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Today in Entertainment: Olivia de Havilland scores court victory; ‘Sex and the City 3’ gets scrapped

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

President Trump to appear on Fox News in sit-down interview with Sean Hannity

Fox News Channel host Sean Hannity, seen here in 2015, will interview President Trump on his show next week.
(Jennifer S. Altman / For The Times)

President Trump will make an appearance on Fox News Channel, his favorite source of news, in a sit-down interview with Sean Hannity next week.

The “Hannity” interview, which will air Oct. 4, will take place in front of a group of Republicans, Democrats and Independents at West Virginia’s Morgantown Theatre. The interview will be pre-taped.

According to a statement from Fox, Hannity and Trump will discuss tax reform, the economy and news of the day. Judging from the news cycle as of late, topics could include the controversial federal government response to the devastation in Puerto Rico or the recent resignation of Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price The news release also notes that audience members will have an opportunity to ask Trump questions.

The prime-time interview marks a return for Trump to Hannity’s evening show. He previously appeared during the Republican primaries and also after his inauguration in January.

The event will probably add some more firepower to Hannity’s hold over rival Rachel Maddow’s MSNBC show. In its first week since moving into its new time slot at 9 p.m. (from 10 p.m.), “Hannity” has beat “The Rachel Maddow Show” in the ratings, aided by buzz-worthy guests such as Stephen K. Bannon, Bill O’Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, and House Speaker Paul Ryan.

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Lin-Manuel Miranda and other celebrities slam Trump for Twitter rant about San Juan mayor

Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner Lin-Manuel Miranda takes aim at Donald Trump.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

“Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and other celebrities slammed President Trump on Saturday morning following Trump’s Twitter tirade targeting San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz, who had criticized what she called the federal government’s unhurried response to the destruction caused by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.

Miranda, Lady Gaga and John Legend were among the stars that lashed out at Trump’s string of tweets Saturday that took aim at Cruz, suggesting she was being “nasty” and displayed “poor leadership.”

Miranda responded with his own series of pointed messages expressing his frustration with the commander in chief — telling Trump he was “going straight to hell.”

The Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner, who has family is Puerto Rico, has been among the most vocal celebrities encouraging people to donate to relief efforts to help rebuild the island ravaged by the hurricane more than a week ago. Miranda is also assembling an all-star lineup to record a charity single that will be available for purchase Oct. 6, according to CNN.

Other celebrities, including Gaga and Legend, joined the chorus against Trump’s remarks. Legend used an expletive in calling Trump the leader in the worst president “competition.”

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FOR THE RECORD

4:40 p.m.: An earlier version of this post stated that actor-director Jon Favreau described Trump as a “garbage human being” for Trump’s remarks. The tweet was from Jon Favreau, a former Obama speechwriter and host of the podcast, “Pod Save America.”

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Actress Amber Tamblyn urged folks to take note of Trump’s actions from Saturday morning when they hit the polls in 2020. And Alec Baldwin, Trump’s most notable impersonator, wrote: “When Trump is convicted, I hope he serves his time in a prison in Puerto Rico.”

Others in Hollywood, such as Ellen DeGeneres, offered their support to Cruz.

UPDATES:

1:45 p.m.: This article was updated with additional Tweets from celebrities.

This article was originally published at 11:29 a.m.

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A Star Is Born: Johnny Mathis turns 82 today

(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

I care about what I sing as opposed to how many records it’s going to sell. I want the people who really like me -- who like my singing and like what I stand for -- to hear it and be proud of it, but I don’t consciously think about how to make a record that sells.

— Johnny Mathis, 1989

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Johnny Mathis Gets Misty Over Influence on Singers

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Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan officially join ‘American Idol’

Luke Bryan, left, and Lionel Richie will join the "American Idol" judges panel.
(Al Wagner, left, and Joel Ryan / Invision/Associated Press)

Pop legend Lionel Richie and country music star Luke Bryan are taking a seat at the judges table for ABC’s revival of “American Idol” next year.

The pair will join Katy Perry for the return of the singing competition series, which originated on Fox. Ryan Seacrest, as previously announced, will be reprising his role as host.

“As a singer, songwriter and producer, I feel I can bring a great deal of experience to the table,” Richie said in a statement Friday. “It’s going to be so much fun!”

Bryan promised viewers the relaunch of the series is “gonna be a blast.”

“I’m excited at the chance to help some deserving artists reach their dreams,” Bryan said in a statement. “To be in a position in my career to help facilitate this along with the other judges is just a complete honor.”

For Bryan and Richie, a turn on “American Idol” adds another layer to their entwined history. Bryan often performs Richie’s songs during his concerts. And Richie, who has deepened his roots in country music (even releasing an album of his best-known songs rerecorded as duets with country artists), shared the stage with Bryan during the CMT Artists of the Year ceremony in 2013. And just last year, Bryan was part of the Grammy Awards tribute to Richie.

“In their respective genres of music, both Luke and Lionel possess insurmountable popularity and award-winning talent that are undeniable, and we are lucky that they will help in paving the way for hopefuls pursuing their dreams on our stage,” Channing Dungey, president of ABC Entertainment, said in a statement.

The judges panel will make its debut appearance on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Oct. 4. “American Idol” is slated to premiere in March 2018 on ABC.

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Awwk-ward! Celebs share embarrassing puberty photos for Stephen Colbert and Nick Kroll fundraiser

There is little room for levity as Puerto Rico recovers from the devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Maria, but Stephen Colbert and Nick Kroll are looking to change that with a new fundraising endeavor.

During his Wednesday night appearance on “The Late Show” to promote “Big Mouth,” his new Netflix comedy about puberty, Kroll brought a deeply unflattering photo of himself as a teenager.

Colbert then shared a photo of himself as a teen.

They then decided to raise funds for Puerto Rico’s hurricane relief by inviting other celebrities to tweet their awkward puberty photos with the hashtag #PuberMe and #PuertoRicoRelief. The pair promised to donate funds for each celebrity participating.

On Thursday night, Colbert announced that the funds will come from the AmeriCone Dream Fund and that for each celebrity – he reserved the right to determine who is and isn’t a celebrity – the fund will donate $1,000.

Stars have already jumped aboard the embarrassment train, with Sarah Silverman, Michael Bloomberg and Lin-Manuel Miranda, who has already written a song to raise funds for Puerto Rico, among many others sharing photos from their youth.

It’s Friday, so sit back, relax and enjoy a few of the delightfully awkward photos your favorite celebrities have shared.

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Olivia de Havilland scores court victory; trial will begin Nov. 27

Olivia de Havilland in June 2016.
(Thibault Camus / Associated Press)

The drama that began on screen and spilled over into reality continues to unfold as famed actress Olivia de Havilland scored a significant court victory Friday. Her lawsuit against FX Networks and Ryan Murphy Productions is headed to trial in November.

FX and Murphy had filed a motion to dismiss the 101-year-old legend’s lawsuit over her depiction in the Emmy-nominated series “Feud: Bette and Joan,” citing the U.S. and California constitutions’ rights to free speech in connection with a public issue.

