Fine, I’ll say it: when Kylie Jenner stands next to Khloe Kardashian, Kylie looks almost normal. Do you think that was Khloe’s intention all along? To pull focus from her little sister, the same sister who clearly has some major issues with men and self-image? It might sound weird, but I think it’s perfectly possible that Khloe is “taking one for the team” by putting herself out there like this. These are photos from yesterday’s 2015 NBC Universal Cable Entertainment Upfronts. E! is part of the NBC family, which I always forget. That’s part of why it was such a big deal that Bruce Jenner gave his exclusive to ABC – contractually, he should have gone with an NBC journalist!

Speaking of Bruce, Kris Jenner and Khloe teased the upcoming two-night special, Keeping Up with the Kardashians: About Bruce. The special airs on Sunday and Monday nights (ha, good luck competing with Game of Thrones and the Mad Men finale). At the Upfronts, Kris said that we’ll be seeing “raw, raw, raw footage” and Khloe said, “It definitely is Bruce’s story but it’s coming from a very … it’s very raw, incredibly rough. You get very raw, real reactions from all of us cause there’s a lot of things that are coming to the forefront while we’re taping.” Okay then.

By the way, Khloe’s gown is by Michael Costello. It’s a pretty trashy-looking gown, made worse by Khloe’s lip injections, her fried hair and her bolt-ons.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Several new Tom Hiddleston interviews came out yesterday and all of them were conducted last year, on the set of Crimson Peak, as they were filming the movie. Guillermo del Toro must have invited some friendly journalists and bloggers to the set and there was an embargo on printing these quotes until this week. Del Toro really knows how to keep the nerd-flame properly stoked, doesn’t he? Anyway, Collider and HitFix have basically the same interview (highlights below) which you can read here and here. Tommy talks about the “kink” of Crimson Peak and much more.

Signing on to the film after Benedict Cumberbatch dropped out: “Well, it happened very quickly. He called me, my agents called and said, ‘Guillermo Del Toro is going to call you in the next hour’ and he called me and told me the story and he said, ‘Don’t say yes, or no. But I’m gonna rewrite the script this weekend or tonight or tomorrow, and I’m gonna send you a new draft’ and like an hour later Jessica [Chastain] called me and said, ‘You have to do it’ [Laughs] ‘I want you to do it, and Guillermo wants you to do it’ and I was really excited I couldn’t wait to read the script. Then, it must have been like a day later, I got it and I read it immediately in one sitting and he had rewritten the role, so I got sort of my own draft, he had rewritten the part for me in a way. It’s just brilliant, it just is a brilliant screenplay, and I wanted to work with him, I knew that Jessica, and Mia [Wasikowska], and Charlie [Hunnam] were locked in and on board; and I love Mia and I know Jessica from before and I wanted to work with Charlie so there was just no possible way I was going to say ‘no’.”

Working with Guillermo del Toro: “He is amazing. I mean that probably isn’t a secret from anyone else who’s ever worked with him but he’s like this Great Mexican Bear of Passion and Warmth. He’s just so inspiring. He loves his job and I think his working experience and collaboration he’s one of the most inspired and inspiring people I’ve ever worked with.”

His character: “I think he’s the antihero…He’s certainly the most morally ambiguous or complex figure in the story because I think he’s genuinely caught in between people and in between conflicting emotions and is trying to find the best route through a very, very difficult tangle of what people need from him and want from him and he feels what his responsibility is to those people.”

The film is kinky: “It’s really kinky… there is a sexuality in the film which is expressed… And you think you know what it is and then you realize you’re only scratching the surface. So I really can’t reveal more than that. Thomas Sharpe has – and he’s not the only character in the film — but he has a history. I suppose the interesting thing about the film, the story is it’s about the difference between expectations and reality. And each character is sort of projecting certain things.”

Making a horror film: “It’s really scary and what I find is the most playful aspect of acting in a very, very spooky film is that you play against that so it becomes almost is the banality of – everything becomes incredibly normal. And in a way that’s more terrifying. Like I love it when I’m watching horror films and everyone’s acting like nothing is wrong and you know something is around the corner. You’re like, ‘Why is everyone acting like nothing is wrong? There’s clearly something wrong!’ So in a way that’s really fun is to play it very straight, to play it almost as if the action is every day and ‘What could possibly go wrong?’ It’s just an old house, you know, with creaky floorboards. Old house will make old noises.”

