Advertisement

Today in Entertainment: CNN fires Kathy Griffin over gory Trump photo; Lebanon officially bans ‘Wonder Woman’

Here’s what’s new and interesting in entertainment and the arts:

A Star Is Born: Morgan Freeman turns 80 today

(Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

I like to play characters who are the absolute opposite of me. I think the farther you get from yourself, the more fun you have because the real you is hidden away. Those are the kind of parts where you can become totally empty and let the character fill you up. That’s what I look for -- a role that gives me a chance to be someone completely different.

— Morgan Freeman, 1993

FROM THE ARCHIVES: No Sweat: Morgan Freeman Slides Into the Director’s Chair

Chloë Grace Moretz addresses body-shaming controversy over Snow White movie

(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Actress Chloë Grace Moretz has long been known as a strong voice when it comes to issues of feminism, whether it’s over-sexualization of female characters or equal pay for women. Now she’s speaking out against the marketing campaign behind one of her own projects.

Moretz went on social media Wednesday to address criticism that marketing for the animated film “Red Shoes and the 7 Dwarfs” — an updated tweak on the Snow White story, with Moretz as the voice of the classic fairy-tale character — engages in body-shaming.

“I have now fully reviewed the [marketing] for Red Shoes, I am just as appalled and angry as everyone else, this wasn’t approved by me or my team,” the actress wrote.

According to the website of the South Korean animation studio behind the film, its story centers on “a Princess who doesn’t fit into the celebrity world of Princesses — or their dress size.” When she puts on a pair of magical red shoes, she instantly becomes skinnier.

The film’s synopsis promises an empowering message in which Snow White “learns not only to accept herself, but to celebrate who she is, inside and out.” But the film’s trailer and other marketing materials have been blasted as fat-shaming.

Plus-size model Tess Holliday took to Twitter to criticize a billboard for the film that appeared at the Cannes Film Festival, where “Red Shoes” was seeking distribution, that suggested that the less svelte Snow White was “no longer beautiful.”

Hearing the complaints about the film’s tone-deaf marketing, Moretz agreed – and told her more than 3 million followers so in a pair of tweets.

Even as she apologized, she promised that the marketing doesn’t represent the complete picture and the film’s ultimate message is a far more positive one than initial impressions may suggest.

Advertisement

Singing tween ventriloquist from ‘America’s Got Talent’ is the cure for what ails you

Had enough outrage? Here’s the cure for what ails you, courtesy of “America’s Got Talent.”

Take a deep breath, exhale slowly and witness one Darci Lynne Farmer, a 12-year-old singing ventriloquist from Oklahoma City, who on Tuesday night got the Golden Buzzer from “AGT” judge Mel B for a performance that exuded unadulterated joy.

Armed with bunny-puppet pal Petunia on lead vocals, Darci Lynne delivered a surprising version of “Summertime” for her audition. She ended up earning a ticket straight to the competition’s live shows.

“You made my heart melt,” said Mel B, who Darci Lynne later dubbed “the best Spice Girl.”

“I believe that that rabbit is a real separate person,” judge Howie Mandel said. “I love you. I believe you’re gonna go far. You just changed your life tonight, young lady.”

John Legend makes case to take canceled drama ‘Underground’ elsewhere

(Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times)

John Legend is making a case for the recently canceled TV drama “Underground” to be picked up by other content providers.

The Oscar-winning musician, who is an executive producer and played abolitionist Frederick Douglass on the Underground Railroad-centered show, rallied fans to give it a second life when cable broadcaster WGN America announced Tuesday it would be canceling the series after two seasons.

The network has been scaling down its investment in original programming as part of a deal that its parent company, Tribune Media, made with conservative-leaning Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. Sinclair’s purchase of Tribune gives it control of more than 200 local TV stations and WGN America.

The shift was not lost on Legend, who fired off a series of tweets to promote the content brought forth by “Underground” and its creators, Misha Green and Joe Pokaski.

“WGN America has been bought and is going a different direction strategically. We will find a new home for Underground!” he tweeted, adding, “Content wins. We’re not reliant on a particular network to make great content. We’re so proud of our show and the audience that supported!”

Legend, who has made no secret about his liberal politics, cautioned fans to “be wary of Sinclair” and claimed that “they’re trying to make local stations mini Fox Newses” that lean even further to the right.

He completed his plea by asking followers to “feel free to drop some hints to the network/streaming services you want to pick up #Underground. Show them who will be watching!”

“Despite ‘Underground’ being a terrific and important series, it no longer fits with our new direction and we have reached the difficult decision not to renew it for a third season,” Peter Kern, president and CEO of Tribune Media, said in a statement. “It is our hope that this remarkable show finds another home and continues its stories of courage, determination and freedom.”

Sony Pictures Television, the studio that produces “Underground,” is said to be trying to find it a new home.

See The Times’ roster of new, returning and canceled series here.

Advertisement

Coachella 2018 dates and ticket sales announced

We already knew one thing about Coachella in 2018: Beyoncé’s headlining. And now we know when the world-famous California music festival will be held and when tickets are on sale.

Organizers announced Wednesday that the festival will again return to the expanded Empire Polo Club in Indio for two weekends, April 13-15 and April 20-22.

