ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

The Bachelor's Ashley Salter Welcomes a Baby Boy Named Brooks. The Bachelor extended family continues to grow! Ashley Salter, a fan-favorite from Chris Soules' season and later Bachelor in Paradise, welcomed son Brooks Hartman Brannen Thursday morning. She Instagrammed a photo of herself, fiance Austin Brannen and their adorable new addition shortly after, writing, "Long stormy night brings a beautiful angel this morning. Brooks Hartman Brannen 7lbs 2oz 4/7/16" Baby Brooks' parents were actually college sweethearts at Auburn University, but they only rekindled their romance after Ashley's stint on Bachelor in Paradise. In September 2015, Ashley S. announced her engagement to Austin and even took a little jab at The Bachelor franchise. She Instagrammed a photo of her stunning ring with a bouquet of red roses, writing, "12 is better than 1 #roses." Ashley S. and Austin went public with the news they were expecting when they attended Jade Roper and Tanner Tolbert's wedding in February, which was televised as part of The Bachelor at 20: A Celebration of Love. "This happened fast," Ashley S. told Chris Harrison with a grin. The Bachelor host couldn't have been any happier for Ashley S. and her happiness. In the past, he called her "one of my favorite women to have ever been on this show." We'd have to agree. Congratulations to Ashley S. and Austin on their baby boy! (Eonline)

General Hospital Stars Kirsten Storms and Brandon Barash Split After Two Years of Marriage. Well this is a plot twist we weren't expecting on or off the small screen. General Hospital co-stars Brandon Barash and Kirsten Storms have decided to split after two years of marriage. "We are splitting due to the cliche irreconcilable differences, but we're splitting amicably," Brandon shared with Soap Opera Digest. "We have every intention of remaining a family through this and successfully co-parenting our kid and retaining a friendship in the efforts of raising her in a healthy environment." He continued, "This was not a hasty decision; a lot of thought and therapy went into this." After seeking professional help to work on their relationship, the pair ultimately decided that it would be better to go their separate ways for the sake of their two-year-old daughter Harper. "We went to therapy for a long time, trying to figure out how to communicate better with each other," Kirsten explained. "It's not anything that we dislike about each other... " Brandon added, "But we've decided that raising our daughter in two separate homes would be a healthier choice for all of us." Fans of the long-running ABC soap opera may know the pair as Johnny and Maxie. Others may recognize Kirsten as Zenon from the Disney Channel original movie Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century. Whatever the case may be, followers of the couple may be surprised to hear of the split. After all, every sign pointed to a happy family over Easter weekend as both parties shared adorable family photos on Instagram. "There was nothing that went into this outside of what we've told you," Kirsten explained. "We're doing what we feel is best for ourselves and Harper." Brandon added, "People are going to speculate because they always want to, and they always want to place blame, but it was a joint decision that we thought everyone in our family would benefit from." (Eonline)

Mariah Carey is SERIOUSLY dieting in order to reach her ideal wedding weight. On Wednesday, it was reported that the chart topper is actively trying to lose 20 pounds by her August nuptials to billionaire beau James Packer. Whoa! A source dished to DailyMail: "Mariah is so excited about her wedding." According to the insider, the We Belong Together singer is sticking to a strict protein only diet so that she can shed some pounds. The family friend continued: "Mariah is only eating four ounces of grilled chicken, lean beef or one of her favorites, broiled Chilean Sea Bass or grilled shrimp with grilled asparagus." Not to mention, MiMi has been skipping breakfast and waiting until noon to indulge in a smoothie or a protein shake. The confidant added: "She is also eating some of her favorites like baked salmon, chicken salad - with light mayo or mustard - and sushi. Mariah also loves cheese, so sometimes she will have some Brie on low fat crackers as a snack." Hmm, we hope that Miz Carey is attempting to lose this weight loss in a HEALTHY way. Although there is one treat that Mariah is refusing to cut out and that's -- red wine. Of course! Supposedly, MiMi was told she can have one glass a day and the A-lister makes sure that she imbibes a bit at dinner. The source relayed: "Mariah hates dieting because she loves to eat and she in Europe right now on tour, so it's difficult to stay on course with so much wonderful food around her all of the time, but she wants to have an hour-glass figure so she can have a very tight, sexy, figure-hugging gown. Mariah says she has to be very disciplined because she wants to take James' breath away when he sees her for the first time in her wedding gown." Aww! Still we'd like to point out that the Australian native proposed to the hit maker at her current weight so we don't think she should be stressing out too badly about getting skinnier. The source concluded: "Mariah says this will be her last marriage, that the third time is a charm, so she is determined to be the most beautiful bride the world has ever seen." (Perez Hilton)

Iggy Azalea and Kesha are horsein' around despite their personal dramas! On Wednesday, the Team rapper took to Twitter to share a pic of herself and the Die Young artist bonding over their love of horses amid all of the craziness in their lives. As you may know, the Australian native and her fiance Nick Young were recently the subject of several headlines after the Los Angeles Lakers star was caught on tape admitting to have cheated on the blonde beauty. Not to mention, Kesha also faced an unfortunate blow when a New York state judge decided against Sony and Dr. Luke -- where she claimed she was a slave to the record label and the music producer. Oof! Miz Azalea wrote for the pic "Me and the very funny @KeshaRose on defender and biz! #FreeKesha" While fans praised the two starlets for not letting the drama dictate their lives, it appears as though Iggy has no interest in commenting further about her private life as she clapped back at one fan. (Perez Hilton)

Amy Schumer has found a supporter in Lena Dunham! As you may recall, the Trainwreck actress recently slammed Glamour magazine for labeling her plus sized and the Girls creator has since come to her defense. Girl power! While at The Hollywood Reporter's 35 Most Powerful People event in NYC, the Golden Globe winner dished: "I think fashion should be for women and it should be for all women. We did an interview recently on Lenny with Beth Ditto who just launched a line that is technically plus-sized but what she really cares about is just putting women in clothes they can feel good about because so often we've assumed women who aren't size zeros just want to put themselves in a tent." Well said! She continued: "I think Amy's entire thing is trying to sort of like break down barriers and be bold about her own opinions and what I think she was trying to do was stand up for women and say we're not supposed be categorized in this role, we're supposed to just be allowed to exist." We couldn't have explained it better ourselves! Still, we're not ENTIRELY shocked that Miz Schumer's found an ally in the 29 year old as the brunette beauty's been tackling these types of topics in her highly popular newsletter titled Lenny Letter. (Perez Hilton)

Macaulay Culkin says he has retired, aged 35. The Home Alone actor revealed he spends most of his time painting, writing in his notebooks and "whatevering". "I'm a man in his mid-30s who's essentially retired," he said. "I kind of go where the wind takes me a little bit." The former actor splits his time between Paris and New York. He's a big fan of the former because Parisians leave him alone, compared to New York where he only leaves his apartment in the early hours of the morning so that he doesn't get as much hassle. At first, he thought the Parisians didn't recognize him, but actually they were just happy to give him his privacy. "It turned out that no, they recognized me, they just didn't care," he told New York Magazine. "I was like, 'Where have you people been my entire life?'" Culkin has kept a low profile over the past 15 years - he sometimes tours with his band Pizza, replacing their lyrics with mentions of pizza) and in December appeared in his friend's comic series, in which he reprised his Home Alone role as a grown-up. (British Glamour)

Madonna has returned to London as she and ex-husband Ritchie continue to battle over the custody of their 15-year-old son, Rocco. Touching down at Heathrow Airport early Wednesday, the 57-year-old pop star donned all black and covered her eyes with a pair of dark, Wayfarer-style sunglasses. Rocco is living with his father in London-after he reportedly refused to fly back to New York to be with his mother late last year. In March, a New York Supreme Court judge said the teen could continue staying with Ritchie while his parents work to find a solution outside of court. A U.K. High Court judge ruled last month that the custody case must be determined in the U.S. The British judge also urged the famous exs to reach an agreement together outside of court. The next hearing is tentatively scheduled in New York for June 1. Madonna v. Guy Ritchie: Timeline of Their Custody Battle. Madonna and Guy Ritchie first began battling over Rocco's living situation in December, and filed legal cases in both U.K. and U.S. courts. Madonna toured throughout the ordeal, facing speculation over her physical and emotional health- rumors a source previously slammed to PEOPLE. "She continues to be a pillar of strength even as she has shown a more vulnerable side," the source said. "It's unfair that both men and women feel they need to give their opinions on the kind of parent they 'feel' Madonna should be because she isn't like most parents: Not every parent can work as hard as she does without being put under a microscope, and most parents don't have outrageous stories about them made up by the media on a daily basis." (People)

Blac Chyna is privately calling BS on Tyga for pretending to be supportive of her engagement to Rob Kardashian ... we're told her ex is really trying to destroy her life. Sources directly connected to Chyna tell TMZ, Tyga has gone to great lengths to drive a wedge between their son, King, and her. We're told he's filed legal docs trying to wrestle custody from her and will not back down. Our sources say Tyga will not even speak to Chyna ... their only direct contact is email. We're told he changed his cell and won't give her the new number. Most of the parenting decisions are made with their nanny as the go-between. What's more, our Chyna sources say Tyga and his crew have been on a campaign to destroy her reputation, calling her a "drunk whore," "deadbeat mama" and "nasty bitch." (TMZ)

