Director Gregory Jacobs confirmed that Matthew McConaughey will not reprise his role in Magic Mike XXL, the sequel to Magic Mike, E! Online noted. "It's a road-trip movie and—put it this way—it's different enough that once you see it, you'll understand why we made a sequel," Jacobs said of the sequel. "No one will be accusing us of making the same movie twice." Filming for the sequel began at the beginning of September, and it's been set for a July 1, 2015, release. McConaughey actually has a scheduling conflict, The Wrap noted; his schedule did not permit due to his involvement in Gus Van Sant's upcoming drama Sea of Trees.
In related Magic Mike XXL news, bisexual actress Amber Heard has joined the cast, The Wrap noted. Channing Tatum returns as the titular stripper, who embarks on a road trip with his friends from the first film, including Alex Pettyfer, Matt Bomer and Joe Manganiello. Heard is the third actress to join the cast, following Andie MacDowell and Jada Pinkett Smith.
Stevie Nicks recently talked about her gay fan base. The Huffington Post reported Nicks told Out magazine, "I can't say that I'm so glad that gay people like my music, because I have never looked at gay people as different from any other people." As for what she'd have done if she herself were gay, she added, "The second that I knew, I would have said, 'OK, everybody, this is how it is, and either you still like me or I don't care.' I think that if you are gay, you just have to say 'It's great!'"
Ricky Martin has returned to the airwaves with a new single titled "Adios" ( "Goodbye" ), whose exclusive premiere was held Sept. 22 on Uforia's radio stations throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, according to a press release. Jesse Shatkin ( responsible for Sia's popular song "Chandelier" ), Yotuel Romero, Antonio Rayo and Martin produced the single. A week after the release of "Adios," Martin will kick off a concert series called "Live In Mexico" with two consecutive shows at the Palacio De Los Deportes in Mexico City Oct. 3-4. He will tour Mexico through the end of November.
"Queen of Soul" Aretha Franklin will drop her first new album in many years on Sept. 30 courtesy of Clive Davis, according to Showbiz411.com . Frank is slated to make a historic appearance on David Letterman Sept. 29 to announce the album—and the lead single is reportedly a cover of Adele's "Rolling in the Deep." The CD is a tribute to 10 different women, with Aretha reinterpreting their songs; Babyface and Outkast's Andre 3000 are among the producers.
Liza Minnelli is said to be resting comfortably in a California hospital after undergoing back surgery, according to CBS News. "I am overwhelmed with the amount of love and caring that has been sent my way from all over the world," the award-winning actress/singer said in a statement. Minnelli's back injury prevented her from performing most of the year or attending the funeral of Joan Rivers in New York.
Three previously unreleased Queen tracks featuring late singer Freddie Mercury spearhead a new Queen album, Queen Forever, out Tuesday, Nov. 11, on Hollywood Records. The tracks include a song from Queen and Michael Jackson, "There Must Be More to Life Than This;" a previously unfinished Mercury-Queen track "Let Me In Your Heart Again;" and a new stripped-down ballad version of Mercury's first solo hit, his Giorgio Moroder collaboration "Love Kills." Among the other songs are "Somebody to Love," "Who Wants To Live Forever" and "Bijou."
MTV and Logo TV will simultaneously premiere Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word, on Friday, Oct. 17, at 7 p.m. ET/PT, a press release stated. With Emmy-nominated actress and transgender advocate Laverne Cox hosting, the one-hour documentary will take viewers inside the lives of seven transgender youth ranging from 12 to 24. Immediately following the documentary's premiere, Cox will host the one-hour "Trans Forum" with SuChin Pak live on Logo TV and MTV.com . Cox and the subjects of the documentary will discuss transgender issues as well as answer questions from a live audience and via social media.
Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson has added even more offensive remarks to his repertoire, TV Guide reported. During an interview with the president of the Family Research Council, Robertson began discussing the "physiological downside to immorality," claiming that all sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS, are punishments from God. These comments are far from surprising after last year, when Robertson compared homosexuality to bestiality and said that Black Americans were "singing and happy" in the pre-civil-rights South.
The Art Institute of Chicago has been named the top museum in the United States and in the world, according to Travelers Choice awards announced by the travel website TripAdvisor, The Chicago Tribune noted. The site says, "Award winners were determined using an algorithm that took into account the quantity and quality of reviews for museums worldwide, gathered over a 12-month period."
Former Real Housewives of New York star Aviva Drescher and her husband, Reid, are accused of attempting to shake down a Long Island artist who loaned them his work, but from whom they now seek a "commission" for the sale of one of the pieces, according to Courthouse News Service. In a complaint filed in New York State Supreme Court, plaintiff Matthew Satz says he met Drescher and her husband through a mutual acquaintance, and in June 2013 agreed to install five of his original artworks in their Upper West Side apartment.
