Entertainment

The Dancing with the Stars competitors pushed themselves to new extremes on Monday night because, in order to make it to next week’s semifinals, they had to survive a dance off and a double-elimination.

Unfortunately, the journey came to an end for Olivia Jade and country singer Jimmie Allen. Jade was automatically eliminated for earning the lowest combined score of the night while Allen was sent to the bottom two alongside The Office actress Melora Hardin. The judges voted unanimously to save Hardin.

Monday night celebrated icon Janet Jackson, who amped up the pressure by tuning in from London to watch everyone dance to her music. 

One of the competitors feeling the most pressure was The Talk co-host Amanda Kloots, who wanted to impress the judges with her jazz routine to Jackson’s “Miss You Much.” Kloots, who has prior dance experience, confessed to feeling frustrated that the judges have been so hard on her and hoped to turn her luck around.

Her dance partner, Alan Bersten, argued the judges “see something special with her” and that’s why they’ve been so unforgiving. That said, he pushed Amanda even harder during rehearsals so she could meet those high expectations. His tactic paid off because they not only collected their first perfect score of the season, they also won the dance off against Peloton instructor Cody Rigsby and earned two extra bonus points. 

Also feeling the pressure was Olympian Suni Lee, who opened up about the bullying she’s received since joining DWTS. “I always see a lot of mean comments about me not being able to dance and I need to go home,” she shared. “I feel like they’re right. I let them get to me.”

She managed to shake off haters and also collected a perfect score for her samba to Jackson’s “All For You.”  The gold medalist also triumphed in the dance off and added two bonus points to her score.

Dancing with the Stars returns Monday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Here are the current standings:

Suni Lee, Olympic Gold medalist, with Sasha Farber — 42/40
Amanda Kloots, The Talk co-host, with Alan Bersten — 42/40
Melora Hardin, The Office actress, with Artem Chivensky — 42/40
JoJo Siwa, Nickelodeon star, with Jenna Johnson — 41/40
Cody Rigsby, Peloton instructor, with Cheryl Burke — 38/40
Iman Shumpert, NBA player, with Daniella Karagach — 35/40

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Like New York’s JFK airport at rush hour, it’s too busy for the pilots of Rogue Squadron to take off. Wonder Woman series director Patty Jenkins‘ schedule has reportedly scrubbed the Star Wars story from Disney’s release slate, according to The Hollywood Reporter. 

It’s not known what the conflict was, the trade points out; Jenkins is reportedly involved in a movie about Cleopatra, and a third Wonder Woman film is in the works as well.

As previously reported, the exploits of the elite Rebel Alliance pilots were seen in a book series, and in video games. 

Jenkins’ involvement was announced at a Disney Investors Day event in 2020; the filmmaker appeared in a short film in which she called the project a tribute to her late father, who was a fighter pilot. 

The film would have been the next big-screen Star Wars project for Disney-owned Lucasfilm since 2019’s Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker, and would have made Jenkins the first female to direct a big-screen Star Wars film. 

On the small screen, female directors including Deborah Chow and Bryce Dallas Howard have called the shots on episodes of The Mandalorian; Chow, a veteran of Breaking Bad and other acclaimed series, also directed another Disney+ Star Wars show, the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

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Matt Damon and his non-profit Water.org have teamed up with brewing company Stella Artois for a holiday campaign looking to “give the gift of time” to women struggling for the basic necessity of clean water. 

The campaign highlights that 771 million people live without access to safe water, and very often women are the ones bearing the brunt, spending countless hours a year searching for and carrying water for their families.

The charity the Oscar winner co-founded “has positively transformed more than 38 million lives around the world with access to safe water or sanitation,” and with some holiday gifts from the Anheuser-Busch-owned brand, you can help spread the wealth. 

This holiday season, every Stella Artois product you purchase will provide at lease one month of safe water to a person in the developing world, the campaign’s organizers promise. Additionally, the purchase of one of the Water.org’s branded chalices will fund at least five years’ worth of safe water for one person in need. 

Damon is also featured in a spot highlighting the initiative.

“When I think about the holidays, what comes to mind is time with family and friends,” the Last Duel star said in a statement. “This campaign with Stella Artois is about giving women around the world time back. This is one of the many reasons I think the work we do is so important. Creating time for family is what access to safe water at home can do.”

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AMC+ has announced they’ve picked up Jodie Turner-Smith‘s highly anticipated psychological thriller, Anne Boleyn.