Paris Jackson is dating a racist ... at least that's what some members of her family fear. Members of the Jackson brood tell us ... Michael Snoddy's arm tattoo proudly displaying the Confederate flag is highly offensive and ironic, since Paris' dad was black. Snoddy, a drummer with the band Street Drum Corps, is a little out of step, as some Southern states are removing vestiges of Confederate symbols from public view. Paris, who's been dating Snoddy for a few weeks, doesn't seem to mind, but her family thinks the fact that his tat was strategically placed for all to see is an omen about his feelings toward African Americans. We spoke with Snoddy, who scoffed at the claims and said, "I wouldn't be dating a black girl if I were a racist." That answer might not fly with the Jacksons, so we're guessing his other defense could be he's a fan of Pantera's album, "Cowboys From Hell." Notice the "CFH" on the tat. That group used the flag on its merchandising and posters, although some members have expressed regret. (TMZ)

Manny Pacquiao has a new fight on his hands ... courtesy of the Village People -- 'cause the original cowboy is calling for a BOYCOTT of Manny's fight over his anti-gay comments. The man leading the charge is Randy Jones -- who's never seen Manny fight but says, "I hear he's a short stack that likes to punch people and fight guys." Jones says he was blown away when Manny said gay people were worse than animals -- calling the comments, "the most despicable thing in the world." So, now he's calling on boxing fans to stick it to Manny (who he calls Paquerio) ... begging people to NOT buy tickets or watch his fight against Timothy Bradley on Saturday. "Manny Pacquiao is not a macho man." (TMZ)

Charlie Sheen Is a Suspect in Criminal Investigation by LAPD for Alleged Threats. Charlie Sheen has been named a suspect in a criminal investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department for allegedly making threats against an unnamed victim. A rep for the 50-year-old Two and a Half Men and Anger Management alum had no immediate comment. A police spokesperson told E! News Wednesday officers had on March 31 "completed an investigative report where Charlie Sheen was listed as a suspect in the investigation." The LAPD threat management unit is the group leading the probe, which is ongoing, and the victim's information is confidential. A search warrant has been obtained for this case, the spokesperson said. A police source confirmed to E! News this is a criminal investigation. The investigation was triggered by Sheen's ex-fiancee, Scottine Ross, aka adult film actress Brett Rossi, 26, NBC News reported, citing Los Angeles police and her lawyer, John Taylor. Rossi's lawyer confirms to E! News that an emergency protective order against Sheen was filed last week, following a news report claiming that a recording of Sheen allegedly threatening her life exists. The actor's lawyer called the move a publicity stunt. "She takes this very seriously. We take this very seriously. He has physically abused her in the past. She is getting all the legal protection that she can from him at this time", Taylor tells E! News. She and Sheen were engaged for almost a year before they broke up in late 2014, weeks before their wedding. This past December, Rossi filed a civil lawsuit against Sheen, accusing him of assault and battery and of failing to tell her he was HIV-positive. Sheen had revealed his HIV-positive diagnosis a month earlier. His lawyer called Rossi's claims a "complete fabrication" and said she knew he had contracted the virus and continued to have sex with him willingly. The lawsuit is still pending. "We filed a lawsuit on her behalf. They've successfully moved this into private arbitration in an attempt to prevent any sort of public scrutiny or judgment by a jury," Taylor adds, insisting that he and his team opposed the decision. "We believe that the public should be able to see what is going on in the court system." An LAPD source told The New York Daily News Wednesday the new investigation centers on abuse Rossi allegations made during a police interview last week and an alleged 35-minute audio tape reported by Radar Online and The National Enquirer, both of which are owned by American Media. On Tuesday, police officers served senior editors in the firm's New York office with what Radar Online called a "lengthy search warrant involving Radar articles about an explosive audio tape of Sheen confessing that he lied to a sex partner about" his HIV-positive status. The search warrant, obtained by E! News, states Rossi is the "victim" in the case and calls to search for audio recordings and transcripts pertaining to three The National Enquirer and Radar Online articles posted last week -- one about an alleged physical threat Sheen made against Rossi and two about how the actor allegedly "hid" and "lied about" his HIV-positive status. The document also says that there is probable cause to believe that the property targeted in the search "tends to show that a felony has been committed or that a particular person has committed a felony." The document names some of the allegations Rossi made against Sheen in her civil lawsuit, which his lawyer had denied. The warrant stated she said she "endured domestic violence, physical assaults and death threats" while living with the actor and that "on several occasions, Sheen had brandished firearms at her and threatened her life." "Charlie Sheen intends to vigorously defend the lawsuit filed by Brett Rossi aka Scottine Ross," the actor's lawyer had said in response to the civil lawsuit, after it was filed. "Numerous witnesses will dispute each and every claim made by Ms. Rossi. We are confident that Mr. Sheen will prevail in this action and also will recover significant damages against her in connection with a pending arbitration that was commenced months ago." Sheen's lawyer also said in his response Rossi was seeking "revenge" against the actor for "breaking off the engagement and cutting her off financially." The attorney said Rossi "attempted to extort millions of dollars by disclosing Sheen's medical condition" although she had signed a nondisclosure agreement and a confidential settlement agreement. Ross had told police recently she is in constant fear that Sheen will harm her in retaliation for the filing, the search warrant states. "[Rossi] stated that she did not report the violence and abuse at the time that the incidents occurred as she feared for safety and was under Sheen's control" and that she continues to endure "ongoing harassment" and "threats" from Sheen, it says. (Eonline)

THE OTHER STUFF . . .

The couple wed in an intimate ceremony in their living room in January 2015 after being engaged for nearly three months. Cameron Diaz says people would always tell her "you just know when you know" about finding your perfect match and that was the case for her with Madden: "I was always like, 'What does that mean ... what does that mean?' Then I was like 'Oh, I get it, you just know when you know, like you're my husband." And according to Diaz, she knew right away. The actress, who was on a press tour promoting her new book Longevity, told Cohen that Madden caught her eye not once, but twice. Are Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden Getting Ready for a Baby? "The first thing I saw when I first met my husband, I was like he's hot!" she said. "We had just never been in the same circle, then I saw him like a year later, I saw him again, and I was like wait a second, still hot." Diaz says her pals Nicole Richie and husband Joel Madden (Benji's twin) introduced the couple at a barbecue at her house. "Joel said 'Hey, can my brother come over?' And I said, 'Of course, it's family, we're having a barbecue' and then he walked in the door and I was like ... you! You!" Now that the couple is happily married, Diaz says, "Everything else just kind of like washes and slips away." "You realize like, 'Oh right, this is what the real thing is, this is what real love is and this is what commitment and devotion is,' " she says. "This is the person that you build your life with, and for me, it's like the rest of everything else just kind of like dissolves." (People)

Candace Cameron Bure's Husband Got Her the Birthday Gift She's Wanted Since She Was 10. They say diamonds are a girl's best friend, but we'll also accept Tiffany earrings! Candace Cameron Bure celebrated her 40th birthday on The View Wednesday, but also kept the celebrations rolling at night. The Fuller House star shared a selfie on Instagram to show off her special b-day gift from her husband, Valeri Bure. "My thoughtful husband bought me the earrings I've admired and wanted since I was 10 years old for my big 4-0! Tiffany gold mesh earrings. Thank you, baby. I'm so grateful and blessed," she captioned the pic. Falling in love with the earrings like we are? It looks like Valeri purchased his wife the Tiffany's Elsa Peretti Mesh Scarf Earrings in Gold, which retail for $2,100. Nicely done, Valeri! E! News caught up with Candace after the taping of The View, where she told us how it felt to have her kids and husband make a surprise visit. "It was the best birthday I could've ever imagined," she shared. "My family surprised me...there were so many great treats." Candace also dished that it was her family's first time visiting her on the set of her daytime talk show, and did her kids, Natasha, Lev and Maksim, give her a treat! Natasha, who has dreams of becoming a famous singer, performed a song for the audience. Mama Candace was so moved by her daughter's rendition that she started sobbing. "She rocked it!" Candace told us. "It was such a big day...It was an amazing experience. Natasha also couldn't contain her excitement when talking to E! News about surprising her mom. The 17-year-old confessed that her mom finds it hard to be away from her kids all the time while filming, so she was happy that she could be there to support the Full House alum. "I just know how much it means to her," Natasha shared. Happy birthday again, Candace! (Eonline)

