By Mark Gray
10:25am PDT, Apr 17, 2021
TV return
After a one-month hiatus, "The Talk" returned to CBS on April 11. The show wasted no time delving into the race-related controversy that led to original co-host Sharon Osbourne's departure. "As you may know, during our break, Sharon decided to leave 'The Talk.' We need to process the events of that day and what happened since, so we can get to the healing," Sheryl Underwood said at the opening of the show. "Over the next hour, we will honestly discuss what occurred and explore some of our feelings. And we'll also show you how anyone can become more comfortable discussing important issues and having difficult conversations. By the end of the hour, we want everyone to feel empowered and ready to move forward." During the show, Sheryl said she had a tough time thinking back to the March 10 episode during which she and Sharon had a vicious disagreement about Piers Morgan's thoughts on Duchess Meghan and her claims of mistreatment by the royal family. "I didn't want to escalate things with Sharon because I thought I was having a conversation with a friend," Sheryl said. "But also I knew I had to be an example for others to follow because I didn't want to be perceived as the angry Black woman. That really scared me; I didn't want to be that. I wanted to remain calm." Meanwhile, Sharon booked her first post-exit interview — a sit-down with the host of "Real Time With Bill Maher" set to air on April 16. Keep reading to find out what she told him…
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Sharon defends herself
In a sit-down interview with Bill Maher that aired April 16, Sharon Osbourne opened up about her sudden exit from "The Talk," where she was a founding co-host, in the wake of drama a month earlier that emerged after she defended friend Piers Morgan after he repeatedly and publicly criticized Duchess Meghan for comments and claims she made about Britain's royal family. "I've been called so many things in my life, I am so used to being called names, but a racist is one I will not take," Sharon told Bill. "Disagreeing with someone does not make you a racist," she added, chalking up allegations she had, in the past, used racial slurs to describe people to "disgruntled ladies," USA Today reported. However, Sharon and Bill did not discuss how Sharon treated co-host, Sheryl Underwood, who's Black, on the March 10 episode of "The Talk" that sparked the drama.
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Sexuality reveal
More than two years after starring on season 23 of "The Bachelor," where more than two dozen women competed for his heart, Colton Underwood has addressed his true sexuality: He's gay. The former NFL player and reality star came out in an interview with Robin Roberts that aired on "Good Morning America" on April 14. He said the coronavirus pandemic made him realize his who he was. "I've ran from myself for a long time. I've hated myself for a long time … and I'm gay. And I came to terms with that earlier this year and have been processing it. And the next step in all of this was sort of letting people know," Colton explained, adding that it was incredibly difficult to come out. He even admitting to being suicidal at one point. "I got into a place for me in my personal life that was dark and bad and I can list a bunch of different things but they'd all be excuses," he said. "I would have rather died than say I'm gay and I think that was sort of my wake-up call."
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Splitsville
After a tumultuous few weeks, Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez have officially ended their four-year romance and called off their two-year engagement. "We have realized we are better as friends and look forward to remaining so. We will continue to work together and support each other on our shared businesses and projects," they said in a statement on April 15. "We wish the best for each other and one another's children. Out of respect for them, the only other comment we have to say is thank you to everyone who has sent kind words and support." In March 2021, the couple was hit with split rumors. They denied the speculation, but acknowledged they had hit a rough patch. Interestingly, one day before the couple's announcement, Alex posted a video of several pics of J.Lo to his Instagram Story that media reports described as a shrine.
R.I.P.
British stage and screen star Helen McCrory — who delivered lauded performances on "Peaky Blinders" and in three "Harry Potter" films — died at 52 after a brave but secret cancer battle, husband Damian Lewis announced on April 16, 2021. The shocking news stunned co-stars, colleagues, friends and Hollywood fans, who mourned Helen in the wake of her passing. Co-star Cillian Murphy described her as "a beautiful, caring, funny, compassionate human being" who was "also a gifted actor — fearless and magnificent." Husband Damian, with whom Helen had two teenaged children, told fans his "beautiful and mighty" wife "died peacefully at home, surrounded by a wave of love from friends and family" and that "she died as she lived. Fearlessly," adding, "God we love her and know how lucky we are to have had her in our lives. She blazed so brightly."
Silence broken
After several months of laying low in the wake of his N-word scandal, Morgan Wallen has broken his silence. On April 13, the country singer posted a four-page handwritten letter about the self-reflection he's gone through since he was caught on camera uttering the racial slur at the end of a drunken bender. "I know my corner hasn't been the most popular one to stand in recently, but many of you did anyway," he wrote. Morgan said he plans to continue to work on himself rather than perform previously scheduled shows. "I'm proud of the work I've put in and in many ways thankful to have had the time to do it. I've needed this time off," he said. "I will always strive to be better. Not only has this time revealed to me the ways in which I want to improve but it's also reminded me that I am still very proud of who I am and the man I am becoming."
Money miscommunication
Usher found himself in the middle of a financial fiasco this week after he was accused of giving a Las Vegas exotic dancer phony dollar bills… bills that had his face on them and promoted his Vegas residency show. "Ladies what would you do if you danced all night for Usher and he threw this??" she wrote alongside the images on her Instagram Story on April 12. She added, "The money does not have a trade in value what so ever! Lmao don't y'all think he should be blasted on social media for this?" Usher was quickly slammed on Twitter, but the club where this occurred — Sapphire Las Vegas Gentlemen's Club — denied that the singer make it rain with monopoly money. A rep for the club told USA Today that someone from Usher's team left behind the counterfeit bills. In fact, the rep said Usher and his team tipped with real money. TMZ said the "Usherbucks" were not intended to serve as a form of compensation.
Reliving a "relationship"
Moby isn't going there! In a new interview, the electronic artist and singer refused to discuss his assertion that he briefly dated Natalie Portman two decades ago (a claim she'd denied). Moby was asked about the confusion in a chat with The Guardian. "You know, you're asking me to open up such a can of worms… There's no good way to answer: one option is terrible, the other is really terrible. So if we were playing chess right now, this is the part where I'd pick up my phone and pretend I've got an emergency call," he said. "A part of me wishes I could spend the next two hours deconstructing the whole thing. But there's levels of complexity and nuance that I really can't go into." Moby initially made the claim in his 2019 memoir. Natalie then insisted they never dated and said he was "creepy." In the interview, Moby spoke about Natalie's use of that word. "I wouldn't use that word," he said. "But when I was an out-of-control alcoholic and drug addict I definitely acted selfish and incredibly inconsiderately towards family members and friends and girlfriends and people I worked with."
Baby bliss
Macaulay Culkin and his girlfriend of five years, actress Brenda Song, confirmed on April 13 that they welcomed a son on April 5 in Los Angeles. "We're overjoyed," the couple said in a statement to Esquire. They named their son Dakota Song Culkin after the "Home Alone" star's late sister who died in 2008 after being hit by a car. Esquire reported that the baby was 6 pounds, 14 ounces.
New beau
Kacey Musgraves has a new man. This week, the country music singer went Instagram official with Dr. Gerald Onuoha. Paparazzi also snapped the new couple cuddling up in Los Angeles as they waited for an Uber. "They met in Nashville and Kacey is into him," a source told "Entertainment Tonight." "She likes that he is a doctor and not very involved in the entertainment industry, but that he also gets it." According to his LinkedIn profile, the physician practices internal medicine at HCA Healthcare in Music City.
