Caitlyn Jenner is leading the first-ever Oscar campaign for a trans actress with Mya Taylor's supporting role in Sean Baker's indie drama Tangerine, according to Variety. The Olympic medalist hosted a special screening of the film, which already landed Taylor a Gotham Award for breakthrough actor/actress. She's also nominated for best supporting actress at the Independent Spirit Awards. The Magnolia Pictures event—held at Los Angeles' Landmark theater on Jan. 4—included a post-screening reception with appearances by Jenner, Taylor, executive producers Mark and Jay Duplass, and Baker.
Actor Colton Haynes ( Teen Wolf; Arrow ) recently tweeted about a problem he has suffered from for more than 15 years: anxiety, according to NewNowNext.com . The actor first shared an article titled "Scientists Show How Anxiety May Affect Social Status," and then followed up with a series of tweets. In part, he posted, "I've quit jobs because of anxiety, flaked on social events, family gatherings, birthdays, important movie/work tests. Its a serious problem. Be there for those who struggle with anxiety & realize it's a serious disorder."
Also regarding Haynes, he has attracted much attention on social media when he replied to a person's comment about his supposed sexuality, according to E! Online. On Tumblr, a user had written, "When I found out Colton Haynes had a secret gay past, I got so excited even though i know it makes absolutely no difference in my life." Haynes replied, "Was it a secret?" Let's all just enjoy life & have no regrets : )" The actor/former model has a gay brother, Joshua Haynes.
FILM SPOILER: Queer actor Ezra Miller's character of The Flash will make an appearance in the upcoming film Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, according to Digital Spy. The news that viewers "get a glimpse" of Miller's character was announced by costume designer Michael Wilkinson in a recent interview. "I'm not really at the liberty to talk about The Flash right now," he said. "But it's something that you'll be seeing in the future in our films," he told Omelete. "You do get a glimpse of him, of course, in Batman v. Superman."
Are TV writer/director/producer Greg Berlanti and soccer star Robbie Rogers back together? The couple, who split in 2014, posted a Twitter photo of them together in Mexico Dec. 26, with Berlanti writing, "It's on : ). #halfitalian RT @robbierogers: Off to Mexico... The tan battle is on @GBerlanti." Berlanti is known for his work on the TV series Dawson's Creek, Everwood, Political Animals, Arrow and The Flash.
The OC Art Project is back with the release of its increasingly popular Orthodox Calendar, according to Dose.ca. The 2016 calendar marks the fourth installment in the series and features the theme "Sancta Paraphilia." Inside, 30 images are used to spread the message of desire, acceptance and inclusion.
Out actor Jussie Smollett is headed to public television, On Top Magazine noted. Smollett—best known for his portrayal of gay musician Jamal Lyon on the Fox drama Empire—will host the eighth season of AfroPop: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange, which premieres Monday, Jan. 18, on WORLD Channel. Among the films included this season on AfroPop is one about a transgender woman in Cape Verde and her impact on the community.
Celebrity DJ Samantha Ronson will take part at The Dinah 2016 ( March 30-April 3 ) in Palm Springs, California, according to a press release. Ronson has spun live for MTV's New Year's Eve show from the network's studios in Times Square, as well as at the Super Bowl, Pan American Games, Sundance and the Cannes Film Festival, among other events.
An upcoming episode of Top Chef will see the show's contestants take on an unexpected challenge: catering for the wedding of 25 gay couples at once, including two former contestants from the show, according to Frontiers Media. The Jan. 7 episode, titled "Big Gay Wedding," will see the chefs cater for a joint wedding of 25 same-sex couples in Palm Springs for their elimination challenge. The ceremony was officiated by host Padma Lakshmi, who was ordained specially for the occasion.
The first episode of "The Bear-Naked Chef"—Adrian De Berardinis' Web video cooking series—went live on Dec. 22 and already has garnered 240,000 views, according to WeHoVille.com . According to the website's profile of De Berardinis, being naked in a video also has meaning for him. "For me, being naked is a metaphor for where I am in my life," said De Berardinis, who is gay. He believes that exposing himself to the world—physically, intellectually, emotionally and sexually—is the best way to accept and enjoy who he is.
Meteorologist Sam Champion will return to ABC's Good Morning America the week of Jan. 11, filling in for his successor, Ginger Zee, who is currently on maternity leave, The Hollywood Reporter noted. Champion left the top-rated morning show in December 2013 for his own morning show at the Atlanta-based Weather Channel. But the network has since reorganized its programming schedule—a consequence of belt-tightening—and Champion's show was among those axed.
