ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Niall Horan and Hailee Steinfeld Ignite Dating Rumors at Backstreet Boys Concert. They want it that way! Niall Horan and Hailee Steinfeld ignited dating rumors during President's Day Weekend when they attended a Backstreet Boys concert together on Saturday night. Their BSB moment was caught by a fan who hit up Twitter to share a video of the pair dancing, singing along and joking around with each other to the sounds of the boy band at the Axis Theater's VIP section at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. In the videos, Both Hailee and Niall can be seen getting down to the Boys' hit song "I Want It That Way." At one point, A.J. McLean even comes up to the One Direction member and sings with him! For the possible date night in Sin City, Hailee opted for a plunging black top and jeans. The Brit donned a laidback plaid shirt and jeans. A source confirms to E! News that after the concert the duo hit up at XS Nightclub where they sat together at a stage table with a few friends, sipping on Absolut Elyx cocktails and taking in a DJ set by Diplo. This isn't the first time that the two have hung out together. The "Starving" singer and the "Slow Hands" crooner were previously photographed together at the 2017 American Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on November 19, 2017 in Los Angeles. Niall had already set the rumor mill spinning in December after he shared a sweet birthday tribute to the Edge of 17 actress on Instagram and wrote, "Happy birthday to the loveliest person on the planet and one of my best friends @haileesteinfeld. Have no idea what the hell is going on in this photo. Love ya hails." Fans online were quick to speculate that Saturday's night out on the town meant that the self-admitted best friends were more than just friends, with many commenting that something is going on with the stars. Meanwhile Hailee was believed to be dating social media personality Cameron Smoller, whom she's been linked to since 2016. The couple has not announced a split, but do not currently follow each other on social media. Hailee has not appeared on Cameron's Instagram since Nov. 15, 2017. Additionally, in the February issue of Marie Claire Hailee did talk about love and heartbreak, saying, "I'm trying to protect myself and have a bit of a guard up, but I also want to fall in love and know why love hurts." Maybe she just needs some slow hands? (Eonline)

Jennifer Lawrence is not taking a year off from acting. Don't worry, Jennifer Lawrence isn't going anywhere! On Friday, Entertainment Tonight reported that the Oscar winner was planning on taking a year off from acting to focus on activism. However, a representative for Lawrence exclusively tells EW that she will return to work when one of several projects in development is ready to go. According to IMDB, Lawrence currently has seven projects in development, including an untitled film with Amy Schumer, Ron Howard's Zelda Fitzgerald biopic Zelda, Adam McKay's Bad Blood, Luca Guadagnino's Burial Rites, and more. In an interview with ET, the 27-year-old said she was going to take a break from the screen in order work with a non-profit organization fighting corruption. "I'm going to take the next year off," she shared while doing press for her new spy-film Red Sparrow. "I'm going to be working with this organization as a part of Represent.Us ... trying to get young people engaged politically on a local level." "It doesn't have anything to do with partisan [politics]," she added. "It's just anti-corruption and stuff trying to pass state by state laws that can help prevent corruption, fix our democracy." Lawrence has repeatedly discussed temporarily stepping back from her acting career. She first talked about taking a break in September during an appearance on Today. "I'm taking one. I don't have anything set for two years," she told Savannah Guthrie. In November, she told Elle she wanted to get a farm and milk goats. Lawrence's relationship with Represent.Us isn't anything new. Earlier this year, the Hunger Games star, working with the non-profit organization, surprised students at an Ohio high school with an inspiring talk about politics. Lawrence has also spoken out on Hollywood's gender pay gap, humiliating experiences as a woman working in Hollywood, and more. Red Sparrow hits theaters March 2. (Entertainment Weekly)

Justin Theroux still hangs out with Jennifer Aniston's friends. It seems that Justin Theroux is still on good terms with Jennifer Aniston's best friends. We're told that Theroux -- who is splitting from the "Friends" star after 2?/2 years of marriage -- was spotted having drinks with a group of pals, including Aniston's BFF Courteney Cox, at the Diego bar at the Public hotel in late January. In their statement about their split, Aniston and Theroux said that they had decided to end the relationship at the end of 2017. (PageSix)

ESPN star Jemele Hill says the way Jamie Foxx shut down a live "SportsCenter" interview over a Katie Holmes question was bizarre ... since EVERYBODY knows they're dating! Hill's good friend and former "The Six" co-host Michael Smith was the one asking the Katie Holmes question Friday when Foxx stopped the interview and walked off. Hill says she and Smith both respect Foxx a lot -- but in this particular instance, "I thought he unnecessarily made Mike look bad." "I thought it was kind of bizarre why he acted that way ... like I thought [Jamie's relationship with Katie] was pretty public and that everybody knew, but apparently everybody doesn't know." Hill has a point -- Jamie and Holmes were sitting together last month at Clive Davis' annual pre-Grammy party -- a VERY high profile event. So, it's not like people don't know. Hill says the question was not supposed to be hard-hitting journalism -- just a jokey, fun question in a lighthearted interview about the NBA All-Star game. (TMZ)

Sylvester Stallone is alive and 'still punching' despite death hoax. It's probably not a good idea to get on Sylvester Stallone's bad side. Especially since he's still alive. The Rocky legend had to post on Instagram to deny false reports that he was dead. He shared a photo example of the hoax, with the caption, "Please ignore this stupidity... Alive and well and happy and healthy... Still punching!" Unfortunately, this is not the first time the hoax has made the rounds; it originally began circulating on Facebook in 2016. Stallone didn't directly address the hoax at the time-he just continued being alive until people got the picture-but it seems that being twice proclaimed dead is the limit. Now that Stallone has confirmed that reports of his death were greatly exaggerated, he can get back to posting regular content on his Instagram, like his #healthylifestyle fitspo, or his cute cat celebrating the Eagles' Super Bowl win. (Entertainment Weekly)

