Cyndi Lauper, Adam Lambert and Lady Gaga are among those who have earned Grammy nominations. Lauper's Memphis Blues, her celebration of early blues greats, earns the celebrated singer her 14th Grammy nomination, this time for Best Traditional Blues Album, according to a press release. The openly gay Lambert is nominated for best male pop vocal performance for "Whataya Want From Me," the second single off his 2009 debut, For Your Entertainment. Gaga received six nods, including Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for the single "Bad Romance." The Grammys will air Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011.
Actor Daniel Radcliffe and the Trevor Project have teamed with the social-media utility SocialVibe to support the project's services, according to a press release. Radcliffe has recorded a video message showing people how they can visit www.socialvibe.com/thetrevorproject to directly support The Trevor Project's crisis and suicide prevention lifeline. The video is now available for viewing and sharing via YouTube.
The nominations for the 68th Annual Golden Globes brought some surprises, as Burlesque received a nod for best filmcomedy or musical ( out of a total of three ) but Jim Carrey's I Love You Phillip Morris was shut out, according to Advocate.com . The TV show Glee had five nods, including nominations for co-stars Jane Lynch and Chris Colfer, while Modern Family scored three nominations. Also, the acclaimed movie The Kids Are All Right received four nominations, including two for co-stars Annette Bening and Julianne Moore. The awards ceremony ( hosted by Ricky Gervais ) will take place on NBC Jan. 16, 2011.
Rosie O'Donnell has spoken about the rumors that her new boss, Oprah Winfrey, is lesbian. Winfrey, in a recent interview with Barbara Walters, said, "I'm not even 'kind of' lesbian." O'Donnell, who is soon launching a talk show on the Oprah Winfrey Network, said, "People don't really understand or don't have the privilege of seeing a friendship between two women that is that deep. I have the same best friend that I've had since I was 3. I know the intensity of that relationship and what it feels liketo have someone you can depend on no matter what."
Miami Beach's Palace Bar has announced the launch of "Palace Boys," a web-based reality show that will pit 10 contestants against each other in the search for Palace Boy 2011, according to a press release. The final contestants will be completely interactivewith each other and with the public, as they live and work together. Contestants must be male, and at least 21; to enter, people must fill out an application and upload a video. ( Ten people will be flown to Miami Beach Feb. 2, 2011. ) See www.PalaceBoys.com .
The late Doors lead singer Jim Morrison has been pardoned for a 1969 conviction for indecent exposure, WXYZ.com reported. Outgoing Gov. Charlie Crist requested the pardon, and the clemency board unanimously granted it. At the hearing, Crist called the conviction a "blot," considering its something Morrison "may or may not have done." The pardon took place Dec. 9, a day after Morrison would have turned 67 years old; he died in 1971 in Paris, France, at age 27.
Director Blake Edwards has died at the age of 88, according to CNN. He passed away Dec. 16, surrounded by his family, including wife Julie Andrews. Among his cinematic contributions were Breakfast at Tiffany's, Victor/Victoria, 10 and the Pink Panther series.
Nick Cannon told a radio show that his wife, superstar singer Mariah Carey, is expecting twins, according to Reuters. The America's Got Talent host added that Carey first told President Obama and his wife, Michelle, about the twins after performing recently. The couple delayed telling people about the pregnancy until October because of a miscarriage Carey had in 2008.
Actor Kevin Spacey, while promoting his Golden Globe-nominated performance in the movie Casino Jack, told The Daily Beast that he still will not talk about his sexualityand that asking him about his orientation amounts to bullying, according to Advocate.com . He said, "I think young people, if they are feeling like they are confused, need to know that there are people to talk to and that there are places they can go and not feel alone. But I feel that they have just as many rights as I do to not be bullied." He added that he plans to make a video for the "It Gets Better" project.
Former American Idol judge Simon Cowell has denied reports that singer George Michael will be on the panel of Cowell's upcoming showthe U.S. version of his British hit The X Factor, according to Extra TV. There were rumors that Michael would be a judge on the series, on which Cowell will be a judge himself. However, Cowell has not yet confirmed who else will be on board, with names such as Mick Jagger being mentioned.
Actress Winona Ryder has said that reports of actor Mel Gibson's derogatory remarks are not new to her, according to Advocate.com . Ryder, who is in the current theatrical release Black Swan, told GQ, "Fifteen years ago, I was at one of those big Hollywood parties. And he was really drunk. I was with my friend, who's gay. [ Gibson ] made a really horrible gay joke." She added that she has also heard him joke about her Jewish heritage.
Carrie Fisher has disclosed her feelings regarding John Travolta's sexuality, according to Hollywood Gossip. Responding to a question posed by The Advocate about her feelings concerning Travolta demanding Gawker remove a post suggesting he's had sex with men, Fisher said, "I mean, my feeling about John has always been that we know and we don't care. Look, I'm sorry he's uncomfortable with it, that's all I can say. It only draws more attention to it when you make that kind of legal fuss."
