Hayden Panettiere pictured on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024. (Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)
Hayden Panettiere has publicly revealed that she identifies as bisexual.
The actress shared the detail about her personal life in a new interview with Us Weekly that was published on Wednesday. In the interview, Panettiere said it was her experience writing about her life for her new memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, that helped her decide to share this part of herself.
“Now that I know that this book is coming out, and that I’ve chosen to share it with the world, I’m comfortable to confidently say that yes, I am bisexual. I said it! This is the first time I got to say it out loud,” Panettiere said.
The actress said she didn’t always know what she would be comfortable sharing about herself in the two years it took her to write the memoir. This did come up, and she decided, “Why not?”
“I’ve chosen to be completely brutally honest about this, and that’s something about me that I was never able to share with the world, because it was just never the right time,” Panettiere said.
The actress continued, detailing her attraction to women but also that she felt “afraid” to come out at first.
“I was not encouraged to just be myself,” she said. “Then it came, the period where it felt like people coming out, especially women coming out, and saying that they were bisexual or liked girls, was a fad.”
Panettiere didn’t want to be simply “jumping on the bandwagon,” as she put it, rather, she “wanted to make sure that I really sat down and chose my words carefully and was able to tell my story in an honest way, that people understood. On one hand, it’s sad that I had to wait till I was 36 years old to share that part of me, but better late than never, right?”
Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift attend the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards on March 26, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for iHeartRadio)
Despite the internet being convinced they’re going to be wed over Fourth of July weekend in New York City, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce haven’t officially revealed any details about their upcoming nuptials. However, there is one thing about the couple’s wedding that Travis says he’s particularly excited about.
Golf champ Rory McIlroy, who just won the Masters for the second year in a row, is the guest on the latest episode of Travis and his brother Jason Kelce’s New Heightspodcast. During a discussion of what it’s like to attend the Masters Champions Dinner, Rory said, “It’s an incredible night, to be sitting in that room. It’s a bit like, um, and Travis, you’ll feel this this year whenever you’re sitting at your wedding and you have all the people in a room from, like, [your entire life].”
“It’s amazing to have all these people in the same room, from your childhood to people that you’ve — like, it’s just, you’re just sitting there, and it’s like surreal. It’s like unbelievable,” Rory continued.
“I can’t wait,” Travis chuckled.
“The only thing that I can compare it to is your wedding day because it’s like all this collection of people in the same room. It’s, like, wild,” he concluded. Travis repeated, “I can’t wait.”
Taylor also came up in a discussion about how she’s changed Travis for the better. “He’s more adventurous with food,” Jason’s wife, Kylie Kelce, revealed.
“Yeah, I’m more of a man when I’m around her and eating foods I haven’t tried before, yes,” Travis said with mock indignation.
Podcast producer Brandon Borders then joked that Taylor feeds Travis using “little airplane noises,” like you’d use to feed a toddler.
Nathaniel Rateliff at 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. (Disney/Cristian Lopez)
Nathaniel Rateliff and The Lumineers have joined the lineup for the 2026 Newport Folk Festival, taking place July 24-26 in Newport, Rhode Island.
Rateliff’s set is billed as “Nathaniel Rateliff & Friends” and will celebrate the “S.O.B.” singer’s tenure as the inaugural Newport Folk steward.
“We’re deeply grateful for the generosity, collaboration, and hope he has shared with this community,” reads a post to the Newport Folk Festival Instagram.
Previously announced artists playing Newport 2026 include Paramore’s Hayley Williams, The Killers’ Brandon Flowers, Courtney Barnett and Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello.
Tickets are sold out, but you can join a wait list. For more info, visit NewportFolk.org.
Construction work continues on President Trump’s White House Ballroom on the site of the former East Wing of the White House, seen from the Washington Monument on March 8, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended the cost increase of his massive White House ballroom construction project, the price tag of which has jumped from $200 million to nearly $400 million.
“The only reason the cost has changed is because, after deep rooted studies, it is approximately twice the size, and a far higher quality, than the original proposal, which would not have been adequate to handle the necessary events, meetings, and even future Inaugurations,” Trump wrote in a post to his social media platform.
“The original price was 200 Million Dollars, the double sized, highest quality completed project will be something less than 400 Million Dollars. It will be magnificent, safe, and secure!” the president added.
Trump’s defense comes after his relentless criticism of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s oversight of a multi-billion-dollar renovation of the central bank’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. The cost of the Fed renovation increased, which the central bank said was due to rising costs of labor and material as well as unforeseen damage to the property.
