ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Chris Hardwick and Lydia Hearst Are Married. Wedding bells are ringing for Chris Hardwick and Lydia Hearst! The comedian and his longtime girlfriend tied the knot on Saturday evening in front of their closest family and friends, People confirms. Close to 450 guests watched the couple exchange vows during a Walking Dead-themed wedding in Pasadena, Calif. The bride wore a custom-designed Christian Siriano gown while Hardwick donned a custom Prada suit. Ahead of their nuptials, Hardwick couldn't contain his excitement, posting an adorable photo of the pair sharing a sweet smooch during their wedding rehearsals. A snapshot shared by Hearst confirmed the two would wed on August 20, complete with an H-squared graphic preceded by a cartoon drawing of the couple as zombies. After all, Chris isn't known by his fans as the Nerdist for nothing, right?! Chris and Lydia's special day wouldn't be complete without a philanthropic twist, as the couple opted to forgo the traditional wedding registry and instead asked their guests to donate to a number of charities. Hardwick wrote online, "[Lydia] and I are incredibly fortunate people and didn't feel right taking gifts from anyone so our wedding registry instead is a menu of five wonderful charities that we asked our guests to pick any or all of to make a donation toward," adding, "If you're feeling generous and able, this support of others is the best way to support us on our magical day! No matter what, we appreciate you!!!" The well-deserving causes they hope to fundraise for include St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Operation Smile, GLAAD, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and the Best Friends Animal Society. A week before their wedding, Lydia posed for an ethereal photo sporting her Christian Siriano-designed gown with a sweet message for her now-husband. "I am truly blessed to have you in my life @hardwick. I love you, and I will never stop loving you. I cannot wait to marry you in one week," she wrote. Hardwick proposed last September after he picked up an Emmy for Best Creative Achievement in Interactive Media for his show @Midnight With Chris Hardwick. Congratulations, you two! (Eonline)

Laguna Beach's Casey Reinhardt Gives Birth: See Her Baby's First Pic. Casey Reinhardt is a new mama! The 30-year-old Laguna Beach alum welcomed her first child with husband Sean Brown this week...a beautiful baby girl named Kensington Kelly Brown! Sean took to Instagram to share a photo of the little cutie who "stole his heart," all wrapped up in a foot-printed blanket and already smiling for the camera. "Kensington Kelly Brown stole my heart on 8/16/16," he captioned the sweet photo. "I love you forever. Casey you have made my life immeasurably better in every possible way. Life is good!" Casey -- the self-proclaimed cupcake queen -- and Sean first announced their pregnancy in April. "We are so excited to announce that we're having a baby!" Casey told E! News at the time. "Our sweet little angel is already surrounded by so much love, we feel absolutely blessed and cannot wait to be parents!" Meanwhile, this is just the cherry on top of a big year for the couple, who tied the knot in February. Casey called it her dream wedding as she celebrated in front of family and close friends at The Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Coast, Calif. "Last night was the most magical, incredible, most emotional night of my life!!! I became Mrs. Casey Beau Brown and I get to spend the rest of my life with the most amazing man who ever walked this earth," the bride shared on Instagram the following day (also revealing her dress). "I'm so happy, so in love, and so overwhelmed with emotion just thinking about how beautiful the rest of our lives are going to be together." (Eonline)

Bachelorette Stars Desiree Harsock and Chris Siegfried Reveal They're Expecting a Baby Boy. Looks like these two have a miniature baseball star in the making! Desiree Hartsock and Chris Siegfried, who found love on the ninth season of The Bachelorette, announced Friday that they'll be expecting a son just around the corner. The married couple confirmed the exciting news on Instagram with an absolutely adorable announcement that featured a baseball with "It's A Boy" written across it as well as their precious pooch. "We are so excited to share that we will be having a little baby BOY!" Hartsock wrote. "Our hearts are so full of love for our little man already and we can't thank you all enough for the extra love you've shared during this special time!" Desiree has documented much of her experience as a mom-to-be on Instagram, recently revealing that "the countdown is officially on and the prep work finally begins" as she reached the 31-week mark. Not to mention the former reality TV star's stylish maternity wardrobe -- Hartsock makes it all look too easy! Back in April, news of Desiree's pregnancy broke as the couple admitted they discovered that they'd be expecting their first child during a Valentine's Day trip to Maui earlier this year. The 30-year-old told Us Weekly, who was first to report the news, she's finally hit her pregnancy stride, continuing, "I've actually been feeling pretty great, now that I just hit the third trimester. In the beginning, it was pretty rough. I was really tired all the time and my cravings have been so random. Every day is something new." Congratulations, you two! Time to start decorating that nursery. (Eonline)

Columbus Short has some BIG things about to happen in his life ... he's gonna be a husband AND a new dad. Short tells TMZ in just 5 months, he and new fiance Aida Abramyan are expecting a boy. Columbus says he and Aida have been on and off for years but he just recently popped the question. We're told the two plan on getting married some time before January before the baby is born. As for a name for their kid ... Short says they've got one picked out ... but they're gonna keep it under wraps. Congrats!! (TMZ)

JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers' Families (Sans Aaron Rodgers) Surprise The Bachelorette Couple With an Engagement Party. Fletcher family, meet the Rodgers family! JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers who recently found love on The Bachelorette, were treated to an extra special surprise on Saturday night when their families came together for the first time to celebrate the couple's engagement. The reality TV stars were initially under the impression that they'd be going to dinner with a few friends, but when JoJo and Jordan walked into the restaurant, a group of at least 14 were there to congratulate them in their new home state of Texas. Fletcher, 25, shared a photo of her newly extended family on Instagram, writing, "My heart is so full! Jordan and I were going out to what we thought was just a little dinner with friends but instead walked into a room full of both our friends and family to celebrate in our engagement. We are so incredibly blessed." Rodgers, 27, shared his own snapshot commemorating the moment with older brother Luke Rodgers, captioning the sweet photo, "When you think you are just going to dinner with your fiance and a few friends and you walk into a room full of both your families and best friends!" He continued, "So blessed to not only have found the love of my life @joelle_fletcher, but have an amazing family and new family to share a life with. So blessed to do life with these people!" Noticeably absent from the gathering was Jordan's brother NFL star Aaron Rodgers, whose estrangement from the Rodgers family was a hotly discussed topic on the season. Instead of pushing the storyline under the rug, Jordan told E! News he was adamant in tackling the issue head-on with his wife-to-be. "I hadn't seen the show before, so I didn't really have an expectation, which may be naive on my part," he said. "Family things are always tough, and they're always tough to address, let alone on a TV show. But I knew I made a commitment to go on there and be honest with JoJo and make sure that she knew everything because we didn't have any time off-camera and we were going to get to a proposal. So you have to be honest, you have to trust she believes in the person you are." (Eonline)

