ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Chris Pratt and Anna Faris Announce That They Are ''Legally Separating'' After 8 Years of Marriage. And thus...the Internet weeps. In an unfortunate turn of events, Chris Pratt and Anna Faris announced on Sunday night that they are "legally separating" after eight years of marriage. The couple shares a 4-year-old son, Jack Pratt. The 38-year-old Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 star took to his official Facebook page to announce the separation news, writing, "Anna and I are sad to announce we are legally separating. We tried hard for a long time, and we're really disappointed. Our son has two parents who love him very much and for his sake we want to keep this situation as private as possible moving forward." The statement continued, "We still have love for each other, will always cherish our time together and continue to have the deepest respect for one another." The statement was signed with both of the actors' names at the end of it. Moments after the Facebook post, the 40-year-old Mom actress tweeted an almost similar statement from her Twitter, except hers does not have the last phrase: "And continue to have the deepest respect for one another." The beloved duo met in 2007 while filming the movie Take Me Home Tonight. The two got engaged in 2008 and eventually tied the knot on July 9, 2009. Last year, Faris spoke to the Huffington Post about why Pratt's her soulmate and how he's the one person who has really changed her outlook on love and marriage. She gushed to the outlet, "He is sexy, but more importantly he's a great person." She added, "When I was falling in love with him, I loved how kind he was to people. I loved how smart he is, but he's not pretentious at all. He doesn't wear that as a badge -- he kind of lets people slowly discover it." She said, "He's humble, and he's a great leader, and he's an incredible father and a great husband. And I feel like, after years of dating people that weren't the best for me, I found somebody who's love I could really accept." Faris had previously been married to Ben Indra from 2004-2008. In 2015, Pratt spoke to Elle magazine about meeting his future wife while filming. "It was like magnets. Our personalities meshed, she was a goofball, she liked to have fun, it was impossible to offend her ... We were friends first but she left her husband at the end of the movie, and we started dating when we were back in Los Angeles," he said. "We were friends, and I was there for her. And we had just played love interests, so we had this tight bond spending so much time and spending nights in Phoenix, but we never crossed the line. But we were, I think, developing feelings for each other at the time, you know? The day that she told me she was leaving her husband, I knew I was going to marry her." (Eonline)
Mindy Kaling's mystery pregnancy has shocked her family and silenced the brother she's feuding with. The talented 38-year-old actress isn't known to have a boyfriend, and won't reveal who the father-to-be is, leading to speculation she used an anonymous sperm donor. "For family members who were hoping for a traditional marriage and a son-in-law, this was a shock," one source told me. Mindy's brother, Vijay Jojo Chokal-Ingam, attacked Mindy last fall when he was promoting "Almost Black: The True Story of How I Got Into Medical School by Pretending To Be Black." But he has no comment on her pending motherhood. From 2005 to 2007, Kaling dated B.J. Novak, her co-star on "The Office," who's also appeared on her show "The Mindy Project," and then dated Benjamin Nugent from 2008 to 2012. Vijay told me last year things ended between Kaling and Nugent when she agreed to help Ben's sister, Annie Baker, get an agent, but then secretly asked her connections at William Morris Endeavor not to represent her. (Baker has since become a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright.) "My sister has engineered similar public and private plots against her many frenemies in Hollywood," Vijay said at the time. But now he's keeping mum. Kaling's rep did not respond to a request for comment. (Page Six)
Anna Faris Said Navigating Life as a Power Couple with Chris Pratt Was 'Tricky'-Just Weeks Before Split. Just three weeks before their split, Anna Faris admitted that life in the spotlight put a strain on her marriage to Chris Pratt. "I don't think that's something, when you're an actor that you're prepared for," she told PEOPLE in July of navigating power couple celebrity with Pratt. "There are two different roles that you play -- the one on-camera and the one in public," she continued. "That's the tricky part." Still, Faris sang her husband's praises at the time, saying the mundane parts of life helped the former couple stay grounded. "Chris loves to work in the garage and I love to do laundry and watch reality television," she says. "Just normal people." In April, Pratt shared a message about how much he loved Faris after she joined him for his press tour for Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2. "These press tours can be such a whirlwind," he wrote. "I'm grateful to have you and the boy with me on this one. Although it's 3:00am right now, I was just awakened by a square kick to the back as little man climbed into bed and then must have had a karate dream or something and now I can't sleep. I'm on insta instead. All you dads and moms know what I'm talking about." Faris, 40, and Pratt, 38, announced their split in a joint statement shared on Facebook on Sunday. "Anna and I are sad to announce we are legally separating," Pratt wrote. "We tried hard for a long time, and we're really disappointed. "Our son has two parents who love him very much and for his sake we want to keep this situation as private as possible moving forward," he continued. "We still have love for each other, will always cherish our time together and continue to have the deepest respect for one another." A source tells PEOPLE Faris often seemed unhappy while Pratt was away filming and that the separation was often hard for her to bear. The couple's split comes after eight years of marriage. Pratt, 38, and Faris, 40, have one child together, Jack, who will turn 5 in August. (People)
The 20-year-old British model who was allegedly kidnapped to be sold in an online auction on the dark web is reportedly speaking out about her harrowing ordeal. Chloe Ayling, a British glamour model who lives in London, revealed to British newspaper The Sun that she was the woman who was kidnapped during a fake modeling job in Milan and held captive in a small house where a group planned to sell her off online to the highest bidder. "I've been through a terrifying experience," she told the newspaper on Sunday. "I've feared for my life, second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour. "I'm incredibly grateful to the Italian and UK authorities for all they have done to secure my safe release," she continued. "I have just arrived home after four weeks and haven't had time to collect my thoughts. I am not at liberty to say anything further until I have been debriefed by the UK police." According to Italian police, a 20-year-old British model was kidnapped on July 11 after she traveled to Italy for a photoshoot booked by her agent. On July 10, Ayling had posted a shot of herself in a Milan bathroom, writing "arrived." The cops claim that the model -- who was not publicly identified -- was assaulted by two men, drugged, and stuffed into a suitcase to be taken to a small home in Turin. Police claim that the woman was handcuffed to a chest of drawers for six days and was told that she was going to be auctioned off on the dark web if her agent did not agree to pay a ransom. According to police, the group decided to let her go after they found out that she was the mother of a young child. They then took her to the British consulate. Police arrested Lukasz Herba, a 30-year-old Polish national, after he allegedly dropped her off at the consulate. Police claim the Herba organized several auctions to sell woman -- who he described as "prey" -- as part of an illegal human trafficking organization called the "Black Death Group." Authorities are still searching for another suspect in connection with the case, according to CNN. (People)
Mel B's former assistant fled in fear of Stephen Belafonte. Spice Girl Mel B's employees were made to watch ISIS beheading videos by her ex-husband Stephen Belafonte, a former assistant has revealed. Film boss Belafonte insisted it would make them realize what was happening in the "real world." Ex-lackey Jonathan Parks, 25, claims the film producer also spent $22,800 on a trip to get a tattoo -- and says the couple kept a box full of sex toys in their garage. Parks said: "Working for Stephen and Mel was insane, complete chaos. They were always screaming at each other and rowing. Every single day I asked myself, 'How can these people still be together?' There seemed to be no happiness. "Stephen was the scary one in that relationship. The smallest thing would set him off. He would scream at you like a drill sergeant. I would stand there with my knees shaking. "One minute he would be blowing thousands, the next he'd be screaming at us for wasting a few bucks on the wrong shade of paint. "Stephen made us watch videos of IS and Mexican cartel beheadings, saying we needed to be prepared for anything in the real world." Californian Parks, whose real name we are not using, took a $35,000-a-year job as the couple's executive assistant in February 2015. Mel, 42, had just appeared in "The X Factor" final with bruised arms, which she later claimed were caused by her partner. Parks said: "Their assistant of six years had quit. She couldn't handle the press from the 'X Factor' fallout. They were desperate for someone. Stephen said my job was going to be crazy and I'd be on call 24/7. But he promised awesome opportunities -- private jets, the works." Mel B has recently admitted blowing chunks of her $49.5 million fortune, with her lawyer Jacalyn Davis saying that "improvident lifestyle choices" have left her with tax debts. But Parks says it was her husband who was particularly flash with the couple's cash. He claims Belafonte spent huge amounts on clothes, alcohol, custom-made jewelry and security gear for their Beverly Hills mansion. Parks said: "One day he bought a $5,800 backpack but never touched it. Two days later he told me to return it but they did not have a return policy. Stephen would buy $2,900 shoes then sell his old ones to a charity shop. "He spent $15,000 for first-class seats to Sweden to see the number two tattoo artist in the world. "He paid $7,800 for the tattoo and flew back. Stephen could also spend $1,500 on bottles of whiskey. Yet one time he flew into a rage because we had not returned a $13 pot of paint. Anything could set him off. "One time he was locked out of an Airbnb house he was renting in Beverly Hills and I took too long to get back with the keys, so he kicked the door in. "I never saw him and Mel get violent. But they had furious rows. "She would call him a 'f -- king psycho' and tell him that he was acting insane. It became clear they were in an open relationship and he would get drunkenly jealous, telling her, 'Well I let you f -- k your guys.' "Stephen would also ask me to track