GLAAD announced exclusively that out Latin dancer Ezra Sosa will be joining Dancing with the Stars’ (DWTS’) season 33 as a pro, a press release noted. He will be the first Latin dance pro to be featured on DWTS in more than a decade. Sosa joined DWTS in 2021 and has been a part of the troupe until now, when he will be making his debut as an official pro and paired with a celebrity partner who is still to be announced. In the exclusive interview with GLAAD, Sosa said, “It hasn’t hit me yet! When I got the call, I honestly was in a state of shock from the news … but I think the moment I do meet my [celebrity] partner and the moment I step in the ballroom, that’s when I’ll be like, “this is actually happening right now!”
And speaking of Dancing with the Stars, the all-new celebrity contestants have been revealed, per a press release. Ezra Sosa has been paired with notorious con artist Anna Delvey (Sorokin), while some of the other stars include Super Bowl champion Danny Amendola, Olympic rugby player Ilona Maher, Olympic gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik, TV actress Tori Spelling, reality TV’s Phaedra Parks, NBA champion Dwight Howard and actor Reginald VelJohnson (TV’s Family Matters), while Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough return as judges. The new season will premiere Tuesday, Sept. 17, on ABC and Disney+, and will be available the next day on Hulu.
Queer actor/reality-TV figure Nyle DiMarco talked about his time on America’s Next Top Model, which he won in 2015—making history in the process as the first deaf contestant to win, People noted. “It was challenging and exhilarating at the same time,” DiMarco said of his time on the series. “I had to push myself out of my comfort zone and adapt to situations that I had never faced before.” Among other things, he revealed that during a challenge in which the contestants had to pose in pitch-black conditions, production would “bang on a box to create vibrations” and on the third “bang,” DiMarco would strike a pose: “It was tricky, but the photographer and I laughed the entire time.” After winning, DiMarco believed opportunities would come “easily”; however, to his surprise, he quickly realized he was “mistaken” because directors and producers “simply weren’t familiar with my world,” he said. DiMarco also said that he and host Tyra Banks “still keep in touch from time to time.”
Three celebrated athletes—Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe and Nastia Liukin—will join TheWrap’s annual business conference, TheGrill 2024, on Oct. 8 at The DGA Theater to discuss their incredible transformations from sports champions to successful entrepreneurs, a release noted. These three women will share their insights on a special panel at TheGrill titled “Second Half Champions: Women Redefining Success in Sports and Business,” presented by City National Bank. Life partners Bird and Rapinoe have gotten into the entertainment game as TV producers; under their production banner, A Touch More, they’ve teamed with independent TV studio Future Shack Entertainment to develop Cleat Cute, the best-selling queer romance novel from author Meryl Wilsner.
Rapper NLE Choppa continues to be an ally of the LGBTQ+ community, Blavity noted. The rapper—who received homophobic responses in June when he said he wanted to perform his song “Slut Me Out 2” at a Pride event, and who recently appeared at Atlanta Black Pride—said, “You’re supposed to approach everything in life with love no matter if you live the same way or you don’t. … I support you in whatever you do because I know how it feels to not be supported when you’re just doing what you feel is best for you.” He said of homophobia, “It’s just like racism.”
On the flip side, Nicki Minaj’s husband, Kenneth Petty, was slammed online after he used a gay slur during a joint TikTok Live event, per Page Six. “Don’t you let anybody or anything steal your mother f—king joy,” the “Barbie World” rapper said—and then Petty said with a smile, “That’s right, especially little f–s or f–k boys.” “This is the second time he has said this around her and she didn’t correct him. Her fandom is mostly gay men smh,” wrote one user. Fans also attacked Petty’s troubled past, with one writing, “He ain’t complaining when the same gays are paying his court fees and funding his [wife’s] lifestyle.”
