Jennifer Coolidge, Kristin Chenoweth gush over Ariana Grande: “Her take on things is so advanced”

Jennifer Coolidge, Kristin Chenoweth gush over Ariana Grande: “Her take on things is so advanced”
Jennifer Coolidge, Kristin Chenoweth gush over Ariana Grande: “Her take on things is so advanced”
Christopher Polk/NBC

Jennifer Coolidge is having a moment, taking home the Golden Globe and Critics Choice Awards for her standout role in HBO’s The White Lotus. But to hear Jennifer tell it, she owes much of her current success to Ariana Grande.

Speaking to ET Canada about being included in one of Ariana’s music videos, the Legally Blonde star gushed, “That sort of changed a lot for me sort of overnight. I love that girl. She is someone that is such an unusual story because she’s this very, very old person in a very young body.”

“Her take on things is so advanced,” Jennifer added. “I don’t really know how to explain her. I have never met anyone like her in my life.”

About four years ago, after Ariana did a spot-on imitation of Coolidge on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the actress reached out to her, which led to Coolidge getting cast in the video for Ari’s hit “thank u, next.” Jennifer and Ari have been friends ever since; in fact, Ari dressed up as Jennifer’s Best In Show character last Halloween.

And Coolidge isn’t the only veteran actress who’s singing Ariana’s praises. Monday on Live with Kelly & RyanKristin Chenoweth talked about Ariana starring in the upcoming film version of Wicked, playing the part of Glinda, the role Kristin originated on Broadway.

Describing herself and Ariana as very close, Kristin, who’s known Ari since she was 10, said, “I didn’t have children, but I feel like I have a couple out there. I’m just so proud of her.” 

(A previous version of this story published on 1/18/23 misspelled Kristin Chenoweth’s name in the headline. The text above has been updated to correct the error.)

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Husband accused of killing, dismembering wife allegedly Googled ’10 ways to dispose of a dead body’

Husband accused of killing, dismembering wife allegedly Googled ’10 ways to dispose of a dead body’
Husband accused of killing, dismembering wife allegedly Googled ’10 ways to dispose of a dead body’
Ana Walshe/Facebook

(NORFOLK, Mass.) — A Massachusetts man accused of killing and dismembering his missing wife, Ana Walshe, 39, allegedly Googled “10 ways to dispose of a dead body if you really need to,” according to prosecutors.

Brian Walshe, 47, of Cohasset, appeared in court Wednesday morning on charges of murder and improper transport of a body. Not guilty pleas to the charges were entered on his behalf. Walshe was already in custody after pleading not guilty to a charge of misleading investigators.

Prosecutors believe Walshe made a series of Google searches including: “how long before a body starts to smell”; “how to stop a body from decomposing”; “how to embalm a body”; and “what’s the best state to divorce.”

Walshe also allegedly Googled “dismemberment” and “what happens when you put body parts in ammonia,” prosecutor Lynn Beland said. There were more Google searches for “hacksaw best tool to dismember” and “can you be charged with murder without a body,” according to Beland.

Blood, a bloody knife and another knife were found in the basement of the Walshes’ Cohasset home, Beland said.

Prosecutors said police also recovered 10 trash bags containing blood-stained items including: a hacksaw, towels, rags, cleaning agents, carpets, slippers, Prada purse and Ana Walshe’s COVID-19 vaccine card. Investigators found DNA from Ana Walshe and Brian Walshe on the slippers, according to Beland.

Ana Walshe was reported missing by co-workers in Washington on Jan. 4. At that time, Brian Walshe claimed he last saw his wife early on Jan. 1, as she prepared to take a ride share to Boston Logan International Airport for a “work emergency,” but investigators said she never caught a ride and never boarded a plane.

Investigators said they tracked Ana’s phone on Jan. 2, and it pinged in or near her Cohasset home.

Brian Walshe was charged with misleading the investigation on Jan. 8. At that time, investigators revealed they found blood and a broken knife in the family’s basement and had surveillance video of Brian Walshe, wearing a medical mask and surgical gloves, purchasing $450 in cleaning supplies with cash at a Home Depot in nearby Rockland.

Walshe was wearing a monitoring bracelet as he awaited sentencing for selling fake Andy Warhol paintings to an art buyer in California. He was under house arrest but was allowed to leave home for things like doctors’ appointments and grocery shopping. The bracelet did not have GPS tracking.

