ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

'Very healthy' Aaron Carter wants to turn rehab into records. Aaron Carter's recent stint in rehab will affect more than his sobriety. "I'm feeling very healthy and am so passionate about my music right now and continue to write new songs drawn from these life experiences," Carter, 30, told Page Six on Thursday via his rep. "Aaron is doing great and is so appreciative of the support of all his fans," his rep added. "His new single 'Don't Say Goodbye' has received critical acclaim and his first new album in 15 years will be released on Sony/Red next month." The singer has been documenting on social media his musical progress since leaving treatment, and asked fans on Twitter where he should plan to stop while on a tour that is in the works. Carter checked himself into the All House in Malibu, Calif., in September, ending a rollercoaster summer that culminated in a DUI arrest. He left rehab after two weeks to attend to legal matters, but returned in October to finish treatment and gained 45 pounds. He sought treatment after he tested positive for benzodiazepines and opiates on an episode of "The Doctors." "I thought I would die by 30," he told Us Weekly last month ahead of his birthday celebrations. "Even when I was 13, 14, I thought, 'Oh my God. I'm going to die.'" (PageSix)

Madonna to open four more schools in Malawi. The "Material Girl" has set an ambitious goal for 2018 -- to open more schools in the southeast African nation of Malawi. "Let's start 2018 off right!" Madonna, 59, captioned an Instagram post Wednesday. "I'm challenging you to all to stand up, come together and be the change you want to see in the world." She continued, "This year we'll begin by building 4 brand new schools in the Kasungu District of #Malawi with @RaisingMalawi and @buildOn!!" The new construction makes 14 schools in the region that will help thousands of kids, she added. Madonna co-founded the Raising Malawi foundation in 2006. She's been dubbed a "daughter" of the nation as she's adopted four children from the region: daughter Mercy James, 11, son David Banda, 12, and 5-year-old twin girls Estere and Stella. In July, Madonna opened The Mercy James Institute for Pediatric Surgery and Intensive Care at the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in the small country. "When you look into the eyes of children in need, wherever they may be, a human being wants to do anything and everything they can to help, and on my first visit to Malawi, I made a commitment that I would do just that," Madonna said at the time. (PageSix)

Kim Kardashian Claps Back Over Claims About Saint West's Hospitalization: "Don't Come for My Kids." When it comes to her kids, Kim Kardashian is a fiercely protective mama. Exhibit A: this latest tweet from the reality star on the heels of her only son Saint West's recent hospitalization. Rewind to before the new year when the 2-year-old spent three nights in the hospital for pneumonia. The soon-to-be mother of three confirmed reports on Tuesday, writing on social media, "My precious baby boy is so strong! After spending three nights in the hospital & seeing my baby get multiple IV's and hooked up to oxygen machines, our end of year was challenging. Pneumonia is so scary." Just a day later, the star set the story straight yet again after a fan brought some false claims to her attention. "Why do people continuously think KimYe were 'partying' New years Eve while saint was at the hospital? Kim & Kanye love their kids so much, so to even THINK they werent around when Saint was sick is really stupid af," the follower tweeted. It caught the mogul's eye and she wasted no time clearing the social media air. "I haven't heard this BUT lets get this straight. I did not leave my son for one minute during his hospital stay. We were there Wednesday night to Saturday," she explained in a tweet. "NYE WAS SUNDAY NIGHT. People came over when he was already asleep for the night!" The star was referencing the gathering she hosted on New Year's Eve, featuring celebrity guests like Larsa Pippen as well as her husband Kanye West and sister Kourtney Kardashian. As the reality star signed off, "Don't even try me when it comes to my kids." Despite the potentially worrisome experience, Kardashian was grateful to those that helped take care of her little one. "I just want to thank every nurse & doctor out there who works so hard around the clock," Kim wrote in her initial announcement. "We are so grateful for you all! He's home and all better. He's so resilient I'm sure he will still say the ambulance ride was cool! My strong Saint." Like mother, like son! (Eonline)

Nicki Minaj and Nas are donzo and she's definitely NOT pregnant ... TMZ has learned. Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... the rappers broke up a few weeks ago after the relationship ran out of steam. They've been dating since June 2017, but we're told living in different cities was just too much. Both superstars will be getting back to strictly biz, we're told -- Nas focusing on his record label and his chicken and waffles joint, Sweet Chick. Nicki's also juggling multiple business ventures outside of music. We're told they respect each other, and there won't be any trash talking -- but, on the other hand, we're also told they won't be hanging out as friends either. While all evidence points to Nicki and Nas trying REALLY hard to make it work -- sometimes ya just gotta cut bait. (TMZ)

