ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Sarah Stage Gives Birth: Six-Pack Mom Welcomes Baby No. 2. Congrats to Sarah Stage! The Instagram star and California model, who quickly rose to Internet fame after being both shamed and admired for maintaining a super fit figure -- and a smaller-than-usual baby bump -- while pregnant, has given birth to her and husband Kris Jason's second child, a boy named Logan Alexander. The 33-year-old model, who is often dubbed the "six-pack mom," and her husband welcomed their child via C-section on Monday, E! News has learned exclusively. The couple released a statement to E! News, "We are so overjoyed and happy to welcome baby Logan into our family." The duo says that Logan weighed in at 7 pounds and 2 ounces and measures 19 inches long. "Sarah, husband Kris and baby Logan are resting. Sarah delivered Logan this afternoon and is resting with new baby per the Doctors orders. Her toddler James is with family, has met his baby brother and the family is very excited. Sarah and family thanks everyone for their overwhelming amount of support, and promises everyone will get to see baby Logan soon." Stage's new baby boy joins big brother James Hunter, who is 2 and 1/2. Stage had posted a photo of herself on Instagram over the weekend, writing, "Our last date night before baby...#39weeks this weekend." About a week ago, she shared a pic of her husband with their toddler, sitting on the couple's bed and looking at a bassinet for the baby. "We are ready for you baby boy," Stage wrote. "#38weekspregnant @kristopherjason #family." Stage was criticized online over her fit figure during both of her pregnancies. In August, when she was seven months along with her second child, she revealed that she has gained 18 pounds during her pregnancy so far, weighing 137 pounds. In September, Stage had a baby shower, where she dished on her pregnancy workouts and cravings. "I always crave In-N-Out," she said. "But I crave In-N-Out even when I am not pregnant." She also said she was still working out but not as often and as intensely. During her last pregnancy, Stage had gained 20 pounds by the time she was 8-months pregnant. Speaking with Good Morning America at the time, she didn't seem too concerned about the noise surrounding her baby bump pics, saying, "As long as the baby is healthy, I don't think anything else matters...That should be the most important thing." But if people still think she's not being healthy, they should probably look to Stage's insanely adorable son as proof that she's got what she needs to keep her pregnancy on lock down. We should say that, of course, having a baby (and everything leading up to it) is different for every woman. According to The Mayo Clinic, "There's no one-size-fits-all approach to pregnancy weight gain. How much weight you need to gain depends on various factors, including your pre-pregnancy weight and body mass index." According to a chart on the site, women within the normal weight range (having a BMI from 18.5 to 24.9) should generally gain between 25 and 35 pounds during pregnancy. The Mayo Clinic notes that each woman should work with her health care provider to determine what's healthy and right for her. (Eonline)

NASCAR Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. Expecting First Chid With Wife Amy Reimann: See Their Adorable Announcement! Dale Earnhardt Jr. is about to race into parenthood. On Monday, the NASCAR pro announced he and his wife Amy Reimann are expecting their first child together and even revealed the baby's sex. Drumroll please! "Excited to share the wonderful news that @mrsamyearnhardt and I are expecting our first child. A little girl!!!! We are both thrilled and can't wait to meet her," the excited dad-to-be wrote on social media. He made the big reveal with help from a pair of itty bitty pink Converse sneakers. The future father and his wife tied the knot on New Year's Eve at a vineyard in South Carolina owned by fellow racer Richard Childress. With their wedding officially checked off the list, the Earnhardts are now fulfilling one of the driver's biggest dreams. "I would love to have kids," Earnhardt Jr. previously told E! News. "I always thought the greatest accomplishment in life was to raise a child aside from getting married in the first place. Everybody tells me it's the greatest thing ever and I take their word for it." Now he's about to experience it firsthand. Congratulations to the mom and dad-to-be! (Eonline)

HGTV Home Town Stars Ben and Erin Napier Announce They Are Expecting A Baby Girl. The Home Town heroes are having a baby! HGTV's Ben and Erin Napier, who star in home renovation show Home Town, announced to the world that they were expecting their first child together, a daughter they've decided to name Helen. In a lengthy post on her website entitled "Our Secret," the 7-month-pregnant reality star, who lives with her hubby in Laurel, Mississippi, told her fans that their daughter would be named after her grandmother and hoped for a good life for the wee one. "She's a girl and we will name her after my grandmother," she wrote. "My prayer for Helen is that she will be brave and kind. I pray that she will not be bullied the way I was, and that she will be a protector of the ones who are. I pray that she will learn that from her father, the protector who loves the people in his life so well." In the blog post, which she does daily and has for years, Erin detailed the May morning she found out the life-changing news. "When I woke up, I knew. Parts of my body felt like they were made from lead, heavier, as if I was stuck in molasses, thick and sweet," she wrote. "I tip toed to the bathroom and took a test...It confirmed what I thought, in tiny pink vertical lines. I ran crying, falling onto Ben who was sound asleep. I couldn't think of anything to say. I just held out the test to him, shaking and crying, 'What does this mean? What does this mean?' though I knew perfectly well what it meant." The candid reality star also admitted that despite being with her husband for nine years (the two are coming up on their 10th anniversary in November), she's always been afraid to be a mom. She wrote, "Becoming a mother was my greatest, and most hated fear. It had followed me since I saw the photos illustrating childbirth in my daddy's medical books at the tender age of 6. I didn't want to be afraid of it. I wanted to be like the other women in my life who never considered pregnancy something to be feared." In the post, Erin also said that the couple kept the news to themselves for so long because it felt too important to share lightly. "We've kept it a secret because it felt too close and too important to share," she wrote. "I've not written about it here, but you'll be able to follow along with our whole journey when season 2 airs, the date of which I am excited to tell you about tomorrow when HGTV releases it. It's too hard to hide now, and Laurel has been whispering but respectfully keeping it here in our family of community." She also says that her the last seven months "have been thankfully a healthy and easy pregnancy. The long hours of filming have been hard on my very tired body each day, and in the first trimester there were headaches daily but never morning sickness." The expectant mother ended the announcement: ""Thank you for making me a mother, Ben. Thank you for your heart and your love that's big enough to carry Helen and I both, and for holding my hand every step of the way." Congrats to the growing family! (Eonline)

Kate Middleton Announces Due Date for Baby No. 3. Kate Middleton and Prince William's third child is due in April 2018, Kensington Palace said Tuesday. The news comes a month after the couple announced the Duchess of Cambridge is pregnant and suffering from acute morning sickness, also known as Hyperemesis Gravidarum. With an April due date, Royal Baby No.3's birthday will arrive shortly before Princess Charlotte's, which is on May 2, and a few months ahead of Prince George's, which is on July 22. The due date was revealed hours after Kensington Palace announced the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will make an official visit to Norway and Sweden in early 2018, at the request of the United Kingdom's Foreign and Commonwealth Office. A more detailed itinerary, including the exact dates of the royal tour, has yet to be released, and it's unclear if their kids will travel, too. William will make an official trip to Finland next month, but his family will stay home in the U.K. Last week, Kate made her first public appearance since announcing her third pregnancy when she attended a reception at Buckingham Palace in honor of World Mental Health Day. "The Duchess' condition is improving but she's still suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarum," a royal aide said at the time. The pregnant royal wore a blue lace dress with black velvet accents from Temperley London's Fall 2017 collection, leading some to speculate she might be expecting a boy. But, when she made a surprise appearance at Paddington Station in London Monday, she wore Orla Kiely's pink "Raised Flower Fitted Dress" from the Autumn/Winter 2013 collection, effectively keeping the public guessing about the sex of Baby No. 3. (She has not commented.) A Middleton family source recently told E! News she is "out of the woods and doing well" after suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarum for a third time. "She has such a rotten time during these early months but she's out of the woods now and doing well. I think when you see it referred to as extreme morning sickness you don't quite understand how debilitating it can be, but it truly is a grueling condition and can make it impossible to do anything else. All you can do is just rest. It requires constant medical care and can be a worrying time for any mum-to-be." Now that she's "feeling a lot better," the source added, Middleton is "enjoying pregnancy." (Eonline)

