ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Lady Antebellum's Hillary Scott Gives Birth to Twins. The Baby Bellums are here! Lady Antebellum singer Hillary Scott has given birth to twin girls, she announced on Instagram Monday. This marks Hillary and husband Chris Tyrell's second and third child together, as the longtime couple also raises 4-year-old Eisele Kaye. Scott wrote in a heartfelt statement, "Our family is thankful and proud to announce the arrival of our precious baby girls. They were born in the early hours of January 29th, 2018 and we can't wait to share more about them in the days to come. Thank you to everyone who prayed and prayed for these little ladies, and thank you Lord for healthy babies. #twins". The country music performer was forced to skip out on the 2018 Grammys because of her pregnancy, but bandmates Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood made sure Hillary's presence was felt by bringing a cardboard cutout of her face to the big show. Scott, 31, first announced she was expecting twins in August 2017, and one month later shared their sex with fans. The wonderful news came two years after she went through a miscarriage. At the 2017 CMA Awards in November, Hillary offered an update on her pregnancy journey. As she explained to E! News, "[I'm in] the sweet spot of the second trimester before you enter the third and get super uncomfortable. So everybody's healthy, growing good, and excited to kind of celebrate country music tonight, work a couple more weeks and then put my feed up." The "Need You Now" singer admitted, "You know, I don't know if anyone is ever really ready for twins. But I'm trying to get as prepared as possible. I know it will be a chaotic circus in the beginning, but I'm hopeful that we'll get them on a schedule and we'll love them more than anything and we'll figure it out." And as Lady Antebellum lovers know, the trio has experienced quite a baby boom in recent months. Just before the holidays, Haywood and wife Kelli Cashiola welcomed their second child, a daughter named Lillie Renee Haywood. Not to mention Kelley has an almost 2-year-old son Ward with wife Cassie McConnell Kelley! Safe to say Haywood was right on the money when he said the band would have to invest in an extra tour bus for their little ones. "By next summer we're going to have six little baby bellums, which is crazy to even think about," he told us. "So, six kids out on the road next summer. We'll probably have to do a whole bus for them. Maybe Charles will nanny that bus." Congratulations to Lady A and Hillary's entire family! (Eonline)

Kirsten Dunst Cradles Her Baby Bump in Stunning Rodarte Campaign, Finally Confirming Her Not-So-Secret Pregnancy. At last, Kirsten Dunst has confirmed her pregnancy. For months, it's been rumored that the actress is expecting her first child with fiance Jesse Plemons. While the tight-lipped actress has yet to say anything about the news, she proved the old adage "a picture is worth a thousand words" to be true, as she cradled her baby bump in stunning shots for Rodarte's new look book. In a statement, designers Kate and Laura Mulleavy said, "We are thrilled to feature women who inspire us in our Fall Winter 2018 portrait series." Autumn de Wilde photographed Dunst, who was styled by Ashley Furnival and Shirley Kurata. The actress models Look 6, a red and silver dotted tulle dress -- layered over a pink, red and white floral embroidered gown. She also models Look 19, a brown and tan bow neck cape coat. It's fitting that Dunst subtly announced her pregnancy through the Rodarte portrait series, given her close relationship with the Mulleavy sisters. In fact, since last year, the designer duo has been working hard on creating Dunst's bridal gown. "I think we've actually only done a handful of wedding dresses in our career, and we've only done them for people that we're really close with because it's an emotional thing you know when you wear it to get married," Kate revealed to People. "It's just a magical thing to create that's kind of going to be exciting." Last summer, Dunst told Marie Claire U.K. she was ready for motherhood. "I'm at a stage in my life where I'm like, 'I've been working since I was 3. It's time to have babies and chill.' You know what I mean?" The decision wasn't made overnight, the actress added. "I wasn't one of those 'I need a baby!' people until my goddaughter was born. I love her so much. That love is just like...You can't experience that unless you have a kid. I put her to bed last night and she woke up this morning and said to her mom, 'Where's Kiki?' I just love that love. That's what I want." Dunst has not announced a due date. (Eonline)

Meghan Markle May Break Royal Tradition Again by Delivering Speech at Prince Harry Wedding. Meghan Markle is ready to follow her own rules when saying "I Do." It's no secret that the Suits star and Prince Harry will be breaking some traditions when they officially become husband and wife this May. But according to a new report, Meghan is hoping to speak at her reception that will follow the wedding ceremony. The bride is planning an "affectionate" tribute to her new husband and will express her gratitude to the Queen, her family and friends according to the Sunday Times. "The feeling is if Meghan's father doesn't speak for her, she wants to have the chance to thank her husband and everyone who has supported them," a source shared with the U.K. newspaper. "Harry thinks it's a great idea." After news broke of the pair's engagement in November, Kensington Palace prefaced their upcoming wedding by telling the public that it will "reflect their characters and personalities." Unlike other famous royal family members including Princess Diana and Prince Charles and Kate Middleton and Prince William who married during the week, Meghan and Prince Harry will hold a ceremony on a Saturday. There has also been speculation that the couple's cake of choice will be made with banana. A multi-tiered fruitcake is typically served at royal weddings. But as fans of the couple know, this pair is far from typical. After all, Prince Harry is set to marry a commoner who also happens to be an American citizen. As many love stories go, however, when you know -- you know! (Eonline)

Cardi B and Offset Delaying a Fall Wedding For Their Careers: ''We're Really Workaholics.'' Cardi B is music's hottest rising star and she isn't going to get a little thing like planning the most important day of her life get in the way of skyrocketing to superstardom! On Saturday night, the "Bodak Yellow" showed off her mega-watt, 8-carat diamond engagement ring when she hit the red carpet and talked to E!'s Sibley Scoles at Clive Davis' Pre-Grammy Gala in New York City on Saturday night. While on the carpet, the bubbly star talked about future wedding plans to her fiance Offset and the always honest Cardi admitted that while she wants to get married in the fall, it's probably not going to happen given the fact that her career and Offset's are at the forefront of the relationship. When Sibley asked about wedding dress plans, the rapper, whose real name is Belcalis Almanzar said, "You want to know the thing about is. I really want to get married around the fall time, I love the fall time." "But I keep getting, 'Do you want to do tour around this time?' 'Hey do you want to do this around this time?' And it's just like -- I'm touring, I'm putting out an album. He's touring, putting out an album." The candid entertainer said that while she wants to tie the knot, the time commitment is what's stopping her from doing it in 2018. "It's not only about the wedding date. It's not just one day," said the star. "It's gotta be a whole almost two weeks type of thing. We want a honeymoon. Do we even have time for that?" Cardi, who said "Yes" to Offset's onstage proposal in October 2017, said that right now the focus for the couple is their music above all else. "We're really into our careers in our lives...We are really workaholics. It's crazy." And putting her career above everything else appears to be working out. The former Love & Hip Hop: New York, who quit the VH1 reality show at the end of 2016 after two seasons, has gone from former stripper and burgeoning rapper to household name in just a year. Sunday night, the rapper had pretty much the best night ever at the 2018 Grammys. She was nominated for two Grammys, but even though she didn't win she was in fine form on and off stage during music's biggest night. (Eonline)

Mandy Moore Reveals How the "Hard Knocks of Divorce" Gave Her a Newfound Level of Confidence. Mandy Moore is on another level these days. Not only is she one of the main characters in NBC's award-winning show This Is Us, she's also recently got engaged to musician Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes, and she's feeling bolder and more confident than ever. But don't be mistaken! She had to go through some slumps to get here...Divorce being one of them. As you may recall, the actress split from her husband of six years, Ryan Adams, in 2015, and though she struggled, she ultimately came out of it a stronger woman. She covers the latest issue of Cosmopolitan magazine -- which E! News is the first to break -- and opens up about the newfound level of confidence she's gained. "It's a combination of getting older and wiser and going through the hard knocks of a divorce," she said. "You realize, I'm not going to take anyone's s--t." She continued, "It's emboldened me. There's power in saying no and in asking for what you deserve. There is power in knowing your value...I know myself better now. I know what I want and what I deserve." That's the confidence she's carrying with her in the current climate of Hollywood and the movement toward women's rights and equality. It's also the confidence she hopes to encourage in other women as well. "We're having a real cultural reckoning -- one that's definitely past due," she told the publication. "Men have been using their positions of power to take advantage of women, and it's so prevalent... I can only hope that what's happening encourages more women [to speak out] and it serves to put women in more powerful positions across the spectrum and in entertainment specifically... as studio heads, directors, writers, and producers. I think it's going to help women ascend to the top faster." Speaking of ascending, Moore has certainly taken her career to the next level, too. In fact, she knew from the start that This Is Us was going to be a major move for her. "Before I got the part, I was making massive changes in my personal life and was looking to echo that in my work," she said. "I was waiting for something different that would allow me to dig deep. I knew I was capable, but I couldn't get any momentum, and I had just been crushed by three failed pilot seasons." Cue NBC! "When I read the script for This Is Us, I told my agent, 'I will do absolutely anything to be a part of this,'" she recalled. Now, she couldn't imagine being with anyone other than her awesome co-stars. When asked to describe them all in one word, she couldn't help but gush about each and every one of them. "Milo Ventimiglia: Boundless (+ just the greatest in every way)," she began. "Chrissy Metz: Spectacular (one of the funniest / crazy talented), Sterling K. Brown: Majestic (brilliant doesn't even cover it) and Justin Hartley: Magnificent (+ tall + utterly handsome)." Read her full interview with Cosmopolitan magazine here. (Eonline)

