ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Lake Bell Reveals Her Second Child Is a Boy -- and He's Named Ozzy. When E! News confirmed in June that Lake Bell had given birth to her second child with husband Scott Campbell, details were scarce. But, when the actress/director appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Wednesday, Lake casually revealed that she welcomed a boy named Ozzy. "When you tell people that you had a baby three months ago, and they see you, do they become angry at you?" host Jimmy Kimmel asked. Lake laughed and said, "They're just like, 'Which Spanx did you buy?' That's usually the next question. And it's all about ratcheting it in." Jimmy wondered whether Lake had named her son after rock 'n' roll legend Ozzy Osbourne. "No, but we can go with that," she joked. "I mean, he's great. It was one of those things where my husband and I were so excited to have just one kid. We have a beautiful daughter, Nova. She's awesome -- named after the Chevy, obviously. It's also celestial, but you know what I mean -- more so the Chevy. We were so excited to travel the world. We were like, 'We're going to be modern. We don't have to have two kids.'" What changed? "We had sexual intercourse." How does Nova feel about being a big sister? "She's having some trouble. She plays with the baby dolls and stuff, so I thought it was going to be a shoo-in -- like a real, live baby doll," said the 38-year-old actress, who wrote, directed and starred in the upcoming comedy I Do...Until I Don't (out Sept. 1). "She's having trouble with it." "Her main thing is she just wants screen time, because we haven't done that yet. We're going to do it; it's part of the thing, right? She's going to get there. I'm not that new age. I understand it exists. Maybe for her third birthday she can have, like, two minutes on it. I don't know; I'm a terrible mother. Very strict!" Lake joked. "But because she loves our phone so much, we got her a play phone. We were at Rite-Aid or something, and we were like, 'Oh, there's a play phone; let's just get it. She won't play with ours.' We took it out of the packaging, she's in her car seat, and I heard her talking to some guy named Mark. She was like, 'Hey, Mark comma how are you today, Mark?' I all of a sudden realized...'Who are you talking to?' She's like, 'Question Mark.' And I was like, 'Who is Question -- ohh.' We always do the dictation. 'Honey, I'll be there. Are you OK question mark?' 'It looks like I'm running late comma can you prepare dinner period.'" Since becoming a mother of two, Lake said her life has changed "so vastly." "When you have one kid, you think it's really hard," she said. Now, "You're in the big leagues." It's been an adjustment for Lake and Scott. "There's so much wrangling and so many logistics. Your marriage turns into just a logistics conversation. The other day -- and I promise this is without hyperbole; this really happened -- we were going through our schedules," she told Jimmy. "So, we really made a moment in our schedule to plan our schedule. That happened..." (Eonline)

Dylan Sprouse May Have Just Responded to Cheating Allegations Made From Girlfriend Dayna Frazer. Dylan Sprouse appears to be addressing one big rumor that won't go away. Just last week, his longtime girlfriend Dayna Frazer posted a crying selfie on social media with the caption, "When you find out your bf cheated on you lol." The post immediately got fans wondering if Dylan was unfaithful in their three-year romance. It also didn't help that Dayna deleted all photos of her man on Instagram. Before you draw conclusions, however, it looks like Dylan is addressing the cheating allegations with a series of Twitter posts. "I will say this and only this: by adhering to an assumption based on limited information, you neglect the complicated nature of this issue," he wrote to his followers. "The truth always has two sides, and those sides have motivations, and those motivations, despite how cloudy they currently seem, are private." Dylan added, "This is complicated and it will remain complicated, but those who know me and who have known me, know well enough what kind of person I am. And that is all." The Hollywood couple has been together for nearly three years. And although the pair has not become regulars on the red carpet, they did like to showcase their love for one another online. "Peep this one of a kind human," Dylan wrote in a now deleted post. "How the [heck] did I land with someone like this?" While some questions remain, it appears both parties are trying not to have the speculation affect their lives. On Wednesday evening, Dayna was spotted on social media enjoying a night out with girlfriends. As for Dylan, he's getting return for his return to acting after a six-year break. He is set to play a character named Gideon Blake in the upcoming film Carte Blanche. (Eonline)

Nina Dobrev Explains Why She Left The Vampire Diaries and Why She's Really "Picky" About Roles Today. According to Nina Dobrev, leaving The Vampire Diaries was all a part of her plan. The 28-year-old star, who emigrated to Toronto from Bulgaria when she was merely a toddler, rose to national fame when she landed the role of Elena Gilbert in CW's hit series in 2009. Fast forward six years later, the actress surprised fans when she did not sign on for season 7 and the series lost a longtime and beloved main character. Reflecting on that time today, Dobrev maintains that the exit was her choice. "That was the plan from the get-go," she told harper by Harper's BAZAAR. "If anything, the fact that [leaving] terrified me drove me even more." While leaving a show that made her a blockbuster star would have been considered an incredible risk -- and potentially career suicide -- Dobrev welcomed the unknown. "I needed to feel that fear of 'Oh, my God, what if I never get a job again?'" she explained to the magazine. "That just made me want to work five times as hard to make sure that didn't happen." While she's had a flurry of guest roles and two films since 2015, Dobrev says the sparsity is the result of having to be "picky." "The things I want to do aren't necessarily the things that are expected of me," she said. "I don't want to play a teenager anymore. I want to play adult roles and be challenged and work with great filmmakers and tell incredible stories, and that has meant being really picky." However, if there's anything Dobrev knows -- it's the power of sticking to your gut. As a youngster, she lived with her family and another family in a one-bedroom apartment and shopped at a thrift store her mother optimistically coined "Versace." In the interim, the star turned to self-help books and "willed good fortune to come her way," as the magazine described. As we know, it did. As Dobrev pointed out as a full-circle moment, "Eventually I got to go to an actual Versace fashion show and sit in the front row...and now I go to vintage stores on purpose. It's funny how your perspective changes." (Eonline)