Judith Light says living apart from husband of 32 years is 'the best'. Judith Light believes having a long-distance relationship with her husband of 32 years, Robert Desiderio, is the secret behind their lasting, loving marriage. "It's been the best," the 68-year-old actress told People Magazine Monday. "I highly recommend it." The former "Who's the Boss" star lives in New York while Desiderio resides in California. The sitcom star insisted living apart works just fine for the couple and they wouldn't have it any other way. "He loves California, and I would never ask him to leave there and he would never ask me to leave here," she explained. "Now, mind you, I go back and I shoot 'Transparent' and I'm there four or five months, so I'm there all the time, so when I'm done there, I come back here and he's flying here today, so we're going to be together for a few days and then I'll go back to California, so it really is this kind of supportive ... we're on each other's team." The couple previously dated for four years before tying the knot in 1985. Light admitted that their marriage can raise some eyebrows, but they're content with the unique living arrangement. "There's a solid, different kind of intimacy that comes about out of this and the support for each other and each other's lives," said Light. "I think people need alone time. I know I'm one of those people that needs that." (PageSix)

Carrie Fisher Gave a Cow's Tongue to a Producer Who Sexually Assaulted Her Friend. The late, great Carrie Fisher certainly knew how to get tongues wagging! The iconic actress made movie magic when she fought foes who'd gone to the Dark Side, and in real life it turns out that when it came to defending her friends, the pop culture princess pretty much did the same thing. Emmy-winning director and producer Heather Ross, a longtime friend of the actress, spoke to an Arizona radio station 94.9 MixFM about the prevalence of sexual assault in Hollywood and talked about a time when says that her famous friend came to her defense after she was sexually assaulted by an unnamed Oscar-winning producer (who amazingly enough wasn't Harvey Weinstein). Ross explained that she had attempted to go to dinner with the man, but when he picked her up, he pulled the car over and climbed in top of her and pinned her to the seat. Ross says she was able to push the producer off but he said to her, "You'll never make a movie in my town and get the F out of my car." Ross told the radio station that at the time she confided in the late Star Wars actress, who saw to it that, although the two never got to dinner, the handsy producer was going to get his just desserts. "About two weeks later, she sent me a message online and she said, 'I just saw [blank] at Sony Studios,'" Ross said. "I knew he would probably be there, so I went to his office and personally delivered a Tiffany box wrapped with a white bow." Ross continued, "I asked her what was inside and she said, 'It was a cow tongue from Jerry's Famous Deli in Westwood with a note that said, 'If you ever touch my darling Heather or any other woman again, the next delivery will be something of yours in a much smaller box!'" Ross said that her pal's bold move gave her comfort. "It felt validating to know, 'Okay, first of all, this woman who I love as a friend was not just a fake Hollywood friend.' That's who she was. She spoke out and she put things out there in your face." That's our kinda princess... (Eonline)

Reese Witherspoon Reveals She Was First Sexually Assaulted in Hollywood at Age 16. Reese Witherspoon, too, has experienced sexual harassment and assault in Hollywood. Like many honorees at the ELLE Women in Hollywood event, the 41-year-old actress referenced the sexual misconduct allegations against Harvey Weinstein. "This has been a really hard week for women in Hollywood, for women all over the world, and a lot of situations and a lot of industries are forced to remember and relive a lot of ugly truths," Witherspoon said during her acceptance speech at the Beverly Hilton Monday. "I have my own experiences that have come back to me very vividly and I find it really hard to sleep, hard to think, hard to communicate a lot of the feelings that I've been having about anxiety...[and] guilt for not speaking up earlier." "[I feel] true disgust at the director who assaulted me when I was 16-years-old and anger at the agents and the producers who made me feel that silence was a condition of my employment," said Witherspoon, whose 18-year-old daughter Ava Phillippe was in the audience. "And I wish I could tell you that was an isolated incident in my career, but sadly it wasn't. I've had multiple experiences of harassment and sexual assault, and I don't speak about them very often." "But after hearing all the stories these past few days and hearing these brave women speak up tonight about things that we're kind of told to sweep under the rug and not to talk about, it's made me want to speak up and speak up loudly because I actually felt less alone this week than I have ever felt in my entire career," Witherspoon continued. In fact, the Big Little Lies star said, "I have just spoken to so many actresses and writers, particularly women, who have had similar experiences, and many of them have bravely gone public with their stories. That truth is very encouraging to me and everyone out there in the world, because you can only heal by telling the truth. I feel really, really encouraged that there will be a new normal. For the young women in this room, life is going to be different because we're with you, we have your back and it makes me feel better. It makes me sad to talk about these issues, but I would be remiss not to." (Editor-in-chief Nina Garcia and publisher Kevin O'Malley hosted the 24th annual event with presenting sponsors L'Oreal Paris and "Real Is Rare. Real Is a Diamond." and supporting sponsor Calvin Klein. Other ELLE honorees included Margot Robbie, Tessa Thompson and Cicely Tyson.) Several other actresses, including Jennifer Lawrence and Riley Keough, joined Witherspoon in sharing their own stories of sexual harassment in Hollywood. When Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy took the stage, the producer said she wants to implement "zero tolerance policies for abusive behavior," as well as create "a secure, reliable, unimpeachable system in which victims of abuse can report what's happened to them with a confident expectation that action will be taken, without placing their employment, reputations and careers at risk." To do so, Kennedy proposed convening a commission that "should be fully funded by our industry in order to address the task at hand in a thoroughgoing, comprehensive fashion. The goal of this commission would be to transform our industry in regards to sexual harassment and abuse in the workplace." Guilds, studios, talent agencies and unions should "immediately" begin "developing new, industry-wide protections against sexual harassment and abuse," she added. Lawrence supports Kennedy's proposition, promising, "If we build this commission, this community of support where anyone can come to us and ask questions, I will give my all to it." Recently, multiple women accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct in The New York Times and The New Yorker, and in the aftermath, dozens of women have described their encounters with the movie mogul -- including Rosanna Arquette, Cara Delevingne, Eva Green, Angelina Jolie, Ashley Judd, Minka Kelly, Rose McGowan, Gwyneth Paltrow, Lea Seydoux and Mira Sorvino. In a statement to E! News, Weinstein's attorney, Charles J. Harder, said The New York Times' article by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey is "saturated with false and defamatory statements;" The New York Times stands by Kantor and Twoehy's reporting, a newspaper spokesperson said. In response to the allegations made against Weinstein in Ronan Farrow's New Yorker article, a rep said, "...Any allegations of non-consensual sex are unequivocally denied by Mr. Weinstein." (Eonline)

America Ferrera Reveals She Was Sexually Assaulted as a 9-year-old in Heartbreaking Instagram Post. America Ferrera has broken her silence and revealed she was sexually assaulted as a young girl. The Superstore actress, 33, shared an Instagram post Monday night as part of the #MeToo movement, in which women share their stories of sexual harassment or assault, and revealed her story of being attacked by an older man she knew. "First time I can remember being sexually assaulted I was 9-years-old," she wrote. "I told no one and lived with the shame and guilt thinking all along that I, a 9-year-old child, was somehow responsible for the actions of a grown man." The television star was then forced to be around her abuser, further compounding her pain. "I had to see this man on a daily basis for years to come," she continued. "He would smile at me and wave, and I would hurry past him, my blood running cold, my guts carrying the burden of what only he & I knew -- that he expected me to shut my mouth and smile back." "Ladies, let's break the silence to the next generation of girls won't have to live with this bulls -- ," she added. The former Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants actress has been outspoken about women's rights. In January, she spoke at the Women's March in Washington, D.C., telling PEOPLE at the time that she planned to continue fighting for human rights after the march ended. "I've been a part of different convenings in my industry, my hometown in Los Angeles, creating alliances and bridges, challenging myself to step outside of my comfort zone the issues I have historically identified and taken on," she said. She added, "I think it's time for all of us to widen our perspective and widen our circle of what matters to us and what causes we take up. Really at the core of many causes is human dignity. And that is what we share in this fight to be seen and to be valued." The #MeToo movement exploded across social media on Sunday and Monday, and was galvanized by the allegations of sexual assault and harassment involving Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. Weinstein's scandal began when eight women, including Ashley Judd, spoke out against him in a bombshell New York Times report published Oct. 5., where they accused the mogul of sexual misconduct. The paper also reported that Weinstein reached private settlements with eight women, including actress Rose McGowan, who later claimed that the producer had raped her. Following the initial report, Weinstein said in a statement that he was working with therapists and planned to "deal with this issue head-on." He has since been fired from his powerhouse studio, the Weinstein Company, kicked out of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, and his wife, Marchesa designer Georgina Chapman, has announced she's leaving him. In response to the lengthy allegations, a spokesperson for Weinstein said, "Any allegations of non-consensual sex are unequivocally denied by Mr. Weinstein." (People)

