Entertainment

Dr. Peter Grossman, of Los Angeles’ Grossman Burn Center, gave the media an update Wednesday on Jay Leno‘s condition, after he was seriously burned in a garage fire last week. 

Grossman explained that although Leno’s burns to his face, hand and chest were serious, the comedian and former Tonight Show host was in good spirits Wednesday. He has been up and walking around the hospital, even handing out cookies to children in the burn unit.  

Grossman clarified that Leno suffered “significant, deep second-degree” burns and “possibly” some third-degree burns in the incident, during which the avid car collector and gearhead was sprayed with gasoline from an antique car and set ablaze by a stray spark in his Burbank garage.

Leno has also been receiving hyperbaric therapy to minimize the damage and stimulate healing. Grossman said Leno underwent a skin graft procedure, noting it’s “too early to tell” if more will be needed.

The 72-year-old was listed in good condition despite his injuries, with a full recovery expected. Grossman, who is also a plastic surgeon, remarked it “is still way too early to tell” if there will be permanent scarring from the burns. 

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While Brendan Fraser continues on the awards track for his performance in The Whale, you won’t see him at the upcoming Golden Globe Awards.

While the controversial Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the organization that runs the event, has vowed to clean up its image, the actor is standing fast.

As reported, Fraser claimed to GQ in 2018 that he was sexually groped in 2003 by Hollywood Foreign Press Association President Philip Berk, an event that contributed to a depressive spiral for the one-time box office champ. Berk, who was fired years later for making racial insensitive remarks, denied the accusations.

In 2021, the HPFA itself was targeted by a Los Angeles Times exposé that revealed the group didn’t have a single journalist of color in its ranks; that same year, Berk was fired for his emailed comments, not the Fraser accusations. The organization saw its partner NBC walk away, and held a non-broadcast, celebrity-free event in 2021.

To GQ‘s November issue, Fraser says he received a “non-apology” from the group after his accusations went viral and triggered an internal investigation into Berk’s behavior.

Now, even if he’s nominated for the January 2023 event — which seems likely — Fraser vows he “will not participate,” regardless of the fact Berk is no longer with the HFPA. “I have more history with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association than I have respect for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association,” Fraser said, adding, “…my mother didn’t raise a hypocrite. You can call me a lot of things, but not that.”

The Doom Patrol star also relayed that while sharing his story was difficult, he is grateful it resonated with some fans he meets, who share that his story helped them deal with their own trauma.

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Jane Seymour spoofed her own charity jewelry line called The Open Heart Collection in a new collab with Aviation American Gin, Ryan Reynolds‘ signature spirit brand.

In the sumptuous shot spot complete with gentle piano music, Seymour says, “The holidays are a time for family. Which is also why the holidays are a time for gin.”

She explains, straight-faced, that this “inspired” her “Open Bottle Collection,” which are basically necklaces for gin bottles. 

“Each piece is designed to elegantly fit around the neck of a bottle of Aviation,” the actress says. “It’s inspired by the bottle of gin I keep in my purse throughout the holiday season,” showing how she’s stashed a full-sized bottle. 

“So if you want to keep your family happy this holiday season, bring them something special from my Open Bottle collection,” Seymour says, before adding, “But also bring the gin. I can’t stress that part enough.”

Reynolds doesn’t appear in the ad, but he posted it to his Instagram, adding, “Dr. Gin, Medicine Woman.” 

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On Wednesday, Apple TV+ released the full trailer to Emancipation, the Antoine Fuqua-directed slave drama starring Will Smith.

The Oscar-winning King Richard actor plays Peter, an enslaved man who learns Lincoln has freed them, only to remain in chains in the Deep South. Ben Foster‘s slaver Fassel tells his captives, “You walk the earth because I let you. I’m your god now.”

Peter launches a plan to escape and undertakes a perilous journey through the deadly swamps, bound for Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and the Union Army’s front lines — with his captors on his heels.

Eventually, he takes up arms and returns to rescue the family he left behind.

Peter’s story was inspired by the 1863 photos of “Whipped Peter,” which first appeared in Harper’s Weekly after being taken during a Union Army medical examination. The graphic image of the man’s heavily scarred back contributed to the growing public opposition to slavery. The historic moment when the photo was snapped is recreated in the film and shown in the trailer.

Smith’s character says, “They whip me. They break the bones in my body more times than I can count,” before adding defiantly, “But they never, never break me.”

Emancipation debuts in U.S. theaters on Dec. 2 and hits Apple TV+ a week later on Dec. 9.

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Kevin Spacey is facing an additional seven charges in the U.K.

According to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the charges stem from sexual offenses against one man between 2001 and 2004. They include three counts of indecent assault, three counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.

Spacey, 63, previously pleaded not guilty to five other charges of sexual assault in a London court back in July. The charges stem from claims by three men that Spacey had sexually assaulted them in England almost 20 years ago.

Last month, Spacey was found not liable in a civil sexual abuse trial brought by actor Anthony Rapp. Rapp had accused the actor of climbing on top of him at a party when he was 14 and Spacey was 26.

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Bachelorette star Erich Schwer is addressing his recent split from Gabby Windey.

Taking to Instagram Stories Tuesday, the reality star, 29, wrote, “A lot of you are reaching out with questions about me and Gabby. The reality is that we ultimately were not each other’s people.”

“It’s hard when there isn’t one thing to put your finger on,” Erich continued. “We met in a very unique situation and in a very unique way and I’m grateful we did. I would never take it back.”

Erich added that he thinks Windey is “an amazing person” and he will “always root for her,” before sharing that he plans to focus on himself and spend time with family and loved ones.