Police conducted a sweeping search at a Peabody landfill. The landfill was the destination for a dumpster that was outside Brian Walshe’s mother’s apartment building in Swampscott. He had visited his mom in the days following his wife’s disappearance, claiming he went shopping for her. Police found no receipts from the stores he mentioned.

Investigators have not recovered a body.

Brian and Ana Walshe have three children. Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey said Ana Walshe’s disappearance was the second case of domestic violence his office had seen in recent weeks.

“Our thoughts are very much with the families these crimes have left behind,” Morrissey said.

Brian Walshe is being held without bail and is set to return to court on Feb. 9.

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Christina Applegate responds to accusation that plastic surgery changed her looks, not MS

Christina Applegate responds to accusation that plastic surgery changed her looks, not MS
Christina Applegate responds to accusation that plastic surgery changed her looks, not MS
Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Netflix

Christina Applegate took to Twitter on Tuesday to shut down a troll who insisted that the change in her appearance was the result of plastic surgery, not multiple sclerosis, as the actress has said.

Applegate shared a screenshot of the mean tweet someone posted in response to a People magazine article published on Sunday that read, “MS didn’t make you look that way a plastic surgeon did. And you are a scammer and not [Christina] Applegate.”

“And a bad plastic surgeon at that,” read a second message.

“Sooooo I made the unfortunate decision to look at some comments on an article from people mag about me and my kids at the [Critics Choice Awards],” the Dead to Me star tweeted. “Of course I told her that it wasn’t nice. This was her reply.”

“What is wrong with people. By the way, I laughed,” Applegate added.

The Married with Children alum attended the Critics Choice Awards on Sunday — her first awards show since her diagnosis — with her 11-year-old daughter, Sadie, at her side.

Applegate opened up about the changes she’s gone through over the past year dealing with MS in a November interview with The New York Times, revealing she gained 40 pounds and can’t walk without a cane.

“I am very aware of all of that,” she continued. “If people hate it, if people love it, if all they can concentrate on is, ‘Ooh, look at the cripple,’ that’s not up to me. I’m sure that people are going to be, like, ‘I can’t get past it.'”

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Billie Eilish requests restraining order after home invasion

Billie Eilish requests restraining order after home invasion
Billie Eilish requests restraining order after home invasion
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for ABA

Billie Eilish requested a restraining order on Tuesday against a man who allegedly broke into her childhood home in Los Angeles home earlier this month.

The restraining order would be to protect the “bad guy” singer, as well as her brother FINNEAS and their parents, from the suspect, 39-year-old Christopher Anderson, according to legal documents obtained by ABC News. 

Eilish’s father said Anderson has visited the family’s home in the Highland Park neighborhood on numerous occasions since late December, allegedly professing his love for the singer and hoping to meet her.

On January 5, Los Angeles Police received a call about a stranger hopping over a fence and trespassing onto the family’s property around 9:15 p.m.

According to legal documents, Billie said the incidents have caused her “substantial anxiety, fear, and emotional distress” over the safety of her family and she reportedly doesn’t feel safe visiting her parents anymore. 

This isn’t the first time Billie has encountered an intrusive fan. In 2020, a judge granted her a three-year restraining order against Prenell Rousseau, 24, from Farmingville, New York, after he repeatedly appeared at her Los Angeles home.

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Husband charged with missing wife’s murder due in Massachusetts court

Husband accused of killing, dismembering wife allegedly Googled ’10 ways to dispose of a dead body’
Husband accused of killing, dismembering wife allegedly Googled ’10 ways to dispose of a dead body’
Ana Walshe/Facebook

(NORFOLK, Mass.) — A Massachusetts man accused of killing his wife, Ana Walshe, 39, who was reported missing Jan. 4, is expected to appear in court Wednesday morning.

Quincy District Court officials issued a warrant for Brian Walshe, 47, of Cohasset, on Tuesday. Walshe, who is already in custody in Norfolk, pleaded not guilty to a charge of misleading investigators. He is being held on a bail of $500,000 cash or $5 million surety bond.

“The continued investigation has now allowed police to obtain an arrest warrant, charging Brian Walshe with the murder of his wife,” Norfolk District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey said in a video statement posted on Tuesday. “Mr. Walshe will be transported to the Quincy District Court for arraignment on the charge of murder.”