Natalie Dormer Dishes on Writing a Movie With Fiance Anthony Byrne: 'It's Tough!' Natalie Dormer and fiance Anthony Byrne may be totally in love-but that doesn't mean it makes it easier to work together. The couple recently collaborated on the script for the upcoming indie thriller In Darkness-and the 34-year-old actress revealed it was not as easy as she thought it would be. "It's tough!" Dormer told PEOPLE before speaking at the World Humanitarian Day event at the United Nations Headquarters on Friday. "I don't know if you've ever been in a writing room but I wouldn't recommend it with your other half." But as tough as it may have been, the former Game of Thrones actress is still enthusiastic about the prospect of starring in a movie she also wrote for the first time. "I'm very excited about it because I've never done anything that I've written before," Dormer admitted. "It was a very interesting process-we were trying to write real interesting characters, both male and female." The subject of gender equality is an important one to Dormer-who attended the event to speak in support of empowering and encouraging female victims of sexual and physical abuse. The actress gave a speech in which she highlighted the horrifying conditions women all over the world live in and how there needs to be more support offered to them. And when asked beforehand what everyday people can do to start supporting women, Dormer had a very simple yet poignant response: "It's money and attitude." She added, "Support those charities that help women who are suffering from rape in the Sudan or women who are in a shelter from domestic violence up in Queens. Don't be apologetic for the fact that local and national government needs to do more for gender equality." "Women should speak up for other women," Dormer said. (People)

Sean "Diddy" Combs and Cassie Are on a Break, Source Says: Inside Their Latest Drama. Sean "Diddy" Combs and Cassie have not closed the chapter on their relationship just yet. The LAPD confirmed to E! News that a domestic incident report involving the two was filed Wednesday, which TMZ said occurred after Diddy and Cassie had a heated argument while in a car in Beverly Hills. According to the outlet, the rapper took Cassie's phone before returning it to her later that day. Authorities were then called to the R&B singer's home, where the report was taken. As speculation mounted that Diddy, 46, took his longtime girlfriend's phone over suspicion that she was cheating on him, a source debunks the notion, telling E! News, "Cassie would never cheat on Diddy, though. She just wishes things were better with them. It's always up and down." Instead, the couple has decided to take a break from their relationship, a turn that the insider adds is not a first for the musical pairing. "They are taking another break now. He loves her so much so likely it won't be a long break. He always finds a way of coming back to her," the source continued. Cassie, 29, was initially signed to Diddy's Bad Boy Records back in the early 2000s, and after years of speculation that the duo's relationship had taken a turn for the romantic, Cassie and Diddy finally confirmed their exclusivity in 2012. They've openly denied engagement rumors on two different occasions, and have since maintained a relatively private union over the years. Diddy is a father to six children, none of whom belong to his on-again, off-again beau. (Eonline)

Nick Cannon Reveals Details of His Sex Life With Ex-Wife Mariah Carey and How They Make Co-Parenting Work. Turns out Mariah Carey sets the mood with her own music! The superstar's ex Nick Cannon stopped by The Amber Rose Show Friday evening, and when host Amber Rose asked if the former couple ever had sex to any one of Mariah's smash hits during their six-year marriage, the rapper couldn't help but share a few intimate details from their time in the bedroom. "Yes! I have," Cannon responded, continuing that after the first time he revealed their little secret, Carey "didn't like the fact that I told the world that we have sex to her music, but it was true!" The 35-year-old added, "Can you imagine having sex with Mariah Carey while Mariah Carey is playing in the back? That is a dream come true. Sorry, Mariah. I said I wasn't going to say that again." And if anyone's wondering which of her 34 Grammy nominated tracks it was, look no further than to Carey's 1993 ballad, "Hero." Amber's speechless reaction to the candid confession really says it all. Conversation then turned to the current status of Mariah and Nick's relationship as the pair have been faced with tackling the art of co-parenting their 5-year-old twins Monroe and Moroccan. Cannon revealed he speaks to Carey every single day, calling her an "amazing" mother. "When you see these women who have their own industry, their own empire, but they're the best mothers ever. They put everything else to the side so even if a breakup occurs that doesn't mean the child should suffer. If anything, the child should be lifted up," he said. Nick then discussed how they prioritize their children's wellbeing over any personal drama, adding, "They got to grow up in this, they didn't ask for this. Not only do they have to be in the public light, but then they have to deal with unorthodox households. So we just make sure that they're happy and they understand unconditional love." It's safe to say Nick and Mariah wrote the guidebook to becoming amicable exes. (Eonline)

Lindsay Lohan is trying to be a tougher negotiator against Russia than either Clinton or Trump could ever be ... because she's demanding a queen's ransom for an interview on Ruski TV. We've learned Lindsay was offered to appear on the most popular talk show in Russia -- "Pust govoryat." The show airs on Channel 1, a state-owned station. The host wants to interview her about her relationship and breakup with ex-fiance Egor Tarabasov. Our Russian spies got us a copy of Channel 1's letter to Lindsay, in which they say, "Please send the list of demands." Lindsay sent her demands alright. A private jet, security, 1 year Russian visa with extension, 500,000 British pounds, hair, makeup and manicurist onboard jet and a Ritz-Carlton penthouse suite. Oh, and one other thing. She wants to meet with President Vladimir Putin and get photos with him. We're told Lindsay is negotiating and some of the demands have been met. (TMZ)

Mel Gibson just agreed to pay baby mama Oksana Grigorieva 50% more than she was getting last month, but the trade-off is that she has to skedaddle from his home. We've learned Mel and Oksana have been squabbling over child support for 6-year-old Lucia. Oksana was pulling in $20k a month but wanted a small increase -- to $100k a month! We're told they went back and forth and struck a deal. Mel is now paying Oksana a skosh under $30k a month. But in return Oksana agreed to vacate Mel's $2.4 million rental home in Sherman Oaks. We're told she's rented a pad in Malibu. It's pretty amazing. TMZ broke the story, Mel was willing to pay Oksana $15 MILLION to settle their child support and alleged domestic violence cases -- provided she keeps those incendiary, racist tapes secret. After signing the agreement, Oksana disavowed it and went for more. She ended up with a $250,000 settlement. And file this under glass half full ... Oksana had 50 lawyers in her epic battle with Mel, so her latest -- Brian Kramer -- settled and got her a 50% increase, which is better than the scores of lawyers did before him. (TMZ)

Master P's got his kids doing the dirty work for him in his divorce case -- penning emotional letters to convince a judge to reduce his monthly support payments to his ex, Sonya Miller. In new docs, Master P says his 3 minor kids stay with him full time because their mother's drug addiction makes it impossible for her to care for them. That's why he wants to slash the $10,473 in child support and $16,574 in spousal support that he's currently paying. The kids -- Hercy, Mercy and Itali -- all wrote letters, submitted to the court, testifying they're better off for living with their dad. 17-year-old daughter Itali made the most compelling case ... writing, "Although I love being with my mom I was unable to keep my grades up. Unfortunately, my mom was dealing with addiction issues that affected my older sister, who hasn't even had the opportunity to graduate high school" ... even though she's 19. Itali says she's trying to avoid the same fate. Master P also says he's not the baller he used to be -- claiming he's making $2,441 per month and only has $432 in the bank. (TMZ)