Bill Maher 'gropes' Bob Saget to mock Al Franken. Bill Maher turned Al Franken's controversial groping photo into his own #MeToo moment-recreating it by reaching for a sleeping Bob Saget. Maher is seen smiling maniacally at the camera as he appears to grab Saget's chest during his nap aboard a flight. "These New Years Hawaii trips are getting weird-Saget, forgive me!" the HBO "Real Time" host tweeted to his more than 10 million followers Thursday morning. The snapshot was a replica of the now-infamous photo that appeared to show Franken groping Leeann Tweeden on a flight during a 2006 USO Tour. The 44-year-old radio news anchor accused the former Democratic senator from Minnesota of forcibly kissing her before he became a lawmaker. The photo led to several other women coming forward to accuse the "Saturday Night Live" alum of inappropriate sexual behavior. On Dec. 7, Franken, 66, announced that he would be stepping down amid the firestorm, noting that he remembered some of the alleged incidents differently and that others were "simply not true." "I of all people am aware that there is some irony in the fact that I am leaving while a man who has bragged on tape about his history of sexual assault sits in the Oval Office," said Franken, who officially resigned Tuesday. In August, before the women's allegations surfaced, Maher introduced Franken as a "great American" when he appeared on his show to promote his book, "Giant of the Senate." Not everyone was amused by Maher's mockery on Thursday. "Jokes about sexual misconduct are: easy, not funny, offensive," @JohnVLombardo tweeted. (PageSix)

"Little Women: LA" star Briana Renee is divorcing her husband and dropping some heinous accusations against him, including abuse, death threats and bestiality ... TMZ has learned. Briana filed to divorce Matt Grundhoffer, her husband of more than 2 1/2 years, citing irreconcilable differences. As we first reported, Briana and Matt separated in November. She wants child and spousal support, according to the docs. She also filed for a restraining order last month and in the docs, obtained by TMZ, Briana says Grundhoffer verbally abused her at least twice in November -- calling her a "c**t" and a "worthless bitch" ... and threatened to take their 1-year-old son, Maverick. Briana claims Matt is frequently drunk, and threatens violence when he is. For instance, in April 2017 he threatened to "kill everyone in the house" and in June, he implied he was going to kill himself ... according to docs. Most disturbing are the messages between Grundhoffer and another woman, which Briana claims she found. In the docs, she says they were "sexually explicit and disturbing" ... and allegedly "involved bestiality and proposals of sex acts with minor children, including the proposal of sex acts with Matthew's minor child, age 12, from a previous relationship." The judge granted the restraining order -- Matt has to stay 100 yards away from Briana and their son. Briana's also been awarded full custody for now. We reached out to Matt ... so far, no word back. (TMZ)

Japanese police want to question Logan Paul. Japanese police want to question YouTube star Logan Paul over the "insensitive" video of a man hanging in Japan's so-called "suicide forest." Paul, 22, who has over 15 million followers, issued a second apology after he was unanimously criticized for laughing with friends about the body they filmed hanging from a tree. Masaki Ito, spokesman for the Yamanashi prefectural police, said people are not obligated to report a body but want to speak to him as a suicide may be involved. Paul's team is shown in his original video calling police and emergency officials appearing at the scene. Local police overseeing the forest area in Paul's video have declined comment as Japanese authorities tend not to comment on suicides. Japan has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, with more than 21,000 people killing themselves every year. Suicide does not have the same religious stigma in Japan as in other cultures-and has even been portrayed as an honourable way to take responsibility. In his second apology, a video titled "So sorry," Paul said: "I've made a severe and continuous lapse in my judgment and I don't expect to be forgiven. I'm simply here to apologize. "I've made a huge mistake. I don't expect to be forgiven ... I'm ashamed of myself. I am disappointed. He added that: the shots of he and his friends laughing nervously after the discovery of the body were "raw and unfiltered" reactions and that the video should never have been posted or even filmed. In the video Paul was heard yelling, "Yo, are you alive?" at the dead man during a 15-minute clip, filmed at the base of Japan's Mount Fuji. The camera then zoomed into the man's body, while Paul asks his tour guide: "Did we just find a dead person in the suicide forest hanging?" In the wake of the scandal, parents are being urged to discuss online content with their children in the same way they would discuss a news story. "Vloggers will come and go as the digital world continues to grow but the best way of tuning into which ones children are following is to keep an open dialogue with them about their online life," said Carolyn Bunting of online safety group Internet Matters. She added: "Logan Paul's videos often reach millions of youngsters within days of being posted, but some of his material will be blocked by YouTube's 'restricted mode'-this is just one practical tool parents can use to filter out inappropriate videos. "Children are born into a digital world, for parents to keep up they need to be involved in their kids' online lives in the same way they are their normal lives-that way kids can enjoy the benefits of the internet safely." Paul later deleted the video and issued a full apology on Twitter but faced a second backlash after appearing to suggest he was trying to raise awareness of male suicide. Paul said: "I've never faced criticism like this before. I'm surrounded by good people and believe I make good decisions, but I'm still a human being. "I didn't do it for the views ... I did it because I thought I could make a positive ripple on the internet, not cause a monsoon of negativity. "I intended to raise awareness for suicide and suicide prevention and while I thought 'if this video saves one life, it'll be worth it,' I was misguided by shock and awe." "I'm often reminded of how big of a reach I truly have and with great power comes great responsibility ... for the first time in my life I'm regretful to say I handled that power incorrectly. It won't happen again." (PageSix)

