ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
How Fergie and Josh Duhamel's Thoughts on More Kids May Have Affected Their Marriage. New details are emerging into what contributed to Fergie and Josh Duhamel's split. Less than a week after news broke that the couple was separating after eight years of marriage, multiple sources reveal to E! News that the pair may not have seen eye to eye in regards to expanding their family. "Around a year ago when Fergie was contemplating what was next for her musically, Fergie and Josh were trying to have another baby," one insider revealed. "At the time, it was made clear that having another baby was a priority for Fergie over anything else regarding her music so she was trying to scale work back." Our source continued, "Eventually she was a lot more present in the studio to work on her solo music." After much anticipation, Fergie's latest solo album titled Double Dutchess is complete and is expected to hit stores this Friday. This past weekend, the singer performed her biggest hits at the Rock in Rio music festival in Brazil. Closer to home, Josh has been spotted out and about in Brentwood, Calif., with the couple's child Axl. Photographers also captured the actor without his wedding ring on during a morning hike. While multiple sources tell E! News that Josh was in fact hoping for another baby, they also assure fans that the Transformers star and Fergie are on good terms. "They are both just sad. It became clear that they wanted different things and there was no middle ground," another source shared with E! News. "They couldn't find a way to make it work." We're also told Fergie and Josh leave their marriage behind with nothing but mutual respect for each other. And yes, their desire to successfully co-parent remains a huge priority. "With absolute love and respect we decided to separate as a couple earlier this year," Fergie and Josh shared in a statement last week. "To give our family the best opportunity to adjust, we wanted to keep this a private matter before sharing it with the public. We are and will always be united in our support of each other and our family." (Eonline)
Kate McKinnon debuts new girlfriend at the Emmys. "Saturday Night Live" star Kate McKinnon celebrated her Emmy win with her new girlfriend, Jackie Abbott. The sketch show's first openly lesbian cast member, McKinnon was seen hugging the petite brunette when her name was called as Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. The move sparked instant interest in Abbott. She describes herself on her Web site as an "actor, photographer, clown," and her resume reflects that she's a performer with the Upright Citizens Brigade (like McKinnon) and has credits in little-known projects, such as "Miss Sugar Tit" and "Murder, My Tweet." Her special skills include tango, martial arts and golf. In other words, the perfect woman. (PageSix)
Selena Gomez's mom opened up about the singer's kidney transplant on Monday, September 18. Mandy Teefey shared an emotional message about the experience on her production company's Instagram page. "This picture is one of the most breathtaking images that will live with me forever," she captioned a pic of her daughter and actress Francia Raisa in their hospital beds. "For all those moments of not knowing if we were going up or going down, I can always come back to this picture and know we can always make it back up. As a mother I was helpless, scared and all I could do was pray for both of them, Francia's beautiful family." "I am pretty sure I am banned from that hospital," she continued. "Mama Bear was in high gear. Selena gained a kidney, I was able to keep my little girl, but I also gained another daughter ... thank you to everyone who was there for Sel, Francia and our families. We survived from all the love, prayers and God." As previously reported, Raisa, 29, donated her kidney to Gomez, 25. The "Fetish" singer revealed earlier this month that she underwent an operation over the summer. "I'm very aware some of my fans had noticed I was laying low for part of the summer and questioning why I wasn't promoting my new music, which I was extremely proud of. So I found out I needed to get a kidney transplant due to my Lupus and was recovering. It was what I needed to do for my overall health," Gomez captioned the same pic on September 14. "There aren't words to describe how I can possibly thank my beautiful friend Francia Raisa. She gave me the ultimate gift and sacrifice by donating her kidney to me. I am incredibly blessed. I love you so much sis. (US Weekly)
Ivanka Trump Discusses Her Struggles With Postpartum Depression: "It Was a Very Challenging, Emotional Time for Me." Ivanka Trump is opening about motherhood. The 35-year-old sits down for an interview with Dr. Oz on this Thursday's episode of The Dr. Oz Show and discusses her struggles with postpartum depression. Trump has three children with her husband Jared Kushner and during her interview with Dr. Oz, she reveals that with each of her three children she had "some level" of postpartum depression. "With each of my three children I had some level of postpartum," Trump says. When Dr. Oz asks her to clarify what she means, Trump confirms she's talking about postpartum "depression." Trump continues, "It was a very challenging, emotional time for me because I felt like I was not living up to my potential as a parent or as an entrepreneur and as an executive. And I had had such easy pregnancies that in some way the juxtaposition hit me even harder." When Dr. Oz asks Trump why she's willing to talk about something as personal as postpartum depression now, she says she didn't know that she was. "Well I didn't know that I was," Trump laughs. "But you asked me a question and...it's incredibly important and look I consider myself a very hard-charging person, I am ambitious, I'm passionate, I'm driven, but this is something that affects parents all over the country." In another part of the interview, Dr. Oz talks to Trump about working in the White House for her father, Donald Trump. "There's some who created a narrative that you should be a voice of moderation," Dr. Oz says and asks her how she responds to that idea. "Well I think that my role, and anyone who works for the President of the United States, their role is to inform, advise and then ultimately execute," she says. "So I'm not the decision maker. I have my views and I share them candidly and as a daughter I have the latitude to do that, but I also respect the process and my father is now president and the American people elected him based on his agenda and my job isn't to undermine that agenda, it's to embrace the areas where there's commonality and there are so many areas." She continues, "I'm deeply passionate about fueling the growth of women entrepreneurs, I'm deeply passionate about supporting America working families. So I feel privileged that he's given me the platform to push areas and push issues that are aligned with his agenda. Where I disagree with the agenda, I'll share it with him quietly but I don't view it as my obligation to moderate and I don't think anyone working for a sitting president should see themselves in that capacity." You can watch the entire interview this Thursday, Sept. 21 on The Dr. Oz Show. (Eonline)
Carson Daly has broken his silence following the death of his mother, Pattie Daly Caruso. The Voice host tweeted about his loss on Monday, September 18. "There are no words for the loss of mom," the 44-year-old wrote. "Thank u for the incredible outpouring of love. It helps. Please hug the ones you love most tonight." As previously reported, Daly Caruso died suddenly of a heart attack at her Palm Desert, California, home on Sunday. She was 73. "Kiki, as she was known to her grandchildren and many others, touched so many lives with her kindness, her giant spirit and her love life," Carson wrote in a statement to Us Weekly on Monday, September 18. "She will be terribly missed by her family and the world, but her spark will shine for eternity." In 2013, Daly opened up about his mom during his daytime job on the Today show. "I think having a strong parent has been such an inspiration because it's a constant reminder me to find my own pillar of strength and to be that for my own growing family," he said at the time. Daly and his wife, Siri Pinter, are parents of Jackson, 8, Etta, 5, and London, 3. (US Weekly)
Ariel Winter Gives the Internet a Piece of Her Mind About Her Clothes: "Screw Having to Always Look Appropriate." Ariel Winter is giving the Internet a piece of her mind. No stranger to criticism about her looks, the Modern Family star took to social media late Monday with a self-described "rant" aimed at those who continue to pick her apart. "Something I wish people would realize... I am not TRYING to be featured on Snapchat, I am not trying to be pap'd everywhere I do, I am literally just LIVING and unfortunately, I can't do that without paparazzi following me around everyday," she began. "I'm not trying to show you my ass in shorts when I go to the grocery store. I'm trying to live my life. People wear shorts. People have wardrobe malfunctions. No one is perfect." The star continued, calling out those who accuse her of dressing "inappropriately" for certain events. "I'm not a stylist! I don't know what to wear everyday so I look 'appropriate' or 'fashionable.' Also, screw having to always look appropriate or fashionable. For what? Society? Who gets to decide what is appropriate or fashionable????" Winter candidly wrote. "I wear what I like and no one should fault me for that. I don't want people to constantly see me in the news for going to dinner, or grocery shopping, or anything. I want to be in the news when I ASK for it by going to a publicized event, or EVEN BETTER when I have work out/coming out! So trust me, I don't want to see me in shorts putting water in my car every single d -- n day as much as you don't." In addition to commenting on the relentless attention she receives while completing everyday tasks, the 19-year-old addressed some naysayers' comments in regard to a recent interview she gave to The Hollywood Reporter regarding how she was dressed as a kid. "I'd also like to address the tweets I get saying 'you accused your mother of sexualizing you yet you're a whore.' I was a CHILD being dressed like I was 24. I was 8-13 years old. I wasn't an ADULT as I am now. As you mature at 16, 17, 18 you further develop your own identity and can make decisions for yourself. As a child, you do as you're told regardless of what is good for you," she explained. "I'm an ADULT now, who can make my own choices and have my own identity. And just because I DECIDE to show my body occasionally doesn't mean I'm unintelligent or that I'm talentless or that I have no self-respect." The SAG Award winner signed off her note with a clear message to anyone reading: do not equate clothing with respect, talent or intelligence. "I have EXTREME respect for myself, I HAVE talent, and I AM intelligent. We need to move on from this stigma that women who are comfortable with their bodies and their sexuality are just 'dumb sluts,'" she said. "I also just want to say how disappointed I am that out of everything in the THR article, THAT'S all anyone picked up. How disappointing. Do whatever you want people, just strive to please YOURSELF and NO ONE ELSE. Anyways, rant over." (Eonline)
Bill O'Reilly Talks Sexual Harassment Allegations on Today, Says "My Conscience Is Clear." Today host Matt Lauer sat down with Bill O'Reilly Tuesday morning to talk about O'Reilly's sexual harassment allegations. O'Reilly, the former host of the Fox News show The O'Reilly Factor, was fired from the network in April. During the interview, Lauer asked O'Reilly what reasoning he or his representatives were given for the termination. "There was no reason," O'Reilly said. "They had a contractual clause that they could pay me a certain amount of money and not put me on air, and they exercised that clause." When asked why the company decided to exercise that clause, O'Reilly said a "sponsored boycott" set up by "the radical left group" Media Matters "unsettled some people at Fox News." Before his termination, O'Reilly faced allegations of sexual harassment. A New York Times article published in early April claimed that Fox News and its parent company 21st Century Fox had reached settlements totaling approximately $13 million with five women who had accused O'Reilly of sexual harassment or inappropriate behavior. O'Reilly told Lauer that his termination was a "business decision" and he stood by his claims that he did not do anything wrong. "In 42 years, alright, I've been in this business. I've worked for 12 companies. Not one time did I have any interaction with HR, any complaints filed against me," O'Reilly told the Today host. He also said that he didn't know whether Fox News and 21st Century Fox actually paid the five women those settlements because he wasn't "privy" to that information. In addition, he said that there was a "flood of lawsuits" after "Roger Ailes went down." Ailes, who served as the network's chairman and CEO, had also faced sexual harassment allegations and resigned from the company. O'Reilly was fired about 10 months after the departure of Ailes, who died in May. O'Reilly said he was aware of these five women's accusations. Lauer asked O'Reilly why he didn't sue these women if he claimed their accusations were untrue. "You can't win those lawsuits. If you're a public figure, you cannot win them," he responded. "Sarah Palin is the latest example. I could do that, but the collateral damage of these lawsuits, the press frenzy -- every allegation is a conviction. Every allegation in this area is a conviction. They don't look for the truth." O'Reilly also told Lauer that the lawsuits involved "many other people, not just me." Lauer asked the former Fox News star if he had done in "soul searching" or "self-reflection" in terms of the way he treated women. "My conscience is clear," O'Reilly said, who then told Lauer that people could visit NewsMax.com or BillOReilly.com to read an article about one of his accusers who was arrested for filing a false police report. When Lauer pointed out that the police report incident happened in 2015 and that the false report and sexual harassment claims could be "mutually exclusive." "Look anything is possible. But it goes to credibility, doesn't it?" O'Reilly responded. "Alright if you look in totality this was a hit job, a political and financial hit job." "You know, nobody is a perfect person." O'Reilly later told Lauer. "But I can go to sleep at night very well knowing that I never mistreated anyone on my watch in 42 years." (Eonline)
Ryan Phillippe is strongly denying he laid a hand on his ex-girlfriend. His camp tells TMZ ... "As a staunch advocate for the health, well-being and equality of women, Ryan is completely devastated that these false allegations have been made and circulated. Domestic violence is an incredibly serious issue and fabricated and proven false claims should not be used to unjustly slander the falsely accused." As we reported, Elsie Hewitt got a protective order against Ryan and also sued him for more than $1 million ... claiming he attacked her in a drunken rage and threw her down a flight of stairs. Ryan's camp says, "The claims are false." (TMZ)
Mel B's efforts to get her domestic violence case sealed have fallen short ... the judge shot her down. According to docs, the judge denied her request to have the courtroom closed, and to have all the records sealed from the public. As we reported, Mel says Stephen Belafonte will expose explicit sex tapes -- some of which feature the couple -- as evidence in the case ... and she doesn't want her children to find out about them. The judge addressed that concern directly, saying "salacious details" like sex tapes are generally not reason enough to seal a case. He did acknowledge things directly related to the children, such as visitation schedules, would NOT be revealed in open court. Basically, the judge said instead of making a blanket rule to seal the whole case -- he's decided, as the case moves along, which topics to keep public or sealed. (TMZ)
Kevin Hart partied with a woman -- who is now at the center of the sexually explicit video -- for an entire weekend last month, and we've learned she's a stripper who hits up whatever clubs she can book. Her name is Montia Sabbag, although she sometimes spells it Montiah Sabagg. She's 27, lives in Long Beach, CA and met Kevin during a pretty wild weekend in Vegas back in August. The first frames of the 4 minute and 47 second video are a pic of Kevin and Montia. You can't see who's on the bed during the most explicit portion of the tape, but after the bed scene 2 people who look like Kevin and Montia are walking around in various stages of undress. We're told Kevin had never met her before and has not had any encounters with her since. As we reported, she denies she had anything to do with shooting the video, but authorities are not so sure. We're told there were other people present during the weekend and investigators are tracking them all down, with the intent of serving search warrants as quickly as possible. The brass ring for law enforcement is decoding the encrypted emails the extortionist sent to Kevin's people and figuring out the sender's identity. As we reported, Montia lawyered up almost immediately after Kevin's team contacted her, and her lawyer said she would sit for a lie detector test if Kevin paid her $420,000. Our sources say before making a multi-million dollar demand to Kevin in return for keeping the video a secret, the extortionist tried to get at least one media outlet to pay $15 million for the highly produced video. Our sources say Kevin had a meeting by telephone Monday afternoon with 2 investigators on the case and it lasted an hour and a half. He aggressively wants to help law enforcement identify and catch the extortionist(s). This was his second meeting with investigators. (TMZ)
The murder of one of Drake's OVO team members was caught on video, and cops just released it. Anthony Soares, who worked for OVO Sound, was gunned down last week in Toronto by 2 men. The video shows Soares standing in his apartment lobby when the 2 hooded men run up from a car in a nearby parking lot and begin shooting through the lobby glass. It appears they fired off at least 10 shot. A few days ago Drake posted, "RIP to one of our family members ... our brother ... I still can't even believe this morning was real. It was a honor to have shared years together and I will always keep your memory alive. Forever. Fif [Fif was his nickname]" Police have no suspects. (TMZ)
Ryan Phillippe's girlfriend has just filed a lawsuit against the actor, claiming he abuses cocaine, ecstasy, psychedelic mushrooms and steroids, and has beaten her badly. Elsie Hewitt claims in the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, on July 4th, she went to pick up things from his house and she realized he was extremely drunk. She says after she tried talking with him he attacked her, grabbed her upper arm so hard it left heavy bruises and violently threw her down the stairs as hard as he could. She claims he continued his assault and picked her up like a doll and threw her down the stairs again. He then screamed, "Get the f*** out of my house you crazy c**t." She went to the hospital, cops took a report and she got a protective order. She suffered chest wall pain, abrasions and severe bruising. She wants more than $1 million. UPDATE: Sources connected with Ryan tell TMZ, Elsie showed up to Ryan's house uninvited and under the influence several days after he broke up with her. They say she was the one who attacked Ryan and refused to leave his home. He removed her from the premises and he claims she fell and hurt herself. Sources close to Ryan say the L.A. City Attorney refused to prosecute after investigating, and they claim she's filed this lawsuit out of revenge. We're told Ryan's side finds it amusing Elsie has sent glamour shots of herself to the media and is out for money and fame. (TMZ)
Jared Fogle has officially been ordered to ante up $50,000 ... money that he's forking over to avoid officials seizing vehicles that he used to commit the crime of traveling to engage in sex with a minor. Fogle, who is serving 15 years in prison, was sentenced in November 2015 and the $50k forfeiture was part of the agreement. Now the feds have issued a formal order seizing the money. The document also provides certain "electronic storage devices" will be seized. The docs don't say specifically what they are, but presumably they were used in receiving child porn. (TMZ)
THE OTHER STUFF . . .