Tickets go on sale Friday at 11 a.m. PDT. Ticket prices start at $429 for general admission and $999 for VIP, and usually sell out within hours and well before a full lineup is announced.

Given that next year will see Beyoncé’s much-awaited, post-twins makeup set at Coachella, it’s fair to say they’ll go fast.

Lady Gaga performed at the 2017 edition of Coachella.
((Patrick T. Fallon / For The Los Angeles Times)

Liam Gallagher plays new music at Manchester benefit show

In the wake of the terrorist attack outside an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, scores of artists joined forces to raise money for the victims. Among them was Liam Gallagher, the former singer and frontman for the city’s most beloved rock band, Oasis.

Gallagher played a benefit show for the bombing victims on Tuesday at the O2 Ritz Manchester. At the show, his first as a solo artist, he played several new songs, including the single “Wall of Glass,” which you can watch above. It was a preview of his forthcoming solo LP, “As You Were.” (Previously, Gallagher fronted the post-Oasis rock band Beady Eye.)

For Oasis fans, he played several classic tracks, including “Be Here Now” with Oasis guitarist Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs and an a cappella take on “Live Forever.”

Advertisement

CNN fires Kathy Griffin from New Year’s Eve show over controversial Trump picture

(Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

Kathy Griffin is out of a job at CNN.

The cable network on Wednesday terminated its agreement with the comic, who for years has co-hosted its New Year’s Eve program with Anderson Cooper, after a photo of Griffin holding a bloody, severed head in the likeness of President Trump went viral on social media.

The image, taken by photographer Tyler Shields, elicited strong criticism from liberals and conservatives alike.

Griffin apologized for the gory image in a 30-second video posted online Tuesday night.

“I beg for your forgiveness,” Griffin said in the video. “I went too far.”

Trump denounced the image Wednesday, calling it “Sick!” and saying Griffin should be ashamed.

Lebanon officially bans ‘Wonder Woman’ from theaters

If you live in Lebanon, “Wonder Woman” won’t be coming to a theater near you anytime soon.

On Wednesday, the country officially banned the superhero film just hours before it was set to arrive in theaters. The ban followed an effort by a group called Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel, which urged the Lebanese government’s Ministry of Economy and Trade to block the film because its star, Gal Gadot, is Israeli.

News of the ban, which had been the subject of speculation since Monday, was announced on social media by Lebanon’s Grand Cinemas and Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel.

Lebanon has had a contentious relationship with the state of Israel for decades and has an official law on the books that encourages boycotts of products from its neighbor to the south. Israeli citizens and anyone whose passport shows they’ve traveled to Israel are prohibited from entering Lebanon.

Earlier films featuring Gadot, including “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “Furious 7,” have successfully screened in theaters in Lebanon, however. “Batman v Superman,” which introduced Gadot’s Wonder Woman, was the third biggest hit at the box office in Lebanon last year.

And, as has been pointed out, “Wonder Woman” was, in fact, made by three companies based in America and two based in China, so calling it an Israeli product is debatable.

But, on its Facebook page, the Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel complained that Gadot had served two years in the Israeli Defense Forces (national military service is mandatory for Israeli citizens over 18) and “boasted about the army training her for Hollywood.”

“Wonder Woman” lands in American theaters on Friday and, fueled by overwhelmingly positive reviews, is expected to perform strongly. Read our recent profile of director Patty Jenkins, in which she explains why the world needs Wonder Woman, right here.

Advertisement

If President Trump’s got the whole world in his hands, Trevor Noah says we’re in trouble

Having caught fire too late Tuesday for late-night TV, and with several hosts extending their Memorial Day weekend, the #covfefe hashtag would have to wait at least until Wednesday for its monologue moment.

There were, however, some late-night-related tweets reacting to Twitter addict @realdonaldtrump’s since-deleted mistyping of what is assumed to be the word “covering” or “coverage.”

“What makes me saddest,” wrote Jimmy Kimmel, “is that I know I’ll never write anything funnier than #covfefe.”

The account for CBS’ “Late Late Show” poked some fun at Trump’s gaffe, too.

Meanwhile, Trevor Noah and Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” were back after a week off, above, catching up with President Trump’s whole first trip abroad. “International Hand Stuff” was the name of the segment, which framed the excursion in terms of the president’s mitts.

There were references to Trump touching the “glowing white orb” and Jerusalem’s Western Wall (“they build one wall 2,000 years ago,” Noah said in his Trump voice, “zero Mexicans in their whole country”); the question of whether First Lady Melania Trump swatted away her husband’s hand on the tarmac in Tel Aviv (“leave it to Fox News not to recognize what rejection from a woman looks like”); and Trump’s power handshake from new French President Emmanuel Macron (“the first time that President Trump was on the receiving end of an unwelcome hand grab”).

The last manual metaphor was given to the German chancellor, who, after her visit with the American president, said, “We Europeans must take our fate into our own hands.”

“Yeah,” said Noah, “clearly Angela Merkel got one look at Trump and was like, ‘All right, our fate is in our own hands, because his clearly ruin everything they touch.’”

Jimmy Kimmel also looked at Trump’s trip abroad, which he described, with probable irony, as “spreading joy and optimism all over the world.” Titled “Drunk Donald Trump: Sicily,” the segment replayed a portion of Trump’s speech at half-speed. The effect is uncanny.

