The writer of the reborn Wonder Woman comics has revealed that the character is gay, according to Newsday. Greg Rucka told Comicosity that since Wonder Woman comes from the fictional all-female island nation of Themyscira, she "has been in love and had relationships with other women." Rucka isn't ruling out the potential for a romantic relationship with Steve Trevor, Wonder Woman's love interest in previous incarnations of the character. A standalone Wonder Woman film starring Gal Gadot and Chris Pine is set to hit theaters in June of next year.
FX has renewed the hit limited series American Horror Story, from co-creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, for a seventh installment for premiere next year, Deadline reported. The American Horror Story franchise has won 15 Emmy Awards and dominates FX's top telecasts of all time. The most recent installment is subtitled "Roanoke."
Former Orange Is the New Black star Samira Wiley and show writer Lauren Morelli are engaged, Out.com noted. The couple initially sparked controversy when they began dating just after Morelli came out as gay and filed for divorce from her ex-husband in 2014.
Jared Leto, Michael De Luca and Terence Winter are teaming to tackle the life of Andy Warhol, the famed pop art artist whose blend of art and commerce made him a household name, The Hollywood Reporter noted. Leto will portray the artist in the biopic, titled Warhol, as well as produce it, along with De Luca, the producer whose credits include such Oscar-winning and -nominated true-life tales as The Social Network and Captain Phillips. Leto won an Oscar for playing a transgender individual dying from AIDS in 2013's Dallas Buyers Club.
Best known for playing the bisexual character Callie Torres on Grey's Anatomy, actress Sara Ramirez came out publicly for the first time in a speech at the True Colors 40 to None summit, LGBTQ Nation noted. "Because of the intersections that exist in my own life: Woman, multi-racial woman, woman of color, queer, bisexual, Mexican-Irish American, immigrant, and raised by families heavily rooted in Catholicism on both my Mexican and Irish sides," she said, "I am deeply invested in projects that allow our youth's voices to be heard, and that support our youth in owning their own complex narratives so that we can show up for them in the ways they need us to." Ramirez has been married to husband Ryan DeBolt since 2011.
Openly gay director Lee Daniels recently helmed a new ad for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign that features Empire stars Taraji P. Henson, Bryshere Gray, Trai Byers, Jussie Smollett, Tasha Smith, Gabourey Sidibe and Grace Byers, Variety noted. The one-minute ad is called "What Will You Say," and highlights "what's at stake for the African American community in this election," the Clinton campaign said in a statement announcing the spot. ( Terrence Howard is noticeably missing. ) It will run on TV and online in battleground states.
Out singer Billy Gilman's time on Team Adam will continue, TheBoot.com noted. The singer emerged victorious in his Battle Rounds performance on Oct. 10, maintaining his spot on coach Adam Levine's team. Gilman and fellow Team Adam member Andrew DeMuro together performed Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror." Gilman skyrocketed to stardom following the release of "One Voice," his debut single, in 2000; he was 11 years old at the time, making him the youngest country artist to ever earn a Top 40 hit.
Demi Lovato has announced that she's "taking a break from music and the spotlight" in the wake of criticism of her comments about Taylor Swift in a magazine interview, Page Six noted. In a recent interview with Glamour magazine, Lovato suggested Swift could do more for feminism "if they're going to claim that as part of their brand." Lovato brought up Swift's song "Bad Blood," saying the song is "not women's empowerment." Lovato said on Twitter Oct. 4 that she's not apologizing for the remarks, adding that she's excited for 2017 and "not meant for this business and the media."
Melissa Etheridge didn't mince words when she opened up about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's bitter divorce battle in an interview, US Weekly noted. Speaking to Andy Cohen on his SiriusXM radio show, the musician said she was "heartbroken" for Pitt and called the accusations that he verbally and physically assaulted his kids "completely unfounded. Etheridge told the host it's "completely heartbreaking" to see her friend at the center of child abuse accusations and said she'd love to reconnect with Pitt during this time; Etheridge added that she lost touch with Pitt after he got together with Jolie.
Brooklyn filmmaker Alden Peters decided to come out in a feature-length documentary, Coming Out, that is now out on DVD, Queerty noted. Depicting each encounter with his family and friends, Peters shares his unique and yet universal experience with the world. Having now founded his own production company, Casa Vera Productions, Peters has several new projects in the works and also recently produced a pair of activist videos: We Are Orlando—Vigil at the Stonewall Inn and One Pulse: NYC Stands with Orlando.
The Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ) announced that actor, author and entertainer John Barrowman MBE will receive the HRC Visibility Award at the 17th Annual HRC Palm Springs Garden Party on Nov. 5, a press release noted. KMIR's Janet Zappala will emcee the event, and Dana Adkins will return again this year as our live auctioneer.
Outfest will honor Emmy Award-winning actor and producer Sean Hayes ( Will & Grace ) in addition to previously announced honorees Jill Soloway and Freeform at the 2016 Legacy Awards, according to a press release. The 2016 Legacy Awards will take place on Sunday, Oct. 23, at performing arts venue Vibiana in downtown Los Angeles.
First Run Features will re-release of Cheryl Dunye's landmark Black queer film The Watermelon Woman, a press relese noted. Remastered for its 20th anniversary, The Watermelon Woman will screen at Metrograph in New York beginning Thursday, Nov. 10; First Run Features will then re-release the film on DVD and VOD Jan. 31, 2017. Set in Philadelphia, the film is the story of Cheryl ( Cheryl Dunye ), a twentysomething Black lesbian struggling to make a documentary about Fae Richards, a beautiful and elusive 1930s Black film actress popularly known as "The Watermelon Woman."
