Spider-Man 3 (version 2) is due in theaters in December of this year, for whatever “theaters”, “December”, and “this year” means anymore. This week, the main cast of Tom Holland, Jacob Batalon, and Zendaya have been teasing the title reveal on their Instas, each proffering a supposed title for the f…

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Andra Day has been one of my favorite breakout stars since her debut album, Cheers to the Fall , in 2015. I am a huge Jazz fan and that album was the balm I needed at the time. I thought Andra went dark after that, but she released a Christmas album in 2016 that I didn’t know existed. You know I will have it on rotation when Christmas comes around again. Andra also did an inspirational Rise Up video for her song of the same name.

Andra will be singing and playing my birthday twin Billie Holiday in her upcoming film, The United States vs Billie Holiday, out tomorrow on Hulu. USvBH is a little known story about how the FBI came after Billie Holiday for her activism, namely her controversial song, Strange Fruit, which was about lynching. Andra is profiled in W Magazine where she discussed the dramatic changes she went through to embody the legend Billie Holiday. Andra said she began swearing, smoking and drinking heavily, and she also dropped 40 pounds. Andra also mentioned that Lee Daniels took a chance on her carrying this film, which terrified her. She had to overcome imposter syndrome in order to do Billie Holiday justice. Below are a few excerpts from W Magazine:

When you got the role, did you have a moment of celebration or were you a nervous wreck?
I was horrified. You can ask Lee. The first thing I told him was, “Did you look at everybody? Are you sure you checked around and made sure…” I was still so hesitant, and he was like, “Yo, just show up to set.” But I did have one moment of celebration with one of my staff and with my mother; she was with me at the time. And everybody was like, “Whoa.” But then the fear settled in immediately, and I was like, “What the fuck are you doing? Get out of here. This is a terrible idea.” But Lee believed in me enough to take a chance that even he was terrified about. And so was I. But here we are…

Lee told me you did some pretty radical things, like you taught yourself to smoke?
Yeah, not something I would like. This is my first movie, so I don’t know that I could speak to young actors, but I don’t want to suggest that to them. There was also the drastic weight loss—I was originally 163 pounds when I started, and I got down to 124. At first, I started by just shrinking my caloric intake, of course, and then exercising as well. But honestly, I did kind of starve myself a bit when I was on set. I don’t necessarily recommend it, but for my character, I didn’t want my body to look like a gym body of 2020. It had to look like loose skin and parts. That, for me, was important: having a body true to that period. The other thing is, it made me very weak on set and slowed me down in a way that really helped with the scenes with heroin. Then I started smoking cigarettes, which I don’t do. I don’t smoke anything because, first of all, I have no frame of reference for myself smoking. So it makes me feel like her; it slows me down. I’m very fast, and she’s like molasses. And when I had to do scenes where I was high on heroin, it really helped my physical body to nod in a way where I could focus on the emotion, and my body was reacting the way I wanted it to. It helped to slow me down, and it helped, when I did have to be high, to drop me into those places. I needed to feel it in my body to believe it, I guess.

And also, you don’t swear.
I don’t—it’s something I’m still trying to let go of. So cussing is another thing I picked up. And I don’t drink alcohol, but I did drink a lot of gin and bourbon and all of that stuff, even though you’re really not supposed to do that. But look, I was desperate. I didn’t want to be terrible, so I was like, “Whatever we have to do in this moment, for this role. Cut off all my hair.”

[From W Magazine]

I cannot wait for this film to drop. I just hope that Lee Daniels did our girl Billie justice because I am so tired of the movies that only depict Billie as a tragic drug-addicted figure, like the film Lady Sings the Blues with Billy Dee Williams. Billie was so much more than her drug addiction, she was a supernova in talent and passion. Billie stood up against an entire oppressive system and the government that upheld it. With the rise of Black women-centered historical films, USVBH came at a perfect time. Andra has already been nominated for a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Billie Holiday.

One of the things I loved about this interview was Andra’s honesty about the fear she had to overcome to take on this role. Most artists don’t talk about their fears or experiencing imposter syndrome. I am glad Lee Daniels took her on because I honestly can’t see anyone being able to embody Billie’s physicality AND vocal range. I can’t believe that Andra lost so much weight to physically transform into Billie. I didn’t realize how tiny Billie was because in all of her pictures she looked a bit more fuller figured. Hopefully Andra was able to shed those bad habits, namely drinking and smoking, after she stopped playing the character. If the trailers are an accurate depiction of Andra’s transformation and performance, I think we will come away from USVBH with an added respect for not only Billie but Andra.