Richard Engel was embedded with troops in South Korea last fall, preoccupied with talk of a possible North Korean missile test, when he got word that his 2-year-old son Henry's doctor needed to speak with him. The NBC News Chief Foreign Correspondent and his wife Mary had first spotted developmental delays in their son more than a year prior, eventually turning to genetic testing, and this would be their long-awaited results. But the broadcaster says he was not prepared for the news he received: His son has Rett Syndrome, a rare genetic neurological disorder that leads to severe physical and cognitive impairments. As Engel, 44, began realizing the implications of the diagnosis -- "My son is probably not going to walk, probably not going to speak, probably not going to have any mental capacity beyond the level of a 2-year-old," he tells PEOPLE exclusively in this week's issue, on stands Friday -- he returned to his seat on the military convoy, numb. "It was the middle of the night, and the public affairs officer was talking to keep us awake, telling us about her son joining the football team, and taking the SATs," he says. "I was thinking, 'There's going to be no football team. There's going to be no SATs.' I started to really mourn the future I thought we were going to have with Henry." In the four months since the family received the news of the devastating diagnosis, he and Mary, 42, say they have processed their grief, sought out every available form of physical therapy and made practical plans for a future that will likely see their son outlive them while needing full-time care. Engel also began working his contacts, connecting with Dr. Huda Zoghbi, of Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, the preeminent Rett Syndrome researcher who first pinpointed the gene that causes the disorder. Zoghbi immediately detected an anomaly in Henry's case: what appears to be a milder mutation of his MECP2 gene, which in turn causes only a partial decrease of the vital MECP2 protein. (Most Rett cases see a full mutation of the gene on the X-chromosome, which is why the illness generally afflicts girls and is almost always deadly when it does occur in boys, who only have one X chromosome). Convinced Henry's unique case might unlock a cure for Rett Syndrome, Zoghbi dedicated her lab to studying him. Now, she says, "The strategy is to research cells, monitor the level of the protein and identify genes or drugs that can boost levels of the protein to correct the symptoms." For his parents, the idea that Henry's own cells may lead to a cure has proven the glimmer of hope they desperately needed. "Talking to them was the first time we had hope," says Mary, blotting away tears. "Knowing there's somebody dedicating her career to this, it gets us through." Though Zoghbi cautions they are only at the beginning of the research phase, Engel clings to the prospect that Henry may soon have treatment options. "If Henry can cure himself or lead to a cure, it would give his life meaning," he says. "It would give his life significance beyond the significance of most lives." Engel and Mary first noticed signs that something was amiss with their son shortly after he was born. Mary had a normal pregnancy, but as a newborn, Henry had trouble gaining weight, breastfeeding or sucking on a bottle. By 6 months, his parents noticed he was missing milestones, like sitting unassisted or grasping objects. "You hear these stories, that boys develop slower than girls," Engel says. "So we thought there was still a chance that he was just a late bloomer. That he was going to snap out of it." When, by 18 months, he was not sitting, standing or walking, and hadn't developed any language, the couple decided to turn to genetic testing. After an agonizing six-month wait, the results came in. Mary, a stay-at-home mom since having Henry, says the news felt "like someone punched me in the stomach." It also brought up serious considerations for their son's future. "We had to have really practical conversations in terms of, if he needs a wheelchair, do we have to move? And what are we going to do for Henry when he is older, once we're gone?" Though there is currently no treatment for Rett Syndrome, the family has been engaging Henry in up to seven different forms of physical therapy a week to help him advance physically and cognitively. In recent weeks, he made a breakthrough, finally sitting up unassisted. "I think we practiced that a thousand times," says Mary. The pair have had to set modest goals. "We're not looking for huge milestones," she explains. "Anything is good as long as it's progress," adds Engel. "You hear parents say, 'I woke up this morning and went down to the crib and the baby was standing.' That didn't happen in our case and it doesn't seem to be in the cards. So we're focused on the little things." For more information on Rett Syndrome and to donate to Dr. Zoghbi's research, go to www.duncannri.org. (People)

Dakota Johnson Didn't Mean to Stir Up Jennifer Aniston-Angelina Jolie Drama at the Golden Globes. Dakota Johnson is dishing about that Golden Globes moment. At the 2018 Golden Globes earlier this month, Dakota was seated at the same table as Angelina Jolie. And when Jennifer Aniston took the stage at the award show, Dakota was spotted glancing over at Angelina. Instagram account @obviousbutamazing posted the photo, which then went viral. On Monday evening, Dakota was a guest on The Tonight Show and host Jimmy Fallon asked her about the awkward moment. "Jennifer Aniston was on stage talking and then here's you and you're just staring at Angelina Jolie's reaction," Jimmy said as he showed Dakota the photo. Dakota then pointed out that Armie Hammer's wife, Elizabeth Chambers, also appears to be looking at Angelina in the photo. "Yeah but so is Armie's wife," Dakota laughed. "I'm not the only one, Elizabeth is like very blatantly looking at her. She's like, 'What is she gonna do?' And I was trying to be sly about it." She then told Jimmy that she doesn't think she was actually looking at Angelina, because if you look closely at the photo her eyes are angled in another direction. So who was she really looking at? The Stranger Things cast! Dakota was also seated next to Timothee Chalamet at the award show, who recently recalled meeting both Angelina and Jennifer that night. (Eonline)

Nicole Eggert will make an appearance on Megyn Kelly's show Tuesday to discuss her allegations that Scott Baio repeatedly molested her during the run of "Charles in Charge" when she was underage, but it was not the first time she taped a show talking about the allegations. We've learned Nicole, her manager David Weintraub and her lawyer Lisa Bloom, went to New York City to tape "The Dr. Oz Show" January 10. After the taping, Baio's reps sent a threatening letter to the folks at 'Dr. Oz' saying he denied the allegations and argued Nicole's timeline did not make sense. She alleges Baio molested her from ages 14 to 17. He says they had a consensual sexual relationship, but only when she was 18. Our sources say Dr. Oz decided not to run the show. David Weintraub and Lisa Boom tell TMZ producers told them there were "discrepancies on the show between Nicole's timeline and Scott's." We contacted the show, and they would only say they are "investigating." (TMZ)

Nicole Eggert just went on Megyn Kelly's show to chronicle what she claims was years of sexual assault at the hands of Scott Baio, and explained why she lied and why her timeline was off. Nicole and her lawyer, Lisa Bloom, recounted abuse during the filming of "Charles in Charge," claiming Baio fingered her when she was 14 and ultimately had sex with her at 17. Baio strongly denies her allegations and says they had sex only after she turned 18. Kelly asked Eggert about discrepancies in her stories and comments she made where she sang Baio praises. She says it's all about feeling shame. And Baio has blasted Eggert, saying if she really believes her allegations she should file a police report and not try to destroy him on social media. Eggert responded on the show, "Be careful what you wish for." (TMZ)

LisaRaye McCoy now knows how Mariah Carey and Kyle Richards feel, and not in a good way -- she was hit in a huge burglary ... TMZ has learned. Law enforcement sources tell us the 'Players Club' star's San Fernando Valley crib was broken into over the weekend. We're told the crooks got through a side door, ransacked the pad and jacked $160k worth of jewelry and purses. LisaRaye was out of town, and a family member checking up on the house discovered the break-in. We're told cops are reviewing surveillance footage that could help ID suspects. As we've reported ... Kyle, Mariah, Jason DeRulo, David Spade, Yasiel Puig and many, many more have all been burglary victims. (TMZ)

One of Charlie Walk's former employees claims "The Four" judge repeatedly groped her, and sent her vulgar, sexually charged text messages ... ultimately forcing her to quit the music biz. The accuser, Tristan Coopersmith, claims Walk -- currently prez of Republic Records -- harassed her while they worked together at Sony Music. In an open letter, Tristan wrote, "For a year I shuddered at the idea of being called into your office, where you would stealthily close the door and make lewd comments about my body and share your fantasies of having sex with me. I was 27." She says she repeatedly reminded Walk, her boss at the time, he was married with kids, but claims it had no impact. Tristan claims Walk would grab her leg under the table dinner meetings ... sometimes while his wife was sitting across from them. She detailed one alleged encounter ... "And then there was that event at your swank pad when you actually cornered me and pushed me into your bedroom and onto your bed. The bed you shared with your wife... your wife who was in the room next door. You being drunk and me being 6 inches taller was my saving grace." Tristan quit the music biz 8 years ago and is now a psychotherapist. She posted the letter on her website. Tristan says she's forgiven Walk and hopes he can change his ways. It's unclear if the allegations will have effect on Walk's job on "The Four" ... we've reached out to FOX. (TMZ)

