Kim Cattrall says she was “never asked” to star in the ‘Sex and the City’ spin-off ‘And Just Like That…”

Kim Cattrall says she was “never asked” to star in the ‘Sex and the City’ spin-off ‘And Just Like That…”
Kim Cattrall says she was “never asked” to star in the ‘Sex and the City’ spin-off ‘And Just Like That…”
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for for CinemaCon

While Kim Cattrall made it clear she wasn’t going to return to the world of Sex and the City years ago, in a new Variety cover story, she explained why she didn’t reprise her Samantha Jones for the HBO Max follow-up And Just Like That… .

For one thing, the 65-year-old actress said she “was never asked.”

“I made my feelings clear after the possible third movie, so I found out about [the show] like everyone else did — on social media.”

That said, Cattrall says, “It’s a great wisdom to know when enough is enough. I also didn’t want to compromise what the show was to me.”

Kim also revealed that the third Sex and the City film, which she eventually pulled out of, some elements actually hewed fairly closely to the basics of And Just Like That…, including the death of Chris Noth‘s Mr. Big.

However, instead of development for Samantha’s character, one element of the plot that Cattrall objected to was Samantha getting a dirty pic from Brady, the underage son of Cynthia Nixon’s Miranda. Cattrall called that “heartbreaking.”

While Cattrall acknowledges it’s certainly nice that people miss Samantha, “I haven’t deserted anybody,” she insists. “Can you imagine going back to a job you did 25 years ago? And the job didn’t get easier; it got more complicated in the sense of how are you going to progress with these characters? Everything has to grow, or it dies.”

She adds, “I felt that when the series ended, I thought that’s smart. We’re not repeating ourselves. And then the movie to end all the loose ends. And then there’s another movie. And then there’s another movie?”

After 2010’s Sex and the City 2, Kim recalls, “Everything in me went, ‘I’m done.'”

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‘It was terrifying’: Pink opens up about suffering panic attacks in her 20s

‘It was terrifying’: Pink opens up about suffering panic attacks in her 20s
‘It was terrifying’: Pink opens up about suffering panic attacks in her 20s
Chiaki Nozu/WireImage

(NEW YORK) — Pink is marking Mental Health Awareness Month and sharing her story about suffering from “pretty awful panic attacks” when she was in her early 20s.

“I didn’t know what was happening. I didn’t have anybody to talk to about it and I didn’t know what to do,” the “Just Like Fire” singer admitted in a new Instagram video.

She said her attacks felt “like I was having strokes, like, stroke symptoms. It was terrifying.”

When she went to the hospital for help during the attacks, Pink said she was always told, “You’re fine. There’s nothing wrong. You’re imagining it all. It’s all in your head.”

The “Try” singer said she didn’t take that as a final answer and sought a therapist to help figure out what was causing her issues.

“I started learning all these steps on how to take care of myself,” she said. “I’d never been taught how to take care of myself.”

Pink said she turned to meditating, healthy eating, surrounding herself with the right people and using a “spiritual toolbox” that she keeps under her bed to help manage the panic attacks.

What has helped the most, she noted, is music: “Writing songs is probably the thing that has saved my life.”

“I will tell you – from being a very, very afraid seven-, eight-, 13-, 23-, 31- and now 42-year-old woman – it does get better and there are beautiful moments waiting for you,” she said. “And there are beautiful people waiting to love you, and one of those people is yourself.”

Pink is partnering with the nonprofit Child Mind Institute to promote its “Dare to Share” campaign, which encourages children to be open about their own mental health.

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Danzig bassist & D Generation member Howie Pyro has died

Danzig bassist & D Generation member Howie Pyro has died
Danzig bassist & D Generation member Howie Pyro has died
Jordi Vidal/Redferns via Getty Images

Howie Pyro, former bassist in Danzig and original member of influential ’90s punk band D Generation, has died at age 61.

DGen’s Jesse Malin confirmed the news Wednesday night in an Instagram post, writing that Pyro “fought real hard right till the end” after a long battle with liver disease.

“He changed my life and so many others in ways I can’t even begin to say,” Malin shared of his late band mate. “We made our world together…I learned so much from him. He made this planet a much better, cooler, weirder, and more beautiful place.”

According to Rolling Stone, Pyro died from COVID-19-related pneumonia.

Pyro, born Howard Kusten, co-founded D Generation alongside Malin in 1991, and the band was a staple of the ’90s New York City punk scene. From 2000 to 2003, he played bass in Danzig, contributing to the 2001 live album Live on the Black Hand Side and the 2002 studio effort Danzig 777: I Luciferi. Pyro was also a prolific DJ.