“I have learned and grown so much this year from experiences and mistakes and I continue to better myself every day,” he wrote. “I have been working hard these past few months and I’m excited to share with y’all eventually.”

The statement comes just one day after Gabby, 31, spoke about their split on Dancing with the Stars.

“The end of our relationship happened because we weren’t completely in step and in sync with each other on our common goals or just the way we approach life,” she said then. “We weren’t each other’s best match.”

Gabby and Erich called it quits earlier this month, just two months after getting engaged on season 19 of The Bachelorette.

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No, a Freaky Friday sequel isn’t currently in the works, but it appears to be a step closer.

“There is no scheduled date, but we’re talking,” Jamie Lee Curtis, who starred alongside Lindsay Lohan in the 2003 comedy film, told Variety at Monday’s Los Angeles premiere of Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.

“I’m 64 in a week and Lindsay is 36…[A sequel] lends itself so beautifully,” Curtis said. “We’re both committed to it, and it’s not ours to make. It’s Disney’s to make and I think they’re interested and we’re talking.”

“Let’s just try to get another one made,” Curtis said. “We’re a ways away.”

Freaky Friday features Curtis and Lohan as a mother-daughter duo whose bodies are switched thanks to a magical fortune cookie.

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Following Elon Musk‘s reported $44 billion purchase of Twitter, some users of the social media platform have rebelled, deleting the app in protest, including prolific TV producer Shonda Rimes and Whoopi Goldberg.

For his part, Jimmy Fallon remained on Twitter. However, some prankster has deleted him in another way, by starting the viral hashtag #RIPJimmyFallon.

The initial post, which cheekily used a photo of James Corden in place of the Tonight Show host, was retweeted thousands of times and started trending, with other users jumping on and sarcastically adding photos of other comedians who also weren’t Jimmy.

The gag was apparently poking fun at Musk’s firing a number of employees who were involved in moderating speech on the platform, but now Fallon himself has stepped in.

“Elon, can you fix this? #RIPJimmyFallon,” the former SNL star personally tweeted Tuesday evening.

Musk, who has personally answered many users’ requests for fixes since taking over operational control of Twitter, had yet to reply as of Wednesday morning — but as some noticed, Fallon forgot to “@” the billionaire, meaning the message wouldn’t appear in Musk’s notifications, so it will be easy to miss.

Musk also has been quick to delete users who have stepped over the line in his eyes, including a number of people who thought it funny to purchase $8 “verified” blue check marks and then changed their handles to “Elon Musk.”

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The official trailer for Peacock’s limited series Casey Anthony: Where the Truth Lies dropped on Tuesday. The three-part docuseries marks the first on-camera interview with Casey Anthony, who was acquitted in the murder trial of her toddler daughter 13 years ago in a case that made global headlines. Casey Anthony: Where the Truth Lies, premiering November 29, is “Casey’s account of the infamous investigation, trial and aftermath, speaking to the speculation surrounding her actions at the time, her demeanor in the courtroom and her time spent in prison,” per the streamer…

A third installment of The Princess Diaries is in development at Disney, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter. The new installment, being penned by Reacher and Supergirl writer Aadrita Mukerji, will be a continuation of the Anne Hathaway-led films as opposed to a reboot, say the insiders. Hathaway does not have a deal to return, according to the sources, though she has previously expressed support for a third installment. The Princess Diaries was released in 2001 with Hathaway starring as Mia Thermopolis, an awkward teenager in San Francisco who is surprised by news that she’s the heir to the Genovian throne after her father dies. Its sequel, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, followed in 2004. Disney is the parent company of ABC News…

Variety reports The Crown season 5 is king on Netflix’s top 10 English TV chart, taking the top spot for the week of November 7-13. The show’s fifth season was viewed for nearly 107.4 million hours following its premiere on November 9, and is in the top 10 in 88 countries, according to the streamers figures. The show also reached #1 in 37 countries including the U.K., U.S., Canada, Australia, Germany, Italy and France. It should be noted, however, that Netflix has a unique method for determining its viewing audience, determined by analyzing the number of subscribers who have watched at least two minutes of a given show…

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The Santa Clauses arrives today on Disney+ and Tim Allen promises it answers questions that arose after the first movie hit theaters in 1994.

The six-part mini series picks up 16 years after The Santa Clause 3 and Allen, who returns as Scott Calvin, maintained this installment isn’t a comeback or a send off.

“It’s neither,” he told ABC Audio. “We get to answer questions that have never been answered before. That’s one of the primary reasons why I did it.”

The actor listed some questions that plagued fans for decades: “Why did Santa slide off the roof to begin with? And how did Scott Calvin become Santa?… Why did the elves not seem to care what happened to the other Santa?”

The unanswered questions kept coming. “Where did Santa come from?” he continued. “Is it unusual to have children at the North Pole? What’s Mrs. Claus’ first name? What’s the history of Santa Claus?”

“All of that [gets answered,]” Allen shared. “This is a six-hour movie. I call it chapters of a book [and] it gets really fun.”

Newcomer Kal Penn, who plays potential Santa replacement Simon Choksi, said Allen ensured The Santa Clauses rose to meet fans’ expectations. “He’s not just looking out for whether his lines make sense. He’s making sure that all of the arcs in the script fit well together,” he explained.

Penn added Allen had conversations to ensure the plot and all the characters “made sense based on the previous films” while enshrining “what Christmas is.” 

Penn adds he hopes The Santa Clauses series “resonates with every cynic” and reminds them “you’re not dead inside” because the magic of Christmas is “still there.”  

The first two episodes of The Santa Clauses are streaming now on Disney+.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News. 

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