U.S. figure skating champion Timothy LeDuc is hoping to make history as the first out non-binary Winter Olympian in Beijing, out.com noted. The 31-year-old Iowa native and their skating partner, Ashley Cain-Gribble, already have a gold medal together as the 2019 U.S. national champions in pairs skating, and they hope to bag Olympic gold later this year. In a recent interview on NBCLX's My New Favorite Olympian podcast, LeDuc discussed the highs and lows they encountered both from their evangelical family and the skating community after first coming out as bisexual when they were 18 and later as non-binary, using they/them pronouns, a decade later. The podcast is at www.youtube.com/watch and www.nbcboston.com/lx/full-episode-how-timothy-leduc-is-changing-figure-skating/2605435/ .
Hip-hop superstar Cardi B tweeted that homophobes are "just ugly" in a pro-LGBTQ+ message, according to LGBTQ Nation. "Every bad bitch have a gay best friend or gay best friend cousin," the Grammy-winning rapper posted. "If you homophobic you just ugly." Her fans gave her plenty of positive feedback about the tweet.
The extensive music catalog of David Bowie, stretching from the late 1960s to just before his death in 2016, has been sold to Warner Chappell Music, The Chicago Tribune reported. (Pitchfork said it was sold for $250 million.) Said catalog includes more than 400 songs, among them "Space Oddity," "Ziggy Stardust," "Fame," "Rebel Rebel" and "Let's Dance" on 26 Bowie studio albums released during his lifetime; a posthumous studio album release, Toy; two studio albums from Tin Machine; and tracks released as singles from soundtracks and other projects. Bowie died in January 2016 after battling cancer for 18 months.
Speaking of Bowie, in a clip shared by W Magazine's Instagram account, Zendaya, Willow Smith and Kiernan Shipka are seen partially singing and partially reading the lyrics to the late musician's 1972 hit "Changes"—to the chagrin of many fans of the artist who took their questionable knowledge of the song as disrespectful to the icon, per Page Six. It also garnered comparisons to Gal Gadot's viral clip of celebs covering John Lennon's "Imagine," which also received heavy criticism when it dropped fall 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The unscripted Crackle docuseries Men of West Hollywood will debut Thursday, Jan. 20, a press release noted. Six well-known male socialites (Mr. California, The Human Ken Doll, a celebrity photographer, a top underwear model, a YouTube star and a luxury property owner), with their boyfriends and girlfriends, they come together to make up the most drama-driven, polarizing friend group in West Hollywood.
It looks like bisexual Marvel Comics superhero Valkyrie (played by Tessa Thompson) is in another movie, per out.com . A new set photo from the upcoming film The Marvels seems to show Thompson's character among the cast. The image—shared by Zenobia Shroff, who will be playing Kamala Khan's mother, Muneeba Khan, in the film—was part of a slideshow she posted on Instagram celebrating the year she had. In 2019, Thompson announced at San Diego Comic-Con that in the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder, Valkyrie's first task as the new king of Asgard (as she was crowned in Avengers: Endgame) is "to find her queen."
Andy Cohen is still dealing with the fallout from his New Year's Eve, Page Six stated. On his Radio Andy talk show, he apologized to Ryan Seacrest for bashing his ABC New Year's Eve broadcast team as a "group of losers" while Cohen downed drinks on his rival CNN holiday special with Anderson Cooper. However, Cohen said he doesn't regret his rant about ex-New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. "Do his victory lap dance after four years as the crappiest term of the mayor of New York," Cohen said Dec. 31 as Cooper shook his head and repeated "wow" in disbelief.
A man was arrested in connection to a phishing scam that stole and attempted to steal hundreds of unpublished book manuscripts from authors such as Margaret Atwood and actor/writer Ethan Hawke, Variety noted, citing The New York Times. Filippo Bernardini, a 29-year-old citizen of Italy, was arrested by the FBI after touching down at New York City's JFK Airport. According to his social-media accounts, Bernardini was a rights coordinator for Simon & Schuster UK. The thefts occurred by impersonating those in the publishing field through fake email accounts used to target authors, editors and literary agents and gain access to unpublished manuscripts of books.
