Entertainment

Review by Brian Lowry, CNN “Gossip” is about a lot more than just juicy tidbits and the columnists that peddle them, presenting a multifaceted look at gossip’s role in the newspaper/media ecosystem and at Rupert Murdoch’s enterprises in particular. It also reminds us that what happened in those columns didn’t stay there, with examples ranging

By Marianne Garvey, CNN Sean Penn directs his own daughter Dyan Penn in his latest film, “Flag Day,” but the joint effort didn’t come without a little family tension. The Oscar-winner stars as con artist John Vogel, who is estranged from his children, played by Dylan Penn and Hopper Penn, whom Penn shares with actress

By Lisa Respers France, CNN Former “Grace Under Fire” star Brett Butler has fallen on hard times. She was recently the subject of a GoFundMe fundraiser started by a friend — despite having made $250,000 an episode for her 1990s hit ABC comedy series. Butler told The Hollywood Reporter she was six months behind on

By Lisa Respers France, CNN Aaliyah’s music is back. Friday marked the re-release of five time Grammy-nominated superstar’s studio album, “One In A Million,” which hit streaming services. The singer, who was born Aaliyah Dana Haughton, died August 25, 2001, at the age of 22 in a plane crash that also took the lives of

By Sarah Moon and Chloe Melas, CNN Britney Spears has been accused of battery by an employee following a dispute in the singer’s California home on Monday, a spokesman for the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department told CNN. The staff member alleges they were struck by Spears, according to investigators who are still looking into the

By Marianne Garvey, CNN Mike Richards, the new host of “Jeopardy!,” has issued an apology after a number of derogatory remarks about little people, Jews, people receiving unemployment benefits and sexist comments he made about women resurfaced. Richards, who executive produced the game show before being named the full-time replacement for the late Alex Trebek,

By Scottie Andrew, CNN Shin’ichi “Sonny” Chiba’s fighting style was less balletic than it was breathtakingly brutal. Chiba, a star of martial arts cinema in his native Japan, made his name by landing heart-stopping punches and stabbing fictional foes in the throats with only his fingers. His relentlessness onscreen inspired action auteurs like director Quentin

Review by Brian Lowry, CNN “The Chair” lays out an interesting exercise by examining generational divides through the prism of a college English department and the first woman of color leading it, played by Sandra Oh. Yet an exceptional cast mostly outshines the material, leaving what amounts to a mildly diverting binge with one inordinately

By Lisa Respers France, CNN Daniel Craig may be sitting on big money. According to a report from Variety, the James Bond franchise star “is walking off with north of $100 million thanks to the eye-popping sale of two sequels to Rian Johnson’s ‘Knives Out.’ “ We are both shaken and stirred by that reported

By Chloe Melas, CNN Exes Miranda Kerr and Orlando Bloom get along swimmingly, according to the supermodel. “He’s, like, to me right now, a brother. And most of the time, an annoying brother,” she said Tuesday on the “Moments with Candace Parker” podcast. As for Bloom’s fiancée Katy Perry, she said, “I’m so grateful that

By Marianne Garvey, CNN Marvel Studios has released a new trailer for “Eternals,” directed by Oscar winner Chloé Zhao. The latest teaser follows the first “Eternals” trailer released in May. The film features Angelina Jolie, Gemma Chan, Kumail Nanjiani, Kit Harington, Richard Madden, Lauren Ridloff, Brian Tyree Henry, Salma Hayek, Lia McHugh, Don Lee and

By Lisa Respers France, CNN Eminem has teamed up with his friend 50 Cent for the latter’s latest drama. The “Slim Shady” rapper makes a cameo as “White Boy Rick” in the forthcoming Starz drama “BMF,” which 50 Cent executive produced and directed. “Oh yeah i’m bringing the big dogs out,” 50 Cent recently tweeted.