Later, sitting outside on some steps -- urine-stained steps, apparently -- Kimmel asked a series of kids, who really do say the darnedest things, about the state of the union.

If we measure a late-night host solely by an ability to engage with children in a way that’s friendly, direct, deadpan and mostly honest, Kimmel is in a league with David Letterman, nearly.

How did he think Donald Trump was doing, Kimmel asked one boy.

“Not really well,” the child replied. “My sister told me that Donald Trump is against another state.”

“Which state? Is it … Nebraska?”

“Yeah, Nebraska.”

“A lot of people are happy that he is bombing Nebraska,” said Kimmel. (I did say “mostly” honest.) “Do you think it was a good idea?”

“No,” replied the boy, “‘cause they have, like, better bombs.”

“I think they’re going to be OK, though, I really do,” the host said. “Once football season starts, they’re usually pretty solid.”

Kathy Griffin apologized for that bloody severed-head stunt. But few are forgiving her

(Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

First Lady Melania Trump is the latest detractor of Kathy Griffin’s bloody depiction of the president’s decapitation.

“As a mother, a wife, and a human being, that photo is very disturbing,” FLOTUS said in a statement to NBC News. “When you consider some of the atrocities happening in the world today, a photo opportunity like this is simply wrong and makes you wonder about the mental health of the person who did it.”

Griffin’s photographs and video by photographer Tyler Shields showed the comic straight-faced, holding up a blood-splattered severed head that appeared to be Trump’s. The president denounced Griffin’s stunt, saying that she “should be ashamed of herself” and that the piece greatly disturbed his 11-year-old son, Barron.

Griffin’s apology wasn’t accepted by some on Twitter either, which spewed a variety of reactions, including several right-wing jabs that Griffin had been radicalized by Islamic State, the terror group that frequently beheads its victims. Several also sympathized with the president’s family, citing TMZ’s story about Barron believing that something horrible had happened to his father when he saw the images on the news.

CNN subsequently fired Griffin from her co-hosting duties for its New Year’s Eve broadcast, and she has also been dropped as a spokesperson for Squatty Potty.

Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., was delighted by the bathroom footstool maker’s response but criticized CNN for not immediately doing the same.

“So Squatty Potty pulls the plug on Kathy Griffin, but CNN still ‘evaluating’ and weighing their options,” the president’s eldest son tweeted. “Insane what’s going on there!!!” He then added, “Apologies for my last tweet. I didn’t mean to group Squatty Potty with CNN. Obviously one of them has moral/ethical standards.”

Griffin’s CNN compatriot, Anderson Cooper, who co-hosts the giggle-filled New Year’s Eve show for the cable news channel, did not come to his pal’s defense.

“For the record, I am appalled by the photo shoot Kathy Griffin took part in. It is clearly disgusting and completely inappropriate,” Cooper tweeted.

CNN host Jake Tapper also said on the air that he “thought the beheading imagery by Griffin about the president was disgusting and inappropriate.”

Meanwhile, others believed that Griffin’s apology was a step in the right direction.

“I think she did the right thing asking for forgiveness and acknowledging that this was a horrible mistake, so I think she can,” Minnesota Democrat and former “Saturday Night Live” writer Sen. Al Franken told CNN on Wednesday.

“Kathy’s a friend and she’s a terrific comedian, but this had no business being in our public discourse...,” Franken said. “And I talked to her. She has apologized — a real, fulsome apology. She’s actually begged for forgiveness, and I believe in forgiveness.”

Still, there was more snark to be had.

Update, 10:55 a.m.: Story added news that CNN has fired Griffin from its New Year’s Eve broadcast.

Advertisement

Melania Trump questions Kathy Griffin’s mental health after inflammatory photo shoot

President Trump and Melania Trump
(Brendan Smialowski / AFP/Getty Images)

As a mother, a wife, and a human being, that photo is very disturbing. When you consider some of the atrocities happening in the world today, a photo opportunity like this is simply wrong and makes you wonder about the mental health of the person who did it.

— Melania Trump, responding to Kathy Griffin’s controversial stunt involving a “severed head” in the likeness of President Trump

Read More

President Trump denounces Kathy Griffin’s decapitation stunt: ‘Sick!’

Kathy Griffin’s controversial presidential commentary didn’t go unnoticed by the president himself.

In the wake of the comedienne’s gory display photographed by Tyler Shields, which featured the “New Year’s Eve Live” co-host holding a severed likeness of Donald Trump’s head, the president took to Twitter early Wednesday morning to denounce her stunt.

UPDATE: CNN fires Kathy Griffin from New Year’s Eve show

“Kathy Griffin should be ashamed of herself. My children, especially my 11 year old son, Barron, are having a hard time with this. Sick!” he wrote.

Griffin has already apologized for the polarizing turn of events, which was publicized online on Tuesday. In a video statement on social media, she said she had asked Shields to take down the photos.

“I beg for your forgiveness,” Griffin said in the 30-second clip. “I went too far.”

It seems the controversy is far from blowing over, though. TMZ reports that the Secret Service is investigating the matter, and the site also posted stories about how Trump’s son Barron was indeed traumatized by the images.