Jennifer Lawrence She Had to Do 'Naked Line-Up' and Was Told to Lose Weight. Jennifer Lawrence opened up about the "humiliating" and "degrading" experience she had in the early days of her career. The 27-year-old spoke Monday night about her experience as a woman in the movie industry at Elle's Women in Hollywood event sponsored by Calvin Klein and L'Oreal Paris. The mother! actress, who was one of eight honorees at the L.A. event, explained that she was asked by producers to slim down drastically for one of her first roles. "When I was much younger and starting out, I was told by producers of a film to lose 15 pounds in two weeks," she said, revealing another actress before her had already been fired for not losing the weight fast enough. But it did not end there, she said. "During this time a female producer had me do a nude line-up with about five women who were much, much, thinner than me. We are stood side-by-side with only tape on covering our privates," she added. "After that degrading and humiliating line-up, the female producer told me I should use the naked photos of myself as inspiration for my diet." Lawrence said she tried to stand up for herself and told another producer she thought the weight loss demands were not appropriate. "He said he didn't know why everyone thought I was so fat, he thought I was 'perfectly f***able.'" The actress said she felt "trapped" by the experience. "I let myself be treated a certain way because I felt I had to for my career," she shared. "I'm still learning that I don't have to smile when a man makes me uncomfortable," she added. "Every human being should have the power to be treated with respect because they're human." Harvey Weinstein Checks Into Luxury Resort Amid Scandal: He Wants to 'Use His Cell Phone' Harvey Weinstein checked into a luxury resort in Arizona after jetting out of Los Angeles on Wednesday, a source tells PEOPLE The Oscar winner also said that despite the sadness that comes with sexual harassment or assault, she believes the experiences of all women have been "oddly unifying." Lawrence told PEOPLE in a statement that she was "deeply disturbed" to hear of the sexual harassment and assault allegations made against Harvey Weinstein. "I was deeply disturbed to hear the news about Harvey Weinstein's behavior," she said. "I worked with Harvey five years ago and I did not experience any form of harassment personally, nor did I know about any of these allegations. This kind of abuse is inexcusable and absolutely upsetting." She continued: "My heart goes out to all of the women affected by these gross actions. And I want to thank them for their bravery to come forward." Her comments come after dozens of women came forward in recent weeks to accuse Weinstein of sexual misconduct -- including Cara Delevingne, Ashley Judd, and Angelina Jolie. Eight women spoke out against Weinstein in a bombshell New York Times report accusing the movie mogul of inappropriate behavior. The paper also reported that Weinstein reached private settlements with eight women, including actress Rose McGowan. Following the initial report, Weinstein said in a statement that he was working with therapists and planned to "deal with this issue head-on." He has since been fired from his powerhouse studio, The Weinstein Company, and his wife, Marchesa designer Georgina Chapman, has announced she's leaving him. In addition, The New Yorker revealed -- among 13 different women's accounts of alleged sexual harassment, assault or rape. In response to the lengthy allegations made against Weinstein in the New Yorker piece, a spokesperson for Weinstein said, "Any allegations of non-consensual sex are unequivocally denied by Mr. Weinstein." (People)

Harvey Weinstein is not giving up -- not even close -- he vows he'll continue making movies, whether it's with The Weinstein Co. or someplace else. Weinstein's showdown with TWC is set for Tuesday morning in NYC, where he will make his case by speakerphone that he was illegally fired and has a right to retake the reigns. His lawyer, Patty Glaser, will be in the Board of Directors meeting to make the case. Our Weinstein sources say he knows he's "momentarily toxic" but thinks with a little time, writers and actors will seek him out again because of his track record. He believes -- and probably rightly so -- that TWC exists because of him. He believes he can go back and produce movies, or he can just as easily do it somewhere else. As one source put it, "Harvey's like Judge Judy. She can do her show for CBS, but if she wanted to go to NBC she can do it because it's all about her." Harvey may not be able to make his case Tuesday. There are rumblings the Board may fire Weinstein as the first order of business, then disconnect the speakerphone and throw Patty Glaser out of the meeting. If that happens, our Weinstein sources say they will 100% go either to arbitration or court. (TMZ)

Roy Dotrice, 'Game of Thrones' and 'Amadeus' actor, dies at 94. Veteran British actor Roy Dotrice, best known to U.S. audiences for his role as Wisdom Hallyne the pyromancer on Season 2 of "Game of Thrones," died Monday at his home in London. He was 94. Dotrice's role on "Game of Thrones" Season 2 was not his first time working with George R.R. Martin, author of the book series which the television show is based on. Dotrice first gained recognition for recording the audio books for each installment in Martin's famed series, "A Song of Fire and Ice." In 2004, he earned a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for the greatest number of characters voiced by a single actor in an audio book: 224 characters, all of which he voiced for "A Game of Thrones," the first novel in the series. The audio book is a staggering 33 hours long. That 2004 win was not the first time Dotrice was honored in the Guinness Book of World Records, either. The groundbreaking artist broke the record for greatest number of solo performances (1,782) with his 1960s run as John Aubrey in the one-man show "Brief Lives." Before his long career in the entertainment business, Dotrice served in the Royal Air Force during WWII and was imprisoned in a German POW camp. He went on to great success as an actor on television, film, theater, and radio. Among his achievements were a Tony award for best featured actor in a play for his role in the Broadway revival of "A Moon for the Misbegotten" and a British Academy Television award for best actor for his performance in "Misleading Cases." In film, Dotrice is most well-known for his portrayal in 1984's "Amadeus" as Leopold Mozart, the famous composer's father. (PageSix)

"Trailer Park Boys" actor John F. Dunsworth -- who played Jim Lahey on the show -- has died. Dunsworth's daughter told a Canadian outlet her father died after a brief and unexpected illness. John was a part of the show's original cast, and played a former cop-turned-security supervisor at Sunnyvale Trailer Park. He broke into show biz as a casting director in the late '80s before making it big on the Canadian comedy. "Trailer Park Boys" has been on air for 11 seasons. Dunsworth was 71. R.I.P. (TMZ)

THE OTHER STUFF . . .

Prince William Reveals Prince George Loves This Disney Movie. Prince George has something in common with one of his favorite Disney characters -- they both can't wait to be king. While the 4-year-old's famous dad Prince William was busy visiting with children on board a Belmond British Pullman train during Monday's Charities Forum event, the Duke of Cambridge revealed what his son's on-screen favorites are. "He quite likes The Lion King. He's watched that a few times," Prince William shared with a youngster on the train. Additionally, according to his dad, little George enjoys The Octonauts on BBC and is a fan of the Lego movies. As it turns out, the young prince is just like any other little one when it comes to the TV screen. As his dad noted, "Trying to keep him off the television is hard work." Whether it's coincidence or not, it certainly makes sense why the young future heir to the throne fancies the animal story. After all, Simba is animal royalty. While he's only 4 years old, Prince George takes his television time very seriously. As Prince William explained during a previous interview for BBC Radio 1, "George gets very upset if you're not showing due diligence to the characters." Rule #1 in Prince George's world: pay attention when The Lion King is on! (Eonline)

One of Elvis Presley's beloved pieces -- a Smith & Wesson -- can be yours, but it's gonna take a king's ransom to get it! See what we did there? Elvis' .38 caliber Smith & Wesson Chief Special revolver is now for sale through Moments in Time -- and it's going for a whopping $95,000 ... first come, first served. The gun was originally purchased by The King himself at a Memphis gun shop in 1971 ... where the paperwork shows he also bought 5 other revolvers the same day. Elvis was a low-key gun nut, who often unloaded on his TVs. Elvis had this particular firearm engraved with his T.C.B. lighting bolt logo -- which stood for Taking Care of Business in a flash. We're told he eventually gifted the gun to his bodyguard, but it's unclear if Elvis ever used it. Either way, folks ... it's now or never! Yup, we did it again. (TMZ)

