ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Kel Mitchell and Wife Asia Lee Welcome a Daughter Named Wisdom. There's a baby on board for Kel Mitchell and Asia Lee! And what perfect timing, since the comedian's cult classic Good Burger premiered exactly 20 years ago today. Mitchell took to Instagram Tuesday to share his wife had given birth to a baby girl named Wisdom over the weekend. Their precious newborn weighed in at 7 lbs., 11 oz. and it's clear Wisdom's mom and dad couldn't be more overjoyed. "Fun reading all the post for the 20th anniversary of Good Burger today thx for the love!" Kel wrote alongside a photo of his daughter napping peacefully. "We have also been celebrating here at the Mitchell household since the weekend. My love @therealasialee gave birth to our baby girl Wisdom on Saturday afternoon. She was 7lbs 11oz with a head full of hair and full of happiness!" This is the first child for the longtime lovebirds, who tied the knot on Jan. 8, 2012. 38-year-old Mitchell has two teenage children, Lyric and Allure, from a previous relationship. The proud pops continued, "I'm so grateful and happy! My baby girl is here! So much joy in my heart. She is so adorable!" Of course, Kel wouldn't let an opportunity to gush over Asia. He shared, "My Wife is the most amazing woman she was so strong throughout the birth. I'm so proud of her! @therealasialee you are My super woman! You amaze me everyday! Thank you for this gift!" "Our daughter is a reflection of your beautiful greatness and loving spirit! Our daughter is a blessing! For this Child we have prayed 1 Samuel 1:27 Prayers do get answered and dreams do come true! Daddy loves you Wisdom!" All together now: Aww! Kel and Asia announced their pregnancy on Valentine's Day of this year with an appropriately-themed Good Burger photoshoot. Dressed in cashier costumes reminiscent of Mitchell and co-star Kenan Thompson's iconic looks from the comedy flick, the pair expressed excitement over their "bun in the oven" to-be. Congratulations to the entire family! (Eonline)
Kristen Stewart and girlfriend Stella Maxwell surprised two Canadians brides by crashing their wedding! The couple showed up to Kirsten and Kayleigh Jennings' reception at Pizzeria Gusto restaurant on Saturday, July 22, in the River Heights area of Winnipeg, Canada. The newlyweds were dancing the night away when the owner of the restaurant asked them, "Hey, is it OK if Kristen Stewart and her girlfriend, Stella, come and have a few drinks with you guys?" Kirsten recalled to the Canadian outlet CBC News. "And I was like, 'Yeah, totally! Yeah, no problem. Um, who is that?'" Stewart, 27, is currently in town filming her latest movie, JT LeRoy, which also stars Laura Dern and Diane Kruger, and the Victoria's Secret model often visits her when she's traveling. "They're both so busy with work," a source close to Maxwell, 27, told Us back in May, "but try to be together when they can." Meanwhile, the Canadian brides said they treated the famous couple like any other guests, telling them to "come and party." Kayleigh told the site, "I actually wasn't as star-struck as I thought I would be." "They looked just like two normal girls," Kirsten added. "They look a little Hollywood, but if we didn't know who they were, I don't know if I would have known." Stewart and Maxwell drank, danced and even requested songs throughout the three hours they were there. The wedding DJ, Karli Elizabeth Colpitts, posted photos and video of the surprise cameo on Instagram. "Dj'ed the MOST fun wedding for these incredible wom[e]n last night and had an unplanned guest show up to dance with us at the end of the night! Apparently Kristen Stewart loves Beastie boys ! #djkchedda #kirandkay," she captioned the gallery. (US Weekly)
Mandy Moore Says She's Ready to Get Married Again -- & Start a Family with Boyfriend Taylor Goldsmith 'Sooner Rather Than Later'. Mandy Moore is "grateful every day" for the life that she's living, and she's excited about what her future may hold -- including marriage and motherhood! The This Is Us star recently celebrated her two-year anniversary with boyfriend Taylor Goldsmith, the guitarist for the indie rock band Dawes. "The best 2 years. Never not smiling with you, T," she gushed about the musician on social media July 12. Despite her past divorce from musician Ryan Adams after six years of marriage, Moore says that the thought of walking down the aisle again is "not scary" to her. "I would definitely get married again," Moore, 33, tells PEOPLE in this week's issue. "My life has sort of taken unexpected twists and turns professionally and personally, but overall my journey is the reason I am here today and I feel fulfilled by everything that happened," she says. And like Rebecca Pearson, her mom-of-three character on the Emmy-nominated NBC hit drama, Moore is also open to starting a family of her own with Goldsmith in the future. Moore, who has teamed up with global biopharmaceutical company Merck to launch the Her Life. Her Adventures. campaign -- its goal is to encourage women to plan ahead and get educated about family planning, including birth control options -- says that she's "really passionate about using my platform to inspire dialogue around women's health and to encourage women to talk to their doctors about family planning." While she admits to having her own "plan in place right now" and is focusing her attention on her career at this point in her life, she's hopeful that motherhood will be on the horizon. "I'm definitely ready for motherhood sooner rather than later!" she says, and adds, "I think that's going to be the next chapter." This Is Us returns Sept. 26 on NBC. (People)
Celine Dion and her backup dancer, Pepe Munoz, are only inseparable onstage, because she's still a single woman ... TMZ has learned. Photos of the two hanging out together in Paris sparked rumors the singer was dating again after the death of her husband Rene Angelil. Rene died in January 2016. Our Celine sources tell us the relationship is completely platonic. Pepe's a dancer on her international summer tour, and they know each other through mutual friends in Las Vegas. Pepe also has a side hustle as a fashion illustrator, so that's why he was spotted all over Paris with her -- including at a couture fashion show. Celine's tour was rolling through town, and we're told they simply share common interests, but are only close pals. (TMZ)
One of the girls who got switched at birth on TV has asked a judge to switch her relationship status in real life ... Katie Leclerc wants a divorce. The "Switched at Birth" star, who plays Daphne Vasquez on the show, filed court docs last week against her husband, Brian Habecost -- a real estate agent based in L.A. In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Katie is asking the court to put the kibosh on any requests from Brian for spousal support. The couple got hitched in September 2014, but never had any kids together. (TMZ)
Angelina Jolie Reveals Bell's Palsy Diagnosis, Says Her Kids Are Still "Healing" From Brad Pitt Divorce. Angelina Jolie has been through a series of trials and tribulations this past year, but she's not letting anything slow her down. The Oscar-winning actress opened up to Vanity Fair about daily life after her highly publicized divorce from Brad Pitt, how her six children are coping with the split and how she's finally taking charge of her health. Following the news that Jolie had filed for divorce from Pitt last fall, the 42-year-old actress and her kids spent nine months living in a rental home out of suitcases. Nowadays, after purchasing a historic Los Angeles mansion for $25 million, things are beginning to settle into place. "It's just been the hardest time, and we're just kind of coming up for air. [This house] is a big jump forward for us, and we're all trying to do our best to heal as our family." The A-lister won't go into details about what led to her split with the actor, but cryptically explains that things were tense for a short while before she decided to ultimately pull the plug on their marriage. Last summer, during post-production for Jolie's film First They Killed My Father, she claimed that "things got bad." Moments later, she clarified to the magazine, "I don't want to use that word...Things became 'difficult.'" And despite ongoing claims that Brangelina's larger-than-life and perhaps hectic lifestyle is what tore the family apart, the United Nations Goodwill Ambassador vehemently disagrees. "[Our lifestyle] was not in any way a negative. That was not the problem. That is and will remain one of the wonderful opportunities we are able to give our children... They're six very strong-minded, thoughtful, worldly individuals. I'm very proud of them." Jolie specifically added that her children have been "very brave...in times they needed to be." "We're all just healing from the events that led to the filing...They're not healing from the divorce. They're healing from some... from life, from things in life." But the end of her relationship with Pitt wasn't the only major hurdle Jolie found herself facing last year. The world-renown actress also developed hypertension and Bell's palsy. She also noticed extra grey hairs and dry skin. "I can't tell if it's menopause or if it's just been the year I've had," she shared. "Sometimes women in families put themselves last until it manifests itself in their own health." However, Jolie has taken her latest health obstacles with stride. "I actually feel like more of a woman because I'm being smart about my choices, and I'm putting my family first, and I'm in charge of my life and my health. I think that's what makes a woman complete." She continued, "I've been trying for nine months to be really good at just being a homemaker and picking up dog poop and cleaning dishes and reading bedtime stories. And I'm getting better at all three." Still, Jolie said, she's beginning to get an itch for travel and adventure in the near future. During a playful conversation with son Knox days before the sit-down, she joked that things in their household will never fully be "normal." "He said, 'Who wants to be normal? We're not normal. Let's never be normal.' Thank you -- yes! We're not normal. Let's embrace being not normal." Jolie initially filed for divorce from Pitt on Sept. 20 last year. The couple had been together since 2004 and tied the knot at their French chateau in 2014 while surrounded by their six children. (Eonline)
Amber Rose is getting forthright about her 2010 split from Kanye West and the "constant bullying" she says she's endured from him over the years. During an interview with Complex's "Everyday Struggle" talk show, the TV personality opened up about her personal battles in the years since breaking up with the rapper, and how his harsh comments deeply impacted her life. "I see this a lot on the Internet: 'Amber's going to hurt him.' I've been the one that's been heartbroken. I have never cheated on any of my boyfriends," Rose, 33, revealed during her sit-down interview. "I still have never said anything mean about Kanye. This is after six, seven years of constant bullying from him." Rose and West, 40, dated for two years before calling it quits in 2010 -- the same year he released the Grammy winning My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, his fifth studio album, inspired by their breakup. "It's a great part of history and it's a great part of hip-hop, and I'm happy to be a part of it, but that time was not a great time for me," she said. "I'm famous, and I'm broke. I can't date anyone else. I can't say anything on the Internet because Kanye has such a voice. If I was going to kill myself, I would have done it during those times." "The only thing I got from him was fame. I had to just take that," Rose continues. "I had to take that heartbreak on top of it." After years of feuding between Rose and the rapper's now-family (specifically, her Twitter war with Khloe Kardashian), West appeared on Power 105.1's The Breakfast Club in 2015, where he dissed Rose by stating he "had to take 30 showers" after dating her before getting together with now-wife Kim Kardashian West. Nearly one year later in January 2016, Rose's ex-husband Wiz Khalifa and their then-3-year-old son, Sebastian, became West's targets during a Twitter rant. Amber Rose Slams Kanye West for Mentioning Son in Twitter Feud with Wiz Khalifa Amber Rose is going into mama bear mode after Kanye West's Twitter rant "4th you let a stripper trap you. 5th I know you mad every time you look at your child that this girl got you for 18 years," West included in his list of grievances against Khalifa. Inserting herself into the middle of the rappers' beef, Rose responded to West with the now-infamous hashtag, "#FingersInTheBootyA -- Bitch." Feeling ashamed of his since-deleted tweets, West went on Steve Harvey's morning radio show several months later to apologize and acknowledge it was wrong of him to bring Rose and Khalifa's toddler into the mix. "I really want to stress the amount of respect that I have for parents," West, who is father to children North, 4, and Saint, 19 months, told Harvey. "There is no concept of anyone beating up on someone else's child or that type of concept. So every day I feel more deeply, deeply, deeply apologetic about that concept, because I only want to put out positive, positive, positive concepts." In an effort to fight for female empowerment, Rose founded the Amber Rose Foundation, which is a non-profit organization that aims to promote discussion about women's rights and equality issues. (People)
Jake Paul -- who recently departed the Disney Channel series "Bizvaardvark" in the midst of making headlines for being a disruptive neighbor -- has already found a new gig. The 20-year-old, who originally found fame on YouTube, took to Twitter over the weekend to announce his departure from Disney -- after an 18-month stint -- at the same time KTLA reported that he's been making his neighbors' lives "a living hell" by sharing his Beverly Grove address and encouraging visits from fans, as well as using his house as a set for his stunt-filled viral videos. "It used to be a nice quiet street and now we're just like this war zone," a neighbor told the station. In the same interview, Paul climbed onto the news van parked outside his house. "It's really poor timing," a rep for Paul told us regarding the recent negative press. The rep explained that the split from Disney was amicable, and "they couldn't have been nicer about it." He also noted that Paul wasn't fired even though the recent media "makes it look that way." Even though he's been out at Disney for less than a week, Deadline reported that he's already joined LiveXLive Studios as a contributing social editor. "We're going to bring great comedy and great music together like no one else is doing, and we'll have incredible access and resources to do it," he told the site. His Twitter announcement detailing his exit from Disney days before alluded to the fact that he was ready for a new venture. "Long story short... my team, Disney Channel, and I have come to the agreement its finally time for me to move on from the Disney family and Bizaardvark... I love my cast mates and will continue to support Disney but I have outgrown the channel and feels it's time to move forward with my career." "Now that he's not on the show he can go on auditions for more mature roles," his rep added. Paul further explained in his lengthy tweet that he will be focusing on his personal brand and his YouTube channel, which has over 8.5 million subscribers. If token party boy is the personal brand he's going for, it looks like he's right on track. (Page Six)
Yolanda Hadid Opens Up About Painful Moment She Was Dumped By Ex-Husband David Foster: 'Your Sick Card Is Up'. Yolanda Hadid once had it all: the husband, the kids, and the glamorous lifestyle. Then, it all came crashing down. On September 12, the former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star will release her new memoir Believe Me: My Battle with the Invisible Disability of Lyme Disease where she opens up about her illness, her days on reality TV, and her past two marriages which have both ended in divorce. While doing a photoshoot in Aspen, Colorado in 1993, the top model met her first husband Mohamed Hadid where they later had three children: Gigi, Bella, and Anwar Hadid. Although the now-53-year-old speaks well about Mohamed's character, he simply wasn't a good husband and they split in 2000. According to an excerpt obtained by DailyMail.com: "He's a good human being and provider for his children... he had two girls from a previous marriage... But unfortunately for me, he's not a faithful husband... It's a big blow to my ego. I thought I was a pretty good catch: financially independent... and loving my home life and roles as wife and mother." Ultimately, the Netherlands-native met music producer David Foster at a dinner party -- thrown by Mohamed -- and they got married in 2011. Sadly, a year later, Yolanda was diagnosed with Lyme disease at a Belgian clinic, and her life would never be the same. She wrote: "Too many nights I found myself lying naked on the bathroom floor, the only relief being the cold tiles on my bare skin, wondering how much more pain I could take and how many more days, months, and years I could suffer... There were plenty of times when I thought that I wouldn't make it through the night alive, and others where I wished and prayed that I would die." The illness also caused the Dutch-American TV personality to experience migraines, brain fog, joint pain, exhaustion, insomnia, and anxiety. To make matters more complicated, Hadid joined the cast of RHOBH while she was receiving treatment. During a visit to the Sponaugle Wellness Institute in Florida, she received IV drips, ozone treatments, colonics, and coffee enemas. "I can tell you that as much as I hate having a tube up my ass, I'm pretty sure that these colonics are one of my lifesavers." While Yolanda was busy fighting her health battles, she received little support from her Bravo costars. "Without cameras rolling, I clearly feel the lack of compassion of this group of women -- although it may seem more glamorous and interesting, is no different from a job at a bank." During the sixth season of the hit franchise, a rumor began circulating that Hadid suffered from Munchausen syndrome, where one fakes an illness for sympathy. "I kind of expected the women to have my back while filming in the same way I've protected them throughout difficult times in their personal lives on the show. I have a lot of factual information in the vault that could discredit them and their lives, but I've chosen to work with integrity and point out their strengths instead of their weaknesses." 2015 also marked the end of her marriage to Foster. When he came by her apartment to pick up old clothes, he reportedly told her: "Your sick card is up." Despite her hardships, Yolanda is determined -- more than ever -- to find a cure for Lyme's disease. "I'm going to find a cure for this disease and nothing and nobody is going to stop me. I will not allow anyone to shut me up or shame me into silence, and I'm not going to rot away behind closed doors." Strong words from a strong woman! (Perez Hilton)
Amber Rose is standing up for her BFF Blac Chyna amid her revenge porn drama with ex-fiance Rob Kardashian. "They both wanted to have Dream, it wasn't a mistake, it wasn't an entrapment, it wasn't anything like that," Rose said on Complex's "Everyday Struggle" morning show on Wednesday. "I was around when her and Rob first met, I'll tell you firsthand that her and Rob loved each other, it was very real. "The former couple's relationship passed the point of no return when Kardashian took to Instagram to post private pictures of Chyna earlier this month after she left him, which later evolved into legal drama focused on revenge porn. Rose added that Chyna had no bad intentions in the beginning of the couple's high-profile relationship -- contrary to what Kardashian has said. "Chyna was with Rob, she had a baby with him, they both wanted Dream, which is a beautiful baby, and s–t didn't work out and she opted to leave," said Rose, "She did not want to be in that situation anymore and that made people uncomfortable." As for Kardashian's post-breakup behavior? "You don't do that," she said. "He didn't have to go on the internet and be petty, you can't do s–t like that. It's time to grow up." Kardashian's attorney, Robert Shapiro, apologized on his client's behalf after Chyna was granted a temporary restraining order. "I personally on Robert Kardashian's behalf apologized and offered our regrets for what has taken place in the past couple of days, and now we move forward to do one thing and one thing only: whatever's in the best interest of this child," Shapiro said outside of court. (Page Six)
Kim Kardashian has no right to her own initials ... in the cosmetics world, anyway ... according to the Danish makeup artist who's now suing her. If you're into makeup you probably know the name Kirsten Kjaer Weiss. She says she's a famous makeup artist, and her line of KW cosmetics and makeup services are hot sellers around the world. According to docs, obtained by TMZ, Kirsten says Kim K's cosmetics logo is confusing consumers. She says the problem is Kim's products bear the 'KKW' logo ... far too similar to Kirsten's 'KW.' In the suit, Kirsten says Kim's infringement is "knowing, willing and deliberate" -- and it's intended to dupe customers and screw with Kirsten's bottom line. The great Dane wants the court to immediately block Kim from using 'KKW,' and to award her all of Kim's sizeable profits, and to punish KK by making her pay damages. (TMZ)
Venus Williams Denies Responsibility in Wrongful Death Lawsuit. Venus Williams has responded to the wrongful death lawsuit filed against her following a deadly car crash last month. E! News obtained the documents in which the tennis star denied responsibility for causing the death of 78-year-old Jerome Barson, who was riding passenger in the car with his wife, Linda Barson, when they collided with Williams' vehicle in the middle of an intersection in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., on June 9. In the documents, Williams claimed that the injuries both Linda and Jerome suffered in the accident were caused by their failure to use a seatbelt and adequately maintain their vehicle (which Linda was driving). Linda originally claimed that she suffered several broken bones -- including a cracked sternum and a broken right arm -- from the accident in her original filing against Williams. However, in her response, Williams claimed that Linda didn't sustain severe enough injuries to get money in damages, according to Florida law. Williams was driving her 2010 Toyota Sequoia SUV when she moved into the intersection where she collided with Linda and her 78-year-old husband in their 2016 Hyundai Accent. According to the accident reports, Linda told authorities she wasn't able to avoid crashing into Williams' SUV, while the athlete claimed that she entered the intersection during a green light but stopped in the middle due to traffic. She also said she did not see the Barsons' car when she crossed into the lanes. It was later revealed by Palm Beach Gardens police that Williams "lawfully" entered the intersection, according to footage from the accident. Barson was taken to a nearby ICU immediately after the accident. He died two weeks later, on June 22, after suffering from internal bleeding and organ damage. Williams broke her silence about his death when she released a statement on Facebook, writing, "I am devastated and heartbroken by this accident. My heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of Jerome Barson and I continue to keep them in my thoughts and prayers." After Jerome's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Williams, the tennis player's lawyers filed an emergency motion earlier this month to prevent Barson's lawyer from conducting an inspection of the Hyundai Accent and downloading its data out of concern that evidence could be destroyed or lost in the process of the inspection. (Eonline)
Venus Williams accelerated from 0 to almost 20 MPH in about 4 seconds as she pulled through the intersection where she had a fatal accident ... according to the attorney for the victims' family. Michael Steinger, who reps the estate of Jerome Barson -- the man who died -- tells TMZ Sports his team obtained the black box data Tuesday from Venus' SUV. He says it shows she was traveling at 19.9 MPH when Jerome and his wife T-boned her. He also says the numbers show Venus got up to that speed in 4.2 seconds. His take on the data -- Venus probably "looked up, saw the red light and gunned it." Remember, the surveillance video shows Venus start into the intersection, but stop to allow another vehicle to turn left in front of her. Up to now, we only knew Venus told cops she was doing about 5 MPH as she started into the intersection. The police report also put the Barson's Hyundai at 25 MPH. If, as Steinger says, Venus was doing 20 MPH after the light had changed, the obvious question becomes -- was she reckless in her attempt to clear the intersection? As we reported ... the estate disputes Venus' claim at least one person in the Barson's car was not wearing a seat belt ... saying the vehicle data proves it. (TMZ)
Chester Bennington's death investigation has turned up no obvious signs of drug use ... TMZ has learned. Law enforcement sources tell us investigators found no illegal drugs or prescription drugs while searching the home following Chester's suicide. As we reported ... there was a partially drunk bottle of alcohol in the bedroom where he was found hanging. The Linkin Park frontman was open about his drug abuse issues -- acid, meth, crack and more. His bandmates were well aware of his demons, and he credited his bandmates for staging an intervention. It's unclear if Chester had any drugs in his system at the time of death. Toxicology results are pending. (TMZ)
THE OTHER STUFF . . .
