A Roundup Of The 25 Things Celebs Did This Week — Some Of 'Em Fantastic And Some Of 'Em Definitely Not That
A lot happened in pop culture this week. Like, a lot a lot. So, I won't dilly-dally with an intro, but I will give you a convoluted mixed metaphor. Buckle up, strap in, hold onto something, take a deep breath, and dive in! Here's what you missed:
Hulu
1.After some fans expressed concerns that Sydney Sweeney was being exploited for the sheer number of nude scenes in Euphoria, the actor revealed that there were more scripted scenes featuring her character, Cassie, topless. "I've never felt like [creator] Sam [Levinson] has pushed it on me or was trying to get a nude scene into an HBO show. When I didn't want to do it, he didn't make me," she said.
2.In a new tell-all documentary released Friday, Janet Jackson reflected on the 2004 Super Bowl — where Justin Timberlake infamously exposed her breast — and called on fans to move on. "Justin and I are very good friends, and we will always be very good friends," she said. "He and I have moved on, and it’s time for everyone else to do the same."
Janet also reflected on Michael Jackson in the eponymously titled doc, revealing that she dealt with body image issues at 10 years old as a result of the late singer's cruel teasing and name-calling. "He would laugh about it and I’d laugh too, but then there was some-where down inside that it would hurt," she recalled.
3.Marvel stars like Simu Liu and David Dastmalchian called out Ant-Man's Evangeline Lilly for attending an anti-vax rally in D.C. In an Instagram post, Evangeline cited "bodily sovereignty" as her reasoning, which Simu and David indirectly called "not rooted in facts or science" and "irresponsible," respectively.
In case you forgot, this is not the first time an MCU actor has been under fire for problematic (and just factually incorrect) vaccine views.
4.In a hilarious new AT&T commercial, unexpected duo Mila Kunis and Demi Moore joked about "having a lot in common." It seemed to be a reference to their shared romantic history: Ashton Kutcher was married to Demi for eight years prior to his 2015 marriage with Mila.
Love a good celebs-poking-fun-at-celebs moment!
5.According to reports, Pamela Anderson is not thrilled with upcoming miniseries Pam & Tommy, which has been touted as a corrective narrative exploring the actor's leaked sex tape with Tommy Lee. Lily James and Sebastian Stan, who portray the two leads, previously said the creative team reached out to her to no avail — but that's not stopping fans from threatening to boycott.
According to a source that spoke to Entertainment Tonight, Pamela feels the miniseries uproots "painful" memories of how "violated" she felt by the tape's release, which was stolen, exploited, and sold for profit.
6.Kim Kardashian's ex Ray J has seemingly responded to Ye's claims that he retrieved an unreleased second sex tape of the two. A day after Kim's representative said she was "firm in her belief" that no second tape exists, Ray took to Twitter in a rare post, saying, "This needs to stop. I also have kids."
7.Who's in what: Lee Daniels is set to direct an exorcism thriller with an all-star cast featuring Andra Day, Octavia Spencer, Glenn Close, Rob Morgan, Caleb McLaughlin, and Aunjanue Ellis. Octavia in a horror movie? While we're at it, give me Ma 2, you cowards!!!
In other casting news: Chris Evans and Dwayne Johnson will be co-leads in a new holiday action-comedy movie called Red One.
8.Speaking of casts...Mandy Moore apparently wants Olivia Rodrigo to take over her role in A Walk To Remember remake. "I would love to see it. It’s been long enough that, yeah, I feel like we’ve earned our place in cinematic history for a reboot at this point," Mandy said.
And, that's great and all, but at this point I'm begging Hollywood to consider originality. And no, this has nothing to do with how much I'll sob at a reboot, thanks very much!
9.Finally, some good fucking news: "Cooking with Flo" (as in Florence Pugh) is back! The actor, who comforts all with her at-home cooking vignettes on Instagram, is returning to her glorious, chefing-it-up, wine-and-dine self. Perhaps it's not earth-shattering news, but it's definitely a much-needed bright spot.
Ugh, my heart is positively singing! This is what I'm fucking talking about!!!
10.Miss me? Jessica Szohr, an OG Gossip Girl alum, has launched a new podcast for the show, aptly titled XOXO. And the details she had to spare in the inaugural episode were juicy enough for any rumor-hungry Upper East Sider — like the fact that the iconic voice of GG could have been Christina Ricci or Selma Blair, not Kristen Bell.
Looking for another nostalgia-inducing podcast? Welcome to Our Show — a New Girl-themed podcast hosted by Hannah Simone and Lamorne Morris — officially launched with two episodes this week.
11.Wedding bells are in the air: Brenda Song and Macaulay Culkin are engaged! The Disney power couple share a 9-month-old son named Dakota. They first began dating four years ago and have been seemingly inseparable since!