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Queen’s ‘The Platinum Collection’ compilation to be released as six-disc, colored-vinyl set in June

Queen’s ‘The Platinum Collection’ compilation to be released as six-disc, colored-vinyl set in June
Queen’s ‘The Platinum Collection’ compilation to be released as six-disc, colored-vinyl set in June
Hollywood Records

Queen‘s triple compilation The Platinum Collection, which gathers together all three volumes of the band’s official Greatest Hits albums, will be released on vinyl for the first time on June 17.

The six-LP collection will feature Greatest Hits, Greatest Hits II and Greatest Hits III as half-speed-mastered two-disc sets, with each LP pressed on a different-colored 180-gram vinyl disc and housed in an individually designed sleeve. The package will offer new artwork and will include an exclusive 24-page photo book.

First released in the U.S. in 2002 as a three-CD set, The Platinum Collection has been certified five-times Platinum by the RIAA.

Here’s a look at the individual compilations included in the retrospective:

Greatest Hits got its initial release in 1981, and features classic Queen songs spanning from 1974 to 1980. The album has been RIAA-certified nine-times Platinum in the U.S. and is the best-selling album ever in the U.K.

Greatest Hits II was first released in 1991 and has sold 19 million copies worldwide. It arrived shorty before the death of Queen singer Freddie Mercury and boasts highlights of the band’s catalog from 1981 to 1991.

Greatest Hits III was originally released in 1999, and features songs from Queen’s Made in Heaven album issued after Mercury death, solo tunes by Freddie and guitarist Brian May, rarities, the group’s collaborations with other artists, and more.

You can pre-order the vinyl version of The Platinum Collection now.

In related news, a companion book titled Queen — The Platinum Collection: Complete Scores Collector’s Edition, a hardcover volume featuring full-band transcriptions for almost 50 classic songs by the British rock legends, is available for pre-order now at HalLeonard.com.

Here’s the full track list of The Platinum Collection vinyl edition:

Greatest Hits

LP 1 — Side A
“Bohemian Rhapsody”
“Another One Bites the Dust”
“Killer Queen”
“Fat Bottomed Girls”

LP 1 — Side B
“Bicycle Race”
“You’re My Best Friend”
“Don’t Stop Me Now”
“Save Me”

LP 2 — Side A
“Crazy Little Thing Called Love”
“Somebody to Love”
“Now I’m Here”
“Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy”

LP 2 — Side B
“Play the Game”
“Flash”
“Seven Seas Of Rhye”
“We Will Rock You”
“We Are the Champions”

Greatest Hits II

LP 3 — Side A
“A Kind of Magic”
“Under Pressure” — Queen + David Bowie
“Radio Ga Ga”
“I Want It All”
“I Want to Break Free”

LP 3 — Side B
“Innuendo”
“It’s a Hard Life”
“Breakthru”
“Who Wants to Live Forever”

LP 4 — Side A
“Headlong”
“The Miracle”
“I’m Going Slightly Mad”
“The Invisible Man”

LP 4 — Side B
“Hammer to Fall”
“Friends Will Be Friends”
“The Show Must Go On”
“One Vision”

Greatest Hits III

LP 5 — Side A
Queen + Elton John — “The Show Must Go On” (Live, Theatre National de Chaillot, Paris, 1997)
Queen + David Bowie -– “Under Pressure” (Rah Mix)
Freddie Mercury + Montserrat Caballé -– “Barcelona” (Single Version)
Queen — “Too Much Love Will Kill You”

LP 5 — Side B
George Michael + Queen -– “Somebody to Love” (Live, The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert For AIDS Awareness, Wembley, April 1992)
Queen -– “You Don’t Fool Me”
Queen -– “Heaven For Everyone”
Queen -– “Las Palabras De Amor” (The Words Of Love)

LP 6 — Side A
Brian May -– “Driven by You”
Freddie Mercury -– “Living On My Own”
Queen –- “Let Me Live”
Freddie Mercury -– “The Great Pretender”
Queen -– “Princes Of The Universe”

LP 6 — Side B
Queen + Wyclef Jean -– “Another One Bites the Dust” (Remix)
Queen — “No One but You (Only the Good Die Young)”
Queen — “These Are the Days of Our Lives”
Queen — “Thank God It’s Christmas”

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Tom Cruise says Lady Gaga was “like a guardian angel” for ‘Top Gun: Maverick’

Tom Cruise says Lady Gaga was “like a guardian angel” for ‘Top Gun: Maverick’
Tom Cruise says Lady Gaga was “like a guardian angel” for ‘Top Gun: Maverick’
Interscope

Lady Gaga recorded the song “Hold My Hand” for the soundtrack of Top Gun: Maverick, but star Tom Cruise said she did much more than that.

Speaking to Access Hollywood at Tuesday night’s premiere of the film in San Diego, Cruise said that he didn’t feel the music for the film was quite right, until Gaga sent the song over. “I called her right after. I said, ‘I don’t know how you did this,'” Cruise noted. “I admire her so much, she’s an incredible artist.”

