By Wonderwall.com Editors
9:00pm PDT, Jun 9, 2023
Public apology
Sherri Shepherd has apologized for pressuring Elizabeth Vargas, a recovering alcoholic, to "get drunk" with her on Sherri's eponymous talk show. The daytime host made the cringe-worthy suggestion repeatedly during her June 1 interview with Elizabeth, who's spoken openly about getting sober and seeking inpatient treatment for alcoholism in 2014. "Sometimes when you're doing live TV, you make mistakes," Sheri told Entertainment Weekly. "Today that happened during my Elizabeth Vargas interview and I'm sorry for that. She was very gracious about it in the moment and on the phone when I called her to apologize afterwards. And she is looking forward to returning next season."
The exchange began when the two were discussing parenthood on the show. "I'm going to take you to the bar, we're going to drink …," Sherri said. Elizabeth told Sherri she'd stick with her "classic club soda with cranberry juice," adding, "but you can pound some shots." Sherri then told Elizabeth she was "no fun," saying she would still take her to a bar. Finally, as Sherri bought up boozing yet again –"when we go to the bar and we get drunk and have a good time …," she began — Elizabeth cut her off. "You get drunk. I'll be your designated driver," she said. From there, Sherri suggested Elizabeth "come home" after the bar "and write a fictional book with a lot of sex." Following a wave of reactions on Twitter, and demands for an apology from Sherri, Elizabeth said in a statement that the host had already apologized and "just didn't know" about her history. "It's not a big deal. I was not at all upset," she added.
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Acting break, explained
Jeremy Renner's brush with death in a snowplow accident on New Year's Day made his friend and fellow "Avengers" star Chris Hemsworth come to terms with his own mortality. "The reality of 'I'm not going to be here forever' is sinking in," says Chris, 39, in a new cover story for British GQ. "We were all on our 'Avengers' text chain, we were all chatting. And it was wild. None of us really knew how serious it was," he recalls, thinking back to January, when he learned Jeremy had been crushed by the plow, breaking more than 30 bones. "I think anything like that, it's an immediate realization of 'Wow, any of us can go at any minute …,'" Chris says. The Australian actor also recently said goodbye to his grandfather, an experience he says "made me think about my own life … and it wasn't about career or anything. It was about being remembered as someone who was good and kind and contributed something of value … like my grandpa." That's why the Marvel star is taking a break from playing Thor after eight movies and using his downtime to be with his wife, Elsa Pataky, and their kids, India, 11, and 9-year-old twins Tristan and Sasha.
"These years are the golden ones, but they're fleeting," Chris muses. "Time is precious, and once it's gone you're never going to get it back. Yes, it's daunting and terrifying, the awareness that the clock is ticking. But I'm going to soak up every moment."
MORE: Tucker Carlson's replacement named after Fox News firing, plus more talk show host controversies
Intimidation allegations
New details are coming to light about what led to Jeff Garlin's 2021 ouster from his hit show, "The Goldbergs." In her new book, "Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood," journalist Maureen Ryan writes that showrunner Adam F. Goldberg allowed a culture of power-fueled intimidation that affected almost every member of the show's cast and crew. "It was a big boys club of men who were probably always kind of the dorks in high school that got picked on, then all of a sudden, they had this power," one source said, according to an excerpt published by People. A second source told the author Jeff used his "power and status to intimidate and demean everyone on this crew." Other sources quoted in the book described Jeff's behavior as "harassing, disparaging or physically problematic" on the set.
The actor had a reputation for similar behavior on "Curb Your Enthusiasm," according to "Burn It Down," which quotes sources who claim Jeff often used "demeaning, graphic, sexual language" while on set. Jeff was eventually investigated by HBO "several times" because of this, People reports, noting that "at least one" such incident ended in a legal settlement for a former "Curb Your Enthusiasm" employee. Speaking to Vanity Fair in 2021, Jeff denied reports of a settlement having stemmed from his behavior on "Curb Your Enthusiasm." At the time, he also denied he was fired from "The Goldbergs," despite his sudden, mid-season exit.
