgraves Learns How Her Grandma Might Have Died During Must-See Hollywood Medium Reading With Tyler Henry. Tyler Henry was able to give Kacey Musgraves some clarity about her grandmother's death. On Wednesday's episode of Hollywood Medium, Kacey met with Tyler and she told him she'd like to know how her grandmother passed away. She explained that her grandma had a house fire, but was able to call 911. However, Kacey's grandma never made it out of the house, which was a mystery to her family. During the reading, before the house fire was mentioned, Tyler had brought up an instance where an individual fell. "There is an instance of an individual who sustained a fall or like I'm falling, I don't know if I fall down the stairs or I injure myself," Tyler told Kacey. "But it's a reference to a physical incident that then contributes to a further decline." Then while talking about the house fire, Tyler connected the falling incident to Kacey's grandmother. "She just gave me the vision of the reference to the fall," Tyler said. "The thing I mentioned earlier about someone falling or tripping and then this acting as a catalyst for someone's passing. She literally just threw that out at me just now." Kacey then asked Tyler, "As herself?" Tyler told her that's right, "So what this could be trying to convey is that there could've been a fall or a trip or something that would've hindered one physically to not actually be able to get out of this." He continued, "There's definitely distinctly a feeling of like I physically feel like I can't get out of here." After the reading, Kacey said that the discoveries were "shocking." "As we kept going, more and more started to kind of reveal itself," Kacey explained. "And that's not something you can just guess at or throw out. You know, it was a very shocking thing." (Eonline)

NBCUniversal Executive Says 'Downton Abbey' Movie Production to Start in 2018. "We are working on getting the script right and then we've got to figure out how to get the [cast] together." A Downton Abbey movie remains in the works, with production likely to begin in 2018, an NBCUniversal executive said Wednesday. Michael Edelstein, president at NBCUniversal International Studios, said it hopes to assemble 20 cast members from the popular TV series. "There's a movie in the works. It's been in the works for some time," Edelstein said in Singapore at a red-carpet event for "Downton Abbey: The Exhibition," which features costumes, locations and never-before-seen footage from the TV show. The exhibition opened in the city-state last week and ends July 31. "We are working on getting the script right and then we've got to figure out how to get the [cast] together. Because as you know, people go on and do other things. But we're hopeful to make a movie sometime next year," Edelstein said. Cast members at the exhibition said they were not aware of the movie. "Oh, well, you've got confirmation before us. We have no idea if that's happening," said Sophie McShera, who played assistant cook Daisy Mason. "But we would all love to be part of the film if it was to happen, for sure." Laura Carmichael, who played Lady Edith Crawley in the series, quipped: "Well, tell my agent, because we're still waiting to know. We're hoping that will happen soon." Emmy-winning writer and creator Julian Fellowes also said he hoped a film would be made. "I think we've got a film in us. I hope it happens," he said. Downton Abbey, which concluded in 2015, portrays the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family in England and their servants amid the backdrop of such historical events as the sinking of the Titanic and World War I. It has become one of the most popular TV shows in the world, airing in at least 150 countries. Fans lined the red carpet at Singapore's Marina Bay Sands on Wednesday to catch a glimpse of the stars. Student Jessica Nobleza, 15, held up a sign that read, "You helped us pass history." "When I got into the show, it was kind of exam period. And season one and two involves World War I, and how it affected the whole era," she explained. The Downton Abbey exhibition is to travel to the U.S. and Australia at a later date. (Hollywood Reporter)

