Singer Dyllan Murray has released the music video for his new single "No Wrong Way," featuring Kira Kosarin, according to a press release. The song explores equality for love between all races and genders, focusing specifically on the acceptance of love within the LGBTQ community. All proceeds from sales of "No Wrong Way" will benefit GLAAD and The Trevor Project. Of the organizations, Dyllan says: "I was raised by two loving fathers and have been surrounded by the LGBTQ community my whole life, so organizations like GLAAD and The Trevor Project are close to my heart." The video is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmRYWSgp4Ig&feature=youtu.be.
After entertaining audiences for more than 30 years, Anita Baker recently announced that she's retiring from music, The Boombox noted. The Grammy-winning singer went on Twitter to clear up rumors that she's dropping a new album. She also confirmed that she is retiring and enjoying her new life as a beach bum. The album Rapture and the song "Sweet Love" put Baker on the map in the mid-1980s.
The Broadway stars came out Jan. 20 at "Concert For America: Stand Up, Sing Out!" at Town Hall, the storied venue for protest and politicking, Deadline noted. Sharon Gless also visited; admitting she had no Broadway cred ( Tyne Daly, her erstwhile Cagney & Lacy co-star and Broadway veteran, was en route to the next day's march in Washington ) Gless paid tribute to the late Lynn Redgrave, regaling the sold-out house of 1,500 with the story behind Redgrave's firing from House Calls, the CBS sitcom that ran from 1979 through 1981. Among some of the performers/speakers were Betty Buckley, Lillias White, Ben Vereen, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Jessie Mueller and Chita Rivera.
Kristen Stewart—whose short film and directorial debut, Come Swim, is premiering at the Sundance Film Festival—will host the Feb. 4 episode of NBC's Saturday Night Live, Deadline noted. The musical guest will be Alessia Cara. On Jan. 28, the network will air a repeat of the Nov. 19 episode hosted by Kristen Wiig, with musical guest The xx.
Actor Tom Hardy has confirmed interest in playing James Bond—by refusing to discuss the matter, The Guardian noted. Speaking to The Daily Beast, Hardy expressed enthusiasm at the interviewer's suggestion Inception director Christopher Nolan take over the franchise. However, he then added, "There's a saying amongst us in the fraternity of acting that if you talk about it, you're automatically out of the race. So I can't possibly comment on [taking over the mantle from current Bond Daniel Craig]!"
Ellen DeGeneres made People's Choice Awards history on Jan. 18, winning three trophies to bring her lifetime total wins to 20, the most of any person in the award show's history, ABC News noted. Ellen won Favorite Animated Film Voice for "Finding Dory," Favorite Daytime Talk Show Host for "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and Favorite Comedic Collaboration, for the "Mall Mischief" bit she did on her TV show last month with Britney Spears. DeGeneres joked when she accepted her record-breaking award: "Seventeen, I get it; 18, sure; 19, I can see that. But 20 is outrageous."
Rapper ILoveMakonnen used social media to announce that he was gay, Page Six noted. The singer and rapper, whose real name is Makonnen Sheran, announced the news in a series of three tweets on Jan. 20. In part, he wrote, "since y'all love breaking news, here's some old news to break, I'm gay. And now I've told u about my life, maybe u can go life [sic] yours." While Makonnen hadn't come out until Friday morning, there had long been long been speculation about his sexuality in hip-hop circles.
London's Almeida Theatre has announced its newest season, which includes Ian Rickson directing out actor Ben Whishaw in a new play about an aerospace billionaire, according to What's On Stage. Whishaw, who returns to the Islington venue following Bakkhai in 2015, will star as Luke in Christopher Shinn's new play Against on Aug. 12-Sept. 30.
A South Ogden, Utah, city councilman has voted against an agreement to have openly gay country musician Ty Herndon perform, saying he didn't want the performer to make a political speech, The Salt Lake Tribune noted. The Standard-Examiner reported that councilman Adam Hensley voted against an agreement between the city and Winterset Concert Events, which will bring country performer Ty Herndon to the annual South Ogden Days event. The agreement was approved, with Hensley as the only dissenter. Hensley says his vote wasn't about Herndon's sexuality, but instead was in hopes of preventing city funds to provide a platform for political or social discussion.
Ruby Rose is over the moon about her latest love, Page Six noted. "She is the most amazing person," the actress gushed of gal pal Jess Origliasso to Entertainment Tonight. "We just jam every night. We just play music and sing and cook dinner, and she's amazing. She's wonderful." One half of the pop duo The Veronicas, Origliasso accompanied Rose to the Hollywood premiere of her new flick xXx: Return of Xander Cage on Jan. 19.