Idris Elba and David Oyelowo were among the Hollywood stars recognized in the Queen's annual New Year's honors list, The Hollywood Reporter noted. Elba is up for Golden Globe awards for TV show Luther and the film Beasts of No Nation. Selma star Oyelowo also got an OBE ( Order of the British Empre ) for services to drama; he recently starred as a gay man with a terrible secret in HBO's Nightingale. Among others, a trio of veteran British actresses were honored for their long service to British drama: Imelda Staunton, Sian Phillips and Barbara Windsor.
After being accidentally crowned Miss Universe by Steve Harvey earlier this month, Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez discussed her reaction to Harvey's mishap with Colombia's W radio, The Hollywood Reporter noted. Gutierrez said, It was very humiliating for me, but also for the whole country and for all the people not only from Colombia but the other Latinos that were in the auditorium." She added that, "for the first time," she agrees with Donald Trump, who tweeted that Miss Colombia and Miss Philippines should have been co-winners.
Motown legends Diana Ross and Smokey Robinson, along with pop star Sheryl Crow, will headline the 2016 Jazz Aspen Snowmass June Experience in the Benedict Music Tent, according to an Aspen Times item. Ross, the founding member of the Supremes and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, will perform in the tent June 24. Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Robinson will play July 2, in a co-presentation with the Aspen Music Festival and School.
Openly gay CNN figure Don Lemon appeared to have a bit too much of the holiday spirit in him during CNN's live New Years Eve celebration broadcast, according to TheWrap. Lemon appeared live on the air from New Orleans with fellow CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin, while Kathy Griffin and Anderson Cooper were in Times Square. "I have to say, Kathy—I have to say nice rack," Lemon said at one point. "I didn't know you had all of that." At that point, Baldwin cut off Lemon.
Grammy winner Brandy Norwood—who made her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in the Tony-winning revival of Chicago last spring—will reprise the role of the merry murderess for West Coast audiences in 2016, Playbill noted. The actress/singer will star in the April 26-May 1 engagement of the musical's national tour at the Pantages Theatre. Chicago won the Tony for Best Revival of a Musical in 1997 as well as awards for original cast members Bebe Neuwirth and James Naughton, director Walter Bobbie, lighting designer Billington and choreographer Ann Reinking.
Chris Pratt was the highest-grossing actor of the year, thanks to Jurassic World, according to Forbes. Pratt's lead role as the motorbike-riding, raptor-training Owen makes him the the highest-grossing actor of the year, a title previously held by Jennifer Lawrence ( seventh on this year's list ) and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson ( a near-miss in 2015 ). Pratt grossed more with one film than second-ranked Vin Diesel did with two. Robert Downey Jr., Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig rounded out the top five.
Out actor Matt Bomer said that American Horror Story: Hotel co-star Lady Gaga provided him with some great advice, according to People.com . "She said a lot of creating a name and a place for yourself in this business is just having the heart to staying in the game," Bomer said in a behind-the-scenes video for his January/February Men's Fitness cover shoot. "A lot of it is learning how to get up and dust yourself off and stand up against adversity or whoever may be an obstacle for you, and having the heart to stay open as an artist and creative as an artist." Bomer also said he admires Gaga's creativity.
USA Today has named Empire actress Taraji P. Henson its entertainer of the year. In part, the publication wrote, "Now halfway through Season 2, Henson has crafted one of the most memorable, quotable characters to grace television in years. Empire has earned Henson Emmy and Golden Globe nominations, not to mention grin-inducing Cookie merchandise and memes. There are devotees who dress boldly like Cookie and blog about it. Time magazine declared Cookie Lyon the most influential character of 2015."
Martha Stewart frying pans are being recalled due to defective parts that have popped off and injured people while in use, according to CNNMoney. The recall affects the 8-inch and 10-inch frying pans that came in about 121,000 stainless-steel cookware sets made by Martha Stewart Collection and sold at Macy's. The small metal discs that help attach the pan's handle can become projectiles; they've popped off and caused injuries for at least seven customers who reported bruises, burns or welts.
Amiyah Scott—a woman poised to make Real Housewives history as the first transgender cast member in the franchise's nine-year history—has reportedly quit The Real Housewives of Atlanta, according to NewNowNext.com . TMZ reported that Scott "walked off the set, saying she was done" just a month into filming her "trial" stint on an upcoming "Atlanta" season. Scott reportedly had disagreements with show producers about what she would bring to the table. She wanted to present herself as a role model for the transgender community, but was reportedly pitted as the season's over-sexualized "bitch" who was constantly trash-talking the other wives.