Walshe will also be charged with improper transport of a body, officials said.

His “arraignment may be as soon as 9 a.m. tomorrow dependent on defense attorney availability,” the Cohasset Police said late Tuesday.

Morrissey said his office didn’t plan on Tuesday to release further details about the investigation or potential evidence against Walshe, but some of those details are “likely to be disclosed at arraignment.”

Ana Walshe was reported missing by co-workers in Washington on Jan. 4. At that time, Brian Walshe claimed he last saw his wife early on Jan. 1, as she prepared to take a ride share to Logan Airport for a “work emergency” but investigators said she never caught a ride and never boarded a plane.

Investigators said they pinged Ana’s phone on Jan. 2, and it pinged in or near her Cohasset home.

Brian Walshe was charged with misleading the investigation on Jan. 8. At that time, investigators revealed they found blood and a broken knife in the family’s basement and had surveillance video of Brian Walshe, wearing a medical mask and surgical gloves, purchasing $450 in cleaning supplies with cash at a Home Depot in nearby Rockland.

Walshe was wearing a monitoring bracelet as he awaited sentencing for selling fake Andy Warhol paintings to an art buyer in California. He was under house arrest but was allowed to leave home for things like doctors’ appointments and grocery shopping. The bracelet did not have GPS tracking.

Police conducted a sweeping search at a Peabody landfill. The landfill was the destination for a dumpster that was outside Brian Walshe’s mother’s apartment building in Swampscott. He had visited his mom in the days following his wife’s disappearance, claiming he went shopping for her. Police found no receipts from the stores he mentioned.

Investigators located trash bags containing blood evidence. Boston ABC affiliate WCVB-TV reported investigators also found a hacksaw and a hatchet at the landfill. Investigators also searched a Wareham incinerator but it’s unclear whether anything was located there.

Investigators have not recovered a body but they have recovered enough genetic material to tie Walshe to the murder of his wife.

Brian and Ana Walshe have three children. Morrissey said Ana Walshe’s disappearance was the second case of domestic violence his office had seen in recent weeks.

“Our thoughts are very much with the families these crimes have left behind,” Morrissey, the district attorney, said.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Sam Smith will put more priority on their mental and physical health during their new tour

Sam Smith will put more priority on their mental and physical health during their new tour
Sam Smith will put more priority on their mental and physical health during their new tour
Universal Music Group

Sam Smith is gearing up for their next global tour, but this time it’ll flow a little differently than the last few times.

Speaking with Billboard, the hitmaker revealed they are being mindful of their mental health and limits — even though they are adding new dates for the upcoming Gloria Tour.

The tour kicks off April 23 in Sheffield, England, and Sam just announced five new dates set for Australia later this fall. “I start rehearsals in March,” they revealed. “I’m starting to prep now, really. I’m starting to watch what I eat, what I’m drinking, starting to move my body more, train my voice, just getting ready for the year ahead.”

“I’m not doing as many gigs this time as last time, when I hit nearly 130 gigs. That was really intense. We’re doing a little less, keeping an eye on my mind and my body,” they explained, adding that they have an understanding of what they will and will not be able to do this time around.

“I think I’ll always feel fatigued after a tour, it’s an intense job,” said Sam. “The jetlag and the adrenaline crash you go through every night when you walk off stage, it’s very intense. I plan my breaks, so it’s not going to be impossible. It’s just about getting used to jetlag. Every time I do it, I know how to look after myself more and more.”

Sam will release Gloria on January 27. The singer is set to take their tour through the United Kingdom, Europe, North America and Australia. It is unknown if more dates are being planned at this time.

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In Brief: ‘Drew Barrymore’ gets renewed, and more

In Brief: ‘Drew Barrymore’ gets renewed, and more
In Brief: ‘Drew Barrymore’ gets renewed, and more

Stephen Colbert will executive produce a TV adaptation of the late Roger Zelazny’s beloved fantasy novels The Chronicles of Amber, according to Variety. The 10-book series follows the story of Corwin, who is said to “awaken on Earth with no memory, but soon finds he is a prince of a royal family that has the ability to travel through different dimensions of reality — called ‘shadows’ — and rules over the one true world, Amber.” George R.R. Martin cited the books as an influence for Game of Thrones, and recently expressed an interest in seeing the books brought to the screen…