Selena Gomez Is Making More Than $30 Million for Her Puma Collab. Selena Gomez just made a very exciting announcement. The 25-year-old is collaborating with Puma and will appear in the brand's upcoming women's footwear campaign for the Phenom. "Officially a part of the fam @puma #pumapartner," Gomez wrote on Instagram Monday along with a photo of herself in her Puma gear. In a press release about the collab, Gomez said that being a part of the brand was "very exciting" for her. "Puma has changed the game when it comes to the mash-up of athletic wear and fashion," she shared. "It's amazing to see this influence on style and culture and I'm excited to be a part of it. I am hoping that we can create something special together. We already have some really cool projects in the works." As for how much Gomez is making for the collab, a source says Gomez is making over $30 million for the deal, which is expected to last around two years. This news comes one month after Gomez's boyfriend The Weeknd designed sneakers for Puma. As for the couple's relationship, the insider tells us that despite reports, they're "not living together." Gomez is currently filming a Woody Allen movie in New York City and The Weeknd is on tour. And while the couple does stay together sometimes when he comes back on his breaks, they are not officially living together. They both have their own houses in Los Angeles. And while the couple isn't sharing a house, it sounds like they are sharing clothes. "I mean, at this point, my boyfriend and I share closets, and [we're] just kind of throwing different ideas around," Gomez tells Vogue. "Sometimes I'll throw on his Puma stuff and just go out with my shoes. I'll just wear that as a little cute date-night dress or something to the movies. You want to feel confident in it. When you start stressing about it and feel you have to create this image...you shouldn't feel that way." As for her health, the source says that Gomez, who recently revealed she had a kidney transplant, "looks great and feels great." (Eonline)
Alisyn Camerota has an amazing support system in her kids. The CNN anchor covered Working Mother's October/November issue, chatting with the magazine about the sexual harassment claims she made in April against her former Fox News colleague Roger Ailes, who died less than a month after Camerota went public with her allegations. "When I decided to talk about it publicly, my daughter happened to be in the room when the interview was airing, so we watched it," says Camerota, 51, who shares fraternal twins Francesca and Alessandra, 12, and son Nathaniel, 10, with husband Tim Lewis. "My girls were so cute. They just threw their arms around me and started hugging me and saying, 'Mom, we're so proud of you,' " she adds. "It's so adorable and touching to me that they have that in them already." Megyn Kelly Details Alleged Sexual Harassment by Roger Ailes: Report Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly has reportedly accused former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes of repeatedly sexually harassing her. Nathaniel was supportive of his mom, too, but didn't quite grasp the full details surrounding the situation -- one Camerota tells Working Mother involved an invitation to a hotel from Ailes, the network's former president, when she expressed interest in growing in her career. "I overheard him telling his best friend, 'My mom's boss touched her butt.' I had to say, 'No, he didn't, that's not the story,' " she explains of her son. "I don't think he understood the nuances of sexual harassment at the time; he thought a butt must be involved. I had to clarify for him. He understands now." Though the experience in coming forward has been challenging in terms of how Camerota communicates with her children about it, she has found the positives in the form of lessons to impart -- and encouraging trust and transparency in her household. "I'm hoping to model that behavior of, 'Let's talk about things, even challenging, uncomfortable or unpleasant things.' It's working at the moment," she says. "The message for all of us -- adults and my kids -- is that silence is rarely the answer, and communication can bring some light to the situation." "I'm happy to say they're asking me sensitive questions, and I'm trying to answer the best way I can," Camerota continues of her trio. "When something has happened in their world, my kids have shared it with me, even when they were sworn to secrecy." Natasha Stoynoff claims she was sexually assaulted by Donald Trump while on assignment for People at his Mar-a-Lago estate. The mother of three may have future journalists on her hands. Camerota -- who recently released her debut novel Amanda Wakes Up, inspired by her 16-year career as a female anchor at Fox News -- admits her kids are extremely interested in her career. "They ask lots of questions about my job and think about their own future jobs and choices," she says. "They would never think that what I'm doing is not real or important. They've always known how significant it is. But they have heard that CNN has been under siege in the current climate, and they are concerned." And like most parents in 2017, Camerota is concerned about social media, calling herself "old-fashioned" in the sense that she prefers "real human interaction" over online relationships. "I worry about my kids' cyber futures, particularly in the love-life department," she explains. "It seems their generation meets online instead of the way we did. I know I'm fighting a current, but I'm trying to prolong their interactions with people for as long as possible. It's important to be able to speak directly to people, have real conflict and resolve it." (People)
Jimmy Fallon skips the Emmys after snub. Jimmy Fallon's "The Tonight Show" was snubbed by the Emmys this year, so he apparently skipped the show and celebrated himself anyway. Late-night hosts including Jimmy Kimmel, James Corden and Seth Meyers were at the awards hosted by rival Stephen Colbert. But Fallon bailed. The NBC host -- whose 43rd birthday is on Tuesday -- was at the 1770 House in East Hampton on Saturday night. A Long Island source told Page Six: "After a special dinner with his wife, [producer] Nancy Juvonen, Jimmy was presented with a candlelit, vanilla-and-chocolate ice cream birthday cake." When the crowd at the eatery's intimate downstairs Tavern joined in to spiritedly sing "Happy Birthday" to Fallon, he thanked the fellow diners by "sharing his cake with everyone at the surrounding tables." Fallon hosted the Emmys back in 2010. This year's awards saw the stocks of cable hosts, including John Oliver, Samantha Bee and Trevor Noah, rise. (PageSix)
Lena Dunham Doesn't Mind Landing on a Worst Dressed List. Lena Dunham does not care what you think about her outfit. According to the Girls creator, what you wear should be like a costume: "We want to be strong and ready to go...think about what is going to make you feel the most confident and like yourself." And even if that means making fashion decisions that land her directly on a worst dressed list, Lena isn't phased by it. In fact, she thinks it's fun. "I even like ending up on that 'Good People, Bad Clothes' page or whatever it's called...that stuff gives me pleasure." E! News caught up with Lena and Girls producer Jenni Konner at the 2nd anniversary party for their weekly newsletter, Lenny Letter, cohosted by Cole Haan. Lena's costume of choice included a green sculptural earring -- made by her godfather, artist John Newman -- a simple black dress and suede pumps that made her feel like she could wake up dancing. While admiring Lena's ear candy, Jenni said of its designer: "That's not on a top 10 list, but it's on our top 10 list." And just as she was armed in her most Lena attire for her own party, the actress tackles the red carpet with the same approach, saying that clothing should be about "personal choice and personal voice." Adhering to a Hollywood standard of style or beauty defies that volition. Looking back at past red carpet appearances, the only time Lena hasn't felt her best was when she was trying to dress like someone else. "There are a few pictures of me in, like, a weird shift dress and a blowout from early on where I'm like, 'I'm not hosting a morning television show!' but I thought there was some [image] that you had to fit into," she said. "Now I understand that it doesn't matter." She added that this sartorial conviction is something she and Jenni share -- with the memory of a particular shoulder-pad-clad pantsuit as a standout style moment for her Girls cowriter (and real-life BFF). "I loved the year when [Jenni wore her] own vintage Gucci suit to the Girls premiere," Lena said. "It wasn't about having something new; it was about feeling strong and powerful." As for Lena's best outfits? Jenni said: "I honestly love this Co dress Lena wore just last night. It almost looked vintage; it was beautiful. It's by Stephanie Danan -- she's a California designer, really smart. She's written for Lenny Letter, too, she's one of our contributors." Jenni described their newsletter as a platform for the voices of "extraordinary women," including designers and presidential candidates. Topics range from what Lena calls the "minutia of pop culture" to bigger political issues and the mechanics of friendship. Fashion is not excluded from that narrative. "We really like to support designers who are independent, who are inclusive, who are intelligent," Jenni explained. "We work with a lot of designers who are really brilliant humans and who have a thought process behind their voice and their work. That's really valuable to us." And as they celebrated Lenny's 2nd birthday, Lena and Jenni were in fashionable company: Prabal Gurung, Cynthia Rowley, Christian Ciriano, Jenna Lyons, Hari Nef and Maria Cornejo were among the star-studded crowd, sipping "Lenny Libation" cocktails or getting a personalized poem done on the spot. The dress code? Nonexistent. (Eonline)
Tamra Judge Rocks New, Edgy Bob After Years of Long Hair: 'It's Fresh and Hot'. Tamra Judge has taken the plunge. The Real Housewives of Orange County star, 50, debuted a new hairdo on Instagram Monday, cutting of her trademark long blonde locks for an edgier look. Judge and her hair stylist Julius Michael spoke to PEOPLE before the reality star appeared on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen in New York City. "Basically, what [Michael] did was, 'You need to cut that hair, we need to go shorter,'" says Judge. "[I said] 'I just cut it to the mid-length, you need to let me have baby steps!'" Despite her initial reluctance, Judge was convinced to let go of her long hair. "[He said], 'No, we're going to give a statement tonight,' so I just let him do it," Judge says. "He took me away from the mirror." Michael, who owns Julius Michael Salon in New York City, shared a photo of Judge on his Instagram page, writing, "This time it's for real @tamrajudge I did a #chopchop #haircut moments before she went on #wwhl tonight." The Housewife also shared her own Instagram posts, writing, "I'm scared @juliusmichaelsalon just scalped me and he won't let me see until he's done." Michael, who has been Judge's hair stylist for seven years, tells PEOPLE he knew it was time to give Judge a bob at his wedding on Saturday but he did not get a chance to work his magic until Monday. "She was leaning all the way back... and the hair was away from her face and that was it," he says. "Originally, I was going to do pink tips. And when I saw the hair back, I thought, 'We're cutting it.'" "It was time," he continues. "It's fresh and hot, and Tamra's had long hair, I think, every season she's been on [RHOC] and now she has to rock a whole new look." Judge previously rocked a fake bob in July, in which Michael gave her extensions that he later cut. The stylist used Root Lifter by L'Oreal, Next Day Hair Dry Finishing Spray by L'Oreal for texture, Platinum Texturizing Taffy 13 by Kenra Professionals to create the messy ends and Oribe Soft Hold Hairspray. Judge was the first housewife Michael has styled, but he's gained a clientele in fellow Bravo stars Kyle Richards, Lisa Vanderpump, Melissa Gorga and Lisa Rinna. (People)
Champagne was spilled at the launch of Photo Butler, the social-media app created by Boston-based tech titan Andy Goldfarb. The drama at Rose Hill, the new venture of Frederick Lesort on East 32nd Street, unfolded when Tom D'Agostino, the playboy husband-for-seven-months of Luann de Lesseps, arrived with four blondes, including rumored new fiancee, Anna Rothschild. Luann's friend, "Real Housewives of New York City" co-star Dorinda Medley, wasn't happy to see him and spilled her flute of pink bubbly. Getting doused was the vintage Courrèges ensemble of accident-prone philanthropist Jean Shafiroff, who has lately been set on fire and attacked by bees. "She just ruined my skirt!'' Shafiroff squealed as banking heir Ivan Wilzig and '80s supermodel Coco Mitchell looked on, aghast. "What can I tell you? It's not a party until someone ruins your couture, Jeannie!'' quipped George Wayne, whose book "Anyone Who's Anyone: The Astonishing Celebrity Interviews 1987-2017'' is being published in December by HarperCollins. (Page Six)
Music
Demi Lovato Says Her House Party With Snoop Dogg Inspired the "Sorry Not Sorry" Video. Demi Lovato knows how to throw a party. During an interview on the tonight show starring jimmy fallon, Jimmy Fallon asked the singer about her hit song "Sorry Not Sorry." The host asked her if the song's music video -- which had more than 128 million views at the time of this writing -- contained footage from an actual rager. Lovato clarified that the music video was not footage from an actual party; however, she said that it was "inspired" by a real house party she threw. "One day I was like 'I want to have people over,'" Lovato told Fallon. "I had just gone through a breakup. I was like, 'I'm newly single. I want to meet people.'" So, the "Heart Attack" singer told one of her friends to invite people over. "A couple of hours later Snoop Dogg was there," Dovato said. She also said the "Drop It Like It's Hot" rapper was joined by French Montana, Wiz Khalifa and Ty Dolla $ign. "I was like, wait a second, I just wanted to have a couple people over to hang out," she said. "And all of a sudden, my house is like filled with pot smoke everywhere....I was like, 'No smoking inside. Get out! Get out!'" Fallon told Lovato that she couldn't exactly tell Snoop Dogg to stop smoking in her house. "He has to. That's how he breathes," The Tonight Show host joked. But it looks like Snoop Dogg's presence lingered until the next day. "My chef came in the next morning and was like '[It] smells like Snoop Dogg was here,'" Lovato said. "And I was like 'No he literally was.'" Lovato later performed the Snoop-inspired song on Fallon's show. (Eonline)