By Chloe Melas, CNN It’s a boy for Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost. Jost announced the news on his Instagram Wednesdasy. “Ok ok we had a baby. His name is Cosmo. We love him very much,” Jost wrote. No details as to when the baby was born were shared. He went on to say “privacy

By Harmeet Kaur, CNN When the character Bear is visited by the spirit of an unknown warrior in the series premiere of “Reservation Dogs,” he asks if the man before him is “Crazy Horse” or another legendary Native American leader. It turns out, however, that the man in the beads and feathers is not the

By Marianne Garvey, CNN “Clerks” is back. The third installment of the 1994 cult classic from Kevin Smith, takes audiences back to the New Jersey convenience store where it all started. Dante (Brian O’Halloran) and his best friend Randal (Jeff Anderson) haven’t changed much. Dante’s wife, Becky (Rosario Dawson) and Elias (Trevor Fehrman) also star.

By Chloe Melas and Stella Chan, CNN Alyssa Milano was in a car accident on Tuesday. The actress was uninjured but her uncle, who was driving, was taken to the hospital. According to a report from the California Highway Patrol [CHP] obtained by CNN, they were traveling on the 405 freeway in Los Angeles, when

By Marianne Garvey, CNN British comic Sean Lock has died after a long battle with cancer, his agent announced on Wednesday. He was 58. “It is with great sadness that we have to announce the death of Sean Lock,” read a statement from his agent posted to Instagram. He died at home from cancer, surrounded

By Lisa Respers France, CNN A federal trial for singer R. Kelly, who has pleaded not guilty to racketeering and sex trafficking charges that could send him to prison for decades, is underway. But the accusations of abuse, manipulation and inappropriate encounters with girls and young women have been around — and vehemently denied —

Review by Brian Lowry, CNN Deeply personal, complex and timely, “In the Same Breath” charts the initial outbreak of novel coronavirus in Wuhan, while paralleling the Chinese reaction to the outbreak with the US. Chinese-born filmmaker Nanfu Wang has created an unsettling window into the early days of the crisis and food for thought about

By Marianne Garvey, CNN Laura Prepon has stopped practicing Scientology. The “Orange Is the New Black” actress revealed the news in an interview with People, saying the religion is no longer part of her life. “I’m no longer practicing Scientology. I’ve always been very open-minded, even since I was a child. I was raised Catholic

By Lisa Respers France, CNN Britney Spears went from declaring she would be posting less on social media to baring some skin. The singer has posted a few topless photos recently on her verified Instagram account. In the shots she covers her bare breasts with her hands. In one series of photos Spears explained in

By Sandra Gonzalez, CNN Selma Blair has in recent years faced some serious health struggles, but she says she’s met these moments with a dose of humor. The actress, speaking to reporters during the Television Critics Association virtual press tour on Monday, emphasized the importance of lightness in managing her multiple sclerosis. “I always like

Review by Brian Lowry, CNN With a mini-reunion of key players from “Big Little Lies” at its core, “Nine Perfect Strangers” combines a book by Liane Moriarty with Nicole Kidman and writer-producer David E. Kelley, then surrounds them with an equally impressive cast. The series is another one of those riddles wrapped in a mystery,

By Laura Ly, CNN A lawsuit filed in New York City claims that legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan sexually abused a 12-year-old girl in 1965, according to court documents filed Friday. The now-68-year-old woman, identified in the lawsuit as J.C., alleges that “over a six-week period” the singer “befriended and established an emotional connection” with her

By Lisa Respers France, CNN According to Johnny Depp, the past five years have been “surreal” for him. In his first published interview since losing a libel suit against against the publisher of Britain’s The Sun newspaper, the actor talked to The Sunday Times about his new movie “Minamata.” Depp, who also served as one

By Lisa Respers France, CNN Well, that was quick and yet not. Ryan Reynolds’ latest film “Free Guy” just came out and already there is talk of a sequel. Over the weekend, Reynolds took to his verified Twitter account to confirm it. “Aaannnnd after 3 years messaging #FreeGuy as an original IP movie, Disney confirmed

By Lisa Respers France, CNN Debra Winger has shared why she says Geena Davis replaced her in the 1992 film “A League of Their Own.” In an interview with The Telegraph, Winger says she left the Penny Marshall directed film about a pioneering group of women baseball players following the addition of Madonna to the

