By Mark Gray
9:03am PDT, Apr 17, 2020
Allegations of aggressiveness
Some fans are worried about Michael Bublé's wife, Luisana Lopilato, claiming the singer exhibited abusive behavior toward her during a recent Instagram Live session. Luisana, however, says everything is fine in her marriage. In the video, the crooner elbowed Luisana after she talked over him. After she quickly apologized, Michael grabbed her arm and pulled her in close. Many fans felt that this, too, was an aggressive act. "It's incredible how some people are!! While we are in the middle of a pandemic, and living our lives under quarantine, angst, fear, loneliness and uncertainty of all kinds!" the Argentine actress-model wrote in Spanish on Instagram on April 13 in the first of two statements she issued amid the controversy. "I want you all to know that I have no doubts about who my husband is and that I would [choose] him again a thousand times over!" In a second statement, she denied being in an abusive relationship. "It's very important that we pay attention to these problems that have been mentioned and that I am lucky not to suffer. But it is important to pay attention to be able to help women that are going through it," Luisana said in a video while Michael appeared to hold her hand.
Reuniting?
One Direction's long hiatus might be coming to an end. All week long there were hints that the boy band, which went on a seemingly permanent hiatus in 2015, will reunite to mark their 10th anniversary this summer. Liam Payne didn't shy away from the rumors. "I'm not allowed to say too much, obviously, because I'd be giving it away," he told late night host James Corden, "but we've been speaking a lot more at the moment." He added, "I think that we're all feeling that that 10 year[s] is a very special moment." Another clue? Liam and members Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan re-followed Zayn Malik — who left the group in early 2015, leaving the others to carry on — on Twitter. Page Six reported that insiders were suggesting the singers might be coming back together in July, coronavirus concerns permitting.
Postponed wedding
Stick a fork in Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi's wedding… again. On April 16, royal wedding was officially postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Queen Elizabeth II's granddaughter was set to marry at The Chapel Royal in St. James's Palace on May 29. The nuptials were previously delayed, it's been reported, because of a disastrous interview her father, Prince Andrew, gave in the fall concerning his ties to a sex trafficking scandal involving dead convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Then her reception in Buckingham Palace's gardens was canceled at the start of the health crisis. "There are no plans to switch venues or hold a bigger wedding. They aren't even thinking about their wedding at this time.," a spokesperson told People magazine. "There will come a time to rearrange, but that's not yet."
Isolating apart
Julianne Hough and her husband, Brooks Laich, are doing social distancing their own way — they're doing it apart from each other. "They are still together, but just not quarantined in the same place. Their relationship has always been like this, though — they like to do their own thing," a source told People magazine. The former "Dancing With the Stars" pro is in Los Angeles while Brooks is in Idaho. "Their marriage is not perfect, but they continue to work on it," the source said. "They speak all the time. Brooks is coming back to L.A. once the stay-home order is lifted." On April 16, pictures showed her walking in L.A. with British actor Ben Barnes.
Coronavirus update
Just as his wife recovered from COVID-19, "Good Morning America" anchor George Stephanopoulos revealed that he has contracted the coronavirus, but unlike Ali Wentworth, he's been asymptomatic. On April 13, comedian and author Ali finally came out of her bedroom for the first time in 16 days. Her family clapped as she walked down the stairs to join them and one of the couple's daughters played Destiny's Child's "Survivor" on her phone as her mom laughed. "I am grateful for my health. It was a brutal and scary time. But I am one of the lucky ones. And as I continue to recover I am struck by what has become the dehumanization of this plague," Ali wrote on Instagram. "People are dying. People are suffering. People are hungry. People are scared. We have to shed all ideological, religious, social, economic barriers and grabbed each other's hands and move forward united. As people. We can isolate to help others, particularly the incredible health workers and all the courageous and selfless people on the frontlines, but that does not mean we should isolate our hearts."
R.I.P.
Brian Dennehy, the Tony-winning actor who left an indelible mark in film, TV and theater, passed away of natural causes on April 15, his family announced in a statement. He was 81. While his career spanned five decades, mainstream movie fans knew Brian best from his Golden Globe-winning performance in "Death of a Salesman" and as Chris Farley's father in "Tommy Boy." Colleagues knew him as an "actor's actor" and a true professional. Lin-Manuel Miranda called him "a colossus" in the acting world. John Lithgow said Brian was "one of our great actors."
Delivery drivers!
Forget Postmates, this is more like Prince-mates! Now that they're living in Los Angeles, Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan have become delivery drivers… at least temporarily. "Entertainment Tonight" reported that the couple volunteered with Project Angel Food to deliver meals to 20 clients living with critical illnesses on April 15. The couple also volunteered on Easter Sunday. "They told us they heard our drivers were overloaded and wanted to volunteer to lighten the drivers' workload," Richard Ayoub, Project Angel Food's executive director, said. "I am blown away that they chose us. They care about our vulnerable population. Our clients are most at risk to contract the coronavirus, having compromised immune systems including heart disease, lung disease, diabetes and most are over the age of 60." Meghan, he added, said "she wanted to show Harry Los Angeles through the eyes of philanthropy," Richard explained. And yes, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex adhered to social distancing guidelines and wore masks and gloves.
No more friendship
Friends no more! Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez basically grew up together as Disney child stars and co-stars on "Barney and Friends" as little girls. They were once close, but those days are over. During a cover story interview with Harper's Bazaar published on April 14, Demi was asked about a supportive comment Selena made following the "Sorry Not Sorry" singer's emotional performance at the Grammys. "When you grow up with somebody, you're always going to have love for them. But I'm not friends with her, so [the Instagram post] felt…," Demi said, stopping mid-sentence, before adding, "I will always have love for her, and I wish everybody nothing but the best." In other Demi news from the week, a report claimed that her new boyfriend, former soap star Max Ehrich, is already thinking about popping the question.
Single lady
All those rumors that claim Hannah Brown is dating her "Bachelorette" costar Tyler Cameron are incorrect… according to her. In an Instagram Live video on Tuesday, the former "Dancing With The Stars" winner said she's single. The topic came up while discussing whether she wants children. "You have to have a significant other for that, and I don't," she said. Last month Hannah and Tyler hung out in Florida and joked that they were the "Quarantine Crew." At the time Tyler called Hannah a "good friend." A day before Hannah's comments, the "Bachelor" franchise's newest spinoff, "Listen To Your Heart," aired. The show caught the attention of the former "Bachelorette" star, as she famously fell for aspiring country musician Jed Wyatt on the finale episode of her season. However, after the finale, it was revealed that Jed had a girlfriend while being cast on the show. Hannah had some feelings about it. "I'm triggered by this whole thing," she tweeted.
Botched giveaway
Reese Witherspoon's nice gesture was epically botched. Earlier this month, Reese Witherspoon's fashion line, Draper James, announced it was giving 250 dresses away to teachers as a thank you gesture for their work during the coronavirus pandemic. The fashion line didn't anticipate the the popularity, turning it into a disaster. According to the New York Times, "the application form crashed almost immediately. Just days after the original Instagram post appeared, it had been viewed more than 400,000 times. Teachers were emailing one another and sharing it online. By the close of the application period, Draper James had almost one million applications — which was approximately seven times the total number of dresses they had sold in 2019." Draper James, for its part, acknowledged that the giveaway didn't go smoothly. "We felt like we moved too quickly and didn't anticipate the volume of the response," a company spokeswoman said. "We were really overwhelmed. It was way more volume than the company had ever seen. We expected the single digit thousands."
