Elton John has teamed with YouTube to give creative talent from around the world the opportunity to craft official videos for three of his most iconic songs: "Bennie and the Jets," "Rocket Man" and "Tiny Dancer," Rolling Stone noted. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of John and Bernie Taupin's partnership, the singer launched "Elton John: The Cut" to give a visual accompaniment to those three classic singles released before the music-video era. John and Taupin will select the three winners, who then team with Pulse Filmsthe production team behind Beyonce's Lemonadeto produce the final versions of the winning films, which debut in summer 2017.
Speaking of John, he paid an emotional tribute to George Michael, PinkNews reported. On Facebook, he wrote, "I am in deep shock. I have lost a beloved friendthe kindest, most generous soul and a brilliant artist. My heart goes out to his family, friends and all of his fans. RIP George Michael." Michael died on Christmas Day at age 53. With Michael, John recorded "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" in 1991.
And speaking of George Michael, it turns out he helped launch James Corden's "Carpool Karaoke" segment in 2011 for a British telethon, LGBTQ Nation noted. During an interview with Howard Stern about the segment's surprise popularity, Corden credited Michael with launching the bit's good-natured frivolity. The segment has now featured everyone from Adele to Red Hot Chili Peppers to Michelle Obama.
Lesbian indie-pop duo Tegan and Sara have launched their own charitable foundation to help LGBT+ women and girls, PinkNews noted. According to the foundation website, it aims to work to a "commitment to feminism and racial, social and gender justice." The identical twins, from Canada, have been writing music since age 15 and are vocal LGBT activists.
Russell Tovey is loving every minute of playing a confident, openly gay character on ABC's Quantico, Out noted. Tovey plays Harry Doyle, and while the show about FBI trainees leaves the actors themselves in the dark about their characters' futures, the out British actor is happy that Doyle's sexuality is such a well-integrated part of who he is. "[He is] completely confident, completely proud, completely sort of out therealmost boldly soarrogantly so," the former Looking co-star said in a recent interview with TVInsider.com . "It's a good thing. I'm really proud of that."
Actor Will Smith recently spoke out on raising children who are experimenting with their identity and gender stereotypes, like his son Jaden, 18, GlobalNews.ca noted. "First of all, I don't give parenting advice, per se, because it's such a unique task. The greatest human task is to render a human being into the world," the 48-year-old actor told BET. "The greatest gift that I can give my children is the freedom to be who they are." The Ali actor went on to say he and his wife, actress Jada Pinkett Smith ( TV's Gotham ), have always been very accepting of their children.
The Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ) will honor Meryl Streep for her outspoken support for LGBT rights, On Top Magazine noted. Streep will receive the group's Ally for Equality Award at the 2017 HRC Greater New York Gala on Feb. 11 at New York's legendary Waldorf Astoria. The award honors "the outstanding efforts of those who use their voice and publicly stand-up for the LGBTQ community."
The Radio City Rockettes dancers are pushing back after being told they must perform at Donald Trump's inauguration, TheWrap revealed. The announcement by parent company Madison Square Garden Company boss James Dolan quickly spread through social media, and sparked outrage among some Rockettes and members of the Broadway community. Rockette Phoebe Pearl wrote on her private Instagram account, according to Perez Hilton: "I usually don't use social media to make a political stand but I feel overwhelmed with emotion. Finding out that it has been decided for us that Rockettes will be performing at the Presidential inauguration makes me feel embarrassed and disappointed."
Vogue contributing editor Andre Leon Talley sounded off about the president-elect and the future first lady in a New York Times interview, according to US Weekly. "You make the choice to be in Trumpland or you make the choice to eject yourself from the horror of Trumpland," Talley said. "I've made my choice not to be part of Trumpland." Talley's declaration came after his friend, Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour, was spotted leaving New York City's Trump Tower on Dec. 13, presumably after a meeting with Donald Trump.
Long before Billy Porter won a 2013 Tony for Kinky Boots, he was told he'd never make it in showbiz, Page Six noted. "You are Black and you are gay," he recalled being told by naysayers, "and unless you change that, you will not work." He went on to say, "When I was in school, I had a high speaking voice, and it was the '80s, and unless you fit into a very Black masculine mold there would be nothing for me to do, My voice was too high for the American stage." Today, "success is the best revenge. With that there is nothing to say."
Pop star Ricky Martin thanked his fans for their support following the hospitalization of his father, Enrique Martin, Page Six noted. The singer issued a statement saying that he is "close to his father along with his nuclear family." Martin asked that people allow the family to deal with the illness in a private manner.
Blizzard Entertainment gave players an early holiday gift in the form of a comic based on its popular game Overwatch. However, there was a revelation: Female character Tracer has a girlfriend, EW.com noted. "As in real life, having variety in our characters and their identities and backgrounds helps create a richer and deeper overall fictional universe," Blizzard Entertainment said in a statement to EW. "From the beginning, we've wanted the universe of Overwatch to feel welcoming and inclusive, and to reflect the diversity of our players around the world." Russia has reportedly blocked the novel because of the lesbian character, according to BBC.com .