Blac Chyna is determined to help fiance Rob Kardashian slim down. The newly engaged couple were spotted together in Los Angeles on Wednesday dressed casually and matching in black Yeezy sneakers. Blac Chyna's 7-carat diamond ring was certainly not hard to miss as she showed off her massive rock during the outing. During their excursion, the 27-year-old mother of one publicly announced on Snapchat that she has taken the initiative to help her man continue to lose weight. "So I need to consent, do you give me permission to train you for the next 5 weeks every day?" Blac Chyna says in a selfie video of the couple. "Of course," Kardashian, 29, agreed. And she wasn't kidding around. The model also recorded her future husband stepping on the scale, revealing his current weight of 248 lbs. So why 5 weeks? "Getting Rob ready for my birthday May 11-5 weeks," Blac Chyna captioned one of Snapchat clips. Love appears to be the best motivator for Kardashian to lose weight as he continues to be on his path to a more active lifestyle. In comparison to late December when the former reclusive reality star was diagnosed with diabetes after battling depression and gaining 100 lbs., he appears thinner and maintains a more healthy diet regimen. Kardashian popped the question Monday night-just 10 weeks after they took their relationship public. That same night, Blac Chyna-who is "more than excited, thrilled, and just super happy" to be become the future Mrs. Kardashian-celebrated her engagement with a party at Ace of Diamonds strip club in LA. The venue posted a video of Blac Chyna and Rob on Tuesday looking all smiles as they partied together with friends surrounded by fans along with confetti and sparklers. "About last night... She said YES," a message read in the short clip that also showed Blac Chyna gleefully flaunting her diamond engagement ring to all. Kardashian's family members including his sisters Kourtney Kardashian, Kim Kardashian West, Khloe Kardashian, Jenner and Kylie Jenner as well as momager Kris Jenner all remain silent on Rob's engagement while they enjoy a snowy vacation in Vail, Colorado. (People)

No maternity leave needed for Ivanka Trump. Just one week after welcoming her third child with husband Jared Kushner, the 34-year-old mom hit the campaign trail Wednesday in support of father Donald Trump. Dressed in a sleeveless black sheath, Ivanka took the podium at a Long Island rally to praise the GOP front-runner. "As a young girl growing up, my father always told me that I could do anything that I'd set my mind to. He meant it," she said. While Donald, 69, continues to push for the Republican presidential nominee, it seems his politicking has rubbed off on his eldest daughter. As Ivanka noted in the April issue of Cosmopolitan, she hasn't ruled out a political future. "I don't think so, but I have learned in life never say never," Ivanka shared. "That said, I am wholly focused on the growth of my own company -- my lifestyle brand and IvankaTrump.com, a digital destination for women who work -- as well as working alongside my brothers to expand the global footprint of The Trump Organization. (Page Six)

Chris Hemsworth's move back to Oz meant ditching 2 gorgeous homes in L.A. -- which in turn meant lining his pockets with an extra $2.6 million! First the Malibu home ... Chris listed the 6,800 sq ft, 5 bedroom Point Dume spot for $6.5 million last month, but he got $7 mil from the new buyers. Pretty sweet, considering Chris bought it for $4.8 mil. As for the smaller Santa Monica condo -- it's a mere 1,200 sq ft and 2 bedrooms ... Chris unloaded that for $1.25 mil after spending $820k on it. The Malibu home closes Monday, and the condo sold last week with listing agent Ryan Davis. As we previously reported Hemsworth ditched L.A. to raise his 3 kids in his native Australia. (TMZ)

Who'll play Cary Grant on Broadway? The leading man's ex-wife Dyan Cannon has been working for years on a musical version of her best seller, "Dear Cary." "We have a book. We have some songs. The next step is the 29-hour table read," Cannon told me. The story of her romance and marriage with the Hollywood icon -- which produced his only child, Jennifer Grant -- was a No. 1 best seller 4 ¹/2 years ago and recently was back on the lists. "I can't explain why it's suddenly selling again," Cannon said. "I'm just happy about it." Nominated for two Best Supporting Actress Oscars, she plans to play herself. The story won't be a light romantic comedy. It includes Cannon being institutionalized for depression and the toll her LSD use with Grant took on her. "It's about the things we think we need in life to make us happy, and we find out that's not the case," says Cannon. Born in England as Archibald Leach, Grant was a vaudevillian before he co-starred on-screen with Mae West, Katharine Hepburn, Ingrid Bergman and Audrey Hepburn. "It's an amazing part for a man," Cannon said. "Whoever gets it will be lucky." (Page Six)

'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' Teaser Trailer Drops: Watch It Here! Another December, another Star Wars blockbuster! The first action-packed trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story debuted on Thursday, April 7, on Good Morning America. The standalone film, starring Felicity Jones and martial arts legend Donnie Yen, is set to premiere on December 16. The story, directed by Gareth Edwards, takes place in the Stars Wars universe, but it's a spinoff rather than a continuation of the saga of the Skywalker family. Rogue One follows a band of Rebels who are plotting to steal the Death Star, and it's set just before the events of the very first Star Wars movie ever made (Star Wars: Episode IV -- A New Hope) in 1977. The trailer features hints of the familiar Star Wars score and centers around Jones' character, with help along the way from Diego Luna and Forest Whitaker. "This is a rebellion, isn't it?" she asks when questioned about her crimes. "I rebel." The two-minute teaser drops just as Stars Wars: The Force Awakens has arrived to DVD and Blu-ray. Production is also underway for a sequel to The Force Awakens. Disney announced Benicio Del Toro, Laura Dern and Kelly Marie Tran will join Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Mark Hamill for the eighth installment, and it's scheduled to hit theaters in December 2017. (US Weekly)

Mickey Rourke played hardball Wednesday night with Donald Trump, insisting Melania has to be in it for the loot to sleep in the same bed with him. It all went down with a casual game of catch on a Beverly Hills street. The friendly back-and-forth between Mickey and our photog turned into a vicious political rant, with Rourke digging deep into his vocab for every epithet -- including some homophobic ones -- he could hurl at the Prez candidate. (TMZ)

Congrats, Humanity! You Can Now Order Pizza Without Clicking Anything. We have reached a wonderful epoch in human food-ordering history. This is a time when you can order a pizza to your home, through an emoji, or an on-demand button, and now you can make that magic happen without clicking anything at all. It's not lazy, it's efficient. Your time is valuable, and any time spent filling out an order online or calling in a delivery takes away precious seconds when you could be putting a pizza in your face. Domino's latest life-changing innovation is perhaps the most groundbreaking pizza-ordering development in recent memory. It's a zero-click app. All you have to do is open the app, which prompts a 10-second timer. Unless you cancel in those 10 seconds, the longest 10 seconds of your life, your Domino's pizza order will be placed. It's a life alert button for a pizza. Again, you open an app on your phone, and unless you chicken out during that tantalizing 10-second countdown, a tasty delivery will be arriving at your home before you know it. Now, we know what you're thinking... I still have to open an app? This is 2016. There are self-driving cars, and dogs are Instagram celebrities. Well, until we all get X-Men mutant abilities, we're still not able to telepathically communicate our order to our local pizza-making heroes. The good news is, through butt dials and your phone moving around in your purse, this new app order could lead to a lot of surprise pizza deliveries you weren't even planning for. Unanticipated pizzas are sometimes the most satisfying pizzas. So go ahead: Get back to doing literally, absolutely nothing and order a pizza by doing literally, absolutely nothing. And be proud of it. Science and technology have once again allowed us to be the best versions of ourselves. Hot tip: The Honolulu Hawaiian 'za is life changing. Make it happen. (Eonline)

Music

Lady Gaga was only 5 years old when she wrote her first song on an upright piano that her grandparents bought. Now the instrument that inspired the pop music sensation is going on the auction block at a pre-sale estimate of $100,000 to $200,000. The piano is being offered at Julien's Auctions' "Music Icons" memorabilia sale at the Hard Rock Cafe New York on May 21. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the piano will benefit the Born This Way Foundation, launched by Gaga in 2012 to empower youth. The organization also addresses issues of bullying, poor body image, and acceptance and tolerance. The Everett Piano Co. instrument was featured in a 2011-2012 "Women Who Rock" exhibition at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland. Gaga's paternal grandparents purchased the piano for $780 in 1966 and later gave it to her parents. Little Stefani Germanotta began taking piano lessons when she was 4 and wrote her first composition, "Dollar Bills," a year later, a song inspired by Pink Floyd's "Money." "When Stefani started to crawl, she would use the leg of the piano to pull herself up and stand, and in doing so, her fingers would eventually land on the keys," her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, recalled once. "She would stay there and just keep pressing the keys to hear the sound. We would then start to hold her up or sit on the bench and let her tinker." When she turned 13, her parents bought her a baby grand piano. Darren Julien, owner of Julien's Auctions, said investors and collectors are looking for ways to diversify their portfolios and historical artifacts like rock 'n' roll memorabilia that have proven to be great investments. "Values continue to increase due to the collectability of Western pop culture globally," he said. "Rock 'n' roll memorabilia is the new art market." The auction also includes more than 85 Elvis Presley items, including a custom-made 1969 Gibson Dove guitar that Presley's father made for him. It was given to a fan by Presley at a 1975 concert. The guitar has Elvis Presley inland across the fingerboard and a Kenpo Karate decal (Presley was a black belt in karate). It's estimated to bring $200,000 to $300,000. Memorabilia from singer-guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, Kurt Cobain, the Beatles, Johnny Cash, Michael Jackson and other music icons also are part of the sale. (Page Six)