Buckingham Palace Announces Prince Philip's Final Public Engagement. Prince Philip's official career as a royal is coming to a close... Earlier Tuesday, Buckingham Palace announced that the Duke of Edinburgh's final public engagement will take place next week on Aug. 2. Before retiring at the age of 96, Philip's final order of official business will be to attend a Royal Marines' charity parade outside the Queen's London residence. A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said that the parade, which marks the end of the 1664 Global Challenge to raise money for The Royal Marines Charity, would "bring His Royal Highness's individual programme to a conclusion, although he may choose to attend certain events, alongside the Queen, from time to time." This is a notable event for Philip as he is The Royal Marines' Captain General. He was given the distinction in 1953 after King George VI's death. The appearance would bring Philip's total number of engagements in 2017 to 52. His vast appearances include feeding an elephant at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, attending the official opening of the Metropolitan Police headquarters at New Scotland Yard, opening the new Warner Stand at Lord's Cricket Ground in London and meeting Tom Cruise at a Buckingham Palace for the 75th anniversary of the Outward Bound Trust. Queen Elizabeth II, whom the Prince has been married to since 1947, has carried out 49 public engagements in 2017. Prince William has attended 43 public events, while Duchess Kate has appeared at 37. On May 4, Buckingham Palace announced that the Duke would be retiring from public duty in August. The Palace has said that Philip's decision to step down was not for health-related reasons. (Eonline)
Here's the Very Regal Reason Why Prince George Always Wears Shorts. We've obsessed over Prince George's cherubic cheeks, contagious smile and hilarious facial expressions since he emerged from the hospital in Kate Middleton's arms in 2013. But now we've all been obsessing over something a bit, er, different... His shorts. Yes, loyal fans who have been following Prince William and the royal family along their tour of Poland and Germany have taken a keen interest in the fact that 4-year-old George is always wearing shorts. Well, thanks to the DailyMail and British etiquette expert William Hanson, we might just have the very regal reason behind his consistent pattern of attire. According to Hanson, shorts are a type of silent British class marker. He explained, "Not only does The Duchess of Cambridge have to worry about what she is wearing in public, but she has to dress her own children and find a balance between royal tradition and heritage and more proletariat customs, such as the 'suburban' habit of making young boys wear trousers." Hanson claimed this dates back to the 16th century tradition of "breeching," during which newborn boys would wear a dress for the first few years of their lives as they were being potty trained. Once they were breeched, they would switch to shorts, which signified the very important time in boys' lives. By the age of 8, they would then switch into pants or trousers. "Shorts on young boys is one of those silent British class markers that deliberately harks back to a bygone age," Hanson added. "British upper classes -- and particularly royals -- are especially keen to hold on to tradition so this sartorial one will silently mark them out from 'the rest.'" The more you know, right?! (Eonline)
Princess Diana's Brother Shares a Secret Side -- and Never-Before-Seen Photo -- of His 'Incredibly Brave' Sister. When Diana Spencer captured the world stage at just 19 years old, she was promptly nicknamed "Shy Di" by the press. That nickname couldn't have been more wrong. "First of all, none of us ever called her 'Di' at home," says her brother Charles, 9th Earl Spencer. "In fact, there are so many myths from our childhood that are just so ridiculous. That's one of them. I just think she was never shy, but she was canny about people and she was reserved to start with. And she would take a judgment of somebody before reacting to them. So, that's not shy . . . that's actually quite clever." She was also an "incredibly brave" girl, as Spencer tells PEOPLE in this week's cover story. On one childhood occasion, her brother recalls, the young siblings were staying with their mother in Scotland and set out to catch lobsters. "We pulled up [a pot] and there was a really massive conger eel," says Spencer. "It was black and it had teeth was very long and it was flapping around the boat. And Diana just got a pen knife out and just dealt with it. It was hand-to-hand and she just got stuck in. This thing was really a creature from the deep. And she just dealt with it." Spencer is joined by Diana's friend Sir Richard Branson, her wedding dress designer Elizabeth Emanuel, charity partner Vivienne Parry and many others in remembering the late princess in PEOPLE's cover story and on a two-night television event from PEOPLE and ABC, The Story of Diana, airing on ABC on Aug. 9 and 10 at 9 p.m. E.T. Along with his remembrances, Spencer is also sharing a previously unpublished childhood photo. The image, of him and Diana in 1967, appears in a limited-edition book version of the powerful eulogy Spencer delivered at Diana's funeral on September 6, 1997 at Westminster Abbey. 100% of the proceeds will go to various charities, including Whole Child International, which will auction the first in the series of 100 leather-bound editions at a charity gala on October 26. Diana, who died in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997, was beloved around the world and stands as one of the key figures of the 20th century. She had "a genius for people and she could connect with anyone," Spencer notes -- and that was never more apparent than through the way she broke down barriers on AIDS and HIV, tackled the terror of landmines and highlighted the plight of the homeless. "She could make any person, whether they were the grandest or the most humble, totally at ease," he says. "It's an incredible gift." •The Story of Diana, a two-part television event from PEOPLE and ABC, airs on ABC Aug. 9 and 10 at 9 p.m. E.T. (People)
The green umbrella Britney Spears unleashed on a paparazzo after shaving her head in 2007 is hitting the auction block ... and at a decent price, if you've got thousands of dollars laying around. Daniel Ramos, the pap whose car Britney clubbed with the thing, says he's ready to part with the piece of pop culture history since he thinks Brit Brit's in a good place. Plus he's making a movie and needs the dough. He has floated the idea of the sale in the past, and now it looks like he's ready to make the move. He had it on him when we ran into him at LAX Tuesday, and it looked to be in good shape although Ramos wouldn't recommend it being used in the rain. The umbrella is listed online with RR Auction and hits the block August 10th. As for how much it could fetch, Ramos is thinking in the $50k ballpark, and has a favored spot for it to land. (TMZ)
Cheers to Kelsey Grammer's new brewery. Kelsey Grammer can add brewery owner to his resume. The "Cheers" alum, 62, is opening a new brewery named after his daughter, Faith Grammer. It'll be called Faith American Ale, and it's located in upstate New York on a property Grammer purchased more than two decades ago. "We're working on it. It's very hard because it's in a watershed, so you have to do a lot of stuff for water treatment, waste disposal -- all that stuff," Grammer said on "Live With Kelly and Ryan" Tuesday. "And it's important so we're doing that." The land holds special meaning to the "Last Tycoon" actor, who used to spend Thanksgivings on his grandfather's farm in Delaware County. "I always wanted to return this particular place to a sense of thriving kind of community place that would lift everybody up a little bit," Grammer said after explaining how the town fell on hard times. Grammer entered rehab in 1996 for drug and alcohol addiction that stemmed from his family's murders, but in an interview with The Times, Grammer admitted he imbibes. "I no longer go to AA and I still enjoy a drink," he said. "People need to know how to move on and put things in another place. Drinking is not a vice." (PageSix)
Chris Hemsworth Says Anyone Can Have a Great Body: 'No Amount of Money Makes Someone Else Do the Work For You'. Chris Hemsworth is getting real about what it takes to keep his Thor physique up to par. The actor, 33, spoke to Men's Health to talk about his upgraded workout regimen since he took up the hammer as Marvel's Thor. "My workouts are also about being diverse and mixing things up," he told the magazine. "It's easy to get bored. If I'm doing arm day, I'll work in box jumps in between sets. By working in more cardio, you keep shocking your body and you prevent having problems in certain areas." While he's definitely had to bulk up to play a superhero, Hemsworth reveals that while "bulk is nice" it's not everything he's after. "Being more agile is definitely important," he said. "Now I add in a lot of other sorts of movement, flexibility and functional training. I'll do a ton of Muay Thai workouts. I surf a ton and I do a lot of yoga, too." When it comes to social media comments that say only celebrities can stick to a workout regimen due to having more money, the actor said that's simply "not true at all." "No amount of money makes someone else do the work for you," he said. "If you can't afford a trainer, that's totally fine. Use friends; use anyone. Do a workout in your living room. It's really easy to jump online to find nutritional plans and workout routines and more." "Ultimately," he adds. "Being fit is about motivation and action creates motivation. Don't wait around for someone else to come push you. Push yourself." (People)
Michael Phelps isn't taking a shred of blame for viewers' disappointment over him not racing an actual great white shark, and says he stands by the "incredible" made-for-TV event. The 23-time Olympic gold medal winner opened himself up to his critics on Facebook and addressed the backlash from his Discovery Channel special. You'll recall, no doubt, Phelps lost to the shark ... but it was a CGI shark. Phelps claims everyone involved in the man vs. beast production made it very clear what the "race" would entail, but people chose not to listen and now they're hatin' ... which he calls "shocking." Speaking of shocking -- Michael didn't race a real shark, but REALLY did swim in 53 degree water! (TMZ)
A Hollywood dog rescuer has accused Bravo star Lisa Vanderpump and husband Ken Todd of reneging on a deal via their Vanderpump Dog Foundation, which shuttered her shelter. "They actively came after my rescue [shelter], and ruined me," Lizzie Scherer told us. The Vanderpumps were once supporters of Scherer's Saving Spot rescue. But the relationship fizzled after the glitzy couple stiffed her out of $32,000, she claims, forcing her out of business. "Ken approached us about doing a deal where they would essentially take over my facility," Scherer says. "He was looking for a space to lease. We signed a [memo] saying that he would pay my rent for the next three years .?.?. and offer me an employment contract as part of that deal. He then didn't pay rent and said he'd pay one month's rent as long as I signed [a nondisclosure agreement] and let them out" of it. But a Vanderpump source tells us they backed out because of Scherer's "shady" practices, including improperly accepting donations and not filing taxes. CBS News in LA reported Saving Spot's tax-exempt status was revoked in 2015. Animal activist Lisa, who opened her own luxe Vanderpump Dogs rescue this year, told us: "We can't be involved with someone who doesn't have a charity set up properly. Everything was messy. We helped pay her rent. We were purely trying to help her because of our love of dogs, not because of our love of Lizzie. No good deed goes unpunished." A rep for her foundation commented that the tax and other issues "showed me that they were not able to properly run their operations to the standard in which we planned and are currently executing at Vanderpump Dogs." Saving Spot charity head Ira DeWitt admitted that "Administrative mistakes were made," but added, "They were aware of the status of our 501(c)(3), which has since been reinstated. There's nothing shady about it. We had an accountant who misfiled a couple of returns. When we found out about it, we corrected it." Saving Spot's expected to close, and is exploring legal action. Lisa said: "I wish her well, but she can't make up things that aren't accurate. [Vanderpump Dogs] has gone on to do exactly what we set out to do." (Page Six)
Lil Wayne was completely caught off guard by Drake's new tat honoring him when his prodigy sent him a photo of it ... 5 months ago!!! That's right ... Drake's new arm ink went unnoticed for almost a half a year, at least to the general populous. We're told Drizzy got it while overseas and sent Wayne a pic when it was done, and Wayne was beyond floored and honored, since loyalty's a big deal with him. The tat's on Drake's tricep, so it's covered by the average t-shirt, which explains why no one picked up on it sooner. As for returning the favor, no word yet on that ... space on Lil Wayne's already heavily tatted bod is pretty limited. (TMZ)
Chumlee's done partying his ass off ... in one spot anyway -- the infamous Vegas home where cops once found guns and weed is on the market. The "Pawn Stars" cast member listed his 5 bedroom, 6 bathroom pad for a whopping $1,849,900. It's a sweet deal if he gets his asking price -- he bought it 5 years ago for $1.1 mil. The 6,206 square foot pad has a pool, spa and guest house. It's really a bachelor's paradise where Chumlee famously partied hard ... until cops searched the house in March 2016 and found more than 120 grams of weed and 12 guns. He eventually got off with 3 years' probation. Kyle Gluhm from Realty ONE Group is listing the home, which includes the "Chum Chum" room ... stripper pole included. Strippers NOT included, we're guessing. (TMZ)
Metallica's James Hetfield on Controversial Kendall & Kylie Jenner T-Shirt Line: 'Show Some Respect'. Last month, Kendall and Kylie Jenner stirred up some serious controversy when a T-shirt line debuted that featured the sisters' images and logos superimposed over photos of music icons, including The Notorious B.I.G., Ozzy Osbourne, Pink Floyd and others. There was swift legal action from a Tupac Shakur photographer, whose work was used without permission, and from lawyers representing The Doors, causing the line to be pulled from online retailers and the sisters to apologize. But the damage was already done, and one of those music icons who is none too pleased with the "homage" is Metallica frontman James Hetfield. "I guess what they were thinking is, 'We can do whatever we want,'" Hetfield says in an interview with ET Canada. "To me, it's disrespectful. We've spent 36 years working, doing our best, to keep a really close connection with people [and] make every note count. And someone just throws something up over something that we feel -- not that it's sacred or anything -- but show some respect." The T-shirts have since been pulled from the Jenners' online store after numerous complaints, including Biggie's mom Voletta Wallace, who called the shirts "disgusting." (Billboard)
Julio Jones has a big problem -- he lost a $150,000 diamond earring during a jet ski ride at Lake Lanier this week ... so he's hired a full DIVE TEAM to hunt it down!! The ATL Falcons wide receiver told WXIA-TV he noticed he lost the earring after he fell off the ski -- but didn't want to just walk away without making a real, solid effort to find it. The dive team jumped in the water on Tuesday evening -- scouring the 65-foot deep water. So far, no luck. Jones seems shockingly calm about the whole thing ... probably because he's in the middle of a $71 million contract. (TMZ)
Steve Jobs' widow brought her best accessories to Croatia -- her daughter, hot bf and Steve's yacht. Laurene Powell hit up the historic city of Dubrovnik in southern Croatia flanked by 19-year-old daughter Eve and bf Adrian Fenty ... the former mayor of D.C. Docked not far off the coast was the 256-foot, $100 mil yacht, Venus ... commissioned by the late Apple founder back in 2008. He never got to enjoy it -- Steve died a year before it was finished in 2012. Laurene will take it from here ... (TMZ)
Abby Lee Miller is doing what she can to make sure her prison fears do not become a reality. Two weeks ago, Miller, 50, reported to the Victorville Federal Correctional Institution in California, where she is serving a 366-day sentence. Ahead of her prison term, she sat down with The View co-host Jedidiah Bila for one last televised interview, which aired Tuesday evening on Lifetime. "I made lots of mistakes," said the former Dance Moms star. "The number one mistake being trusting other people with my money." In October 2015, Miller was charged with attempting to hide $775,000 of income from the Lifetime series, its spin-off Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition and multiple other projects during Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. Miller, who allegedly hid the money in secret bank accounts between 2012–13, pled guilty to bankruptcy fraud in June 2016. She was also accused of divvying $120,000 and having her friends carry the money in plastic bags in their luggage in August 2014, which she promised to forfeit in January. In May, she received a sentence of one year and one day in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release. She was additionally fined $40,000 and ordered to pay the $120,000 judgment, as well as give a DNA sample relating to her felony charge. Although Miller attempted to explain her reasoning to Bila for opening up several other financial accounts, she admitted, "I was stupid, uneducated, didn't do the research myself. I was in the wrong. What I did was wrong." Looking to the next year that she'll be spending in prison, Miller shared that she was unable to prepare for what's to come, but her faith is helping her cope. Miller, a Catholic, revealed that prayer helps with "guidance" and "doing the right thing." Still, she's afraid of what prison will be like. "I've been told not to talk about it because once they know, when they see this and they know, that's what they'll go after," Miller said of what she's fearful might happen to her in prison. "I'm petrified." Of the fears that she could be physically abused, Miller admitted, "It's not something that I think about -- I kind of blocked it out -- but it's definitely something that I'm terrified of, yes." "I hope it won't be as bad as I imagine," she said, but admitted, "if a whole gang of people wants to kill you, they're going to do it." "If a whole bunch of people want to make your life a living hell, they're going to do it," she continued. "If it's that bad, I probably won't survive." Miller, who lost close to 30 pounds ahead of her sentence and revealed that she's "trying to be vegan," admitted that she is "thankful that my mom and dad are not here to see this." Ahead of entering prison, the former dance instructor met with a female federal prison consultant -- who was previously incarcerated for 17 months -- and discussed the reality of life behind bars, including being strip-searched and wearing a khaki uniform. "It's going to sound stupid. So what if I go in and ... they hand you clothes. What if they don't fit?" Miller asked about her fear. "That's the least of your concerns," the consultant told her. In an attempt to calm her fears, the consultant told Miller that there are "some really wonderful women that you're going to meet in prison," but also advised that there are the "rough and tough" types as well. Miller, who previously opened up about her fears of being beaten or raped in prison, was also advised by the consultant about sexual relations behind bars. "If you don't want to have sex with somebody and you don't want a girlfriend for companionship or other, you'll be fine. So nobody's going to approach you unless you want one," she said. "So it's sort of like if you want a girlfriend and companionship, that's fine, but you're not going to get raped in a federal prison camp." "You're not going to get raped by a guard in federal prison camp. As long as you're respectful, then you're probably not going to get into any fights with any women," the consultant, who also advised her not to do business from prison, said. "Just blend in, follow the rules. Keep your volatility at a low level." Asked what mental place she was in prior to beginning her sentence, Miller said, "It feels like I'm being dropped into some dungeon and it's going to be grey, it's going to be cement, and it's going to smell, and it's going to be disgusting, and it's going to be cold. And I'm going to get cramps in my feet and my legs every night because I'm going to be standing on cement." "My biggest fear: the people that I employ will stab me in the back and will teach for other people," Miller told the consultant, who encouraged her to "trust." Miller still has hopes for the future beyond her prison sentence, revealing that she has "tons of opportunities." "I want to teach," she said. "I don't want to run the studio. I have put my time in making other people's children famous. I have done it well. I don't want to do it anymore." Friends from Pittsburgh rented out a villa in Los Angeles on Miller's last night of freedom. Putting on a brave face, she told them she was feeling a mix of emotions. "I don't know if I'm frightened anymore or just exhausted," she said. "People keep saying it's going to be like Paris Hilton... and I go, 'I don't think so.'" While Miller is fearful of her year-long prison sentence, she is also scared of what her future looks like after her release. "Will I come out and have nothing?" she asked. "That's more scary than going in." (People)