Out gay director/producer Lee Daniels talked with Variety about helming his horror movie The Deliverance, which is now on Netflix. Regarding Glenn Close, who plays Andra Day’s mother in the exorcism movie, Daniels said, “There is a sense of body positivity that she had been unaware of because of the tropes of Hollywood, and there was a freedom she said she felt.” Also, Close’s character has “Black kids, she only dates Black men and she’s beloved by the community, for the most part.” Daniels—who said that he doesn’t plan to direct another horror movie again—added, “I had a deliverer on set the whole time, someone who actually did this for a living. Also, it was really to help Aunjanue [Ellis-Taylor, who plays a deliverer] with her work, but also to protect us from the set.”
Judas Priest’s Rob Halford opened up to Fugues about offering guidance to fellow LGBTQ+ musicians, according to Louder. Talking about offering advice, Halford said, “Yes, that has happened, but I won’t name names because everyone comes out when it’s their time. As we all know, set yourself free. It’s such a difficult thing for us to do, even now in 2024 because we still have this ongoing challenge of hate and bigotry and intolerance and divisiveness.
Lady Gaga announced that she will release the first single from her forthcoming seventh studio album in October, Variety reported. Gaga—who arrived in Venice ahead of the premiere of the film Joker :Folie et Deux—teased the news in a new Instagram post. She posted a photo of her Venice schedule for the week; for October, Gaga marked “XX October: LG7 first single.” A rep tells Variety that “Die With a Smile”—a new duet with Bruno Mars—will not be included on the new album.
The distributor A24 has taken on Luca Guadagnino’s next movie Queer, starring Daniel Craig, Deadline noted. Queer is getting its world premiere at Venice Film Festival with a North American debut at TIFF. In the movie, Guadagnino re-created a multi-colored Mexico in the heart of the legendary Rome, Italy studio Cinecitta. The movie also stars Drew Starkey, Academy Award nominee Lesley Manville, Jason Schwartzman, Andra Ursuta, Michael Borremans, Omar Apollo and David Lowery. Set in 1950s Mexico City, Queer follows William Lee (played by Craig), an American expat who leads a solitary life amidst a small American community—until Eugene Allerton (Starkey) arrives.
Out British acting icon Sir Ian McKellen revealed that he’s been approached about coming back to his beloved role as J.R.R. Tolkien’s wizard Gandalf in the new Lord of the Rings films, according to Deadline. McKellen told The Big Issue, “Enthusiasm for The Lord of the Rings shows no sign of abating. … I can’t tell you any more than that. I’ve just been told there are going to be more films and Gandalf will be involved and they hope that I’ll be playing him.” In a separate interview with BBC Breakfast, McKellen, 85, said he had no plans to retire from acting.
Tony winners Neil Patrick Harris and Jane Krakowski have joined the already star-loaded cast of MCC Theater’s upcoming world premiere of Robert O’Hara’s Shit. Meet. Fan, Playbill noted. O’Hara is directing his own work, based on the film Perfect Strangers, with performances set to begin Oct. 10 at the Off-Broadway company ahead of an Oct. 28 opening night. Harris and Krakowski join previously announced cast members Garret Dillahunt (Hand of God), Genevieve Hannelius (Along for the Ride), Tony nominee Billy Magnussen (Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike), Emmy winner Debra Messing (Will and Grace), Tramell Tillman (Good Night, Oscar), and Golden Globe nominee Constance Wu (Crazy Rich Asians).
Oprah Winfrey will host AI and the Future of Us: An Oprah Winfrey Special on Sept. 12 on ABC (available the next day on Hulu), per a press release. Winfrey will interview, among others, Microsoft Co-Founder and Gates Foundation Chair Bill Gates, who will lay out the AI revolution coming in science, health and education; and openly gay Open AI CEO Sam Altman, who will explain how AI works in layman’s terms and discuss the immense personal responsibility that AI executives bear. Also, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Marilynne Robinson will reflect on AI’s threat to human values and the ways in which humans might resist the convenience of AI.