NBC has given a pilot order to Murder by the Book, a drama series starring Good Girls alum Retta. Per the network, the plot line follows “A big city Instafamous book reviewer” who “takes a page from the murder mystery books she reviews and becomes an unlikely detective to uncover the shocking truths about an eccentric seaside town.” Besides her role as Ruby in Good Girls, Retta’s also known for playing Donna Meagle in Parks & Recreation. She’s also guest-starred in TV’s of Tuca & Bertie, DuckTales, Big Mouth, Drunk History and Kroll Show, and in the films Good Boys, Where’s the Money and Sex Ed

The Drew Barrymore Show has been renewed through the 2023-2024 season on the CBS Stations, CBS Media Ventures announced on Tuesday. The daytime chat show averages 1.21 million viewers — up nearly half a million viewers year to year — and ranks as syndication’s #4 talk show, according to CBS Media Ventures. Host Drew Barrymore‘s guests this season have included President Joe Biden and first lady Dr. Jill Biden in their first joint sit-down in daytime, as well as George Clooney, Kate Hudson, Adam Sandler, Michelle Obama, Katy Perry, Cameron Diaz, Tyler Perry and Susan Sarandon

Craig Ferguson is eyeing a return to the talk show arena, according to Deadline. Channel Surf with Craig Ferguson will feature the former host of CBS’ The Late Late Show, joined by his friends as they “review the shocking, surprising and hilarious moments of the week’s shows.” Ferguson left The Late Late Show in 2014 and was succeeded by James Corden. Since then, he’s hosted the syndicated Celebrity Name Game, ABC’s The Hustler and History’s Join or Die. Channel Surf with Craig Ferguson is currently seeking a TV home…

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Planned Parenthood set on fire just two days after state passes abortion rights law

Planned Parenthood set on fire just two days after state passes abortion rights law
Planned Parenthood set on fire just two days after state passes abortion rights law
Peoria Police Department / Facebook

(PEORIA, Ill.) — Police are hunting for a person involved in a suspected arson attack at a Planned Parenthood clinic in central Illinois just two days after the state enacted sweeping abortion protections into law.

The incident occurred at approximately 11:31 p.m. on Sunday when police in Peoria, Illinois, responded to the 2700 block of N. Knoxville to reports of a structure fire at a commercial building due to an “unknown person throwing a Molotov cocktail” into it, police spokesperson Semone Roth told ABC News’ Chicago station WLS-TV.

“Within minutes, the Peoria Fire Department responded to the scene and extinguished the fire that was contained to one room,” said the Peoria Police Department.

The building, which houses the Peoria Planned Parenthood Clinic, sustained “significant damage,” according to a statement from Jennifer Welch, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois, which was obtained by WLS.

No patients or staff were inside during the fire but one firefighter sustained non-life-threatening injuries while attempting to extinguish the flames, according to the Peoria Police Department.

“Fire investigators determined the preliminary cause of the fire was arson,” authorities said, and during the course of their investigation, the Peoria Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division managed to obtain video footage that identified a suspect vehicle in the vicinity at the time of the crime.

The arson attack on the Planned Parenthood clinic came just two days after Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed comprehensive reproductive health care legislation into law that protects out-of-state abortion seekers and allows them to get an abortion.

Illinois is just the latest of a number of states that have managed to enact legal reinforcements around abortions following last year’s Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which had been in place since 1973.

“The vast majority of our Peoria Health Center patients were coming to us for family planning, STI testing and treatment and other reproductive health care,” said Welch. “This act of vandalism will have a devastating impact on the community’s ability to access birth control, cancer screenings and gender-affirming care.”

The Planned Parenthood location that was attacked offered medication abortion but was not a site for in-clinic procedures, Welch told WLS. She also said that she planned to prosecute the perpetrator “to the fullest extent of the law.”

The clinic, which is currently closed due to fire damage, is rescheduling their patients to other health care facilities and is also now offering transportation assistance to those who may require it.

“We would never condone violence against any Planned Parenthood or any other abortion clinic,” Mary Kate Zander, executive director of the anti-abortion organization Illinois Right to Life, told WLS. “The primary reason that we stand against abortion is that it’s an act of violence. So it would be hypocritical of us to not say the same in the case of an act of violence against abortion workers.”

