Baby bliss
Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West became parents on Jan. 15 once again after their surrogate gave birth to a baby girl in Los Angeles. Kim announced the happy news on her subscription-based website. They named their daughter Chicago West. "Kanye and I are happy to announce the arrival of our healthy, beautiful baby girl," the reality TV star wrote. "We are incredibly grateful to our surrogate who made our dreams come true with the greatest gift one could give and to our wonderful doctors and nurses for their special care. North and Saint are especially thrilled to welcome their baby sister." TMZ reported that Kim was in the delivery room when the surrogate gave birth and was the first person to have skin-to-skin contact with the baby.
RELATED: Celebs expecting babies in 2018
Splitsville
A shocker of a split here!. Lena Dunham and her boyfriend of five years, musician-producer Jack Antonoff, split up after five years together, it was revealed on Jan. 8. E! News said that the couple's split was amicable. "It was mutual," a source said. "Jack and Lena were growing apart and it just made sense for them to end their relationship where it was. They want the best for each other no matter what. They are both moving on." Afterward, Lena said she will always wear the ring that Jack gave her. Within days of the split news, Jack slammed a report claiming he'd moved on and was dating Lorde.
RELATED: Celebs you forgot once made music
Sexual misconduct claims
James Franco won a Golden Globe on Jan. 7 — a tremendous feat for any actor — but it was a bad month for the star any way you look at it. On Jan. 11, five women came forward to accuse James of inappropriate or sexually exploitive behavior. The Los Angeles Times published a story in which the women told different tales. James, his lawyer and even his sister-in-law, actress Alison Brie, have disputed the women's accounts. The report came a few days after James won his Globe for "The Disaster Artist," prompting actress Ally Sheedy, whom James directed in a play, to tweet, "James Franco just won. Please don't ever ask me why I left the film/tv business. Why is a man hosting? Why is James Franco allowed in? Said too much." She later deleted the post and didn't give further insight. James, who wore a Time's Up pin to the Globes, spoke out on a few late-night shows after Ally's tweet plus other accusations started emerging on Twitter, but before the L.A. Times piece ran. He told Stephen Colbert, "The things that I heard that were on Twitter are not accurate, but I completely support people coming out and being able to have a voice for so long, so I don't want to shut them down in any way." He added, "If there's restitution to be made, I will make it. I'm here to listen and learn and change my perspective where it's off." When Seth Meyers asked James if the Time's Up movement has made him question some of his past behavior, he responded, "I have my own side of this story, but I believe in these people who have been underrepresented getting their stories out enough that I will hold back things that I could say just because I believe in it that much. If I have to take a knock because I'm not going to try to actively refute things, then I will because I believe in it that much." He was later snubbed when Oscar nominations were announced, but a source told E! News that James was also "relieved" that he didn't get nominated amid the controversy.
Up-and-down month
Talk about an up-and-down month for Michelle Williams! First, Hollywood was up in arms after learning that Michelle earned a small fraction of what Mark Wahlberg was paid for their "All The Money In The World" reshoots. On Jan. 9, reports indicated that the actress made $80 a day for the 10-day reshoot. Mark, meanwhile, made $1.5 million (initial reports said it was $2 million). Jessica Chastain said Michelle "deserves more than 1 percent of her male co-star's salary." Reese Witherspoon called it "absolutely unacceptable." Jesse Tyler Ferguson weighed in, explaining, "Michelle Williams is one of the best actress working right now. It makes me furious that her talent is undervalued in this way. #EqualPay." Director Ridley Scott was furious upon finding out about the pay discrepancy. Mark eventually donated his salary to Time's Up, which advocates for pay parity. It wasn't all bad for Michelle, however. The actress reportedly got engaged to New York financier Andrew Youmans around this same time as the controversy erupted. "She wants a good guy and a stable family life," a source told Us Weekly, which broke the news.
Engaged
Paris Hilton has met her knight in shining armor. The heiress took to Instagram on Jan. 2 to announce that she got engaged to "Leftovers" actor Chris Zylka in Aspen, Colorado, in late 2017. Paris posted several images of the proposal on social media. "I said Yas! 👰💅💍💎 So happy & excited to be engaged to the love of my life," the bride-to-be wrote. "My best friend & soulmate. Perfect for me in every way. So dedicated, loyal, loving & kindhearted. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world! You are my dream come true! Thank you for showing me that fairytales do exist.😍." According to TMZ, Chris ordered her custom 20-carat ring (worth $2 million) back in the summer, only a few months after the duo started dating (the ring has its own security team). Paris said she might end up having not one, not two but three weddings.
Alleged robbers
They're being called the Disney "Bonnie and Clyde." Former Disney star Adam Hicks and girlfriend Danni Tamburo, an actress, were arrested in Burbank, California, on Jan. 24 after allegedly committing three robberies over a two-hour period. According to police, a gun-toting Adam approached pedestrians and demanded they hand over their money, possessions and other property. His girlfriend drove the getaway car. Adam, who starred on "Zeke and Luther," and Danni were both charged with two counts of second-degree robbery and three counts of attempted second-degree robbery.