Mel on her 'Find My iPhone' app. "He would want to know where she was at night. "When I told him where she was, he would sometimes leave then come back with her an hour later." In court papers, submitted in April to support an application for a restraining order, Mel claimed Belafonte punched, choked and emotionally abused her for over a decade. Belafonte was convicted of assaulting his ex-Nicole Contreras in 2003. Parks says the couple kept a box of 24 sex toys in the garage, and once brought another woman home after a night out. Parks said: "Stephen would boast that his wife was crazy in bed. He called her a 'freak' but in a good way. "One night they went to the Soho House private club in West Hollywood. "They were renting an Airbnb apartment nearby. Next morning they told me to call a taxi for this woman. "She was about my age. She looked disheveled and like she was doing the walk of shame. She just got in the Uber taxi and left. "I asked them who it was and Stephen said it was a friend who they met at the private members club." Parks shared a rented home with Lorraine Gilles, 26, nanny to the couple's children Madison, five, Angel, ten, and Phoenix Chi, 18. He came to suspect Belafonte was bedding her -- once finding him lying on the couch while Gilles, 26, made breakfast in just a robe. Parks says Mel was jealous of Gilles and lost her temper when her rival posed for a photo in one of her bikinis. The singer is now being sued by Gilles over the Spice Girl's claims, which she denies, that she aborted Belafonte's baby. Gilles, who was pictured in her swimwear on a Malibu beach last week, has hit back. She says the couple got her drunk and lured her into a threesome at 18. Mel wants the lawsuit thrown out and a ruling is expected on August 31. Parks said: "I always suspected Mel hated Lorraine but Stephen fought hard to keep her around. She would go to Stephen for everything. He flew her to Germany to see her parents, he bought her a car. He leased the apartment she lived in with me and paid the bills." After around nine months Parks quit and says he had to run from the house without some belongings as he was so scared of Belafonte. He said: "I got in my car and just left. It was like running from the mob." (PageSix)
Courtney Love's dodging making a decision on who gets Kurt Cobain's famous guitar -- their daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, or her estranged husband ... according to new legal docs. Isaiah Silva -- who's in an ongoing divorce with Frances -- claims Courtney's refused to come to the door twice when his investigators tried to serve her with deposition papers. According to the docs ... she's also ducking the L.A. Sheriff's Dept.'s attempts to do the same. Silva wants a depo from Love because he claims she has "personal knowledge of many of the facts" surrounding the 1959 Martin D-18E acoustic guitar Kurt played during Nirvana's "MTV Unplugged." As we reported ... the guitar's been a heated point of contention in the divorce. Frances says the "priceless family heirloom" belongs to her, but he says it's his because she gifted it to him. We reached out to Courtney ... her rep tells us she's already publicly stated the guitar is a family heirloom and doesn't belong to anyone other than family, which echoes what she told us in July 2016. The rep also says Courtney hasn't been home much ... she's been filming in Canada. (TMZ)
A woman who is suing Usher for allegedly exposing her to genital herpes has come forward, saying Usher cherry-picked her out of a crowd at one of his concerts, got her number, went to her hotel and had sex with her without disclosing he allegedly had genital herpes. Quantasia Sharpton appeared with celeb lawyer Lisa Bloom Monday morning, saying she was celebrating her 19th birthday at an Usher concert, wearing a birthday crown, when she was contacted by Usher's security. Sharpton says she's negative for herpes but still feels violated. Bloom went on to say she doesn't know for sure if Usher has herpes but there are media reports saying just that and he has remained silent. Bloom is filing a lawsuit on behalf of 2 women and 1 man, all of whom claim they have had sexual contact with Usher since his alleged diagnosis. She says 1 of the remaining clients -- either the man or woman -- has tested positive for herpes. Attorney Bloom went on to say she's been contacted by others and may file additional lawsuits. Bloom says one of the things she wants is a court order forcing Usher to reveal to his future sex partners that he has an STD ... again, his health status has not been confirmed. We've reached out to Usher's reps ... so far they're mum. (TMZ)
Former "Road Rules" star Danny Dias died of complications from chronic substance abuse, and the lacerations found on his forearm had nothing to do with his death ... TMZ has learned. The Chief Medical Examiner in NYC tells us Danny did not have any lethal injuries, and it's been determined he died of natural causes ... brought on by years of substance abuse. The M.E. adds there was no evidence of any acute level of drugs in his system. Translation: he didn't OD, but he'd been in bad shape for years. As we first reported ... cops said Danny had 2 lacerations on his forearm the day his body was found in his apartment. The M.E. says the cuts were fresh, but ultimately did NOT cause his death, as police first suspected. Danny was 34. (TMZ)
THE OTHER STUFF . . .
Amy Schumer joins Steve Martin's Broadway show. Amy Schumer and Steve Martin are teaming up for laughs -- on Broadway. The actress and comedian will star in Martin's four-person comedy "Meteor Shower" at the Booth Theatre starting in November. It's about two couples who get together to observe the celestial event that inspires the title. Schumer will be joined by Keegan-Michael Key, Laura Benanti and Alan Tudyk. Schumer and Key will be making their Broadway debuts. Martin was last represented on Broadway with his bluegrass-driven musical "Bright Star." "Meteor Shower" made its debut at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego last year. (PageSix)
Liam Hemsworth might've come off as a married man to the average passerby this weekend from the looks of the hardware on his hand ... but he's not. Liam was hangin' with fiancee Miley Cyrus' mom, Trish, Sunday at the Cyrus estate in eastern Kentucky -- sans Miley -- where he was seen sporting what appeared to be a wedding band. We did some digging -- turns out Liam and Miley have not tied the knot. People connected to both whom we know and trust say they're "100%" not hitched ... not yet, at least. It's just another false alarm, which Miley's set off before herself. The couple's been engaged for well over a year and a half ... apparently they're keeping it that way for now. (TMZ)
Anthony Weiner might have more friends in prison than he does now in the Union Square building where he's been living with his son, Jordan, 5. The former congressman goes to the apartment tower's gym most days wearing ear buds. "Nobody speaks to him. He is truly ostracized," one source told me. "People won't even get on the elevator with him." Most of Weiner's neighbors were Hillary Clinton supporters, and blame him for her loss because former FBI Director James Comey reopened the investigation into her e-mails after the feds seized Weiner's computer. Weiner will be sentenced Sept. 8 in Federal District Court in Manhattan for sharing obscene photos with a minor. Prosecutors said in the plea agreement that 21 to 27 months would be "fair and appropriate." Since he doesn't seem to have any friends, and his estranged wife, Huma Abedin, spent more time with Clinton than she did with her husband, Weiner might have more companionship behind bars. (Page Six)
Music
David Hasselhoff Stars in Cheesy 'Guardians of the Galaxy 2' Music Video. James Gunn teased 'Inferno' for a week before debuting it Sunday. The inferno has been unleashed. David Hasselhoff's song "Inferno" from the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 soundtrack now has an official music video, which director James Gunn shared Sunday (Aug. 6) after a week of teasing it. Hasselhoff played a small role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, with Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) revealing as a boy, he'd fantasized his dad was Hasselhoff. Later, Star-Lord's real father Ego (Kurt Russell) briefly took on the form of the actor, and during the credits, the new Hasselhoff song "Inferno" played. The song is performed by Sneepers (a fictional band invented by Gunn and composer Tyler Bates), with director David Yarovesky helming the music video. Earlier this week, Hasselhoff told Heat Vision he hoped to collaborate with Gunn more in the future, and even had been asking the filmmaker to reboot one of his old TV shows. "I've given some ideas to James for Knight Rider, and he responded in a big way," Hassellhoff said of his 1982-1986 NBC show about a crime fighter with a futuristic car. "If it does go forward, I don't want it to be spoofed like Baywatch or 21 Jump Street. Those films lose what it's about, and you have to respect the fans." The new video was released in support of the Guardians 2 home entertainment release. It's available on Digital HD Tuesday and other formats Aug. 22. (Billboard)
Adele Screens 'Despicable Me 3' for Children Who Survived Grenfell Tower Fire. Adele has not forgotten about the victims of London's devastating Grenfell Tower fire. The singer treated some of the children affected by the deadly blaze in the high-rise to a screening of Despicable Me 3 on Thursday evening (Aug. 3). It was just the latest charitable action the "Hello" star has engaged in to offer some support to those impacted by the June fire that killed more than 80 people. The private screening took place at London's Whiteley Cinema and a source told E! that the attendees were very surprised by their patron's appearance. "It was very intimate. All we knew as we boarded the fancy coach that there was a special screening just for us. We didn't even know there was a special guest." The invitation to the event came through the ClementJames Centre, an educational charity that has been aiding Grenfell survivors and the attendee said no one realized Adele would be there. "Adele was lovely and she sat with a few of the kids in the row in front of us, chatting away... Adele made time for everyone and mingled with the kids." Adele has made outreach to the victims and EMS professionals impacted by the fire -- which was blamed on fast-burning cladding on the outside of the 24-story residential tower -- a priority over the past two months, visiting with first responders in last June and visiting the site of the fire to comfort victims just days after the early morning conflagration to dole out hugs. (Billboard)
