Glee co-creator Ryan Murphy confirmed what some had already figured out: that the "happily ever after" for Rachel and Finn that Lea Michele laid out in the Cory Monteith tribute episode is how Murphy planned to end Glee after six seasons, Deadline.com reported. "Rachel was going to have become a big Broadway star—the role she was born to play," Murphy said in his eulogy at Monteith's July private memorial service. Murphy added that "Finn was going to have become a teacher [and leading the glee club], settled down happily in Ohio," with Rachel returning and saying "I'm home."
Irish actor Andrew Scott—probably best known for his role as the villainous Moriarty on the BBC series Sherlock—came out of the closet during an interview with the UK Independent. Talking about acquiring the Russian accent he uses in the BBC2 drama Legacy, Scott said, "I started looking at Vladimir Putin videos on YouTube. But then Putin introduced anti-gay legislation this summer—so, being a gay person, I switched to Rudolf Nureyev videos instead." Talking more about his sexuality, Scott, 37, said, "Mercifully, these days people don't see being gay as a character flaw. ... Of course, it's part of my make-up, but I don't want to trade on it."
TV's original Wonder Woman, Lynda Carter, talked about Gal Gadot, the actress who will play the amazon in the movie Batman vs. Superman, according to SheKnows.com . "There's an identification factor. She's not your average superhero," Carter advised. "It's not so much about her superpowers as it is about her ethic. I always thought of her as a figure who stands for what's right." Carter added that she doesn't have any reservations about seeing someone else in the role. Batman vs. Superman—which stars, respectively, Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill—opens in theaters July 17, 2015.
It was a girlie Glee reunion in Hollywood recently as Amber Riley ( Mercedes ) took to the stage to perform at the Roxy on Sunset Strip, according to The Daily Mail. The actress, who played Mercedes Jones in Fox's musical show, was cheered on by her former co-star Dianna Agron, who played Quinn Fabray on the show. Agron was among several celebrities, including Destiny's Child singer Michelle Williams, who turned out to watch Riley at her sold-out holiday concert.
Fashion mogul Rachel Zoe and husband Rodger Berman have a second son, named Kaius Jagger Berman, The New York Daily News reported. Kaius joins older son Skyler Morrison Berman.
Tony Award-nominated playwright David Ives ( Venus in Fur ) has joined the creative team of the Broadway-aimed musical Houdini, according to Playbill.com . Producers also issued a statement following the announcement that Tony Award winner Hugh Jackman, for whom Houdini was being written, has parted ways with the musical. The statement reads, "Hugh has been terrific to have on this part of our journey. We will continue to move forward with our remarkable creative team, as they craft this ambitious new musical."
Former members of the ex-NFL team the Houston Oilers have said that at least two key players on the 1993 team were gay, according to The Houston Chronicle. Not only did the team know about the situation, but players reportedly accepted their gay teammates and did not criticize them. Pro Bowl linebacker Lamar Lathon said, "Listen, those guys that we're talking about were unbelievable teammates. ... I have never seen tougher guys than those guys." The current NFL team in Houston is known as the Texans.
Publicist Julian Myers has died at age 95, according to Digital Spy. The veteran entertainment representative worked with many legendary stars, including Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. He started work as a publicist at Fox in 1948, working with several stars of Hollywood such as Cary Grant, John Wayne and Monroe.
Beyonce took a moment during her show in Las Vegas in December to sing and dance with a terminally ill fan in the audience, Rolling Stone noted. Taylon, a young girl with an inoperable brain tumor, lived out her biggest wish when the singer gives her a big hug and enlisted her help on songs "Love on Top" and "Survivor." Beyonce's "Mrs. Carter" world tour recently wrapped up with a two-hour set in Brooklyn, just more than a week after she dropped her fifth studio album, Beyonce, without any prior notice.