Paris Jackson Poses Topless to Make a Statement on Body Positivity: 'Comfortable in My Rolls'. Paris Jackson has gone topless -- again. The model and daughter of the late Michael Jackson shared a photo of herself on Instagram Monday, wearing only a gray pair of Calvin Klein underwear. "Comfortable in my rolls. f -- wit me," she wrote in the caption of the photo, in which she sat bent over slightly on a chair with her face cut out of frame. This is not the first time Jackson has shared an intimate photo of her body on Instagram. Jackson, 19, went topless in September, sharing a photo of a new chakra tattoo on her Instagram Story. Jackson had the chakra tattoo (which represents energy points) inked down the center of her chest. She has said that she has over 50 tattoos, most of which she got in the last year. Many of her tattoo designs honor late musicians including John Lennon, David Bowie and Prince. In 2016, she also debuted ink on her forearm from her father's 1989 multi-platinum album Dangerous. The image shows the Michael Jackson's eyes in a whimsical frame featuring a monkey, elephant and peacock. Back in May, she also defended her decision to display nudity on social media. "Nudity started as a movement for 'going back to nature', 'expressing freedom', 'being healthier' and was even called a philosophy," she wrote for the Instagram post that featured a black-and-white side shot of her naked torso. "[B]eing naked is part of what makes us human. for me it helps me feel more connected to mama gaia." "[I]'m usually naked when i garden," she continued. "It's actually a beautiful thing and you don't have to make it sexual the way many Hollywood stars (and the media) do." (People)

Lauren Holly says Harvey Weinstein was all business during a meeting in his hotel room ... right up until the moment he ripped off his suit and went to the bathroom in front of her. The actress, who now lives in Canada, went on daytime talk show "The Social" Monday to speak for the first time about an encounter she says went down in the late '90s. Holly says she wasn't worried about going to Weinstein's hotel room for the meeting -- she says that was common, and he was fully dressed when she arrived. Lauren says they spoke at length about possible roles, and right in the middle of the conversation he stripped and used the bathroom in front of her. Despite being nude in front of her, she says he never stopped talking business ... even when he jumped in the shower. However, she says it turned ominous and terrifying when he got out of the shower. Just as scary as the reaction she says she got when she told friends what had happened. Shades of Angie Everhart, for sure, and more evidence most of Hollywood knew about Weinstein and chose to remain silent. (TMZ)

Mayim Bialik Apologizes After Being Accused of Victim-Blaming Sexual Assault Survivors. Mayim Bialik is apologizing after receiving backlash for a New York Times op-ed she wrote about the allegations of sexual assault against Harvey Weinstein. In the piece published on Friday, October 13, Bialik, 41, wrote that as a way of being "self-protecting and wise," she has decided "that my sexual self is best reserved for private situations with those I am most intimate with. I dress modestly. I don't act flirtatiously with men as a policy." Many readers, including fellow actresses Emily Ratajkowski and Gabrielle Union, were quick to condemn the Big Bang Theory star for the essay, in which she also described the "luxury" of being an "average-looking" person in Hollywood, noting that it appeared she was blaming victims of sexual assault for their wardrobe choices. During a Facebook Live video with The New York Times' opinion section on Monday, October 16, the actress apologized for the way her words were perceived. "I have stayed off social media, but it has become clear to me that there are people who think that I either implied or overtly stated that you can be protected from assault because of the clothing that you wear or the behavior that you exhibit," she said. "That is absolutely not what my intention was, and I think that it is safe for me to start this conversation by saying there is no way to avoid being the victim of assault by what you wear or the way you behave." She added: "I really do regret that this became what it became, because literally I was trying to speak about a very specific experience I had in a very specific industry -- I was not looking to speak about assault and rape in general." "I'm a human being, and there's a lot that I've chosen not to share, but absolutely I am deeply, deeply hurt if any women who has been assaulted -- or man -- thinks that in any way I was victim-blaming," she continued. "In 900 words, I did the best I could to describe an entire, very complicated dynamic that is really best left for a thesis or an hour-long talk." Bialik mentioned Weinstein by name in the text. As previously reported, The New York Times and The New Yorker published investigative pieces that detailed multiple alleged accounts of sexual harassment and assault against Weinstein spanning more than three decades. While Weinstein has denied rape allegations against him, many celebrities including Rose McGowan, Gwyneth Paltrow, Minka Kelly and more have come forward with alleged personal accounts of harassment from him. In the wake of the news, Weinstein was fired from his own company and his wife of 10 years, Georgina Chapman, announced she was leaving him. (US Weekly)

Blac Chyna and Tyga are willing to play nice with each other and even hang out together in public again, but only on one small -- yet growing -- condition ... namely, their son. Sources connected to the former couple tell TMZ ... Chyna and Tyga's unexpected reunion this weekend for King Cairo's 5th birthday party at Six Flags was at least 2 months in the making, and mostly thanks to King's nanny. We're told the nanny convinced the feuding exes to make peace during a 3-way phone convo. The impetus for burying the hatchet -- King was about to start kindergarten, which meant there would be upcoming activities requiring co-parenting. Before the peace summit, our sources say Chyna didn't even have Tyga's phone number - but now the feeling is they're cool being near each other ... as long as King's third-wheeling. If nothing else, opening communication lines should help 'em avoid planning disasters like doubling up King's birthday themes. (TMZ)

Joanna Krupa is proud of her bikini body and doesn't seem to understand why others can't join the fitness bandwagon also. The 38-year-old Polish model and former Playboy pinup is on the cover of Be Active, which she proudly unveiled on Instagram Monday, along with a special message. "There is absolutely no excuse in not staying fit and healthy at any age!" wrote the "Real Housewives of Miami" star. "Motivation and drive is the key." Krupa went on to reveal she maintains a strict diet daily and works out between 2-5 times a week, no matter what her schedule looks like. "I don't get lazy even when tired after work or on a vacation," she explained. "I find time to be active. It's called being ambitious and dedicated. It's a choice. For those that don't follow that please don't judge those that choose to be fit." Krupa also fired back at critics who've reportedly claimed she starves herself over the years to stay in camera-ready shape at all times. "I have always eaten anything I wanted," boasted Krupa. Krupa previously stirred headlines back in July when she opened up to In Touch magazine about her painful divorce from Romain Zago. Krupa told the publication she was "caught off guard" when her husband of nearly four years asked for a divorce mid-December of 2016. The couple jointly filed for divorce July 10, 2017 according to TMZ. "I spent many nights crying," Krupa admitted at the time. "It was the worst Christmas imaginable. I felt like my life had been turned upside down, and I couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel. I cried. I couldn't eat. I probably lost about seven pounds." (Page Six)

Kathy Griffin I'm Blacklisted!!!Here's My Proof ... Kathy Griffin claims Hollywood's giving her the shaft, and an email exchange about a speaking engagement she was initially offered proves it. Kathy says The Hollywood Reporter invited her to speak at its annual Women in Entertainment Power 100 event this year. She posted the email they sent on Sept. 26 offering her the gig -- but just last week she was told it's a no-go. Kathy posted that email as well ... including her response, "Offer rescinded. Good times." The comedian says she's still reeling from her severed Trump head photo shoot. She says, "I just want to make you laugh, even though I don't have one single day of paid work ahead of me in the United States for the rest of my life." It's unclear if the change is Trump-related -- we've reached out to The Hollywood Reporter. Worth noting though -- Kathy was notified last Thursday she'd no longer be speaking. That was just 4 days after she entered a fundraising gig while wearing a Trump mask and waving both middle fingers. (TMZ)

Olympian John CarlosKaep Won't Play in the NFL AgainBut He's Beyond That Now. One of the Olympians who iconically raised his fist at the 1968 games says Colin Kaepernick will not play in the NFL again, but adds ... it won't impact his legacy. John Carlos -- who, along with Tommie Smith, made the most memorable Olympic demonstration -- says Kaep's now waded into social justice territory ... not only by kneeling, but by filing his grievance against the NFL for collusion. John says it's likely Colin put the last nail in the coffin of his NFL career by attacking the league so directly. Not that there's anything wrong with that -- according to John, Kaepernick now has a duty to right the wrongs he feels were done. For himself and others. Fun fact: Yesterday (10/16) marked the 49th anniversary of John and Tommie's powerful gesture. (TMZ)

