Entertainment

Maksim Chmerkovskiy is opening up for the first time since escaping Ukraine a week after Russia invaded the country.

The former Dancing with the Stars pro, who was born in Ukraine but immigrated to the U.S. with his family in the 90s and is now a U.S. citizen, exclusively spoke to Good Morning America‘s T.J. Holmes.

Chmerkovskiy was in Kyiv filming a dance show when Russia invaded on Feb. 24. Since then — and even after arriving safely back in the U.S. — Maks has posted on Instagram about what Ukranians are going through.

“At the time of war, I realized you do what you can, right?” Chmerkovskiy, 42, said of his social media videos documenting his experience. “This was not me trying to publicize the situation. This was me trying to cry for help. I was just screaming out like, ‘…I just want you to see it, whoever you are.'”

“It’s a bit surreal, to be honest,” he said. “This is a country, you know? And the country is on fire,” adding it’s  “very difficult to process.”

Chmerkovskiy, who’s married to DWTS dancer Peta Murgatroyd, said he knows he’s “going through something mentally” after what he experienced.

“I get into these crying moments. I can’t control it. I cried on the way from the airport,” he said. “I felt embarrassed the entire ride back because I was the only man on the train amongst all women and children.”

Chmerkovskiy recalled the moment he was arrested in Ukraine for breaking curfew, saying the authorities who stopped him recognized him from DWTS and let him go. 

“I felt like things got real.” He recalled thinking at the time, “I’m not built for this at all. I’m just realizing that I’m not at the place where I should be.”

Chmerkovskiy escaped via a train to Poland, calling the scene at the train station “horrible.”

“After we took off, I realized that all the people that didn’t get in have to now sleep right there in that train station. It’s not heated. It’s just a giant building,” he said. “I’m dying inside because this is still, you know, very emotional stuff for me. There’s kids everywhere, babies everywhere. It’s negative temperature.”

When asked by Holmes how he feels about getting out of the country, which is still under attack from Russia today, Chmerkovskiy didn’t mince words.

“I feel guilty. I feel bad,” he said. “I feel shame. I feel upset.”

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

While they may change their minds after seeing Robert Pattinson in the cape and cowl in The Batman — if strong preview numbers are any indication — moviegoers say Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton have been the best Batmen so far. 

This is according to a poll of 1,000 moviegoers in anticipation of director Matt Reeves‘ film, which debuts today. 

Affleck, who portrayed the Caped Crusader in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League, and Zack Snyder‘s re-cut of the same, edges out Keaton by a vote of 31% to 30%. 

Following close behind, however, is Kevin Conroy, who voiced the hero in the beloved Batman: The Animated Series; 28% chose him over Christian Bale (26%) and Adam West (25%). 

And while George Clooney gamely admits to nearly killing the franchise with his much-maligned Batman and Robin, 23% liked him. Twenty-one percent preferred Will Arnett‘s voice portrayal in the LEGO animated films. Oddly, Batman Forever‘s Val Kilmer didn’t rank. 

Millennials preferred Affleck’s Batman, Gen Xers were partial to Keaton’s, and Baby Boomers preferred West’s.

As for who was the best Bruce Wayne, however, Conroy topped all comers with 34% of the vote to Affleck’s and Keaton’s 33%, while West edged out Bale, 30% to 29%.

As for The Batman, 58% of respondents think Pattinson is “better-than-average,” with 25% saying he could become the best Bat.

As far as Catwoman’s portrayals to date, there’s a three-way tie at 29% between Michelle Pfeiffer from Batman Returns, Anne Hathaway from The Dark Night Rises, and Adrienne Barbeau, who voiced her for The Animated Series. Halle Berry came in fourth with 28% for 2004’s Catwoman, tied with Julie Newmar, who was replaced by Eartha Kitt in the original 1966 TV series.