Whitney Houston's estate reaches $2M settlement with IRS. Whitney Houston's estate settled its long battle with the IRS, having to fork over $2 million instead of the original $11 million it was ordered to pay. The estate filed documents on December 26 agreeing to pay the amount of $2,275,366, according to legal documents obtained by Page Six via The Blast. After Houston passed away in 2012, the IRS determined her estate had "underreported the singer's royalties, residuals and value of her image by $22.6 million," The Blast reported. The IRS alleged that meant the estate owed $11 million dollars. Houston's estate, however, claimed the IRS was incorrect in its value determination and maintained it was worth $11.7 million. A trial was set for February, but the parties were able to reach a deal prior to going to court. (PageSix)

THE OTHER STUFF . . .

Snoop Dogg's son books first modeling campaign. Snoop Dogg's son Cordell Broadus is officially a model. Broadus booked his first campaign with luxury brand MCM Worldwide. Former Wihelmina Models agent Kendall Werts will manage Broadus under the Jeffries Group. We're told he'll feature in a Kenneth Cole campaign next month, and he is in preproduction to direct and write a short film for Kangol. Former UCLA football player Broadus quit the team in 2016 and got his feet wet on Philipp Plein's catwalk at last fall's Fashion Week. (PageSix)

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have poured boatloads of cash into their Hidden Hills home over the past few years, but it was all worth it ... because the house is now $20 million ABOVE water. Sources tell us ... the couple sunk around $20 mil for renovations since buying it from Lisa Marie Presley in 2014 for $20 mil. It's been in a constant state of design, re-design, construction and expansion -- not to mention all the landscaping -- until they finally moved in a few weeks ago. Now get this ... we're told Kim and Kanye had the property appraised ... and the estimated value is $60 million. Do the math, and they're in the black $20 mil. As we reported ... the couple's new compound includes a full music lab for Kanye, a huge master bedroom addition, a spa and massive closet space. We're told there's plenty more to come in backyard magic. (TMZ)

Allison Janney Doesn't Have a Golden Globes Gown Yet But Will Wear Black in Protest. She's set to make a style statement... Tuesday night at the 29th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala in Palm Springs, Calif., Allison Janney dished to E! News about her award-winning role in the critically acclaimed indie film I, Tonya and about how she's representing the changing tide of women in Hollywood at the upcoming 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards. During the red-carpet chat, the tall drink of water revealed that while she may not know exactly what she's wearing to this Sunday's Golden Globes, she does know that, like a host of other celebs, she will be donning black in silent protest. "I know I am wearing black, but I don't know what I am wearing," the Mom star revealed. As previously reported, Gal Gadot, Saoirse Ronan, Meryl Streep and many more starts have vowed to wear black at the award show as a sign of solidarity to protest sexual harassment in Hollywood. The 58-year-old star, who is nominated for her role of Tonya Harding's abusive mother LaVona Golden in the black comedy, said, "I think it's a great moment to show solidarity with every woman in this moment of taking action spurned on by the #metoo movement." Janney, who has never won a Globe before but has managed to nab a whopping seven Emmy Awards over the years, added, "I am proud to show my support in that way." Nominations for the 2018 Golden Globes were announced on Dec. 11. Jessica Chastain, Sally Hawkins, Frances McDormand, Meryl Streep, Michelle Williams, Judi Dench, Helen Mirren, Margot Robbie, and Emma Stone are just some of the actresses nominated for their work this year. The 2018 Golden Globes will take place Sunday, Jan. 7, 2018, at 8 p.m. ET. (Eonline)