Lyft Just Made All Your Drunk Dreams Come True By Adding a Taco Bell Pit Stop to Your Ride Home. If this isn't a match made in drunk heaven we don't know what is! On Tuesday, Lyft announced it was making a match-up to rival all partnerships, one between the ride-sharing company and Taco Bell that would allow riders to add a "pit stop" to their journey. The new feature would allow munchie-craving passengers to hit up Taco Bell drive-thru between the hours of 9 p.m. and 2 a.m. (the hours when all your best decisions are usually made). Lyft's move to let patrons make a run for the border will be called "Taco Mode" and will begin testing in the next two weeks in Newport Beach, Calif. It's too bad The O.C.'s not on anymore because we can totally see Seth Cohen and Ryan "Fists of Fury" Atwood making use of this millennial-friendly feature. Taco Bell's chief marketing officer Marisa Thalberg told the New York Times that this marketing campaign is a new type of "experience innovation." "I kind of think of this like inverse delivery -- like we're delivering you to Taco Bell," she told the publication. "You're being delivered to the food as opposed to having to get in your own car and drive." Lyft has partnered with other companies like Delta and Starbucks, but this is a first time "actually fulfilling a ride experience for a brand," said Melissa Waters, Lyft's head of Marketing. Taco Bell's been stepping up their out-of-the-box game in recent months. The fast food chain recently opened up a flagship store in Las Vegas that features a wedding chapel inside of it, where hungry and in-love guests can get grab a hand full of Cinnamon Twists and make a run down the aisle for life for a mere $600. But as far as pairing on-the-go wastoids with chalupas, this could be the Bell's most genius idea yet. In terms of late-night decisions, going into "Taco Mode" may not be the worst one you've ever made. But, like many choices made in the wee hours of the morning, you may regret it the next day... (Eonline)
Music
Selena Gomez Releases Sexy New Music Video for "Fetish." Selena Gomez is starting off 25 on a sexy note. Just days after celebrating her birthday, the pop superstar released the official music video for her new song "Fetish" featuring Gucci Mane. Directed by Petra Collins, the finished product has already received thousands upon thousands of views from loyal fans who have been eagerly waiting for the release. As Selenators already know, "Fetish" is the second single from Selena's upcoming third studio album titled SG2. Produced by Jonas Jeberg and The Futuristics, the song is already climbing the charts just like "Bad Liar" and "It Ain't Me" did earlier this summer. "You got a fetish for my love / I push you out and you come right back," the singer belts out in the song's not-so-subtle chorus. "Don't see a point in blaming you / If I were you, I'd do me too." Back in June, Selena chatted with Carson Daly on 97.1 AMP Radio where she opened up about the next phase of her musical career. Let's just say fans have a lot to look forward to. "I've been in the studio for a year. So, I can technically say I have an album, but I don't know where I want to go with it because of how different everything sounds. I'm not just saying that because I feel like, 'Oh, that's exciting!' Every song I'm setting up to be a single is just completely separate from each other and I love that," she explained. "So, I don't know where it's gonna go, but I can say I have an album because it's a lot of music." As for her personal life, Selena continues to be happy in love with The Weeknd. In fact, the man behind "Starboy" and "The Hills" was able to celebrate his girlfriend's special birthday earlier in the week. "Thank you for all of my bday love. I couldn't be more blessed," Selena shared on Instagram while celebrating. "A lot of you don't realize how much you mean to me. I. Love. You. -- think 25 is going to be epic. Xo." (Eonline)
It's Justin Bieber's manager's turn to say sorry to the Beliebers. Scooter Braun has apologized for the abrupt cancellation of Bieber's Purpose World Tour on Monday, but also noted the singer's "soul and well-being" are more important than concert dates. "To the fans from all over the world who took part over the last 16 months over 6 continents thank you. To Justin who gave it his all night after night thank you. And to those that won't be able to see it ... on behalf of myself, Justin, and the team, we are sorry. That was never our intent," Braun captioned the photo. "But a man's soul and well-being I truly care about came first and We must all respect and honor that." Braun also promised that Bieber would "be back." Bieber told a photographer Monday afternoon that he canceled because he had been on tour for two years and wanted to "get some relaxation" and "ride some bikes." But according to TMZ, Bieber pulled the plug because he has "rededicated his life to Christ" and Hillsong Church. Page Six has reached out to Bieber's pastor for comment. (Page Six)
Lisbon to Host 2018 Eurovision Song Contest. Organizers say next year's Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. Portugal will be hosting the annual event for the first time after Salvador Sobral, the singer representing the country this year, won the 2017 contest. Sobral clinched Portugal's maiden victory with a gentle, soulful ballad and a subdued, no-frills performance that broke with the contest's tradition of glitter and gaudiness. Portuguese public television Radiotelevisao Portuguesa, the host broadcaster, announced Tuesday that the 2018 edition will take place at a riverside entertainment complex in Lisbon. The semifinals will be held on May 8 and 10, with the final taking place on May 12. (Billboard)
Chase Goehring Earned DJ Khaled's Golden Buzzer on 'America's Got Talent'. "America's Got Talent" judges Howie Mandel, Mel B, Heidi Klum and Simon Cowell with new host Tyra Banks. Watch out Ed Sheeran: There's another red-haired singer-songwriter who's catching the attention of the American public (and a handful of industry professionals). Chase Goehring impressed with his first audition on the TV talent quest last month, when he played an original, "Hurt". He went back to the well Tuesday night with another original, titled "A Capella," which had all the hallmarks of Sheeran. "It's really about me," he said of his new number. "I know I did a song about somebody else the first time but this song is about me. I really just want to be my own artist and make music that people can relate to." When Simon Cowell asked how the 21-year-old from Nolensville, Tennessee was feeling about reaching these middle stages of the show, Goehring confessed: "There has been so much talent here, it's been so unique and I'm actually really nervous." The nerves apparently dissolved as he focused on the music. DJ Khaled, a guest judge on Tuesday night, was an instant convert. "You know I do this music thing for real. I put out a lot of hit records. Let me tell you something. The lyrics, they're so real and authentic like an a capella, the way you were breaking it down. And I was listening to the words and the way you got the crowd involved... you're on your way to being a star. This show and this stage is going to make you into a superstar." And then... BOOM! As the post-Golden Buzzer glitter rained down from the rafters, Khaled and Goehring, a former X-Factor contestant, caught up for a chinwag. "We're got to work together. We've got to do something together," Khaled could be heard saying. Goehring becomes the seventh contestant to head straight to the live rounds. (Billboard)
Justin Bieber's refusing to say sorry to the couple hundred people suddenly out of work due to him ending his Purpose tour -- because as he sees it, that's someone else's responsibility. As Justin was leaving BOA Steakhouse on Sunset Tuesday night -- with his pal, Patrick Schwarzenegger, driving -- he was asked if had any message for his tour crew. As TMZ first reported ... they're pissed because they never got a heads-up Bieber was pulling the plug and leaving them high and dry. Bieber was shockingly defiant, and explained the difference -- in his eyes -- between tour crew and his personal staffers. We think the crew would say karma damn near bit Justin in the ass. (TMZ)
Justin Bieber's "purpose" in life does not seem to be music anymore -- it's all about his "spiritual awakening" courtesy of the Hillsong Church and its leader, in particular ... sources connected with the church tell TMZ. Multiple sources familiar with the situation tell us, Justin's decision to abruptly cancel his Purpose Tour is rooted in his relationship with church pastor Carl Lentz. As we reported, we're told Lentz did not advocate canceling the tour. In fact we're told he recommended the opposite. That said, our sources say Bieber's relationship with Lentz has been "intense" and the church leader has increasingly influenced the singer in making life decisions. As one source put it, "The church didn't tell Justin to cancel the tour. He made his decision based on spiritual soul-searching and his own view of the path in life he should be taking." The way it was put to us, Bieber processed the endless conversations he has had with Lentz and used them to make the decision. It's unclear whether canceling the tour is a one-off or whether Bieber is so down the road with the church that he will close the book on his music career. As one source put it, "he's becoming the Tom Cruise of that church." (TMZ)
Tyler, the Creator, Meek Mill & Lana Del Rey All Vying for No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart. Plus: "Descendants 2," Romeo Santos & Linkin Park heading for top 10. Meek Mill, Tyler, the Creator and Lana Del Rey are all aiming for No. 1 on next week's Billboard 200 albums chart, according to industry forecasters. Those in the know suggest that Mill's Wins & Losses could earn perhaps 90,000 to 95,000 equivalent units in the week ending July 27, while Tyler, the Creator's Flower Boy might tally 85,000 to 95,000 and Del Rey's Lust for Life could earn around 85,000 to 90,000. For Tyler, Flower Boy would mark his first No. 1 on the list (he previously went as high as No. 3 in 2013 with Wolf). For Mill and Del Rey, it would be their second leader (following Dreams Worth More Than Money and Ultraviolence, respectively). The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). The top 10 of the new Aug. 12-dated Billboard 200 chart (where Meek Mill, Tyler, the Creator and Del Rey will debut) is scheduled to be revealed on Billboard's websites on Sunday, July 30. Elsewhere in the top 10 next week, watch for possible debuts from the Descendants 2 soundtrack (with perhaps 45,000 units) and Romeo Santos' Golden (35,000). In addition, Linkin Park is on course to return to the top 10 with its former No. 1 One More Light (40,000) and Hybrid Theory (35,000). On the Aug. 5-dated chart, One More Light and Hybrid Theory re-entered the chart at Nos. 17 and 27, respectively, following the death of the band's singer, Chester Bennington, on July 20. The first Descendants soundtrack debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2015, earning 42,000 units in its first week. As for Santos, if Golden starts as anticipated, it will grant the artist his third top 10 effort. Next week's busy chart comes a week after the 10 was rather sleepy, where only one new album (French Montana's Jungle Rules) debuted in the region. (Billboard)
Pop Shop Podcast: Fifth Harmony's Ally Brooke & Lost Kings Call 'Look at Us Now' a 'Perfect Match'. Welcome to the new episode of the Billboard.com Pop Shop Podcast, Billboard's weekly audio breakdown of the Billboard charts, hottest music news and year's biggest musical events. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard co-director of charts Keith Caulfield and Billboard.com senior editor Katie Atkinson every Tuesday on the Pop Shop Podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in iTunes. On the latest show we welcome our very special guests Fifth Harmony's Ally Brooke Hernandez and dance duo Lost Kings! Hernandez and Lost Kings -- producers Rob Abisi and Nick Shanholtz -- called in to chat about their new single "Look at Us Now," which also happens to be Hernandez's first single outside of her work with Fifth Harmony. (The song, which was recorded in February, also features A$AP Ferg.) The track debuted at No. 30 on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart following its release in June. Shanholtz tells Billboard that Hernandez "was number one on our list" after Abisi had played him a track of her singing outside Fifth Harmony. "When we heard her voice, we were like, 'This is gonna be a perfect match.'" "This kind of just came really naturally," Hernandez says. "I fell in love with this song and I was like, 'It's a no-brainer.' And everything just kind of flowed -- just having a conversation with the boys and their management and their label and figuring out our schedules and making sure that they don't conflict. It was a very smooth and easy process. Of course, the girls [in Fifth Harmony] were so supportive as well and everything kind of happened really smoothly. So thank God for that." Lost Kings, Hernandez and A$AP Ferg are working toward shooting a music video for the track and hope to perform the song live in the future. "That's in the plans, for sure," Shanholtz says. "We're trying to work out as many dates as we can between Ally's schedule and our schedule. ... Right now, the focus is trying to get everybody onboard for the music video." In addition to our discussion with Hernandez and Lost Kings, we've also got chart chat and news updates about Charlie Puth, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, Nine Inch Nails, Ryan Seacrest, Justin Bieber and Linkin Park. Puth notches his third top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Attention," while both Gomez and Lovato sail into the top 40 with their latest efforts. Plus, Nine Inch Nails visit the Alternative Songs chart for a 20th time with their new track, "Less Than." We also dive into discussions about how Seacrest will return to host the American Idol reboot, how Bieber canceled the remainder of his Purpose World Tour, and we remember the late Chester Bennington of Linkin Park. (Billboard)
Movies
Amy Schumer's Reaction to Anne Hathaway Possibly Replacing Her as Barbie Is Just What You Would Expect. Amy Schumer served up her best plate of friendly sass amid news that Anne Hathaway may be picking up where she left off. Rewind to last December when E! News confirmed the Trainwreck star was in talks to take on the title role of Barbie in Sony's upcoming live-action version. However, those plans came to a screeching halt three months later when the Emmy Award winner announced that she was no longer in the running. "Sadly, I'm no longer able to commit to Barbie due to scheduling conflicts," Schumer said in a statement to E! News. "The film has so much promise, and Sony and Mattel have been great partners. I'm bummed, but look forward to seeing Barbie on the big screen." Now, E! News can confirm Hathaway is in early negotiations for the role, but a lot is still riding on whether her schedule will permit the performance. While we wait and see how things turn out for the Oscar winner in Barbie world, Schumer had a few words for her colleague. "Hathaway smathaway," she quipped on Instagram along with a serious selfie. "jkjk she's perfect!! Can't wait to see it!" It was arguably the best reaction we could have hoped for from the good sport. Meanwhile, Hathaway has not yet spoken publicly about the role. Just like that, all was right in Hollywood. (Eonline)
Wonder Woman 2 With Gal Gadot Receives Official Release Date. Mark your calendars, moviegoers. This film is one you are going to want to experience. Less than two months after Wonder Woman started exceeding expectations at the box office, Warner Bros. has some major news to share. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gal Gadot will return for the sequel as Diana of Themyscira. As for when we can experience this film on the big screen, a release date has been announced for December 13, 2019. The publication reports that talks with Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins to return are ongoing. In other words, that part of the project isn't official just yet. In addition to receiving positive reviews from fans and critics alike, Wonder Woman has grossed more than $389 million at the domestic box office to date. In fact, it recently passed Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 over the weekend. Oprah Winfrey and Lupita Nyong'o are just some of the vocal supporters of the film. And yes, they also are big fans of Gal. Even with all the praise, Gal recently showed fans what a wonder woman really is. In an Instagram last month, the actress shared a little bit of her family life at home. "Sleepless night, colic 3 months old baby and an early wake up by my 5 year old. Went to the garden to get some fresh air with my coffee to help me wake up and now watching The Cat In The Hat with my daughter," she wrote to her followers. "It always amazes me how the most simple things are the ones to make us the happiest." Gal is also expected to star in Justice League being released everywhere on November 17. (Eonline)
Kate Hudson Shaves Her Head for Mystery Project With Sia. The latest buzz in Hollywood is all about a buzz cut. Kate Hudson has shaved her trademark tresses in preparation for her latest project with Sia. The 38-year-old actress was photographed in L.A. Tuesday on the set of the mysterious shoot. Hudson recently hinted that she will be dancing in the project, as she snapped a selfie at a dance studio on July 13, which showed her posing with dancer-turned-actress Maddie Ziegler. "Dance rehearsal with this bundle of excellence," Hudson wrote in the caption. Sia is also involved in the project, and the singer has been spotted on set in L.A. without her famous wig. Hudson was last seen in public with shoulder-length blond hair on Sunday, when she joined boyfriend Danny Fujikawa for a lunch date in L.A. Some fans believe she wore a wig, as her hair has either been obscured or cut out of the photos she's shared on social media in recent weeks. The Golden Globe winner has not publicly commented on her recent haircut. Last year, the actress got a bob haircut in preparation for another role. "In May I start shooting the Richard Pryor project. I'm supposed to have short hair and I wanted to get used to it. So, I thought, 'I'm just going to chop it off so that I have a couple months to sort of get used to it and see how I feel,'" Hudson told InStyle in May 2016. "Then we'll see what else is going to happen." In addition to Hudson, people like Cara Delevingne have recently shaved their heads for roles. (Eonline)