WME-IMG Under Pressure as UFC TV Rights Talks Begin. After paying $4 billion for the MMA company in 2016, the sports-entertainment behemoth is seeking a big price increase for its rights package. The UFC's new owners are about to step into the Octagon for what many expect to be a brutal TV rights negotiation. WME-IMG, the sports and entertainment Goliath that bought the mixed martial arts league for an eye-popping $4 billion last year, needs to dramatically increase the fees paid to air fights in order to justify that lofty purchase price. Fox Sports now pays about $115 million annually to air UFC content across networks FS1 and FS2 as well as on Fox, though the biggest bouts remain available only on pay-per-view. WME-IMG co-CEOs Ari Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell, who negotiated UFC's deals with Fox when the league was a client, are under pressure to extract a hefty rights increase as the clock begins July 1 on the network's three-month exclusive negotiating window. While nowhere near the draw of the NFL or NASCAR, UFC programming is on par with college football, and it's typically the top-rated in its time period among young men. Reaching that millennial male demographic is one reason UFC has begun to overcome its stigma among media buyers long wary of MMA's bare knuckle (and sometimes bloody) violence, though not completely. Budweiser and Harley Davidson are UFC sponsors, but the franchise still does not have an automotive sponsor. Ford, which advertises across the Fox Sports portfolio, won't place ads in UFC programming. Launched in 2013, FS1 and FS2 now have full slates of live sports and studio shows. But UFC content still makes up a significant chunk of each net's schedule; in 2016, UFC accounted for 34 percent of primetime programming minutes on FS1 and 24 percent on FS2. All told, FS1 aired a little more than 1,300 hours of UFC programming last year. UFC Fight Night had its best year ever on FS1 in 2016, averaging 948,000 viewers, as did UFC pay-per-view preliminaries, which averaged 1.1 million viewers. Fox Broadcasting airs several main card and preliminary fights a year; about 17 hours in total. The marquee Fox UFC Fight Night main cards averaged 2.7 million viewers, down 5 percent year-over-year. "It's a tonnage buy for Fox," notes Frank Hawkins of sports and media consulting firm Scalar Media. "They would have to fill a lot of time if they don't renew it." Of course, UFC will get a major dose of publicity with the Aug. 26 pay-per-view bout between its biggest star, Conor McGregor and undefeated boxing champ Floyd Mayweather Jr., who will emerge from retirement for the fight. McGregor, who has never fought a professional boxing match, is a five-to-one underdog. Win or lose, UFC will have the opportunity to expose its biggest star to potential new fans. Some analysts predict the McGregor-Mayweather fight could top Mayweather's 2015 bought with Manny Pacquiao, which had a record-setting 4.6 million buys, adding up to about $455 million. UFC's pay-per-view business will no doubt be a sticking point in negotiations (as will the franchise's OTT service, dubbed Fight Pass). Pay-per-view is a significant revenue driver for UFC but rights holders have grumbled about it so a new deal could give Fox or another buyer more influence in the pay-per-view schedule. Fight Pass is so far not significantly cannibalizing the linear TV audience, but it remains an area of concern at Fox, say sources. Despite the UFC's momentum in recent years, the new negotiations come at a time when the cable bundle is under assault; worldwide sports leader ESPN has lost more than 10 million subscribers since 2011, a trend mirrored across the industry. And many sports executives are preaching fiscal responsibility amid untenable rights agreements; ESPN pays about $8 billion annually for its extensive suite of sports rights. CBS Sports is unlikely to make a serious play for UFC, say numerous sources, and ESPN, which is circling a boxing deal with Bob Arum's Top Rank, also is doubtful. However, Turner and NBC Sports might bid. But Turner, which has made inroads with e-gaming, does not have a dedicated sports channel in need of a lot of inventory. Notes Hawkins: "I don't see whey they'd pay much for [UFC]. I wouldn't be surprised if they take a shot at it just to make Fox pay more. But I don't think they'd be that serious about it. I don't see this as the type of property that's going to draw a robust bidding war." But there are conversations with digital players including Amazon, Facebook and Verizon, say sources. Amazon has made a major play for live sports rights, including a run at NBA League Pass and paying a reported $50 million to the NFL for the rights to stream ten Thursday Night Football games - games that are non-exclusive, since they will also continue to air on CBS and NBC. When Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta III-who acquired rights to UFC in 2001 for $2 million-were peddling their stake in the company, many industry executives balked at the media rights valuation in the sales documents, which projected an aspirational annual rights haul of $400 million beginning in 2019. Fox Sports executives scoffed at such a rich price tag. And certainly, anything close to that would have to come via deals with multiple buyers, which is a distinct possibility. "I think they thought that as soon as they got on the network with Fox behind them, the numbers were going to double or triple," says one veteran sports executive. "Well, they didn't. So I think this is going to be one of the more interesting negotiations in recent times. Expect fireworks in this one." (Hollywood Reporter)

Jay-Z Pushes for Projects That Demand Social Justice: "This Is Our Power". Trophies are nice, but some projects -- like two Spike docs on the lost black lives of Kalief Browder and Trayvon Martin -- can lead to far greater rewards, writes the rapper/executive producer. The power of one voice is strong, but when it comes to social justice, the power of our collective voices is unstoppable. Now is the time to recognize that through our voices we really can effect change. Some of us will do the important work locally at the micro level to awaken our neighbors. Some of us will work for progress regionally. And a few of us will be like Kalief Browder, a modern-day prophet whose death two years ago started a discussion that continues today about how poor, black juveniles are treated in the criminal justice system. Kalief grew up in the Bronx and started out like so many kids I grew up with in Brooklyn, kids who have to choose the right fork in the road every day. He wasn't an angel, but he was a good kid on the right path who held up under the social pressures common in the Bronx. This young man at 16 was arrested -- for something any suburban kid could have gotten away with -- and held at Rikers Island for three years, mostly in inhumane solitary confinement. The post-traumatic stress disorder he came out with led him to suicide two years ago, but not before he had the chance to talk about what happened to him. It is up to us to continue to amplify his story so that we can save a generation of kids from the same fate. His is the kind of story that you can't ignore, and people are starting to see that what happened to him is not an isolated case. He's just one example in a system that is broken. We need to be the ones who fix it. When I started talking with Harvey Weinstein about Kalief's short life, it made me realize that a documentary series like Time: The Kalief Browder Story could raise our voices and create that collective we need. We can work together to demand change from our elected government officials. We put them in office, we make the laws, and we show them the path to progress. That is our power, and it's the only way that healing will come for Kalief and his family. We've seen some of that change slowly start to happen. President Obama outlawed solitary confinement for juveniles. New York has started the long process of closing Rikers Island, the prison where Kalief was tortured, starved and held without a trial. My hope is for my next documentary, Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story, to create a similar conversation that leads to change and helps keep our children safe. And it's an honor to have the support of Trayvon's family in telling the story. But social justice isn't a political issue. It's a human issue. It's a story of empathy. When we are able to identify that we are all not perfect and have compassion for someone else, we can move forward as a society. Look around at what's happening in your town and your city right now. Think small, and you can do much bigger things. (Hollywood Reporter)

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