The Four's Charlie Walk Denies Sexual Harassment Allegations. Charlie Walk has denied sexual harassment allegations made against him by a former record company executive. In a statement to Deadline, the Republic Records president and panelist on The Four referred to the accusations as "untrue" and "false." "It is very upsetting to learn of this untrue allegation made by someone who worked with me 15 years ago, without incident," he told the media outlet. "There has never been a single HR claim against me at any time during my 25+ year career, spanning three major companies." He later added, "I have consistently been a supporter of the women's movement and this is the first time I have ever heard of this or any other allegation -- and it is false." The accusations come from Tristan Coopersmith, who published her allegations on Jan. 29 via her company Life Lab's website. "For a year I shuddered at the idea of being called into your office, where you would stealthily close the door and make lewd comments about my body and share your fantasies of having sex with me. I was 27. No previous experience had taught me what to do in such a situation," she wrote. "So I laughed it off, gently reminded you that you were married with children, and tried to change the subject. But you were relentless." Coopersmith also accused Walker of sending her sexual instant messages that contained "truly vulgar words and ideas." In addition, she claimed the music executive would invite her to dinners, where he would rest his hand on her thigh -- "every time inching it closer and closer to my sacred place" -- and "whisper disgusting things" in her ear -- many times in the presence of his wife. Furthermore, she claimed he pushed her into his bedroom and onto his bed during an event at his home. "You being drunk and me being 6 inches taller was my saving grace," she wrote. According to the post, Coopersmith shared her story with Walker's counterpart. She then claimed she was paid to remain quiet. "To you, Charlie Walk what you did was normal. It was a power you perceived to have earned, with a right to exercise it," she wrote in the post. "But to me it was insulting, confusing and objectifying. And it was a secret that I held for a very long time, my experiences only spilling out in flashbacks and nightmares. And my silence paid off. I was able to flourish in the industry, but the more that I did, the more that I saw there were so many Charlie Walks. I walked away from the world of entertainment 8 years ago and never looked back." While Cooper did not specify the timing of the alleged incident, Deadline reported it could have occurred during Walker's time at Sony Music. On Monday a spokesperson for Universal Music Group, which Republic Records is a division of, addressed the allegations. "While it appears this blog post relates to the period prior to Mr. Walk's appointment to his position at Republic Records, we take the allegations very seriously and intend to conduct a full and complete review of this matter," the spokesperson told Billboard. Fox Broadcast Company, the organization behind The Four, also addressed the allegations to E! News. "We have only recently learned of these past allegations regarding Mr. Walk," a statement read. "We are currently reviewing this matter and are committed to fostering a safe environment on all of our shows." Republic Records works with a number of popular artists, including Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj, Lorde and Liam Payne. (Eonline)

Former HGTV Star Christopher Dionne Accused of Sexual Assault. Christopher Dionne, who appeared on a pilot episode of HGTV's Family Flip, is being accused of molesting a 10-year-old girl. According to court documents obtained by E! News, the TV personality was charged with fourth-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor in Connecticut this week. Dionne turned himself in to police in Connecticut Monday. However, he is denying the allegations, per NBC's Today. Police say the 36-year-old is accused of touching the victim's buttocks under her clothing when she was sleeping over after a birthday party for her friend. He is also accused of touching the girl's chest under her clothing and taking pictures of her while he was holding her skirt up. The alleged victim stated that Christopher repeatedly said, "don't tell anyone" and was once asked if she wanted to see his penis. She declined. Court documents state that Christopher was available to provide a verbal statement when contacted by authorities. He stated that the victim began to rub his stomach causing him to tell her "that's inappropriate." Christopher also told police that he was concerned about the allegations going public due to all the stories in the media and the fact that he is on TV. NBC Connecticut reached out to HGTV and they said Christopher appeared in the pilot of a show that premiered on the network more than two and a half years ago and it was not picked up for a series. They said the show is no longer on HGTV. A spokesperson for A&E, which was working with Christopher and his brother on a new show titled House Rescue, said the network was suspending production of the series in light of the allegations. When police spoke with Christopher's attorney, he said he would have his client speak with police when he returned from California if he was not being charged. If he was being charged, the attorney would advise his client not to speak. Christopher's bail was set at $100,000 Monday. He is currently out on bond. His next court date is scheduled for Valentine's Day. (Eonline)

Rose McGowan has finally gone public with the graphic details of Harvey Weinstein's alleged sexual assault -- writing in her new book that he cornered her next to a Jacuzzi and performed oral sex on her while pleasuring himself. "He moans loudly; through my tears I see his semen floating on top of the bubbles," she writes in the forthcoming "Brave," according to a New York Times review. McGowan -- one of dozens of women to accuse the movie mogul of sexual harassment or assault -- says Weinstein, who she only refers to in the book as "the monster," first lured to his hotel in Park City, Utah, in 1997 under the guise of a meeting. I was certain we would be working together for many years to come, and we were here to plot out the grand arc of my career," she writes. But after the two met and talked in his hotel room, she says he pushed her into the bathroom and pulled her clothes off. "My clothes are getting peeled off me," she writes, according to a USA Today review. "I back into the wall, but there's nowhere to go." Afterwards, she went to a photo shoot with her "Phantoms" costar Ben Affleck. Seeing that she was shaken and hearing that she'd just come from Weinstein's, he said: "Goddamn it. I told him to stop doing that," she writes. When word of Weinstein's predatory ways broke in late 2017, Affleck denied knowing about his former producer's behavior -- and McGowan called him a liar. McGowan has previously called the alleged assault "rape," and says she stands by that characterization even if the law doesn't define it that way. "Rape to me is any violation of my body," she writes. "If you enter my body via tongue, fingers, penis, object without my consent, that to me is rape and I need no law telling me what I know to be true." Weinstein reportedly paid McGowan a $100,000 settlement in 1997 but didn't admit guilt. He has repeatedly denied forcing any women to have sex. (Page Six)

Hank Azaria's trust is suing the board of a luxury co-op where he lives, claiming they've been totally unreasonable in blocking his attempt to renovate his unit. The voice of multiple 'Simpsons' characters claims in a new lawsuit he set out to fix up his unit in the fancy building on Central Park West. He says a neighbor claimed his renovations caused water damage. Hank says he was convinced he wasn't the culprit but paid to replace the guy's floors anyway. Azaria says a few months later the same neighbor made a new round of complaints about cracks in the walls and ceilings. Hank was super suspicious because no other neighbor lodged any complaints. He says the co-op board then imposed a $20,000 electrical fee, which had never been previously discussed, and made a finding that Hank caused the neighbor's damages. Short story ... Hank says he's the victim of a shakedown. (TMZ)

The court clerk who slipped Meek Mill a note asking him for money during his probation violation hearing has been fired ... TMZ has learned. Court officials tell TMZ, Wanda Chavarria irretrievably crossed the line by writing in her note she needed college tuition money for her son, saying, "unfortunately with my bad credit, I am unable to secure a loan or co-sign a loan for my son. Anything that you can do is very much appreciated." Lawyers for Meek tell TMZ, the day Chavarria slipped the note to Meek she was serving as the clerk for Judge Genece Brinkley, who ultimately sentenced Meek to 2 to 4 years in prison. Chavarria says the judge did not know about the note, although Meek's lawyers say, before slipping Meek the note, she verbally asked for money in earshot of the judge. Court officials have not said if they are reviewing the sentence based on the transgressions of the clerk. (TMZ)

Mark Salling is dead of an apparent suicide according to law enforcement ... TMZ has learned. We're told his body was found near a riverbed in Sunland ... the area where he lived. We do not yet know the manner of death. The former "Glee" star was awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography involving a pre-pubescent minor. Prosecutors say he had 50,000 images of underage children. Sentencing in the case was set for March. He was expected to get 4 to 7 years in prison as part of a plea deal. TMZ broke the story ... Salling had cut his wrists back in August and it appeared to be a suicide attempt, although his lawyer denied it. (TMZ)

THE OTHER STUFF . . .