Little Mix & CNCO Premiere Music Video for "Reggaetón Lento (Remix)." We're so here for the video! Little Mix and CNCO just premiered their music video for their remix of "Reggaetón Lento." Marc Klasfeld directed the sultry video for the Spanglish dance remix which has already accumulated over 30 million streams worldwide and is also Top 5 on the UK Airplay Chart. This remix comes after the success of Spanglish songs like "Despacito" and much like that story, the original song was a huge hit on its own. "Reggaetón Lento" has streamed more than 472 million times and has an incredible 1 billion video views, plus it also reached No.1 on the Billboard Latin Pop Songs Chart. The girl group is set to take the stage at the 2017 iHeartRadio Daytime Village on Saturday, September 23 at the Las Vegas Village. "Reggaetón Lento (Remix)" is Little Mix's first release since their fourth album Glory Days, which featured one of our favorite singles "Shout Out to My Ex." CNCO, which emerged from the first season of Simon Cowell's musical competition show on Univision's La Banda. Since the show, CNCO has already won three Latin Billboard Awards, three Latin AMAs, and iHeartRadio Award and a Teen Choice Award. Their debut album Primera Cita reached #1 on Billboard's Top Latin Albums chart and then rapidly became the most sold Latin album in the US and Puerto Rico. We hope we'll get to see these two groups performing this hit very soon! (Eonline)
Blac Chyna is trying to become a rapper. Blac Chyna is putting her relationship with Rob Kardashian behind her and focusing on a rap career, sources tell us. "She's met with four labels . . . [is] collaborating with very big artists, and there's going to be big news coming soon," an insider confirmed. "Yes, she is trying to rap and no, [it's] horrible," the cynical music source sniffed. "All the majors are listening, and, sadly, she will likely get a deal. If she lands it, somebody will be stupid enough to give her a seven-figure advance." We're told the former exotic dancer has already turned down a deal with a major label. "She wants the music to be right," a source close to her told us. Chyna reached a custody agreement with Kardashian for their daughter, Dream, on Friday. Her attorney Lisa Bloom told Page Six that Kardashian "peacefully agreed" to co-parent. (PageSix)
Mistake puts Canadian punk band on Beyonce vinyl. Some Beyonce fans who purchased a vinyl of the singer's 2016 album "Lemonade" are in for an unexpected surprise-she's only on part of it. That's because a fraction of the new European run of the lemon-yellow record was miss-pressed. Because of the screw-up, the first half of the Canadian punk band Zex's album "Uphill Battle" appears in place of the Grammy-winning record's A-side, which includes the songs "Pray You Catch Me," "Hold Up" and "Don't Hurt Yourself." "Due to human error at the Celebrate Records plant in Germany, which Sony uses to manufacture vinyl, a small amount of the European run of the Beyonce 'Lemonade' vinyl included music from Canadian punk band, ZEX, on Side A," Columbia Records said in a statement on Monday. "Beyonce and ZEX were not aware of or responsible for the miss-press. Fans who purchased the vinyl will be refunded and given a replacement copy. We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused." Zex, who hail from Ottawa, seem to be taking the mistake, which will surely open them up to a whole new audience, in stride. "Yeah we are getting some copies," the band wrote in a Facebook comment, before adding: "We were on the split after all hahahaha." (PageSix)
Zedd, Liam Payne Drop Guerilla-Style Video For 'Get Low'. Zedd and Liam Payne take their hit single "Get Low" to the streets of London for the official music video for their collabo track. The pair are joined by a small troupe of dancers as they surprise fans with pop-up performances in the guerilla style clip that dropped on Tuesday (Sept. 19). Zedd and Payne were as much of an attraction to passerby as their chosen locations, with Trafalgar Square, Oxford Street, and Convent Garden setting the scene for the infectious dance number. In more candid shots, the troupe can be seen teaching the dance to the growing crowd, letting them join in on the fun. The track cuts away a few times towards the end to the crowd shout-singing along to the chorus as they walk down the street behind the performers. If you didn't want to get up and get low with this summer jam before, you'll want to hop on the Zedd-Payne parade by the end of the four minute video.. Find the full list of tour dates and purchase tickets here. (Billboard)
Travis Scott, Zedd, Khalid & More To Play 2017 SnowGlobe Festival. SnowGlobe Music Festival returns to Lake Tahoe for it's seventh year with a packed lineup to usher in the new year. The lineup offers the most to fans of electronic and hip-hop, headlined by Dillon Francis, Porter Robinson, Travis Scott, and Zedd. Khalid, TOKiMONSTA, Jai Wolf, and many more fill out the bill. The festival layout will differ from previous years, organizers say, and will feature three stages, more art installations, and snow sport demonstrations between acts. Specifics have yet to be released. Tickets for SnowGlobe Festival 2017, running Dec. 29-31, are on sale now. (Hollywood Reporter)
Taylor Swift's massive hit "Shake it Off" was not really hers ... so claim 2 accomplished songwriters who wrote a hit song with similar lyrics 16 years ago ... at least that's what they're saying in a new lawsuit. Sean Hall and Nathan Butler say they wrote a song entitled "Playas Gon' Play" back in 2001, and it Hit #81 on Billboard Hot 100. It was recorded by a big girl group, 3LW. Among the lyrics ... "Playas, they gonna play and haters, they gonna hate." Not hard to figure out the rest. Hall and Butler say 20% of "Shake it Off" is their song. BTW, Butler has worked with the Backstreet Boys, Christina Milian, Aaron Carter and Victoria Beckham. Hall has worked with Justin Bieber, Lionel Richie, Pink and Maroon 5. Butler is being repped by Gerard Fox Law and Julian Everly Shervington Wright. They want a ton of money. UPDATE: Taylor's rep tells TMZ, "This is a ridiculous claim and nothing more than a money grab. The law is simple and clear. They do not have a case." (TMZ)
Movies
The first teaser for the Tomb Raider remake has arrived & it's badass AF. The highly anticipated first look at Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft has finally been released. The first trailer for the new Tomb Raider movie has been released giving us a first look at Alicia Vikander in the iconic role of Lara Croft, and it looks INCREDIBLE. The original Tomb Raider video game was released in 1996 with the franchise selling over 45 million copies worldwide. Paramount Pictures then released two movies starring Angelina Jolie as Croft in 2001 and 2003. Now, 16 March 2018 will see Oscar-winning Vikander take on the role of the kickass British character in Lara's origins story. The new film, which has been directed by Roar Uthaug, will focus on Lara at 21, when she's refusing to take on her father's legacy following his disappearance seven years before. Instead, she's a bike courier in east London, until she has enough and decides to try and track down his last-known location. Your plot spiel: "Going explicitly against his final wishes, she leaves everything she knows behind in search of her dad's last-known destination: a fabled tomb on a mythical island that might be somewhere off the coast of Japan." There have been two fantastic Tomb Raider games in the past four years which have given Lara her origins story-and restrained the gigantic boy-pleasing bosom that she was gifted in 1996. And if the first teaser is anything to go by, this film is going to be AWESOME. (British Glamour)
Annette Bening to Get BAFTA Career Retrospective. She will discuss her work and craft in a "BAFTA A Life in Pictures" event in London on Oct. 12. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts said Tuesday that BAFTA-winning and Oscar-nominated actress Annette Bening will discuss her craft and career at one of its popular "BAFTA A Life in Pictures" events in London next month. It will take place at the British capital's Savoy Hotel on Oct. 12. The "Life in Pictures" series has hosted such stars as Kenneth Branagh, Cate Blanchett, Viola Davis, David Fincher, Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson, Sam Mendes, Helen Mirren, Alan Rickman, Vanessa Redgrave, Martin Scorsese, Meryl Streep, Kate Winslet and Jeremy Irons. After starting her acting career on stage, Bening's breakthrough role on screen came in 1990, when she starred in neo-noir crime drama The Grifters, receiving BAFTA and Oscar nominations for actress in a supporting role. In 1999, Bening starred opposite Kevin Spacey in American Beauty, for which she won the BAFTA for leading actress. She also received two Screen Actors Guild Awards, as well as Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for her performance. In 2004, Bening received her third Oscar nomination for her lead role in Being Julia. Bening's other film credits include The Kids Are All Right (2010), Danny Collins (2015), The Search (2014), Running With Scissors (2006), The Siege (1998), Bugsy (1991) and The Great Outdoors (1988). Her latest films include Mike Mills' Oscar-nominated 20th Century Women (2016), Warren Beatty's Rules Don't Apply (2016), Michael Mayer's adaptation of Anton Chekhov's play The Seagull (2017) and Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool, which got its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival. (Hollywood Reporter)
Oscars: France Selects '120 Beats Per Minute' for Foreign-Language Category. Robin Campillo's drama won the Grand Prize at this year's Cannes film festival. France has selected Robin Campillo's 120 Beats Per Minute as its submission in the best foreign-language film category of the Oscars. The film won the Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. The selection committee was chaired by National Cinema Center (CNC) head Frederique Bredin and composed of executives including Cannes Film Festival head Thierry Fremaux, French Academy president Alain Terzian, UniFrance film body head Serge Toubiana and former head Jean-Paul Salome, as well as CNC financing commissioner Teresa Cremisi. BAFTA- and Cesar-nominated director Anne Fontaine (Coco Before Chanel) and Cesar-winner Deniz Gamze Erguven, director of the Oscar-nominated Mustang, rounded out the committee. The commission selected from a shortlist including 120 Beats Per Minute, Mathieu Amalric's Cannes Un Certain Regard special prize winner Barbara and Redoubtable from Oscar-winning director Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist). Films had to have a theatrical release in France between Oct. 1, 2016 and Sept. 30, 2017 to be eligible for consideration. Last year, France selected Elle, which failed to make the foreign-language shortlist, but earned star Isabelle Huppert her first Oscar nomination. In 2015, France nominated Erguven's Mustang for the foreign-language category, but Laszlo Nemes' Hungarian Holocaust drama Son of Saul took home the prize. Hazanavicius' The Artist, which won five Oscars, including for best picture in 2011, was not France's foreign-language submission that year. The last French film to win the foreign-language Oscar was Indochine, starring Catherine Deneuve, in 1993. (Hollywood Reporter)
Why Ralph Fiennes Got Honorary Serbian Citizenship. The actor was honored for his work in the country over the last few years, but retains his British citizenship. British Oscar-nominated actor Ralph Fiennes recently got Serbian citizenship as an honor for his work in the country. Obtaining a citizenship of an Eastern European country by a Western film star is rather uncommon, and Fiennes is the first major foreign star to be granted citizenship of the country. For those wondering: the initiative to give him the honorary citizenship came from Serbia's culture ministry. "This is rather different from seeking to become a Serbian citizen," Simon Beresfod, Fiennes' agent, told The Hollywood Reporter. "It is more like being granted the 'keys to the city'." According to Beresfod, Fiennes remains a British citizen, but has "gracefully accepted the honor bestowed on him by the Serbian people in gratitude and appreciation of the work he has done in Serbia over a number of years." Fiennes filmed his 2011 directorial debut, Coriolanus, in Serbia and is currently filming a new movie that he is directing, The White Crow, in the country. Serbia, the largest country of the former Yugoslavia, has a population of 7 million people. Among U.S. film personalities of Serbian ancestry are Milla Jovovich and Milena Govich. In January 2013, Gerard Depardieu obtained Russian citizenship by a decree signed by President Vladimir Putin. In November of last year, Steven Seagal also became a Russian citizen. Both actors had been praising Kremlin policies and the granting of citizenship to them was widely viewed as political gestures. (Hollywood Reporter)
TV
Xscape Reunites in Still Kickin' It Trailer, But Is it a Happy Comeback for Kandi, Tiny, LaTocha and Tamika? Who doesn't love a reunion full of drama? Bravo viewers certainly do and it looks like they'll be getting just that with Xscape: Still Kickin' It, the reunion of Kandi Burruss' girl group Xscape. The four-part special sees The Real Housewives of Atlanta star reuniting with Tameka "Tiny" Cottle, LaTocha Scott and Tamika Scott as they prepare to take the stage after nearly 20 years apart. It doesn't go as smoothly as you'd except, but looks as dramatic as you'd want. For example, take the scene where Kandi hits a high note prompting Tamika to come running in her bathrobe. "Is the alarm going off? Don't be trying to scare me like that," she says, Xscape rose to prominence in the early 1990s and were signed by Jermaine Dupri, who returns in the series and promptly comes into conflict with Kandi. "The f -- k is wrong with y'all," he asks them. Can their differences be put aside? Maybe with the help of a counselor? Since the group split, Kandi became a Grammy-winning songwriter and entrepreneur (and reality star), can she share the spotlight again? Meanwhile, Tiny put music aside to make family her priority, but as she returns to music her marriage is tested. LaTocha is ready to get her group to the next level and Tamika, who stayed in the industry, is getting back to her roots. The ladies have two sold out shows in Detroit, as well as performances at the BET Awards and Essence Festival that can only go off without a hitch if they put their past behind them and give the comeback their all. Xscape: Still Kickin' It premieres November 5 and 9 p.m. on Bravo. (Eonline)
