The Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ) announced that the television series Empire will be honored at the 2016 HRC Los Angeles Gala Dinner, according to a press release. HRC also announced that producer Nina Jacobson—whose work includes the film hit The Hunger Games and FX's The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story—will be honored with the HRC Visibility Award. Jacobson will be presented with the award by Ryan Murphy, creator of Glee and American Horror Story.
Amazon has given a pilot order to I Love Dick, a half-hour comedy pilot directed and executive-produced by Transparent creator Jill Soloway, an Emmy and DGA Award winner for her directing work on the dark Amazon comedy starring Jeffrey Tambor, according to Deadline. I Love Dick—set in a colorful academic community in Marfa, Texas—centers on a struggling married couple, Chris and Sylvere, and their mutual obsession with an off-putting but charismatic professor, Dick.
Charles Busch, author of immortal plays like Die, Mommie, Die!—and mostly starring him—is tackling Cleopatra, Page Six noted. Busch said, "I'm campy, but if Elizabeth Taylor played this Egyptian queen—why not me? I'm this character's first man. Besides, our Julius Caesar's a trans woman from Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. We're used to queens." Charles Busch's Cleopatra opens March 25 in New York's Theater for the New City.
Batwoman will be allowed to be an out and proud gay woman in a new DC film, Gay Star News noted. Kate Kane, who came out as a lesbian in 2006, is front and center in the animated film, Batman: Bad Blood. Back in 2013, the image of her engagement to Detective Maggie Sawyer went viral; but then writer Greg Rucka and artist JH Williams quit the book after DC changed its policies to mean Kate couldn't get married.
The ladies of Destiny's Child got together for Kelly Rowland's birthday this past weekend, The Huffington Post noted. Beyonce, Michelle Williams and Rowland got together—and Beyonce's mother, Tina Lawson, was there as well. Destiny's Child has sold more than 60 million records worldwide to date.
Olympic gold medalist Caitlyn Jenner said not telling her father the truth about her gender identity "will always haunt me," Page Six noted. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Jenner said she also was unsure how her mother would react to her transition. Jenner was speaking before a sold-out crowd at the University of Pennsylvania about her struggle with gender dysphoria.
Also re Jenner, she has filed a trademark for a cosmetics line in her name, E! Online reported, citing a TMZ item. Per her filing, this would give Caitlyn exclusive rights to sell makeup, fragrances, makeup remover, nail care preparations, nail polish, nail-polish remover, non-medicated skin care preparations and skin cleansers in her name.
Out producer/showrunner/writer Greg Berlanti ( Arrow; The Flash ) has welcomed a new son, Caleb, via surrogate, Just Jared noted. On Facebook, he posted, in part, "Achieving this dream would not have been possible without the love and support of my wonderful family and surrogate, incredible boyfriend [Robbie Rogers], amazing friends and co-workers that encouraged me and helped me on this remarkable journey. Check back in approximately 25-30 years for the tell-all about how I screwed it all up, until then apologies for the over posting of baby photos. My heart is full forever."
Brandy has commented on her supposed feud with Monica back when they duetted on the song "The Boy Is Mine" in the late 1990s. Talking with Entertainment Weekly, she said, "It was so long ago. I'm just in a different space. I don't talk to Monica. We are on different paths."
Singer/songwriter and LGBT activist Frenchie Davis will lend her voice and perform at the Second Annual Truth Awards Gala and Dinner to be held Saturday, March 5, in Los Angeles, according to a press release. The black-tie affair will honor African-American, trailblazing men and women whose personal and professional accomplishments have positively impacted the perception and image of the Black LGBTQ community. The event—an effort of The DIVA Foundation and Better Brothers Los Angeles—will be hosted by reality stars and TV personalities Omarosa Manigault ( The Apprentice ) and Karamo Brown ( MTV's The Real World: Philadelphia ).
To celebrate the final episode of this season of The X-Files, gay Chicago singer-songwriter Andrew Sa ( of Andrew Sa & His Organic Sound ) released his new music video for the new series-inspired song "It Can't Be Samantha," according to a press release. Following the search for the real Samantha Mulder, the song features memorable characters from the show such as John Lee Roche, Jeremiah Smith and the Smoking Man in addition to Fox Mulder's statement, "A dream is an answer to a question we haven't learned how to ask."
A new study out of the USC's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism seemingly backs up the sentiment behind #OscarsSoWhite with an analysis that all but proves that Hollywood is still largely white and male, Fusion.net noted. Among the findings was that 2 percent of speaking characters were LGBT-identified and a mere seven transgender characters appeared in the sample of content—four of whom were in the same series. The report, "Inclusion or Invisibility?," is at http://annenberg.usc.edu/pages/~/media/MDSCI/CARDReport%20FINAL%2022216.ashx.
Two-time Oscar nominee Keira Knightley is in early talks to play Russian empress Catherine the Great in a biopic that Barbra Streisand will direct for producer Gil Netter's Netter Productions, TheWrap noted. Kristina Lauren Anderson wrote the script, which topped the 2014 Black List of Hollywood's best unproduced screenplays.
Sandy Duncan has dropped out of "Finding Neverland" less than a week after making her debut in the Broadway show, Page Six reported. Although the "personal reasons" excuse was used, theater sources said Duncan—who played "Peter Pan" on Broadway during 1979-81—didn't work in the role as Madame du Maurier.