The ear, nose, and throat specialist who performed a procedure on late comedienne Joan Rivers has been revealed as her personal physician, Dr. Gwen Korovin, The Wrap reported. Pictures posted on Korovin's Facebook show the New York-based specialist has a slew of celebrity clientele, including Hugh Jackman and Daniel Radcliffe. Also, she's known as Broadway's go-to throat specialist, helping such stars as Patti Lupone with their singing voices.
Barbra Streisand has revealed that her new album, Partners, almost featured Beyonce, according to Digital Spy. The singer told Billboard that all of the female singers she approached for her duets record were "busy," although a song with Beyonce nearly made it. Partners features Streisand singing with only male artists, including son Jason Gould, Lionel Richie, Michael Buble and Elvis Presley.
On "Secret Week" on the daytime show The Talk, co-host Sharon Osbourne shared a story nobody knew about except for Ozzy Osbourne—that, at 27, she decided to slit her wrists with a steak knife, just to prove how much she loved her then-boyfriend, E! Online reported. After being taken to a psych ward and being put on lockdown, the co-host made it clear that it was a mistake that no woman should consider doing. "I never discussed it out of embarrassment of how stupid I was at the time to have done such a thing for myself," she confessed to her fellow co-hosts.
Van Gogh Vodka has partnered again with the True Colors Fund to raise awareness and funds through the "Cocktails Without Prejudice Sweepstakes" on Facebook, giving fans a chance to win a free trip to New York City and attend the Cyndi Lauper & Friends: Home for the Holidays Concert, according to a press release. Interested persons can visit the Van Gogh Vodka Facebook page for a chance to win tickets to the concert and after-party on Dec. 6. The True Colors Fund supports LGBT equality.
Country singer and gay-rights activist Chely Wright announced that she is working on her first studio album since coming out, and has launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund the project, according to a press release. Fans who want to support the project will find a variety of Kickstarter backer benefits, including a pre-show meet-and-greet with Wright; a Skype chat and their own personal house party featuring Wright performing for friends of their choosing; a double dinner date with Wright and her wife; or a bike ride with Wright through Central Park. Visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/chelywright/chely-wrights-new-studio-album.
Fox has closed a deal with Bryan Singer to direct X-Men: Apocalypse, the next installment of its billion-dollar Marvel mutants franchise, Deadline reported. This will be Singer's fourth installment as director in the franchise, having last helmed this year's X-Men: Days of Future Past. The film will be released May 27, 2016.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers recently hosted an LGBT tailgate event in conjunction with Barefoot Wines and the You Can Play project, Outsports noted. It's thought to be the first LGBT tailgate event organized in part by an NFL team. Wade Davis, former NFL player and current executive director for the You Can Play Project, said, "I would say, honestly, this is a revolutionary day, because most people don't think that sports and LGBT mix and I think that the Bucs are reframing that and debunking a lot of myths around sports and LGBT individuals."
E! Network has decided its hit show Fashion Police will continue—with Kathy Griffin taking the late Joan Rivers' place, according to The Daily Mail. Joan's daughter, Melissa Rivers, agreed to continue to produce her mother's show and has given her blessing to the choice. Griffin, 53—who was among the dozens of celebrities who attended Joan's unconventional memorial service Sept. 7—has praised Joan for paving the way for women in comedy.
One Direction singer Liam Payne has said that he is "not a homophobe" for denying rumours about his sexuality, according to Pink News. The "Best Song Ever" singer made the claims after a Photoshopped picture of him naked with another man was circulated among the band's fans. Payne faced a backlash on Twitter earlier this year after sending a message of support to the son of homophobic Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson, which praises "the family values you still all behold."
Times Squares—a New York-based square dancing club for lesbians, gays and their friends—is celebrating its 30th anniversary Oct. 23-26 with a celebration expected to attract several hundred people, according to a press release. The group, founded out of a desire for a social outlet and activity in the early days of the AIDS epidemic, is Manhattan's only square dance club and has more than 100 members.
Dancing with the Stars judge Julianne Hough seemingly outed celebrity competitor Jonathan Bennett, NewNowNext.com reported. Of Bennett ( who was in Mean Girls ), Hough told Extra's Mario Lopez, "He tweeted at me last year and said I had a nice butt…And I thought, 'Oh he's hitting on me—I should try to go on a date with him! ... [But] he's gay—so I was like 'That's not gonna work!'"
Singer and budding actor Nick Jonas has revealed that he did "a lot of nudity" for his new show Kingdom, according to NewNowNext.com . The 10-episode DirecTV series centers on a gym for mixed martial arts competitors in Venice Beach, California, where there's "just as much drama outside of the ring as there is in it." Some of that drama will include Jonas, who's character has several sex scenes and a "big storyline" around his sexuality.