Justin Theroux Thinks the Tabloids Make Him Seem "Mentally Ill." Where is Justin Theroux's mind? Sometimes, it's on tabloid gossip. Specifically the kind that's made up about him. The Leftovers alum and uber-famous wife Jennifer Aniston are often the subject of sensational, false headlines on magazine covers and are certainly aware of the unwanted attention. In an interview with MR PORTER luxury menswear site's magazine The Journal, posted Thursday, Theroux talks about the the villainous character that has been thrust upon him in "this never-ending operative narrative on the pages of a magazine week to week." Theroux, whose character's mental health comes into question on The Leftovers, says the Justin Theroux depicted there is "just not a part of me," adding, "There's this slightly insane person running around on the covers of tabloids who is mentally ill, clearly." Aniston has for years slammed the tabloids over false reports about her. Last year, she addressed the "business of lies" in an op-ed for The Huffington Post titled "For the Record," writing, "If I am some kind of symbol to some people out there, then clearly I am an example of the lens through which we, as a society, view our mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, female friends and colleagues. The objectification and scrutiny we put women through is absurd and disturbing." "My marital status has been shamed; my divorce status was shamed; my lack of a mate had been shamed; my nipples have been shamed," she told Marie Claire later that year. "It's like, 'Why are we only looking at women through this particular lens of picking us apart? Why are we listening to it?'" (Eonline)

Pink and Christina Aguilera Are No Longer Feuding: "We've Made Amends." Consider this pop star beef squashed. Pink shut down a Twitter troll who didn't agree with the 2017 MTV VMAs awarding the pop-rock star with its Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, along the way revealing she and Christina Aguilera have put their rivalry in the past. It started when the social media user called the visual for 2001's "Lady Marmalade" (which also featured Aguilera, Mya and Lil' Kim) the only "relevant" music video of Pink's career. The singer responded, "Want to point out an awful new phenomenon of the last 10'years. We can no longer be happy for each other. I [love] Xtina, we've made amends...." Pink continued, "Music brings us all together. The best part of music is- there's room for everyone to win at the same time. Don't be what's wrong w/da world." She then addressed the mixed reaction to her receiving the award ceremony's top honor, adding, "Let's be an example of inclusion and celebration. You don't have to like me at all, I'm ok with that. Just be a decent person." "And you're f--kin rip van winkle if you've never seen one of my videos," Pink concluded. Aguilera has yet to publicly address Pink's claims. Their apparent feud stems from tension brought on while recording their "Lady Marmalade" collaboration nearly two decades ago. In a VH1 Behind the Music special released in 2009, Pink explained the rivalry's origin. "[Label executive] Ron Fair walked in," the "What About Us" singer recalled. "He didn't say hi to any of us and said, 'What's the high part? What's the most singing part? Christina's going to take that part. And I stood up, and I said 'Hi. How are you? So nice of you to introduce yourself. I'm Pink. She will not be taking that part. I think that's what the f--king meeting's about.'" Pink also alluded to feeling betrayed by Linda Perry after she broke ties with the Grammy winner to work with Aguilera years later. "I took it really personally when she started working with other artists, particularly artists that I didn't like," she quipped. "I don't think imitation is the highest form of flattery. I think it's annoying." They'd ultimately reunite in 2016 when Pink appeared as a guest coach on The Voice, an experience she told ET was "full circle." "Her and I have had history and it hasn't always been wonderful," she shared. "I think it just took us 15 years and I feel like there was true love and it felt really good." (Eonline)

Joanna Krupa's having herself a big month -- first she settled an ongoing lawsuit ... and now she's back on the market. Joanna's marriage to Romain Zago is officially over ... and it's hard to imagine a divorce going more smoothly. Neither side sought spousal support, and we're told they split things up evenly -- she keeps the L.A. pad and he gets the house in Miami. Romain also gets visitation rights ... for their dogs. Joanna tells TMZ ... the 2 are grateful for their time together and "wish each other nothing but continued happiness and success." She also says she's taking time for herself and focusing on her projects, and hopes their amicable divorce can inspire others. This comes on the heels of Krupa and Brandi Glanville reaching a settlement in the infamous smelly vagina lawsuit ... which Joanna also hopes can serve as inspiration. (TMZ)

