COMPILED BY ANDREW DAVIS
Celebrities reacted to the news regarding marriage equality. Many more seemed to be on the "pro" side, with people such as David Beckham, Madonna, Jennifer Hudson, Tyson Beckford, Ricky Martin and Sir Ian McKellen reacting positively, according to Queerty. Donnie Wahlberg posted a photo of himself and fellow New Kid on the Block Jonathan Knight ( who's openly gay ) with the hashtags "#LoveWins #LoveAlwaysWins." Martin simply posted the word "history" in rainbow capital letters with the caption "#JusticeFORALL thank you #scotus." There's also a video of celebrities such as Jane Fonda, David Hyde Pierce, Charli XCX, Nick Jonas and Jordin Sparks offering their congratulations and other thoughts.
However, not every celebrity was in favor of the marriage-equality ruling. Also according to Queerty, Adam Baldwin—best-known for appearing in the TV series Firefly and the film Full Metal Jacket—criticized the judicial decision with several tweets, including, "SCOTUS Rules! There's no need for POTUS or Congress anymore. #MenInBlack #Tyranny."
Perez Hilton will play Danny Tanner in the upcoming debut production of Full House: The Musical!, according to US Weekly. On Sirius XM's The Howard Stern Show, the celeb blogger said, "We're starting in Toronto in late August and coming to New York City in September." A National Lampoon production, Full House: The Musical! will replace the Saved by the Bell parody Bayside! The Musical! at the lower Manhattan playhouse.
Empire co-creator Lee Daniels has entered into a multi-year deal with 20th Century Fox Television, TheWrap noted. Under the pact, he will develop, write, direct and supervise new projects for the studio under his Lee Daniels Entertainment banner. Daniels will remain an executive producer on the hip-hop soap opera.
In Playboy, actor Jeremy Renner has said he doesn't care if people think he's gay, TheWrap noted. In a new interview with Playboy's Stephen Rebello, The Hurt Locker star addresses questions about his sexuality, saying, "Fucking say whatever the hell you want about me." Renner did, however, take exception to the implication that being gay is, in and of itself, a negative quality.
Iconic comic-book creator Stan Lee has defended Marvel after leaked documents revealed all film versions of the superhero are contractually banned from having gay storylines, according to PinkNews. A contract Sony Pictures has with rights-owners Marvel bans the character from being gay—and he must be Caucasian. Lee told Newsarama, "I think the world has a place for gay superheroes, certainly, but again, I don't see any reason to change the sexual proclivities of a character once they've already been established."
Appearing recently on the Tonight Show, Irish actor Colin Farrell applauded passage of a referendum on same-sex marriage in Ireland, which made it the first country to legalize such unions through a popular vote, according to On Top Magazine. Farrell had endorsed the referendum in an op-ed where he spoke of the distance his brother, Eamon, had to travel to marry his husband. The actor said, "You know—God bless them—the Catholic Church said, 'It's a dark day for the people of Ireland.' You look at all the footage and it's just rainbows everywhere. Everyone's dancing."
NeNe Leakes is leaving Real Housewives of Atlanta after eight years on the show, TheWrap reported. "This was definitely a hard decision for me," Leakes told People. "Me and my husband [Gregg Leakes] have been going back and forth on it for weeks now. But my contract is up and I just think this is the right time." Rather than retiring from the small screen, Leakes ( who has acted on Glee and The New Normal ) already has a new project in the works that will start filming this week.
Clueless is becoming a Broadway musical, according to Variety. The iconic '90s comedy—which fused Jane Austen's Emma with L.A.'s teen scene and starred Alicia Silverstone—was written and directed by Amy Heckerling, who confirmed to Entertainment Tonight that a musical version of her story is being developed. "I've written what they call 'the book,' and it's a jukebox musical," Heckerling said.
Paris Barclay has been re-elected president of the Directors Guild of America ( DGA ), Deadline reported. The two-time Emmy-winning director ( who happens to be openly gay ) was elected to a second two-year term "by acclamation" at the guild's biennial convention, held at the DGA headquarters in Los Angeles. The only Black president of a Hollywood union, Barclay began more than 20 years of service to the guild as a member of the African-American Steering Committee in 1993. Barclay has directed more than 150 episodes of television, including The Good Wife, The Shield, Sons of Anarchy and NYPD Blue.