Jane Lynch has been tapped to play former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno in Discovery Channel's upcoming FBI crime-drama Manifesto, from Lionsgate and Kevin Spacey and Dana Brunetti's Trigger Street Productions, Deadline reported. The series tells the story of how the FBI brought down Unabomber Ted Kaczynski ( Paul Bettany ), one of the most infamous criminal masterminds in the world. Production begins Jan. 30 in Atlanta, with the premiere set later this year.
Davis Mallory—the fraternity brother who came out nationally on MTV's The Real World—is releasing a single for Valentine's Day, a press release stated. Produced by KELLR, "Under Your Spell"—the first single from his upcoming EP, LOUD—is a ballad inspired by his most recent ex, a man he was on and off with since 2014. The song will be released to iTunes on Tuesday, Feb. 7; LOUD will be out Tuesday, April 25.
It seems like Teen Wolf co-stars Tyler Posey and Cody Christian may be the latest victims of the ongoing celebrity private photo leaks, if the reports are true, Teen Vogue noted. According to Just Jared, a private video of Christian was leaked on the internet a few days ago, and Hollywood Life reported photos of Posey surfaced not long after. These reports come after private photos of Lucy Hale and Maisie Williams were posted last month, and after a years-long string of celebrity hackings and private photo leaks.
Wynonna and her band, The Big Noise, will bring a new tour to fans across the United States, according to a press release. The 2017 "Roots & Revival Tour" will explore the past, present and future of Wynonna's 33-year career. The tour is set to launch in March and run through late October, and will stop in cities such as Atlanta; Indio, California; and Naperville, Illinois. To purchase tickets and for more information, visit Wynonna.com/tour.
Adele, Metallica, John Legend, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban are set to perform at the 59th annual Grammy Awards, TheWrap reported. All five acts have won multiple Grammys in the past, while the majority are also nominated for awards at this year's ceremony. The biggest night in music will be broadcast live on CBS from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Feb. 12.
Michelle Rodriguez, Ellie Kemper, Ariel Winter, Demi Lovato, Joe Manganiello, Mandy Patinkin and Julia Roberts are among the voice cast of Smurfs: The Lost Village, which will be released April 7, according to a press release. Tituss Burgess and chef Gordon Ramsay are among the special voice cameos.
Beyonce showed her support for the Jan. 21 Women's March via Facebook, saying, "We raise our voices as mothers, as artists, and as activists. As #GlobalCitizens, we can make our voices heard and turn awareness into meaningful action and positive change," Billboard reported. According to organizers, the Women's March on Washington was a women-led movement, bringing together all genders, ages, races, cultures, etc. More than 100,000 people were expected to attend the event.
"This is a rallying cry that women, people of color, queer people, and their allies are all one big movement," said Jill Soloway of the women's marches that took place Jan. 21 across the country after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, Deadline noted. "The enemy is now clear and the enemy is now named," the Transparent creator and multiple Emmy winner added.
On Jan. 21, a massive internet outage in Park City coincided with the temporary halting of ticket purchases at the Sundance Film Festival after a cyberattack by unknown actors shut down the festival's box office, Deadline reported. The ticket purchasing system was partially restored approximately 45 minutes later. Hackers went after Sundance box-office systems shortly after the Women's March in Park City, led by Chelsea Handler. The march was one of dozens currently happening in cities across the country and worldwide to protest the policies and goals of President Donald Trump and the Republican Party. Sundance continues through Jan. 29.
The Emmy-winning Will & Grace is returning to NBC, Deadline reported. After months of complex and difficult negotiations, the network has closed a deal for a new 10-episode installment of the hit series, which aired from 1998-2006 as one of the last tentpoles of NBC's once venerable Must-See TV comedy lineup. The new, ninth season of Will & Grace stems from the surprise election-themed reunion mini-episode released last September.
Boy George got political at Paris Fashion Week, defending U.S. First Lady Melania Trump, according to LGBTQ Nation. "You know what? As somebody who has a past, I think it's really wrong and mean-spirited of women to be so abusive," Boy George told The Associated Press. He added that, in the Herve Pierre-designed inauguration gown, Melania Trump "looked amazing." Still, he lamented ( with a hint of humor ) that President Donald Trump didn't mention the LGBT community—"or me"—in his inauguration speech.
