ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Savannah Guthrie Announces Today Show Return Date After Maternity Leave. Savannah Guthrie is set to return to the Today show next week after being on maternity leave for three months. The 45-year-old co-anchor of the NBC series had begun her hiatus on Dec. 5 and had days later given birth to her and husband Mike Feldman's second child, a baby boy named Charley. "Hey, little one, you're not the *only* good reason to wake up early!!" Guthrie wrote on Instagram Wednesday, alongside a selfie with her son. "I'm headed back to @TODAYshow March 3! Excited to see you all!" "Yay! Savannah announced she's returning on March 3rd! (Baby Charley is welcome to join)," read a message posted on the show's Instagram page. Soon after Guthrie gave birth, Today meteorologist Dylan Dreyers went on maternity leave and a week later welcomed her first child, baby boy Calvin. On Tuesday, the Today show host Hoda Kotb announced on the series via phone that she had recently adopted her first child, daughter Haley Joy. Kotb had been away from the show for a while and plans to take some more time off to care for and bond with her baby. "Welcome to Today on this Wednesday morning. I'm Matt Lauer alongside Willie Geist, who's here while Savannah continues on maternity leave," Lauer said on Wednesday's show. "Savannah's on maternity leave, Dylan's on maternity leave, now Hoda's on maternity leave," Geist said. "We're going to have an open casting call for anchors pretty soon." "Exactly right," Lauer said. He later announced Guthrie's upcoming return, drawing cheers from their co-stars. (Eonline)

Gwen Stefani Gushes About Blake Shelton: "He's Just a Sparkly, Happy, Amazing Person." Gwen Stefani just can't contain herself when it comes to talking about boyfriend Blake Shelton. The Voice coach appeared on Late Night With Seth Meyers Tuesday night and opened up about her relationship with the country crooner, and she couldn't help but really gush. "I love Blake!" Gwen shouted. "He is the most incredible guy. Everybody loves Blake, and that's the thing. There's no way around it. He's just a sparkly like happy, amazing person." Even though the couple couldn't be happier, Gwen warned that the competition between them over their NBC reality show could get intense. "He is in trouble this season because I'm about ready to get on that," Gwen responded when host Seth Meyers asked her about Shelton's winning streak. "He's been on the couch a few nights so far." Before working together, however, Blake wasn't even on Gwen's radar. "I didn't even know Blake Shelton existed in the world," pop rock singer said. Of course, that since has changed. "Trust me I'm like the biggest Blake Shelton fan now," she added. "I know all of his music." Gwen did admit that participating in The Voice opened up to her so many other genres of music, which made her more open to the idea of recording "Go Ahead and Break My Heart." Writing the song together added an interesting dynamic, though. "We weren't even together, but we were breaking up at the same time," she joked. (Eonline)

Demi Lovato Reveals What It's Like Watching Her Boyfriend Guilherme ''Bomba'' Vasconcelos During an MMA Fight. Demi Lovato isn't worried about watching her MMA fighter boyfriend hop in the ring. The 24-year-old has confirmed she's dating Guilherme ''Bomba'' Vasconcelos after she was spotted at the Bellator 170 in Los Angeles last month, rocking his team shirt as she watched him in the MMA fight and even showing off some PDA with him later that night. Earlier this week, she also shared an Instagram video as she sparred with him, referring to him as "bae." Now, she's finally opening up a bit more in depth about what it's like dating a fighter. Stopping by The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Wednesday, the singer admitted she gets a little nervous watching him fight (even though he typically wins), but she doesn't ever worry about his opponent. "Then you feel bad for the person he's hurting!" Ellen DeGeneres quipped, to which Lovato quickly responded, "I don't feel bad, nope! It's a sport!" Still, the "Confident" singer promises her man is very sweet! Meanwhile, Lovato also got to chatting about being nominated for a Grammy for the first time and why she chose to rock a totally see-through dress at the awards show earlier this month. "At first, I tried on the dress, and I was like, 'I'm not wearing this. It's see-through,'" she recalled. "And then everyone was like, 'It looks amazing!' And then I convinced myself." However, Lovato noted the most uncomfortable part was that she was on the red carpet with her step-dad. "He said he approved, but I don't know if he realized it was see-through," she explained. "I don't know! We didn't talk about it!" Though Lovato didn't end taking home the award for Best Pop Vocal Album, she went into the night knowing her chances of beating Adele were slim to none, joking that the election made her feel like she might "have a shot." Still, she thoroughly enjoyed herself and even got to take the stage to perform in tribute to The Bee Gees. (Eonline)

This might just be the most random dating rumor in a while... But it has been reported that Paris Jackson and former TOWIE star Tom Kilbey have formed a close bond. The 18-year-old daughter of musical legend Michael Jackson split from her long-term boyfriend, Michael Snobby, earlier this month and has since been spending time with the 26-year-old former reality TV star who is currently staying in Los Angeles. The unlikely pair were recently spotted out and about in LA together, just days after Paris's break-up. However, according to The Sun, a source close to the pair has insisted that they're friendship is platonic for the time being. "The TOWIE cast can't believe it," said the insider. "Tom has been trying to make a name for himself in the States and has managed to become involved in a set made up of aspiring young fashion hopefuls." "They have been getting close and both share the same drive for their careers but it's believed the relationship is not romantic." Paris reportedly split with her ex to focus on her role in filmmaker Lee Daniels' new TV show, Star. A source told US Weekly, "Paris ended things with Michael ... She is doing well, enjoying being on set with Lee Daniels and focusing her energy on the opportunities ahead." However, the source then went onto explain that it would be no surprise if Paris and Michael got back together, saying: "It appears that Paris and Michael have parted ways for now, but their future is uncertain... It might just be a temporary fix until she finds her way back to Michael again." Well, with Tom in the picture now, we're guessing that won't be as likely anymore? But who knows, aye! (British Glamour)

Will Eva Mendes Finally Be Ryan Gosling's Plus One at the 2017 Oscars? Could Sunday night's Oscars finally be the night Ryan Gosling steps out with Eva Mendes as his date? We'll just have to wait and see, but the sad reality for us shippers...probably not. Gosling, who is nominated in the Best Actor category, won't even mention Mendes' name at award shows -- he's referred to her as my lady, my sweetheart, my angel, but never by her actual name. When Gosling won at the 2017 Golden Globes, Gosling emotionally dedicated his victory to his "lady" and her late brother. Noticeably absent from the Globes was Mendes' name and Mendes; the actor arrived without her by his side. "I would like to try to thank one person properly and say while I was singing and dancing and playing piano and having one of the best experiences I've ever had on a film, my lady was raising our daughter, pregnant with our second, and trying to help her brother fight his battle with cancer," Gosling said onstage. "If she hadn't have taken all that on so that I could have this experience, it would surely be someone else up here other than me today. So sweetheart, thank you." One of the most well-known facts in Hollywood is how fiercely private these two are about their relationship and their two daughters, Amada and Esmeralda. And while not talking about them or flaunting them in public is certainly understandable -- every celebrity has his or her right to privacy -- but is it too much to ask to get a red carpet date night? While at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival earlier this month, Gosling played it coy when asked whether Mendes would be his plus one. "Oh, I'm not sure," the La La Land star said. "It's still a little while away." Based on their rare red carpet history, we're going to guess that the real answer is no. But that doesn't mean we can't hope for a huge surprise come Sunday! (Eonline)

No, Mark Consuelos Is Not Actually Mean to Kelly Ripa After Sex. Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos are setting the sex record straight. After the daytime talk show host caused quite the stir a week ago when she said her husband of more than 20 years is "immediately mean" to her after "grown-up time," she is backtracking on the comment. "I'm sorry! I was joking," she proclaimed during Wednesday's show alongside Consuelos. "This is a funny, irreverent show. I didn't realize that it would become trending news." In fact, it was because the story was trending that Mark even realized something had gone awry when he co-hosted with his wife last Wednesday. "I laughed. I didn't refute it because I thought it was the most ridiculous thing I ever heard," he recalled of his reaction at the time. The next day, the actor was on set in Dallas for a project when his phone started going off with texts from friends asking him if the comment was true. Soon, he noticed the headline trending on his news apps. A week later, he wanted to clear the air with his wife and the world. "I just wanted to set the record straight that no one can be mean after something if they are unconscious," he declared today. "I sleep." "Maybe that's what I meant," Ripa reflected. "I didn't really mean mean. I meant completely disinterested -- like sound asleep." "If disinterested means sleeping...how about satisfied and just happy?" Consuelos said as the audience "aww'ed" in unison. Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, Ripa joked her husband is overcompensating a bit. "Now, he's oddly attentive," she told the audience. "There's odd conversations like, 'Do you want to watch the Real Housewives?' 'What do you want to do?' 'Would you like pizza?' 'Can I get you flowers?'" "She's not wrong," he responded, acknowledging that the comment did make him just a touch concerned. "In every joke there's a bit of truth." "I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Ripa echoed. "It's cute watching you try to stay awake, too, because I know all he wants to do is fall right to sleep." Still, the longtime couple is able to find the humor in this already humorous situation. "The two days I was in Dallas, I would go to a restaurant to eat and the ladies were looking at me," he told his wife. "I thought they were looking at me like I was some monster." "No, that's not how they were looking at you. They were like, 'I bet I can make him nice,'" she retorted. "That's true," he quipped back. "That's true." (Eonline)