12.To all the boys she's loved before, Lana Condor and longtime boyfriend (and fellow actor) Anthony De La Torre are soon to be heading to the altar! The pair got engaged after six years, and their gushing Instagram tributes to each other are everything to me. "Saying YES was the easiest decision I’ve ever made," Lana wrote.
Unlike, ahem, other celeb couples, this ring is not pain-inducing and is custom-made by a Vietnamese and woman-owned shop as a nod to Lana's heritage.
13.Demigods, it is once again our time to shine! Disney+ has officially greenlit Percy Jackson and the Olympians, a series based on the renowned Rick Riordian books. And before you freak out about it being a potential flop, just know that the author himself will be heavily involved as executive producer!
The series is set to begin filming during the summer and casting has officially begun. Don't mind me, waiting eagerly and with bated breath!
14.Disney will change course on a new live-action Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs after being heavily criticized by Peter Dinklage, who called it a "fucking backward story." The company said it will be "taking a different approach" and "consult with members of the dwarfism community in order "to avoid reinforcing stereotypes."
Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot are set to star as the titular princess and evil queen, respectively.
15.Celebrities like Beyoncé, Diana Ross, and Kim Kardashian paid tribute to culture-shifting French designer Thierry Mugler, who died Jan. 23 at 73 and crafted some of their most iconic looks. "Thierry Mugler was a defining force in fashion. Even his archive collection today seems futuristic," wrote Tracee Ellis Ross on Instagram.
16.In a very bizarre (read: jealous) interaction, rock musician Damon Albarn claimed that Taylor Swift "doesn't write her own songs." When she hit back — calling his words "completely false and SO damaging" — he tried to...literally pretend that his quotes were taken out of context. Doesn't it just suck when receipts exist?
As they say, when you do clownery...
17.In some more bewildering music news, Spotify agreed to pull Neil Young's music off the platform after the musician called out its complicity in spreading vaccine misinformation through Joe Rogan's podcast. "They can have Rogan or Young. Not both," he said in a since-deleted open letter. And now, Joni Mitchell is following suit.
Spotify should be very scared!
18.Peter Robbins, the original voice of Charlie Brown from 9 to 13, died by suicide at 65. The child star quit acting as a teenager and later worked as a DJ and in real estate.
If you or someone you know needs help, call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention for a database of resources.
19.Disgraced R&B artist Chris Brown is being sued for $20 million for allegedly drugging and raping a woman on a yacht. A convicted abuser, he claimed that a mysterious "they" are praying on his downfall "whenever [he's] releasing music or projects."
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE, which routes the caller to their nearest sexual assault service provider. You can also search for your local center here.
20.In lukewarm statements, the cast of West Side Story — Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose, and Rita Moreno — addressed the sexual assault allegations facing costar Ansel Elgort. Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, Rachel said she hopes "people are given the opportunity to answer for themselves." Meanwhile, Ariana maintained that "only the people involved" know what happened, and Rita said it would be "horrendous" to "take sides."
For more information on what they said and the allegations facing Ansel, click here. Recently, it also appeared like Rachel threw shade at Ansel on social media.
21.Javier Bardem and Daniel Craig's Actors on Actors conversation was a joy to behold (maybe not for the latter's bleeding head, but still). We learned many things, including that Javier once jumped out of a cake while dressed as a Bond girl for Daniel during their joint birthday celebration.
Yeah, uh, is this a service I can request on Cameo?
22.Emily in Paris is shaking, by which I mean that Paris Fashion Week is just around the corner. This week, celebs like JuliYe (Julia Fox + Ye) and Madelaine Petsch flocked to the City of Love for couture shows. While JuliYe attended the Kenzo show (making a splash with a denim-on-denim red carpet debut), Madelaine stunned at a Fendi event.
Other notable entertainment industry events include this year's virtual Sundance. Here's a breakdown of some of the most buzzy films you should look forward to.
23.10 Things I Hate About You icon Julia Stiles recently welcomed her second child with husband Preston J. Cook. "Welcome to the world, Baby Arlo! ? The newest addition to our family, reminding me how infinite love can be," she wrote on Instagram.
While EYE am personally ecstatic at the news, Julia and Preston's 4-year-old, Strummer, hilariously is not (taking out his anger by scribbling on the toilet).
24.Cardi B was awarded over $4 million after winning a libel suit against YouTuber Tasha K, who falsely claimed the rapper was a "prostitute," did cocaine, and had STIs. The lawsuit was filed back in 2019, and according to Variety, Tasha's lawyers will be seeking an appeal.
25.In case you weren't aware, Nicolas Cage is "a goth" now. And in case this doesn't track for you (it absolutely should, but I digress), he's so goth that he now owns a pet crow, who bullies him by calling him an "ass" when he leaves the room. Whatever you say, reincarnated Edgar Allen Poe!
Now, respectfully, every other celeb can stop doing shit because this is peak celeb culture. More of this, please.