Quincy Jones refuses to talk after jaw-dropping revelations. Quincy Jones is done talking. On Friday night, at a star-studded 50th anniversary celebration of restaurant Mr. Chow in LA, press were told beforehand not to approach Jones, 84, for any interviews -- and if they did, he'd take off! The edict came after the music mogul recently gave two jaw-dropping interviews dishing on taboo topics from Michael Jackson's ripping off "Billie Jean" to an alleged tryst between Richard Pryor and Marlon Brando. The party was hosted by famed restaurateur and artist Michael Chow to celebrate his eponymous eatery with guests including Al Pacino, Anjelica Huston, Stevie Wonder, Mickey Rourke, Chris Rock, Ricky Martin, Billy Idol, Heidi Klum, as well as artists Alex Israel, Paul McCarthy and Sterling Ruby. But Jones was apparently off-limits -- although he was photographed appearing in good spirits, giving a thumbs-up and smiling in a stylish black blazer and colorful scarf. Meanwhile, at the A-list dinner, Chow showed off a new book, "Mr. Chow: 50 Years." Also there were Mark Ronson, Adrien Brody, producer Jason Blum, Jerry O'Connell and Rebecca Romijn, Richard and Kathy Hilton, Rick Rubin, top agent Jim Berkus, and Chow's kids Asia, China and Maximillian. A rep for Jones said their team did not issue the edict. A rep for the event did not get back to us. (PageSix)

THE OTHER STUFF . . .

Chadwick Boseman's Shirtless Rolling Stone Cover Is Jaw Dropping. All hail, Chadwick Boseman! After a record-breaking weekend, the Black Panther star displayed his prowess by posting his brand-new cover of Rolling Stone, which left little to the imagination in the tight-pants department. Black Panther roared into theaters on Friday and has quickly become the top-grossing film in history by a black director (Ryan Coogler) and is projected to make roughly $218 million between Friday and Monday, according to Disney. Additionally, global ticket sales for opening weekend are estimated to tally $387 million by Monday, according to comScore. In the action movie, Boseman plays King T'Challa, ruler of the fictional African nation of Wakanda, which just so happens to be the richest and most technologically advanced civilization on Earth. But when he's not ruling over the people of Wakanda, he's putting on his superhero suit and parading around as Black Panther -- a do-gooder trying to make this topsy turvy world (and his kingdom) a little bit better. In the mag, the 41-year-old actor said that the film's popularity means big things for the world as the first African superhero movie. "It's a sea-change moment," Boseman said. "I still remember the excitement people had seeing Malcolm X. And this is greater, because it includes other people, too. Everybody comes to see the Marvel movie." The actor even gushed over how impressed he was with the film and its reception. "The money and manpower it takes to create this entire African world -- it's a huge production," said Boseman. "But this is not Star Wars -- this is a black superhero movie!" Boseman also mentioned that that the film is predominately played by black actors and set in Africa is one of the things that appealed to him. "Some [black] actors will say, 'I don't want to play a character just because he's black,'?" he said. "And that's great, I'm not saying they're wrong. But that's missing all the richness that's been whitewashed." Meanwhile director Ryan Coogler said of selecting Boseman to play the lead, "It's perfect casting. His physicality, his reserved personality, the way he looks younger than he is, wise beyond his years." Looks like the world agrees! (Eonline)

Kate Middleton Hits the Red Carpet in Deep Green Amid BAFTA's Time's Up All-Black Dress Code. Red carpet royals! Prince William and Kate Middleton hit the red carpet for the second year in a row at the annual BAFTA Awards (the British equivalent of the Oscars) on Sunday. And all eyes were on Kate -- who is seven months pregnant -- as royal watchers were eager to see her dress choice for the evening, which turned out to be a deep green cap-sleeved gown by Jenny Packham. The dress featured a black sash underneath her bust, which accentuated her baby bump. She accessorized with emerald jewelry, suede Prada heels and a black clutch. The expectant mom wore her hair in perfectly tousled curls. Similar to the Golden Globes in January, attendees of this year's BAFTA Awards were encouraged to wear black in support of the Time's Up initiative, which stands against harassment, assault and mistreatment of women. The initiative also started a legal defense fund to provide monetary support to those who wish to take legal action. Many of the celebrities participated, including Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Lawrence. At last year's dress code-free BAFTAs, Kate wore a black patterned off-the-shoulder Alexander McQueen gown that would have fit perfectly with this year's dress code. The royal family tends to stay away from anything political -- they don't even vote. Although Time's Up fight to end the harassment, assault and mistreatment of women in the workplace is not aligned with any political party, it's still more of a public stand than the royals typically take on hot-button issues. Some, still, charged online that Kate should have participated. Wrote one Twitter user, "Disappointed in #KateMiddleton #DuchessofCambridge not wearing black to the #EEBAFTAs It's not a political thing. It's a woman thing!" can someone please sit me down and explain why Kate Middleton couldn't war black for a few hours for an important cause? -- elliott smith fan club (@elbavani) February 18. Kate has made a point to support women's issues in her royal work around mental health and motherhood. "Personally, becoming a mother has been such a rewarding and wonderful experience," she said in a speech last year. "However, at times it has also been a huge challenge. Even for me who has support at home that most mothers do not." Kate and Prince William, who is the president of BAFTA, will met with representatives including BAFTA Chief Executive Amanda Berry, and watch the star-studded ceremony from the front row, which takes place at the Royal Albert Hall. William is also on hand to present the Fellowship award- the ceremony's highest accolade-to director Sir Ridley Scott. (People)