Ebony is reporting that author Gloria Naylor, writer of the critically acclaimed novels Women of Brewster Place and Mama Day, has died, according to LambdaLiterary.org . Naylor died Sept. 28 in her home in the Virgin Islands at age 66. Naylor's work explored the lives of contemporary African-Americans, with a dreamy and often melancholy lyricism. Her writing paid particular close attention to the inner emotional lives of women and members of the gay and lesbian community.
Caitlyn Jenner broke her silence on former step-daughter Kim Kardashian's armed robbery in Paris, AOL.com noted. "Love my girl," she wrote on Instagram. "After hearing the full story, I'm so thankful she's okay. It's a reminder for us all to be careful in the uncertainty of this world." The post came a day after she garnered criticism for making light of the situation, posting a picture with daughter Kylie Jenner posing next to a race car.
Iconic comedy program Saturday Night Live ( SNL ) has made major efforts to improve its diversity for season 42—hiring a new openly gay head writer, Chris Kelly; its first Latina cast member, Melissa Villasenor; and, now, out Latino writer and comedian Julio Torres, Out.com noted. Torres has worked on Mas Mejor, Fred Armisen and Horatio Sanz's Latino-interest web show, and guest-written for SNL in the past.
Superstar Dolly Parton will be the 2016 recipient of the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award, which will be presented during The 50th Annual CMA Awards, airing Wed., Nov. 2, on ABC, a press release noted. Previous recipients of the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award include Nelson himself ( 2012 ), Kenny Rogers ( 2013 ) and Johnny Cash ( 2015 ). Parton has received 44 CMA Awards nominations and has won nine times.
Singer Kelly Clarkson confirmed that she got her tubes tied and that husband Brandon Blackstock got a vasectomy after they welcomed baby Remington in April, Page Six noted. "I was literally pregnant with Remy, and I was like, 'You are getting fixed. This will never happen to me again,'" she said, laughing, on Jenny McCarthy's SiriusXM show. Clarkson now has four children, including two of her own and husband Brandon Blackstock's children from his previous marriage.
Music producer/RuPaul's Drag Race guest judge Lucian Piane was recently subjected to much scrutiny after implying he'd support Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton, Instinct noted. On Facebook, Piane said of Trump, "Sure, I disagree with half of what Trump says but at least he says it!" and later tweeted, "I will ABSOLUTELY NOT be voting for @HillaryClinton" and "Never said I was voting for him, I just said I trust him more than her. twitter.com/queerly_bel0ved/status/783142674832297984 …" One person responded, "Imagine being @RevoLucian. Going from Bernie to Trump and claiming LGBT issues aren't important this election."
The Los Angeles Film Critics Association will honor Shirley MacLaine with this year's Career Achievement award, TheWrap noted. The annual awards dinner will be held Jan. 14, 2017, at the InterContinental Hotel in Century City. "I'm thrilled with the honor by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, the recognition and the encouragement," said MacLaine in a statement.
Focus Features announced that the new LOVE-MOJI App has launched, giving users the chance to use interracial couple emojis for the first time ever, a press release noted. The new app is inspired by interracial couple Richard and Mildred Loving. In anticipation of Focus' upcoming film about the couple, Loving, users will be able to use this new keyboard extension on text and email as well as platforms like Twitter and Facebook.
Arnold Schwarzenegger—Donald Trump's successor on Celebrity Apprentice and former California governor—said after Trump's Access Hollywood scandal that he will not vote Republican, Page Six noted. The "Total Recall" star tweeted: "For the first time since I became a citizen in 1983, I will not vote for the Republican candidate for President." However, insiders point out Schwarzenegger's had his own misconduct allegations by women.
Brent Corrigan has reiterated that he doesn't at all approve of James Franco's King Cobra, Queerty noted. In response to a Twitter fan asking about the veracity of the film, Corrigan said, "No true telling about it. Not approved by me. It tells a story with contempt for queer culture & mockery for porn." Based on Corrigan's porn career and relationship with Cobra Video founder Bryan Kocis, the film received its first official U.S. trailer last week and is finally coming to theaters Oct. 21.
Hip-hop star Kid Cudi revealed to his fans on Facebook that he's moved into a facility to help him cope with crippling anxiety, according to US Weekly. He wrote, in part, "Ashamed to be a leader and hero to so many while admitting I've been living a lie. It took me a while to get to this place of commitment, but it is something I have to do for myself, my family, my best friend/daughter and all of you, my fans." Despite checking into rehab, Cudi wanted his fans to know that he won't be giving up on his music.
Canadian rapper Drake dominated nominations for the American Music Awards, earning a leading 13 nominations and beating the record set by Michael Jackson more than 30 years ago, NBC News noted. Drake's latest album, Views, has spent 13 weeks at the top of the U.S. music charts this year, and his single "One Dance" was chosen as Billboard's 2016 song of the summer. R&B artist Rihanna got seven nominations, followed by Britain's Adele and Canadian singer Justin Bieber with five apiece. Winners will be announced at a live ceremony and television show on Nov. 20 in Los Angeles.
A new original animated television series, Marvel's Spider-Man, will debut on Disney XD in 2017, a press release stated. Produced by Marvel Animation, the series' award-winning creative team includes executive producers Alan Fine and creator Stan Lee. Marvel's Ultimate Spider-Man"will culminate in January 2017 with a two-part finale arc titled "Graduation Day" that will see Spider-Man stop Doctor Octopus and the Superior Sinister Six from destroying all of the heroes in New York City.
Tori Spelling is pregnant and expecting her fifth child with her husband, Dean McDermott, a source confirmed to US Weekly. The Beverly Hills, 90210 alum, 43, and McDermott, 49, are already parents of Liam, 9, Stella, 8, Hattie, 4, and Finn, 4. The former Chopped Canada host is also dad of son Jack, 17, with his ex-wife, Mary Jo Eustace.