The Weeknd isn't the only one moving on. Bella Hadid was spotted at Love magazine and Burberry's London Fashion Week party on Monday cozying up to a "mystery photographer." A spy tells Page Six that the two were "very flirty" at the bash, held at the private members club Annabel's. They were "whispering to each other at various points throughout the evening," the spy added. We're told that the mystery photographer was a fellow guest at the soiree. Also at the fashionable event, which was hosted by Kendall Jenner, was Hadid's sister Gigi, Ellie Goulding, Gwendoline Christie, Derek Blasberg and model Winnie Harlow. Hadid, 20, and singer The Weeknd, 27, split up in November. Earlier this month, the model told Teen Vogue that her breakup has been hard. "Love hurts, but you have to pull through," she said. The Weeknd has been dating Selena Gomez for over a month. A rep for Hadid declined to comment. (Page Six)

George Clooney Opens Up More About Lifestyle Changes He's Making With Amal To Ensure Everyone Is Safe During Her Pregnancy. George and Amal Clooney are taking a step back from their risky travels now that they're expecting! During a candid chat with Paris Match magazine, the Ocean's Eleven alum revealed he and his lady have vowed to be more "responsible" when selecting the various countries they plan to visit. The A-lister explained: "We decided to be much more responsible, to avoid the danger. I won't go to South Sudan anymore or the Congo, Amal will no longer go to Iraq and she'll avoid places where she knows she isn't welcome." Smart, smart. As you surely know, Mrs. Clooney's work as a human rights attorney often requires her to visit dangerous territories. Most recently, the 39-year-old took on ISIS on behalf of a human trafficking survivor, named Nadia Murad. At the time, Amal noted she discussed "the risks involved" with George, but powered ahead with the case regardless. Now, just because the powerhouse couple are preparing for their little ones, that doesn't mean they'll be dropping their nomadic lifestyle just yet. Apparently, the Hollywood hunk and his wife will settle down ONCE the kiddos are old enough to attend school. He continued: "We have the chance to live between three countries: Italy, America, and England. But as soon as the children go to school, it'll be necessary to choose where to settle. In the meantime, we will continue to move according to our respective schedules." Hmmmm, very interesting. And while many people speculate the duo spend a lot of time apart, the 55-year-old promised they aren't "separated for more than a week." We bet once the twins arrive they'll be spending EVERY moment together -- whether they like it or not! Speaking of the twins, despite earlier reports indicating otherwise, the Clooneys do NOT know the sexes of their unborn babies. The Oscar winner concluded: "I don't know where this rumor comes from that we're going to have a boy and a girl. We ourselves don't know yet and don't want to know." Huh. We guess we'll have to wait until June for the official confirmation about the Clooney twins' sexes. Stay tuned! (Perez Hilton)

As a 16-year-old model, Hunter McGrady spent hours toiling away in the gym and starving herself to maintain her 114-lb., size-2/4 frame. But she was miserable -- and she wasn't booking jobs. "My hips were always the bigger part of my body, and I was already so thin that I couldn't keep shaving them down. I physically could not. And everyone was telling me that I could," McGrady, 23, tells PEOPLE. "At that time I thought my dreams of becoming a model were crushed." And when she did get gigs, they weren't going well. "I walked into one of my very first modeling jobs at a size 4. They looked at me and said, 'We didn't realize you were this big,' and they sent me home," McGrady recalls. "And I was so upset, and so livid, that I was getting picked at, already, at just a young 16 years old." Fed up with trying to force her 5'11" body to be something it wasn't, McGrady decided to accept her shape -- curves and all. "I love my body now. I love everything about it," she says. "I've been an 18, I've been a 10/12, and I've been everything in between. Right now I sit at a 14/16, and I love it, because this is my God-given body." About four years ago, McGrady heard about curve modeling and went to Wilhelmina Models, where they signed her on the spot. She immediately landed jobs with Lucky Brand, Bare Necessities, Lane Bryant and more, but her big dream was the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. "I always told myself that one way or another I was going to get in there." In December, she got the call -- and she made a serious splash when the issue came out Feb. 15. "It's a moment -- not just for me, but for women in history -- to be in this issue. Finally, we're being heard," McGrady says. "I just want women to see this and feel inspired and feel sexy and feel like they can own their body and own their skin. And men, too!" (People)

Jamie Lynn Spears' daughter, Maddie, is back to her favorite sports following her terrifying accident. The country singer posted a video of the 8-year-old playing basketball on Tuesday, February 21. "1st Basketball practice today #Godisgood," the proud mom, 25, captioned the Instagram post. Earlier this month, Maddie was seriously injured after her ATV flipped over into a pond on February 5. She was submerged underwater for a few minutes before she was taken to a nearby hospital in New Orleans and placed in critical condition. "Because she was strapped in, they couldn't get her out immediately. Rescue workers had to get her out," a source told Us Weekly at the time. The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office added to Us that Maddie was trying to avoid driving over a drainage ditch when the accident occurred. "The ATV and child were instantly submerged in the water right before their eyes. Within seconds the child's mother, stepfather and other family members reached the pond, dove in and attempted to rescue the child to no avail," the sheriff's report said. "The child was trapped and secured by the seatbelt and the ATV's safety netting." Two days later, the first grader woke up and began speaking. She was released from the hospital on February 10. "So grateful that Maddie was able to go home today... it's truly a miracle," Britney Spears wrote of her niece via Instagram. "Our prayers were heard, and they were answered! Thank you so much for all of your love and support this week. My family appreciates it more than you will ever know." The Zoey 101 alum welcomed Maddie in 2008 with ex-fiance Casey Aldridge. She went on to marry boyfriend Jamie Watson in New Orleans in March 2014. Back in June, Jamie Lynn opened up about motherhood during an interview with the Today show. "There's a lot of surprises," she said. "The biggest thing for me is the sense of purpose I have every day when I get up. No matter what it is, whether it's taking her to school or doing something like this today, there's just a different motivation behind what I'm doing." (US Weekly)

Lisa Marie Presley and estranged husband Michael Lockwood squared off in court Wednesday, where Lisa Marie's lawyer threw down the gauntlet, telling Michael the gravy train has left the station and he needs to get himself a job. The former couple was fighting over technical stuff, but at one point Lisa Marie's lawyer, Mark Gross, addressed Michael's demand for $40k a month in spousal support. Gross said the time has come for Michael to apply for jobs ... like working in a guitar shop or giving music lessons. The couple's 8-year-old twins are now living with the grandma, Priscilla Presley, while DCFS investigates troubling images found on Michael's computer. (TMZ)

Sean Kingston was beaten up badly Tuesday and people on scene say Migos was the culprit ... but the story is bizarre and the group is not wanted by cops, at least not yet. Law enforcement sources tell us it went down late afternoon at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Vegas. We're told Kingston and the guys from Migos got into it over an argument involving Soulja Boy and the 3 members of Migos beat Sean badly, allegedly kicking him and stomping on his head. Law enforcement tells us someone from Sean's camp pulled out a gun and fired once, but didn't hit anyone. That person was detained by security and turned over to the Vegas PD. By the time cops arrived both Sean and Migos had left. A short time later Sean was pulled over for a traffic stop and became "semi-cooperative," though he did not name names. We're told police want to speak with Migos, but they are quick to add members of the group are not "wanted" by cops. Story developing ... (TMZ)

The guy accusing Mike Epps of attacking him in a New Orleans casino says these pics prove the comedian went HAM on his face. TMZ obtained the shots of Algernon Pitre ... he claims he suffered the black eye, laceration and general swelling at the hands of Epps around 4 AM Saturday in Harrah's. Pitre tells us he also has neck pain, and got a CT scan and X-rays. He's already lawyered up, but says he'll wait to see how the criminal case plays out before considering a lawsuit. As we reported, Epps was arrested for battery and no-showed for his arraignment. His reps had no comment, but on Tuesday he signed autographs and repeated, "I love my fans" like it's his mantra. Too little too late? (TMZ)

Luke Bryan's Infant Niece Has Tragically Died. Luke Bryan thanked his fans for their prayers after revealing his infant niece Sadie Brett Boyer died Tuesday. Boyer was born in the summer of 2016 and was battling an undisclosed cardiac heart issue as well as several other conditions. Boyer was the daughter of Luke Bryan's wife Caroline's brother Bo Boyer and his wife Ellen Boyer. Bryan tweeted to his fans Tuesday evening, "We thank all of you for your prayers. Love y'all." The family stayed relatively quiet about the baby's condition, however, Bryan shared several updates on his app about her condition. Two months ago, Bryan revealed his niece was undergoing treatment at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital in Nashville, according to Taste of Country. This is not the first tragedy to strike the Bryan family. Bryan's older brother, Chris, died in a car accident at age 26. His sister, Kelly, died unexpectedly in 2007 at age 39. Her husband, Ben Lee Cheshire, died in 2014 and Bryan and his wife Caroline took in their nephew Til. (PageSix)

Steven Spielberg's mother, Leah Adler, died on Tuesday, February 21, the Hollywood Reporter confirmed. She was 97. "While known for her red lipstick and Peter Pan collars, for her love of daisies, for her blue jeans and sparkly bling, for her dancing from table to table around the Milky Way, and for her love of camping, fishing and crossword puzzles, Leah is best remembered for her deep, limitless love for the people around her," a representative for Spielberg's production company, Amblin Partners, said in a statement. Adler was born in Cincinnati. She studied at the Music Conservatory in Cincinnati and earned a degree in home economics from the University of Cincinnati. She and her first husband, electrical engineer Arnold Meyer Spielberg, married in 1945 and lived in New Jersey for seven years before relocating to Phoenix, and then Los Gatos, California, with their four children. After their split, she married Bernie Adler in 1967. They opened a kosher restaurant called the Milky Way in L.A. before his passing in 1995. Steven, 70, was close to his mother. He opened up about her during a 2012 interview with 60 Minutes. "My mom didn't parent us as much as she sort of big-sistered us. She was Peter Pan. She refused to grow up," the famed director said at the time. "She's the Peter Pan that he couldn't put in his films," family friend Shirley Lamm later told the Los Angeles Times in 1994. "She's the E.T. that he couldn't put in his films. She's the pixie, she's quixotic; she doesn't have an artificial bone in her body." Adler is survived by her four children, Steven, Anne, Sue and Nancy, as well as 11 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. (US Weekly)

THE OTHER STUFF . . .

