Iconic film director Martin Scorsese is a huge fan of the trans thriller I Saw The TV Glow, calling it “emotionally and psychologically powerful,” according to PinkNews. The film, released in May, follows teenagers Owen and Maddy, who share a connection through a TV show as they begin to question their reality and identities. Asked by Associated Press critic Jake Coyle if he had seen any films lately that he had liked, Scorsese responded, “There was one I saw two weeks ago called I Saw the TV Glow. It really was emotionally and psychologically powerful and very moving.
RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Lala Ri opened up to Entertainment Weekly about deciding to quit drag. Ri that he no longer feels attached to the glamour of the Main Stage—but he’s looking forward to re-establishing himself in a new spotlight as a singer, performer and fashion-forward entertainer. In part, Ri said, “I’m removing myself from the drag character. I’m basically removing the drag essence. I feel like drag places us in a box as artists and entertainers, and sometimes in drag you’re limited to what you can do artistically.” He also said, “I never had an issue with people calling me he/him in drag. I actually had an issue with people calling me she/her. Drag was just a work uniform and a costume, I didn’t want it to define me as a gender identity.”
Ahead of Queer’s theatrical release on Nov. 27, Omar Apollo released the song and video for “Te Maldigo” (“I Curse You”), per a press release. The song was written for the film and is accompanied by a music video directed by film director Luca Guadagnino, where Apollo can be seen in character performing the song. Produced by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who composed the score for the film, “Te Maldigo” is Apolloi’s first song entirely in Spanish since 2022’s “En El Olvido.” The song is the first single from Apollo following the release of his critically acclaimed sophomore album, God Said No, this past May.
And speaking of Queer, star Daniel Craig and director Luca Guadagnino are getting back together for Sgt. Rock at James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Studios, per Deadline. This film is poised to be Guadagnino’s next directing job before Lionsgate’s American Psycho reboot. Queer is the second movie by Guadagnino released this year following his biggest box-office success, the Zendaya starrer Challengers.
Ellen DeGeneres and wife Portia de Rossi have moved to England, put their California estate on the market and plan to never return to the United States—telling friends the election of Donald Trump was their primary motivation, The Wrap revealed. However, the media outlet noted that a fresh start couldn’t hurt, as DeGeneres has been open about being “kicked out of show business” after reports of toxic workplace behavior at the syndicated Ellen show in 2022. DeGeneres has already moved to the Cotswolds, a rural area in south-central England, a source said, adding that the comedian’s Montecito mansion, about 90 minutes north of Los Angeles, has been listed or will be. DeGeneres recently released For Your Approval, a stand-up show she produced with Netflix.
Denzel Washington said that a “full-on” gay “kiss of death” he filmed for Gladiator II did not make the final cut—but director Ridley Scott said the kiss may not have happened at all, according to Variety. “No, that’s bullshit,” said Scott at the movie’s premiere in Hollywood. He later added, “They never did. They acted the moment—it didn’t happen.” Washington’s remarks comes on the heels of news that a forehead kiss Paul Mescal shared with co-star Pedro Pascal in a scene from the film also didn’t make the final cut, although director Ridley Scott told Cinema Blend he wasn’t sure why he cut the moment..
Talking with fellow actor Penn Badgley on the Podcrushed podcast, British actor Eddie Redmayne reflected on some of his more controversial roles, including in the musical Cabaret and drama The Danish Girl (for which he was nominated for an Oscar), per The Independent. The Danish Girl was criticized for casting Redmayne, a cisgender man, as Lili Elbe—one of the first known trans people to have gender-affirming surgery—and he has said that he “wouldn’t take it” if offered the role today. Regarding playing Emcee in Cabaret, Redmayne said that he understood the debate about him taking an “iconically queer role,” adding, “I also think that that character is descriptionless and deserves any form of interpretation.” Redmayne also said that Emcee isn’t necessarily a queer role but has been portrayed that way in the past.
On Nov. 15, Dolly Parton’s brother David Wilburn Parton passed away at the age of 82, per Yahoo! Entertainment. Another sibling, Stella Parton, announced David’s death via social media. “It’s never easy to say goodbye to a loved one but he got his angel wings and is now at peace,” Stella posted. (Dolly had yet to speak publicly about David’s passing.) David was one of the 12 Parton siblings.
Also regarding Dolly Parton, the Nashville Public Library Foundation has announced a $4.5 million gift from entertainer Dolly Parton’s Dollywood Foundation in support of the library’s new early literacy program, according to Philanthropy News Digest. The Begin Bright early literacy program works to ensure that children start kindergarten “reading ready” by combining Parton’s Imagination Library with training from the library and resources for parents and childcare providers. The foundation’s goal is to raise $20 million for Begin Bright’s implementation and build an endowment that sustains the program; the library will roll out the program next spring.
Cher reveals in her new self-titled memoir that then-husband Sonny Bono financially deceived her, The Daily Beast wrote. “He took all my money,” she told The New York Times in an interview about the book. Cher was 16 when she first met 27-year-old Bono, according to the Times; the pair eventually became a couple and they married in 1964—and divorced in 1975. She also talks about other life matters, including how she still works with her 96-year-old voice teacher. The second half of the memoir is slated to be published next year.