Jon Pardi's 'Heartache On The Dance Floor' Becomes A Summertime Mystery. The singer created a beach-side fantasy... while landlocked in Kansas and Wisconsin. It's a good time to be Jon Pardi. His sophomore album, California Sunrise, debuted at No. 1 on Top Country Albums following its release on June 17, 2016. Its first two singles, "Head Over Boots" and "Dirt on My Boots," climbed to No. 1 on Country Airplay. Now "Heartache on the Dance Floor" -- arguably the shiniest-sounding track on California Sunrise -- is out at radio, with Pardi working for a chart threepeat during the sunniest months of the year. "It moves," says Pardi of "Dance Floor." "It's got that cool beat, and you can see the crowd just start dancing when that beat drops, when that first chorus comes in. I see it all the time. There's something cool about it." It's a "California cool" melody, says songwriter/producer Bart Butler ("Make Me Wanna," "Up All Night"), tying the musical feel with Pardi's Golden State heritage. And that's pretty much what "Heartache on the Dance Floor" does on a lyrical level, too, combining Pardi's acerbic wit and relentless energy with a story about a woman in a West Coast bar who steals the heart of a dumbstruck man and disappears. It was Pardi's concept. While he was checked in at some now-forgotten hotel, he heard the "where she at, where she at, where she at tonight" tagline for the chorus in his head and sang it into his phone; he saved the 'Heartache on the Dance Floor' title with it. He brought it up as a topic when Butler and fellow songwriter Brice Long ("Nothing On but the Radio," "Let's Don't Call It a Night") met up with him on June 26, 2014, at the Country Stampede in Manhattan, Kan. A day later at the Country Fest in Cadott, Wis., Butler got on the bus to hear Pardi and Long working on it without him. "Bart came back on the bus," says Long with a laugh, "and we're like, 'Dude, it's all good. We got this, man. Go back to whatever you were doing out there. We don't need you.' " Pardi had a dirty electric guitar sound going, and it helped set the tone for the piece. "A Gibson 335 is what I wrote the song on," he says. "That's why you hear that kind of strut to it in the rhythm. We just loved the sound of that lonely guitar opening up the song." Pardi was really strutting, cranking the amp to its highest volume, even though they were enclosed in the bus. "He always goes to 10," says Butler. "It was so loud, and every time he'd look away, we'd turn it down. He would look at us, and he'd turn it back up." They wrote the chorus first, kicking off with the title, then finding the right phrases to led them to the "where she at" finale. Initially, they left holes in the phrasing, though Long later started repeating the opening lines, creating a call-and-answer texture that added to the soulful flavor in the groove. Once the chorus was complete, they backed up to the beginning, pinning the verses to the same three-chord progression they'd already applied in the chorus. "The go-to songs, whether you're singing karaoke or you're in a cover band, the simplicity of those songs sound like hits," notes Long. "They're just easy to play and sing." They plopped the protagonist into a beach-town bar, where he sets his sights on an auburn-haired girl shaking her hips to "some ol' Motown song." The guy is so mesmerized he can't even speak; instead, he sings along to the record. It's unclear whether he actually joins her on the floor or simply gawks from the sidelines. "That's what I think is neat about it, 'cause you don't really know what happens," says Butler. "It leaves it to the listener to figure out: Did they share a dance? Or was she out there dancing with somebody and he fell in love?" The second verse finds the singer back at the club every night, hoping his "mystery girl" returns. It ought to be a sad song, since insecurity stepped in and created a missed opportunity, but the hooky musical vibe and his hopeful attitude keep it all upbeat. "It's a positive lonely song," maintains Pardi. "He's going to find her. He's going to find her." They made a work tape that was little more than Pardi singing the lead, Long adding the call-and-answer parts, the Gibson 335 providing rhythm and the hum of the bus generator throwing in some atmosphere. Pardi started playing it on the road with his band, but Butler still brought out that understated work tape for the musicians when they finally cut it at the Blackbird Studios in September 2015, part of a two-day marathon that saw Pardi record 12 songs for California Sunrise. They agonized over the tempo -- 115 beats per minute? 117? -- before they finally settled on 116 bpm. That 1 bpm, says Pardi, was a major factor. "I would describe it as tightening a bolt," he says. "Like if the bolt's a little loose, tighten. If it's too tight, open it up a little bit. And that's what that one click up or two clicks up is. It's a simple thing, but it makes a big difference." Pardi attempted to play rhythm guitar -- "That was definitely a disaster," he says with a laugh -- and they handed the role instead to Rob McNelley, who would enhance the California texture with the solo. "That Eagles kind of old-school rock'n'roll solo is what he kind of went after," says Pardi. "That's why it's real simple and kind of bendy. Rob's good at that." Dave Cohen's Hammond B-3, Mike Johnson's steel guitar, Jenee Fleenor's fiddle and Danny Rader's acoustic guitar subtly blend behind all the rhythms, dovetailing with Pardi's vocal so that one instrument sometimes finishes another's line. "We let every player have their moment, and we always want that track to feel good, but we don't want to saturate it," says Butler. "That's why it feels like, 'Here comes fiddle, here comes steel.' Instead of everybody jamming at one time, we kind of want the track to breathe a little bit." Even though the chord progression never changes, Butler found ways to add and subtract instruments, giving a sense of movement to the production. "It's amazing what a tambourine can do," says Pardi, pointing to a pick-me-up on the back half of the chorus. "I'm telling you, that little instrument is so simple, but so effective. " Pardi came back on a day when he was in better voice to do the final vocals, knocking them out in about three takes. He also did his own call-and-answer parts on the chorus, with Russell Terrell adding the harmonies. "Heartache" was eyed as a potential lead single from California Sunrise before "Head Over Boots" beat it out, but Pardi personally asked that it become the third release. "If they choose the single, I'm fine with that, but I chose this one," he says. "I thought it had some appeal to it, and we're right on the edge of the beginning of the summer and it's got that kind of a cool sound. It's upbeat, sexy, and I wanted to go into the summer with that." Capitol released it to country radio via PlayMPE on April 17, and it's at No. 14 on the Hot Country Songs chart dated Aug. 12. Pardi shot a video for it that's set on a sandy beach, playing up that sunshiny, summery feel. "Timing's everything," he says. And with a catchy, upbeat song following two previous No. 1s, it's a pretty good time to be Jon Pardi. (Billboard)
Gucci Mane's New Video for 'Tone It Down' Featuring Chris Brown. Back in June, Gucci Mane teamed up with Chris Brown for a new single called "Tone It Down." Now, they've both teamed up with director Eif Rivera for a music video, which is stylish but weirdly orientalist. (Billboard)
Movies
The Lion King Cast Records "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" in Never-Before-Seen Footage. Simba just can't wait to be king -- and E! News can't wait to show fans never-before-seen footage of The Lion King cast recording dialogue and music for the animated Disney classic! In celebration of the film's digital re-release on Aug. 15 and Blu-ray release on Aug. 29, check out an exclusive sneak peek of Rowan Atkinson, Jason Weaver and Laura Williams recording "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" for the film's soundtrack. Released in 1994, the number was written by Elton John and Tim Rice for Zazu (Atkinson), Simba (Weaver) and Nala (Williams) to perform. The behind-the-scenes bonus clip also offers a glimpse of Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella and Jonathan Taylor Thomas recording bits of dialogue as Pumbaa, Timon and Simba, respectively. Now part of the Walt Disney Signature Collection, the Blu-ray edition of The Lion King will include a sing-along version of the movie, as well as audio commentary from producer Don Hahn and co-directors Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff. Additionally, artist David Garibaldi "paints a masterpiece of evil" as he breaks down Scar's "Be Prepared" sequence, while Lane sits down with Matthew Broderick (Adult Simba) and Thomas Schumacher (president of Disney Theatrical Productions) to give "candid and hilarious insights" into their Lion King experiences. At one point, Schumer tells Lane the filmmakers originally wanted him to voice Zazu. But, in spite of Minkoff's initial misgivings, Allers realized the actor was better suited for another role. "I don't remember the part about the bird," Lane admits. "I don't remember reading about the bird at all." Allers later asked Lane to audition to play one of the hyenas alongside Sabella. "We clearly had missed the whole thing," Schumacher remembers. "You were Timon and Pumbaa." In another bonus feature, Allers and Minkoff show archive footage of their initial story pitches. The Lion King was released theatrically on June 15, 1994. Twenty-two years later, the movie was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant." Following the success of his live-action Jungle Book, Jon Favreau was hired to direct a live-action version of The Lion King, set for a July 19, 2019 release. Over the weekend, the film played at the El Capitan Theatre and select AMC locations. "Disney created an instant classic with the original release of The Lion King in 1994 and its popularity has never wavered. We are thrilled to offer a whole new way to enjoy this beloved Disney film at The El Capitan Theatre," manager Ed Collins said. "Who can resist singing along to such unforgettable songs as 'Hakuna Matata,' 'Can You Feel the Love Tonight' and 'Circle of Life?'" (Eonline)
Venice Film Festival Adds John Woo's 'Manhunt' to Lineup. Three films have been added to round out the 74th edition of the festival. Three world premieres have been added to the lineup of the 74th Venice International Film Festival to complete the program. John Woo returns to the crime thriller genre where he started his career with his latest film, Manhunt, set to premiere in Venice in an out-of-competition slot. In the remake of a 1976 Japanese classic, a Chinese man is framed for murder in Japan and hunted by the authorities and a group of mystery killers. Woo (A Better Tomorrow, Face/Off) is a Lido favorite and was feted at the festival in 2010 with a Golden Lion for Career Achievement. Andrea Segre (Shun Li and the Poet, First Snowfall) will premiere, in a special screening, The Order of Things, about a young policeman tasked with controlling the flow of immigrants who travel to Libya to coordinate a tricky mission. And the Venice Classics Documentaries sidebar is adding The Enigma of Jean Rouch in Torino, by Marco di Castri, Paolo Favaro and Daniele Pianciola. The film examines the "laboratory of ideas" behind the 1988 film Enigma. The 74th Venice festival takes place Aug. 30-Sept. 9. (Hollywood Reporter)
