\Next February, Beyonce will be the subject of a feature-length documentary on HBO, according to People.com . Beyonce herself directed the film, which will premiere Feb. 16, less than two weeks after her Super Bowl halftime show that will take place Feb. 3. In a statement, the "Run the World (Girls)" singer said, "This film was so personal to me, it had to have the right home."
Glee spoiler: There will be a reunion on the Fox show holiday episode, according to the Huffington Post. On the Dec. 13 episode—entitled "Glee, Actually" because the movie Love Actually inspired it—gay couple Kurt and Blaine will reunite. A tease from Glee co-creator Ryan Murphy via Twitter and Instagram shots from episode director Adam Shankman show that Kurt (Chris Colfer) and Blaine (Darren Criss) will skate together and sing "White Christmas" when Blaine visits Kurt in New York City.
The winner of RuPaul's All Star Drag Race is ... Chad Michaels. According to a press release, Michelle Visage and Santino Rice assisted RuPaul (along with special finale guest judges Beth Ditto and Cheri Oteri) as the "dragtestants" endured a grueling day of challenges that featured an impromptu press conference and a stand-up comedy performance at L.A.'s legendary Comedy Store. Michaels edged Raven, Jujubee and Shannel to win the crown along with a supply of MAC Cosmetics, a one-of-a-kind trip and $100,000.
Soccer star David Beckham announced his departure from the Los Angeles Galaxy as a player after the MLS Cup during a press conference at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., according to JustJared.com . "In my time here I have seen the popularity of the game grow every year," Beckham, 37, said. Beckham's last competitive game with the Galaxy will be on Dec. 1, but he has said he hopes to continue with the team in an ownership role.
While reporting from the Gaza frontline of the escalating Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Anderson Cooper got into Twitter wars with a couple followers, the Daily Mail reported. For example, follower Pamela Weiss told Cooper to "'report a fair story" and write about rockets being fired from Gaza as well as Israeli air strikes. Cooper responded to self-described "foodie" Weiss that she should "perhaps spend less time tweeting about coconut flan and more time actually following the news."
In an MTV series, Glee star Amber Riley (who plays Mercedes) broke down in tears while talking about a Hollywood that's obsessed with thinness, according to the Daily Mail. Riley, 26, said, "Hollywood is a very hard place to be in. It really is. Being the person I am, you know, the size I am, being a woman, being a Black woman, there's not a lot of roles for us." Riley is currently making her Broadway debut in Cotton Club Parade.
Madonna is selling one of her two New York City properties, the Daily Mail noted. The "Justify My Love" singer has put her Central Park West duplex up for sale for $23.5 million. However, in recent years she has been living in triple-wide townhouse on the Upper East Side, which she bought in 2009. The duplex includes eight bathrooms, five wood-burning fireplaces, a library, kitchen/diner and formal dining room.
Matthew McConaughey has been making news for his weight loss for the film The Dallas Buyers Club, but actor/singer Jared Leto is also in the movie—in drag, according to Opposing Views. Leto, 40, who fronts the band 30 Seconds to Mars, plays Rayon, a cross-dresser who is battling AIDS and who helps McConaughey's character smuggle drugs from Mexico. The indie film, which is based on a true story, also stars Jennifer Garner.
Singer Fiona Apple is postponing the South American leg of her worldwide tour to care for her dying dog, according to CBS News. The singer made the announcement in a handwritten letter posted on her website. In the note, she talks about when she first adopted her pit bull, Janet; the 14-year-old canine suffers from Addison's Disease and a tumor in her chest.
R&B singer Frank Ocean has said that he "cried" the night he came out of the closet, according to NME.com . In an interview with GQ, Ocean said, "I was just like, 'Fuck it. Talk about it, don't talk about it. No more mystery. Through with that'. The night I posted [that my first lover was a man], I cried like a fucking baby." He added, "It was like all the frequency just clicked to a change in my head. All the receptors were now receiving a different signal, and I was happy."
