Out singer George Michael has confirmed rumors he will appear in the London Olympics' closing ceremony, according to Pink News. He tweeted, "Spending most of the next week rehearsing like crazy for the Olympic closing ceremony. Obviously a bit nervous not having played for nearly a year, but rehearsals sounding great so far!" Few details of that event have been revealed, but the Spice Girls are expected to appear at it as well.
Lady Gaga has apparently mentioned the title of her follow-up CD to Born This Way, according to the Hollywood Reporter. She tweeted, "make sure when writing about my new album/project ARTPOP that you CAPITALIZE the title." Gaga made the proclamation about ARTPOP on her own LittleMonsters.com website with a photo of a new tattoo with the word on her underarm. The new album is expected late this year or early next year.
In an interview with The Advocate, reggae singer Beenie Man talked about a YouTube video he did in which he apologized for songs that have anti-gay lyrics, adding that his view on LGBT equality has evolved. In the video, he says, "I respect each and every human being regardless of which race or creed, regardless of which religious belief … regardless of which sexual preference you have, including gay and lesbian people." However, he had no comment for the interview question, "Would you ever consider performing for an LGBT event or festival?"
Sarah Jessica Parker is set to play a Vogue editor during her stint guest-starring on Glee this fall, according to Out.com . Parker's role seems to be a mentor to Chris Colfer's character, Kurt, after his move to New York City. However, Vogue's real-life Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour is also set to help with the costuming of her character on the show.
Rosie O'Donnell is producing a new HBO documentary about how young children deal with the "confusing, often-painful challenge of their parents' divorce," Advocate.com reported. Don't Divorce Me! Kids' Rules for Parents on Divorce will "combine candid interviews, drawings, songs and photos" to give "kids a chance to share poignant stories of how divorce has impacted their lives—and offer helpful advice to their parents," an HBO press release stated. The documentary will premiere Sept. 20.
Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld has caused controversy again—this time by insulting Pippa Middleton, the sister of Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, the Sun reported. Lagerfeld said, "Kate Middleton has a nice silhouette and she is the right girl for that boy. On the other hand, her sister struggles. I don't like the sister's face. She should only show her back." Lagerfeld got into hot water earlier this year by calling singer Adele "too fat."
Out former Olympic diver Greg Louganis told CNN host Piers Morgan he "didn't think I'd see 30" after being hold he had HIV, according to the Huffington Post. Louganis, 52, said, "Back in 1988 when I was diagnosed with HIV, we thought of HIV as a death sentence." Regarding the Chick-fil-A controversy, Louganis said, "I'm not real political, but I know what's right," adding, "Who eats that stuff? ... I like the blood flowing."
Michael Urie—best known for playing gay personal assistant Marc on the TV series Ugly Betty—is returning this fall in the CBS sitcom Partners. On the show, Urie wil play a gay man who's best friends with a straight guy (played by David Krumholt). According to GregInHollywood.com, Urie said he isn't concerned about being typecast in gay roles, adding, "I would much rather play a great gay role than a mediocre straight role."
The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) has announced its fall line-up, according to Deadline.com . The trio of new fall shows are: Iyanla, Fix My Life, featuring author, inspirational speaker and talk show host Iyania Vanzant; Oprah: Where Are They Now?, showcasing newsmakers from the past via the Oprah Winfrey Show vault; and TV Guide Magazine's Top 25 Best Oprah Show Moments. A reality show with LaToya Jackson is scheduled for 2013.
Openly gay TV director Paris Barclay will make the jump to the big screen when he helms the upcoming biopic of civil-rights pioneer Barbara Jordan, according to Eurweb.com . Jordan was the first African American elected to the Texas Senate after Reconstruction and the first Southern Black female elected to the United States House of Representatives. Viola Davis is slated to play the lead. It is not known if Jordan's rumored lesbianism will be addressed.
Good Morning America's Robin Roberts has left the show earlier than planned. She was expected to leave in late August; however, on July 31, she said she wasn't feeling well and unexpectedly left in the middle of the show, according to Examiner.com . Roberts subsequently tweeted and thanked her fans for their prayers and well wishes, and said she was feeling much better. In June, she was diagnosed with MDS, a bone and blood disorder.
Full casting has been announced for the world-premiere production of The Bodyguard (based on the movie starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner) that begins performances at Adelphi Theatre in London's West End, according to Playbill.com . Heather Headley and Lloyd Owen will head the cast, and the show's score will include many of Houston's greatest hits, including "Queen of the Night," "So Emotional," "One Moment in Time," "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" and "I Will Always Love You." The show starts Nov. 6, prior to a Dec. 5 official opening.
Rosie O'Donnell and fiancee Michelle Rounds have postponed their wedding because Rounds has been diagnosed with rare benign but aggressive tumors called fibromatoses, SheWired.com reported. On her blog, O'Donnell explained that Rounds woke up in pain on Mother's Day; she then talks about Rounds taking numerous tests before she was finally diagnosed with Desmoid tumors.