'Detroit' to Screen at Rome Film Fest. Kathryn Bigelow's new film will have its Italian premiere at the event later this year. Kathryn Bigelow's Detroit will screen at the Italian capital's biggest film festival later this year, organizers of the Rome Film Fest said Monday. "It is an extraordinary new film from a great director," said fest director Antonio Monda. "It is a great honor to present a film of this quality." The film details the Algiers Motel incident in July of 1967 during the 12th Street Riot in Detroit, resulting in the murder of three black men. Written by Academy Award winner Mark Boal, Detroit stars John Boyega, Will Poulter, Jacob Latimore, Jack Reynor and Hannah Murray. Bigelow is the first and only woman to win an Academy Award for best director for her film The Hurt Locker. Detroit opened stateside July 28 before rolling out nationally this weekend. The film will continue to open internationally throughout the fall. The Rome Film Fest takes place Oct. 26-Nov. 5. Confirmed guests include David Lynch, Chuck Palahniuk and Vanessa Redgrave. (Hollywood Reporter)
Ryan Reynolds Shares First Look at Josh Brolin as Cable in 'Deadpool 2'. Ryan Reynolds knows how to get a Monday going for Deadpool fans. The actor shared the first official look at Josh Brolin as Cable in the upcoming Deadpool 2. "We all have that one, grumpy, heavily armed Uncle from the future. #PremiumCABLE," Reynolds tweeted. (Hollywood Reporter)
TV
Game of Thrones Gives Us Another Long-Awaited Reunion Then Overshadows it with Death and Fire. Holy guacamole. The night's Game of Thrones may not have even hit a full hour, but somehow it managed to pack in a good chunk of our list of GoT hopes and dreams. So many things happened, and nearly all of them made us very happy. First of all, Arya finally made it to Winterfell, and got inside after dealing with some truly idiotic guards. She and Sansa met by their father's grave and hugged and compared terrible journeys and made us cry with happiness before meeting up with Bran the Three-Eyed Raven, who has grown just so very irritating. He handed Arya the Valerian steel blade that Littlefinger had given him, since it once nearly killed him. Bran also revealed his knowledge of Arya's list of people to kill, and after watching Arya's epic sword practice with Brienne, Sansa started to kinda see how much Arya has changed over the past few years. At Dragonstone, Jon distracted Dany from worrying about the Unsullied by showing her the dragonglass. We actually thought the Jurassic Park theme was going to start playing as the caves lit up in the light. It was cool, but not like dinosaurs in this amusement park cool, to be honest. On their way out of the cave, Dany and Jon discussed their planned alliance, but Dany refused to work with him if he refused to bend a knee. She assured him that the north would accept her as the queen if Jon did, but they were interrupted by Tyrion and Varys, who had news of what had happened at Casterly Rock. Dany was understandably pissed, and immediately decided it was time to hop on one of her dragons and burn down King's Landing herself. Jon tried to dissuade her, saying she'd make a lot of people unhappy if innocent lives were lost, but Dany decided to take the advice Lady Olenna had given her instead. She's a dragon, and she's gonna be a goddamn dragon. Later, Missandei explained to Jon and Davos just what's so great about Daenerys Targaryen, but they were interrupted by the arrival of a Greyjoy ship, featuring Theon. Jon grabbed him by the shirt and told him that what he did for Sansa was the only reason he wasn't going to kill him. Theon wanted Dany's help getting his sister back, but Dany was already gone. Cut to the Lannister army, with Jaime and Bronn joking around as the army rested. Then, they heard a noise over the hill. The army got into formation just as the Dothraki emerged over the hill, accompanied by Dany atop one of her dragons. At her command, the dragon promptly burned half the army, allowing the Dothraki a way through. It was violent and bloody and also awesome but really terrible, and then that supposed dragon-killing crossbow came out to play. It hit Drogon, but only enough to wound him a little and make him angry enough to destroy the crossbow. Once on the ground, Dany tried to pull the arrow out of Drogon, and Jaime decided to take a chance and ride right at her with a spear. Drogon obviously defended Dany and was about to burn him, but someone jumped in the way and pushed Jaime into the lake instead, and we last saw him falling to the bottom of that lake. So Jaime might be dead, his entire army is pretty much dead, but at least Arya and Sansa are safe together in Winterfell...for now. Oh, and Cersei did some more banking. Congrats to Cersei. Game of Thrones airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO. (Eonline)
Below Deck Mediterranean Finale Shocker: Malia Finally Reveals Her Secret Romance. Drop anchor 'cause there's rocky waters ahead. It's safe to say it's going to be a memorable last day on the yacht as Below Deck Mediterranean's second season is coming to a close...with one of the Bravo hit's biggest secrets finally getting out after being kept under wraps all season. Having met before the charter season (and filming) had started, deckhand Malia White and Chef Adam Glick had kept their romance a secret from everyone, including producers and Wes Walton, Malia's boss and other boat beau. While producers found out about their hook-up midway through the season, Wes has yet to learn the truth...until now. In E! News' exclusive sneak peek at the Aug. 8 finale, Malia finally comes clean to Wes about her past with Adam, after he showed their text messages to Wes. You know what they say, hell hath no fury like a chef scorned. In the video, Wes confronts Malia about his conversation with the heartbroken chef, saying, "Adam came to me to warn me about the person you are." And that's when Malia decides to drop the anchor bombshell on him: "The truth is I knew Adam from before." So how does Wes react to Malia's shocking confession? Watch the video to find out. Below Deck Mediterranean's finale airs Tuesday at 9 p.m. on Bravo. (Eonline)
Tim Allen's politics had "absolutely nothing to do with" canceling his popular comedy series "Last Man Standing," ABC Entertainment chief Channing Dungey insisted at TCA. "Stunned and blindsided by the network I called home for the last six years," Allen tweeted in May, after his multi-cam comedy was pulled after six season. His suggestion his conservative politics played into the decision took off when go picked up by conservative radio and TV news commentators, in the absence of another credible explanation from the network. The surprise pull was a head scratcher, given that the blue-collar sitcom was ABC's second most watched comedy in its most recent season, with 8.1 million viewers in Live +7, only behind flagship "Modern Family" (8.7 million). "Politics had absolutely nothing to do with it," Dungey told TV critics, insisting their schedule is populated with actors who have "different points of view" politically. Allen was a "valuable member" of the ABC Family. Dungey's explanation for the cancellation is that "Last Man Standing" "came up to the end" of its pact and the network "unfortunately was not able to create room for it" on the schedule, which she called "disappointing." "His personal politics had nothing to do with it," she reiterated. (Page Six)
I watched The Simple Life again & it has not aged well. Sorry Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie, The Simple Life just wouldn't work in 2017. On this day (5 August) 10 years ago, the last episode of Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie's infamous reality series, The Simple Life, aired. If you've burned this piece of pop culture from your memory, which is totally understandable, here's a quick refresher: Two obscenely wealthy socialites (Hilton and Richie) traveled from rural town to rural town wreaking havoc on civilians' daily lives. And by "wreak havoc," I mean they exploited and embarrassed them but packaged it as harmless fun. That was, after all, the M.O. of The Simple Life: Hilton and Richie had never worked a day in their lives, so they embarked on this "journey" to gain some real-world skills. So what if they screwed up a few times and inconvenienced their host families? They were just trying to learn! It's not that simple, though. In my opinion, The Simple Life had a pretty insidious agenda underneath Richie's provocative one-liners and Hilton's endless repetition of the phrase, "That's hot." The show wanted to benefit from the humiliation culture that dominated entertainment in the early and mid-2000s. Look back at the most popular television shows from that time, and you'll understand what I'm talking about. The crown jewel of the small screen in 2003 was American Idol: a music competition show that, yes, focused on talent, but it certainly didn't mind getting a boost from naive hopefuls' abysmal auditions. Idol essentially turned mocking people into a sport: Host Ryan Seacrest would tee up an untalented contestant's audition with a cringe-worthy interview -- and maybe some type of video montage, also cringe-worthy -- and Simon Cowell would come in for the kill. This poor person would sing their heart out, only to endure a public tar-and-feathering that was presented as "entertainment." It was sick and wrong -- but people loved it. They also loved the trashy, vicious tabloids that hung proudly at their grocery stores. They are still pretty awful now, but they were particularly hateful in the mid-2000s: a time characterized by extreme fat-shaming (especially towards women), operatic love spectacles, and an aggressive hunt for the next breakdown. This was right around the time Perez Hilton launched his first website and only two years before Britney Spears' catastrophic fall from grace, which was relentlessly documented... and disgustingly celebrated. Pop culture, simply put, was a pretty big bully in 2005. This was the perfect environment for The Simple Life to thrive. The show's first season was a ratings smash for Fox, drawing in roughly 13 million viewers each week. Seasons two and three were successful too. There was a slight dip when the show jumped ship to E! for season four, but the numbers were still strong. People seriously couldn't stop watching two rich girls roughin' it in the sticks. Did the show have its funny moments? Totally. Hilton and Richie had amazing chemistry together on screen. It's hard not to chuckle at the scene from season one where they write "Salty Weiner Burgers" on a Sonic Drive-In sign. Or when they randomly give one of their host families two monstrous Great Danes in season three. Some of their shenanigans truly were, as I said earlier, just harmless fun. But most were not. Granted, Richie and Hilton weren't as overtly mean as Cowell, but they didn't have to be. The cruelty was in the nuances. In practically every episode of The Simple Life, Hilton and Richie gawked at the people and places around them as if they were in a zoo. They'd ask insipid questions to the locals, like, "Do you guys hang out at Walmart?" -- and the intention was clear: "Awww, look at these provincial country folk! Let's laugh at them because we're so rich and they're so, so simple!" These moments juxtaposed Hilton and Richie's fabulosity with the "drab" existence of everyday Americans. The families were poked and prodded, metaphorically, as if they were aliens from another planet. It was exploitation through and through. And these people weren't bold enough to object, or even notice what was actually happening. That's the real tragedy here. Seedy producers most likely lured them in with a flashy pitch about being on television, but little did they know they'd be debased in the process. Truthfully, Hilton and Richie aren't really responsible for the problematic elements of The Simple Life. They were just two inexperienced personalities who saw an opportunity and took it. The real blame goes to the people behind the scenes, who picked up on Americans' hunger for humiliation -- and were happy to feed it. Thankfully we've moved on from this exploitation culture. Not only are viewers savvier about reality TV trickery, they're just not into watching people degrade themselves anymore -- not with the same ferocity, at least. The Voice is arguably the most successful talent competition show on air right now, and it doesn't feature any laughably bad auditions. Entertainment media has also entered a more positive space; if a gross tabloid publishes something unfair about a celebrity, several reputable outlets will call it out. There's definitely a push nowadays to empower people -- famous or not -- instead of shaming them. And that's incredible. It's also exactly why The Simple Life wouldn't work in 2017. Something tells me Twitter would have a very low tolerance for two privileged women teasing working-class Americans just for shits and giggles. That is absolutely not hot. (British Glamour)