Prince William and Kate Middleton kicked off their four-day tour of Sweden and Norway on the ice! The royals visited an outdoor ice-skating rink in the center of Stockholm on Tuesday to learn more about one of the country's most popular sports: bandy hockey. And they rolled out the red carpet for Will and Kate as they stepped onto the ice to challenge each other to a fun penalty shoot out! While Kate is a proven athlete, she came in second to William, losing 2-1. The royal mom, who is expecting her third child in April, kept warm in a black Burberry coat and sweater by Swedish designer Fjallraven, as she met with a group of local bandy players on the ice, which is situated in the middle of a public park. They shared hot chocolate with the school children and were then given their own bandy hockey jerseys. She and William beat the chilly temperatures by taking sips from a flask (they drank an alcohol-free ripple!). The flask was brought in a bandy portfolj, a briefcase that traditionally contains a flask of warm wine or coffee laced with alcohol. Bandy hockey, which is now played in the Winter Olympics, differs from traditional hockey in that it is played with a curved stick. And instead of a puck, players use a ball. The royals, who are staying at the residence of the British ambassador in the capital, touched down in Sweden on Monday evening, after welcoming Prince George and Princess Charlotte home from school in London. Unlike their summer tour of Poland and Germany last year, the couple are traveling without their children on this tour. Following their first event, Will and Kate will travel to the Royal Palace of Stockholm to attend a luncheon hosted by King Carl KVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia. Crown Princess Victoria and her husband Prince Daniel were also in attendance. Victoria and Daniel have a lot in common with the British royals. In addition to being the future King and Queen, they are also parents to two young children: 5-year-old Princess Estelle and 1-year-old Prince Oscar. Following the luncheon, Will and Kate, accompanied by Victoria and Daniel, will walk through the picturesque cobbled streets of Stockholm from the royal palace to the Nobel Museum. From the Nobel Museum, they will travel to Ark Des, Sweden's national center for architecture and design. Later in the evening, they will attend a black tie dinner at the residence of the British ambassador, attended by members of the Swedish royal family, and representatives from government, and popular culture, including Prime Minister Stefan Lfven, and actors Stellan Skarsgrd and Alicia Vikander. Kate, who is expecting her third child in April, will keep a busy schedule this week, missing just one event during their visit to Norway so that she can pace herself during the four-day tour, according to a royal spokesman. (People)

Will Smith's fueling rumors of a 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' reboot -- in the cartoon world -- at the very same time some 'Fresh Prince' toys are in the works. Coincidence? Yeah, it could be ... but here's the deal. Will posted a couple different photos Monday shouting out cartoonist and comic artist Howard Russell's animated interpretation of the beloved '90s sitcom. Will says he never imagined the 'Fresh Prince' as an animated project. Wonder if the same goes for toys -- because we've learned the company that owns the rights to 'Fresh Prince' just applied to trademark a bunch of new merch. The gear includes toys, action figures and kids' games, according to docs obtained by TMZ. Like we said, the timing of Will's post and the trademark application could be coincidence. Either way, looks like fans will be getting a new dose of 'Fresh Prince' ... at least in toy stores. (TMZ)

Gene Simmons wants rockers to say no to drugs ... not just because it's killing the musicians, but mostly because of its impact on fans. We got the KISS frontman Monday at LAX and asked him to elaborate on his upcoming memoir, "27," in which he details stories about famous rock stars who died at that age. Gene, who says he's never boozed or done a drug, says his fellow rockers gotta remember there are kids out there following their every move ... and the drug use influences them. On the heels of artists like Tom Petty and Lil Peep dying from overdoses, Gene wants everyone to adopt his sober approach to rock 'n' roll. (TMZ)

Beyonce had more than just hot sauce in her bag at the Grammy Awards on Sunday night. The mother of three was fully prepared for the long night of performances with her 6-year-old daughter Blue Ivy Carter's favorite snacks, including a juice box. While Blue Ivy may have stolen the spotlight from her parents during the award show, all of that effort caused some serious cravings. Blue Ivy munched along while seemingly taking a break from motioning her parents to quiet down as they applauded while Camila Cabello gave a moving speech. Her father, JAY-Z, who was up for eight Grammy nominations, even grabbed himself a few bites during the show. And, of course, fans were quick to applaud the adorable family moment on social media. "Motherhood be like:" one user wrote. Another tweeted, "So Beyonce snuck Blue Ivy some snacks in her purse for the Grammys and JayZ was helping Blue eat them! if that ain't real parenting i don't know what is!" JAY-Z, who was nominated for eight awards, looked dashing in an all-black suit, while Beyonce wore a high-neck black velvet gown featuring cut-out shoulders and a solo front panel, finishing the look with shoulder-length earrings, dark shades, a large black hat and purple lipstick. The 48-year-old rapper was up for album of the year for 4:44, plus best rap album, song of the year, best rap song, record of the year, best rap/song collaboration, best music video and best rap performance. The couple's oldest child manages to steal the spotlight every now and then. Recently, she showed off her rapping skills on "Blue's Freestyle," which is a cut from JAY-Z's 4:44 album. Just as one may expect from the daughter of a pair of music moguls, Blue rapped, "Everything this is my only single thing/Everything I hear is my answer/And if you think I say, then innocent if I say?/ I never hear that, I be in the posse." The 60th annual Grammy Awards, hosted by James Corden, were broadcast live on CBS from Madison Square Garden in New York City. (People)

Beyonce's Grammy Weekend Style Was Inspired by the Black Panthers. There was so much more to Beyonce's recent looks than meets the eye. In case you missed it, over the course of 2018 Grammys weekend, the pop culture icon has been repeatedly spotted wearing all-black ensembles. Each look, while different in the choice of garments, featured a beret and retro sunglasses -- an homage to the Black Panthers. While being fashion forward enough for Queen B's wardrobe, these accessories have a political history that reveals a larger message behind her fashion. For example, in honor the 2018 Pre-Grammy Gala, the Lemonade singer appeared in a leather beret by Eugenia Kim atop an AzziAndOsta custom gown. The dress, which featured an asymmetrical, ruffled skirt and turtleneck bodice, grabbed our attention with its mind-bending design, but it was the hat that transformed a mere standout outfit into a story. The story is a political one that takes us back to the counterculture and social activism of the '60s and '70s. The beret, a French term for the flat-crowned hat, was transformed from an everyday accessory for the masses to a revolutionary statement by activists like Huey P. Newton, the founder of the Black Panther Party, and Che Guevara, Argentine revolutionary leader. In the African-American culture, specifically, the black cap, along with black sunglasses, leather jackets and Afro-centric hairstyles (such as the afro), became the uniform for those that sought to protect, defend and mobilize the community. Black leaders like Angela Davis and Bobby Seale wore the accessory consistently with pride, and it quickly became the symbol for black empowerment. Decades later, its symbolism remains the same. Beyonce isn't one to voice her political beliefs in interviews. Rather, she uses music, like her husband, and fashion as a platform for expression. So when we found the "Formation" songstress at the Grammy awards, in a black velvet gown by Nicolas Jebran with a wide-brimmed beret, custom Judith Leiber clutch in the shape of a black panther and Alain Mikli Le Matin sunglasses, it was clear: She wants you to know that she's pro-Black. "The idea was to create a moment, a memorable design with meaning because it's more than just a gown," Nicolas Jebran told Vogue, softly alluding to her political message. Her makeup artist Sir John also shared the deep message behind her look: "If you look at the beret from yesterday, the turtleneck part of the dress tonight -- its sculptural silhouette," he shared with People. "It was a really strong, powerful moment. This is something that is representative of love and solidarity for her people," This isn't the first time we've seen the star rock black militant-inspired looks. At the Super Bowl in 2016, the half-time show entertainer entered the field with an army of dancers sporting all-black leather ensembles, afro hair and berets. Then, she sang "Formation," a call for solidarity. "It started with Super Bowl last January, and here we are a year later," Sir John continued. In a time of social unrest with various movements calling for justice, as pop culture icons, Beyonce and her husband Jay-Z are making it known what they stand for. The queen's Black Panther-inspired outfits also come just in time for the premiere of Black Panther, the first Marvel movie with an all-black cast. The film hits theaters on February 15. Maybe it's time to get in formation. (Eonline)

Arnold Schwarzenegger is one happy used car salesman after someone took his Bugatti Veyron off his hands ... for about $2.5 million. We're told Arnold's 2015 Veyron -- which goes 0-60 mph in 2.5 secs -- only had about 1,000 miles on it ... so it's a sweet ride. The buyer is Obi Okeke, aka Doctor Bugatti ... the same guy who sold Floyd Mayweather a similar whip. Okeke plans to resell it, if you're in the market for something that tops out at 267 mph. And you can afford the inevitable tickets. (TMZ)

Kim Kardashian Shades Lindsay Lohan's ''Foreign Accent'' Over Braids Comment. Kim Kardashian is feeling feisty. The E! reality star is loving her Bo Derek-inspired hairstyle, despite some critics accusing her of cultural appropriation. One skeptic of Kim's icy blond, beaded cornrows? Lindsay Lohan. Kardashian fired off a response to Lohan over Instagram on Monday, who said she was "confused" by Kim's braids. Celeb blogger Perez Hilton asked followers to share their thoughts on Kardashian's 'do, prompting the Mean Girls actress to comment, "I am confused." This didn't sit well with Kim apparently, commenting back to LiLo, "you know what's confusing... your sudden foreign accent." Lohan's newly-adopted drawl shocked fans in 2016. She attributed the accent to "a mixture of most of the languages I can understand or am trying to learn," including English, French, Russian, Turkish, Italian and Arabic. But back to Kim, the 37-year-old has left very little to the imagination in a string of sexy photos she's posted online recently. Over the weekend, she shared a video of herself posing in a pair of white, V-string panties on a bed. "BO WEST," she captioned one photo, referencing the actress's braids in the 1979 film 10. Kim added in a separate Snapchat video, "So guys, I did Bo Derek braids and I'm really into it." This isn't the first time Kardashian's bold style has courted controversy. After dressing up as Aaliyah for Halloween last year, Kim apologized to those who thought her costume was in "poor taste." She wrote to fans in part, "I am truly sorry if that offended anyone. When I was creating the costume, I wasn't dressing up as a race or culture but rather as a woman whom I will always admire." Kim has yet to address backlash surrounding the braids, and as of now Lindsay's also staying quiet on social media. (Eonline)