Jimmy Fallon Donates $100K to Fund Art at His High School. Jimmy Fallon has donated $100,000 to help fund the art program at the high school he attended, with some of the money going toward the school's TV studio. The host of NBC's "Tonight Show" is a 1992 graduate of Saugerties High School in upstate New York. Fallon tells The Associated Press in a statement that he's glad to be able to give something back. He adds: "And if anyone there wants to return the favor with a statue of me or something, I'm totally cool with that, too." While there's no word on a statue, district Superintendent Seth Turner thanked Fallon for the gift and joked that he's willing to completely eliminate Fallon's disciplinary record in return. (PageSix)

Umbrella Used By Britney Spears in 2007 Attack Up For Auction. The paparazzo whom Britney Spears attacked with an umbrella during her 2007 meltdown is selling the item to the highest bidder. Photographer Daniel Ramos told Broadly on Tuesday, the 10-year-anniversary of the infamous incident, that he's auctioning off the green umbrella and plans to donate half of the proceeds to a charity of Spears' choice. In 2007, the pop star, who was faced with an ongoing custody battle with her then-estranged husband Kevin Federline, and had recently shaved her own head at an LA salon, was swarmed by photographers at a gas station. She then went on the attack, swinging her umbrella at Ramos' Ford Explorer and yelling "f -- k you." Spears then dropped the umbrella, ran to her car and sped off. Another photographer handed the umbrella to Ramos. "It was a bad moment in her life," said Ramos. "Unfortunately it was captured." A few months later in 2007, Spears wrote on her website: "I apologize to the pap for a stunt that was done 4 months ago regarding an umbrella. I was preparing my character for a role in a movie where the husband never plays his part so they switch places accidentally. I take all my roles very seriously and got a little carried away. Unfortunately I didn't get the part." Spears was placed on two psychiatric holds the following year. Despite a successful comeback, including starring in a Vegas residency show, she and her estate remain under a conservatorship run by her father, Jamie Spears. Ramos quit working as a paparazzo in 2013 to focus on filmmaking shortly after Kanye West allegedly assaulted him. West settled Ramos' lawsuit against him two years later. Spears has not commented on Ramos' auction. (PageSix)

Today Tours New Princess Diana Fashion Exhibit at Kensington Palace. You will now be able to see some of Princess Diana's iconic wardrobe pieces up close -- that is, if you're willing to travel across the pond to Kensington Palace. But if you can't make it, the Today show is more than happy to give you a tour. The palace is opening a new exhibit called "Diana: Her Fashion Story" that will display 26 of the late princess' most famous dresses and ensembles, and the Today show got a first look that was aired Wednesday morning. Anyone who followed Princess Diana's many public appearances will recognize some of the dresses, including the blue velvet gown she famously wore while dancing with John Travolta at the White House in 1985. "[The exhibit] is a sort of journey through her evolving style, learning how she learned to dress to adhere to the royal rules," curator Eleri Lynn told Today Style. "There are so many things you have to take into consideration, dressing as a royal princess. So you kind of learn with her as you go through the exhibition." Historical Royal Palaces is still in the process of collecting items for the exhibit but revealed it secured a green tartan Emanuel coat Princess Diana wore on a trip to Venice in the 1980s. Many of Princess Diana's favorite designers, and the original sketches they created for her, will also be highlighted. "She worked closely with designers but definitely had an eye for design herself," Lynn said. "She was very good at communicating with people through what she wore. She would always ask designers when she was trying things on, 'What message am I giving out when I wear this?' So you have her wearing colorful, beautiful things to children's hospitals, for example, because she knew that would be attractive to children. She was good at making herself approachable through clothing." The exhibit comes nearly 20 years after Princess Diana's untimely passing. Prince William and Prince Harry will also pay tribute to their late mother this spring and summer with a garden. She famously adored Kensington Palace's Sunken Garden and frequently stopped by to chat with the gardeners. "Diana: Her Fashion Story" opens this month. (Eonline)

Blac Chyna Has Lost 40 Pounds Since Giving Birth to Dream Kardashian 3 Months Ago. Blac Chyna is making serious strides toward her goal weight. A little more than three months since giving birth to daughter Dream Kardashian on Nov. 10, the reality star and mom of two stepped on the scale on Snapchat to reveal she has shed 40 pounds since her final pre-baby weight at 192 pounds. Today, the star weighs in at 154 pounds with her sights set on a goal weight of 130 pounds by the summer. While she still wants to lose 24 pounds, Chyna is feeling comfortable in her current skin. "I feel confident," she told E! News during her first public appearance since the birth in early January. "I've been trying to get my body back and focusing on the baby. She's healthy. I'm healthy. That's just my main focus." While speaking to E! News, the star attributed her weight loss to hikes, "slowing down" her pregnancy cravings and her own secret "remedies." "It's super hard," Chyna added. "I had actually had a C-section, so with breastfeeding and drinking water and my teas and my other little remedies...it's been working out for me really good." Chyna wasn't skittish about gaining weight throughout her second pregnancy. Four months into the process, she told fans she wanted to gain 100 pounds before giving birth. "I'm going to tear it up and then I'm going to snap back," she said on Snapchat in June 2016. Meanwhile, her on-and-off beau Rob Kardashian had the same idea in mind just weeks before welcoming their first child together. "Oh yeah we snapping back," he wrote on Instagram with a photo split of himself looking trim with Chyna in a bikini. "Baby will be here in 4 weeks and I'm done with carrying this pregnancy weight me and my baby gonna be righttttttt ,,, MOTIVATION TIME we almost there Chy." No matter the number on the scale, the proud parents now have a precious little addition to their lives. "I wanted a boy so bad and now that I got my girl I am so Thankful and Happy for her and wouldn't want it any other way," Rob wrote on Instagram. "She is the best and I love her so much and I thank God every day for her." (Eonline)

Paris Jackson Shares Heartwarming Message to Her ''Little Man'' and Brother Blanket on His 15th Birthday. Happy birthday, Blanket Jackson! The youngest son (real name Prince Michael Jackson II) of late music icon Michael Jackson turns 15, and his older sister Paris Jackson shared a sweet message to the teen, who is quickly growing up before our eyes. "ughhhhhh my little man is 15 today," Paris wrote alongside a silly throwback photo of the duo from their childhood. "slow the f--k down, i want you to stay a baby forever. this lil dude right here is one of the most strong, intelligent, and determined people i know." She added, "watching you grow up and slowly become a man is like super terrifying but i honestly can't tell you how proud i am. i love you so much B" Unlike Paris' recent introduction into the limelight, Blanket has shied away from most public appearances since his father's death in 2009. He attends a Los Angeles-area private school, is involved in martial arts and enjoys spending time with his extended family. The birthday boy was most recently spotted heading to dinner at celeb hotspot Catch with a group of friends. Meanwhile, Blanket's sister, 18, appeared on the cover of CR Fashion Book Issue 10, in which she shared her professional aspirations don't include breaking into music. "I write music for myself. I use it as a way to get stuff out. It's not something I see myself following career-wise," she explained. "There are so many amazing artists in my family. If I were to do it as a career, it would change how I feel about music and I don't want that to happen." Wishing Blanket his best year yet! (Eonline)

Chip and Joanna Gaines may have put Waco, Texas on the reality TV map with their hit HGTV show Fixer Upper, but the couple would consider leaving "the lone star state," at least for a period of time. Speaking with press at a KILZ Master Class and media tour of the Magnolia Market at the Silos in Waco on Tuesday, the reality stars revealed that leaving Waco is a possibility for their family. "We've got four young babies and so the farther we get from home, it makes it almost impossible for us to figure out how to keep everything in balance or in line," Chip told PEOPLE. Though Texas is home to the parents of four, the couple admitted that they have discussed the idea of living elsewhere for a period of time. "Mine would be Las Vegas," Chip jokingly told press about the possibility of living in Nevada. "I think the kids would really appreciate it." As for the decorator and designer, Jo has her eyes on the Big Apple: "New York City. I think it would be fun." "Although, you know, it's so funny because anytime we go to the Big City -- any big city really, but New York specifically -- and you see these beautiful little families and they are walking their one little baby, two max, and I'm like, What would we do with four kids? You know, you would lose at least one of those kids every time you walked down to the store and back," Chip chimed in. "She jokes about New York City and I joke about -- mine would be somewhere Caribbean, in Mexico somewhere, South America. We've got very different ideas of romance when it comes to that." Although the couple has different ideas about where they'd like to live for a temporary amount of time, Waco seems to be the best spot -- but that won't keep them from entertaining the idea of living elsewhere in the United States. "Waco is our meet in the middle spot: half big city, half tropical -- maybe not. We talk about it. We've been to Kansas City a lot recently and have just fallen in love with that community," Chip added. "Salt Lake, every time we go there it just kind of really inspires us, obviously New York City for Jo. There are a few cities across the country that we would possibly consider if Waco did not work out." (People)