Sir Elton John revealed the details of his new diet after health scares left him unable to eat many of the things he’s enjoyed in life, according to The Independent. In September, the 77-year-old star said he had been left with “limited vision” after a severe eye infection; last month the “I’m Still Standing” singer said “there’s not much of me left” after having his prostate, appendix, adenoids and tonsils removed. “I can have an apple, I can eat a bit of melon,” he shared on the Ruthie’s Table podcast. “As long as you’re sensible about it, it doesn’t shoot your blood sugar up. But what I crave is chocolate and ice cream, I can’t have any ice cream.” The documentary Elton John: Never Too Late is set to arrive on Disney+ on Dec. 13.
Laura Jane Grace & the Mississippi Medicals—the brand new rock quartet fronted by trans musician Grace and featuring Matt Patton of Drive-By Truckers (bass), Mikey Erg of The Ergs (drums) and Paris Campbell Grace (vocals, percussion)—will embark on a spring 2025 tour, per a press release. Kicking off Tuesday, April 1 at Off Broadway in St. Louis, the tour will take in 22 evenings across the Midwest and West Coast, culminating in an appearance at Amsterdam Bar & Hall in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on Wed., April 30. (Some of the other stops will include Denver, Phoenix, Los Angeles and Portland.)
Beyoncé will perform during the Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens game live on Netflix on Christmas Day, delivering the first live performances of her Cowboy Carter album, per Variety. Taking place in Beyoncé‘s hometown, the Houston Texans will host the Baltimore Ravens at NRG Stadium. Beyoncé is the most nominated act at the 2025 Grammy Awards, racking up 11 nominations for her “Cowboy Carter” album and its attendant singles; she now has a record 99 Grammy nominations total.
The ABC series Doctor Odyssey, set aboard a cruise ship, recently aired an LGBTQ+-centered episode as the ship celebrated Gay Week with events like “Daddies Only Cardio Class” and “Werk Mama,” The Daily Beast noted. John Stamos played Craig, the brother of the ship’s captain (played by Don Johnson)—and it turned out that Stamos’ character is in a throuple with characters portrayed by queer actors Cheyenne Jackson and Johnny Sibilly. The queerness is increased with the introduction of Marsha (played by RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Bob the Drag Queen), who’s been hired as a surprise for Craig.
Wicked held a New York premiere of the new film adaptation at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Playbill noted. Hosted by Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour, attendees included the film’s stars, composer Stephen Schwartz, and Broadway figures such as Kristin Chenoweth, Lea Michelle, Micaela Diamond, Alex Newell and more. On the red carpet, original cast member Chenoweth (who played Glinda onstage) said, “I was hoping I’d be alive to see it. I didn’t know that I would be! I didn’t know if they’d make the movie.” Wicked, Part One will be widely released in theaters on Nov. 22, with the second part of the film due Nov. 21, 2025.
Out country singer Brian Falduto—who first gained fame playing the role of Fancy Pants in the Jack Black film School of Rock—is about to release his first Christmas song, per a press release. The song, “Christmas Solo,” is described as a “playful, country-pop tune [that] shines a spotlight on those who find themselves alone during the holidays, reframing solo time as an opportunity for self-love and celebration.” “Christmas Solo” will be available on all streaming platforms on Dec. 2, with the lyric video out on YouTube the following day.
The Golden Globes announced Viola Davis as the 2025 Cecil B. DeMille Honoree, per The Wrap. The award was created in 1952 in honor of the legendary director and has been given to 69 past honorees, including Sidney Poitier, Robert Redford, Oprah Winfrey and Barbra Streisand. Davis—who earned her first Golden Globe award for Best Supporting Actress in the film adaptation of Fences opposite fellow DeMille honoree Denzel Washington—will be honored at a gala dinner at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 3, 2025; the 87th Golden Globes ceremony will air live on CBS on Jan. 5.
Emmy winner Zendaya will receive the Gotham Awards’ Spotlight Tribute at the 34th edition next month for her performance as Tashi Donaldson in the Luca Guadagnino-directed film Challengers, Deadline noted. The honor was created by the indie-centric Gotham Film & Media Institute “to recognize phenomenal efforts by individuals in film and television who captivated global audiences with the biggest projects of the year.” She won the Emmy for Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her performance in HBO and A24’s second season of Euphoria.
In celebration of her Las Vegas residency show “Reflection: The Las Vegas Residency,” eight-time Grammy winner Carrie Underwood will showcase her career in a concert special coming exclusively to Hulu in January, a press release noted. Carrie Underwood: Reflection will give audiences a front-row seat at the show Underwood has performed during her three-year plus run at Resorts World Theatre at Resorts World Las Vegas. Underwood recently announced that she will conclude her run as the venue’s first and longest-running headliner on April 12, 2025.