Ric Flair Is 'a Fighter' Amid Critical Health Battle: 'Let's Not Count Him Out One Second,' Says Friend. Though Ric Flair remains in critical condition at an Atlanta-based hospital as he battles "multiple organ problems" following an emergency operation, a friend close to the wrestling legend tells PEOPLE fans should "not count him out" yet. Cameron "Cam" Fordham, Flair's marketing manager and CEO of Get Engaged Media, tells PEOPLE the 68-year-old wrestler "is a fighter." Fordham says, "Ric has shown that his whole life. Sixteen championship titles was not a walk in the park. Guy has been struck by lighting and survived a plane crash, so let's not count him out one second." "Looking forward to hearing many more WOOOOO's!" Fordham adds, referencing Flair's signature "Nature Boy" catchphrase. Flair, who wrestled for four decades during stints in WCW and WWE, has been hospitalized since the night of Aug. 11 after he complained of abdominal pain. Details of his condition have been sparse, with TMZ reporting he was placed into a medically induced coma before preparing for an unspecified operation on Monday. There is no word as of yet if Flair is out of a coma. Flair's daughter, Charlotte Flair, posted a photograph to Instagram on Aug. 15 that addressed her father's condition -- writing, "On behalf of my family and I, we want to THANK everyone for the prayers, texts, calls and support. Our Dad is a FIGHTER and your continued thoughts and prayers MEAN THE WORLD to us." His fiancee, Wendy Barlow, also wrote on Facebook Wednesday that "he still needs prayers" and that she is continuing "to make sure he is getting the best care possible." Fordham, 26, tells PEOPLE he and Flair talk daily and that the two have a relationship beyond Flair's wrestling personality. "He is like an uncle to me and he sees me like a son," Fordham says -- adding that he knows the star more by his birth name, Richard Fliehr. "He has one of the biggest hearts. He has helped so many people and he doesn't expect anything in return. He is like a big kid and reminds me daily that he has more 'swag' than me." The two saw each other last week at a restaurant, later spending time together at Flair's house where they worked through business ideas and his upcoming 30 for 30 documentary, among other things. "He loves to hang out and talk," Fordham shares, "He loves going to the lake and taking his boat out. He loves watching sports. He's probably the most knowledgeable sports guy I've ever met. He knows every single thing about sports. Everything." (People)

THE OTHER STUFF . . .

Taylor Swift Makes ''Generous'' Donation to Mariska Hargitay's Charity Aiding Sexual Assault Survivors. On Monday afternoon, Taylor Swift won her groping case against former Colorado DJ David Mueller. On Monday evening, the Grammy-winning singer announced in a statement that she'd be donating some of her fortune to charities that aid the survivors of sexual assault. Earlier Wednesday, Swift made good on that promise, giving an undisclosed, but "generous" amount to the Joyful Heart Foundation, which the organization confirmed. The spokesperson for the charity said to E! News, "Joyful Heart is honored to be recognized by Taylor Swift for our work on behalf of and in service to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse." According to the foundation's website: "The mission of the Joyful Heart Foundation is to heal, educate and empower survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse, and to shed light." On Monday night, the 27-year-old released a statement after her big win in court. "I acknowledge the privilege that I benefit from in life, in society and in my ability to shoulder the enormous cost of defending myself in a trial like this," she said. "My hope is to help those whose voices should also be heard. Therefore I will be making donations in the near future to multiple organizations that help sexual assault victims defend themselves," the chart-topping songstress added. What makes Swift's donation to the Joyful Heart Foundation even more meaningful is the singer's connection to the foundation's president and founder, Law & Order: Special Victim's Unit star Mariska Hargitay, who plays NYPD sex crimes unit detective Olivia Benson on the longstanding NBC show. The "Shake If Off" singer has been a long admirer of the actress, even naming her beloved cat Det. Olivia Benson. Hargitay, whose mother was Jayne Mansfield, has even made a cameo on stage during one of Taylor's 1989 Tour shows. It seems quite fitting that Swift would make one of her first donations to Emmy winner's charity. The foundation was founded in 2004 by Hargitay after countless survivors wrote to the actress about their personal stories of sexual violence. As a result, Hargitay formed the foundation to help victims in the hope to "end this violence forever," according to the foundation's website. Hargitay reacted to the donation digitally, tweeting, "For sharing your story, your resources, your time, your voice: @taylorswift13 you are a force. #grateful for you." The 53-year-old previously told the Huffington Post that, "The experience of sexual assault and domestic violence can be extremely isolating...One of the most important points we make to survivors is this: you are not alone." Hopefully Swift's generous donation will let a survivor of sexual assault know that she or he is not alone. (Eonline)

Aretha Franklin is opening a nightclub in Detroit after retirement. Aretha Franklin is set to retire in her hometown of Detroit and plans to open a nightclub in the city. The legendary soul singer tells the Detroit Free Press that she is moving from her longtime home in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. She also wants to open a small club that she plans to call Aretha's. The 75-year-old says she'd like to sing at the club "from time to time" and host performers that are favorites of Detroit residents. The Queen of Soul announced her retirement this year and said 2017 would be her last year of doing concerts. She plans to continue recording and is working to complete a new album. (PageSix)