They claimed that de Havilland’s consent was not needed to include her in the show, nor did her inclusion violate her right of publicity, citing the state’s statutes protecting petition and free-speech rights.

At Friday’s hearing, L.A. Superior Court Judge Holly Kendig ruled that de Havilland’s complaint will stand, unless the defendants successfully appeal the decision.

In order to strike a complaint using California’s anti-SLAPP statute, a case must meet two criteria. First, the defense must prove that the originating suit is based on protected rights. If established, the plaintiff must then present admissible evidence that suggests that they – in this case, de Havilland – would prevail if the case proceeded to trial.

FX was successful in proving that de Havilland’s case was based on protected rights Friday, but de Havilland was successful in presenting sufficient evidence that she would be victorious at trial.

Two of de Havilland’s lawyers, Don Howarth and Suzelle M. Smith, spoke to The Times after Friday’s hearing.

Howarth praised Kendig’s decision and said they are looking toward the future. “We’ve won,” he said. “As far as we’re concerned, the next thing is the trial.”

The November trial is not a sure thing, however, as FX still has an opportunity to appeal Friday’s decision.

“If they file for appeal, that automatically stays activity in the case,” explained Smith. “We would file a motion asking the appellate court to expedite the appeal and they can do that pretty fast.”

Her lawyers had not yet spoken with de Havilland about Friday’s decision but reported that the actress texted them that morning saying, “all her prayers and love were with [them].”

De Havilland filed suit in June over the “unauthorized use of her identity” in the FX series created by Murphy. The show centered on the rivalry between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford and featured Catherine Zeta-Jones as de Havilland.

Earlier this month, de Havilland was granted an expedited trial due to her advanced age, and a judge set the date for Nov. 27.

A representative for FX told The Times that the network had no additional comment Friday morning.

UPDATES:

12:50 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from Olivia de Havilland’s lawyers.

This article was originally published at 12 p.m.

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‘Sex and the City 3’? Nope, not happening, says Sarah Jessica Parker

Sarah Jessica Parker says there won't be another "Sex and the City" film.
(Evan Agostini / Invision/Associated Press)

Nostalgia is all the rage these days, with “Full House,” “One Day at a Time” and countless other series being revisited all over film and television.

But “Sex and the City” will not join them.

Dreams of a “Sex and the City 3” film were dashed Thursday night when Sarah Jessica Parker told “Extra” that “it’s over.”

“I’m disappointed,” Parker said at the New York City Ballet Gala. “We had this beautiful, funny, heartbreaking, joyful, very relatable script and story. It’s not just disappointing that we don’t get to tell the story and have that experience, but more so for that audience that has been so vocal in wanting another movie.”

On Thursday, the Daily Mail reported that “Sex and the City 3” was scrapped because actress Kim Cattrall refused to sign on.

Cattrall, who played the character Samantha, refuted the claims on Twitter early Friday. Sort of.

“The only ‘DEMAND’ I ever made was that I didn’t want to do a 3rd film,” Cattrall tweeted, “& that was back in 2016.”

But one former co-star doesn’t necessarily agree.

Willie Garson, who played Stanford Blatch in the original series, confirmed the film’s demise in a significantly shady way Friday morning.

“And that, is that,” Garson tweeted. “And sadly, the reasons are true. Period.....”

“Sex and the City 2” was released in 2010 to abysmal critical response and a running time of nearly two and a half hours. Still, the film made almost $300 million at the box office.

Cattrall’s rep did not immediately respond to the Los Angeles Times’ request for comment.

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Beyoncé goes bilingual on new remix of ‘Mi Gente’ for disaster relief

Beyoncé upends "Mi Gente" on a new remix whose proceeds will go to charity.
(Patrick Smith / Getty Images)

In the midst of natural disasters across the Caribbean and Mexico, pop superstar Beyoncé has teamed with Colombian reggaetón singer J Balvin for a new remix of “Mi Gente,” his hit with producer Willy William.

The song was released to streaming services Thursday night, and the team will donate all proceeds to earthquake and hurricane relief charities working in Mexico, Puerto Rico and other affected Caribbean islands.

In a statement posted on her website, Beyoncé wrote, “We’re heartbroken by the hurricanes and earthquakes that have devastated families around the world. There are many ways to help. We’ve listed a few organizations that are on the ground from Mexico to the Caribbean, lending a hand to those who need it most.”

To say Beyoncé lends a hand in the remix is an understatement. Unlike guests who limit their contributions to a single late-track verse or hook, Beyoncé upends “Mi Gente” from the first verse and proceeds to bilingually maneuver through the rhythmic, up-tempo jam like the queen she is.

The just-issued lyric video is an accompanying exclamation point, and features people from across the globe dancing hard as French-Afro-Jamaican producer Williams’ track drives Balvin and Beyoncé. As they do so, tiny icons of their heads serve as the bouncing balls tracing the song’s lyrics.

Evidence that Beyoncé’s work is still piping hot from the studio arrives when she implores her fans to “Lift up your people/ From Texas, Puerto Rico/ Dem islands to Mexico.”

Beyoncé’s best set of couplets are sung in English and reference the recent birth of her twins with husband Jay-Z, her Coco Chanel handbag, her breasts and her husband’s recent Beyoncé-themed album, “4:44”:

I been giving birth on these haters ‘cause I’m fertile
See these double Cs on this bag, murda
Want my double Ds in his bed, Serta
If you really love me, make an album about me, word up

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Lynda Carter calls out James Cameron for his ‘Wonder Woman’ jabs

Lynda Carter at the "Wonder Woman" premiere earlier this year.
(Jordan Strauss / Invision/Associated Press)

Wonder Woman has had it with James Cameron.

Actress Lynda Carter, who starred as the Amazonian warrior goddess in the ‘70s TV series, took to social media to respond to Cameron’s repeated smearing of “Wonder Woman” in recent months.

“Stop dissing Wonder Woman,” wrote Carter in a Facebook post that called out Cameron for just not understanding the character.

“The movie was spot on,” Carter continued. “Gal Gadot was great.”

In August, the “Avatar” director proclaimed that the new “Wonder Woman” was a “step backwards” for women for being an “objectified” “beauty icon.” “Wonder Woman” director Patty Jenkins rebuked his remarks by pointing out that “there is no right and wrong kind of powerful woman.”

Cameron has stood by his comments, recently explaining to the Hollywood Reporter that his “Terminator” hero, Sarah Connor (played by Linda Hamilton, who will reprise the role), was ahead of her time because she “wasn’t treated as a sex object.”

It seems that Wonder Woman being “absolutely drop-dead gorgeous” and wearing “a kind of bustier costume that was very form-fitting” somehow precludes her from being a strong, complex character in Cameron’s eyes.

Read Carter’s full statement below.

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Julia Louis-Dreyfus gets support from Joe Biden after her cancer diagnosis

Fans were dismayed when actress and 11-time Emmy winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus announced Thursday that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Since her social media announcement, celebrity support for the “Veep” actress has come from all corners, but one missive stood out.

Just five hours after Louis-Dreyfus made her cancer public, Joe Biden sent a message of solidarity to his fellow former vice president in crime.