In St. Petersburg, Russia, a court dismissed a lawsuit that sought millions of dollars in damages from Madonna for allegedly traumatizing minors when she spoke up for gay rights during a concert, the Huffington Post reported. The ruling came after a one-day hearing during which plaintiffs claimed that Madonna's so-called "propaganda of perversion" would negatively affect Russia's birth rate and erode the nation's defense capability. Ultimately, the Moskovsky district court in St. Petersburg threw out the Trade Union of Russian Citizens' lawsuit.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Levanas has ruled that Modern Family star Ariel Winter, 14, will remain in the custody of her older sister until the case goes to trial, according to the New York Post. Childprotection investigators reportedly found evidence that Winter's mother, Chrisoula "Chris" Workman, emotionally abused Winter.
Golden Age gay actor Johnny Arthur finally received a tombstone, more than 60 years after he died, according to Queerty.com . Before the Hayes Code, which prohibited even implicit depictions of homosexuality, Arthur was well known for over-the-top roles in movies like The Desert Song, Going Wild and The Monster. When he passed away, the Motion Picture & Television Fund Home covered the cost of Arthur's funeral; however, his grave went without a marker for more than six decades, until Scott Michaels of Dearly Departed Tours started a successful fundraising campaign for a proper headstone.
The Hunger Games actress Jennifer Lawrence has warned that looking at reality-TV star Honey Boo Boo can lead to car crashes, according to a New York Daily News item. Lawrence, 22, confessed on the Tonight Show recently that she recently rear-ended a family in Georgia because she thought she spotted child star Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson in a parade. Lawrence is co-starring with Robert DeNiro and Bradley Cooper in the new critically praised film The Silver Linings Playbook.
PBS has renewed the British period drama Downton Abbey for a fourth season, according to the New York Daily News. Although the show has yet to premiere its third season in the United States (it will start airing Jan. 6, 2013), the fourth season will begin filming eight episodes in February. It is slated for a fall premiere in the United Kingdom and will take place in the 1920s.
Actress Helen Mirren—who stars in the movie Hitchcock with Anthony Hopkins in the title role—talked with the New York Daily News about meeting the real Alfred Hitchcock. In 1972, Mirren was a young stage actress who auditioned for the late director when he prepared to shoot his penultimate film, Frenzy. ""I didn't like Hitchcock very much, and he didn't like me very much either," Mirren said. "I had no appreciation of who Alfred Hitchcock was. He was just an old-fashioned guy making old-fashioned movies, as far as I was concerned. I was ignorant and prejudiced."
Fox Searchlight has acquired the life rights to Britain's Got Talent sensation Susan Boyle, along with rights to the UK musical I Dreamed A Dream that's based on her story, according to Deadline.com . The plan is to combine the two to develop a re-imagined filmed version of the musical. Boyle's show audition in 2009, singing the Les Miserables song "I Dreamed a Dream," catapulted her to international stardom.
A vacant Detroit housing project that was home to the Supremes before the trio hit it big with Motown is coming down, according to Newser.com . Demolition of the massive Frederick Douglass Homes—known to most Detroit residents as the Brewster projects—could begin early next year, Mayor Dave Bing announced. A $6.5-million federal grant will cover the cost of tearing down the 75 condo-style apartments, two six-story buildings and four 14-story towers.
Actor Larry Hagman has died at the age of 81 due to complications from his battle with cancer. Hagman (who was the son of singer-actress Mary Martin) initially gained fame with the classic series I Dream of Jeannie—but really shot to stardom with his role as J.R. Ewing on the nighttime TV soap Dallas. According to the Chicago Tribune, Linda Gray—who starred as his wife in the original Dallas and as his ex-wife in the current sequel—said of Hagman, "He was creative, generous, funny, loving and talented, and I will miss him enormously."