Halloweentown's Cromwell Clan Will Reunite in Real-Life Halloweentown to Honor Debbie Reynold's. Listen up, wizards, warlocks and witches! A bewitching announcement has just cast a spell over the masses! Kimberly J. Brown, who played Marnie in all three of the Disney Channel's Halloweentown movies, took to social media Wednesday to announce that she would once again be heading to the real-life Halloweentown, St. Helens, Oregon, for their annual Spirit of Halloweentown festivities. Additionally, the former child star revealed in a YouTube video she posted earlier that J. Paul Zimmerman, who played Dylan, and Judith Hoag, who played their onscreen mom Gwen, would definitely be attending the Halloween haunt as well. Brown also said that her onscreen sister Emily Roeske (Sophie) is trying to attend, but is working through some scheduling conflicts. While many are jumping for joy at the meet-up, the reason for the Cromwell family reunion is for quite bittersweet. The former film fam is traveling to the All Hallows' Eve-themed town to pay a special tribute to the late Debbie Reynolds, who played Aggie Cromwell in the films. The group is slated to be a part of a very special tribute in honor of the legendary screen gem before the festival's annual jack-o-lantern lighting ceremony, which kicks off the fun-filled, multiple-day event. The ceremony involves casting a "spell" from the movie and lighting a huge jack-o-lantern in the town's square. In the YouTube video, Brown says, "This year we wanted to do something very special because, as you probably know, late last year we lost the incomparable Debbie Reynolds who played Grandma Aggie." She continued, "We wanted to a special tribute to her and her role as Grandma Aggie...and we want to have a small monument for her and we are going to do that for her in the lighting ceremony." The lighting ceremony and the Reynolds' tribute is scheduled for Saturday, October 14. So grab your broomsticks and your pointy hats, and get up to Oregon! (Eonline)

Ellie Kemper and Michael Koman Decide to Raise Their Son Catholic, Not Jewish. Ellie Kemper and Michael Koman had a big decision to make when it came to raising their 1-year-old son, James. You see, Kemper was raised Catholic, while Koman was raised Jewish, and therefore, they had to meet on common grounds when it came to their first child together. Well, the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt star joined The Late Show Wednesday night and dished to Stephen Colbert that they decided to go the Catholic route...though she's not sure if she received a sign from the "higher ups" that perhaps she made the wrong choice. Here's what happened... "He got baptized sort of late, like in May, he was 10 months old," Kemper began. "I was actually very nervous when the priest was holding him because I'm not sure priests are known for their, like, grit." She continued, "[At 10-months-old] they're strong, and they're emotional, and they have opinions...He screamed." Colbert jokingly explained that means the priest "got rid of the devil" inside little James, but Kemper isn't convinced. "An hour after the baptism," Kemper recalled, "I found James with a shard of glass in his hand! It was in my parents' house... He was miraculously unhurt. I don't know if he was testing God. I don't know what the point was, but I mean, he turned out OK. I don't know if it was a sign." Putting this incident aside Kemper said motherhood with James has been great...except for the fact that she think she's regressing from adulthood. "Ever since becoming a mother, I thought that I would become more mature with this greater responsibility," she explained. "But I go to bed at 7:30, and usually I've eaten dinner by 5." And the worst part? She gets weird children's tunes stuck in her head all day. (Eonline)

Ellen DeGeneres Has the Sweetest Message for Portia de Rossi on Their Ninth Wedding Anniversary. Ellen DeGeneres was ready to celebrate her greatest love of all Wednesday! While preparing for a new season of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the talk-show host couldn't help but mark her nine-year wedding anniversary to Portia De Rossi on social media. In her latest Instagram post, Ellen shared a photo from the couple's wedding day with a special message to her leading lady. "@PortiadeRossi and I got married 9 years ago today," she wrote to her followers. "Being her wife is the greatest thing I am." As fans may recall, the couple said "I Do" in front of 30 close friend and family members back on August 16, 2008. Motivational speaker Wayne Dyer led the ceremony as the blushing brides wore Zac Posen and swapped rings from Neil Lane. Ever since that romantic day, the couple has never failed to disappoint on red carpets together. And while they keep their relationship relatively private on social media, we can't help but remember the few times they decided to share cute selfies of each other online. Here's too many more years filled with health and happiness. (Eonline)

Young Thug for Son of the Year award? He's got a helluva chance after handing his mom a $TACK to celebrate HIS birthday. The rapper threw a huge party Wednesday night to ring in the big 2-6 at The Tago International Center in the ATL ... just across the street from 2 Chainz's 11th Street Studios. Sure ... YT pulled all the stops to make sure the shindig was poppin ... with stars like T.I., Jacquees and Young Dolph. Young Thug's family also showed up ... including mama bear who was already shining bright -- that watch, tho -- before YT handed her a stack of 50 Gs to complete her look. We see you, Young Thug. (TMZ)

Brangelina sued for allegedly not paying interior designer. A French interior designer is suing Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie for allegedly skipping out on paying for their sprawling Chateau Miraval, according to a new report. Artist Odile Soudant claims the former Hollywood power couple stopped paying her for no reason after she was hired to light four buildings on their Correns, France estate, including the 40-room chateau. "He [Pitt] wanted to make it an exceptional place and believed that light should be at the heart of this," Soudant told the French newspaper Liberation, the Guardian reported. Soudant never signed a contract with Pitt, whom she met in 2010, or Jolie but claims she was given "carte blanche" to put her signature touch on the villa. She employed 17 people on what she called the "BP project," including architects, designers, lighting and acoustic specialists and an optical engineer to determine the angle of sun rays on the chateau. But two years and $29 million later, the payments stopped and Soudant was left unable to pay her contractors and workers. She told the French appeals court that she had no idea why she stopped being paid by the celebs, even after Pitt urged her in emails to complete the work. "Odile, I need you. Come here please. I need you to finish," he wrote. Pitt sent another email 10 days later, saying, "I don't know how things happen in France but in the United States, friends don't attack friends. I've been nothing but a fan of your work. Do not attack. Let's finish the project and be proud of it. The work is too good to end on a bad note. Life is too short, my friend." Another one of his emails warned, "Don't waste time with legal action. Follow your artistic journey and don't worry about the rest." In April, the court ordered one of Pitt and Jolie's companies, Chateau Miraval, to pay Soudant more than $662,000, including about $70,000 for damaging her reputation. Despite the payout, Soudant said she's still fighting to be legally recognized as the creator of the lighting project at Chateau Miraval. She said the credit went to one of her employees instead. "I am an artist and this is my work. When someone tries to steal my work it is something else," Soudant told the Guardian. "This is all very painful for me." (PageSix)