Advertisement

A Star Is Born: Clint Eastwood turns 87 today

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

If you want to be in for the long haul, you just have to trust your judgment about the material. ... If you go whoring for the money, the audiences will figure you out. They know when you’re being a jerk, when you’re just trying to get them in a room and show them a movie you don’t even care about.

— Clint Eastwood, 1993

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Clint, closing in on El Dorado

Kathy Griffin posts apology for graphic Trump photo shoot, and CNN responds

After widespread condemnation, comedian Kathy Griffin issued an apology on social media Tuesday for a photo of herself holding a severed head in the likeness of President Trump.

“I beg for your forgiveness,” Griffin says in a 30-second video posted on social media. “I went too far.”

That didn’t smooth things over with Trump, though, who responded to the stunt on Twitter Wednesday morning, calling it “sick!”

UPDATE: CNN fires Kathy Griffin from New Year’s Eve show

Griffin’s “New Year’s Eve Live” co-host Anderson Cooper tweeted that he found the display “disgusting,” and CNN released a statement as well, saying: “We found what she did disgusting and offensive. We are pleased to see she has apologized and asked that the photos be taken down. We are evaluating New Year’s Eve and have made no decisions at this point.”

Update, May 31, 8:10 a.m.: Story added information about Trump’s reaction Wednesday morning.

Advertisement

‘This Is Us’ not moving to Thursdays, after all

Consider it a flash-forward flashback: Poised to help NBC reclaim its “Must See TV” glory on Thursday nights, “This Is Us” is now staying put in its Tuesday time slot before the switch even happened.

The breakout drama from last season will keep hold of the 9 p.m. hour on Tuesdays where it performed mightily in its debut season, the network announced Tuesday. It’ll retain its lead-in, “The Voice.”

The move means some rejiggering for Thursdays. The revival of “Will & Grace,” which was slated to open the night, will now kick off the 9 p.m. hour. It will be surrounded by comedies “Superstore,” “The Good Place” and “Great News” to create a two-hour comedy block.

“Chicago Fire” will take up the 10 p.m. hour instead of “Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders.” That drama will keep its “This Is Us” lead-in by moving to Tuesdays.

Here’s NBC’s revised schedule:

Tuesdays

8 p.m. – “The Voice”

9 p.m. – “This Is Us”

10 p.m. – “Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders”

Thursdays

8 p.m. – “Superstore”

8:30 p.m. – “The Good Place”

9 p.m. – “Will & Grace”

9:30 p.m. – “Great News”

10 p.m. – “Chicago Fire”

Kathy Griffin shocks in gory photo shoot with Donald Trump’s (fake) head

(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Comedian Kathy Griffin and photographer Tyler Shields may have pulled off the impossible with the creation of a gory photo that’s spurring outrage on both sides of the political aisle.

The picture, featuring Griffin wearing a navy pussy-bow blouse and holding aloft a bloodied imitation of President Trump’s decapitated head, was first published Tuesday morning by TMZ.

RELATED: Kathy Griffin posts apology for gory Trump photo shoot

Griffin herself shared the video from the shoot on her Twitter feed, while referencing Trump’s comments toward Megyn Kelly during the Republican presidential debates.

“I caption this ‘there was blood coming out of his eyes, blood coming out of his ... wherever,’” Griffin wrote, quickly following it with a tweet that clarified that she didn’t condone violence toward the president and was only mocking him.

Internet reaction to the vivid photo was immediate, with many condemning Shields and Griffin for exacerbating an atmosphere of violence some believe has already been established by Trump.

Both Shields and Griffin seem unfazed by the reaction, as the latter retweeted many critical comments.

In a tweet from last week, Shields pondered if it were possible to be jailed for an artistic statement, then went on to joke with BuzzFeed News on Tuesday that he hoped he’d be allowed to visit Griffin “in Guantanamo.”

Griffin reiterated the idea of the photo being an artistic expression in an interview with Yashar Ali on Tuesday afternoon.

Implications of violence are generally considered a step beyond in modern political discourse; outrage was the response Ted Nugent when he called for then-President Obama and Hillary Clinton to be tried and hanged, and when then-candidate Trump made reference on the campaign trail to “2nd Amendment people” stopping Clinton.

Though Nugent and Trump have both ended up in the White House at one point or another, it’s unclear if Griffin will escape this furor unscathed.

Griffin serves as co-host for CNN’s New Year’s Eve special alongside Anderson Cooper and pressure is rising for the cable news provider to drop Griffin from the festivities.

Representatives for Griffin and CNN did not immediately respond to a request to comment.

Advertisement

Erin Moran died of cancer, autopsy report confirms

Erin Moran is shown in 1992.
(Wally Fong / Associated Press )

The coroner reportedly says “Happy Days” actress Erin Moran died of complications from cancer and cancer alone. That’s in line with what her husband said in an open letter written shortly after her death on April 22 at age 56.

Tests showed “no illegal narcotics were involved in her death,” according to an autopsy report obtained by TMZ on Tuesday from the coroner’s office in Harrison County, Ind.

Moran struggled with substance abuse earlier in her life, and media assumptions about her cause of death were amplified by a comment from Scott Baio during an early morning radio interview April 24.

When Baio learned his former costar had been battling cancer, he fell all over himself trying to set the record straight.

