Lady Gaga has already made a big impression, as evidenced by being #4 on Forbes’ Celebrity 100 list. Oprah Winfrey topped the list, followed by singer Beyoncé, film director James Cameron (Avatar) and Gaga. Tiger Woods, Britney Spears, U2, Sandra Bullock, Johnny Depp and Madonna rounded out the top 10. Others on the list include Taylor Swift (#12), Angelina Jolie (#18), Ellen DeGeneres (#23), Tyler Perry (#25), Ryan Seacrest (#44) and Tom Cruise (#56).
Actor Gregory Michael—known to LGBT TV audiences for his role as Charlie David’s lover on the here! show Dante’s Cove—is in the middle of the breakup that has occurred between The Bachelor’s Jake Pavelka and fiance Vienna Girardi. According to Examiner.com, during Pavelka and Girardi’s reunion interview that aired July 5, she called Pavelka a “fame whore” and a “liar,” and denied having an affair with Michael, who is currently on the TV show Greek.
DC Comics has published the hardcover book Batwoman:Elegy, featuring the lesbian superheroine (a.k.a. Kate Kane) —and a foreword by Rachel Maddow. Among other characters in the book are Kane’s ex-girlfriend, policewoman Renee Montoya, and villain Alice, who spouts lines from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. In reviewing the book, Wired.com stated that Batwoman:Elegy “is a promising, powerful and often psychedelic phenomenon in a sexualized superhero landscape dominated by men in tights.”
Kelsey Grammer—currently starring in Broadway’s La Cage aux Folles—is divorcing his third wife, Camille, according to the Los Angeles Times. Camille, who is one of the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” wants primary custody of their two children as well as child and spousal support. The Grammers married in 1997.
The Today Show’s “Modern Love” wedding competition will not include same-sex couples, according to an Advocate.com item. GLAAD submitted a request to the show asking that the program change the application wording because the only options were “bride” and “groom”—and the request was denied. A show spokesperson said that, “For the TODAY show wedding, the couple must be able to be legally married in New York, which is where the wedding will take place.” GLAAD has now issued a call to action; see www.GLAAD.org.
In an interview with The Advocate, legendary comic Joan Rivers said that gay actors should only come out of the closet for publicity, according to NBCLosAngeles.com. At one point, she said, “If you’re going to be a romantic idol and try to get every teenage girl to love you, then you’d be an a– to come out and say you’re gay. That’s why Ricky Martin was so smart—he did what he did, he made his millions, and then he said, “Guess what, everybody? I’m gay, I’m having this life, and here are my children.” Rivers also outed iconic actor Cary Grant during the interview, saying, “If everyone had known that Cary Grant was gay, he wouldn’t have been the great romantic idol, and that would’ve been the end of his career.”
Singer and gay icon Taylor Dayne will perform a new song to benefit Gay Games 2010 during the games’ opening ceremony July 31 in Cologne, Germany, On Top Magazine reported. “My gay audience and followers are the most loyal and the most fun to perform for,” said Dayne, who recently performed at Chicago Pride Fest. A panel selected “Facing a Miracle” as the song Dayne will perform at the Games, which will run through Aug. 7.
Chaz Bono, the son of Cher and Sonny Bono, will attend the 20th annual Southern Comfort Conference in Atlanta, Ga., according to TheGaVoice.com. The conference, running Sept. 6-12, focuses on the transgender community, with seminars, forums and parties. Bono—who came out as a lesbian in 1987 to his parents (when he was Chastity) and then publicly in The Advocate in 1995—finished his gender transition earlier this year.
Project Runway alumni Santino Rice and Austin Scarlett are collaborating on a new show, People.com reported. On the Road with Austin & Santino will premiere July 29 after Project Runway’s season eight premiere, and will follow the duo as they travel around small towns in the United States while they help women’s sartorial dreams come true. The series will run for 14 episodes.