The White House previously said it aimed to raise the $400 million through private donations, and Trump himself repeatedly promised no taxpayer money would be used to build the ballroom.
“So we did this, no charge to the taxpayer whatsoever,” Trump said about the ballroom in February. “This was all donations made by friends of mine and people that are — that love our country.”
But now, Republicans in Congress are proposing $1 billion for security-related aspects of the construction project.
On Tuesday, Senate Republicans said that they are aiming to secure $1 billion in funding for the Secret Service for security-related aspects of the East Wing renovation, including the ballroom project, as part of a broader funding package for immigration enforcement.
Trump’s social media post on Wednesday defending the higher costs made no mention of the proposed $1 billion infusion from Congress.
It’s unclear exactly how the Secret Service would spend the money — and the public may never know given that much of the agency’s spending related to White House security is classified.
But in federal court and in the president’s own social media posts, the administration has offered some examples of the security features that Trump has in mind.
In a filing in the ballroom lawsuit last month, the Justice Department said the protective enhancements to the East Wing project would include “missile resistant steel columns, Military-grade venting, drone-proof ceilings and bullet, ballistic, and blast proof glass,” all aimed at forming a “fortified structural buffer” on the east side of the complex that would gird not only the ballroom, but also the main White House residence and the offices in the West Wing.
That April 27 filing also said the upgrades would include “bomb shelters, a state of the art hospital and medical facilities, Top Secret military installations, structures, and equipment, protective partitioning, and other features.”
Welcoming the proposed help from Republican lawmakers, a White House spokesman said on Monday that they “rightly recognized the need for these funds.”
Several Democrats criticized the Republican plan to allocate $1 billion toward the project.
“Donald Trump promised that ZERO taxpayer dollars will be used for his ballroom. He lied,” House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, the No. 2 House Democrat, wrote on X.
Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called it a “vanity project.”
“While Americans are struggling to make ends meet as a result of President Trump’s failed policies, Republicans are focused on providing tens of billions of dollars for the President’s vanity ballroom project and cruel mass deportation campaign,” Durbin said in a statement. “Republicans are in danger of losing control of Congress in November, so they are going outside the usual bipartisan appropriations process to fund these unpopular policies through the end of the Trump Administration.”
ABC News’ Benjamin Siegel contributed to this report.
Tom Everett Scott, Lexi Minetree and June Diane Raphael in ‘Elle.’ (Jessica Brooks/Prime Video)
Omigod, you guys!
Prime Video has released the teaser trailer for its upcoming Legally Blonde prequel series, Elle. The show follows the character Elle Woods, who was originated by Reese Witherspoon in the 2001 film, as she takes on high school.
Lexi Minetree stars as young Elle Woods in the upcoming series. The prequel follows Elle as “we learn about the life experiences that shaped her into the iconic young woman we came to know and love,” according to Prime Video.
“We meet her in 1995 as a fish in the tumultuous waters of high school where she encounters tricky friendships, forbidden romance, and questionable fashion choices,” according to the show’s official description. “Through it all, Elle uses her family as a touchstone, and forms an even tighter bond to her mother, proving that they can get through anything life throws their way as long as they have each other.”
The trailer is filled with glimpses of Elle’s life growing up in Bel-Air in the year 1995. She enjoys her glamorous existence before her parents tell her they are moving to Seattle, Washington.
“Bruiser, wish me luck,” Elle says to her beloved dog before heading out to her first day at a brand-new high school.
Laura Kittrell created the series, which she co-showruns and executive produces with Caroline Dries. Witherspoon executive produces, while Pitch Perfect director Jason Moore helmed the first two episodes and also executive produces. Additionally, Prime Video has already ordered a season 2 ahead of season 1’s debut.
The series also stars June Diane Raphael as Elle’s mother, Eva, and Tom Everett Scott as her father, Wyatt. Gabrielle Policano, Jacob Moskovitz, Chandler Kinney and Zac Looker make up the rest of the main cast.
Carrie Underwood’s continuing her passion for fitness by launching her new wellness brand, HiNote.
“Health and wellness have always been such an important part of my life,” the American Idol star says. “Through my app, my own workouts, and daily conversations, I keep hearing the same heartfelt truth from women everywhere, myself included: we want to care for ourselves while still showing up for everything else our busy lives demand.”
“That’s why I created HiNote,” she continues, “to help build a home for the everyday habits that support real life: movement, nourishment, and simple routines you can stick with.”
HiNote’s first product is a drink mix that comes in three flavors. Carrie’s fitness app, fit52, will now be known as HiNote Life – Powered by fit52.
