MTV and Logo TV are partnering with actress Laverne Cox for a forthcoming documentary, Trans Teen: The Documentary, that will air simultaneously on MTV and Logo in the fall, according to a press release. This one-hour documentary will take viewers inside the lives of four trans youth. Ranging in age from 14 to 24, and hailing from diverse neighborhoods across the country, each of the four cast members reveals his or her private journey.
Battersea Power Station Development Company, on behalf of the shareholders of Battersea Power Station, held its inaugural annual party recently, with Sir Elton John performing to an audience of thousands beneath the famous chimneys of the legendary London station, according to a press release. John rolled back the years, blasting through a string of classics including "The One," "Your Song" and The Greatest Discovery, while also showcasing selected tracks from last year's critically acclaimed album The Diving Board. Among the celebrities attending were Grace Jones, Jeremy Renner, Luke Evans, gay singer/actor Will Young and actor Kit Harington ( Game of Thrones ).
Starbucks has launched Teavana Oprah Chai Tea, which was personally developed by Oprah Winfrey in close collaboration with Teavana's leading tea teaologist, Business Wire noted. The tea features cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and cloves, blended with loose-leaf black tea and rooibos. The loose-leaf tea and brewed tea is available in Teavana stores across the U.S. and Canada.
Empire—the drama project from openly gay director/producer Lee Daniels and Danny Strong that is set in the world of hip-hop—has received a series order at Fox, Variety reported. The family drama from Imagine TV and 20th Century Fox TV stars Terrance Howard as industry heavyweight Lucious Lyon, a tough but wise patriarchal figure. The cast also includes Taraji P. Henson, Gabourey Sidibe, Jussie Smollett and Malik Yoba. Exec producers are Brian Grazer, Daniels, Strong and Francie Calfo.
Singer Gloria Estefan will have her own Broadway show, according to NewNowNext.com . Get on Your Feet will chronicle the star's rise to fame and her recovery from a 1990 bus crash. It'll also feature many hits by Estefan, both as a solo artist and with the Miami Sound Machine. The show will be paired with an upcoming reality show to help find a starlet for the show.
Gay billionaire mogul David Geffen is interested in buying the Los Angeles Clippers, according to The Wrap. He mentioned his interest on the heels of current owner Donald Sterling's lifetime ban from the NBA for racist remarks. In addition, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver recommended that Sterling be forced to sell the team. Geffen made a bid for the Clippers several years ago, according to WSJ.com . Oprah Winfrey has also been mentioned as a possible buyer.
In another Sterling-related development, Dallas Mavericks owner and Shark Tank judge Mark Cuban agrees with everyone who's denouncing Sterling—however, Cuban isn't ready to call for Sterling's total ouster for being a racist, according to SLAM Online. "What Donald said was wrong," Cuban said. "It was abhorrent. There's no place for racism in the NBA. ... But it's a very, very slippery slope. ... If it's about racism and we're ready to kick people out of the league, OK? Then what about homophobia? What about a xenophobe? In this country, people are allowed to be morons."
After his original invitation was rescinded, Oscar-winning Pasadena City College ( PCC ) alumnus Dustin Lance Black was re-invited to deliver the college's May 9 commencement speech, PasadenaStarNews.com reported. The development came one day after Dr. Eric Walsh, Pasadena's city health director, pulled out of consideration when anti-gay and -Catholic comments he made surfaced on the Internet. Black's original invitation was rescinded when PCC's board of trustees discovered photos depicting Black and an ex-lover engaged in unprotected sex on the Internet five years ago, The Huffington Post noted.
Speaking of Black, he and Olympic diving champion Tom Daley are moving in together, according to The Huffington Post. Black has reportedly moved from Los Angeles to London in order to live with the athlete in his apartment overlooking Olympic Park. The couple made their first red carpet appearance together last week at Battersea Power Station's annual party.