Kim Kardashian West is facing backlash for posting several photos of herself in blonde cornrows -- but she is not backing down. Hours after posting a flurry of near-nude photographs with her hair in cornrows, the mother of three, 37, shared a photo of herself reclining on a bed with a phone pressed to her ear with the caption, "Hi, can I get zero f -- s please, thanks. "Kardashian West declared herself "Bo West" after Bo Derek, the 1970s actress, who wore a similar braided hairstyle in the 1979 film 10, which featured an iconic scene of the star running down a beach. The KKW beauty mogul also slammed Lindsay Lohan earlier Monday for writing, "I am confused," on a photo celebrity blogger Perez Hilton posted of the reality star's new cornrows. Kardashian West clapped back, "You know what's confusing... Your sudden foreign accent." This is not the first time Kardashian West has been accused of cultural appropriation. When she and her sisters used to wear their hair in cornrows which they and other non-African Americans dubbed "boxer braids" instead of cornrows or Fulani-style braids, they were publicly criticized on social media and by other celebrities. Several people on social media took issue with Kardashian West's latest hairstyle, taking time to credit the braids as Fulani braids which were inspired by the Fulani women of East and West Africa. "They are called Fulani braids or some may even say cornrows," one user wrote. "You could of called them either one but you called them 'Bo Derek' giving credit to a white woman for a black style knowing you already catch heat for culture vulturing." Kardashian West's sister Khloe tweeted her support Monday night, writing, "I am squealing like a little pig looking at all of Kimberly's Instagram's from the day! Oh my God is she not sooooooo on fire right now? FEELING THE FANTASY." She added in a separate tweet, "Between her pictures and her clap backs... I'm just living for it all. Confidence looks great on you Keeks." (People)

Score one for O.J. Simpson, who just won a legal round against Fred Goldman over autograph signing. Ron Goldman's dad went to court to get an order forcing anyone who profited from O.J. Simpson signing autographs to turn over the proceeds to him to satisfy the $33 million civil judgement that has swelled to $70 million. The judge has tentatively ruled Goldman messed up by failing to name specific people who profited. TMZ broke the story ... Simpson held a secret autograph session back in October -- signing helmets and other items -- and Goldman believes the man who killed his son profited from it. UPDATE: There was a hearing in L.A. Tuesday morning ... and the judge just made the ruling in Simpson's favor official. (TMZ)

Sen. Ted Cruz says Hollywood folks literally duck and cover when it comes to expressing conservative beliefs ... because it would be an instant death sentence for their careers. We got the Texas senator Monday at Reagan National Airport and talked to him about the Grammys ... where singer Joy Villa showed up in a "pro-life" dress. Cruz says he's shocked anytime people in showbiz are open about their conservative views. In fact, he says he's witnessed Hollywood types running for the hills, firsthand. As we reported, Eric Trump's wife, Lara, was a total fan of Joy's dress -- but if you buy Cruz's account ... it could also crush the singer's job opportunities. For what it's worth ... Suzanne Somers fully agrees with Cruz. (TMZ)

The alleged grandson of Charles Manson has just lost his bid to get the killer's remains. A judge just ruled Jason Freeman does not have a right -- at least not now -- to pick up the remains from the prison where Manson died. Freeman is one of 3 people who have tried to take possession of the remains and Manson's estate. It appears the reason the judge rejected the claim was because Freeman filed his case in Los Angeles and Manson died in Kern County ... in other words, the judge lacked jurisdiction. (TMZ)

Music

Justin Bieber came up empty-handed after winning a Latin Grammy for "Despacito" ... because it was sent to Marc Anthony's producer by accident. Carlos Escalona Cruz -- who worked on Marc's Grammy-winning children's album -- "Marc Anthony for Babies" -- tells TMZ he got Bieb's award in the mail this week. Bieber won the accolade back in November for his feature on Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee's "Despacito" remix -- but he wasn't there in person, so didn't get it the day of. Looks like he didn't get it all, actually -- 'cause it showed up on Cruz's doorstep Monday. Cruz tells us he was shocked to have received the Biebs' hardware, and says he reached out to Grammy brass (ha) right away to clear up the confusion. He says they apologized for the mistake and instructed him to send it back right away to get it to the rightful owner. It's unclear whether Bieber got Cruz's Grammy -- but one thing is for sure ... sometimes it's worth showing up to these things in person. Just a thought, JB. (TMZ)

Alessia Cara Defends Best New Artist Grammy Win: I Worked ''Really Hard'' for This. Alessia Cara is responding to the backlash surrounding her Best New Artist win at Sunday night's 2018 Grammys. The 21-year-old pop singer beat out Khalid, Lil Uzi Vert, Julia Michaels and SZA for the coveted award, an accomplishment that is being overshadowed by those who don't consider Cara a "new" artist. Alessia shared a lengthy statement on Instagram Monday defending the win, while also acknowledging that most of her mainstream success came before the other nominees. The "Stay" songstress wrote, "to address the apparent backlash regarding winning something I had no control over: I didn't log onto grammy.com and submit myself. that's not how it works. I didn't ask to be submitted either because there are other artists that deserve the acknowledgment. but I was nominated and won and I am not going to be upset about something I've wanted since I was a kid, not to mention have worked really hard for." "I meant everything I said about everyone deserving the same shot," Cara continued. "there is a big issue in the industry that perpetuates the idea that an artist's talent and hard work should take a back seat to popularity and numbers. and I'm aware that my music wasn't released yesterday, I'm aware that, yes, my music has become fairly popular in the last year." Alessia said she wants to use her popularity to continue exposing inequality in the music industry, adding, "but I'm trying very hard to use the platform I've been given to talk about these things and bring light to issues that aren't fair, all while trying to make the most of the weird, amazing success I've been lucky enough to have. I will not let everything I've worked for be diminished by people taking offense to my accomplishments and feeling the need to tell me how much I suck." Alessia concluded with a message about her own insecurities: "here's something fun! I've been thinking I suck since I was old enough to know what sucking meant. I've beat u to it. And that's why this means a lot to me. despite my 183625 insecurities, I've been shown that what I've created is worth something and that people actually give a shit." "all of the years feeling like I wasn't good at anything or that I was naive for dreaming about something improbable have paid off in a way that I have yet to process," she wrote. "I know it sounds cheesy and dumb but it's the honest truth. thanks to everyone who's shown me kindness and support along the way. I'll stop talking now." (Eonline)

Pink Responds to Recording Academy's Call for Women to "Step Up" After 2018 Grammys. Pink is adding her voice into the #GrammysSoMale discussion. After the 2018 Grammys aired Sunday night, Recording Academy president Neil Portnow spoke out about the hashtag that began to trend with fans and observers. "It has to begin with... women who have the creativity in their hearts and souls, who want to be musicians, who want to be engineers, producers, and want to be part of the industry on the executive level... [They need] to step up because I think they would be welcome," he shared with Variety. "I don't have personal experience of those kinds of brick walls that you face but I think it's upon us -- us as an industry -- to make the welcome mat very obvious, breeding opportunities for all people who want to be creative and paying it forward and creating that next generation of artists." While Pink didn't address Neil directly, she did share a personal message on social media about the issue. "Women in music don't need to 'step up' -- women have been stepping since the beginning of time. Stepping up, and also stepping aside," Pink wrote on Twitter. "Women owned music this year. They've been killing it. And every year before this." She continued, "When we celebrate and honor the talent and accomplishments of women, and how much women step up every year, against all odds, we show the next generation of women and girls and boys and men what it means to be equal and what it looks like to be fair." On Sunday night's telecast, Pink was nominated for Best Pop Performance thanks to her song "What About Us." While four women received nominations in the category, the lone male nominee Ed Sheeran won for "Shape of You." The discussion around #GrammysSoMale, however, doesn't revolve around Pink's category by any means. Instead, fans couldn't help but notice the overall lack of female winners at this year's ceremony. In addition, some pointed out the shortage of female representation in many major categories including Album of the Year that featured four male contenders and one female -- Lorde -- in the running. Ultimately, Pink isn't letting one award show stop her from delivering great music to fans. Earlier, the UNICEF ambassador released a music video for her latest song "Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken." In addition, she is hitting the road this summer in support of her latest album Beautiful Trauma. (Eonline)