Singer Melissa Etheridge is formally ending her relationship with Tammy Lynn Michaels, according to People.com. Etheridge, 49, filed a petition for dissolution of domestic partnership in Los Angeles County Superior Court. She cited irreconcilable differences, and asked the court to not provide Michaels with financial support. Etheridge is also petitioning for joint custody of the couple’s 3-year-old twins, Johnnie and Miller. According to her blog, Hollywood Farm Girl, the filing surprised Michaels, who wrote “SMACK!!!!!!!!!!!! … FILE FOR DIVORCE!!!!!! … even though we both promised … agreed … handshook … pinkyswore … no filing until after tour … in the fall … her broken promises told to me by headlines”
As if we needed more proof of Lady Gaga’s popularity, she has become the first living individual to have 10 million followers on Facebook, according to CNN.com. The “Bad Romance” singer had been in a virtual tie with President Obama for the most fans, but has surpassed the chief executive.
Oscar-winning actor Javier Barden (No Country for Old Men) will appear on the small screen, as he is slated to guest-star on the TV series Glee next season as a rock star who befriends wheelchair-bound Artie (played by Kevin McHale), according to EW.com. Bardem suggested the idea to Glee producer Ryan Murphy; Bardem and Murphy worked together on the Julia Roberts movie Eat Pray Love.
Singer George Michael is in trouble with the law again after being arrested for crashing his Range Rover into a London, England, store July 4, Popeater.com reported. Michael, 47, was not subjected to a breathalyzer test at the scene but was taken to a local police station. He was released on bail until next month. In 2007, he pled guilty to driving while under the influence of drugs. Advocate.com reported that Michael has apologized for “screwing up again” and promised “I’ll sort myself out.”
Martina Navratilova, who just finished radiation treatment after being diagnosed with breast cancer, has won yet another title at the Wimbledon tennis tournament, according to Advocate.com. She teamed up with Jana Novotna to beat Tracy Austin and Kathy Rinaldi-Stunkel 7-5, 6-0 in the ladies’ doubles final. Navratilova won nine singles titles and was present (along with Billie Jean King) when Serena Williams won July 3.
The waitress who punched Lindsay Lohan in the face on the starlet’s 24th birthday will probably be fired, according to TMZ.com. The waitress punched Lohan at the nightspot Voyeur after spotting the actress with the employee’s ex, rugby player Danny Cipriani. Voyeur is the same (erotic) club that hosted a group of Republican National Committee donors in February, with a now-fired staff member allowing the individuals to purchase almost $2,000 in alcohol.
The resurrected Lilith Fair tour has canceled 10 shows between July 12 and Aug. 16, according to Advocate.com. The shows are in Salt Lake City, Montreal, Raleigh, Charlotte, West Palm Beach, Tampa, Birmingham, Austin, Houston and Dallas. Lilith co-founder Terry McBride said, “We are in the midst of one of the most challenging summer concert seasons with many tours being cancelled outright. … Lilith remains the only tour of its kind, and we are confident that fans will be amazed by what each date has to offer.” Lilith, the only touring festival with an all-female line-up, opened in Calgary June 27 with more than 9,000 people attending.
True Blood actor Nelsan Ellis, who plays the gay cook Lafayette, told Vibe magazine that he supports same-sex marriage, according to Advocate.com. Ellis, who is heterosexual, said that when people mistake him for Lafayette, he takes it as a compliment to his acting. Regarding marriage equality, he said, “I support it. I think anybody should — I mean, I have my religious views but I don’t choose to oppress them on anybody. I think in this country, anybody can do whatever they want to do as long as it’s not hurting anybody else or violating the laws of society.”
Lindsay Lohan is going to jail. Beverly Hills Judge Marsha Revel ruled July 6 that Lohan violated her probation by failing to attend alcohol-education classes in a drunk-driving case, according to the L.A. Times, and sentenced the actress to 90 days in jail. In addition, Revel criticized program operator Cheryl Marshall for not reporting Lohan’s absences to the court before the actress had her bail revoked when the alarm on her SCRAM alcohol monitoring device went off June 6. Lohan broke down as the sentence was delivered.