Kevin Federline's first rap track in 9 years goes deep into the Hollywood scene -- and by deep we mean Kanye West's ass and Amber Rose's fingers. The song's called "Hollywood" and the music video stars a fake 'Ye and fake Amber, umm ... working out their finger issues (lube included). It also features a parody of Leonardo DiCaprio sweating out the Oscars. The track itself is a collabo with rapper Crichy Crich (of Tara Reid tattoo fame). Sources connected to the rap duo tell us their intent wasn't to mock Yeezus or Leo ... they were just reacting to what was hot on social media when they shot the video. This will be a good test of Kanye's sense of humor ... if he sees it. (TMZ)

'Idol' Flaming Still Burning Bright Overseas. It will be the end of an era when American Idol finished its 15th and final season Thursday (last night) on Fox. But fans worried about Idol withdrawal can take solace in the fact that the singing competition format is going strong: outside the U.S. According to FremantleMedia, who produce and license Idol worldwide, there are 17 local versions of the series still out there. Idol's global footprint ranges from Nepal and Vietnam to South Africa to Norway and the Netherlands. The majority use some version of the Idol brand for their title -- there is an Arab Idol, an Angola Idol, a Nepal Idol, etc. The Dutch and South African shows are called simply Idols. But a handful of international spin offs have opted for completely different handles. In France, Idol is called Nouvelle Star (New Star), in Germany, it's the mouthful Deutschland Sucht Den Superstar (Germany's Looking for the Superstar), or DSDS for short. Like American Idol, many of these series are on their last legs. The current season of DSDS, it's 13th, is drawing close to 3 million viewers, a fraction of the 15 million that watched at the show's peak. Most expect that it won't return after this year. But elsewhere, Idol is still a new and growing phenomenon. Arab Idol, the pan-Arabic version of the show which airs on satellite network MBC, is the biggest show in the region. A staggering 120 million viewers tuned in to watch Palestinian singer Mohammed Assaf win the 2013 edition. Assaf's rise from refugee to global Arabic language pop star was later the subject of Hany Abu-Assad's 2015 film The Idol. The fourth season of Arab Idol returns late this year and MBC spokesman Mazen Hayek argues the show's success "is equal if not bigger" than that of its American counterpart. Simon Fuller created the original version of the talent contest -- then called Pop Idol -- for British network ITV in 2001. But the British show only ran for two seasons. It was put on the shelf after judge Simon Cowell announced he was leaving to launch his own competition format, The X Factor. But Pop Idol was around long enough to launch the singing career of Will Young, who has enjoyed four U.K. number one albums and sold an estimated 8 million disks worldwide. Young is one of the few international Idol winners to have cross-border sales success, though many global winners saw their debut albums top their charts at home and some have established lasting carriers -- including Australia's Guy Sebastian, Germany's Mark Medlock and Kurt Nilsen of Norway, who beat out Will Young and American Idol's Kelly Clarkson to win the one-off World Idol competition in 2004, which featured winners from 11 international Idol shows competing against one another. Fans of American Idol currently outside the country can catch Thursday night's final on their local broadcaster: 143 territories will be broadcasting the final American Idol sign off, including on Youku in China, Mnet in South Africa, Check and Yes TV in Canada, Viacom 18 in India and 4Music in the U.K. (Billboard)

Fifth Harmony appeared on BBC Radio 1's to perform a Live Lounge session. The pop girl group start off with a bare bones performance of their latest single "Work From Home," that recently broke into the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100chart. After that, Fifth Harmony covered Elle King's own chart-topping single "Ex's & Oh's." (Billboard)

deadmau5 has provided no shortage of new material lately. In the past two months alone, for instance, he's uploaded nearly 20 new projects to SoundCloud, at least half of which have been fully-fleshed out compositions. There's a reason Zimmerman has been so prolific: he's finally finished building his new studio. To reveal the highly anticipated production cavern, Zimmerman teamed up with Razer Music for a video walkthrough of the space. As you'd expect from the self-proclaimed computer nerd, his new setup is something of a gearhead's dream. "Over my 10 year plus career of music making, I've accumulated a lot of toys, gadgets, and hardware," Zimmerman says. From his massive Eurorack modular, to his ARP 2500 and tantalizing array of Moog synths, it's the kind of collection that would have even the most ardent hardware enthusiast drooling. Outside of music making machinery, Zimmerman has outfitted the room with high-end surround sound speakers and flawless acoustics. "You shut the door in here and your ears ring, which is good," he says. "No reflections or echoes." He's even included his desk chair from his original bedroom basement apartment in Toronto. "I feel like if I throw out the chair I'll stop being able to do any of this stuff," he says. To accompany the studio tour, deadmau5 has also released a new production tutorial on Razer Music. With long-time friend Steve Duda at his side, Zimmerman walks through the melodic foundation of his unreleased track "Imaginary Friends." The result is a comprehensive window into the creative process of one of dance music's more celebrated creators. What's more, as Duda confirms, the video will receive a subsequent episode examining bussing and mixing techniques on the track. deadmau5 and Duda's tutorial is part of Razer Music, which officially launched in Oct. 2015, providing an educational platform for aspiring electronic musicians. Check out Razer Music here. (Billboard)

Panic! at the Disco, Troye Sivan & More Playing iHeartRadio Music Festival's Daytime Village: See the Lineup. Hailee Steinfeld, Good Charlotte, Lissie, Cold War Kids, Daya, Cage the Elephant, The Chainsmokers and Jeremih are all onboard as well. Panic! at the Disco, Troye Sivan and Hailee Steinfeld are a few of the artists who will be playing the iHeartRadio Music Festival's Daytime Village event Sept. 24 in Las Vegas. iHeartRadio Music Festival 2015 Day 1: 41 Things You Have to See They join previously announced performers Sam Hunt and Alessia Cara on the Las Vegas Village lineup, occurring between the two nights of the iHeartRadio Festival. Good Charlotte, Lissie, Cold War Kids, Daya, Cage the Elephant, The Chainsmokers and Jeremih are all onboard as well. "In just three years, the Daytime Village has become the perfect complement to the historic iHeartRadio Music Festival," said president of national programming group for iHeartMedia Tom Poleman. "Fans love the village vibe where they can check out their favorite artists in all different genres while partying on the strip with their favorite iHeartRadio personalities." This year marks the sixth annual iHeartRadio Music Festival, which will announce its full lineup later this summer. (Billboard)

Movies

The dark side just got a whole lot darker. The first teaser trailer for Star Wars: Rogue One debuted Thursday on Good Morning America, and as promised, it looks like fans are going to be seeing a much grittier side to the force in the series' first standalone film. In the trailer, Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso – an orphan with a long rap sheet who joins the Rebellion and undertakes a mission to infiltrate the Death Star before its first weapons test. "What will you do if they catch you? What will you do if they break you? If you continue to fight, what will you become?" Forest Whitaker asks Erso, who fights off Stormtroopers in the clip. Rogue One is the first installment of several upcoming spin-offs that exist within the familiar Star Wars universe, but take place outside the regular film series. Directed by Godzilla's Gareth Edwards, Rogue One is set shortly before the events of the original 1977 Star Wars: Episode IV. Here's Your First Look at Star Wars: Rogue One. The story follows the adventures of a group of Rebel spies hoping to find and destroy the plans for the Galactic Empire's new super weapon: the Death Star. Rogue One, starring Jones, Whitaker and Diego Luna, hits theaters December 16. (People)

In Demolition, Jake Gyllenhaal stars as a man who, after losing his wife in a car crash, decides to impulsively take a sledgehammer to his house-and his entire life. But when Gyllenhaal sat down for the latest edition of The Jess Cagle Interview, he revealed that his character, Davis Mitchell, wasn't the only spontaneous one on set, as director Jean-Marc Vallee brought a lot of that same improvisation to his directing style. "He's constantly moving in for a close-up, and then the next take he is running across the stage and getting one shot and then coming back for a close-up again," Gyllenhaal told PEOPLE and Entertainment Weekly Editorial Director Jess Cagle. "There was really no rhyme or reason to the way in which he creates. It's just that instinct." In fact, it was Vallee's involvement that made Gyllenhaal sign on to the film in the first place. "I had heard and read about his process and how he films his movies and how he treats his actors and just his whole way of circumventing the whole kind of Hollywood vanity style of filmmaking," Gyllenhaal said of the Wild filmmaker. "I loved it. I loved hearing about it, and then when I got to set, [there was] no makeup, there was no lighting." Even though it was Vallee's name that first piqued Gyllenhaal's interest in the project, he told Cagle that he almost passed up Demolition because he had just played a character who loses his wife. "It's funny, because I did this movie Southpaw right before, and at the first act of that movie, my wife dies, and then I was reading the script, and I went, 'I don't know ...' " Gyllenhaal said. "I just came to my own prejudice because I was already going to make Southpaw, and I thought, 'Man, I don't know if I can handle both of those things.'" Demolition hits theaters on Friday. (People)