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Earlier this month, Oya talked about how a Frasier reboot could be happening. For the youths, Frasier was an excellent show on NBC throughout the 1990s and early ‘00s. For many years, NBC’s Thursday night lineup was Friends followed by Frasier, and both shows were huge hits and huge syndicated money-makers for NBC. Frasier usually won more awards for Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde Pierce. I’ll admit, I was a fan. I knew Kelsey was a mess in his personal life (we all knew that), but he was beloved as Frasier Crane, and there was so much magic in that ensemble, with Pierce as Niles Crane, John Mahoney as Martin Crane, Jane Leeves as Daphne and Peri Gilpin as Roz. They all had so much chemistry together. And now… the reboot/revival is confirmed:

Dr. Frasier Crane is listening — again. A revival of classic sitcom Frasier starring Kelsey Grammer is officially a go at ViacomCBS’ streaming service Paramount+. The news was announced Wednesday during the company’s unveiling of Paramount+.

“Having spent over 20 years of my creative life on the Paramount lot, both producing shows and performing in several, I’d like to congratulate Paramount+ on its entry into the streaming world,” said Grammer. “I gleefully anticipate sharing the next chapter in the continuing journey of Dr. Frasier Crane.”

CBS Studios and Grammer’s Grammnet Productions are producing the revival, which Grammer has been working to make happen for several years. News of a possible revival first surfaced in the summer of 2018, when Grammer had early talks with CBS Studios about the show. Paramount+ entered the picture earlier this month as talks progressed.

Chris Harris (How I Met Your Mother) and Joe Cristalli (Life in Pieces) — who for several years has run a Twitter account, @FrasierContempo, with lines and script pages featuring possible Frasier scenarios — will write the new show. They executive produce with Grammer and Grammnet’s Tom Russo and Jordan McMahon.

“Frasier is one of the most acclaimed comedies in modern television history and truly defines premium storytelling,” said CBS Studios president David Stapf. “There has long been a call from fans for its return, and that call is now answered thanks to the amazing Kelsey Grammer reprising his iconic role of Dr. Frasier Crane and a brilliant creative plan from Joe, Chris and Kelsey. We can’t wait to reveal its next chapter on Paramount+.”

[From THR]

As of yet, no other cast members have been confirmed, although there was talk (three weeks ago) of David Hyde Pierce joining up. The reason I brought up the chemistry of the ensemble was because… that’s why I watched. If the show was just about Frasier, it would have been BAD. The ensemble made it work. David Hyde Pierce was the best actor on the show, and the late, great John Mahoney centered the stories, as did Jane Leeves’ Daphne. Frasier without the ensemble… well, I don’t know her. Also, what is the 2021 update for Frasier Crane? Is he still doing talk radio? Did he go from radio therapy/advice to QAnon conspiracies? Has he moved over to SiriusXM or is he a Spotify podcaster? Hmmm.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

I have been in a funk lately (EVERYBODY: Who hasn’t?!), which has meant that other than for work, I have not been able to process new content. I often eat dinner with my kids while we re-watch (and re-re-watch) Bob’s Burgers episodes, and my bedtime routine currently includes at least one episode of…

Since Gwyneth Paltrow generally believes that she alone discovered-and-invented everything Asian, it’s little surprise that Gwyneth has recently revealed that she also invented mask-wearing AND Covid-19. She was catching Covid before everyone else, and she caught the virus even though she invented mask-wearing in February 2020. Gwyneth recently described her long-running symptoms from Covid, and she said that even a year later, she still has “fatigue” and “brain fog,” which she’s curing with a strict Keto diet mixed with fasting and infrared saunas, of course. Her comments got so much play that now an NHS chief has publicly taken Gwyneth to task for her near-constant promotion of pseudoscience.

Gwyneth Paltrow has been urged to stop spreading misinformation by the medical director of NHS England after she suggested long Covid could be treated with “intuitive fasting”, herbal cocktails and regular visits to an “infrared sauna”. The Hollywood star, who markets unproven new age potions on her Goop website, wrote on her latest blogpost that she caught Covid-19 early and had since suffered “long-tail fatigue and brain fog”.

Paltrow said that after turning to the advice of a “functional medicine practitioner”, she was told “this was a case where the road to healing was going to be longer than usual”. She then embarked on a “keto and plant-based” diet, involving fasting until 11am every day, “lots of coconut aminos” and sugar-free kombucha and kimchi. Paltrow went on to recommend her brand’s Madame Ovary supplement and Seedlip, “the incredible herbal nonalcoholic cocktails”. She added: “I’m doing an infrared sauna as often as I can, all in service of healing.”