How Vogue staffers know if they have Anna Wintour's approval. It's actually pretty easy to know whether or not you're doing well at Vogue. In honor of the magazine's 125th anniversary, the app debuted digital stickers, including bitmoji-style icons of a coffee cup, a pizza, an iPhone and, most importantly, an animated Post-it with Vogue's most coveted feedback: "AWOK." "No writer/editor/stylist/art director ever forgets their first AWOK, which stands for 'Anna Wintour OK,'" explained Vogue.com's fashion news director, Chioma Nnadi, of the insider acronym. Not-so-great feedback from Wintour, including "Keep Trying," "No," or what Nnadi describes as the dreaded "See Me," may be just as memorable for different reasons. While Wintour may remain an enigma to some behind her signature shades, she's obviously clear about what gets her stamp of approval. (PageSix)

The ex-radio DJ who lost big in the Taylor Swift ass-grabbing trial is desperate for a gig in radio -- so much so ... he'll work for free. David Mueller says he's put plenty of feelers out, but so far no bites. He's so desperate he's willing to start at the bottom again and do what interns do at radio stations ... as in, "caller, you're next." He thinks right now his face is poison ... even though it's radio. (TMZ)

Music

Justin Bieber Releases New Single "Friends" After Tour Cancellation. After taking a surprise break from touring, Justin Bieber is back with new music. On Thursday, the 23-year-old pop star released the new dance single "Friends" with producer BloodPop, who co-wrote several songs on Bieber's 2015 album Purpose. The song is about a breakup and contains lyrics such as "Girl, you wonderin' why I've been callin'? / Like I've got ulterior motives / No, we didn't end this so good / But you know we had something so good," and "So I'm wondering, can we still be friends? / Can we still be friends? / Doesn't have to end / And if it ends, can we be friends?" The single is the first solo single for Bieber since the his Purpose album track "Company" was released on its own in 2016. He was also a featured artist on DJ Khaled's single "I'm the One," DJ David Guetta's track "2U," and on a remix of Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi's song "Despacito," both of which were released earlier this year. "Friends" was also released three weeks after Bieber angered many fans by cancelling the remainder of his Purpose world tour, citing, "unforeseen circumstances." A source later told E! News the singer was "burnt out" from his constant touring. Bieber told a paparazzo he was looking forward to "resting" and "getting some relaxation." Earlier this month, Bieber wrote in a lengthy personal message to his fans that "Me taking this time right now is me saying I want to be SUSTAINABLE." "I want my career to be sustainable, but I also want my mind heart and soul to be sustainable so that I can be the man I want to be, the husband I eventually want to be and the father I want to be," he said. (Eonline)

The "American Idol" reboot seems to be in crisis -- honchos still haven't locked down a second, third and possibly fourth judge, with only 6 weeks until cameras roll. TMZ broke the story ... producers first set their sights on Katy Perry, who will be pocketing $25 mil. Our 'Idol' sources tell us ... none of the previous front-runners -- Lionel Richie, Charlie Puth, Luke Bryan or Keith Urban -- are any closer to signing than they were a few weeks ago. We're told record producer Nile Rodgers has now been tossed in the mix. The issue with Lionel, we're told, is his team's asking around $10 mil ... double what they want to pay. 'A.I.' producers are also still debating whether to go with 3 or 4 judges. At this point it all comes down to money, but it sounds like they'd like 4. Auditions for 'Idol' hopefuls kick off Thursday in Orlando, but filmed auditions in front of the judges don't begin until the end of Sept. So there's still time ... but it's getting dicey. (TMZ)

Movies

Box-Office Preview: 'Logan Lucky' to Battle 'Hitman's Bodyguard' for No. 1. Steven Soderbergh's first film in four years features an all-star cast including Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Riley Keough and Daniel Craig. If tracking is correct, The Hitman's Bodyguard is expected to shake down Steven Soderbergh's star-studded Logan Lucky when opening nationwide at the North American box office this weekend. From Lionsgate, Hitman's Bodyguard stars Ryan Reynolds opposite Samuel L. Jackson. Pre-release surveys show the movie collecting as much as $18 million. Logan Lucky is Soderbergh's first movie in four years. The filmmaker has made a point of saying he is releasing the movie outside of the Hollywood studio system, raising his own marketing funds and partnering with indie distributor Bleecker Street. Tracking shows Logan Lucky -- starring Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Daniel Craig, Riley Keough, Seth MacFarlane, Katie Holmes and Hilary Swank -- debuting in the $8 million range, although there's plenty of room for upside. (The comedy caper sports a stellar 93 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.) The film tells the story of three siblings who set out to rob a NASCAR race sponsored by Coca-Cola over Memorial Day weekend. Directed by Patrick Hughes, The Hitman's Bodyguard is likewise billed as an action comedy. The story revolves around a bodyguard who is hired to protect a notorious hitman who is scheduled to testify before the International Court of Justice. Gary Oldman and Salma Hayek also star. (Hollywood Reporter)