Miley Cyrus' little sis Noah was texting behind the wheel and rear-ended a guy who now can't keep the missus happy ... according to a lawsuit obtained by TMZ. EJ Hawkins is suing the 16-year-old, claiming he was cruising on the 101 in L.A. when she slammed into his car, sending him to the hospital. EJ claims in addition to the physical pain, he's suffered "loss of love, affection, companionship, comfort, society and sexual relations." Noah's mom, Tish, is also being sued because she allegedly let her daughter drive the jeep. (TMZ)

The banned substance that triggered a WWE wellness policy violation for Eva Marie is Adderall, but we're told Eva is adamant she had a prescription, and will appeal the punishment. As we previously reported, Marie was hit with a 30 day suspension this week for allegedly violating the policy -- which covers everything from substance abuse to annual physicals and cardiovascular health. Our WWE sources tell us ... all performers are REQUIRED to disclose all medication to WWE officials for company approval. We're told in Eva's case ... the WWE claims the medication was NOT properly approved, thus the violation. Sources connected to Eva say she claims she has a legit prescription from her doctor. We reached out to Eva, and she said ... "I am disappointed that this suspension has occurred, yet understand and respect that WWE upholds their Wellness Policy to the letter and won't compromise on its integrity." She added, "I violated policy by not turning in portions of required paperwork in the time frame WWE Medical deemed timely. I look forward to my return!" (TMZ)

Jack Riley -- the voice of "Rugrats" fave, Stu Pickles, and co-star of "The Bob Newhart Show" -- has died of pneumonia. Jack famously played Elliot Carlin, one Newhart's super neurotic patients, during all 6 seasons of the classic '70s TV sitcom. More recently he was the father of Tommy and Dil Pickles in the "Rugrats" cartoon series and movies. Jack also starred in several Mel Brooks movies and had tons of guest roles on huge TV shows such as "MASH," "Happy Days," and 'Mary Tyler Moore.' Riley's wife told Deadline, Jack passed away Friday in Los Angeles. He was 80. (TMZ)

Matt Roberts, the former guitarist from 3 Doors Down has died of an apparent overdose ... TMZ has learned. Matt's dad Darrell tells TMZ he and Matt were just outside Wisconsin for a charity event where Matt was scheduled to perform. Darrell says Matt had rehearsal until 1 AM Saturday and the two went back to their hotel with an adjoining room. Darrell says he was woken up around 9 AM by detectives who informed Matt has passed away overnight. Darrell tells us prescription pills were involved ... but he believes the possible OD was accidental. Matt left 3 Doors Down in 2012 for health issues concerning blood circulation in his body. Darrell tells us Matt was deeply loved by his friends and family and the loss is devastating. He was 38 years old. (TMZ)

THE OTHER STUFF . . .

Caitlyn Jenner's offering anyone -- man or woman -- a chance to play golf with her, but your money's gotta be right. Caitlyn's putting her golf skills up for bid through the celebrity auction site Charitybuzz. The highest bidder will get a private round of golf with her in L.A. -- a great opportunity if golf's your thing. Remember, Caitlyn's a longtime member at the exclusive Sherwood Country Club, and even golfs with pros from time to time. Plus, Bruce frequently donated time for charity auctions, which always went for top dollar. Charitybuzz predicts the winning bidder this time will have to drop around $10k. We're told Caitlyn will also cover the winner's food and drink tab for the day, and she's tossing in an autographed copy of her recent SI cover. Ante up, the auction goes live Saturday. (TMZ)

Caitlyn Jenner, Lance Bass, Matt Bomer and More Stars Come Together in Support of Orlando Nightclub Shooting Victims. Hollywood is still hurting after the Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting that tragically killed 49 people. Lance Bass hosted the onePulse Foundation's benefit organized to honor the victims and their families on Friday night, which saw support from Caitlyn Jenner, Matt Bomer, Will.i.am and JC Chasez as well as a musical presentation from Jessie J and surprise performance from Stevie Wonder. In between emotional speeches and heartfelt onstage moments that memorialized the deadliest incident against the LGBT community in American history and the deadliest mass shooting by a single gunman, Bomer told E! News that there is a common denominator bridging the gaps between those who are passionate about helping the cause. "In the face of horrible tragedy there is love and there is support," the actor said. "And that people in all communities, Hollywood and all over the country, it doesn't matter if you're an actor or a celebrity or whatever -- we care and we support you." Bass echoed his sentiment, telling us, "Although it's not our community, we're all the way over here in California, it hit us too. It hit us hard. Just because we can't relate, we can relate to what [the victims] were celebrating." As a member of the LGBT community, the singer says he felt especially connected to many of the victims. "Most of us, you know, were raised where we were hiding ourselves. For the first time, a lot of those kids were in that club being themselves and not being afraid, and when something like this happens, again, fear is instilled in that community and we want to show them that we can't be afraid," he added. Candis Cayne also drew from her own experience as a former employee of Orlando-based nightclubs when discussing with E! News the impact the shooting had on her. "It was always a safe haven, a place you can go where you could be with family, you could have respect, you could be safe and you knew that the outside world wasn't going to come in and get you. And so that kind of always shattered that night to a community that went there just to be around people that understand who they were," she said. This event is far from the first celebrities have come together for in support of the June 12 terrorist attack. In the weeks following the tragedy, stars young and old joined a Human Rights Campaign video -- which was shared at the night's benefit -- to honor those lost. Each of the 49 celebrities -- among them Lady Gaga, Kerry Washington, Demi Lovato and Laverne Cox -- appeared on screen to narrate specific details about each one of the victims, including unique stories about how they met their partners, what they were studying in school and what they were celebrating on that Latin Night at Pulse. Most recently, Lovato and Nick Jonas surprised dozens of employees at Pulse nightclub with VIP tickets to their Orlando tour stop. To donate to the onePulse Foundation text "PULSE" to 91999. (Eonline)

Gwen Jorgensen Becomes First U.S. Woman to Win Gold in Olympic Triathlon. Gwen Jorgensen has made history! On Saturday, the 30-year-old Wisconsin native became the first U.S. woman ever to win the gold in triathlon-which officially became an Olympic sport in 2000. Her 2016 Summer Olympics win in Rio caps a record stretch of wins for Jorganson. Since April 2014, she's won all but two individual races-breaking records with 13 consecutive victories and 2014 and 2015's ITU World Triathlon Series Championship titles. It's also a redemptive victory for the triathlete, who suffered a flat tire at the 2012 Olympic Games and earned a 38th place finish overall. Jorgensen moved swiftly through the triathlon's phases-which started with a swim in the ocean, moved to a bike race, and ended in a foot race. After crossing the finish line, she broke into tears and carried the finish line high above her head. Her final time? 1:56:16-40 seconds ahead of silver medalist Nicola Spirig, of Switzerland, and 45 seconds ahead of bronze medalist Vicky Holland, of Great Britain. (People)

