Entertainment

Following the ouster of former host and executive producer Mike Richards from Jeopardy! after controversial comments he made on a podcast resurfaced, it was announced Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings would complete this season’s shows while the search for a permanent replacement for the late Alex Trebek continues.

In a Newsweek essay, Bialik shed some light on how she got the “dreamy” job, recalling it was her 15-year-old son who first told her the Internet was buzzing that she should guest-host the show. 

“I had to learn all the rules and the language of the show,” Bialik recalled. “I was terrified,” but adds, “I had a spooky — but positive — feeling…’I don’t want to leave.'”

“I was also sure that someone newsy, like Savannah Guthrie, was going to be made the permanent host, so a lot of the buzz about me…went in one ear and out the other,” said Bialik.

Eventually, Richards was named the new host and Bialik was tapped to host special episodes of the game show. But everything changed when Richards stepped down.

“Of course I was in touch with Mike as he was my boss at that time, and I don’t wish ill on him, or anyone,” said Bialik. “My first response…was to say… ‘How can I help?'”

Bialik says she feels “very honored” by the opportunity, noting, “It’s been as dreamy as it was for the two days that I guest hosted.”

The Big Bang Theory vet explained, “There will never be another Alex…It’s important not to try and be him, because you can’t…”

That said, Bialik admits, “I joke that I would give up my first child to host permanently! I think my son and I have a close enough bond that he will come back to me!”

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer‘s admissions during the Friends reunion back in April that they were crushing on each other while filming the sitcom led to a flood of rumors that they were dating in real life, something Aniston only realized after friends started texting her about the supposed relationship.

“That’s really funny,” Aniston, 52, tells Marie Claire Australia about the dating rumors.  “I was just saying, ‘I hadn’t heard a word of this.’  Honestly.  I was getting a couple of texts from people saying, ‘I thought you were on a break, LOL.’  And I kept saying, ‘What are you talking about?’  And then I went online to see what was happening, and I was like, ‘That is the funniest rumor that I never heard that got shot down in the quickest amount of time.’”

During the HBO Max reunion, Schwimmer, 54, admitted, “The first season…I had a major crush on Jen.”

Jennifer turned heads when she replied, “It was reciprocated.”

“At some point, we were both crushing hard on each other,” David continued, insisting, they “never crossed that boundary.  We respected that.”

Jennifer had a slightly different take, admitting the two would, “spoon and fall asleep on the couch.”

Following the revelation, fans were hoping for a real-life 2021 romance between Schwimmer and Aniston, who respectively played Ross Gellar and Rachel Green on the series, which ran from 1994-2004.

“That was bizarre. I could not believe that, actually.  Like, really?  That’s my brother,” Jennifer told Entertainment Tonight in a recent interview.  “But I understand it, though.  It just shows you how hopeful people are for fantasies, for dreams to come true.”

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The Connors kicked off its fourth season with a live episode that took every opportunity to take advantage of the situation.  The show capped off with a touching tribute to comedian Norm MacDonald, who died last week at the age of 61 after a long, private battle with cancer.

The episode, titled “Trucking Live in Front of a Fully Vaccinated Studio Audience,” began with star and executive producer Sara Gilbert announcing, “Oh, The Connors is live in front of a studio vaccinated audience.”

“Wait, what?” co-star Laurie Metcalf, appearing shocked, added, before the two of them joined the opening scene, already in progress.

One storyline featured Mark — the youngest son of Gilbert’s Darleen, played by Ames McNamara — working on a school project in which he made video calls to distant relatives to collect information to determine how much of a role genetics play in a person’s decision-making.

Those relatives were winners of a sweepstakes to appear on the show and only found out they won when their phones rang, live on the air.  

The premiere also continued one of last season’s storylines, in which Darlene tries to navigate hurdles in her relationship with Ben, played by Jay R. Ferguson.

Darlene, trying to salvage their relationship, proved her commitment to him by putting a deposit down on an apartment, which provided another opportunity to break the fourth wall, when the camera followed Gilbert as she ran from one set to the other to find him.

“Better run, it’s a lot further than you think,” warned Metcalf. “It’s the set opposite Wellman’s Plastics.”

“Look at her go,” co-star John Goodman added.

The episode ended with the cast, seated on the show’s iconic sofa, holding up a sign that read, “Dedicated to the memory of our friend and colleague, Norm MacDonald.”

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The Conners kicked off its fourth season Wednesday with a live episode that ended with a touching tribute to comedian Norm Macdonald, who died last week at the age of 61 after a long, private battle with cancer.