Stan Lee's POW! Teams With China's Linking Star on Five Superhero Films. Former Marvel vice president Bob Sabouni has joined Linking Star as an art consultant on the projects. Startup Chinese film company Linking Star Pictures is partnering with comic book legend Stan Lee's POW! Entertainment to develop five superhero films, with former Marvel vice president Bob Sabouni serving as an art consultant on the projects. Linking Star Pictures is a new joint venture between Beijing Film Co., Beijing Novo United Films Co. and Hong Kong-based Camsing International, which acquired Lee's POW! for an undisclosed sum in May. Lee was retained in the deal as POW!'s chief creative officer. In addition to the plans with POW!, Linking Star unveiled a development fund Monday to go toward cultivating Chinese superhero IP through a competition series designed to develop young Chinese film talent. The competition will be judged by a panel of local experts, including producer Weimin Wang (Wolf Totem); Dan Yang, vice president of online ticket-selling service Weying; and Yonghong Deng, vp Beijing Film Association, among others. (Hollywood Reporter)
TV
Riverdale Cast Teases Tough Times for Varchie and a "Romeo and Juliet Situation" for Bughead in Season 2. Love is in the air, but so is trouble when it comes to Riverdale. When E! News sat down with nearly the entire cast of the CW hit at San Diego Comic-Con, there was a lot to discuss after the season one finale. Fred got shot right in front of Archie, Jughead was on his way to join the Southside Serpents, Veronica's criminal father was about to make his return, and Betty had just learned a major family secret. With everyone dealing with so much, we had to get the scoop on how all the major couples are going to be doing when the show makes its return in October. For Veronica (Camila Mendes) and Archie (KJ Apa) -- who just slept together for the first time in the finale -- Veronica has to figure out how to be Archie's rock. "She's not used to being that kind of girlfriend, especially so early on in a relationship," Mendes tells us. "But because of what Archie experienced at the end of season one, she kind of has to step up to the plate and be there for him." As for Jughead (Cole Sprouse) and Betty (Lili Reinhart), who just took their IRL relationship public over the weekend, their season two arc might be a little reminiscent of another famous (and sadly doomed) couple. "Jughead is going through quite a bit at the end of season one and continues to go through quite a bit throughout season two, and asks if Betty is ride or die, you know." Sprouse tells us. "[He] asks Betty how much Lana Del Rey vidoes she's been watching, and whether she's going to hop on the back of that hog." "It's kind of a Romeo and Juliet situation between the two of them," Reinhart adds. "There's a civil war kind of going on in Riverdale, and he's on the south side, she's on the north side, and you gotta choose a side basically. It might cause some problems." However, despite all those potential issues, Reinhart also says that "deep down, both couples are solid," so our hearts can rest easy until season two finally premieres. Riverdale returns Wednesday, October 11 at 8 p.m. on the CW. (Eonline)
Teen Wolf Says Goodbye: The Cast Talks "Melancholy," Final Scenes, and Their Last Comic-Con Ever. Get ready, Teen Wolf fans, because this this a bit of a tear-jerker. The cast of the long-running MTV series gathered at San Diego Comic-Con one last time this weekend and sat down with E! News to talk about saying goodbye. Star Tyler Posey even busted out a new word just for us. "It's definitely a little melancholy. That's the right word for it, right?" he said, turning to fellow cast members Shelley Hennig, Cody Christian, and Dylan Sprayberry. "I've never used that word." "And you used it at Comic-Con!" Hennig added. "It's weird, because I don't think anybody else is having the same experience as us." Posey described a dinner during last year's Comic-Con, just after it was announced that Teen Wolf was ending, where he watched a montage of all the different promos put together for each season. "I had been to every single one of these promos. I was there for them all, and it really hit me hard," he told us. "Like, I started shaking, and like, holy s--t, this is real, and really happening. It was the first time I ever really felt that when it comes to Teen Wolf." While Christian told us that his final scene was bloody, Hennig's was...not. "My exit was naked," she revealed. "Came in naked, left naked, cried on a pillow, wasn't supposed to..." "I was there for both those times, too!" Posey exclaimed. While he wouldn't say if the ending Posey envisioned involved Hennig naked, the star did say he had an end in mind. "I kinda just saw the ending. I had an ideal scene ending," he told us. "It didn't happen that way, because the writers aren't in my head, but I'm still really happy with how it ended. I just had a different idea for it." "The last shot of the show is really beautiful," Hennig added. Melissa Ponzio, who has played Scott McCall's badass mom since the very beginning of the show, told us she was feeling "all of the emotions" as the show ended. "Happiness and sadness and..." "Celebration!" added Charlie Carver. "I mean, it's hard," Linden Ashby said. "It's never easy to say see ya, goodbye. And it's been a huge part of our lives and it's hard. It's hard to let it go." "For me, it definitely hit after there was no work," Khylin Rhambo told us. "The week after, once I realized oh man, there's no call times. You get into a rhythm of filming, and once it's over, that's when it really hit me. But the last day was moreso like a beautiful experience. I just got to watch everyone have a special moment together. It was just like a love bond between everyone." "I think, too, when the fans found out it was the last season, watching that hit was really hard," Carver told us. "But I think that they're going to be very excited to see how everything sort of gets wrapped up in this next season." Speaking of the fans, Hennig observed that this year's panel was a little bit different from panels in the past, when the show wasn't about to end. First of all, it was moderated by Ponzio, Ashby, and creator Jeff Davis, making it more of a conversation between cast members than a typical panel. "This one was a little melancholy, a little solemn," she told us. "I think they wanted to make sure they didn't miss out on anything we said. Normally they're like screaming, yelling, and I think they were really listening to make sure they got the last of it, and I think we were doing the same. A couple of us were actually nervous for the first time. It was an interesting vibe." She described the end of the show like the end of high school, and the rest of the cast agreed. "You're excited for what's next and you're also scared to say goodbye," Christian added. "That's what it feels like." Teen Wolf returns Sunday at 8 p.m. on MTV. (Eonline)
Tyler Perry has played Detective Alex Cross on the big screen, but he'll next put his sleuthing skills to the test on TV. Perry will appear in the Season 5 premiere of ID's "Deadline: Crime With Tamron Hall," on Sept. 3. The star and filmmaker will look into the case of Terrance Williams, who suddenly disappeared from Naples, Fla., in 2004. Another man, Felipe Santos, went missing around the same time. Both were seen interacting with the same former sheriff's deputy, Steve Calkins, after traffic incidents. Calkins has said he dropped both off at area convenience stores. The cold case had no leads until 2012, when it was covered by Investigation Discovery, after which Perry offered a $100,000 bounty for information. (Page Six)
From Peggy to Offred: how Elisabeth Moss became our favorite TV actress. Yeah, we're fangirling hard for her. While many actresses are immediately hailed as The Next Big Thing (and often fail to deliver after the fanfare), Elisabeth Moss has steadily emerged as one of the strongest, most versatile actresses around. Her name on a project is now an instant quality marker: if she's involved, you know it's going to be good. When Mad Men started a decade ago, it was Christina Hendrick's fiery bombshell, Joan Holloway that captured everyone's attention. But as the series evolved Moss took Peggy Olson from shy secretary, to zero-fucks badass - a feminist heroine that by the final season had New York Magazine announcing on its cover: Elisabeth Moss has been the star of Mad Men all along. They were right. Few actresses could pull off a character evolution like that. It would have been easy to get 'stuck' as Peggy, but her Golden Globe-winning performance in neo-noir crime drama Top Of The Lake, proved Moss to be a character actress with real range. As a New Zealand cop investigating the disappearance of a 12-year-old girl, her character Robin had to simultaneously process the sexual abuse from her own past, and look after her dying mother. It was a role that cranked up the emotional dial: grief, trauma, anger, denial. As with Peggy, you want Robin to triumph - testament to Moss's ability to get you rooting for her characters, even when they aren't instantly accessible or likeable. (If you haven't seen it, make sure you fix that: the first season is on BBC iplayer and Netflix, ahead of season two starting on BBC Two on July 27. This time Moss is joined by Nicole Kidman and Gwendoline Christie - talk about a dream team). Of course, it's her performance as June/Offred in The Handmaid's Tale that has sealed the deal in our love for Moss. The quiet strength, the barely contained rage, the horror flickering across her face as she suffers this nightmare dystopia, the moments of sardonic rebellion. She makes you put down your phone and pay attention (how many shows can counter the pull of a quick peek on Insta?). The terror of The Handmaid's Tale (which has been commission for a second season) is the feeling that this could actually happen, and Moss' performance - never overblown, her reactions always remaining believable and almost sickeningly relatable - amplifies that power. In fact, her performance is so compelling that it triggered a spate of pearl-clutching tabloid pieces in the UK about viewers left 'traumatized' and 'sickened' by the show: totally failing to realize that that might be the whole point. As TV continues to rival film as a medium for amazing drama, and A-listers start signing up for small screen projects, Moss has already established herself as the go-to lead for smart, challenging - and seriously successful - shows, which require the stamina to carry a performance across hours and hours of episodes. But she has plans of her own. In the past she has tried to pitch a female-led TV drama that she wants to produce and star in - only to be met with executives dismissing it as 'too female'. ("I would dare a male executive to say that to my face now," she told Radio Times.) Hopefully, now that she's officially Hot Property that project will eventually see the light of day. The only thing better than watching Elisabeth Moss act, might be watching Elisabeth Moss act in her own project. That we want to see. Top Of The Lake: China Girl starts on BBC Two, 9pm, July 27. The entire second season will be available on BBC iPlayer after the first episode airs. (British Glamour)
ITV Boss Talks Gender Issues, Calls Netflix a "Frenemy". "We take gender issues, in employment and pay, very, very seriously as a company," says executive chairman Peter Bazalgette amid the debate about the gender pay gap at the BBC. U.K. TV giant ITV on Wednesday discussed its commitment to diversity and gender issues amid a recent debate about the gender pay gap at British public broadcaster BBC. Asked about the pay controversy on an earnings call with reporters, ITV executive chairman Peter Bazalgette said that 52 percent of ITV's overall workforce and 43 percent of its senior management team were female. He said the company didn't break out on-air talent splits. "We take gender issues, in employment and pay, very, very seriously as a company," Bazalgette said. "We are supporters of and subscribers to Project Diamond, which is part of the creative diversity network in the television industry where we are working very hard to monitor and improve diversity in all productions -- both in front of the camera and behind the camera." When asked if ITV would disclose the pay of top talent, he also highlighted that disclosure standards for the BBC are stricter. "We are a commercial company, we are a commercial broadcaster," Bazalgette emphasized. "The BBC is funded with public money and has a different way of answering to its funders and having to account for itself. We would never discuss confidential contracts for anyone working at ITV." He said the company would next April publish, as required, gender pay gap numbers, which, he said, would show year-over-year improvement. The BBC disclosed data earlier this month that showed that male BBC TV and radio personalities make substantially more than their female counterparts. The publicly funded BBC was forced to publish the salary ranges of its best-paid actors and hosts for the first time. Some of the BBC's most prominent female journalists and TV presenters have banded together to demand that the broadcaster fix the gap immediately rather than in several years as management has proposed. The BBC responded by saying that it has made "significant changes" in recent years but needs to do more to close the pay gap. Bazalgette was on Wednesday's call also asked about ITV's relationship with streaming video giants Netflix and Amazon. "Netflix is definitely in the category of frenemy," he said, highlighting that the companies compete for people's time and attention, while ITV also makes content for Netflix, which continues to look for original fare, and sells it library shows. "We welcome Netflix in the marketplace," he concluded. Asked about Netflix's recent news that it has crossed the milestone of 100 million global subscribers, Bazalgette also said that ITV's channels have a U.K. share of TV viewing of about 21 percent, while "Netflix, if it was a channel, in the U.K. would have a 4 percent share." He concluded: "So it's doing very well, but it's got the share of one of the healthier digital channels." YouTube's recent ad issues also were discussed on the ITV call. Some advertisers have limited or suspended their U.K. digital ad spending after recent reports that ads have appeared on hate sites and next to videos on Google's YouTube from supporters of Islamic terrorists and other extremist groups. ITV COO and finance chief Ian Griffiths said that has not meant any real ad benefit for ITV, but he said it has helped TV companies highlight the advantages of TV. Griffiths said that "TV remains an incredibly powerful medium" with a scaled audience, which has an established ratings system. (Hollywood Reporter)
Rick Perry Pranked by Russian Comedians. Unaware who he was talking to, the Energy Secretary discussed non-existent new fuel allegedly made out of pig manure and moonshine. Two Russian comedians, known internationally as "The Jerky Boys of Russia," have pranked U.S. energy secretary Rick Perry, making him believe he was having a phone conversation with Ukraine's Prime Minister Volodymyr Hroisman. The 22-minute conversation, in which one of the comedians played the prime minister and the other one translated, began with a discussion of sanctions against Russia and U.S. attempts to help Ukraine to develop its oil and gas industry, but then took a bizarre turn. Judging by the recording of the conversation, published by Russian news magazine Vesti.ru, Perry didn't realize he was being pranked even when the caller suggested that he try "a new kind of fuel," made out of pig manure and moonshine, which the comedian claimed Ukraine's president Petro Poroshenko developed himself and drinks on a regular basis. Perry responded to the odd proposition by saying that he would like to be "further briefed" on that before ending the conversation. As the story spread all over Russian media and was picked up by some international news outlets, Energy Department spokeswoman Shaylyn Hynes confirmed in a statement that Perry was talking to comedians. "These individuals are known for pranking high-level officials and celebrities, particularly those who are supportive of an agenda that is not in line with their governments," Hynes said. "In this case, the energy security of Ukraine." In Russia, the pranksters, Vladimir Krasnov and Alexei Stolyarov, are mostly known by their nicknames Vovan and Lexus. Internationally, they are often compared to The Jerky Boys, a U.S. comedy duo known for their telephone pranks back in the 1990s. The Russian duo's best-known prank was their 2015 phone call to British singer Elton John, who was under the impression he was speaking to Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Hollywood Reporter)
Kristen Stewart and girlfriend Stella Maxwell surprised two Canadians brides by crashing their wedding! The couple showed up to Kirsten and Kayleigh Jennings' reception at Pizzeria Gusto restaurant on Saturday, July 22, in the River Heights area of Winnipeg, Canada. The newlyweds were dancing the night away when the owner of the restaurant asked them, "Hey, is it OK if Kristen Stewart and her girlfriend, Stella, come and have a few drinks with you guys?" Kirsten recalled to the Canadian outlet CBC News. "And I was like, 'Yeah, totally! Yeah, no problem. Um, who is that?'" Stewart, 27, is currently in town filming her latest movie, JT LeRoy, which also stars Laura Dern and Diane Kruger, and the Victoria's Secret model often visits her when she's traveling. "They're both so busy with work," a source close to Maxwell, 27, told Us back in May, "but try to be together when they can." Meanwhile, the Canadian brides said they treated the famous couple like any other guests, telling them to "come and party." Kayleigh told the site, "I actually wasn't as star-struck as I thought I would be." "They looked just like two normal girls," Kirsten added. "They look a little Hollywood, but if we didn't know who they were, I don't know if I would have known." Stewart and Maxwell drank, danced and even requested songs throughout the three hours they were there. The wedding DJ, Karli Elizabeth Colpitts, posted photos and video of the surprise cameo on Instagram. "Dj'ed the MOST fun wedding for these incredible wom[e]n last night and had an unplanned guest show up to dance with us at the end of the night! Apparently Kristen Stewart loves Beastie boys ! #djkchedda #kirandkay," she captioned the gallery. (US Weekly)
Mandy Moore Says She's Ready to Get Married Again -- & Start a Family with Boyfriend Taylor Goldsmith 'Sooner Rather Than Later'. Mandy Moore is "grateful every day" for the life that she's living, and she's excited about what her future may hold -- including marriage and motherhood! The This Is Us star recently celebrated her two-year anniversary with boyfriend Taylor Goldsmith, the guitarist for the indie rock band Dawes. "The best 2 years. Never not smiling with you, T," she gushed about the musician on social media July 12. Despite her past divorce from musician Ryan Adams after six years of marriage, Moore says that the thought of walking down the aisle again is "not scary" to her. "I would definitely get married again," Moore, 33, tells PEOPLE in this week's issue. "My life has sort of taken unexpected twists and turns professionally and personally, but overall my journey is the reason I am here today and I feel fulfilled by everything that happened," she says. And like Rebecca Pearson, her mom-of-three character on the Emmy-nominated NBC hit drama, Moore is also open to starting a family of her own with Goldsmith in the future. Moore, who has teamed up with global biopharmaceutical company Merck to launch the Her Life. Her Adventures. campaign -- its goal is to encourage women to plan ahead and get educated about family planning, including birth control options -- says that she's "really passionate about using my platform to inspire dialogue around women's health and to encourage women to talk to their doctors about family planning." While she admits to having her own "plan in place right now" and is focusing her attention on her career at this point in her life, she's hopeful that motherhood will be on the horizon. "I'm definitely ready for motherhood sooner rather than later!" she says, and adds, "I think that's going to be the next chapter." This Is Us returns Sept. 26 on NBC. (People)