For now, authorities have been unsuccessful in their efforts to locate the suspected vehicle involved in the arson attack and the Peoria Police Department is asking for public assistance in identifying and locating the truck and the driver they think was involved in the criminal act.

Anybody with any information on this case is asked to call Peoria Police Detective Brian Terry at (309) 494-8390 or Crime Stoppers, which is an anonymous tip line at 673-9000.

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‘Chrisley Knows Best’ leads Todd and Julie Chrisley report to prison for tax evasion and fraud convictions

‘Chrisley Knows Best’ leads Todd and Julie Chrisley report to prison for tax evasion and fraud convictions
‘Chrisley Knows Best’ leads Todd and Julie Chrisley report to prison for tax evasion and fraud convictions
USA Network/Tommy Garcia

Todd and Julie Chrisley of Chrisley Knows Best reported to prison on Tuesday to begin serving their respective sentences after being convicted of a multimillion dollar bank fraud and tax evasion scheme, according to People.

Todd, 54, reported to Federal Prison Camp Pensacola to begin his 12-year prison sentence, while 50-year-old Julie arrived at the Federal Correctional Institution and Federal Prison Camp Marianna to serve her seven-year sentence.

The couple, who will also serve an additional 16 months of probation following their release from prison, are currently in the process of appealing their convictions.

In a statement previously obtained by People, their attorney said, in part, “Their trial was marred by serious and repeated errors, including the government lying to jurors about what taxes the couple paid. Based on these issues, we are optimistic about the road ahead.”

Chrisley Knows Best, which premiered in March 2014 on USA, follows the lavish lifestyle of Todd, a wealthy real estate developer, and his family. It also spun off a series, Growing Up Chrisley, starring two of his children.

Chrisley Knows Best had been renewed in May 2022, a month before they were convicted by a federal jury. Multiple episodes of the 10th season were reportedly shot before the trial and are still scheduled to air in this year.

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Reducing overall calories may promote weight loss more effectively than intermittent fasting: Study

Reducing overall calories may promote weight loss more effectively than intermittent fasting: Study
Reducing overall calories may promote weight loss more effectively than intermittent fasting: Study
Oscar Wong/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — Calorie restriction may be more effective at promoting weight loss than intermittent fasting, based on findings from a multi-site study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Researchers at three major health care systems — Johns Hopkins Health System, Geisinger Health System and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center — studied weight trends, daily food intake and sleeping/eating time intervals charted in a mobile app over the course of six months for 547 adult men and women with a range of medical conditions and Body Mass Index (BMI) categories.

These weight trends were compared to weights and heights recorded during previous clinic visits, up to 10 years before the study enrollment. Meal sizes were categorized as either large (more than 1,000 calories), medium (500 to 1,000 calories) or small (less than 500 calories).

The average daily number of large- and medium-sized meals led to weight increases, the study showed, suggesting that overall caloric intake remains a key contributor to weight gain. In comparison, the total number of small meals was predictive of weight loss over time.

Additionally, the time interval between the first to last meal was not associated with weight change, according to the study. On average, this time interval was approximately 11 hours for adults enrolled in the study.

For the purposes of this study, intermittent fasting was defined by time-restricted feeding schedules. This allowed researchers to compare weight trends during sleep and feeding times, dividing up a 24-hour period into time spent sleeping, waking up to first meal, time spent between first to last meal, and time spent between last meal and sleeping.

“Our study does not support the use of time-restricted eating as [a] strategy for long-term weight loss. [Limiting] the frequency of large meals could be more effective in losing weight, but clinical trials are needed to confirm our findings,” said the study’s first author, Dr. Di Zhao, a researcher in the department of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research.

However, it should be noted that healthy, sustainable weight loss should be part of an individualized plan, and that these study findings are not universally applicable.

“The decision to lower calories or try intermittent fasting should really be individualized to the person. [Some] people find intermittent fasting easier to lower their calories and others find they just get too hungry when they fast and then they eat too much during their non-fasting time,” according to Liz Weinandy, a registered dietitian at The Ohio State University Medical Center and instructor of practice at OSU in Columbus, Ohio.

Instead, efforts should be focused on consuming a balanced diet, refraining from “excluding a specific food group or macronutrient. These diets do not work long-term and if they do work, they are generally not healthy,” Weinandy said.

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