Actress Tilda Swinton has published the full text of an email exchange she shared with comedian Margaret Cho, after the comic said Swinton had treated her "like her house servant" during a discussion about diversity in the Marvel film Doctor Strange, The Guardian reported. Swinton released the email conversation to a website after Cho told a podcast that she and Swinton had had a "fight" over the fact that the British actor had been cast in the movie as the Ancient One, a character who was Asian in the original comic-book series. Contacted for a response after Swinton published her emails, Cho released a statement saying: "Asian actors should play Asian roles. I believe my emails stand on their own and should be taken for the spirit in which they were intended."
On the recent season finale of Survivor, it was confirmed that fan favorite Tai Trang, an out gardener from San Francisco who competed on the show's 32nd season, would be returning for the next installment this springSurvivor: Game Changers-the Mamanuca Islands, according to NewNowNext. On his season, Trang came in third place; however, the singer Sia surprised him with a $50,000 prize and promised to donate another $50,000 to his choice of animal charity.
In an interview with The New York Times, original TV Wonder Woman Lynda Carter spoke about the character and her place in the world as a female icon, PinkNews noted. Carter said, "She was saying, 'You have a problem with a strong woman? I am who I am, get over it.' I never played her as mousy. I played her being for women, not against men. For fair play and fair pay." She added, "When women recognise me in airports, I hold them in my arms and they cry. If a guy comes up and says, 'Oh my God, I had such a crush on you when I was a teenager,' I say, 'Talk to the hand. I don't want to know.'"
A producer on the show Nashville has said gay character Will Lexington "won't be defined by his sexuality," according to PinkNews. The gay male character who is not out at first, and later campaigned for gay rights, has a "great story line" coming up, said executive producer Marshall Herskovitz. Chris Carmack who plays Will, has been featured for a short time on the series; however, the character has sometimes been criticized as one-dimensional.
Teen Wolf star Colton Haynes is opening up about his mental health, Page Six noted. Haynes, 28, compared his state of mind in November 2014 with how he feels today in two essays for Paper magazine. In part, he wrote, "Remembering how different life used to be. I'm often called 'Miss Memory Lane' by my closest friends due to the fact that I always look at old photos hoping to relive the memory. But what I'm finally realizing is that I can't and wouldn't want to go back to that headspace ever again."
Game of Thrones star Rose Leslie is set to play an out character in upcoming legal drama The Good Fight, which is a spinoff from The Good Wife, according to PinkNews. The actress played Ygritte on the fantasy series. Her character Maia, the goddaughter of Christine Baranski's Diane Lockhart, joins her godmother at one of Chicago's pre-eminent law firms after passing the bar.
Hollywood Publicists have honored Ryan Murphy as Television Showman of the Year, Variety reported. The award will be presented Feb. 24 at the 54th Annual International Cinematographers Guild Publicists Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Murphy has created a wide array of shows and has won four Primetime Emmys. He created American Horror Story, Scream Queens, Glee, Nip/Tuck and The New Normal.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has officially announced next year's inductees: Pearl Jam, Tupac Shakur, Journey, Yes, Electric Light Orchestra and Joan Baez will all join the class of 2017, according to Rolling Stone. Chic's Nile Rodgers will be given the Award For Musical Excellence. The induction ceremony will be held at Brooklyn's Barclays Center on April 7. An edited version will later air on HBO and there will be a radio broadcast on SiriusXM. Ticket information will be available in January.
Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence ended an awkward radio interview with Australia's KIIS Summer Fling early after co-host Sophie Monk kept pressing about their sex lives, according to US Weekly. The movie co-stars were speculating about the existence of extraterrestrial life when Monk randomly brought up their sex scene in the sci-fi flick.
Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher was in critical condition Dec. 23 after reportedly suffering a "cardiac episode" during a flight from London to Los Angeles, The L.A. Times reported. A statement released by United Airlines said that medical personnel met flight 935 from London upon arrival after the crew reported a passenger was unresponsive. Fisherthe daughter of famous Hollywood couple Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisherhad stabilized.
The body of ex-reality TV star Lisa Marie Naegle has been found in a shallow grave in the backyard of suspect Jackie Jerome Rogers' home, Variety noted. Rogers, who was one of Naegle's nursing students at West Los Angeles College, was originally detained for questioning after a surveillance video showed Naegle leaving a birthday party she had been attending with Rogers and entering his black SUV. Naegle was a registered nurse who finished fourth on the single season of 2010's Bridalplasty.
Dick Latessa, the veteran song-and-dance man who stole hearts as Wilbur Turnblad in the original Broadway production of Hairspray, has died at age 87, Page Six noted. Latessa was rewarded with his first and only Tony Award, for best featured performance by an actor in a musical, for his Hairspray role; he was 74 at the time. Among those expressing condolences on social media were Feinstein, Jerry Mitchell and Bernadette Peters.
A death certificate revealed that Alan Thicke died after his aorta tore and then ruptured, EDGE Media Network reported. The details emerged after the "Growing Pains" star died Dec. 13 at 69. He was buried Dec. 19 in Santa Barbara, California. An aortic tear also killed actor John Ritter in 2003.