Kate Middleton was fighting the clock when she put on her green gown for the BAFTA Awards -- instead of black -- and her pregnancy made a switch near impossible. Royals expert Katie Nicholl -- who wrote the book, "Kate: The Future Queen" -- tells us the Duchess of Cambridge was in a "no-win situation" Sunday with her wardrobe choice. She was criticized for going against the suggested Time's Up all-black dress code -- but Nicholl says Kate's dress was likely pre-ordered months ago and custom-made with her pregnancy in mind. Point is ... the dress would've been chosen way before the Time's Up's buzz began in late 2017 and would preclude a last-minute wardrobe change. There's also this -- Nicholl says members of the Royal family are encouraged to avoid political statements. That could be at play, but taking a stand against sexual harassment -- as tons of celebs have during award season -- hardly seems like a controversial stance. So, we're going maternity dress issues for the win. (TMZ)

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Had a Date Night to See Hamilton -- the Musical That Makes Fun of His Ancestor! It's the hit show that both makes fun of his ancestor George III and tells the story of Alexander Hamilton and the founding fathers America, so it was about time that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle checked it out. The couple ended Valentine's week with a date night at Hamilton in London on Friday, thrilling the cast with their appearance among the sellout crowd. Harry and Meghan enjoyed dates at the theater when they first began dating, but this is the first time they have been known to hit the West End in London since they made their engagement announcement. Just like the show's successful run on Broadway, the London performance-at the Victoria Palace Theatre, just two miles from the couple's home at Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace-is hugely popular, with face-value seats costing up to $300. In a tweet over the weekend, cast member Leslie Garcia Bowman confirmed that the couple was in attendance. A Kensington Palace spokesman declined to comment and a show's spokeswoman said that it was a "private visit" and there were no other details. As they were putting the finishing touches to the preview performances last fall in London, creator Lin Manuel Miranda expressed his excitement after Harry and Meghan's engagement in November. "It's crazy, everyone is dancing in the streets here! (Everyone is politely keeping to themselves but you can tell they wanna dance)," he tweeted. The couple's theater visit followed a week of public outings for the couple. The made their first joint visit to Edinburgh on Tuesday, followed by Harry's surprise Valentine's Day appearance alongside his father, Prince Charles, at a meeting about the environment. He also helped serve up lunches for kids at a sports club on Thursday and highlighted the benefits of playing rugby when he joined the England team at their training session on Friday. (People)

Kim Kardashian's Christmas gift from Kanye West isn't going to stop the chorus from grousing she keeps getting richer for doing nothing, because in this case ... it's absolutely true. As we reported, Ye hooked up his wife for Xmas with $100k of stock from 4 blue-chip companies -- Amazon, Apple, Disney and Adidas ... along with some more traditional stocking stuffers. Since Kim scored the gifts, 2 of the 4 stocks -- Amazon and Adidas -- have continued to surge and are up about $24k and $11k respectively. Disney is down almost $2k and Apple's dipped a bit as well. All in all ... Kim's $400k portfolio is currently valued at $431,800 as of Friday's close. Not bad at all for doing nothing and just watching the stocks grow. (TMZ)

Beyonce showed Blue Ivy how it's done in the selfie department during the NBA All-Star Game, but to be honest doesn't look like the kid needs any advice. Mother and daughter sat courtside Sunday evening at Staples Center along with grandma Tina Knowles, and her hubby, Richard Lawson. Looks like Jay-Z stayed home with the twins. Even without Jay, there was no shortage of celebs -- like Dave Chappelle, Common, Cardi B, Jack Nicholson and many more ... packed the arena. As for Blue, who's only 6, it's not her first rodeo. The kid had front row seats to last year's All-Star Game in New Orleans. Stole the show there, too. Like mother, like daughter. (TMZ)

Victoria Beckham loves Brooklyn's large 'Mum' tattoo. There's nothing like a mother-son bond. Brooklyn Beckham honored his famous mom with a large tattoo on his left arm. "Big tattoo! X kisses from NYC!! @BrooklynBeckham x #loveyou," Victoria, 43, captioned a snap showing off the ink while her son gazes into the camera. The 18-year old, who loves tattoos just like his footie father David Beckham, is steadily growing his collection. In December, Brooklyn got Cupid inked on his chest. His first tattoo was a Native American chief on his forearm, then followed a camera, a compass and an eagle. Artist Doctor Woo is responsible for many of Brooklyn's tattoos. (PageSix)

Lamar Odom's battle with drugs, alcohol and depression almost cost him everything -- so he's telling Johnny Manziel the #1 thing he's gotta do to avoid the same traps. "Put higher power first," Odom told TMZ Sports, "Whoever his God may be." Lamar, of course, was in a coma for days after OD'ing at a brothel in Nevada ... but he continues to party hard despite his brush with death. Johnny, meanwhile, says he's got his life back on track ... after years of hitting the bottle while he struggled with bipolar disorder. Lamar doesn't want him to go through that pain again -- telling us he's a big-time Johnny Football fan ... and that he truly believes JM can make an NFL comeback. But Odom says work's gotta be put in off the field, too ... with a focus on faith. (TMZ)

