Slay Model Management—the world's first exclusively transgender model agency—will host its first Model Search Feb. 15 at One Culver, in Los Angeles, a press release noted. Slay's models have appeared in campaigns for such companies as Eva Mendes for New York and Co.; Nikita Dragun's Cosmetics company, Dragun Beauty, and Katy Perry Fragrance, as well as on TV on shows such as Pose and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. To enter the model search, people are encouraged to visit Slaymodels.com and click on the "Get Scouted" tab.
Out actor Noah Galvin—seen on Broadway in Dear Evan Hansen and Waitress; on TV in The Real O'Neals; and in the movies in Booksmart—will star in the title role of Manhattan Concert Productions' upcoming presentation of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Playbill reported. Galvin replaced the previously announced Ari'el Stachel, a Tony winner for his performance in The Band's Visit, who had to withdraw from the production due to a conflict. The Feb. 17, 2020, performance will be held at Lincoln Center's David Geffen Hall to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice musical.
Beyonce recently spoke with ELLE about a variety of topics, iHeart.com noted. For example, the singer-actress said, "Having miscarriages taught me that I had to mother myself before I could be a mother to someone else. Then I had Blue, and the quest for my purpose became so much deeper." And regarding negative comments, she said, "In moments of vulnerability, I try to remind myself I'm strong and I'm built for this. Thank God most of the noise bounces off of me after all of these years." Beyonce's Ivy Park x Adidas collection is slated to debut Jan. 18.
Actress/comedian Fortune Feimster landed her first hour-long special and is co-starring in a feature film for the streamer, The Hollywood Reporter noted. Her first-ever hour-long comedy special, Sweet & Salty, will debut Jan. 21 on Netflix. Also, the out entertainer is currently in production on a co-starring role in the company's Yes Day, starring and produced by Jennifer Garner.
Actor Richard E. Grant said Hollywood should be casting LGBT actors in LGBT roles, Quad City Times noted. The Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker co-star said that Hollywood is in a "historic moment" when it comes to the acceptance of actors in the LGBT community, and believed those stars should be cast in LGBT roles over heterosexual actors. Also, Grant ( who garnered an Oscar nod for his role in Can You Ever Forgive Me? ), who has been married to a woman since 1986, praised actors such as Timothee Chalamet—who starred in Call Me By Your Name—for having an "androgynous quality" about him.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus opened about her time as a cast member on Saturday Night Live in a recent interview with Stephen Colbert, blasting the workplace at the popular comedy show as "very sexist, according to a Page Six item that cites USA Today. "There were plenty of people on the show who were incredibly funny," conceded Louis-Dreyfus. However, she added, "I was unbelievably naive and I didn't really understand how the dynamics of the place worked. It was very sexist—very sexist." The actress also spoke to what she said was rampant drug use among staffers on the NBC show.
Jordan Peele's Us was named this year's Best Film by the African American Film Critics Association ( AAFCA ), Deadline noted. The film, which earned over $255 million globally, received three total wins, including Peele for Best Director and Lupita Nyong'o for Best Actress. Eddie Murphy received the organization's Best Actor honor for Dolemite Is My Name. Supporting actor nods went to Jamie Foxx for Just Mercy, and Da'Vine Joy Randolph for Dolemite Is My Name. Dolemite Is My Name ( Netflix ), Just Mercy ( Warner Bros. Pictures ), Clemency ( Neon ) and The Irishman ( Netflix ) rounded out AAFCA's top five best films of 2019.
Singer Lizzo was named TIME Magazine's Entertainer of the Year, Yahoo! News noted. "I've been doing positive music for a long-a** time," she told Time. "Then the culture changed. ... Suddenly I'm mainstream! How could we have guessed something like this would happen when we've never seen anything like this before?"