[From Collider & HitFix]

In Collider’s version of events, Tom is asked directly about what is “kinky” and he responds, “In my life, in my work, or…? Of course Scarlet Johansson would be ill equipped.” WHAT? God, I would love it if Tommy was that kind of guy. In HitFix’s version, Tom also makes special mention of del Toro’s daughters, saying that they visit the set all the time and they’re “a vital part of the way I function with the world.” They updated his playlists!

Ain’t It Cool also had a new interview with Tom – go here to read.

And here’s the international trailer:

Photos courtesy of PCN, Legendary Pictures.

Charlize Theron brought her boyfriend to the Cannes Film Festival premiere of Mad Max: Fury Road. Because they are now that couple. Part of me thinks it’s actually a little bit sweet: Sean Penn is 54 years old and he’s finally found a girlfriend who makes him want to travel halfway around the world just to walk on her arm. I’ve already seen a lot of people compare these photos to the many photos of Brangelina walking the Cannes red carpet over the years. I can kind of see that, although for me the Jolie-Pitts will always be more compelling than Theron-Penns.

The first thing I thought when I saw these photos? Angelina in Ungaro at Cannes in 2007. Remember that? A diva in canary yellow in the South of France – it works. I would even say that Charlize looks better than Angelina in canary yellow. Charlize’s dress is Dior, of course. I like the back of the gown more than the front – it feels like the front should look smoother? Why are so many Dior looks these days so poorly tailored? Charlize’s diamond earrings are Chopard. Good earring choice. But Charlize usually accessorizes well.

There was a pronounced lack of Tom Hardy photos actually on the red carpet. Like, he doesn’t seem to have posed solo for very long, but he did go to the steps to pose with the cast. Once again, he sort of looks short next to Charlize. Poor Tom. Still… so very hot.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet, Joe Alvarez, WENN.

Here are more ladies from last night’s Mad Max: Fury Road premiere at the Cannes Film Festival (Day 2). I was going to start with Julianne Moore, but that was before I saw Fan Bingbing wearing a dead cat covered in floral appliques. Oh, sorry, I mean MARCHESA. Sometimes, people are like “Why are you so harsh on Marchesa? Is the label really that bad?” Yes. It is exactly this bad. What’s worse is that Fan Bingbing was actually having a pretty great run – she killed it at the Met Gala and at the Cannes Opening Night. Trust Marchesa to ruin a girl’s style mojo.

Here’s Julianne Moore in a custom Givenchy gown and Chopard jewels. A few things – I like velvet and I like velvet on the red carpet, but velvet makes no sense at Cannes in May. This dress would have been perfect during the awards season, you know? Also: the matching shoes? Oh, God. NO.

Naomi Watts was not really a hot mess in this black Ralph Lauren, she just didn’t stand out like she did the day before. She’s really been delivering with the jewelry p0rn though – the necklace is Bvlgari.

Zoe Kravitz in a pretty, simple gown from Valentino’s Sala Bianca 945 collection. This might be my favorite gown of the night, although Zoe looks… very slender. She was recently discussing her struggles with an eating disorder. Hm.

Liya Kebede in Proenza Schouler Fall 2015. Girl, you need a better stylist.

Michelle Rodriguez in Zuhair Murad. This seems out of character for her. This seems like a gown Jennifer Lopez would wear. M.Rod and J.Lo should never have the same style.

Sophie Marceau in Alexandre Vauthier Spring 2015 Couture. I actually like this, I think it’s slouchy and sexy without trying too hard. Although when she was going up the stairs, the “wrap” of her dress flew open and she flashed her panties to the world’s photographers. So… yeah. Maybe it wasn’t the best choice.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet, Joe Alvarez, WENN.

Here are some assorted photos from Cannes’ Day 2 – I covered the Mad Max: Fury Road premiere photos in two other posts. These photos are just the stragglers at other events. Salma Hayek was the queen of everything at the late premiere of Tale of Tales, the bizarre-sounding fairy tale movie by an Italian director. Yesterday, I covered the photocall pics – go here to see. Salma wore Alexander McQueen for both the photocall and the premiere, although I liked her pretty little floral dress at the photocall a lot better than the premiere gown. This McQueen is being called “flamenco inspired” which I can see. I just don’t think it’s a great dress overall though.

Here’s Salma’s costar Vincent Cassel (that man is The Sex) and Salma’s husband Francois, both at the Tale of Tales premiere.

Miranda Kerr in a David Koma ensemble for a photocall for Magnum Ice Cream. Seriously. Miranda gets paid to go to Cannes and promote ice cream. Sure. This ensemble is cute enough, but the shoes kind of ruin it.