On Monday, AMC+ shared that the new three-part original series, starring Turner-Smith in the titular role, will premiere its first episode in the U.S. on Thursday, December 9. The remaining two episodes will be released on consecutive Thursdays. As previously reported, Anne Boleyn follows the final months of Boleyn’s life from her perspective as she struggles to secure a future for her daughter. It will also show her determination to be seen as an equal in a patriarchal society and her ultimate demise by execution. Anne Boleyn, also starring Paapa Essiedu as Anne’s brother, George Boleyn, first aired in the U.K. back in May. 

In other news, Regina Hall is teaming up with Robert De Niro for a remake of the 1988 classic action comedy film Midnight Run. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hall is set to star in the forthcoming film, with De Niro attached to produce. The original film starred De Niro as a bounty hunter tasked with tracking down a former mob accountant, played by the late Charles Grodin. Together the two traveled cross-country trying to evade both the FBI and the mob. Plot details, as well as additional casting, have not been revealed.

Finally, SNL alum Kenan Thompson has been tapped to host the 2021 People’s Choice Awards. As previously reported, the ceremony will air simultaneously on NBC and E! on Dec. 7 at 9 p.m ET.

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Wendy Williams is giving her fans a much-needed update on her ongoing health battle.

In a statement issued on Monday, Williams said she’s ready to go back to her duties as host “as soon as” the doctors give her the green light.

“HOW YOU DOIN’? I MISS YOU ALL! As everyone knows, my health has been a hot topic,” Williams’ statement reads. “I’m making progress but it’s just one of those things that’s taking longer than we expected.”

She continues, “I’m a woman of a certain age, and I know enough to listen to my doctors and will return to my purple chair as soon as we all agree I’m ready. I want to thank all of my staff and our guest hosts for stepping up and stepping in while I can’t be there.”

Williams then thanks her show’s production company, Debmar-Mercury, and the local affiliates “for being so understanding and supportive” while she recovers. She also thanks her “fans,” whom she says “are everything.”

“I have heard your prayers and comments and feel all the love!,” Williams writes, before adding that she’s “doing everything… to get back to work.”

“But right now Wendy has to focus on Wendy. I love you for watching,” she adds.

As previously reported, Williams has been absent from her show since it was originally expected to return on September 20 for the start of the 13th season. Her return was delayed due to ongoing health issues, which included testing positive for a breakthrough case of COVID-19. Since then, numerous guest hosts have filled in for her, including Sherri Shepherd, Leah Remini, Michael Rapaport and Jerry Springer.

 

 

 

 

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Fortune Feimster was about to embark on a new stage in her stand-up career in 2020, when the COVID pandemic hit. 

The former co-star of Chelsea Lately explains, “It was jarring because I had just finished my Netflix special, Sweet and Salty. It had just come out. We put up a whole new tour. We had, like six months of shows sell out immediately. It was this huge like celebratory feeling of like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m making this big jump to theaters, and going from like being so busy’ to — nothing.”

She laughs, “You certainly don’t realize what a workaholic you are — especially in my case — you know, until I had to stop…And once I…I stopped being antsy and I let myself just chill, those ideas and jokes just started coming to me like in a way that I haven’t experienced in so long. I wrote a whole new hour in a couple of months.”

Some of that material is now on the road, in 2 Sweet 2 Salty, Fortune’s new nationwide tour. 

ABC Audio wondered if she’s finding her line of work tougher in the days of cancel culture. However, she steers away from social commentary in her stand-up. “I want to make people laugh, my stuff is very silly. I want people to leave my show feeling better than when they got there,” she replies.

And one thing that’s got Fortune feeling pretty good lately is the relationship that blossomed between her Chelsea Lately co-stars Chelsea Handler and comic Jo Koi. “[I]nstead of her yelling at him now she’s kissing on him, so, times you know…it’s come full circle. They just had to tease each other all these years to finally start smooching,” Fortune says with a laugh.

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Tony Award winner James Corden has starred in the big-screen adaptations of the musicals Into the Woods, and, notoriously, CATS, but it seems some people have had enough. 

His Late Late Show’s “Carpool Karaoke” and “Crosswalk: The Musical” segments may go viral, but so has a Change.org petition that was just created to keep the chat show host from a appearing in a big-screen version of Wicked, which will star Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. 

“James Corden in no way shape or form should be in or near the production of Wicked the movie. that’s pretty much it,” the petition explains.