Arnold Schwarzenegger joined millions in adding a rainbow to his social-media profile in celebration of the Supreme Court ruling declaring same-sex marriages are legal nationwide—but that didn't sit well with one Facebook follower, according to NewNowNext.com . The follower posted, "What's wrong with U Arnie? I have to unlike…" Schwarzenegger ( using the classic Terminator line ) responded, "Hasta la vista."
John Waters says he never actually came out as gay—because no one ever asked, The Huffington Post reported. The film director said on Sirius XM Progress, "[A] lot of magazines, including The Advocate, did an interview and said, 'The most out director,' but they never had the nerve to ask me if I was gay. They thought it was—like my parents—it was something worse than gay. So a lot of people never asked if I was gay because they were afraid I'd say, 'No, I'm a necrophiliac'—which, even that, that's just fear of performance."
Caitlyn Jenner jetted from her native Malibu to celebrate New York City's Gay Pride weekend, TheWrap noted. Turning up Sunday at a pride celebration at Manhattan's Dream Hotel, Jenner was all smiles taking in the crowd with others, including trans performer/actress Candis Cayne. Jenner's I Am Cait series will debut July 26.
Kerry Washington and Kate Hudson will not star in the Warner Bros. thriller Unforgettable, as producer Denise Di Novi will recast the leads and take over the director's chair, TheWrap reported. Amma Asante ( Belle ) had been attached to direct Unforgettable and was a major reason Washington wanted to do the project. When the Scandal star decided to use her hiatus to shoot HBO's Anita Hill movie, Asante chose to leave the project. Unforgettable features a man and his new bride who are tormented by his ex-wife.
Longtime PR maven Liz Rosenberg—who's represented everyone from Madonna to Prince to Carly Simon—is set to retire, according to Page Six. She launched Liz Rosenberg Media in 2010 after nearly 40 years at Warner Bros. Records. "These people are part of my family," Rosenberg said. "I could never step away completely. I envision myself like Sue Mengers, doing my work from a round bed with a lot of lip-shaped pillows."
Groupon held a "Girls Night Out" sweepstakes for a trip for two to New York City to meet legendary singer Cyndi Lauper, go bowling with her and attend a Broadway show, Business Wire noted. All donations went directly to True Colors Fund, which works to end homelessness among LGBT youth. According to estimates, as much as 40 percent of homeless youth identify as LGBT.
Baseball history was made in Northern California June 25 when Sean Conroy—the sport's first active professional player to come out as gay—pitched a shutout, according to ESPN.com . Conroy, 23, led the Sonoma Stompers to a 7-0 victory at Arnold Field during his first start with the 22-man team that is part of the independent Pacific Association of Baseball Clubs. The right hander struck out 11 players and allowed three hits over nine innings. Major League Baseball historian John Thorn confirmed Conroy is the first active professional to come out as gay. Billy Bean and the late Glenn Burke came out after they retired.
Ex-Major League Soccer player Matt Hatzke of the San Jose Earthquakes has come out as gay in a new essay published at Outsports.com, according to LGBTQ Nation. Hatzke—acquired by the Earthquakes in 2008 after first being drafted by the Los Angeles Galaxy in the fourth round of the 2008 MLS SuperDraft—says he already knew he was gay when he played as a midfielder that season, but that he never felt comfortable telling his teammates. Hatzke, now a dentist, came out to family and friends in 2013 after Robbie Rogers came out as gay.
Caroline "Tula" Cossey—the Bond actress who became the first transgender model to pose for Playboy when she received her own spread in 1991—gave a recent interview to the magazine, according to NewNowNext.com . Cossey, now 60 and living in retirement outside Atlanta with her husband of 23 years, discussed her rise to fame, the pain and career repercussions that came along with being outed by the national media. At one point, she said, "I felt like a circus act. I was also on a tour for my second book, doing eight interviews a day. It became overwhelming, and I got burnt out."
