Paul Mescal seems to be embracing his movie star moment. [LaineyGossip]
Winners list for the 2024 CMAs. [JustJared]
Carey Mulligan wore The Row to the Elle WIH event. [RCFA]
Donald Trump is mad that Democrats are confirming judges. [Jezebel]
People are raving about Prime’s Cross series. [Pajiba]
Amelia Dimoldenberg gets real about running her own business. [Buzzfeed]
The awards season is in full swing & Mikey Madison is hustling! [Socialite Life]
Morgan Wallen really is teflon, huh? [Hollywood Life]
Seth Meyers was absolutely still hungry in this photo. [Seriously OMG]
The Honest Trailer for Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis. [OMG Blog]

As we’ve covered, the Governors Awards happened over the weekend. The awards have become a must-attend event for anyone working a serious Oscar campaign, which is why we saw the likes of Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman, and a slew of other stars and filmmakers hoping to become nominees in January. And Kevin Costner was there, dressed in a look overall best described as, “Colonel Sanders does formalwear.” Kevin was presumably representing the only film he released this year, Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1; The Audience Strikes Back… by not showing up at the theaters. Even after Kevin left his fan-favorite series Yellowstone to self-finance this passion project. The film bombed so badly in July that Horizon 2 was yanked from its August release date. But never fear! Kevin is determined to get the second movie to us, as he told E! News at the Governors Awards, along with his thoughts on the fan reactions to his character’s exit on Yellowstone:

The death of Kevin Costner’s Yellowstone character recently sent shockwaves beyond the boundaries of Dutton Ranch, with many viewers expressing outrage over how John Dutton III was killed off in the Paramount show.

But for the two-time Oscar winner, who said he actually pitched series creator Taylor Sheridan two different endings for his character, he’s not shaking in his boots over the fan backlash.

“Fans have a voice in things,” Costner exclusively told E! News at the 2024 Governors Awards in Los Angeles Nov. 17, “and they choose to follow stuff.”

The 69-year-old added that he had pitched his character’s death to Sheridan “a while back,” but it was ultimately up to producers on the exact way John would meet his maker.

…As Costner quipped, “They do what they want to do. That’s fine with me.”

The actor announced his departure from the Western series in June, explaining that he was “not going to be able to continue” filming due to scheduling conflicts with his four-part movie anthology Horizon: An American Saga.

“It was something that really changed me,” Costner — who starred on Yellowstone for four and a half seasons — said in a statement of working on the series. “I love the relationship we’ve been able to develop and I’ll see you at the movies.”

The first installment of Horizon premiered in June. So, when can fans expect the second chapter of the saga to drop?

“I’m gonna try to figure that out,” he told E! News with a laugh. “I make these things, I will figure out how to get it to an audience.”

Costner added that Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 2 will “tie in” with the first installment, while he’s “trying to figure out” the third and fourth chapters.

“Everybody has an impress that maybe things come to me easily,” he noted. “I think projects do come to me. But when it comes to something I want to do, sometimes it’s a bigger struggle.”

But Costner is up for the challenge.

“If this is what it has to be for me to bring a movie to America and around the world,” he continued, “that’s what I’ll do.”

[From E! News]

Ok, Kevin, the struggle is real. And thank you, Sherlock, for clarifying that the second film will “tie in” to the first. For what it’s worth, I’ve been tracking the saga of Kevin’s American Saga for months now, and this is least certain he’s sounded about Horizon 3 & 4. What does “trying to figure out” mean exactly? Are we talking financing, scheduling/logistics, or story-wise? Because if basic storylines are still up in the air, I’d say it’s time to cut the covered-wagon loose already! But no, clearly Kevin is committed to gifting America — and the world at large — with these films that will stand the test of time, he swears! He’s the Don Quixote of films about American westward expansion, and his quest cannot be stopped. It’s particularly funny after Kevin spoke so clearly about fans having “a voice in things,” and a choice in what to follow. But that’s just for Yellowstone, not Horizon? Perhaps if he builds the movie theater, the audience will come.

photos credit: Avalon.red and Cover Images

Sophie Turner covers one of Harper’s Bazaar UK’s Woman of the Year issues. Sophie has had a notable year, which started when she and Joe Jonas separated last year, then filed for divorce, which then briefly became a really major international custodial dispute over their two daughters. They agreed to mediation in New York, and quickly worked out a temporary and then permanent custodial situation, and Sophie now lives full-time in the UK. In 2024, she’s been working non-stop and enjoying a romance with a British aristocrat. She spoke about all of this and more with Bazaar:

What went wrong in her marriage to Joe: “I’m going through a legal process right now where I can’t really say much, but it was incredibly sad. We had a beautiful relationship, and it was hard.”