Roseanne Barr Disses Fergie's National Anthem Performance: ''I Think Mine Was Better.'' On Sunday night, Fergie's sultry rendition of the "Star-Spangled Banner" at the NBA All-Star Game got everyone's attention -- but for all the wrong reasons. Online many commenters dubbed the jazzy number "the worst rendition ever" of the national anthem. And it appears Roseanne Barr, who famously shrieked the national anthem (and who forget the crotch grab?) back in 1990, couldn't agree more. The sitcom star is even panning the Fergalicious performance. Following the flood of tweets dragging Fergie through the mud, the funny lady, who is known for her brash comedy, hopped on the trashing bandwagon. The 65-year-old, who is coming back to TV with a revival of her beloved sitcom Roseanne, wrote, "Who saw Fergie's national anthem performance at the NBA All Star Game? I think mine was better lowkey." Just in case you need a refresher on Roseanne's performance so you know how much of a diss that really was, here's what we got: On July 26, 1990, the sitcom star took to Jack Murphy field, shrieked, grabbed her crotch and purposefully made a mockery of the beloved song, known for opening up sports games. It's universally known as the worst performance of the "Star-Spangled Banner" that has ever been done since Francis Scott Key put pen to paper in 1814. Afterward, the entire country was outraged, including President George H.W. Bush, who called it "disgraceful." So Roseanne saying her performance was better is pretty brutal. As for what went wrong with the Black Eyed Peas singer's version, viewers seemed to take issue soulful/bluesy/jazzy/sexy attempt at the classic song. Before the game, the sultry singer slinked up to the microphone in an LBD and gave the unusual rendition of the national anthem that did NOT go over well with the A-list audience, or it appears the entirety of the Internet. In clips, Chance the Rapper, Joel Embiid, Draymond Green and Jimmy Kimmel were spotted on camera not really feeling Fergie's flow before the game. Many of them visibly laughing at the song. After the performance a flurry of tweets followed, calling her hot take on the tune "the worst rendition ever" of the national anthem. Even Khloe Kardashian, whose man is Cleveland Cavaliers' Tristan Thompson, tweeted, "This All Star opening is confusing me. WTF is going on? Anyone?" (Eonline)

Tomi Lahren doubled down on her stance the Florida school shooting wasn't about guns ... it's about a lunatic who wouldn't have slaughtered 17 people if he had more religion in his life. We got the FOX News contributor at LAX Sunday and asked her about Trump tweeting that the FBI could have thwarted Nikolas Cruz if it wasn't so focused on him and Russia. Tomi dodged that controversy and stuck to her own social media crisis. Tomi's getting a ton of backlash online for calling for Christians to pray more in the wake of the shooting, instead of talking about gun control. We'll say this ... she's sticking to her story. Backlash be damned. (TMZ)

WINTER OLYMPICS:

French Ice Dancer Suffers a Wardrobe Malfunction -- but Pulls Through for Second-Place Finish. French ice dancers Guillaume Cizeron and Gabriella Papadakis finished in second place at the end of the first half of their competition at the 2018 Winter Olympics, despite Papadakis' costume coming undone for much of their routine. The skaters' short dance on Monday afternoon, which aired Sunday night stateside, was marred by the wardrobe malfunction, in which Papadakis' top appeared to come unclasped from around her neck -- resulting in part of her left breast being briefly exposed on the ice. While the mistake did undercut their final score of 81.93, it was more than good enough for second place, behind Canada's Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue's score of 83.67. No other ice dancers broke 80. The two pairs, along with the American Shibutani siblings, are widely seen as podium contenders. "It's just frustrating to miss a few points just because of a costume issue," Cizeron, 23, told reporters afterward next to a teary-eyed Papadakis, at one point wrapping an arm around her waist. "It's not what we get ready for when we train. But you know, I'm so proud that we managed to pull out a program like that even with a difficulty like this," he said. "And we just look forward to a new day tomorrow and we have our chances to win and we'll just do our best." It remains unclear what caused the problem, which occurred relatively early in their short dance. "My costume opened up," Papadakis, 22, explained later to the press. "It was difficult. It's the first time that something like that happened," she said. "I tried to stay focused and finish without anything [else happening]." Cizeron, who took nearly all questions from a group of reporters after their skate, said the outfit was "in our thoughts all along the program, a little bit. I think the twizzles [a move in ice dancing] is the only thing that kind of affected us the most because, you know, when you rotate it's kind of hard to keep your dress on when it's open." Only one reporter asked them about something besides the wardrobe problem -- to which Papadakis immediately responded, audibly grateful, "Thank you for not talking about the dress anymore." "We do what inspires us and we really try to create programs that we can have fun with," Cizeron said of their performance, "and I think it is, it has to be different from what other skaters have done before. We've got to keep the sport modern and new and that's what is exciting about figure skating as well and ice dancing particularly." Other skaters soon rallied to Papadakis on Twitter. American ice dancer Meryl Davis, the 2014 gold medalist with partner Charlie White, wrote: "My heart is broken for G/G today. For something like a costume malfunction to hinder this moment for them is utterly devastating." Canadian pair skater Meagan Duhamel replied to Davis, writing, "Devestating ... a costume malfunction can be such a disturbance mentally. I'm sad for them that this happened at this moment. :-(" Asked how she was feeling after the short dance, a still-tearful Papadakis said "not great" and then laughed. They will next return to Olympic ice on Tuesday for the free dance. The 2018 Winter Olympics are airing live on NBC. To learn more, visit teamusa.org. (People)

Adam Rippon Turns Down NBC's Olympic Correspondent Gig to Stay in Olympic Village. UPDATE: Despite the previous announcement that Adam Rippon would be doing commentary for NBC during the rest of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, the fun-loving ice skater confirmed on Sunday night that he will not be making the jump to the peacock network. About 14 hours after USA Today's original story, the outlet published another article saying that "a person close to the situation" said Rippon had turned down NBC's offer. Soon after the story hit that the Olympian had declined the new gig, Rippon appeared on NBC's sports network on Monday to explain his decision. "I am you know I am so flattered that NBC wanted me to work as a correspondent. But if I took this opportunity, I would have to leave the Olympic team and I'd have to leave the [Olympic] Village," he told host Liam McHugh. "And it's so important to me that -- I worked so hard to be on this Olympic team, and my teammates and my friends were there for me during my events and that meant so much to me, that I really feel like I need to be there for them during their events as well."