Music

Taylor Swift has filmed her new music video in a North London kebab shop (yes, really). The star has picked the unusual location to show fans "she is just a normal girl" It's no secret that Taylor Swift has a thing for Brits. First it was Harry Styles, then it was Calvin Harris and after a brief (and very in your face) romance with Tom Hiddleston, she's going strong with British actor Joe Alwyn. So much so that the second single from her upcoming album Reputation is inspired by him but that's not all - TayTay has decided to shoot the video in the streets of London paying homage to her boyfriend. The star was spotted filming the new video in North London over the weekend, shooting scenes in Kentish Delight, a kebab shop in Kentish Town before getting on a night bus around Piccadilly and Trafalgar Square. She also shot a few scenes inside Alwyn's local pub and cycled across the Millennium Bridge. A source believed to be close to the pop star told the Telegraph: "The video shows Taylor on a night out. All of the locations are places she has been to with Joe. "She has spent months quietly going under the radar in London this year and has been out a lot more than anybody realizes. It is quite telling that she has been hanging out in these regular and unexpected places [...] She wants to show people she is just a normal girl." According to the source, the video was shot between 9pm and 6am and involved over 60 people. "Everything was arranged to the letter because Taylor runs a tight ship," the source revealed. "She didn't want any images or snippets of the song to come out, so all the crew were searched from head to toe and had to hand over their phones. "Only one phone was allowed between them for the entire shoot [...] The same went for the 50 extras and six dancers at the filming." Well, we can't wait to see the finished product - especially after her explosive video for 'Look What You Made Me Do'. Perhaps there'll be less shade thrown this time? Reputation is out 10 November nationwide.(British Glamour)

Thirty Seconds to Mars, The Killers, Muse, Weezer & More to Play KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas 2017. KROQ has announced the lineup for its annual Almost Acoustic Christmas concert, which will take place Dec. 9 and 10 at The Forum in LA. The two-day event promises nineteen exciting rock and alternative artists, headlined by Muse on the first night, Morrissey on the second and featuring sets from Thirty Seconds to Mars, The Killers, Queens of the Stone Age, Weezer, Rise Against, The Lumineers, Run the Jewels, Walk the Moon and many more. Last year's lineup boasted Green Day, Blink 182 and AFI. Both nights will benefit separate charities as well. Proceeds from night one go to Para Los Ninos, a non-profit benefitting at-risk youth through educational opportunities. Night two's benefits go to Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center, an after-school program for boys and girls in South Central LA. Ticket presale begins on Friday (Oct. 20) at noon p.s.t. via Ticketmaster. (Billboard)

Ariana Grande's Gravity-Defying 'My Everything' Cover Spawns Best New Conspiracy. How did Ariana Grande manage to stay balanced on that stool and still look hot? Did she really ever sit on that stool? BuzzFeed producer Jesse McLaren put the iconic My Everything pose to the test on Sunday (Oct. 15) and the internet can't get enough. Twitter put the scientific method into action and called out discrepancies between McLaren and Grande's attempts, including the ponytail that "balances everything out." Bottom line: challenge accepted and there were no shortage of people willing to test their core strength, including Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas, who tweeted "NOOO... I'm donneeee" at McLaren's ponytail selfie. McLaren tweeted, "the plot thickens," when he was tweeted the outtake shots from the original My Everything photo shoot, which could possibly prove that she did, in fact, sit on that stool. Grande eventually replied, but didn't give away the mystery behind the shot. Is this a task for Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman? Grande seemed to think so. McLaren was all too excited to finally have the singer in on the Twitter action. He quote tweeted her reaction a few hours later, captioned "ME: (to my future child) 'The day you were born was the second best day of my life.'" McLaren continued to enjoy the outpour of attention on Twitter, retweeting other users' attempts at recreating the pose. He even embraced the easy jabs, including one particular gem, "She's lean and nimble, you're large and clunky. That's why she's the superstar." (Billboard)

Niall Horan Previews 'Flicker' Lullaby 'Fire Away'. Niall Horan will release his debut solo album Flicker on Friday (Oct. 20), so on Monday (Oct. 16) fans rejoiced when they got an appetizer when in the form of a 30-second video of Niall singing track No. 9, "Fire Away." In the Twitter sneak peek, the 24-year-old Irishman is sitting comfortably before a studio microphone before he is seen (and heard) picking at one of the many guitars in the room. The only words we hear Horan sing are "fire away," but the essence of the song can be felt -- something of a soft lullaby that would make John Mayer proud. Shortly after posting his "Fire Away" teaser, Horan tweeted that he'll be appearing on The Today Show next Thursday (Oct. 26). Three singles have been released from the album so far: "This Town," "Slow Hands" and "Too Much To Ask." (Billboard)

Selena Gomez Shares Empowering, Sweet Instagram Video With Little Sister Gracie. Selena Gomez knows a thing or two about strength, especially given her recent kidney transplant due to an ongoing battle against autoimmune disorder Lupus. Now she is passing that wisdom on to her four-year-old sister, Gracie. In a short and sweet video posted to Gomez's Instagram on Monday night (Oct. 16), we see the silhouettes of Selena and Gracie with the ocean in the background. "I'm not scared," Gracie says. "I know," Selena says while offering Gracie a high-five, "'cause you're fearless, right? You're not scared of anything, right?" The pop star captioned the video: "I will forever let my sister know she is strong, bold and beautiful. She will be raised to know her voice matters. She is going to understand the importance behind being a leader and inspire others by her truth." (Billboard)

Solange is the most nominated artist for this year's edition of BET's Soul Train Awards. The younger sister of Beyonce has seven nominations, including best R&B/soul female artist and video and song of the year for her single "Cranes in the Sky." Bruno Mars has six nods, including song of the year for "That's What I Like" and album/mixtape of the year for "24K Magic." A pair of career achievement awards will be handed out at the Nov. 5 ceremony in Las Vegas. Toni Braxton will receive the Don Cornelius Legend Award and female R&B trio SWV will honored with the Lady of Soul Award. BET said Tuesday the artists are being honored for their longstanding careers and influence. The ceremony will air on BET on Nov. 26. (Page Six)

Elton John will be pushing back from his piano at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas for the last time next year. John's last performance of his show "The Million Dollar Piano" will be on May 19, 2018, after more than 200 shows. It is John's second residency at Caesars Palace. His "The Red Piano" shows ran from 2004 through 2009. Tickets for the final block of performances will go on sale on Oct. 22. Earlier this year, the 70-year-old had to cancel several shows at The Colosseum at Caesars because of a bacterial infection he contracted during a South American tour. The Caesars show is named after John's piano, which has dozens of LED video screens that display images while the singer performs some of his biggest hits. (Page Six)

Movies

Cher nabs role in 'Mamma Mia!' sequel. Cher is making her way back to the big screen in "Mamma Mia 2: Here We Go Again!" The 71-year-old Oscar winner revealed the news of her role on Twitter Sunday when asked by a follower to verify the rumors. Cher wouldn't provide any other details about her part, but she did tweet the title "Fernando," which is one of ABBA's hit songs. Universal Pictures is keeping Cher's character description under wraps, but a source told Page Six Monday that her role is a "wonderful" one. The original 2008 film, which was based on the stage musical, stars Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Julie Walters and Christine Baranski. Lily James has joined the cast as the young version of Streep's Donna. The sequel will be released on July 20, 2018 -- 10 years and two days after "Mamma Mia!" opened. The soundtrack for "Here We Go Again!" will feature ABBA songs that didn't appear in the first film and will also bring back some of the old favorites. (PageSix)

Taylor Kitsch on Losing 30 Pounds to Play Cult Leader David Koresh: ''It Sucks.'' Being a Hollywood actor isn't always about glitz, glamour and a gaggle of gals -- sometimes it's about sticking to a regimented diet so you can tackle playing the role of a lifetime. Friday Night Lights heartthrob Taylor Kitsch stopped by the Ellen DeGeneres Show to dish on his upcoming roles and also talked about the actor's dramatic 30-pound weight loss to take on playing Branch Davidian cult leader David Koresh for the upcoming six-part miniseries, Waco. During his fourth visit to the show, the 36-year-old actor, who recently wrapped filming, told Ellen DeGeneres just how much he shed. "I lost 30 pounds." When discussing the physical toll it had on his body, the actor simply said, "It sucks." But the actor did say he was able to take off weight gradually. "I had four months to do it which is a healthier way to do it, so it's about 6 pounds or 7 pounds a month." The True Detective star said that his diet consisted of 500 calories at breakfast, veggies in mid-afternoon, chicken broth after 4 p.m. and then a run. Taylor looks dramatically different from the days he was playing bad boy Tim Riggins, so hopefully all the hard work paid off for the highly anticipated miniseries, which is due out in January 2018 and also stars John Leguizamo and Michael Shannon. For those who need a refresher: Koresh made headlines in 1993 when the ATF, FBI, and Texas National Guard raided the Branch Davidian's compound properties for suspected weapons violations. In Waco, Texas. The religious group, which was formed from the Davidian Seventh-day Adventists, reacted to the raid with gunfire. The members and authorities were locked in a 51-day stand-off, which eventually resulted in the deaths of Koresh, as well as 82 other Branch Davidian men, women, and children, and four ATF agents. (Eonline)