Kate Middleton Recycles a 5-Year-Old Coat to Play Pool With Kids. She may be the Duchess of Cambridge, but she's also the queen of fashionable recycling. On her most recent occasion of outfit repeating, Kate Middleton arrived in Torfaen in Wales for a visit to MIST, a program that provides mental health services to children in the surrounding area who have faced adversity and trauma. MIST is a part of Action for Children, of which Middleton serves as a royal patron. Donning a 5-year-old burgundy double-breasted coat and coordinating skirt by French brand Paule Ka, the mother of two got into the childish spirit of the day by grabbing a pool cue and joining a game with a handful of youngsters. However, her 15-year-old teammate later joked to reporters that Middleton's skills were less than par. "She was dreadful," he quipped. Talk about a tough critic! Later, she visited with the Caerphilly Family Intervention Team, which is part of Action for Children, to understand the therapeutic services they provide to local children. The charitable royal has spent more than a year advocating on behalf of her campaign with William and Prince Harry called Heads Together, which promotes mental health programs and services for British citizens of all ages. The trio has used their platform to eliminate the stigmas surrounding mental health in their country with the use of services rooted in schools and neighborhoods. "The challenge that so many people have is not knowing how to take that first step of reaching out to another person for help. Admitting that they are not coping. Fear, or reticence, or a sense of not wanting to burden another, means that people suffer in silence -- allowing the problem to grow larger and larger unchecked," Middleton said at a charity meeting in January. The proud mother has credited her own children for showing her how important it is to improve mental health services for her constituents. While she's focused on life as a royal mother, her jacket was a subtle nod to the days before welcoming Prince George and Princess Charlotte. In fact, the last time she was spotted wearing her red coat and matching skirt, it was October 2012 -- just a year after her marriage to William and a year before giving birth to little George. Middleton, who has proven her forte when it comes to recycling looks, styled the ensemble slightly differently five years later with a black turtleneck layered underneath and a pair of knee-high boots. Her chocolate locks were shiny and pinned back with volume at the crown. No matter her boots or blowout, she's always the same stylish Kate. (Eonline)

The Otis elevator heir who took a pickax to Donald Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame cut a deal in his felony vandalism case and he won't spend a day behind bars. James Otis pled no contest to the vandalism charge and was placed on 3 years probation. He was also ordered to pay the Hollywood Historic Trust and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce a total of $4,400 ... presumably the cost of repairing the damage and replacing portions of the star. Otis must also do 20 days of Caltrans work ... possibly picking up trash by the freeway. He did the deed October 26, 2016, to protest then-candidate Donald Trump. (TMZ)

Jenna Jameson has gone off on yet another anti-Muslim Twitter tirade, and this time she also bizarrely defended the Klu Klux Klan. The ex-porn star's rant started on Tuesday after she tweeted claims about the existence of "Muslim rape gangs." When other users fired back, she called them "sympathizers" and down on what she said was a "Muslim rape epidemic." "I disagree with absolutely everything they represent, and I am utterly unafraid to express my opinion," Jameson tweeted. The hours-long rant then took another strange turn when Jameson -- who converted from Catholicism to Judaism after her engagement to Israeli jeweler Lior Bitton -- defended the Klu Klux Klan. "Do the klu klux klan follow a religion that orders the death of apostates? When was the last time we saw a klan member blow up infidels?," she tweeted. The star, who is due to give birth in April, has lashed out at Muslims before. In January, she drew fire for tweeting that Islam "promotes child rape, female genital mutilation, butchering non-believers and polygamy." "I'm not sure I expected Jenna Jameson to be totally 'woke' but these tweets are... bad," fired back one Twitter user. Meanwhile, in December she got into a social media tiff with former KKK leader David Duke. (Page Six)

Music

Camila Cabello is cooking up new music with Latin superstars Pitbull and J Balvin. After leaving the group Fifth Harmony, the Cuban-American singer is bringing out her Latin flavor in this new collaboration for Mr. 305's upcoming song "Hey Mama." The music video was filmed in Miami, where they recreated a street scene from Havana, honoring the Cuban roots of Cabello and Pitbull. Although the release date of the song has not yet been announced, fans have taken to social media to share their excitement to hear the track and watch the music video. Cabello recently shared a photo on Instagram of her next to a classic old-school car that is still seen around the Cuban capital with the caption: "For my Latin people, stand up." In December 2016, the singer premiered her music video for her first single as a solo artist "Bad Things" with music artist Machine Gun Kelly. The other members of Fifth Harmony wrote a message to Cabello wishing her luck after her parting. "After 4 and a half years of being together, we have been informed via her representatives that Camila has decided to leave Fifth Harmony. We wish her well," said the statement released by the group. "That being said, we are excited to announce that we will be moving forward with the four of us-Ally Brooke, Normani Kordei, Dinah Jane and Lauren Jauregui for our fans. We are four strong, committed women who will continue with Fifth Harmony as well as our solo endeavors." Now the sky's the limit for Camila, especially with these new collaborations that will surely be a success. (People)

Ed Sheeran has covered Little's Mix's Touch and we're here for it. In a session for BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge, before taking on Little Mix's latest hit, Sheeran confessed he's a self-proclaimed fan of the girl band - and of course nailed the song. The cover was just as good as the original version, if not better. We'll let you judge: Gushing about Little Mix Ed said: "Can I say that the one concert I went to last year was Little Mix. I didn't go to any gigs and I was in Milan and I'm a Little Mix fan girl." He continued: "And who isn't? I rarely meet boys now who don't like Little Mix, they just have hit upon hit, there's not a song that comes out that I'm not like, 'Oh, that's gonna be in my head for a month now.' They're always on point." The Little Mix's girls must be proud. (British Glamour)

Disturbed, Avenged Sevenfold Pay Tribute to 19-Year-Old Crew Member Who Died After German Show. Both Avenged Sevenfold and Disturbed paid tribute to a 19-year-old stagehand who died breaking down their set after a gig in Stuttgart, Germany on Monday (Feb. 20). "This is beyond heartbreaking to everyone in the band and on our crew," wrote Avenged Sevenfold in a Facebook post; a second 26-year-old man was also injured in the incident. According to the post, the 26-year-old fell "a very far distance" from the rafters while disassembling the stage and landed on the unnamed 19-year-old, who died from his injuries; the 26-year-old is reportedly in critical condition. "We all send our thoughts and prayers to the man in the hospital, both families involved, all of the local Live Nation crew and everyone else whose lives have been affected by this terrible accident," they wrote. "We love our crew so much as well as the many local staff who are essential to our show every night wherever we are around the world. This is such a stark reminder of how quickly an accident can happen and lives shattered in the process." Disturbed posted a similar tribute, saying that the "horror and heartbreak felt by everyone on the tour is beyond words." Read the band's full tribute. No other details on the incident were available at press time and spokespeople for the groups could not be reached for further comment. Avenged Sevenfold, Disturbed and Chevelle were slated to perform in Milan, Italy, on Tuesday (Feb. 21), but the show was canceled due to what the promoter said was an illness affecting Avenged singer M. Shadows. (Billboard)

Jay Z to Become First Rapper in Songwriters Hall of Fame. Jay Z will become the first rapper ever inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame when he enters the prestigious organization in June. The Songwriters Hall announced Wednesday that songwriting heavyweights in the industry, including Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Max Martin and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, will also be part of its 2017 class. The organization's 48th Annual Induction and Awards Dinner takes place June 15 in New York. Three members of Chicago -- Robert Lamm, James Pankow and Peter Cetera -- as well as Motown founder Berry Gordy, who deferred his induction in 2016, will also be inducted. Jay Z is the first rapper to be nominated for the Songwriters Hall. Songwriters are eligible for induction after writing hit songs for at least 20 years. Jay Z, who released his debut album "Reasonable Doubt" in 1996, has launched multiple hits in the last two decades, from "Big Pimpin'" to "Empire State of Mind." Babyface has won countless Grammys for writing hit songs for Whitney Houston, Boyz II Men and other acts, while Martin has become pop music's leading contemporary songwriter, co-writing No.1 hits for Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, the Weeknd and other superstars. Songwriting Hall nominees who did not move on to induction include the late George Michael, Madonna, Bryan Adams, Vince Gill, Kool & the Gang and Gloria Estefan. Only five songwriters, or songwriting groups, are inducted each year. (PageSix)

