Openly gay actor Jonathan Bennett (Mean Girls), in an Instagram video, reminded his followers of the importance of regular cancer screenings by documenting his experience getting a mammogram, according to Parade. "October is #breastcancerawarenessmonth and I'm showing you what getting a mammogram looks like for me," Bennett wrote in the caption, "After my husband had a scare a few years ago and with cancer running in both of our families screenings are important to us. Talk to your doctor about what's right for you." He also promotes Wicked Good Cupcakes, which is donating a portion of the proceeds of its Vanilla Sprinkle cupcake jars to the Ellie Fund for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Melissa Etheridge told Page Six that she refuses to feel "guilt" or "shame" over her son's 2020 overdose. The singer told the media outlet at the opening of her off-Broadway show, My Window, that she's been able to move on by "having a deep spiritual belief that we all make our own choices." In May 2020, the "I'm the Only One" singer announced on social media that her son Beckett died from opioid addiction at age 21. The Grammy winner says Beckett's death is covered in the show along with when she came out in 1993.
Asexual artist PiPEllA is back with her sophomore single, "Life As a Movie," which is set to be released Tuesday, Oct. 25, on all streaming platforms, per a press release. "Life As a Movie" will be used to spearhead a project that PiPEllA has spent the last year planning called "PiPEllA: The Worlds Traveler." The story is of the character, PiPEllA, who discovers new worlds through a portal she found in the woods and writes songs about each of her adventures. This project will be an 11-track, waterfall-release album with corresponding POV-style storylines that will be played out across the artist's social-media platforms.
Elton John is confirmed to take the stage and perform Nov. 5 at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's (LACMA's) annual fundraiser, per The Hollywood Reporter. Presented once again in partnership with Gucci, the annual event will celebrate artist Helen Pashgian and filmmaker Park Chan-wook, and feature a DJ set by Derrick "D-Nice" Jones.
On an episode of The Michelle Collins Show, Glee actor Chris Colfer responded to the host's question about whether or not he'd join her for a night out to catch the show in New York City, EW.com noted. "Oh, no! Are you seeing Funny Girl?" Colfer asked Collins as the latter burst into laughter before she responded in the affirmative. "Oh. My day suddenly just got so full." Colfer later added, "No—I can be triggered at home." Colfer's remarks come two years after Glee actress Samantha Ware accused Michele of creating a toxic work environment on the set of the popular Fox musical series—a sentiment cast members Amber Riley and Alex Newell reacted to with memes encouraging Ware.
In a related matter, Discovery+ announced that it has ordered a new three-part docuseries from Ample Entertainment going behind the scenes of Fox's groundbreaking teen musical TV show Glee, Out noted. According to reports, the docuseries will have access to key cast and crew members "who will share first-hand stories of their time on the comedy-drama series that ran for over 100 episodes." Glee, which ran during 2009-15, won four Primetime Emmys and two Creative Arts Emmys as well as four Golden Globes.
Another rock star gets the Barbie treatment with a new Tina Turner doll from Mattel, according to Variety. The Tina Turner Barbie Doll, part of the toy company's Music Series, features the Grammy-winning and chart-topping singer in the outfit and voluminous hair she wore in the iconic music video for "What's Love Got to Do With It," pegged to the song's 40th anniversary. She wears a black mini dress, a denim jacket, sheer black tights and black heels.
R&B legend Sade might have new music in the works, Nylon noted. The singer, born Helen Folsade Adu, reportedly visited Brad Pitt's Miraval Studios in Correns, France to work on a new project. She rose to fame in the '80s after forming the band Sade and releasing their first album, Diamond Life. Over the next two decades songs such as "Smooth Operator," "No Ordinary Love," "Nothing Can Come Between Us" and "The Sweetest Taboo" became immensely popular.
Actor/producer/activist Elliot Page is exec-producing Backspot—a queer cheerleading drama that stars Devery Jacobs and is directed by D.W. Waterson, per The Hollywood Reporter. The indie film marks a debut feature for Page's Page Boy Productions and Jacobs' Night is Y banner, which she launched alongside D.W. Waterson as an LGBTQ+ and indigenous-owned production company based in Toronto. Backspot will see Jacobs play Riley, who along with another character, Amanda, are members of a competitive cheerleading squad as they navigate athletic careers, their budding romance and a cheerleading coach's antiquated ideas about what it means to be a queer woman in the spotlight.
Orlando—filmmaker Sally Potter's gender-bending and highly acclaimed 1992 movie that stars Tilda Swinton—has been revived via a 30th-anniversary 4K restoration and a theatrical re-release, Deadline reported. It's from Sony Pictures Classics, the specialty arm of Sony Pictures that also happens to be celebrating their 30th anniversary this year, counting Orlando as a major part of their first year in business in 1992.