Mindy Kaling's mystery pregnancy has shocked her family and silenced the brother she's feuding with. The talented 38-year-old actress isn't known to have a boyfriend, and won't reveal who the father-to-be is, leading to speculation she used an anonymous sperm donor. "For family members who were hoping for a traditional marriage and a son-in-law, this was a shock," one source told me. Mindy's brother, Vijay Jojo Chokal-Ingam, attacked Mindy last fall when he was promoting "Almost Black: The True Story of How I Got Into Medical School by Pretending To Be Black." But he has no comment on her pending motherhood. From 2005 to 2007, Kaling dated B.J. Novak, her co-star on "The Office," who's also appeared on her show "The Mindy Project," and then dated Benjamin Nugent from 2008 to 2012. Vijay told me last year things ended between Kaling and Nugent when she agreed to help Ben's sister, Annie Baker, get an agent, but then secretly asked her connections at William Morris Endeavor not to represent her. (Baker has since become a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright.) "My sister has engineered similar public and private plots against her many frenemies in Hollywood," Vijay said at the time. But now he's keeping mum. Kaling's rep did not respond to a request for comment. (Page Six)
Anna Faris Said Navigating Life as a Power Couple with Chris Pratt Was 'Tricky'-Just Weeks Before Split. Just three weeks before their split, Anna Faris admitted that life in the spotlight put a strain on her marriage to Chris Pratt. "I don't think that's something, when you're an actor that you're prepared for," she told PEOPLE in July of navigating power couple celebrity with Pratt. "There are two different roles that you play -- the one on-camera and the one in public," she continued. "That's the tricky part." Still, Faris sang her husband's praises at the time, saying the mundane parts of life helped the former couple stay grounded. "Chris loves to work in the garage and I love to do laundry and watch reality television," she says. "Just normal people." In April, Pratt shared a message about how much he loved Faris after she joined him for his press tour for Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2. "These press tours can be such a whirlwind," he wrote. "I'm grateful to have you and the boy with me on this one. Although it's 3:00am right now, I was just awakened by a square kick to the back as little man climbed into bed and then must have had a karate dream or something and now I can't sleep. I'm on insta instead. All you dads and moms know what I'm talking about." Faris, 40, and Pratt, 38, announced their split in a joint statement shared on Facebook on Sunday. "Anna and I are sad to announce we are legally separating," Pratt wrote. "We tried hard for a long time, and we're really disappointed. "Our son has two parents who love him very much and for his sake we want to keep this situation as private as possible moving forward," he continued. "We still have love for each other, will always cherish our time together and continue to have the deepest respect for one another." A source tells PEOPLE Faris often seemed unhappy while Pratt was away filming and that the separation was often hard for her to bear. The couple's split comes after eight years of marriage. Pratt, 38, and Faris, 40, have one child together, Jack, who will turn 5 in August. (People)
The 20-year-old British model who was allegedly kidnapped to be sold in an online auction on the dark web is reportedly speaking out about her harrowing ordeal. Chloe Ayling, a British glamour model who lives in London, revealed to British newspaper The Sun that she was the woman who was kidnapped during a fake modeling job in Milan and held captive in a small house where a group planned to sell her off online to the highest bidder. "I've been through a terrifying experience," she told the newspaper on Sunday. "I've feared for my life, second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour. "I'm incredibly grateful to the Italian and UK authorities for all they have done to secure my safe release," she continued. "I have just arrived home after four weeks and haven't had time to collect my thoughts. I am not at liberty to say anything further until I have been debriefed by the UK police." According to Italian police, a 20-year-old British model was kidnapped on July 11 after she traveled to Italy for a photoshoot booked by her agent. On July 10, Ayling had posted a shot of herself in a Milan bathroom, writing "arrived." The cops claim that the model -- who was not publicly identified -- was assaulted by two men, drugged, and stuffed into a suitcase to be taken to a small home in Turin. Police claim that the woman was handcuffed to a chest of drawers for six days and was told that she was going to be auctioned off on the dark web if her agent did not agree to pay a ransom. According to police, the group decided to let her go after they found out that she was the mother of a young child. They then took her to the British consulate. Police arrested Lukasz Herba, a 30-year-old Polish national, after he allegedly dropped her off at the consulate. Police claim the Herba organized several auctions to sell woman -- who he described as "prey" -- as part of an illegal human trafficking organization called the "Black Death Group." Authorities are still searching for another suspect in connection with the case, according to CNN. (People)
Mel B's former assistant fled in fear of Stephen Belafonte. Spice Girl Mel B's employees were made to watch ISIS beheading videos by her ex-husband Stephen Belafonte, a former assistant has revealed. Film boss Belafonte insisted it would make them realize what was happening in the "real world." Ex-lackey Jonathan Parks, 25, claims the film producer also spent $22,800 on a trip to get a tattoo -- and says the couple kept a box full of sex toys in their garage. Parks said: "Working for Stephen and Mel was insane, complete chaos. They were always screaming at each other and rowing. Every single day I asked myself, 'How can these people still be together?' There seemed to be no happiness. "Stephen was the scary one in that relationship. The smallest thing would set him off. He would scream at you like a drill sergeant. I would stand there with my knees shaking. "One minute he would be blowing thousands, the next he'd be screaming at us for wasting a few bucks on the wrong shade of paint. "Stephen made us watch videos of IS and Mexican cartel beheadings, saying we needed to be prepared for anything in the real world." Californian Parks, whose real name we are not using, took a $35,000-a-year job as the couple's executive assistant in February 2015. Mel, 42, had just appeared in "The X Factor" final with bruised arms, which she later claimed were caused by her partner. Parks said: "Their assistant of six years had quit. She couldn't handle the press from the 'X Factor' fallout. They were desperate for someone. Stephen said my job was going to be crazy and I'd be on call 24/7. But he promised awesome opportunities -- private jets, the works." Mel B has recently admitted blowing chunks of her $49.5 million fortune, with her lawyer Jacalyn Davis saying that "improvident lifestyle choices" have left her with tax debts. But Parks says it was her husband who was particularly flash with the couple's cash. He claims Belafonte spent huge amounts on clothes, alcohol, custom-made jewelry and security gear for their Beverly Hills mansion. Parks said: "One day he bought a $5,800 backpack but never touched it. Two days later he told me to return it but they did not have a return policy. Stephen would buy $2,900 shoes then sell his old ones to a charity shop. "He spent $15,000 for first-class seats to Sweden to see the number two tattoo artist in the world. "He paid $7,800 for the tattoo and flew back. Stephen could also spend $1,500 on bottles of whiskey. Yet one time he flew into a rage because we had not returned a $13 pot of paint. Anything could set him off. "One time he was locked out of an Airbnb house he was renting in Beverly Hills and I took too long to get back with the keys, so he kicked the door in. "I never saw him and Mel get violent. But they had furious rows. "She would call him a 'f -- king psycho' and tell him that he was acting insane. It became clear they were in an open relationship and he would get drunkenly jealous, telling her, 'Well I let you f -- k your guys.' "Stephen would also ask me to track Mel on her 'Find My iPhone' app. "He would want to know where she was at night. "When I told him where she was, he would sometimes leave then come back with her an hour later." In court papers, submitted in April to support an application for a restraining order, Mel claimed Belafonte punched, choked and emotionally abused her for over a decade. Belafonte was convicted of assaulting his ex-Nicole Contreras in 2003. Parks says the couple kept a box of 24 sex toys in the garage, and once brought another woman home after a night out. Parks said: "Stephen would boast that his wife was crazy in bed. He called her a 'freak' but in a good way. "One night they went to the Soho House private club in West Hollywood. "They were renting an Airbnb apartment nearby. Next morning they told me to call a taxi for this woman. "She was about my age. She looked disheveled and like she was doing the walk of shame. She just got in the Uber taxi and left. "I asked them who it was and Stephen said it was a friend who they met at the private members club." Parks shared a rented home with Lorraine Gilles, 26, nanny to the couple's children Madison, five, Angel, ten, and Phoenix Chi, 18. He came to suspect Belafonte was bedding her -- once finding him lying on the couch while Gilles, 26, made breakfast in just a robe. Parks says Mel was jealous of Gilles and lost her temper when her rival posed for a photo in one of her bikinis. The singer is now being sued by Gilles over the Spice Girl's claims, which she denies, that she aborted Belafonte's baby. Gilles, who was pictured in her swimwear on a Malibu beach last week, has hit back. She says the couple got her drunk and lured her into a threesome at 18. Mel wants the lawsuit thrown out and a ruling is expected on August 31. Parks said: "I always suspected Mel hated Lorraine but Stephen fought hard to keep her around. She would go to Stephen for everything. He flew her to Germany to see her parents, he bought her a car. He leased the apartment she lived in with me and paid the bills." After around nine months Parks quit and says he had to run from the house without some belongings as he was so scared of Belafonte. He said: "I got in my car and just left. It was like running from the mob." (PageSix)