'Mission: Impossible 6' expected to wrap production in December. With Tom Cruise temporarily out of action because of a stunt injury, "Mission: Impossible 6" is expected to wrap production in December rather than October but can still be delivered for release as planned next July, a source close to the production said Thursday. Likewise, director Christopher McQuarrie insisted in an interview with British movie magazine Empire that, although the exact length of the hiatus had not yet been determined, "nothing that we're looking at right now is going to affect the release date." He said he still had seven to eight weeks to go on principal photography, which began in France on April 8. Cruise broke his right ankle last week while performing a stunt in London. The source close to the production said that the production's insurance would have to cover any costs incurred by a delay and that, following the injury, insurance costs for the actor, who performs many of his own stunts, are likely increase. McQuarrie, who directed Cruise in the last "Mission: Impossible" installment as well as in 2012's "Jack Reacher," said much of the film's action had already been shot. "What we have in front of us is less complex, except for one sequence that is really intense. Fortunately for us, the one that's really intense doesn't happen to be intense on [Cruise's] ankle," McQuarrie told Empire on Wednesday. This is not the first time that Cruise has left the "MI:6" set. In the spring, he took time off to promote "The Mummy." Paramount has confirmed Cruise's injury but has not specified how long the star would be out of action in front of the camera. While he recovers, production on "MI:6" could switch focus to VFX scenes while leaving remaining scenes with the actors till the end of the shoot. "You simply rearrange the order in which you were going to do certain things on the movie," McQuarrie said, adding that he had spent Wednesday on the backlot at Warner Bros.' Leavesden Studios, where the production is based, and was preparing to shoot an insert. "We'll assess what there is to be shot and what we can shoot... Once we've shot through that we'll go on a hiatus and then I'll shift my attention over to editorial," McQuarrie said. "We've already shot a huge chunk of the movie so you're just taking a big chunk of post-production and moving it up sooner. Then we go back to shooting when the hiatus is over." McQuarrie said that following the accident, in which Cruise slammed against a wall while jumping from the roof of a neighboring building, the actor's primary concern was whether the director had gotten the shot he needed. "He was lying down with his foot up and I brought him the shot and he looked at it," McQuarrie said. "As only Tom Cruise can do, with an ice pack around his ankle, he said, 'That's a pretty cool shot!'" (PageSix)

The Last Jedi: Rey takes her first steps toward uncovering her family history. Rey's family has become the "Rosebud" of Star Wars: Who are they? What's their significance? How will that revelation shape her destiny? The mystery was introduced in The Force Awakens when Daisy Ridley's desert scavenger touched the ancestral Skywalker lightsaber and saw a series of visions, including a starship abandoning a much younger version of herself on the junkyard world of Jakku. Now, The Last Jedi will finally resolve the question that fans have been debating for two years. This article, obviously, won't spoil anything. The theory I'm holding onto is still this one. But in EW's interview for our cover story on The Last Jedi, writer and director Rian Johnson did offer his thoughts on a related question: How much does Rey's past matter -- or is this a tangent fans have obsessed over unnecessarily? "To me, it's important insofar as it's important to her," Johnson says. "And I think it's important to her in terms of what is her place in all of this? What's going to define her in this story? She was told in the last movie that the answer's not in the past; it's looking forward. But she's showing up on this island to talk to this hero from the past." Let's just pause for a line from Eugene O'Neill's A Moon For the Misbegotten: "There is no present or future -- only the past, happening over and over again -- now." If Rey understands her origin, it can be a map for her future, a guide to avoiding whatever fear or mistakes have come before. In that way, Johnson says Rey does need to know. (And so do we.) "You can be told ['the answer's not in the past'], but I think she still has a lingering hope that she's going to find the thing that's going to say: This is where you belong. This is where you are. I think she still holds onto the thought that where she comes from will help define where she's going." Ridley says Rey will ultimately find the answer -- and discover that it doesn't matter that much. It won't change who she is, or at least who she wants to be. "You can always look for answers and that doesn't mean that the rest of your life is so easy. It's not like, oh, I know who my parents are so now everything falls into shape, especially in the Star Wars world," the actress says. Anakin Skywalker had a loving mother but became the galactic warlord Darth Vader. Luke and Leia are the children of Vader but have fought tirelessly for good and decency. Ben Solo was the son of Han and Leia, but lost his way and fell into darkness, like his grandfather before. Family gives you the starting point, but the destination is a matter of choice. Still, Ridley agrees that Rey needs to find out about her lineage, at least so she can stop wondering. "Yes, it would potentially change her mind, or at least give her a little bit more peace in moving forward. But ultimately what's coming is coming, and whatever abilities she has are there. So, personally, I think it's less important than even she may think." One thing Ridley said to expect from The Last Jedi is that no one falls easily onto the good or bad side. There is always potential to change -- for better and for worse. "What's wonderful is it's not so cut and dry, who's good and who's bad and that's not me saying, 'Oh, my God, some people are gonna go bad,'" Ridley says. "There's always room for bad people to make good decisions and vice versa. Again, that could be nothing to do with your parents and it could be everything to do with your parents." There's also another new figure in the Star Wars saga who has uncertain origins, but fans haven't latched onto theories about him the way they have with Rey. (Entertainment Weekly)