Harvey Weinstein's films on ice amid scandal. Harvey Weinstein's downfall may also down his slate of upcoming movies -- including his solo live-action directorial debut. Weinstein announced in August that he would direct "Mila 18," an adaptation of Leon Uris' novel about the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. "It was a book that inspired me," Weinstein, who directed the 1986 comedy "Playing for Keeps" with his brother Bob, wrote in a Deadline Hollywood piece. "It's the triumph of a few Jewish rebels (men and women) who think they're going to die and instead defeat thousands of German soldiers in the ghetto." With the film exec now in rehab, questions are swirling about what will happen with various Weinstein Co. projects. The company's name has already been stripped from the Amazon series "The Romanoffs," and the phones at the Weinstein Co. are being answered "TWC." Weinstein's supposed next big Oscar contender, "The Current War" -- starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Thomas Edison -- was scheduled to be released in November, but has now been postponed indefinitely into next year. "The Upside," with Kevin Hart and Bryan Cranston is still slated for wide release in March, but it will not be getting an Oscar-qualifying run, as had been previously discussed. Two other Weinstein projects may be in limbo: the movie version of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Broadway show "In the Heights," and an adaptation of Lisa Bloom's book about the Trayvon Martin case, "Suspicion Nation." "Harvey's name is toxic now. No one wants to be associated with him," one Hollywood veteran told me. The Weinstein Co. had no comment, but an insider said, "This is speculation. None of the things you're reporting seem to be known at all right now." It was announced Monday that Colony Capital would be giving the struggling business a cash infusion. The new funds will be needed to distribute three films from Bob's genre division, Dimension Films, including the Robert De Niro comedy "The War With Grandpa," and "Paddington 2," with Hugh Grant as the villain. (PageSix)

Christopher Walken, Juliette Lewis to Be Honored at Antalya Film Festival. The Oscar-winning actor and Oscar-nominated actress are among the special guests at the Turkish festival's 54th edition, which opens Saturday. Turkey's Antalya film festival will present Christopher Walken with an honorary lifetime achievement award this year. Walken, who won an Oscar for his performance in Michael Cimino's The Deer Hunter, will receive an Honorary Golden Orange Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Art of Film, organizers said Tuesday. Meanwhile, Juliette Lewis, who was nominated for an Academy Award for her part in Cape Fear, will be presented with the key to the city of Antalya by mayor Menderes Turel. The actors will be joined by other prominent guests at the Mediterranean resort for the festival. Japanese actor and Jim Jarmusch regular, Masatoshi Nagase (Radiance) will be among the international stars taking part in the opening night festivities. Filmmakers Sean Baker (The Florida Project), Ai Wei-Wei producer Chin-Chin Yap (Human Flow), Cannes prize winner Aida Begic (Never Leave Me), Academy Award winner Michel Hazanavicius (Redoubtable), multiple Cannes laureate Michel Franco (April's Daughter), Golden Bear winning producer/director Vivian Qu (Angels Wear White), Academy Award winner Danis Tanovic (No Man's Land) and Annecy audience award winners Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman (Loving Vincent) are also among the guests. Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof, who won the Un Certain Regard prize at Cannes this year for A Man of Integrity, whose passport was recently confiscated by Iranian authorities, will be unable to attend for a screening of his film, but producer Kaveh Farman will represent him. The international jury judging a lineup of 13 features in competition is headed by Israeli director Elia Suleiman. The feature lineup includes Michel Franco's April's Daughter, Havanavicius' Redoubtable and Baker's The Florida Project. The festival program is curated by newly appointed artistic director, and British producer, Mike Downey. The 54th Antalya Film Festival kicks off this coming Saturday and runs through Oct. 27. (Hollywood Reporter)

Conor McGregor Doc 'Notorious' Gets U.S. Release. Trafalgar Releasing will launch the doc about the Dublin-born MMA fighter-turned-boxing star who recently took on Floyd Mayweather. Less than three months after Conor McGregor unsuccessfully challenged Floyd Mayweather in a record-breaking match labeled the "biggest fight in combat sports history," audiences across the U.S. will get to see the feature-length rags-to-riches story behind the MMA fighter-turned-boxing star. Conor McGregor: Notorious is being released theatrically by Trafalgar Releasing across the U.S. for one night on Nov. 8, being presented alongside an exclusive interview with McGregor himself, captured live at the film's world premiere in his hometown of Dublin. The only official account of the fighter's journey, Notorious will tell the story of how McGregor went from a plumbing apprenticeship to life on benefits to being the biggest name in MMA and the current UFC lightweight champion, known for his attitude and infamous swagger, not to mention a paycheck from his Mayweather bout estimated to be in excess of $100 million. Shot over the course of four years, the film features unprecedented access, never-before-seen moments and fight footage. Notorious also includes highlights from throughout McGregor's career, such as him winning the UFC championship belt in just 13 seconds and his shock loss to rival Nate Diaz, culminating in his recent foray into the world of boxing. U.K.-based startup Trafalgar Releasing launched earlier this year when the distribution assets of the Picturehouse Cinemas chain were acquired in a multi-million dollar deal and rebranded. Its primary focus is alternative content and event cinema, with releases so far including Black Sabbath: The End of End, David Gilmour Live at Pompeii and projects from distribution partners the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. (Hollywood Reporter)

'American Made' Pulled From Leading Theater Chains in Russia. Universal was reportedly unhappy with a 10 percent commission on ticket sales introduced by the local online ticket service with the same owner as the chains. Major Russian cinema chains Formula Kino and Cinema Park, owned by tycoon Alexander Mamut, have canceled their plans to screen American Made amid a conflict with Universal over a local online ticket service that is also owned by Mamut. A spokesman for Rambler & Co, another company owned by Mamut, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that the movie, which opened this past weekend at other theaters across Russia, was pulled from the two chains. He wouldn't elaborate on the reasons, but local business daily Vedomosti reported that the Russian office of Universal Pictures International (UPI), which distributes the movie in the country, was unhappy with a 10 percent commission on ticket sales introduced by Rambler's online ticket service and requested changes to the exhibition contract with the chains. The latter apparently preferred to cancel the exhibition of the movie. UPI's Russian office did not reply to THR's request for comment. Formula Kino and Cinema Park account for 15.3 percent of all screens in Russia. American Made opened on around 900 screens, but should have opened on around 1,030 screens under the original plan. Unless the conflict is sorted out, the situation could impact other Universal releases in Russia. Mamut acquired Cinema Park and Formula Kino, Russia's No. 1 and No. 2 cinema chains, respectively in the industry's biggest-ever consolidation drive this past March. He also owns the historic movie theater Pioner and has a rental contract on another one, Khudozhestvenny. (Hollywood Reporter)

'Black Panther' Trailer Says So Little So Beautifully. Sure, it looked great, but what did the trailer for Marvel's new movie actually reveal? The new Black Panther trailer offers the audience a lot, whether it's the eye-popping stunts, a cast that (welcomely) looks a million miles from the white-bread norm of superhero movies or a soundtrack that combines the old and the new for something that feels appropriately timely and different. The combined effect is potent; the message, "This isn't like the other Marvel movies, this is something else," rings out loud and clear. For that alone, it's a successful trailer. But in another way, maybe not so much. The Black Panther trailer follows the same model as the recent Star Wars: The Last Jedi trailer and an increasing number of big-budget movie trailers: a collection of disconnected (yet appropriately "cool") scenes that catch the attention and open space for all kinds of speculative discussion in fandom, but provide very little concrete information beyond that. Characters aren't named in the trailer, nor are their relationships or allegiances defined. Outside of the fact that the movie looks good, there's not a lot the trailer actually tells anyone about the finished product. There are pluses and minuses to this approach, with the obvious positive being that such trailers avoid the risk of accidentally spoiling the movie by revealing too much ahead of time. Black Panther, along with Star Wars: The Last Jedi, both have the added benefit of the fact that the audience is already excited about the project. There's no need to explain anything to the audience, or even try to sell the film at all, because they're already onboard. Other movies don't have that same chance. You can look at the trailers for Valerian or, better yet, Blade Runner 2049 as following a similar low-information model for trailers -- although, instead of going for the overwhelming, over-the-top quick-cut spectacle of Black Panther and The Last Jedi, Blade Runner 2049 was more along the lines of slow-moving tone poetry -- but, without the benefit of a contemporary successful franchise behind it, audiences had no idea what it was looking at, leaving them disinterested in the movies themselves. (Blade Runner 2049, despite positive reviews, has underwhelmed at the box office.) (That's not to say that a more literal promotional strategy, wherein Ryan Gosling looked into the camera and said, "Hey, remember Blade Runner? Maybe not, but it's a movie set in a future Los Angeles where some people are robots we call Replicants -- and this is the sequel!," would have made Blade Runner 2049 any more successful; perhaps people just didn't want to see the follow-up to a pic that came out three decades ago.) Taken together, the response to the videos suggests the limits of what audiences will and will not accept in terms of trailer vagueness. It's one thing to have pretty pictures and good music, but without a pre-existing emotional hook to the characters onscreen, that's all there is. The moral of this story? Put more meat in your trailers -- unless you're revisiting some friends no one has seen in a couple of years. (Hollywood Reporter)

