By Mark Gray
7:30am PDT, May 27, 2021
DV accusations
"Storage Wars" star Jarrod Schulz has been charged with domestic violence for an alleged incident involving his ex (and former on-screen partner), Brandi Passante. The allegations were kept quiet for several weeks, but on May 16, TMZ reported that the alleged incident occurred in Orange County, California, on April 30. The report said Brandi was at a bar with friends when Jarrod showed up. An argument ensued and he allegedly pushed her twice and yelled at her friends. A few days later, Jarrod told police he did nothing wrong, but the Orange County District Attorney's Office didn't side with him, and he was charged with one count of misdemeanor domestic violence battery. Jarrod and Brandi, who share two children, split two years ago but have appeared together on all 13 seasons of the A&E series. Jarrod's gig on the reality TV show is now in limbo as A&E probes the claims.
Married woman
Surprise, surprise! Ariana Grande is a married woman. On May 17, reports revealed that the singer had quietly wed luxury realtor Dalton Gomez at their mansion in Montecito, California. The pop star's rep confirmed to People magazine, "They got married. It was tiny and intimate — less than 20 people. The room was so happy and full of love. The couple and both families couldn't be happier." The wedding was rather informal and there was no real "ceremony," TMZ wrote, adding, "The whole thing was very intimate and filled with a lot of love." On May 26, the "7 Rings" singer shared several images from the big day, including shots of her white Vera Wang wedding dress. The hitmaker also revealed that she and Dalton exchanged "I dos" on May 15.
RELATED: Stars engaged more than once: See all their rings
Drama!
Khloe Kardashian's beau, Tristan Thompson, threatened legal action against the woman claiming to have hooked up with him earlier this year. The NBA star's lawyer confirmed on May 4 that a cease and desist letter was sent to Instagram model Sydney Chase. The letter said Sydney was plainly lying about her alleged involvement with Tristan and painted her as someone trying to cash in on her newfound fame. Sydney, however, argued that she never got a letter. "The articles are giving false information. Let this be a lesson to not let anyone no matter the money or fame they have, to shut you down or tarnish your name," she said on Instagram. The "No Jumper" podcast, which aired Sydney's hookup allegations in April, also received a letter threatening legal action. Somewhere in there, Khloe apparently DM'd Sydney after she spoke about the alleged tryst. In a separate case, Tristan — who cheated on Khloe in 2018 and 2019 — sued a woman who claimed that he fathered her baby. The Boston Celtics player said he's already proven through DNA testing that he's not the father.
RELATED: Notorious celeb cheating scandals
Not so golden
NBC is done — at least for now — with the Golden Globes. On May 10, the network announced that it wouldn't air the 2022 Golden Globe Awards due to the lack of diversity within the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which is the organization that votes on and produces the awards. The network also also brought up concerns over ethics within the HFPA, including financial benefits given to some members. Prior to NBC's decision, a chorus of celebrities spoke out against HFPA's struggle to reform. In a protest, Tom Cruise even returned his three Golden Globe trophies.
RELATED: Golden Globes controversy: All the stars who've spoken out against the HFPA
Love lines
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez's rekindled romance can be attributed to the power of the pen (electronically speaking). TMZ reported on May 11 that Ben began emailing Jennifer several months ago while she was in the Dominican Republic filming "Shotgun Wedding." Prior to their April meetups at her house in Los Angeles, the duo had been sending emails back and forth since early February. The actor was "loving and longing for Jen" in the messages, TMZ claimed. Bennifer has since taken their rekindled romance on vacation: In early May, they were spotted together in Montana, where Ben owns a home. In late May, they were also spotted together in Miami where they hit the gym together — and where Ben was seen wearing a watch that looked an awful lot like one J.Lo gifted him back in 2002. Bennifer, The Sequel.
RIP
Farewell, old friend. Legendary actor and comedian Charles Grodin passed away at 86 after a battle with bone marrow cancer, his family announced on May 18. Charles, who was known for his cranky and deadpan humor, appeared in a slew of films and TV shows since the 1960s including "Midnight Run," "Beethoven" and "The Great Muppet Caper." In 1978, he won an Emmy for his work on "The Paul Simon Special." Following his death, many in the entertainment world reacted with sadness. Steve Martin called Charles "one of the funniest people I ever met." Eugene Levy said Charles's performance in "The Heartbreak Kid" was "a masterclass in comedic acting."
Arrested
Former "19 Kids and Counting" star Josh Duggar went before a judge on May 5 and asked to be released from jail so that he could go home to his wife, Anna, who's pregnant with their seventh child. Prior to his court appearance, Josh's team begged for his release and argued that fame all but ensured that he wasn't a flight risk. He "has a widely recognizable face and has spent the majority of his life in the public spotlight — making any concern that he is a risk of flight all the more unwarranted," court documents from his team stated. Additionally, his team noted that Josh never went on the run despite knowing he was being investigated. (He was arrested by federal authorities in Arkansas on April 29 and charged with receiving and possessing child pornography. Court documents allege that Josh used the Internet to download child sexual abuse material. He's pleaded not guilty.) A federal judge in Arkansas agreed and allowed the former reality TV star was released from jail on May 6. However, he has to remain with third-party custodians — friends of his parents — and remain at their home wearing a GPS tracker. Josh is allowed to see his children, so long as his wife is present, but is forbidden from contact with any other minor children, including his nieces and nephews. Wife Anna, by the way, is "standing by him," a source told People magazine on May 24. "She thinks Josh is innocent."