MIPCOM: Gordon Ramsay, JK Simmons Added to Lineup. MIPCOM's keynote roster is heating up, with Gordon Ramsay added to the lineup. The celebrity chef is set to give a speech about his years revolutionizing cooking shows on the small screen and will address how he keeps his international TV empire, with multiple brands in the US and UK, fresh. HBO CEO Richard Plepler is also set to give a keynote speech during the industry confab as is National Geographic Global Networks CEO Courteney Monroe. Social media will also come into focus during the conference, with Facebook head of global creative strategy Ricky Van Veen and director of video product Daniel Danker set to give a keynote on how the behemoth is developing its video approach. Snap Inc. vp of content Nick Bell and director of content Sean Mills will also keynote on the company's vision for mobile content and their slate of short form Snapchat shows. Spain's Movistar+ head of original programming Domingo Corral will head up a panel with Germany's Beta Film CEO Jan Mojto and the U.K.'s Sky Vision managing director Jane Millichip. Amid the intensifying TV market and festival landscape, MIPCOM will host two big world premieres this year: Sony's Counterpart, starring Oscar-winner JK Simmons, and the Sky Vision and Amazon co-production Britannia, starring Kelly Reilly (True Detective). Simmons and co-star Harry Lloyd will be on hand to present Counterpart at a special Sunday night screening ahead of the official MIPCOM kickoff, and the cast of Brittania, with Reilly, David Morrisey and Eleanor Worthington-Cox attending the opening night red carpet gala on Oct. 16. The week will also host a screening of the highly anticipated The Miniaturist adaptation, starring Romola Garai and Anya Taylor-Joy, ahead of its November release. The kids programming-focused MIPJunior section will host Netflix's head of global kids content Andy Yeatman as a keynote as well as talks from Nickelodeon's senior vp international production Nina Hahn and vp acquisitions Layla Lewis; Disney's vp programming Karen Miller, and vp production and strategic development David Levine; and Cartoon Network's vp acquisitions and co-productions Adina Pitt. In addition to the MIPCOM announcements, organizers outlined more of their vision for the CanneSeries festival that will launch alongside MIPTV in April 2018. Addressing concerns that an audience-focused festival will detract from the TV market, CanneSeries will host its public screenings at theaters throughout the city of Cannes from April 4–12. The competition of the official selection will run in the Grand Palais from April 7–11, overlapping with MIPTV's documentary and formats sidebars that first weekend, as well as the MIP Drama Screenings, which will continue. The official selection competition will continue to overlap with the main MIPTV from April 9 through its closing on the 12th, and host a works in progress forum on April 10-11. If that's all very confusing, the festival will focus on what conference organizer Reed Midem's director of television Laurine Garaude called "smart scheduling" and work around the speakers with mid-day and evening festival screenings. Garaude said the convergence of the festival and the market is the "natural evolution" of the increasingly competitive international TV landscape. More detail about the upcoming CanneSeries festival will be unveiled at a press conference Oct. 16 during MIPCOM. MIPCOM runs Oct. 16-19 in Cannes, France. (Hollywood Reporter)
Jedediah Bila shocked audiences when she departed "The View" on Monday -- and according to a source, this sudden departure may have something to do with Hillary Clinton. Clinton was on the show last Wednesday promoting her book "What Happened," with conservative Bila calling her "tone deaf" and asking the former presidential candidate a tough question. "To be fair, it hasn't just been Republicans who have taken issue with the writing of this book. Some Democrats have come out as well," Bila said to Clinton. "Former campaign surrogates of yours, former fundraisers and said, 'This book puts us in the past and we wanna move forward, we wanna figure out where to take this party, how to succeed in the future. And this places us in the past.' How do you respond to Democrats also coming out in criticism of you writing this?" "I think they first should read the book," Clinton answered. "There was a lot of staff who were upset about how that interview was handled," says the source, speculating that "The View" wants the former secretary of state to appear on the show multiple times. "They had a lot to say to Jedediah about calming things down." We're told that Bila was signed on for the full season but "she left on her own accord," the source adds. "There were some things making her uncomfortable behind the scenes, but she loves the cast. She seems to be looking forward to sharing her view in a world where there seems to be only one worldview." A rep for Bila declined to comment. Show reps deny Bila's exit had anything to do with the Clinton interview, telling Page Six, "Jed asked good questions during that interview, and the producers were really pleased with how she handled it." Senior executive producer Hilary Estey McLoughlin, as well as its two co-executive producers, Candi Carter and Brian Teta, sent a memo to "The View" staff Monday morning. "As some of you heard this morning at our meeting, we have some bittersweet news to share. Jed is leaving our show, and today is her last day. She has new opportunities on the horizon, including her new book," read the internal note, obtained by Page Six. "She's been a spirited voice at the table over the past year, asking smart questions and challenging us all to think. We want to thank Jed very much for all of her contributions and wish her great success with the next step in her career. She will always be part of 'The View' family, and we'll welcome her back to talk about her new projects. Please join us in thanking Jed for her hard work, her dedication and her voice at the table." According to reports, Meghan McCain is in talks to join the show. (Page Six)
HBO Greenlights First Scandinavian Original Series. Swedish director Lukas Moodysoon will write and direct 'Gosta,' the first original from HBO Nordic. HBO Europe has greenlit its first-ever Scandinavian original series, ordering Gosta, an eight-episode drama, from Swedish director Lukas Moodysson (Together, Lilya 4-Ever). Moodysson will write and direct all eight episodes of the series, which follows a 28-year-old child psychologist who gets his first job in a small rural town and tries to put his theories of universal kindness into practice-with mixed results. Gosta will be Moodysson's first-ever television series. Memfis Film is producing for HBO, with TrustNordisk handling international sales. The series will be shot on location in Sweden in 2018 for an expected 2019 premiere. "I want Gosta to be a mix of comedy and Dostoyevsky; as funny as possible and as serious as possible," said Moodysson. "It's a joy and honor to produce HBO Nordic's first Scandinavian original series. HBO is perfect for Gosta's wilful mix of comedy and drama," added producer Lars Jonsson of Memfis Film. Hanne Palmquist, commissioning editor & vp original programming, HBO Nordic, said: "Gosta is an insightful, fun, multi-faceted and bitter-sweet story that says a lot about the time we are living in, in a way only Lukas can say it." Moodysson became known with his directorial breakthrough Show Me Love in 1998, which won four Guldbagge Awards, Sweden's biggest film honor. "Lukas's unique voice has established him as a leading filmmaker both in Sweden and worldwide, and his vision for this series makes it a perfect fit as our first original commission from HBO Nordic," said Antony Root, executive vp, original programming and production at HBO Europe. "The unlikely hero at its heart will not only be recognizable to our Swedish audience, but will have resonance with our audiences across Europe, and internationally too." (Hollywood Reporter)
Fox News Says No Defamation in Story Alleged to Include Made-Up Quotes. Fox News and its parent, 21st Century Fox, have responded in court to a defamation lawsuit that alleges they rushed to publish a story miss-attributing quotes to Rod Wheeler, a former Washington, D.C., homicide detective. The story in question, written by Malia Zimmerman and now retracted, suggested a connection between DNC staffer Seth Rich and WikiLeaks and how Democrats in and outside government may have been blocking a murder investigation into Rich's murder July 10, 2016. According to the suit filed in New York federal court from Wheeler, a Fox News contributor, Donald Trump got an advance look at the story and pushed its publication on the basis it would show the Russians weren't behind the hacked DNC emails published by WikiLeaks. The Fox defendants are now looking to compel arbitration or have Wheeler's complaint dismissed for failure to state a claim. A memorandum in support (read here in full) argues that Wheeler has failed to plead special damages as there was nothing contained in those quotes or the articles that they say exposed him to contempt, ridicule, aversion, or disgrace. Furthermore, Fox argues that other statements Wheeler made on television foreclose a defamation claim. "Even if Wheeler could otherwise state a claim for defamation, he cannot claim that the alleged misquotations falsely defamed him when he made essentially the same statements, both before and after the publication of the story at issue, on a number of television and radio programs," states the memorandum. For example, Wheeler is quoted as responding to a Fox 5 reporter's question about whether FBI sources have information that could link Rich to Wikileaks by saying, "Absolutely, yeah, and that's confirmed." While Fox argues that his contributor's agreement includes a provision that mandates arbitration, another co-defendant in the case, Ed Butowsky, has separately moved to dismiss on grounds of jurisdictional deficiencies and more. Butowsky, a Dallas-based financial adviser with connections to the White House, worked with Wheeler to investigate Rich's death. On May 14, Wheeler says Butowsky texted him, "Not to add any more pressure but the president just read the article. He wants the article out immediately. It's now all up to you. But don't feel the pressure." In his dismissal papers, Butowsky says the complaint is riddled with "sensationalistic allegations that have nothing whatsoever to do with this cause of action." Those are argued to include the Trump firing of FBI director James Comey and Rupert Murdoch's bid for Sky Plc. Butowsky also presents omissions like Wheeler's supposed conclusion from a meeting with a D.C. detective that the Rich-WikiLeaks theory of murder couldn't be ruled out. The defendant also says Zimmerman sent Wheeler versions of the story for approval before it ran, and that those versions included the alleged miss-attributed quotes. Wheeler is said to have texted Zimmerman, "Reading it now. Malia you can add that I do strongly believe that the answers to who murdered Seth sits on his computer on a shelf at the D.C. Police or FBI headquarters!" Wheeler hasn't sufficiently pled harm from the story, adds Butowsky, plus contending that there's no allegation that Butowsky made the defamatory statements. He additionally argues that Wheeler consented to the publication, the statements constitute opinions, and there's no allegation of actual malice. Fox News media relations manager Jessica Jansen circulated a copy of Butowsky's dismissal motion with a lengthy statement that echoed many of the points his lawyers had made. She probably meant to include Fox's. Many reporters seemingly assumed this was Fox's own motion, and in a case about miss-attributed quotes, these reporters then miss-attributed the motion in tweets and stories. An hour later, at 7:27 a.m., Jansen sent out a second email with the Fox News brief. Apparently that wasn't sufficient to settle the confusion, because an hour later, at 8:24 a.m., she sent a third message to reporters that issued clarification and guidance. (Hollywood Reporter)
Kate McKinnon debuts new girlfriend at the Emmys. "Saturday Night Live" star Kate McKinnon celebrated her Emmy win with her new girlfriend, Jackie Abbott. The sketch show's first openly lesbian cast member, McKinnon was seen hugging the petite brunette when her name was called as Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. The move sparked instant interest in Abbott. She describes herself on her Web site as an "actor, photographer, clown," and her resume reflects that she's a performer with the Upright Citizens Brigade (like McKinnon) and has credits in little-known projects, such as "Miss Sugar Tit" and "Murder, My Tweet." Her special skills include tango, martial arts and golf. In other words, the perfect woman. (PageSix)
Selena Gomez's mom opened up about the singer's kidney transplant on Monday, September 18. Mandy Teefey shared an emotional message about the experience on her production company's Instagram page. "This picture is one of the most breathtaking images that will live with me forever," she captioned a pic of her daughter and actress Francia Raisa in their hospital beds. "For all those moments of not knowing if we were going up or going down, I can always come back to this picture and know we can always make it back up. As a mother I was helpless, scared and all I could do was pray for both of them, Francia's beautiful family." "I am pretty sure I am banned from that hospital," she continued. "Mama Bear was in high gear. Selena gained a kidney, I was able to keep my little girl, but I also gained another daughter ... thank you to everyone who was there for Sel, Francia and our families. We survived from all the love, prayers and God." As previously reported, Raisa, 29, donated her kidney to Gomez, 25. The "Fetish" singer revealed earlier this month that she underwent an operation over the summer. "I'm very aware some of my fans had noticed I was laying low for part of the summer and questioning why I wasn't promoting my new music, which I was extremely proud of. So I found out I needed to get a kidney transplant due to my Lupus and was recovering. It was what I needed to do for my overall health," Gomez captioned the same pic on September 14. "There aren't words to describe how I can possibly thank my beautiful friend Francia Raisa. She gave me the ultimate gift and sacrifice by donating her kidney to me. I am incredibly blessed. I love you so much sis. (US Weekly)