Paltrow also suggested there was evidence for the efficacy of such a diet. “I’ve been doing major research and finding some great stuff to support what I’m doing,” she wrote.

However, her unproven advice prompted a stern rebuke from Prof Stephen Powis, national medical director for NHS England, who urged influencers such as Paltrow against spreading misinformation. He said: “In the last few days I see Gwyneth Paltrow is unfortunately suffering from the effects of Covid. We wish her well, but some of the solutions she’s recommending are really not the solutions we’d recommend in the NHS.”

Powis added: “We need to take long Covid seriously and apply serious science. All influencers who use social media have a duty of responsibility and a duty of care around that. Like the virus, misinformation carries across borders and it mutates and it evolves. So I think YouTube and other social media platforms have a real responsibility and opportunity here.”

[From The Guardian]

I mean… at this point can we just talk about Gwyneth as a complete loser? Yes, she’s rich, and yes, she peddling really dangerous pseudoscience, but mostly I just think we need to reimagine how we speak and write about Gwyneth. She sucks and she’s a loser. She’s stuck up her own ass, she has a dangerous ideology (based on an insane Diet Culture) and she says and does “outrageous” sh-t to get attention. She’s really not all that different from some lower-tier Real Housewife. Anyway, yes, when I covered Gwyneth’s original comments, I noted how Gwyneth’s answer to every medical issue is “go on a diet.” It makes perfect sense that her answer to inventing Covid is some kind of pseudoscientific argument for starving yourself.

Photos courtesy of Instagram, WENN, Backgrid and Avalon Red.

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Kate Winslet’s period drama, Ammonite, is opening in the UK in April so she’s doing a fresh round of promotion for it. It opened here last November, probably to be considered for awards, but that didn’t work out so well for them. Kate had a big interview in the Guardian. She was in her “Little Barn,” which is apparently her garage, that holds all the props that Kate has taken from her movie sets. But she took really cool stuff like the sink from Mildred Pierce and the curtains from The Holiday that her kids are cannibalizing to zhuzh up their jeans. And the best part is she has the table from All the King’s Men on which she got busy with Jude Law. She should give tours of the Little Barn! But not all of Kate’s memories from her early career are good ones. She’s recently been reminded of just how horrible people were to her about her weight when she started out. It got so bad at home in England, she was afraid to come to Hollywood where she knew it would only get worse.

Reading back over Winslet’s many years of press today, in these perfect and enlightened times, it was a shock to see how often her body was part of the story – Joan Rivers once said of her appearance in Titanic: “If she just lost 5lb, Leo would’ve been able to fit on the raft.” “Yes. In my 20s, people would talk about my weight a lot. And I would be called to comment on my physical self. Well, then I got this label of being ballsy and outspoken. No, I was just defending myself.”

Recently she returned to some newspaper articles written about her in the late 1990s, from when she was 19. “And it was almost laughable how shocking, how critical, how straight-up cruel tabloid journalists were to me. I was still figuring out who the hell I bloody well was! They would comment on my size, they’d estimate what I weighed, they’d print the supposed diet I was on. It was critical and horrible and so upsetting to read. But…” But? “But it also made me feel so… so moved. By how different it is now.”

How did that physical commentary impact the teenage Winslet? “It damaged my confidence. I didn’t want to go to Hollywood because I remember thinking, ‘God, if this is what they’re saying to me in England, then what will happen when I get there?’ Also, it tampers with your evolving impression of what’s beautiful, you know? I did feel very on my own. For the simple reason that nothing can really prepare you for… that. But then of course, I had Mia when I was 25. And so all that shit just kind of…” a storm of small breezes waves from her hand, “evaporated.”

[From The Guardian]

I’m happy to call Kate an a**hole when she’s being one. There were even a few times in this interview I rolled my eyes, but I remember how often her weight was discussed when Titanic came out. I’m disgusted to read that they were speculating about her weight and proposing diets for her in the press. It was cruel and so unnecessary. But, like Kate, I am also looking back at those comments with a different perspective. My kneejerk reaction was to defend Joan Rivers because that was her schtick – she made fun of everyone’s weight. But then I thought, what the hell am I doing? She could be cruel, schtick or not. I was just so used to it being okay to make comments about weight, but thankfully it’s unacceptable now. I’m surprised that Kate was able to let it roll off her back after she had Mia, now 20. Having a baby at that stage of her career might have put more pressure on her. But good for her. Mia, apparently, has begun her own acting career. I wonder if Kate is staring down the press with a glare that says, “just think about bringing up her weight.”