Grammys president walks back on 'step up' comment. Recording Academy president/CEO Neil Portnow set off an uproar Sunday night when he said female artists and executives need to "step up" after being asked about the low number of women Grammy winners in 2018. Early Tuesday morning, Variety received a statement from Portnow: "Sunday night, I was asked a question about the lack of female artist representation in certain categories of this year's Grammy Awards," it reads. "Regrettably, I used two words, 'step up,' that, when taken out of context, do not convey my beliefs and the point I was trying to make. "Our industry must recognize that women who dream of careers in music face barriers that men have never faced. We must actively work to eliminate these barriers and encourage women to live their dreams and express their passion and creativity through music. We must welcome, mentor and empower them. Our community will be richer for it. "I regret that I wasn't as articulate as I should have been in conveying this thought. I remain committed to doing everything I can to make our music community a better, safer, and more representative place for everyone." He had been asked by a Variety reporter how female artists and executives can push forward after this year's poor showing at the Grammys. "It has to begin with... women who have the creativity in their hearts and souls, who want to be musicians, who want to be engineers, producers, and want to be part of the industry on the executive level... [They need] to step up because I think they would be welcome," he said. "I don't have personal experience of those kinds of brick walls that you face but I think it's upon us -- us as an industry -- to make the welcome mat very obvious, breeding opportunities for all people who want to be creative and paying it forward and creating that next generation of artists." His comment prompted angry social media posts from Pink, Charli XCX, Sheryl Crow, and many others. (TMZ)

Atlantic's Julie Greenwald on Celebrating Label's 13 Grammy Wins: 'I Haven't Felt This Way Since College'. With big thanks to Bruno Mars, the Warner Music Group subsidiary brought in more wins than any other label. Atlantic Records raked in a whopping 13 Grammy Awards at Sunday night's ceremony, more than any other record label, thanks largely to the runaway success of Bruno Mars' 24K Magic. Mars' third studio album won four awards for album of the year, record of the year, best R&B album and best engineered album, non-classical. The single "That's What I Like" took home another three trophies for song of the year, best R&B performance and best R&B song. In addition to those seven awards for Mars and company, Warner Music Group subsidiary also brought in two awards with Ed Sheeran (best pop solo performance for "Shape Of You" and best pop vocal album for (Divide)) and one each with Portugal. The Man (best pop duo/group performance, "Feel It Still"), The War On Drugs (best rock album, A Deeper Understanding), Kraftwerk (best dance/electronic album, 3-D The Catalogue) and the Dear Evan Hansen original Broadway cast recording (best musical theater album). At the Grammys, Atlantic Records' chairman/COO Julie Greenwald says she "celebrated so hard" in an upstairs suite with a couple dozen of their employees where "everybody was toasting, screaming and cheering in the box. I haven't felt this way since college." Since WMG's Grammy party was held Thursday night, Greenwald and chairman/CEO Craig Kallman had no obvious place to go afterwards but managed to make a night of it. Following the event, they stopped by a party hosted by Elektra Records and then had dinner with Mars. Greenwald was also spotted at the Universal Music Group party. "I called Craig as we came in from two directions -- I'm downtown and he's uptown -- and said we're nine in from the pre-telecast," says Greenwald. "So as soon as I found Craig, we were already hugging and kissing. So we were already happy because we walked into the building just on fire. If nothing else happened, we were already on cloud 20. Then as the night progressed with Ed winning another one and Bruno winning the big three ... It was an incredible Atlantic night of hugging and kissing." The wins were also especially sweet for WMG's incoming CEO of recorded music, Max Lousada, who took on the role last fall. He has worked with Greenwald and Kallman since 2004 and was instrumental in the beginnings of both Bruno and Sheeran's careers. We spend a lot of time and focus on trying to develop really best-in-class artists in every music category we think we can excel at," says Kallman. To be able to celebrate the span of theatrical with Evan Hansen to electronic with Kraftwerk to alternative and pop with Portugal. The Man and Ed Sheeran and Bruno, of course, and rock with The War On Drugs. It really was a great recognition of the hard work that the whole company does day in and day out in mining and developing artists in every genre of music that's relevant for us on the front-line side." "This was an incredible year for us on so many levels," adds Greenwald. "We had a lot of success with so many different artists. It was like the culmination of an unbelievable year because Craig and I are very fortunate that we get to work with so many different artists from all genres. And we have an incredible staff of people that go so hard for all of them. So it was remarkable. Every corner of our building today was celebrating." Following Atlantic's massive haul of awards, Interscope and Columbia both saw solid results as well. Interscope's success was fueled largely by Kendrick Lamar's dominance in the rap categories, winning best rap album for DAMN., best rap performance and best rap song for "HUMBLE." and best rap/sung performance for "LOYALTY." with Rihanna. Lamar also won for in the best music video category for his "HUMBLE." visual, and the label picked up two more awards for La La Land's wins in the best compilation soundtrack for visual media and best score soundtrack for visual media categories. Meanwhile, Columbia won five awards for best dance recording with LCD Soundsystem's "Tonite," best traditional pop vocal album with Tony Bennett Celebrates 90, best rock performance with Leonard Cohen's "You Want It Darker," best American roots performance with Alabama Shakes' "Killer Diller Blues" and best remixed recording for Depeche Mode's "You Move (Latroit Remix)." (Billboard)

Quincy Jones Puts Taylor Swift's Music On Blast -- Says We Need 'Fucking Songs, Not Hooks'! Quincy Jones is a music industry legend, so it's surprising to learn his stance on Taylor Swift. For a lengthy interview with GQ, the iconic producer named dropped the MANY celebrities he's come into contact with over the years. Here's a few to make your jaw drop on the floor -- Michael Jackson, Prince, Nelson Mandela, etc. Thus, when he was asked to praise current artists in Tinseltown, Rashida Jones' father was quick to praise Kendrick Lamar, Bruno Mars, Drake, Mary J. Blige, Common, Jennifer Hudson, and Ludacris. Despite being one of the industry's biggest chart toppers, Miz Swift was noticeably absent from the list. When asked about the 28-year-old pop star, interviewer Chris Heath claims Jones gave a look "somewhere between disapproval and disdain." Quincy then elaborated: "We need more songs, man. Fucking songs, not hooks." Oh snap! Heath went on to inform Jones that some have considered TayTay "the greatest songwriter of our age," to which the hitmaker replied amid laughter: "Whatever crumbles your cookie." In regards to what's missing from Taylor's music, the 84-year-old noted: "Knowing what you're doing. You know what I mean? Since I was a little kid, I've always heard the people that don't wanna do the work. It takes work, man. The only place you find success before work is the dictionary, and that's alphabetical." Now, we know not EVERYONE is a Swiftie, but you can't deny that Taylor works hard. Nonetheless, the legendary music man isn't sold on the Gorgeous singer's chops. On how he'd go about producing for the blonde starlet, he added: "I'll figure something out. Man, the song is the shit that's what people don't realize. A great song can make the worst singer in the world a star. A bad song can't be saved by the three best singers in the world. I learned that 50 years ago." We'd actually REALLY love to see Taylor perform a Jones produced track. We feel like it'd be LEGENDARY!! To those who defend Taylor's music, Quincy relayed: "But they don't know, man. They don't know. I've come and gone through seven decades of this shit. Seen all that. Seen how that works. Ignorance is no thing." Fair enough. Although Taylor's yet to respond to this shade, we'd advise her not to take it too personally. Why?? Well, because, she wasn't the only artist Quincy put on blast. In fact, the living legend claimed that "motherfucker" Elvis Presley "couldn't sing." Man, oh man! (Perez Hilton)

Movies

Ant-Man and the Wasp Trailer Shows Evangeline Lilly in All Her Superhero Glory. Ironically, the stakes appear to be even bigger in Ant-Man and the Wasp. Moments ago, Marvel Studios unveiled the first trailer for the upcoming movie, starring Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly as the titular superheroes. "In the aftermath of Captain America: Civil War, Scott Lang (Rudd) grapples with the consequences of his choices as both a superhero and a father. As he struggles to rebalance his home life with his responsibilities as Ant-Man, he's confronted by Hope van Dyne (Lily) and Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) with an urgent new mission," the studio said in a press release. Inevitably -- albeit somewhat reluctantly -- he must "once again put on the suit" and work with Hank and Hope "to uncover secrets from the past." In one scene, Scott looks at Hope's suit and complains to Hank, "Hold on, you gave her wings?" "And a blaster," Hank says, matter-of-factly. "So, I take it you didn't have that tech available for me?" Scott asks. Hank narrows his eyes and replies, "You know I did." In addition to Lily and Rudd, Bobby Cannavale, David Dastmalchian, Laurence Fisburne, Walton Goggins, Judy Greer, Hannah John Kamen, Randall Park, Michael Pena, Michelle Pfeiffer, Abby Ryder-Fortson and T.I. round out the star-studded film's cast. Peyton Reed directed the movie, and Rudd wrote the screenplay with Andrew Barrer, Gabriel Ferrari, Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers. Kevin Feige produced the film, while Victoria Alonso, Stephen Broussard, Louis D'Esposito, Stan Lee and Charles Newirth served as its executive producers. Ant-Man and the Wasp will premiere in theaters nationwide on July 6. On Monday, Marvel Studios informed fans the trailer would be premiering Tuesday during the Black Panther premiere. Appropriately, it did so with a miniature placard. "Today is Tuesday," Reed tweeted Jan. 30. "Seems like a good day for an ANT-MAN AND THE WASP trailer, right?" Ant-Man, released in 2015, earned $519.3 million at the box office on a $142 million budget. Rudd reprised his role in Captain America: Civil War and will appear in Avengers: Infinity War. (Eonline)