Celine Dion and her backup dancer, Pepe Munoz, are only inseparable onstage, because she's still a single woman ... TMZ has learned. Photos of the two hanging out together in Paris sparked rumors the singer was dating again after the death of her husband Rene Angelil. Rene died in January 2016. Our Celine sources tell us the relationship is completely platonic. Pepe's a dancer on her international summer tour, and they know each other through mutual friends in Las Vegas. Pepe also has a side hustle as a fashion illustrator, so that's why he was spotted all over Paris with her -- including at a couture fashion show. Celine's tour was rolling through town, and we're told they simply share common interests, but are only close pals. (TMZ)
One of the girls who got switched at birth on TV has asked a judge to switch her relationship status in real life ... Katie Leclerc wants a divorce. The "Switched at Birth" star, who plays Daphne Vasquez on the show, filed court docs last week against her husband, Brian Habecost -- a real estate agent based in L.A. In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Katie is asking the court to put the kibosh on any requests from Brian for spousal support. The couple got hitched in September 2014, but never had any kids together. (TMZ)
Angelina Jolie Reveals Bell's Palsy Diagnosis, Says Her Kids Are Still "Healing" From Brad Pitt Divorce. Angelina Jolie has been through a series of trials and tribulations this past year, but she's not letting anything slow her down. The Oscar-winning actress opened up to Vanity Fair about daily life after her highly publicized divorce from Brad Pitt, how her six children are coping with the split and how she's finally taking charge of her health. Following the news that Jolie had filed for divorce from Pitt last fall, the 42-year-old actress and her kids spent nine months living in a rental home out of suitcases. Nowadays, after purchasing a historic Los Angeles mansion for $25 million, things are beginning to settle into place. "It's just been the hardest time, and we're just kind of coming up for air. [This house] is a big jump forward for us, and we're all trying to do our best to heal as our family." The A-lister won't go into details about what led to her split with the actor, but cryptically explains that things were tense for a short while before she decided to ultimately pull the plug on their marriage. Last summer, during post-production for Jolie's film First They Killed My Father, she claimed that "things got bad." Moments later, she clarified to the magazine, "I don't want to use that word...Things became 'difficult.'" And despite ongoing claims that Brangelina's larger-than-life and perhaps hectic lifestyle is what tore the family apart, the United Nations Goodwill Ambassador vehemently disagrees. "[Our lifestyle] was not in any way a negative. That was not the problem. That is and will remain one of the wonderful opportunities we are able to give our children... They're six very strong-minded, thoughtful, worldly individuals. I'm very proud of them." Jolie specifically added that her children have been "very brave...in times they needed to be." "We're all just healing from the events that led to the filing...They're not healing from the divorce. They're healing from some... from life, from things in life." But the end of her relationship with Pitt wasn't the only major hurdle Jolie found herself facing last year. The world-renown actress also developed hypertension and Bell's palsy. She also noticed extra grey hairs and dry skin. "I can't tell if it's menopause or if it's just been the year I've had," she shared. "Sometimes women in families put themselves last until it manifests itself in their own health." However, Jolie has taken her latest health obstacles with stride. "I actually feel like more of a woman because I'm being smart about my choices, and I'm putting my family first, and I'm in charge of my life and my health. I think that's what makes a woman complete." She continued, "I've been trying for nine months to be really good at just being a homemaker and picking up dog poop and cleaning dishes and reading bedtime stories. And I'm getting better at all three." Still, Jolie said, she's beginning to get an itch for travel and adventure in the near future. During a playful conversation with son Knox days before the sit-down, she joked that things in their household will never fully be "normal." "He said, 'Who wants to be normal? We're not normal. Let's never be normal.' Thank you -- yes! We're not normal. Let's embrace being not normal." Jolie initially filed for divorce from Pitt on Sept. 20 last year. The couple had been together since 2004 and tied the knot at their French chateau in 2014 while surrounded by their six children. (Eonline)
Amber Rose is getting forthright about her 2010 split from Kanye West and the "constant bullying" she says she's endured from him over the years. During an interview with Complex's "Everyday Struggle" talk show, the TV personality opened up about her personal battles in the years since breaking up with the rapper, and how his harsh comments deeply impacted her life. "I see this a lot on the Internet: 'Amber's going to hurt him.' I've been the one that's been heartbroken. I have never cheated on any of my boyfriends," Rose, 33, revealed during her sit-down interview. "I still have never said anything mean about Kanye. This is after six, seven years of constant bullying from him." Rose and West, 40, dated for two years before calling it quits in 2010 -- the same year he released the Grammy winning My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, his fifth studio album, inspired by their breakup. "It's a great part of history and it's a great part of hip-hop, and I'm happy to be a part of it, but that time was not a great time for me," she said. "I'm famous, and I'm broke. I can't date anyone else. I can't say anything on the Internet because Kanye has such a voice. If I was going to kill myself, I would have done it during those times." "The only thing I got from him was fame. I had to just take that," Rose continues. "I had to take that heartbreak on top of it." After years of feuding between Rose and the rapper's now-family (specifically, her Twitter war with Khloe Kardashian), West appeared on Power 105.1's The Breakfast Club in 2015, where he dissed Rose by stating he "had to take 30 showers" after dating her before getting together with now-wife Kim Kardashian West. Nearly one year later in January 2016, Rose's ex-husband Wiz Khalifa and their then-3-year-old son, Sebastian, became West's targets during a Twitter rant. Amber Rose Slams Kanye West for Mentioning Son in Twitter Feud with Wiz Khalifa Amber Rose is going into mama bear mode after Kanye West's Twitter rant "4th you let a stripper trap you. 5th I know you mad every time you look at your child that this girl got you for 18 years," West included in his list of grievances against Khalifa. Inserting herself into the middle of the rappers' beef, Rose responded to West with the now-infamous hashtag, "#FingersInTheBootyA -- Bitch." Feeling ashamed of his since-deleted tweets, West went on Steve Harvey's morning radio show several months later to apologize and acknowledge it was wrong of him to bring Rose and Khalifa's toddler into the mix. "I really want to stress the amount of respect that I have for parents," West, who is father to children North, 4, and Saint, 19 months, told Harvey. "There is no concept of anyone beating up on someone else's child or that type of concept. So every day I feel more deeply, deeply, deeply apologetic about that concept, because I only want to put out positive, positive, positive concepts." In an effort to fight for female empowerment, Rose founded the Amber Rose Foundation, which is a non-profit organization that aims to promote discussion about women's rights and equality issues. (People)
Jake Paul -- who recently departed the Disney Channel series "Bizvaardvark" in the midst of making headlines for being a disruptive neighbor -- has already found a new gig. The 20-year-old, who originally found fame on YouTube, took to Twitter over the weekend to announce his departure from Disney -- after an 18-month stint -- at the same time KTLA reported that he's been making his neighbors' lives "a living hell" by sharing his Beverly Grove address and encouraging visits from fans, as well as using his house as a set for his stunt-filled viral videos. "It used to be a nice quiet street and now we're just like this war zone," a neighbor told the station. In the same interview, Paul climbed onto the news van parked outside his house. "It's really poor timing," a rep for Paul told us regarding the recent negative press. The rep explained that the split from Disney was amicable, and "they couldn't have been nicer about it." He also noted that Paul wasn't fired even though the recent media "makes it look that way." Even though he's been out at Disney for less than a week, Deadline reported that he's already joined LiveXLive Studios as a contributing social editor. "We're going to bring great comedy and great music together like no one else is doing, and we'll have incredible access and resources to do it," he told the site. His Twitter announcement detailing his exit from Disney days before alluded to the fact that he was ready for a new venture. "Long story short... my team, Disney Channel, and I have come to the agreement its finally time for me to move on from the Disney family and Bizaardvark... I love my cast mates and will continue to support Disney but I have outgrown the channel and feels it's time to move forward with my career." "Now that he's not on the show he can go on auditions for more mature roles," his rep added. Paul further explained in his lengthy tweet that he will be focusing on his personal brand and his YouTube channel, which has over 8.5 million subscribers. If token party boy is the personal brand he's going for, it looks like he's right on track. (Page Six)
Yolanda Hadid Opens Up About Painful Moment She Was Dumped By Ex-Husband David Foster: 'Your Sick Card Is Up'. Yolanda Hadid once had it all: the husband, the kids, and the glamorous lifestyle. Then, it all came crashing down. On September 12, the former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star will release her new memoir Believe Me: My Battle with the Invisible Disability of Lyme Disease where she opens up about her illness, her days on reality TV, and her past two marriages which have both ended in divorce. While doing a photoshoot in Aspen, Colorado in 1993, the top model met her first husband Mohamed Hadid where they later had three children: Gigi, Bella, and Anwar Hadid. Although the now-53-year-old speaks well about Mohamed's character, he simply wasn't a good husband and they split in 2000. According to an excerpt obtained by DailyMail.com: "He's a good human being and provider for his children... he had two girls from a previous marriage... But unfortunately for me, he's not a faithful husband... It's a big blow to my ego. I thought I was a pretty good catch: financially independent... and loving my home life and roles as wife and mother." Ultimately, the Netherlands-native met music producer David Foster at a dinner party -- thrown by Mohamed -- and they got married in 2011. Sadly, a year later, Yolanda was diagnosed with Lyme disease at a Belgian clinic, and her life would never be the same. She wrote: "Too many nights I found myself lying naked on the bathroom floor, the only relief being the cold tiles on my bare skin, wondering how much more pain I could take and how many more days, months, and years I could suffer... There were plenty of times when I thought that I wouldn't make it through the night alive, and others where I wished and prayed that I would die." The illness also caused the Dutch-American TV personality to experience migraines, brain fog, joint pain, exhaustion, insomnia, and anxiety. To make matters more complicated, Hadid joined the cast of RHOBH while she was receiving treatment. During a visit to the Sponaugle Wellness Institute in Florida, she received IV drips, ozone treatments, colonics, and coffee enemas. "I can tell you that as much as I hate having a tube up my ass, I'm pretty sure that these colonics are one of my lifesavers." While Yolanda was busy fighting her health battles, she received little support from her Bravo costars. "Without cameras rolling, I clearly feel the lack of compassion of this group of women -- although it may seem more glamorous and interesting, is no different from a job at a bank." During the sixth season of the hit franchise, a rumor began circulating that Hadid suffered from Munchausen syndrome, where one fakes an illness for sympathy. "I kind of expected the women to have my back while filming in the same way I've protected them throughout difficult times in their personal lives on the show. I have a lot of factual information in the vault that could discredit them and their lives, but I've chosen to work with integrity and point out their strengths instead of their weaknesses." 2015 also marked the end of her marriage to Foster. When he came by her apartment to pick up old clothes, he reportedly told her: "Your sick card is up." Despite her hardships, Yolanda is determined -- more than ever -- to find a cure for Lyme's disease. "I'm going to find a cure for this disease and nothing and nobody is going to stop me. I will not allow anyone to shut me up or shame me into silence, and I'm not going to rot away behind closed doors." Strong words from a strong woman! (Perez Hilton)
Amber Rose is standing up for her BFF Blac Chyna amid her revenge porn drama with ex-fiance Rob Kardashian. "They both wanted to have Dream, it wasn't a mistake, it wasn't an entrapment, it wasn't anything like that," Rose said on Complex's "Everyday Struggle" morning show on Wednesday. "I was around when her and Rob first met, I'll tell you firsthand that her and Rob loved each other, it was very real. "The former couple's relationship passed the point of no return when Kardashian took to Instagram to post private pictures of Chyna earlier this month after she left him, which later evolved into legal drama focused on revenge porn. Rose added that Chyna had no bad intentions in the beginning of the couple's high-profile relationship -- contrary to what Kardashian has said. "Chyna was with Rob, she had a baby with him, they both wanted Dream, which is a beautiful baby, and s–t didn't work out and she opted to leave," said Rose, "She did not want to be in that situation anymore and that made people uncomfortable." As for Kardashian's post-breakup behavior? "You don't do that," she said. "He didn't have to go on the internet and be petty, you can't do s–t like that. It's time to grow up." Kardashian's attorney, Robert Shapiro, apologized on his client's behalf after Chyna was granted a temporary restraining order. "I personally on Robert Kardashian's behalf apologized and offered our regrets for what has taken place in the past couple of days, and now we move forward to do one thing and one thing only: whatever's in the best interest of this child," Shapiro said outside of court. (Page Six)
Kim Kardashian has no right to her own initials ... in the cosmetics world, anyway ... according to the Danish makeup artist who's now suing her. If you're into makeup you probably know the name Kirsten Kjaer Weiss. She says she's a famous makeup artist, and her line of KW cosmetics and makeup services are hot sellers around the world. According to docs, obtained by TMZ, Kirsten says Kim K's cosmetics logo is confusing consumers. She says the problem is Kim's products bear the 'KKW' logo ... far too similar to Kirsten's 'KW.' In the suit, Kirsten says Kim's infringement is "knowing, willing and deliberate" -- and it's intended to dupe customers and screw with Kirsten's bottom line. The great Dane wants the court to immediately block Kim from using 'KKW,' and to award her all of Kim's sizeable profits, and to punish KK by making her pay damages. (TMZ)
Venus Williams Denies Responsibility in Wrongful Death Lawsuit. Venus Williams has responded to the wrongful death lawsuit filed against her following a deadly car crash last month. E! News obtained the documents in which the tennis star denied responsibility for causing the death of 78-year-old Jerome Barson, who was riding passenger in the car with his wife, Linda Barson, when they collided with Williams' vehicle in the middle of an intersection in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., on June 9. In the documents, Williams claimed that the injuries both Linda and Jerome suffered in the accident were caused by their failure to use a seatbelt and adequately maintain their vehicle (which Linda was driving). Linda originally claimed that she suffered several broken bones -- including a cracked sternum and a broken right arm -- from the accident in her original filing against Williams. However, in her response, Williams claimed that Linda didn't sustain severe enough injuries to get money in damages, according to Florida law. Williams was driving her 2010 Toyota Sequoia SUV when she moved into the intersection where she collided with Linda and her 78-year-old husband in their 2016 Hyundai Accent. According to the accident reports, Linda told authorities she wasn't able to avoid crashing into Williams' SUV, while the athlete claimed that she entered the intersection during a green light but stopped in the middle due to traffic. She also said she did not see the Barsons' car when she crossed into the lanes. It was later revealed by Palm Beach Gardens police that Williams "lawfully" entered the intersection, according to footage from the accident. Barson was taken to a nearby ICU immediately after the accident. He died two weeks later, on June 22, after suffering from internal bleeding and organ damage. Williams broke her silence about his death when she released a statement on Facebook, writing, "I am devastated and heartbroken by this accident. My heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of Jerome Barson and I continue to keep them in my thoughts and prayers." After Jerome's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Williams, the tennis player's lawyers filed an emergency motion earlier this month to prevent Barson's lawyer from conducting an inspection of the Hyundai Accent and downloading its data out of concern that evidence could be destroyed or lost in the process of the inspection. (Eonline)
Venus Williams accelerated from 0 to almost 20 MPH in about 4 seconds as she pulled through the intersection where she had a fatal accident ... according to the attorney for the victims' family. Michael Steinger, who reps the estate of Jerome Barson -- the man who died -- tells TMZ Sports his team obtained the black box data Tuesday from Venus' SUV. He says it shows she was traveling at 19.9 MPH when Jerome and his wife T-boned her. He also says the numbers show Venus got up to that speed in 4.2 seconds. His take on the data -- Venus probably "looked up, saw the red light and gunned it." Remember, the surveillance video shows Venus start into the intersection, but stop to allow another vehicle to turn left in front of her. Up to now, we only knew Venus told cops she was doing about 5 MPH as she started into the intersection. The police report also put the Barson's Hyundai at 25 MPH. If, as Steinger says, Venus was doing 20 MPH after the light had changed, the obvious question becomes -- was she reckless in her attempt to clear the intersection? As we reported ... the estate disputes Venus' claim at least one person in the Barson's car was not wearing a seat belt ... saying the vehicle data proves it. (TMZ)
Chester Bennington's death investigation has turned up no obvious signs of drug use ... TMZ has learned. Law enforcement sources tell us investigators found no illegal drugs or prescription drugs while searching the home following Chester's suicide. As we reported ... there was a partially drunk bottle of alcohol in the bedroom where he was found hanging. The Linkin Park frontman was open about his drug abuse issues -- acid, meth, crack and more. His bandmates were well aware of his demons, and he credited his bandmates for staging an intervention. It's unclear if Chester had any drugs in his system at the time of death. Toxicology results are pending. (TMZ)
THE OTHER STUFF . . .