Award-winning writer/director Del Shores (Sordid Lives; Queer As Folk) has announced that his next feature film project will be a film of his play Southern Baptist Sissies funded entirely through a crowd-sourcing campaign with IndieGogo, according to a press release. The film will star several original cast members, including Leslie Jordan; see www.indiegogo.com/SouthernBaptistSissies for more information.
Gay icon Liza Minnelli will appear as herself in the second season of the NBC show Smash, according to EW.com . Smash will begin airing in February 2013 and the episode featuring Minnelli, titled "The Surprise Party," will air in the spring. The actress will sing an original song, which Marc Shaiman and Scott Whittman wrote, alongside series star Christian Borle, who plays Broadway composer Tom.
Survivor: Philippines contestant and former Facts of Life star Lisa Whelchel is battling the West Nile virus, ABC News reported. "Dr. just called with blood test results," she tweeted. "I have West Nile. Ugh. I'm fine, just tired." After a 24-year hiatus from television, she returned for the 25th season of Survivor, which finished filming in April and is currently airing.
Former The X Factor judge Nicole Scherzinger said she once dyed her hair blonde because she wanted to look like Jennifer Lopez, according to Celebuzz. Scherzinge, who has fronted the Pussycat Dolls, added that the attempted hair-color change had disastrous results: "I dyed my hair blonde once and it was horrible. I was in my early 20s and trying to look like J-Lo. It didn't work."
Anne Hathaway has been getting buzz about her role in Les Miserables, but she commented on her own buzz(cut), according to US Magazine. At a screening of the film, she said, "When I eventually looked in the mirror I just thought I looked like my gay brother [Michael]." Hathaway went to other extremes as well, famously losing 25 pounds off her already-thin frame.
Actor Charlie Sheen reportedly paid off Lindsay Lohan's $100,000 tax debt, according to TMZ.com . Lohan and Sheen became friends while on the set of Scary Movie 5 in September; Sheen allegedly offered to cut her a check back then, but Lohan refused. Lohan (who is slated to make $2 million this year) allegedly owed $233,904 in unpaid taxes for 2009 and 2010; now, that debt's been cut in half.
Speaking of Lohan, she is reportedly "shocked" about the poor reviews she received for her role in the Lifetime movie Liz & Dick, which is about the relationship between legendary actors Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, according to the New York Daily News. "[Lohan] really thought this would be her comeback," an insider said. "She's been literally shocked by the [negative] feedback, and so is everyone close to her." The Daily News' David Hinckley stated, "[Liz Taylor] could make men melt. Lindsay Lohan's Taylor does not."
While in Peru, Lady Gaga took to Twitter on Thanksgiving after finding three dozen fans hiding out in her garage when she awoke in the middle of the night to eat some leftovers, according to the New York Daily News. She tweeted, "Thanksgiving story: woke up for leftovers in kitchen (naked)—stumbled on security camera revealing 35 monsters in my garage #why #iloveu." The "Paparazzi" singer added, "i should be mad i guess except i tried to figure out how to slide stuffing under the door, but theres no cat-flap."
The late Whitney Houston's daughter, Bobbi Kristina, may be singing with her mother, according to SingersRoom.com . A new report says that The Houstons: On Our Own star is laying down vocals for a remake of Whitney's 1985 hit "Saving All My Love for You." Entertainment mogul Tyler Perry is said to be involved in the project.
Icelandic musician Bjork says she has had a successful operation to remove a vocal-cord polyp, according to a New York Daily News item. The "Big Time Sensuality" singer, 47, stated on her official website that she had been trying to tackle the problem with exercises and diets since doctors first discovered the benign growth several years ago. However, she recently decided to undergo laser surgery—and the procedure was apparently successful.
Legendary Broadway producer Martin Richards has died at the age of 80, according to NY1.com . Richards was part of the New York City theater scene for more than a half-century, producing shows such as On the Twentieth Century, Sweeney Todd and La Cage aux Folles. Richards produced the original Chicago musical on Broadway, and won an Academy Award as a producer of the film version in 2003. In addition, he and his wife were involved in founding Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Donations may be made in Richards' name to either the New York Center for Children or the Mary Lea Johnson Richards Research Institute.
