hate crime

'Empire' star Jussie Smollett brutally attacked in apparent hate crime

By Wonderwall

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"Empire" star Jussie Smollett was hospitalized in Chicago after being attacked and beaten in what is thought to be a hate crime.

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The actor, 35, came out as gay in 2015 during an interview with Ellen DeGeneres.

ThatGrapeJuice.Net, who broke the story, reported that the attack was premeditated. The Chicago Police Department is investigating the incident as a battery, TMZ reported.

The report says two men wearing ski masks beat him and placed a noose around Jussie's neck during the attack. During the incident, the men apparently shouted, "This is MAGA country" and poured bleach on him, TMZ said on Tuesday morning, noting that the incident occurred around 2 AM as Jussie left a Subway sandwich shop.

The attack came eight days after the actor received a disturbing racist and homophobic letter in the mail.

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ThatGrapeJuice.Net showed a photo of the letter that featured cutout letters from a magazine. It also shared an image from the actual letter what shows the author clearly trying to manipulate and disguise their handwriting. The return address simply said "MAGA."

Jussie, who films "Empire" in Chicago, was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital after the attack, but he's already been released. According to reports, Jussie fought back against his attackers, but suffered a fractured rib.

Nasty neighbors

Justin Theroux's years-long feud with NYC neighbor gets personal

By Wonderwall

Justin Theroux's never-ending battle with his New York City neighbor continues, as he's now accusing the man of intimidating another of the building's residents… the man's own wife!

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In newly filed court documents obtained by TMZ, Justin attached an audio recording that he says shows Norman Resnicow, his neighbor, berating his own 71-year-old wife and threatening her. The way Justin sees it, this violates a restraining order that's been put in place as part of their ongoing litigation. 

The restraining order, which went into effect two years ago, reportedly prohibits Norman from intimidating any of the building's residents, as they could be witness in the case. Norman's wife, Justin argues, is a building resident.

The actor is seeking civil or criminal punishment against the neighbor, urging the court to hold Norman in contempt and potentially impose a fine or imprisonment on him.

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Citing court records, TMZ says Justin claims he's heard his neighbor threaten violence against his wife several times of late, and he's called police fearing for the woman's safety. In the audio recording alleged to be Norman, he tells this wife he will "break your teeth."

The "Maniac" star says the domestic arguments have caused him "anxiety that continues long after the incidents themselves have ended." He added that others in the building have filed affidavits against the neighbor, too.

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The feud between Justin and Norman began in 2017 when Justin and then-wife Jennifer Aniston began renovating their Greenwich Village co-op. Justin claimed Norman quickly became angry about the renovations and made his life a living hell. Norman apparently demanded that they install soundproofing, although Justin refused. In May 2017, Justin sued Norman for $350,000 and punitive damages for what amounted to harassment.

Justin's lawsuit alleged that Norman threatened to create a PR nightmare if the actor didn't succumb to his wishes. In the lawsuit, he alleged that Norman also threatened to cut the water and electricity lines to his roof deck. He also says that his neighbor badgered the men working on Justin's renovation.

Norman then counter-sued, saying Justin has "terrorized" him and his wife with his "rude behavior."

TMZ reported in 2018 that Norman filed documents, alleging that water damage from Justin's pad leaked into his living room, causing it to get moldy.

In May 2018, Justin accused Norman of trespassing on his property multiple times and being a "peeping tom." 

Around that same time, a judge signed a temporary restraining order against Norman after multiple residents in his building said he came after them with farming tools.

Restaurant woes

Man attempts break-in at Lisa Vanderpump's L.A. restaurant

By Wonderwall

A break-in at Lisa Vanderpump's famous Los Angeles-area restaurant was thwarted by a quick-thinking passersby who caught the crook in the act.

According to TMZ, a man wearing a blue medical mask and a backpack walked up to Lisa's Pump restaurant in West Hollywood on Sunday and attempted to cut the lock to the restaurant's front gate. 

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As multiple witnesses noticed the alleged break-in in progress, the aspiring trespasser immediately put away his heavy-duty shears and stood in front of the gate "as if nothing was amiss," TMZ said.

The passersby, though, weren't buying the nothing-to-see-here behavior and at least three of them called police, who arrived within minutes en masse with seven police units and a helicopter. (Police told the webloid that would-be crook had been seen in the area before, so they responded in kind.)

The suspect was quickly detained. 

Neither Lisa nor her husband, Ken Todd, were in the restaurant at the time, as it's been closed since the Covid-19 pandemic began. 

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Making light of the situation, Ken told TMZ, the burglar "was desperate for a Pump-tini. We can't blame him."

Since nothing was taken and the man didn't really come close to getting inside of Pump, the "Vanderpump Rules" stars are not pressing charges. 

The break-in attempt comes just a few months after a car smashed into Pump. The restaurant was open for brunch at the time of that incident.

