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On Tuesday night, Ben Affleck finally commented on the days-old controversy that he asked the PBS show Finding Your Roots to remove a segment referencing his ancestor who had owned slaves. Affleck framed it as a collaborative decision, similar to the way he would influence a director to edit scenes for a film. He failed to acknowledge showrunner Henry Louis Gates’s concerns over compromising journalistic integrity, and he dismissed the show as not “a news program.” He also made it clear that he did influence Gates to edit his ancestor, stating in part that he felt vulnerable and embarrassed. “The assumption is that they will never be dishonest but they will respect your willingness to participate and not look to include things you think would embarrass your family.”

There were some decent parts in Affleck’s statement in which he acknowledged that he shouldn’t have done that, but overall he went on a little too long and made it about him. He also worked to get people to understand his position instead of trying to convey an understanding of why this was a problem.

In a new comment to Facebook, Affleck changes his tune somewhat. He says that some sites framed it as “censorship” (we did that, as did Gates in his original emails to Sony head Michael Lynton) and that it wasn’t like that, it was just no big deal.

Thanks for the comments here. To clarify, because I see this story being framed as “censorship” on some sites, when I told Skip I was uneasy about the slave owner, he told me he had not included it in his preliminary cut because there wasn’t much detail – a name and no details, so he wasn’t going with it to begin with. He also told me they would do a book later with a more complete story, and I said I would be happy to participate and talk about the issues more broadly.

[From Facebook]

So in his original statement, Ben said this: “I lobbied [Gates, he calls him Skip] the same way I lobby directors about what takes of mine I think they should use.” Then in his follow up, he claims all he did was tell Gates he “was uneasy” and then Gates told him it didn’t matter because he had already removed that part. This is despite the fact that Affleck’s segment on Finding Your Roots was largely about race (see NPR’s coverage for more) and despite the fact that Gates’ emails to Lynton contradict this. Gates was incredibly concerned about being asked to censor the show, and not once did Affleck acknowledge this. PBS is conducting an internal investigation to ensure their editorial standards haven’t been compromised, and their statement says that “We have been moving forward deliberately yet swiftly to conduct this review.” Affleck must know this.

Affleck’s statements don’t add up. Either he lobbied for this change and it was a big deal to him because he felt embarrassed and vulnerable (his first statement) or he just told Gates he was “uneasy” and Gates told him he didn’t plan to include that information anyway. It’s possible that Gates got an email from Affleck, emailed Lynton, and then played it off like it was no biggie to remove that part and he meant to do it anyway. If that’s what happened why didn’t Affleck explain it that way in the first place? He could be telling the truth in both statements, they’re not necessarily contradictory, but he’s handled this all very poorly.

Oh and Affleck also posted another comment revealing his ancestor’s name. He said “Lots of people here have been asking who the guy was. His name was Benjamin Cole – lived in Georgia on my Mom’s side about six generations back.”

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View image | gettyimages.com

View image | gettyimages.com

A few days ago, I wrote about how Kim Kardashian was named as one of the recipients of Variety’s Inspiration Impact Awards, which highlight various celebrity women and their work in New York, especially with charity. Kim isn’t even a New Yorker, nor is she really well-known for working hard for charities. It just seemed like Variety was giving her the award as some sort of tacky “please come to our event” thing. In any case, Variety celebrated this year’s honorees with multiple magazine covers this week. It really feels like “one of things is not like the other” when Kim is lumped in with Glenn Close, Whoopi Goldberg, Rachel Weisz and Lena Dunham. You can see Variety’s package here. Here are some highlights from Kim’s piece:

Why Kim is so charitable: She started working with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles seven years ago – she not only donates proceeds from her eBay auction store to the nonprofit, but she also carves out time to regularly visit patients and their parents, especially during the holidays.

Losing her father to cancer: “My father passed away from cancer. I remember what it was like when my dad was going through it. You see the kids that are so strong. They feel so helpless. You want to do anything to help them.”

What happens when she visits the kids: On some of these visits, Kardashian West will sit at the patient’s bedside alone. Other times, she’ll bring along her husband, Kanye West, or her sisters. She’ll arrive at the hospital armed with presents such as iTunes gift cards or beauty products. “We’ll sit and paint our nails together,” Kardashian West says. The kids, who are excited to see the E! reality star, will ask that she post their selfies on Instagram, where Kardashian West has 30.1 million followers. “They love to see their pictures on social media,” she says.

[From Variety]

Yeah… okay. I honestly don’t have any shade for her work with Children’s Hospital LA. I just wasn’t aware that she really was spending so much time there (I’d sort of like to see the receipts on that, but whatever). It’s nice that she visits the kids and brings presents and hangs out with them. Does she deserve the cover of Variety for it? Eh.

Photos courtesy of Variety, Fame/Flynet.