Following her critically acclaimed turn as legendary opera singer Maria Callas in Pablo Larraín’s Maria, Angelina Jolie will return to Paris to star in Alice Winocour‘s English-language directorial debut, Stitches, Variety noted. Jolie stars in the movie as a filmmaker and is one of three women whose lives will collide during Paris Fashion Week. The film will shoot in both French and English, in line with Winocour’s previous movie, Proxima, which stars Eva Green as an astronaut preparing for a year-long stint on the International Space Station, coping with the guilt of leaving her young daughter and navigating a male-dominated environment.
Tammy Faye—the Elton John/Jake Shears musical about televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker that opened last week to negative reviews—will close on Dec. 8, less than a month after its official Nov. 14 opening, Deadline noted. Deadline’s own headline of the review read, “Tammy Faye: Unanswered Prayers” while Variety stated, in part, “It takes more than a holy spirit and revivalist verve to make Tammy Faye divinely suited for musical theater. It would take a creative team knowing what their show wants to be: a campy hoot, a stinging indictment, an anguished melodrama, a witty satire, a revealing biography? The new Broadway musical Tammy Faye touches on all of these points of view but lands on none with any sense of confidence, consistency or purpose. It’s as messy as Tammy’s mascara.”
Off-Broadway’s The Big Gay Jamboree will play its final performance at the Orpheum Theatre on Dec. 15, per Playbill. The musical began previews Sept. 14 and officially opened Oct. 6. Marla Mindelle co-wrote the book of The Big Gay Jamboree with Jonathan Parks-Ramage and co-wrote the score with Philip Drennen; Mindelle also stars as Stacey, a woman who wakes up after a night of heavy drinking and finds herself trapped in an off-Broadway Golden Age musical.
UK singer Morrissey’s Dallas concert got crazy on Nov. 2 when an unexpected rush of fans forced the singer to abruptly cancel his show, Billboard noted. Morrissey was performing “First of the Gang to Die” as an encore to the crowd when a single fan managed to get onstage to embrace him. While the singer initially appeared unfazed, security guided the fan away. Then, others rushed the stage and security struggled to control the crowd. However, past Morrissey concerts have ended for other reasons; in 2009, he famously left the stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival due to the smell of burning meat from nearby food vendors.
Also regarding Morrissey, he recently said at a New Jersey show that he is being prevented from releasing new music due to a war on “free speech,” per NME. “As you know, nobody will release my music anymore,” he said, according to APP. “As you know because I’m a chief exponent of free speech. In England at least, it’s now criminalized. You cannot speak freely in England. If you don’t believe me, go there. Express an opinion, you’ll be sent to prison. It’s very, very difficult.” While he did not explicitly say what the comments were about, it’s possible he was referring to the currently unreleased album Bonfire of the Teenagers; he recorded the album between 2020 and 2021, although it has remained shelved by Capitol Records.
America’s Next Top Model alum Sarah Hartshorne said on Vice TV’s Dark Side of Reality TV docuseries that people had to compete in extremely cramped conditions, according to EW. “They filed between 100 and 200 girls into this ballroom, and they cram us along a wall in a single-file line. The thing they kept repeating and kept saying was, ‘Nose to the back of the head, nose to the back of the head. Your nose should be touching the head of the girl in front of you,” Hartshorne said. In addition to Hartshorne, the Dark Side of Reality TV‘s season finale features interviews with supermodel, former ANTM judge and regular series critic Janice Dickinson; former shoot director Andrew Patterson; cycle 5 model and eventual cycle 17 winner Lisa D’Amato; cycle 14 contestant and cycle 17 finalist Angelea Preston; and cycle 24 runner-up Jeana Turner.
NBA player LaMelo Bell—a player with the Charlotte Hornets and the brother of Chicago Bulls player Lonzo Ball—was fined $100,000 for using what the NBA called “an offensive and derogatory comment” following his team’s recent win over the Milwaukee Bucks, MSN noted. When asked about how the Hornets defended Bucks player Giannis Antetokounmpo during the game’s closing moments, LaMelo replied, “Yeah, we loaded up—no homo. But that’s what we wanted. Put the hand up, and then just live with the results.” After a subsequent game, he stated, “I really didn’t mean anything (by it) and don’t want to offend anybody. I’ve got love for everybody, and I don’t discriminate.” The phrase “no homo” is used to imply that there were no gay intentions.
The Gwyneth Paltrow-inspired immersive musical Gwyneth Goes Skiing is heading to the States following two sold-out London runs, per Variety. Producer Awkward Productions is taking the show to Utah—where Paltrow lost half a day of skiing after a mid-slope collision with optician Terry Sanderson, who went on to sue her and lose—as well as L.A. and New York. Gwyneth Goes Skiing retells the story of Paltrow’s legal battle with Sanderson with original music by Leland, vocals by Darren Criss and Cat Cohen, and a video appearance from Trixie Mattel as Paltrow’s mother, actress Blythe Danner.
Two months after being let go by the WNBA’s Chicago Sky, Teresa Weatherspoon has landed another coaching job as one of the six head coaches in the Unrivaled, the three-on-three league that is debuting in January, per USA Today. Last season, the Sky finished 13-27 and missed the playoffs. Unrivaled’s other head coaches include Phil Handy, Adam Harrington, Nola Henry, DJ Sackmann and Andrew Wade.