Want proof the NBA should legalize weed? Stephen Jackson says he toked up his ENTIRE CAREER and still balled like a boss -- so when it comes to pulling pot off the league's banned substance list, he's all for it. "I think they should take it off, why not?" Jackson told TMZ Sports. "I smoked my whole career, had a hell of a career." To be clear, Stack told us he did NOT hit the ganj before games ... only smoking after them to help chill out. Either way, the NBA vet thinks it's ridiculous that weed's still off limits ... and he gave us a pretty good reason why he thinks that's the case. (TMZ)

In-N-Out Adds Hot Cocoa to Menu, But Social Media Wanted Bacon. In-N-Out Burger is now selling hot cocoa -- and social media has some thoughts about the new menu addition. This hot cocoa addition marks the fast food chain's first new menu item in over a decade, but many are wondering why In-N-Out wanted to add this drink to their lineup. The fast food chain is selling the hot cocoa for $1.65 for those who want to try it and live by one of the In-N-Out locations in Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, Texas or Oregon. But in the meantime, social media is sharing the items they would've rather seen added to the fast food chain's menu. Twitter user @jordanbrianl wrote to his followers Wednesday after seeing the menu news, "'What do we want?!' 'Bacon!' 'What do we get?!' ... " While @lifeofcmil tweeted, "I was hoping In-N-Out was adding something like bacon to their menu, but instead they've added hot cocoa... #butwhy." Are you excited to try the hot cocoa or would you have rather seen another item added to In-N-Out's menu? (Eonline)

Museum of Ice Cream sprinkles an 'environmental hazard' in Miami. The wildly popular Museum of Ice Cream, which opened during Art Basel in Miami Beach, Fla., has come under fire by the city and is upsetting locals over the wildlife hazard created by the hard, plastic sprinkles used in one of the exhibits. The brightly colored pieces have been seen on the street, where they can wash into bodies of water and be consumed by sea life. The Miami New Times reports that the city's code department issued a courtesy notice and a sanitation violation for creating an environmental hazard, which carries a $1,000 fine. The museum has released a statement outlining precautions it will take, saying they've hired 24/7 cleaners, begun the process of creating biodegradable sprinkles and will "continually remind every guest to do a double shake upon leaving." The museum, founded by Maryellis Bunn, had a similar issue at its San Francisco location in October. Miami Beach's Public Works Department has installed mesh catchers in the storm drains by the museum. (PageSix)

Music

2018 Grammys Performers List Includes Lady Gaga and Pink. Great news, Little Monsters: Lady Gaga will return to the Grammy stage this month. The Recording Academy announced on Thursday that the pop star is one of several artists set to perform at the 2018 Grammys, which will mark her sixth time and fourth consecutive year performing onstage at the annual ceremony. Gaga, a six-time Grammy winner, is nominated for two awards this year; Best Pop Solo Performance for "Million Reasons" and Best Pop Vocal Album for Joanne. Other artists and bands set to perform at the 60th annual Grammy Awards include Pink -- a three-time Grammy winner who is nominated for Best Pop Solo Performance for "What About Us," Childish Gambino (aka Donald Glover) -- who is nominated for five Grammys and will make his Grammy stage debut, and the group Little Big Town -- who have won two Grammys in the past and are nominated for two this year. The 2018 Grammy Awards ceremony is set to be held at Madison Square Garden. For the past 15 years, the show had taken place in Los Angeles. In light of the Grammys' return to New York and as part of a special Broadway tribute honoring the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Leonard Bernstein, two-time Grammy winner and Broadway icon Patti LuPone will reprise her 1981 performance of "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" from her leading role in Evita, while Ben Platt from the musical Dear Evan Hansen will perform a classic from West Side Story. Dear Evan Hansen, currently one of the most popular Broadway musicals, is nominated for Best Musical Theater Album. Returning host James Corden is hosting the 2018 Grammys ceremony, which is set to air live on CBS at 4:30 p.m. PT / 7:30 p.m. ET. (Eonline)