She’s happy to be back in England: “I’m so happy to be back. It felt as if my life was on pause until I returned to England. I just never really feel like myself when I’m not in London, with my friends and family. I was away for so long – six years – and it was when my friends were getting engaged, and when I got pregnant. I went for dinner with someone the other day, and she said, ‘I never got to touch your belly.’ We didn’t have those key experiences with each other.”

She suffered from homesickness in America: “Every city we ended up in, the first thing I’d do was find a British shop and stock up on a month’s worth of chocolate” – but it was the politics that she found hardest to cope with. “The gun violence, Roe v Wade being overturned… Everything just kind of piled on. After the Uvalde [school] shooting, I knew it was time to get the f–k out of there.”

Motherhood: “[It] changed me so much in every way. Before I had kids, I was very depressed and anxious, and I would isolate [myself] a lot. Now, I think I live my life for them. I want them to see me having a social life and enjoying work and thriving in my career and relationships. I want them to see a hard-working mum. I’ll come back and say, ‘This is why Mummy was away – it’s because she’s doing this for you, so Father Christmas can come with a big bundle of presents.’”

Child stardom: “At that age, all I knew was I wanted to act. I didn’t even think about my weight or how I looked, it was just, ‘This is fun, I get to play every day.’ I learnt far too young what I’m supposed to look like, and how I’m supposed to behave. I think that’s how child stars end up being so messed up, because they’re not allowed to make mistakes, and therefore they’re not allowed to grow…”

She developed bulimia, then anorexia in her teens: “What a whopper of an eating disorder that was! It still affects me. I don’t think it ever leaves you, I think you just try to learn to manage it. If I see a plate of food, I still feel a little bit of dread. But the great thing about being a mother is that I get to teach my kids how to have a healthy relationship with their bodies, which feels like a justice to myself.”

She’s still tight with her Game of Thrones friends: “I went from 13 to 23 on that show – it was my whole childhood. We’re all still on a massive group chat, and we try and meet each other whenever we’re in the same country… they’re family.” She is planning to get the fading dire-wolf tattoo on her arm re-inked. “That will stay forever. I wish it wasn’t so massive, but you make mistakes, don’t you?”

Her romantic life: Since the end of last year, she has been dating Peregrine Pearson, who is in line to become the 5th Viscount of Cowdray. “We’re very happy,” she says, blushing, when I ask how it’s going. “It came around very quickly. I just needed to go on a date to know how to do it again. That was the first date and the last date, and it’s been great.” What’s he like? “He’s lovely. He’s funny, and he brings out the cheeky side of me, the fun side. He lights me back up.”

[From Harper’s Bazaar UK]

It’s amazing to see how much she’s blossomed since returning to the UK – when she lived in America, she rarely went out for anything other than Joe’s events, she didn’t work much, and I think Joe really encouraged her to be a stay-at-home mom. I wonder about what looks like a 50/50 custody split and whether they can make that work internationally forever, but I appreciate that she’s not airing all of that in the media. Maybe it will change, maybe it won’t. I also get why she felt like she needed to leave the US, and I bet that was magnified so much during the pandemic and during the Trump administration.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Avalon Red. Cover courtesy of Bazaar UK.

It’s finally here! This week Cher released Cher: The Memoir, Part One (a title I still maintain is woefully boring for such a dynamic, groovy woman). Why has Cher split her memoir into two parts? Well, as she told the New York Times, because she’s had “too much life.” Also, Cher and her editor found that a natural divide happened in her story so that Part One focuses on Cher-the-singer, while Part Two begins with her relaunching herself as Cher-the-actor. So obviously, a significant portion in the newly-released Part One is about Cher’s relationship with her first husband and singing partner, Sonny Bono. While Sonny offered an escape from her unstable upbringing, as their fame exploded, the marriage became another untenable living situation for Cher. Success made Sonny controlling, to the extent where he legally set up Cher as an employee under a business entity he named “Cher Enterprises.” He also took all of her money, and if Cher could turn back time, she’d like to ask him why on earth he did that.