R&B singer Trey Songz is speaking out to address rumors of his sexuality, ContactMusic.com reported. Songz, who admitted he was stunned when he first heard the rumors, said, "What I've learned in this business is that people will make their own reality of whatever they want to." However, the "Bottoms Up" singer added he was "hot [ angry ] because I love the ladies."
Things are expected to heat up on The Real Housewives of Orange County next season with the addition of Fernanda Rocha, a 33-year-old Brazilian lesbian who works as a personal trainer, according to E! Online. Rocha will not be a main Housewife, but will be one of the often-seen side characters. However, she has already inserted herself in the middle of things, dismissing the same-sex relationships Danielle Staub ( Real Housewives of New Jersey ) and Kim Zolciak ( Real Housewives of Atlanta ) as a "faux lesbian experimental stage."
Actress/comedian Judy Gold and writing partner Kate Moira Ryanboth lesbian mothersare hosting Hatched by Two Chicks, a limited-run series of live, call-in shows about the trials and tribulations of gay parenting on OutQ, SIRIUS XM's 24/7 LGBT channel. Hatched launched Dec. 11 and will air Saturdays 12-2 p.m. CT through Jan. 15, 2011. Guests have included The View's Joy Behar and fashion maven Carson Kressley.
Mariah Carey, in an interview with The Advocate, addressed long-standing rumors that she is bisexual, the Huffington Post reported. Carey, who is expecting twins with husband Nick Cannon, said, "If it makes somebody happy to say that, then whatever, but that's not the reality. I don't have a discriminatory policy of who I'm friends with, so yes, I'm friends with women who are gaygay, straight, it doesn't matter to me." She also expressed her support of marriage equality during the interview.
Openly gay actor Neil Patrick Harris is furious at an actor best known for his role in daytime soaps. According to US magazine, Harris tweeted to more than 1 million followers that Eric Braeden, 69who plays Victor Newman on CBS' The Young and the Restlesswas a "d-bag" for canceling a cameo appearance on Harris' show, How I Met Your Mother. However, Braeden said that he only learned about the size of his role just before the taping, and that he was exhausted from hip-surgery recovery. Braeden added that Harris was being overly dramatic. Later, Harris expressed his regret for his "D-bag" comment, tweeting, "I'm just fiercely protective of our show."
Bluewater Productions has released the comic-book biography, Fame: The Cast of Glee, according to a press release. The 32-page comic book one shot takes a close look at the lives of the actors and creative talent that have made the Fox show a hit. Glee fans can learn how Lea Michele, Matthew Morrison, Jane Lynch, Cory Monteith and Chris Colfer achieved fame. The book, on sale for $3.99, also highlights the career of show creator Ryan Murphy.
An actor performing in the Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark was injured during a performance Dec. 20, according to the New York Times. Theatergoers who attended "Spider-Man," a $65-million musical with complicated aerial stunts, said they saw a performer playing the title hero fall into the orchestra pit after a line holding him apparently snapped. The usical has faced several setbacks while previewing, with one actress suffering a concussion and two actors being injured by a sling-shot technique. The opening has been delayed until Feb. 7, 2011.
Leonardo DiCaprio topped the list of Hollywood's highest-grossing actors of 2010, garnering $1.1 billion for Shutter Island and Inception, according to EW.com . However, the runner-up came out of nowhere: Australian actress Mia Wasikowska was in The Kids Are All Right but is in this slot mostly because of the man who ended up number threeJohnny Depp, her co-star in Alice in Wonderland. Robert Downey, Jr., was number four and Daniel Radcliffe rounded off the top five.
LeAnn Rimes joined the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles at the group's annual Christmas concert, according to Advocate.com . Wearing a skimpy Santa dress ( and with her family and boyfriend, actor Eddie Cibrian, watching in the audience ) Rimes sang "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" and "All I Want for Christmas Is You." For her final song, she changed into a more conservative outfit and sang "The Rose," with the chorus members as back-up singers; she tearfully dedicated the song to the gay youths who had committed suicide this year.
There's a little less drama off the set of TV's Desperate Housewives, as former cast member Nicollette Sheridan has dropped her claims of emotional and physical abuse against Marc Cherry, the openly gay creator of the show, according to Advocate.com . In exchange, Sheridan will not have to submit to the physical or mental tests ABC initially wanted her to undergo. The rest of the lawsuit ( which includes charges of wrongful termination and sex/gender discrimination ) will proceed, though.
The upcoming prequel to the Alien series will bring back H.R. Giger, the Swiss artist who designed the monsters from outer space, according to Cinema Blend. CNN.com has reported that the prequel will be in two parts, with the first film coming to theaters in late 2011. Reportedly, Noomi Rapacewho starred in the original Girl with the Dragon Tattoo serieswill portray Elizabeth Shaw, the heroine of Paradise ( the prequel's official title ) .
Lady Gaga has said that her fans are the real writers behind her upcoming album, Born This Way, according to Digital Spy. The "Poker Face" singer told BBC Newscast, "I think that lyrically this album is more poetic. It's really written by the fans; they really wrote it for me because every night they're funneling so much into me." She added that "Born," her second CD, has her "most innovative" songs to date.