After cancelling multiple tour dates because of illness, Miley Cyrus has announced the rescheduled dates for the remainder of her "Bangerz" tour, plus two additional dates, according to EW.com . All previously cancelled or postponed shows are included on the new schedule, with tickets to the Nashville, Louisville, Philadelphia, and Uniondale shows being honored at the new dates. Shows in Chicago ( tickets on sale May 9 ) and Pittsburgh ( tickets already on sale ) were also added to the schedule.
Jennifer Lopez will receive the Icon Award at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards, according to Billboard.com . The pop superstar will be on hand to collect the prestigious award at the annual ceremony, to be held May 18 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Also, she'll take to the stage to perform with one of the night's finalists, Pitbull, to premiere the official anthem of this year's FIFA World Cup, "We Are One ( Ole Ola )." In addition, she'll sing "First Love," a single lifted from her new studio album A.K.A., which is set for release June 17.
AOL has ordered 12 new web series produced by a diverse group of A-list Hollywood talent, including James Franco, Steve Buscemi and Ellen DeGeneres, The Wrap noted. Franco will discuss and re-create scenes from classic movies with other artists, while Kevin Nealon will push famous comedians to teach kids comedy in a series he is executive-producing with DeGeneres. In addition to the 12 new shows, it picked up four series for new seasons, including Tiffany Shlain's The Future Is Here and city.ballet, which Sex in the City star Sarah Jessica Parker is executive-producing.
Naya Rivera ( who plays Santana ) will not be a part of Glee's fifth-season finale, and her future on the show has not yet been decided, E! News reported. Although the original plan was to include Naya in the final episode of the season, slated for May 13, her character has reportedly been written out of the script. Insiders point out that this change has nothing whatsoever to do with Lea Michele, nor the recent rumors of a falling-out—and tension on set—between the two starlets.
It's official: Gwen Stefani is joining The Voice as a new coach for season seven, according to E! Online. The former No Doubt singer announced the news on Instagram with a photo of her own version of The Voice's iconic hand gesture and a caption reading, "It's true!" Stefani will join Pharrell Williams as a new coach on the hit NBC singing competition. Christina Aguilera—who served as a coach for seasons one, three and five—tweeted the news and congratulated the singer.
The Cannes Film Festival has added more than 30 films to its lineup, including a new feature by French director Andre Techine; revival screenings of Paris, Texas, 8 1/2 and Lost Horizon; and documentaries about Roger Ebert and Cannon Films, according to The Wrap. Sophia Loren will serve as guest of honor at Cannes Classics, and will give a masterclass at the Salle Buñuel. The festival runs May 14-25.
One of the factoids that has come out in the wake of Bob Hoskins' death was that X-Men writer Chris Claremont wanted Hoskins to play Wolverine, according to The Wrap. Claremont—the writer responsible for the most famous X-Men storylines, including the "Days of Future Past" story that inspired the new film of the same title—had envisioned a film starring Hoskins as Wolverine and Angela Bassett as Storm.
Lady Gaga makes a cameo appearance in the new music video for Neon Trees' song "First Things First," Just Jared noted. The song is off the band's new album, Pop Psychology. The group, led by openly gay lead singer Tyler Glenn, relives its personal history though a lot of old photos.
The award-winning lesbian web series Easy Abby is releasing the season one Finale free on YouTube Wed., May 14, according to a press release. The finale, entitled "Chicago Free Fall," includes both episodes 13 and 14, and will roll out on the Juicy Planet YouTube Channel and on the show's official website, easyabby.com . The first 12 ( of 14 total ) episodes of Wendy Jo Carlton's series have received more than 15 million views.
Actress Cameron Diaz has admitted that she's been with another woman, according to Radar Online. During a round of "Plead the Fifth" on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Diaz, 41, admitted to being with another woman. She then coyly added, "You didn't ask explicitly how I was with a lady, but I have been with a lady."