Box-Office Preview: Melissa McCarthy's 'The Boss' Takes On 'Batman v. Superman'. Also opening nationwide this weekend is the genre-bending 'Hardcore Henry,' while Jake Gyllenhaal's 'Demolition' makes its debut at the specialty box office. Who's in charge? Melissa McCarthy returns to the big screen this weekend in the R-rated comedy, The Boss, which will battle holdover Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice for the top spot at the North American box office. Tracking services show The Boss grossing in the $24 million range, although Universal is being more conservative in suggesting $20 million, in line with McCarthy's comedy, Tammy, which debuted to $21.6 million in summer 2014. Both The Boss and Tammy were directed by Ben Falcone, McCarthy's real-life husband and producing partner. Co-starring Kristen Bell, Peter Dinklage and Kathy Bates, The Boss stars a slimmed-down McCarthy as a titan of industry who is busted for insider trading. After serving time in prison, she goes to live with her former assistant and tries to reinvent herself by becoming America's latest sweetheart and queen of homemade baked brownies. But not everyone she's screwed over is so quick to forgive. McCarthy and Falcone wrote the script with their Groundlings collaborator, Steve Mallory. The couple produced The Boss, which goes out in more than 3,400 theaters, via their On the Day production company alongside Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Chris Henchy's Gary Sanchez Productions. (It remains to be seen whether The Boss, costing $29 million to produce, is hurt by dismal reviews.). Box-office observers are divided as to what Batman v. Superman will gross in its third outing after a steep drop last weekend. Some think the superhero movie could earn $27 million-$28 million, easily enough to beat The Boss. Others believe it could come in closer to $22 million-$24 million. Either way, the big-budget tentpole, which launches the DC cinematic universe for Warner Bros., should approach $800 million through Sunday. The Boss looks to be a big draw among older females, while the weekend's other new nationwide player, Hardcore Henry, hopes to lure adult males, including gaming enthusiasts. Produced by Timur Bekmametov and scooped up by STX Entertainment for $10 million after premiering at last year's Toronto Film Festival, Hardcore Henry is billed as the first-ever action movie filmed entirely from the protagonist's first-person viewpoint. The R-rated genre title, a U.S.-Russian co-production, looks to open in the $9 million range according to traditional tracking services, although some social media denizens believe it could end up in the mid-teens. Hardcore Henry, set to open in roughly 3,000 theaters, follows a man who is brought back from the edge of death only to find himself transformed into a cybernetic soldier who scours the streets of Moscow in a frantic search to find the warlord responsible for kidnapping his wife. (The film currently boasts a 74 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, compared to just 10 percent for The Boss, the worst rating to date for a McCarthy comedy.) Another 2015 Toronto Film Festival title, Jean-Marc Valee's Demolition, makes its debut this weekend at the specialty box office, opening in roughly 500 theaters in select cities. Look for the Fox Searchlight entry, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Naomi Watts and Chris Cooper, to gross $2 million-$3 million in its limited launch. (Hollywood Reporter)

Pixar's New Short, 'Piper,' Has a Painterly Look and Adrian Belew Score. The six-minute short will appear with 'Finding Dory' in theaters this spring. Pixar Animation Studios has revealed its latest short, Piper, which will debut in theaters this spring with its animated feature Finding Dory. The Hollywood Reporter had a sneak peek at the six-minute short, which is another gem from the Toy Story studio. It tells a sweet story of a hungry sandpiper hatchling who ventures from her nest for the first time to dig for food by the shoreline. The only problem is, she's fearful of the waves. "This is a story about overcoming your fears, as well as the parent aspect of wanting your kids to stay confident," said helmer Alan Barillaro, a Pixar animator who's making his directorial debut. He gave the film a painterly look that was inspired by classical painting, and is told without dialogue. Its soundscape relies on a score composed by Adrian Belew, working in combination with the sound. Perhaps most surprising is that the short, produced by Marc Sondheimer, was actually conceived to support a technical test. "It wasn't meant to be a short," Barillaro admitted. "I came up with the story because I wanted to look at software development (aimed at making computer animation more like live action production)." But with the encouragement of Pixar's creative chief John Lasseter and Finding Dory director Andrew Stanton, he began to develop the project. The look was inspired by various artists, particularly Norman Rockwell, as well as macro photography. "At a glance it could be seen as realism, and then when you actually look at the artistry, everything is so deliberately exaggerated," Barillaro said. "And I love the painterly aspects of macro photography; the textures almost becomes a characters. I want to see computer animation fall into that world where lenses, just like in live action photography, can have a lot of expression." Barillaro worked closely with Piper's director of photography, Erik Smitt, and said he also drew inspiration from his experience working on Stanton's Wall-E, whose visual consultant was respected cinematographer Roger Deakins. Sandpipers can be found along the California coast, so it's not surprising that the filmmakers went to the beach for inspiration, shooting photographers with long lenses to come up with a visual language for the project. The director related that they also worked with nature photographers to learn how to photograph birds. They also visited the beach at different times of day in order to capture the emotion, as well as the lighting. This also informed the production design. Barillaro related that he started the project working with Belew's compositions as temp music, but Stanton knew the accomplished songwriter and musician, who then boarded the project. "He attacks his music visually, and he's been a huge inspiration and gets our creative juices flowing," said Barillaro. "I really wanted to look at the soundscape of this film as an entity, a natural acoustic sound with a small ensemble. I also wanted to capture the personality of Piper and the waves and ocean as a characters -- and what does it sound (and look) like to be just a few inches from the ground." (Hollywood Reporter)

CinemaCon Head-Scratcher: What Is Amazon Doing at a Movie Theater Event? The streaming video giant will wave a friendly flag at CinemaCon even as the battle rages over day-and-date releases. Sean Parker's proposed $50 in-home movie service has many up in arms, and Netflix remains persona non grata, but one unlikely new player is being embraced by cinema operators: Amazon Studios. On April 14, Roy Price and his team at Amazon, including indie film veteran Ted Hope, marketing exec Bob Berney and Jason Ropell, will present an ambitious slate of original movies at CinemaCon, the annual gathering of exhibitors in Las Vegas. Being part of the official program -- one that includes the major studios and is hosted by the National Association of Theatre Owners -- confirms that Amazon, unlike rival Netflix, has decided to abide by a traditional 90-day theatrical window in cases where it decides to give a film a full run on the big screen before making it available to its Prime customers. "Amazon Prime members love discovering great films in the theater and online," says Berney. "We are developing an extensive slate to deliver quality films and become an important supplier and real partner to exhibitors." NATO doesn't invite just anybody to its annual party. "We welcome all distributors who take theatrical releases seriously," NATO vp Patrick Corcoran tells THR. "Amazon has demonstrated its commitment to exclusive theatrical content." Without a pledge to preserve the sacred theatrical window, most chains will refuse to play a movie. Last fall, Amazon and partner Roadside Attractions failed to book more than 300 locations for Spike Lee's Chi-Raq since the movie was made available in short order on Prime. Chi-Raq topped out at $2.7 million; worse, it was shut out of the Oscar race, as was Netflix's Beasts of No Nation, which got an even smaller theatrical run. (Price is keen to achieve the same awards glory with film that he has had in TV with Transparent and Mozart in the Jungle.) So Amazon has decided to compromise on several titles. "A full-bodied theatrical release is what gives a movie its identity, so that when it goes to Prime, it's a lot more valuable," says one insider. Upcoming films that will get a proper theatrical run include Woody Allen's Cannes opener Cafe Society, Whit Stillman's Love & Friendship (May 13) and Kenneth Lonergan's Manchester by the Sea (Nov. 18). Says Roadside's Howard Cohen, who will release Friendship and Manchester, "Amazon and theater owners know they are going to be playing ball together." (Hollywood Reporter)

Indian Censors Face Backlash After Claiming 'Jungle Book' is "Scary" The Jon Favreau-directed film was given the equivalent of a PG rating, sparking an instant Twitter reaction. India's censors have been criticized for giving Disney's The Jungle Book a UA rating, equivalent to a PG. Justifying the decision, censor board head Pahlaj Nihalani told the newspaper DNA that "the 3D effects are so scary that the animals seem to jump right at the audience... It's up to parents to decide how much of these effects are suited for their children." Speaking in a press conference, however, filmmaker and composer Vishal Bharadwaj, who composed a Hindi song especially for the local release, said that "there is nothing in the film which will scare the kids." The rating also sparked a satirical backlash on Twitter, mirroring an incident last year in which censors cut some offensive language from Spectre and halved some kissing scenes it considered "too excessive." A Hindi dubbed version of The Jungle Book, which opens in the country on Friday a week ahead of its U.S. release, features the vocal talents of Bollywood stars including Priyanka Chopra (Quantico), Irrfan Khan (Jurassic World) and Om Puri (The Hundred Foot Journey). (Hollywood Reporter)