“I was asked ONLY about Erin’s troubled past due to drug & alcohol abuse. I was still upset and said I felt that living that kind of a lifestyle will catch up with you and nothing good would come of it,” he said on Facebook. “THIS WAS BEFORE THE CAUSE OF DEATH WAS ANNOUNCED STATING STAGE 4 CANCER.”

One of the former child star’s brothers, Tony Moran, told the Sun on May 30: “My first thoughts were she must have had a heart attack caused by years of substance abuse. She has always battled demons and in recent years things have gone from bad to worse.”

In reality, as described by her husband, Moran had discovered last December that she had squamous cell carcinoma of the throat. After undergoing chemotherapy and radiation, by April she could no longer speak, eat or drink. She had a feeding tube.

Baio posted the open letter from Steve Fleischmann, Moran’s husband of nearly 24 years, on his own Facebook page April 25. “It got so bad so fast,” Fleischmann said.

“The coroner told me it was really really bad. It had spread to her spleen, she had alot of fluid in her lungs and part of her brain was infected,” Fleischmann wrote. “The coroner said even if she was in the hospital being pumped full of antibiotics she still would not of made it. He said it was the best that she was with me and went in her sleep.”

WGN America cancels ‘Underground,’ but will it really be the end?

A chat with Aisha Hinds and Jurnee Smollett-Bell, the “badass women” from “Underground.”

WGN America has canceled slavery-era-set drama “Underground.”

The fate of the series, which centered around the Underground Railroad, seemed doomed given how the network has been scaling back its investment in original programming. Until now, the drama, from creators Misha Green and Joe Pokaski, had stood as the lone original scripted series on the network following the recent cancellation of “Outsiders.”

The shift away from original programming comes after Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc., the conservative-leaning Baltimore-based company, announced it had agreed to buy Tribune Media in a deal that would give it control of more than 200 local TV stations and WGN America.

“As WGN America evolves and broadens the scope and scale of its portfolio of series, we recently announced that resources will be reallocated to a new strategy to increase our relevance within the rapidly changing television landscape,” Peter Kern, president and CEO of Tribune Media, said in a statement. “Despite ‘Underground’ being a terrific and important series, it no longer fits with our new direction and we have reached the difficult decision not to renew it for a third season.”

Kern added: “It is our hope that this remarkable show finds another home and continues its stories of courage, determination and freedom.”

Sony Pictures Television, the studio that produces “Underground,” is said to be trying to find it a new home.

When “Underground” stars Jurnee Smollett-Bell and Aisha Hinds stopped by the Los Angeles Times’ video studio last week, both seemed hopeful that “Underground’s” story wasn’t over.

“We haven’t heard anything yet on the status of Season 3,” said Hinds, who joined Season 2 portraying Underground Railroad icon Harriet Tubman. “But I do know there is quite a bit more of this story to tell. And I know that we have engaged viewers waiting to see the story. If WGN is not our home, we’ll find a home.”

Advertisement

Lebanon might ban new ‘Wonder Woman’ because of star’s Israeli heritage

A new foe has arisen to oppose Wonder Woman at the box office: Lebanon.

The Associated Press reported Tuesday that Lebanon is seeking to ban Warner Bros.’s new “Wonder Woman” movie because lead actress Gal Gadot is an Israeli.

On Monday, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that the Ministry of Economy and Trade was adopting measures necessary to ban the film from screening.

Relations between Israel and Lebanon have been strained since Israel’s independence in 1948, with Lebanon still abiding by the Arab League boycott of Israel adopted in 1945.

Lebanon does not recognize the State of Israel and does not accept Israeli passports or passports indicating a person has entered Israel.

But is “Wonder Woman” an Israeli product?

The film is produced by five production companies —DC Films, Atlas Entertainment, Cruel and Unusual Films, Tencent Pictures and Wanda Pictures — three companies based in the United States and two in China.

Gadot, however, is proud of her heritage. She served two years in the Israel Defense Force as required by the country’s conscription requirements and has posted in the past in support of IDF during the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict.

The ban of the film would have to move quickly, as screenings are scheduled to begin in Beirut on Wednesday.

But such action would require approval from a six-member committee from the Ministry of Economy, a process that had yet to begin, according to the Associated Press.

“Wonder Woman” debuts in U.S. theaters Friday.

4:10 p.m.: This article was updated with information from Lebanon’s National News Agency.

Olivia Newton-John has a new cancer diagnosis; her June shows are postponed

(Esteban Felix / Associated Press)

Olivia-Newton John has “reluctantly” postponed her June concert dates after learning that the back pain she’s been waylaid by recently is caused by breast cancer that has metastasized to her sacrum.

“I decided on my direction of therapies after consultation with my doctors and natural therapists and the medical team at my Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre in Melbourne, Australia,” the 68-year-old singer said Tuesday in a statement on social media.

Those therapies include a short course of photon radiation therapy in addition to “natural wellness therapies,” the statement said.

Newton-John was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992, at which time she underwent chemotherapy after a modified radical mastectomy with reconstruction. Her treatment also included acupuncture, which she said helped her with nausea, as well as yoga, meditation and massage.

