By Wonderwall.com Editors
6:20am PDT, May 10, 2022
Joe Alwyn talks songwriting with girlfriend Taylor Swift
Actor Joe Alwyn says his songwriting credits on girlfriend Taylor Swift's albums "folklore" and "evermore" were totally "accidental" and simply a product of being stuck at home during the coronavirus pandemic. The "Conversations With Friends" star was credited as William Bowery on five songs that ended up on the albums, including the title track of the Grammy-winning "folklore." "It was really the most accidental thing to happen in lockdown. It wasn't like, 'It's three o'clock, it's time to write a song!'" Joe recently told GQ Hype. "It was just messing around on a piano and singing badly and being overheard and then thinking, you know, what if we tried to get to the end of it together?" So they did just that — and with great success. The couple also worried that Joe's name on the songs would overshadow the music itself, so they went for a pseudonym. "The idea was that people would just listen to the music rather than focus on the fact that we wrote it together. It was fun to do together, and I was proud of it. It was nice getting such a positive reception," he recalled. Fast forward to the actual recording process and Joe found himself passing the music for "exile" on to Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, who sang it on the album. "Sending it to Justin with the idea of doing a duet and getting voice notes back of him singing over the top and stuff was surreal," Joe said, calling the experience "a perk of lockdown." Asked if a version of "exile" exists that features him singing, Joe joked, "Jesus, there's probably a voice note somewhere that should be burned." "Conversations with Friends" hits Hulu on May 15.
Keep reading for the latest on Britney Spears' upcoming wedding and more …
Britney Spears and Sam Asghari set secret wedding date
Britney Spears and her fiance, Sam Asghari, seem to be in full wedding planning mode. Both Britney, 41, and Sam, 28, shared tidbits about the upcoming ceremony on Instagram over the weekend, including a confirmation that that they've chosen a date, though they plan to keep it under wraps for now. "Our lives has [sic] been a real fairytale. Happy Mother's Day to you my soon to be queen," Sam wrote in a Mother's Day post to Britney on his Instagram Stories, alongside a photo of the two kissing as Britney holds her engagement ring up for the camera. "Also the big day has been set! But nobody will know until the day after," he added. Later that day, Brit shared a photo of her cat splayed out on a long, white tulle garment. "Introducing Wendy 🐈 !!! And yes, this is the veil to my wedding dress 👰🏼♀️ !!!" she captioned the cute shot. Britney previously told fans on Instagram that Donatella Versace was designing her wedding gown, though it's unclear how the dress — and the wedding — will be affected by the singer's recent announcement that she and Sam are expecting their first child together. The baby news and the pair's engagement both mark major personal progress for Britney, given claims she made at a conservatorship hearing last June where she told the court she wanted "to get married and have a baby" but her conservators would not allow it. Her father, Jamie Spears, placed her under the strict — and controversial — legal arrangement in 2008. It was dissolved in November 2021.
RELATED: Take a look back at Britney Spears' best looks of all time
Adele and Rich Paul are reportedly still together, despite his absence on her birthday
There's no truth to those split rumors that hit Adele and sports agent Rich Paul last week after the singer appeared to have spent her birthday without him. That's according to multiple People sources, including one who confirmed to the outlet this week that the couple stepped out for a meal together in Napa Valley on Sunday, May 8. "Adele is still seeing Rich," one source said. "They are both very busy though. She is working on her residency and Rich is busy with his clients. They see each other when they can." That could explain why Rich was photographed at a party in Miami with his friend and client, LeBron James, as Adele celebrated her 34th birthday on May 5 with a few friends and no sign of Rich. Adele and Rich, 40, were first linked as a couple in July 2021. "Rich just incredibly arrived," Adele recently told Vogue when asked about their relationship. "I don't feel anxious or nervous or frazzled. It's quite the opposite. … He's great. He's so f****** funny. He's so smart, you know?"
RELATED: Kaley Cuoco reveals new romance with 'Ozark' actor, plus more celeb couples' Instagram debuts
Chrissy Teigen claps back at 'liposuction' comment while showing off her supermodel figure
Chrissy Teigen expertly shut down a would-be body shamer on Instagram over the weekend after spotting their comment on a photo that showed off her long, lithe legs in a pair of feathered denim "hot shorts." Tagging the brand, the she captioned the post, "the shorts are @area okay!!!!!," and quickly racked up thousands of likes and a long stream of comments about her gorgeous gams. When one follower joked, "more interested in the legs!!" however, another user replied, "constant liposuction, trainers and good diet.. as she should. I would lol." The former Sports Illustrated cover model spotted the liposuction accusation and laughed it off while calling out the person who posted it. "Constant liposuction' what are you even talking about lol," she wrote back to the user. Chrissy — who's in Las Vegas this month with her family for her husband John Legend's Love residency — has been open about her sobriety journey since 2021. And as fans have pointed out repeatedly on her Instagram in recent months, the booze-free life seems to be working wonders for her already stunning figure.