The “Before He Cheats” hitmaker previously launched the CALIA by Carrie Underwood fitness brand and partnered with BODYARMOR for a sports drink.
As part of the new venture, Carrie’s also supporting Girls on the Run International, a national nonprofit that offers after-school programs for girls in grades 3-8, focusing on physical activity, confidence-building and life skills development.
On the musical front, it’s been a while since Carrie’s released anything new on her own. Denim & Rhinestones came out in 2022, though she topped the chart duetting with Cody Johnson on “I’m Gonna Love You” in March 2025.
Mary J. Blige sat down with ABC News’ Robin Roberts on ‘Good Morning America’ to reflect on healing and legacy as she launches her Las Vegas residency. (ABC News)
Mary J. Blige is stepping into a new chapter, and she says it’s been a long time coming.
After more than three decades in music, the Grammy-winning artist is headlining her first Las Vegas residency, a milestone she describes as both earned and deeply personal.
Speaking with ABC News’ Robin Roberts, Blige called the moment a reflection of her journey.
“It’s just time, you know? I’m where I’m supposed to be. I’m doing what I’m supposed to do. And I didn’t give up,” she said in the interview, which aired on Good Morning America Wednesday.
Known as the “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul,” Blige has long turned her personal struggles into powerful music. Her songs have resonated across generations, something she says still humbles her today.
“What I was trying to do was get myself through tough times,” she said. “I had no idea I was getting other people through their tough times.”
Fans often tell her that her music helped save their lives, she said, a sentiment that keeps her grounded.
Her ability to channel vulnerability into art has been a defining trait of her career, particularly with albums like 1994’s My Life, which she still performs today. But she said revisiting those songs isn’t always easy.
“‘Not Gon’ Cry’ is always heavy. Even ‘My Life’ is heavy,” she said. “When I perform any song from the My Life album, it’s heavy. Really dark times.”
Now, Blige is bringing that emotional journey to the stage with her My Life, My Story residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas, which has just expanded by 10 dates.
The show features some of her most beloved hits, guiding audiences through the highs and lows that shaped her career. It’s a mix of celebration and reflection — one she says audiences will feel deeply.
“They’re gonna have fun. They’re gonna dance. They might cry,” she said.
Beyond the music, Blige said her current chapter is defined by growth and peace.
“I’m not mad at anyone,” she said. “I forgave everybody that did whatever they did and moved on … and now my life is elevating, because I just choose peace.”
That mindset, she said, has helped her embrace this moment in her career — one she sees as the reward for years of hard work.
“The next chapter is just enjoying the fruits of my labor,” she added. “This residency is the fruit. This is what I’ve worked for. This is what I’ve earned. And I’m here.”
Tickets for the 10 newly added dates go on sale May 11 at 10 a.m. PT, following a few presales.
Selena Gomez attends the 2025 Academy Awards (Disney/Scott Kirkland)
If you buy Selena Gomez’s house, you’ll be getting a place that was home to not one but two musical luminaries.
According to Realtor.com, Selena’s home in Encino, California, where she lived before she and husband Benny Blanco bought a house together, is now on the market for $6.49 million. She purchased the six-bedroom, 8 1/2-bathroom home, which measures 11,500 square feet, in 2020 for just under $4.9 million.
It was formerly the home of the late Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Tom Petty, who custom built it in 1989 and owned it until a few months before his death in 2017.
Among the home’s amenities are a home theater, wine cellar, gym, massage room, glam room and a vocal booth. Outdoors, there’s a pool with a waterfall and stream, cabana, fire pit and al fresco dining area.
Selena and Benny now live in Beverly Hills, in a house they bought in February 2025 for $35 million, according to Realtor.com. That home has seven bedrooms, 12 bathrooms and two guest houses, one of which contains a home theater and one of which has a recording studio.
Underoath performs at All Your Friends Festival at Burl’s Creek Event Grounds on June 28, 2025 in Oro Station, Ontario. (Sophie Aultman/Getty Images)
Underoath will be hitting the road on their newly announced Van Tour to Vans Warped Tour.
As its title suggests, the trek will be centered around Underoath’s performances at the 2026 Warped Tour stops in Washington, D.C., Long Beach, California, and Mexico City. It runs from June 8 in Jacksonville, Florida, to Aug. 2 in Memphis, Tennessee, and finds the band playing smaller venues.
“It’s gonna be sweaty, it’s gonna be loud, it’s gonna sell out,” reads a post to Underoath’s Facebook page. “Get tickets now.”
For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit Underoath777.com.