Mariah Carey Blames "Everybody" Including Herself for That Unforgettable New Year's Eve Performance. If you ask Mariah Carey who is to blame for her notorious New Year's Eve performance, she has some names in mind. "It was a mess, and I blame everybody," the Grammy winner confessed in a new interview with Rolling Stone. "And I blame myself for not leaving after rehearsal." "I used to get upset by things," the "Obsessed" singer continued. "This was out of my control, and had everything not been such a total chaotic mess, then I would have been able to make something happen. Even the dancers should have stopped dancing and helped me off the f--king stage. I'm sorry." It's been more than two months since Mariah started off 2017 on a bum note thanks to her appearance on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest. After her performance in Times Square didn't exactly receive rave reviews, accusations flew as to why this performance wasn't her best. Ultimately, the Mariah's World star is trying her best to move past it, even if some people will never understand the situation. "I don't even want to bring this up too much, but whatever, we're obviously talking about it, the New Year's Eve situation–that couldn't be helped," she shared. "It's just something where if I can't explain it to the entire world, then they're not going to understand it, because it's not what they do. Just like I wouldn't understand somebody who had a desk job and how to do that. I couldn't." With a new boyfriend by the name of Bryan Tanaka and an upcoming tour with Lionel Richie, Mariah has much to look forward to. She also is focused on co-parenting her twins with ex Nick Cannon. Recently, the comedian faced a tabloid report claiming he suffered a nervous breakdown and that his erratic behavior has family members concerned. Ultimately, the TV host set the record straight on social media. "If you report these lies, expect a slander and defamation lawsuit," Nick shared with his Instagram followers. "Look everyone, see how the media is trying to break a King? It's all good though, I'm a warrior! I was built for this! Me and my family, my mindset, and my spirit are all stronger than ever." He added, "I felt like releasing this so called 'journalist' info to the public so you all can get at them, but instead I release nothing but positive energy into the Universe." (Eonline)

Kesha's own team was obsessed with the singer's weight, while Dr. Luke -- the man she's suing for allegedly saying she looked like a "f***ing refrigerator" -- was emotionally supportive ... this according to new legal docs filed by Luke. Dr. Luke's lawyers submitted emails from Kesha's managers and personal assistant, including one from one of her managers to another, saying, "She really sounds like someone who is doing drugs soo erratic. a couple of hours ago all is going well now she wants to dump the whole lot. this doesn't feel right even with Kesha standards." The reply ... "She is nuts!!!" There were also references to keeping junk food away from Kesha, with a manager writing, "I definitely think there can't be junk food there for sure." Luke emailed Kesha back in 2010, "I know you said you looked like a lesbo but I disagree -- you looked radiant and beautiful. You're doing exactly what you're meant to be doing right now. You're actualizing your dreams. I'm proud of you and love you very much. xo L" Kesha claims in her suit Luke sexually assaulted her and psychologically abused her. (TMZ)

Coldplay & Chainsmokers Prepping 'Something Just Like This' Single: Report. The Chainsmokers let it slip back in September that they were cooking up something special with Coldplay singer Chris Martin. With just a few brief snippets as a tease, we were forced to wait for further news of this all-star collabo. Now, according to Your EDM, the song has an official title: "Something Just Like This." The site posted what it said was a banner ad for the track that reportedly showed up on Spotify on Tuesday (Feb. 21). The image of the ad -- featuring a young boy in a superhero cape and blue mask lifting his arm triumphantly over a sea of stars in front of a crescent moon -- features both band's names, the title of the song and a button that says "listen now." The ad did not appear to be on the Spotify landing page at press time. Spokespeople for both acts had not returned requests for comment at press time, but the Chainsmokers did release two teaser videos of Martin singing over a percussive, piano-laden track back in September. And another with Martin at the piano playing along to the track. Coldplay have been teasing a new EP, Kaleidoscope, the follow up to 2015's Head Full of Dreams. In November, Martin tweeted, "we're working on some new songs for next year. It's called the Kaleidoscope EP." (Billboard)

Future Performs 'Draco' on 'Tonight Show'. Future is pretty much owning this week. Just hours after confirming the release of a second album in the span of seven days, the Atlanta rapper appeared on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon for a performance of "Draco," a cut from his current, seventh album release Future. With his trusted producer and collaborator DJ Esco in support, Future got in his zone without so much as lifting his hoodie. Future is cruising toward a No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200 chart for what would be the artist's fourth successive bow at the summit, following Evol (2016), What a Time to Be Alive (with Drake) and DS2 (both in 2015). Not content with all that, he's just announced a new album, HNDRXX (with DJ Esco on production duties), will drop this later this week and he'll hit the road for his Nobody Safe Tour this May. (Billboard)

Rag 'n' Bone Man Takes You Behind the Scenes of 'Human,' Admits Aretha Franklin Made Him Cry. Rag 'n' Bone Man's career couldn't have got away to a brighter start. The British soul man has the decade's fastest-selling male solo debut in the U.K. with his album Human (Best Laid Plans/Columbia/Sony Music), and he's guaranteed to come home with a prize from this Wednesday's Brit Awards in London, where he'll receive his Critics Choice honor. On the night he'll join the likes of Adele, Florence + the Machine, Ellie Goulding and Sam Smith as a recipient of the U.K. industry's top up-and-comer trophy. He's also up for best British breakthrough act and he's set to perform the album's title track. The singer and songwriter (born Rory Graham) has been clocking up the airmiles in support of Human, with a transatlantic promo sprint which has included a performance last week on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, an interview for Apple's Beats 1 and a feature for the Beats by Dr. Dre Beat x Beat online series. Alongside his producer Two Inch Punch, Rag'n' Bone Man took the Beat x Beat cameras into the studio for an exclusive glimpse at the making of "Human," which currently sits at No. 2 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart. "The inspiration for 'Human' came from a conversation," he explains in the Beat x Beat video. "We stumbled upon this question, sometimes you think a problem is a problem, when sometimes it isn't. And it takes you to have a little step back and realize you might be a bit dramatic. Take a look around and see what's going on in the world. Nine times out of 10 there's somebody else with a much bigger problem." And in a separate, confessional chat with Beats 1 host Julie Adenuga, Rag 'n' Bone Man admits to the last time he bawled ("I don't feel less masculine for crying at Aretha Franklin"), the last famous person he saw (Ed Sheeran, who visited him in France), the last time he was drunk (he soothed the nerves with a few drinks while shooting a TV show with Denzel Washington and Whoopi Goldberg), recalled a phone call from Elton John ("he didn't have to do that, it made my day") and recounted the moment he met Courtney Cox ("I did that sort of 'hello,' the really English sort of Hugh Grant 'hello.') Human bowed at No. 1 in the U.K. on debut last week after outselling the rest of the top ten combined. It's currently sitting at No. 1 on the midweek chart, with double the sales of the next best title. (Billboard)

Movies

Reese Witherspoon, Oprah Winfrey and Mindy Kaling Are Having the Work Vacation of Your Dreams. WARNING: This vacation porn is totally safe for work. In fact, you might just need it to get through another day in the office. In honor of their upcoming 2018 remake of A Wrinkle in Time, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling and director Ava DuVernay boarded a plane and headed to New Zealand to get to work. However, from the look of the stunning social media shots, it seems work and play collided in the ultimate trip for these lucky ladies. "Never seen a sky like dis. New Zealo is off the chain," Kaling, who will portray Mrs. Who, captioned a shot of a vibrant blue sky and seafoam shoreline. The scenery was so beautiful, it could have passed for Photoshop. In another image, Kaling was photographed taking in the sights from the comfort of a private hot tub because, well,of course. "Is this real life?" one fan commented on a picture of DuVernay posing in front of the water. No, dear fan, it is not. "Around every corner yet another breath taking view," Oprah echoed her co-stars with a shot of herself taking in the sweeping sights. "This is what I see on the the ride to work every morning. crystal blue Lake." We get it, Oprah -- please don't rub it in! While we know the getaway was for "work," Witherspoon made an actual vacation of it by spending some time at the Aro Ha Wellness Retreat located in the nation's southern alps. There, the Oscar winner enjoyed horseback riding, yoga and -- of course! -- the spa. "What an incredible experience I had at @aroharetreats in South Island NZ!! The amazing yoga (thank you @damianchaparro), the delicious vegan meals, and the incredible spa treatments were unreal! So grateful for it all, including this lift @mollyrstern!" *BRB, booking one-way flight to New Zealand.* (Eonline)

Lorraine Bracco didn't see "Goodfellas" until 2016. "Well, I went to the premiere, but I missed the start doing interviews, and then they pulled me out before the end, and then I had another job on a film with Sean Connery in the f -- king jungle," she told The Guardian in an interview published Monday. "And by the time I came home it wasn't playing. And I never wanted to see it on TV." Bracco, 62, who starred as good girl-turned-mob wife Karen Hill in the 1990 Mafia classic, didn't even catch the movie at its 25th-anniversary screening. "So in New York in 2015 there's an anniversary thing, but again I don't actually get to see it," she said. "And finally I see it last summer, outdoors in LA [at Hollywood Forever cemetery]. Beautiful, 4,000 people, a full moon. And me." Bracco says it was worth the wait. "It's funny! I mean, laugh out loud. I never realized," she said. Bracco also revealed that one of her most famous lines in the movie, "Who do you think you are? Frankie Valli?" was her own doing: The line was originally about Rock Hudson, and she had to convince Martin Scorsese to let her do things her way. "I was not a Rock Hudson girl," Bracco said. "I was Frankie Valli. So I changed it. And although Marty was open, I still had to fight for it. And it's no fun to fight Scorsese. But I had done my research. And the more we shot, the bolder I got." She added, "I was lucky, I knew Robert [De Niro], so I had a friend. And Ray [Liotta] was always delicious. Marty I didn't know so well, but what I learned was not to be afraid of my ideas, and that he was open to them. Unconditionally! That was a big thing. The boys were always like, 'Let me try this.' So by the third day, it was, 'Well, if they're doing it, I'm doing it, too.'" She also revealed that her upbringing helped her prepare for the role of Karen. "My father was Italian-American and my mother was a war bride. English, from Oxford," she said. "And I was born in Brooklyn but we moved to a Jewish neighborhood on Long Island. So I knew the Italian world and the Jewish world. That helped. I am a true immigrant, Mr. Trump!" Speaking of Trump, the "Sopranos" star isn't impressed with the POTUS. "Oh, I've met him in New York," she said. "Never my kind of guy. Always very arrogant." (Page Six)