Ryan Lochte has plenty of staunch defenders left -- including police officers -- behind the gates of his Charlotte neighborhood ... TMZ has learned. The embattled swimmer flew back Wednesday to the Carolina town where he now lives, and sources in his hood tell us Charlotte PD has at least two patrol cars dedicated to keeping haters, fans and media away from Lochte. We're told police are posted at the security gate entrance, and there's another patrol car cruising the blocks around Lochte's house. One source told us the Homeowner's Association is also keeping an eye on Ryan's place, and officers -- of the HOA, that is -- have banned interlopers for up to 99 years! We're told there's been no sign of Ryan at the house since he got back to the States. (TMZ)

Ryan Lochte Promises His "Shenanigans" Will Never Happen Again as He Strives for an Olympics Return. Ryan Lochte wants to make it clear: He's done with his "immature antics." As the Team USA swimmer chatted with NBC's Matt Lauer in the wake of the Rio robbery scandal, viewers around the world received another apology. At the same time, they saw a gold medalist voice his determination to get back in the pool for another summer game. "All I know is that I learned my lesson, I definitely did. These kind of shenanigans or whatever you want to call them will never happen again and I love this sport," Ryan shared during his exclusive sit-down with NBC. "I dedicated my whole entire life to it and it's not who I am. I'm not done with this sport. There is still more I want to accomplish. All I know is I'm going to move forward from this and learn from this and better myself in making sure this never happens again." In fact, Ryan wanted to take it one step further. When sitting down with Matt in New York City, the Olympic athlete shared his goal to compete in the Tokyo games in 2020. "If they give me this chance, I know I can turn this around and become that role model for little kids," he proclaimed. "I don't want little kids to look at me for what I just did, for that one night. I don't want that. I don't want them to look at me as 'he was the drunk frat boy' or anything like that. I want to be a role model for those little kids." During the emotional 20-minute interview, the 32-year-old admitted his "immature behavior" caused the biggest scandal at the Rio games. And while he takes "full responsibility" for over exaggerating the facts, what hurts him the most is the pain he caused his teammates and all the athletes competing in Rio. "I let my team down. I wanted to be there. I don't want them to think that I left and left them dry... I'm just really sorry. I'm embarrassed for myself, my family, especially those guys, USA swimming, the whole Olympic games, everyone watching. I was just immature and I made a huge mistake," he shared. "I took away from their accomplishments and I think that's what hurts me the most is that everyone is just watching my immature antics and I'm just embarrassed." Ryan's television interview comes just one day after he apologized on social media and admitted to making mistakes. He has since returned home with his rumored girlfriend Kayla Rae Reid. His teammates Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen have also all been able to obtain their passports and travel back home in the states. Watch more of Matt's exclusive interview with Ryan Monday morning on NBC's Today show. (Eonline)

Music

Frank Ocean Finally Releases a Brand-New Album: All the Details About Blonde. Ladies and gentlemen, the wait is finally over. Frank Ocean's long-awaited new album arrived on Apple Music Saturday afternoon. Simply titled Blonde, the disc just so happens to be his first album since he released the critically-acclaimed project Channel Orange all the way back in 2012. Yes, it's been a while for loyal fans. The newest creation features 17 new tracks with the album cover showcasing a shirtless man appearing to be Frank with his arms covering his face. And yes, we're totally feeling the green hair. Earlier in the week, fans got more than excited when a mysterious livestream occurred on the Grammy winner's website. The black and white livestream showed a man, who many believe is Frank (but we can never be totally sure), building what looks like a set of stairs in a large studio while the music played in the background. And yes, we were totally feeling the smooth melodies and beats. It was later revealed that what we watched was a visual album titled Endless. Back on August 5, fans first thought that his new album believed to be titled Boys Don't Cry would be released. But when it failed to show up anywhere, some decided to express their frustrations on social media. Luckily, Frank is always "Thinkin Bout You." He just wants to keep you waiting a little longer. (Eonline)

Looks like there's still love between former band mates Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora. On Thursday, the musicians exchanged kind words on Twitter, with Sambora, 57, congratulating Bon Jovi on their new single, while Bon Jovi, 54, tweeted that he was couldn't wait to hear Sambora's new music. "Congrats to all the guys on the new single! @BonJovi," he tweeted, adding a video clip in which he says, "God bless. Good luck. Hope you guys do great ... big love." Bon Jovi later replied, tweeting, "@TheRealSambora thanks Richie and Orianthi. Look forward to hearing your record too... all the best, JBJ." Although there was no mention of a feud between them, the last time Bon Jovi spoke about Sambora, he told CBS This Morning that the pair. "I haven't seen him in over three years. He just didn't show up for work anymore," Bon Jovi said. "And that's the truth of the matter." When Sambora left the band's 2013 tour, he told Entertainment Tonight that his reason for leaving the band was to spend more time with his 18-year-old daughter Ava. "My daughter looked at me and said, 'Dad, I need you.' She's getting ready to go to school," he explained. "Currency of love and happiness outweighs the currency of money." Bon Jovi seemingly understood, as he continued on This Morning saying that "life goes on" and that it's okay if Sambora decided he didn't want to be in the band anymore. "You know, you don't have to do this for a living-you choose to do it for a living," he added. (People)

Gwen's Biggest Cheerleader! Blake Shelton Rocks Out While Watching Gwen Stefani Perform at a Charity Event. Love is in the air! Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton put their romance on display at a charity event in the Hamptons on Saturday night. Stefani, 46, was set to perform at the Apollo in the Hamptons event, a fundraiser held to raise funds for education and mentoring programs for youth at the historic Harlem theater. But Shelton, 40, surprised everyone in attendance, and the two performed the song they co-wrote, "Go Ahead and Break My Heart" to open Stefani's set. After leaving the stage, Shelton was his leading lady's biggest fan. Blake sat in front of the stage in the converted barn to watch her perform "Hollaback Girl" with Pharrell Williams, "Don't Speak" and "Keep on Dancing." She got the crowd going and Blake was her biggest cheerleader. At one point, Shelton and Jennifer Lopez got up and started dancing. He was even air guitar-ing throughout her performance. At one point she said, "The tall guy stood up first-good job, Blake." The couple, who started dating late last year after meeting on The Voice, were very sweet and affectionate together and Stefani sat with her arm around Shelton and gave him a kiss. Things appear to be heating up for the couple, and even though they are not walking down the aisle yet, a source close to the couple told PEOPLE they have talked about their future together. "Rumors are circulating in their circle that they've begun preparations for a wedding," the source said earlier this month. "There's no date set, but they're planning ahead and having fun talking about it ... Blake and Gwen are madly in love, committed and planning for a future together," the source said. (People)