TV

Did You Spot Ashton Kutcher's Sister in The Walking Dead Finale? The Walking Dead's season six finale had a very special guest appearance: Tausha Kutcher, Ashton Kutcher's sister! "She was one of the zombies!" the AMC hit's star Alanna Masterson revealed to E! News at the premiere celebrating the opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park at Universal Studios Hollywood. Masterson, of course, has a long history with the Kutcher family, as her brother Danny Masterson was on That '70s Show with Ashton for eight years, and the co-stars have teamed up once again for The Ranch, their new Netflix comedy. "Ashton and my brother are on a new show together...so I was there and [Tausha] is a huge fan of The Walking Dead. They all are. I mean, Mila Kunis and Ashton, they all are," Masterson explained of how the cameo came to be. "And she asked if she could be a walker and I said, 'Sure!'" So how did huge fans Kutcher and wife Mila Kunis feel about that controversial cliffhanger in Sunday's finale, which ended with most of the main characters on the chopping block, thanks to Negan's (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) arrival. "Pissed. Pissed. Pissed!" Masterson said of their reaction, adding that the couple isn't above trying to get spoilers out of her. "Ashton and Mila sit me down and then they try and grill me...they try and find out, 'So what does this mean?' And of course I don't say anything! And they weren't the only ones reaching out to her after the finale, with Masterson saying she received a lot of text messages on Sunday night. "I got mostly 'who died' and like 17 question marks from actually a lot of people." They know I'm not going to say anything anyway, so I didn't quite understand why they were texting me. But it was like, 'Who died?! Tell me who died!'" E! News also caught up with executive producer Greg Nicotero -- the finale's director -- at the WWOHP opening, and he had a message for frustrated fans. (Are you listening, Kutcher and Kunis?!) "My message to fans is thank you for watching because their passion and their love for the show is what keeps us alive. And to trust us, because I know people feel like, 'Oh, you guys pulled the rug out from under us!'," he said. "People are angry and people are frustrated, and in a couple days, they might be less frustrated. By the time we're ready to back on the air, hopefully they'll be ready to watch again and continue our journey." And when asked if she was feeling pretty good that her character Tara is one of the only people NOT in jeopardy, Masterson joked, "Or maybe I just never come back and they forget about me!" Hey, on this show, you never know. The Walking Dead returns for season seven this fall on AMC. (Eonline)

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Packs So Many Jokes in One Scene It's Basically Criminal. Rest easy: There is no sophomore slump for Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. How do we know? Because we know TV and also because the hilarious exclusive clip featuring Jane Krakowski and Anna Camp. Jacqueline White (Krakowski) has made her way back to New York City after some time at home with her Native American family (spoiler alert: it's as disastrous as you'd expect) and is trying her best to climb back up to her previous social standing with just her $12 million divorce settlement (that's not a lot, according to her). That's where Deirdre Robespierre (guest star Camp) comes in. Deirdre is a Princeton-educated trophy wife, obviously, and the new queen bee. Wine the park, Birkin bags made out of Internet cats, you know, typical stuff. The clip is filled with jokes, so do yourself a favor and watch it. Want some other Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt scoop? Well, how about this: there's new love for Titus (Tituss Burgess), Kimmy (Ellie Kemper) gets a job and heads to therapy and there are a ton of Robert Durst jokes. Besides Camp, other guest stars this season include Amy Sedaris, Tina Fey, Zosia Mamet, Fred Armisen, Jeff Goldblum and David Cross. All episodes of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt premiere on Netflix on Friday, April 15. (Eonline)

The Last Man on Earth Stages the Family Reunion Everyone's Been Waiting For. Reunited and it feels so... violent! The Last Man on Earth has teased a family reunion for some of the survivors since the beginning, when we learned that while Will Forte's Phil Miller drove around on Earth trying to find other members of the living, his brother, Mike (Jason Sudeikis), was stuck in space with only his science experiment worms around to keep him company. But now Mike has not only managed to make it back to land, he's also found the survivors at their beachfront home in Malibu -- and Sunday's episode ended with the two brothers racing toward each other, presumably for an embrace. Well, until Phil punched his younger brother in the groin. E! News has gotten a hold of the next part of the long-awaited family reunion and it's anything but glorious. As you can see in our exclusive sneak peek, we find out why their greeting was less than cordial: a girl. Not even a girlfriend, either -- just a crush. "I come down from space after everyone in the whole world has died, and you're talking about Christine?" asks Mike, incredulously. Naturally, everyone else is as horrified as they should be when someone greets their long-lost family member with a fistfight instead of a gigantic, tearful hug -- especially after an apocalyptic plague has pretty much wiped out most of the human race. The Last Man on Earth airs Sundays at 9:30 p.m. on Fox. (Eonline)

Whoa! We Were Not Expecting The Americans' Major Death. Caution! Do not proceed if you haven't seen the latest episode of The Americans! Well that was unexpected. The Americans just shocked us all by brutally killing off Nina (Annet Mahendru) in the last few moments of the episode, and when we say "shocked," we mean it. We did not see that coming, even if in hindsight, we probably should have. Nina's death came at the hands of the KGB, right after a dream sequence in which she got out of her Russian prison. She was awakened from her dream by a guard who told her she was being transferred, but instead of being transferred, she was taken to her own execution for treason. She was sentenced, and told that sentence would be carried out "shortly." "Shortly" ended up meaning literally a half second later, and she was shot in the head. In an interview with Vulture, showrunners Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields explained that Nina's death happened exactly the way the Soviets actually did carry out executions, in a way that prevented the victim from feeling any pain. "We read a book about a Russian spy and we got to the part where they talked about how he was executed, and this was all information that came out after the fall of the Soviet Union, so nobody knew about it for years," Weisberg said. "The Soviets -- incredibly enough -- had come up with this method of execution that was very carefully designed to spare the victim any suffering. As angry as they might have been at these traitors, they didn't want them to suffer. They felt it was more humane if the person was surprised. And so all those things you see and how Nina was killed are very realistic." Nina got away with her affair with Stan (and subsequently, the FBI) for so long that fans have basically been waiting for her to die since we first met her, so props to Nina for lasting this long. "It was funny," Fields told Vulture. "The first season, we just kept watching the tweets and the blogs and everybody kept saying, "This is it. Next week, Nina's done." And we would look at each other and say, "We have so much story to tell." We finally got there." The Americans airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on FX. (Eonline)

Empire Killed Off One of Its Craziest Trouble-Making Guest Stars. Things were never going to go well for Mimi (Marisa Tomei) when she went from Empire ally (at the beginning of season two) to Empire boss (and Lucious Lyon's mortal enemy) in the second half of the year -- but the way she was killed off was truly bananas in the most Empire way possible. (It was a super-soapy, drama-filled demise, duh.) No, she didn't succumb to cancer, and no, she didn't actually kill herself in the bath, like it appeared -- her wife, Camilla (Naomi Campbell), killed her when Mimi discovered Camilla had cheated on her with Hakeem (thanks to Hakeem secretly taping their hookup and every horrible thing she'd said about her wife). But that's not all -- Lucious found out what happened, and threatened to reveal the truth -- that she was a murderer -- unless she killed herself, too. The episode ended with Camilla swigging from the same bottle of poison she'd just fed her wife, turning this into a murder-suicide (but actually murder-murder, since Lucious blackmailing her into killing herself is essentially murder). So we've officially lost one crazy guest star, and have probably lost another (we'll know Camilla's fate for sure next week) in the craziest, most Empire way possible. Good to know that Empire left us for a few months, but it didn't change. We'll now have to deal with plenty of fallout from the event, including: Hakeem cheating on his girlfriend, Laura, what happens to the company after both Camilla and Mimi's deaths, and if Lucious will have to face any consequences for what he's done. (But, TBH, he hasn't really before, so why start now?) What did you think of Empire's murder (and probable suicide)? Empire airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on Fox. (Eonline)

Menendez Brothers Saga Heading to NBC With Law & Order: True Crime Anthology Series. The People v. O.J. Simpson ripple effect continues. NBC has just announced a new extension of their Law & Order franchise that will model itself after the true-crime anthology that FX's American Crime Story just made so wildly popular, E! News has confirmed. The first installment to go into development of Law & Order: True Crime will be subtitled The Menendez Brothers Murders, focusing on -- you guessed it -- the infamous 1989 double homicide of wealthy Beverly Hills parents by their own sons. Dick Wolf, of course, will be executive produce. The eight-episode installment will focus on brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez, 21 and 18-year-old at the time of the crime, who were -- spoiler alert -- convicted of murdering their parents and given life in prison without the possibility of parole in 1996. Tried separately, it took a total of three trials to find the brothers guilty, as the first two resulted in hung juries. With a defense that painted the victims, Jose and Kittie Menendez, as violent and unstable, and a prosecution that argued the brothers killed to gain their parents' immense wealth, the case caught the eye of the American public years before O.J. Simpson ever did. "We've been talking with Dick about how to create an event series coming out of the Law & Order ripped-from-the-headlines brand. This case captured the public's attention like nothing before it as it examined taboo issues such as patricide and matricide in gruesome detail, all against a backdrop of privilege and wealth," said Jennifer Salke, President, NBC Entertainment. "We will recreate the cultural and societal surroundings of both the murders and trials when people were not only obsessed with the case but examining how and why these brothers committed these heinous crimes." "Bob, Jen and I have been focused the natural evolution of the Law & Order brand for the last several years and are excited to extend the franchise with a scripted limited anthology series that focuses on a high-profile trial," Dick added. "There is no shortage of compelling real-life criminal cases, and the Menendez trial was more scintillating than most crime fiction." Are you looking forward to NBC's stab at true-crime anthology? (Eonline)