Martin Scorsese's 'The Irishman' Heads to Netflix From Paramount. The news that the A-list project has left Paramount comes on the heels of the major announcement that Brad Grey has exited the studio as chairman and CEO. Martin Scorsese's The Irishman has made the move to Netflix. The streamer has picked up the rights to the long-gestating gangster movie, which was originally set up at Paramount, sources confirm. The Irishman will see the director reunite with Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Al Pacino. Steve Zaillian adapted The Irishman from Charles Brandt's book I Heard You Paint Houses, which chronicles the exploits of Frank Sheeran, a high-ranking Teamsters official with ties to the Bufalino crime family. Shortly before his death in 2003, Sheeran confessed that he killed fellow Teamster leader Jimmy Hoffa, whose body has never been found. He also claimed that it was Hoffa who wanted John F. Kennedy killed. In Cannes, STX prevailed in a heated bidding war to pick up the film's foreign rights for $50 million, with Paramount attached to handle the domestic distribution. Mexican financier Gaston Pavlovich's Fabrica de Cinefully planned to finance the $100 million movie. An official start date has not yet been set for the project, which was first announced back in 2008. The news that The Irishman left Paramount comes on the heels of the major announcement that Brad Grey was exiting the studio as chairman and CEO. Paramount handled the release of Scorsese's last movie, the religious drama Silence. (Hollywood Reporter)

'Silence' Producer Accused of Inflating the Value of Assets in Bankruptcy Dispute. The long-gestating film is at the center of an increasingly loud legal battle. Cecchi Gori Pictures is inflating the value of assets, including Martin Scorsese's Silence, in an adversarial proceeding arising from its bankruptcy, according to a motion filed Monday in California federal court. CG declared bankruptcy in December, and its CEO Andrew De Camara promised legal action against those who "took advantage of the power vacuum" that was created when founder Vittorio Cecchi Gori was indicted in Italy for financial crimes. In February, a suit was filed against G&G Productions, claiming rights CG held were fraudulently transferred to G&G. CG was granted a temporary restraining order and is seeking an injunction in an effort to recover the assets. Now, G&G is firing back. In a Monday court filing, G&G questions the participation in the proceedings of Niels Juul, the former head of the company, describing him as "the one party with the least credibility in relation to the CG Companies." "Plaintiffs depict Juul as the innocent 'Hollywood Insider' who was left in the dark about matters of the Debtors and bullied by the henchmen of a sort of Italian crime boss, Cecchi Gori," writes attorney Brian Davidoff. "Though this story makes for an interesting movie script, Juul is well aware that -- much like any Hollywood drama -- the script strays far from the truth." G&G claims that Juul was removed as chief executive, in part, because he was being reimbursed for significant expenses without authorization. It was later discovered, according to the filing, that he had also been making unauthorized sweetheart deals for himself -- including one that gave him the right to be a producer of Michael Mann's Enzo Ferrari biopic. Juul was fired in 2015 and refused to turn over the company's financial books and records, so CG hired an auditor. According to the filing, more than a million dollars had been transferred from CG to Juul or his company, Nofatego LLC. Juul's credibility is paramount, G&G claims, because he is the sole source used to put a nearly $10 million value on assets at issue in the lawsuit. "Plaintiffs' only evidence offered to support the Plaintiffs' purported value of the scripts is a declaration from Juul," writes Davidoff. "Not only is Juul's credibility in question but much of his declaration is patently inadmissible. ... Juul's purported script values lack any evidentiary foundation, constitute an improper summary, constitute hearsay, and are improper speculative lay opinions." One of the assets at issue is Martin Scorsese's Silence -- which, according to the filing, is a decades-old headache that has yet to pay off. It all started in 1998, when CG first optioned the project and lined up Scorsese to direct and produce. After he repeatedly delayed the project to work on The Departed, Shutter Island and Hugo, CG sued. They reached a settlement in 2014 and CG was reimbursed nearly a million dollars. "The movie has not (yet) proved successful, and box office sales have equaled less than half of the approximately $40 million budget," writes Davidoff. "It took sixteen years for the CG Companies to be reimbursed its costs related to this script, and it appears dubious that there will ever be a profit." A hearing is currently set for March 6. (Hollywood Reporter)

TV

Annalise Isn't Going Down Without a Fight in This How to Get Away With Murder Season 3 Finale Sneak Peek. Never count out Annalise Keating. The conspiracy against her may be growing, the pressure mounting, but if three seasons of How to Get Away With Murder have taught us anything, it's that there's no one with more fight in her than our dark and twisty antihero. And in this sneak peek at two-part season three finale, exclusive to E! News, Annalise (Viola Davis) is ready to bring the fight to A.D.A. Atwood and her shadowy benefactors (AKA the Mahoneys). But first she's got to rally the troops, who are currently more preoccupied that they might wind up dead just like Wes. "Atwood isn't. She's the weak link," Annalise tells the Keating 4 when Asher (Matt McGorry) worries about how dangerous the Mahoneys really are. "And if we find proof that she had any contact with the Mahoneys, they all go down. And isn't that what you want? To find out who killed Wes and how to make them pay? So that's what we do. We don't stand around here complaining. We act. So let's get to work." You can take her reputation. You can take her job. You can even temporarily take her freedom. But you'll never take away her ability to deliver one heck of a speech. Know that. In the first half of the two-hour finale, Annalise must ward off a surprising new angle in the D.A.'s case against her, while alliances shift among the Keating 4 as they discover crucial information about the circumstances surrounding Wes' death. And in the second half, appropriately entitled "Wes," Annalise and her team test the limits of how far they'll go to save themselves while the chilling details from the night of the fire finally reveal who killed Wes. How to Get Away With Murder's two-part season three finale airs Thursday, Feb. 23 at a special time, 9 p.m., on ABC. (Eonline)

Why Feud Is Actually an Important Show for Women. If you've seen the promo of Susan Sarandon (Bette Davis) kicking Jessica Lange (Joan Crawford) in the head, you know one thing about FX's Feud: It's devious and delicious. But after screening the first five episodes, we can tell you, the show is probably not at all what you think. Yes, it's hilarious. And yes, it's fun a f. But while women-attacking-women catfights have become the new gold standard in reality TV (and hey, no judgments, we get sucked in just as much as the next guy!), Feud is actually doing some pretty great things for women. Not only does the 10-episode limited series -- from Ryan Murphy, who brought you The People Vs. O.J., Glee and American Horror Story -- shine a glaring red light on women's issues, equality, ageism and sexism, it's also putting its money where its mouth is behind the scenes, as the first Ryan Murphy set run predominantly by females. "Seventy percent of my department heads on Feud were women," Murphy tells E! News. "So it was a very female-friendly set. I think there were 15 roles for women over 40 on that set. It was a very different environment for all of us. And for Susan [Sarandon] particularly, I think the thing that is what clinched the deal -- I told her half the episodes were going to be directed by women. And one of them was going to be Helen Hunt. She said, 'OK, that's pretty cool. I've never really been on a set before that's run by women.'" The legendary Hollywood story of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford can't help but feel a bit heightened, given the actresses' exaggerated personalities in their later years, when this story takes place -- the series picks up in 1962 when, after years of side-eyed competition, they come together to shoot the cult classic movie Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? Yes, there's hair-pulling and tension and costumes galore, the beauty of Feud is that it digs so much deeper and it is far more relevant than you'd think. "People are starting to figure out this is more than just a Hollywood thing," Murphy tells me. "We're talking about women's issues, we're talking about very upsetting things that are happing now, not just in Hollywood but in business with women." In an era of television where the most talked about reality shows thrive in part by pitting women against each other -- The Bachelor, Housewives, etc. -- Feud seeks to inspire women to rise above it all, and to fight together on the issues that bind us. "I think people at first blush might think, 'Oh, this show is glorifying women tearing each other apart," Murphy explains. "Actually, this show is condemning it, and trying to show women, that's not the way to go. And you could be much more powerful united than opposed. That is more important now than we would have ever thought." The 10 episodes also peel back the layers on why this feud happened, why all feuds happen, and the forces behind the scenes that pitted these two women against each other. Just as Ryan Murphy did for Marcia Clark, he will make you really feel for Bette and Joan. "Great feuds are never about being bitchy or anger, there's always some huge amount pain behind it," Murphy explains. "These two women had more in common I think than any two women in their lives. They were both married four times, they were both actresses, they both struggled being single mothers. And if only they had come together and were friends and said, 'We're going to battle everyone together,' they would have been much happier." Feud: Bette and Joan shows us in vivid color what has changed -- and what hasn't -- when it comes to the treatment of women in the past 50-plus years. Murphy, who started The Half Foundation in 2016 to give female directors more opportunities, believes there is much more work to be done, particularly when it comes to Hollywood's treatment of women over 40. "Many times I'll bring women like the incredible Kathy Bates who has an Academy Award into my office and say, 'I'm going to write something for you,' and they'll burst into tears," Murphy reveals. "And I'll say, what's wrong? And in the case of Kathy, she said, "You know, people just don't, I feel like they don't remember me. They're not interested in me.' There is still a lot that needs to change." Feud: Bette and Joan premieres March 5 on FX. (Eonline)