Speaking of Broadway, Evita producers Hal Luftig and Scott Sanders announced that Grammy winner Ricky Martin (Che), Olivier Award winner Elena Roger (Eva Peron) and Tony Award winner Michael Cerveris (Juan Peron) will play their final performances in the current Broadway revival of Evita Jan. 26, 2013, at the Marquis Theatre, Playbill.com reported. The Tony-nominated revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical will continue its open-ended run following their departure; the new stars will be announced at a later date.
Also according to Playbill.com, Ann—actress-writer Holland Taylor's biographical play about late Texas Gov. Ann Richards—will begin Broadway previews Feb. 18, 2013. This will occur prior to the previously announced opening date of March 7 at Lincoln Center Theater's Vivian Beaumont Theater. The production ran regionally in San Antonio, Texas; Galveston, Texas; Chicago; and Washington, D.C.
Singer Kelly Clarkson is angry at a British magazine, claiming the publication misquoted her, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The UK's Mirror featured a photo of Clarkson with a headline that read, "No one on the planet should be as famous as me." The American Idol season-one champ later tweeted, "I love when people take what you say and twist it to make you sound obnoxious and arrogant." Season-six winner Jordin Sparks supported Clarkson, tweeting, "Tell em girl!!!!!"
The 90-minute documentary Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy will air on PBS' Great Performances Jan. 1, 2013, according to a press release. Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy—which Joel Grey narrates—explores the unique role of Jewish composers and lyricists in the creation of the modern U.S. musical. The documentary will showcase the works of Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Jerry Bock, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim and many others.
The upcoming season of American Idol may be more about the judges than the singers as judge Nicki Minaj is now feuding with former cast member Steven Tyler, the Hollywood Reporter noted. In an interview with MTV News, Tyler suggested that Minaj and fellow judge Mariah Carey "Shut the f—- up," and said that if Bob Dylan auditioned for the judges today, Minaj would "have had him sent to the cornfield." Minaj responded on Twitter that the Dylan statement was "a racist comment. You assume that I wouldn't have liked Bob Dylan??? why? black? rapper? what? go f—k yourself and worry about yourself babe."
In an interview with ABC News, singing legend Dolly Parton talked about rumors that she and longtime friend Judy Ogle have a lesbian relationship, according to E! Online. Parton cited a bond with Oprah Winfrey, who's faced the same rumor about friend Gayle King. "Gayle, her friend, Judy, my friend, they just think that you just can't be that close to somebody," Parton, 66, said. "I love [Ogle] as much as I love anybody in the whole world, but we're not romantically involved."
Barbie has paid homage to the late actress Elizabeth Taylor. According to People.com, the Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds Barbie doll has a black bob and wears a glam white dress with a red AIDS ribbon. The Barbie also comes with some glimmering gold jewelry, a second pair of strappy heels, a pair of white sunglasses, a replica bottle of her White Diamonds fragrance and a movie script. The doll is available on BarbieCollector.com for $150.
Actress Amy Locane-Bovenizer—who was on the original Melrose Place TV series as Amy Locane—was convicted of vehicular homicide stemming from a 2010 accident, according to People.com . Locane-Bovenizer, 40, was acquitted of a more serious charge of aggravated manslaughter after her SUV hit another car, killing a 60-year-old woman and injuring her husband. The actress, a mother of two, faces up to 15 years in prison based on two counts; she will be sentenced March 1.
A third man has come forward accusing former Elmo puppeteer of improper relations when the accuser was underage, according to the New York Post. The anonymous accuser—a Floridian who met Clash when he went to New York to pursue modeling—claims in a suit that Clash used alcohol to seduce him. Two others, Sheldon Stephens and Cecil Singleton, have also accused Clash of having sex with them when they were minors.