Broadway's Mrs. Doubtfire will take an extended hiatus Jan. 10-March 14, with performances scheduled to resume March 15, per Playbill. Producers hope the hiatus will allow the show to avoid a full closure as the company battles breakthrough cases of COVID-19. The hiatus follows a much more brief break last month, although the musical resumed Dec. 22. Tony nominee Rob McClure stars as divorced dad Daniel Hillard and his alter ego, the Scottish nanny Mrs. Doubtfire, in the musical based on the 1993 film.
Rapper Uncle Murda predicted gay icon Lil Nas X will "catch AIDS and die" in Murda's new controversial song "Rap Up 2021," PinkNews noted. The Brooklyn rapper released the 14-minute song that attacks celebrities, rappers and public figures Jan. 1. Murda opened the song by stating he would be talking "reckless respectfully" before launching his attack against Nas and the LGBT+ community.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) competitor Sean Strickland recently said that he would think he had "failed as a man" if he ever had a gay son—which resulted in him being trolled on the internet, according to LGBTQ Nation. "If I had a gay son I would think I failed as a man to create such weakness," Strickland said on Twitter. "If I had a whore for a daughter I'd think she just wanted to be like her dad lol!!" However, the blowback was swift; for example, @Big_Stereotype asked, "Sean have you ever considered aging past 14?" In response to the criticism, Strickland wrote, "I have been getting some hate for that gay son joke. You beta males need to calm the f**k down, this isn't your college you're not going to get laid here by a 'zir' or 'it' by being a little bitch."
Sidney Poitier—the Oscar-winning actor who many say brought a quiet dignity to his characters on screen and helped break down the color barrier in Hollywood—died at age 94, ABC7NY.com reported. Poitier became the first Black man to win an Academy Award for best actor in 1964, for his role in Lilies of the Field. He was perhaps best known for his role as a Black doctor engaged to a white woman in 1967's Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, in which he starred opposite Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. After retiring from acting in 1997, he served as the non-resident Bahamian ambassador to Japan until 2007.
Speaking of Poitier, Deadline confirmed that Apple is filming a documentary on the Oscar-winning actor, with Oprah Winfrey executive-producing and Reginald Hudlin directing. Winfrey will produce through her Harpo Productions an and Network Entertainment.
Peter Bogdanovich—the actor and critic-turned-director of such classics as The Last Picture Show, Paper Moon, What's Up, Doc? and Mask—died Jan. 6 at 82, Deadline reported. The Last Picture Show was a box-office hit that drew comparisons to Citizen Kane and earned the filmmaker his only two Oscar nods.
Dolly Parton was presented with 47 new sales certifications from around the world to kick off the New Year, per a press release. The new awards presented cover certifications from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden. She was already awarded a plaque from the RIAA in 2014 for selling more than 100 million units sold worldwide. "I've often said that my songs are like my children, and I expect them to support me later in my life. Well, it looks like they are doing just that!" Parton said.
Chris Evans will reportedly play Gene Kelly in an untitled film based on an original idea Evans conceived, Deadline noted. The film is about a 12-year-old boy who works on the MGM Lot in 1952 and begins to create an imagined friendship with the legendary movie star Gene Kelly while working on his next film. In addition to starring in the film, Evans will also produce the project alongside Mark Kassen.
Transgender Jeopardy! champion Amy Schneider, who recently became the show's highest-earning female contestant, said she was recently robbed, NBC News reported. Schneider—an engineering manager in Oakland, California—tweeted that someone stole her phone, credit cards and ID. A spokesperson for Jeopardy! said the show had reached out to Schneider to offer support.
The return of The Wendy Williams Show has been moved to Jan. 10 as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise, per People Magazine. Michael Rapaport, Kym Whitley, Finesse Mitchell and Sherri Shepherd will continue as guest hosts for the upcoming shows during host Wendy Williams' continued health-related absence. However, Page Six noted that Williams (amid rumors that her show has not been renewed after this season and that she doesn't plan on returning) was photographed back in New York City in late December after visiting a wellness center in Miami.
The Weeknd officially dropped his latest album, Dawn FM (XO/Republic Records), per a press release. The album, deemed a "sonic experience" by The Weeknd, showcases a unique cast of features from Tyler, the Creator, Lil Wayne, Quincy Jones, Oneohtrix Point Never, and Jim Carrey. Songs include "Take My Breath," "A Tale By Quincy," "Every Angel Is Terrifying" and the title track, among others. As a part of the rollout, The Weeknd appeared in "103.5 Dawn FM," a livestream experience that aired exclusively on the Amazon Music channel on Twitch and in the Amazon Music app.
