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Entertainment: Tom & Dustin; Grace Jones; Bette Midler; Matt Bomer
Special to the online edition of Windy City Times
by Andrew Davis, Windy City Times
2015-10-06

This article shared 6845 times since Tue Oct 6, 2015
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British Olympic diver Tom Daley and Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black have announced their engagement—but are waiting a little time to marry, PinkNews noted. The pair took out an announcement ads in the Times' marriages section, reading, "The engagement is announced between Tom, son of Robert and Debra Daley of Plymouth, and Lance, son of Jeff Bisch of Philadelphia and Anne Bisch of Lake Providence." Daley's mother, Debra, told the Plymouth Herald the pair's wedding planning will not begin until after the 2016 Olympics. Daley previously hinted that the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio might be his last.

Legendary model/singer Grace Jones has reportedly been too hot to handle for Simon & Schuster imprint Gallery Books, who published her new autobiography I'll Never Write My Memoirs, Page Six noted. Jones, 67, has done everything from turning up hours late for book-signings to flashing her breasts at photographers. Gallery Books director of publicity Jennifer Robinson recently admitted she was "needing some recovery time" after spending all day with the 1980s icon.

Speaking of Jones, she apparently is not the biggest fan of Lady Gaga, according to US Weekly. Jones revealed during a recent interview with Bevy Smith on SiriusXM's Bevelations that when she met Lady Gaga, she didn't connect with her. "Gaga came to me, and I just could not find a soul," Jones told Smith. "She might have been freaked out with meeting me."

Trudie Styler will produce and direct the film adaptation of James St. James best-seller Freak Show, which already has Bette Midler, AnnaSophia Robb, Ian Nelson and Lorraine Toussaint on board, according to Deadline. The book was nominated for the Lambda Literary Award for LGBT Children's/Young Adult and the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Men's Debut Fiction. Freak Show tells the story of Billy Bloom, a funny, good-hearted, cross-dressing teen who becomes the new student at an ultra-conservative high school.

In other Midler-related news, she recently made her thoughts known about gun control and Jeb Bush, The New York Daily News reported. In the aftermath of the mass shooting at Oregon's Umpqua Community College, she tweeted, "Gee, I guess the USA is really governed by the NRA. The rest of us just have to live the way they let us and shut the fuck up." As for Bush, she posted, ""Bush's 'stuff happens' is exactly what Don Rumsfeld said when the 'weapons of mass destruction' claim was discredited. They love that one!"

Janet Jackson has postponed her Las Vegas Unbreakable tour dates following doctor's orders, Fox5Vegas.com noted. Live Nation Entertainment announced Thursday that Jackson has postponed her Oct. 9-10 tour dates at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, as a doctor advised her to rest her vocal cords. However, Jackson is expected to resume her tour on Oct. 13 in San Francisco.

Actor Matt Bomer said his husband doesn't get jealous of his sex scenes, People.com noted. "There's been a lot of that sort of scene work for me over the years in one form or another, so I think we're all pretty much sort of anesthetized to that," Bomer, 37, told reporters about husband Simon Halls, 51, at the premiere of American Horror Story: Hotel in Los Angeles. "It's part of the job. It's part of the character's reality and who they are and their circumstances."

Madonna is reportedly out for blood after some of her backup dancers' alleged drug use led to a thorough and costly search at the Canadian border, Radar Online reported. A source said, "Dancers were caught smoking pot on tour bus—so the other five busses were torn apart by customs. The search took hours." Radar has reported previously that Madonna has been ruthlessly lording over her dancers during her Rebel Heart Tour, allegedly working them to the bone for meager pay.

When her plane couldn't land for a recent Southern gig, superstar Liza Minnelli took an Uber 200 miles overnight to make it, Page Six reported. Rough weather was a factor for Minnelli, who was headed to Wilmington, North Carolina, for a black-tie affair to play with the North Carolina Symphony at Cape Fear Community College's new Humanities & Fine Arts Center. Interestingly, her driver was former Egyptian Olympic handball player Ahmed El-Awady, who competed at the 1992 and '96 games.

Rapper Missy Elliott is facing a $75,000 lawsuit for allegedly skipping a Brazilian TV appearance and two concerts—and keeping the appearance fee, according to Page Six. The Manhattan Supreme Court suit filed by Jean Faustin of the Maestro Global Media Group says the five-time Grammy winner received a $75,000 deposit three years ago to perform in Rio and Porto Alegre that November.

Rapper/actor 50 Cent shared a fan's thoughts that the Fox show Empire has been losing viewers because it's simply spending too much time on gay storylines and gay characters, according to an LGBTQ Nation item. He recently shared an Instagram user's post, who wrote: "There are 3 million less viewers who tuned into last night's Empire episode!!!!! did you watch it? We could not take the extra gay stuff or celebrity stuff last night!!!!!" He's the executive producer of a rival show called Power, and has previously called Empire "some sh*t you get for free."