Buckingham Palace Announces Prince Philip's Final Public Engagement. Prince Philip's official career as a royal is coming to a close... Earlier Tuesday, Buckingham Palace announced that the Duke of Edinburgh's final public engagement will take place next week on Aug. 2. Before retiring at the age of 96, Philip's final order of official business will be to attend a Royal Marines' charity parade outside the Queen's London residence. A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said that the parade, which marks the end of the 1664 Global Challenge to raise money for The Royal Marines Charity, would "bring His Royal Highness's individual programme to a conclusion, although he may choose to attend certain events, alongside the Queen, from time to time." This is a notable event for Philip as he is The Royal Marines' Captain General. He was given the distinction in 1953 after King George VI's death. The appearance would bring Philip's total number of engagements in 2017 to 52. His vast appearances include feeding an elephant at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, attending the official opening of the Metropolitan Police headquarters at New Scotland Yard, opening the new Warner Stand at Lord's Cricket Ground in London and meeting Tom Cruise at a Buckingham Palace for the 75th anniversary of the Outward Bound Trust. Queen Elizabeth II, whom the Prince has been married to since 1947, has carried out 49 public engagements in 2017. Prince William has attended 43 public events, while Duchess Kate has appeared at 37. On May 4, Buckingham Palace announced that the Duke would be retiring from public duty in August. The Palace has said that Philip's decision to step down was not for health-related reasons. (Eonline)
Here's the Very Regal Reason Why Prince George Always Wears Shorts. We've obsessed over Prince George's cherubic cheeks, contagious smile and hilarious facial expressions since he emerged from the hospital in Kate Middleton's arms in 2013. But now we've all been obsessing over something a bit, er, different... His shorts. Yes, loyal fans who have been following Prince William and the royal family along their tour of Poland and Germany have taken a keen interest in the fact that 4-year-old George is always wearing shorts. Well, thanks to the DailyMail and British etiquette expert William Hanson, we might just have the very regal reason behind his consistent pattern of attire. According to Hanson, shorts are a type of silent British class marker. He explained, "Not only does The Duchess of Cambridge have to worry about what she is wearing in public, but she has to dress her own children and find a balance between royal tradition and heritage and more proletariat customs, such as the 'suburban' habit of making young boys wear trousers." Hanson claimed this dates back to the 16th century tradition of "breeching," during which newborn boys would wear a dress for the first few years of their lives as they were being potty trained. Once they were breeched, they would switch to shorts, which signified the very important time in boys' lives. By the age of 8, they would then switch into pants or trousers. "Shorts on young boys is one of those silent British class markers that deliberately harks back to a bygone age," Hanson added. "British upper classes -- and particularly royals -- are especially keen to hold on to tradition so this sartorial one will silently mark them out from 'the rest.'" The more you know, right?! (Eonline)
Princess Diana's Brother Shares a Secret Side -- and Never-Before-Seen Photo -- of His 'Incredibly Brave' Sister. When Diana Spencer captured the world stage at just 19 years old, she was promptly nicknamed "Shy Di" by the press. That nickname couldn't have been more wrong. "First of all, none of us ever called her 'Di' at home," says her brother Charles, 9th Earl Spencer. "In fact, there are so many myths from our childhood that are just so ridiculous. That's one of them. I just think she was never shy, but she was canny about people and she was reserved to start with. And she would take a judgment of somebody before reacting to them. So, that's not shy . . . that's actually quite clever." She was also an "incredibly brave" girl, as Spencer tells PEOPLE in this week's cover story. On one childhood occasion, her brother recalls, the young siblings were staying with their mother in Scotland and set out to catch lobsters. "We pulled up [a pot] and there was a really massive conger eel," says Spencer. "It was black and it had teeth was very long and it was flapping around the boat. And Diana just got a pen knife out and just dealt with it. It was hand-to-hand and she just got stuck in. This thing was really a creature from the deep. And she just dealt with it." Spencer is joined by Diana's friend Sir Richard Branson, her wedding dress designer Elizabeth Emanuel, charity partner Vivienne Parry and many others in remembering the late princess in PEOPLE's cover story and on a two-night television event from PEOPLE and ABC, The Story of Diana, airing on ABC on Aug. 9 and 10 at 9 p.m. E.T. Along with his remembrances, Spencer is also sharing a previously unpublished childhood photo. The image, of him and Diana in 1967, appears in a limited-edition book version of the powerful eulogy Spencer delivered at Diana's funeral on September 6, 1997 at Westminster Abbey. 100% of the proceeds will go to various charities, including Whole Child International, which will auction the first in the series of 100 leather-bound editions at a charity gala on October 26. Diana, who died in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997, was beloved around the world and stands as one of the key figures of the 20th century. She had "a genius for people and she could connect with anyone," Spencer notes -- and that was never more apparent than through the way she broke down barriers on AIDS and HIV, tackled the terror of landmines and highlighted the plight of the homeless. "She could make any person, whether they were the grandest or the most humble, totally at ease," he says. "It's an incredible gift." •The Story of Diana, a two-part television event from PEOPLE and ABC, airs on ABC Aug. 9 and 10 at 9 p.m. E.T. (People)
The green umbrella Britney Spears unleashed on a paparazzo after shaving her head in 2007 is hitting the auction block ... and at a decent price, if you've got thousands of dollars laying around. Daniel Ramos, the pap whose car Britney clubbed with the thing, says he's ready to part with the piece of pop culture history since he thinks Brit Brit's in a good place. Plus he's making a movie and needs the dough. He has floated the idea of the sale in the past, and now it looks like he's ready to make the move. He had it on him when we ran into him at LAX Tuesday, and it looked to be in good shape although Ramos wouldn't recommend it being used in the rain. The umbrella is listed online with RR Auction and hits the block August 10th. As for how much it could fetch, Ramos is thinking in the $50k ballpark, and has a favored spot for it to land. (TMZ)
Cheers to Kelsey Grammer's new brewery. Kelsey Grammer can add brewery owner to his resume. The "Cheers" alum, 62, is opening a new brewery named after his daughter, Faith Grammer. It'll be called Faith American Ale, and it's located in upstate New York on a property Grammer purchased more than two decades ago. "We're working on it. It's very hard because it's in a watershed, so you have to do a lot of stuff for water treatment, waste disposal -- all that stuff," Grammer said on "Live With Kelly and Ryan" Tuesday. "And it's important so we're doing that." The land holds special meaning to the "Last Tycoon" actor, who used to spend Thanksgivings on his grandfather's farm in Delaware County. "I always wanted to return this particular place to a sense of thriving kind of community place that would lift everybody up a little bit," Grammer said after explaining how the town fell on hard times. Grammer entered rehab in 1996 for drug and alcohol addiction that stemmed from his family's murders, but in an interview with The Times, Grammer admitted he imbibes. "I no longer go to AA and I still enjoy a drink," he said. "People need to know how to move on and put things in another place. Drinking is not a vice." (PageSix)
Chris Hemsworth Says Anyone Can Have a Great Body: 'No Amount of Money Makes Someone Else Do the Work For You'. Chris Hemsworth is getting real about what it takes to keep his Thor physique up to par. The actor, 33, spoke to Men's Health to talk about his upgraded workout regimen since he took up the hammer as Marvel's Thor. "My workouts are also about being diverse and mixing things up," he told the magazine. "It's easy to get bored. If I'm doing arm day, I'll work in box jumps in between sets. By working in more cardio, you keep shocking your body and you prevent having problems in certain areas." While he's definitely had to bulk up to play a superhero, Hemsworth reveals that while "bulk is nice" it's not everything he's after. "Being more agile is definitely important," he said. "Now I add in a lot of other sorts of movement, flexibility and functional training. I'll do a ton of Muay Thai workouts. I surf a ton and I do a lot of yoga, too." When it comes to social media comments that say only celebrities can stick to a workout regimen due to having more money, the actor said that's simply "not true at all." "No amount of money makes someone else do the work for you," he said. "If you can't afford a trainer, that's totally fine. Use friends; use anyone. Do a workout in your living room. It's really easy to jump online to find nutritional plans and workout routines and more." "Ultimately," he adds. "Being fit is about motivation and action creates motivation. Don't wait around for someone else to come push you. Push yourself." (People)
Michael Phelps isn't taking a shred of blame for viewers' disappointment over him not racing an actual great white shark, and says he stands by the "incredible" made-for-TV event. The 23-time Olympic gold medal winner opened himself up to his critics on Facebook and addressed the backlash from his Discovery Channel special. You'll recall, no doubt, Phelps lost to the shark ... but it was a CGI shark. Phelps claims everyone involved in the man vs. beast production made it very clear what the "race" would entail, but people chose not to listen and now they're hatin' ... which he calls "shocking." Speaking of shocking -- Michael didn't race a real shark, but REALLY did swim in 53 degree water! (TMZ)
A Hollywood dog rescuer has accused Bravo star Lisa Vanderpump and husband Ken Todd of reneging on a deal via their Vanderpump Dog Foundation, which shuttered her shelter. "They actively came after my rescue [shelter], and ruined me," Lizzie Scherer told us. The Vanderpumps were once supporters of Scherer's Saving Spot rescue. But the relationship fizzled after the glitzy couple stiffed her out of $32,000, she claims, forcing her out of business. "Ken approached us about doing a deal where they would essentially take over my facility," Scherer says. "He was looking for a space to lease. We signed a [memo] saying that he would pay my rent for the next three years .?.?. and offer me an employment contract as part of that deal. He then didn't pay rent and said he'd pay one month's rent as long as I signed [a nondisclosure agreement] and let them out" of it. But a Vanderpump source tells us they backed out because of Scherer's "shady" practices, including improperly accepting donations and not filing taxes. CBS News in LA reported Saving Spot's tax-exempt status was revoked in 2015. Animal activist Lisa, who opened her own luxe Vanderpump Dogs rescue this year, told us: "We can't be involved with someone who doesn't have a charity set up properly. Everything was messy. We helped pay her rent. We were purely trying to help her because of our love of dogs, not because of our love of Lizzie. No good deed goes unpunished." A rep for her foundation commented that the tax and other issues "showed me that they were not able to properly run their operations to the standard in which we planned and are currently executing at Vanderpump Dogs." Saving Spot charity head Ira DeWitt admitted that "Administrative mistakes were made," but added, "They were aware of the status of our 501(c)(3), which has since been reinstated. There's nothing shady about it. We had an accountant who misfiled a couple of returns. When we found out about it, we corrected it." Saving Spot's expected to close, and is exploring legal action. Lisa said: "I wish her well, but she can't make up things that aren't accurate. [Vanderpump Dogs] has gone on to do exactly what we set out to do." (Page Six)
Lil Wayne was completely caught off guard by Drake's new tat honoring him when his prodigy sent him a photo of it ... 5 months ago!!! That's right ... Drake's new arm ink went unnoticed for almost a half a year, at least to the general populous. We're told Drizzy got it while overseas and sent Wayne a pic when it was done, and Wayne was beyond floored and honored, since loyalty's a big deal with him. The tat's on Drake's tricep, so it's covered by the average t-shirt, which explains why no one picked up on it sooner. As for returning the favor, no word yet on that ... space on Lil Wayne's already heavily tatted bod is pretty limited. (TMZ)
Chumlee's done partying his ass off ... in one spot anyway -- the infamous Vegas home where cops once found guns and weed is on the market. The "Pawn Stars" cast member listed his 5 bedroom, 6 bathroom pad for a whopping $1,849,900. It's a sweet deal if he gets his asking price -- he bought it 5 years ago for $1.1 mil. The 6,206 square foot pad has a pool, spa and guest house. It's really a bachelor's paradise where Chumlee famously partied hard ... until cops searched the house in March 2016 and found more than 120 grams of weed and 12 guns. He eventually got off with 3 years' probation. Kyle Gluhm from Realty ONE Group is listing the home, which includes the "Chum Chum" room ... stripper pole included. Strippers NOT included, we're guessing. (TMZ)
Metallica's James Hetfield on Controversial Kendall & Kylie Jenner T-Shirt Line: 'Show Some Respect'. Last month, Kendall and Kylie Jenner stirred up some serious controversy when a T-shirt line debuted that featured the sisters' images and logos superimposed over photos of music icons, including The Notorious B.I.G., Ozzy Osbourne, Pink Floyd and others. There was swift legal action from a Tupac Shakur photographer, whose work was used without permission, and from lawyers representing The Doors, causing the line to be pulled from online retailers and the sisters to apologize. But the damage was already done, and one of those music icons who is none too pleased with the "homage" is Metallica frontman James Hetfield. "I guess what they were thinking is, 'We can do whatever we want,'" Hetfield says in an interview with ET Canada. "To me, it's disrespectful. We've spent 36 years working, doing our best, to keep a really close connection with people [and] make every note count. And someone just throws something up over something that we feel -- not that it's sacred or anything -- but show some respect." The T-shirts have since been pulled from the Jenners' online store after numerous complaints, including Biggie's mom Voletta Wallace, who called the shirts "disgusting." (Billboard)
Julio Jones has a big problem -- he lost a $150,000 diamond earring during a jet ski ride at Lake Lanier this week ... so he's hired a full DIVE TEAM to hunt it down!! The ATL Falcons wide receiver told WXIA-TV he noticed he lost the earring after he fell off the ski -- but didn't want to just walk away without making a real, solid effort to find it. The dive team jumped in the water on Tuesday evening -- scouring the 65-foot deep water. So far, no luck. Jones seems shockingly calm about the whole thing ... probably because he's in the middle of a $71 million contract. (TMZ)
Steve Jobs' widow brought her best accessories to Croatia -- her daughter, hot bf and Steve's yacht. Laurene Powell hit up the historic city of Dubrovnik in southern Croatia flanked by 19-year-old daughter Eve and bf Adrian Fenty ... the former mayor of D.C. Docked not far off the coast was the 256-foot, $100 mil yacht, Venus ... commissioned by the late Apple founder back in 2008. He never got to enjoy it -- Steve died a year before it was finished in 2012. Laurene will take it from here ... (TMZ)
Abby Lee Miller is doing what she can to make sure her prison fears do not become a reality. Two weeks ago, Miller, 50, reported to the Victorville Federal Correctional Institution in California, where she is serving a 366-day sentence. Ahead of her prison term, she sat down with The View co-host Jedidiah Bila for one last televised interview, which aired Tuesday evening on Lifetime. "I made lots of mistakes," said the former Dance Moms star. "The number one mistake being trusting other people with my money." In October 2015, Miller was charged with attempting to hide $775,000 of income from the Lifetime series, its spin-off Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition and multiple other projects during Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. Miller, who allegedly hid the money in secret bank accounts between 2012–13, pled guilty to bankruptcy fraud in June 2016. She was also accused of divvying $120,000 and having her friends carry the money in plastic bags in their luggage in August 2014, which she promised to forfeit in January. In May, she received a sentence of one year and one day in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release. She was additionally fined $40,000 and ordered to pay the $120,000 judgment, as well as give a DNA sample relating to her felony charge. Although Miller attempted to explain her reasoning to Bila for opening up several other financial accounts, she admitted, "I was stupid, uneducated, didn't do the research myself. I was in the wrong. What I did was wrong." Looking to the next year that she'll be spending in prison, Miller shared that she was unable to prepare for what's to come, but her faith is helping her cope. Miller, a Catholic, revealed that prayer helps with "guidance" and "doing the right thing." Still, she's afraid of what prison will be like. "I've been told not to talk about it because once they know, when they see this and they know, that's what they'll go after," Miller said of what she's fearful might happen to her in prison. "I'm petrified." Of the fears that she could be physically abused, Miller admitted, "It's not something that I think about -- I kind of blocked it out -- but it's definitely something that I'm terrified of, yes." "I hope it won't be as bad as I imagine," she said, but admitted, "if a whole gang of people wants to kill you, they're going to do it." "If a whole bunch of people want to make your life a living hell, they're going to do it," she continued. "If it's that bad, I probably won't survive." Miller, who lost close to 30 pounds ahead of her sentence and revealed that she's "trying to be vegan," admitted that she is "thankful that my mom and dad are not here to see this." Ahead of entering prison, the former dance instructor met with a female federal prison consultant -- who was previously incarcerated for 17 months -- and discussed the reality of life behind bars, including being strip-searched and wearing a khaki uniform. "It's going to sound stupid. So what if I go in and ... they hand you clothes. What if they don't fit?" Miller asked about her fear. "That's the least of your concerns," the consultant told her. In an attempt to calm her fears, the consultant told Miller that there are "some really wonderful women that you're going to meet in prison," but also advised that there are the "rough and tough" types as well. Miller, who previously opened up about her fears of being beaten or raped in prison, was also advised by the consultant about sexual relations behind bars. "If you don't want to have sex with somebody and you don't want a girlfriend for companionship or other, you'll be fine. So nobody's going to approach you unless you want one," she said. "So it's sort of like if you want a girlfriend and companionship, that's fine, but you're not going to get raped in a federal prison camp." "You're not going to get raped by a guard in federal prison camp. As long as you're respectful, then you're probably not going to get into any fights with any women," the consultant, who also advised her not to do business from prison, said. "Just blend in, follow the rules. Keep your volatility at a low level." Asked what mental place she was in prior to beginning her sentence, Miller said, "It feels like I'm being dropped into some dungeon and it's going to be grey, it's going to be cement, and it's going to smell, and it's going to be disgusting, and it's going to be cold. And I'm going to get cramps in my feet and my legs every night because I'm going to be standing on cement." "My biggest fear: the people that I employ will stab me in the back and will teach for other people," Miller told the consultant, who encouraged her to "trust." Miller still has hopes for the future beyond her prison sentence, revealing that she has "tons of opportunities." "I want to teach," she said. "I don't want to run the studio. I have put my time in making other people's children famous. I have done it well. I don't want to do it anymore." Friends from Pittsburgh rented out a villa in Los Angeles on Miller's last night of freedom. Putting on a brave face, she told them she was feeling a mix of emotions. "I don't know if I'm frightened anymore or just exhausted," she said. "People keep saying it's going to be like Paris Hilton... and I go, 'I don't think so.'" While Miller is fearful of her year-long prison sentence, she is also scared of what her future looks like after her release. "Will I come out and have nothing?" she asked. "That's more scary than going in." (People)