Orville Peck teamed with Grammy-nominated duo Sofi Tukker for a new remix of his dance collaboration with Kylie Minogue and Diplo, “Midnight Ride,” per a press release. “Midnight Ride” premiered during Minogue’s headline set at OUTLOUD Festival at WeHo Pride in June, where Peck was a surprise guest.
The legendary Stevie Wonder shared his new song “Can We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart,” out now via Republic Records, a press release announced. It marks his first solo release since 2020. On the track, Wonder calls for unity embodied in lyrics as he asks, “Can we fix our nation’s broken heart? Are we brave enough to try?” Wonder has won 25 Grammy Awards, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, a Golden Globe and an Academy Award; his iconic album Songs In The Key of Life is archived in the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress.
Embattled actor/musician Jussie Smollett—who was convicted of lying to the police about being the victim of a homophobic and racist hate crime that he staged in 2019—attended a screening of his latest film, The Lost Holliday, in a packed auditorium of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, The Washington Blade noted. In a pre-screening interview with the Blade, he continued to assert his innocence and responded to concerns within the LGBTQ+ community that his case has discouraged real victims from reporting hate crimes. In the film, Smollett plays Jason Holliday, a man grappling with the sudden death of husband Damien (Jabari Redd). Things get complicated when Damien’s estranged mother, Cassandra Marshall (played by Vivica A. Fox), arrives in Los Angeles from Detroit for the funeral, unaware of Damien’s marriage to Jason or of their adopted daughter.
Beau DeMayo—the openly gay creator/executive producer of the Marvel Animation series X-Men ’97—accused Marvel and Disney of “egregious prejudicial misconduct” in a 30-minute video he posted to his OnlyFans profile, Variety reported. Marvel fired DeMayo on the eve of series premiere on Disney+ in March; however, the studio declined to comment on the reasons for his removal until August, following an accusation from DeMayo that he was stripped his credits for season two of the show after he posted fan art of himself shirtless as the X-Men character Cyclops in June for Pride Month. A source with knowledge of that investigation told Variety, among other things, that DeMayo was fired for sexual misconduct and that his credits were stripped because he violated his termination agreement. “These allegations of egregious misconduct are false,” DeMayo says in the video; he also contends that as a gay, Black man, he was “weaponized by Marvel execs and select crew members to undermine me” and that those execs use “the same dog-whistling stereotypes favored by bigots for decades.”
The Los Angeles medical examiner’s full report, which NBC News obtained, showed that Richard Simmons’ cause of death as “sequelae of blunt traumatic injuries” due to a “ground-level fall,” AOL noted. (Sequelae means after-effects.) It also shared that a significant condition of his death was arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, where the blood vessels carrying oxygen away from the heart become damaged. A statement shared with Today.com noted, “The Coroner informed Lenny that Richard’s death was accidental due to complications from recent falls and heart disease as a contributing factor. The toxicology report was negative other than medication Richard had been prescribed. The family wishes to thank everyone for their outpouring of love and support during this time of great loss.” Simmons died in July at age 76.
Center Stage Records announced the release of Lea Salonga: Sounding Joy—The Holiday Album, her first holiday album in two decades, per a press release. The Tony winner and Disney legend’s new album will be available digitally and on CD on Nov. 1 with classic Christmas standards, new original songs and a duet with American Idol alum Clay Aiken (on the song “Angels We Have Heard (Glory Be)”). A December mini-tour to support the album will hit San Francisco; San Diego; Northridge, California; and NYC.
Hulu has renewed Only Murders in the Building for a fifth season, Variety noted. As with past seasons, season five of the popular mystery comedy series starring Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short will consist of 10 episodes. News of the renewal came a little more than a week after the debut of season four. In the new season, the main trio (Martin, Short and Gomez) take a whirlwind trip to Los Angeles when a movie studio wants to turn their podcast into a film, while also trying to solve the murder of Sazz Pataki (Jane Lynch), the former stunt double of Martin’s character. Meryl Streep, Eugene Levy, Zach Galifianakis, Eva Longoria, Richard Kind, Melissa McCarthy, Kumail Nanjiani, and Molly Shannon are among the season four cast members.