You haven't heard the last from Adam Rippon this Olympic Games! The openly gay Olympic team bronze medalist, who has pretty much stolen the show with his jazzy one-liners and his flawless performances on the ice, has just been hired by NBC to work as a correspondent during the remainder of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. On Sunday morning, NBC spokesman Greg Hughes announced the news to USA Today Sports on Sunday. Hughes also said that the personality will join the Peacock network in a variety of platforms, including television, digital and social media -- and that's just what's happening! Hours after news hit, NBC tweeted that the network would be utilizing Adam's talents for skating competition, "Got questions about figure skating? @Adaripp is here for you! Tweet us using #NBCOlympicIce and we'll have the answers for you on Olympic Ice tonight at 7PM ET on @NBCSN!" It's been quite an Olympic debut for Rippon, who recently placed 10th in the men's single's contest. Rippon's televised interviews and social media comments have also taken on a life of their own, winning him many a fan for his hilarious take on the Olympics. When asked how he felt when he hit the ice at his first Olympics, Adam joked to NBC, "I want to throw up, I want to go over to the judges and say 'can I just have a Xanax and a quick drink?'" The 28-year-old also said, "This might be my first Olympics, but it's not my first rodeo!" Prior to his first skate last week, he tweeted, "I've been bleaching my teeth for the past few days and now the wind that I create from just talking makes them hurt. Like, I think this is a sign that I'm officially ready for my Olympic debut." Looks like he was! The figure skater also made headlines before the Games when he publicly criticized the choice of Vice President Mike Pence, who has expressed anti-gay rights views, as the ceremonial head of the U.S. delegation to the Olympics. Tension began in January when Rippon, an openly gay Olympic athlete, was asked by USA Today how he felt about Pence leading the U.S. delegation to the 2018 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony in Pyeongchang, South Korea on February 9. "You mean Mike Pence, the same Mike Pence that funded gay conversion therapy? I'm not buying it," Rippon replied. And in response to Rippon's statement, Pence's press secretary told the publication, "The vice president is proud to lead the U.S. delegation to the Olympics and support America's incredible athletes. This accusation is totally false and has no basis in fact. Despite these misinformed claims, the vice president will be enthusiastically supporting all the U.S. athletes competing next month in Pyeongchang." Once at the Olympics, Rippon told reporters after a practice session (via Reuters), "I don't want to distract from the competition or make this too much for my competitors and my teammates." He then added, "After the competition I'm open to meeting him and having an open conversation, but opening ceremonies are tomorrow and I've been really focused." During his talk with USA Today last month, Rippon said, "I'm not trying to pick a fight with the vice president of the United States." "If I had the chance to meet him [Pence] afterwards, after I'm finished competing, there might be a possibility to have an open conversation," Rippon told the publication. There has yet to be a meet up between the skater and the VP in South Korea. (Eonline)

Music

Smashing Pumpkins recreate Siamese Dream album cover with original models. Two days after announcing their reunion tour, the Smashing Pumpkins recreated the cover of their 1993 album Siamese Dream with the two original models. In the very cute photo, which the band shared on Instagram, models Ali Laenger and LySandra Roberts wear fairy wings as they joyfully embrace each other. Frontman Billy Corgan captioned the image with a touching note thanking the women, who also appeared in the video that announced the forthcoming Shiny and Oh So Bright tour, for being part of this "iconic image in rock history." "What's amazing is their chemistry with one another still leaps through the camera to this day and yet if memory serves they'd never met before that Siamese shoot," wrote Corgan. "Which tells me their coming together, and the beauty that Melodie's shot captures, of youth and innocence, was meant to be SP's own, personal lucky star." He continued: "So thank you thank you thank you Ali and LySandra, we adore you, and having you be a part of today's launch brings tears to my eyes. For life goes fast, and I can still see you in my mind's eye wearing crisp white dresses in a stranger's backyard, looking like little Mother Mary's [sic], smiling and laughing into the sun." Last Thursday, the alt-rock band announced that their forthcoming 36-date tour would cover their first five albums and would feature original members Corgan, guitarist James Iha, and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. Guitarist Jefff Schroeder, who joined the band in 2007, will also be hitting the road. Noticeably absent from the lineup was original bassist D'arcy Wretzky, who told Blast Echo that Corgan invited her to join the tour, but then withdrew the offer. The band released a statement addressing Wretzky's absence last Monday. "In reuniting the Smashing Pumpkins, the band's dedication remains to its fans and its music," a spokesperson for the band said in a statement. "To that, James Iha, Jimmy Chamberlin, and William Corgan haven't played a show with D'arcy Wretzky for over 18 years. But it's not for a lack of trying. For despite reports, Ms. Wretzky has repeatedly been invited out to play with the group, participate in demo sessions, or at the very least, meet face-to-face, and in each and every instance she always deferred. We wish her all the best and look forward to reconnecting with you all very soon." In an interview with Alternative Nation that was released Wednesday, Wretzky said that Corgan's claims of inviting her to play with the band were a "complete lie." "He's never invited me to anything," she said. Shiny and Oh So Bright tour tickets go on sale Feb. 23. For more information, check out the Pumpkins' official website. (Entertainment Weekly)

