In New York City, Sandra Bernhard joined the annual Midtown North Detective Squad holiday party—which had a somber tone this year in light of the killings of NYPD officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos, according to Page Six. Bernhard joined the festivities to support her friend Detective Kevin Schroeder, who organized the soiree to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the Detectives' Endowment Association. Among others attending were NYPD Assistant Chief Michael Shea and Law & Order alumna S. Epatha Merkerson.
Speaking of Bernhard, she recently revealed in a Playbill interview that she passed on performing in Hedwig and the Angry Inch years ago on Broadway. "They wanted me to do Hedwig after John Cameron Mitchell left, but I thought, 'What's the point of me doing this, you know?,'" Bernard said. Now, Bernhard would be much more game to star in something original, "something really kind of daring and fun," she said. "I would like to do something Broadway-oriented that was not my own work." She recently enjoyed the drama A Delicate Balance, and would love to come back to Broadway in both plays and musicals.
Director John Waters will screen a 74-minute remake of Pink Flamingos in January at the Marianne Boesky Gallery in New York, NewNowNext.com reported. But Kiddie Flamingos, as the project is titled, will feature an all-child cast. The film is actually a table reading, not a full production, but is part of Waters' new exhibit at Boesky opening Jan. 9. The original movie's X-rated content has been "de-fanged and desexualized," but Waters calls it "more perverse than the original."
Former Twilight star Taylor Lautner was recently spotted partying at two of West Hollywood's hottest gay bars, The Abbey and Mother Lode, Inquistr.com reported. Lautner did take one photo during his night out on the gay scene. The actor posed for a shot with openly gay model Murray Swamby, which the model later posted to his Instagram account.: "Ugh @official_taylorlautner #taylorlautner.. I've never been more #attracted to someone in my life…" Swamby did add tin his post caption hashtag that Lautner is a "hot straight guy."
David Geffen's 20-year-old ex-lover was due in a Los Angeles court recently, according to the New York Daily News. Jamie Kuntz faces a felony stalking charge after being arrested in October for allegedly following, harassing and making a "credible threat" against the 71-year-old billionaire sometime between September and November. ( Geffen had filed a restraining order. ) Kuntz made headlines in 2012 when he was kicked off the North Dakota State College of Sciences football team after being caught on video kissing his then-69-year-old boyfriend in a press box during a game.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay co-star Jena Malone has talked with The Daily Beast about growing up with two moms. "They were lovers," said Malone. "I had two moms, and it was awesome. Double the pleasure! The more love you have as a child, the better." Because they were short on money, the family moved around a bunch—with Malone living in 27 different places by the time she was 9.
Has out singer Sam Smith found a love interest? Page Six speculated about this after people at Taylor Swift's 25th-birthday party claimed Smith latched on to one of the actors from the video for his single "Like I Can." The two were spotted getting cozy at Swift's Tribeca pad, where Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé and Jay Z, Karlie Kloss and Selena Gomez all partied.
Dracula Untold and The Hobbit actor Luke Evans was spotted in Bilbao, Spain, with his rumored beau, actor/model Jon Kortajarena, according to Just Jared. The couple has been romantically linked since November, when they were spotted grabbing lunch together in New York City. They have yet to confirm their relationship.
Janet Jackson recently visited the West Bank as an ambassador for UNICEF: the United Nations Children's Fund, The Jerusalem Post noted. She visited Yatta High School, south of Hebron, as well as shepherds from a herding family in Bir al-Eid, in the South Hebron Hills. Accompanied by her Qatari husband, Wissam al-Mana, Jackson, entered the West Bank from Jordan. While in Jordan, the couple visited the Za'atari refugee camp, home to thousands of refugees who fled war-torn Syria.
It's been a year since British diver Tom Daley, 20, announced that he was "completely overwhelmed" by his feelings for then-new boyfriend Dustin Lance Black, 40, The Daily Mail noted. And the couple showed they're still going strong as they posed together in Christmas jumpers ( sweaters ) while celebrating the season together in Los Angeles. The pair posted several Instagram photos of themselves, including one in which Daley acts like he's coming down the chimney, a la Santa Claus.
David Schwimmer ( Friends ) will play attorney Robert Kardashian and Sarah Paulson ( American Horror Story ) will portray lawyer Marcia Clark in Ryan Murphy's upcoming anthology series American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson, Rolling Stone reported. Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr. will portray Simpson in the 10-episode miniseries, and production on the FX series will begin early next year in Los Angeles.