"Final straw"

Mary-Kate Olsen split with ex as he moved ex-wife into their home: Report

By Wonderwall

While Mary-Kate Olsen and Olivier Sarkozy's marriage hung by a thread, he moved his ex-wife into a mansion that he and the "Full House" star shared, according to a new report.

The move-in, which was reportedly prompted by the Covid-19 pandemic, was said to be "the final straw for Mary-Kate." 

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Page Six reported on Wednesday that Olivier began relocating his ex-wife, Charlotte Bernard, their two children and his mother from New York City into the five-bedroom, 4,000-square-foot mansion in early April.

Olivier shared the home, which is located in the ultra-lavish Hamptons area of New York, with Mary-Kate.

"Olivier was concerned for the safety of his family in New York during the pandemic. He insisted to Mary-Kate that he wanted to bring his ex-wife, their kids and his mother from the city, to their Bridgehampton home," a source said. "Maybe French people culturally have a different view of marriage, and while Mary-Kate loves his children, it was too much to have his ex-wife living with them during the pandemic. Would you want the ex-wife living with you for an unforeseeable amount of time in the middle of a crisis?"

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Friends are quick to point out that Mary-Kate, who officially filed for divorce from Olivier on May 25, had a respectful relationship with Olivier's ex-wife.

"The moment MK drove out of the driveway in April, Olivier had his mother, kids, and wait for this … Charlotte his ex-wife, move in to keep them in a safer place, away from COVID," a second source said. "There's no romance between Charlotte and Olivier, he wants to keep everyone (including Charlotte) safe from COVID."

"It was not uncommon for Charlotte to be around and stay in a separate bedroom in the Hamptons on holidays or birthdays," the insider continued. "They have two kids and have always put them first. In their French way, family comes first, even with a divorce. Charlotte was even at Olivier's wedding to Mary-Kate."

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Mary-Kate and Olivier had been having issues prior to the pandemic, but Charlotte's move into the Hamptons home was "the final straw" for the fashion mogul, the second source added.

While Olivier — the half-brother of former French president Nicolas Sarkozy — and his ex now self-isolate in the affluent Hamptons amid the pandemic, Mary-Kate is also reportedly sequestering herself in a multimillion-dollar Hamptons estate. 

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The split between Mary-Kate and Olivier hasn't exactly been smooth. Earlier this month, she lost an emergency petition for a divorce. In her court documents, she asked to be able to use the former couple's home in the Hamptons (the one where Olivier and Charlotte are staying) and two of their ritzy apartments in Manhattan. 

"I am petrified that my husband is trying to deprive me of the home we have lived in and if he is successful, I will not only lose my home but I risk losing my personal property as well," she said in court documents, noting that she initially wanted to formally file for divorce in mid-April (on the heels of Olivier's ex's move-in) but courts were closed to non-essential matters. 

Her divorce filing, she argued on May 13, was an "emergency."

Despite her argument, a judge said Mary-Kate's divorce wasn't essential at the time.

While the fiercely private Mary-Kate has yet to publicly address the cause of the split, reports last week claimed the duo disagreed on having children.

Mini me

Heather Locklear's daughter is spitting image of mother: Pic

By Wonderwall

She is her mother's daughter!

On Tuesday, Heather Locklear's mini me, Ava Sambora, 22, posted a photo to Instagram in which she looks the mirror image of her famous mom… and she should, considering Ava raided the "Melrose Place" star's closet before posting the snaps.

"I got it from my mama (Like I literally got this shirt from my mom's closet 🤪)," she captioned the photos, one of which shows Heather in a Bon Jovi shirt, and two of which show Ava in that same shirt.

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The fun mother-daughter photos come following Ava's recent college graduation from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. 

"Tomorrow is the big LMU graduation at home for my baby," Heather captioned a photo of Ava wearing a purple sweatshirt and a graduation cap earlier this month.

Ava, who Heather shares with Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora, took to Instagram to share similar images from her graduation day which, like thousands of other students across the nation, went virtual due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 

"Yesterday I graduated from Loyola Marymount University! I earned a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Women's and Gender Studies!" Ava captioned the slideshow of photos, which shows her wearing a white dress and graduation cap and clutching pink flowers while sitting on a blanket in front of a gorgeous backdrop. "I am hoping to attend graduate school in Fall of 2021! Thank you to all the wonderful people in my life who made this journey possible! Cheers to all the grads!"

bday vibes

Scott Disick celebrates serene birthday with Kourtney Kardashian, kids

By Wonderwall

Scott Disick celebrated his birthday with some family fun at one of the most luxurious hotels in the country. 

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With his ex Kourtney Kardashian and their three kids in tow, the birthday boy headed for Amangiri in southern Utah to escape and ring in his 37th birthday — a trip which comes following his brief rehab stint and breakup with Sofia Richie.