4B's 'Weapons 2.0' EP on Mad Decent Opens Friendly Fire on Your Ears: Exclusive. Get up, soldier! This isn't a dance floor, it's a war zone, and we need every last able-bodied American to get out here and move some booty weight! That's what we imagine an angry drill sergeant would yell before putting on4B's Weapons 2.0 EP. This is Jersey club music for post-apocalyptic clubland. It's three tracks of ear-splitting, ass-shaking insanity. It's exactly what you need to get motivated to do that extra mile on your run or that last 30 minutes at work. These beats are so dark and hard-hitting, you're going to want some war paint. Consider this a teaser, because 4B is up to big things. He's got a remix of Snake coming out as well as a hip-hop EP featuring some rather large egos. For now, put this baby on, drop down, and give me 20 pop-and-locks. (Billboard)

Coldplay Ride Bikes Through Mexico City in 'A Head Full of Dreams' Video. Coldplay know how to have a great time on tour. You can tell by the loose and free vibe in the new video for the title track from A Head Full of Dreams. The Marcus Haney-directed clip opens with the same Charlie Chaplin speech about uniting as one human family from The Great Dictator that plays before each show on their world tour ("We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each other's happiness - not by each other's misery"). And then... well, they hop on their customized BMX bikes and take a wonderful adventure ride through the streets of Mexico City on their way to an April gig at Foro Sol Stadium. Cruising down sidewalks and ramps, singer Chris Martin mouths the song's opening verse as the quartet pedal right onto the stage, at which point the visuals focus on color-splashed Super 8mm footage from the massive gig. Check it out: Coldplay resume the U.S. leg of their world tour this weekend with two shows at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, with additional 2017 dates to be announced soon. According to a spokesperson, the three previous videos from the album ("Hymn for the Weekend," "Adventure of a Lifetime" and "Up&Up") have been viewed a collective 955 million times on YouTube. (Billboard)

How Chris Young and Cassadee Pope's Friendship Survived the 'Worst Thing That Can Happen' on Stage. Chris Young and Cassadee Pope may sing about breaking up in "Think of You," but their chart-topper has definitely turned them into best buddies. How great is this friendship? It's even survived a duet partner's worst nightmare: the time when Pope didn't quite make it on stage to sing the song. Pope, 26, told the story herself-and apologized again-at the duo's No. 1 party on Tuesday in Nashville. "I promise always to make it on stage for my verse," Pope sheepishly vowed to Young and the hundreds gathered to celebrate the song in the Country Music Hall of Fame rotunda. "Sorry about that one time. Let me reiterate-one time that I didn't make it on stage, one time." After her public remarks, Pope filled in the details of the debacle, which occurred in Cleveland back in January while on tour with Young. After her opening set, she said, "I thought, you know what? I'm going to run to the bus, have a bite to eat, and then go back and sing with him, because I thought I had plenty of time. But I totally lost track of time." Meanwhile, Young, 31, was on stage starting their song and waiting for Pope to pop out from the wings. When she didn't, he recalls, "I literally blanked for a second because, I mean, she's not there." When she finally did emerge-after Young had soldiered on and sung the Pope part- she "was just mortified," Young says. "The look on her face was real funny." "I was, like, this is the worst thing that can happen," Pope says. "I was just so, so sad about it." But, she adds, she can laugh about it now because Young was "totally cool about it. He thought it was funny. He's a funny guy and luckily has a sense of humor ... He really is the brother I never had." The two had only met when Young picked her to record the song that he, Josh Hoge and Corey Crowder co-wrote specifically as a duet. Young first heard Pope live at a songwriters' event in Miami in 2014 that they both participated in. Afterward, he called Crowder and said, "I got the duet partner," Crowder recalls. The Voice champ reveals she agreed to the duet before she'd even heard the song. Once she did, she was bowled over. "I thought, holy crap, the girl gets time to sing," Pope says. "She gets a verse. She's not just singing harmony! This is an actual duet!" Crowder, who co-produced the album with Young, recalls the magic the two created at their single recording session. "I was really worried ... that their vocals wouldn't sound good together, and that we'd have to do a lot of [sound balancing] that would rob them of tone," he says. "Their voices actually sound naturally great together." Fans obviously have agreed, making it Young's eighth No. 1 single and Pope's first. Clamors are now growing for more recording partnerships from the two solo artists, and both say they're up for it. "I don't think it's a secret that I love singing alongside her, and there will be something in the future, for sure," Young says. "I don't think this is a one-off." "Eventually it would be great to do something like an EP where we could write everything and do the whole process together," Pope says. "That would be so fun." In the meantime, Young is hard at work on a Christmas album, and Pope is recording an album to follow her recent EP release, Summer. Young's "I'm Comin' Over" tour has been extended to the end of the year with Pope as his guest for all 25 dates; Dan + Shay and Dustin Lynch also will be trading off as openers. (People)

Travis Scott Releases '90210' Video as Apple Music. Just days out from the release of his sophomore album, Travis Scott is taking fans back for a ride at the Rodeo. The Houston hip-hop artist and producer has released the Hype Williams-directed video for Rodeo track "90210" (featuring Kacy Hill) as an exclusive through Apple Music. The stop-motion clip features Scott as a doll tearing through a city and interacting with a female doll. "A 6 month project started with Hype Williams finally out. So happy fuck. Time well spent thanks hype and thanks to that team of urs," he tweeted. Scott premiered the clip last Friday night (Aug. 12) in Los Angeles at his .Wav party, named after his new radio show on Apple Music's Beats 1 with his DJ Chase B. Scott is just about ready to fly with his sophomore album, Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight, It's due out on Aug. 26. (Billboard)

Fetty Wap Rolls Out New Single 'Different Now'. Trap king Fetty Wap whips up a new single called "Different Now." The Vinylz and Frank Dukes-produced single was shared during the New Jersey rapper's surprise Facebook Live Q&A and dropped on Spotify and iTunes just before midnight. Zoo Wap's steady output this year has included the graduation anthem "Wake Up" as well as his joint PnB Rock mixtape Money, Hoes & Flows. He's also released several collaborations with his RGF Productions label signee Monty on cuts like "Victor Cruz," "She Wanna" and T-Wayne's "Tell Me What You Want." Fetty Wap's Top 5 Biggest Billboard Hits Fetty -- who made history last year with four simultaneous entries on the Hot Rap Songs chart with "Trap Queen," "Again," "My Way" and "679" -- will also be headlining Billboard's Hot 100 Fest this weekend (Aug. 20-21). Get a whiff of new Wap below or download it here on iTunes. (Billboard)

Movies

Tom Cruise 'Mission: Impossible 6' Pay Dispute Halts Preproduction. The movie was prepping for a January 2017 start. A dispute over salary between Tom Cruise and Paramount has halted preproduction on Mission: Impossible 6, multiple sources tell The Hollywood Reporter. The studio, which was co-financing the movie with Skydance, was in the prep stages for a January 2017 production start and Christopher McQuarrie, who is back on directing duties after reinvigorated the franchise with the fifth installment, is writing the script. Sources tell THR that one of the contentious points is Cruise's back-end profit participation, with the actor looking to match or exceed what he is getting paid by Universal for starring in The Mummy, which he is currently shooting in London. Mummy is a pivotal movie for Universal, which is looking to launch a cinematic franchise and has hinged plenty on Cruise's star power. This is the second hiccup this summer for Mission: Impossible 6. In July, the project threatened to fall apart over what one source said was script issues. That obstacle pushed a November start into the New Year. Paramount initially wanted Mission: Impossible 6 for a late 2017 release but it is currently undated. (Hollywood Reporter)