Vulture announced additional programming for its annual pop-culture extravaganza, Vulture Festival, which is returning for the ninth year in a row on Nov. 12-13 at the Hollywood Roosevelt in Los Angeles, per a press release. Among other events, Jamie Lee Curtis will be there to ask about the horror-movie genre; John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask will provide storytelling and singing during the "Hedwig and the Angry Inch 24th-Anniversary Parking Lot Tour"; and Emmy-winning screen legend Sheryl Lee Ralph will be there for a special live episode of Vulture's flagship podcast Into It.
Idina Menzel (the movie Frozen; the Broadway production Wicked) is getting the biodoc treatment via Disney Branded Television and Disney+ with a product slated to premiere on Dec. 9, per The Hollywood Reporter. Idina Menzel: Which Way to the Stage? is a feature documentary that will focus on the life and career of the Tony winner and culminate in her headlining a concert at Madison Square Garden in her hometown of New York City after a nationwide tour. Anne McCabe directed the film, which will feature footage of Menzel in her most notable stage performances—Rent and Wicked—as well as interviews with family, friends, co-stars and creatives.
A New Yorker Festival panel with actor and comedian Billy Eichner and playwright and actor Harvey Fierstein—who both appear in the film Bros—turned into an onstage post-mortem about the gay rom-com's disappointing opening, Deadline noted. Fierstein, who has a cameo role in the film, criticized Universal's "history-lesson" marketing and the studio's decision to open it wide. Eichner lavished praise on Fierstein's legacy, he did gently push back on the idea that the studio deserved blame for how it handled Bros: "There wasn't much of a blueprint for this movie when it came to the marketing and all of that."
On National Coming Out Day, drag queen Ada Vox—best known for competing on American Idol and winning runner-up on the first season of Paramount Plus' Queen of The Universe—released her new song, "Let My Love Shine," per a media statement. The song about finding strength and resilience through life's toughest challenges offers a combination of electronic and dance music, with small gospel influences in the bridge. The lyrics for "Let My Love Shine" were written by Negin Djafari (who has written previously for Miley Cyrus and Drake) and Helienne Lindvall. See https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/adavox1/let-my-love-shine-2.
After a report that she had been hospitalized this morning "after suffering an apparent seizure," singer Brandy took to social media to reassure fans, per Deadline. "I am following doctors' orders and getting the rest I need due to dehydration and low amounts of nutrition," she wrote.
Issa Rae (TV's Insecure) said Hollywood's treatment of troubled actor Ezra Miller is an example of how not much has changed in the industry since the #MeToo movement, per Yahoo! Entertainment. The Emmy-nominated actress told Elle, in part, "There's this person who's a repeat offender, who's been behaving atrociously, and as opposed to shutting them down and shutting the production down, there's an effort to save the movie and them. That is a clear example of the lengths that Hollywood will go to to save itself and to protect offenders." She added that "there are just too many enablers for there to be real change" in Hollywood.
In support of World Mental Health Day (Oct. 10), Grammy-winning band Imagine Dragons released the music video for "I Don't Like Myself," from their album Mercury — Acts 1 & 2, a press release noted. Alongside the music-video release, Imagine Dragons has partnered with Crisis Text Line and encourages fans to support the organization and their work through fundraisers available across the band's social-media platforms. Crisis Text Line is a not-for-profit organization providing free, high-quality text-based mental-health support and crisis intervention 24/7 throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, in English and Spanish. Those seeking support can text MUSIC to 741741 to reach a live, trained volunteer Crisis Counselor in English. Text HOLA to 741741 or text to 442-AYUDAME in WhatsApp for Spanish.
Distinguished film/TV/stage actress Angela Lansbury died at age 96. Although Lansbury was best known for her role as Jessica Fletcher in the long-running CBS TV series, Murder, She Wrote, she had a significant career in the movies and on Broadway, NPR noted. Lansbury was nominated for an Oscar for her Gaslight performance (filmed when she was 17) and appeared in many more films, from The Picture of Dorian Gray to The Manchurian Candidate to The Harvey Girls, often playing women much older than she actually was. She won five Tony Awards as well as a lifetime achievement award, six Golden Globes and was a Kennedy Center Honoree for lifetime achievement in 2000.
Bad Bunny leads the 2022 American Music Awards nominations with eight nods, followed by Beyonce, Drake and Taylor Swift with six apiece, Variety noted. The Weeknd, Adele and Harry Styles each earned five nominations. The winners will be announced at the awards show on Sunday, Nov. 20, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Fan voting for all awards is now open via VoteAMAs.com and Twitter except for favorite K-Pop Artist, which will open on Tuesday, Nov. 1.