In Ryan Murphy’s American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez, actor Josh Rivera is taking center stage, Instinct noted. In an interview with Men’s Health, he discussed how he prepared to play footballer and convicted murderer Aaron Hernandez, saying, “Before we started, I was about 185 pounds… Now, I’m about 215. And that’s after I’ve been trying to lose weight since we finished shooting. The show hooked me up with a trainer—I still work with him. And I just had to eat a lot. … I just worked out every day and ate a metric ton.” American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez will debut Sept. 17 on FX/Hulu.
Singer/entrepreneur Rihanna was unveiled as the face of J’Adore Fragrance by Dior in a short film directed by Steven Klein, Billboard noted. She replaces longtime spokeswoman Charlize Theron. Set to the tune of Rihanna’s 2016 hit “Love on the Brain,” the minute-long visual finds the superstar gracing the halls of the Palace of Versailles in France and donning a gorgeous sparkly golden gown before seemingly walking on water in heels. “Your dreams—make them real,” Rihanna says into the camera at the end of the short film.
Fire Island actor Joel Kim Booster got engaged to partner John-Michael Sudsina while vacationing in Jeju Island, South Korea, People noted. On Aug. 31, Booster shared a photo on X (formerly Twitter) of himself proposing to Sudsina with the sweet caption: “Vacation boyfriend —-> Vacation husband. Try to be normal about this.” Several celebrities offered their congratulations in the comments, including Amber Ruffin, who wrote, “Congrats to the magazine that gets to profile the wedding.” In a June appearance on Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s Dinner’s on Me podcast, Booster said that he and Sudsina met in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, which he called “gay Disneyland.”
Out British actor Rupert Everett confirmed to Tatler that he secretly married his long-time partner—a Brazilian accountant called Henrique, according to Out. The low-key wedding took place at the Camden Town Hall and was followed by lunch at the actor’s favorite restaurant. “I have always hated weddings, although I do love funerals,” Everett said. “But when you get older… I have seen so many problems that gay couples face, so it’s really more about forward thinking, as we have been together for a long time now.” In a 2012 interview with The Guardian, the My Best Friend’s Wedding actor said, “I loathe heterosexual weddings; I would never go to a wedding in my life. … And in the homosexual world, I find it personally beyond tragic that we want to ape this institution that is so clearly a disaster.”
Hozier, Dave Matthews Band, Better Than Ezra, NEEDTOBREATHE and Noah Kahan are among the headliners for the 10th anniversary of the Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival that’s taking place Sept. 28-29 in Franklin, Tennessee, per a press release. The festival is produced by Better Than Ezra front man Kevin Griffin, W. Brandt Wood and Michael Whelan. The event is a music and cultural festival, highlighting area creators of all kinds, including chefs, artisans, jewelers, brewers and more.
Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan are still involved in a divorce-related legal battle over profits from Magic Mike, according to People. Dewan has alleged in court filings that Tatum, 44, is “attempting to blur the lines” around Magic Mike intellectual property; however, Tatum’s legal team has previously said he has never hidden finances or denied Dewan “her share of the community assets or income.” Magic Mike began with the 2012 movie that Tatum starred in and produced, and has since spawned several sequels, a reality show and a popular Las Vegas attraction.
The LGBTQ+-inclusive Netflix series Dead Boy Detectives, based on author Neil Gaiman’s comic-book series, has been axed just weeks after the author faced sexual-abuse claims, according to NME, citing Variety. Gaiman strongly denied any accusation of non-consensual sex and later responded to the publication Tortoise, saying, “New Zealand police did not take up his offer of assistance over one woman’s complaint in 2022,” something he said reflects its lack of substance. Despite receiving praise from fans and receiving a 92% Rotten Tomatoes score and reaching number three in Nielsen’s US charts, its viewing success was short lived and didn’t reach the same heights as The Sandman, another Gaiman-associated project that has been renewed for a new season.