Three weeks ago, Newton-John postponed her May shows, with her team citing “a bad issue with Olivia’s sciatica.” Now, her June shows in the U.S. and Canada have been put off. Ticket-holders are being directed to venues for refunds, and any rescheduled dates will be posted on Newton-John’s official website.

“Olivia ... is confident she will be back later in the year, better than ever, to celebrate her shows,” the Tuesday statement said.

Advertisement

After Cannes delay, ‘Victoria & Abdul’ trailer debuts

One week after Focus Features scrapped plans to unveil the trailer for “Victoria & Abdul” during the Cannes Film Festival, a preview of the upcoming British drama has debuted online.

Set in 1887, the film stars Judi Dench as Queen Victoria and follows the monarch as she strikes up an unlikely friendship with a Muslim Indian (Ali Fazal) who has traveled to the U.K. to deliver a ceremonial coin to her majesty.

Focus, which is owned by Universal Pictures, was set to debut the trailer last Wednesday but postponed the release after the bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, on May 22. A source told The Times the decision was made in part because “a big piece of marketing right after the attack could seem insensitive.”

Directed by Stephen Frears, “Victoria & Abdul” is set for release at the start of awards season in September. The trailer centers on the real-life relationship that blossomed between the two, with Abdul going from servant to teacher while informing the queen about everything from the Koran to the joys of Indian mangoes.

Ready for Alanis Morissette’s ‘Jagged Little Pill’ as a musical? It’s happening

(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Alanis Morissette’s angsty, groundbreaking 1995 album, “Jagged Little Pill,” always seemed like it had enough melodrama to make it into a theatrical production. Now it’s coming to a stage in Massachusetts.

The new production of “Jagged Little Pill,” helmed by “Juno” writer Diablo Cody and director Diane Paulus, will debut at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge next May. The musical will feature songs from the LP — famed for its unsparing look at relationships — along with other music from Morissette’s catalog and “Pill” producer Glen Ballard.

“This team that has come together for this ‘Jagged Little Pill’ musical is my musical theater dream come true,” Morissette said in a statement. “The chemistry between all of us is crackling and I feel honored to be diving into these songs again, surrounded by all of this searing talent.”

Advertisement

Ariana Grande sets Manchester benefit concert; Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, Coldplay and more in the lineup

Ariana Grande left Manchester quickly after the deadly bombing that followed her concert there a week ago, and now she’s returning in similar haste for a show this Sunday to benefit victims and their families.

The “One Love Manchester” show will feature Coldplay, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Niall Horan and Pharrell Williams in addition to Grande, and will be held at the city’s Old Trafford cricket ground, publicists told the Associated Press on Tuesday.

Take That, which had to cancel a number of its Manchester Arena shows the week after the bombing, also will perform.

People who attended the ill-fated May 22 concert can request free tickets to see the show; regular tickets go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. Manchester time Thursday. The Old Trafford cricket ground seats 50,000 when configured for a music event, compared with Manchester Arena’s 22,000-person capacity.

Proceeds will go to an emergency fund set up by the city of Manchester and the British Red Cross.

In a statement issued Friday, Grande promised a speedy return to Manchester to spend time with fans and put on a benefit concert, but at the time didn’t give additional details.

Grande left Manchester and flew home to Florida almost immediately after the May 22 bombing, arriving at the Boca Raton airport Tuesday. On Wednesday, she suspended her tour through June 5, with seven shows affected.

Her next scheduled Dangerous Woman tour stop, after the benefit, is a June 7 gig in Paris.

Perry responded with thoughts and prayers for all the people at Grande’s concert, after the suicide attack that left 22 people dead and scores more injured. Perry said she was “broken hearted” for the families of the victims, for 23-year-old Grande and for “the state of this world.”

Bieber, who like Grande is managed by Scooter Braun, also chimed in last week, and British rockers Coldplay did the same.

------------

FOR THE RECORD

11:37 a.m.: An earlier version of this post indicated the seating capacity for the Old Trafford soccer stadium was more than 76,000. The stadium seats 76,000. When set up for a musical event, the cricket ground seats 50,000.

------------

ALSO

Ariana Grande’s mom has a message for Manchester bombing victims

Ariana Grande suspends tour through June 5

Ariana Grande returns home to Florida after Manchester attack

Reunited ‘Brady Bunch’ kids fondly remember Florence Henderson on ‘Today’

It was a very Brady reunion on Tuesday.

“The Brady Bunch” kids Barry Williams (Greg), Christopher Knight (Peter), Mike Lookinland (Bobby) and Susan Olsen (Cindy) came together on NBC’s “Today” show to reflect on the iconic family sitcom and pay tribute to its late matriarch, Florence Henderson, nearly 50 years after the show debuted in 1969.

The syndicated series about a blended family of six children and their housekeeper has permeated the pop culture zeitgeist with its unmistakable style and earworm theme song. With numerous parodies and attempted reboots in its wake, the comedy has endured because of its wholesome values, the cast members said.

“What you have on ‘The Brady Bunch’ is something you’re not going to see these days, which is a family where the parents and the kids respect each other… today the formula is get the parents out of the show for the kids shows,” said Olsen, a.ka. “the youngest one in curls.”

“You know how you don’t grow old for yourself until you see yourself in a photo? Somehow you just don’t see it,” Knight explained. “It’s as though the show keeps us young in everyone’s mind, but we’re really this old.”