Out television personality Nate Berkus has signed with Brillstein Entertainment Partners, Deadline noted. Berkus, an interior designer and author, was catapulted to fame by his appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2002. Multiple guest stints on Oprah and Rachael Ray led to Berkus getting his own syndicated show, The Nate Berkus Show, which launched in September 2010 and ran for two seasons. Berkus continues to run his Chicago-based design firm, Nate Berkus Associates, while his product lines include a home collection sold at Target.
Warner Bros. is noving ahead with Green Lantern movie and it looks like the casting process is underway—with Ryan Reynolds ( surprisingly ) in the mix, Movieweb noted. Reynolds previously portrayed the superhero in a 2011 movie that was widely panned. Others said to be considered for the new movie are Bradley Cooper, Armie Hammer, Jake Gyllenhaal, Joel McHale and Tom Cruise.
Brandi Glanville had a lesbian fling with celebrity chef Cat Cora, one of the judges of her cooking show My Kitchen Rules, according to Page Six. Glanville addressed the romance on the Bravo show Watch What Happens Live, saying that she considered "settling down" with Cora—who recently divorced Jennifer, her wife of 17 years—until she remembered how attracted she is to men. Page Six has originally reported the news last October, but Glanville only just now confirmed it.
Goldfrapp will release its seventh studio album, Silver Eye, on March 31 through Mute, a press release noted. The band, consisting of Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory, also reveal the new single "Anymore." On the making the album, Alison Goldfrapp said, "We've never liked repeating ourselves. Often we react to things we've just done. We like the spontaneity of not knowing. It's only through the process that we start to figure out what it is. The fans who have stuck with us are the ones who embrace that idea and are excited by the thought that they don't know quite what to expect next."
Caitlyn Jenner was among those slated to attend President Donald Trump's inauguration Jan. 20, Page Six noted. Contrary to rumors, Jenner was not Trump's guest. People reported that Jenner was a guest of the American Unity Fund, a nonprofit that works toward advancing freedom and equal opportunity for LGBTQ Americans. Jenner, 67, tweeted, "Republicans need help understanding LGBTQ issues and I'm here to help!"
E! News has confirmed that Ryan Murphy has optioned Jeffrey Toobin's book, A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Story of the Sex Scandal That Nearly Brought Down a President as the source material for a future installment of the critically acclaimed and award-winning series, E! Online reported. The book tells the entire story of the Clinton sex scandals and the roles of both Monica Lewinsky and colleague Linda Tripp. Toobin also provided the source material and consultation for the first season with another one of his books, The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson.
NBC has picked up two seasons—second and third—consisting of minimum 18 episodes each of This Is Us, Deadline reported. This Is Us returned to the schedule recently after a five-week break and set a new live plus same day series record in adults 18-49 ( 3.0 rating ). To date, 72 million total viewers have viewed the first 10 episodes in some fashion on all platforms.
Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey transformed his appearance to play gold prospector Kenny Wells, adding 47 pounds to his typically athletic frame for the film Gold ( out Jan. 27 ), according to E! Online. McConaughey shaved his head and wore a toupee, and he worked with hair and makeup artist Felicity Bowring on a set of veneers. He said, "My favorite food is cheeseburgers, so I was eating cheeseburgers all the time." McConaughey famously lost 38 lbs. for Dallas Buyers Club, but Gold marked the first time he'd ever gained weight for a role without adding muscle mass.
Nearly five years after her first Desperate Housewives trial collapsed due to a hung jury, Nicollette Sheridan has suffered another loss as a judge tossed out her latest case, Deadline reported. Touchstone's legitimate reasons for killing off Sheridan's character would have resulted in the same decision," LA Superior Court Judge Holly Kendig said in the ruling. However, Sheridan's main lawyer, Mark Baute, said, "We look forward to winning in front of the court of appeal, again." Kendig was previously known for entering a $70-million default judgment on behalf of relatives of four members of Long Beach Poly alum Jenni Rivera's entourage who died along with the singer in a 2012 Learjet crash in Mexico, Press-Telegram noted.
Now-former First Daughter Malia Obama has landed an internship with Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, Page Six noted. In 2015, she landed a summer internship on the set of HBO's Lena Dunham series Girls, and she was seen delivering coffee to the series' cast and crew. Obama will attend Harvard University later this year.
Federal prosecutors say a business manager who embezzled more than $6.5 million from singer Alanis Morissette and other entertainment and sports figures has agreed to plead guilty, USA Today noted. onathan Todd Schwartz agreed to plead guilty in Los Angeles federal court to two felonies that carry a maximum of 23 years in federal prison. The guilty plea is scheduled for Feb. 1.