Courtney Love's dodging making a decision on who gets Kurt Cobain's famous guitar -- their daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, or her estranged husband ... according to new legal docs. Isaiah Silva -- who's in an ongoing divorce with Frances -- claims Courtney's refused to come to the door twice when his investigators tried to serve her with deposition papers. According to the docs ... she's also ducking the L.A. Sheriff's Dept.'s attempts to do the same. Silva wants a depo from Love because he claims she has "personal knowledge of many of the facts" surrounding the 1959 Martin D-18E acoustic guitar Kurt played during Nirvana's "MTV Unplugged." As we reported ... the guitar's been a heated point of contention in the divorce. Frances says the "priceless family heirloom" belongs to her, but he says it's his because she gifted it to him. We reached out to Courtney ... her rep tells us she's already publicly stated the guitar is a family heirloom and doesn't belong to anyone other than family, which echoes what she told us in July 2016. The rep also says Courtney hasn't been home much ... she's been filming in Canada. (TMZ)
A woman who is suing Usher for allegedly exposing her to genital herpes has come forward, saying Usher cherry-picked her out of a crowd at one of his concerts, got her number, went to her hotel and had sex with her without disclosing he allegedly had genital herpes. Quantasia Sharpton appeared with celeb lawyer Lisa Bloom Monday morning, saying she was celebrating her 19th birthday at an Usher concert, wearing a birthday crown, when she was contacted by Usher's security. Sharpton says she's negative for herpes but still feels violated. Bloom went on to say she doesn't know for sure if Usher has herpes but there are media reports saying just that and he has remained silent. Bloom is filing a lawsuit on behalf of 2 women and 1 man, all of whom claim they have had sexual contact with Usher since his alleged diagnosis. She says 1 of the remaining clients -- either the man or woman -- has tested positive for herpes. Attorney Bloom went on to say she's been contacted by others and may file additional lawsuits. Bloom says one of the things she wants is a court order forcing Usher to reveal to his future sex partners that he has an STD ... again, his health status has not been confirmed. We've reached out to Usher's reps ... so far they're mum. (TMZ)
Former "Road Rules" star Danny Dias died of complications from chronic substance abuse, and the lacerations found on his forearm had nothing to do with his death ... TMZ has learned. The Chief Medical Examiner in NYC tells us Danny did not have any lethal injuries, and it's been determined he died of natural causes ... brought on by years of substance abuse. The M.E. adds there was no evidence of any acute level of drugs in his system. Translation: he didn't OD, but he'd been in bad shape for years. As we first reported ... cops said Danny had 2 lacerations on his forearm the day his body was found in his apartment. The M.E. says the cuts were fresh, but ultimately did NOT cause his death, as police first suspected. Danny was 34. (TMZ)
THE OTHER STUFF . . .
Amy Schumer joins Steve Martin's Broadway show. Amy Schumer and Steve Martin are teaming up for laughs -- on Broadway. The actress and comedian will star in Martin's four-person comedy "Meteor Shower" at the Booth Theatre starting in November. It's about two couples who get together to observe the celestial event that inspires the title. Schumer will be joined by Keegan-Michael Key, Laura Benanti and Alan Tudyk. Schumer and Key will be making their Broadway debuts. Martin was last represented on Broadway with his bluegrass-driven musical "Bright Star." "Meteor Shower" made its debut at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego last year. (PageSix)
Liam Hemsworth might've come off as a married man to the average passerby this weekend from the looks of the hardware on his hand ... but he's not. Liam was hangin' with fiancee Miley Cyrus' mom, Trish, Sunday at the Cyrus estate in eastern Kentucky -- sans Miley -- where he was seen sporting what appeared to be a wedding band. We did some digging -- turns out Liam and Miley have not tied the knot. People connected to both whom we know and trust say they're "100%" not hitched ... not yet, at least. It's just another false alarm, which Miley's set off before herself. The couple's been engaged for well over a year and a half ... apparently they're keeping it that way for now. (TMZ)
Anthony Weiner might have more friends in prison than he does now in the Union Square building where he's been living with his son, Jordan, 5. The former congressman goes to the apartment tower's gym most days wearing ear buds. "Nobody speaks to him. He is truly ostracized," one source told me. "People won't even get on the elevator with him." Most of Weiner's neighbors were Hillary Clinton supporters, and blame him for her loss because former FBI Director James Comey reopened the investigation into her e-mails after the feds seized Weiner's computer. Weiner will be sentenced Sept. 8 in Federal District Court in Manhattan for sharing obscene photos with a minor. Prosecutors said in the plea agreement that 21 to 27 months would be "fair and appropriate." Since he doesn't seem to have any friends, and his estranged wife, Huma Abedin, spent more time with Clinton than she did with her husband, Weiner might have more companionship behind bars. (Page Six)
Music
David Hasselhoff Stars in Cheesy 'Guardians of the Galaxy 2' Music Video. James Gunn teased 'Inferno' for a week before debuting it Sunday. The inferno has been unleashed. David Hasselhoff's song "Inferno" from the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 soundtrack now has an official music video, which director James Gunn shared Sunday (Aug. 6) after a week of teasing it. Hasselhoff played a small role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, with Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) revealing as a boy, he'd fantasized his dad was Hasselhoff. Later, Star-Lord's real father Ego (Kurt Russell) briefly took on the form of the actor, and during the credits, the new Hasselhoff song "Inferno" played. The song is performed by Sneepers (a fictional band invented by Gunn and composer Tyler Bates), with director David Yarovesky helming the music video. Earlier this week, Hasselhoff told Heat Vision he hoped to collaborate with Gunn more in the future, and even had been asking the filmmaker to reboot one of his old TV shows. "I've given some ideas to James for Knight Rider, and he responded in a big way," Hassellhoff said of his 1982-1986 NBC show about a crime fighter with a futuristic car. "If it does go forward, I don't want it to be spoofed like Baywatch or 21 Jump Street. Those films lose what it's about, and you have to respect the fans." The new video was released in support of the Guardians 2 home entertainment release. It's available on Digital HD Tuesday and other formats Aug. 22. (Billboard)
Adele Screens 'Despicable Me 3' for Children Who Survived Grenfell Tower Fire. Adele has not forgotten about the victims of London's devastating Grenfell Tower fire. The singer treated some of the children affected by the deadly blaze in the high-rise to a screening of Despicable Me 3 on Thursday evening (Aug. 3). It was just the latest charitable action the "Hello" star has engaged in to offer some support to those impacted by the June fire that killed more than 80 people. The private screening took place at London's Whiteley Cinema and a source told E! that the attendees were very surprised by their patron's appearance. "It was very intimate. All we knew as we boarded the fancy coach that there was a special screening just for us. We didn't even know there was a special guest." The invitation to the event came through the ClementJames Centre, an educational charity that has been aiding Grenfell survivors and the attendee said no one realized Adele would be there. "Adele was lovely and she sat with a few of the kids in the row in front of us, chatting away... Adele made time for everyone and mingled with the kids." Adele has made outreach to the victims and EMS professionals impacted by the fire -- which was blamed on fast-burning cladding on the outside of the 24-story residential tower -- a priority over the past two months, visiting with first responders in last June and visiting the site of the fire to comfort victims just days after the early morning conflagration to dole out hugs. (Billboard)
Jon Pardi's 'Heartache On The Dance Floor' Becomes A Summertime Mystery. The singer created a beach-side fantasy... while landlocked in Kansas and Wisconsin. It's a good time to be Jon Pardi. His sophomore album, California Sunrise, debuted at No. 1 on Top Country Albums following its release on June 17, 2016. Its first two singles, "Head Over Boots" and "Dirt on My Boots," climbed to No. 1 on Country Airplay. Now "Heartache on the Dance Floor" -- arguably the shiniest-sounding track on California Sunrise -- is out at radio, with Pardi working for a chart threepeat during the sunniest months of the year. "It moves," says Pardi of "Dance Floor." "It's got that cool beat, and you can see the crowd just start dancing when that beat drops, when that first chorus comes in. I see it all the time. There's something cool about it." It's a "California cool" melody, says songwriter/producer Bart Butler ("Make Me Wanna," "Up All Night"), tying the musical feel with Pardi's Golden State heritage. And that's pretty much what "Heartache on the Dance Floor" does on a lyrical level, too, combining Pardi's acerbic wit and relentless energy with a story about a woman in a West Coast bar who steals the heart of a dumbstruck man and disappears. It was Pardi's concept. While he was checked in at some now-forgotten hotel, he heard the "where she at, where she at, where she at tonight" tagline for the chorus in his head and sang it into his phone; he saved the 'Heartache on the Dance Floor' title with it. He brought it up as a topic when Butler and fellow songwriter Brice Long ("Nothing On but the Radio," "Let's Don't Call It a Night") met up with him on June 26, 2014, at the Country Stampede in Manhattan, Kan. A day later at the Country Fest in Cadott, Wis., Butler got on the bus to hear Pardi and Long working on it without him. "Bart came back on the bus," says Long with a laugh, "and we're like, 'Dude, it's all good. We got this, man. Go back to whatever you were doing out there. We don't