Lady Gaga's newest CD, ARTPOP, suffered a nose dive in its second week of sales, according to TheWrap.com . The album, which features the hit "Applause," took an 82-percent dive after selling 258,000 units during its debut. During its debut week, Gaga's prior album, Born This Way, sold more than three-and-a-half times ARTPOP's first two weeks combined. However, it's not the worst second-week drop ever—Madonna holds that distinction with her MDNA CD ( an 87-percent decline in sales ).
Speaking of Gaga, Live Nation Global Touring announced that her "artRave: The ARTPOP Ball" will begin May 4, 2014, in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., according to a press release. The tour will include several cities that have not hosted Gaga before as well as cities that missed her tour earlier this year following a hip injury that forced her to cancel some shows. Among the cities she will hit are Cleveland ( May 18 ), Vancouver ( May 30 ), Boston ( June 30 ), Chicago ( July 11 ) and Los Angeles ( July 21 ).
True Blood hunk Joe Manganiello has revealed that he has remained sober for 11 years, The Huffington Post reported. Promoting his book Evolution: The Cutting Edge Guide to Breaking Down Mental Walls and Building the Body You've Always Wanted, the 36-year-old said that alcoholism negatively affected his career when he was in his 20s. The six-foot-five Manganiello also said he was bullied as a teen ( he was once a skinny little kid ), but that the pressure to be better made him stronger.
Alec Baldwin has blamed the "fundamentalist wing of gay advocacy" for the cancellation of his talk show, according to Us Weekly. Baldwin told The Gothamist, "You've got the fundamentalist wing of gay advocacy—Rich Ferraro and Andrew Sullivan—they're out there, they've got you." The MSNBC show Up Late with Alec Baldwin had been on a two-week hiatus following Baldwin's suspension from the network in the wake of video footage of the actor allegedly shouting anti-gay slurs to a paparazzo in November. Later, the channel and Baldwin mutually agreed to end the six-week-old show.
On the Nov. 26 episode of the NBC show The Biggest Loser, personal trainer Bob Harper came out of the closet, according to Us Weekly. Contestant Bobby Saleem revealed that he was gay on the show, but struggled to break the news of his sexuality to his father. To help encourage Saleem to come out to his dad, Harper decided to share his own story. At one point Harper said, "Being gay doesn't mean that you are less than anybody else. It's just who you are."
American Idol alum Adam Lambert will join Glee stars Jane Lynch, Darren Criss, Amber Riley, Naya Rivera and Chris Colfer at the Trevor Project's gala annual fundraiser, TrevorLIVE, on Dec. 8 at the Hollywood Palladium, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Lambert, Riley, actress Megan Hilty and Glee alum Cheyenne Jackson will take the stage for special performances. Other stars scheduled to appear include Becca Tobin, Dot-Marie Jones and Harry Shum, Jr. of Glee; Dancing with the Stars alum Brant Daugherty; Sarah Michelle Gellar of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Crazy Ones; Andrew Rannells of Girls; TV host Ricki Lake; and Jennifer Coolidge of American Pie.
Openly gay actor George Takei ( Star Trek ) has a new unisex fragrance called Eau My—a play on his "Oh, my" statement he often makes, The Huffington Post noted. The fragrance is marketed under the tagline "Set phasers to stunning!" and the ad features the sentence "Tell them George scent you."
Roseanne Barr recently conveyed her rage at the television establishment on Twitter, at one point threatening to quit television completely and take up "geriatric porn," according to TheWrap.com . In a series of profanity-laced tweets, Barr complained that she'd been shut out of the development of her new television show, adding, "I'm never going to work in television again. I'm never going to even attempt it. I feel as if I've been insulted/assaulted for over a year."
Fresh off an honorary Oscar for decades of memorable performances in such films as Gaslight and The Manchurian Candidate, 88-year old Angela Lansbury is returning to the stage in a West End revival of Blithe Spirit, according to TheWrap.com . She will play doddering clairvoyant Madame Arcati, the same role that won her a Tony in 2009—and it will mark Lansbury's first time on the London stage in almost 40 years. ( The last time was a stint a performance as Gertrude in the National Theatre's 1975 production of Hamlet. )
Paul Walker, best known for his lead role in the Fast and Furious film franchise, died Nov. 30 after a high-performance red Porsche he was riding in crashed and exploded near a charity event near Santa Clarita, according to TheWrap.com . Walker was 40, and is survived by his 15-year-old daughter. Santa Clarita Valley-area AM news station KHTS identified the driver as Roger Rodas, CEO of Always Evolving Performance Motors Racing. Walker was in Santa Clarita for a car show in support of Reach Out Worldwide, a disaster-relief organization currently providing support to victims of the Philippines typhoon.