These are photos of Francis Bean Cobain at the LA screening of Montage of Heck, the Kurt Cobain documentary. Frances has been a trooper during this film’s promotion, and this screening is no exception. Yeah, she looks bummed to be standing next to Courtney Love. I think most of us would feel the same way if our mom’s hoarding habit killed their childhood pet. Plus Courtney seemed so blase about doing heroin during pregnancy. Add those frustrations to the legions of fans (and former Nirvana bandmates) who constantly gush about Kurt, and this whole experience can’t be easy for Frances.

Oh, and Courtney spoke out at the Tribeca screening this weekend. Crazy C told the world that she and Kurt made their own adult film: “Me and Kurt only had this one tape … and so we recorded over and over.” I’m sure Frances enjoyed hearing about that parental grossness. She recovered enough to make a speech at the LA screening:

“Hi my name is Frances Bean Cobain and this is Montage of Heck,” she said. “The reason I wanted to come up here and speak to all of you is because I have seen this movie now six times. Initially upon seeing it, I felt like I could only watch it once. The reason I’ve been able to watch it six times is because of the film Brett [Morgen] made … I didn’t know Kurt, but I feel very strongly that he would be exceptionally proud of this film.

“It touches on some dark subjects but at the end of the day, I think that this film provides fans of Nirvana, or not fans of Nirvana, a basic understanding of who Kurt was as a human being. I think that’s been lost within romanticism and the myth of him and his story. What this movie will provide hopefully is a real understanding of who he was. And I feel like he’d be really proud to have this movie made about him. So I’d like to thank Brett a lot.”

[From People]

Director Brett Morgan says Frances has no true memory of her father, and this movie has helped her get to know him a little. Frances was barely a toddler when Kurt took his life. That experience and knowledge would be painful enough without constant reminder of how cool your dad was. I often wonder what Kurt would be like if he was alive today. I’m sure he wouldn’t have been a legend after he inevitably put out a few sub-par albums. Maybe he’d simply be a producer now, or a recluse, more likely.

Frances is a trust-fund kid, but she’s as grounded and wise as possible under the circumstances. Remember when she schooled Lana Del Rey about romanticizing the death of musicians? Frances knows the drill. The passage of time has turned Kurt into a legend far beyond what he was in real life.

Montage of Heck hits HBO on May 4. Here’s a trailer.

Photos courtesy of WENN

The first week in April, Star Magazine claimed that Emma Stone and Andew Garfield had “hit a rough patch” and had decided to go on a break. Sources emphasized that the split was mostly about timing, schedules and the fact that Andrew was thousands of miles away, filming a movie. A week later, all of the legit gossip outlets confirmed the news – Us Weekly, People, E! News all said pretty much the same thing, that the break probably wasn’t permanent, but that they were on a break. Now Us Weekly says that Emma and Andrew actually had real problems beyond competing schedules, and that Emma dumped Andrew because she’s totally done with him. Whoa.

They’ll always have The Amazing Spider-Man. As reported earlier this month, Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone went their separate ways recently after dating for more than three years. And while sources initially told Us Weekly they were just taking a breather, an insider now says their blockbuster romance is over for good.

Stone, 26, “ended things and moved back to L.A.,” the source reveals in the April 27 issue of Us. “It’s finished. It’s not just a break.”

One factor in their apparent split was Garfield’s intense commitment to his role as a 17th-century Jesuit in director Martin Scorsese’s upcoming movie Silence, which costars Adam Driver and Liam Neeson.

“He’d been in a dark place for months, getting into his role,” a second insider tells Us of the Never Let Me Go actor, 31, who lost nearly 40 pounds in preparation for the film and has been shooting in Taiwan since January. “He wasn’t being the best partner.”

[From Us Weekly]

My gut reaction, weeks ago, was that Andrew was a fool for letting Emma go, but I also believe that HE is the high-maintenance one. He’s the one with drama and issues, he’s the one letting his ego get in the way of his relationships. So, yes, I can totally see why Emma would reach a point where she was all, “You know what? I’m tired of the drama. I’m done.” Poor Emma. Well, pretty much every dude out there wants Emma to be his girlfriend, so I’m interested in seeing what her next dating-move will be.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Carey Mulligan covers the new issue of WSJ. Magazine. I just read through the whole piece and to say that Carey receives some of the most glowing press of any young actress in the world would be an understatement. WSJ. Magazine absolutely fawns over her, as did Vogue Magazine. It’s a reminder (to me) that Carey largely flies undercover by choice, but when she wants to turn it on and remind people that she’s got a new project, she can really turn it on. In this interview, Carey talks about how dorky she is (she wrote letters to Eminem!!!), how her parents didn’t want her to become an actress, and how she decides on what projects to take. You can read the full piece here. Some highlights:

She wrote letters to celebrities as a teenager: “I was such a weird, geeky kid. I wrote to Eminem and told him I thought his songs were amazing.”