Liam Payne and Rita Ora Tease Sexy Fifty Shades Freed Collaboration. Liam Payne and Rita Ora have a treat for you! As the anticipation grows for the duo's musical collaboration, both artists are giving a tease of their song featured in the Fifty Shades Freed movie. In a new Instagram post shared Wednesday afternoon, both Liam and Rita offered a short glimpse into the track "For You." "Waiting for a lifetime for you / Been breaking for a lifetime for you," the pair sing as footage from inside the studio appears. "Wasn't looking for love 'till I found you / Ooh na-na ayy, for love, 'till I found you." And while it's only a few seconds, it's enough to get fans even more excited for Friday when the full song is released. "We did this #ForYou! Had so much fun in the studio with @ritaora," Liam wrote on Instagram. Rita added, "Our new single from the #FiftyShadesFreed soundtrack is out this Friday January 5." Liam isn't the first One Direction member to be featured on one of the movie franchise's soundtracks. Fans will likely remember the collaboration between Zayn Malik and Taylor Swift titled "I Don't Wanna Live Forever" from Fifty Shades Darker. The song would later earn the pair a 2018 Grammy nomination in the Best Song Written for Visual Media category. And while pop culture fans have a wide range of opinions on the popular movies starring Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson, there's no denying the music in each film doesn't disappoint. Nick Jonas, John Legend, Halsey, Nicki Minaj and Sia are just some of the talented artists who have contributed to the soundtrack in recent years. Find out who's featured in the latest flick when Fifty Shades Freed hits theaters just in time for Valentine's Day on February 9. (Eonline)

Bruno Mars and Cardi B Collaborate on "Finesse" Remix. It's the awesome, funky collaboration you never even thought about asking for. On Wednesday evening just before midnight EST, Bruno Mars released a new song, a remix of his 2016 song "Finesse," featuring none other than "Bodak Yellow" rapper Cardi B. He had teased the track on Instagram hours earlier with a photo of the single's artwork, which shows the two dressed in '90s-style outfits: She is wearing a yellow printed crop top and high-waist cutoff denim shorts, paired with a cropped colorful bomber jacket, paired with large hoop earrings and a baseball cap worn backwards. He sports a green, yellow, black and white vertical striped T-shirt over a white printed sweatshirt and a couple of gold chains as well as a cross necklace. "Start your 2018 with Big Bronx Boogie Herself @iamcardib and me Midnight Tonight EST #Finesse," Mars wrote. In addition, fans were treated to a brand-new music video directed by Mars himself. "This video is dedicated to one my favorite T.V shows of all time," he shared on Twitter. "Shout out to the people over at Fox Studios and a very special thank you to @keeneniwayans." Rumors that the two were collaborating on a remix of "Finesse" started circulating around Christmas after a person claimed on Instagram that they helped a sound manager record a video for Mars and Cardi B. The person reportedly included the hashtag #finesse in the post, which has since been deleted. The rumors followed a tweet from Billboard's associated director of charts and radio that said Mars is set to release new music on January 4. He has since deleted the post. Last August, a fan asked Mars on Twitter which artist he is currently listening to. "Cardi B," he responded. "This is soooo crazy," Cardi B wrote on Instagram, alongside a screenshot of the Twitter exchange. "Can't believe he even knows me @brunomars soooo Dope !!!!!" Meanwhile, Cardi B may have also collaborated with Jennifer Lopez and DJ Khaled on another track. In late December, J.Lo's boyfriend Alex Rodriguez shared an Instagram Live video that showed the two music artists talking about their upcoming untitled single, during which Lopez says, "Cardi's just on that one part, do you think we should do some ad-libs with her?" (Eonline)