A new documentary, Sam Smith: Dreams Come True, seeks to take viewers inside the life of the British singer-songwriter by including intimate live sets of a selection of his songs, including early releases, such as "Time Won't Wait" and "All This Madness," Out.com noted. Directed by Sonia Anderson, the film features exclusive interviews with Smith and those who were closest to him: Smith's former school headmaster, voice coach Dr. Voice, backing singers, close acquaintances and friends. The film will be available on major digital platforms in the USA/Canada Oct. 13, and on DVD Nov. 10.

U.S. silver medalist Adam Rippon said he is gay in this month's issue of U.S. Figure Skating's official magazine—and that he considered coming out before the Sochi Olympics, NBC Sports reported. "Being gay is not something that defines me," Rippon, 25, said in Skating magazine. "What defines me is what my mom always taught me: to treat everyone with respect, to always be a hard worker and to be kind." Rippon has skated in three World Championships; he was eighth at the January 2014 U.S. Championships, missing the two-man 2014 U.S. Olympic team.

Miley Cyrus kicked off the 41st season of Saturday Night Live by joking about various celebrities, including Drake, Meek Mill, Ariana Grande, Kim Davis, Rick Santorum and more, according to Hollywood Life. Later in the evening, Miley performed "Karen, Don't Be Sad," watched as Hillary Clinton mocked Donald Trump, and appeared in a number of other hilarious skits.

Prosecutors said that Caitlyn Jenner won't be charged with manslaughter or any crime in the February car crash that killed one person on the Pacific Coast Highway, TheWrap reported. Kim Howe, 65, was killed when her Lexus was struck by a Hummer on Feb. 7. Footage of the collision was released in July, and appeared to show Jenner's Cadillac Escalade hitting Howe's Lexus as well as a Prius driven by Jessica Steindorff. Howe's vehicle crossed into opposing traffic, where it collided with a Hummer. Jenner stated she was not driving recklessly, and cited the trailer she was towing as a factor in the crash.

YouTube star Connor Franta has come out as gay in a video to his fans, according to OurQueerStories.com . Franta, 22, opened up about his sexuality in a video uploaded to his popular eponymous YouTube channel, which has 3.6 million subscribers. He said 2014 was the first year he has truly felt comfortable with himself, having struggled with his identity since he was 12 years old.

Awesomeness Films announced that its documentary on out advocate/YouTube star Tyler Oakley, SNERVOUS, will be released in December through a limited theatrical release and globally on all major digital platforms, a press release stated. The film follows the life and career of the 26 year-old digital figure through his sold-out Slumber Party tour across the United States, United Kingdom and Ireland. Oakley—who uploaded his first video in 2007 while he was a freshman at Michigan State—now has more than 350 videos online with almost 500 million views, and has more than 7 million subscribers and 21 million followers on social media.

Former Who's the Boss? actress Alyssa Milano has weighed in on co-star Danny Pintauro's revelation on Oprah Winfrey's Where Are They Now? that he's been HIV-positive for a dozen years, according to a CBS press release. On The Talk, Milano said, "I hate that it took him so long to feel comfortable but I'm so glad that he is able to express himself now and I guarantee he will change so many lives. And I'm so grateful that this disease is being discussed again because it feels like there was such a long time that it wasn't. And he is a beacon of light and he will be. I'm proud."

Speaking of Pintauro, he is taking the next step in his advocacy to spread awareness of the disease, TheWrap noted. During an interview on the ABC talk show The View, Pintauro said he recently quit his day job as a manager at a P.F. Chang's restaurant and plans to spend the next year traveling around the country on what he will call the "Beacon of Light" tour. Pintauro revealed that he was diagnosed with HIV in 2003 after experimenting with crystal meth.

Logo announced the premiere of Beautiful As I Want To Be, a digital-exclusive video series spotlighting transgender youth, on Wed., Oct. 28, on LogoTV.com and Logo's YouTube, according to a press release. Each of the four episodes will be introduced by Geena Rocero, a transgender supermodel and founder of Gender Proud who also serves as an executive producer on the series. The production featured a crew of almost all transgender entertainment professionals.

Rihanna told Vanity Fair in its November cover story that former NAACP chapter leader Dolezal should be praised for bringing the discussion of racial identity to the forefront, according to NBC News. Dolezal's biolgical parents in June came forward publicly to say their estranged daughter is white, and had has been misrepresenting herself for years as a Black woman. "I think she was a bit of a hero, because she kind of flipped on society a little bit," Rihanna told the magazine. "Is it such a horrible thing that she pretended to be black? Black is a great thing, and I think she legit changed people's perspective a bit and woke people up."

Actress Dame Helen Mirren is not doing any more topless scenes in movies, CNN noted. Mirren, 70, has appeared nude or topless in films and other venues, going back to 1969's Age of Consent and as recently as a 2010 photo shoot for New York magazine. Mirren said that, despite all the nude and topless scenes she's done over the years, it really wasn't something she was keen on—it just didn't seem to be a big deal, she said in a September interview with Alan Cumming on the CBS show Remember That Time?