Ben Affleck to Direct, Star in 'Witness for the Prosecution' for Fox. The project is based on the Agatha Christie short story. Ben Affleck is in talks to direct and star in the adaptation of Agatha Christie's short story Witness for the Prosecution for 20th Century Fox. Christopher Keyser will write the script, based on the story about a lawyer defending a client in a murder trial that has surprise after surprise. Affleck will produce with Jennifer Todd and Matt Damon along with the Agatha Christie estate. The story previously was adapted into the 1957 Billy Wilder-helmed version, which starred Tyrone Power and Marlene Dietrich. It received six Oscar nominations. Fox already is working on an adaptation of Christie's Murder on the Orient Express starring Kenneth Branagh, who is also directing. Affleck, who helmed Argo, also directed the upcoming Warner Bros. film Live by Night. He's also co-writing, with plans to direct, a Batman movie for the studio. He's repped by WME. (Hollywood Reporter)

Tom Holland Visits Children's Hospital as Spider-Man. Tom Holland swung into a children's hospital in his Spidey suit. The actor posted a photo of himself Thursday on Instagram smiling in costume at the Egleston Children's Hospital in Atlanta, where Spider-Man: Homecoming is currently in production. He debuted as the latest rendition of the web-slinger earlier this year in Captain America: Civil War. Holland said in the post that meeting the children at the hospital was "such a wonderful experience, and you're all such little inspirations." Spider-Man: Homecoming is scheduled to debut July 7, 2017. The film also stars Michael Keaton, Marisa Tomei and Zendaya. A spokesman for Sony declined to respond to a Thursday report that Zendaya will be portraying Peter Parker's love interest, Mary Jane Watson, in the Spider-Man reboot. Her role has not been announced. (Hollywood Reporter)

BAFTA Sets 2017 Film Awards Dates, Tweaks Rules. The biggest film awards outside of the U.S. are gearing up for the 2017 race. BAFTA fans, get your calendars ready. The biggest film awards outside of the U.S. has unveiled its key dates, with the main ceremony in 2017 set to take place on Feb. 12 (as always, two weeks before the Oscars and in the middle of the Berlin Film Festival). Announced Friday, other dates include Oct. 21 as the deadline for Stage One submissions and Dec. 15 as the deadline for when films released in the U.K. after Jan. 1, 2017 must have been screened to voters. The nominations will be unveiled on Jan. 10, and will be live-screened. Alongside the dates, organizers have also revealed a few adjustments to the rules. In the animated film section, previously limited to three nominations, the committee will have the option of extending the number to five. "Sometimes entrants don't submit their films because they know there's only three nominations, so we want to make sure there's as wider number of entrants as possible," BAFTA's head of awards Emma Baehr tells THR. As for the documentary section, while BAFTA has seen five nominations each year dating back to 2012, this was at the discretion of the committee. For 2017, it has been set at five. The rise of SVOD and the growing struggle for international art-house films to be given theatrical releases have also forced a response from BAFTA, whose qualifying rules require a film to have had a theatrical release on 10 screens for a least a week (with a lower threshold for documentaries and foreign language titles). "For a non-British independent film coming into the U.K., digital distribution is becoming more and more common and prevalent," says Jim Bradshaw, BAFTA head of film. "So we're going to add a line to our rules that we're open to considering films that have been released on other methods and platforms. The committee with have the discretion, on an exceptional basis, to accept things that don't meet the criteria." Elsewhere, BAFTA has formalized its ties with the Producers Guild of America, and will accept all producers the organization recognizes on a particular film. For those not submitted to the PGA, BAFTA's previous rule of a maximum of three producers will apply. BAFTA is also set to soon unveil a new venue, having revealed to THR that it is set to move out of the Royal Opera House after 10 years. (Hollywood Reporter)

Jared Leto Joins Ryan Gosling in 'Blade Runner' Sequel. Harrison Ford, Robin Wright and Ana de Armas also star in Alcon Entertainment's film. Fresh off his performance as Joker in Suicide Squad, Jared Leto has joined the Blade Runner sequel. The film stars Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Robin Wright and Ana de Armas. Denis Villeneuve is directing the Alcon Entertainment project, which is slated to be released Oct. 6, 2017, via Warner Bros. Sony is distributing the Blade Runner follow-up internationally. The sequel is set several decades after the 1982 original, with Harrison Ford reprising his role as Rick Deckard. The pic is written by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green, and succeeds the initial story by Fancher and David Peoples based on Philip K. Dick's novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Cynthia Sikes Yorkin is producing along with Broderick Johnson, Andrew A. Kosove and Bud Yorkin. Frank Giustra and Tim Gamble, CEOs of Thunderbird Films, will serve as executive producers alongside Ridley Scott and Bill Carraro. Leto, who also performs as a musician and singer in the rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars, was most recently seen in Suicide Squad and won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his performance in 2013's Dallas Buyers Club. (Hollywood Reporter)

TV

Calm Down, Gladiators! ABC Explains Why Notorious Is a Perfect (Temporary) Replacement for Scandal. Kerry Washington's second pregnancy has pushed back season six of Scandal until midseason. But don't worry Gladiators, ABC has made sure to serve up a drama-filled Thursday with the Piper Perabo's new series Notorious taking the place of Washington's hit show on Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET. In a teaser debuting exclusively on PEOPLE, ABC assures fans that Grey's Anatomy and How to Get Away with Murder will indeed be back on in just a few weeks. It also shows Olivia Pope standing in the sun, but we won't find out what OPA will "handle" next until the new season debuts in January. "So we searched for the perfect companion to the line-up you love," the voiceover says to whet fans' appetites. "Think of it as a delicious new slice of awesome for your Thursday-night binge." Noticeably missing in the network's fall season promo is the familiar #TGIT branding. That's because Notorious is the first show in three years that's not produced or created by Shonda Rhimes, the all-powerful showrunner of Thursday's Shondaland trinity. Notorious is a drama inspired by the true-life stories of criminal defense attorney Mark Geragos and cable news producer Wendy Walker. The series is billed as "a provocative look at the unique, sexy, and dangerous interplay of criminal law and the media," according to Entertainment Weekly. Grey's Anatomy, How to Get Away with Murder and Notorious premiere on Sept. 22. (People)