Adele's 30 locked up a sixth consecutive week at number one on Billboard's Top Album Sales chart (dated Jan. 8), the publication revealed. It's the first album with six weeks in a row at the top since Adele's own 25 linked together seven straight weeks in the lead six years ago. After just six weeks in release, 30 sold 1.463 million copies in the United States, and easily closed the year as the top-selling album—and the only album to sell at least 1 million copies.
An Asian American activist group is calling for an awards boycott of director Paul Thomas Anderson's Licorice Pizza over its use of a fake Asian accent, NBC News noted. In the film, a white male restaurateur, played by John Michael Higgins, speaks to his Japanese wife with a fake Asian accent—and repeats the gag with another Japanese woman. While the film has garnered overwhelmingly positive reviews and generated a ton of awards buzz, some critics and people on social media blasted it for its depiction of racism without any pushback from its characters.
From Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, King Richard is now available for Premium Digital Ownership—and on Feb. 8, it will be available on 4K, Blu-ray and DVD, per a press release. The film is directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green from a screenplay by Zach Baylin, and stars two-time Oscar nominee Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis, Tony Goldwyn and Jon Bernthal. The movie is based on the lives of Richard Williams (Smith), his wife (Ellis) and two of their children: tennis superstars Venus (Saniyya Sidney) and Serena (Demi Singleton).
Comedian Patton Oswalt simultaneously apologized for and defended his decision to post a photo of himself and his longtime friend Dave Chappelle despite controversy over Chappelle's views on transgender rights and identity in his Netflix special The Closer, per NBC News. Oswalt posted several photos on social media of himself and Chappelle on New Year's Eve, after he had finished a guest set for Chappelle. Oswalt said he admired Chappelle and the two had been friends for 34 years. But, he added, "we also 100% disagree about transgender rights & representation. I support trans peoples' rights—ANYONE'S rights—to live safely in the world as their fullest selves."
Drive My Car won best picture from this year's edition of the National Society of Film Critics, continuing its streak of major prizes from major critics groups, according to Variety. Along with best picture, Drive My Car also won for director, screenplay and best actor for Hidetoshi Nishijima. In addition, the LGBTQ+ animated feature Flee won for best nonfiction film.
Rosario Dawson (Dopesick; Go-Big Show) and Vanessa Hudgens (tick, tick…BOOM!; The Princess Switch) will announce the nominees for the 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Wed., Jan. 12, on Instagram Live, a press release noted. Nominations will kick off with an introduction by SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher. The 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will be simulcast live on TNT and TBS on Sunday, Feb. 27, from The Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California.
Amazon Prime Video won't order a second season of I Know What You Did Last Summer, a modern take on the 1973 Lois Duncan novel and the 1997 film adaptation, per Deadline. The YA horror series, produced by Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures TV, debuted Oct. 15 to mixed reviews with the first four episodes, followed by weekly releases and capped by the Nov. 12 season finale.
Colton Underwood and boyfriend Jordan C. Brown bought a house together one month after they made their relationship official, Us Magazine noted. The duo purchased the $3 million home in December 2021 after they confirmed their romance on Instagram. That same month, Underwood, 29, gushed about his boyfriend, 38, as he reflected on the significance of sharing his journey on the Netflix docuseries Coming Out Colton.
Britney Spears has seemingly given sister Jamie Lynn Spears the boot, as she's no longer following her on the social media platform, Page Six noted. Meanwhile, Jamie Lynn shared a series of pics to highlight 2021 and promote her upcoming memoir, Things I Should Have Said, set to hit stores on Jan. 18. Britney currently follows 46 people, including fiance Sam Asghari, Paris Hilton, Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Madonna and Tinashe, who all vocalized their support for her amid the #FreeBritney movement.
The red-carpet premiere for the fifth film in the Scream franchise— scheduled to take place Tuesday, Jan. 11—has been canceled due to COVID safety concerns, Deadline noted. News of the event's cancellation comes amid a nationwide Covid surge fueled by the spread of the Omicron variant, which recently forced the 2022 Sundance Film Festival to move online and led to the indefinite postponement of the 2022 Grammy Awards.