Neil Patrick Harris' first promo for the Academy Awards debuted online just before Christmas—and he had a suggestion to those who were still seeking to treat their loved ones to a memorable gift, according to the New York Daily News. "This holiday season, give your family a gift they'll never forget," Harris says, decked out in a tuxedo and festive red scarf, with the famous Oscar statuette in the background. "Instead of traditional presents, give them the gift of telling them to watch me host the Oscars." Harris makes his debut as Oscars host during the 87th Academy Awards, airing Feb. 22 on ABC.
Fourteen more songs from Madonna's upcoming album Rebel Heart have been leaked, according to NewNowNext.com . Newly revealed tracks include "Freedom," "Beautiful Scars" and the Pharrell collab "Back That Up ( Do It )." This development comes just days after an earlier group of Rebel Heart songs appeared online, prompting the singer to release six songs officially on iTunes. She called the leaks "a form of terrorism."
An Uproxx article listed several movies that actor Mark Wahlberg has passed on during his career. One was Brokeback Mountain and, according to the article, Wahlberg "was creeped out by the script." Wahlberg himself has said, "I didn't rush to see Brokeback; it's just not my deal. Obviously, it was done in taste—look how it was received." Others movies Wahlberg has either skipped or almost had roles in include Ocean's Eleven, Donnie Darko, Assault on Precinct 13, The Black Dahlia, Pride and Glory, and Star Trek.
Out gay writer/funnyman Bruce Vilanch took time to point something out to a Black TMZ cameraman—the lack of African-American characters in the new Meryl Streep movie Into the Woods, the gossip site reported. Vilanch said, "You'd think no Black people get lost in the woods—that's good news." Inspired by the Grimm Brothers' fairy tales of "Little Red Riding Hood," "Cinderella," "Jack and the Beanstalk" and "Rapunzel," the film is a fantasy genre crossover about a childless couple ( Emily Blunt and James Corden ) who set out to end a curse placed on them by a vengeful witch ( Streep ).
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's 8-year-old biological child, Shiloh, turned heads at the premiere of Jolie's film Unbroken by joining brothers Maddox and Pax dressed in a suit and a short haircut, WTHR.com noted. The celebrity couple has long been open about Shiloh's decision to identify as male. Shiloh has expressed a desire to be referred to as "John."
Out gay actor Tuc Watkins has explained on Facebook his complaint that the gay characters on Modern Family are comparable to "blackface" after the show's star Jesse Tyler Ferguson posted his own defense of the series, Queerty noted. In part, he said, "I'm glad to have played gay characters, but at the same time have been frustrated by the stereotypes I feel I've been party to in playing those roles. ... I can appreciate that one man's roadblock may be another man's role model. I feel like my growth was stunted, but understand that another person's may have been bolstered. ... My comments were extreme, and my use of the word 'blackface' inexcusable. I regret creating dissension among the ranks, especially when we're all in this fight together."
Hip-hop star Nicki Minaj was sued in Manhattan Supreme Court for allegedly showing up late and then leaving early during an appearance at an NBA All-Star event in 2011, according to the New York Daily News. The suit says the "Starships" rapper had agreed to show up at Hollywood's Siren Studios at midnight and perform for an hour—but she showed up 90 minutes late and was on stage for fewer than 30 minutes.
Iconic singer Aretha Franklin recently talked about what life was like for her growing up, Page Six reported. Attending the premiere of the civil-rights film Selma, Franklin said, "When I was a little girl, I remember there were certain restaurants that I could not eat at. We went to the market instead. We brought groceries and ate in the car." She said of touring with her musician dad: "When we'd stop to get gas, we had to go to certain gas stations because we could not use the restrooms at all of them. We could only use the restrooms at Gulf. We've come a long way…because of Dr. King and the civil-rights movement, my life is forever changed."
Actress Ellen Page used her Twitter page on Christmas Eve to muse about Santa Claus—and Mrs. Claus, according to Gay Star News. "Santa has so much work to do in one night it kinda seems almost impossible," the Oscar nominee tweeted. "I'm thinking the white powder in his pocket isn't "magic snow."' She added, "Do you think Mrs. Claus resents Santa? The whole living in the North Pole situation...he gets all the glory...does she have friends nearby? Do you think Santa makes annoying jokes to her like 'my pole is north right now' etc ?"
In an interview with Oprah Winfrey that aired on OWN Dec. 27, Michael Sam said he heard from multiple gay NFL players during the season, CBS Sports noted. "A very few reached out to me and pretty much just told me their gratitude and how thankful they were that I had the courage," Sam said. "They wished that they had the courage to come out." Sam added, "There's a lot of us out there. I'm not the only one. I'm just the only one that's open."