Hairspray Live! First Look: See the All-Star Cast in Their 1960s Costume Glory. Good Morning Baltimore... sorry, we mean Good evening Internet! Your first look at Hairspray Live! is here and you're going to want to do the Mashed Potato. NBC dropped the first promo featuring the A-list cast during the Friday, Aug. 19 Olympic telecast, and it's exactly as colorful and fun as you'd expect. In the short promo, we see our favorite characters in costume together for the first time -- including a pigtailed Ariana Grande as Penny Pingleton -- and yes, there's also a lot of hairspray involved. And let's take a minute and talk about that cast, which is so full of people we love that it's impossible to pick a favorite: Harvey Fierstein (Edna Turnblad), Jennifer Hudson (Motormouth Maybelle), Grande (Penny Pingleton), Kristin Chenoweth (Velma Von Tussle), Martin Short (Wilbur Turnblad), Derek Hough (Corky Collins), Dove Cameron (Amber Von Tussle), Garrett Clayton (Link Larkin), Sean Hayes (Mr. Pinky), Andrea Martin (Prudy Pingleton) and Rosie O'Donnell as the Gym Teacher. Plus, there's newcomer Maddie Baillio in the lead role of Tracy Turnblad, the role that made Ricki Lake famous in the original 1988 movie. This is 20-year-old Baillio's first major role. "I only told my mom and my dad," Baillio told E! News after her big reveal in June. "I've known for like two weeks. It's been the hardest thing ever, to not tell everyone. I don't know how they do it on Game of Thrones. I am so excited that I get to be part of this huge thing." Hairspray Live! airs live (duh) from Los Angeles on Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. on NBC. (Eonline)

Are Simone Biles, Jojo Fletcher, Jake T. Austin Joining Dancing With the Stars? Simone Biles might have to make room on her trophy shelf for another award, because E! News has learned that the Olympic champion is poised to sign on for the upcoming season of Dancing With the Stars. Also likely on the roster this fall? Bachelorette JoJo Fletcher and former Disney star Jake T. Austin. A source tells E! News that all three are in the running to compete for the Mirrorball Trophy on season 23 of DWTS. Biles, 19, won four gold medals and a bronze in the Rio Olympics, in case you lost track of her insanely amazing medal count. (They're not calling her the greatest gymnast of all time for nothing, okay?) Fletcher, who originally competed on Ben Higgins' season of The Bachelor, gave former football player Jordan Rodgers the final rose in the most recent Bachelorette finale. Austin starred on Disney Channel's Wizards of Waverly Place alongside Selena Gomez before landing a role on Freeform's The Fosters from 2013-2015. Biles' fellow gold medalist teammate Aly Raisman competed on season 16 of the ABC reality competition in 2013, following her gold medal win at the 2012 London Olympics. She ultimately came in fourth place with partner Mark Ballas. Austin, Biles and Fletcher will attempt to follow in the footsteps of season 22 winner Nyle DiMarco, whose casting E! News exclusively revealed back in February. The hunky model and actor was just coming off his America's Next Top Model Cycle 22 win, a.k.a. the formerly final season of the modeling competition (and now the last one hosted by Tyra Banks, who cheered her protege on in the ballroom several times during the DWTS season). ABC declined to comment on the casting report, but the full season 23 announcement will take place on Good Morning America, as per usual, on Tuesday, Aug. 30. The competition begins with the season premiere on Monday, Sept. 12 at 8 p.m. on ABC. (Eonline)

Simone Biles Sounds Off on Dancing With the Stars Rumors. The mirrorball trophy will just have to wait! While Dancing With the Stars has been interested in having Simone Biles as one of its season 23 contestants, the Olympic champion is setting the record straight, saying her busy schedule could prevent her from joining the ABC reality competition. "I would love to do Dancing with the Stars, but so far we have a three month tour after this Olympics," Simone exclusively told E! News' Zuri Hall at the P&G Family Home in Rio. "I'm not sure if I'll have time." Still, Simone is hoping to eventually compete on DWTS once her schedule slows down, saying she is open to joining the season 24 cast. "I would really love to do it in the spring if that's possible." A source confirmed to E! News that producers were eyeing the 19-year-old, who just won four gold medals, as well as bronze medal, in the Rio Olympics, for one of the 12 contestants that will compete this upcoming season, along with The Bachelorette's JoJo Fletcher and Jake T. Austin, the former star of The Fosters and Wizards of Waverly Place. (ABC does not comment on casting rumors.) Should be join the show for its 24th season in the spring Simone wouldn't be the first Olympic gymnast to appear in the ballroom, as her gold medalist teammate Aly Raisman competed on season 16, Shawn Johnson won season eight (and came in second on the All-Stars season), and Nastia Liukin took part in season 20. ABC is set to announce the official cast for season 23 on Good Morning America on Tuesday, Aug. 30, with the season premiere airing on Monday, Sept. 12 at 8 p.m. (Eonline)

Stranger Things Bosses Confirm the Fate of Fan-Favorite Character. Still reeling from Stranger Things? Good, just know you're not alone. Since the Netflix series captivated audiences when it dropped in July, all sorts of wild fan theories about the Upside Down, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and the fates of several characters have been swirling in every corner of the Internet. Well, the Matt and Ross Duffer, the creators and executive producers of the series, are here to put your mind at ease about one theory and character in particular: Barb. The fan-favorite played by Shannon Purser was best friends with Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer) and was unceremoniously whisked away to the Upside Down early in the series while sitting alone on a diving board at a high school party she so did not want to be at. While everybody was busy freaking out over the disappearance of Will (Noah Schnapp), Nancy seemed to be the only one considered about Barb. Her fate was sealed toward the end of the series when Eleven said she couldn't find Barb in the Upside Down and Joyce (Winona Ryder) and Hopper (David Harbour) saw her lifeless body while searching for Will. But we never saw Barb die, which is often a crucial moment in sci-fi and horror works. Could Barb show up again in season two, should there be one? "I can't see it happening" Matt Duffer told IGN. "But Barb will not be forgotten. We'll make sure there's some justice for Barb. People get very frustrated, understandably, that the town doesn't seem to be really dealing with Barb. That stuff is all happening. We're just not spending any screen time on it. It's not like her parents are like 'Oh Barb left. She died!' Season one actually takes place over the course of six or seven days-it's a really short period of time. So part of what we want to do with hypothetical season two is to explore the repercussions of everything that happened." RIP Barb, RIP. Now about that second season... what's taking so long, Netflix?! At TCA, Matt explained they have more story to tell about the citizens of Hawkins, Indiana. "We wanted to feel like a big movie, so we wanted to solve that main tension of where Will went and what happened to him," Matt told reporters during the summer TCA panel. "But then there's the bigger mythology behind what happened, so there's definitely a lot of dangling threads at the end... if people wanted it and Netflix wanted it, we could explore it and continue the storyline." (Eonline)