A man purchased Olivia Newton-John's iconic black leather jacket from the movie Grease for $243,200 at a charity auction—and returned it to her, CNN.com noted. "This jacket belongs to you and the collective soul of those who love you, those for whom you are the soundtrack of their lives. It should not sit in a billionaire's closet for country club bragging rights," the anonymous buyer—a doctor/medical technology entrepreneur—said in a video posted on Facebook by Julien's Auctions. "For this reason I humbly and respectfully return it to its rightful owner, which is you."
Kit Williamson's Netflix series EastSiders has debuted its fourth and final season, according to a press release. The central couple of Thom ( played by Van Hansis ) and Cal ( Williamson, the show's creator-writer-star ) continue their open relationship, while Douglas ( Willam ) plans his wedding; Jeremy ( Matthew McKelligon ) and Derrick ( Leith M. Burke ) raise a foster child; and Ian ( John Halbach ) and girlfriend Hillary ( Brianna Brown ) grapple with the news of the latter's pregnancy.
Nearly one year after he was found dead, the cause of death for Justin Bieber lookalike Toby Sheldon has been revealed, Extra TV noted. Sheldon aka Tobias Strebel, 35, was known for spending $100,000 on plastic surgery to look like Bieber. According to the autopsy report, obtained by People, he passed away from a drug overdose; he had Valium, Xanax, the sleep aid Temazepam and alcohol in his system at the time of his death.
Woody Harrelson, Marisa Tomei, Ellie Kemper and Ike Barinholtz are set to reprise their iconic All in the Family roles as Archie and Edith Bunker, Gloria Stivic and Meathead, respectively, in Live in Front of a Studio Audience: All in the Family and Good Times, set to return to ABC on Wed., Dec. 18, a press release noted. Kevin Bacon, Jesse Eisenberg and Justina Machado will join the "Family" cast. The new special will re-create installments of Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin's Emmy-winning series All in the Family and groundbreaking sitcom Good Times, created by Mike Evans and Eric Monte and developed by Lear.
As for the Good Times segment, the cast will consist of Viola Davis and Andre Braugher as Florida Evans and James Evans, Jay Pharoah as J.J Evans, Asante Blackk as Michael Evans, Corinne Foxx as Thelma Evans, and Tiffany Haddish as Willona Woods, Variety noted. In addition, Anthony Anderson and Patti LaBelle will sing the show's theme song live.
A special 30th-anniversary Limited Collector's Edition 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Steelbook version of the classic film The Hunt for Red October will arrive Feb. 25, 2020, from Paramount Home Entertainment, a press release noted. Based on Tom Clancy's best-seller and directed by John McTiernan ( Die Hard ), the submarine thriller stars Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin.
The sequel to the film Shazam! will be released April 1, 2022, EW.com noted. Zachary Levi is reportedly back on board to star. The Warner Bros. film is in addition to a Black Adam movie in the works starring Dwayne Johnson that's supposed to begin shooting next year. ( Black Adam is a character who is typically Shazam's arch-nemesis. )
Fans of INXS will get an intimate look into the life of lead singer Michael Hutchence when the feature-length documentary Mystify: Michael Hutchence arrives in movie theaters across the country for one night only on Jan. 7, 2020, a Shout! Studios press release noted. Tickets for Mystify: Michael Hutchence can be purchased beginning Monday, Nov. 8, at FathomEvents.com and participating theater box offices. Fathom will also be screening INXS: Live Baby Live at Wembley Stadium in theaters for one night only on Dec. 9, 2019. The trailer for "Mystify" is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRIFR3hkIpo.
Out actors Garrett Clayton and Jared Gertner are among those appear in A Snow White Christmas, which runs through Dec. 22 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, Queerty noted. They join a cast that includes Michelle Williams ( Destiny's Child ), Neil Patrick Harris, Olivia Sanabia ( Just Add Magic ) and Michael Campion ( Fuller House ).
