By Mark Gray
8:07am PDT, Jul 3, 2020
Cancellation report
Despite rumors, Ellen DeGeneres' eponymous talk show isn't going anywhere, producers said this week. On July 1, a report from The Sun claimed there's talk that "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" could be getting canceled amid falling ratings and in the wake of reports alleging that the comedian is "rude" to her staff. Ellen's production company, however, shut it down in a statement: "Telepictures can confirm it's untrue." The 62-year-old star might seem like the image of happiness and positivity on her talk show, but claims of unkind behavior went viral in March after comedian Kevin T. Porter asked fans on Twitter to tell their most "insane" stories about "Ellen being mean." Many obliged. Ellen's ratings have also been suffering: In mid-June, TVNewsCheck reported that "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" fell 14 percent to a new season 17 low behind "Dr. Phil."
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$plitsville
After 24 years of marriage, Dr. Dre and his wife are divorcing… and no, they don't have a prenuptial agreement, according to reports. On June 29, Nicole Young, who married the hip-hop mogul in 1996, filed divorce paperwork, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split, TMZ reported. Since they duo didn't have a prenup, Nicole, at least in theory, could get half of Dre's reported $800 million fortune. The couple's two children are adults, so child support won't be a factor. Nicole is reportedly seeking spousal support.
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Controversial concert
Country singer Chase Rice sparked all kinds of backlash throughout the week — even from fellow country artists — after performing on June 27 to a huge crowd in Tennessee, most of whom eschewed masks and social distancing. While initial reports said 4,000 were on hand at the outdoor show, Chase's team said the number was actually less than 1,000. Perhaps most upsetting were videos from the concert — one of which was posted by Chase — that showed fans bare-faced and shoulder to shoulder as they sang along. In the following days, top-line Nashville names criticized Chase for holding a live show amid the coronavirus pandemic. Chase later responded, but didn't offer any apologies or regrets. "Everybody had a blast," he said in an Instagram video on June 29. "But then once I posted the video, a lot of people seeing that online had a big problem with how the show looked, how the show went down." In response, Chase changed his next concert to a drive-in show and encouraged fans to "go by the rules." Interestingly, he isn't the only artist performing live for fans amid the pandemic.
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R.I.P.
How cruel can 2020 be? On June 29, Carl Reiner passed away at 98. Actor-director Rob Reiner tweeted the news of his father's death, writing, "Last night my dad passed away. As I write this my heart is hurting. He was my guiding light." Carl had a seven-decade career as a writer, director, producer and actor with memorable roles on "The Dick Van Dyke Show," in "The 2000-Year-Old Man" and in the "Ocean's 11" franchise. Steve Martin called Carl his "greatest mentor in movies and in life." Mel Brooks, who's career often intertwined with Carl's, said they'd been "best friends" since the '50s. "Carl was a giant, unmatched in his contributions to entertainment," Mel shared in a post on Twitter. "I loved him." Mel added, "Whether he wrote or performed or he was just your best friend — nobody could do it better. He will be greatly missed."
Back on
Is anyone really surprised here? On July 1, People magazine reported that reality TV star Khloe Kardashian and NBA player Tristan Thompson — the much-maligned father of her daughter — are back on. They are "giving their relationship another try," a source told the mag. "Tristan is working hard to prove himself and has been a great dad to [their daughter] True." In fact, at Khloe's birthday party in June, she and Tristan "acted like [they] were back together," a second source told People. The reconciliation isn't totally shocking, as the duo have seemed to be moving in that direction for a while, particularly given Tristan's penchant for online flattery aimed at Khloe. In March, Khloe dodged a fan's direct question about the status of her relationship with Tristan, who has been quarantining with the Good American designer and True for months. Many Khloe fans haven't welcomed a reconciliation with Tristan, who's cheated on the reality star several times — including when she was pregnant. He was also unfaithful with Khloe's sister Kylie Jenner's now-former BFF Jordyn Woods. In March, Khloe said she had forgiven Tristan and Jordyn and implied their hookup details were "hearsay."