“We Veeps stick together,” Biden shared on Twitter, adding, “Jill and I, and all of the Bidens, are with you, Julia.”

Accompanying the tweet was a photo of Biden and Louis-Dreyfus’ stint at the 2014 White House Correspondents’’ Assn. Dinner, where the two vice presidents got up to some wacky D.C.-based adventures. (Watch the clip above.)

Minutes later, the actress responded to her friend: “Yes we do,” she tweeted. “Love back to all of you.”

According to a statement HBO released on Thursday, Louis-Dreyfus was diagnosed the day after her historic night at the Emmys earlier this month.

“Our love and support go out to Julia and her family at this time,” HBO said. “We have every confidence she will get through this with her usual tenacity and undaunted spirit, and look forward to her return to health and to HBO for the final season of ‘Veep.’”

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Did you hear the one about Harrison Ford swapping jokes with Jimmy Fallon?

When it comes to delightfully cantankerous talk-show guests, no one gets as much mileage out of awkwardness as Harrison Ford.

Thursday was no exception as Ford stopped by “The Tonight Show” to sip Scotch and swap jokes with host Jimmy Fallon.

Ford garnered plenty of laughs playing Gallant to Fallon’s Goofus, perhaps best exemplified in an exchange about the alcohol the men indulged in.

The “Blade Runner 2049” actor was explaining how to pronounce Bruichladdich, the brand name of the whiskey, to which Fallon earnestly replied, “That sounds very Scottish.”

“Of course,” Ford deadpanned, “It’s Scotch whiskey.”

As Fallon poured the drinks, Ford looked into the studio audience and wondered aloud, “Is this OK?”

“I think we’re allowed to do it,” Fallon said. “I mean, you’re Harrison Ford. We’re allowed to do whatever we want to do.”

Then, as if speaking to a very simple child, Ford replied, “Not OK with you – OK with my wife.

The laughs kept coming as the men then exchanged jokes, one of which involved both vomit and feces and another one about ice fishing. We’ll let you guess who told which.

Watch the segment above.

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A Star Is Born: Chrissy Metz turns 37 today

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

I find myself meeting people from every walk of life and they are emotional and we’re crying in the bathrooms together. I didn’t imagine that happening.

— Chrissy Metz, 2017

READ MORE: The intense emotional connection ‘This Is Us’ has with its viewers overwhelms the team behind it

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Trick or treat? Tom Hanks will reprise David S. Pumpkins for animated Halloween special

David S. Pumpkins is headed back to TV for an animated Halloween special. Any questions?

NBC has announced that Tom Hanks will reprise his role as David S. Pumpkins, who was introduced last year in the “Saturday Night Live” sketch “Haunted Elevator.” This time he’ll come back for “The David S. Pumpkins Halloween Special.”

Dressed in a jack-o’-lantern print suit, Pumpkins made his debut as part of a thrill ride flanked by two dancing skeletons declaring his intention to “scare the hell out of you.”

There were many questions, none of which were answered, but the sketch definitely left an impression. Hanks hinted that he was reviving the character with a tweet earlier this month.

“The David S. Pumpkins Halloween Special” will be set in a small suburban town on All Hallow’s Eve. The story will follow Pumpkins and his skeleton sidekicks as they show a young boy and their sister the true meaning of Halloween. There will likely be many questions, but NBC’s official description promises Pumpkins and his pals will be answering none along the way.

“It’s scary how quickly the original ‘SNL’ sketch caught on, and we’re thrilled that Tom Hanks is back to keep the fun going,” George Cheeks, NBC’s president of business operations and late-night programming, said in a statement.

Joining Hanks as part of the Halloween special’s voice cast is “Game of Thrones” actor Peter Dinklage as well as the original sketch’s creators: Mikey Day, Bobby Moynihan and Streeter Seidell.

The half-hour “David S. Pumpkins Halloween Special” will air on NBC on Oct. 28.

To prepare, watch the original “Haunted Elevator” sketch below.

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Kim Kardashian -- sort of -- confirms she and Kanye West are having a third child

(Lionel Cironneau / Associated Press)

Those Kar-Jenners have a unique way of confirming long-gestating rumors about themselves as they gear up for each season of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.” And, not to be upstaged by her potentially pregnant siblings, Kim Kardashian West confirmed that she and husband Kanye West are expecting their third child.

It’s long been rumored that the reality star, who’s faced a slew of health scares during her pregnancies with daughter North and son Saint, hired a surrogate for her next one. Her fertility struggles and surrogacy exploration are story lines that have been played up during the long-running E! series, so Thursday’s revelation gave the surrogacy aspect credence when Kardashian West tweeted a teaser for the upcoming season.

“What happens every time I say, ‘Guess what?’” Kardashian West asks sister Khloe Kardashian during a video-chat session in the promo.

“Pregnant, or the person’s pregnant,” her sister says.

Then Kardashian West chimes in with: “We’re having a baby!”

The social media and beauty mogul’s family has birthed some major baby-making headlines since last week when reports surfaced that her half sister Kylie Jenner is having her first child with rapper Travis Scott. Earlier this week, reports that her younger sister Khloe Kardashian was expecting her first child with NBA star and beau Tristan Thompson also made a splash online.

Neither Jenner nor Khloe Kardashian have officially confirmed the rumored pregnancies. However, the “KUWTK” promo explores Kardashian and Thompson’s budding romance, as well as Kourtney Kardashian’s new relationship and Rob Kardashian’s increasing tension with estranged ex-fiancee Blac Chyna. (He and Jenner filed a lawsuit against Chyna this week, alleging assault, battery and vandalism.)

Season 14 of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” kicks off on Sunday.

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Julia Louis-Dreyfus has breast cancer: ‘Today, I’m the one’

Just when we thought she was invincible, Julia Louis-Dreyfus dropped a bombshell on Thursday. The “Veep” star has breast cancer.

“1 in 8 women get breast cancer. Today, I’m the one,” the actress shared in a post on Instagram and Twitter.

The iconic “Seinfeld” alum spun the announcement into a political statement on healthcare, which has remained a hot-button national issue.

“The good news is that I have the most glorious group of supportive and caring family and friends, and fantastic insurance through my union,” she added. “The bad news is that not all women are so lucky, so let’s fight all cancers and make universal health care a reality.”

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and the most common cause of death from cancer among Hispanic women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2014, 236,968 women and 2,141 men in the United States were diagnosed with breast cancer, and 41,211 women and 465 men in the United States died from the disease.

The 56-year-old did not share additional details about her diagnosis, nor did she share much about her prognosis. However, her publicist told the Associated Press that she “is incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support and well wishes.”

“Our love and support go out to Julia and her family at this time,” HBO said in a statement to The Times on Thursday. “We have every confidence she will get through this with her usual tenacity and undaunted spirit, and look forward to her return to health and to HBO for the final season of ‘Veep.’”

The news comes after Louis-Dreyfus made Emmy Award history earlier this month with another win for her HBO comedy. She won her sixth consecutive acting prize for her turn as career politician Selina Meyer on “Veep,” earning the most Emmys for playing the same character. (She previously shared the record with Mary Tyler Moore and Candice Bergen.) She also won the best comedy prize for a second time as a producer on the show.