Historic court appearance
On Tuesday, June 6, Prince Harry became the British royal family's first senior member in more than 130 years to take the witness stand in court. Testifying against U.K. tabloid publisher Mirror Group Newspapers in London, Harry maintained the outlet used illegal methods to access personal information about him over a period of years, claims the publishing group has denied. "In my view, in order to save journalism as a profession, journalists need to expose those people in the media that have stolen or highjacked the privileges and powers of the press, and have used illegal or unlawful means for their own gain and agendas," the Duke of Sussex said in a witness statement at London High Court, according to The Hill. He went on to slam both the U.K.'s press and government as being "at rock bottom," saying he finds it "appalling" that "it was not just the journalists who were carrying out the unlawful activity, but also those in power" in the tabloid press. "Trolls react and mobilize to stories they create," Harry said. "How much more blood will stain their typing fingers before someone can put a stop to this madness?"
Where's Kim?
Tuesday, June 6, 2023 marks the 25th anniversary of the premiere of "Sex and the City." And while the show's spin-off, "And Just Like That," celebrated the date with an Instagram montage of clips that included Kim Cattrall's Samantha Jones character, ET reports Kim was not featured in the cast's anniversary post on Max's Instagram account — despite news of her upcoming "And Just Like That" cameo after years of tension with the other stars. The Max post sees castmates, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon reflecting on changes in their lives and characters in the two and half decades since "SATC" first aired. "Twenty-five years, oh my gosh, what has happened in our lives in 25 years?" says SJP in the clip. "We've created families. We're creative relationships. I realize that you were having the same experience in your lives, and we love you for joining us for so many years." Kristin then adds, "We just want to say thank you for supporting us because that's how come we've been able to do it for so long." Kim reportedly filmed her "And Just Like That" cameo without interacting with Sarah Jessica, Kristin or Cynthia.
Abuse revelations
In his new memoir, "Pageboy," Elliot Page opens up about multiple harrowing experiences, including being "groomed" by a prominent director as a teen and bullied before and after he came out as transgender in 2020. Though he won't name the director, Elliot writes that the man texted him constantly and brought him gifts when he was a teenager, then known as Ellen Page. He says that at one point, the director caressed his thigh under a table and told him to "make the first move." Elsewhere in the book, the "Juno" star writes that after he came out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community in 2014, "one of the most famous actors in the world" was drunk at a party and went on the attack, telling Elliot, "'That doesn't exist. You aren't gay. You are just afraid of men.'" According to the star, the inebriated actor also threatened to "f***" Elliot so he'd ""realize you aren't gay."
"The experiences I had in regards to bullying, it certainly only encourages the shame that literally makes you sick," Elliot says in the ABC News special, "The Freedom to Exist — A Soul of a Nation Presentation," airing Tuesday, June 6. "The discomfort that I felt really took so much of my life away from me." Transitioning, however, has allowed the actor to finally feel like himself, particularly because "The Umbrella Academy" embraced his decision and had his character transition, as well. "The experience with 'Umbrella Academy' and playing Viktor has been such a true gift," Elliot says. "I think many people obviously relate to that experience of what it means to not see yourself, think you never will, and then there you are, you just start to emerge. It's so thrilling. It's really thrilling."
Emotional 'thank you'
Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl shared an emotional "thank you" with fans on Tuesday, June 6, after wrapping the first leg of their first tour without drummer, Taylor Hawkins, who died in March 2022 at age 50. In a handwritten note on Instagram, Dave wrote: "Now that we've returned from our first run of shows, I felt compelled to reach out and thank you all for being there for us. Every night, when I see you singing, it makes me sing harder. When I see you screaming, it makes me scream louder. When I see your tears, it brings me to tears," he continued. "And when I see your joy, it brings me joy. But, I see you… and it feels good to see you, churning up these emotions together. Because we've always done this together. Time and time again. See you soon." The note comes after a moving onstage moment in May when Taylor's 17-year-old son Shane joined his dad's band for the song, "I'll Stick Around," according to People. Foo Fighters, who took time off from performing in the wake of Taylor's unexpected death, returns to their tour on June 14.