Amid the surging Omicron variant of COVID-19, The View is back filming in isolation, leaving all four permanent hosts and fill-in Ana Navarro chatting about hot topics from their own homes, according to Decider. The news comes after two of the co-hosts—Whoopi Goldberg and Sunny Hostin—tested positive for COVID-19. And as if all the COVID scares weren't enough, Sara Haines chimed in to share that her husband also tested positive for COVID over the holiday hiatus.Joy Behar took Goldberg's place as moderator last week.
Lizzo celebrated her recent weight gain with a sexy video posted to her Instagram, Page Six noted. "I gained weight," the singer captioned the post, adding proudly, "I look TF [GOOD]." The Grammy winner is seen dancing sensually in her bathroom to the City Girls song "Rodeo" while wearing a brown bodysuit that shows her figure.
The daytime soap General Hospital revealed a plot twist that shocked many: Luke (portrayed by Anthony Geary) was killed (off-screen), Yahoo! Entertainment noted. Geary, who currently resides in Amsterdam, had played Luke on and off since 1978 before retiring in 2015. However, months later—upon winning his eighth Emmy for his work on the ABC soap—Geary, 74, backtracked a bit on the retirement talk, telling EW.com, "If the story is interesting to me and it works out, I may come back to the show for six weeks or so."
The movie Wayne's World will arrive in a limited-edition Blu-ray SteelBook (which includes digital access) on Feb. 1, just in time for the film's 30th anniversary, a press release noted. Originally released Feb. 14, 1992, Wayne's World marked the feature film debut of Wayne and Garth, the wildly popular characters originated by Mike Myers and Dana Carvey on Saturday Night Live.
A judge dismissed a lawsuit alleging that Nirvana's naked-baby artwork for the album Nevermind constitutes child sexual exploitation, as Pitchfork confirmed a BBC report. The baby in question, Spencer Elden, 30, claimed he suffered "lifelong damages," including loss of wages, as a result of the album cover, and described the enterprise as a "sex-trafficking venture." Elden has until Thursday, Jan. 13, to refile the case with appropriate changes.
Miley Cyrus gave viewers a late-night New Year's Eve surprise when a wardrobe malfunction caused her bare breasts to make an appearance on stage mere moments after midnight, Decider noted. After ringing in the New Year on her NBC New Year's Eve special co-hosted by Pete Davidson, titled Miley's New Year's Eve Party, the singer lost her top during a performance of her hit song "Party in the U.S.A.," sending her backstage to quickly improvise and throw on a red blazer—all while continuing to perform.
Speaking of Cyrus, Kim Kardashian seemingly unfollowed her on Instagram following the singer's live New Year's Eve special with Pete Davidson, Page Six noted. Kardashian was following the "Wrecking Ball" artist's IG account on Dec. 10—the same day Page Six reported that Cyrus went to Davidson's condo after their Tonight Show appearance—but, as of Jan. 4, the Skims founder was no longer listed as one of her followers.
Demi Lovato completed another stint in rehab, Page Six noted. Lovato returned to Utah for treatment but is now back home and "doing well." Lovato's return to rehab came after they told fans that being "California sober"—imbibing alcohol and smoking pot—would no longer work for them. Despite suffering a near-fatal overdose in 2018, the singer said they didn't want to be completely sober following their recovery and subsequent rehab stay.
After sitting on the market for several months, former The Real Housewives of New York co-star Bethenny Frankel pulled her multi-million apartment and relisted it with a new agent, Showbiz Cheat Sheet noted. She previously gave the listing to Ryan Serhant, from Million Dollar Listing New York, but the apartment—initially listed at $6.995 million—never sold. Douglas Elliman agent Noble Black scored Frankel's listing; the 4,000-square-foot place is now $6.95 million.
Actor and frequent Adam Sandler collaborator Peter Dante had a meltdown when an L.A. restaurant denied him service for not wearing a mask, TMZ noted. He was trying to get a table at Quarters Korean BBQ but was told he wouldn't be served. Dante was arrested last September after allegedly threatening to kill his neighbor over construction noise.