TV

Shania Twain to be guest judge on Dancing with the Stars. Shania Twain is headed to the ballroom! The country music superstar will guest judge Dancing with the Stars' Movie Night next Monday on the ABC reality dance competition, PEOPLE can reveal exclusively. The night will feature routines from the remaining couples that will pay homage to iconic dance moments in film history. Previous years have featured choreography that channeled Dirty Dancing, Slumdog Millionaire, Magic Mike and more. Twain, 52, will also perform her new song "Soldier" on the show. "Soldier" is from Twain's new album, Now, which is her first in 15 years. "I discovered things in my voice that I didn't know were there," Twain has said of recording Now. "Things that I just hadn't tried before, because I wasn't forced to try them. Almost out of compensating for the things that I couldn't do, I inadvertently discovered other elements of my voice." Twain cites her favorite Now lyric, from closing track "All in All," when describing her journey over the past 15 years and her current artistic space: "I'm still myself, but I've changed." Dancing with the Stars airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. This article originally appeared on People.com. (Entertainment Weekly)

Pretty Little Liars Star Sasha Pieterse Lost 37 Lbs. on Dancing With The Star. Sasha Pieterse's journey on Dancing With the Stars may be over, but her weight loss journey is just beginning. In late September, she confided in partner Gleb Savchenko that she had gained nearly 70 lbs. in two years' time, due to a hormone condition called polycystic ovary syndrome. Pieterse lost 15 lbs. after two weeks in the competition, and on Monday, the Pretty Little Liars star revealed she's lost even more weight since she began rehearsing for the Sept. 18 premiere. "We're halfway through the competition and I've lost 37 lbs.," she said. "It really is magical." After sharing her story in September, Pieterse told E! News it was a "big relief" to let people know what was really going on with her health. "I'm glad that people know," the 21-year-old actress said, "and it really is about awareness and letting that sit for people who may have it and they don't know. I really want women who have it to figure it out, because it really affects you later in life -- it can lead to ovarian cancer, infertility, breast cancer and all kinds of things." As Monday was Disney Night, Pieterse and Svchenko performed a rumba routine to "Kiss the Girl" from The Little Mermaid. Afterward, judge Carrie Ann Inaba said, "I love the way your body interprets these dances. You've got so many beautiful angles. Mesmerized! Well done!" "That was a well-crafted routine. I thought you had great chemistry together," judge Len Goodman told Pieterse and Svchenko, adding, "There was a warmth going on between you." Pieterse was given a score of 24/30. Being a contestant on the show was "something I never dreamt of and I'm doing it," she admitted. "I love it, and I'm so thankful for this opportunity." She ended up in the bottom two with competitor Frankie Muniz and was ultimately sent home. In spite of her surprising elimination, Pieterse remained upbeat. "It was incredible. I knew that it was going to be amazing, but it totally blew my expectations away. I have had such an incredible time and I love everybody here, so obviously this is a very sad moment for me, but I'm just so thankful," Pieterse said after receiving a standing ovation from the audience. "I've had an amazing experience, and I'm so happy I got to share my story." Pieterse was the fourth person to be eliminated after Barbara Corcoran (Week 1), Debbie Gibson (Week 2) and Derek Fisher (Week 3). Contestants include Victoria Arlen, Nikki Bella, Jordan Fisher, Nick Lachey, Vanessa Lachey, Terrell Owens, Drew Scott and Lindsey Stirling. (Eonline)

Star Trek: Discovery drops 51-year-old franchise's first F-bombs. Star Trek: Discovery really is boldly going where no Trek series has gone before: Straight into the F-bomb zone. Sunday's fifth episode delivered not just one but two f-bomb payloads into the CBS All Access-sphere, with Cadet Tilly (Mary Wiseman) and Lt. Stamets (Anthony Rapp) getting the honors after the duo had a scientific breakthrough. Rapp told IndieWire they were very aware of breaking the 51-year-old franchise's PG-rated anti-profanity streak. "We were aware of it, we embraced it, and we had a blast with it," the Rent actor said. "These people just put their brains to work in a really tough way and they had a breakthrough. And I imagine there are scientists in their labs who might do that any time. We didn't drop the F-bomb in Star Trek by telling somebody to go fuck themselves. We did it by saying, 'this is f -- ing cool.'" Previously showrunners Aaron Harberts and Gretchen J. Berg told EW they were going for a PG-13-to-R-rated vibe on Discovery since unlike the franchise's previous iterations (which aired on broadcast or in syndication) they were on a premium streaming service where anything goes. Still, the producers said they'll draw the line at any significant nudity and will be careful about staying on brand for Trek. "Every writer's impulse when you get to work on the streaming shows with no parameters is to go crazy," Harberts said. "But then you look at things like: How does nudity play on Trek? Eh, it feels weird. How does a lot of [profanity] on Trek? Not so great. Are there moments where it merits it that we're trying to push here and there? I would say we're trying to push more by having the type of complicated messed-up characters who aren't necessarily embraced on broadcast." The use brings to mind another Trek-inspired TV sci-fi series, Syfy's Battlestar Galactica, which famously got around the restrictions of basic cable by having its characters use "frak." Star Trek: Discovery has prided itself on modernizing the franchise with the saga's first black female lead (Sonequa Martin-Green), first openly gay character in a series version of the show (Rapp), first serialized story, and more. The show airs on All Access on Sunday nights. (Entertainment Weekly)

Kevin James Explains Why Kevin Can Wait Killed Off Donna: "We Were Literally Just Running Out of Ideas." Points for brutal honesty? Kevin Can Wait made headlines this summer when it was revealed Erinn Hayes, who played Kevin James' on-screen wife in season one, would be leaving the show, with Leah Remini set to join season two as a regular. And the CBS sitcom continued to make headlines when it was revealed Hayes' character, Donna, would be killed off the show. In the season two premiere, Kevin Can Wait picked up over a year after Donna' death, with no mention of how she passed away. And now, Kevin James is breaking his silence on the death of Donna and why it needed to happen. Spoiler alert: they didn't have enough stories to tell about a retired cop. "It really felt like this was needed for this show to drive forward," James told The NY Daily News. "The [premise] of the show didn't have enough drive." Of the response to the decision to kill off the character, James admitted, "I get that people are like 'Whoa, why would you do this?'" But James said it had to be done, as "the plot of the show didn't have enough drive." Initially, the show was supposed to star James as a single father, and by the end of season one, producers realized they needed to make a change if they wanted the sitcom to run for multiples seasons. "If we got through a second season, I wouldn't see us getting through a third one," James said. "We were literally just running out of ideas." As for Remini, his former King of Queens co-star who guest-starred as Kevin's ex-partner in season one, the decision to invite her back as a series regular was an easy one after seeing the fan response, according to James. "When she came on...it was just the greatest," he gushed. "Fans loved it, everybody on the crew loved it. We just knew right away, so we thought, 'How can we get her here full-time to be on the show?'" Kevin Can Wait airs Mondays on CBS. (Eonline)

Nancy Drew series in the works at NBC. Nancy Drew is coming back to TV after all. CBS pulled the plug on its series last season, but Variety reports that a new series based on the teenage sleuth is now in development at NBC. CBS Television Studios is still attached to produce the show that will follow the author of the teen detective book series who's "thrust into a real-life murder mystery," according to the showbiz trade. "In need of help, she turns to her two best friends from childhood, who were the inspiration for all those books, and the women who have a real ax to grind about the way their supposed best friend chose to portray them all those years ago." CBS' 2016 series was about an adult Drew who works for the NYPD. Sarah Shahi starred in the pilot. A 2007 Nancy Drew film starred Emma Roberts. (PageSix)