Beyonce's new album has been criticized by at least one group. US Magazine noted that some current and former NASA employees have complained that the singer's song "XO" is "insensitive" because it samples audio from the Challenger disaster of 1986. The sample features the voice of retired NASA public affairs officer Steve Nesbitt on Jan. 28, 1986, the day the space shuttle Challenger exploded after liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center, killing all seven crew members aboard. Beyonce, for her part, said that she meant to honor, not offend those affected by the tragedy.
A class-action suit filed in New York claims that Jersey Shore alum Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi joined with recidivist snake-oil salesmen to peddle Zantrex diet pills that don't work, according to Courthouse News Service. Lead plaintiff Ashley Brady sued Basic Research LLC, Zoller Laboratories, three of its officers and Polizzi. Brady says she bought a bottle of Zantrex-3 in 2010 after reading the label's promises that the drug would provide "546% More Weight Loss Than America's #1 Selling Ephedra-Based Diet Pill," and that it would make her lose weight "without diet and exercise."
The network A&E has reversed its suspension of show star Phil Robertson for making anti-gay comments, and he will not miss a single episode of the upcoming season, according to a Chicago Tribune item. Shooting will resume in the spring, and will be accompanied by a series of public service announcements "promoting unity, tolerance and acceptance among all people, a message that supports our core values as a company, and the values found in Duck Dynasty," the network said. The network suspended Robertson after he compared gays to "drunks" and "terrorists" in a GQ interview in which he also said African-Americans were perfectly happy before civil rights.
Glee star Jane Lynch will host the 66th annual Directors Guild Awards Jan. 25, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The event will honor directorial achievement in film, TV, commercials and documentaries, and will be held at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles. Nominations for feature film will be announced Jan. 7; nods for TV and commercials will be unveiled Jan. 9; and nominations for documentaries will be revealed Jan. 13.
Character actress Kate Williamson—who played Mrs. Rogers on ABC's Ellen and turned in supporting roles in films such as Barry Levinson's Disclosure, Dahmer, Dream Lover and Racing with the Moon—died at age 82, according to Deadline.com . In 1954 she married actor and acting teacher Al Ruscio, whose credits include The Godfather, Part III; and the TV shows Life Goes On and Seinfeld.
On a related note, Brendan Urie—lead singer of the group Panic! at the Disco—revealed he's had relationships with men and women. Talking with PrideSource, Urie ( who is married to a woman ) said, "I find myself being attracted to dudes all the time. I'm like, 'Wow, that's a beautiful man.' There's no shame in it; that's how I feel. To stifle that would probably bring on stress and probably make somebody homophobic." Among Panic!'s hit singles is "I Write Sins Not Tragedies."
Joan Rivers has continued her feud with Jennifer Lawrence, according to Digital Spy. The feud started when the Hunger Games actress criticized E! show Fashion Police, hosted by Rivers, for "promoting all the wrong values." Rivers told the New York Post: "My New Year's resolution is [ensuring] Jennifer Lawrence grows up and realizes how lucky she is and calms down," and had previously labeled Lawrence as "arrogant."
Britney Spears has revealed her desire to return to acting, Digital Spy noted. The singer, who made her film debut in 2002's Crossroads, said that she would "love" to be back on the silver screen. Spears—who added that some of her favorite films as Jennifer Aniston's We're The Millers and 2011 movie Bridesmaids—said that she'd prefer to do a comedy. Spears kicked off her "Piece Of Me" Las Vegas residency Dec. 27 in front of a crowd that included Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry.
R&B powerhouses R. Kelly and Mary J. Blige are embarking on a co-headlining tour, according to MSN.com . The "I Believe I Can Fly" singer,—currently promoting his new album, Black Panties—revealed the musical pair is planning to launch a joint trek together in the coming months. Ten years ago, R. Kelly teamed with Jay-Z for the ill-fated "Best of Both Worlds" tour, which was cancelled following a fall-out after only a few shows.