Anderson Cooper is selling one of his two homes in Quiogue, New York, according to dot429.com . He's keeping the other waterfront property, which sits on the lot adjacent. The 2.4-acre, 3,654 square foot home is listed at $2.999 million. It includes a pool, brick fireplaces, five bedrooms, five and a half bathrooms, a garage apartment and a "dining area where you can watch the swans glide by."
Green Acres—the popular 1960s sitcom that starred Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as displaced New Yorkers who try to make a go of it on a farm in the Midwest—is being made into a feature film and is being developed and shopped as a stage play for Broadway, according to Deadline. The sitcom ran on CBS during 1965-71, and was known for its snappy one-liners and a bevy of beloved supporting characters from the town of Hooterville.
Film director Bryan Singer and Broadway director Gary Goddard are the target of another lawsuit alleging that they sexually assaulted a minor, according to The Wrap. The new suit alleges that Singer and Goddard sexually assaulted a British teenager, who is currently staying anonymous. Singer's lawyer, Marty Singer, said that the allegations are "totally untrue."
GLAAD honored George Takei as well as the best in film and television at the 25th Annual GLAAD Media Awards at the Waldorf Astoria New Yorkon May 3, according to a press release. Takei received the Vito Russo Award, which is named after one of GLAAD's co-founders and the author of The Celluloid Closet. Naomi Watts, Kylie Minogue, Emmy Rossum, Boy George, Laura Prepon, Laverne Cox, Swoosie Kurtz, wrestler Darren Young and country star Kacey Musgraves were among the special guests.
Lorde publicly shamed a paparazzo on Twitter who she says has been stalking her, Page Six reported. In an online tirade, the 17-year-old "Royals" singer posted photos of the man, identified as Simon Runting, as well as a link to his Facebook page. The paparazzo is the same one who Rihanna blasted online in October last year for posting photos of her standing in a hotel window.
Norwegian Cruise Line has dumped Joan Rivers for an off-color joke, according to Page Six. Rivers recently got into hot water last week for a punch line about three women who were held captive in Cleveland by evil Ariel Castro. She said on Today, when she was asked what it's like living with her daughter, Melissa: "I'm still in the same stupid little room. Those women in the basement in Cleveland had more space." Rivers has not apologized despite a request from the women's attorneys.
Bradley Cooper has seriously buffed up for his new role in American Sniper, The Huffington Post noted. He reportedly gained 40 pounds and grew a beard to star as Navy SEAL Chris Kyle in Clint Eastwood's new movie, based on a true story. Cooper's co-star, Eric Close, told E! News that Cooper "really takes this story personally and wants to do an honorable job for Chris' memory and for his family."
He's married! Nate Berkus tied the knot with fiance Jeremiah Brent on May 3 in an intimate ceremony in New York City, according to US Weekly. Berkus, 42, and Brent got engaged after dating for nearly nine months. The interior designer popped the question during a trip to Peru, surprising his husband-to-be. They reside both in New York City and Los Angeles.
Orange Is the New Black will return for a third season, according to Deadline.com . Show co-star Laura Prepon also confirmed the news via her Instagram feed. The unofficially official word comes a month before season two premieres on Netflix on June 6, with all 13 episodes available at launch. The Jenji Kohan-created prison dramedy stars Taylor Schilling, Jason Biggs, Prepon and Kate Mulgrew.
Eighties sitcom star Kirk Cameron ( Growing Pains ) is once again making headlines for his controversial views on marriage, according to The Huffington Post. In an interview with AL.com, Cameron said that Christians need to focus their energies on cleaning up their own acts, rather than making the fight against marriage equality their number-one priority. Cameron has a long history of anti-gay sentiment, and arguably remains one of the most vehemently outspoken anti-gay celebrities.
Fox has officially given a series order to its upcoming drama Gotham, an origin story of the great DC Comics supervillains and vigilantes that reveals an entirely new chapter that has never been told, The Wrap reported. The series, based upon characters DC Entertainment published, will star Southland alum Ben McKenzie as Detective James Gordon, Jada Pinkett Smith as Fish Mooney and Donal Logue as Harvey Bullock, among others.