Movies

Cate Blanchett Named Jury President of 2018 Cannes Film Festival. Cate Blanchett was named the jury president of the 2018 Cannes Film Festival Thursday. "I have been to Cannes in many guises over the years; as an actress, producer, in the marketplace, the gala-sphere and in competition, but never solely for the sheer pleasure of watching the cornucopia of films this great festival harbors," the Australian actress, who next stars in Ocean's Eight, said in a statement. "I am humbled by the privilege and responsibility of presiding over this year's jury. This festival plays a pivotal role in bringing the world together to celebrate story; that strange and vital endeavor that all peoples share, understand and crave." The 71st annual Cannes Film Festival will take place from May 8 through May 19. Blanchett succeeds Spanish film director and screenwriter Pedro Almodvar. "We are delighted to welcome such a rare and unique artist whose talent and convictions enrich both screen and stage," Cannes Film Festival president Pierre Lescure said. "Our conversations from this autumn tell us she will be a committed president, a passionate woman and a big-hearted spectator." The 48-year-old actress last attended the festival in 2015, to promote the drama Carol. She went on to receive multiple awards for her leading role, including a Golden Globe and an Oscar. Atypically, this year's festival will begin on a Tuesday and end on a Saturday. "Following 2017's anniversary edition, the Festival is beginning a new period in its history," Lescure announced in November. "We intend to renew the principles of our organization as much as possible, while continuing to question the cinema of our age and to be present through its upheavals." (Eonline)

Lucy Hale Strangles Tyler Posey While Having Sex in Truth or Dare Trailer. Universal Pictures released the trailer for the new horror film Truth or Dare on Jan. 3. Produced by Blumhouse Productions, the film follows a group of friends who get wrapped up in a deadly version of the classic game. While the game starts off innocent enough on a trip to Mexico, the friends soon discover there are fatal consequences if they don't follow the rules or refuse to play. The group tries to play it safe by deciding to pick only truth; however, the game takes over and forces them to perform stunts like breaking a friend's hand and choosing which group member to kill. "We're not playing the game. It's playing us," Lucy Hale, who stars as the main character Olivia, says at one point in the trailer. The supernatural thriller also shows the friends' faces becoming distorted while playing the game. At one point, Hale's face becomes contorted and she tries to strangle Tyler Posey's character during sex. "Truth or dare?" she asks him as she grabs his throat. As the group tries to figure out how to finish the game alive, they're told the only way to end it is for all of the players to die. In addition to starring the Pretty Little Liars actress and Teen Wolf lead, the film features Violett Beane, Nolan Gerard Funk, Hayden Szeto and Sophia Taylor Ali. The film is produced by Jason Blum and directed and executive produced by Jeff Wadlow, who also worked on Kick-Ass 2. Blumhouse has made several thrillers, including Happy Day Death, Get Out and Split. The film hits theaters April 27. (Eonline)

Logan Paul's suicide video doesn't seem to have affected his side hustle as the lead in an upcoming horror movie ... at least not yet. Logan's the centerpiece of writer Jeffrey Reddick's new fright flick, "Superstition: The Rule of 3's." Production sources tell us told he hasn't been axed in the wake of controversy ... you'll recall Logan broke into momentary laughter in the video after he spotted a man hanging from a tree. Doug Falconer -- CEO of Falconer Productions, which is producing 'Superstition' -- confirms with TMZ ... there have been no talks to recast Logan. But here's the rub. Falconer hadn't even heard about the uproar and said he wanted to talk to the other producers. We're guessing word must have gotten around to at least some of the producers by now, which makes it all the more curious no one gave Falconer a heads-up. Short story ... it's not case closed, yet. (TMZ)