Fergie Slammed for Performing ''Worst Rendition Ever'' of National Anthem at NBA All-Star Game. Ouch! Fergie was tasked to sing the "Star-Spangled Banner" at Sunday night's NBA All-Star Game -- a feat that she seemed to fall short of on Sunday night. Before the game, the sultry singer slinked up to the microphone in an LBD and gave a bluesy (or was it jazzy?) and somewhat unusual rendition of the national anthem that did NOT seem to go over well with the A-list audience, or it appears the entirety of the Internet. In clips, Chance the Rapper, Joel Embiid, Draymond Green and Jimmy Kimmel were spotted on camera not really feeling Fergie's flow before the game. One viewer, Isaac Harris, called it the "worst" national anthem he'd ever heard, writing, "Literally dying at these reactions. Fergie with the worst rendition ever." John Middlekauf simply tweeted, "Worst rendition ever?" @CoryTowns wrote, "LMAOOOOOOOOO FERGIE SOUND LIKE A BODEGA CAT." Some viewers are saying that the only performance worse than Sunday night's Fergalicious national anthem may be Roseanne Barr's headline-making, crotch-grabbing rendition of the "Star-Spangled Banner" in 1990. Probably not a comparison that the eight-time Grammy winner will love. Looks like Ferg gave a little too much boom-boom and not enough pow Sunday night... What do you think of the Black Eyed Peas singer's soulful number? (Eonline)

It ain't ALL hate for Fergie after that bizarre national anthem at the NBA All-Star Game -- with Mariah Carey dishing out some advice on how to deal with the negativity. A glammed up Mariah was leaving Sweet Chick on Fairfax Sunday evening -- when she gave Fergie one very simple tip. By the way, Mariah has some experience in this department ... the haters came out in force for her New Year's Eve performance a while back -- but it didn't seem to faze her. Aside from Mariah, Takeoff from Migos and NBA star Karl-Anthony Towns also had Fergie's back. Not everyone has been so supportive ... "Saturday Night Live" star Leslie Jones hated it -- and judging by Draymond Green's face, he wasn't a fan either. Still haven't heard from Fergie yet -- but we'd LOVE to hear her thoughts on it. (TMZ)

Fergie At NBA All-Star Game Roasted For Slow & Sexy Nat'l Anthem . . . Hollywood Piles On. Fergie sang the National Anthem to kick off the 2018 NBA All-Star game, and most everyone seemed to hate it ... including Hollywood. Tons of stars blasted Fergie for her sultry rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner Sunday night ahead of a mega showdown between Stephen Curry and LeBron James' all-star squads. Charles Barkley wanted to dive right in afterward ... but Shaq wouldn't let him. Leslie Jones had some thoughts, too ... wondering "Why did this happen?" and even suggesting the organizers might as well have had her sing it. Hell, even a state senator from Oklahoma got in on the hating. Draymond Green's reaction was probably the best, though. It was live and raw, and there was no hiding how he really felt about it ... LOLOLOL. Yeah, that about sums it up. Keep your head up, Fergie. There's always next year ... or not. (TMZ)

