By Mark Gray
1:03pm PDT, Apr 11, 2023
Barbie bashing
Ryan Gosling is getting dragged over his appearance as Ken in the new "Barbie" trailer that Warner Bros. Pictures released on April 4. Fans were not kind, with one comparing him to Ellen DeGeneres and another saying Ryan, or rather Ken, needed Botox. "Barbie trailer looks INCREDIBLE but MAN ryan gosling as ken looks so OLD!!!! the bleached hair isn't doing what it's supposed to be doing unfortunately," another quipped. He was even called an "aging generous Palm Springs daddy." Tough crowd. The film, which stars Margot Robbie in the titular role and is directed by Greta Gerwig, hits theaters July 21.
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Engagement off
On second thought… Two weeks after Rupert Murdoch revealed he had proposed to former dental hygienist Ann Lesley Smith, his girlfriend of a few months, the Fox News mogul had second thoughts. The duo has called off their engagement. Vanity Fair reported on April 4 that the 92-year-old — who's been married four times — had become increasingly uncomfortable with Ann's outspoken evangelical views. A friend close to the former couple, however, told DailyMail.com that the pair had come to a mutual decision to part ways. "She just could not cope with being with being in the public eye," claimed that source. "They sat down and talked yesterday and agreed it was better for them to part. He accepts that he will always be in the public eye and there is nothing he can or would do to change that." The DailyMail.com source insisted that Rupert remains fond of Ann, saying he "admires her, respects her and thinks she is an amazing woman. He loves the fact she is so calm and so strong … and she shares his religious convictions."
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Arrested
On April 4, 2023, former President Donald Trump was arrested and appeared in a Manhattan court in connection with an alleged hush money payments scheme involving adult film star Stormy Daniels that allegedly went down before the 2016 presidential election. While in court, the ex-POTUS pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records and conspiracy. He is the first former president to face criminal charges. The arrest was hardly a surprise, as Trump himself said he'd be indicted and arrested (although he missed the date by two weeks.) Following his arrest, many celebrities and well-known names on both sides of the aisle reacted and voiced their opinions on social media. Bill Maher joked, "To put this in terms QAnon can understand: The Stormy is coming." Meghan McCain took a swipe at Trump but added, "You're all helping him. Martyring him. And probably re-electing him." Megyn Kelly tweeted, "I think it's horrible … I think it helps Trump politically … but it's horrible for the country."
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Not done yet?
One of Britney Spears' closest confidants is begging her not to "throw in the towel" on her career. A source told DailyMail.com that Cade Hudson, Brit's close friend and manager, staged a "career intervention" during a recent Mexican vacation. "Cade wants to see Britney get back to doing what she loves to do, as she is a talented artist. He knows that she is still passionate about this," the source said. "He wanted to have a career intervention and, at the same time, really help her to get back to herself. He told her she cannot throw in the towel yet and he has reminded her of who she really is." Cade and Brit have been fiercely close for more than two decades, and he's one of the few people she actually trusts.
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Scary, heartbreaking fire
In an April 3 Instagram post, "Grey's Anatomy" actress Caterina Scorsone revealed that she and her three young children — Eliza, Pippa and Lucky, whom she shares with ex-husband Rob Giles — survived a near-death experience after their house caught fire a few months earlier. "A couple of months ago my house burned down. While getting my kids ready for bed and finishing bath time, smoke began to seep up through the grout around the tub. When I looked down the hallway a river of thick black smoke had already formed and was filling the house," the actress captioned a slideshow of photos revealing the aftermath of the fire as well as honoring their beloved cats and dog. "One thing about fires: they happen fast. I had about two minutes to get my three kids out of the house, and we escaped with less than shoes on our feet. But we got out. And for that I am eternally grateful. Heartbreakingly, we lost all four of our pets. We are still sitting with that loss, but we are lucky we got to love them at all."
New religion
Shalom, Sofia Richie. In anticipation of her marriage to fiancé Elliot Grainge, the model has converted to Judaism, she revealed. "What a magical day," she wrote on her Instagram Story on April 3 over a photo of herself signing a document written in Hebrew. The daughter of Lionel Richie thanked a cantor, Nathan Lam, for helping her "along this journey of converting to Judaism." Alongside the image, Sofia said her conversion "has been one of the greatest experiences of my life." She concluded her message with five Star of David emojis. "Today was that day!!!" she said. Sofia was raised Christian and even attended a Christian school in the Los Angeles area. Elliot — the son of Lucian Grainge, who's the chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group, was raised Jewish.
It's official
So nice they did it twice. Chase Stokes and Kelsea Ballerini made things official at the CMT Music Awards in Austin, Texas, on April 2: They made their red carpet debut as a couple. "I have a really hot date tonight," the country music star told CMT on the red carpet before the telecast, which she co-hosted. The happy couple then attended opening night of the musical "Shucked" on Broadway on April 4 and again posed on the red carpet together. Kelsea and the "Outer Banks" actor have been dating since January 2023.
"Idol" out
In and out! Kaya Stewart auditioned on "American Idol" (her episode aired in March 2023) with an original song called "This Tattoo," delivering an amazing performance that led judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan to send her on to Hollywood. Kaya's father, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Dave Stewart — who's best known for his work as one-half of the Eurythmics — accompanied his daughter on guitar as she sang her heart out. But during Hollywood Week, which aired in April 2023, Kaya got sick. "I have been trying to push myself and keep going … [but] I realized that I wasn't able to give 100%," she explained before announcing she was dropping out of the competition.