A documentary about club kid-turned-ex-felon Michael Alig titled Glory Daze: The Life and Times of Michael Alig premiered at the Ninth Annual Manhattan Film Festival, according to CBS New York. Alig, 49, was part of a decadent 1990s party scene, and was jailed for manslaughter in the death of drug dealer Andre "Angel" Melendez in March 1996. Alig told 1010 WINS he had resented Melendez for dealing the drugs that had left him addicted, adding that the film got one thing wrong—that Melendez had been injected with Drano.
Amazon has okayed a third season of its critically praised comedy series Transparent to be released in 2016, Deadline reported. Returning cast includes Jeffrey Tambor ( Arrested Development ) as Maura Pfefferman, Judith Light ( Dallas ) as Shelly Pfefferman, Gaby Hoffmann ( Girls ) as Ali Pfefferman, Amy Landecker ( Louie ) as Sarah Pfefferman and Jay Duplass ( Togetherness ) as Josh Pfefferman.
During the BET Awards June 28, out gay Empire star Jussie Smollett said, "No one is free until we are all free" while sharing the stage with co-stars Bryshere "Yazz" Gray and Serayah during a performance of "You're So Beautiful," The Boston Herald reported. Smollett also remixed the song's lyrics to "This the kind of song where a man loves a man/You're so beautiful, and I don't care who knows." Also at the awards ceremony, Janet Jackson received the music dance visual award from longtime collaborator Jimmy Jam.
Sarah Waters' lesbian Victorian crime novel, Fingersmith, is getting a big-screen adaptation, NewNowNext.com noted. Fingersmith already made the leap to television in a 2005 British miniseries starring Sally Hawkins and Imedla Staunton. The film version will feature Korean director Park Chan-wook leading the work, and Kim Min-hee and Kim Tae-ri starring as the two women and Ha Jung-woo as Gentleman.
Laurie Metcalf will star with Bruce Willis in the Broadway play adaptation of Misery, which has just locked in a November opening at the Broadhurst Theater, Variety reported. Metcalf, familiar to TV audiences from roles in shows including Roseanne and Getting On, has been a frequent presence on the New York and Chicago stages. In Misery, she'll play the crazed fan who keeps her favorite writer ( Willis ) hostage.
A new documentary explores how the Falcon Studios founder revolutionized the porn industry—and became one of the gay community's major philanthropists, Advocate.com noted. Seed Money: The Chuck Holmes Story screened at San Francisco's Frameline Film Festival on June 21, and will be shown at L.A.'s Outfest Film Festival on July 13. The film includes interviews with former porn stars such as Jim Bentley, Tom Chase and Jeff Stryker as well as long-term partner Steven Scarborough, with whom Holmes had a complicated relationship.
Michael Sam—the first openly gay player to be drafted by a National Football League team—has rejoined the Canadian Football League's Montreal Alouettes, Yahoo! Sports noted. "Thank you all so much for your support. Great to be back in Montreal with the club. Let's go #Als!," Sam tweeted. The Alouettes had suspended Sam after he abruptly left the club for "personal reasons." However, the team welcomed him back over the weekend.
WGN America announced that Empire actor Jussie Smollett has signed on to guest-star in the cable network's thriller Underground, in which slaves band together in the fight of their lives, according to a press release. Underground is Smollett's first project since joining Empire. He will appear on screen with younger sister Jurnee Smollett-Bell; the Smolletts appeared alongside their four other siblings on the series On Our Own ( 1994-95 ).
Actor Shia LeBeouf was hospitalized with head and finger injuries as the result of a scene gone wrong on the North Dakota set of his upcoming film American Honey, TheWrap noted. LaBeouf reportedly suffered "minimal injuries." LaBeouf was injured while filming a scene that required him to put his head through a glass window; he received 20 stitches and 13 staples before being released.
Eric Von Kuersteiner—the producer behind Fire Island's annual "Ascension" beach party—announced he'll be moving the event to Mykonos, Greece, this year due to the growing boycott against Fire Island Pines owner Ian Reisner, according to NewNowNext.com . Von Kuersteiner announced the move in a Facebook post, claiming the party is "going global" to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Ascension and Fund in the Sun, the parent charity it benefits.
Iconic singer Joni Mitchell did suffer an aneurysm, but things aren't as bad as has been reported, according to Page Six. A statement reads, "The truth is that Joni is speaking, and she's speaking well. She is not walking yet, but she will be in the near future as she is undergoing daily therapies. ... A full recovery is expected."