The major networks are fighting over signing Ronan Farrow following his bombshell Harvey Weinstein scoop in the New Yorker. Farrow's deal with NBC and MSNBC is up -- and sources say he's still working freelance for the network but is dragging his feet to sign another exclusive deal. TV news insiders say that ABC, CNN and CBS are now aggressively pursuing Farrow. "All of the major news networks are interested in signing Ronan," said a source. "His reporting brought down a giant and changed the worldwide conversation about sexual harassment." We're told that Farrow -- who's currently freelancing for NBC -- is in less of a hurry to sign up again for an exclusive deal with the Peacock Network, in part because NBC had refused to run his Weinstein scoop, even though it had commissioned him to investigate the movie mogul in the first place. And so he took it to the New Yorker. After Farrow's New Yorker piece last week, questions arose about NBC's reluctance to run his Weinstein expose -- and sources from the network dissed Farrow to numerous outlets by saying his early reporting "didn't meet the standard to go forward with a story" and that "it was nowhere close to what ultimately ran .?.?. For example, at that time he didn't have one accuser willing to go on the record or identify themselves." Farrow has strongly denied the statements. Meanwhile, MSNBC axed his "Ronan Farrow Daily" in 2015, then humiliatingly stuck him behind his old news-anchor desk in a cubicle that could still be seen on-camera, as was first revealed by Page Six. Other sources said that Farrow's contract expired with NBC in September and that he's remained on a freelance contract. The source added that CNN has since gotten cold feet. NBC declined to comment. (Page Six)

MIPCOM: Catherine Zeta-Jones Talks Lifetime's 'Cocaine Godmother,' Rise of TV. "The world has got smaller and the quality has got better so we're along on this fantastic creative roller coaster," said the Oscar-winner about her return to the small screen. Oscar winner Catherine Zeta-Jones is making her return to the small screen with the Lifetime movie Cocaine Godmother, a role the actress had been longing to play for years. The star said Tuesday at MIPCOM that the story of the Miami drug lord was not a typical "Catherine Zeta-Jones role, whatever that is." And it is the story of a woman who is not a traditional mother or wife. She also found nothing personally similar with the infamous drug lord, which was a challenge. "Griselda spans so many emotions and so many layers, but she has no redeemable qualities. This woman was as ruthless as powerful as dangerous as any man in this very dark world," Zeta-Jones said, comparing her to Pablo Escobar who gave money to the poor. "She didn't even have that, she was greedy." Zeta-Jones came to find her ruthlessness admirable, and said playing such a character "brought out a sick, dark sense of humor that I've been hiding all my life." She added: "That she is a woman in this world makes it even more interesting for me." The Oscar winner lamented the dearth of mid-budget films as Hollywood is dominated by the polar opposites of "hand-held camera" films and $200 million blockbusters. "The true human stories are becoming rare in movie theaters," and television has taken up that space she said, with actresses like Nicole Kidman flocking to the small screen. While it's not unusual now for A-list actors to do small-screen projects, executives said the TV movie marks a relaunch of sorts for the Lifetime brand. "I think it is a new starting point working with [Zeta-Jones] because it creates a plateau that matches up with the industry trends, and so many more stories can be told in different kinds of formats going forward," said A+E executive managing director international Patrick Vien. The global marketplace has evolved from producing American television and selling it abroad to telling more localized stories. "The marketplace has evolved," said Vien. "But that in no way negates the power of Hollywood, so we are really living in a hybrid world today where companies like ourselves can make films for truly global audiences. Going back a few years that was less true." He added: "Mining IP, mining inspiration for stories whether scripted or factual no longer has any boundaries whatsoever." As the Lifetime brand evolves, the network will seek out more passion projects from actors, in the way it connected with Zeta-Jones. "Moving forward, we can keep going out into the community and asking women what is the story you want to tell, what is the character you want to play, and we are an unbelievable platform to make that happen," said senior vp Lifetime movies Tanya Lopez. "As the world becomes smaller we have more connective tissue, we can tell stories to women and to audiences all around the world. It's not as much as we're shifting that the world is shifting we have to evolving as a brand as we talk about how women are evolving." Added Zeta-Jones, who said she had recently spoken with Kidman about the shift in television projects: "The world has got smaller and the quality has got better, so we're along on this fantastic creative roller coaster." (Hollywood Reporter)

Fox News Hosts' Sites May Cause Headache For Network. Tucker Carlson still co-owns The Daily Caller, and Laura Ingraham will remain editor of LifeZette. When Laura Ingraham's 10 p.m. show debuts on Fox News on Oct. 30, she will be the second member of the network's primetime lineup to maintain connections to an outside digital news site. While she won't run the site on a daily basis anymore, Ingraham will remain editor of LifeZette, the conservative news publication she founded in 2015. Fox News' 8 p.m. host, Tucker Carlson, remains a passive co-owner of The Daily Caller, even though he gave up his role as editor in chief. But, even though both anchors have sought to distance themselves, they are still associated with the publications they founded. That lingering connection could cause headaches for their employer, Fox News, which wouldn't comment for this story but pointed to press releases clarifying their reduced roles. "There is always the potential for conflict or embarrassment, and the networks do pay a lot of attention to the potential pitfalls when they allow a talent to maintain their own side business," Jonathan Klein, the former U.S. head of CNN, told The Hollywood Reporter. But, he added, "The networks know what they're getting into when they hire these people." The Daily Caller has gotten into hot water on numerous occasions since the Washington, D.C.-based publication was co-founded by Carlson and current publisher Neil Patel in 2010. Most recently, in late September, the site pulled down a video that mocked a New York Times reporter and seemed to have anti-Semitic undertones. (The reporter who suggested the video be made said it lacked context and was put up too soon.) Two weeks earlier, a Daily Caller reporter was forced to apologize for "racist, misogynistic writings" from several years ago. "I am assuredly not racist," the reporter told The Washington Post. "Tucker has no day-to-day management role at The Daily Caller," Patel re-iterated to THR. "He and I still own the company. Fox knows this so I'm not worried about him in any way." Carlson said in 2015 that Daily Caller employees are not to criticize Fox News. LifeZette, which is also based in D.C., was sued by The Associated Press for not paying the company's bill, though the suit was dropped in May. In August, The Daily Beast reported that LifeZette CEO Peter Anthony was accused of "repeatedly making sexually suggestive comments about female employees," an issue that could particularly toxic by association for Fox News, which has taken pains to turn over a new leaf after the departures of the late Roger Ailes and primetime host Bill O'Reilly. (Anthony has rejected the allegations.) The Daily Caller's write-up of the report mentioned the Fox-Ingraham connection: "Just as she's on the brink of landing a gig with Fox News, her LifeZette website is clunked with allegations of the CEO sexually harassing female employees and a formal complaint from an ex-employee about the company's payroll." Anthony clarified Ingraham's reduced role. "Laura Ingraham will have no day-to-day responsibilities with LifeZette, but plays a general editor at large role offering occasional strategic guidance," he said. One publisher, a friend of the late Roger Ailes, told THR that the former Fox News chairman became very territorial after observing the success of Bill O'Reilly's digital platform, which he has since re-invigorated following his departure from the company. While O'Reilly was allowed to maintain his website, he was largely the exception at the network. Looking at it a different way, a digital media exec said that a news site with a large audience could actually be a useful vehicle for promoting a television show. Jim Cramer, for example, promotes the financial news site he founded, The Street, on his CNBC show. Klein agreed. "There's no reason that a well-known personality can't incorporate a network role along with their own personal media business," he said. Ultimately, though, the digital media exec suggested that Fox News could make things easier by purchasing and taking control of The Daily Caller and LifeZette, which could be merged with the network's website. Fox News' digital operation is massive -- 77 million U.S. multi-platform unique visitors in August, according to comScore -- compared to both The Daily Caller and LifeZette, which brought in about 6 million unique visitors for the same month. "I doubt that those folks who started these businesses with grand ambitions would object to an exit at this point," the executive said. "And Fox News Channel could regain control and exclusivity of all but the fan sites." (Hollywood Reporter)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Fall Book Discussion and Movie Series

Book discussion group to meet

City Page Survey