This Is Us Blesses Us With "Memphis," One of TV's Most Beautiful Hours Ever. If you feel forever changed after Tuesday night's This Is Us, you are not alone. The hour found Randall -- fresh out of the hospital after last week's mental breakdown -- taking his dying biological father on a road trip to his hometown of Memphis to make amends, reminisce, and share in the black family history Randall had always dreamed of. It wasn't hard to predict what was going to happen at the end of the episode as it became clearer and clearer that William (Ron Cephas Jones) knew his time was just about to run out, and that he wasn't going back to New York with Randall (Sterling K. Brown). He had introduced his son to a whole new world, then allowed himself to die there, knowing that he had done all he could to give Randall what he really needed. We tend to inject all of our TV reactions with internet-appropriate hyperbole, but we are not even slightly exaggerating when we say we sobbed harder during Tuesday night's episode than we have at any other TV episode or even any movie we can think of, and we were beginning to lose it before Randall and William even got in the car. We knew what was coming. We've known it since the series' very first episode, and we knew it would hit us hard, but we could not have imagined that William's death and the journey around it would hit us quite as hard as it did, or with nearly as much beauty. "It was kind of a moment, like an open mouth moment," Ron Cephas Jones said of the first time he read the script, during a Q&A after a screening of the episode. "Like, I can't believe what I'm reading. It affected us all that way -- me, Sterling, and Susan [Kelechi Watson]. I remember us walking out of the building after the first read and each of us were waiting for one of us to confirm what we just read." The episode took us through William's entire life, from even before he was born, and showed us exactly what kind of a beautiful life he had, and could have continued to have, if things hadn't fallen apart a bit somewhere along the line. Since his father died in the military while his mother was still pregnant, William grew up with just his mother, and they became extremely close. His band was about to hit it big in Memphis, but then his mother was sick in Pittsburgh, and when William went to be with her, he fell in love at the same time, so he never went back to Memphis. His mother's death was sort of the beginning of his descent into addiction, but no matter what he went through, he never totally lost who he was. The "agony and ecstasy" of William's life was incredibly important for directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa to convey throughout the episode. "[It was] this opportunity to explore his life, that he wasn't just some casualty that got born into abject poverty," Ficarra told E! News. "I think it was really beautiful in the sense that it painted this beautiful life that he had or could have had, and it wasn't some arch reason why he was a drug addict or that it's kind of a slow train wreck, just these little moves that added up to something that it shouldn't have, or we wish it wouldn't have, but ultimately had a happy ending." William's soul was the thing that struck Requa the most, and when tackling this extra important episode, he wanted "to view [William's] history and why that hard life gave him such a great perspective on life," he told us. "And his son, who's struggling to deal with the adversity of life, the ups and downs, can learn, maybe glean something from this peaceful soul." Randall will be on a whole new path going forward, now that he's dealing with the second death of a father. "In a way, the episode kind of completed him, but also tore something else open, but I think in his everyday life as opposed to his past. I think that's a bold new avenue for him," Ficarra said during the Q&A. Randall was already in a relatively fragile place, dealing with the stress around his dying father and trying to keep up at work. William's death isn't going to help him, but it's also not necessarily going to set him back again. "I think Randall's always going to have issues with pressure and I think that's a whole other element of his character, this need to be exceptional, whether it be because he's adopted or because he's black in a white world," Ficarra told E! News. "Just his coping mechanism is not the healthiest. I think he'll learn to deal with it, but he is not a guy who's going to say this is enough. Whatever his life was before William entered his life, I don't think it's a place he's itching to get back to. I think it's just the beginning of more growth for him." While "Memphis" focused mainly on William's past, Randall's other dad, Jack (Milo Ventimiglia), was also very present in spirit. Randall remembered how Jack would calm him down and remembered the first time Jack took him to the barbershop, but one of the most gut-wrenching parts scenes in the episode came early on, when William made Randall take a detour to Jack's favorite tree, where some of his ashes had been scattered. William proceeded to sit by himself and have a candid convo with Mr. Pearson, thanking him for raising Randall. "I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to meet you, brother," he said. "I would have liked to have heard that laugh. I would have liked to have met my son's father." (Cue the gross, messy sobs.) Jones says that moment one of the hardest scenes in the episode, up there with his death scene. "It's like, that's a moment where you actually have a visual picture of Randall's two fathers," he told us in a smaller conversation after the Q&A. "That's another exact moment where you say to yourself Randall has two fathers. You don't say to yourself, Randall has a father and some guy who's his biological father. You get to that point at this point now and you actually say, Randall has two fathers. He says on his deathbed, 'my son.' He says 'my beautiful boy,' and then he corrects himself and says, 'my son.' You know, it's like, that's the culmination of all his life -- getting back to what he had dropped off at the fire station. It's like, a hell of a thing, you knocking on my door that day." And just like Jack, William's death won't stop him from being a part of the show. He and Ron Cephas Jones will be back, thanks to the way storytelling works on this show. It's just a matter of how and when we'll see William again, which is both great and challenging for an actor. "You'll see him again, but it won't be in this carnation. So still, there's a sadness to it," Jones said. "The only consolation is that as an actor, I know I'm coming back and I'll be able to hang out with my friends for another season. But as far as William is concerned, I just gotta let him go now until next season, so that's going to be a process. Like letting that character go. Still sometimes, he's still here. I can feel him or I'll say something that sounds too much like him, you know. It's just the little things." "We like to say on This Is Us: death is not a release," Requa said. "We've created a world there in Memphis. The question is: do we go play there again?" The answer had better be yes. This Is Us airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on NBC. (Eonline)

How This Is Us Is Handling Death Better Than Any Other TV Show. Death is a character, not a stunt. It lives with you, eats away at you, invigorates you. It can drive you mad. It can drive you to do things you never would. Death, whether it's the fear of it or the inevitability of it, is a part of all of us, of every moment of our lives in some way or another. And this is what This Is Us has captured about death better than any other TV show in years -- possibly ever. (Warning, spoilers for the Feb. 21 episode ahead.) In Tuesday night's stellar episode, William (Ron Cephas Jones) did exactly what we expected him to do from the first episode of the show, when we learned he was sick: He died. It wasn't an OMG moment. It wasn't a hashtag. It wasn't done so the show's adults 18-49 demo rating would see one-tenth of an uptick. It was necessary for the character and the storyline. (OK, so maybe the Toby cliffhanger in the midseason finale was a little stunty.) Since it premiered in September, This Is Us has been about death, in more ways than one. First, endless speculation and social media chatter centered on whether or not Jack (Milo Ventimiglia), TV's new favorite patriarch, was dead or alive in the present-day storyline. Then the conversation turned to when and how Jack died, with viewers recently learning the time period in which he passed. (We see the Big Three are teenagers in a quick glimpse at his funeral.) "We like to say on This Is Us, death is not a release," John Requa, who directed Tuesday night's episode along with Glen Ficarra, said. "Our main character has never been alive for the entirety of the show." While we've yet to see Jack's death happen, or even learn the circumstances surrounding it, it colors almost every scene. Like in real families, his death completely changed the framework for the Pearsons, as a family and as individuals. Randall, Kevin, Kate... they would not be the characters we know them as today if they hadn't experienced the loss of their father at that specific time in their lives. "There's a before and after for this family," creator Dan Fogelman has said of Jack's death. "Even in the pilot, even before you knew there was anything off with Jack, there's a hinge in this family, and it's kind of a before with Jack and an after. That will be really interesting in future seasons and as we go forward, to show where that hinge was, how it happened and what happened to these people before and after it." What's different about how This Is Us is handling Jack's death, as well as William's recent death, is that they aren't the main event, or the scene to end the season or the series. This Is Us is often hailed as the next Parenthood, another NBC drama about a tight-knit family with a penchant for making viewers cry, but Parenthood even fell victim to putting off its major death to the final three minutes of its series, turning a potential well of storyline into a montage. But This Is Us is proving that death, in real-life and on TV, doesn't have to been the end of a relationship or a sweeps episode, to be meaningful. Siddhartha Khosla, who wrote the song William composed in the episode, said, "The lesson I get from the show, from the entire series, is that life doesn't really end ever, so the idea of the refrain here at the end, 'We can always come back to this,' is a play on that, just saying that you might not be here now, but I'll find you somewhere down the line." And the episode, along with William's final day, was a mix of joyfulness and sadness, as the father and son shared stories, memories and laughs, ones that likely only came out of William's acute awareness that his time was almost up. They were getting to know each other and saying goodbye, all at once. "We tried to make it not just this sad episode, but an episode that had a little bit of sort of hope in it and a sense that life is about transitions and death is just one of those," Requa said, with Ficarra adding that this loss will lead Randall to "look for meaning." So with William's death, comes Randall's rebirth. Again. This Is Us airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on NBC. (Eonline)