“Veep” will come to an end in 2018. Louis-Dreyfus was diagnosed the day after the Emmy Awards, but the diagnosis played no part in the decision to end “Veep” after Season 7, HBO said. The writers will continue writing, and the series will adjust production as needed.

“This is and continues to be the role of a lifetime and an adventure of utter, utter joy,” Louis-Dreyfus said in her Emmys acceptance speech.

UPDATES

1:15 p.m.: This article was updated to include statements from HBO.

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Disney is remaking ‘Hocus Pocus’ without the original cast

In 1993, Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy introduced the world to the singing, broom-flying and children-murdering Sanderson sisters in “Hocus Pocus.” Despite bad reviews — Gene Siskel called it “dreadful,” and our own Kenneth Turan was barely bewitched — the evil trio quickly became a cherished Halloween staple.

And now, because we live in a world where everything treasured is rebooted or reimagined, “Hocus Pocus” is getting a remake.

The L.A. Times can confirm that the Disney Channel is producing a remake of the film as a TV movie. Originally reported by Deadline, the new iteration will be penned by Scarlett Lacey (“The Royals”) and star an entirely new cast. (Good luck finding someone to fill in Midler’s stripy socks.) David Kirschner, who produced the original, is attached to executive produce the new version.

Set in Salem, the original movie told the story of three evil witches from 1693 who tried to live forever by sucking the souls out of little children. The sisters were eventually caught and executed by the town.

But before they died, the witches cursed the village, warning the citizens that one day they’d be back. Cut to 1993, a couple of kids light the wrong candle, and presto! The witches are back and there’s hell to pay.

Naturally the internet is taking this news about as well as to be expected.

However, some folks seem jazzed.

There’s no reported release date for the remake, but purists will be happy to know that Disney’s Freeform will be running an all-day marathon of the original on Oct. 31.

If you need us, we’ll be watching this YouTube video of Bette Midler singing “I Put a Spell on You” for the rest of the day.

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Former Fox News host Meghan McCain to join ABC’s ‘The View’

Meghan McCain is reportedly set to join "The View."
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

Former Fox News personality Meghan McCain is joining the ladies of “The View.”

The “Blond Republican” -- her words, not ours -- and daughter of U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is said to have signed on as a regular co-host of the ABC daytime talker, according to Variety. She’ll replace conservative voice Jedediah Bila, who announced her exit last week.

ABC declined to confirm or comment Thursday on McCain’s casting.

The new gig comes on the heels of McCain signing off of Fox News’ “Outnumbered” in the wake of her father’s brain cancer diagnosis. Before joining Fox News, she co-hosted the Pivot Network’s “TakePart Live” and has contributed to publications such as the Daily Beast, Newsweek and Time. Like her father, she often deviates from the GOP line on issues, including same-sex marriage and climate change.

McCain is expected to start in early October, Variety said, and will be joining panelists Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sara Haines, Paula Faris and Sunny Hostin.

“The View” has had its fair share of lineup changes over the years. Executive producer and former panelist Barbara Walters retired in 2014, and the show has included Rosie O’Donnell, Nicolle Wallace, Rosie Perez, Raven-Symoné, Michelle Collins and Candace Cameron Bure among its panelists.

McCain will be be the latest in the revolving door of conservative voices the show has introduced since the departure of Elisabeth Hasselbeck in 2013.

“The View” has seen improved ratings this month with big-name guests joining the panelists. On Sept. 13, former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton appeared on the program and helped “The View” notch its best ratings in a six-month period. Last Friday, the program scored its second-best telecast in five months with guest co-host Anthony Scaramucci’s appearance.

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Hugh Hefner spoke with the L.A. Times often — and always had something memorable to say

(Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

Understanding Playboy-in-Chief Hugh Hefner’s revered — and reviled — lifestyle was often just a question or two away.

The iconoclastic publishing mogul, who died Wednesday at 91, was an open book when it came to his views on swinging ways and sexuality, particularly how his puritanical upbringing shaped his career and gave rise to the revolutionary Playboy empire.

Over the years, the perennially pajama-clad Hef was interviewed often by the Los Angeles Times. Here’s a sampling of some of his memorable quotes.

On sexuality’s problematic origins in America:

“Our society is fragmented,” he asserted in 1994. “Messages regarding human sexuality have always been mixed in America. We are a schizophrenic nation. We were founded initially by Puritans, who escaped repression only to establish their own. Then the founding fathers gave us the Constitution to separate church and state. But the one thing that got left out of all those laws was human sexuality.”

On the life he made for himself:

“Much of my life has been like an adolescent dream of an adult life,” he told The Times in 1992. “If you were still a boy, in almost a Peter Pan kind of way, and could have just the perfect life that you wanted to have, that’s the life I invented for myself.”

OBITUARY: Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, who shook up American morality with an ideal of swinging singlehood, dies at 91

On why he was so happy:

“You will find in my bedroom images from long ago, little photographs and things from when I was a kid. I’m a very happy guy, and part of that has to do with my connection to my childhood,” he said in 2009.

On how he became “Hef”:

“Through a lifetime, you reinvent who you are,” he explained in 2009. “I actually reinvented myself the first time when I was 16, when a girl rejected me. I started referring to myself as Hef, started changing my wardrobe — the same thing I did in 1959-1960 with the magazine, when I came out from behind the desk and started living the life and got the first Playboy mansion, started to drive a Mercedes 300SL.”

On how the 1942 film “Casablanca” led to the Playboy Club:

“I think I opened the first Playboy Club because of ‘Casablanca.’ I wanted to have a place where people came to hang out as they did at Rick’s,” he said in 2010. “It has everything — not only Bogie’s charismatic character, but lost love, redemption, patriotism, humor — it had a great musical score.”

On traditional attitudes toward marriage and sex:

“If you don’t commit,” he told The Times in 1994, “you don’t get hurt. I was always unwilling to commit to marriage because I was afraid to lose the romance.”

On the Playboy brand’s global status:

“It has been said that the two most famous trademarks in the world are Coca-Cola and the Playboy bunny rabbit,” he said in 1994. “There is certainly no one else in our area that represents the American dream in this particular kind of way. That rabbit means economic freedom, personal freedom and political freedom. That potential is unlimited.”

On the Playboy Jazz Festival:

“I’ve never found anything that I’ve cared more about than the music from my youth. I loved the Beatles, sure, but I never became — except for dancing purposes — a hard rocker. To me, there is something incredibly celebratory, and so wonderful about really good big-band swing and Dixieland,” he said in 2002.

“When I started, I just wanted to put out a men’s magazine. But by the end of the ‘50s, it was so successful that I seized it as a vehicle for changing the direction of my life,” he added. “And that crucial change in my life was also associated with jazz, because it all began within a space of about six months after the first Playboy Jazz Festival in August of 1959.”

Hugh Hefner, founder of the Playboy empire, relaxes during a visit to England in 1966.
(John Downing / Getty Images)

On his personal legacy:

“One of the reasons that I have such tremendous satisfaction at this point in my life is because I know I’ve made a difference,” he said in 1994. “I’ve made a difference in a way that really matters to me.”