TV

This Is Us winter premiere: 'We come back shooting hot fire,' warns Sterling K. Brown. When This Is Us returns to NBC on Jan. 9 -- ending a six-week hiatus -- the Pearsons won't be easing back into things. In fact, the man who plays Randall, Sterling K. Brown, points to a pivotal scene in the midseason premiere that he believes will kickstart the second half of season 2. Reeling from multiple tragedies, including Kate's miscarriage and Kevin's rock-bottom-hitting DUI, the family will come together to help the famous family member defeat his demons. "There is a family scene that includes Kevin [Justin Hartley], Randall, Kate [Chrissy Metz], and Rebecca [Mandy Moore] that is about 11 pages long that is absolute TNT," Brown tells EW. "It is one of my favorite scenes that we've done in the course of the two seasons of the show and I think people are going to leave it saying, 'Damn!' We come back shooting hot, hot fire. People are going to be happy with what they see." Randall and Kevin, of course, have endured a tense relationship since childhood. Although the brothers have made progress in episodes like "Jack Pearson's Son," which saw Kevin rush to Randall's aid, this latest legal wrinkle has the danger of breaking down the relationship again: Randall and Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson) seemed quite angry to learn that Tess (Eris Baker) was in the back seat of Kevin's car at the time of his arrest. (In Kevin's defense, he did not know that his niece was hiding in the car when he put the keys in the ignition.) "I can tell you that is something that we address directly when we come back," says Brown. "It's complicated because it has to do with the nature of why Kevin thinks he's an addict, and it has to do with whether or not Randall validates his brother's perspective. When you think about the nature of memory, everyone tends to highlight those things that reaffirm their own perspective of truth. And Kevin, Kate, and Randall all have their own different versions of what their childhoods were that shaped who they are, and then they have very different ideas of how other people perceive themselves... You see Randall working very hard to extend graciousness to his brother because his brother was present for him at one of the lowest points of his life, and now he wants to reciprocate that. But it's hard to do that when you endanger somebody's child." As for why Tess decided to stow away -- and tell Kevin that she hated her situation at home -- Brown hints that her reasons will be explained, and they have to do with the chaotic nature of the household over the last year. "There's been a lot of things happening -- new people introduced, et cetera," he says. "The only thing that's constant in life is change, but for children, stability is incredibly stabilizing, for lack of a better word. Routine gives us comfort, and Randall is constantly shifting routine on his daughters, especially his older daughter, who's conscious to it. At a certain age , we're pretty good at going with the flow, and then at a certain point we're like, 'All right, now I'm ready for things to just kind of remain the same.' I think Tess is in that place where she's like, 'Alright, can we just have something stay the same, for a little while, please? Without you dealing with something else?' I think it's of that nature." Speaking of nature, the Pearsons will head into it during the episode's past story: Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) takes the family on a surprise vacation to a cabin in the woods. "The Fifth Wheel" airs Jan. 9 at 9 p.m. on NBC. (Entertainment Weekly)

'The Gifted' Renewed for Season 2 at Fox. The X-Men drama has earned an early pickup amid an uncertain future for scripted at the network. Fox is staying the course with The Gifted. The network has handed out an early season two renewal for the short-order drama, picking up the X-Men series for the 2018-19 broadcast season. The 13-episode drama from Marvel Television and Matt Nix will wrap its run Jan. 15 with a two-hour finale and, like Seth MacFarlane's The Orville, was always considered as a short-order run. Produced by Marvel and 20th Century Fox Television, The Gifted had been expected to score an early renewal last month, but Fox hit the pause button after Disney's massive $52.4 billion purchase of Rupert Murdoch's TV studio, among others. The pending split between the Fox network (which is not being sold to Disney) and 20th TV does not seem to have impacted the future of the drama starring Stephen Moyer and Amy Acker. The Gifted ranks as broadcast's No. 3 new drama of the 2017-18 broadcast season, averaging 8.3 million total viewers (with seven days of DVR). As for the future of the network, Fox chiefs Dana Walden and Gary Newman will be on hand Thursday at the Television Critics Association's winter press tour to field questions about their futures once the studio and network are split. The Gifted, produced by Bryan Singer, Lauren Shuler Donner, Simon Kinberg, Jeph Loeb and Jim Chory, joins a 2018-19 slate at Fox that also includes previously renewed series The Simpsons and The Orville. For Marvel Television, The Gifted is part of a roster that also includes Hulu's The Runaways, FX's Legion, ABC's Agents of SHIELD and Inhumans, plus the Netflix slate that includes Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, The Punisher, Luke Cage and Defenders. (Hollywood Reporter)

Sterling K. Brown to Guest Star on Brooklyn Nine-Nine -- and There's a Twist! Randall Pearson is heading to prison. OK, so This Is Us' Randall technically isn't going to jail...but his portrayer Sterling K. Brown is, as the Golden Globe nominated star is set to guest star on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Fox announced on Thursday. Brown will take a break from making our eyes rain on This Is Us to join the Fox sitcom for one episode when season five returns this spring, and he's playing a murder suspect in a unique episode of B99. The episode will focus only on one storyline: Det. Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) and Captain Holt's (Andre Braugher) all-night interrogation of a murder suspect, Phillip Davidson, played by Brown. While this will be Brown and Braugher's first time working together, they do share a historic honor: When Brown won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in September, he was the first black actor to win the award in 19 years...with Braugher winning in 1998 for Homicide: Life in the Streets. "Nineteen years ago, Detective Frank Pembleton held this joint, as impeccably played by Andre Braugher," Brown said in his acceptance speech. "I just want to say, Mr. Braugher, whether it is at Stanford University or on this Emmy stage, it is my supreme honor to follow in your footsteps." Anyone else excited to see Braugher interrogate Brown? Brooklyn Nine-Nine returns this spring on Fox. (Eonline)

