By Mark Gray
8:44am PST, Jan 10, 2020
Health reveal
Justin Bieber has been battling Lyme disease and chronic mono for the better part of a year, he revealed on Jan. 8. "While a lot of people kept saying justin Bieber looks like s—, on meth etc. they failed to realize I've been recently diagnosed with Lyme disease," he wrote on Instagram, adding that he also "had a serious case of chronic mono which affected my skin, brain function, energy, and overall health." The "Yummy" singer will drop a documentary later this month that will detail his health issues, which went undiagnosed for nearly a year. "These things will be explained further in a docu series I'm putting on YouTube shortly. you can learn all that I've been battling and OVERCOMING!!" he explained. "It's been a rough couple years but getting the right treatment that will help treat this so far incurable disease and I will be back and better than ever."
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Royal goodbye
In a move that sent shockwaves throughout the world of pop culture (and the world, in general), Prince Harry and Duchess Megan announced on Jan. 8 that they were essentially quitting the royal family, saying they "intend to step back as 'senior' members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent." They added that they will continue to support the queen but had decided that it was time to take on a "progressive new role." Further, the duo, who share son Archie, will split their time between the United Kingdom and North America. "This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity," they said. Reports claim the couple will spend ample time in Canada, a British Commonwealth nation, and in Meghan's native Los Angeles. A few hours before the shocking announcement, Britain's the Sun tabloid — which Harper's Bazaar royals correspondent Omid Scobie reported was about to leak the news, which is why Harry and Meghan went public with it on their own terms first — quoted a source who said the couple were contemplating a move to Canada for "a significant portion" of the year and were considering ditching their royal titles. At the time, the palace disregarded it as "speculation."
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Pregnant
Chloë Sevigny is expecting her first child! The 45-year-old actress and her boyfriend, Sinisa Mackovic, were spotted in New York City on Jan. 6 with her growing baby bump on display. The Oscar nominee's rep confirmed the pregnancy news. Chloe is five month along, TMZ reported. The baby's gender isn't known, though Chloe has previously expressed a desire to have a daughter.
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Fantasy football scandal
Former "Bachelor in Paradise" star Jade Roper Tolbert is being probed after winning a $1 million fantasy football contest. The question: Did she collude with her husband, fellow "Bachelor in Paradise" star Tanner Tolbert, on their fantasy football rosters to gain an advantage? In the contest, contestants fill out a roster of eight players and a team defense/special teams. There were more than 105,000 entries into the weekend contest, ESPN noted. After analyzing the Tolberts' entries, fantasy insiders noticed "a lack of duplicated lineups and alleged that the couple had strategized together to enter unique rosters as a way to circumvent the maximum entries allowed," ESPN reported. Out of the Tolberts' 300 lineups, 298 were unique. Group play, as it is described, is considered an unfair advantage. The Tolberts maintain they didn't collude and did nothing wrong, even hinting that this is nothing more than sexism since a woman won a male-dominated contest.
Custody drama
Rob Kardashian has filed for full custody of daughter Dream, alleging that the girl's mother, Blac Chyna, is unfit and more focused on partying than parenting. TMZ reported on Jan. 7 that Rob filed paperwork to request Chyna's time with Dream be reduced to just weekends and that a nanny is present during visitations. Additionally, he also asked that Chyna submit to drug and alcohol tests before each visit. In his detailed request, Rob accused Chyna of negligent parenting and substance abuse, claiming she does drugs frequently and spends "$600 on alcohol" daily, TMZ reported. He also claims Chyna often displays a violent temper and teaches Dream, 3, bad habits such as using profanity and "naked twerking."
Odd accent
Say what?! Confusion reigned supreme on social media this week after Chet Hanks — the son of Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson who used to rap under the name Chet Haze — spoke on the Golden Globes red carpet on Jan. 5 in a patois accent and posted a video to Instagram. People didn't know what to make of it, but his mother commented that the clip was "the best laugh of the night." The following day, Chet again spoke patois and posted a video to the Internet. Finally, on Jan. 7, he dropped the accent and said he has a lot of love and respect for Jamaica and Jamaican people. The accent, he said, was all in good fun and was him just goofing around.
Split rumors
Julianne Hough and husband Brooks Laich have been hit with split rumors following reports that their marriage has hit a rough patch. "They've been having problems for months," a source told People magazine. "She's very independent and a free spirit, and that's been tough for Brooks and their marriage." The duo has not given up on the marriage though. "They have been spending time apart but are not ready to share what's going on between them," an insider told E! News. "They don't even really know what to call it. There's a ton of love and emotion there and they are going through something very personal. She's been very private about this time in her life and is not making any kind of official announcement… But things have definitely changed in their relationship."The dancer-actress and the former NHL star tied the knot in July 2017.
Family drama
For the first time since wife Beth Chapman passed away last summer, Duane "Dog The Bounty Hunter" Chapman has been getting close with a woman. And his daughter isn't pleased at all. On Jan. 5, Dog posted a photo with Moon Angell, prompting daughter Lyssa Chapman to comment with vomit emojis. Lyssa also accused Moon of previously dating Lyssa's brother before moving on to widowed Dog. After her comments made headlines, Dog defended Moon. "Who knows what my future holds, but right now I need her," Dog told Radar Online. "Moon has been a trustworthy and loyal friend to me for over 20 years. She has been with my family through many ups and downs. All my children are grown and gone on their own, there's no one left to help me! Moon is experienced. It's just that. There will never be another Mrs. Dog but that doesn't mean I have to be so sad." People mag, for what it's worth, reports that the relationship between Dog and Moon is platonic.
Deep friendship
Brad Pitt has been sober for a few years now, but it wasn't until this week that he revealed this friend and actor Bradley Cooper is one of the people who helped him stop drinking. On Jan. 8, Bradley presented Brad with the best supporting actor award at the National Board of Review Annual Awards Gala. "Bradley just put his daughter to bed and rushed over here to do this. He's a sweetheart," the "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" star said as he took the stage. "I got sober because of this guy, and every day has been happier ever since. I love you and I thank you." Last year, Brad acknowledged that he joined an all-male Alcoholics Anonymous group. It was a big week for the actor, as he also won a Golden Globe on Jan. 5.
Notable weight loss
What a loser! Adele has looked noticeably trimmer in recent social media images, but it wasn't known how much weight she'd actually lost — until now. While speaking to a fan who ran into her and pal Harry Styles at an Anguilla restaurant on Jan. 3, Adele "said she lost something like 100 pounds, and that it's such a crazy, positive experience," Lexi Larson told People magazine in a story published on Jan. 9. "She seemed so happy and she looked amazing. She seemed really confident." Lexi said she didn't recognize Adele at first because of her slim down and eventually asked if she could take a picture with her. Adele refrained because her 7-year-old son, Angelo Konecki, was there. "She said no because she didn't want a lot of paparazzi at the moment or anything to get too crazy with her kid," Lexi explained.