Ivanka Trump Discusses Her Struggles With Postpartum Depression: "It Was a Very Challenging, Emotional Time for Me." Ivanka Trump is opening about motherhood. The 35-year-old sits down for an interview with Dr. Oz on this Thursday's episode of The Dr. Oz Show and discusses her struggles with postpartum depression. Trump has three children with her husband Jared Kushner and during her interview with Dr. Oz, she reveals that with each of her three children she had "some level" of postpartum depression. "With each of my three children I had some level of postpartum," Trump says. When Dr. Oz asks her to clarify what she means, Trump confirms she's talking about postpartum "depression." Trump continues, "It was a very challenging, emotional time for me because I felt like I was not living up to my potential as a parent or as an entrepreneur and as an executive. And I had had such easy pregnancies that in some way the juxtaposition hit me even harder." When Dr. Oz asks Trump why she's willing to talk about something as personal as postpartum depression now, she says she didn't know that she was. "Well I didn't know that I was," Trump laughs. "But you asked me a question and...it's incredibly important and look I consider myself a very hard-charging person, I am ambitious, I'm passionate, I'm driven, but this is something that affects parents all over the country." In another part of the interview, Dr. Oz talks to Trump about working in the White House for her father, Donald Trump. "There's some who created a narrative that you should be a voice of moderation," Dr. Oz says and asks her how she responds to that idea. "Well I think that my role, and anyone who works for the President of the United States, their role is to inform, advise and then ultimately execute," she says. "So I'm not the decision maker. I have my views and I share them candidly and as a daughter I have the latitude to do that, but I also respect the process and my father is now president and the American people elected him based on his agenda and my job isn't to undermine that agenda, it's to embrace the areas where there's commonality and there are so many areas." She continues, "I'm deeply passionate about fueling the growth of women entrepreneurs, I'm deeply passionate about supporting America working families. So I feel privileged that he's given me the platform to push areas and push issues that are aligned with his agenda. Where I disagree with the agenda, I'll share it with him quietly but I don't view it as my obligation to moderate and I don't think anyone working for a sitting president should see themselves in that capacity." You can watch the entire interview this Thursday, Sept. 21 on The Dr. Oz Show. (Eonline)
Carson Daly has broken his silence following the death of his mother, Pattie Daly Caruso. The Voice host tweeted about his loss on Monday, September 18. "There are no words for the loss of mom," the 44-year-old wrote. "Thank u for the incredible outpouring of love. It helps. Please hug the ones you love most tonight." As previously reported, Daly Caruso died suddenly of a heart attack at her Palm Desert, California, home on Sunday. She was 73. "Kiki, as she was known to her grandchildren and many others, touched so many lives with her kindness, her giant spirit and her love life," Carson wrote in a statement to Us Weekly on Monday, September 18. "She will be terribly missed by her family and the world, but her spark will shine for eternity." In 2013, Daly opened up about his mom during his daytime job on the Today show. "I think having a strong parent has been such an inspiration because it's a constant reminder me to find my own pillar of strength and to be that for my own growing family," he said at the time. Daly and his wife, Siri Pinter, are parents of Jackson, 8, Etta, 5, and London, 3. (US Weekly)
Ariel Winter Gives the Internet a Piece of Her Mind About Her Clothes: "Screw Having to Always Look Appropriate." Ariel Winter is giving the Internet a piece of her mind. No stranger to criticism about her looks, the Modern Family star took to social media late Monday with a self-described "rant" aimed at those who continue to pick her apart. "Something I wish people would realize... I am not TRYING to be featured on Snapchat, I am not trying to be pap'd everywhere I do, I am literally just LIVING and unfortunately, I can't do that without paparazzi following me around everyday," she began. "I'm not trying to show you my ass in shorts when I go to the grocery store. I'm trying to live my life. People wear shorts. People have wardrobe malfunctions. No one is perfect." The star continued, calling out those who accuse her of dressing "inappropriately" for certain events. "I'm not a stylist! I don't know what to wear everyday so I look 'appropriate' or 'fashionable.' Also, screw having to always look appropriate or fashionable. For what? Society? Who gets to decide what is appropriate or fashionable????" Winter candidly wrote. "I wear what I like and no one should fault me for that. I don't want people to constantly see me in the news for going to dinner, or grocery shopping, or anything. I want to be in the news when I ASK for it by going to a publicized event, or EVEN BETTER when I have work out/coming out! So trust me, I don't want to see me in shorts putting water in my car every single d -- n day as much as you don't." In addition to commenting on the relentless attention she receives while completing everyday tasks, the 19-year-old addressed some naysayers' comments in regard to a recent interview she gave to The Hollywood Reporter regarding how she was dressed as a kid. "I'd also like to address the tweets I get saying 'you accused your mother of sexualizing you yet you're a whore.' I was a CHILD being dressed like I was 24. I was 8-13 years old. I wasn't an ADULT as I am now. As you mature at 16, 17, 18 you further develop your own identity and can make decisions for yourself. As a child, you do as you're told regardless of what is good for you," she explained. "I'm an ADULT now, who can make my own choices and have my own identity. And just because I DECIDE to show my body occasionally doesn't mean I'm unintelligent or that I'm talentless or that I have no self-respect." The SAG Award winner signed off her note with a clear message to anyone reading: do not equate clothing with respect, talent or intelligence. "I have EXTREME respect for myself, I HAVE talent, and I AM intelligent. We need to move on from this stigma that women who are comfortable with their bodies and their sexuality are just 'dumb sluts,'" she said. "I also just want to say how disappointed I am that out of everything in the THR article, THAT'S all anyone picked up. How disappointing. Do whatever you want people, just strive to please YOURSELF and NO ONE ELSE. Anyways, rant over." (Eonline)
Bill O'Reilly Talks Sexual Harassment Allegations on Today, Says "My Conscience Is Clear." Today host Matt Lauer sat down with Bill O'Reilly Tuesday morning to talk about O'Reilly's sexual harassment allegations. O'Reilly, the former host of the Fox News show The O'Reilly Factor, was fired from the network in April. During the interview, Lauer asked O'Reilly what reasoning he or his representatives were given for the termination. "There was no reason," O'Reilly said. "They had a contractual clause that they could pay me a certain amount of money and not put me on air, and they exercised that clause." When asked why the company decided to exercise that clause, O'Reilly said a "sponsored boycott" set up by "the radical left group" Media Matters "unsettled some people at Fox News." Before his termination, O'Reilly faced allegations of sexual harassment. A New York Times article published in early April claimed that Fox News and its parent company 21st Century Fox had reached settlements totaling approximately $13 million with five women who had accused O'Reilly of sexual harassment or inappropriate behavior. O'Reilly told Lauer that his termination was a "business decision" and he stood by his claims that he did not do anything wrong. "In 42 years, alright, I've been in this business. I've worked for 12 companies. Not one time did I have any interaction with HR, any complaints filed against me," O'Reilly told the Today host. He also said that he didn't know whether Fox News and 21st Century Fox actually paid the five women those settlements because he wasn't "privy" to that information. In addition, he said that there was a "flood of lawsuits" after "Roger Ailes went down." Ailes, who served as the network's chairman and CEO, had also faced sexual harassment allegations and resigned from the company. O'Reilly was fired about 10 months after the departure of Ailes, who died in May. O'Reilly said he was aware of these five women's accusations. Lauer asked O'Reilly why he didn't sue these women if he claimed their accusations were untrue. "You can't win those lawsuits. If you're a public figure, you cannot win them," he responded. "Sarah Palin is the latest example. I could do that, but the collateral damage of these lawsuits, the press frenzy -- every allegation is a conviction. Every allegation in this area is a conviction. They don't look for the truth." O'Reilly also told Lauer that the lawsuits involved "many other people, not just me." Lauer asked the former Fox News star if he had done in "soul searching" or "self-reflection" in terms of the way he treated women. "My conscience is clear," O'Reilly said, who then told Lauer that people could visit NewsMax.com or BillOReilly.com to read an article about one of his accusers who was arrested for filing a false police report. When Lauer pointed out that the police report incident happened in 2015 and that the false report and sexual harassment claims could be "mutually exclusive." "Look anything is possible. But it goes to credibility, doesn't it?" O'Reilly responded. "Alright if you look in totality this was a hit job, a political and financial hit job." "You know, nobody is a perfect person." O'Reilly later told Lauer. "But I can go to sleep at night very well knowing that I never mistreated anyone on my watch in 42 years." (Eonline)
Ryan Phillippe is strongly denying he laid a hand on his ex-girlfriend. His camp tells TMZ ... "As a staunch advocate for the health, well-being and equality of women, Ryan is completely devastated that these false allegations have been made and circulated. Domestic violence is an incredibly serious issue and fabricated and proven false claims should not be used to unjustly slander the falsely accused." As we reported, Elsie Hewitt got a protective order against Ryan and also sued him for more than $1 million ... claiming he attacked her in a drunken rage and threw her down a flight of stairs. Ryan's camp says, "The claims are false." (TMZ)
Mel B's efforts to get her domestic violence case sealed have fallen short ... the judge shot her down. According to docs, the judge denied her request to have the courtroom closed, and to have all the records sealed from the public. As we reported, Mel says Stephen Belafonte will expose explicit sex tapes -- some of which feature the couple -- as evidence in the case ... and she doesn't want her children to find out about them. The judge addressed that concern directly, saying "salacious details" like sex tapes are generally not reason enough to seal a case. He did acknowledge things directly related to the children, such as visitation schedules, would NOT be revealed in open court. Basically, the judge said instead of making a blanket rule to seal the whole case -- he's decided, as the case moves along, which topics to keep public or sealed. (TMZ)
Kevin Hart partied with a woman -- who is now at the center of the sexually explicit video -- for an entire weekend last month, and we've learned she's a stripper who hits up whatever clubs she can book. Her name is Montia Sabbag, although she sometimes spells it Montiah Sabagg. She's 27, lives in Long Beach, CA and met Kevin during a pretty wild weekend in Vegas back in August. The first frames of the 4 minute and 47 second video are a pic of Kevin and Montia. You can't see who's on the bed during the most explicit portion of the tape, but after the bed scene 2 people who look like Kevin and Montia are walking around in various stages of undress. We're told Kevin had never met her before and has not had any encounters with her since. As we reported, she denies she had anything to do with shooting the video, but authorities are not so sure. We're told there were other people present during the weekend and investigators are tracking them all down, with the intent of serving search warrants as quickly as possible. The brass ring for law enforcement is decoding the encrypted emails the extortionist sent to Kevin's people and figuring out the sender's identity. As we reported, Montia lawyered up almost immediately after Kevin's team contacted her, and her lawyer said she would sit for a lie detector test if Kevin paid her $420,000. Our sources say before making a multi-million dollar demand to Kevin in return for keeping the video a secret, the extortionist tried to get at least one media outlet to pay $15 million for the highly produced video. Our sources say Kevin had a meeting by telephone Monday afternoon with 2 investigators on the case and it lasted an hour and a half. He aggressively wants to help law enforcement identify and catch the extortionist(s). This was his second meeting with investigators. (TMZ)
The murder of one of Drake's OVO team members was caught on video, and cops just released it. Anthony Soares, who worked for OVO Sound, was gunned down last week in Toronto by 2 men. The video shows Soares standing in his apartment lobby when the 2 hooded men run up from a car in a nearby parking lot and begin shooting through the lobby glass. It appears they fired off at least 10 shot. A few days ago Drake posted, "RIP to one of our family members ... our brother ... I still can't even believe this morning was real. It was a honor to have shared years together and I will always keep your memory alive. Forever. Fif [Fif was his nickname]" Police have no suspects. (TMZ)
Ryan Phillippe's girlfriend has just filed a lawsuit against the actor, claiming he abuses cocaine, ecstasy, psychedelic mushrooms and steroids, and has beaten her badly. Elsie Hewitt claims in the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, on July 4th, she went to pick up things from his house and she realized he was extremely drunk. She says after she tried talking with him he attacked her, grabbed her upper arm so hard it left heavy bruises and violently threw her down the stairs as hard as he could. She claims he continued his assault and picked her up like a doll and threw her down the stairs again. He then screamed, "Get the f*** out of my house you crazy c**t." She went to the hospital, cops took a report and she got a protective order. She suffered chest wall pain, abrasions and severe bruising. She wants more than $1 million. UPDATE: Sources connected with Ryan tell TMZ, Elsie showed up to Ryan's house uninvited and under the influence several days after he broke up with her. They say she was the one who attacked Ryan and refused to leave his home. He removed her from the premises and he claims she fell and hurt herself. Sources close to Ryan say the L.A. City Attorney refused to prosecute after investigating, and they claim she's filed this lawsuit out of revenge. We're told Ryan's side finds it amusing Elsie has sent glamour shots of herself to the media and is out for money and fame. (TMZ)
Jared Fogle has officially been ordered to ante up $50,000 ... money that he's forking over to avoid officials seizing vehicles that he used to commit the crime of traveling to engage in sex with a minor. Fogle, who is serving 15 years in prison, was sentenced in November 2015 and the $50k forfeiture was part of the agreement. Now the feds have issued a formal order seizing the money. The document also provides certain "electronic storage devices" will be seized. The docs don't say specifically what they are, but presumably they were used in receiving child porn. (TMZ)
THE OTHER STUFF . . .