Movies

'Three Billboards' conquers BAFTA Awards with five trophies. Martin McDonagh's "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" was the big winner at the 71st British Academy Film Awards taking five awards including both best film and best British film. The film's stars Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell won best actress and best supporting actor, respectively, while McDonagh took home best original screenplay. McDonagh lost out in the best director category to "The Shape of Water's" Guillermo Del Toro. "The Shape of Water" took the second biggest haul of the night with three awards, while "Blade Runner 2049" and "Darkest Hour" took two apiece. "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" took the first award of the night for outstanding British film, which was presented by Jennifer Lawrence. Sam Rockwell made it two as he won best supporting actor for the film, beating out his co-star Woody Harrelson. "I stand on the shoulders of strong, intelligent, riotous women," said Rockwell, telling co-star Frances McDormand she was an inspiration, before dedicating the award to "my pal Alan Rickman." In the winner's press conference Rockwell said he and director Martin McDonagh now had a shorthand having worked together twice before, on stage and in the film "Seven Psychopaths." Claiming best original screenplay for the film McDonagh called Rockwell his muse. The win was McDonagh's second BAFTA win in the category having previously won for 2008's "In Bruges." Frances McDormand took to the stage in a red and black dress to accept the award for best actress. "As Martin said I have a little trouble with compliance but I want you to know I stand in alliance with my sister's in black," said McDormand of her outfit. "In drama school I was told I wasn't naturally gifted and I should work at it. So I did," joked the actress. It was McDormand's first BAFTA award from 4 nominations. She was previously nominated for best actress for her Oscar-winning performance in "Fargo," losing out to Brenda Blethyn in Mike Leigh's "Secrets & Lies." She also received supporting actress nominations for "Almost Famous" and "North Country." Gary Oldman won best actor for his role as Winston Churchill in Joe Wright's "Darkest Hour," after presenter Salma Hayek joked the winner was Frances McDormand. It was Oldman's first best actor BAFTA from three nominations, having previously been nominated for Mike Leigh's "Prick Up Your Ears" and Tomas Alfredson's "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy." Oldman won BAFTAs for best British film and best screenplay for his directorial debut "Nil by Mouth." Oldman thanked Churchill who he said had "held the line for integrity, honor and freedom for his country and the world." The ceremony, which was held at the Royal Albert Hall for the second consecutive year, is hosted for the first time by Joanna Lumley, best known for her role as Patsy in the "Absolutely Fabulous" TV show and movie. Lumley took over as host from Stephen Fry, who has presented the BAFTAs 12 times since first emceeing in 2001, including each year since 2012. The new host immediately brought a fresh approach to the ceremony with a pre-recorded segment that featured the actress interacting with characters from nominated films including "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri," "Call Me by Your Name," "Darkest Hour" and "Paddington 2." Following a performance by Cirque du Soleil's OVO inspired by "The Shape of Water," which led the nominees going into the ceremony with 12, Lumley took to the stage of the Royal Albert Hall. She revealed that exactly 100 years ago the venue hosted an event celebrating the first women to get the vote in Britain. Turning her attention to the nominees in the room Lumley joked best actor nominee Gary Oldman's ability to disappear into a role was evident in his other roles of the year besides Winston Churchill in "Darkest Hour" such as Yoda, Wonder Woman and Lego Batman. "In one sense you're all winners tonight," Lumley said, concluding her opening remarks. "And in another sense if you believe that you'll believe anything." Guillermo Del Toro won best director for "The Shape of Water." Del Toro paid tribute to the legacy of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, Charlie Chaplin, Stan Laurel and novelist Mary Shelley amongst his British influences. "She gave voice to the voiceless," said the director of Shelley. It was the Mexican filmmaker's second BAFTA having won best foreign language film for his 2006 Spanish-language film "Pan's Labyrinth." Allison Janney won supporting actress for her role in "I, Tonya." The actress joked she had to clear up a lie she had been perpetrating for years: that she hadn't actually graduated from the U.K.'s world renowned Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, but that she had done a two-week course there. With "Black Panther" dominating in cinemas around the world one of its stars, British actor Daniel Kaluuya, had double cause to celebrate Sunday night as he was awarded the EE Rising Star BAFTA award, the only award voted for by the public. Having worked steadily in British film and television over the past decade Kaluuya saw his breakout role in Jordan Peele's "Get Out" bring him to global public attention as well as net him BAFTA and Oscar nominations as best actor. Kaluuya, who recently finished shooting Steve McQueen's "Widows," beat out Florence Pugh, Josh O'Connor, Tessa Thompson and Timothee Chalamet for the award. "I am a product of arts funding in the U.K.," said Kaluuya, thanking those who funded and supported arts funding in the country. "The Shape of Water" scored its first win of the night with Alexandre Desplat taking home the award for original music. It was Desplat's third BAFTA award from 8 nominations having previously won for "The King's Speech" and "The Grand Budapest Hotel." The film also claimed the award for best production design. "Darkest Hour," which went into the night with nine nominations, scored its first win for make up and hair. Pixar's "Coco" claimed best animated film. It marks the 7th time Pixar have won the BAFTA award since its inception in 2006. Director Lee Unkrich previously won for Pixar's 2010 film "Toy Story 3." "Representation matters. Marginalised people deserve to feel like they belong," said Unkrich, on the importance of having non-white charaters on screen. "I hope we've made a difference and I hope it's just the beginning." Raoul Peck's "I Am Not Your Negro," about U.S. novelist and social critic James Baldwin, claimed the BAFTA for best documentary. Peck said Baldwin was "the perfect image of a great humanist." Park Chan-wook's Korean language film "The Handmaiden" claimed for BAFTA for film not in the English language. James Ivory collected the best adapted screenplay BAFTA for "Call Me by Your Name." It was the 89-year old's third BAFTA but his first for screenplay. He previously won twice for producing best film winners "A Room with a View" and "Howards End." The team behind the special visual effects of "Blade Runner 2049" beat out heavyweight competition from "Dunkirk," "The Shape of Water," "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" and "War for the Planet of the Apes." "I Am Not a Witch" won outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer. Writer-director Rungano Nyoni said: "I want to thank all the people who said yes to me, without your support we couldn't have made this, and all those who said no, frankly, because you really spurred me on." Celia Imrie presented the previously announced special BAFTA award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema to the U.K.'s National Film and Television School (NFTS). Imrie cited just of a few of the NFTS' graduates including Oscar-winning animator Nick Park and acclaimed cinematographer Roger Deakins. Accepting the award Jon Wardle, director of the school, said the NFTS' job was to find "the new Roger Deakins, wherever they come, and make sure they have the support they need." Deakins claimed the BAFTA for cinematography for Denis Villeneuve's "Blade Runner 2049." It marked Deakins' fourth BAFTA win from 9 nominations. His previous wins in the category came for the Coen Brothers' films "The Man Who Wasn't There," "No Country for Old Men" and "True Grit." Just moments later the NFTS scored its fifth consecutive win in the British short animation category, with stop-motion film "Poles Apart." Colin O'Toole's "Cowboy Dave" took the prize for British short film. Most attendees donned black and the Time's Up pin badge in support of the Time's Up movement. Actresses Gemma Arterton, Tessa Thompson, Gemma Chan and Naomie Harris were among those who brought activist companions to the ceremony. Arterton brought two of the ladies involved in the Ford sewing machinists strike of 1968, depicted in the 2010 British film "Made in Dagenham" and the stage production which Arterton starred in 2014. From the stage Arterton and Lily James, presenting the award for outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer, thanked those assembled for supporting equality and change by dressing in black. Harris' guest called on the film industry to tell the story of Ghanaian heroine Yaa Asantewaa, known as Africa's Joan of Arc. The Duchess of Cambridge, in line with royal protocol which forbids members of the British royal family from taking a political stance on public issues, wore a dark green dress. (PageSix)