Black Panther First Reactions: Marvel's "Exceptional" Movie Features Badass Women, a Great Villain and a Lot of Heart. Marvel Studios' Black Panther premiered at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood Monday, two weeks before it arrives in theaters. E! News' Zuri Hall was on the red carpet, where she interviewed several of the film's stars, including Angela Bassett, Chadwick Boseman, Winston Duke, Michael B. Jordan, Daniel Kaluuya, Lupita Nyong'o, Forest Whitaker and Letitia Wright. While reviews are embargoed until Feb. 6, that didn't stop guests from discussing it on Twitter. Black Panther, also starring Martin Freeman, Danai Gurira and Andy Serkis, is out Feb. 16. (Eonline)

Blake Lively Spy Thriller 'The Rhythm Section' Suspends Production. Reed Morano was directing the movie that is now shutting down. The Blake Lively-fronted spy feature The Rhythm Section is being shut down. Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that production has been suspended, with crews being told to find other work, while Lively recuperates from a hand injury. The actress sustained the injury while doing a stunt on the Dublin set in December. At the time, production was temporarily suspended while she took time to heal. However, sources close to the situation now tell THR that Lively's initial hand surgery did not go as planned and the actress must undergo a second surgery and will need more time to recover. It is currently unclear when filming will recommence. One insider said that just under half the movie has been shot, while another source said it could be five months before the production resumes. The spy thriller, which has a production budget around $50 million, is being produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli of EON Productions, the company behind the James Bond franchise. Global Road (formerly known as IM Global) is financing. The Rhythm Section is an adaptation of the first of Mark Burnell's Stephanie Patrick novels, which follows a woman (Lively) that seeks to uncover the truth behind a plane crash that killed her family -- a flight that she was meant to be on. The Handmaid's Tale director Reed Morano is helming the feature, which also stars Jude Law. In a Jan. 5 interview with THR, Morano said, "[Lively's] okay. She's just recovering. The problem is that normally, that kind of an injury, you would have four to six weeks of rehab and then you would wear a splint. We have to go into stunts, so it's very complicated." Paramount, which is handling worldwide distribution, has dated The Rhythm Section for a Feb. 22, 2019, release. It is unclear if that date will stand. The producers on Monday confirmed the shutdown in a statement: "Hiatus on the production of The Rhythm Section has been extended due to the hand injury Blake Lively sustained while filming an action sequence on the action thriller at the end of last year." (Hollywood Reporter)

Michael B. Jordan can now add director to his long list of career accomplishments. The Black Panther star is teaming up with Brisk, the official drink of the new Marvel movie, to direct and produce digital content for the brand's 2018 Brisk Creators Class. Together with Jordan and his production company, Outlier Society, Brisk is working to provide a collective of diverse up-and-coming artists with opportunities to collaborate with and be mentored by creative industry leaders. Jordan's new short highlights an up-and-coming street artist working alongside the actor as he prepares for his role in Black Panther. "For me, it started off in front of the camera, but as you mature and grow in the industry, your taste buds eventually change," the actor tells PEOPLE of directing. "The timing of everything just worked out perfectly with Brisk being the official drink sponsor of Black Panther and me having some down time before I have to start doing press for the movie. They approached me with this opportunity and I couldn't really pass it up." Jordan said he identified with the project's goal of "giving back to the next generation of creators, whether it's painting, acting, music or whatever it may be. Just being a part of this campaign meant a lot." Appearing in his first show, The Sopranos, at the age of just 12, Jordan, now 30, said he enjoys the added control he gets from directing. "You're always being told what to do as an actor and as you get older, you want to be a little bit more involved in the process and express your point of view and your creativity to see how things actually look and come about," he explained. After working with a slew of prominent directors, Jordan said he learned to "shoot as much as you can." He added, "I learned a lot from [Black Panther and Creed director] Ryan Coogler and [Chronicle director] Josh Trank as well. Other directors I've worked with know me and know my ambitions to direct one day; they've given me so many gems of wisdom and information." As an ambassador for up-and-coming artists, Jordan said he'd recommend that newcomers always speak up. "There are no dumb questions," he explained. "You have to trust your gut. You have to make it make sense to you because your intuition is really all you got to start off with. If you feel like asking something and want to get it off your chest, you might as well ask now and say what you got to say because later you're going to wish you would have. Speak your mind in the moment and don't be scared or intimated to do so. Take that gut instinct and follow it through because it's usually the right choice." As for Black Panther, Jordan could not be more excited for audiences to see the film. "It was a surreal feeling just seeing all these beautiful black folks coming together and not being portrayed as anything other than royalty and being in a place of power," he said. "It was a really cool experience seeing [Black Panther's home country] Wakanda put on the map. The comic book has been around just as long as any of the other characters, but it's finally getting its opportunity to be a full-scale movie. It was pretty incredible for me to be a part of that." The film also gave Jordan the chance to play the villain, a role he hasn't often explored as a leading man. "That was a lot of fun. You don't have as much restraint. People typically know me as the good guy, well rounded and all that good stuff, but it was fun to just soak up and relish in that unapologetic bad guy, who's not your typical 'villain' either," he said. "I think the most interesting antagonists are the ones you can sort of empathize with and understand where they're coming from. Hopefully, I did a good job with that," he added. Asked whether he would ever consider directing a big budget movie like Black Panther one day, Jordan said, "Without a doubt. I can't wait to grow and evolve as a director and take on bigger and bigger challenges and productions as my career moves forward. This is just the start, the tip of the iceberg in a new endeavor. I really had a lot of fun with this." Black Panther hits theaters Feb. 16. (People)

Xavier Dolan Reveals His Eighth Feature, 'Matt & Max'. Following the star-studded English-language title 'The Death and Life of John F. Donovan,' the prolific French Canadian auteur is returning to his roots with an intimate drama set in Quebec. His latest feature hasn't even premiered yet, but French Canadian arthouse darling Xavier Dolan is already preparing his next project. Dolan is currently in the last stages of post-production on his English-language debut, The Death and Life of John F. Donovan, which will premiere sometime later this year. The drama, about the secret correspondence between a Hollywood TV actor (Kit Harrington) and a young fan (Jacob Tremblay), has a starry cast that also includes Natalie Portman, Susan Sarandon, Kathy Bates and Jessica Chastain. Including Donovan, the actor and writer-director, who will turn 29 in March, has made a staggering seven films since he debuted his first feature, I Killed My Mother, in Cannes nine years ago. He has already lined up his next project for a possible premiere in 2019 as well: Matt & Max, a French-language drama that will focus on friends in their late 20s. After the 2016 Cannes Grand Prix winner It's Only the End of the World, which featured an all-French cast that included Marion Cotillard, Lea Seydoux and Vincent Cassel, and the English-language Donovan, the multi-hyphenate is returning home for his eighth feature. Matt & Max will be shot in his native Quebec with French Canadian actors who are also Dolan's friends, which seems apt given that friendship is one of its major themes. No doubt the most welcome news for his fans is the fact he hopes to cast his muse, Anne Dorval -- who played the iconic maternal characters in both Mommy and I Killed My Mother -- in the role of Max's mother. Dolan himself will play Max. "My desire to talk about homosexuality and how we live with it, how we see it, how we label it, how we organize it as a society" was part of the idea behind Donovan, the director tells THR. But finally, the film became "more of an homage to the family dramas of the '90s rather than a profound reflection on what it is to be gay," so he felt the need to tackle the subject more directly in his new film. At the same time, he was confronted with a recent crop of high-quality LGBTQ films, including Boy Erased, a conversion-therapy drama written and directed by Joel Edgerton that stars Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe, as well as Dolan. The film will be released in the U.S. by Focus Features in September. "This year I've been exposed to films that I felt were so brave and so authentic in their writing and how they talked about queer love," explains Dolan, who suggests that some of his previous films, like Mommy, could be perceived as "coy" about the sexuality of the characters. "I have felt the need to explore characters that weren't necessarily gay," he says, but "when I read Boy Erased, it touched my heart. I was getting tattooed at the time, and it just took all the pain away. It made me want to go back to writing a script about characters who are gay." The desire to write was so strong, he says, that part of the Matt & Max screenplay was actually written while Dolan was shooting Boy Erased in Atlanta last September. "I've been writing about kids and adolescents," he adds, but lately "I have been confronted with such mature material, like Boy Erased, Call Me by Your Name and God's Own Country, and that gave me the desire to talk about homosexuality from an adult -- and not a post-adolescent -- point of view, and to talk about my generation and my friends and friendships. It made me want to write about two best friends falling in love who had never realized they could have a preference for men. I want to talk about true friendship and true love." The Matt & Max screenplay was finalized earlier this month, and Dolan plans to shoot the film in the fall. As for what to expect, the director suggests that "it would be a combination of [Dolan's 2013 release] Tom at the Farm, aesthetically, and Mommy in terms of energy and spirit." (Hollywood Reporter)