I also appreciated Kate’s comments about being labelled as “ballsy” when she merely tried to defend herself. I mean, this was only 25 years ago and yet women truly were expected to be seen and not heard. No wonder we are so exhausted, we have to fight these archaic battles all the time.

Photo credit: Instagram, Avalon and YouTube

Dear Gossips, Has Emma Watson retired from acting? She’s trending on my timeline this morning because of a vague-ish report in the Daily Mail from a few days ago that seems to be just picking up now. The Mail quotes her agent who says that her career is “dormant” and then later quotes her publicist …

Remember how one of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s first charitable partnerships was with the World Central Kitchen? Well, WCK has completed construction on one of their first centers in partnership with Archewell Foundation. The kitchen has been constructed in Dominica… a Commonwealth nation. LMAO!! Petty Betty thought she would take away their Commonwealth positions and they were like “hahaha, we’re still doing more to support the Commonwealth, you hateful old woman.”

WCK’s Felix on the ground in the Caribbean island nation of Dominica, where we’ve installed our first Community Relief Center with the Archewell Foundation. The kitchen equipment includes refrigerators & freezers that can work entirely off the electrical grid using solar power! pic.twitter.com/5aKZMEdqaM

— World Central Kitchen (@WCKitchen) February 24, 2021

It’s worth noting that Archewell seems to be completely up and running, and Harry and Meghan must have already put some of their own money – likely a percentage of their Netflix and Spotify deals – into Archewell. I would also assume that they are taking donations, or perhaps grants from well-meaning rich people who want to give away a million dollars and think that Harry & Meghan will know how to spend it properly. Speaking of the money the Sussexes are making, did you guys see that an MP was trying to make some kind of dumbf–k “point” during a hearing with a Spotify executive? This is insane.

Spotify has been criticised over its reported £30million podcast deal with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex by an MP who said it ‘sticks in the craw’ of struggling artists. Winchester MP and former junior health minister Steve Brine made the claim as a senior executive from the audio streaming service faced MPs last night and defended the agreement with the royal couple that was announced in December.

Horacio Gutierrez, the platform’s head of global affairs, told the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee that ‘there is a market for certain talent because they command a certain amount of consumption’. He said that podcasts and music streaming have a ‘completely different set of economics’ but said that investing in podcasts like that of Harry and Meghan helped the musical side of the business.

Spotify has been criticised by some well-known musicians including Taylor Swift over the amount it pays musical artists for every stream of a song on the platform. Mr Brine told Mr Gutierrez their pay deal ‘sticks in the craw of some of the artists who are driving Uber cars right now to pay the rent’.

Mr Gutierrez said: ‘Like a lot of our services, there is a market for certain talent because they command a certain amount of consumption. We don’t get to negotiate directly with artists the way we negotiate with podcasters or people who create podcasts so the structure of that market is very different. The product is valued based on how many users it can attract, how many streams it will attract, which in turn determines how many advertisers are willing to advertise on the podcast which determines the economic opportunity, there’s a market that’s emerging for talent in that regard.’

When asked by Mr Brine whether Harry and Meghan have saved the music industry, Mr Gutierrez responded: ‘That seems a bit premature. They’re not the only act that we’ve signed, we’ve signed dozens of those and we’ll continue to do that.’

[From The Daily Mail]

This line of questioning is not only mindnumbingly stupid, it just shows that this MP doesn’t have the faintest idea about the industry he’s supposedly regulating? Is it really that difficult to understand the subscription-based business model? Is it that difficult to understand that Harry and Meghan are not solely responsible for Spotify’s content, and that Spotify does not exist as an exercise in zero sum gain? I.E., just because Harry and Meghan are getting paid, that does not mean there’s less money to pay musical artists or they’re taking money away from musicians. Harry and Meghan’s deal drives subscriptions, which means more money for everybody.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, WENN and Avalon Red.

Have you noticed how little we’ve seen of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in the past two or three weeks? They were so happy just doing one or two Zoom calls a week and excitedly announcing their secret plans to be keen at a future date. Then all of the Sussex news came out and suddenly William and Kate aren’t Zooming themselves to the bone. The last time we saw Kate was on February 12, in a Zoom call to Little Village baby bank. I saw one royal reporter note that the Zoom actually happened like a week beforehand and they only released it that week to make Kate seem busy. In reality, she hasn’t done a damn thing in two weeks. But remember, Top CEO! She’s exhausted from working so much! William, on the other hand, did an in-person vaccination event on Monday. He only spoke about his grandfather, not his brother, not his sister-in-law, not his nephew. William and Kate seem to think they can just make do with releasing information about how one of them is incandescent with rage. Here’s a new one: Will and Kate are “utterly aghast.”