"Scott went with Kourtney and the kids to Amangiri to celebrate his birthday and enjoy the holiday weekend," a source told E! News. "He is doing a lot better and is focused on healing. He's talked with a few therapists who are helping him talk through his struggles and navigate his next moves."

"Scott has been very willing and open to get help and wants to continue treatment. Kourtney knows how to handle Scott and he is always in a better headspace when he gets to spend time with his kids," the insider continued. "She has really been there for him since his rehab exit, and has had a lot of sympathy towards him."

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Kourtney shared several images from the serene family getaway at Amangiri, the ultra-private resort near Lake Powell that Forbes once called "a billionaire enclave."

"Escape to the desert," she captioned one sun-kissed snap of herself standing on a rock formation.

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Escape to the desert 🌵🐫🌞

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She later shared images of the family on a horseback ride. 

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"Amangiri is one of Kourtney's favorite places and they just announced its reopening, so she knew she wanted to go," a family insider told E! "She took a quick 3-day trip with the kids. They flew in on a private jet and had a customized weekend of activities set up for them."

While Scott didn't appear in any of Kourtney's social media images, the first source said Kourtney wants Scott to get "healthy" because it's "best for their family and makes the dynamic much easier."

"Scott is doing so much better since last month when he was feeling down," the source said. "It truly takes him to hit rock bottom for him to get help and get his life back on track."

Dad love

See how Kingston Rossdale's dad Gavin and likely future stepdad Blake Shelton marked his 14th birthday

By Wonderwall

He's growing up so fast!

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On May 26, music stars Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale took to Instagram to mark son Kingston's 14th birthday. Gwen shared a gushing post, wishing "a happy 14th bday to my first born son -thank u God for marking me HIS MAMMA GX #loveukingstonjames," alongside a photo of her son at the beach.

Gwen then shared another sweet post, this time featuring her boyfriend of nearly five years, Blake Shelton, with Kingston, captioning the clip — which shows the country music star repeatedly and goofily kissing on his (if reports are to be believed) future stepson's face — "happy b day kingking gx @blakeshelton #😘😘😘😘😘😘😘."

The teen's father, Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale — who split from the No Doubt singer in the summer of 2015 after nearly 13 years of marriage and two decades as a couple — also took to social media to honor his eldest boy and second-born child. (In addition to Kingston and his two younger sons with Gwen, Gavin has an adult daughter, model-actress Daisy Lowe, with old friend Pearl Lowe.)

Gavin posted a slideshow of photos of Kingston and wrote next to it, "kingston james mc gregor rossdale – 14 years old today . what a journey with this young man . king you blow me away . such a kind funny smart handsome naughty spirited articulate dynamic sapien. you're so full of love and humor it feels like we got something right although the credit belongs to you . we are gonna celebrate hard tonight . i'm sorry there is no large gathering as you had requested (and advertised 😳😳😳😂😂🤷🏽🎂) but that will come . let's all get safer first . what can i tell you – you're the love of my life. the eye of my apple . you know i do it all (mostly)for you and your siblings right ? 🖤."

Gwen and Gavin share custody of their three boys — Kingston, 14, Zuma, 11, and Apollo, 6 — and Blake helps Gwen co-parent them when they're with her.

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When host Hoda Kotb asked the singer in 2019 during an interview on "Today" if she thought Blake would be a good dad, Gwen responded, "He is a good dad, actually. He's been helping me out a lot, so I literally get to the point where I'm like, 'You gotta get home, come on, I need some help.' It's hard — I got three boys."

Bikini wow

Brooke Shields, 54, shares neon bikini photo to celebrate fitness

By Wonderwall

Just a few days before her 55th birthday, Brooke Shields showed her Instagram followers that age is just a number.

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The former child actress and model took to social media on May 26 to share two pictures of herself in a neon orange bikini — and she looked incredible.

Brooke posted the images to promote an online workout session with her trainer, Ngo Okafor, for Self magazine. "TONIGHT at 6:30pm ET I'm going live with @catchngo on @selfmagazine 💕 Tune in and join us for a full body work out at home!" she captioned the slideshow.

Celeb pals weighed in in the comments, with comedian-author Ali Wentworth writing, "Oh hi gorgeous!!! My butt looks EXACTLY like yours!" and model-photographer Helena Christensen commenting, "It seems to work baby 💥🔥."

Supermodel Cindy Crawford commented with three fire emojis and "Gossip Girl" star Kelly Rutherford sent Brooke a heart emoji.

Brooke regularly posts clips and photos of herself working out on Instagram and has been trying to add something new each week during coronavirus lockdown to encourage her followers to stay active at home.