“He took all my money,” Cher said in an interview with The New York Times, which was published on Sunday, ahead of the debut for the first volume of her two-part book, “Cher: The Memoir.” “I just thought, We’re husband and wife. Half the things are his, half the things are mine. It didn’t occur to me that there was another way.”

Cher and Bono are best known as the pop duo and television variety team Sonny & Cher. But behind closed doors, Cher says Bono was like a “parent” who at one point took advantage of her financially. The two met when Cher was 16 and Bono was 27, a relationship she wouldn’t label as a “#MeToo moment” because she “lied” to him about her age.

In an effort to avoid living with her mother at the time, she took up rooming with Bono in exchange for cleaning and cooking services. However, a couple years later, they married in 1964 and had children. And as the couple grew into their stardom, Cher says Sonny became emotionally abusive and developed a “my way or the highway” mentality, stating Bono set their business up so that Cher was his employee.

“To this day,” Cher added, “I wish to God I could just ask, ‘Son, at what point, during what day, did you go, ‘Yeah, you know what? I’m going to take her money.’”

The pair got a divorce in 1975, and Bono died in a skiing accident in 1998.

“I woke up one morning — early, like 5 — and I just thought, I’m not going to do this anymore. I’m going to leave him,” Cher explained, adding that she told Bono that she wanted to pursue an intimate relationship with the group’s guitarist, and eventually did. “I started to put into place a plan that was so dangerous that I don’t know how I had the nerve to do it.”

It wasn’t until her relationship with film producer David Geffen that she became financially literate.

“I didn’t know how to make a check out. I didn’t have a banking account,” Cher said. Nevertheless, Cher went on to become a household name separate from the one she married into, carving out her own lane in the industry.

[From The Wrap via Yahoo!]

For shame, Sonny. Seizing control of a partner’s (or anyone’s) finances so they’re completely dependent on you is classic abusive behavior. Cher is a fierce mama for finding her way out and believing in life after love. She knew that she’d get through it, cause she knew that she was strong, and she didn’t need him anymore. She didn’t need Sonny anymore. And to be fair to her about her lack of banking and check writing expertise, Cher and Sonny divorced in 1975. That was only one year after the Equal Credit Opportunity Act passed that allowed women to open bank accounts on their own. 50 years later and I still think we don’t educate teens enough about basic financing, but I digress…

The NY Times article is an interesting read, with some fabulous throwaway lines, like this one about her boyfriend Alexander Edwards: “These days, Cher enjoys her time with Edwards, whom she met two years ago after she complimented his diamond-studded teeth.” It’s almost as good as the time Cher said, “I don’t know what happened, but we’re together.” Almost. Anyway, get your copy of Cher: The Memoir, Part One today. And as if that weren’t enough, Cher told Jimmy Fallon that she’s working on a new album!

Photos credit: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Avalon, Starstock/Photoshot Photo/Avalon, Earl Miller/Jeffery Mayer/Avalon

If I had millions of dollars, I would be getting the hell out of the United States right now. I strongly suspect that we’ll hear more stories like this in the next two months: American millionaires and billionaires getting the f–k out of the country because of the incoming Donald Trump administration. Right now, Ellen DeGeneres is the first celebrity to do it, or at least she’s the first we’re hearing about. Ellen and Portia have fled to England, where they’ve already moved into a home in the ritzy Cotswolds enclave.

Ellen DeGeneres and wife Portia de Rossi have moved to rural England and the couple plans to never return to the United States, telling friends the election of Donald Trump was their primary motivation, a person close to the former TV host told TheWrap.

Though the incoming Republican administration was the cited catalyst, a fresh start couldn’t hurt: DeGeneres has been open about being “kicked out of show business” after reports of toxic workplace behavior at the syndicated “Ellen” show in 2002.

DeGeneres has already moved to the Cotswalds, a rural area in south-central England, the person said, adding that her Montecito mansion, roughly 90 minutes north of Los Angeles, has been pocket-listed or will be listed soon. A representative for the prestigious real estate company she retains did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

DeGeneres reportedly bought the sprawling property in 2019 and she and de Rossi have made it their primary residence, and it wasn’t clear what would become of her other Southern California properties. A spokeswoman for DeGeneres did not immediately respond Wednesday to a request for comment.