Are Sonja Morgan and Countess LuAnn de Lesseps the Upper East Side's newest odd couple? At Dorinda Medley and Julianne "Jules" Wainstein's season 8 premiere of Bravo's City Wednesday at 42 West in N.Y.C., de Lesseps opened up to PEOPLE about moving in with pal Morgan this season at her sumptuous-but-chilly Upper East Side townhouse. "I was actually staying with her while I was looking for an apartment this season," admitted de Lesseps. She has that big, rambling townhouse. Her daughter went to boarding school. My kids were both at college-Noel went to college-and I thought, 'You know what, I'm going to stay with Sonja.' "The pair had to make do without a full-time maid. "Well, sometimes," clarified the Countess." So did The Countess handle domestic duties? "No, darling," she shook her head. "There are a lot of interns." "Cohabitation with the Countess was very interesting," Morgan said. "We raided the wine cellar. We fell up the stairs, we fell down the stairs. We brought the luggage up in the elevator, and then we eventually brought the luggage down in the elevator, because she got engaged." But did they get along? "Luann and I feel like we're a married couple; we don't have to talk when we're together," said Morgan, who went on to explain that there was one stumbling block. "It's just that Ramona gets a little annoyed, because Ramona and I are very close and she gets very possessive." So Singer was jealous? "Oh, yeah!" Morgan confirmed. Morgan also shared where de Lesseps slept: "I put her in my daughter's suite on the fourth floor," answered Morgan. "There were stuffed animals everywhere and a terrarium." And was that conducive to gentlemen callers? "She wasn't allowed to have any," house mom Morgan insisted. And if the Countess and Morgan appear to be wearing extra layers this season, blame it on the cost of heating fuel and the square footage of the manse. "I don't keep the heat up high," explained Morgan. "It's very expensive, so we layer up. In the trailer [for Season 8] Luann came down in furry slippers and a vest, and I put one on too. . . this morning I woke up and the house was 59 degrees." Meanwhile, Singer ventured a theory as to why this RHONY odd couple got along so well before the Countess was engaged and decamped: their partying ways. "I don't think they were ever home together at night," Singer conjectured. The living arrangement also managed to impress new housewife Wainstein. "I loved that the girls stuck with girls and when somebody needed a place to stay," she said. "That's wonderful. It's a real girl friendship." (People)

Benedict Cumberbatch has spoken out about his excitement for fans to see the next series of Sherlock. "I can't wait for everyone to see season four. But you will have to wait... though not for long... And it will be worth it," he said. We're especially excited for the three episodes which are being filmed with Doctor Who and The Wind in the Willows director Rachel Talalay. Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, who are writers on the show, also spoke out about the filming of the new episodes: "Whatever else we do, wherever we all go, all roads lead back to Baker Street - and it always feels like coming home," they said. Gatiss added: "Ghosts of the past are rising in the lives of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, bringing adventure, romance and terror in their wake." Series four will begin with John and Mary expecting their first child, and Sherlock back at home. Cumberbatch said he is "genuinely thrilled" to get back to Baker Street. (British Glamour)

Based on the novel by Rebecca Serle, the series marks the latest soapy drama at the former ABC Family. Freeform (formerly ABC Family) is moving ahead with Famous in Love. The Disney-owned cable network has ordered the Bella Thorne starrer from Pretty Little Liars boss I. Marlene King to series, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. Based on the Rebecca Serle novel, Famous in Love follows ordinary college student Paige (Bella Thorne of The Duff and Scream) as she gets her big break after auditioning for the starring role in a Hollywood blockbuster. She must now navigate her new star-studded life and undeniable chemistry with her two co-leads while discovering the highs and lows that come with being the new It Girl in town. King and Serle penned the pilot, which was directed by Miguel Arteta (The Carrie Diaries). King exec produces alongside Dan Farah (MTV's The Shannara Chronicles) and Arteta. Serle will receive a co-executive producer credit on the drama produced by Long Lake Media, Farah Films and Carmina Productions in association with Warner Horizon Television. The series pickup arrives nearly a year after Freeform first put the drama in development and six months after it was ordered to pilot. Famous in Love comes as Freeform has been rebranded with a focus on what network president Tom Ascheim calls "becomers" -- individuals who are experiencing "firsts," like love and jobs, in a bid to court older viewers. The cabler recently announced that Switched at Birth would end with its upcoming fifth season and first-year comedy Kevin From Work would not return. Meanwhile, Freeform has a large slate of newcomers, including anthology Dead of Summer, Stitchers, Nicki, Guilt and Beyond joining recent launch Recovery Road and staples Baby Daddy, The Fosters, Pretty Little Liars and Shadowhunters, the latter of which was renewed this month for a second season. (Hollywood Reporter)

Everyone was Spilling the Tea on Kocktails With Khloe! (Well, not really, but that was the name of the evening's signature drink, which consisted mainly of gin and juniper berries and looked pretty bomb.) On the Wednesday, April 6, episode, Khloe Kardashian gathered an eclectic mix of guests, including actress Tisha Campbell-Martin, The Real host Jeannie Mai, Empire star Ta'Rhonda Jones, Love and Hip Hop New York's Cardi B and the former lead singer of Big Time Rush, James Maslow -- who seemed a teensy bit out of his element with the crew of ladies, but made the most of it. The topics veered into far more serious territory than standard Kocktails fare, with guests opening up about everything from gun violence to autism and rape. For the most part, Khloe did her best to keep the mood light, but there's only so much she could do when Tisha was in tears (more on that later). Khloe Says Her Mom "Coddles" Robert Asked how it is having her mom as her manager, Khloe praised Kris Jenner and recounted how, when Khloe was still a child, her mom wouldn't let her sleep in during the summer and instead made her get up early and stick to a schedule. Though Khloe admitted she resented being dragged from her bed at 7 a.m. when she was 16, she now sees how that discipline gave her a dynamite work ethic, which has served her well as an adult. When it came to her newly engaged brother, Rob Kardashian, however, Kris didn't have the same stern approach. Noting that Rob is "the only boy," Khloe admitted her mom "coddles him." She rolled her eyes and added, "He is the way he is." Khloe Shares More Thoughts About ... Lamar When Tisha began explaining that a song she'd written wasn't about romantic love, but actually about how you can love and hate family members at the same time, Khloe couldn't resist but loop it back to her favorite subject: Lamar Odom. "Lamar, my ex/current husband, confusing situation," she began (just in case anyone watching wasn't sure who Lamar was). "I love and adore Lam, but I would always feel so bad for him because his mother passed away, and then his grandmother who raised him passed away, and then his father -- I love his father -- but it was always take, take, take, take, take. I'd always be like, 'Your dad's so nice!' But Lamar would say, 'No one ever calls me to say, 'Hi, how are you?' or 'Great game' or 'I love you.' ... And when Lam and I met, and my family just embraced him, he was so -- and these are his words -- he was saying, 'I was self-sabotaging myself because I'd never felt love that was that pure. I was confused why no one wanted anything else from me but just me.'" Everyone politely listened, and then the conversation shifted to other, darker subjects. Tisha Campbell-Martin Breaks Down in Tears Earlier in the evening, Ta'Rhonda revealed that just a few months before she landed a life-changing role on Empire, her brother was gunned down on the streets of Chicago. It was a weightier story than guests usually share on this late-night gabfest, but it turned out that was just the beginning. "I have a son who was diagnosed with autism when he was 18 months, and I literally had to teach him how to empathize with others, but that's why I became an actress," Tisha said through tears. Somehow, this led into her talking about the fact that she was sexually assaulted when she was just 3 years old. Though she later revealed that she received an apology letter from the person who had raped her, it was still a pretty heavy tale to share on a show that frequently includes games that involve guests reenacting celebrity Twitter feuds -- though there was none of that (thankfully). Tisha explained that the letter allowed her to forgive not only him, but also herself. "It was freedom, complete and utter freedom," she said. Mason Not Sure About Cailtyn, North Has Kanye's Mom's Smile As they were on the topic of what is appropriate versus not appropriate to share with children, Khloe explained how the family approached introducing Caitlyn Jenner to Kourtney Kardashian's son Mason. "When Caitlyn would come around, he was kind of confused," Khloe said of her nephew. "He was like, 'What are you doing, Grandpa?' So we were just very honest [with] Mason, as much as we can be. Mason was kind of uncomfortable, and would be kind of distant with her." Still, Khloe reported that Cailtyn "understood and handled it perfectly." As for the younger kids, the host revealed that both Kourtney's daughter, Penelope, and Kim Kardashian's daughter, North, are too young to know the difference. One thing that was black-and-white, however, was the fact that North has Kanye West's mom's smile. "North has the same gap that Kanye's mother had" between her teeth, Khloe explained. "It reminds Kanye of his mom. His mom had a very distinct smile, and North has that exact smile." As the evening came to an end, James was asked whether he tended to date people who were crazier or saner than he was. He said, "At the moment, crazier," but noted it was not an intentional choice. This prompted Jeannie to speculate that men "find a little bit of cray sexy." Cardi B absolutely agreed. In fact, she thought men found a lot of crazy sexy (which she measured by whether a woman was willing to slash another woman's tires or fight her for her man). James considered this, then replied, "The guys' perception of crazy is probably different than the girls' perception of crazy." Just some food for thought. Kocktails With Khloe airs on FYI Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET. (US Weekly)