By Lisa Respers France, CNN “Boys Don’t Cry,” but in the case of Simon Gallup, they do post their feelings on Facebook and offer their resignation publicly. In a public post on Facebook over the weekend, The Cure bassist wrote, “With a slightly heavy heart I am no longer a member of the Cure! Good

By Toyin Owoseje, CNN Travis Barker has flown on a plane for the first time since he survived a deadly plane crash 13 years ago, TMZ reports. According to the online outlet, the Blink-182 drummer took a flight to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, from Los Angeles with his girlfriend, Kourtney Kardashian, on Saturday. Photographs obtained

By Deanna Hackney, CNN Folk and country singer and songwriter Nanci Griffith, whose album “Other Voices, Other Rooms” won the 1994 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album, died on Friday. She was 68. Griffith passed away in Nashville, Tennessee, according to her management company. A representative for Gold Mountain Media did not give a

By Scottie Andrew, CNN There’s a scene in the very first episode of HBO’s critically acclaimed prestige drama, “Succession,” that is about as viscerally unsettling to watch as a Jigsaw death trap in a “Saw” film. The pilot sees the media magnate Roy family — an amalgam of the Murdochs, the Hearsts and other dynasties

By Brian Lowry, CNN If you need any further proof that things have changed for comic-book fans from the bad old days — when Hollywood tended to vamp up and camp up those titles, if they deigned to produce them at all — look no further than this week, which saw the streaming arrival of

By Harmeet Kaur, CNN In times like these, everyone needs a superhero. Fortunately, you can find one on Free Comic Book Day. On Saturday, stores across North America will be handing out special Free Comic Book Day editions of books from a range of publishers, including favorites like Marvel and DC. And yes, they’ll really

By Lisa Respers France, CNN Elton John and Dua Lipa love each other. And we should be grateful for that because it’s yielded us the track “Cold Heart (Pnau Remix),” which dropped on Friday. The song features John singing lyrics from his 1989 single “Sacrifice” and Lipa coming with lyrics from the classic John hit,

By Lisa Respers France, CNN Paulina Porizkova got vulnerable on Instagram Thursday. The model and actress shared a tearful, grief stricken selfie. In the caption she wrote, “I know you all enjoy happy posts, seeing people pick themselves up, dust off their pants and get back on the horse, all while smiling to let you

Review by Brian Lowry, CNN If you’re the type who enjoys consuming an eight-episode limited series and thinking “What the heck did I just watch?” when it’s over, “Brand New Cherry Flavor” might be for you. Otherwise, this bizarre Netflix drama will likely be an acquired taste, mashing up bad-old Hollywood with the supernatural, witchcraft

By Toyin Owoseje, CNN Selma Blair believed she was “shooting the final days of (her) life” at one point during the filming of an upcoming documentary following her battle with multiple sclerosis (MS), a trailer for the movie reveals. The actress, best known for her work in films like “Cruel Intentions” and “Legally Blonde,” was

By Lisa Respers France, CNN The news that Britney Spears’s father is willing to step down as the conservator of her estate was met with joy and cautious optimism on social media by the singer’s supporters. In a court filing obtained by CNN, Jamie Spears defended his actions as conservator, but said he is willing

By Amy Woodyatt, CNN The Rumors are true — Lizzo and Cardi B have collaborated. Lizzo dropped the video for her first new single in two years on Friday, which features her and pregnant rap superstar Cardi B. The stars — dripping in finery — are both center stage in the gold-plated video, which takes

By Lisa Respers France and Chloe Melas, CNN After months of public pressure from supporters of Britney Spears, Jamie Spears, the singer’s father, signaled in a legal response Thursday that he intends to step down as conservator of the singer’s estate, according a court filing obtained by CNN. “There are, in fact, no actual grounds