The petition organizers are looking for 50,000 signatures, and they’re getting close: Nearly 40,000 had signed as of mid-afternoon Monday.

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Sarah Jessica Parker did not hold back when sharing her thoughts about the criticism she and her Sex and the City co-stars have received about their aging looks.

Speaking recently to Vogue, the 56-year-old actress declared, “There’s so much misogynist chatter in response to us that would never. Happen. About. A. Man.”

“‘Gray hair, gray hair, gray hair. Does she have gray hair?’ I’m sitting with Andy Cohen and he has a full head of gray hair, and he’s exquisite. Why is it okay for him? I don’t know what to tell you people! Especially on social media,” she continued. “Everyone has something to say.”

Some frequent comments Parker highlighted were “She has too many wrinkles” and, interestingly, “She doesn’t have enough wrinkles.”

Says Parker, “It almost feels as if people don’t want us to be perfectly okay with where we are, as if they almost enjoy us being pained by who we are today, whether we choose to age naturally and not look perfect, or whether you do something if that makes you feel better.”

“I know what I look like. I have no choice,” she remarked, “What am I going to do about it? Stop aging? Disappear?”

Sex and the City producer Michael Patrick King, who’s co-producing the HBO Sex and the City continuation And Just Like That…, also shared his contempt for the beauty double standard.

“Wow, so it’s either you’re 35, or you’re retired and living in Florida. There’s a missing chapter here,” he quipped, and stressed the SATC revival is important because it showcases a cast of women who are predominately in their 50s — something he says is uncommon in television.

The 10-episode And Just Like That… premieres in December 2021 on HBO Max.

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Maria Shriver is sticking up for her son-in-law Chris Pratt, commenting on that post about his new baby that caused such a flap online. 

Pratt was flamed online last week for a sweet post to his wife, in which he thanked her for giving him a “gorgeous healthy daughter” that some read into that as a dig against Faris, as their child was born premature, and because of that, suffered health complications.  

“I want to remind you today what a good man you are,” responded Shriver, the mom of Pratt’s wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger, who’s the daughter of Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

Shriver, 66, mentioned both of Pratt’s children: 8-year-old Jack, from his marriage to ex Anna Faris, and his baby daughter with Katherine, Lyla.

“What a great father you are to Jack and Lyla, what a great husband you are to Katherine [and] what a great son in law you are to me and what a great sense of humor you have!!” said Shriver. “I love you Chris, keep being your wonderful self, rise above the noise. Your kids love [you] your family loves you [and] your wife loves you. What a beautiful life, I’m proud of you xo.”

While not addressing the situation directly, Pratt took to Instagram on Friday in a series of Stories to say he was feeling “depressed,” but found some peace in running in nature and listening to praise music.

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Ahead of Friday’s two-year anniversary of the launch of Disney+, dubbed Disney+ Day, the streaming service from ABC News’ parent company has announced a week-long celebration.

From November 12 through November 14, more than 200 AMC Theatres will celebrate with four daily surprise screenings of fan-favorite movies, for just $5 a ticket, at participating AMC locations.

ShopDisney will provide free shipping in the U.S. and Europe from November 12 to November 14 to subscribers of Disney+, and will offer all-new branded merch, from shows like Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Loki and more. 

To boot, Disney and VeVe, have just launched a series of NFTs featuring beloved and iconic characters from some of its fan-favorite properties, including Star Wars, Marvel Studios, The Simpsons and others. 

Also just announced are the following titles coming to the streaming service on Disney+ Day, including: 

• The Making of Happier than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles about Billie Eilish’s recent Disney+ cinematic concert experience
• Marvel Assembled: The Making of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
• Marvel Studios Legends: Hawkeye, an episode that revisits all of Hawkeye’s epic moments from the MCU in preparation for the upcoming Disney+ Original Series
• 2007’s live-action/animated musical fantasy romantic comedy film Enchanted, starring Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey

As previously reported, Friday will also see the launch of a slew of new titles on Disney+, including Shang-Chi, Jungle Cruise, Home Sweet Home Alone, Olaf Presents, The Simpsons in Plusaversary, Under the Helmet: The Legacy of Boba Fett, and Marvel Studios’ 2021 Disney+ Day Special.

On Friday at 9:00am Eastern time, fans can check out sneak peeks of upcoming Disney+ movies and series from the worlds of Pixar, Disney, Star Wars, Marvel and more.

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