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Trip Inside the Framework Just Hinted at a Return We Never Saw Coming. Warning: The following contains major spoilers from Tuesday night's episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. If you haven't watched yet, you might want to bookmark this page and return once you have. Proceed with caution! Grant Ward, is that you? Following a harrowing ordeal to escape S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ after learning that the entire team had been compromised and replaced with LMD versions of themselves on Tuesday night's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., including a heartbreaking fight scene between Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) and LMD Fitz (Ian De Ceastecker) that forced Jemma to kill the man she loves (or a version of him, rather), Simmons and Daisy (Chloe Bennet) realized their only hope at finding their captive friends would be voluntarily entering into Radcliffe's (John Hannah) Framework and hoping Coulson (Clark Gregg) and the others could offer up some info about where they were being held. And what they saw as they crossed over into this alternate virtual Earth was a doozy. So what simulated lives had Aida (Mallory Jansen) created for everyone to give them what she thought would be a sense of peace as she kept them captive in the submarine? There was Mr. Coulson, high school teacher, preparing to deliver a rather out-of-character lecture entitled "Inhumans -- Why We Fear Them." Meanwhile, Mack (Henry Simmons) was doing dad duties, picking up a clearly alive-in-this-world Hope's bike in the yard. Framework Fitz was revealed to be quite rich and dressed rather sharply as he exited his chauffeured car, reaching for the hand of a female passenger. Simmons, you ask? Not quite, as a flash to a cemetery revealed a headstone for our beloved Jemma, the date of her passing obscured, leaving us with a dreadful feeling that poor Jemma will come to in the Framework trapped in a coffin. And May? Well, May was looking boss AF at work, as the camera panned out to reveal the logo on the building wasn't that of S.H.I.E.L.D. That's right -- Hydra's back. Normally, the return of Hyrda would be the thing to truly flip our lid, but what Daisy woke up took the cake. Coming to while taking a bubble bath, she received a text message telling her to wake up her boyfriend as they were being called in. As she rushes to find what she believes will be Lincoln sleeping in the bed, we catch a glimpse of a framed photo on the dresser. It's a long-haired Daisy posing sweetly with none other than Grant freaking Ward. After perishing in the season three finale alongside Lincoln, Brett Dalton hasn't been seen on the series. It looks like that's poised to change. Is this hiatus over yet? Whose Framework reality surprised you most? Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. returns on Tuesday, April 4 at 10 p.m. on ABC. (Eonline)

Demi Moore Is Joining Empire as a Mysterious Nurse in Season 4. Empire is turning into a Moore/Willis family affair. Demi Moore is set to join Empire in a recurring role, E! News can confirm, joining her daughter Rumer Willis, who was previously announced as a guest star this season. Willis will make her debut after the show returns on March 22, and Moore will appear in the season three finale and then will recur in season four. Moore will play a "take-charge nurse with a mysterious past" who becomes "treacherously entangled" with the Lyons. Willis, meanwhile, will play an acclaimed singer-songwriter named Tory Ash who becomes important to Jamal's newest musical project. Moore hasn't been on TV since a 2003 episode of Will & Grace, and hasn't had a recurring role on TV since her stint on General Hospital in the early '80s, though Willis has stopped by numerous TV shows over the years, including Pretty Little Liars, Workaholics, and 90210. Mariah Carey also guest starred this season, and Nia Long is also set to appear when the show returns. Empire returns Wednesday, March 22 on Fox. (Eonline)

Judge Judy Seeking a $200M Payday for Reruns. Judith "Judge Judy" Sheindlin is shopping around her reruns and they don't come cheap. The TV judge makes a cool $47 million annual salary from CBS for top-rated "Judge Judy," and her most recent negotiation also included the rights to her library of reruns, spanning 21 seasons, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Sheindlin, 74, reportedly is shopping around the catalog in hopes of pocketing $200 million from the show. Insiders told The Hollywood Reporter that Bear Sterns banker Lisbeth R. Barron has been pitching the idea to distributors and studios, using the hook that once the show's first-run episodes end in 2020, there's going to be a huge demand for anything "Judy." There already is a high demand for Sheindlin's sharp wit and sass: The show averages 10 million viewers daily, even in its 21st season, and she has three bestselling books under her belt. Still, some insiders are skeptical about the idea. "The company didn't necessarily think [the library] was that valuable," a source told The Hollywood Reporter. "There had been some tire-kicking over the years with either cable or [subscription video on demand] people to see if anyone wanted her shows, and I don't think the response was overwhelmingly big." Another insider said, "Is it sellable? Yes. Is it sellable for hundreds of millions of dollars? I don't think so." Still the source added, "But I always go back to Ted Turner. Everybody said he'd lost his mind when he paid $1.5 billion or whatever he paid for the MGM library, and then he created two networks out of it and all of a sudden he was a genius." (PageSix)

Oscar producers Mike de Luca and Jennifer Todd aren't above the occasional beg or bribe to ensure Hollywood's biggest night stays that way. This is the first time producing the Academy Awards for the veteran production execs, and both were determined to find the perfect host to kick off their maiden voyage into live TV. "We were looking for someone in that Johnny Carson, Bob Hope mold," De Luca tells PEOPLE. "A true master of ceremonies, someone who could riff as the evening went on." With those qualifications in mind, De Luca says Jimmy Kimmel "fit the bill for exactly what we were looking for." But the talk-show host, who recently MC'd the Emmys, needed a little convincing. Positive he was the man for the job, De Luca and Todd decided to make a house call. "Yeah, we went over to his house and groveled -- and we brought him cannolis," Todd admitted with a laugh. "We pitched him on the show, and he asked us, 'Why would you guys want to do this?' And we explained to him exactly our vision of wanting to do a show that's really earnest, really fun and inspiring." De Luca, who produced critically acclaimed films like American History X and Moneyball, and Todd, who produced hits like Austin Powers and Alice in Wonderland, are both huge film buffs, and their love of cinema helped sway Kimmel to the gig. "We like the nostalgia for movies, and we like it to feel more movie-centric. Sometimes we thought it felt more like the Tonys than the Oscars, so we made a conscious choice not to have any musical acts that weren't nominated songs," says Todd of her vision for the show. That was surely music to Kimmel's ears, who previously told PEOPLE of his desire NOT to sing and dance. "Unless someone brings a gun out and forces me to sing and dance like Yosemite Sam," Kimmel said, I probably won't." Instead of relying on big musical numbers, she says, "We will lean-in to clips and ideas around loving film and films for everybody. There are a lot of award shows but we think of the Oscars as the grand dame, it's the one you dream of winning as a young person growing up and I think it really is the most meaningful." Kimmel later called the producers' enthusiasm for the show "infectious," and credited their visit with cementing his decision. "We're glad that he gives us credit for winning him over," added Todd. "We weren't going to leave until he said yes, so maybe that's what did it." The Academy Awards kicks off live on ABC on Sunday, Feb. 26, with a 7 p.m. ET pre-show and 8:30 p.m. ceremony. See all the Oscar nominees and get your own ballot here! (People)

Writer of BBC, PBS Newspaper Drama 'Press' Talks Fake News, "Demagogue" Trump. "A lot of the stuff to do with Trump actually is the same old stuff with new names," says Mike Bartlett, who explains why the show won't try to represent current events or real-life people. British playwright Mike Bartlett, the writer and executive producer of BBC hit drama Doctor Foster and upcoming newspaper industry drama Press, says his new show will not pick up the recent debate about fake news per se and not look to portray current real-life politicians and reporters. Press, which PBS Masterpiece will premiere in the U.S., will "explore the turbulent media landscape through the fortunes of competing broadsheet and tabloid papers and the very different and colorful characters who work for them," the BBC said previously in announcing the six-part series. Speaking to reporters in Liverpool during the annual BBC Worldwide Showcase, the world's biggest TV sales market hosted by a single distributor, Bartlett said the show would feature fictional characters and politicians and explore such long-term issues as privacy and how journalists get stories rather than trying to stay on top of latest industry debates. The writer said, for example, that he wouldn't spend an episode exploring the recent debate around fake news. "The press is changing every month at the moment," Bartlett said. "So, if we tried to represent either current affairs too closely or real people, or we portrayed the hacking crisis or wrote a whole episode all about fake news, in a month's time, no one will be talking about fake news, it will be something else." But Bartlett argued that fake news is just the latest iteration of an underlying debate that has long affected the media industry. "I'd say fake news has always been [an issue]. What paper do you trust? Where do you get your news?" he explained. "You look at the papers and TV news -- there has always been discussion about can you trust your information, what are your sources? Fake news is just our latest term for it." The writer in that context also discussed U.S. president Donald Trump, saying: "A lot of the stuff to do with Trump actually is the same old stuff with new names. We are reacting as though it has never happened before. It doesn't make it any less shocking, but it's hardly the first sort of demagogue or wannabe dictator." BBC Worldwide is the commercial arm of U.K. public broadcaster BBC and the largest seller of TV content outside of the U.S. (Hollywood Reporter)

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