By Mark Gray
9:33pm PST, Dec 12, 2022
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Neal Bledsoe, who's appeared on a Marvel series and is a staple in TV Christmas movies, is leaving the Great American Family network following Candace Cameron Bure's anti LGBTQIA+ comments. "I hope GAF will change, but until everyone can be represented in their films with pride, my choice is clear. I look forward to working with creators who put no limits on the stories we tell and follow through on their message of values with open arms," he said in a statement given to Variety. Candace, the chief creative officer at GAF, recently told WSJ.com that the network "will keep traditional marriage at the core." The team at GAF, Candace said, are "Christians that love the Lord and wanted to promote faith programming and good family entertainment." In his statement, Neal added, "I want to be very clear: My support for the LGBTQIA+ community is unconditional — nothing is worth my silence or their ability to live and love freely in a world that we are lucky enough to share with them."
MORE: Hollywood's most religious stars
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Emmy-winning "Cheers" star Kirstie Alley passed away on Dec. 5 after a private and brief battle with colon cancer. Her children took to Instagram to announce the sad news, writing in part, "We are sad to inform you that our incredible, fierce and loving mother has passed away after a battle with cancer, only recently discovered. She was surrounded by her closest family and fought with great strength, leaving us with a certainty of her never-ending joy of living and whatever adventures lie ahead. As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother." Following Kirstie's death, "Cheers" co-star Ted Danson called her "truly brilliant." Fellow Scientologist and "Look Who's Talking" co-star John Travolta said, "Kirstie was one of the most special relationships I've ever had. I love you Kirstie. I know we will see each other again."
MORE: Celebs we lost in 2022
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T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach's relationship is having "Good Morning America" ramifications. The co-hosts, who've maintained a secret relationship for months, were taken off the air on Dec. 5 due to their alleged affair. ABC News announced that it was temporarily pulling the duo from "GMA 3," an offshoot of their flagship program. "I want to say that while the relationship is not a violation of company policy, I really have taken the last few days to think about and work through what I think is best for the ABC News organization," ABC President Kim Godwin explained on an editorial call, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. "These decisions are not easy, they are not knee jerk, but they are necessary for the brand and for our priority which, you guys know, are all of us — the people here at ABC." On Dec. 8, reports revealed that ABC was looking into the relationship to determine if T.J. or Amy breached their contracts. TMZ reported that ABC's human resources and legal departments were trying to determine if the couple pressured staffers to keep the romance hidden or used company resources (think cars and drivers) to meet romantically.
MORE: The biggest talk show scandals, feuds and controversies
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Call it a Cardi B clapback with cash. Last weekend, a Twitter troll tried to take down the Grammy winner while accusing her of "performing in someone's backyard" during Miami Art Basel. It turns out that the "backyard" was actually the SLS South Beach property in Miami Beach, one of ritzier hotels in South Florida. Cardi also shut down the Twitter user as she revealed her paycheck for the evening, which shows she made $1 million for almost a half hour of work. "I got [paid] 1 million dollars to perform at this elite bankers event private event for 400 people and only for 35 minutes," she wrote in a since-deleted tweet. "Think about that when you type about this Grammy winner."
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It was an about-face to the about-face. On Nov. 30, Jesse James's fifth wife, former adult film actress Bonnie Rotten (real name: Alaina Hicks), announced her pregnancy while claiming the West Coast Choppers founder was cheating on her. She soon filed for divorce. However, on Dec. 5, she announced that she was going back to Jesse. "I love Jesse so much and was very hurt by what I saw when I went through his phone," she wrote on Instagram, explaining that she was "working out the marriage that I believe in." Then on Dec. 6, TMZ reported that Bonnie had filed for divorce again. In other words, she filed for divorce twice within three days. Jesse's last two marriages — to Sandra Bullock and to Hot Rod racer Alexis DeJoria — and his engagement to Kat Von D ended after he got caught cheating. He's denied being unfaithful to Bonnie.
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Emmy-winning Australian actress Toni Collette took to Instagram on Dec. 7 to announce that she and her musician husband, Dave Galafassi, have split after nearly 20 years of marriage. The breakup was announced hours after photos emerged showing Dave passionately kissing another woman on a Sydney beach. "It is with grace and gratitude that we announce we are divorcing. We're united in our decision and part with continuing respect and care for each other. Our kids are of paramount importance to us and we will continue to thrive as a family, albeit a different shape. We're thankful for the space and love you grant us as we evolve and move through this transition peacefully. Big thanks. Toni Collette and David Galafassi," the Oscar-nominated "The Sixth Sense" actress wrote alongside a photo of the words "Peace & Love." Toni later edited her post to make clear that the divorce announcement came "after a substantial period of separation."
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Celine Dion has a rare and incurable neurological disease called stiff-person syndrome, which has been causing her pain as well as health and vocal problems. In an emotional Instagram video posted on Dec. 8, the "All By Myself" singer said she was postponing her European tour as she revealed her diagnoses. "While we're still learning about this rare condition, we now know this is what's been causing all of the spasms that I've been having," she explained while fighting through tears. "Unfortunately these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk, and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I'm used to." In light of the news, Celine's spring 2023 shows have been rescheduled to 2024 and eight of her summer 2023 shows have been canceled. Celine was supposed to begin another Las Vegas residency show in 2021, but her health has continued to postpone that. "All I know is singing. It's what I've done all my life and it's what I love to do the most. I miss you so much. I miss seeing all of you, being on the stage, performing for you," she said. "I always give 100% when I do my shows, but my condition is not allowing me to give you that right now. For me to reach you again, I have no choice but to concentrate on my health at this moment. And I have hope that I'm on the road to recovery. This is my focus and I'm doing everything that I can to recuperate."
