By Mark Gray
6:00am PDT, Mar 13, 2022
Bigamy reveal
Kimora Lee Simmons' estranged husband was legally married to another woman when they tied the knot in 2014, according to reports. And before that, Tim Leissner faked a divorce document before marrying his last wife, making him a two-time bigamist. The bombshell admission was one of several that came out while Tim was under oath during a colleague's embezzlement trial. While being questioned, Tim also admitted that the he posed as then-wife Judy Chan for years while sending fake emails to Kimora in an attempt to woo her. As part of the emails, Tim (posing as his ex) claimed he was divorced. After confessing to the phony email correspondence, Tim admitted to fabricating divorce documents, revealing that he was still married when he got hitched to Judy in 2000 and was also technically married to both women when he wed Kimora.
Country controversy
The Academy of Country Music found mired in controversy on March 7 after Morgan Wallen won the album of the year prize for "Dangerous: The Double Album." A year before receiving the honor, the singer was persona non grata at all awards shows after video of him getting rowdy outside his house emerged in February 2021. In the footage, he at one point loudly says the N-word. He apologized, but it wasn't enough. Soon his songs were yanked from radio, his record label suspended him indefinitely and the ACM Awards ruled him ineligible for any 2021 honors. After his huge win this week, it's clear he's been welcomed back into the fold. Twitter, as always, had some thoughts about the win, as several people effectively claimed country music doesn't care about racism.
Divorce settlement details
Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock finally settled their divorce, but it's gonna cost her. According to court documents, as reported by The Blast, the singer will pay her ex a one-time lump sum of $1.3 million as well as $45,601 in monthly child support for their two kids, River Rose, 7, and Remington Alexander, 5. As part of the deal, Kelly gets primary custody of both, with Brandon only getting the children one weekend a month. Kelly is also on the hook for $115,000 a month in spousal support until Jan. 31, 2024. The former couple, you'll recall, was also battling over the Montana ranch that Kelly owns, which is where Brandon has been living and refusing to leave. A judge ruled that Brandon, who is Kelly's former manager, can stay there until June, but he has to pay the singer and talk show host $2,000 a month in rent. Kelly seemed to put her divorce behind her during her sensational tribute to Dolly Parton at the ACM Awards on March 7.
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Married man
Surprise, surprise! Former teen heartthrob Josh Hartnett quietly married his love of 10 years, English actress Tamsin Egerton, late last year. According to The Sun, the couple — who have three children — tied the knot in the Soho Room, which only seats 12 people, at the Old Marylebone Town Hall in London on Nov. 5, 2021 — Guy Fawkes Night. "They're as smitten as ever and wanted to make it official in a low-key affair. It was a classy ceremony with only a handful of close family and friends," a source told The Sun. "They're really happy living a low-key life away from showbiz parties and red carpets so are happy to fly under the radar."
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Sentencing
On March 10, Jussie Smollett learned his fate: The former "Empire" actor was sentenced to 150 days in county jail and 30 months felony probation and ordered to pay more than $121,000 in restitution plus a $25,000 fine as punishment for his elaborate hate crime hoax, which Jussie continues to deny. "I believe you did damage to real hate crime victims," a Chicago judge told the disgraced actor, calling the incident "a stunt." Late last year, a jury found Jussie guilty on five felony counts for lying to Chicago police about being the victim of a racist and homophobic attack back in early 2019. Prosecutors said he staged the crime.
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Legislation reaction
A slew of Hollywood celebrities sounded off after the Florida Senate passed the "Parental Rights in Education" legislation, which critics have dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill. The legislation, which is supported by Governor Ron DeSantis, restricts speech in public school classrooms concerning LGBTQ identity. After the Senate pushed the bill through on March 8, Ariana Grande called it "Really disgusting." Andy Cohen dedicated a portion of his "Watch What Happens Live" show to rip the bill too. "You're pretending to solve a problem that doesn't exist," he told lawmakers who voted for the bill. "There is not a mass conspiracy of kindergarten teachers who are plotting to teach children to be gay. This is one big dog whistle. You're scaring people into spewing hate and discrimination at the LGBTQ community." He added, "You can draft all the homophobic and transphobic bills you want, you're not going to erase us. I just wonder how many children and families need to suffer before our politicians figure that out."
Secret baby
Grimes and her on-off boyfriend, Tesla and SpaceX mogul Elon Musk, quietly welcomed their second child together late last year. Daughter Exa Dark Sideræl — whom they've nicknamed Y — was born via surrogate in December 2021, Grimes confirmed to Vanity Fair in a story that hit the internet on March 10. She gave birth to her and Elon's son, X Æ A-12, in 2020. According to Grimes, more kids are in the cards. "We've always wanted at least three or four," she said. Elon also has five sons with first wife Justine Wilson.
That's not the only Grimes news this week…
New romance
Didn't see this one coming! Elon Musk's ex Grimes is reportedly dating famed leaker Chelsea Manning. On March 11, Page Six reported that the women were "getting serious" and living together in Austin, Texas (Chelsea still maintains her apartment in Brooklyn.) Chelsea, a transgender former U.S. Army intelligence analyst, became rather infamous after providing government documents to WikiLeaks. She was served seven years in prison for violations of the Espionage Act before former President Barack Obama commuted her sentence in 2017. The women have been flirting via social media for several months. The new romance comes amid news that Grimes secretly welcomed a second child with Tesla mogul last year.