'Padmaavat' Has Top Bollywood Opening in North America, Strong Start in India. Viacom's controversial epic defied violent protests and mixed reviews in India in its opening weekend while beating previous top Bollywood opener 'PK' in North America. Controversial Bollywood epic Padmaavat defied violent protests and mixed reviews in India, recording a healthy opening at the box office both at home and abroad. Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film became the top Hindi-language Bollywood opener in North America, grossing $4.4 million over the weekend in 326 cinemas (while its cumulative figure with paid previews touched $4.93 million), according to Viacom18 Motion Pictures, the Indian film unit of Viacom that co-produced the film. Padmaavat landed in the 11th spot in the U.S. box-office ranking for the Jan. 26-28 weekend, breaking the record for the largest Bollywood opening weekend in North America, previously held by Aamir Khan starrer PK, which had opened with $3.6 million in 2014. However, the record for the highest opening by any Indian film in North America is still held by last year's Telugu-language South Indian blockbuster Baahubali 2, which collected $10.4 million from 425 theaters during its opening weekend. The film was also dubbed into Tamil and Hindi. While figures from some international territories are still to come, overseas Padmaavat grossed $12.1 million (including North America), with Viacom's Paramount Pictures handling the film's release in the U.K./Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East, though not the U.S. and Canada, where the film has been distributed by Viva Pictures. This is the first time Paramount is distributing a Bollywood title. Padmaavat had a particularly good run in Australia, where it collected $1.4 million (A$1.7 million) over the weekend, while in the U.K. it reached $1.2 million (856,129 pounds). India, Padmaavat crossed the 1-billion-rupee mark, the local standard for a blockbuster, collecting a gross of $27.6 million (1.76 billion rupees) over the weekend on 4,000 screens, according to Viacom18. (The net figure for India, after deducting taxes, comes to $17.9 million, or 1.14 billion rupees, which is the figure Indian analysts focus on.) India does not officially report box-office figures, so it is difficult to ascertain which film is the all-time opening weekend champ, but the billion-plus rupee haul puts Padmaavat in the same league as last year's hit Dangal, which is understood to have opened to $16.3 million in India. Taking the international and Indian gross figures together, Padmaavat's total opening-weekend haul has reached $39.78 million, beating the $34.0 million worldwide take of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, which was in the second spot of comScore's global film rankings for the weekend. Since comScore has not included the India figures for Padmaavat and those from some other territories-the film ranked 16th on its weekend list with $9.2 million. Padmaavat revolves around Queen Rani Padmavati (Deepika Padukone, who made her Hollywood debut in Vin Diesel's xXx: The Return of Xander Cage) and her warrior king husband, Maharawal Ratan Singh (Shahid Kapoor), of the Rajput kingdom of Mewar in Rajasthan, who battled Muslim invader Alauddin Khilji (Ranveer Singh). According to legend, Khilji was besotted by the beauty of the queen, sparking his fixation to conquer her kingdom. The film ignited protests when it began shooting in 2016, when its sets were ransacked by fringe members of the Rajput community, who even physically attacked Bhansali. The protests were fueled by suggestions that the film was distorting history and apparently suggested a romance between the Hindu queen and the Muslim invader via a fantasy dream sequence, a charge that has been denied by Bhansali. After the film's original release date of Dec. 1 was postponed, it was cleared by India's censor board, subject to some modifications, such as replacing the film's original title, Padmavati, with the new title referring to the epic poem Padmavat, written in 1540 by Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi, that tells a fictional story about Khilji's desire for Queen Padmavati. The censor board also asked for the film's disclaimer to state that it "does not claim historical accuracy." The Indian states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh said they would not allow the film to be screened, leading Viacom18 to approach the country's Supreme Court, which issued an order that the film had to be released nationwide, as it was cleared by the censor board. But it is not clear yet when those states will begin showing it. The decision also did not deter protesters from going on a rampage and attacking some cinemas in Gujarat and other states, while a school bus in Haryana's Gurgaon, a city near the capital of Delhi, was also attacked. The protests were quelled as the film rolled out over the holiday weekend, with Friday being India's Republic Day. Box-office analyst Taran Adarsh posted a Twitter message arguing that the film could have added an additional $5.5-$5.8 million (350-370 million rupees) if it had also opened in the states where it was disallowed. Padmaavat could maintain a strong run, as it faces no major competition in its first two weeks in India until Sony Pictures Entertainment India's much-awaited Bollywood co-production PadMan opens on Feb. 9. Starring Akshay Kumar, the female hygiene drama had earlier booked the lucrative Republic Day weekend slot but postponed its release to avoid a clash with Padmaavat. (Hollywood Reporter)

TV

Omarosa's latest reality gig on "Celebrity Big Brother" gives her a chance at a massive payout ... and the longer she survives the house, the more cash she'll walk away with. Sources close to the production tell TMZ, each of the show's celeb house guests signed a base deal of about $200k. We're told the longer the celebs stick around, the more they can get paid. Our sources say the winner will take home a cool $500k. The cash won't come easy -- O's up against world class athletes Chuck Liddell and Metta World Peace, singer Mark McGrath and 'Housewife' Brandi Glanville -- just to name a few. May the best most cut-throat celeb win! (TMZ)

Chris Christie Joining ABC News as a Contributor. The former New Jersey governor will contribute to the network's State of the Union coverage on Tuesday. Chris Christie has landed his first gig since leaving the New Jersey governor's mansion. On Tuesday morning, ABC News will announce that Christie is joining the network as a contributor, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. (The news was first reported by NJ.com.) Christie will debut as a contributor during Tuesday's edition of Good Morning America and will comment on President Donald Trump's first State of the Union address on Tuesday night. The media-savvy former governor is no stranger to political commentating and has even tried his hand at being a radio host, though he dropped out of contention to serve as a sports radio personality on WFAN. Christie has had an on-again, off-again relationship with Trump and was considered for several positions in the White House. ABC News has also recently brought on Meghan McCain, who is co-hosting The View, and political consultant Alex Castellanos as conservative contributors. The network declined to comment when asked about Christie's role. (Hollywood Reporter)

Megyn Kelly 'threw a fit' over Katie Couric's Olympics gig. Megyn Kelly "threw an Olympic fit" when NBC offered the job of anchoring next month's Winter Olympics opening ceremony to Katie Couric, sources exclusively told Page Six. Television insiders say that Kelly insisted, when signing her $23?million-a-year contract with NBC last spring, that she could not be forced to do special events such as the winter games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, which start airing on the Peacock Network on Feb. 9. But once "Today" vet Matt Lauer -- who usually helmed special coverage, including the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade -- was ousted in November over sexual misconduct allegations, Kelly assumed she was next in line for the plum assignments. "She thought she had it all played out perfectly, by saying 'no' before the Matt Lauer scandal. [The network was] stupid enough to put in her contract that she could say 'yes' or 'no.'" But we're told that after execs instead gave the gig to Couric -- who co-hosted the "Today" show with Lauer from 1997 to 2006, at which point she left the network -- Kelly wanted to have it on principle. "[Kelly] complained to her staff, she complained to her agent, so that [NBC News chairman Andrew Lack] would hear about the fact that she was unhappy, but he didn't care." The source added that Lack -- who originally signed Kelly to the network amid much fanfare in January 2017, starting with "Sunday Night With Megyn Kelly" in June -- has finally realized she is "a diva" and that "she's not going to be part of the NBC News .?.?. inner circle." But an NBC News insider told us that there's "zero truth" to this, adding that it's "laughable since [the opening ceremony is] the least desirable gig in broadcasting, given the inevitable brutal reviews." The insider also disputed that Lack -- the man who personally fired Lauer -- thinks that Kelly is a "diva," insisting that "no one at NBC has ever heard him ever use the word 'diva' about anyone." NBC News and reps for Kelly declined to comment. (PageSix)

Former Democratic Congressman Harold Ford Jr. is returning to MSNBC after Morgan Stanley "clarified" that he wasn't fired for sexual misconduct. Ford strongly denied media reports last December suggesting he harassed a female journalist at a Manhattan dinner in 2014. The bank, for which Ford was a managing director, said in a statement last week about reports Ford Jr. was terminated for sexual misconduct, "He was not. We have not received any internal allegations of sexual harassment or misconduct involving him." Ford is a political analyst for NBC/MSNBC and appears on "Morning Joe." MSNBC had put him on hold, but sources tell Page Six he'll be back on air on Tuesday for State of the Union analysis. (Page Six)