Survey questions, methodology and results have not been verified or endorsed by ABC News or The Walt Disney Company.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

While his dopey Chad character was tasked with colonizing Mars on a Saturday Night Live sketch last year, it seems Pete Davidson might actually be headed into space. 

Unfortunately for Kanye West — the ex-husband of Pete’s current girlfriend Kim Kardashian — it won’t be a long-term trip. 

Instead, the New York Post reports a hang with Pete and Kim, and Jeff Bezos and his girlfriend Lauren Sanchez at the Amazon creator’s Los Angeles estate, might just have cemented Davidson’s seat on one of Bezos’ Blue Origin space flights. 

“Pete is excited,” a source tells the publication. “They haven’t signed a contract yet, but it looks like it’s going to happen.”

The source adds, “He got on really well with Jeff when they met.”

As if you need yet another example of Davidson’s mysterious charm, consider Oscar winner Marisa Tomei‘s new comments to Rolling Stone. The Spider-Man series star claims she got stiffed on her check for playing Davidson’s mom in his well-received indie film The King of Staten Island, but she’s not holding a grudge. Far from it, actually.

“He’s just so f***ing real, and he’s unfiltered, but very sensitive,” Tomei gushed. “So he’s almost an irresistible combination. And he’s good-looking, even though I played… let’s just put the mom thing aside. Let’s, like, never mention that again,” she joked.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Outlander is back for season six on Starz. The time travel romantic drama premieres its new season with a super-sized episode on Sunday.

It’s only fitting that the show — known for its strong female characters time-hopping from the 20th to the 18th century — is debuting right at the start of Women’s History Month. Sophie Skelton, who plays Brianna, the daughter of Jamie and Claire, says she finds the show’s portrayal of women empowering.

“I think having these strong women come from the future…Brianna and Claire are very much modern for the ’60s even, and then to throw them back in this time they just have this beautiful strength in them,” she tells ABC Audio. “It just shows that it’s really OK to be rooted in who you are and just stand up for what you believe in.”

Skelton adds that she loves how Outlander “turns gender stereotypes on its head” — and Richard Rankin, who plays Brianna’s husband Roger, is all for it.

“I don’t think [Roger had] ever seen a woman like that,” Rankin says of Brianna. “And I think he had a lot of admiration for that, a lot of love for that.”

In season six, the characters’ strength will be put to the test as they deal with past traumas and new threats — namely, the looming American Revolution, which threatens to upend the life Jamie and Claire have built at Fraser’s Ridge.

Outlander, starring Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe, airs at 9 p.m. ET/PT this Sunday on Starz.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

In a message shared to YouTube and their Instagram feeds, native Ukrainian Mila Kunis and her husband and former That 70s Show co-star Ashton Kutcher announced they’ve started a GoFundMe for the country in the wake of the Russian invasion. 

So far, they’ve kicked in $3 million of their own cash to the “Stand with Ukraine” effort, with a goal of $30 million.

“I was born in Chernivtsi, Ukraine, in 1983,” Kunis begins. “I came to America in 1991 and I have always considered myself an American. A proud American. I love everything that this country has done for myself and my family. But today, I have never been more proud to be a Ukrainian.”

“And I’ve never been more proud to be married to one,” Kutcher replies. 

“The events that have unfolded in Ukraine are devastating,” Mila says. “There is no place in this world for this unjust attack on humanity.”

Kutcher adds, “And while we witness the bravery of the people of the country she was born in, we are also witness to the needs of those who have chosen safety. We’re raising funds to support a relief effort that will have immediate impact and supply much needed refugee and humanitarian aid to the area.” 

Kunis implores, “The people of Ukraine are strong and brave, but being strong and brave doesn’t mean they’re not worthy of our support.” 

The GoFundMe they’ve matched their $3 million to will benefit Flexport.org and Airbnb.org, “two organizations who are actively on the ground providing immediate help to those who need it most.”

