By Mark Gray
9:17am PST, Mar 13, 2021
Engagement off!
After four years together — two of which they were engaged — Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez have split up and called off their engagement… or have they? The bombshell news was confirmed by several media outlets on March 12, a few of whom implied that the split wasn't much of a surprise. However, on March 13, the couple told TMZ and People they are still together and working through things. Page Six said the couple's romance had been on the rocks. "He's now in Miami getting ready for baseball season, and she's filming her movie in the Dominican Republic," a source said. A source told People magazine that the split "has been a long time coming." Initially, the reason for the split wasn't known, but Page Six said it had to do with Alex's alleged flirtation with "Southern Charm" star Madison LeCroy (the couple, however, said no third party is involved.) In January, rumors linked Alex and Madison. A source close to the ex-MLBer said A-Rod didn't know who Madison was. Madison, though, told Page Six that she and Alex Facetimed and chatted, but never had a "physical" relationship. The scandal, Page Six said, was the last straw for JLo. "The Madison LeCroy scandal was the reason they finally broke up," a source said. "There were already problems, but Jennifer was really embarrassed by it."
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Royal bombshells
Duchess Meghan made some shocking claims about the British royal family in a highly touted interview with Oprah Winfrey that aired on March 7. In the sit-down, the former Meghan Markle, whose mother is Black and father is white, alleged there is racism in the royal family, claiming that at least one high-ranking royal had expressed concern to Prince Harry about how dark their son Archie's skin might be ahead of his birth. (Harry told Oprah off-camera that it was not his grandparents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip). Further, Meghan and Harry both said the family didn't protect them from falsehoods in the press. "They were willing to lie to protect other members, but not willing to tell the truth about me," Meghan said. The interview was explosive and touched on a slew of issues including Meghan's suicidal thoughts, her current pregnancy (it's a girl!), the time Duchess Kate made her cry — negating the story that she made Kate cry — an allegation that Archie wouldn't get palace protection because he would not get a "prince" title, Harry's strained relationship with his brother and dad — who he said stopped taking his calls when he and Meghan temporarily moved to Canada — and more. Harry said the royal family lives in a "toxic environment." Two days after the interview, the queen released a brief statement in which she said that the issues raised, "particularly that of race," are "concerning." The statement claims the family was unaware of the challenges faced by Harry and Meghan. "While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately," the statement read. On March 10, Prince William told a journalist, "We are very much not a racist family."
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Interview fallout
The fallout from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's interview with Oprah Winfrey claimed its first victim on March 9: Piers Morgan. For years, Piers has bad mouthed Meghan on "Good Morning Britain" and that continued after the Oprah interview, even going so far as to say he didn't believe Meghan's claim that she was suicidal. He called a female guest "disgusting" for her views on Queen Elizabeth II's role in Harry and Meghan's exit. On March 9, Piers walked off the set of the morning show after a colleague called him out for his continuous bashing of Meghan, saying it was "diabolical." The colleague even brought up that Piers and Meghan were once close, but that she'd shut him out, hence his bad blood toward her. Piers then stormed off the set. It was later revealed that he was out at "GMB." A statement read, "Following discussions with ITV, Piers Morgan has decided now is the time to leave Good Morning Britain." Around the same time, Ofcom, the U.K.'s media regulator, said it was investigating Piers' comments. Reports said there were 41,000 complains about Piers (Meghan, herself, also reportedly filed a complaint with ITV execs about Piers's damaging mental health comments). Piers doubled down on his comments the following day and said his free speech was being attacked.
RELATED: Flashback: Harry and Meghan's final events as senior royals
Congressional witness
Congress wants to Free Britney, it seems. Earlier this week, a couple congressmen — Jim Jordan and Matt Gaetz — decided there needed to be a hearing on the issue of conservatorship/guardianship, and they used Britney Spears as a prime example, saying Brit's dad, Jamie Spears, has "questionable" motives. The argument was that conservatorships are often times "unjust" (Rep. Gaetz even said half of Britney's catalog is a "cry for help.") The men sent a letter to the House Judiciary Chairman to request a hearing, and it emerged that there was a chance that Britney could actually speak to Congress at the hearing. However, the hearing request was denied, as the chairman said they have more important things to devote their time to. Jamie also fired back at the reps via his lawyers. "Jamie Spears has diligently and professionally carried out his duties as one of Britney's conservators, and his love for his daughter and dedication to protecting her is clearly apparent to the court," a statement said. Further, the attorney said Brit and her team have never formally filed a petition to end the conservatorship.