Review by Brian Lowry, CNN Earnest to a fault, “Respect” spells out a handsome tribute to Aretha Franklin, with Jennifer Hudson and her peerless singing pipes as its formidable anchor. Yet this biography never fully sparks to life, as the Queen of Soul fights in episodic fashion to establish and later protect her musical legacy

By Kristina Sgueglia, CNN Rock band Phish announced mid-tour a more stringent policy Thursday requiring ticketholders for their summer and fall tour dates provide proof of Covid-19 vaccination or a negative test, beginning with their shows at The Gorge in Washington later this month. The foursome, known for their marathon jam sessions and longtime devoted

By Megan Thomas, CNN Remember those smurfy Saturday mornings from your childhood, (now grown and tired) children of the ’80s? If not, the first trailer for “The Smurfs” reboot will take you back there. Papa Smurf, Smurfette, Brainy, Hefty and their nemesis Gargamel have all returned in a new CGI-animated series for Nickelodeon. The show

By Lisa Respers France, CNN Kanye West is not lacking at all in confidence and according to Kim Kardashian West, he passed some of that on to her. The couple may be in the midst of getting divorced, but the love train keeps a running with Kardashian West talking glowingly about the rapper/producer/entrepreneur. Kardashian West

By Lisa Respers France, CNN No one can say John Cena doesn’t pay attention to the internet. The actor and wrestler shared a photo of bodybuilder and trainer Brendan Cobbina that has been making the rounds on social media because of his resemblance to Cena. Cena posted the photo on his verified Instagram account without

By Lisa Respers France, CNN The Kunis-Kutcher kids took a shower, you guys. We know that thanks to a funny video Ashton Kutcher posted Wednesday on his verified Instagram account of wife Mila Kunis standing in the bathroom as their children were cleaning up. (The video is kid safe.) This matters because the couple kicked

By Lisa Respers France, CNN Brendan Fraser feels the love. The actor appeared on TikTok with video from a virtual meet and greet. Lindley Key, who has shared videos of her cosplaying Rachel Weisz as Evelyn O’Connell in Fraser’s hit film “The Mummy,” posted video of a conversation she had with Fraser. “The internet is

By Lisa Respers France, CNN Answer: This person not being selected to host “Jeopardy!” has caused a bit of outrage. Who is LeVar Burton? Burton fans are not happy that he didn’t snag the gig to replace beloved longtime host Alex Trebek who died in November 2020 at the age of 80 after battling pancreatic

By Faith Karimi, CNN Dolly Parton sings, funds vaccines and provides children with free books. Now she’s writing her own novel. The country music queen has teamed up with bestselling author, James Patterson, to publish a novel that they co-wrote, they announced Wednesday. Set in Tennessee, the novel titled “Run, Rose, Run” is about a

By Lisa Respers France, CNN Jennifer Hudson has Aretha Franklin to thank, in part, for her career. Hudson first came to fame in 2004 as a finalist on “American Idol.” She auditioned for the reality singing competition with Franklin’s song, “Share Your Love With Me.” Fast forward to 2021 and Hudson is now a Grammy

Nominees for the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards were revealed Wednesday. Justin Bieber leads this year’s list of nominees with seven, followed by Megan Thee Stallion with six nods. Billie Eilish, BTS, Doja Cat, Drake, Giveon, Lil Nas X and Olivia Rodrigo, a first time nominee, each earned five nominations. Voting in the 14 gender-neutral

By Lisa Respers France, CNN The flower children of hip hop are coming to a streaming service near you. De La Soul announced Tuesday during an Instagram Live that their music will be released on streaming. “We have finally come down to a deal between ourselves and Reservoir Media to release our music in 2021,”

By Lisa Respers France, CNN A boat, Italy and a ring has made Sophia Bush a very happy woman. The “One Tree Hill” alum shared the news that she and her entrepreneur boyfriend Grant Hughes are engaged in a post on her verified Instagram account Tuesday. The actress, who is currently starring on “Good Sam,”

By Rob Picheta, CNN Chet Hanks has posted a rant against coronavirus vaccines and told sufferers of the virus to “get over it,” a year after his parents, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, were hospitalized with severe cases of Covid-19. Hanks shared a video on Instagram in which he initially pretended to encourage followers to