need you.' " Pardi had a dirty electric guitar sound going, and it helped set the tone for the piece. "A Gibson 335 is what I wrote the song on," he says. "That's why you hear that kind of strut to it in the rhythm. We just loved the sound of that lonely guitar opening up the song." Pardi was really strutting, cranking the amp to its highest volume, even though they were enclosed in the bus. "He always goes to 10," says Butler. "It was so loud, and every time he'd look away, we'd turn it down. He would look at us, and he'd turn it back up." They wrote the chorus first, kicking off with the title, then finding the right phrases to led them to the "where she at" finale. Initially, they left holes in the phrasing, though Long later started repeating the opening lines, creating a call-and-answer texture that added to the soulful flavor in the groove. Once the chorus was complete, they backed up to the beginning, pinning the verses to the same three-chord progression they'd already applied in the chorus. "The go-to songs, whether you're singing karaoke or you're in a cover band, the simplicity of those songs sound like hits," notes Long. "They're just easy to play and sing." They plopped the protagonist into a beach-town bar, where he sets his sights on an auburn-haired girl shaking her hips to "some ol' Motown song." The guy is so mesmerized he can't even speak; instead, he sings along to the record. It's unclear whether he actually joins her on the floor or simply gawks from the sidelines. "That's what I think is neat about it, 'cause you don't really know what happens," says Butler. "It leaves it to the listener to figure out: Did they share a dance? Or was she out there dancing with somebody and he fell in love?" The second verse finds the singer back at the club every night, hoping his "mystery girl" returns. It ought to be a sad song, since insecurity stepped in and created a missed opportunity, but the hooky musical vibe and his hopeful attitude keep it all upbeat. "It's a positive lonely song," maintains Pardi. "He's going to find her. He's going to find her." They made a work tape that was little more than Pardi singing the lead, Long adding the call-and-answer parts, the Gibson 335 providing rhythm and the hum of the bus generator throwing in some atmosphere. Pardi started playing it on the road with his band, but Butler still brought out that understated work tape for the musicians when they finally cut it at the Blackbird Studios in September 2015, part of a two-day marathon that saw Pardi record 12 songs for California Sunrise. They agonized over the tempo -- 115 beats per minute? 117? -- before they finally settled on 116 bpm. That 1 bpm, says Pardi, was a major factor. "I would describe it as tightening a bolt," he says. "Like if the bolt's a little loose, tighten. If it's too tight, open it up a little bit. And that's what that one click up or two clicks up is. It's a simple thing, but it makes a big difference." Pardi attempted to play rhythm guitar -- "That was definitely a disaster," he says with a laugh -- and they handed the role instead to Rob McNelley, who would enhance the California texture with the solo. "That Eagles kind of old-school rock'n'roll solo is what he kind of went after," says Pardi. "That's why it's real simple and kind of bendy. Rob's good at that." Dave Cohen's Hammond B-3, Mike Johnson's steel guitar, Jenee Fleenor's fiddle and Danny Rader's acoustic guitar subtly blend behind all the rhythms, dovetailing with Pardi's vocal so that one instrument sometimes finishes another's line. "We let every player have their moment, and we always want that track to feel good, but we don't want to saturate it," says Butler. "That's why it feels like, 'Here comes fiddle, here comes steel.' Instead of everybody jamming at one time, we kind of want the track to breathe a little bit." Even though the chord progression never changes, Butler found ways to add and subtract instruments, giving a sense of movement to the production. "It's amazing what a tambourine can do," says Pardi, pointing to a pick-me-up on the back half of the chorus. "I'm telling you, that little instrument is so simple, but so effective. " Pardi came back on a day when he was in better voice to do the final vocals, knocking them out in about three takes. He also did his own call-and-answer parts on the chorus, with Russell Terrell adding the harmonies. "Heartache" was eyed as a potential lead single from California Sunrise before "Head Over Boots" beat it out, but Pardi personally asked that it become the third release. "If they choose the single, I'm fine with that, but I chose this one," he says. "I thought it had some appeal to it, and we're right on the edge of the beginning of the summer and it's got that kind of a cool sound. It's upbeat, sexy, and I wanted to go into the summer with that." Capitol released it to country radio via PlayMPE on April 17, and it's at No. 14 on the Hot Country Songs chart dated Aug. 12. Pardi shot a video for it that's set on a sandy beach, playing up that sunshiny, summery feel. "Timing's everything," he says. And with a catchy, upbeat song following two previous No. 1s, it's a pretty good time to be Jon Pardi. (Billboard)
Gucci Mane's New Video for 'Tone It Down' Featuring Chris Brown. Back in June, Gucci Mane teamed up with Chris Brown for a new single called "Tone It Down." Now, they've both teamed up with director Eif Rivera for a music video, which is stylish but weirdly orientalist. (Billboard)
Movies
The Lion King Cast Records "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" in Never-Before-Seen Footage. Simba just can't wait to be king -- and E! News can't wait to show fans never-before-seen footage of The Lion King cast recording dialogue and music for the animated Disney classic! In celebration of the film's digital re-release on Aug. 15 and Blu-ray release on Aug. 29, check out an exclusive sneak peek of Rowan Atkinson, Jason Weaver and Laura Williams recording "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" for the film's soundtrack. Released in 1994, the number was written by Elton John and Tim Rice for Zazu (Atkinson), Simba (Weaver) and Nala (Williams) to perform. The behind-the-scenes bonus clip also offers a glimpse of Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella and Jonathan Taylor Thomas recording bits of dialogue as Pumbaa, Timon and Simba, respectively. Now part of the Walt Disney Signature Collection, the Blu-ray edition of The Lion King will include a sing-along version of the movie, as well as audio commentary from producer Don Hahn and co-directors Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff. Additionally, artist David Garibaldi "paints a masterpiece of evil" as he breaks down Scar's "Be Prepared" sequence, while Lane sits down with Matthew Broderick (Adult Simba) and Thomas Schumacher (president of Disney Theatrical Productions) to give "candid and hilarious insights" into their Lion King experiences. At one point, Schumer tells Lane the filmmakers originally wanted him to voice Zazu. But, in spite of Minkoff's initial misgivings, Allers realized the actor was better suited for another role. "I don't remember the part about the bird," Lane admits. "I don't remember reading about the bird at all." Allers later asked Lane to audition to play one of the hyenas alongside Sabella. "We clearly had missed the whole thing," Schumacher remembers. "You were Timon and Pumbaa." In another bonus feature, Allers and Minkoff show archive footage of their initial story pitches. The Lion King was released theatrically on June 15, 1994. Twenty-two years later, the movie was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant." Following the success of his live-action Jungle Book, Jon Favreau was hired to direct a live-action version of The Lion King, set for a July 19, 2019 release. Over the weekend, the film played at the El Capitan Theatre and select AMC locations. "Disney created an instant classic with the original release of The Lion King in 1994 and its popularity has never wavered. We are thrilled to offer a whole new way to enjoy this beloved Disney film at The El Capitan Theatre," manager Ed Collins said. "Who can resist singing along to such unforgettable songs as 'Hakuna Matata,' 'Can You Feel the Love Tonight' and 'Circle of Life?'" (Eonline)
Venice Film Festival Adds John Woo's 'Manhunt' to Lineup. Three films have been added to round out the 74th edition of the festival. Three world premieres have been added to the lineup of the 74th Venice International Film Festival to complete the program. John Woo returns to the crime thriller genre where he started his career with his latest film, Manhunt, set to premiere in Venice in an out-of-competition slot. In the remake of a 1976 Japanese classic, a Chinese man is framed for murder in Japan and hunted by the authorities and a group of mystery killers. Woo (A Better Tomorrow, Face/Off) is a Lido favorite and was feted at the festival in 2010 with a Golden Lion for Career Achievement. Andrea Segre (Shun Li and the Poet, First Snowfall) will premiere, in a special screening, The Order of Things, about a young policeman tasked with controlling the flow of immigrants who travel to Libya to coordinate a tricky mission. And the Venice Classics Documentaries sidebar is adding The Enigma of Jean Rouch in Torino, by Marco di Castri, Paolo Favaro and Daniele Pianciola. The film examines the "laboratory of ideas" behind the 1988 film Enigma. The 74th Venice festival takes place Aug. 30-Sept. 9. (Hollywood Reporter)
'Detroit' to Screen at Rome Film Fest. Kathryn Bigelow's new film will have its Italian premiere at the event later this year. Kathryn Bigelow's Detroit will screen at the Italian capital's biggest film festival later this year, organizers of the Rome Film Fest said Monday. "It is an extraordinary new film from a great director," said fest director Antonio Monda. "It is a great honor to present a film of this quality." The film details the Algiers Motel incident in July of 1967 during the 12th Street Riot in Detroit, resulting in the murder of three black men. Written by Academy Award winner Mark Boal, Detroit stars John Boyega, Will Poulter, Jacob Latimore, Jack Reynor and Hannah Murray. Bigelow is the first and only woman to win an Academy Award for best director for her film The Hurt Locker. Detroit opened stateside July 28 before rolling out nationally this weekend. The film will continue to open internationally throughout the fall. The Rome Film Fest takes place Oct. 26-Nov. 5. Confirmed guests include David Lynch, Chuck Palahniuk and Vanessa Redgrave. (Hollywood Reporter)
Ryan Reynolds Shares First Look at Josh Brolin as Cable in 'Deadpool 2'. Ryan Reynolds knows how to get a Monday going for Deadpool fans. The actor shared the first official look at Josh Brolin as Cable in the upcoming Deadpool 2. "We all have that one, grumpy, heavily armed Uncle from the future. #PremiumCABLE," Reynolds tweeted. (Hollywood Reporter)
TV