Her husband, Marcus Mumford, keeping her down-to-earth: “It’s always nice to come home to someone who will tell you when it’s all bollocks. Because the minute you get to be like, ‘Oh, God, I’m nailing it, look how famous I am,’ you should give it up.’”

Making it a rule to never accept a part in the first meeting with a director: “I used to be so eager and overenthusiastic that I would take jobs in the room. But that got me into a world of trouble. It got messy.”

The confidence she’s gained over the years: “I used to walk into every rehearsal room and think, I hope I don’t get fired. Now I feel like I’m allowed to have an opinion.”

Regretting the decision to pass on the role that Rooney Mara played in Spike Jonze’s Her: “I’d just done four jobs in a row; I was about to collapse. But I watched it and thought, Dammit, that was brilliant. I won’t let that happen again.”

How she chooses roles: “The role has to be a female that has been written really well, or is strongly representing some aspect of femininity—otherwise, I’m not really interested in it.”

She regrets taking a role in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps: “It was a lesson to me that if I don’t have enough to get ahold of, it doesn’t work for me.”

[From WSJ. Magazine]

I have mixed feelings about her bold (?) statement about the only parts she’ll play, that “the The role has to be a female that has been written really well, or is strongly representing some aspect of femininity.” On one side, I think it’s great that she holds herself to such high standards and she’s willing to say no to stuff that she doesn’t feel is worth her time. On that, good for her. That takes balls. On the other side, not every actress can do this. In fact, very few actresses can do this. Most actresses – even the good ones – have to take roles for various other reasons, like they need a paycheck or they want to mix up their resumes with commercial hits and indie films. While Carey’s position works for her, it feels like she’s one of the only actresses out there who can manage to pull this off.

And writing to Eminem? Epic.

Photos courtesy of WSJ. Magazine.

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Kendra on Top star Kendra Wilkinson shared some family photos via Instagram.

“Second stop on our road trip… Happy #earthday,” she captioned the image with her 5-year-old son little Hank, who made a funny face for the camera.

The reality star, 29, went on to share a shot of her husband, former NFL star Hank Baskett, during their family getaway.

“Making sure the dogs were safe…they took the pain by wearing these life vests better than Alijah. Lmaooo. #LakeMead #roadtrippin,” she wrote.

The Wilkinson-Baskett family – including 11-month-old Alijah – are currently enjoying a road trip together.

“Martini is desperate for her sun just like me. Lol. #Baskettroadtrip2015 #ontheroadagain,” Kendra captioned a shot of their family pooch enjoying the group getaway.

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Danny Collins star Jennifer Garner stepped out with daughter Violet, 9, in Brentwood, Calif. on Tuesday (April 21). After picking up her eldest child from school, the Alias alum, 43, took her daughter to a nearby bookstore to purchase some new reading material.

On Sunday (April 19), Jen’s husband, Academy Award-winner Ben Affleck, was spotted at the farmers’ market in Pacific Palisades with the couple’s 6-year-old daughter Seraphina.

The A-list couple are also parents to 3-year-old son Samuel.

While at the Just Label It Anti-GMO Event in L.A. on Monday, Jennifer talked about the importance of food labels.

“I cook for my kids, and we have a garden,” the mother-of-three told Us Weekly. “We try to grow whatever we can, although I can’t say we have the hugest crop in the world, but I do try to pay close attention and I do my best.”

As for her culinary skills, the actress enjoys making a wide variety of meals for her family-of-five.

“I make everything,” she said. “Roasted chicken and mashed potatoes, gravy, homemade bread, corn on the cob, you know, whatever.”

But the kids weren’t too pleased to lend their mom to the good cause.

“They weren’t thrilled tonight when I came to see you guys, so right now I’m not asking for their vote,” Jennifer said of leaving her kids at home on a school night. “But we talk about our food, we grow food, we talk about what goes into it. They planted it, they water it, they take pictures next to it.”

It was fellow celebrity mom, Gisele Bündchen, that told the actress about Just Label It.

“My friend Gisele and I are fed up with being kept in the dark about GMO and non-GMO labeling,” Jennifer told E! News at the event. “I got involved because she said, ‘Do you know what’s happening?’ She’s a firecracker. She said, ‘You have to educate yourself.’”

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Yeah. F-ck yeah.

Brandon Flowers was at the Tribeca Film Festival last night for a screening and then he performed at a Frank Sinatra tribute…Christ Jesus… in a tuxedo.

At one point he sang Come Fly With Me.

With that voice. Even Bono worships that voice. That voice in combination wit…      

Is Blake moving in on Gwyneth’s “very good friend” Mario Batali?

?????????????????????????????????????????????????? #I died. I don’t even care that I was photobombed by a trash can. ??????????

A photo posted by Blake Lively (@blakelively) on

Apr 22, 2015 at 9:28am PDT…