British actor Idris Elba addressed those James Bond rumors with a tongue-in-cheek tweet, ABC News noted. Posting a selfie of himself with an unkempt beard, Elba wrote, "Isn't 007 supposed to handsome? Glad you think I've got a shot! Happy New year people." Rumors that Elba could be the next Bond persisted after a leaked email written by Sony chairwoman Amy Pascal reportedly revealed she wanted him to take on the iconic role. Recently, conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh said on his radio show that Elba should not portray Bond because the Brit is Black, The Guardian noted.
Out CNN anchor Anderson Cooper was asked if he would rather sleep with Kelly Ripa or her husband, Mark Consuelos, according to On Top Magazine. During a playful round of Plead the Fifth on Bravo's Watch What Happens Live, Ripa asked Cooper three embarrassing questions and he could only pass on one. "Yeah, I mean, Mark, I guess," Cooper finally answered, adding, "He's a guy—you're not!"
Rosie O'Donnell wrote a poem about embattled 7th Heaven actor Stephen Collins, calling him out for his recent admission of sexual abuse, according to US Weekly. The poem, titled "U R NOT 2 BLAME," begins with a few verses about the comedienne's friendship with Collins, and then addresses the current controversy surrounding him. In part, it says, "u are not equals / she was an innocent child / a baby girl / u have a daughter for gods sake." O'Donnell also called out news figure Katie Couric for not skewering Collins enough during a recent interview.
Singer Kelly Clarkson recently hosted her first of what she hopes will be the annual Miracle on Broadway benefit concert, according to The Tennesseean. Others singers on the bill included mother-in-law Reba McEntire, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Kix Brooks, Ronnie Dunn, Charles Esten, Meghan Trainor, Kacey Musgraves, Martina McBride and Paramore's Hayley Williams. Proceeds from the show totaled $400,000—$200,000 were raised through tickets, merchandise and a text-to-donate option at the show, with Brooks and Yearwood matching the figure.
SPOILER: Rapper Eminem is just one of many celebrities who pokes fun of himself with a cameo in the controversial new comedy The Interview, The Huffington Post noted. Eminem—whose homophobic lyrics have repeatedly made him the target of LGBT-rights advocates—tells James Franco's talk-show host character that he is "a homosexual." "When I say things about gay people, or people think my lyrics are homophobic—it's because I'm gay," he tells Franco's character. Despite the criticism ( or possibly because of it ), Eminem came out in favor of marriage equality in 2010.
The creators of Nickelodeon show Legend of Korra have confirmed that the two lead characters are a lesbian couple, Gay Star News noted. The spin-off to Avatar: The Last Airbender ended recently with Korra and Asami walking into the spirit world together hand in hand. Co-creator Bryan Konietzko posted on Tumblr, "Korra and Asami fell in love. Were they friends? Yes, and they still are, but they also grew to have romantic feelings for each other."
Jessie J has publicly insisted that the only way she'll cover "The Boy Is Mine" is if the original singers, Brandy and Monica, do it with her, MTV.com reported. The British star had been at the centre of a minor Twitterstorm after it was reported that she and Ariana Grande were set to lay down a version of the 1990s classic to follow their recent joint hit "Bang Bang." "The Boy Is Mine" topped the U.S. singles chart on Billboard for 13 weeks in 1998.
Dustin Diamond was thrown in jail following an incident with a knife, Page Six noted. The actor—aka Screech from the '90s show Saved by the Bell—was arrested in Wisconsin after allegedly endangering someone's life with a switchblade. ( He has since posted bail. ) Diamond, 37, was arrested for possession of a switchblade, reckless endangerment and carrying a concealed weapon. In 2006, Diamond infamously made a sex tape.
A Las Vegas man has been charged with crashing into Jennifer Lopez's Rolls Royce in Malibu, California, while drunk, the Las Vegas Sun reported. Los Angeles County prosecutors said that 53-year-old Robert John Reitz was charged with misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage and driving at nearly twice the legal blood-alcohol limit. He could get six months in jail and a $1,000 fine if he's convicted for the September incident.
Rapper Azealia Banks has claimed on Twitter that corporations owe African-Americans "major bucks"—up to $100 trillion—after profiting from slavery in the 18th century, the New York Daily News noted. "ITS MY MONEY, AND I WANT IT NOWWWWW!!!!!!," Banks tweeted after linking to stories from various newspapers describing the ways in which Native Americans and Holocaust survivors have sought reparations from the U.S. and German governments, respectively.