[From The Wrap]

What surprises me is that Ellen and Portia chose England. Portia is Australian, and I could totally see them moving to Australia. I would also think Switzerland or Monaco would be in the mix for many American millionaires. Then again, Ellen has spent more time in England in the past decade, and she knows enough about English life to choose the Cotswolds. Princess Beatrice has a home in the area. So does Kate Moss! Benedict Cumberbatch’s parents live there as well.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Avalon Red.

It’s one of the big stories of the week: Buckingham Palace’s Tuesday evening diplomatic reception, and how one of the “Dull Four” was unceremoniously benched. While there’s still a conspiracy of silence about the Princess of Wales’s absence, that just frees us up to discuss the fashion statements of the king and queen. I was somewhat appalled by Camilla’s dated look and feathered hair, and I didn’t really think the diamond-and-aquamarine suite was all that great either. But maybe I just hate that Camilla regularly raids QEII’s old jewels. But what if the bigger story was always King Charles’s knickerbockers?? For some reason, Charles decided that a white-tie reception was the moment to wear knickerbockers and hosiery. Or, as the Times noted, “King Charles finally gets to wear his banned coronation breeches.” Reader, I am still giggling. “Banned Coronation Breeches” is a collection of words we all need in our lives.

They were the subject of much discussion in the Palace last year: should the King wear his traditional breeches on the coronation day or something more modern? After much deliberation, Charles III opted for a pair of Royal Navy trousers for his crowning at Westminster Abbey. On Tuesday night, however, the King’s traditional satin breeches, complete with matching black silk stockings, finally got their outing at a Buckingham Palace reception for the Diplomatic Corps.

Around his left leg was a garter inscribed with the words honi soit qui mal y pense. This is the motto of the Order of the Garter, the highest order of chivalry, and translates broadly as “shame on he who thinks ill of it”. The phrase is featured on some British coins and surrounds the shield on the royal coat of arms.

At the palace reception, the King, Queen and Prince of Wales hosted more than 1,500 guests from around 130 different countries. Men were told to wear national dress, white tie or court dress, which includes knee breeches for male members of the royal family. It was also an opportunity for the King to rewear his bespoke £3,500 opera pumps with “family buckle” that were made especially for the coronation by Tony Gaziano. The shoemaker from Kettering, Northamptonshire, who had visited the King several times before last year’s service, later described the sovereign’s feet as “delicate”.

[From The Times]

I hope Kate Mansey giggled as she wrote this, because I certainly laughed A LOT while I read it. There are so many good lines, so many hilarious details. The would-be coronation breeches/knickerbockers “finally got their outing” and “an opportunity for the King to rewear his bespoke £3,500 opera pumps.” A family buckle!! The inscription on the garter! The shoemaker who described Charles’s feet as delicate! Come on, this is amazing. Even anti-monarchists begrudgingly admit that Charles’s reign is hilarious and gothic and sort of brilliantly out of touch. When he was diagnosed with cancer, people went on TV and spoke about his love of “potions.” His first portrait as king looked like it had been dipped in blood. Blood-soaked horses broke free and ran through the streets of London in what can only be described as a harbinger of doom. I’m just saying, the imagery of Charles’s reign is really something.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

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After what feels like a billion years of gossip and press about it, part one of the movie version of Wicked finally comes out this Friday, November 22. AMC Theaters is not only anticipating a big crowd to come out and see the long-awaited adaptation, but they’re anticipating a big crowd of theater kids being the ones to show up. Now, we theater kids/former theater kids are not exactly known for being demure and mindful, especially when it comes to having a chance to burst into show tunes in public. Most of us know, however, the golden rule when seeing a live performance, which is that the show is on the stage, not in the audience. As such, AMC has issued a reminder to anyone who plans on seeing Wicked in theaters: It doesn’t matter how much gravity you defy; do not sing along.

According to AMC, movie-goers aren’t allowed to sing along to the Wicked songs at any point during the film. In fact, much like talking, singing of any kind is prohibited inside the theater at all times. In a short Wicked-themed preshow advisory video, AMC says: “At AMC Theaters, silence is golden. No talking. No texting. No singing. No wailing. No Flirting. And absolutely no name-calling. Enjoy the magic of movies.”

Speaking to IndyStar, AMC spokesperson Ryan Noonan explained that this has been the theater’s “long-standing policy” to prevent “disruptive behavior.” However, they wanted to emphasize these rules especially now before the musical debuts in theaters with time-honored songs like “Defying Gravity” and “Popular.”