Selena Gomez Is Making More Than $30 Million for Her Puma Collab. Selena Gomez just made a very exciting announcement. The 25-year-old is collaborating with Puma and will appear in the brand's upcoming women's footwear campaign for the Phenom. "Officially a part of the fam @puma #pumapartner," Gomez wrote on Instagram Monday along with a photo of herself in her Puma gear. In a press release about the collab, Gomez said that being a part of the brand was "very exciting" for her. "Puma has changed the game when it comes to the mash-up of athletic wear and fashion," she shared. "It's amazing to see this influence on style and culture and I'm excited to be a part of it. I am hoping that we can create something special together. We already have some really cool projects in the works." As for how much Gomez is making for the collab, a source says Gomez is making over $30 million for the deal, which is expected to last around two years. This news comes one month after Gomez's boyfriend The Weeknd designed sneakers for Puma. As for the couple's relationship, the insider tells us that despite reports, they're "not living together." Gomez is currently filming a Woody Allen movie in New York City and The Weeknd is on tour. And while the couple does stay together sometimes when he comes back on his breaks, they are not officially living together. They both have their own houses in Los Angeles. And while the couple isn't sharing a house, it sounds like they are sharing clothes. "I mean, at this point, my boyfriend and I share closets, and [we're] just kind of throwing different ideas around," Gomez tells Vogue. "Sometimes I'll throw on his Puma stuff and just go out with my shoes. I'll just wear that as a little cute date-night dress or something to the movies. You want to feel confident in it. When you start stressing about it and feel you have to create this image...you shouldn't feel that way." As for her health, the source says that Gomez, who recently revealed she had a kidney transplant, "looks great and feels great." (Eonline)
Alisyn Camerota has an amazing support system in her kids. The CNN anchor covered Working Mother's October/November issue, chatting with the magazine about the sexual harassment claims she made in April against her former Fox News colleague Roger Ailes, who died less than a month after Camerota went public with her allegations. "When I decided to talk about it publicly, my daughter happened to be in the room when the interview was airing, so we watched it," says Camerota, 51, who shares fraternal twins Francesca and Alessandra, 12, and son Nathaniel, 10, with husband Tim Lewis. "My girls were so cute. They just threw their arms around me and started hugging me and saying, 'Mom, we're so proud of you,' " she adds. "It's so adorable and touching to me that they have that in them already." Megyn Kelly Details Alleged Sexual Harassment by Roger Ailes: Report Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly has reportedly accused former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes of repeatedly sexually harassing her. Nathaniel was supportive of his mom, too, but didn't quite grasp the full details surrounding the situation -- one Camerota tells Working Mother involved an invitation to a hotel from Ailes, the network's former president, when she expressed interest in growing in her career. "I overheard him telling his best friend, 'My mom's boss touched her butt.' I had to say, 'No, he didn't, that's not the story,' " she explains of her son. "I don't think he understood the nuances of sexual harassment at the time; he thought a butt must be involved. I had to clarify for him. He understands now." Though the experience in coming forward has been challenging in terms of how Camerota communicates with her children about it, she has found the positives in the form of lessons to impart -- and encouraging trust and transparency in her household. "I'm hoping to model that behavior of, 'Let's talk about things, even challenging, uncomfortable or unpleasant things.' It's working at the moment," she says. "The message for all of us -- adults and my kids -- is that silence is rarely the answer, and communication can bring some light to the situation." "I'm happy to say they're asking me sensitive questions, and I'm trying to answer the best way I can," Camerota continues of her trio. "When something has happened in their world, my kids have shared it with me, even when they were sworn to secrecy." Natasha Stoynoff claims she was sexually assaulted by Donald Trump while on assignment for People at his Mar-a-Lago estate. The mother of three may have future journalists on her hands. Camerota -- who recently released her debut novel Amanda Wakes Up, inspired by her 16-year career as a female anchor at Fox News -- admits her kids are extremely interested in her career. "They ask lots of questions about my job and think about their own future jobs and choices," she says. "They would never think that what I'm doing is not real or important. They've always known how significant it is. But they have heard that CNN has been under siege in the current climate, and they are concerned." And like most parents in 2017, Camerota is concerned about social media, calling herself "old-fashioned" in the sense that she prefers "real human interaction" over online relationships. "I worry about my kids' cyber futures, particularly in the love-life department," she explains. "It seems their generation meets online instead of the way we did. I know I'm fighting a current, but I'm trying to prolong their interactions with people for as long as possible. It's important to be able to speak directly to people, have real conflict and resolve it." (People)
Jimmy Fallon skips the Emmys after snub. Jimmy Fallon's "The Tonight Show" was snubbed by the Emmys this year, so he apparently skipped the show and celebrated himself anyway. Late-night hosts including Jimmy Kimmel, James Corden and Seth Meyers were at the awards hosted by rival Stephen Colbert. But Fallon bailed. The NBC host -- whose 43rd birthday is on Tuesday -- was at the 1770 House in East Hampton on Saturday night. A Long Island source told Page Six: "After a special dinner with his wife, [producer] Nancy Juvonen, Jimmy was presented with a candlelit, vanilla-and-chocolate ice cream birthday cake." When the crowd at the eatery's intimate downstairs Tavern joined in to spiritedly sing "Happy Birthday" to Fallon, he thanked the fellow diners by "sharing his cake with everyone at the surrounding tables." Fallon hosted the Emmys back in 2010. This year's awards saw the stocks of cable hosts, including John Oliver, Samantha Bee and Trevor Noah, rise. (PageSix)
Lena Dunham Doesn't Mind Landing on a Worst Dressed List. Lena Dunham does not care what you think about her outfit. According to the Girls creator, what you wear should be like a costume: "We want to be strong and ready to go...think about what is going to make you feel the most confident and like yourself." And even if that means making fashion decisions that land her directly on a worst dressed list, Lena isn't phased by it. In fact, she thinks it's fun. "I even like ending up on that 'Good People, Bad Clothes' page or whatever it's called...that stuff gives me pleasure." E! News caught up with Lena and Girls producer Jenni Konner at the 2nd anniversary party for their weekly newsletter, Lenny Letter, cohosted by Cole Haan. Lena's costume of choice included a green sculptural earring -- made by her godfather, artist John Newman -- a simple black dress and suede pumps that made her feel like she could wake up dancing. While admiring Lena's ear candy, Jenni said of its designer: "That's not on a top 10 list, but it's on our top 10 list." And just as she was armed in her most Lena attire for her own party, the actress tackles the red carpet with the same approach, saying that clothing should be about "personal choice and personal voice." Adhering to a Hollywood standard of style or beauty defies that volition. Looking back at past red carpet appearances, the only time Lena hasn't felt her best was when she was trying to dress like someone else. "There are a few pictures of me in, like, a weird shift dress and a blowout from early on where I'm like, 'I'm not hosting a morning television show!' but I thought there was some [image] that you had to fit into," she said. "Now I understand that it doesn't matter." She added that this sartorial conviction is something she and Jenni share -- with the memory of a particular shoulder-pad-clad pantsuit as a standout style moment for her Girls cowriter (and real-life BFF). "I loved the year when [Jenni wore her] own vintage Gucci suit to the Girls premiere," Lena said. "It wasn't about having something new; it was about feeling strong and powerful." As for Lena's best outfits? Jenni said: "I honestly love this Co dress Lena wore just last night. It almost looked vintage; it was beautiful. It's by Stephanie Danan -- she's a California designer, really smart. She's written for Lenny Letter, too, she's one of our contributors." Jenni described their newsletter as a platform for the voices of "extraordinary women," including designers and presidential candidates. Topics range from what Lena calls the "minutia of pop culture" to bigger political issues and the mechanics of friendship. Fashion is not excluded from that narrative. "We really like to support designers who are independent, who are inclusive, who are intelligent," Jenni explained. "We work with a lot of designers who are really brilliant humans and who have a thought process behind their voice and their work. That's really valuable to us." And as they celebrated Lenny's 2nd birthday, Lena and Jenni were in fashionable company: Prabal Gurung, Cynthia Rowley, Christian Ciriano, Jenna Lyons, Hari Nef and Maria Cornejo were among the star-studded crowd, sipping "Lenny Libation" cocktails or getting a personalized poem done on the spot. The dress code? Nonexistent. (Eonline)
Tamra Judge Rocks New, Edgy Bob After Years of Long Hair: 'It's Fresh and Hot'. Tamra Judge has taken the plunge. The Real Housewives of Orange County star, 50, debuted a new hairdo on Instagram Monday, cutting of her trademark long blonde locks for an edgier look. Judge and her hair stylist Julius Michael spoke to PEOPLE before the reality star appeared on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen in New York City. "Basically, what [Michael] did was, 'You need to cut that hair, we need to go shorter,'" says Judge. "[I said] 'I just cut it to the mid-length, you need to let me have baby steps!'" Despite her initial reluctance, Judge was convinced to let go of her long hair. "[He said], 'No, we're going to give a statement tonight,' so I just let him do it," Judge says. "He took me away from the mirror." Michael, who owns Julius Michael Salon in New York City, shared a photo of Judge on his Instagram page, writing, "This time it's for real @tamrajudge I did a #chopchop #haircut moments before she went on #wwhl tonight." The Housewife also shared her own Instagram posts, writing, "I'm scared @juliusmichaelsalon just scalped me and he won't let me see until he's done." Michael, who has been Judge's hair stylist for seven years, tells PEOPLE he knew it was time to give Judge a bob at his wedding on Saturday but he did not get a chance to work his magic until Monday. "She was leaning all the way back... and the hair was away from her face and that was it," he says. "Originally, I was going to do pink tips. And when I saw the hair back, I thought, 'We're cutting it.'" "It was time," he continues. "It's fresh and hot, and Tamra's had long hair, I think, every season she's been on [RHOC] and now she has to rock a whole new look." Judge previously rocked a fake bob in July, in which Michael gave her extensions that he later cut. The stylist used Root Lifter by L'Oreal, Next Day Hair Dry Finishing Spray by L'Oreal for texture, Platinum Texturizing Taffy 13 by Kenra Professionals to create the messy ends and Oribe Soft Hold Hairspray. Judge was the first housewife Michael has styled, but he's gained a clientele in fellow Bravo stars Kyle Richards, Lisa Vanderpump, Melissa Gorga and Lisa Rinna. (People)
Champagne was spilled at the launch of Photo Butler, the social-media app created by Boston-based tech titan Andy Goldfarb. The drama at Rose Hill, the new venture of Frederick Lesort on East 32nd Street, unfolded when Tom D'Agostino, the playboy husband-for-seven-months of Luann de Lesseps, arrived with four blondes, including rumored new fiancee, Anna Rothschild. Luann's friend, "Real Housewives of New York City" co-star Dorinda Medley, wasn't happy to see him and spilled her flute of pink bubbly. Getting doused was the vintage Courrèges ensemble of accident-prone philanthropist Jean Shafiroff, who has lately been set on fire and attacked by bees. "She just ruined my skirt!'' Shafiroff squealed as banking heir Ivan Wilzig and '80s supermodel Coco Mitchell looked on, aghast. "What can I tell you? It's not a party until someone ruins your couture, Jeannie!'' quipped George Wayne, whose book "Anyone Who's Anyone: The Astonishing Celebrity Interviews 1987-2017'' is being published in December by HarperCollins. (Page Six)
Music