Lyft Just Made All Your Drunk Dreams Come True By Adding a Taco Bell Pit Stop to Your Ride Home. If this isn't a match made in drunk heaven we don't know what is! On Tuesday, Lyft announced it was making a match-up to rival all partnerships, one between the ride-sharing company and Taco Bell that would allow riders to add a "pit stop" to their journey. The new feature would allow munchie-craving passengers to hit up Taco Bell drive-thru between the hours of 9 p.m. and 2 a.m. (the hours when all your best decisions are usually made). Lyft's move to let patrons make a run for the border will be called "Taco Mode" and will begin testing in the next two weeks in Newport Beach, Calif. It's too bad The O.C.'s not on anymore because we can totally see Seth Cohen and Ryan "Fists of Fury" Atwood making use of this millennial-friendly feature. Taco Bell's chief marketing officer Marisa Thalberg told the New York Times that this marketing campaign is a new type of "experience innovation." "I kind of think of this like inverse delivery -- like we're delivering you to Taco Bell," she told the publication. "You're being delivered to the food as opposed to having to get in your own car and drive." Lyft has partnered with other companies like Delta and Starbucks, but this is a first time "actually fulfilling a ride experience for a brand," said Melissa Waters, Lyft's head of Marketing. Taco Bell's been stepping up their out-of-the-box game in recent months. The fast food chain recently opened up a flagship store in Las Vegas that features a wedding chapel inside of it, where hungry and in-love guests can get grab a hand full of Cinnamon Twists and make a run down the aisle for life for a mere $600. But as far as pairing on-the-go wastoids with chalupas, this could be the Bell's most genius idea yet. In terms of late-night decisions, going into "Taco Mode" may not be the worst one you've ever made. But, like many choices made in the wee hours of the morning, you may regret it the next day... (Eonline)
Music
Selena Gomez Releases Sexy New Music Video for "Fetish." Selena Gomez is starting off 25 on a sexy note. Just days after celebrating her birthday, the pop superstar released the official music video for her new song "Fetish" featuring Gucci Mane. Directed by Petra Collins, the finished product has already received thousands upon thousands of views from loyal fans who have been eagerly waiting for the release. As Selenators already know, "Fetish" is the second single from Selena's upcoming third studio album titled SG2. Produced by Jonas Jeberg and The Futuristics, the song is already climbing the charts just like "Bad Liar" and "It Ain't Me" did earlier this summer. "You got a fetish for my love / I push you out and you come right back," the singer belts out in the song's not-so-subtle chorus. "Don't see a point in blaming you / If I were you, I'd do me too." Back in June, Selena chatted with Carson Daly on 97.1 AMP Radio where she opened up about the next phase of her musical career. Let's just say fans have a lot to look forward to. "I've been in the studio for a year. So, I can technically say I have an album, but I don't know where I want to go with it because of how different everything sounds. I'm not just saying that because I feel like, 'Oh, that's exciting!' Every song I'm setting up to be a single is just completely separate from each other and I love that," she explained. "So, I don't know where it's gonna go, but I can say I have an album because it's a lot of music." As for her personal life, Selena continues to be happy in love with The Weeknd. In fact, the man behind "Starboy" and "The Hills" was able to celebrate his girlfriend's special birthday earlier in the week. "Thank you for all of my bday love. I couldn't be more blessed," Selena shared on Instagram while celebrating. "A lot of you don't realize how much you mean to me. I. Love. You. -- think 25 is going to be epic. Xo." (Eonline)
It's Justin Bieber's manager's turn to say sorry to the Beliebers. Scooter Braun has apologized for the abrupt cancellation of Bieber's Purpose World Tour on Monday, but also noted the singer's "soul and well-being" are more important than concert dates. "To the fans from all over the world who took part over the last 16 months over 6 continents thank you. To Justin who gave it his all night after night thank you. And to those that won't be able to see it ... on behalf of myself, Justin, and the team, we are sorry. That was never our intent," Braun captioned the photo. "But a man's soul and well-being I truly care about came first and We must all respect and honor that." Braun also promised that Bieber would "be back." Bieber told a photographer Monday afternoon that he canceled because he had been on tour for two years and wanted to "get some relaxation" and "ride some bikes." But according to TMZ, Bieber pulled the plug because he has "rededicated his life to Christ" and Hillsong Church. Page Six has reached out to Bieber's pastor for comment. (Page Six)
Lisbon to Host 2018 Eurovision Song Contest. Organizers say next year's Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. Portugal will be hosting the annual event for the first time after Salvador Sobral, the singer representing the country this year, won the 2017 contest. Sobral clinched Portugal's maiden victory with a gentle, soulful ballad and a subdued, no-frills performance that broke with the contest's tradition of glitter and gaudiness. Portuguese public television Radiotelevisao Portuguesa, the host broadcaster, announced Tuesday that the 2018 edition will take place at a riverside entertainment complex in Lisbon. The semifinals will be held on May 8 and 10, with the final taking place on May 12. (Billboard)
Chase Goehring Earned DJ Khaled's Golden Buzzer on 'America's Got Talent'. "America's Got Talent" judges Howie Mandel, Mel B, Heidi Klum and Simon Cowell with new host Tyra Banks. Watch out Ed Sheeran: There's another red-haired singer-songwriter who's catching the attention of the American public (and a handful of industry professionals). Chase Goehring impressed with his first audition on the TV talent quest last month, when he played an original, "Hurt". He went back to the well Tuesday night with another original, titled "A Capella," which had all the hallmarks of Sheeran. "It's really about me," he said of his new number. "I know I did a song about somebody else the first time but this song is about me. I really just want to be my own artist and make music that people can relate to." When Simon Cowell asked how the 21-year-old from Nolensville, Tennessee was feeling about reaching these middle stages of the show, Goehring confessed: "There has been so much talent here, it's been so unique and I'm actually really nervous." The nerves apparently dissolved as he focused on the music. DJ Khaled, a guest judge on Tuesday night, was an instant convert. "You know I do this music thing for real. I put out a lot of hit records. Let me tell you something. The lyrics, they're so real and authentic like an a capella, the way you were breaking it down. And I was listening to the words and the way you got the crowd involved... you're on your way to being a star. This show and this stage is going to make you into a superstar." And then... BOOM! As the post-Golden Buzzer glitter rained down from the rafters, Khaled and Goehring, a former X-Factor contestant, caught up for a chinwag. "We're got to work together. We've got to do something together," Khaled could be heard saying. Goehring becomes the seventh contestant to head straight to the live rounds. (Billboard)
Justin Bieber's refusing to say sorry to the couple hundred people suddenly out of work due to him ending his Purpose tour -- because as he sees it, that's someone else's responsibility. As Justin was leaving BOA Steakhouse on Sunset Tuesday night -- with his pal, Patrick Schwarzenegger, driving -- he was asked if had any message for his tour crew. As TMZ first reported ... they're pissed because they never got a heads-up Bieber was pulling the plug and leaving them high and dry. Bieber was shockingly defiant, and explained the difference -- in his eyes -- between tour crew and his personal staffers. We think the crew would say karma damn near bit Justin in the ass. (TMZ)
Justin Bieber's "purpose" in life does not seem to be music anymore -- it's all about his "spiritual awakening" courtesy of the Hillsong Church and its leader, in particular ... sources connected with the church tell TMZ. Multiple sources familiar with the situation tell us, Justin's decision to abruptly cancel his Purpose Tour is rooted in his relationship with church pastor Carl Lentz. As we reported, we're told Lentz did not advocate canceling the tour. In fact we're told he recommended the opposite. That said, our sources say Bieber's relationship with Lentz has been "intense" and the church leader has increasingly influenced the singer in making life decisions. As one source put it, "The church didn't tell Justin to cancel the tour. He made his decision based on spiritual soul-searching and his own view of the path in life he should be taking." The way it was put to us, Bieber processed the endless conversations he has had with Lentz and used them to make the decision. It's unclear whether canceling the tour is a one-off or whether Bieber is so down the road with the church that he will close the book on his music career. As one source put it, "he's becoming the Tom Cruise of that church." (TMZ)
Tyler, the Creator, Meek Mill & Lana Del Rey All Vying for No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart. Plus: "Descendants 2," Romeo Santos & Linkin Park heading for top 10. Meek Mill, Tyler, the Creator and Lana Del Rey are all aiming for No. 1 on next week's Billboard 200 albums chart, according to industry forecasters. Those in the know suggest that Mill's Wins & Losses could earn perhaps 90,000 to 95,000 equivalent units in the week ending July 27, while Tyler, the Creator's Flower Boy might tally 85,000 to 95,000 and Del Rey's Lust for Life could earn around 85,000 to 90,000. For Tyler, Flower Boy would mark his first No. 1 on the list (he previously went as high as No. 3 in 2013 with Wolf). For Mill and Del Rey, it would be their second leader (following Dreams Worth More Than Money and Ultraviolence, respectively). The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). The top 10 of the new Aug. 12-dated Billboard 200 chart (where Meek Mill, Tyler, the Creator and Del Rey will debut) is scheduled to be revealed on Billboard's websites on Sunday, July 30. Elsewhere in the top 10 next week, watch for possible debuts from the Descendants 2 soundtrack (with perhaps 45,000 units) and Romeo Santos' Golden (35,000). In addition, Linkin Park is on course to return to the top 10 with its former No. 1 One More Light (40,000) and Hybrid Theory (35,000). On the Aug. 5-dated chart, One More Light and Hybrid Theory re-entered the chart at Nos. 17 and 27, respectively, following the death of the band's singer, Chester Bennington, on July 20. The first Descendants soundtrack debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2015, earning 42,000 units in its first week. As for Santos, if Golden starts as anticipated, it will grant the artist his third top 10 effort. Next week's busy chart comes a week after the 10 was rather sleepy, where only one new album (French Montana's Jungle Rules) debuted in the region. (Billboard)
Pop Shop Podcast: Fifth Harmony's Ally Brooke & Lost Kings Call 'Look at Us Now' a 'Perfect Match'. Welcome to the new episode of the Billboard.com Pop Shop Podcast, Billboard's weekly audio breakdown of the Billboard charts, hottest music news and year's biggest musical events. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard co-director of charts Keith Caulfield and Billboard.com senior editor Katie Atkinson every Tuesday on the Pop Shop Podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in iTunes. On the latest show we welcome our very special guests Fifth Harmony's Ally Brooke Hernandez and dance duo Lost Kings! Hernandez and Lost Kings -- producers Rob Abisi and Nick Shanholtz -- called in to chat about their new single "Look at Us Now," which also happens to be Hernandez's first single outside of her work with Fifth Harmony. (The song, which was recorded in February, also features A$AP Ferg.) The track debuted at No. 30 on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart following its release in June. Shanholtz tells Billboard that Hernandez "was number one on our list" after Abisi had played him a track of her singing outside Fifth Harmony. "When we heard her voice, we were like, 'This is gonna be a perfect match.'" "This kind of just came really naturally," Hernandez says. "I fell in love with this song and I was like, 'It's a no-brainer.' And everything just kind of flowed -- just having a conversation with the boys and their management and their label and figuring out our schedules and making sure that they don't conflict. It was a very smooth and easy process. Of course, the girls [in Fifth Harmony] were so supportive as well and everything kind of happened really smoothly. So thank God for that." Lost Kings, Hernandez and A$AP Ferg are working toward shooting a music video for the track and hope to perform the song live in the future. "That's in the plans, for sure," Shanholtz says. "We're trying to work out as many dates as we can between Ally's schedule and our schedule. ... Right now, the focus is trying to get everybody onboard for the music video." In addition to our discussion with Hernandez and Lost Kings, we've also got chart chat and news updates about Charlie Puth, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, Nine Inch Nails, Ryan Seacrest, Justin Bieber and Linkin Park. Puth notches his third top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Attention," while both Gomez and Lovato sail into the top 40 with their latest efforts. Plus, Nine Inch Nails visit the Alternative Songs chart for a 20th time with their new track, "Less Than." We also dive into discussions about how Seacrest will return to host the American Idol reboot, how Bieber canceled the remainder of his Purpose World Tour, and we remember the late Chester Bennington of Linkin Park. (Billboard)
Movies
Amy Schumer's Reaction to Anne Hathaway Possibly Replacing Her as Barbie Is Just What You Would Expect. Amy Schumer served up her best plate of friendly sass amid news that Anne Hathaway may be picking up where she left off. Rewind to last December when E! News confirmed the Trainwreck star was in talks to take on the title role of Barbie in Sony's upcoming live-action version. However, those plans came to a screeching halt three months later when the Emmy Award winner announced that she was no longer in the running. "Sadly, I'm no longer able to commit to Barbie due to scheduling conflicts," Schumer said in a statement to E! News. "The film has so much promise, and Sony and Mattel have been great partners. I'm bummed, but look forward to seeing Barbie on the big screen." Now, E! News can confirm Hathaway is in early negotiations for the role, but a lot is still riding on whether her schedule will permit the performance. While we wait and see how things turn out for the Oscar winner in Barbie world, Schumer had a few words for her colleague. "Hathaway smathaway," she quipped on Instagram along with a serious selfie. "jkjk she's perfect!! Can't wait to see it!" It was arguably the best reaction we could have hoped for from the good sport. Meanwhile, Hathaway has not yet spoken publicly about the role. Just like that, all was right in Hollywood. (Eonline)
Wonder Woman 2 With Gal Gadot Receives Official Release Date. Mark your calendars, moviegoers. This film is one you are going to want to experience. Less than two months after Wonder Woman started exceeding expectations at the box office, Warner Bros. has some major news to share. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gal Gadot will return for the sequel as Diana of Themyscira. As for when we can experience this film on the big screen, a release date has been announced for December 13, 2019. The publication reports that talks with Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins to return are ongoing. In other words, that part of the project isn't official just yet. In addition to receiving positive reviews from fans and critics alike, Wonder Woman has grossed more than $389 million at the domestic box office to date. In fact, it recently passed Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 over the weekend. Oprah Winfrey and Lupita Nyong'o are just some of the vocal supporters of the film. And yes, they also are big fans of Gal. Even with all the praise, Gal recently showed fans what a wonder woman really is. In an Instagram last month, the actress shared a little bit of her family life at home. "Sleepless night, colic 3 months old baby and an early wake up by my 5 year old. Went to the garden to get some fresh air with my coffee to help me wake up and now watching The Cat In The Hat with my daughter," she wrote to her followers. "It always amazes me how the most simple things are the ones to make us the happiest." Gal is also expected to star in Justice League being released everywhere on November 17. (Eonline)