Mob Wives star Angela "Big Ang" Raiola has died of throat cancer at age 55, according to TheWrap. On her Twitter account, it was stated, in part, "YOU, ( Her fans ) were some of the most special people in her world, and she loved you immensely. ... She truly went out richer than any monetary value could ever amount to."
Fans of "Tik Tok" singer Kesha ( formerly Ke$ha ) are calling for a boycott of Sony after a judge shot down the singer's effort to get out of her contract, TheWrap noted. A petition posted on Change.org has amassed nearly 150,000 signatures from fans who say they will stop purchasing Sony products and music. Kesha is suing her producer Dr. Luke, claiming that he sexually and emotionally abused her; he has denied the allegations, taking to Twitter to call the allegations "horrendous and untrue."
HBO has confirmed April 30 as the debut date for the 2016 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, a press release stated. This year's inductees include Cheap Trick, Chicago, Deep Purple, Steve Miller and N.W.A.; the Ahmet Ertegun Non-Performer Category inductee is Bert Berns. The executive producers are Jann Wenner, Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman and Joel Peresman.
NYC-based Puerto Rican-American performing artist and choreographer Jose Rivera Jr. has released a video cover of Adele's song "When We Were Young," directed by Blake Pruitt, according to a press release. The release further states, "In the video, he grapples with his feminine and masculine identities while reflecting on memories of a past lover, seeking to address his own body dysmorphia through physical expression."
Continuing with its mission of promoting Midwest art and filmmaking through dramatic film work, Glass City Films has embarked on its latest crowdfunding campaign to fund the long-form short film Limerence, according to a press release. Through March 2, Glass City Films hopes to raise $35,000 to produce the film, which tells the story of a damaged and fragile young woman, Phoebe ( Angela Riccetti ), who experiences all the irrational terror of falling into obsessive love. See https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/glasscityfilms/limerence-a-mindbending-short-film-about-lovesickn.
unite4:good ( www.u4g.com ) and Variety announced the 2016 honorees for the 3rd annual unite4:humanity event to be held at The Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills on Thursday, Feb. 25, a press release stated. Academy Award-winning actor Matthew McConaughey will receive the Creative Conscience Award. Seth Rogen and Lauren Miller will receive the unite2gether Award for their work with Hilarity for Charity. Olivia Wilde will receive the unite4children award for her work with Save the Children. Lastly, Gina Rodriguez will receive the Young Humanitarian Award for her work in creating her We Will Foundation.
LGBT media and marketing strategy firm Here Media and video-streaming platform Vimeo have teamed on a new initiative to spotlight the work being created by LGBT filmmakers, a press release stated. The deal allows Vimeo to directly reach the influential LGBT consumer through marketing and advertising campaigns that will run across Here Media's brand platforms, including The Advocate, OUT, Pride.com, Here TV and Plus magazine. The first Here Media film included in the partnership—the parody Hush Up Sweet Charlotte, with Mink Stole—premiered on Vimeo Feb. 15.
The cast members of the classic series The Golden Girls are the latest TV character to get their very own Funko figures, US Weekly noted. The news was first announced on the Instagram account RYAN AND HIS POP! on Feb. 13, and has since gone viral. "Golden Girls POP! Concept Art from Funko 2016 Catalog!" the photo caption read.
An angry crowd booed Kardashian matriarch Kris Jenner for a solid minute as she tried to introduce Culture Club to the stage at an iHeart Radio iHeart80s party, The New York Daily News noted. "From the moment I heard about Boy George back in the '80s, I was completely obsessed, not only with his music but inspired by his fashion and style," she told the crowd. Briefly, a voice on the loudspeaker tried to get the jeering crowd to stop, pleading, "Hey, hey people!"
Rihanna has pushed back her concert dates for her Anti tour, as it's beset with production problems, People.com reported. In addition, Rihanna, 27, has rescheduled eight dates for May including gigs in San Diego, Oakland, San Jose, Houston, Austin, Dallas, Atlanta, Phoenix and New Orleans. The eight-time Grammy winner was slated to kick off her 40-date concert series on Feb. 26 in San Diego; her tour will now begin on March 12 in Jacksonville, Florida.
A home that the late writer Jackie Collins owned is on the market for $30 million, Page Six noted. The eight-bedroom, 21,784-square-foot Beverly Hills mansion includes five writing desks used by the author whose works included Hollywood Wives, which became a television mini-series in 1985. The home has a two-story gallery entrance with a dramatic staircase, a 100-foot art gallery connecting to a guest apartment, a gym, a screening room and a chef's kitchen with three islands. Collins, the younger sister of actress Joan Collins, died from breast cancer in September 2015 at age 77.
Revenge alum Josh Bowman is taking a villainous turn as H.G. Wells' nemesis Jack the Ripper in Kevin Williamson's ABC drama pilot Time After Time, Deadline reported. Bowman has been cast opposite Freddie Stroma in the project. English actor Bowman became a household name playing Daniel Grayson on ABC's drama Revenge.
As has been rumored since the project was first announced last fall, Emily Blunt is in talks to star in an untitled Mary Poppins sequel for Disney, according to TheWrap. Blunt has been the clear-cut choice for the title role since she worked with director Rob Marshall and producer Marc Platt on Into the Woods.
Nerds, the new musical about tech giants Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, will begin Broadway previews April 1—one day later than originally announced—at New York City's Longacre Theatre, Playbill reported. The official opening night remains April 21. Casey Hushion will direct the show, subtitled "A Musical Dot-Comedy," with choreography by Emmy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Josh Bergasse.