“The WICKED preshow spot incorporates the themes of the film as a fun, engaging reminder to moviegoers to not disrupt the experience for those around them as they enjoy the show,” Noonan’s statement sent to the outlet read.

AMC’s policy reminder sparked debate online with many people arguing for and against the no-singing rule while others admitted they may not be able to stop themselves from singing. On TikTok, comedy band Lewberger Music posted a video addressing the controversy. “Did you hear there’s going to be strict rules about the Wicked movie?” the group sang.

“Several people have made waves about what they’ll do if people sing during the film which raises some questions about contemporary movie theater etiquette because they didn’t buy tickets to hear some rando, they want to hear Ariana Grande,” the band continued. “You better not sing during the gosh darn movie.”

The Lewberger Music group pointed out that Regal Cinemas and Alamo Drafthouse have added sing-along showings to their screening list in the past. However, neither have done so for Wicked. In the band’s opinion, theaters should be hosting “rowdy” Wicked shows for fans to sing as aloud as they please without bothering guests who bought tickets to only hear the movie stars.

One viewer agreed sing-alongs were a great solution. “They should do a sing along version and have those showings…that way I can go to both,” they commented.

A second person said: “As someone who hasn’t had the opportunity to see it on stage, I agree with this so much! Let me experience it for the first time hearing them, then I’ll go to a sing-along screening.”

“I literally won’t be able to stop myself,” another added, while a fourth disagreed: “I don’t get people who want to hear themselves over the performances. This goes for concerts too. I’ve never understood it! And I’m a singer! If I want to sing I do it on stage or in my car,” one opinionated person commented on TikTok.”

One woman stubbornly confessed: “I’m singing quietly to myself and no one can stop me…it’s not like they could hear me over the movie.”

[From The Independent via Yahoo]

Anyone who is rolling their eyes at this kind of warning clearly does not understand the enthusiasm that certain musicals attract, lol. Let’s just say that no one was issuing any warnings when they did that awful adaptation of Cats a few years ago, but I bet plenty of people had to stop themselves from singing along to the Rent movie. I think having singalong screenings is absolutely the way to go. Give audiences a chance to Rocky Horror this sh-t or belt out how much nobody in all of Oz is ever going to bring us down. I guarantee that having those types of dedicated screenings is going to make audiences forget about any production/cast-related dramas and tell all of the rest of their on-the-fence theater kid friends to go see it.

That said, I am absolutely one of those people who side-eyed Ariana Grande’s casting as Galinda and questioned why a movie that just shows the first act of the musical needs to be longer than the actual full-length musical’s runtime. I watched that cringy clip of Ariana singing “Popular” that’s circulating online, but also have seen really good reviews for it on social media. I have no idea if it’s going to be as good as some of the online hype is, but, hey, at least we’re merely hours away from being able to find out for ourselves.

Photos credit: Getty, IMAGO/David Jones/Avalon, Eric Kowalsky/MEGA/Wenn/Avalon

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Last month we learned that Rust, the last film lensed by rising cinematography star Halyna Hutchins before her untimely death, would be screened at the Camerimage festival in Poland. It seemed like the best possible venue for a tribute to Halyna, as Camerimage is the only prominent film festival that spotlights the work of cinematographers. Furthermore, a post-screening panel was announced that would include director Joel Souza, cinematographer Bianca Cline who stepped in to complete the film, and Halyna’s mentor Stephen Lighthill. It was a terrible tragedy when Halyna was killed from Alec Baldwin’s gun accidentally discharging on set in October 2021. Still, this premiere sounded like it was being organized with the best intentions: to make the movie about celebrating the talent of Halyna Hutchins. It also sounded from that first report that the premiere had the full backing of Halyna’s family. But apparently not? One day before the premiere, Halyna’s mother Olga Solovey released a statement that she would not be attending, adding “Alec Baldwin continues to increase my pain with his refusal to apologize.”

“It was always my hope to meet my daughter in Poland to watch her work come alive on screen. Unfortunately, that was ripped away from me when Alec Baldwin discharged his gun and killed my daughter,” Hutchins’ mother, Olga Solovey, said in a statement Tuesday.