So as of 8:30 ET Friday morning, more than 8,300 donations have been added to the celebrity couple’s generous kick-start.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge has nailed down her next project, according to Deadline. Details of the new show are being kept under wraps. Amazon Prime Video has greenlit her new show, scheduled to start shooting by the end of the year. It’s the first series she’s created since inking her three-year overall deal with Amazon Studios, which she signed back in September 2019. Following the success of Fleabag, Waller-Bridge executive-produced and appeared in the HBO romantic comedy series Run, starring Merritt Wever and Domhnall Gleeson, and co-wrote Daniel Craig’s last James Bond film, No Time to Die, which grossed over $774 million worldwide. She also wrote, ran and executive-produced the first season of the award-winning series Killing Eve. She’ll next be seen in Disney/Lucasfilm’s upcoming Indiana Jones movie…

Variety reports Pitch Perfect and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist alum Skylar Astin is joining Grey’s Anatomy‘s current 18th season in a recurring role. Astin will play Todd Eames, described as “charming and handsome with a gentle soul” whose sister is a pregnant patient at the hospital. Astin’s first episode, titled “Put the Squeeze on Me,” will air March 24…

The Ryan Murphy shows American Crime Story and Pose will move to Hulu when their current deal with Netflix expires, according to The Hollywood Reporter. They’ll join American Horror Story on the Disney-run streaming service. All seasons of Pose and American Crime Story — including Impeachment, which aired on FX in the fall of 2021 and has yet to stream anywhere — will make their Hulu debuts on March 7. All future seasons of American Crime Story and American Horror Story, which has been renewed through its 13th season, will also be available on Hulu after their broadcast TV debuts on FX…

Sheryl Underwood has signed a multi-year deal to remain on the panel of CBS’ The Talk through season 15, according to Variety. The show is currently in its 12th season. Additionally, Underwood has entered into a new two-year first-look deal with CBS Studios. “The Talk will forever be my home; I have no intentions of going anywhere, but while I have this platform and while I have access to the audience, I want to be as integral in the success of the corporation of CBS as I possibly can,” Underwood tells Variety. “I want to be able to create content — not just for me to star in, but for other people to get the same opportunity and go on the same journey, especially women and stand-up comics.” Underwood joined The Talk in September 2011, ahead of its second season…

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

He’s vengeance, and he’s finally in theaters! The Batman debuts on the big screen this weekend. It’s director Matt Reeves take on the caped crusader, with Robert Pattinson in the starring role. So what makes this one different from the others?

Jeffrey Wright, who plays Lieutenant Gordon, tells ABC Audio this film goes back to its comic book roots. 

“Matt set out to go back into the comics and celebrate Batman yes as superhero, yes as dynamic crime fighter, but primarily as world’s greatest detective,” he explains. “It gives my Gordon an opportunity to be engaged in a way that maybe we previously haven’t seen.”

Another difference lies in Wright being cast as Gordon, a move he says was not just “for diversity sake” but “because it reflects the reality of who we are.”

“I know there are a lot of questions about… why I might have been cast as Gordon? Well, Gordon’s Black now, what does that mean? And if you look at the original Gotham of 1939, Bill Finger, Bob Kane fashioned it after New York City, 95 percent white at the time. You look at New York City today it’s a far cry from that,” he says.

Wright adds, “A fantasy about a major American city that’s not inclusive of people from, you know, a myriad of American backgrounds makes no reasonable sense.”

Even with the differences, as a fan of Batman since the 1960s Adam West series, Wright assures that their version should satisfy fans, while also bringing something new to the franchise.

“Yes, it’s a Batman film… it’s adrenaline filled… it’s kinetic, it’s got a velocity to it, but it’s also psychological and emotional. And at its core, it’s a murder mystery. And a bit of a love story as well,” he shares.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Disgraced former studio head Harvey Weinstein has reportedly been busted in a Los Angeles jail for being in possession of contraband. And while “prison contraband” usually conjures up images of drugs or spoon shanks, Variety reports that his forbidden items were Milk Duds.