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Mea culpa
Stacey Dash is apologizing for her politically charged statements over the past several years, and she's now walking back her previous support of former President Donald Trump. The Capitol riots on Jan. 6 were the turning point for the "Clueless" star and former political commentator for Fox News. "I've lived my life being angry, which is what I was on Fox News," she said. "I was the angry, conservative, Black woman. And at that time in my life it was who I was." In her chat with The Daily Mail on March 10, Stacey added that she "made a lot of mistakes." She now describes herself as "apolitical" but maintains that she's "not a feminist" and is still staunchly pro-life. "There are things that I am sorry for. Things that I did say, that I should not have said them the way I said them. They were very arrogant and prideful and angry. And that's who Stacey was, but that's not who Stacey is now," she said. "Stacey's someone who has compassion, empathy. … If anyone has ever felt that way about me, like I've judged, that I apologize for because that's not who I am."
House rules
Don Johnson revealed this week that he kicked daughter Dakota Johnson "off the payroll" after high school, but long before she was a household name. Why, you ask? She didn't follow the rules of the household. "The funny thing about her is — we have a rule in the family that, you know, if you stay in school, you get to stay on the payroll. So, you go to college, you get to stay on the payroll," Don told late night host Seth Meyers on March 9. "Towards the end of high school, I went to her and I said, 'So, do you want to go visit some colleges?' Or something like that. And she was like, 'Oh, no. I'm not going to college.'" The actor, who's reportedly worth $50 million, recalled telling Dakota she "won't be on the payroll anymore," and she was fine with it. When he asked how she plans to take care of her bills, she told him, "Don't you worry about it." She's now worth a reported $14 million.
Engaged
Jenni "JWoww" Farley is a bride-to-be. On March 9, the "Jersey Shore" star announced that Zack Clayton Carpinello, her beau of two years, popped the question on Feb. 27 on her 35th birthday at the top of the Empire State Building. JWoww posted several images of herself and Zack sipping champagne after the proposal. "You're my forever," he commented on her Instagram post.
Body changes
Jana Kramer is about to be a bigger star. The country singer said this week that she's getting a breast augmentation and lift. In a lengthy Instagram post, the "One Tree Hill" alum said she's considered a boob job for a while but it never suited her. "With everything that happened in my marriage I thought I would be loved more, sexier, or quite frankly he would choose me. But the better part of me knew, that was a distraction," she wrote. "It still bothered me though. And after having babies, I had a new set of insecurities with my body. Things didn't go back to normal, and I carry a lot of embarrassment when I'm undressed. I don't want to feel that way anymore. That was the 'click' that showed I should follow through. Before it was what I thought someone else wanted. Now it's simple. 'I' — and that's a very 'capital' 'I.'" Jana said she's done "a ton" of research on the topic and is ready to move forward. "Bottom line, I'm choosing myself, I'm choosing my size, I'm doing what's right for me," she said. "I know a woman's body is beautiful no matter what shape or size but I want this."
Health diagnosis
Erika Jayne's estranged husband, Tom Girardi, has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and dementia. According to a March 11 report, the "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star's estranged husband has short-term memory loss, an inability to concentrate and has "moderate" delusions. A forensic and clinical psychiatrist revealed the findings as part of Tom's brother's efforts to be named his permanent conservator. "His emotional distress is directly related to his dementia and exacerbated by his confusion," the doctor said in a sworn affidavit. The Alzheimer's diagnosis also came on the heels of another report that Tom, 81, has been stripped of his law license in California, all but ending his once-storied legal career.