How Grown-ish Is Helping Change the Face of Freeform in 2018. When Grown-ish debuted on Freeform Wednesday night, not only will it mark the network's most substantial and promising new comedy to debut since 2015, but if you look closely, you'll notice that Yara Shahidis arrival on the cable channel marks an even greater shift. Once seemingly content being known as the network that Pretty Little Liars built (or at least, kept afloat -- not that there's anything wrong with that), Freeform has moved away from its desire to replicate that ultra-addictive soap's success with lesser carbon copies and, instead, seems to have decided to become the home of young female women trying to find their way in the world. The shift began almost immediately after PLL unveiled Uber-A in the series finale, when just a few short weeks after, the inspired (and inspiring) new drama The Bold Type debuted. But with the new year comes a more earnest shift in the face of the network thanks to the arrival of the college campus-set comedy, itself a spinoff from the popular ABC comedy Black-ish. Like The Bold Type's Jane (Katie Stevens), Kat (Aisha Dee), and Sutton (Meghann Fahy) before her, Shahidi's Zoey Johnson is a young woman trying to make sense of her life now that she's leveled up (only swap in the fictional California University for the trio's fictional Scarlet magazine workplace). And just like them, she's not going through it alone. Grown-ish, which finds Black-ish creator Kenya Barris at the helm (ensuring its damn near as funny, if not more so, than its ABC predecessor), surrounds Zoey with a diverse group of students (many of them also female) who are all trying to make sense of this thing called adulthood, realizing it's handled best when it's handled together. But it's Shahidi who truly stands out, taking this star-making opportunity and running with it and, in the process, giving Freeform's clear target demo a chance to see themselves reflected back from their screens. In the two-part premiere, she deals with the fact that she doesn't know everything she thought she did, she makes some bad decisions, she parties, she studies, she rebounds from her bad decisions into some worse ones. In short, she's human -- relatable, sympathetic, real. She's just like you or me. And she's not forced to try and outsmart a series of sadistic omnipresent villains in her small town in the process. And it's that, the chance for young women to see themselves represented, that continues on the network throughout this new year. Alone Together, the network's next big comedy swing, debuts on January 10 and is co-created by up-and-coming comedian Esther Povitsky, who co-stars alongside her co-creator Benji Aflalo. The show, a look at two millennial misfits bonded in their platonic relationship as they navigate life in Los Angeles, has already been renewed for a second season. And just announced is the network's plan to wrap up the groundbreaking family drama The Fosters this summer, only to spin off main characters Callie (Maia Mitchell) and Mariana (Cierra Ramirez) into a series of their own, following the young women as they embark on the next phase of their lives. Beyond that, there's the debut of Cloak & Dagger, an adaptation of the Marvel comic series, that stars Olivia Holt as Tandy Bowen, a teenager with the ability to emit light daggers -- hence her nick name -- to look forward to, as well as mermaid drama Siren and not one, but two more seasons of The Bold Type. Oh, and if you're still hoping to get your patented Freeform fix of PLL insanity, there's still the spinoff, Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists, coming down the pike. You didn't think they'd abandon you completely, did they? "The one thing that I didn't know about college...was that, in all actuality, I would soon discover that I didn't know anything," Zoey admits in the premiere of Grown-ish. While those answers may not come to her easily, it's sure going to be a treat watching her try and learn. And as Freeform's newest star, she's clearly in great company. Grown-ish premieres Wednesday, Jan. 3 at 8 p.m. on Freeform. (Eonline)



Matt Lauer still trying to have a hand in 'Today'. Matt Lauer just can't let it go. We're told the disgraced "Today" show host has been firing off notes to producers from his sofa giving unsolicited feedback on the latest episodes. Sources say Lauer -- who was swiftly canned in November after being accused of inappropriate sexual conduct -- recently sent a producer an email saying that he felt they had used the wrong music to kick off a segment. Sources say Lauer's missives have not been warmly received by "Today" staff. An NBC spokesperson declined to comment. We're surprised that Lauer -- between working on his marriage and his golf swing -- has the desire to play "Today" critic. While Lauer is fighting to save his 20-year marriage to Annette Roque, we reported that his long-suffering spouse has started meeting with lawyers. And sources told us that after his unceremonious ouster, Lauer planned to lay low in at his considerable Hamptons estate and play golf. (PageSix)

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