On publishing’s shift to digital:

“I don’t sit around thinking about, ‘Gee, what happened to the new generation and they don’t read enough and why is the internet replacing books?’” he said in 2009.

On his fame and sex appeal:

“I think that just as [Henry] Kissinger said, power is the ultimate aphrodisiac. Celebrity is the ultimate aphrodisiac in today’s world. And I’m lucky enough to have fallen into a unique kind of celebrity,” he said in 2009. “So against all logic, nothing else matters — age doesn’t matter. When [my last long-term] relationship ended, last year, they were climbing over the gate. ... young women. Endless numbers of young women.”

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Hugh Hefner’s life pushing boundaries started with comics

Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Mansion was hedonistic headquarters for his brand

‘Your legacy lives on’: Hugh Hefner is remembered as an innovator, friend and supporter of civil rights

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Samantha Bee says Trump and Fox News are taking us backward with NFL criticisms

Samantha Bee blasted Donald Trump for what she considers his lack of response to the crisis in Puerto Rico, claiming the president instead has been busy “stoking a culture war” over the NFL.

On Wednesday’s episode of “Full Frontal,” Bee took aim at Trump’s continued focus on NFL players who have been peacefully protesting racism and police brutality by kneeling during the national anthem at football games.

“Last week on ‘Sport Roundup’ we were trying to figure out if the president is a white nationalist,” Bee said. “Which he clarified this week when he demanded that black people be fired for insufficient nationalism.”

Trump, of course, has equated the conversation about the NFL protests to respecting the flag itself, arguing that kneeling disrespects soldiers and first responders.

But “if anyone knows about treating soldiers and first responders with respect, it’s the guy that decided to fire transgender troops and deport paramedics who happen to be ‘Dreamers,’” Bee countered.

While Bee wants to believe Americans are smart enough to realize Trump is trying to distract from what the NFL protests are actually about, Fox News hosts and various conservative pundits have also been criticizing the players.

The segment included clips of these personalities commenting on how NFL players should feel grateful that they live in a country that pays them millions to play a game.

After pointing out that the NFL’s “hallowed tradition” of standing up during the national anthem dates back only to 2009, Bee slammed Fox News hosts for their own hypocrisy, branding them “multimillionaires who feel oppressed.”

“What a conversation we’re having,” Bee said. “Talking about black people and their owners and how they should be grateful for the privilege of working on a field. Who says Trump is taking us backward?”

Watch the full segment (which includes adult language) here.

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A Star Is Born: Annie Clark of St. Vincent turns 35 today

(Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

It’s always a journey. That’s the whole fun of being an artist -- that perpetual carrot on a stick. You can always do better, you can always reach for the most outermost things, and try to reach out to the future and bring back something that feels unique and singular.

— Annie Clark, 2014

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Annie Clark on ‘St. Vincent,’ David Byrne, ‘freebies’ from universe

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‘Your legacy lives on’: Hugh Hefner is remembered as an innovator, friend and supporter of civil rights

Hugh Hefner and a bevy of playmates.
(Carol Cheetham / Los Angeles Times)

Many admirers of Hugh Hefner and his Playboy empire paid their respects on social media after hearing of the impresario’s death at 91 -- including those directly influenced by the magazine and its founder.

Jenny McCarthy, Playmate of the Year in 1994 who went on to host and star in numerous TV shows and movies, wrote: “RIP #Hef Thank you for being a revolutionary and changing so many people’s lives, especially mine. I hope I made you proud.”

Among the other tributes pouring in late Wednesday and early Thursday...

Two of the three original co-stars of Hefner’s reality show, “The Girls Next Door,” which aired on E! from 2005 to 2010, weighed in on the passing of their former beau.

Both Bridget Marquardt and Kendra Wilkinson turned to Twitter to share their admiration for Hefner.

Holly Madison, the third “Girl Next Door,” had yet to comment by Thursday morning. Madison penned a 2015 memoir that alleged that life inside the Playboy Mansion wasn’t as picture-perfect as it appeared.

Update, Sept. 28, 8:50 a.m.: This post was updated with additional reactions on social media.

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Playboy’s Hugh Hefner has died. He once said he had ‘an adolescent dream of an adult life’

Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner died at age 91 on Wednesday at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles. He's seen here at Playboy's 60th anniversary celebration in 2014.
(Charley Gallay / Getty Images for Playboy)

Hugh Hefner, the incurable playboy who built a publishing and entertainment empire on the idea that Americans should shed their puritanical hang-ups and enjoy sex, has died, according to a Playboy spokesperson. He was 91.

Hefner was the founder of Playboy magazine, launched amid the conservatism of the 1950s, when marriage and domesticity conferred social status. Hefner pitched an alternative standard — swinging singlehood — which portrayed the desire for sex as normal as craving apple pie. He redefined the status for a generation of men, replacing lawn mowers and fishing gear with new symbols: martini glasses, a cashmere sweater and a voluptuous girlfriend, the necessary components of a new lifestyle that melded sex and materialism.

Hugh Hefner’s ‘Playboy’ life in pictures

Thus, in Playboy magazine, the upwardly mobile man could ogle pictures of naked women called Playmates, chosen personally by Hefner for their large busts and girl-next-door wholesomeness. Surrounding the titillating visuals were interviews with luminaries from Albert Schweitzer to Malcolm X; short stories by such leading writers as Ernest Hemingway and John Updike; and advice columns on such matters as how to prepare the perfect vodka gimlet or appreciate jazz — all of which lent credence to many men’s claims that they bought the magazine for the articles.

This combination of flesh and intellectuality made Playboy the world’s bestselling men’s magazine and Hefner a millionaire many times over.

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Motion Picture Academy touts progress – and a $50-million gift – toward its long-awaited film museum

Construction is underway at the site of the future Academy Museum of Motion Pictures at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue.
Construction is underway at the site of the future Academy Museum of Motion Pictures at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

It’s no secret that the Motion Picture Academy has hit a few bumps along the way in its effort to build an ambitious film museum in Los Angeles: construction delays, cost overruns, concerns over the pace of fundraising.

But at a press event on Wednesday morning, academy leaders looked to turn the page on those growing pains and tout the progress that’s been made on the museum, which is slated to open in 2019 – and express their gratitude for a major new $50-million donation from Cheryl and Haim Saban.

At the museum’s construction site at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue, recently elected academy President John Bailey, museum director Kerry Brougher, newly named chair of the museum board of trustees Ron Meyer and others spoke before an assembled audience of journalists and other guests in hard hats. Attendees were later given a tour of the site and a glimpse of architect Renzo Piano’s plans for how it will all come together.

Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy, who chairs the academy Board of Governors’ museum committee, acknowledged what a long road it’s been to get a bona fide movie museum built in the city that’s home to the movie business.

“I’ve been in the business for almost 40 years,” Kennedy said. “I think I share with many people in this room that we’re all kind of incredulous that this could be a company town and we don’t have a motion picture museum. We should have the world’s most pre-eminent motion picture museum – and now we have the opportunity to have that.”