Was Being on Friends Actually Way Harder Than It Looked? E! Investigates. Friends seems like a great time. Watching old episodes is like wrapping up in a big digital security blanket. The apartments are huge, the interiors are perfectly shabby chic, the jokes are just the right amount of corny, and the problems are totally first world. It's everything you want in a sitcom, really -- you're basically just watching a gang of real life best friends having a ball of a time onscreen. The cast was the prettiest, youngest and thingiest of all the pretty young things in the early aughts. They had millions of dollars and beautiful spouses and knew each other forwards and backwards, and got to spend their days making the rest of us happy. We watch it whenever we're feeling down, or poor, or lonely, or like our clothes aren't '90s enough, and it always perks us up. But now, it seems, the entire memory of America's happiest show may be marred. Sullied. Tarnished. Ruined, nay. That's because this week, David Schwimmer a.k.a. Ross Gellar, did an interview in which he confessed that he actually struggled a lot with his time on the show. Pause for disturbed reaction. The actor was on hand with The Hollywood Reporter to tape an episode of their Awards Chatter podcast, and naturally the topic turned to Friends. "It was pretty jarring and it messed with my relationship to other people in a way that took years, I think, for me to kind of adjust to and become comfortable with," he said of the show's success. "As an actor, the way I was trained, my job was to observe life and to observe other people, and so I used to walk around with my head up, and really engaged and watching people. The effect of celebrity was the absolute opposite: It made me want to hide under a baseball cap, not be seen. And I realized after a while that I was no longer watching people; I was trying to hide." This is upsetting news, we know. We don't know if we'll ever be able to watch Ross try to stutter through a sentence again now that we know he was actually tortured by his millions of dollars and adoring fans behind the scenes. How do we navigate this new world? But, surely we can take solace in the fact that David Schwimmer is but an anomaly in the Friends cast, and that the rest of the gang was happy as a clam. Except...we're not sure that's possible. Because we're pretty sure that other members of the cast have spoken out in the past about some of the not-so-sunny side of being a famous friend. Naturally, we dug deep into this issue to get to the bottom of things. Lisa Kudrow, who of course played one Phoebe Buffay, told the Daily Express last year what it really felt like to learn to be famous. "Before you're well known, you think, 'Oh, if you're famous, you're loved and adored,'" she said. "Then, when you really experience that attention and everyone cares what you're doing and wants pictures of you, it doesn't feel like a warm hug. It feels like an assault." Mon Dieu, Phoebe! And for her part, Courteney Cox has spoken of how being super awesome on Friends made her terrified to ever be on another TV show or movie. "Friends was such a benchmark of television success that I shied away from trying anything else," she said to The Telegraph. "I felt as if people would say, 'She was supposed to be good on that show, what happened to her?'" Say it ain't so, Courteney! Not shying away! And finally, Joey Tribbiani a.k.a. Matt LeBlanc, was very uncomfortable with all the recognition. "The weirdest thing was walking into a room, a restaurant, a bar, a movie theater, anywhere there's a lot of people, and everybody sort of stopping what they're doing and taking notice you're in the room," he said to Boston Common. "And they know you, or they think they do -- they know your name, they know what you do for a living, they know how much money you make, they know where you're from, but they're all strangers to you." We're speechless. So what are we supposed to do with this troubling pattern? Could Friends be more complex than the simplistic, comforting reruns we know it for? Are we to now renounce Friends and its gang of West Village buds because they may have actually been a little bit not in love with the whole process? We say no. We process this information, we take a moment to honor David Schwimmer's pain, and then we move on. Because the people need Friends, and we need Friends to be one-dimensionally upbeat. So be it. (Eonline)

He's been called an "anchor animal" behind the scenes of "Today," but is Matt Lauer a Brazilian back-stabber? Insiders say Lauer bigfooted new colleague Billy Bush's Ryan Lochte scoop when Lauer landed his own exclusive interview with the dodgy swimmer on Wednesday night from the Rio Olympics after Bush broke the story. Bush -- who just joined "Today" from "Access Hollywood" -- nailed the scoop of the games in Rio on Sunday when he randomly ran into Lochte while shopping with "Access Hollywood" co-host Kit Hoover and interviewed the swimmer on an iPhone about being the alleged victim in a dramatic robbery. (Sources told us that, ironically, Bush was hanging with Hoover since "it can be a bit 'Mean Girls'" in "Today's" talent cliques.) But on Wednesday, as the story exploded, NBC Olympics host Bob Costas introduced an update on the Lochte story, because the swimmer's tale seemed fishy -- but it wasn't Bush who was introduced, but instead Lauer, who reported he had just done his own interview with Lochte on the phone. Buzz around NBC is that Bush was expected to do a follow-up, but Lauer swooped in. "Matt has a history of demanding interviews, and it's Billy's first big story as anchor," said an insider. "It was his story. NBC snubbed Billy and let Matt do it. Billy got burned." Another source told us of the Lochte story: "This is Matt's story now. Billy got it, but was pushed out." The same source added that Lauer's now angling to land a sit-down with Lochte, and "everyone wants that interview. Matt will probably land it." But a third source said that Lauer landed the Lochte chat because of his past work interviewing the swimmer, and that it was all-hands-on-deck to cover the news at NBC. "Multiple NBC News reporters are working the Ryan Lochte story," a network source told Page Six. "Matt has interviewed Ryan numerous times over the years -- and Ryan specifically wanted to speak to Matt on the phone. No one was burned." A rep for NBC News did not comment. (Page Six)

Egypt's state broadcast network has suspended eight of its female presenters, giving them a month to slim down to an "appropriate appearance" before they will be allowed back on air - this despite it being headed up by a woman. Safaa Hegazy, head of the Egyptian Radio and Television Union (ERTU), and herself a former TV presenter, said that her decision was part of an effort to improve the network's image. Anchorwomen were "no longer how they were" when they were hired, and needed to slim down, she said. The presenters, who were named publicly, were told that they could not work in production, or other behind the scenes roles, until they had lost enough weight. One of the affected anchors, Khadija Khattab said bluntly: "I'm not a model, I'm a cultural programmes presenter." The women have been subject to abuse online and in print, with columnists at the state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper calling them "disgusting and repulsive", and people on social media calling them "bakabouzas", an Egyptian term used to insult women about their weight - how delightful. Hegazy and ERTU have faced significant backlash from rights groups and some MPs, with the Women's Centre for Guidance and Legal Awareness in Cairgo arguing that it violated the Egyptian constitution and international human rights law. ERTU has faced competition from rivals which have appeared since the Arab Spring in 2011. "They don't understand that people don't watch them because they have no credibility, skills or quality," said Mostafa Shawky of the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression. "It has nothing to do with looks. But it goes to show that actual skill is not something they care about." Safaa Hegazy has dismissed accusations of sexism, however, saying: "How can there be discrimination against women in an institution run by a woman?" Shawky can answer that: "The fact that it is a woman who is doing all of this just makes it all the worse." Charlotte Knight worked as cabin crew on a Arabic airline for over a year before joining GLAMOUR as Picture Intern earlier this year. "You're weighed when you join the airline, then after six months they'll weigh you again. They say it's to do with health; making sure you're not putting on lots of weight because obviously the food you eat on board isn't healthy. "I don't really know if it was for health reasons or more for image, because each day you'd turn up to a briefing and they'd check your hair was in place, your makeup was okay and your clothes weren't too tight. "If a member of cabin crew notices you on a flight looking overweight, they'll tell your manager, then your manager would put you on a health program and you'd be unable to fly for a few months until you were at the BMI they wanted you at. "I didn't know anyone personally who it happened to, but it would tell you on your system: 'this person has been grounded'." (British Glamour)