Game of Thrones Gives Us Another Long-Awaited Reunion Then Overshadows it with Death and Fire. Holy guacamole. The night's Game of Thrones may not have even hit a full hour, but somehow it managed to pack in a good chunk of our list of GoT hopes and dreams. So many things happened, and nearly all of them made us very happy. First of all, Arya finally made it to Winterfell, and got inside after dealing with some truly idiotic guards. She and Sansa met by their father's grave and hugged and compared terrible journeys and made us cry with happiness before meeting up with Bran the Three-Eyed Raven, who has grown just so very irritating. He handed Arya the Valerian steel blade that Littlefinger had given him, since it once nearly killed him. Bran also revealed his knowledge of Arya's list of people to kill, and after watching Arya's epic sword practice with Brienne, Sansa started to kinda see how much Arya has changed over the past few years. At Dragonstone, Jon distracted Dany from worrying about the Unsullied by showing her the dragonglass. We actually thought the Jurassic Park theme was going to start playing as the caves lit up in the light. It was cool, but not like dinosaurs in this amusement park cool, to be honest. On their way out of the cave, Dany and Jon discussed their planned alliance, but Dany refused to work with him if he refused to bend a knee. She assured him that the north would accept her as the queen if Jon did, but they were interrupted by Tyrion and Varys, who had news of what had happened at Casterly Rock. Dany was understandably pissed, and immediately decided it was time to hop on one of her dragons and burn down King's Landing herself. Jon tried to dissuade her, saying she'd make a lot of people unhappy if innocent lives were lost, but Dany decided to take the advice Lady Olenna had given her instead. She's a dragon, and she's gonna be a goddamn dragon. Later, Missandei explained to Jon and Davos just what's so great about Daenerys Targaryen, but they were interrupted by the arrival of a Greyjoy ship, featuring Theon. Jon grabbed him by the shirt and told him that what he did for Sansa was the only reason he wasn't going to kill him. Theon wanted Dany's help getting his sister back, but Dany was already gone. Cut to the Lannister army, with Jaime and Bronn joking around as the army rested. Then, they heard a noise over the hill. The army got into formation just as the Dothraki emerged over the hill, accompanied by Dany atop one of her dragons. At her command, the dragon promptly burned half the army, allowing the Dothraki a way through. It was violent and bloody and also awesome but really terrible, and then that supposed dragon-killing crossbow came out to play. It hit Drogon, but only enough to wound him a little and make him angry enough to destroy the crossbow. Once on the ground, Dany tried to pull the arrow out of Drogon, and Jaime decided to take a chance and ride right at her with a spear. Drogon obviously defended Dany and was about to burn him, but someone jumped in the way and pushed Jaime into the lake instead, and we last saw him falling to the bottom of that lake. So Jaime might be dead, his entire army is pretty much dead, but at least Arya and Sansa are safe together in Winterfell...for now. Oh, and Cersei did some more banking. Congrats to Cersei. Game of Thrones airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO. (Eonline)
Below Deck Mediterranean Finale Shocker: Malia Finally Reveals Her Secret Romance. Drop anchor 'cause there's rocky waters ahead. It's safe to say it's going to be a memorable last day on the yacht as Below Deck Mediterranean's second season is coming to a close...with one of the Bravo hit's biggest secrets finally getting out after being kept under wraps all season. Having met before the charter season (and filming) had started, deckhand Malia White and Chef Adam Glick had kept their romance a secret from everyone, including producers and Wes Walton, Malia's boss and other boat beau. While producers found out about their hook-up midway through the season, Wes has yet to learn the truth...until now. In E! News' exclusive sneak peek at the Aug. 8 finale, Malia finally comes clean to Wes about her past with Adam, after he showed their text messages to Wes. You know what they say, hell hath no fury like a chef scorned. In the video, Wes confronts Malia about his conversation with the heartbroken chef, saying, "Adam came to me to warn me about the person you are." And that's when Malia decides to drop the anchor bombshell on him: "The truth is I knew Adam from before." So how does Wes react to Malia's shocking confession? Watch the video to find out. Below Deck Mediterranean's finale airs Tuesday at 9 p.m. on Bravo. (Eonline)
Tim Allen's politics had "absolutely nothing to do with" canceling his popular comedy series "Last Man Standing," ABC Entertainment chief Channing Dungey insisted at TCA. "Stunned and blindsided by the network I called home for the last six years," Allen tweeted in May, after his multi-cam comedy was pulled after six season. His suggestion his conservative politics played into the decision took off when go picked up by conservative radio and TV news commentators, in the absence of another credible explanation from the network. The surprise pull was a head scratcher, given that the blue-collar sitcom was ABC's second most watched comedy in its most recent season, with 8.1 million viewers in Live +7, only behind flagship "Modern Family" (8.7 million). "Politics had absolutely nothing to do with it," Dungey told TV critics, insisting their schedule is populated with actors who have "different points of view" politically. Allen was a "valuable member" of the ABC Family. Dungey's explanation for the cancellation is that "Last Man Standing" "came up to the end" of its pact and the network "unfortunately was not able to create room for it" on the schedule, which she called "disappointing." "His personal politics had nothing to do with it," she reiterated. (Page Six)
I watched The Simple Life again & it has not aged well. Sorry Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie, The Simple Life just wouldn't work in 2017. On this day (5 August) 10 years ago, the last episode of Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie's infamous reality series, The Simple Life, aired. If you've burned this piece of pop culture from your memory, which is totally understandable, here's a quick refresher: Two obscenely wealthy socialites (Hilton and Richie) traveled from rural town to rural town wreaking havoc on civilians' daily lives. And by "wreak havoc," I mean they exploited and embarrassed them but packaged it as harmless fun. That was, after all, the M.O. of The Simple Life: Hilton and Richie had never worked a day in their lives, so they embarked on this "journey" to gain some real-world skills. So what if they screwed up a few times and inconvenienced their host families? They were just trying to learn! It's not that simple, though. In my opinion, The Simple Life had a pretty insidious agenda underneath Richie's provocative one-liners and Hilton's endless repetition of the phrase, "That's hot." The show wanted to benefit from the humiliation culture that dominated entertainment in the early and mid-2000s. Look back at the most popular television shows from that time, and you'll understand what I'm talking about. The crown jewel of the small screen in 2003 was American Idol: a music competition show that, yes, focused on talent, but it certainly didn't mind getting a boost from naive hopefuls' abysmal auditions. Idol essentially turned mocking people into a sport: Host Ryan Seacrest would tee up an untalented contestant's audition with a cringe-worthy interview -- and maybe some type of video montage, also cringe-worthy -- and Simon Cowell would come in for the kill. This poor person would sing their heart out, only to endure a public tar-and-feathering that was presented as "entertainment." It was sick and wrong -- but people loved it. They also loved the trashy, vicious tabloids that hung proudly at their grocery stores. They are still pretty awful now, but they were particularly hateful in the mid-2000s: a time characterized by extreme fat-shaming (especially towards women), operatic love spectacles, and an aggressive hunt for the next breakdown. This was right around the time Perez Hilton launched his first website and only two years before Britney Spears' catastrophic fall from grace, which was relentlessly documented... and disgustingly celebrated. Pop culture, simply put, was a pretty big bully in 2005. This was the perfect environment for The Simple Life to thrive. The show's first season was a ratings smash for Fox, drawing in roughly 13 million viewers each week. Seasons two and three were successful too. There was a slight dip when the show jumped ship to E! for season four, but the numbers were still strong. People seriously couldn't stop watching two rich girls roughin' it in the sticks. Did the show have its funny moments? Totally. Hilton and Richie had amazing chemistry together on screen. It's hard not to chuckle at the scene from season one where they write "Salty Weiner Burgers" on a Sonic Drive-In sign. Or when they randomly give one of their host families two monstrous Great Danes in season three. Some of their shenanigans truly were, as I said earlier, just harmless fun. But most were not. Granted, Richie and Hilton weren't as overtly mean as Cowell, but they didn't have to be. The cruelty was in the nuances. In practically every episode of The Simple Life, Hilton and Richie gawked at the people and places around them as if they were in a zoo. They'd ask insipid questions to the locals, like, "Do you guys hang out at Walmart?" -- and the intention was clear: "Awww, look at these provincial country folk! Let's laugh at them because we're so rich and they're so, so simple!" These moments juxtaposed Hilton and Richie's fabulosity with the "drab" existence of everyday Americans. The families were poked and prodded, metaphorically, as if they were aliens from another planet. It was exploitation through and through. And these people weren't bold enough to object, or even notice what was actually happening. That's the real tragedy here. Seedy producers most likely lured them in with a flashy pitch about being on television, but little did they know they'd be debased in the process. Truthfully, Hilton and Richie aren't really responsible for the problematic elements of The Simple Life. They were just two inexperienced personalities who saw an opportunity and took it. The real blame goes to the people behind the scenes, who picked up on Americans' hunger for humiliation -- and were happy to feed it. Thankfully we've moved on from this exploitation culture. Not only are viewers savvier about reality TV trickery, they're just not into watching people degrade themselves anymore -- not with the same ferocity, at least. The Voice is arguably the most successful talent competition show on air right now, and it doesn't feature any laughably bad auditions. Entertainment media has also entered a more positive space; if a gross tabloid publishes something unfair about a celebrity, several reputable outlets will call it out. There's definitely a push nowadays to empower people -- famous or not -- instead of shaming them. And that's incredible. It's also exactly why The Simple Life wouldn't work in 2017. Something tells me Twitter would have a very low tolerance for two privileged women teasing working-class Americans just for shits and giggles. That is absolutely not hot. (British Glamour)
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