Longtime broadcast journalist Robin Roberts thanked her girlfriend of 10 years, Amber Laign, in a public Facebook message Dec. 29. The date marked one year since Roberts' 100 days after surviving a bone marrow transplant. "I am grateful for my entire family, my long time girlfriend, Amber, and friends as we prepare to celebrate a glorious new year together," she wrote, also thanking God, her doctors, nurses, and her sister Sally-Ann ( who was her donor ). Roberts, 53, has had a lengthy career in broadcast journalism, including as a groundbreaking sportscaster, and most recently at Good Morning America on ABC.
Singer/songwriter Ani DiFranco has cancelled a planned retreat in White Castle, La., over protests that the location was once a slave plantation, according to Vintage Vinyl News. The retreat was set for June 25-29 at the Nottoway Plantation and Resort, and was announced on DiFranco's website Dec. 17. On her blog, DiFranco wrote, in part, "when i found out it was to be held at a resort on a former plantation, I thought to myself, 'whoa,' but i did not imagine or understand that the setting of a plantation would trigger such collective outrage or result in so much high-velocity bitterness."
In addition to being named Time magazine and The Advocate's Person of the Year, Pope Francis has been tagged as Esquire Magazine's "Best Dressed Man of 2013." Esquire stated that the pontiff's modest attire, new take on Catholicism and approachable attitude helped him score the win. The pontiff beat out Hollywood heartthrobs such as Bradley Cooper, Chris Pine and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Singer-songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen—who shot to fame with the number-one hit single "Call Me Maybe"—will succeed Tony Award nominee Laura Osnes as the next star of Broadway's Cinderella, Playbill noted. Jepsen will make her Broadway debut Feb. 4—the same day as TV and film star Fran Drescher, who will play Cinderella's stepmother Madame in the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical. Jepsen will play a 12-week run in Cinderella.
Taylor Swift was the most charitable celebrity of 2013, according to the social change nonprofit DoSomething.org . The pop star topped the organization's annual "Top 20 Celebs Gone Good" list for the second consecutive year thanks to the $100,000 donation she gave the Nashville Symphony on her 24th birthday. Others on the top-20 list include One Direction, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Lawrence, Ryan Seacrest and the late actor Paul Walker.
Anna Kendrick ( Oscar-nominated for Up in the Air ) and out musician Rufus Wainwright were among those paying tribute to honorees at the Kennedy Center Honors, which aired Dec. 29, Out.com noted. Kendrick, who has also been nominated for a Tony, honored Shirley MacLaine with a rendition of "It's Not Where You Start, It's Where You Finish." Wainwright paid tribute to Billy Joel with a medley of "New York State of Mind" and "Piano Man." Besides MacLaine and Joel, Herbie Hancock, Martina Arroyo and Carlos Santana received Kennedy Center honors.
Former Rent star Frenchie Davis, who was also a semifinalist on the new NBC singing reality program The Voice, will offer three concerts in Manhattan in February 2014, according to Playbill. Her new show is titled "Frenchie Davis Presents: The French & Kat Show." Davis will be joined by "her musical soulmate/non-sexual life partner, pianist and comedian Kathryn Lounsbery." Davis came out as bisexual in 2012, according to SheWired.com .
Zeke Thomas—the openly gay son of NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas—will be the official DJ for the annual NBA All-Star game, which will be held in New Orleans in February, Out.com reported. Zeke also DJs club parties in New York, Las Vegas, Miami and his hometown of Detroit; in addition, he's a recording artist/producer who's coming out with a song called "Regret." Zeke told Out.com that he came out in 2008, his sophomore year in college.
Actress Angela Lansbury—best known as novelist and amateur sleuth Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote—will be named a Dame of the British Empire, according to Out.com . Lansbury, 88, is already a CBE, or Commander of the British Empire. The British-born Lansbury has her roots in London's East End, but she's appeared in countless stage, TV shows and films, including Sweeney Todd, Bedknobs & Broomsticks, Gaslight and The Manchurian Candidate.