Two very different entertainers have endorsed Mitt Romney: acting/directing legend Clint Eastwood and former porn star Jenna Jameson, according to the Huffington Post. "I think the country needs a boost," Eastwood told The Associated Press as he joined other Romney supporters for the private campaign event. Jameson made her endorsement from a San Francisco strip club, saying, "When you're rich, you want a Republican in office."
Openly gay media moguls Craig Zadan and Neil Meron—executive producers of such shows as Smash and Drop Dead Diva—have signed a two-year deal with Sony Pictures Television for TV movies and a miniseries, Advocate.com reported. The duo has signed on to several high-profile projects, including Lifetime movies about the late Anna Nicole Smith and polygamist (and convicted child molester) Warren Jeffs. The duo is also reportedly developing a Lifetime movie about Constance McMillen, the lesbian student barred from attending a Mississippi prom with another girl.
An MTV.com review praised out singer Frank Ocean's performance at Lollapalooza this year. Severe weather pushed Ocean's act so that he'd be competing with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Avicii; however, James Montgomery said that Ocean succeeded because his "set was an intimate affair, the kind of thing you never see at massive fests like Lolla." Montgomery added that Ocean's performance of "Bad Religion" became "unquestionably one of the highlights of the weekend, a genuine goosebump moment and the kind of raw emotion that goes unnoticed on a Lollapalooza mega-stage."
Actor Michael Urie, actress Dot Marie Jones (Glee), Miss Coco Peru and former American Idol finalist Kimberly Caldwell are slated to appear at the 2012 Gay Days at Disneyland, which will take place Oct. 5-7, according to a press release. The actual Gay Day at Disneyland will be Saturday, Oct. 6; it will culminate with "Kingdom," the weekend's signature dance party. See www.GayDaysAnaheim.com .
Singer Elton John has again verbally attacked Madonna, saying she looked like a "fairground stripper," according to ABC News. In an interview that took place in Australia, John said of Madonna, "Why is she such a nightmare? Her career is over, I can tell you that. Her tour has been a disaster and it couldn't happen to a bigger [expletive]." Although they've reportedly feuded for years, her criticism of Lady Gaga (godmother to John's son, Zachary) has infuriated him.
Sharon Osbourne has quit her role as judge on America's Got Talent after a dispute with NBC over her son Jack, the New York Post reported. Sharon, 59, was upset over how the network's new reality series Stars Earn Stripes reportedly cut ties with Jack after he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. However, "Stars" producer David Hurwitz said Jack was never even hired.
At the New York City screening of her new movie, Hope Springs, Meryl Streep sported a unique accessory: a bandaged left hand, according to the New York Daily News. Streep, 63, said at a previous Q&A that she sliced her hand while cutting an avocado. Among others on hand for the screening were co-stars Tommy Lee Jones and Steve Carell, along with celebrities such as Bernadette Peters, Stanley Tucci and Dr. Ruth Westheimer.
Marvin Hamlisch, the composer of musicals like A Chorus Line and songs like "The Way We Were," has died at age 68 after a brief illness, according to the New York Times. Hamlisch was nominated for 12 Academy Awards for his score and song contributions to films like The Spy Who Loved Me and Sophie's Choice. He was also a three-time Oscar winner for the scores of The Sting as well as The Way We Were and its title song. In addition, he won four Emmy Awards and four Grammy Awards; Hamlisch also snagged a Tony Award for his score to the musical A Chorus Line.
Barbra Streisand has announced more tour dates, including an Oct. 23 show in Toronto and an Oct. 26 performance in Chicago, according to her official website. She will also perform Oct. 8 in Philadelphia; Oct. 11 and 13 in Brooklyn, N.Y.; Oct. 17 in Montreal and Oct. 20 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Special guests will be Chris Botti and Il Volo.
Writer Bret Easton Ellis said it would be "ludicrous" for actor Matt Bomer to be cast as the lead in the film adaptation of the sexually explicit book Fifty Shades of Grey, according to Pink News. The American Psycho author tweeted, "Matt Bomer is totally hot and a very good actor. He is NOT right for Christian Grey and it complicates the role. ... I don't care how good an actor you are but being married to another man complicates things for playing [Christian Grey]."
Another member of the Kardashian family has made news, as Rob—the younger brother of Kim, Khloe and Kourtney—announced he's attending law school at the University of Southern California (USC), People.com reported. The former Dancing with the Stars contestant, 25, graduated from USC's Marshall School of Business in May 2009. His father, the late Robert Kardashian, became famous for joining O.J. Simpson's legal defense team during his 1995 murder trial.
Sofia Vergara talked with Allure magazine about her physicality, according to a New York Post item. The Modern Family sex symbol said she struggles to find a 32F bra to fit her, and often has to settle for a 34DD in a pinch. When it comes to losing weight, she added, "I don't mind when the boobs get smaller. I don't like when the ass gets smaller. In Latin America, if you don't have a big ass, you're nothing."
In Burbank, Calif., authorities were called to a Costco store after comedian Joan Rivers handcuffed herself to a shopping cart to protest the store, which is not selling her latest book, according to the Huffington Post. A camera cres filmed Rivers, 79, as she complained that the store had refused to carry her book I Hate Everything ... Starting With Me. Rivers and her crew left withut incident, and there were no arrests.