TV

'The Handmaid's Tale' Promotes Amanda Brugel to Series Regular (Exclusive). The actress, who plays Rita on the Hulu drama, will return full-time for the 13-episode second season. The Handmaid's Tale is expanding its ensemble again, ahead of season two. Amanda Brugel, who plays Rita on the acclaimed Hulu drama, has been upped to series regular for season two, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. Rita, last seen in the season one finale, worked alongside Elisabeth Moss' Offred, serving as a Martha for Commander Fred (Joseph Fiennes) and Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski). Going into season two, Rita looks to play an important role since Offred entrusted her with the dozens of letters written by other Handmaids. The promotion isn't surprising given that Brugel appeared in nine of the drama's first 10 episodes. She joins the Emmy-nominated Alexis Bledel (Ofglen), who has also been promoted to a series regular for the Margaret Atwood adaptation's highly anticipated second season. The Handmaid's Tale cast also includes Samira Wiley, Max Minghella, Madeline Brewer, Ann Dowd and O-T Fagbenle. Moss also serves as an exec producer on the MGM TV series, alongside showrunner Bruce Miller, Warren Littlefield, Daniel Wilson, Fran Sears and Ilene Chaiken. The 13-episode second season begins production in September in Toronto for a 2018 premiere. The Handmaid's Tale is also up for 13 Emmys, including best drama series. Brugel's credits include recurring roles on Eyewitness, Orphan Black and Covert Affairs. Her upcoming roles include the Catherine Reitman comedy series Workin' Moms and season two of the Canadian comedy Kim's Convenience. She is repped by Authentic Talent and Literary Management and Parent Management Inc. (Hollywood Reporter)

Rachel Bloom Reveals How Much She Makes Per Episode of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Wanna know how much Rachel Bloom makes per episode of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend? Well, she'll tell you. Gone are the days when stars were tight-lipped about their salary price tags, and as a result, the comedy queen opened up to Wealthsimple about how much she takes home each episode of her CW series -- and the sum is between $50K and $60K. The fact is she doesn't actually know. "I make about $50,000 or $60,000 for acting in an episode before taxes and paying my reps," Bloom explained in the Wealthsimple money diary. "I know it's absurd that I don't know the exact figure, but it's because all of it comes in bulk and goes directly to a business manager." It's also unclear if the star, who is also the show's creator, takes home money on top of her acting paycheck each episode for captaining My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. To put things in perspective, Kaley Cuoco currently earns $900,000 per episode on America's No. 1 comedy, The Big Bang Theory. Bloom also admitted that unlike a lot of stars who get designer clothes loaned to them for events, she has to buy many of the outfits she wears due to her size. "A lot of fashion houses are reluctant to lend clothes that aren't in the sample sizes of 0 and 2, so it's getting harder and harder for me to find clothes without buying them," Bloom revealed. "That's the whole problem with the fashion industry: My body size is literally normal and healthy, but when you put me next to a model, I look obese." Bloom, who made a name for herself with quirky YouTube videos, nabbed her first TV writing job on Fox's animated show Allen Gregory back in 2011. In the interview, she said she made $3,500 per week. "But I wasn't taking all of that check home," she said. "Remember that I was paying 10 percent to a manager, 10 percent to an agent and 5 percent to an entertainment lawyer." Well it looks like she's making a lot more just a few years later! Crazy Ex-Girlfriend season 3 premieres on Oct. 13 at 8 p.m. on The CW. (Eonline)

Does This Cryptic Tweet Mean Peter Kraus May Not Be the Next Bachelor After All? Who will be the next Bachelor? Since Rachel Lindsay gave her final rose to Bryan Abasolo on The Bachelorette, fans have been theorizing on who should be the franchise's next lead, with the frontrunner looking to be her runner-up Peter Kraus, with their breakup leaving viewers devastated. While Peter, 31, has said he's open to becoming the next Bach, a recent tweet from franchise creator Mike Fleiss has people wondering if he doesn't think Peter is the man for the job. "Do we really want a Bachelor who isn't ready to settle down with a woman he loves," Fleiss tweeted on Thursday. "Hmmm. Not what #thebachelor is all about..." Oh snap! Fleiss, of course, is referring to the main conflict between Peter and Rachel, which was Peter's refusal to propose during the final rose ceremony, saying he wasn't ready to do so, even though he was in love with her. After their intense breakup, Rachel and Peter saw each other for the first time during the After the Final Rose ceremony, and their tense sitdown included Rachel telling Peter the show's process is not right for him. But during a conference call with reporters the day after Rachel's finale aired, the business owner from Wisconsin seemed optimistic that he could eventually be ready to propose to someone at the end of the process. "I went into this entire process totally open minded and ready for whatever was thrown at me, and even with that I don't think I was prepared," he said. "I don't know if I can get to that level with someone that fast, but I certainly know that I tried. In this one instance, I couldn't. I can't really speak to my future. In this one time, it wasn't what I was able to do at that point." Another favorite for the job? Dean Unglert, who made it to the final four of Rachel's season and won viewers over with his heartbreaking hometown visit. But the 26-year-old seems to be involved in quite the love triangle on the current season of Bachelor in Paradise, and recently told E! News he doesn't know if he's "ready" to be the Bachelor just yet. "I just don't think I'm ready for it," Dean admitted. "I just think that from an emotional standpoint I need to figure out a lot more about myself before I dive in and be the lead of anything...I don't want to say I have no interest in being the Bachelor, I just think I still have a lot of personal growth to do before I'm ready for something like that." Still, it wouldn't be unheard of for Dean or another Bachelor in Paradise contestant, to land the title, as Nick Viall became a fan-favorite during the spinoff's third season last summer, with producers then deciding to make him the Bachelor. Bachelor Nation can expect to see the next Bachelor announced by the end of Bachelor in Paradise's season in September, with season 22 set to premiere in January 2018. Who do you think should be the next Bachelor? (Eonline)