“Alec Baldwin continues to increase my pain with his refusal to apologize to me and his refusal to take responsibility for her death. Instead, he seeks to unjustly profit from his killing of my daughter,” Solovey continued. “That is the reason why I refuse to attend the festival for the promotion of ‘Rust,’ especially now when there is still no justice for my daughter.”

Solovey’s attorney, Gloria Allred, issued her own statement decrying the decision to present the film to the public.

The closing credits for the film begin with the words “for Halyna,” Variety and Deadline report. The tribute is followed by the quote: “What can we do to make this better?” which director Joel Souza said Hutchins often asked, Variety reports.

“Alec Baldwin has disrespected Halyna’s mother, father and sister. Even though Mr. Baldwin discharged the gun that killed Halyna, he has never called them to apologize,” Allred said. “Even worse, he argued, through his attorneys, that Halyna was emotionally distant from her family in Ukraine. That is false, hurtful and insulting. Further, the decision not to even call the family to say he is sorry is cruel and dishonors Halyna and her memory.”

“Now, a decision has been made to promote ‘Rust’ to buyers in order to make a profit for Alec Baldwin and others that had a role in Halyna’s death,” Allred continued. “Olga, (Hutchins’ father) Anatolii and (Hutchins’ sister) Svetlana will not agree with this plan to exploit Halyna’s death.”

…Baldwin is still embroiled in a legal battle with Hutchins’ family and script supervisor Mamie Mitchell, who filed a civil lawsuit against the actor in June. According to Allred, Baldwin’s lawyers have filed a motion asking for a pause on the case; Allred plans to oppose the move.

In 2022, Baldwin and the film’s production company reached a settlement in a lawsuit brought by Hutchins’ husband, Matthew Hutchins, and the couple’s son. As part of the settlement terms, Matthew Hutchins was given the title of executive producer in the movie.

[From USA Today]

There is no end to the sadness surrounding this story, and Olga is absolutely right that it feels like there’s been no justice for Halyna (except for armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed getting the maximum sentence for involuntary manslaughter). That being said, there are wildly conflicting reports on what was approved by the family, and I honestly don’t know who to believe based on what we’ve seen so far. The premiere and panel happened on Wednesday this week. A friend and fellow filmmaker of Halyna’s, Rachel Mason, revealed that she has completed a documentary on Halyna. Rachel interviewed Olga for the documentary, and stated emphatically that Olga “gave her blessing” for Rust to be completed. Joel Souza similarly made strong statements that Halyna’s husband Matthew very much wanted the film to be made and released. So yeah, I don’t know what the behind the scenes story is. Grief is not always a linear journey, though. If Olga changed her mind about how she feels her deceased daughter’s work is being handled, I’m inclined to give her all the grace in the world.

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This week, Donald Trump nominated Linda McMahon for Secretary of Education, a department he wants to eliminate. McMahon is the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, and she’s been a consistent supporter of Trump and Trumpism for years. She’s hyper-conservative and she absolutely wants to turn the Department of Education into a huge voucher program. But of course there are other problems. What’s weird is that even though credibly accused rapists like Pete Hedseth and Matt Gaetz are taking up so much space, people are still like “wow, Linda McMahon is problematic.” First of all, she lied about her education:

On Jan. 9, 2009, Linda McMahon filled out a vetting questionnaire to serve on the state board of education in Connecticut.

On it, she indicated she earned a bachelor’s degree in education, according to a copy of the original form the governor’s office provided to USA TODAY.

She did not.

McMahon, a billionaire and wrestling executive who graduated from East Carolina University in 1969, actually has a bachelor’s degree in French, the school confirmed to USA TODAY Wednesday. Although her academic program at the time was designed to prepare teachers for instruction, the school said, McMahon does not have a degree in education.

[From USA Today]

This is such a normal scandal, I almost felt relieved. This is the normal kind of confirmation scandal – someone lied on their CV years ago or claimed to have a degree they do not have. If this was the only thing, McMahon would be confirmed with flying colors. Except that McMahon now has her own sex scandal(s).

Former WWE CEO Linda McMahon left the spectacle of televised wrestling more than a decade ago, but her new appointment to Donald Trump‘s administration has brought fresh scrutiny to her time presiding over the testosterone-charged industry. McMahon on Tuesday was tapped to lead the Department of Education as she and her husband, the embattled Vince McMahon, are embroiled in a sex scandal, something of a developing trend in the second Trump administration.