Duran Duran confirmed details of the brand-new, 75-minute docu-concert film A Hollywood High, per a press release. The film captures the band performing live on a rooftop in Los Angeles, alongside exclusive interviews and archival footage that tells the story of their longtime love affair with the city. The film will be released in theaters on Thursday, Nov. 3, around the world. On Thursday, Oct. 27, the members of Duran Duran will attend a special premiere for the film at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Waking Up Dead—a dark comedy about regret that made its world premiere at Cinema Diverse/LGBTQ Film Festival in Palm Springs—will debut on most VOD platforms Oct. 25 via Breaking Glass Pictures, per a press release. The film (which stars Gabriel Sousa and Traci Lords, among others) is brought by Gary Terracino, whose previous feature Elliot Loves played Outfest and more than 75 other festivals worldwide before being picked up by HBO. The film focuses on Danny Moldonado—a hard-partying, self-absorbed, once-promising actor whose life has hit rock bottom when he gets a shot at redemption: a call to audition for the lead role in the hottest new pilot in Hollywood.
Nearly 30 years after The Joy Luck Club changed Asian and Asian American representation in cinema, a sequel is in development with author Amy Tan and Oscar-winning screenwriter Ron Bass continuing from the former's best-selling novel, Deadline noted. The original leading cast are in talks to return to their roles, now the mothers and grandmothers of their families. The Wayne Wang-directed movie was a breakout role for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and The Mandalorian actress Ming-Na Wen and also starred Tamlyn Tomita, Rosalind Chao, Tsai Chin and Lisa Lu, among others.
Tammie Brown and Kelly Mantle will return to OUTtv Friday, Oct. 21, with their brand-new holiday special, Tammie Brown's Halloween Spooktacular, a press release noted. Streaming throughout the trick-and-treat season, the show stars everyone's the comedic drag duo as they fight ghouls, goblins and crazed fans to keep their Halloween Spooktacular afloat. For more information, visit www.outtv.com .
Controversial actor and comedian T.J. Miller said he's not interested in returning for Deadpool 3—or working with Ryan Reynolds ever again—even if he were asked to after the pair had a "weird moment" together on set, Entertainment Weekly noted. Miller—who played blunt bartender Weasel in the franchise's first two films and has been involved in multiple controversies over the years—said he thinks his former co-star hates him and recalled a time when Reynolds allegedly requested another take to allegedly belittle Miller in front of the cast and crew. Deadpool 3, which will also feature Hugh Jackman's return as Wolverine, is set to debut in theaters on Sept. 6, 2024. (They reportedly have made amends.)
Twitter took down one of Kanye "Ye" West's tweets for violating its rules the same day Meta confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that his Instagram account has been restricted for violating the platform's policies, the publication noted. In a tweet on Saturday night, West wrote that he was going to go "death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE." Sarah Silverman, Jamie Lee Curtis and Michael Rapaport were among the celebrities who reacted to West's posts—with Curtis stating, "You are a father. Please stop," The Hollywood Reporter noted.
Speaking of West, musician Lizzo told a Canadian crowd that she's minding her "fat Black beautiful business" following musician the rapper/fashion designer's comments about her weight in a Fox News interview with Tucker Carlson, HuffPost noted. West, who legally changed his name to Ye in 2021, used part of the interview to claim that "bots" attack the "About Damn Time" singer for losing weight and media organizations promote her "unhealthy" weight. "I feel like everybody in America got my motherfucking name in they motherfucking mouth for no motherfucking reason; I'm minding my fat Black beautiful business" the pop star said. She later asked if she can stay in the country and wondered who she can marry for dual citizenship.
Actress Jamie Lee Curtis, the mother of a trans daughter, said that she is "scared" by the current anti-transgender climate in the United States, LGBTQ Nation noted. "I have a trans daughter," she said in an interview with the Spanish network SER. "There are threats against her life, just her existence as a human being. There are people that want to annihilate her and people like her." She added, "So Jamie Lee Curtis is scared and you should be too. And Jamie Lee Curtis has a voice and she's trying to use it, and you should do. And that's how we change things."
Paris Hilton claimed staff members at Utah's Provo Canyon School would forcefully "perform cervical exams" on her and other female students, Page Six noted, citing a New York Times article. "Very late at night, this would be around like 3 or 4 in the morning, they would take myself and other girls into this room and they would perform medical exams," Hilton stated. She further alleged that it "wasn't even with a doctor" but rather "it was a couple of different staff members who would have us lay on the table and put their fingers inside of us." Reps for Provo Canyon did not immediately respond for comment.