Disney CEO Bob Iger, who chairs the academy museum’s capital campaign, introduced the Sabans, whose $50-million donation is the largest the museum has yet received and brings the academy nearly 75% of the way toward reaching its $388-million fundraising goal. In recognition of their gift, the historic 1939 May Co. Building that will be home to the museum will be renamed the Saban Building.

“We’re honored to help with this historic endeavor for our industry,” said Cheryl Saban. “We join all of you in eager anticipation of the opening of the doors of this academy museum.”

Closing out the event, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti spoke about what the museum would mean not only to the film business and movie fans, but to the city as a whole.

“We neglected this industry for too long in our backyard,” Garcetti said, touting efforts to extend film tax credits to bring production back to the city. “We neglected our history – and that’s what today is about.... If we can’t tell our stories, if we can’t link with our past, what future can we have?”

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First look at James Cameron’s new ‘Avatar 2’ cast angles for a younger audience

It’s been eight years since James Cameron dropped his big, blue blockbuster. And now that the first of four “Avatar” sequels is officially in production, 20th Century Fox is ready to start revealing its new Na’vi cast. Meet the new alien cat clan that will star in Cameron’s long-awaited “Avatar” sequel.

For those who haven’t communed with the spirit of Eywa, the 2009 film takes place in the future on an alien planet named Pandora. In the film, Earthlings travel a great distance to mine Pandora of the precious metal “unobtanium.”

In order to communicate with the planet’s inhabitants -- the giant feline-looking natives named the Na’vi -- humans would transport their consciousness into “avatars” that mimicked the locals’ bodies, size and abilities.

Inside one of those avatars, human/main character Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) falls in love with the Na’vi Neytiri (Zoe Saldana). Last we saw of Jake, his consciousness was mystically leaving his human form to be transferred into his new Na’vi body forever. True love!

Clearly things worked out for Jake and Neytiri, because the “Avatar 2” cast reveal is loaded with a new crop of Sully family members.

Plus there’s another clan of new aliens to get excited about.

Here’s the breakdown of each new Na’vi cast member (which includes name pronunciations and their family relations) from Wednesday’s official announcement:

The Sully family

Jamie Flatters: Neteyam (neh-tay’-ahm). Jake and Neytiri’s first-born son.

Britain Dalton: Lo’ak (loh’ ahk). Jake and Neytiri’s second born.

Trinity Bliss: Tuktirey (took-tee’-ray), goes by “Tuk” (rhymes with “nuke”). The youngest of the Sully family.

The Metkayina clan

Bailey Bass: Tsireya (see-ray’-ah), goes by “Reya.” She is a graceful and strong free-diver -- the young Neytiri of the ocean.

Filip Geljo: Aonung (aw-nung’). Young male hunter/free-diver son of the Olo’eyktan of Metkayina Clan.

Duane Evans Jr.: Rotxo (row’-txoh). Young male hunter/free-diver of the Metkayina.

Obviously, you’ll have to use your imagination for the eventual character reveal, as the Na’vis are filmed using performance capture. However, there are a few more details we can glean from the press release.

For example, the importance of including “free-diver” in the character descriptions paired with the previous description of the Metkayina as “reef people” reinforces the long-held belief that much of the new “Avatar” movies will take place underwater.

Plus the age difference between this cast and the 2009 one is staggering. The younger cast seems to be targeting a family-friendly demographic. And with the recent opening of Disney World’s Pandora, going after the toy-buying demographic makes sense.

In addition to the new alien brood is one humanoid character, Javier “Spider” Socorro. Played by Jack Champion, this teen was born inside “Hell’s Gate,” the now-defunct military complex that was running the unobtanium operation. Very little is known about Javier other than he “prefers his time in the Pandoran rainforest more than the asphalt of Hell’s Gate.” But his nickname is “Spider,” so we can all assume that he’ll arrive on a motorcycle.

Returning cast includes Worthington, Saldana, Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang. The sequel has a planned premiere date of Dec. 18, 2020.

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Jane Fonda checks Megyn Kelly, bluntly shuts down question about plastic surgery

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Another “Today,” another Megyn Kelly gaffe.

The latest morning-show recruit has been having a rough first week. Early reviews weren’t exactly glowing, and she drew the ire of Oscar winner Jane Fonda repeatedly during Wednesday’s episode of Kelly’s new NBC show.

The former Fox News anchor welcomed longtime friends Fonda and Robert Redford, who have reunited on the new Netflix film “Our Souls at Night” and sat down with Kelly to promote it. But Kelly appeared more interested in the 79-year-old’s history with cosmetic procedures rather than the movie.

And Fonda, who had just (jokingly?) snapped at the host for asking Redford to reminisce about his “The Way We Were” co-star Barbra Streisand, wasn’t in the mood.

“You’ve been an example to everyone on how to age beautifully and with strength,” Kelly remarked. “And, unapologetically, you admit you’ve had work done, which I think is to your credit. You look amazing. Why did you say, I read that you’re not proud to admit that you’ve had work done. Why not?”

Unamused, Fonda sternly replied: “We really want to talk about that now?”

But Kelly couldn’t take a hint and continued her line of questioning: “Well, one of the things people think when they look at you is how amazing you look,” she said.

“Well, thanks,” Fonda said tersely, before redirecting the conversation back to the film. “Good attitude, good posture, take care of myself ... but, let me tell you why I love this movie that we did, ‘Our Souls at Night,’ rather than plastic surgery.”

After that, the “Grace and Frankie” star briefly sat with her arms crossed when Kelly asked Redford if there was anyone else besides Fonda he wanted to work with.

Wednesday’s awkward exchange comes on the heels of “Will & Grace” star Debra Messing declaring she regrets appearing on Kelly’s debut episode of “Today” on Monday and was “dismayed” by the host’s comments during the episode.

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Meet the new cast members of ‘Saturday Night Live’

"Saturday Night Live" has hired comedians Heidi Gardner, left, Chris Redd and Luke Null.
(Zeb Wells / Break Out Comedy / iO Theater / Associated Press)

“Saturday Night Live” has hired three new stars for Season 43.

Comedians Heidi Gardner, Chris Redd and Luke Null will join the sketch comedy when it returns to NBC this weekend. The trio replaces departed cast members Bobby Moynihan, Vanessa Bayer and Sasheer Zamata.

The news comes as Lorne Michaels’ veteran variety show revamps and diversifies its roster of talent. “SNL” also has hired seven new writers: Nimesh Patel — who’s being touted as the answer to its dearth of South Asian talent — Sam Jay, Gary Richardson, Erik Marino, Andrew Dismukes, Steven Castillo and Claire Friedman.

Here’s a rundown of the on-camera rookies and where you might have seen (or heard) them before:

Heidi Gardner

L.A. Groundlings alum Gardner voiced Yasmin on the “Bratz” animated series and currently voices humanoid cat Cooch on Crackle’s “SuperMansion.” She also writes for the latter stop-motion comedy. Gardner has appeared in several gender-bending shorts on YouTube and will hit the big screen next year in Melissa McCarthy’s comedy “Life of the Party.”