Asked if he’s a Gaga fan, he responded, “Are you kidding me? She can act, she can compose, she can do jazz and pop, and what she gave us…she’s like the guardian angel for the film. Her heart was the heartbeat of this film.”

Cruise went on to say that pre-pandemic, he’d seen Gaga’s Las Vegas residency show, Enigma, and recently, he went back to see her Jazz & Piano residency show.

“Who couldn’t love Gaga? I’m sorry, but that woman is like a force of nature!” he raved.

Top Gun: Maverick, featuring Cruise reprising his role from the original 1986 film, arrives in theaters May 27.

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‘Dancing With the Stars’ alum opens up days after undergoing breast cancer surgery

‘Dancing With the Stars’ alum opens up days after undergoing breast cancer surgery
‘Dancing With the Stars’ alum opens up days after undergoing breast cancer surgery
Eric McCandless/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — Little Women: LA creator and star Terra Jolé is opening up about her personal health battle hoping to help others, she says.

Jolé announced her breast cancer diagnosis to fans and her social media followers in an emotional Instagram video post last week.

“I have breast cancer,” the 41-year-old TV personality wrote in the caption. “Hardest call I’ve ever made was this video telling my mom for the first time.”

While she initially felt the cancer on her right side, evidence of cancer was later found in both breasts, Jolé told Good Morning America.

“I had two choices,” Jolé continued. “1. Hide and not share on social media. 2. Take you along the fight with me. Since our lives have been public for the last 10 years, it’s only fair we make this journey together.”

In Jolé’s video post, the Dancing With the Stars alum revealed to her mother that she decided to undergo a double mastectomy, a type of surgery where both breasts are removed, along with cancerous tissue, according to the American Cancer Society. While mastectomies are one of the multiple treatment options for individuals with breast cancer, they are typically reserved for women with high-risk cancers or those who have genetic mutations placing them at increased risk of recurrence.

GMA caught up with Jolé eight days after her surgery, one that she said she opted for to prevent a recurrence of cancer.

“I didn’t want that for my children, I didn’t want to go through this multiple times,” Jolé said. “So I want to take off both now and not think ‘what if’ in the future.”

Jolé has been in the spotlight for years, bringing awareness to skeletal dysplasia, the condition behind her 4′ 2″ stature.

“Showing you’re not alone through an experience like this whether you’re a little whether you’re average, this can happen to anyone,” Jolé told GMA.

“If I had someone like a friend or someone that experienced this in a positive light, then this would have made the beginning process much easier for me.”

As she takes on her breast cancer journey, Jolé said she is leaning on her family for support.

Jolé’s husband, Joe Gnoffo, told GMA he’s in awe of her strength. “I can’t believe how she’s handling this,” he said.

“Never once have I heard like, ‘Why me?’ She’s just not like that.”

Jolé’s main message for others is to pay attention to their own bodies and to get care if needed.

“If you feel something, say something. It can be a matter of life or death for you,” Jolé said.

She also encouraged others not to wait too long to seek advice from a doctor. “Ask your OB if it’s something to take a closer look at!” Jolé wrote in another Instagram post Wednesday.

“If they don’t give you a breast exam in their office, find another OB. My OB (whom I love dearly but…) had a 3 month appointment out, so, I found another OB. I couldn’t wait 3 months to know if I was feeling something normal or not normal.”

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Jamie Foxx playfully imitates Dave Chappelle’s on-stage attack

Jamie Foxx playfully imitates Dave Chappelle’s on-stage attack
Jamie Foxx playfully imitates Dave Chappelle’s on-stage attack
Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images

Jamie Foxx was right there to support Dave Chappelle when an armed assailant tackled the comedian at the Hollywood Bowl Tuesday night, with Jamie helping calm the crowd after the attack.

Also after the attack, Foxx posted to Instagram a black and white photo of him and Chappelle to make it clear, without a caption, that he’s got Dave’s back. But he didn’t stop there. The Oscar winner was seen on social media showing off his considerable mimicry skills to imitate Chappelle during the attack.

In a video posted by WorldStar Hip Hop, Foxx can be seen riffing in a recording booth, evidently on a break doing some voice-over work for a Netflix project.

Jamie, as Chappelle, shouts, “Damn, man! He ran up on stage on me! I was incensed!…” cracking up whoever was watching and recording him.

Foxx then adds, as Dave, “Thank God for Jamie Foxx. If you’re ever in trouble, Jamie Foxx will show up…All those other comedians just stood there. Waiting for me to die! So they can take over!”

“I see you, Chris Rock!, That will never happen!” Foxx finishes, taking a playful swipe at Rock who was also at Chappelle’s Tuesday-night show there to chill out the fans, and drop possibly the best ad lib of all time. Referring to the alleged attacker, Rock asked, “Was that Will Smith?!”