Added Williams: “Everyone always refers to us as kids. No matter how we mature, we’re still the kids.”

After acknowledging that they would always be best known for “The Brady Bunch,” the actors said, they realized early on that they would never be able to walk away from the series at different stages of their careers. For Williams it was when a teenage girl asked him to sign an autograph for her mother and for Lookinland it was when he realized that his fans now had grandchildren.

Knight said the show “was always going to be in the room before me and it was always going to be in the room after me.”

Olsen, who claimed that she had written some off-color lyrics attached to the theme song, added that “you spend a little while trying to run away from it, but you can’t. It’s like having a hunchback. You can’t disguise it, so you might as well dress it up.”

As for their TV mom, Henderson, who died in 2016, the kids remembered her fondly.

“Everyone she met felt better about themselves and about the world around them after having spent a moment with Florence,” Knight said.

“She was a mentor, a friend. We learned from her,” added Williams. “We learned how to interact with the public. She was so gracious with her fans, and we all learned how to do that graciously. Mostly she loved to make people laugh. You probably know that if you’ve been in her space.”

Advertisement

Prince William talks about ‘taboo’ of mental illness and death of Diana in new interview

As the 20th anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales approaches, her son Prince William has opened up to British GQ about the loss.

“I would like to have had her advice,” William told the magazine. “I would love her to have met Catherine and to have seen the children grow up. It makes me sad that she won’t, that they will never know her.”

The prince was just 15 when his mother was killed in a high-speed car crash on Aug. 31, 1997, and he and younger brother Harry were left to deal with their grief under great public scrutiny.

While Prince William has of late found the words to speak publicly about his mother, the journey to that place has not always been easy.

“It has taken me almost 20 years to get to that stage,” William said. “I still find it difficult now because at the time it was so raw. And also it is not like most people’s grief, because everyone else knows about it, everyone knows the story, everyone knows her.”

It may have taken years, but William and Harry have found a way to honor their mother in a fashion that she would likely greatly appreciate: charitable work.

Known as the “People’s Princess,” Diana was a tireless advocate for those in need and worked to destigmatize AIDS in the 1980s, to fight the use of landmines and to better the lives of the underprivileged.

In the last year, William and his brother, alongside William’s wife, Kate, have expanded their involvement in Heads Together, a mental health campaign led by the Royal Foundation, which aims to start a productive conversation about the reality of mental illness.

“Smashing the taboo is our biggest aim. We cannot go anywhere much until that is done. People can’t access services till they feel less ashamed, so we must tackle the taboo, the stigma,” William said.

The Heads Together campaign has sparked several headlines for the royal family in recent months.

In April, Prince Harry admitted that the death of his mother left him “very close to a complete breakdown” for which he finally sought professional help three years ago.

“The experience that I’ve had is once you start talking about [mental health], you suddenly realized, actually, you’re part of a big club ... and everybody’s gagging to talk about it,” Harry said during the “Mad World” podcast with Bryony Gordon.

The GQ interview is not the only conversation that Prince William has had recently about mental health, either. He participated in a highly publicized FaceTime chat with Lady Gaga on the matter.

In the interview, Prince William acknowledged that his public persona might suggest otherwise, but privately, he is impassioned about the issue.

“I cannot understand how families, even behind closed doors, still find it so hard to talk about it. I am shocked we are so worried about saying anything about the true feelings we have,” the prince said.

Prince William’s full interview with British GQ is available in its July issue, on newsstands June 1.

Ariana Grande’s mom has a message for Manchester bombing victims

Joan Grande, left, and Ariana Grande in September 2015.
Joan Grande, left, and Ariana Grande in September 2015.
(Kevin Mazur / Getty Images)

Days after daughter Ariana Grande issued a statement about last week’s post-concert bombing in Manchester, England, mom Joan Grande posted her own thoughts about the incident that left 22 dead and scores more injured.

“I join my daughter in extending my help & services to all those affected by the diabolical act of terror which occurred in Manchester!” she wrote on Twitter as a Memorial Day message that also thanked U.S. servicemen and women. “My heart goes out to all the victims: those who lost their lives, those injured, those recovering & all survivors of that night, along with the families and friends whose grief knows no bounds.”

The elder Grande was still in her front-row seat at the show, about to go see her daughter backstage, when the suicide bomb went off, TMZ reported. Mama Grande took about 10 kids who were seated around her to safety backstage, the website said.

Ariana Grande similarly offered her assistance to those in need on Friday in a statement declaring her intention to return to “the incredibly brave city of Manchester” for a benefit concert.

“We will never be able to understand why events like this take place because it is not in our nature, which is why we shouldn’t recoil,” the “Bang Bang” singer said. “We will not quit or operate in fear. We won’t let this divide us. We won’t let hate win.”

Advertisement

A Star Is Born: Wynonna Judd turns 53 today

(Peter Nash / For The Times)

Three years ago, I didn’t dig my mother at all. We were always fighting. We’d yell at each other, throw things at each other. There were times I’d think she was crazy. I still think that at times. I know she thinks I’m crazy too. But that’s normal.

— Wynonna Judd, 1989

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Here come the Judds: Loving and fighting and singing . . .

