By Mark Gray
6:59am PST, Jan 9, 2022
Arrested again
Britney Spears' first ex-husband has found himself in trouble with the law yet again. Jason Alexander, who was infamously married to the pop star for 55 hours back in 2004, was arrested on Dec. 30, 2021, in Franklin, Tennessee, for violating of an order of protection and aggravated stalking, Page Six reported on Jan. 5. It's not known who he allegedly stalked. A hearing is scheduled for Feb. 17. This marks Jason's third arrest in 12 months. The famous ex was arrested in Nashville in January 2021 on DUI and drug charges, including driving under the influence, unlawful use of drug paraphernalia and possession or casual exchange of a controlled substance. Last summer, Jason was also arrested for allegedly breaching security at a Tennessee airport. In regard to his newest arrest, Jason was taken to the Williamson County Jail and held on a $30,000 bond before being released.
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Mom shamed
Hilary Duff was mom-shamed (again) after seemingly allowing her 3-year-old daughter, Banks, to ride in the back of a vehicle without a car seat. On Jan. 3, the actress's "Younger" co-star Molly Bernard shared a clip of her and Banks having fun in the backseat of a car. Hilary and her husband, Matthew Koma, can be seen in the front seat. Social media critics immediately bagged on the couple (and Molly) for what they felt was a clear safety breach, as Banks wasn't fully strapped in with a seatbelt, nor was a car or booster seat visible. Several media outlets noted that in California, where Hilary and Matthew live, children under 8 must be secured in a car seat or booster seat in the back seat, per the law. Hilary didn't comment on the backlash, but Matthew took aim at several haters. "You truly are a hero for speaking up," he jabbed one person who recommended a car seat company. He told another, "You're the kind of person who cuts up a kid's Apple sauce, hey?"
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Confirmed father of three
To the surprise of almost nobody, Tristan Thompson has acknowledged that he did, indeed, father a third child — all while he was still dating Khloe Kardashian. On Jan. 3, the much-maligned NBA player shared a message on his Instagram Story that read, "Today, paternity test results reveal that I fathered a child with Maralee Nichols. I take full responsibility for my actions. Now that paternity has been established I look forward to amicably raising our son. I sincerely apologize to everyone I've hurt or disappointed throughout this ordeal both publicly and privately." Prior to this, text messages allegedly sent from from Tristan to Maralee, a former personal trainer and fitness model with whom he had an affair, revealed he told her he would not be a part of the child's life. He also disputed the baby's paternity during Maralee's pregnancy — she said she conceived when they hooked up in a Texas hotel room on his 30th birthday in March 2021 — but that is now resolved. After his lengthy message, Tristan addressed Khloe directly. "Khloé, you don't deserve this. You don't deserve the heartache and humiliation I have caused you," he wrote. "You don't deserve the way I have treated you over the years. My actions certainly have not lined up with the way I view you. I have the utmost respect and love for you. Regardless of what you may think. Again, I am so incredibly sorry." After Tristan's public acknowledgment, Maralee's publicist said, "There was never any doubt that Tristan Thompson was the father of Maralee Nichols' baby."
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A life well lived
Betty White was apparently thinking of her late husband as she took her last breath. On Jan. 3, "Mama's Family" star Vicki Lawrence — who worked with Betty on the show — told Page Six a bittersweet story about Betty's final moments. Vicki said she reached out to mutual friend Carol Burnett after hearing news of Betty's Dec. 31, 2021, death. "I texted Carol and said, 'This just sucks. I hate this. It's just horrible to see the people you love so much go away,'" Vicki shared. "Carol wrote back and said, 'I know, I know. I spoke to Betty's assistant, who was with her when she passed, and she said the very last word out of her mouth was 'Allen'" — the name of Betty's late third husband, "Password" host Allen Ludden, who died from stomach cancer in 1981. "How sweet is that?" Vicki added. "I said, 'That is so sweet. God, I hope that's true. For all of us, I really hope it's true, a lovely thought.'"
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Farewell
Sidney Poitier, the first Black performer to win an Oscar for best actor, died on Jan. 6. He was 94. The "In the Heat of the Night" star leaves behind an impressive legacy: In addition to his Oscar, Sidney also received a Presidential Medal of Freedom and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. "I treasured him. I adored him," Oprah Winfrey tweeted after Sidney died. Morgan Freeman, meanwhile, said of the screen legend, "Sidney was my inspiration, my guiding light, my friend."
NYE regret
Regrets, Andy's Cohen's had a few… Well, one, actually. The Bravo scion was the talk of the week following his annual drunken New Year's Eve hosting gig for CNN alongside pal Anderson Cooper. During the program, Andy threw back shots, scorched former New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and didn't mince words about ABC's competing New Year's broadcast. On Jan. 3, a few days after the evening-into-early morning broadcast, Andy said he regretted one thing — calling Ryan Seacrest and the ABC broadcast a "group of losers." "The only thing that I regret saying, the only thing is that I slammed the ABC broadcast and I really like Ryan Seacrest and he's a great guy. And I really regret saying that, and I was just stupid and drunk and feeling it," he said on his SiriusXM show. During the show, he also ranted about his thoughts on the band Journey without Steve Perry as its lead singer. (They performed on the ABC New Year's Eve show that Ryan hosted.) "I was continuing the Journey rant and I just kept talking and I shouldn't have, and I felt bad about that. So that is the only thing," he said. "It's the only thing." Andy later told Howard Stern that he text Ryan the following day.
Vile rant
Peter Dante, who seems to have a memorable role in nearly every Adam Sandler movie, was caught on video ripping into the hostess of a Los Angeles restaurant who appeared to deny him service for not wearing a face mask as required. "You know you're garbage, right?" he told the hostess in the video published by TMZ. "Go back to wherever the f*** you go back to school." Pete was trying to dine at Quarters Korean BBQ in L.A.'s Koreatown area but was reportedly told he wouldn't be served because of his refusal to wear a mask. The actor then began tearing into the hostess, who was standing in front of a clearly visible sign that read "No Mask No Entry." After calling the woman a "c***," he asked to speak to her boss. Pete later got verbally aggressive with another restaurant staffer, but he eventually left without incident.
Case closed
Jana Duggar has fessed up to her crime. The former "19 Kids and Counting" star pleaded guilty to a third-degree count of endangering the welfare of a minor in Arkansas, TMZ reported on Jan. 5, citing court documents. The case is now closed. The eldest daughter in the Duggar clan was cited on Sept. 9, 2021, after a young child slipped out of the house alone while she was babysitting. A passerby called police; the child was unharmed. As part of her plea, Jana reportedly paid $880 in fines and fees, with $100 of that going toward something called the Child Victim Crime Fee.