Chris Redd

The stand-up comedian and rapper has a slew of Netflix credits: He plays superstoner YouTube personality Dank on the Kathy Bates comedy “Disjointed” and has appeared in “Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later” and “Handsome: A Netflix Mystery Movie.” He made his Comedy Central stand-up debut earlier this month and performed locally at the Laugh Factor doing NSFW routines on cold weather and being snowed in. Redd also played rival rapper Hunter the Hungry in Lonely Island’s 2016 film “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping.”

Luke Null

The Chicago-based musical comic Null performs with improv troupe iO Chicago. The Ohio University grad is also a member of Newport Hounds, a Chicago-based improv/sketch group. Here’s a look at his NSFW musical stylings and some of his older, tamer fare below.

“SNL” returns on Sept. 30 with Ryan Gosling and rapper Jay-Z lined up for the premiere episode. “Wonder Woman” star Gal Gadot and musical guest Sam Smith will appear on the Oct. 7 episode, and “The Big Sick’s” Kumail Nanjiani will host the Oct. 14 episode with musical guest Pink.

The new season comes at a golden time for the long-running show. Coming off its most-watched season in decades and its scathing lampoons of the Trump administration, “SNL” earned nine wins at the Primetime Emmy Awards earlier this month. Last week, NBC announced it will continue to air the show live from coast to coast.

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Bill O’Reilly returns to Fox News to point fingers and air grievances

Festivus came early this year as Bill O’Reilly returned to Fox News on Tuesday night to make accusations and air grievances.

Appearing on “Hannity,” O’Reilly made his first appearance on the conservative news network since multiple sexual-harassment allegations led to his ouster in April.

O’Reilly’s time with Sean Hannity, promoted as a way to promote his latest book, “Killing England,” primarily devolved into a discussion of things that have upset O’Reilly in the five months since viewers saw him last.

Here, in no particular order, are a few things that grind O’Reilly’s gears:

Kneeling

In generally unsurprising news, O’Reilly is very offended by peaceful protests in the NFL that involve kneeling during the playing of the national anthem.

“It’s a mob mentality. It is an anti-Trump demonstration,” O’Reilly said of the protest that Colin Kaepernick ignited during the Obama administration. “That’s what it’s morphed into.”

Both Hannity and O’Reilly both invoked the troops in their arguments that protests involviing the the American flag and national anthem are offensive, despite the fact that such speech is protected by the 1st Amendment.

“The [National Football] League and the owners have lost control of [the protest],” said O’Reilly.

Several NFL owners stood arm in arm with their players during protests on Sunday, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell issued a statement that called the president’s criticism of players “divisive.”

[Supposed] Racism

Hannity was anxious to hear O’Reilly’s thoughts about how the left uses racism as a “wedge issue,” and the former host of “The O’Reilly Factor” was more than happy to oblige.

“The media and the entertainers drive it,” O’Reilly said in response to Hannity’s assertion that accusations of racism are dividing the country along racial lines in a way that is “hurtful to the country.”

Hannity did not explain what dividing the country along racial lines in a way that was not hurtful to the country looked like.

“A year ago, you did not hear the words ‘white supremacist,’” O’Reilly said. “It was white privilege.” He then talked about the transformation from privilege to supremacy and how “people are buying it.”

O’Reilly neglected to explain where demonstrations featuring the Confederate flag and torch-carrying white nationalists fit into this change in public perception.

“If you want to believe that America is an evil country where white supremacists stalk the blacks, you’re free to believe it,” O’Reilly said, hastily adding, “But it’s not true.”

That darn mainstream media

O’Reilly and Hannity both had plenty of scorn to pile onto other purveyors of national news.

“I have never seen any institution in America that is so corrupt, so bitterly ideological, that’s so one-sided,” Hannity opined. “All they want to do is destroy this president.”

“We’re living in a time with no more journalistic rules, and I can back that up 50 different ways, but I’m not going to bore everybody tonight,” O’Reilly responded. “But I will someday.”

He then went on to dismiss major urban newspapers as “left-wing journals” that coordinate coverage, later seeming to suggest a secret liberal cabal determined to hornswoggle the American people by accurately quoting the president – and Fox News pundits.

“A lot of people believe propaganda,” O’Reilly told Hannity, “and there’s nothing we can do about it.”

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Debra Messing regrets taking part in Megyn Kelly’s ‘Today’ premiere

(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Debra Messing claims she didn’t know her appearance on Monday’s “Today” show would be part of former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly’s debut.

In fact, the “Will & Grace” star, who appeared on the morning talker with the comedy’s cast and crew, said she regrets being on. And she was “dismayed” by Kelly’s commentary, presumably when she made a joke about a gay superfan modeling his life after the show’s titular Will Truman (watch that exchange at the 2-minute mark below).

The outspoken actress-activist made the revelation on Instagram, responding to a commenter who asked: “But why did you guys do the Megyn Kelly show? That’s a fail!”

“Honestly I didn’t know it was MK until that morning,” Messing replied. “The itinerary just said Today show appearance. Regret going on. Dismayed by her comments.”

Times’ TV critic Robert Lloyd picked up on Kelly’s awkward gibes in his review, writing that she had “an intensely cheery, manic first-date energy.

“That she has spent a long time on television, speaking to cameras and conducting interviews, can only serve her so well, as she was not previously required to look like she was having fun doing it,” Lloyd wrote. “If anything, she was required to look like fun was the furthest thing from her mind.”

Messing’s comments come just days after the former Fox News anchor’s spotty track record on race, religion and sexuality got the “Last Week Tonight” treatment. Host John Oliver takes aim at the TV personality and her attempt to be a “unifying force.”

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‘Star Trek,’ ‘Young Sheldon,’ ‘Will and Grace’ and all the new television shows to check out this fall

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See ‘Game of Thrones’ stars Kit Harington and Rose Leslie’s charming engagement announcement

It turns out Jon Snow may know a thing or two after all.

Former “Game of Thrones” co-stars Kit Harington and Rose Leslie are engaged, after months of speculation and years of secretive courtship.

The pair announced the happy news via a charmingly old-fashioned engagement announcement in the “Forthcoming Marriages” section of Wednesday’s Times of London.

“The engagement is announced between Kit, younger son of David and Deborah Harington of Worcestershire, and Rose, middle daughter of Sebastian and Candy Leslie of Aberdeenshire,” the announcement read.

Leslie, who now stars on “The Good Fight,” and Harington aren’t the only celebrities who’ve opted to go the low-key throwback route when it comes to pending nuptials.

In 2014, Benedict Cumberbatch and Sophie Hunter announced their own engagement in the same analogue fashion.

There’s no word yet on when and where Harington and Leslie will tie the knot, but they’ve likely learned enough from their time on the HBO series to know how to keep a secret.

Actually, given the history of “Game of Thrones”-related weddings, maybe they’ll just opt to elope.

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Seth Meyers eviscerates Trump’s response to Puerto Rico’s crisis

Seth Meyers is not impressed by President Trump’s belated response to the hurricane devastation in Puerto Rico. And the late-night TV host is not mincing words on the matter.