Originally estimated to sell between $2,000-$4,000, the Marilyn Monroe grave marker from Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles sold for $212,500 at Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills, according to a press release. Other highlights included the dress worn by Monroe in her final film, Something's Gotta Give, which sold for $348,000; a Hugh Hefner-signed premiere issue of Playboy Magazine featuring Marilyn Monroe on the cover that sold for $87,500; a Marilyn Monroe-inscribed drawing of a nude woman that went for $75,000; and original Jack Cardiff photographs of Marilyn Monroe that sold for $37,500, among many other items associated with the late actress.
Ryan Murphy has said that upcoming FX miniseries American Crime Story: The People V. O.J. Simpson may surprise viewers, according to USA Today. Murphy, who is directing, raved about Cuba Gooding Jr.'s portrayal of O.J. Simpson, who was ultimately acquitted of the 1994 murders of ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. In addition, Murphy ( Glee; American Horror Story ) revels in the casting of John Travolta ( who plays attorney Robert Shapiro ), likening that to his efforts to persuade Jessica Lange to join Horror Story and Jamie Lee Curtis to appear in Queens.
Former Saved by the Bell star Dustin Diamond was sentenced to four months in jail for stabbing a man during a bar fight last December, TheWrap noted. Wisconsin Judge Paul Malloy also sentenced the actor to 15 months of probation. The actor who played nerd Screech on the hit '90s sitcom was convicted with two misdemeanor counts earlier in June, dating back to a Christmas Day bar brawl.
After attempting twice to have the copyright infringement lawsuit brought by The Snowman creator Kelly WIlson tossed out of court, the Walt Disney Company has reached a deal with the short-film director, EW.com reported. Wilson filed the suit in March 2014, alleging that the 2013 Disney hit was substantially similar to her short film The Snowman, pointing out the comparisons between Frozen's teaser trailer ( with Olaf and Sven slipping around on ice ) and her work. With the settlement, Disney can fully move forward with the planned Frozen sequel.
The court-appointed conservator for Bobbi Kristina Brown—the troubled daughter of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown who was placed in hospice care recently—is suing Bobbi's boyfriend Nick Gordon, alleging that Gordon assaulted Brown and transferred funds to himself from her bank account without her permission, TheWrap reported. The complaint, filed by Bedelia C. Hargrove in Fulton County, Georgia on Wednesday, alleges that Gordon posed as Brown's husband in order to control her contact with others as part of a "scheme to benefit from her wealth."
Partying socialite Paris Hilton was tricked into believing she was about to die in a plane crash as part of a disturbingly elaborate prank for an Egyptian reality show, Page Six reported. Hilton, 34, was attending a hotel opening in Dubai when the show's hosts talked the seemingly unsuspecting former reality TV star into an aerial tour of the city. The hotel heiress apparently had no idea that her pilot was a stunt ace and that fellow passengers were actors ready to take her on the most terrifying ride of her life, courtesy of Egyptian TV personality Ramez Galal and the producers of his Ramez in Control show.
The gloves are off in the battle between "Real Housewives" Carole Radziwill and LuAnn de Lesseps, according to Page Six. After de Lesseps created a new summer song called "Girl Code ( Don't Be So Uncool )," Radziwill told Page Six she's recording a tune, "Ya Dumb Hypocrite." Some of the other New York Housewives complained that de Lesseps was the one who broke all sorts of codes on their recent trip to Turks and Caicos.
Actor Ryan Reynolds responded to a fan's post saying she couldn't differentiate between Reynolds and fellow actor Ryan Gosling with an off-color tweet, Page Six noted. Reynolds joked, "Different hair colors. Ryan Gosling has light BLOND hair. And Ryan Reynolds is a c—t." Reynolds is currently filming the comic-book movie Deadpool, in which he stars as the titular character, a foul-mouthed assassin-turned-hero.
She's All That, Cast Away, and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas will all stop streaming on Netflix beginning July 1, according to EW.com . Hawaii Five-0, Melrose Place, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Super Troopers are also nearing the end of their time on the streaming service, as is Miami Vice ( July 15 ).