By Jack Guy, CNN Rock icon Stevie Nicks has canceled a string of upcoming US shows due to concern over the rising number of Covid-19 cases. The former Fleetwood Mac singer posted a short statement on Twitter on Monday announcing her decision. “These are challenging times with challenging decisions that have to be made. I

By Scottie Andrew, CNN The latest issue of a Batman comic series confirms the Caped Crusader’s lovable sidekick, Robin, is queer. Tim Drake, one of several characters to have taken up Robin’s mantle in the comics, accepts a date with a male friend in the new issue of “Batman: Urban Legends,” a series that debuted

By Lisa Respers France, CNN Duane “Dog” Chapman says he’s taking a walk down the aisle soon. The reality star shared that he’s getting married September 2 during an episode of the “Two Guys From Hollywood” podcast, which dropped Tuesday. “We went to the venue yesterday, picked it out,” Chapman said. “Man it cost a

By Lisa Respers France, CNN Chucky Thompson, a producer for Bad Boy who worked with some of the biggest names in hip hop and R & B including Notorious B.I.G., Nas and Mary J. Blige has died. He was 53. His publicist, Tamar Juda, confirmed the news to CNN on Tuesday. No cause of death

By Marianne Garvey, CNN Billie Eilish visited “The Tonight Show” on Monday, where she performed her song “Happier Than Ever” off of her new album of the same name. Eilish sang the song on a large stage backed by her brother Finneas, who is also her producer. She also chatted with Fallon about how her

By Marianne Garvey, CNN Katie Thurston found a happy ending on the finale of “The Bachelorette.” After a fight with Greg Grippo and “The Bachelorette” threatening to quit the show, the season ended with an Thurston and Blake Moynes becoming engaged. The two shared a fantasy suite date and said “I love you” to each

By Scottie Andrew, CNN The post-apocalyptic thriller “I Am Legend” is bubbling up in conversation among the vaccine-hesitant crowd, prompting the film’s screenwriter to emphasize that the plot is entirely fictional. Akiva Goldsman, who co-wrote the screenplay for the 2007 film starring Will Smith, clarified that “I Am Legend” is pure fantasy after an unnamed

Review by Brian Lowry, CNN Like “Charlie’s Angels,” “Fantasy Island” is one of those old Aaron Spelling series that keeps resurfacing, whether anybody asked for it or not. So after a 1990s reboot and a pretty awful horror movie version last year, Fox boards the plane once again with a slightly updated version about a

By Lisa Respers France, CNN Quentin Tarantino has a message to parents: Watch how you talk to your kids. During an appearance on “The Moment” podcast, which is hosted by “Billions” co-creator Brian Koppelman, the famed writer and director said his mother Connie Zastoupil gave him a hard time about his aspiring career before he

By Jack Guy, CNN Actress Christina Applegate has announced that she has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The 49-year-old, known for her roles in “Bad Moms,” “Married… with Children” and “Dead to Me,” said in a tweet published overnight that she was diagnosed “a few months ago.” “It’s been a strange journey. But I have

By Lisa Respers France, CNN Vax.India.Now raised millions for the people of India with a star-studded virtual event also meant to buoy spirits as the country battles the Covid-19 crisis. The event, which was livestreamed by CNN and Dreamstage.live, was hosted last month by Hasan Minhaj and featured several celebs, including Liam Neeson, Annie Lennox,

By Chloe Melas, CNN Britney Spears will have to wait longer for a ruling on her request to remove her father as conservator of her estate. Judge Brenda Penny has denied a petition filed by Britney Spears’ attorney Mathew Rosengart to move a September 29 hearing in the case to August 23 in an effort

By Chloe Melas, CNN Kit Harington has been doing a lot of self reflection and is now sharing some of what he’s learned with the hope of helping others. The “Game of Thrones” star, who welcomed his first child six months ago with actress Rose Leslie, told The Sunday Times that he is in recovery