By Mark Gray
6:08pm PDT, Aug 17, 2023
House sale
Billy Porter is being forced to sell his house amid the actors and writers strikes. "I don't know when we're gonna go back. The life of an artist, until you make f*** you money — which I haven't made yet — is still [paycheck-to-paycheck]," he told the Evening Standard in early August. When the concurrent strikes began — writers started picketing on May 2; actors joined in on July 14 — Deadline reported that studios planned to prolong the work stoppages until the actors and writers folded. "The endgame is to allow things to drag on until union members start losing their apartments and losing their houses," a source said.
Referring to that comment, Billy said, "So to the person who said, 'We're going to starve them out until they have to sell their apartments' — you've already starved me out." Billy also took aim at Disney CEO Bob Iger for claiming writers and actors were not being "realistic" with their demands. "The business has evolved," Billy said, citing the popularity of streaming services. "So the contract has to evolve and change, period. To hear Bob Iger say that our demands for a living wage are unrealistic? While he makes $78,000 a day? I don't have any words for it, but: f*** you. [But] that's not useful, so I've kept my mouth shut."
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Another one
Ciara is pregnant again! On Aug. 8, the singer took to Instagram to announce that she's expecting her fourth child — and her third with her husband, NFL quarterback Russell Wilson. The music star revealed her growing baby bump in a video she captioned, "You look at me like that again, we make another kid…You my heart I'm your rib." The couple are already parents to daughter Sienna Princess, 6, who was born in 2017, and son Win Harrison, who was born in 2020. Ciara also shares son Future Zahir Wilburn, who was born in 2014, with her music star ex Future.
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Blissfully happy
Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes are thinking about forever nearly a year after they were fired from "Good Morning America" over a consensual workplace romance. "They're in a good place," a source told Us Weekly on Aug. 7. "They're moving on from all the negative around the affair and looking toward the future together." The couple has continued to lean on each other in the wake of the scandal. Amy and T.J. — who both divorced their previous spouses in the months after their romance was made public — "are very happy and laying low," the source said, adding that "now the plan is they do want to move in together and get engaged." While their personal lives are going well, they're still hoping to return to TV. "They are still getting paid severance by ABC," a source explained. "So they're in no rush to get another show. But they're still pitching shows and would like to work together."
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Tragic news
Bryan Randall, Sandra Bullock's longtime partner, passed away on Aug. 5 after a private three-year battle with ALS, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. The model-turned-photographer was 57. His family announced the news. According to reported, Sandra, who arranged and paid for around-the-clock home care, was with him until the end.
Although they'd been together since 2015, the couple never legally married. However, DailyMail.com reported that the two "exchanged vows" in 2017 in the Bahamas in an intimate (and non-legally-binding) ceremony. "They really did this for the children, to kind of seal the deal and show them this was a forever thing," a source said. "After the ceremony [Sandra's kids] Louis and Laila started calling Bryan dad."
It seems that very few people knew of Bryan's health issues, which caused him and Sandra to essentially withdraw from social events. Due to their absence, there had been speculation that they'd split — which was actually advantageous for the couple. "Sandra kept Bryan hidden away in the back of the house. It's so big that you could conceal what was going on with him but towards the end she really didn't let people into the home beyond the doctors and nurses who were looking after him," the source said. "It was quite convenient for them to have these rumors that they'd broken up because it helped conceal what was really going on. It was easier to let people assume they hadn't seen him because they were no longer together."
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Devastating destruction
The Aloha State is on fire. During the week of Aug. 7, the Hawaiian island of Maui caught fire due to dry conditions and hurricane weather. Videos show the once-stunning island looking apocalyptic as buildings, vegetation and cars were all reduced to ash. The historic Lahaina Town was destroyed and nearly 100 people are confirmed dead with hundreds still missing. Hawaii native Jason Momoa is paying particularly close attention to the crisis. "We are devastated and heartbroken for our friends and 'ohana on Maui who been impacted by the recent wildfires," he wrote on Instagram. The "Aquaman" star also shared a series of slides with information on how to help displaced residents.
Former President Barack Obama, who's from Hawaii, wrote, "It's tough to see some of the images coming out of Hawai'i — a place that's so special to so many of us." Rocker Mick Fleetwood's restaurant, Fleetwoods on Front Street, was also destroyed. "This is a devastating moment for MAUl and many are suffering unimaginable loss," the musician wrote on Instagram. "We are committed to supporting the community and those affected by this disaster in the days month and years to come."
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After a whirlwind five-month trek across the United States, Taylor Swift ended the first North American leg of her "Eras Tour." Her final concert — the last of a six-show series in Los Angeles — took place on Aug. 9. Throughout the tour, the pop star brought up special guests, showed off a bevy of performance looks and gifted a hat to a young fan every night, including Selena Gomez's sister and Kobe Bryant's daughter. All summer, Taylor Swift concerts were the place to be and the place to be seen. The Aug. 9 show alone was attended by Emma Stone, Kerry Washington, Adam Sandler, Halsey, Sydney Sweeney, Karlie Kloss — Taylor's former best friend and roommate — and Lucy Hale. Duchess Meghan was there the evening prior. Taylor — who on Aug. 10 also announced that her next re-recorded album will be "1989 (Taylor's Version)" and that it's coming out in October on the ninth anniversary of the original's release — will next take the tour international and then return to the United States in the fall of 2024 to finish it off.
Splitsville
Just when you thought things were coming up rosy… Bachelor Nation stars Kaitlyn Bristowe and Jason Tartick have ended their engagement of two years. The pair, who started dating in 2019, announced their breakup on Instagram on Aug. 6. "After sharing the news with family and close friends first, and taking the time to properly process it ourselves, we are saddened with heavy hearts to share that we have decided to end our engagement," they wrote in a joint statement. "We are thankful for all of you who gave us the time and space to process this life altering decision as there are many emotions and changes to navigate. Our dogs Ramen & Pinot will continue to be cared for together as brothers. While their humans are no longer romantically involved, we will love and take care of them together," they added. "Continuing our friendship is incredibly important to both of us. We feel grateful to be ending our engagement with love and respect for each other. It's heartbreaking and sad to say goodbye, but our care and admiration for one another will never die." Jason later said he was "heartbroken" and Kaitlyn told a camera crew that she wasn't completely closing the door on a reconciliation.
Prison sentence
Rapper Tory Lanez was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being found guilty of shooting Megan Thee Stallion in the foot in 2020. "If I could change it, I would, but I can't," he said before his Aug. 8 sentencing. "Everything I did that night, I take full responsibility. I truly am just trying to be a better person." Back in December, Tory was convicted of three felonies including assault with a semiautomatic firearm, having a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle and discharging a firearm with gross negligence. In testimony, Megan said the shooting was preceded by an argument over each other's rap careers. Although she did not attend the sentencing hearing, she issued a statement that was read before the court. "He not only shot me, he made a mockery of my trauma," the statement said. "This is a statement for all survivors that their lives matter and there is zero tolerance for the torture that accompanies violence."