Isiah Lee, 23, is being held on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. ABC News reports the LA County DA’s Office will determine what charges, if any, will be filed. In the meantime, Lee’s bail has been set at $30,000.

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Madonna has a few things she wants to discuss with the Pope

Madonna has a few things she wants to discuss with the Pope
Madonna has a few things she wants to discuss with the Pope
Dave Hogan/Getty Images

While she was raised Catholic, Madonna has run into trouble with the church several times in her career. Now, it appears that she wants absolution.

On Wednesday, the Queen of Pop tweeted at Pope Francis — yes, he has a Twitter account — “Hello @Pontifex Francis —I’m a good Catholic. I Swear! I mean I don’t Swear! It’s been a few decades since my last confession. Would it be possible to meet up one day to discuss some important matters ?”

She added, “I’ve been ex communicated 3 times. It doesn’t seem fair. Sincerely Madonna.”

It’s not clear if Madonna has truly been excommunicated, but she’s certainly drawn condemnation from the Vatican and the previous Pope over the years for her videos and live performances.  For example, her video for “Like a Prayer,” in which she kisses a Black saint, dances in front of burning crosses and displays stigmata, was condemned by the Vatican, and Pope John Paul II encouraged people to boycott Madonna when she toured Italy.

In 1990, she responded to calls from Italian Catholic organizations to ban her concerts in Rome and Turin by saying, “If you are sure that I am a sinner, then let he who has not sinned cast the first stone.”

And in 2006, during her Confessions tour, religious leaders accused Madonna of blasphemy and condemned her because she performed the song “Live to Tell” while hanging on a cross and wearing a crown of thorns.

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South Korea’s Culture Minister proposes BTS be exempt from military service

South Korea’s Culture Minister proposes BTS be exempt from military service
South Korea’s Culture Minister proposes BTS be exempt from military service
ABC via Getty Images

They may be called ARMY, but BTS fans don’t want to see their boys go into the army for real.  In South Korea, all able-bodied men are required to serve in the military for about two years, but now, a government minister is proposing that BTS should be exempt from that rule.

As Yonhap News Agency reports, South Korea’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Hwang Hee is proposing that, just like South Korea’s elite athletes and classical musicians, K-pop stars like BTS should also be allowed to substitute their mandatory active military service for some kind of alternative service.

Hwang said at a press conference, “There is no reason the popular art-culture field should be excluded from this,” adding, “I thought somebody should be a responsible voice at a time when there are conflicting pros and cons ahead of the enlistment of some of the BTS members.”

He explained that if huge stars like BTS are forced to put their careers on hold for military service, there would be a great loss, not only to the country, but to the world.

Hwang urged parliament to approve a bill granting the exemption as soon as possible.

The oldest member of BTS, Jin, is due to enlist in December.  Since 2018, there’s been a law in place — sometimes called the BTS Law — which allows K-pop stars to ask to delay their military service until they turn 30.

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Dave Chappelle issues first response to “unfortunate and unsettling” attack

Dave Chappelle issues first response to “unfortunate and unsettling” attack
Dave Chappelle issues first response to “unfortunate and unsettling” attack
Netflix/Mathieu Bitton

A day after Dave Chappelle was tackled on stage while playing the Netflix Is a Joke festival at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles Tuesday night, the comedian and Netflix both issued statements regarding the incident.

“Dave Chappelle celebrated four nights of comedy and music, setting record-breaking sales for a comedian at the Hollywood Bowl,” a Chappelle spokesperson said in a statement on Wednesday. “This run ties Chappelle with Monty Python for the most headlined shows by any comedian at the Hollywood Bowl, reaching 70k fans of diverse backgrounds during the first Netflix Is a Joke: The Festival, and he refuses to allow last night’s incident to overshadow the magic of this historic moment.”

“As unfortunate and unsettling as the incident was, Chappelle went on with the show,” the statement continued. Jamie Foxx and Chris Rock helped calm the crowd with humor before Chappelle introduced the last and featured musical guests for the evening, hip-hop artists yasiin bey and Talib Kweli, a.k.a. Black Star, who performed music from their new album — the first in nearly 24 years -– which was released on Luminary. Other special comedic guests last night included Earthquake, Leslie Jones, Jeff Ross, Sebastian, Jon Stewart and Michelle Wolf.”

In a separate statement, a Netflix spokesperson said, “We care deeply about the safety of creators and we strongly defend the right of stand-up comedians to perform on stage without fear of violence.”

The attack suspect, identified as 23-year-old Isaiah Lee, allegedly rushed the stage when Chappelle was performing and shoved Dave to stage floor, where the comic tussled with the unknown assailant. The suspect, who was brandishing a knife shaped like a gun, was apprehended and taken to the hospital.

Netflix says it’s actively discussing the security protocols for future events.

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