Then Miranda attended an evening red carpet/party, also for Magnun Ice Cream. This pink Ungaro is pretty, I guess, but Miranda’s bolt-ons were falling out all over the place.

View image | gettyimages.com

Eva Longoria – a Cannes regular because of her contract with L’Oreal – wore this silver Georges Hobeika gown to the Global Gift gala. I kind of like the gown, but Eva is looking… different? Is it Botox? Or just too much makeup?

Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet and Getty.

You can look at three things: how the water flows, as the fire burns and how to play Johnny and Pistol! #johnnydepp #pistol #amberheard #photooftheday

A photo posted by Amber Heard (@amberheard_official) on Oct 19, 2014 at 8:33am PDT

Yesterday, I talked about the fallout from Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s dog smuggling down under. The duo flew into Australia about three weeks ago and put on a united front after Johnny’s brief disappearance. The studio had halted production when Johnny broke his hand in a go-cart accident, but Jack Sparrow was back. When Johnny and Amber arrived, they had two hidden pieces of cargo in the form of their Yorkshire Terriers, Pistol and Boo. They failed to declare the dogs and go through proper quarantine procedures. Australian officials weren’t happy. Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce ordered the dogs to be removed by Saturday or face euthanization.

As of Friday afternoon (Australia time), the two pups were safely aboard a private jet back to the states. TMZ reports that Johnny’s not off the hook. He’ll probably have to pay a large fine. The offense of dog smuggling can also carry up to 10 years in jail. Australia isn’t messing around, although PETA decided to call out Joyce: “It sounds pretty heavy-handed to fine people for trying to include every member of their family in their travel plans.” PETA’s missing the point of Australia’s quarantine laws.

The big question is whether or not Johnny left Australia too. Time says that’s the case. The Mail has photos of a removal van outside Depp’s rented home on the Gold Coast (scarves, man). The Telegraph confirms that Johnny and Amber planned to leave the country with the dogs. In addition, this little stunt will have far-reaching repercussions for all private jets which enter Australia:

Johnny Depp will flee the country to save his pets from Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce’s dogged pursuit, but not before a grilling from quarantine officers.

They’re expected to leaving the country tonight, before a 72-hour deadline lapses and pets Pistol and Boo are seized. Depp and Heard have notified the Agriculture Department they will fly out with Boo and Pistol tonight in order to save them from euthanasia.

As a result of Depp’s defiance private jet passengers arriving in Australia may be forced to go through airport terminals with other travellers in changes to the rules around private jet entries.

Although the jet was met by Customs and Immigration officers, a private jet pilot said it was not unusual for luggage not to be examined if nothing was declared.

“Unless Customs have good reason to check an aircraft, they don’t need to. They tend to rely on responsible people doing the right thing,” said the pilot who did not want to be named. “This (Depp incident) is going to have repercussions like you wouldn’t believe. Private jets will no longer be cleared on the ramp. Everyone’s going to have to walk through the terminal and be screened in, and be screened out.”

[From Daily Telegraph]

I really hope Johnny wasn’t on that flight. This week’s issue of Star has a story about the “constant bickering” between him and Amber on the Pirates 5 set, so it would make sense if Amber left with the dogs. But Johnny needs to finish his job! He’s already derailed production once, which left 200 people without work. If he leaves Australia before production ends, who knows if he’d ever come back. The Telegraph adds, “It is not known how long Depp and Heard will remain in the US before returning to Australian shores.”

Barnaby Joyce seems to have had it with Depp and the entire Pirates production. There were some difficulties importing monkeys for the film, and Joyce said the government “bent over backwards” to get the animals through biosecurity on time. Joyce did express concern for Pistol and Boo, saying he was “seriously worried” the dogs didn’t have the correct paperwork to reenter the United States. If so, the pups could be declared “stateless.” Irresponsible pet owners suck.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet & WENN

View image | gettyimages.com

Earlier this month, Raven-Symone officially signed on as a co-host on The View. Just like American Idol, here’s another show that needs to be put out of its misery. The revolving door of View hosts and declining ratings are sure signs of a coming end. Hiring Raven-Symone seems like a move of desperation. Showrunners are perfectly aware of the controversial statements she’s given. They’re hoping she’ll land in some major arguments and pull in viewers.

One of Thursday’s conversation topics was the WomenOn20s campaign, which held an unofficial contest to see which woman should cover the $20 bill. The movement’s goal is to see a woman replace U.S. President Andrew Jackson by 2020 (which is the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote). Out of 15 distinguished candidates, abolitionist Harriet Tubman won by a large margin. Even Hillary Clinton threw her support behind Tubman:

Harriet Tubman could be the first woman on the $20 bill. Awesome, well deserved—and about time. http://t.co/VIw2KyWEzX #womenon20s

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) May 14, 2015

Raven said she would never vote for Harriet Tubman’s face on the $20 because “we need to move a little bit forward.”