Controversial sexual misconduct allegation
Aziz Ansari found himself on the wrong side of the #MeToo and Time's Up movements in mid-January, but many are standing by him. On Jan. 15, an anonymous Brooklyn photographer detailed a date she went on with Aziz in a piece published by babe.net. The September 2017 date, she said, was great until they got back to his apartment. There, she explained, they fooled around and ended up engaging in sexual activity. The woman acknowledged that she never told him no, but said, "I know I was physically giving off cues that I wasn't interested. I don't think that was noticed at all, or if it was, it was ignored." She said she cried on the Uber ride home and texted him that next day to tell him she felt uncomfortable. Screenshots of the conversation show him telling the woman, "Clearly I misread things in the moment and I'm truly sorry." In a statement to the media, Aziz said, "It was true that everything did seem okay to me, so when I heard that it was not the case for her, I was surprised and concerned." As the story started making the rounds, many sided with Aziz. CNN's Ashleigh Banfield blasted the anonymous accuser for publicly crucifying Aziz after a "bad date," calling her out for staying at Aziz's place and continuing on with the sexual encounter. She said the woman is endangering a movement by blowing her story out of proportion. A female New York Times columnist said Aziz is only guilty of "not being a mind reader." The Washington Post said the woman's story was "a gift to anyone who wants to derail #MeToo."
Baby No. 5!
Chip and Joanna Gaines are fixing up quite the family. The "Fixer Upper" stars announced on Instagram on Jan. 2 that they are expecting their fifth child together. "Gaines party of 7.. (If you're still confused.. WE ARE PREGNANT)," Chip captioned an Instagram photo that shows him pushing his stomach out. Joanna shows a hint of a baby bump in the shot. Joanna later shared a video of her ultrasound from the doctor's office. "Chip swears he can already tell it's a boy. Look at the little heartbeat!! 🙌❤️❤️ #5," she captioned the video.
Secretly married
Ellen Page is a married woman. Who knew?! The actress secretly married girlfriend Emma Portner, she revealed on Instagram on Jan. 3. "Can't believe I get to call this extraordinary woman my wife," Ellen captioned a photo of her and Emma's hands, both wearing wedding rings. She shared a second image of her and her new wife, a dancer, cuddled up in a grassy area while on the verge of kissing. Ellen went public with the relationship in July 2017.
Married man
Ricky Martin also secretly wed! While speaking to E! News on Jan. 10, the singer-actor revealed that he's now married to artist Jwan Yosef. "I'm a husband, but we're doing a heavy party in a couple of months, I'll let you know," Ricky said. "We exchanged vows, and we've swear [sic] everything, and we've signed all the papers that we needed to sign, prenups and everything." He added that it "feels amazing" to be married. "I can't introduce him as my fiance. I can't," Ricky said. "He's my husband. He's my man."
Cheating scandal
In mid-January, The Chainsmokers' Alex Pall was caught on CCTV kissing a woman. The problem is, that woman was not his longtime girlfriend, Tori Woodward. Tori got her hands on the video, posted it to her Instagram story and, as expected, the couple split. "I'm moving on with my life," she said. On Jan. 23, Alex addressed the cheating scandal. In an impromptu interview with TMZ, Alex said he hoped his ex would find someone more deserving. "It's been a little rough," he said. "She deserves the best… She deserves a better guy than me." Alex said he's been "miserable" but said he's learned he needs "to be a better person and take care of those who love you."
Cancer scare
Jane Fonda is "fine" after having a cancerous growth removed from her lower lip. The acting legend addressed the news on Jan. 15 at an AOL BUILD Series taping while wearing a bandage on her face."I just want to explain the bandage," she said. "I just had a cancer taken from my lip. I thought it was going to heal in time before I came before you, but it's fine. I just want to explain it. I don't normally go around like this." She then joked, "The world is falling apart. What's a lip?" On her way into the presentation, Jane covered her mouth as photographers snapped away. She hid her mouth at other appearances too. Reports speculate that Jane had basal-cell carcinoma, which is the most common form of skin cancer.
Done and dating
It is officially over for Christina and Tarek El Moussa. The "Flip or Flop" duo have finalized their divorce, it was reported on Jan. 22. The on-screen duo separated in 2016. In January 2017, Tarek filed for divorce. A few months later in August 2017, Christina responded to Tarek's divorce petition. On Jan. 22, Christina posted an inspirational quote to Instagram. "I want to thank my family, friends, and supporters for all the love and kind words the past few years," she said in her caption. "Officially ready for the next chapter Life's too short to tolerate negativity … #choosehappiness." She's now dating British TV host Ant Anstead. Tarek also took to Instagram, posting a photo of Dwayne Johnson with the message, "Distance yourself from the people who 1. Lie to you. 2. Disrespect you. 3. Use you. 4. Put you down." He captioned it by saying, "I saw this on my feed and thought 'Wow, what a true statement.'" He is reportedly now dating lingerie model Patience Silva.
Getting the boot
Matt Lauer needs to find new digs. The disgraced former newsman is getting kicked out of the family home and his wife is going to be filing divorce documents soon, according to a Jan. 22 report. Page Six said Matt is staying at another house near the family home in the Hamptons so that he can continue spending time with his kids. The same day the report came out, both Matt and his wife, Annette Roque, were spotted at a horse farm in Sag Harbor on Long Island (although they were seen separately). Matt is reportedly trying to save his marriage, but Annette is "being very cold," a source told the paper. Matt was fired from "Today" last November amid a sexual misconduct scandal.
The tax man cometh
"Jersey Shore" star Mike Sorrentino could be dealing with a real, well, situation… as in time behind bars. On Jan. 19, the reality TV star pleaded guilty to charges of tax fraud and is now facing up to 15 years in prison. His brother also pleaded guilty. The Blast reported that Mike and his brother are accused of not paying all federal income tax owed on approximately $8.9 million that was earned between 2010 and 2012. Prosecutors also said that the brothers inflated their business expenses for luxury cars and clothing. They also allegedly deposited cash in multiple accounts to avoid having to report it to the IRS. Despite the guilty plea, a judge gave Mike the green light to travel to Florida to shoot a "Jersey Shore" reunion.