The 100's Ricky Whittle Says He Was Bullied Off the Show: Check Out Boss' Response. Lincoln is not going down without a fight. (Warning, massive The 100 spoilers ahead!) Nearly a week after the character was executed on The 100, Ricky Whittle is speaking out about how he believes his exit (and one other recent exit) was handled on the CW series. Whittle was interviewed on Afterbuzz TV about both The 100 and his upcoming starring role on the Starz series, American Gods, did not have kind things to say about his time on the show, or about executive producer Jason Rothenberg. The full interview is over an hour long, but his comments on The 100 begin at about 15 minutes in. "Controversial, so here we go," he began, after the host asked when he found out Lincoln was dying. "Lincoln wasn't supposed to die this season. He had a whole storyline that was cut, that was just nonexistent. It was my choice to go." "I've seen a lot of stuff in the press saying oh, they're really daring, they're willing to kill off any character, well this was my choice." Whittle goes on to explain that while he absolutely loves The 100 and the cast and crew, he made the decision to leave the show due to how he felt he and his character were being treated. "This is going to be the most controversial thing I will say is that basically, Jason Rothenberg abused his position to make my job untenable," Whittle explains. "What he did was disgusting and he should be ashamed. He was professionally bullying me, cutting out all the storyline that I was supposed to be doing, cutting lines, trying to make my character and myself as insignificant as possible to the point where it was starting to get me down. Every time a script would come through, I would see literally nothing for Lincoln." Whittle says he approached the producers who were on set in Vancouver if they knew what was going on, but they just told him to talk to Rothenberg. "I tried to leave in season two as well, but Warner Brothers and CW wouldn't allow it, and I just want to say thank you to Peter Roth and Mark Pedowitz at CW and WB who have shown me nothing but support and love throughout the whole three years. They were incredible, and they wanted to keep me, and they actually made me feel wanted, which was great." The CW and Warner Brothers allowed him to audition for American Gods, and while Whittle didn't want to leave the network, the cast, and the character, he says he felt that his career was being stalled and Rothenberg was "belittling myself and my character, and jeopardizing the show." "He made me walk away from something I really loved. I love the show, I love Lincoln, I love that cast and crew. He forced me to make that choice to walk away, and I'm proud I did it. I stood up and said enough's enough. My personal wellbeing is more important than this." Whittle was given the choice to leave now or leave at the end of the season, and he asked to finish off the year and go in the season finale. "I'm not sure if it was confirmed, but it kind of seemed settled that Lincoln was going to go at the end of the season, and then a script came out, and an amendment came out when they escaped the Ark, and Lincoln went with them, and then an amendment came out where he went back and was executed. Even that storyline, he was executed for no reason. It was very weak." Ricky also criticized the way Lexa's death was handled just two episodes before. "Lexa, she should have gone in battle, or some sort of heroic, fantastic way," he says. "She's too cool of a character to be caught by a stray bullet. And then Lincoln, it was just really weak. It's sabotaging the story." There was, however, some good that has come out of Lexa's death in the weeks that have passed, thanks to the fans and their fundraising efforts for The Trevor Project, which provides support and works to prevent suicide in the LGBT community. "I don't agree with the way things were handled, but it has raised incredible awareness to a very important cause. The Trevor Project is massive and it's huge, and congrats to our incredible fandom." Whittle also wanted to make it clear that he has nothing against the show itself. "I don't want a witch hunt, and my strong message is blood must not have blood, none of this eye for an eye business. I don't stand for anyone bullying bullies. So it's not about that. All this craziness all over social media, people bullying other people, ships hating other ships, let's promote the show," he explains. "My big message is keep watching this show. Keep watching The 100. It's an incredible show, that's my family." "I want people to know that no one should ever suffer in silence. Bullies thrive on silence. You should always feel like you have someone to talk to. If you're feeling down, if you're feeling depressed, if you're feeling upset, you should always find someone to talk to." After the headline-making interview, Rothenberg released a statement: "Ricky Whittle is a talented actor; I appreciate his work on The 100 and wish him all the best moving forward on American Gods." The 100 airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on the CW. (Eonline)

For the first time, Netflix outbid a network on a show it originally commissioned and wanted to keep on air. Online streaming companies have resuscitated series that were on the verge of being dropped, as Amazon did with Ripper Street. And they've resurrected much loved shows that had laid dormant for some time, as Netflix did with Arrested Development, Fuller House and the upcoming revival of Gilmore Girls. But up until just a few weeks ago, no online streaming company, no matter how powerful, had dared to snatch a show away from a commissioning broadcaster that was looking to retain it for another season. Enter Black Mirror, the darkly satirical British anthology series created by Charlie Brooker, and that big Netflix deal. Brooker had developed Black Mirror, a Twilight Zone-style show in which each episode offers a different dystopian vision of a future Britain, for U.K. public service network Channel 4, which aired the first two three-part seasons in 2011 and 2013. Both received critical and ratings acclaim, with 1.9 million watching the premiere episode of season one. A 90-minute stand-alone Christmas special, which Channel 4 commissioned from Brooker, starred Mad Men's Jon Hamm and drew 2 million viewers when it aired on Dec.16, 2014. But Netflix had already trained its sights on Black Mirror. The SVOD giant had picked up the series for its U.S. service and began streaming it in late 2014. It was an instant hit, garnering an American fan base, including genre master Stephen King, who on Twitter called the show "terrifying, funny, intelligent. It's like The Twilight Zone, only rated R." Black Mirror was already a global success story, having sold to more than 90 territories, and a third season seemed a given. But instead of Channel 4, it was Netflix that swooped in, commissioning a 12-part season three in September 2015 for a reported $40 million in exchange for worldwide rights. Even then, however, it was assumed that Channel 4 would still air the show in the U.K. But last month, Endemol Shine, which owns Brooker's House of Tomorrow production banner, confirmed that Netflix outbid the network in its own backyard. According to sources, Channel 4 had a first-look option for the series with Endemol. For its part, Endemol Shine said in a statement on March 29 that the British network "had the opportunity to recommission [Black Mirror] since 2013 and passed on this and subsequent co-production offers put to them. Only following this and the first series' exceptional performance when aired on Netflix did Netflix offer a longer order of 12 with an increased budget that allowed producers House of Tomorrow to realize their ambitions for the series. Further efforts were made to try to reach a settlement regarding a U.K. window for Channel 4, but these were also sadly to no avail." However, Channel 4 immediately responded, saying it wasn't true their network had passed on the show and had "offered to recommission Black Mirror." Whatever the true sequence of events, the deal has sent a chill across the European TV industry, worried that deep-pocketed online companies could poach their hit shows. "It's terrifying," said one veteran producer, who has sold international rights for European series to Netflix in the past and spoke on condition of anonymity. "It undermines the foundation of the free-TV networks." Netflix has been pumping cash into its European operations, commissioning original shows in the U.K. (royalist period piece The Crown), France (political thriller Marseille) and Italy (Mafia drama Suburra) as well as new series in Germany and Spain. But taking a risk on original productions is one thing. Snatching away a show with an established fan base from the network that helped make it a hit is something else entirely. "Black Mirror couldn't be a more Channel 4 show," said the network's controller, Jay Hunt, in a tersely worded statement following the announcement of the Netflix deal. "We took it from a dangerous idea to a brand that resonated globally." Hunt added that it was "disappointing" that the first broadcast window in the U.K. had been sold off to the "highest bidder, ignoring the risk a publicly owned channel like 4 took backing it." Hunt's second point is particularly relevant in Europe, where public networks fund a huge volume of TV series and many take risks on cutting edge or alternative content considered too edgy for commercial networks. But does Channel 4 have any right to feel aggrieved? Sources claim that the network wasn't given an opportunity to match Netflix's offer, but even if it had been, it's unlikely the network could have put a similar amount of cash on the table. Channel 4 certainly wouldn't have been able to front a full 12 episodes of the series, a huge order for a British series, which traditionally have three-to-six episode runs. "They're just trying to bring to attention that they picked a winner," claims Claire Enders, CEO of Enders Analysis, who says that Netflix's investment in British talent can only be good for the creative industries of the U.K., which, she says, will become the company's hub for global content. "They tend to pick winners and develop new types of talent, as indeed was the case with Black Mirror. Charlie Brooker went from a Guardian columnist to a TV guy. I'm sure they knew the game was up a long time ago." Netflix increasingly sees itself as a global channel. Company CEO Reed Hastings has made it clear he wants the company's shows to play everywhere and exclusively on Netflix worldwide. "We're going to see this [Black Mirror-type deal] replicated over and over again," remarks Enders. "This is the beginning of a wave of further rights acquisitions by Netflix, which are global models." (Hollywood Reporter)