'The Wonder Years' star Fred Savage fired from ABC reboot after misconduct investigation
Fred Savage, who played Kevin Arnold in "The Wonder Years" from 1998 until 1993 before directing and producing the 2021 reboot of the family-friendly hit series, has been fired after a misconduct investigation. A rep for 20th Television confirmed the news in a statement to Entertainment Weekly published on Monday, May 9. "Recently, we were made aware of allegations of inappropriate conduct by Fred Savage, and as is policy, an investigation was launched," the spokesperson said. "Upon its completion, the decision was made to terminate his employment as an executive producer and director of 'The Wonder Years.'" The "inappropriate conduct" allegedly "included verbal outbursts and inappropriate behavior," Deadline reported last week. Fred, 45, was also investigated following harassment allegations on the set of "The Grinder" back in 2018, when he was accused of assault, battery and gender discrimination. He denied the claims at the time and a Fox investigation later "found no evidence of any wrongdoing," according to EW. In 1993, "The Wonder Years" costume designer Monique Long filed suit against Fred and Jason Hervey, who played his brother on the show, claiming they "verbally and physically harassed her daily." The actors denied the allegations, as did others who worked on the set at the time. They ultimately settled out of court, according to a 2018 report from Pajiba.com.
Hugh Jackman, more stars react to their 2022 Tony Awards nominations
The 2022 Tony Awards nominations were announced on Monday, May 9, ahead of next month's ceremony, capping off a season where "Broadway's back" became a rallying cry after years of pandemic-mandated shut downs. Hugh Jackman and his "Music Man" co-star Sutton Foster were among the stars who celebrated their nods with expressions of gratitude for being able to return to the stage at all after a difficult few years. "To be a part of the return of Broadway is a great privilege," said Hugh, who's up for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for "The Music Man," according to Deadline. "The vast amount of talent putting on 8 shows a week is inspiring," he continued. "I know the quote 'we are a family' is often overused. But not here. Not in the theatre. It takes thousands working together to make Broadway hum. I stand alongside the extraordinary cast, crew and creative team of 'The Music Man' in thanking The American Theatre Wing for our nominations. After 2 years of virtual darkness, Broadway is back, bright and ready to celebrate at The Tonys." Sutton, who's up for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for the same show, told Deadline, "It's an honor to be amongst all of the companies that braved the pandemic to bring back theater," adding that "being back on Broadway is an award in itself." Other celebs nominated for their theatrical work this year include Sam Mendes (Best Direction of a Play, "The Lehmen Trilogy"), Rachel Dratch (Best Featured Actress in a Play, "POTUS"), "Orange Is the New Black" alum Uzo Aduba (Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play, "Clyde's") and Sam Rockwell (Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play, "American Buffalo"). The play, "A Strange Loop" leads this year's nominations, with 11 nods. The 2022 Tony Awards, hosted by Ariana DeBose, are slated for June 12 in New York City.
Sherri Shepherd is 'truly concerned' for Wendy Williams, says she's 'going through a lot'
Sherri Shepherd says she's "truly concerned" about Wendy Williams and doesn't mind that Wendy won't watch her forthcoming show, "Sherri," when it takes over the time slot Wendy's show held for years. During an Instagram Live chat with rapper Fat Joe over the weekend, Sherri was asked about Wendy's recent comments. "I did hear Wendy say she will not watch me on the new show. And that's OK. You know, I understand," she said, according to Page Six. "She's going through a lot," Sherri added. "I'm truly concerned for her." Sherri initially replaced Wendy only as a guest host while Wendy battled a number of health issues. In February, the production company Debmar-Mercury announced Sherri's takeover would be permanent. In addition to health problems, Wendy's been fighting with Wells-Fargo after the bank reportedly froze her assets.
John Travolta shares touching video for late wife Kelly Preston on Mother's Day
John Travolta shared a moving tribute to his late wife, actress Kelly Preston, in honor of Mother's Day this year. In an Instagram video he captioned, "We love and miss you Kelly. Happy Mother's Day 💐❤️," the "Pulp Fiction" star shared a touching montage of photos from times throughout the 28 years of marriage they shared before Kelly lost her battle with cancer in July 2020. The clip opened with a photo of John and the words, "from me to you," before the series of touching pics of Kelly and photos of the two together began to roll as Barbra Streisand's "That Face" played in the background. John also included throwback pics of their kids, Ella, 22, Benjamin, 11, and son Jett, who died in 2009 at 16. As the four and a half minute-long video came to a close, John signed off, "With all my love, Johnny." Ella also honored her late mom on Sunday, May 8, sharing a childhood photo that showed her smiling next to Kelly while on a theme park ride. " I've learned a lot from all of the strong and powerful women in my life, I thank you all for being such wonderful role models," she wrote on the post. "I miss and love you, mama," she added. "Happy Mothers to all of the wonderful moms out there!"