Actress Maria Bello revealed that she is in a lesbian relationship in a New York Times essay Dec. 1, making an appeal to be embraced for her own "modern family," according to TheWrap.com . Bello ( who recently starred in a TV remake of Prime Suspect ) wrote that she struggled with revealing to her 12-year-old son, Jackson, her relationship with a woman called Clare who happened to be her closest friend. However, she also urged a broader definition of sexuality and love than what currently passes for social norms. Bello added that her other main relationships have been with men—but they weren't always sexual ones.
Beyonce has dethroned Kim Kardashian as the most-searched person in 2013 on the online search engine Bing, CBS News reported. The "Love on Top" singer performed at President Obama's inauguration in January; revealed glimpses of her life with Jay Z and their baby in a February HBO documentary and sang at the Super Bowl in February; and kicked off a worldwide tour, The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour, in April. Rihanna, Taylor Swift and Madonna rounded out the top five.
Barbara Walters has revealed most of her annual list of "Most Fascinating People of the Year," US Magazine reported. Among the individuals are Kim Kardashian and Kanye West; Prince William and Kate Middelton's son, Prince George; actress Jennifer Lawrence; long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad; Miley Cyrus; Duck Dynasty's Robertson family; Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts; Pope Francis; and whistleblower Edward Snowden. Walters will reveal the No. 1 most fascinating person of 2013 during her 90-minute program, which will air Wed., Dec. 18.
Openly gay meterologist Sam Champion is leaving Good Morning America for The Weather Channel, The Huffington Post noted. The weatherman—who joined GMA in 2006 after 18 years with ABC's New York City affiliate—will take on a new role as a host and managing editor at the station. According to a memo ABC News President Ben Sherwood sent staffers, Champion "broadcast live from a raft floating between polar icebergs, danced the salsa on 'Despierta America,' and interviewed countless newsmakers, celebrities and chefs."
Ryan Murphy, the co-creator of the Fox series Glee, announced via his Twitter account that the full original cast of the series has been invited back for its upcoming 100th episode, according to TheWrap.com . "ALL The Glee Originals received invites today to be in our 100th episode! More to follow," Murphy wrote. The 100th episode of the musical series will air March 18.
The Fox show Sleepy Hollow has cast Victor Garber as Ichabod's father, Digital Spy according to TV Line. The Alias star has signed up to appear in a single episode as the father of Tom Mison's crime-fighter in the supernatural drama. Garber's recent TV work includes Web Therapy and NBC's short-lived Deception, and the openly gay actor will play a judge on The Good Wife later this season.
After a couple of years of constant illness, Aretha Franklin is slowly returning to the live performing spotlight, according to Vintage Vinyl News. She's singing at the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony Dec. 6, and others such as Mariah Carey and Train will also perform. Franklin will then play to a hometown crowd at the Sound Board at Detroit's Motor City Casino Hotel. Lastly, Franklin returns to New York for two dates at Radio City Music Hall on Jan. 17-18.
Matthew McConaughey couldn't make it to the Gotham Awards Dec. 2, so he accepted a Best Actor award for the movie Dallas Buyers Club by phone—until the call was dropped, Page Six noted. Jared Leto, accepting for his co-star with the explanation,"He's got a [bleeping] job, so he can't be here," called McConaughey from the Cipriani Wall Street stage on speakerphone, but had problems with reception. In a movie that's based on real-life developments, McConaughey portrays the Ron Woodruff, a straight man who contracted HIV in the 1980s.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced 15 documentary features in contention for Oscar from a category of 147 films that had originally qualified, Variety noted. The films include Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer, Blackfish, God Loves Uganda, 20 Feet from Stardom, Dirty Wars and The Armstrong Lie. Among the movies omitted were After Tiller and We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks. Documentary Branch members will select the five nominees. Nominations will be announced Jan. 16, and Oscars will be presented March 2.
In an interview with The Telegraph, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber said there hasn't been a musical with "really good songs" in about a decade, according to The Guardian. Webber said that Stephen Schwartz's Wicked was the last really satisfying musical score—adding that he hoped Stephen Ward, his latest show, would be the next. Musicals that have debuted in the past decade include Spring Awakening, Avenue Q and Billy Elliot: The Musical.
American Idol alum Crystal Bowersox has announced she's bisexual, On Top Magazine noted. "Let me set the record straight. I'm Bi. Pun intended," Bowersox recently tweeted to her more than 60,000 followers. Bowersox co-wrote "Coming Out For Christmas" with Maia Sharp; a portion of the proceeds from each sale of the song benefits The Trevor Project, which provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBT youth.
Fitness guru Richard Simmons got very flirtatious with Fox News' Neil Cavuto during a recent interview, according to On Top Magazine. "You look so handsome tonight, I can hardly keep from climbing over this desk," Simmons told Cavuto. As Cavuto conducted the interview—which covered Simmons' single "Hair Do" and how to avoid overeating during the holidays—Simmons continued to flirt, asking at one point, ""Do you want to kiss me and make up?"