Raven-Symone wants to see a woman on the $20 bill, but she doesn’t want it to be Harriet Tubman.

The famed abolitionist was the people’s first choice female (based on the results of Women on 20s’ unofficial online poll), but Raven would prefer “someone that is closer to the progression that we’re doing now,” she said Wednesday of The View.

“No offense to everyone that’s going to be mad at me for saying this, I don’t like that idea [of Harriet Tubman on the $20],” she said. “I think we need to move a little bit forward. Let me just preface that I understand the history, I get it, trust me, I was taught, I’m in that culture…”

She ran through some of the other options Women on 20s provided as ideal candidates, including Eleanor Roosevelt, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Patsy Mink and Rosa Parks.

“Me personally, I would have chosen Rosa Parks,” said Raven. “I would have chosen someone that is closer to the progression that we’re doing now. And I know you have to understand history so that you don’t repeat it, but that doesn’t really happen in our world, because we still repeat history of hating other cultures over and over again. So I would choose a different one, no offense.”

[From E! Online

The general reaction to Raven’s statement is mixed. Some people are angry, and others are simply scratching their heads. No one really knows what Raven’s attempting to say.

I’m not sure what Raven Symone is trying to say. Harriet Tubman guided 300 slaves to freedom. How is that not a history that evokes pride?

— Charles Clymer (@cmclymer) May 14, 2015

Raven Symone says Harriett Tubman isn’t progressive enough for the $20 bill. FML.

— Goldie Taylor (@goldietaylor) May 14, 2015

To be fair, I’m not sure that even Raven knows what she’s talking about. This is the same person who believes several continents exist within Africa. Oh well. At least Raven has brought more attention to the WomenOn20s campaign.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet & WENN

I have a well-documented Ethan Hawke problem. I know I should find him gross, but I just… don’t. I still find him attractive. If anything, I find him more attractive these days than during his ‘90s heyday. Ethan is promoting his new film Good Kill, which is about drones and whether military drones are a good thing, etc. Honestly, the drone talk (from Ethan) is kind of boring. But I enjoyed his thoughts on women, feminism and the roles that got away. Ethan spoke to Larry King about all of this stuff – you can see the video interview here. Some of the assorted quotes I found interesting:

Being directed by a woman: “I have been making movies for thirty years, I’ve probably made over forty movies, and this year is the first time I’ve been directed by a woman. People think that gender equality has happened- and it’s fascinating having three daughters, and seeing the world through their eyes, it really does turn you into a feminist.”

On Dead Poet’s Society: “It’s the only movie I’ve ever done that really changed my life.”

Turning down roles: “One of the best roles I ever turned down, I knew I was wrong for it. They were wrong to offer it to me. The guy who did it was great. The stupidest one I ever turned down was Independence Day, they offered me Will Smith’s part.”

His favorite film: “[My] favorite would probably have to be Boyhood, only because what a special experience that was, that’s so unlike other parts that I’ve played.”

The best part about Hollywood: “The women.”

His advice to child actors: “If you take out, if you look at the history of the arts, of who succeeds, if you just eliminate self destruction, if you just decide that I will not self implode, if you decide that, your chances of excelling at what you do go up 90%. So many people sabotage themselves, particularly artistic people, but all of us. A lot of us a feeling that we don’t deserve success, a lot of us have a feeling we’re our own worst critics, and there is no shame in loving yourself and treating yourself with the respect with which you would treat someone you love, and taking care of your talent.”

[From Ora TV]

Ethan Hawke was offered the Will Smith role in Independence Day? And he turned it down?! That’s so bizarre. I’d love to know the other part he’s talking about – for some reason, I just got an image of Mark Ruffalo. Like, I could see how Ruffalo and Hawke might be up for some of the same parts. As for Ethan’s feminism… eh. It would be nice if a dude could be a feminist without having daughters, but sure, I’ll take it.

Photos of Ethan at a Stella Adler Studio of Acting fundraiser earlier this week, courtesy of WENN.

Kesha has a new profile in Vogue, and she shows off her freckles in a lovely photo that you can see here (it’s actually a reprint of her recent Teen Vogue cover). I believe Kesha’s ramping up to release new music soon. She promised as much in January, but doesn’t have a release date for her third album yet. She’s undoubtedly preoccupied with Dr. Luke’s legal shenanigans. He filed a countersuit after she sued him for sexual assault and abuse.