They/them
Demi Lovato is going by new pronouns. On May 19, the "Cool For The Summer" singer kicked off the new "4D with Demi Lovato" podcast with a personal announcement. "Over the past year and a half, I've been doing some healing and self-reflective work," the two-time Grammy nominee said. "And through this work, I've had the revelation that I identify as non-binary. With that said, I'll officially be changing my pronouns to they/them. I feel that this best represents the fluidity I feel in my gender expression and allows me to feel most authentic and true to the person I both know I am, and still am discovering."
Health reveal
Billy Porter, the star of FX's series "Pose," on May 19 revealed that he's secretly been living with HIV for nearly a decade and a half. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the actor said he was diagnosed in 2007. "The shame of that time compounded with the shame that had already [accumulated] in my life silenced me, and I have lived with that shame in silence for 14 years," he told the publication. "HIV-positive, where I come from, growing up in the Pentecostal church with a very religious family, is God's punishment." Due to medical advancements, Billy said he suffers few effects from the virus. "This is what HIV-positive looks like now," he said. "I survived so that I could tell the story. That's what I'm here for. I'm the vessel, and emotionally that was sufficient — until it wasn't. It's time to grow up and move on because shame is destructive — and if not dealt with, it can destroy everything in its path."
Show's over
It's the end of an era in late night television. On May 3, Conan O'Brien announced the end of his 28-year career as a late night host. "As some of you have heard, it's been out there for a while now, but we're making it official. We are winding down our TBS show. The plan is to re-emerge on HBO Max sometime in the near future with, I think, what will be my fourth iteration of a program," he said. "Imagine a cooking show with puppets and you'll have the wrong idea." Conan's show has found a home on TBS since 2010. He started in late night in 1993 with NBC's "Late Show." Conan will now transition to host a weekly variety show for HBO Max. The last episode of "Conan" will air on June 24.
Surprise marriage
On May 16, "This Is Us" star Justin Hartley made his first red carpet appearance with Sofia Pernas when they stepped out at the MTV Movie and TV Awards. Fans, however, couldn't help but notice that the couple seemed to be wearing rings, instantly prompting marriage rumors. On May 17, the speculation was confirmed: A source told People magazine that the duo secretly got married "recently." The ceremony was "super intimate," a source told Us Weekly. "Justin and Sofia had always been flirty friends on 'The Young and the Restless.' Their chemistry is just off the charts." This is Justin's third marriage.
Resurfaced messages
Chrissy Teigen is feeling the effects of some vile decade-old messages she sent to Courtney Stodden. In March, Courtney, who identifies as non-binary, recalled how the model would send mean-spirited direct messages to them in 2011 and 2012. On May 12, Chrissy owned up to her past behavior and publicly apologized. "Not a lot of people are lucky enough to be held accountable for all their past bulls*** in front of the entire world. I'm mortified and sad at who I used to be I was an insecure, attention seeking troll," she tweeted. "I am ashamed and completely embarrassed at my behavior but that is nothing compared to how I made Courtney feel." She also told her fans, "And I am so sorry I let you guys down. I will forever work on being better than I was 10 years ago, 1 year ago, 6 months ago." In the days that followed, it was reported that her "Cravings by Chrissy Teigen" line of cookware was pulled from Macy's. Also she's apparently lost a deal with Bloomingdale's due to the scandal.
The end — and a replacement
After more than 3,000 episodes and 19 seasons, Ellen DeGeneres is ending her talk show once her contract finishes in 2022. "When you're a creative person, you constantly need to be challenged — and as great as this show is, and as fun as it is, it's just not a challenge anymore," she told The Hollywood Reporter. Ellen, 63, said her plan all along was to end the show after 19 seasons. She even claimed she wanted to end it after 16 seasons but got "push back" from affiliates and TV stations. Although there's suspicion that the comedian is ending the show because of 2020's toxic workplace allegations and dipping ratings, she said those had nothing to do with the decision. "If I was quitting the show because of that, I wouldn't have come back this season," she said. "So it's not why I'm stopping." "Ellen" began airing in 2003. On May 26, NBC confirmed that Kelly Clarkson would take over Ellen's coveted time slot in the fall of 2022.
Stage return
Morgan Wallen is getting back to music. On May 19, the singer surprised the crowd at Kid Rock's Big A** Honky Tonk & Rock 'n' Roll Steakhouse in Nashville with an unannounced mini performance. It's the first time he's performed on stage since his self-imposed hiatus, which came on the heels of his February N-word scandal. "What's going on Nashville? How you doing?" he asked the crowd as fans worked themselves into a frenzy. "This is my first time singing in public in a long time, so I'm going to need y'all to sing loud." On May 23, he also collected three Billboard Music Awards, including top country artist, top country male artist and top country album for "Dangerous: The Double Album." However, due to the scandal, Morgan was not allowed to attend the show.
Legal issues
Ronnie Ortiz-Magro caught a huge break in his recent domestic violence arrest: The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office decided that it doesn't have enough evidence to charge him with a felony, and the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office said it won't charge him with a misdemeanor. The "Jersey Shore" star could still see jail time, though. A hearing will be held next month to determine if Ronnie violated his probation, which he's serving following a 2019 domestic incident with ex-girlfriend Jenn Harley. Several reports indicate jail time is a legitimate possibility.