Demi Lovato Says Her House Party With Snoop Dogg Inspired the "Sorry Not Sorry" Video. Demi Lovato knows how to throw a party. During an interview on the tonight show starring jimmy fallon, Jimmy Fallon asked the singer about her hit song "Sorry Not Sorry." The host asked her if the song's music video -- which had more than 128 million views at the time of this writing -- contained footage from an actual rager. Lovato clarified that the music video was not footage from an actual party; however, she said that it was "inspired" by a real house party she threw. "One day I was like 'I want to have people over,'" Lovato told Fallon. "I had just gone through a breakup. I was like, 'I'm newly single. I want to meet people.'" So, the "Heart Attack" singer told one of her friends to invite people over. "A couple of hours later Snoop Dogg was there," Dovato said. She also said the "Drop It Like It's Hot" rapper was joined by French Montana, Wiz Khalifa and Ty Dolla $ign. "I was like, wait a second, I just wanted to have a couple people over to hang out," she said. "And all of a sudden, my house is like filled with pot smoke everywhere....I was like, 'No smoking inside. Get out! Get out!'" Fallon told Lovato that she couldn't exactly tell Snoop Dogg to stop smoking in her house. "He has to. That's how he breathes," The Tonight Show host joked. But it looks like Snoop Dogg's presence lingered until the next day. "My chef came in the next morning and was like '[It] smells like Snoop Dogg was here,'" Lovato said. "And I was like 'No he literally was.'" Lovato later performed the Snoop-inspired song on Fallon's show. (Eonline)
Little Mix & CNCO Premiere Music Video for "Reggaetón Lento (Remix)." We're so here for the video! Little Mix and CNCO just premiered their music video for their remix of "Reggaetón Lento." Marc Klasfeld directed the sultry video for the Spanglish dance remix which has already accumulated over 30 million streams worldwide and is also Top 5 on the UK Airplay Chart. This remix comes after the success of Spanglish songs like "Despacito" and much like that story, the original song was a huge hit on its own. "Reggaetón Lento" has streamed more than 472 million times and has an incredible 1 billion video views, plus it also reached No.1 on the Billboard Latin Pop Songs Chart. The girl group is set to take the stage at the 2017 iHeartRadio Daytime Village on Saturday, September 23 at the Las Vegas Village. "Reggaetón Lento (Remix)" is Little Mix's first release since their fourth album Glory Days, which featured one of our favorite singles "Shout Out to My Ex." CNCO, which emerged from the first season of Simon Cowell's musical competition show on Univision's La Banda. Since the show, CNCO has already won three Latin Billboard Awards, three Latin AMAs, and iHeartRadio Award and a Teen Choice Award. Their debut album Primera Cita reached #1 on Billboard's Top Latin Albums chart and then rapidly became the most sold Latin album in the US and Puerto Rico. We hope we'll get to see these two groups performing this hit very soon! (Eonline)
Blac Chyna is trying to become a rapper. Blac Chyna is putting her relationship with Rob Kardashian behind her and focusing on a rap career, sources tell us. "She's met with four labels . . . [is] collaborating with very big artists, and there's going to be big news coming soon," an insider confirmed. "Yes, she is trying to rap and no, [it's] horrible," the cynical music source sniffed. "All the majors are listening, and, sadly, she will likely get a deal. If she lands it, somebody will be stupid enough to give her a seven-figure advance." We're told the former exotic dancer has already turned down a deal with a major label. "She wants the music to be right," a source close to her told us. Chyna reached a custody agreement with Kardashian for their daughter, Dream, on Friday. Her attorney Lisa Bloom told Page Six that Kardashian "peacefully agreed" to co-parent. (PageSix)
Mistake puts Canadian punk band on Beyonce vinyl. Some Beyonce fans who purchased a vinyl of the singer's 2016 album "Lemonade" are in for an unexpected surprise-she's only on part of it. That's because a fraction of the new European run of the lemon-yellow record was miss-pressed. Because of the screw-up, the first half of the Canadian punk band Zex's album "Uphill Battle" appears in place of the Grammy-winning record's A-side, which includes the songs "Pray You Catch Me," "Hold Up" and "Don't Hurt Yourself." "Due to human error at the Celebrate Records plant in Germany, which Sony uses to manufacture vinyl, a small amount of the European run of the Beyonce 'Lemonade' vinyl included music from Canadian punk band, ZEX, on Side A," Columbia Records said in a statement on Monday. "Beyonce and ZEX were not aware of or responsible for the miss-press. Fans who purchased the vinyl will be refunded and given a replacement copy. We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused." Zex, who hail from Ottawa, seem to be taking the mistake, which will surely open them up to a whole new audience, in stride. "Yeah we are getting some copies," the band wrote in a Facebook comment, before adding: "We were on the split after all hahahaha." (PageSix)
Zedd, Liam Payne Drop Guerilla-Style Video For 'Get Low'. Zedd and Liam Payne take their hit single "Get Low" to the streets of London for the official music video for their collabo track. The pair are joined by a small troupe of dancers as they surprise fans with pop-up performances in the guerilla style clip that dropped on Tuesday (Sept. 19). Zedd and Payne were as much of an attraction to passerby as their chosen locations, with Trafalgar Square, Oxford Street, and Convent Garden setting the scene for the infectious dance number. In more candid shots, the troupe can be seen teaching the dance to the growing crowd, letting them join in on the fun. The track cuts away a few times towards the end to the crowd shout-singing along to the chorus as they walk down the street behind the performers. If you didn't want to get up and get low with this summer jam before, you'll want to hop on the Zedd-Payne parade by the end of the four minute video.. Find the full list of tour dates and purchase tickets here. (Billboard)
Travis Scott, Zedd, Khalid & More To Play 2017 SnowGlobe Festival. SnowGlobe Music Festival returns to Lake Tahoe for it's seventh year with a packed lineup to usher in the new year. The lineup offers the most to fans of electronic and hip-hop, headlined by Dillon Francis, Porter Robinson, Travis Scott, and Zedd. Khalid, TOKiMONSTA, Jai Wolf, and many more fill out the bill. The festival layout will differ from previous years, organizers say, and will feature three stages, more art installations, and snow sport demonstrations between acts. Specifics have yet to be released. Tickets for SnowGlobe Festival 2017, running Dec. 29-31, are on sale now. (Hollywood Reporter)
Taylor Swift's massive hit "Shake it Off" was not really hers ... so claim 2 accomplished songwriters who wrote a hit song with similar lyrics 16 years ago ... at least that's what they're saying in a new lawsuit. Sean Hall and Nathan Butler say they wrote a song entitled "Playas Gon' Play" back in 2001, and it Hit #81 on Billboard Hot 100. It was recorded by a big girl group, 3LW. Among the lyrics ... "Playas, they gonna play and haters, they gonna hate." Not hard to figure out the rest. Hall and Butler say 20% of "Shake it Off" is their song. BTW, Butler has worked with the Backstreet Boys, Christina Milian, Aaron Carter and Victoria Beckham. Hall has worked with Justin Bieber, Lionel Richie, Pink and Maroon 5. Butler is being repped by Gerard Fox Law and Julian Everly Shervington Wright. They want a ton of money. UPDATE: Taylor's rep tells TMZ, "This is a ridiculous claim and nothing more than a money grab. The law is simple and clear. They do not have a case." (TMZ)
Movies
The first teaser for the Tomb Raider remake has arrived & it's badass AF. The highly anticipated first look at Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft has finally been released. The first trailer for the new Tomb Raider movie has been released giving us a first look at Alicia Vikander in the iconic role of Lara Croft, and it looks INCREDIBLE. The original Tomb Raider video game was released in 1996 with the franchise selling over 45 million copies worldwide. Paramount Pictures then released two movies starring Angelina Jolie as Croft in 2001 and 2003. Now, 16 March 2018 will see Oscar-winning Vikander take on the role of the kickass British character in Lara's origins story. The new film, which has been directed by Roar Uthaug, will focus on Lara at 21, when she's refusing to take on her father's legacy following his disappearance seven years before. Instead, she's a bike courier in east London, until she has enough and decides to try and track down his last-known location. Your plot spiel: "Going explicitly against his final wishes, she leaves everything she knows behind in search of her dad's last-known destination: a fabled tomb on a mythical island that might be somewhere off the coast of Japan." There have been two fantastic Tomb Raider games in the past four years which have given Lara her origins story-and restrained the gigantic boy-pleasing bosom that she was gifted in 1996. And if the first teaser is anything to go by, this film is going to be AWESOME. (British Glamour)
Annette Bening to Get BAFTA Career Retrospective. She will discuss her work and craft in a "BAFTA A Life in Pictures" event in London on Oct. 12. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts said Tuesday that BAFTA-winning and Oscar-nominated actress Annette Bening will discuss her craft and career at one of its popular "BAFTA A Life in Pictures" events in London next month. It will take place at the British capital's Savoy Hotel on Oct. 12. The "Life in Pictures" series has hosted such stars as Kenneth Branagh, Cate Blanchett, Viola Davis, David Fincher, Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson, Sam Mendes, Helen Mirren, Alan Rickman, Vanessa Redgrave, Martin Scorsese, Meryl Streep, Kate Winslet and Jeremy Irons. After starting her acting career on stage, Bening's breakthrough role on screen came in 1990, when she starred in neo-noir crime drama The Grifters, receiving BAFTA and Oscar nominations for actress in a supporting role. In 1999, Bening starred opposite Kevin Spacey in American Beauty, for which she won the BAFTA for leading actress. She also received two Screen Actors Guild Awards, as well as Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for her performance. In 2004, Bening received her third Oscar nomination for her lead role in Being Julia. Bening's other film credits include The Kids Are All Right (2010), Danny Collins (2015), The Search (2014), Running With Scissors (2006), The Siege (1998), Bugsy (1991) and The Great Outdoors (1988). Her latest films include Mike Mills' Oscar-nominated 20th Century Women (2016), Warren Beatty's Rules Don't Apply (2016), Michael Mayer's adaptation of Anton Chekhov's play The Seagull (2017) and Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool, which got its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival. (Hollywood Reporter)
Oscars: France Selects '120 Beats Per Minute' for Foreign-Language Category. Robin Campillo's drama won the Grand Prize at this year's Cannes film festival. France has selected Robin Campillo's 120 Beats Per Minute as its submission in the best foreign-language film category of the Oscars. The film won the Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. The selection committee was chaired by National Cinema Center (CNC) head Frederique Bredin and composed of executives including Cannes Film Festival head Thierry Fremaux, French Academy president Alain Terzian, UniFrance film body head Serge Toubiana and former head Jean-Paul Salome, as well as CNC financing commissioner Teresa Cremisi. BAFTA- and Cesar-nominated director Anne Fontaine (Coco Before Chanel) and Cesar-winner Deniz Gamze Erguven, director of the Oscar-nominated Mustang, rounded out the committee. The commission selected from a shortlist including 120 Beats Per Minute, Mathieu Amalric's Cannes Un Certain Regard special prize winner Barbara and Redoubtable from Oscar-winning director Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist). Films had to have a theatrical release in France between Oct. 1, 2016 and Sept. 30, 2017 to be eligible for consideration. Last year, France selected Elle, which failed to make the foreign-language shortlist, but earned star Isabelle Huppert her first Oscar nomination. In 2015, France nominated Erguven's Mustang for the foreign-language category, but Laszlo Nemes' Hungarian Holocaust drama Son of Saul took home the prize. Hazanavicius' The Artist, which won five Oscars, including for best picture in 2011, was not France's foreign-language submission that year. The last French film to win the foreign-language Oscar was Indochine, starring Catherine Deneuve, in 1993. (Hollywood Reporter)
Why Ralph Fiennes Got Honorary Serbian Citizenship. The actor was honored for his work in the country over the last few years, but retains his British citizenship. British Oscar-nominated actor Ralph Fiennes recently got Serbian citizenship as an honor for his work in the country. Obtaining a citizenship of an Eastern European country by a Western film star is rather uncommon, and Fiennes is the first major foreign star to be granted citizenship of the country. For those wondering: the initiative to give him the honorary citizenship came from Serbia's culture ministry. "This is rather different from seeking to become a Serbian citizen," Simon Beresfod, Fiennes' agent, told The Hollywood Reporter. "It is more like being granted the 'keys to the city'." According to Beresfod, Fiennes remains a British citizen, but has "gracefully accepted the honor bestowed on him by the Serbian people in gratitude and appreciation of the work he has done in Serbia over a number of years." Fiennes filmed his 2011 directorial debut, Coriolanus, in Serbia and is currently filming a new movie that he is directing, The White Crow, in the country. Serbia, the largest country of the former Yugoslavia, has a population of 7 million people. Among U.S. film personalities of Serbian ancestry are Milla Jovovich and Milena Govich. In January 2013, Gerard Depardieu obtained Russian citizenship by a decree signed by President Vladimir Putin. In November of last year, Steven Seagal also became a Russian citizen. Both actors had been praising Kremlin policies and the granting of citizenship to them was widely viewed as political gestures. (Hollywood Reporter)