In an interview with Fox News that aired on May 13, Brooke opened up about her current approach to fitness. "My approach to working out comes from more of a rehab approach because I had a partial knee replacement and I'm sort of preparing to have a full knee replacement on my other knee," she said. "It really stems from the maintenance aspect of continuing to activate my muscles. It really started off as me calling my trainer and saying, 'Please, can you FaceTime with me and tell me what I can do?' And it grew from there."

According to Brooke, "I never really used to work out. I would just dance primarily — that was my main thing. And then I realized after being stuck at home for such a long period of time, depression started to creep in. I also realized that when I got my heart rate up and the adrenaline was going, I started feeling better mentally. It just stopped me from getting depressed."

These days, she works out about four days a week. "And I do one day of rest or one day of yoga or just one day of walking. I try to vary it. You can lift things that are heavy, a dishrag can give an unbelievable hamstring workout. Even vacuuming the house nonstop can break a sweat," she said, adding, "I think it's all about committing to doing something, whether it's an online yoga class, a Zoom session with a trainer — it becomes more of an opportunity than a chore."

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She said she has no desire to be able to fit in the Calvin Klein jeans she famously modeled as a 15-year-old in 1980. "I can get into them, but it looks painful," the "Suddenly Susan" actress told Fox News. "I recently found them, [but] I think the last time I fit into them comfortably was probably while I was in 'Wonderful Town' on Broadway [in 2004]. They're so high waisted. When I was that age, I was built like a little boy. I don't have any desire to fit back into them."

Brooke — who stands 6 feet tall — said she's learned to embrace the changes her body has been through since her early modeling days. "I've had two children and I've grown into a more womanly shape that I feel comfortable in and that I'm proud of. I'm celebrating who I am now, not trying to get the body I had when I was 15," she said. "One of the messages I want to share with other women is to celebrate yourself. Own your curves and strengths rather than trying to look like somebody else or be skinny. I'd rather be strong and fit than anything else."

Car crash injuries

Kevin Hart 'lied' about extent of car crash injuries for this reason

By Wonderwall

Kevin Hart is admitting to downplaying the injuries he suffered from his horrifying 2019 car crash.

While speaking on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, the actor said, "I lied in the hospital because I didn't want them to know that I was having pain, because I thought that they were gonna stop me from letting me continue to try my walks."

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Kevin broke his spine in three different places and underwent major back surgery after his classic car, driven by a friend, careened off the road and into a ditch on Sept. 1, 2019.

Kevin was back to walking after just a few days, but he says his upper body was doing all the work, something he tried to shield from hospital staff.

"It was like day seven in the hospital, I had the walker, and it was slow walks but I was dragging. It was upper body, and I was masking it as if it was [my] feet, because I didn't want to stop trying," he told Joe in an episode released on Monday. 

Determined to start walking ahead of schedule, Kevin says he was without his walker in less than three weeks, but he acknowledges now that was probably too soon.

"I should have had the walker," he said. "I'm giving the perception that it's better than what it is, and I had the back brace on."

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After retuning home from the hospital, Kevin's emotions were uncontrollable. 

"My biggest cry in life came from the first day that I came home from the hospital, because I never had to see that house again," he said. "Like there was an option of me never seeing that home again. There was an option of me never walking on that driveway again. There was an option of me never seeing my wife and my kids again."

The cry, he said, was actually painful, too, since his back was still recovering from surgery.

"It's not until you get close to that light that you truly respect, that I respect that there are no bad days," he said. "I'm smiling because I have no reason to be angry because I don't have to be here."

Inner thoughts

How Helen Mirren really feels about being called a 'sex symbol'

By Wonderwall

Dame Helen Mirren knows what people are saying about her, and she's doesn't really care.

For years, the Oscar winning actress has been thought of as a bit of a sex symbol, even at the age of 74. Helen's response to that line of thinking is akin to a shrug.

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"I don't agree that I'm a sex symbol, the great thing about getting older is that you get over all that. You tend to think, 'Sex symbol? What the f— does that mean?' There are so many other interesting things to be driven by," she told Woman magazine. 

She adds, "It's great and I'm not knocking it – it's a fabulous part of life – but it's only a part, it's not everything. So I'll take it, I'm not going to argue with it. But I'm not going to pay attention either."

Others, though, can't get past her remarkable age-defying beauty. 50 Cent once famously said he was smitten with Helen.

"Yeah I think I love her man, I'm trying not to stare at her," he wrote alongside a picture with Helen. "She know she turns me on. She just has that thing, you know I can't describe it. LOL."

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Last year, while appearing on British daytime talk show "This Morning," Helen revealed that her beauty regimen is far different from that of her peers (she even cuts her own hair with kitchen scissors!).

"I have an issue with the word 'beauty.' Sometimes I clean up nice with a lot of help … So I want a new word instead of 'beautiful.' I think 'being' is a good word," she said. "My being tip is really to be curious and interested in other people and not think too much about yourself. Give your attention to other people and that has a way of making you, if you like, more beautiful in many ways."

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