For over a year, Kesha has been rebuilding her life following an early 2014 rehab stint after Dr. Luke fat-shamed her and she developed an eating disorder. She has been hinting at a softer image for her future, instead of the party-girl persona she once embraced. Here are some excerpts from Vogue:

Freckles now win over makeup: “I really wanted to make a change–be more raw and real. I wanted to be more confident in myself–embrace every inch of my body–not try to cover up with makeup.”

The effect of sudden fame: “All of a sudden I had all of these fans, but also [just as many] critics.” Her swaggering artist persona, glam rock hair, and “Alice Cooper”–inspired makeup, all designed to celebrate personal freedom, were polarizing. The backlash came from every direction–hackers, bloggers, even a colleague–and their daggers cut deep. “Slowly but surely my self esteem [started to] deteriorate.”

Her eating disorder: “I’ve had a lot of ups and downs. It’s been quite a journey. I went to a dark place. There was a lot of not eating–and I started to think being hungry to the point of feeling almost faint was a positive thing. The worse it got, the more positive feedback I was getting. Inside I was really unhappy, but outside, people were like, ‘Wow, you look great.’”

She stays off the internet now: “Part of being healthy is being positive. I don’t pay attention to the Internet or bloggers. I surround myself with positive people. I run a few miles on the beach every day, and I got into Transcendental Meditation to try to find some peace in my crazy life. [It reminds me] to be grateful for where I am, for my body, and my face–as imperfect as any of it may be.”

Her beauty regrets: Do you mean the gold tooth I had removed? No, I look back lovingly because I was having so much fun [with hair and makeup]. There was a time I went on the red carpet with a Mohawk, but I’ll probably never do that again. And before I went on stage I used to pour beer on my body [as an adhesive] then roll in a bathtub full of glitter. I don’t do that anymore because it irritated my skin.”

[From Vogue]

I understand Kesha’s reasons for wanting to avoid the internet and blogs after what she went through. She can avoid Dr. Luke without much of a problem, other than what’s going on between their attorneys. But she’s still in a fragile state, so it makes sense that she’d want to avoid any possible body shaming from strangers (or familiars). Eating disorders can be persistent, so anything that Kesha can do to stay healthy is a plus.

Here’s a photo from last summer that shows Kesha’s gold tooth. I’m glad she removed it!

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet & WENN

Elizabeth Banks is front and center during the promotion of Pitch Perfect 2, which is an interesting choice. Obviously, Banks is a big-name celebrity on her own, but PP2 is her directorial debut and I always worry about the lady directors coming out ahead of their films. Like, I still wonder if Angelina Jolie might have done a disservice to Unbroken by appearing on so many magazine covers and making the film so much about “La Jolie.” Anyway, Banks covers the new issue of Allure, and despite my misgivings, the interview is pretty great. I’m saying that because I love and admire her.

Elizabeth’s career theme: “If I had to pick a theme of the things I do, it would be: Girls win.”

The stress of directing: “Once you get offered a studio job, as a woman, it’s really hard to say no because they don’t let women do this very often. So I knew I needed to embrace it and I couldn’t mess it up. Because if you mess it up, they don’t let you do it again, and you become representative of female directors as a whole. Like, ‘See girls can’t do it.’”

She prefers comedy to drama: “Making people laugh is a very addictive thing… [At the Friars Club], all of these people absolutely get high off of killing a room. You can get that feeling of flying in drama as well, and I’ve had it many, many times. But I find making people laugh to be a really specially ability. It’s like having a superpower.”

Being married to Max Handelman since 2003:”I didn’t meet my husband and think, I’ve met the man I’m going to marry. I was like he’s cute. I’ll f–k him, because I’m 18 and in college.”

Their marriage works though: “Really, what happened was I’ve never met anyone I liked more. In the early years did I have crushes or little interests here and there? I know my husband did, and so did I, but we stayed together. We still to this day take the long view. We have always dreamed about our life together. And we work together every day, and we have a lot of respect for each other on every level. And then there’s love. And then there’s lust. So it’s great.”

[From Allure via E! News]

It’s always sad to hear that women directors just accept the biased system they’re working in, that if they aren’t all things to all people then they’ll never get another shot at directing again. It sucks. But I love Elizabeth’s theme: GIRLS WIN. She’s so cool. And her marriage sounds so… normal. Realistic. It’s not hearts and love at first sight and forcing a fairy tale on some random dude. It’s sticking with something and “taking the long view.” I love her.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.