British singer-songwriter James Blunt revealed during a recent interview with the BBC that his gentle demeanor often makes him the victim of questions about his sexuality—questions he knows are meant to offend but doesn't necessarily consider offensive, according to NewNowNext. He said, ""I sing songs that aren't very macho, so people say 'you're effeminate' or 'gay,' as if calling me gay would be an insult—but to call me gay is a compliment."
Crazy, Stupid Love co-stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are reuniting for modern-day Los Angeles-based musical La La Land, according to Digital Spy. Directed by Whiplash's Damien Chazelle and featuring JK Simmons in a supporting role, La La Land details the romance between a jazz pianist ( Gosling ) and an aspiring actress ( Stone ). La La Land is slated to premiere July 15.
Glee star Mark Salling was arrested for possession of child pornography, according to TheWrap. Salling was taken from his Sunland, California, home. Crime Watch Daily first broke the news that the LAPD's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force obtained a search warrant for the actor's home. Salling played the popular character Noah "Puck" Puckerman on the Fox musical series.
Famed radio host Elvis Duran enjoyed New Year's with boyfriend Alex Carr and Uncle Johnny ( from Duran's Z100 show in New York City ) in South Africa, Page Six noted. Specifically, they were in Royal Malewane in Kruger National Park—a spot that only holds 20 guests and offers daily safaris. Duran recently raised $500,000 for UNICEF.
Beverly Johnson has responded to the charge against Bill Cosby, ABC News reported. The iconic model took to Twitter to share her thoughts following Cosby's court proceedings. "When it comes down to it, truth is simple," Johnson, 63, tweeted. "There is nothing that we give to others that does not come back to us in some shape of form." In November 2014, in a first-person essay for Vanity Fair, the model accused the comedian of drugging her in the mid-'80s, but said she didn't believe she was raped.
Singer Natalie Cole—the daughter of music great Nat King Cole who became a recording star in her own right—has died at age 65. She died of congestive heart failure related to ongoing health issues, CBS News confirmed. Cole is perhaps best known for her 1991 multiple Grammy winner Unforgettable ... with Love, an album in which she duets with her father. Other hits included "Sophisticated Lady," "This Will Be," "Our Love," "Mr. Melody" and "Pink Cadillac."
The current second season of NBCUniversal Domestic Television Distribution's The Meredith Vieira Show will be its last, according to Deadline. After wrapping production on the daytime talk show, Vieira will segue to work on NBC's coverage of the Summer Olympics games in Rio de Janeiro. Lance Bass was part of a panel that was added to the show in its second season.
Hayden Christensen—who brought the young adult Anakin Skywalker to life in Star Wars prequels Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith—told the L.A. Times whey he decided to retreat from Hollywood after "Sith" hit theaters in 2005 ( except for a few films ), USA Today noted. He said, "I guess I felt like I had this great thing in Star Wars that provided all these opportunities and gave me a career, but it all kind of felt a little too handed to me. I didn't want to go through life feeling like I was just riding a wave."
Robert Stigwood—who managed the Bee Gees and produced 1970s blockbusters Grease and Saturday Night Fever—has died at age 81, the Associated Press reported. Stigwood also moved into theater ( bringing Broadway hit Hair to the London stage ) and film, producing cinema versions of the Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice musical Jesus Christ Superstar and The Who's rock opera Tommy. Lloyd Webber paid tribute to Stigwood on Twitter, calling him a "great showman who taught me so much."
Singer Sarah McLachlan has said she can't stand the sight of her own ASPCA commercials, according to Page Six. "I can't watch them," she told Makers. "It just kills me." The commercials—which ask viewers to donate money to save abused animals while McLachlan's hit "Angel" plays in the background—have resulted in old women dubbing her "the dog lady."
Real Housewife of New York's LuAnn de Lesseps seems to have a new man in her life—and he was earlier this year linked to her Bravo show co-star Ramona Singer, according to Page Six. People saw the reality star and "millionaire businessman" Thomas D'Agostino Jr. having a "romantic holiday getaway" in Palm Beach, Florida. Also, they were also recently spotted in Sag Harbor dining with LuAnn's son Noel at upscale Tuscan restaurant Tutto Il Giorno.
Craig Strickland, the 29-year-old lead singer and guitarist for the country rock band Backroad Anthem, was found dead on Jan. 4—more than a week after his boat capsized in Oklahoma's Kaw Lake during a violent winter storm, according to TheWrap. Strickland's hunting partner, 22-year-old Chase Morland, was found dead on Dec. 28. Strickland's wife, Helen, wrote on Instagram, "They found [Craig] lying in the shape of a cross looking up to his Father."