Responsible decision
Amid backlash and surging coronavirus cases in Texas, Vanilla Ice canceled a concert near Austin that was set for July 3. The scheduled live show had local health officials in an uproar given that the state, as a whole, is a COVID-19 hotspot (a day before the cancellation, Texas hit a new record for confirmed coronavirus cases.) "I'm going to give you a little update about the concert in Austin," Ice said in an Instagram video on July 2. "Basically, I'm not going." The venue had been taking precautions to try to ensure social distancing, but local officials urged fans to stay away and begged the rapper or the venue to cancel. "I listen to my fans. I hear all you people," he said after announcing his cancellation. "I didn't know the numbers were so crazy in Austin."
Mafia attack
This one is wild. Dina Manzo's ex-husband, Tommy Manzo, was indicted on June 30 for hiring an alleged mobster to assault her then-boyfriend, David Cantin, in 2015. Dina, who starred on the first two seasons of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey," has since married David. In exchange for beating, the Mafia man got a huge discount on his wedding reception, which took place at a Manzo catering hall in New Jersey. Both Tommy and John Perna, who's reportedly a "made man" in the Lucchese crime family, were charged with several crimes including conspiracy to commit and committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering activity and fraud.
Romantic relationship?
Jada Pinkett Smith is denying a bombshell allegation — that she had an affair with 27-year-old singer August Alsina. During an interview with radio host Angela Yee to promote his new documentary and album, which appeared on his YouTube channel on June 30, August — who reportedly met Jada in 2015 through her son, Jaden Smith — claimed that he and the actress were in a romantic relationship for years — and that he sat down with Jada's husband of 2 years, Will Smith, to discuss the actor's marital situation and got his approval. Will, August says, gave "his blessing" and was totally aware of the relationship. Will and Jada have long been plagued with rumors that they have an open relationship. August, who attended the 2017 BET Awards with Jada, 48, implied that things at least are not traditional, noting that he spoke to Will "due to the transformation from their marriage to life partnership that they've spoken on several times." He said he "totally gave myself to that relationship for years of my life, and I truly and really, really deeply love and have a ton of love for her," he added. "I devoted myself to it, I gave my full self to it — so much so to the point that I can die right now and be OK with knowing that I truly gave myself to somebody." Jada's rep told Page Six that August's claims are "absolutely not true," while Will's rep told The Sun that the singer's claims are "wrong."
Christina Ricci's seven-year marriage is over. On July 2, the actress filed to divorce dolly grip James Heerdegen. The "Addams Family" star, who cited irreconcilable differences, is reportedly seeking sole legal and physical custody of their 5-year-old son. The filing came just one day after she was granted an emergency protective order against James following an alleged domestic incident. What happened is unknown. "On 06/25/20, around 9:20 a.m., officers responded to a domestic battery radio call," a police spokesman told Us Weekly, adding that "a report was completed." No one was arrested in the incident.
Blackface accusations
Alyssa Milano is hitting back at allegations that she once wore blackface. On June 29, a conservative media outlet pushed out a headline that read: "Alyssa Milano embroiled in blackface scandal — damning video comes back to haunt her." Other right-leaning outlets also picked up a throwback photo that showed the "Who's the Boss?" star with dark skin. Alyssa, who's made no secret of her left-leaning politics, clapped back at the accusations with fury. "Hey, a–holes. The below picture is me parodying 'Jersey Shore' and Snooki's tan. Snooki's tan (she is a sweetheart by the way) is worthy of parodying as is Trump's 'tan,'" she tweeted alongside a link to the "Funny or Die" skit. "So go f— yourselves with your smear campaign." Alyssa had previously addressed the photo, saying that "right-wing trolls" were accusing her of appearing in blackface and offered the full video as a way to provide more context to the screengrabs.