TV
Xscape Reunites in Still Kickin' It Trailer, But Is it a Happy Comeback for Kandi, Tiny, LaTocha and Tamika? Who doesn't love a reunion full of drama? Bravo viewers certainly do and it looks like they'll be getting just that with Xscape: Still Kickin' It, the reunion of Kandi Burruss' girl group Xscape. The four-part special sees The Real Housewives of Atlanta star reuniting with Tameka "Tiny" Cottle, LaTocha Scott and Tamika Scott as they prepare to take the stage after nearly 20 years apart. It doesn't go as smoothly as you'd except, but looks as dramatic as you'd want. For example, take the scene where Kandi hits a high note prompting Tamika to come running in her bathrobe. "Is the alarm going off? Don't be trying to scare me like that," she says, Xscape rose to prominence in the early 1990s and were signed by Jermaine Dupri, who returns in the series and promptly comes into conflict with Kandi. "The f -- k is wrong with y'all," he asks them. Can their differences be put aside? Maybe with the help of a counselor? Since the group split, Kandi became a Grammy-winning songwriter and entrepreneur (and reality star), can she share the spotlight again? Meanwhile, Tiny put music aside to make family her priority, but as she returns to music her marriage is tested. LaTocha is ready to get her group to the next level and Tamika, who stayed in the industry, is getting back to her roots. The ladies have two sold out shows in Detroit, as well as performances at the BET Awards and Essence Festival that can only go off without a hitch if they put their past behind them and give the comeback their all. Xscape: Still Kickin' It premieres November 5 and 9 p.m. on Bravo. (Eonline)
MIPCOM: Gordon Ramsay, JK Simmons Added to Lineup. MIPCOM's keynote roster is heating up, with Gordon Ramsay added to the lineup. The celebrity chef is set to give a speech about his years revolutionizing cooking shows on the small screen and will address how he keeps his international TV empire, with multiple brands in the US and UK, fresh. HBO CEO Richard Plepler is also set to give a keynote speech during the industry confab as is National Geographic Global Networks CEO Courteney Monroe. Social media will also come into focus during the conference, with Facebook head of global creative strategy Ricky Van Veen and director of video product Daniel Danker set to give a keynote on how the behemoth is developing its video approach. Snap Inc. vp of content Nick Bell and director of content Sean Mills will also keynote on the company's vision for mobile content and their slate of short form Snapchat shows. Spain's Movistar+ head of original programming Domingo Corral will head up a panel with Germany's Beta Film CEO Jan Mojto and the U.K.'s Sky Vision managing director Jane Millichip. Amid the intensifying TV market and festival landscape, MIPCOM will host two big world premieres this year: Sony's Counterpart, starring Oscar-winner JK Simmons, and the Sky Vision and Amazon co-production Britannia, starring Kelly Reilly (True Detective). Simmons and co-star Harry Lloyd will be on hand to present Counterpart at a special Sunday night screening ahead of the official MIPCOM kickoff, and the cast of Brittania, with Reilly, David Morrisey and Eleanor Worthington-Cox attending the opening night red carpet gala on Oct. 16. The week will also host a screening of the highly anticipated The Miniaturist adaptation, starring Romola Garai and Anya Taylor-Joy, ahead of its November release. The kids programming-focused MIPJunior section will host Netflix's head of global kids content Andy Yeatman as a keynote as well as talks from Nickelodeon's senior vp international production Nina Hahn and vp acquisitions Layla Lewis; Disney's vp programming Karen Miller, and vp production and strategic development David Levine; and Cartoon Network's vp acquisitions and co-productions Adina Pitt. In addition to the MIPCOM announcements, organizers outlined more of their vision for the CanneSeries festival that will launch alongside MIPTV in April 2018. Addressing concerns that an audience-focused festival will detract from the TV market, CanneSeries will host its public screenings at theaters throughout the city of Cannes from April 4–12. The competition of the official selection will run in the Grand Palais from April 7–11, overlapping with MIPTV's documentary and formats sidebars that first weekend, as well as the MIP Drama Screenings, which will continue. The official selection competition will continue to overlap with the main MIPTV from April 9 through its closing on the 12th, and host a works in progress forum on April 10-11. If that's all very confusing, the festival will focus on what conference organizer Reed Midem's director of television Laurine Garaude called "smart scheduling" and work around the speakers with mid-day and evening festival screenings. Garaude said the convergence of the festival and the market is the "natural evolution" of the increasingly competitive international TV landscape. More detail about the upcoming CanneSeries festival will be unveiled at a press conference Oct. 16 during MIPCOM. MIPCOM runs Oct. 16-19 in Cannes, France. (Hollywood Reporter)
Jedediah Bila shocked audiences when she departed "The View" on Monday -- and according to a source, this sudden departure may have something to do with Hillary Clinton. Clinton was on the show last Wednesday promoting her book "What Happened," with conservative Bila calling her "tone deaf" and asking the former presidential candidate a tough question. "To be fair, it hasn't just been Republicans who have taken issue with the writing of this book. Some Democrats have come out as well," Bila said to Clinton. "Former campaign surrogates of yours, former fundraisers and said, 'This book puts us in the past and we wanna move forward, we wanna figure out where to take this party, how to succeed in the future. And this places us in the past.' How do you respond to Democrats also coming out in criticism of you writing this?" "I think they first should read the book," Clinton answered. "There was a lot of staff who were upset about how that interview was handled," says the source, speculating that "The View" wants the former secretary of state to appear on the show multiple times. "They had a lot to say to Jedediah about calming things down." We're told that Bila was signed on for the full season but "she left on her own accord," the source adds. "There were some things making her uncomfortable behind the scenes, but she loves the cast. She seems to be looking forward to sharing her view in a world where there seems to be only one worldview." A rep for Bila declined to comment. Show reps deny Bila's exit had anything to do with the Clinton interview, telling Page Six, "Jed asked good questions during that interview, and the producers were really pleased with how she handled it." Senior executive producer Hilary Estey McLoughlin, as well as its two co-executive producers, Candi Carter and Brian Teta, sent a memo to "The View" staff Monday morning. "As some of you heard this morning at our meeting, we have some bittersweet news to share. Jed is leaving our show, and today is her last day. She has new opportunities on the horizon, including her new book," read the internal note, obtained by Page Six. "She's been a spirited voice at the table over the past year, asking smart questions and challenging us all to think. We want to thank Jed very much for all of her contributions and wish her great success with the next step in her career. She will always be part of 'The View' family, and we'll welcome her back to talk about her new projects. Please join us in thanking Jed for her hard work, her dedication and her voice at the table." According to reports, Meghan McCain is in talks to join the show. (Page Six)
HBO Greenlights First Scandinavian Original Series. Swedish director Lukas Moodysoon will write and direct 'Gosta,' the first original from HBO Nordic. HBO Europe has greenlit its first-ever Scandinavian original series, ordering Gosta, an eight-episode drama, from Swedish director Lukas Moodysson (Together, Lilya 4-Ever). Moodysson will write and direct all eight episodes of the series, which follows a 28-year-old child psychologist who gets his first job in a small rural town and tries to put his theories of universal kindness into practice-with mixed results. Gosta will be Moodysson's first-ever television series. Memfis Film is producing for HBO, with TrustNordisk handling international sales. The series will be shot on location in Sweden in 2018 for an expected 2019 premiere. "I want Gosta to be a mix of comedy and Dostoyevsky; as funny as possible and as serious as possible," said Moodysson. "It's a joy and honor to produce HBO Nordic's first Scandinavian original series. HBO is perfect for Gosta's wilful mix of comedy and drama," added producer Lars Jonsson of Memfis Film. Hanne Palmquist, commissioning editor & vp original programming, HBO Nordic, said: "Gosta is an insightful, fun, multi-faceted and bitter-sweet story that says a lot about the time we are living in, in a way only Lukas can say it." Moodysson became known with his directorial breakthrough Show Me Love in 1998, which won four Guldbagge Awards, Sweden's biggest film honor. "Lukas's unique voice has established him as a leading filmmaker both in Sweden and worldwide, and his vision for this series makes it a perfect fit as our first original commission from HBO Nordic," said Antony Root, executive vp, original programming and production at HBO Europe. "The unlikely hero at its heart will not only be recognizable to our Swedish audience, but will have resonance with our audiences across Europe, and internationally too." (Hollywood Reporter)
Fox News Says No Defamation in Story Alleged to Include Made-Up Quotes. Fox News and its parent, 21st Century Fox, have responded in court to a defamation lawsuit that alleges they rushed to publish a story miss-attributing quotes to Rod Wheeler, a former Washington, D.C., homicide detective. The story in question, written by Malia Zimmerman and now retracted, suggested a connection between DNC staffer Seth Rich and WikiLeaks and how Democrats in and outside government may have been blocking a murder investigation into Rich's murder July 10, 2016. According to the suit filed in New York federal court from Wheeler, a Fox News contributor, Donald Trump got an advance look at the story and pushed its publication on the basis it would show the Russians weren't behind the hacked DNC emails published by WikiLeaks. The Fox defendants are now looking to compel arbitration or have Wheeler's complaint dismissed for failure to state a claim. A memorandum in support (read here in full) argues that Wheeler has failed to plead special damages as there was nothing contained in those quotes or the articles that they say exposed him to contempt, ridicule, aversion, or disgrace. Furthermore, Fox argues that other statements Wheeler made on television foreclose a defamation claim. "Even if Wheeler could otherwise state a claim for defamation, he cannot claim that the alleged misquotations falsely defamed him when he made essentially the same statements, both before and after the publication of the story at issue, on a number of television and radio programs," states the memorandum. For example, Wheeler is quoted as responding to a Fox 5 reporter's question about whether FBI sources have information that could link Rich to Wikileaks by saying, "Absolutely, yeah, and that's confirmed." While Fox argues that his contributor's agreement includes a provision that mandates arbitration, another co-defendant in the case, Ed Butowsky, has separately moved to dismiss on grounds of jurisdictional deficiencies and more. Butowsky, a Dallas-based financial adviser with connections to the White House, worked with Wheeler to investigate Rich's death. On May 14, Wheeler says Butowsky texted him, "Not to add any more pressure but the president just read the article. He wants the article out immediately. It's now all up to you. But don't feel the pressure." In his dismissal papers, Butowsky says the complaint is riddled with "sensationalistic allegations that have nothing whatsoever to do with this cause of action." Those are argued to include the Trump firing of FBI director James Comey and Rupert Murdoch's bid for Sky Plc. Butowsky also presents omissions like Wheeler's supposed conclusion from a meeting with a D.C. detective that the Rich-WikiLeaks theory of murder couldn't be ruled out. The defendant also says Zimmerman sent Wheeler versions of the story for approval before it ran, and that those versions included the alleged miss-attributed quotes. Wheeler is said to have texted Zimmerman, "Reading it now. Malia you can add that I do strongly believe that the answers to who murdered Seth sits on his computer on a shelf at the D.C. Police or FBI headquarters!" Wheeler hasn't sufficiently pled harm from the story, adds Butowsky, plus contending that there's no allegation that Butowsky made the defamatory statements. He additionally argues that Wheeler consented to the publication, the statements constitute opinions, and there's no allegation of actual malice. Fox News media relations manager Jessica Jansen circulated a copy of Butowsky's dismissal motion with a lengthy statement that echoed many of the points his lawyers had made. She probably meant to include Fox's. Many reporters seemingly assumed this was Fox's own motion, and in a case about miss-attributed quotes, these reporters then miss-attributed the motion in tweets and stories. An hour later, at 7:27 a.m., Jansen sent out a second email with the Fox News brief. Apparently that wasn't sufficient to settle the confusion, because an hour later, at 8:24 a.m., she sent a third message to reporters that issued clarification and guidance. (Hollywood Reporter)
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