Last month, a group of five former “ring boys” named the McMahons in a sex abuse lawsuit along with World Wrestling Entertainment and its parent company, TKO Group. The John Does alleged that from the 1970s to the 1990s, former WWE announcer Melvin Phillips Jr. groomed and sexually assaulted them and other minors, without any consequences from his employer.

What’s more, they claimed the McMahons—in their capacity as chief WWE executives—specifically knew about and ignored Philips’s predation. His “peculiar and unnatural interest” in young boys prompted the couple to fire Phillips in 1988, the lawsuit says; they quickly reinstated him on the condition he “steer clear from kids,” which he didn’t.

Linda’s lawyer, Laura Brevetti, called the lawsuit’s complaints “baseless” and said the McMahons were separated.

In addition to the ring boys‘ lawsuit, Vince is the subject of a federal investigation probing undisclosed multi-million-dollar payments he made to settle sexual misconduct and even rape complaints during his tenure at WWE. A former WWE employee has also accused McMahon of sexual coercion and assault, and of trafficking her to other men.

[From The Daily Beast]

Ah, this is more on brand for the second Trump administration. Decades of covering up sexual abuse, rape, child abuse. See, she’s only being accused of knowingly covering up the abuse, not perpetrating it. Which is why she’ll probably breeze through the confirmation process, right?

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

During his Super Bowl half-time performance earlier this year, Usher broke out his roller skates and skated along to the choreography for his songs, “Bad Girl” and “OMG.” It was really fun! Since he’s also incorporated skating into his tours, I assumed that it was just a part of his schtick, like how Pink does the acrobat thing. As it turns out, Usher is really into roller skating culture. He even credits it with keeping him young. In fact, Usher is such a big fan of roller skating that he and model Liberty Ross (#random) are opening the very first “full-service skating rink residency” in Las Vegas, called Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace. The rink will be at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas’ TAO Beach.

“This is kind of a victory lap for Las Vegas,” he tells PEOPLE at the Flipper’s grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony on Nov. 16. He kicked off the star-studded event by skating throughout The Venetian as guests cheered him on.

“It really all started with my residency and we had a second residency and we played the Super Bowl. We went to Paris. Now coming back with this tour, I’m in the flow, having a good time, enjoying and doing things that I really love.”

When it comes to the secret behind maintaining his youthful good looks, physique and energetic spirit, “skating has always kept me young,” reveals the star, “and it’s something that I feel is a necessity for youth nowadays. Everybody spends so much time scrolling. We want you to roll, come out, get active, come and have a good time.”

Stars Dr. Dre and Dita Von Teese turned out for the occasion, joining hundreds of attendees. As for roller skating novices, Usher wants them to hit the rink, too. “There’s no judgment here,” he says. “You fall, you get back up. We invite the entire family to come.”

Having skated since he was a kid, the star has a deeper connection to the activity. “It’s a form of self care,” Usher says. “The freedom and expression, I really feel like it’s a language when you get deeper into the cultures of skating for rhythm, period. And people need to understand how fun this really is.”

Usher hopes he can convince some of his superstar pals to lace up a pair soon. “Dre, Snoop and Pharrell getting out here would be crazy,” he says. “NWA came up through skaters, a lot of those early hip hop bands could only get space to perform in the roller rinks. I can still remember as a kid performing in rinks. It’s always been the grounds for culture.”

And Usher says you’re much more likely to find him at the rink than in the kitchen this holiday season. “I wouldn’t bank on me for your Thanksgiving dinner,” he says with a smile. “No, no. I might be able to do some mac and cheese and a little banana pudding but that’s about it.”

[From People]

If you had Usher being a huge off-stage roller skating affinado on your bingo card, congratulations! I love that he credits it with keeping him young. It’s awesome when you find that one thing that brings you to your happy place, even if it’s just a momentary escape. For me, that’s hiking or taking a walk. It’s tough to find your peace nowadays, but it’s also more crucial than ever now to identify it and do some self-care.

As for the rink itself, this is actually pretty cool. Roller skating is definitely one of those niche activities that Millennials and older will absolutely try at least once for the nostalgia factor. I remember how big roller skating (and then roller blading) was when I was growing up. We had some fun rinks on Long Island back in the day. There is only one place in the area where I live now, and when we pass it, I’m always surprised by how busy it is. My son has been to a few birthday parties there and it really is a throwback. I need to set up an adult skating party one of these days.

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