Weinstein, who suffers from a variety of health conditions, including diabetes, is being housed at the medical unit of the Twin Towers jail in downtown Los Angeles while awaiting trial on 11 charges of rape and sexual assault.

According to the trade, the disallowed Duds were discovered there on November 10 of last year, following a visit from one of his attorneys. “The Milk Duds were confiscated, and the guards warned that they would have to search his attorneys’ legal binders and laptop bags on future visits,” Variety reports.

Although Weinstein reportedly tried to deny that he was passed the candy, his attorneys told the trade that the situation was a “misunderstanding” and his client has been a “model prisoner.”

Weinstein shared a statement with Variety apologizing for the incident that reads, “This was an innocent misunderstanding. It will not happen again. I have been a model inmate, following the rules and regulations and I am sincerely sorry.”

Last year, the Oscar-winning former producer was extradited to Los Angeles from New York, where he’d been sentenced to 23 years in prison on sex assault charges in 2020. Late last year, his attorneys argued to an appeals court that the conviction should be thrown out.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NOTE CONTENT) The entertainment community has shown its support for the people of Ukraine in the wake of Russia’s invasion of the country. Now South Park — never a show to shy away from poking fun at current events — has joined the fray. 

In Wednesday night’s episode of the Comedy Central show, “Back to the Cold War,” Stan, Cartman, and the other kids don’t mention the Ukraine invasion, but poke fun at 70-year-old Russian President Vladimir Putin, partially putting the blame on his current state of mind on, well, a sexual condition many older men face. 

In one scene, two of Putin’s generals lament in Russian that the former KGB spy seems “sadly nostalgic lately,” and open the door to his office only to find him shirtless, and suggestively dancing to 1984’s anti-nuke song “Two Tribes” from Frankie Goes To Hollywood.

The episode was also replete with Cold War-era action movie references. One segment shows school counselor Mr. Mackey hacking NORAD, a la 1984’s War Games. Meanwhile, he’s also seen preparing his school with nuclear bomb drills, and by ordering 20 VHS copies of 1984’s Red Dawn, the film about a group of high schoolers who band together to repel a Russkie invasion in the American heartland.

Now in its 25th season on Comedy Central, South Park‘s six-day turnaround time allows it to be both cutting and cutting edge when it comes to headlines. By comparison, it takes up to nine months for a Simpsons episode to go from script to screen.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Robert Pattinson appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Wednesday night, and got the thumbs-up from lifelong comics fan Kimmel. 

“You are a really good Batman,” Kimmel enthused, before adding, “If you’re a bad Batman, there’s no bigger disaster than that!”

Pattinson admitted he was “absolutely terrified” to watch the film, but he knew he was in good shape when he saw how his girlfriend Suki Waterhouse reacted to it. “…I’m pretty sure she doesn’t like superhero movies…When I could feel a little tear [on her face], I was like, ‘NO WAY!'”

And while much has been made of director Matt Reeves being inspired by Nirvana‘s Kurt Cobain for The Batman‘s take on Bruce Wayne, Pattinson admitted he initially took it too far.

“The first costume meetings, I wanted to go like really, really Kurt Cobain, I wanted to wear like a dressing gown, and fluffy Bugs Bunny slippers, really grungy, and …it didn’t work out,” he admitted with a laugh.

Kimmel also pointed out that Americans “may have a problem,” seeing as to how Batman is now played by a Brit, the same as Superman’s Henry Cavill and Spider-Man’s Tom Holland, both of whom are also British.

Pattinson says he knew Holland was destined to play Spidey, before Holland was cast as the hero, after working with him in 2016’s The Lost City of Z. 

“He really manifested that part,” Pattinson said. “I swear to God, we were in Colombia, and he was wearing …a proper Spider-Man costume. No one witnessed this but me.”

The Batman officially opens Friday.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.