By Mark Gray
11:18am PDT, Apr 17, 2022
Court plea
Cuba Gooding Jr. has pleaded guilty to forcibly touching a woman at a New York nightclub in 2018. The actor, who also admitted in court that he subjected two other women to "non-consensual physical contact" in 2018 and 2019, was facing six misdemeanor charges for three separate nightclub incidents. According to his April 13 deal, Cuba will avoid jail time so long as he stays out of trouble. If he continues to undergo court-ordered counseling for six months, he can withdraw his misdemeanor plea and plead guilty to a lesser violation of harassment. If he doesn't comply, he faces up to one year in jail.
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R.I.P.
Comedian Gilbert Gottfried, who had one of the most recognizable voices in entertainment, died on April 12. He was 67. "We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved Gilbert Gottfried after a long illness. In addition to being the most iconic voice in comedy, Gilbert was a wonderful husband, brother, friend and father to his two young children. Although today is a sad day for all of us, please keep laughing as loud as possible in Gilbert's honor," his family wrote on Twitter. Gilbert's longtime friend and publicist Glenn Schwartz further shared that the star died of complications from muscular dystrophy. As news of Gilbert's death emerged, many in Hollywood publicly paid tribute to the "Aladdin" voice actor. Jon Stewart called Gilbert "indescribably unusually hilarious." Ben Stiller added, "God he was funny." A slew of stars headed to Westchester, New York, for Gilbert's funeral on April 14 including Colin Quinn, Susie Essman, Mario Cantone, Dave Attell, Paul Shaffer and the late Bob Saget's widow, Kelly Rizzo, and three daughters. Whoopi Goldberg sent a gift and Sarah Silverman made plans to sit shiva with the late star's family, People magazine reported. "Gilbert would have loved it. I saw so many great comics there paying their respects," comedian Jeff Ross, who gave the eulogy, told the magazine. "It was cathartic but there was also a sense of relief. As I said at the funeral, Gilbert had been sick, he was tired, and he had perfect timing. He knew it was his time to get off the stage."
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Arrested
"Grease" actor Eddie Deezen — who played nerdy Eugene in the famed 1978 movie — is in trouble again. The actor was booked by the Allegany County Sheriff's Office in Maryland on charges of trespassing, fourth-degree burglary and disturbing the peace after he allegedly pushed his way inside a privately owned nursing facility on April 8 then refused to leave, TMZ reported. Someone who lives a few doors down further claimed Eddie approached his property as well the same night and tried to open the front door. This happened months after Eddie was arrested in a bizarre plate-throwing incident at a restaurant in 2021… after which he posed for an unforgettable mug shot.
On the case
Al Pacino might have been the viral celebrity of the week. Case closed. The whole thing began after Jason Momoa posted an Instagram photo from a group dinner that included the "Godfather" actor and his much younger girlfriend. While some people happily commented on the group as a whole, a slew of social media users couldn't take their eyes off of Al's phone… more specifically, the "Shrek" phone case he uses. Yes, the "Heat" star has a phone case with the adorable green ogre's face plastered all over it. As social media was having a field day with the revelation, DreamWorks Animation got in on the fun, tweeting, "Real recognize real." DreamWorks also included a picture of Shrek holding a phone case adorned with Al faces. Al's daughter Olivia further confirmed to a social media user that her father uses a "Shrek" phone case, which can be yours for only $12.95.
Splitting again
Billy Ray Cyrus and wife Tish Cyrus are calling it quits (again). Tish filed to divorce the "Achy Breaky" heart" and "Old Town Road" hitmaker in Tennessee during the first week of April, TMZ reported on April 11. Although the couple has been married for 28 years, she said they've been effectively separated for two years and haven't lived together. She listed "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for the split and asked a judge to equally distribute their marital assets. This isn't the first time the duo has looked at ending their marriage. Billy Ray previously filed for divorce in 2010, but they reconciled, and in 2013, Tish filed, only to call it off too. They share five adult children including singers Miley Cyrus and Noah Cyrus.
Married
Musician Ryan Cabrera and WWE wrestler Alexa Bliss have tied the knot. The couple married at the Kempa Villa in Palm Desert, California, reported People magazine, which shared photos from the "rockstar"-themed nuptials that were attended by 360 guests. Ryan had several of Alexa's favorite bands perform at the reception including Bowling For Soup, Yellowcard and three-fifths of *NSYNC — Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick. Videos even showed her doing the "Bye, Bye, Bye" dance on stage with the *NSYNC members.
Homebound host
Kelsea Ballerini is a trooper. The singer was set to host the 2022 CMT Music Awards from the Municipal Auditorium in downtown Nashville on April 11, but just a few hours before showtime, she announced that she'd tested positive for COVID-19. Rather than canceling and laying low, Kelsea co-hosted live from her home. "It is certainly not what we had expected or planned for, but we are doin' our damn best," she said on Instagram. "Let's make some lemonade together out of these really bitter lemons." CMT producers even set up a red carpet moment in front of her garage…. and, oh by the way, she looked absolutely stunning too.