A Star Is Born: Annette Bening turns 59 today

(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

“[W]hen they teach you to act, they teach you about objectives. You have a need -- a kind of emotional imbalance -- it’s not neurotic, but you want something. I try to consciously beef up that motivation in order to intensify what I’m doing. You get an image in your head of what you want and then you find a way of expressing that.

— Annette Bening, 1991

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Regarding Annette

Advertisement

Sweden’s ‘The Square’ wins Palme d’Or and Sofia Coppola wins best director at Cannes

Swedish director Ruben Ostlund reacts on stage after he was awarded with the Palme d'Or for the film 'The Square' during the closing ceremony of the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival.
Swedish director Ruben Ostlund reacts on stage after he was awarded with the Palme d’Or for the film ‘The Square’ during the closing ceremony of the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival.
(Alberto Pizzoli / AFP / Getty Images)

Ruben Ostlund’s “The Square,” “a ferocious drama of conscience,” according to Times critic Justin Chang, about how “a single lapse in judgment can cause a man’s entire life to unravel,” won the Cannes’ top prize, the Palme d’Or on Sunday.

The Grand Prix award went to Robin Campillo’s “120 Beats per Minute.”

Sofia Coppola won best director for her film “The Beguiled,” which stars Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell. Kidman also won the festival’s 70th anniversary prize.

Joaquin Phoenix won best actor for Lynne Ramsay’s “You Were Never Really Here” and Diane Kruger won best actress award for Faith Akin’s “In the Fade.”

More coverage to come. Meanwhile...

Here is what Justin Chang wrote about Ostlund’s “The Square,” and Steven Zeitchik’s interview with the director, who talked about the element of surprise in his movies: “I really like scenes that when they end where you don’t know 100% where to put them. It starts funny or it starts sad and then it becomes something else. When you get that shift, you know you’ve succeeded.”

Read More

A Star Is Born: Kylie Minogue turns 49 today

(Axel Koester / For The Times)

I have this following — mainly young girls. This album had to appeal to those fans. If the singing was too R&B, they wouldn’t like it, I guess. These producers think pop music is candy music. They’re saying: ‘Here, kids, have a piece of candy.’

— Kylie Minogue, 1988

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Fame, fortune, but no respect

Advertisement

Cher, Cameron Crowe, Peter Frampton and others react to Gregg Allman’s death

Southern rocker Gregg Allman, the lead singer of the Allman Brothers Band known for his trailblazing sound and his equally blazing life, died Saturday at age 69 at his home in Savannah, Ga.

Those who knew the musician — who once said he hoped to die while “writing a new song” — immediately took to social media to express their grief.

Cher, to whom Allman was married for four tumultuous years in the 1970s, used pet names and a broken heart emoji to pay tribute.

Director Cameron Crowe, who used the Allman Brothers’ famously louche lifestyle as source material for his 2000 rock film “Almost Famous,” expressed his gratitude to the performer.

Ringo Starr and Allman’s fellow Southern rock crooner, Charlie Daniels of the Charlie Daniels Band, expressed their thoughts as well.

British rocker Peter Frampton described him as “a gentle soul with so much soul.”

And Melissa Etheridge posted a picture in which she admires Allman’s tattoos.

Read The Times obituary here.

Gregg Allman, pioneer of Southern rock, dies at 69

Gregg Allman performs with the Allman Brothers Band in 1979.
(George Rose / Los Angeles Times)

Gregg Allman, the gravel-voiced singer who helped lift the Allman Brothers Band to prominence with a hard-churning brand of soulful rock that became part of the soundtrack of the 1960s and ’70s and set the coordinates for a musical genre known as Southern rock, died Saturday at the age of 69.

According to a statement posted on his official website, Allman, who had canceled concerts and entire tours in recent years as he battled a variety of health issues, “passed away peacefully at his home in Savannah, Ga.”

Read More

Advertisement

70 years of Cannes in 17 seconds: The art of the yacht deal, from Steven Spielberg to Steve Bannon

Steven Zeitchik, Justin Chang and Kenneth Turan are bringing us Cannes moments from the 70 years of the international film festival -- in 17-second increments (or thereabouts). Here, Zeitchik, with Chang behind the camera, recalls the time he wound

Steven Zeitchik, Justin Chang and Kenneth Turan are bringing us Cannes moments from the 70 years of the international film festival -- in 17-second increments (or thereabouts). Here, Zeitchik, with Chang behind the camera, recalls the time he wound up on a yacht with a future member of the Trump administration.

70 years of Cannes in 17 seconds: The time Sofia Coppola’s ‘Marie Antoinette’ was booed

Steven Zeitchik, Justin Chang and Kenneth Turan are bringing us Cannes moments from the 70 years of the international film festival -- in 17-second increments (or thereabouts). Here, Chang, with Zeitchik behind the camera, recalls the year Sofia Coppola’s “Marie Antoinette” played in competition and was booed by certain members of the media audience.

Steven Zeitchik, Justin Chang and Kenneth Turan are bringing us Cannes moments from the 70 years of the international film festival -- in 17-second increments (or thereabouts). Here, Chang, with Zeitchik behind the camera, recalls the year Sofia Cop

That same year, when the film debuted in theaters, Times critic Kenneth Turan looked back on the