The episode ended with the cast, seated on the show’s iconic sofa, holding up a sign that read, “Dedicated to the memory of our friend and colleague, Norm Macdonald.”

The episode itself, titled “Trucking Live in Front of a Fully Vaccinated Studio Audience,” began with star and executive producer Sara Gilbert announcing, “Oh, The Conners is live in front of a studio vaccinated audience.”

“Wait, what?” added co-star Laurie Metcalf, appearing shocked, before the two of them joined the opening scene, already in progress.

One storyline featured Mark, played by Ames McNamara, the youngest son of Gilbert’s Darlene, working on a school project in which he made video calls to distant relatives to collect information to determine how much of a role genetics play in a person’s decision-making. Those relatives were winners of a sweepstakes to appear on the show, but only found out they won when their phones rang, live on the air.  

The premiere also continued one of last season’s storylines, in which Darlene tries to navigate hurdles in her relationship with Ben, played by Jay R. Ferguson. Darlene, trying to salvage their relationship, proved her commitment to him by putting a deposit down on an apartment, which provided another opportunity to break the fourth wall, when the camera followed Gilbert as she ran from one set to the other to find him.

“Better run, it’s a lot further than you think,” warned Metcalf. “It’s the set opposite Wellman’s Plastics.”

“Look at her go,” co-star John Goodman added.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Influential filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles, whom many consider the godfather of modern Black cinema, has died at age 89.

On behalf of his family, The Criterion Collection and Janus Films confirmed his passing in a statement posted Wednesday.

“In an unparalleled career distinguished by relentless innovation, boundless curiosity and spiritual empathy, Melvin Van Peebles made an indelible mark on the international cultural landscape through his films, novels, plays and music,” the statement reads.

It continues, “His work continues to be essential and is being celebrated at the New York Film Festival this weekend with a 50th anniversary screening of his landmark film Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song; a Criterion Collection box set, Melvin Van Peebles: Essential Films, next week; and a revival of his play Ain’t Supposed to Die a Natural Death, slated for a return to Broadway next year.”

Van Peebles’ son, actor-director Mario Van Peebles, adds in the statement, “Dad knew that Black images matter. If a picture is worth a thousand words, what was a movie worth? We want to be the success we see, thus we need to see ourselves being free. True liberation did not mean imitating the colonizer’s mentality. It meant appreciating the power, beauty and interconnectivity of all people.”

We are saddened to announce the passing of a giant of American cinema, Melvin Van Peebles, who died last night, at home with family, at the age of 89. In an unparalleled career, Van Peebles made an indelible mark on the international cultural landscape. He will be deeply missed. pic.twitter.com/HpciXXVoYo

— Criterion Collection (@Criterion) September 22, 2021

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The latest episode of Jada Pinkett-Smith‘s Facebook Watch show, Red Table Talk, is definitely a star-studded one.

In celebration of Jada’s 50th birthday on September 18, the actress-turned talk show host had an impressive list of celebrity friends make an appearance on her show to wish her a happy birthday, including George Clooney, Mariah Carey, Gabrielle Union, Kerry Washington, Jimmy Kimmel, Ciara, Angela Bassett and others. Some of the celebs even posed a fun question for Jada to answer during the celebration. Before the episode ended, Pinkett-Smith received a happy birthday serenade by seven-time Grammy-winning superstar Toni Braxton. Watch the full episode of Jada’s Red Table Talk birthday celebration now available on Facebook Watch.

In other news, Deadline has learned that ABC is currently developing Baratunde Thurston‘s memoir, How to Be Black, as an animated series. Like Thurston’s book, the series — written and co-executive produced by black-ish showrunner Courtney Lilly — is expected to center on the “community and family that raised a young Baratunde in 1980s Washington, D.C.” Voice casting details have yet to be announced. If greenlit, How to Be Black would be ABC’s first animated comedy series since The Goode Family in 2009.

Finally, Hulu has given a series order to Black Cake, a new drama from Women of the Movement creator Marissa Jo Cerar, with Oprah Winfrey and Aaron Kaplan, Deadline reports. Based on the upcoming book by Charmaine Wilkerson, Black Cake is described as a “murder mystery with a diverse cast of characters and a global setting.” It follows various narratives including the story of a runaway bride, who “is feared drowned or a fugitive on the run for her husband’s murder.” A release date for Black Cake has yet to be announced.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

On social media, Saturday Night Live has revealed the hosts and guests for the first month of its 47th season.