Royally offended. Prince William and Duchess Kate are “appalled” by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s decision to air their grievances in a televised interview, a source exclusively reveals in the new issue of Us Weekly.

“It’s just beyond the pale for William and Kate, especially in light of the dreadful timing with [Prince] Philip in the hospital,” the insider adds. “They are utterly aghast.”

The upcoming tell-all is set to air on Sunday, March 7, and will mark the first time Harry, 36, and the Suits alum, 39, will give a major interview since stepping back from their senior royal roles last year. During the “no-holds-barred” conversation, the couple will discuss the reason behind their royal exit, their future projects and Meghan’s pregnancy, which was announced earlier this month.

“They won’t talk negatively about Prince William and Duchess Kate,” a separate source says. “They don’t want to put any more fuel on that fire.”

[From Us Weekly]

“Beyond the pale” is such an interesting idiom to use here. And again with the “but Prince Philip” argument. If Will and Kate cared so much about Philip’s hospitalization, surely they would visit him? Or maybe withdraw themselves from the televised pre-Commonwealth Day BBC spectacular, out of respect for Philip’s condition? No? Oh, okay. Yes, they’re “utterly aghast” that they bullied and abused the Sussexes and now they can’t control the Sussexes. I hope Meghan does say some sh-t. I know she’s too classy to pull out all of her receipts, but God, I would love it.

Photos courtesy of WENN, Avalon Red and Backgrid.

In early January, the NY Post ran a cover story about how Kim Kardashian and Kanye West were getting a divorce (although no one had filed at the time). Days later, the January 6th insurrection happened and there was a viral tweet making a joke about how Kris Jenner had organized the insurrection to change the subject from Kim’s third divorce. It was a funny joke, but the truth of the matter is that Kim is actually desperate for us to pay attention to the sh-tty state of her marriage. She’s been using People Magazine as her diary and therapist for the past year, telling them all about what’s going on with Kanye and what she’s thinking about their separation and divorce. Now that Kim has finally filed for divorce – the news dropped last Friday – she’s once again running to People to beg gossips to pay attention to her drama. Some highlights from like three separate People exclusives:

Kim is spending time with family during this difficult time: “Although Kim and Kanye have been separated for months, it was still emotional for Kim to actually file for divorce,” the source says. “She spent the weekend taking care of herself and her kids. She is spending time with her mom, sisters and hasn’t been working. Everyone is supportive. Kim feels very lucky to be surrounded by her big family.”

Kim is disappointed: “There is no drama between Kim and Kanye. Kim is mostly just disappointed that they couldn’t figure out how to stay married. But it takes two people to create a happy marriage,” the source says. “Kim has felt Kanye is not willing to do the hard work and compromise.”

They’re in agreement about the divorce terms: According to a source, the stars are in agreement over joint legal and physical custody, neither is contesting the prenup in place, negotiations have progressed and they are nearing a settlement. A separate source tells PEOPLE that the divorce proceedings, including their co-parenting plan, unfolded swiftly. “The parenting plan and split of assets came together quickly, in the past few days,” the source says. “Kim and Kanye basically wanted the same thing.”

Sources confirm that Kim is super-amazing: According to the source, Kardashian has been “fair and generous” as well as “thoughtful” and “caring” amid her split from West, who has bipolar disorder. “She’s worried about sending him into another tailspin, because that’s not good for anyone, especially the kids,” the source says. “So she’s being as gentle and kind as she can be, while still standing up for what she feels she needs to stand up for.” A second source says that the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star and the rapper are on the same page when it comes to their children. “Both of them want nothing but the best for the kids,” the source says. “They want the kids to be happy. The kids will stay with Kim, but Kanye will be able to see them whenever he wants to. They will work out a schedule that is good for everyone.”

[From People Magazine]

“Kardashian has been ‘fair and generous’ as well as ‘thoughtful’ and ‘caring’…” Jeez, Kim, you don’t have to lay it on that thick. It’s crazy because I’m actually on her damn side in this divorce and I believe that she has been very careful to do everything gently. But baby girl really needs to stop telling People Magazine that she’s the most thoughtful, generous, lovely, amazing woman ever. I mean, I know well enough that no one ever wants to give Kim credit for anything positive, so these People leaks are just her way of preemptively defending herself. But YIKES!

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.