HBO's Twitter Accounts Get Hacked After Cyber Attack. And the saga of HBO's summer struggle continues... The cable network has not had the luckiest of months this August. On the heels of debuting season 7 of Game of Thrones, HBO was first hit with a cyber-attack at the end of July as hackers reportedly stole 1.5 terabytes of proprietary data from HBO. "HBO recently experienced a cyber incident, which resulted in the compromise of proprietary information," the network confirmed with a statement to E! News at the time. "We immediately began investigating the incident and are working with law enforcement and outside cybersecurity firms. Data protection is a top priority at HBO, and we take seriously our responsibility to protect the data we hold." A few weeks later, episode six of the season leaked -- except no hackers were involved. Instead, it was HBO Spain that accidentally posted the penultimate episode and the footage started popping up online. "We have learned that the upcoming episode of Game of Thrones was accidentally posted for a brief time on the HBO Nordic and HBO Espana platforms," HBO explained in another statement. "The error appears to have originated with a third party vendor and the episode was removed as soon as it was recognized. This is not connected to the recent cyber incident at HBO in the US. Well, it seems HBO just can't catch a break because a day later, the network's Twitter account was hacked by group "OurMine." Messages from the hacker group began popping up on the network's related accounts for shows like Vinyl and Veep, reading, "Hi, Our?Mi?ne are here, we are just testing your security, HBO team please contact us to upgrade the security." As the network explained in a statement, "The infringement on our social media accounts was recognized and rectified quickly." Upon a quick glance of HBO's Twitter accounts, everything has returned back to business as usual. Unfortunately for HBO, the Internet is dark and full of terrors. (Eonline)

TV Ratings: NBC Claims Wednesday With Live 'Talent,' 'Marlon' Premiere. The freshman comedy is summer's top scripted debut before taking an obligatory hit in episode No. 2. NBC snapped CBS' recent Wednesday winning streak with the return of America's Got Talent's live results show. The hourlong telecast, which averaged a 2.1 rating among adults 18-49 and averaged 10.7 million viewers, climbed 17 percent in the key demo from the comparable Wednesday premiere in 2016. What's more for NBC, Marlon earned a favorable 1.3 rating among adults 18-49 in its premiere outing. It easily ranked as the top scripted launch of the summer, though its second episode dipped down to a 1.0 rating. On ABC, the network scored No. 2 status for the night thanks to a three-hour showing of the CMA Music Festival. It averaged a 1.2 rating among adults 18-49 and 5.7 million viewers. Big Brother was not diminished by its new competition, averaging another 1.9 rating among adults 18-49. Salvation was similarly unmoved at 9 o'clock. A second episode at 10 p.m. pulled a 0.4 rating. On Fox, MasterChef earned another 0.9 rating before a steady F Word (0.6 adults). (Hollywood Reporter)

e penultimate episode and the footage started popping up online. "We have learned that the upcoming episode of Game of Thrones was accidentally posted for a brief time on the HBO Nordic and HBO Espana platforms," HBO explained in another statement. "The error appears to have originated with a third party vendor and the episode was removed as soon as it was recognized. This is not connected to the recent cyber incident at HBO in the US. Well, it seems HBO just can't catch a break because a day later, the network's Twitter account was hacked by group "OurMine." Messages from the hacker group began popping up on the network's related accounts for shows like Vinyl and Veep, reading, "Hi, Our?Mi?ne are here, we are just testing your security, HBO team please contact us to upgrade the security." As the network explained in a statement, "The infringement on our social media accounts was recognized and rectified quickly." Upon a quick glance of HBO's Twitter accounts, everything has returned back to business as usual. Unfortunately for HBO, the Internet is dark and full of terrors. (Eonline)

TV Ratings: NBC Claims Wednesday With Live 'Talent,' 'Marlon' Premiere. The freshman comedy is summer's top scripted debut before taking an obligatory hit in episode No. 2. NBC snapped CBS' recent Wednesday winning streak with the return of America's Got Talent's live results show. The hourlong telecast, which averaged a 2.1 rating among adults 18-49 and averaged 10.7 million viewers, climbed 17 percent in the key demo from the comparable Wednesday premiere in 2016. What's more for NBC, Marlon earned a favorable 1.3 rating among adults 18-49 in its premiere outing. It easily ranked as the top scripted launch of the summer, though its second episode dipped down to a 1.0 rating. On ABC, the network scored No. 2 status for the night thanks to a three-hour showing of the CMA Music Festival. It averaged a 1.2 rating among adults 18-49 and 5.7 million viewers. Big Brother was not diminished by its new competition, averaging another 1.9 rating among adults 18-49. Salvation was similarly unmoved at 9 o'clock. A second episode at 10 p.m. pulled a 0.4 rating. On Fox, MasterChef earned another 0.9 rating before a steady F Word (0.6 adults). (Hollywood Reporter)