Loki star Owen Wilson leads things off on October 2, with musical guest Kasey Musgraves; October 9 will see Kim Kardashian West take the stage at Studio 8H for the first time, with singer Halsey.

The October 16 show will be hosted by Rami Malek, a week after fans can see the Oscar winner as a James Bond baddie in No Time to Die. Young Thug will be the musical guest.

And on October 23, former SNL cast member-turned Ted Lasso Emmy winner Jason Sudeikis will take the stage, with musical guest Brandi Carlile.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl)

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

After the one-time box office champ claimed he was being boycotted by Hollywood following his messy legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard, Johnny Depp is speaking out again.

At a press conference at the San Sebastian Film Festival, where he was given the lifetime achievement honor known as the Donostia Award, Depp was asked about ‘cancel culture.’

“Do I feel safe myself? Yeah, I do,” Deadline quoted the Pirates of the Caribbean series star saying. “Because it’s important when you’re faced with something as mind-bogglingly bewildering, that sort of things hits you from many angles.”

The actor said the cancel culture situation is, “[s]o far out of hand now that I can promise you that no one is safe. Not one of you. No one out that door. No one is safe, as long as someone is willing to say one sentence.”

Depp added all it takes is a single allegation against a person to ruin their lives, according to Deadline.

“It takes one sentence and there’s no more ground, the carpet has been pulled. It’s not just me that this has happened to,” Depp expressed. “This type of thing has happened to women, men. Sadly at a certain point they begin to think that it’s normal. Or that it’s them. When it’s not.”

“But if you are armed with the truth, that’s all you need. It doesn’t matter if a judgement per se has taken some artistic license,” Depp said, seeming to nod at his loss in court of a libel case about spousal abuse allegations made against him by The Sun.

Depp told the assembled press, “When there’s an injustice, whether it’s against you or someone you love, or someone you believe in — stand up, don’t sit down. ‘Cause they need you.”

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Ray J‘s former manager claims he has a second sex tape of him with Kim Kardashian, and Ray isn’t happy about it.

During a podcast, Wack 100 stated that he had a tape that “was more graphic and better than the first one,” which was titled Kim Kardashian, Superstar.

That tape was recorded in 2002 while Ray and Kim were celebrating her 23rd birthday in Mexico. It was released in 2007 by Vivid Entertainment.

“This ain’t cool,” Ray J commented on Instagram about Wack’s 100’s claim. “I been staying off the Raydar — Just staying focused and being humble and thankful for all the blessings I’m receiving.”

“How can I show growth and maturity if this kinda of stuff keeps happening?” he added. “I’m a father now and my job is to be a great parent and put them first. This is not the message I want to send out.”

Ray J has two kids with Princess Love: Melody, 3, and Epik, 1.

After the sex tape was released, Kardashian filed a lawsuit against Vivid Entertainment, then later dropped the suit and settled for a reported $5 million.

Kim’s attorney, Marty Singer, says a second sex tape doesn’t exist.

“The claim that there is an unreleased sex tape is unequivocally false,” Singer told Page Six. “It is unfortunate that people make these statements to try and get their 15 minutes of fame.”

Following enormous publicity spurred by the original tape, the reality television series Keeping Up with the Kardashians debuted in October 2007, launching the multi-million dollar Kardashian brand franchise.  Last year, Kim’s celebrity took a different direction when she starred in the Oxygen channel documentary The Justice Project.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by DJ Akademiks (@akademiks)

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Nicole Richie is bringing in her 40s on fire — literally. 

The actress celebrated her birthday on Tuesday and shared a short clip of herself blowing out the candles on her cake.

In the video, which was shared on Instagram, Nicole’s cheered on by people off camera. However, the cheers quickly turn to scream, when her hair dangles into the flames of the still-lit candles, causing both sides of her hair to catch on fire. While someone sitting next to her was able to quickly pat out one side, the other side appeared to get a bit worse before fizzling out. 

The mom of two jokingly captioned the snippet, “Well… so far 40 is [fire emoji].”

Many of Richie’s celebrity friends took to the comments to wish her a “happy birthday” including Chelsea Handler and Queer Eye star Antoni Porowski, who wrote, “I feel awful for laughing I’m sry also happy birthday!!”

Meanwhile Katherine Power, who apparently witnessed the event in person, quipped, “A moment I’ll never forget.”

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by NICOLE RICHIE (@nicolerichie)

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.