Open Thread

Variety reports: Brad Pitt has reacted to the viral story of a 53-year-old French woman who was swindled out of $850,000 by someone pretending to be the actor. The story broke on Sunday on the TF1 show “Sept à huit,” which aired the testimony of Anne, a French interior decorator who described how she had been scammed by a fake …

Variety reports: Although Drake withdrew his legal petition against his label, Universal Music Group, on Tuesday, he doubled down Wednesday, suing the company for defamation and harassment, spreading the “false and malicious narrative” that he is a pedophile via Kendrick Lamar’s brutal diss track, “Not Like Us,” according to the lawsuit. In the documents, Drake claims that UMG knew that …

Variety reports: Whoopi Goldberg showed some support to Carrie Underwood on “The View” amid backlash against the “American Idol” winner and country music star for her decision to perform “America the Beautiful” at Donald Trump‘s inauguration on Jan. 20. The EGOT winner has been outspoken against Trump for years but said she stands behind Underwood, although Goldberg will not be …

Deadline Hollywood reports: Hollywood has been coming together to support each other as the devastating wildfires continue to ravage the city of Los Angeles. Jimmy Kimmel is the latest to offer tangible support for those displaced, as he and his late-night show Jimmy Kimmel Live! have established a donation center. “Fellow Angelenos — if you’re looking for a way to …

Variety reports: With the Grammy Awards exactly three weeks away, the wildfires that continue to rage across the event’s long-running home city of Los Angeles have led many in the industry to speculate whether or not the show will be postponed. Even if the wildfires are contained by then and the city is on the road to recovery, the sheer …

The Daily Beast reports: Fans of Saturday Night Live are outraged that controversial comedian Dave Chappelle has been named as the first host of its latest season. The episode is set to air Jan. 18, with Chappelle at the helm, and rapper Glorilla as the musical guest. But many have questioned why the embattled comedian has continued to be invited …

Variety reports: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are calling on others to lend their support to the victims of the wildfires raging across Southern California. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who live with their two children in Montecito, Calif., posted a statement Thursday on their official website that reads: “In the last few days, wildfires in Southern California have …

Deadline Hollywood reports: As the conflagration in the Palisades continues to spread, Hollywood has already felt the effects of the event with several premieres set for Wednesday night canceled and production on television shows paused for the time being. The Producers Guild pushed nominations announcements for its annual awards show to Sunday, Jan. 12. The Writers Guild said it is …

Variety reports: Production came to a halt in Los Angeles on Wednesday as fires continue to sweep across the neighborhoods of Pacific Palisades, Altadena and Sylmar. NBCUniversal said production has been suspended on “Hacks,” “Loot,” “Ted,” “Suits: L.A.” and “Happy’s Place” with Reba McEntire. CBS Studios shut down “NCIS,” “NCIS: Origins,” “After Midnight,” “Poppa’s House” “The Neighborhood” and tapings for …

Variety reports: Hulk Hogan is one of the most iconic wrestlers in the 72-year history of the WWE, but upon his debut at Netflix‘s “Monday Night Raw” on Jan. 6, his reception was less than welcoming.   Joined by Jimmy Heart, Hogan was welcomed by a sea of boos from the crowd as he plugged his Real American Beer brand …

Variety reports: “The Brutalist,” a historical epic that examines the post-war immigrant experience, and “Emilia Pérez,” a musical about a drug lord who undergoes gender-affirming surgery, won top honors at the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday. “Emilia Pérez,” named best musical or comedy, led all films with four wins, while “The Brutalist,” which received the prize for best drama, was …

President Biden writes for the Washington Post: Violent insurrectionists attacked the Capitol, threatened the lives of elected officials and assaulted brave law enforcement officers. We should be proud that our democracy withstood this assault. And we should be glad we will not see such a shameful attack again this year. But we should not forget. We must remember the wisdom …

The BBC reports: James Lee Williams, better known as drag queen The Vivienne, has died aged 32. Publicist Simon Jones said the performer, who died over the weekend, was “an incredibly loved, warm-hearted and amazing person”. The Vivienne starred in musical theatre and TV productions, and won the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2019. The show paid …

Variety reports: Up until taking on Gov. Tim Walz on Saturday Night Live, Jim Gaffigan tended to stay away from politics in his comedy. But the Emmy-winning comedian doesn’t regret the times he spoke his mind, including a 2020 tweet in which he called Donald Trump “a liar and a criminal,” despite losing some Trump supporters as fans. “I regret …

Billboard Magazine reports: Heidi Klum is ready to make it work — again. As exclusively confirmed by People Friday (Jan. 3), the German supermodel is returning to Project Runway as host, a role she served for 16 seasons before stepping away in 2017. The news comes more than two decades after Klum helmed the debut season of Project Runway alongside …

Deadline Hollywood reports: Yolanda Saldivar, the woman who was found guilty of murdering singer Selena Quintanilla, has filed for parole in Texas. Saldivar was found guilty in 1995 of killing Quintanilla and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years, which will be in 2025. The parole review process begins six months before becoming eligible, …

Variety reports: Diplo rang in 2025 in an altered state. The DJ and music producer shocked and delighted Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen on CNN’s New Year’s Eve special by revealing that he was tripping while he appeared virtually on the cable news network. “I’m so curious, what’s the most conventional place that you’ve done LSD?” Cohen asked the music …

Variety reports: Michelle Buteau slammed Dave Chappelle and his controversial jokes about the transgender community in her new comedy special “Michelle Buteau: A Buteau-ful Mind at Radio City Music Hall,” which debuted Tuesday on Netflix. Buteau began criticizing Chappelle after telling a story about her “Black lesbian friend.” She noted the subject matter elicited a spectrum of reactions from the …

Billboard Magazine reports: Mariah Carey‘s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” crowns the Billboard Hot 100 for an 18th total week. The carol, which leads for a fourth consecutive week this holiday season, moves to within one week of the longest domination in the chart’s 66-year history, after only the 19-week rules of Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” this …

Variety reports: Universal’s “Wicked” is officially the highest-grossing Broadway adaptation in global box office history, overtaking 2008’s “Mamma Mia” to notch the harmonious milestone. “Wicked” has generated $634 million worldwide after six weeks of release while “Mamma Mia” amassed $611 million (not adjusted for inflation) by the end of its box office run. “Wicked,” starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, …