TV

The Fosters cast tells Ellen DeGeneres about the final day of filming. After a massive Twitter campaign to make it happen, the cast of The Fosters will finally appear on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Monday. Taped just after the actors finished their last days of filming the fifth and final season (which will end with a three-night event this summer), the host asked the stars who make up the entire Adams-Foster family -- that's Teri Polo, Sherri Saum, Maia Mitchell, David Lambert, Cierra Ramirez, Hayden Byerly, and Noah Centineo -- about their last day on set. "It was like having a cordial end to a beautiful relationship," Centineo said sweetly. Ramirez added, "We're all such family now -- it was definitely very hard." DeGeneres also asked about what the cast stole from the set before they left, and Mitchell admitted they "looted" it. While we already know what she took, Saum not-so-innocently commented on a missing kitchen item that's also featured in the show's opening credits. "There's a copper pan that hangs in our kitchen on The Fosters set and I don't know what happened, but the last episode, it was just gone," she said. DeGeneres concluded the segment by giving the cast a "wrap gift" of a single shared family sweater. The Fosters airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on Freeform. (Entertainment Weekly)

Netflix's The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Adaptation. If you're anything like us, Netflix's teenage witch is already your new favorite TV character. Sabrina is coming back to TV, with two seasons already ordered by Netflix. The show is an adaptation of the comic series The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and while it doesn't yet have an official title, there is still a lot to know about the show before it begins filming next month and arrives on Netflix sometime later this year. The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina will likely hit Netflix later this year. (Eonline)

Kourtney Kardashian Is Thinking About Freezing Her Eggs: 'I Should Just Do It'. Kourtney Kardashian has babies on the brain. In a sneak peek that aired Sunday night teasing the next episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, the mother of three revealed she's considering options to expand her brood. "So, I've been thinking about freezing my eggs," she told sisters Kim and Khloe Kardashian. "Are you serious?" said Kim, 37. "You want another kid?" "I should just do it so I don't have to think, 'Is this what I want, to have kids?' " said Kourtney, 38. "It's like, putting too much pressure." Kourtney shares three kids with ex Scott Disick: sons Reign 3, Mason, 8, and daughter Penelope, 5. The two were together for nine years before Kourtney officially ended things in 2015. On the October season 14 premiere of KUWTK, Kourtney admitted she wasn't opposed to expanding her family with Disick, 34. "I feel like I would [have another baby with him] if the situation was right," she said. "But that doesn't mean, like, tomorrow, guys. So don't get any ideas." And while they're working together to co-parent their children, Disick and Kourtney have both moved on romantically: He's been dating 19-year-old Sofia Richie since September, and she's still going strong with her 24-year-old boyfriend Younes Bendjima. "It's definitely serious," a source told PEOPLE in December of Kourtney and Bendjima, who were first introduced during a trip to Paris in October 2016. "No one thought their relationship would last this long, but Kourtney is very happy." "Younes has met her kids," the insider added. "Kourtney's family really likes him. He's the opposite of Scott. He doesn't party, isn't flashy and really treats Kourtney with a lot of respect. It's obvious that he really cares about her." Keeping Up with the Kardashians airs Sundays (9 p.m. ET) on E! (People)

Bravo stars have to sign an 'STD clause'. Is it called "Bravo" because you could get a rousing "clap"? We're told that the stars on a number of Bravo's reality shows have to sign an "STD clause" promising not to sue the network if they get one or more of a long, enumerated list of itchy infections while filming. Sources familiar with the contracts say that Bravo washes its hands (thoroughly) of the potential diseases so that it doesn't get sued if bed-hopping stars pick up something nasty while taking part in its shows. Network insiders, meanwhile, assure us that such provisions are common across all networks, especially on dating shows. We hear that the contracts also officially warn stars that their fellow combatants aren't tested for sexually transmitted diseases. By contrast, ABC has previously revealed that it tests contestants on its long-running dating shows "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" for STDs. Those shows make the 50 finalists for spots in the competition get screened for sexual diseases. It seems that Bravo's hit "Vanderpump Rules" is a particular hotbed of disease because of its particularly hot beds. In 2015, one of the show's stars, James Kennedy, called co-star Jax Taylor -- who has slept with a number of the women on the show -- a "dirty, dirty boy" on Bravo's "Watch What Happens Live" and added, "It's called herpes!" Taylor denied the accusation in a Reddit "Ask Me Anything" interview. In 2010, "Jersey Shore" creator SallyAnn Salsano said during a Hollywood Reporter roundtable that producers handed out herpes medication Valtrex "like M&Ms." She said, "Hey kids, it's time for Valtrex!' It's like a herpes nest. They're all in there mixing it up." In the same conversation, "Celebrity Rehab's" Dr. Drew Pinsky said, "The network requires me to do stuff with my patients that has no relevance to anything." Reps for Bravo declined to comment. (PageSix)

Ronan Farrow banned from NBC? There is an internal war brewing after it was claimed that Ronan Farrow has been banned by NBC News' top exec Andy Lack. Farrow was booked on Rachel Maddow's prime-time MSNBC show on Friday to discuss his story about Donald Trump's alleged affair with former Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal. But Farrow was bumped from the broadcast, and insiders said the decision was made by Lack, who is still fuming over claims that NBC killed Farrow's Harvey Weinstein probe. NBC reps didn't comment, but other insiders insist Farrow was bumped because of breaking Russia indictment news. (PageSix)