Madonna seemingly came out as lesbian on TikTok, ETOnline.com noted. A pink-haired Madonna aimed to throw a pair of fuchsia underwear in the garbage. The words "If I miss, I'm Gay," flashed across the screen as the "Holiday" singer threw and failed to sink the underwear into the open garbage can; she then threw her hands up in acceptance and playfully turned away from the camera, hand on hip. The video came after Madonna (who recently ended things with her boyfriend of three years, Ahlamalik Williams) was spotted kissing Dominican rapper Tokischa while sitting front row at New York Fashion Week; the pair were also seen kissing during a Pride event over the summer.
After more than a decade ago on The Voice, Blake Shelton is preparing to say goodbye as NBC announced that the next season of the singing competition will be his last, Variety reported. Shelton has served as a coach on The Voice for all of its 22 seasons. Season 22 is currently airing on NBC, and season 23, which airs in the spring of 2023, will be his last. Season 23 will introduce new coaches Niall Horan and Chance the Rapper; fan-favorite coach Kelly Clarkson will make her return in season 23 following a hiatus.
Comedians Eric Andre and Clayton English said they were racially profiled by police at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on separate occasions in 2020 and 2021, according to NPR. They filed a lawsuit against the Clayton County Police Department and district attorney's office, calling on the court to declare that it's unconstitutional for police officers to stop passengers on the bridges from their gate to their airplane, question them and search their bags. The Clayton County Police Department released a statement after Andre tweeted about an incident, calling it a "consensual encounter."
Nicki Minaj's "Super Freaky Girl" is spending its eighth week on top of Billboard's Hot Rap Songs chart; however, at the Grammys, the song will compete in the pop category, per The Hollywood Reporter. Minaj originally submitted the track—which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart in August—to the rap categories at the Grammys, but the decision was overturned by the Recording Academy's rap committee.
Deadline founder Nikki Finke was remembered by the media outlet as "a fierce game-changer." Pete Hammond wrote, "Finke founded Deadline in 2006 and eventually watched it build powerful, gale-force winds as it took on Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, 100-year-old institutions, and leveled the playing field among the entertainment trades changing forever the way Hollywood would be covered in the new digital age." Finke recently passed away after a lengthy illness at age 68.
Former Real Housewives of Atlanta star NeNe Leakes revealed on her Instagram stories that her son Brentt, 23, suffered from congestive heart failure and a stroke, NBC News noted. The mother of two said she didn't want to go into details about how she found her son and the condition he was in, but said that "it was very scary." She said her son is currently having trouble speaking. After a brief pause after the first set of videos, Leakes returned to her social media to talk about the one-year death anniversary of Brentt's father, Gregg Leakes, who died in September 2021 at age 66 after a three-year battle with colon cancer. Leakes said this past September was particularly difficult for her son.
Willie Spence, the American Idol runner-up in the 2021 season 19 of the competition series, died at age 23 from injuries sustained in a car accident in Tennessee, Deadline noted. Spence won over Idol judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie with his San Diego audition performance of Rihanna's "Diamonds." Richie said Spence was "so gifted, on the first note I had chills."
Trevor Noah—who is in his seventh year of hosting The Daily Show, the signature program of the Paramount Global network—is set to depart after a final appearance on the program on Dec. 8, Variety noted. Comedy Central will place the show on hiatus after Noah's farewell, and plans to bring it back on Jan. 17 as part of what the network called a "reinvention." Noah's successor has not been named.
Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady and International Tennis Hall of Famer Kim Clijsters are the latest high-profile athletes to join the pickleball craze as team owners, CNBC noted. Major League Pickleball announced that Brady and Clijsters are headlining their newest ownership group to buy an expansion team, which will begin playing in 2023. The sport has attracted other high-profile owners, including NBA players LeBron James, Draymond Green and Kevin Love and Super Bowl champ Drew Brees, as well as billionaire investor and Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry and former tennis star James Blake.
Sam Smith revealed on The Kelly Clarkson Show that they got an interesting gift from fellow singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, according to iHeart. "It's actually wild. I thought it was a joke," Smith said. "It's a six-foot-two marble penis. It's two tons. I have to get it craned into my house," adding, "I want to turn it into a fountain, which I think will be hard to do."
Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr. will receive no jail time in his forcible touching case after pleading guilty to a lesser charge in Manhattan Criminal Court and complying with the terms of a conditional plea agreement reached in April, Deadline reported. Gooding replaced his misdemeanor plea with a plea to a noncriminal harassment violation and faces no additional penalties. Attorney Gloria Allred—who represents a woman who is suing Gooding in a civil case that alleges a 2013 sexual assault—said after the actor's plea deal that she will pursue the civil case in federal court.