The musical adaptation of American Psycho—starring Benjamin Walker as murderous protagonist Patrick Bateman—has its Broadway home, nabbing the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater for a run that begins previews in March, Variety noted. Walker, whose upcoming movie credits include Ron Howard's December release In The Heart of the Sea, makes a return to Broadway in "Psycho" after his breakout stage role in Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson as well as his most recent Broadway outing, the 2013 revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, with Scarlett Johansson.

Ralph Lauren is stepping aside as chief executive of the fashion empire he built over five decades, appointing an Old Navy and H&M veteran to help run his business, according to The Wall Street Journal. Lauren hired Stefan Larsson, the global president of Gap Inc.'s Old Navy division, to serve as CEO of Ralph Lauren Corp. The designer-founder will remain executive chairman and chief creative officer.

Fresh off the premiere of her latest flick, Freeheld, Ellen Page is set to star again as an out lesbian in the indie war drama Lioness, NewNowNext.com noted. The film tells the true story of Lance Corporal Leslie Martz ( to be portrayed by Page ), a U.S. Marine and leader of the first Female Engagement Team during her deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. During her service, Martz remained closeted under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

The Basquiat estate is fighting back against the release of nude images of the late artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, Page Six reported. The images, which show the late artist lying naked on a bed and smiling at the camera, were taken by his ex-girlfriend and Andy Warhol crony Paige Powell and shown at a 2014 exhibition, -"Jean-Michel Basquiat Reclining Nude," at the Suzanne Geiss Gallery. The intimate images have appeared several places online; however, the estate's lawyer, James P. Cinque, has sent out several cease-and-desist emails.

Fox is developing a new couples dancing competition series with the producers of The Voice and American Idol, TheWrap revealed. The currently untitled series will highlight the lives of real-life couples who each week will participate in intensive training, rehearsals and live performances, until one couple is crowned the winner.

LiveNation and iHeartRadio presented the first-ever Elsie Fest, a one-day outdoor music festival celebrating songs from the stage and screen, at JBL LIVE at Pier 97 in New York City, Playbill.com noted. The lineup included Tony winner Lea Salonga; Glee and recent Hedwig star Darren Criss; Hamilton's Leslie Odom Jr.; Next to Normal's Aaron Tveit; Tony-nominated singing actress Laura Osnes; Chicago-based musical-theater company and YouTube sensation StarKid; and musician/actor Seth Rudetsky. Elsie Fest is the brainchild of Criss, talent manager Ricky Rollins. and Broadway producer and Jujamcyn Theaters president Jordan Roth.

An overzealous fan jumped on stage at Katy Perry's Prismatic World Tour set, at Rock in Rio, when she invited an excitable fan on stage at her perfomance over the weekend, the UK Telegraph noted. Her fan decided it was appropriate to kiss and grope the pop star, who looked shocked but managed to stay composed and joke about it. The singer peeled the fan off and held her at arms length, telling the crowd: "She's kissing my neck!" Perry laughed and said, "We might need that water back. We need some water."

Lady Gaga will be honored as Billboard's 2015 Woman of the Year, succeeding Taylor Swift, who appeared at last year's event that also celebrated Aretha Franklin, Ariana Grande, Iggy Azalea, Jessie J, Charli XCX and Idina Menzel, Billboard reported. The inaugural televised outing will be held Dec. 11 at Cipriani Midtown in New York and will air Dec. 18. In addition to Gaga's new turn on FX's American Horror Story: Hotel—which premieres Oct. 7—the six-time Grammy-winning pop star and actress recently hit number one on the real-time Billboard + Twitter Trending 140 chart with her video "Till It Happens to You," a track written for the college sexual-assault documentary The Hunting Ground.

David Arquette ( the Scream film series ) will star in the title role when the production Sherlock Holmes takes place at Chicago's Oriental Theatre in November, a press release stated. James Maslow—the actor and singer perhaps best known for being in Nickelodeon's Big Time Rush and a member of the band with the same name—will co-star Dr. John Watson. Interested persons can visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com .

Anthony E. Zuiker, creator of the long-running CSI police TV franchise, has been signed to write the libretto for the stage musical adaptation of another TV phenomenon: the musical-variety series Soul Train, Playbill reported. Tony-nominated producer Matthew Weaver ( Rock of Ages ), of movie, TV and stage production company MediaWeaver Entertainment, acquired the theatrical stage rights to Soul Train from Soul Train Holdings, LLC. A spokesperson for the Broadway production said the producers are aiming for a 2017 Broadway bow at a venue to be announced.

Producers for HBO's Westworld told SAG-AFTRA that they won't back down from plans to shoot graphic sexual scenes even after the actors union warned members about the project, according to TheWrap. The union, meanwhile, is investigating concerns about the health and safety of extras on the show being asked to perform graphic sexual acts. SAG-AFTRA alerted members that a waiver that extras were being asked to sign was not enforceable.


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