Kate Hudson Shaves Her Head for Mystery Project With Sia. The latest buzz in Hollywood is all about a buzz cut. Kate Hudson has shaved her trademark tresses in preparation for her latest project with Sia. The 38-year-old actress was photographed in L.A. Tuesday on the set of the mysterious shoot. Hudson recently hinted that she will be dancing in the project, as she snapped a selfie at a dance studio on July 13, which showed her posing with dancer-turned-actress Maddie Ziegler. "Dance rehearsal with this bundle of excellence," Hudson wrote in the caption. Sia is also involved in the project, and the singer has been spotted on set in L.A. without her famous wig. Hudson was last seen in public with shoulder-length blond hair on Sunday, when she joined boyfriend Danny Fujikawa for a lunch date in L.A. Some fans believe she wore a wig, as her hair has either been obscured or cut out of the photos she's shared on social media in recent weeks. The Golden Globe winner has not publicly commented on her recent haircut. Last year, the actress got a bob haircut in preparation for another role. "In May I start shooting the Richard Pryor project. I'm supposed to have short hair and I wanted to get used to it. So, I thought, 'I'm just going to chop it off so that I have a couple months to sort of get used to it and see how I feel,'" Hudson told InStyle in May 2016. "Then we'll see what else is going to happen." In addition to Hudson, people like Cara Delevingne have recently shaved their heads for roles. (Eonline)
Stan Lee's POW! Teams With China's Linking Star on Five Superhero Films. Former Marvel vice president Bob Sabouni has joined Linking Star as an art consultant on the projects. Startup Chinese film company Linking Star Pictures is partnering with comic book legend Stan Lee's POW! Entertainment to develop five superhero films, with former Marvel vice president Bob Sabouni serving as an art consultant on the projects. Linking Star Pictures is a new joint venture between Beijing Film Co., Beijing Novo United Films Co. and Hong Kong-based Camsing International, which acquired Lee's POW! for an undisclosed sum in May. Lee was retained in the deal as POW!'s chief creative officer. In addition to the plans with POW!, Linking Star unveiled a development fund Monday to go toward cultivating Chinese superhero IP through a competition series designed to develop young Chinese film talent. The competition will be judged by a panel of local experts, including producer Weimin Wang (Wolf Totem); Dan Yang, vice president of online ticket-selling service Weying; and Yonghong Deng, vp Beijing Film Association, among others. (Hollywood Reporter)
TV
Riverdale Cast Teases Tough Times for Varchie and a "Romeo and Juliet Situation" for Bughead in Season 2. Love is in the air, but so is trouble when it comes to Riverdale. When E! News sat down with nearly the entire cast of the CW hit at San Diego Comic-Con, there was a lot to discuss after the season one finale. Fred got shot right in front of Archie, Jughead was on his way to join the Southside Serpents, Veronica's criminal father was about to make his return, and Betty had just learned a major family secret. With everyone dealing with so much, we had to get the scoop on how all the major couples are going to be doing when the show makes its return in October. For Veronica (Camila Mendes) and Archie (KJ Apa) -- who just slept together for the first time in the finale -- Veronica has to figure out how to be Archie's rock. "She's not used to being that kind of girlfriend, especially so early on in a relationship," Mendes tells us. "But because of what Archie experienced at the end of season one, she kind of has to step up to the plate and be there for him." As for Jughead (Cole Sprouse) and Betty (Lili Reinhart), who just took their IRL relationship public over the weekend, their season two arc might be a little reminiscent of another famous (and sadly doomed) couple. "Jughead is going through quite a bit at the end of season one and continues to go through quite a bit throughout season two, and asks if Betty is ride or die, you know." Sprouse tells us. "[He] asks Betty how much Lana Del Rey vidoes she's been watching, and whether she's going to hop on the back of that hog." "It's kind of a Romeo and Juliet situation between the two of them," Reinhart adds. "There's a civil war kind of going on in Riverdale, and he's on the south side, she's on the north side, and you gotta choose a side basically. It might cause some problems." However, despite all those potential issues, Reinhart also says that "deep down, both couples are solid," so our hearts can rest easy until season two finally premieres. Riverdale returns Wednesday, October 11 at 8 p.m. on the CW. (Eonline)
Teen Wolf Says Goodbye: The Cast Talks "Melancholy," Final Scenes, and Their Last Comic-Con Ever. Get ready, Teen Wolf fans, because this this a bit of a tear-jerker. The cast of the long-running MTV series gathered at San Diego Comic-Con one last time this weekend and sat down with E! News to talk about saying goodbye. Star Tyler Posey even busted out a new word just for us. "It's definitely a little melancholy. That's the right word for it, right?" he said, turning to fellow cast members Shelley Hennig, Cody Christian, and Dylan Sprayberry. "I've never used that word." "And you used it at Comic-Con!" Hennig added. "It's weird, because I don't think anybody else is having the same experience as us." Posey described a dinner during last year's Comic-Con, just after it was announced that Teen Wolf was ending, where he watched a montage of all the different promos put together for each season. "I had been to every single one of these promos. I was there for them all, and it really hit me hard," he told us. "Like, I started shaking, and like, holy s--t, this is real, and really happening. It was the first time I ever really felt that when it comes to Teen Wolf." While Christian told us that his final scene was bloody, Hennig's was...not. "My exit was naked," she revealed. "Came in naked, left naked, cried on a pillow, wasn't supposed to..." "I was there for both those times, too!" Posey exclaimed. While he wouldn't say if the ending Posey envisioned involved Hennig naked, the star did say he had an end in mind. "I kinda just saw the ending. I had an ideal scene ending," he told us. "It didn't happen that way, because the writers aren't in my head, but I'm still really happy with how it ended. I just had a different idea for it." "The last shot of the show is really beautiful," Hennig added. Melissa Ponzio, who has played Scott McCall's badass mom since the very beginning of the show, told us she was feeling "all of the emotions" as the show ended. "Happiness and sadness and..." "Celebration!" added Charlie Carver. "I mean, it's hard," Linden Ashby said. "It's never easy to say see ya, goodbye. And it's been a huge part of our lives and it's hard. It's hard to let it go." "For me, it definitely hit after there was no work," Khylin Rhambo told us. "The week after, once I realized oh man, there's no call times. You get into a rhythm of filming, and once it's over, that's when it really hit me. But the last day was moreso like a beautiful experience. I just got to watch everyone have a special moment together. It was just like a love bond between everyone." "I think, too, when the fans found out it was the last season, watching that hit was really hard," Carver told us. "But I think that they're going to be very excited to see how everything sort of gets wrapped up in this next season." Speaking of the fans, Hennig observed that this year's panel was a little bit different from panels in the past, when the show wasn't about to end. First of all, it was moderated by Ponzio, Ashby, and creator Jeff Davis, making it more of a conversation between cast members than a typical panel. "This one was a little melancholy, a little solemn," she told us. "I think they wanted to make sure they didn't miss out on anything we said. Normally they're like screaming, yelling, and I think they were really listening to make sure they got the last of it, and I think we were doing the same. A couple of us were actually nervous for the first time. It was an interesting vibe." She described the end of the show like the end of high school, and the rest of the cast agreed. "You're excited for what's next and you're also scared to say goodbye," Christian added. "That's what it feels like." Teen Wolf returns Sunday at 8 p.m. on MTV. (Eonline)
Tyler Perry has played Detective Alex Cross on the big screen, but he'll next put his sleuthing skills to the test on TV. Perry will appear in the Season 5 premiere of ID's "Deadline: Crime With Tamron Hall," on Sept. 3. The star and filmmaker will look into the case of Terrance Williams, who suddenly disappeared from Naples, Fla., in 2004. Another man, Felipe Santos, went missing around the same time. Both were seen interacting with the same former sheriff's deputy, Steve Calkins, after traffic incidents. Calkins has said he dropped both off at area convenience stores. The cold case had no leads until 2012, when it was covered by Investigation Discovery, after which Perry offered a $100,000 bounty for information. (Page Six)
From Peggy to Offred: how Elisabeth Moss became our favorite TV actress. Yeah, we're fangirling hard for her. While many actresses are immediately hailed as The Next Big Thing (and often fail to deliver after the fanfare), Elisabeth Moss has steadily emerged as one of the strongest, most versatile actresses around. Her name on a project is now an instant quality marker: if she's involved, you know it's going to be good. When Mad Men started a decade ago, it was Christina Hendrick's fiery bombshell, Joan Holloway that captured everyone's attention. But as the series evolved Moss took Peggy Olson from shy secretary, to zero-fucks badass - a feminist heroine that by the final season had New York Magazine announcing on its cover: Elisabeth Moss has been the star of Mad Men all along. They were right. Few actresses could pull off a character evolution like that. It would have been easy to get 'stuck' as Peggy, but her Golden Globe-winning performance in neo-noir crime drama Top Of The Lake, proved Moss to be a character actress with real range. As a New Zealand cop investigating the disappearance of a 12-year-old girl, her character Robin had to simultaneously process the sexual abuse from her own past, and look after her dying mother. It was a role that cranked up the emotional dial: grief, trauma, anger, denial. As with Peggy, you want Robin to triumph - testament to Moss's ability to get you rooting for her characters, even when they aren't instantly accessible or likeable. (If you haven't seen it, make sure you fix that: the first season is on BBC iplayer and Netflix, ahead of season two starting on BBC Two on July 27. This time Moss is joined by Nicole Kidman and Gwendoline Christie - talk about a dream team). Of course, it's her performance as June/Offred in The Handmaid's Tale that has sealed the deal in our love for Moss. The quiet strength, the barely contained rage, the horror flickering across her face as she suffers this nightmare dystopia, the moments of sardonic rebellion. She makes you put down your phone and pay attention (how many shows can counter the pull of a quick peek on Insta?). The terror of The Handmaid's Tale (which has been commission for a second season) is the feeling that this could actually happen, and Moss' performance - never overblown, her reactions always remaining believable and almost sickeningly relatable - amplifies that power. In fact, her performance is so compelling that it triggered a spate of pearl-clutching tabloid pieces in the UK about viewers left 'traumatized' and 'sickened' by the show: totally failing to realize that that might be the whole point. As TV continues to rival film as a medium for amazing drama, and A-listers start signing up for small screen projects, Moss has already established herself as the go-to lead for smart, challenging - and seriously successful - shows, which require the stamina to carry a performance across hours and hours of episodes. But she has plans of her own. In the past she has tried to pitch a female-led TV drama that she wants to produce and star in - only to be met with executives dismissing it as 'too female'. ("I would dare a male executive to say that to my face now," she told Radio Times.) Hopefully, now that she's officially Hot Property that project will eventually see the light of day. The only thing better than watching Elisabeth Moss act, might be watching Elisabeth Moss act in her own project. That we want to see. Top Of The Lake: China Girl starts on BBC Two, 9pm, July 27. The entire second season will be available on BBC iPlayer after the first episode airs. (British Glamour)
ITV Boss Talks Gender Issues, Calls Netflix a "Frenemy". "We take gender issues, in employment and pay, very, very seriously as a company," says executive chairman Peter Bazalgette amid the debate about the gender pay gap at the BBC. U.K. TV giant ITV on Wednesday discussed its commitment to diversity and gender issues amid a recent debate about the gender pay gap at British public broadcaster BBC. Asked about the pay controversy on an earnings call with reporters, ITV executive chairman Peter Bazalgette said that 52 percent of ITV's overall workforce and 43 percent of its senior management team were female. He said the company didn't break out on-air talent splits. "We take gender issues, in employment and pay, very, very seriously as a company," Bazalgette said. "We are supporters of and subscribers to Project Diamond, which is part of the creative diversity network in the television industry where we are working very hard to monitor and improve diversity in all productions -- both in front of the camera and behind the camera." When asked if ITV would disclose the pay of top talent, he also highlighted that disclosure standards for the BBC are stricter. "We are a commercial company, we are a commercial broadcaster," Bazalgette emphasized. "The BBC is funded with public money and has a different way of answering to its funders and having to account for itself. We would never discuss confidential contracts for anyone working at ITV." He said the company would next April publish, as required, gender pay gap numbers, which, he said, would show year-over-year improvement. The BBC disclosed data earlier this month that showed that male BBC TV and radio personalities make substantially more than their female counterparts. The publicly funded BBC was forced to publish the salary ranges of its best-paid actors and hosts for the first time. Some of the BBC's most prominent female journalists and TV presenters have banded together to demand that the broadcaster fix the gap immediately rather than in several years as management has proposed. The BBC responded by saying that it has made "significant changes" in recent years but needs to do more to close the pay gap. Bazalgette was on Wednesday's call also asked about ITV's relationship with streaming video giants Netflix and Amazon. "Netflix is definitely in the category of frenemy," he said, highlighting that the companies compete for people's time and attention, while ITV also makes content for Netflix, which continues to look for original fare, and sells it library shows. "We welcome Netflix in the marketplace," he concluded. Asked about Netflix's recent news that it has crossed the milestone of 100 million global subscribers, Bazalgette also said that ITV's channels have a U.K. share of TV viewing of about 21 percent, while "Netflix, if it was a channel, in the U.K. would have a 4 percent share." He concluded: "So it's doing very well, but it's got the share of one of the healthier digital channels." YouTube's recent ad issues also were discussed on the ITV call. Some advertisers have limited or suspended their U.K. digital ad spending after recent reports that ads have appeared on hate sites and next to videos on Google's YouTube from supporters of Islamic terrorists and other extremist groups. ITV COO and finance chief Ian Griffiths said that has not meant any real ad benefit for ITV, but he said it has helped TV companies highlight the advantages of TV. Griffiths said that "TV remains an incredibly powerful medium" with a scaled audience, which has an established ratings system. (Hollywood Reporter)
Rick Perry Pranked by Russian Comedians. Unaware who he was talking to, the Energy Secretary discussed non-existent new fuel allegedly made out of pig manure and moonshine. Two Russian comedians, known internationally as "The Jerky Boys of Russia," have pranked U.S. energy secretary Rick Perry, making him believe he was having a phone conversation with Ukraine's Prime Minister Volodymyr Hroisman. The 22-minute conversation, in which one of the comedians played the prime minister and the other one translated, began with a discussion of sanctions against Russia and U.S. attempts to help Ukraine to develop its oil and gas industry, but then took a bizarre turn. Judging by the recording of the conversation, published by Russian news magazine Vesti.ru, Perry didn't realize he was being pranked even when the caller suggested that he try "a new kind of fuel," made out of pig manure and moonshine, which the comedian claimed Ukraine's president Petro Poroshenko developed himself and drinks on a regular basis. Perry responded to the odd proposition by saying that he would like to be "further briefed" on that before ending the conversation. As the story spread all over Russian media and was picked up by some international news outlets, Energy Department spokeswoman Shaylyn Hynes confirmed in a statement that Perry was talking to comedians. "These individuals are known for pranking high-level officials and celebrities, particularly those who are supportive of an agenda that is not in line with their governments," Hynes said. "In this case, the energy security of Ukraine." In Russia, the pranksters, Vladimir Krasnov and Alexei Stolyarov, are mostly known by their nicknames Vovan and Lexus. Internationally, they are often compared to The Jerky Boys, a U.S. comedy duo known for their telephone pranks back in the 1990s. The Russian duo's best-known prank was their 2015 phone call to British singer Elton John, who was under the impression he was speaking to Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Hollywood Reporter)
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