Actor Orlando Jones released a blistering video message online saying he had been fired from the Starz show American Gods because the new season-three showrunner, Charles "Chic" Eglee, apparently decided Jones' character of Mr. Nancy, the African trickster deity Anansi, sent "the wrong message for Black America" with his "get sh— done" attitude, EW.com noted. According to Jones, Mr. Nancy, Omid Abtahi's Salim and Mousa Kraish's The Jinn were dropped from the season-three story arc after all three characters were featured in the past two seasons. Interestingly, Ablahi's and Kraish's characters had same-sex relations in season one, media outlets reported.
Disgraced Hollywood figure Harvey Weinstein and the board of his bankrupt film studio have reached a tentative global settlement with dozens of women who accuse him of having preyed on them, NBC News noted. Under terms of the proposed deal, Weinstein wouldn't be required to admit to wrongdoing—or even pay his accusers directly.
Thousands of workers have responded to the Anita Hill-led Hollywood Commission's survey on sexual harassment, assault and bias in the entertainment industry—but Hill said she'd like to see thousands more take part in it, Deadline reported. The survey was launched Nov. 20 and originally was intended to close four weeks later, but it might be extended in order to get a more complete picture of the extent of the problem. Founded two years ago in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, the Hollywood Commission is not only surveying sexual harassment and abuse in the industry but racial, ethnic and gender bias as well.
On a related note, seven new women who have come forward alleging sexual misconduct by actor Cuba Gooding Jr., bringing the number of his accusers to 22, Page Six noted. He has only been charged in three of the accusers' alleged incidents, although prosecutors hope to introduce the other claims in court to prove a pattern of sexual abuse. Gooding is due back in court Jan. 22.
Rapper/producer/actor 50 Cent took to Instagram to call out the media mogul over her upcoming #MeToo documentary that focuses on Drew Dixon—one of the women who has accused Russell Simmons of sexual misconduct, Complex noted. He accused Winfrey of only targeting alleged sexual predators who are Black, while remaining silent on high-profile predators who are white. "I don't understand why Oprah is going after black men. No Harvey Weinstein, No [Jeffrey] Epstein, just Micheal Jackson and Russell Simmons," 50 wrote.
Darlene Love took to Facebook to share her frustrations with NBC's annually televised tree lighting ceremony, Christmas in Rockefeller Center, The Hollywood Reporter stated. According to the 78-year-old singer, the producers of the show, Brad Lachman Productions, continuously ask other artists to perform her 1963 holiday tune "Christmas ( Baby, Please Come Home )"—and never her. This year, Skylar Astin and Alex Newell sang Love's song; the actors are set to co-star in NBC's upcoming series Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist.
Last Christmas—the soundtrack album inspired by the music of George Michael and Wham!—is available now, a press release noted. The soundtrack features the new Michael song "This Is How ( We Want You To Get High )" as well as classic Wham! songs including "Last Christmas," "Everything She Wants" and Michael's solo years. All songs were written, arranged and produced by Michael except "This Is How ( We Want You To Get High )," which was co-written and co-produced by him and James Jackman.
Actor Colin Firth ( the Bridget Jones movies; Valmont; The King's Speech; Love Actually ) split from his wife, the Italian film producer Livia Giuggioli, after 22 years of marriage, The Belfast Telegraph noted. Giuggioli is an environmental activist and co-founder and creative director of Eco-Age, a sustainable consultancy firm; also, she is a founding member of singer Annie Lennox's women's advocacy group The Circle.
Niecy Nash filed for divorce after two months of separation from her husband of eight years, Jay Tucker, BET.com noted. According to TMZ, the actress/comedian ended her marriage with her second husband due to the strain of living in different cities as well as tensions over her graphic sex scenes on the TNT show Claws as well as cosmetic surgery she underwent. "We believe in the beauty of truth. Always have. Our truth is that in this season of our lives, we are better friends than partners in marriage," Nash captioned an Instagram post in October.
Singer/talk-show host Kelly Clarkson is selling her Tennessee lake mansion, according to TopTenRealEstateDeals.com . The 20,121-square-foot mansion is priced at $7.49 million, and includes double staircases, seven bedrooms, eleven baths, family room, movie theater, and a children's room with four built-in bunk beds and good-sized play area.