On Tuesday night’s edition of “Hey!,” a recurring segment on “Late Night,” Meyers took Trump to task over a series of tweets Monday in which he appeared to blame Puerto Rico for its current situation.

“Hey! Don’t go after Puerto Rico for their financial problems now,” Meyers began. “Victims of tragedy aren’t looking for real talk.”

The host then moved on to reminding Trump that he was the candidate who was going to put Americans before Wall Street before pointing out that the president couldn’t even manage to do that in a tweet.

“People don’t have clean drinking water, and your first instinct is to tell them they owe money,” Meyers said. “What are you, some kind of [crappy] landlord?

“Oh, right,” he continued, “you were a [crappy] landlord.”

Meyers reiterated that Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory and should be a top priority for Trump, given his “Make America Great Again” motto. And he insulted the president’s delayed response to the island’s humanitarian crisis, calling him “the last responder.”

Watch the segment above.

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A Star Is Born: Lil Wayne turns 35 today

(Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

I can’t speak to nobody else and what they should do, but for me, I’m doing everything I can do, which is everything I want to do.

— Lil Wayne, 2008

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Hard-earned million

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Aerosmith cancels last shows of South America tour as Steven Tyler heads back to the U.S. for medical care

(Lukas Barth / Associated Press)

Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler said Tuesday that he has returned to the United States for medical care and that the band is canceling the last four shows of its tour in South America.

Tyler said on social media that he flew back to the U.S. on Monday night after a show in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

He said he is “not in a life threatening condition” but needs to deal with a medical issue “immediately” to maintain future scheduled performances.

The band has canceled two shows this month, in Curitiba, Brazil, and Santiago, Chile, and two shows next month, in Rosario, Argentina, and Monterrey, Mexico.

Tyler said he expects to make a full recovery.

Aerosmith, known for the hits “Walk This Way,” ’’Sweet Emotion” and “Dream On,” formed in Boston in 1971.

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‘This Is Us’ is back. Let’s talk about that ending

It finally happened. Kind of. Sort of. We think.

After a high-flying debut season, “This Is Us” returned Tuesday night with its sophomore outing and the promise that the circumstances around a central mystery that fans wanted answers to — how patriarch Jack Pearson died — would become more clear. (And look, we’re not good with twists so, yes, you can expect spoilers if you continue reading.)

The premiere was packed with the show’s signature emotional moments. But it was the final minutes of the NBC time-jumping family drama that will have fans talking.

Things kick into gear after Rebecca (Mandy Moore) and Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) have a heart-to-heart soon after the epic fight that closed out last season.

They’re living apart, but Rebecca offers hope that they’ll get through it. Jack then reveals that his alcohol dependency has gotten worse — a confession that prompts Rebecca to demand Jack go home with her so they can tackle his problem together.

The scene transitions to a slight time jump, with Rebecca driving and emotional, and the camera pans to a shot of Jack’s possessions in a clear plastic bag. Viewers then see the distraught teenage versions of Kate (Hannah Zeile) and Randall (Niles Fitch), while Kevin (Logan Shroyer) was out somewhere with a girl, oblivious to the circumstances.

The episode closed with a shot of Rebecca pulling up to the Pearson’s mailbox. She let out a heartrending wail as the camera zoomed out to reveal their burned-down house — suggesting that Jack likely died in the fire.

“But did he die in the fire? Did he get out of the fire? Did he start the fire?” Ventimiglia said coyly during a Q&A panel after Tuesday night’s premiere at Neuehouse in Hollywood. “We didn’t actually see the house on fire.”

Milo!

Moore said of that final moment: “That’s not the full story, that’s just a piece of the puzzle.”

When we caught up with her at the premiere after-party, Moore said filming that scene was overwhelming.

“It felt like a year-and-a-half of pent-up emotion — it was heavy,” Moore said.

Dan Fogelman, the show’s creator, said it’s a relief to finally have it out there. He said he kept tabs for a few minutes to Twitter reaction following the show’s East Coast airing.

“I really felt for a long time very confident in the first episode — and, frankly, the season,” he told The Times. “But you never know until you put it out into the world. It felt good that people seemed to be responding to the episode — and even to the ending. Obviously, learning how a favorite character dies, you’re never going to go, ‘Great, I loved that.’ But, so far, from what I’ve seen, fans are liking the execution of it. And that was fulfilling.”

And keeping it under wraps was of high importance. Fogelman said the final scene, which had been planned for about six months, was referred to as “The Marble” in the writers room, explaining the code name was a nod to a Beyoncé video. He also said that he wouldn’t put anything in writing about the scene. And that filming of Rebecca approaching the burned-down house took place just two weeks ago, about three hours outside of Los Angeles. The version viewers see of Moore is the first one shot.

“I was very anxious for a long time,” Fogelman said. “It was pretty amazing we kept it a secret as long as we did.”

Of course, Fogelman is well aware there are still questions to be answered about Jack’s death. And he says they will come.

“We have 18 episodes [this season],” he said. “There’s a lot of different pieces, and we need to see how they all come together. In the course of the season, you’ll know everything. And new things will arise, as is the nature with our show.”

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Khloe Kardashian is reportedly pregnant with Tristan Thompson’s baby

(Richard Shotwell / Invision / Associated Press)

Hope you’re ready for a new generation of Kardashi-Kids!

TMZ reported Tuesday that business mogul and reality star Khloe Kardashian is expecting her first child with her beau, basketball player Tristan Thompson of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

For those keeping track, that makes three purported pregnancies for the Kardashian-Jenner family.

In June, reports alleged that Kim Kardashian-West and husband Kanye West are expecting their third child via a surrogate.

Last week, rumors surfaced regarding the youngest member of the Kardashian brood, asserting that 20-year-old Kylie Jenner is expecting her first child with boyfriend Travis Scott.

Throughout the 10-year run of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” Khloe Kardashian has made no secret of her desire to be a mother and concerns about her fertility, so news of a pregnancy would seem to be a welcome development.

Kardashian’s rep did not immediately respond to the Los Angeles Times’ request for comment.

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Grab the popcorn: Bill O’Reilly is returning to Fox News as ‘Hannity’ guest tonight

(Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Bill O’Reilly is returning to the cable news network that sacked him as a guest.

The ousted host of Fox News’ “The O’Reilly Factor” will appear on Sean Hannity’s show tonight at 9 p.m.

The two TV personalities promoted the “Hannity” spot on Twitter, with O’Reilly billing the appearance as “an event” and flooding his feed with several reminders.

Fox News’ top-rated broadcaster, who was fired in April in the wake of numerous sexual-harassment allegations, has been making the rounds to promote his latest alternate-history novel, “Killing England,” and addressing his exit from the cable news network.

Timeline: The rise and fall of Bill O’Reilly

On the “Today” show last week, O’Reilly denied any wrongdoing and said his “conscience is clear.” In his 42 years in the business, he said he never had any human-resources cases brought against him. He also declared that his firing was “a political and financial hit job” that resulted from sponsored boycotts and accused left-leaning advocacy groups of orchestrating his and Fox News’ demise.

“Nobody’s a perfect person, but I can go to sleep at night very well knowing that I never mistreated anyone on my watch in 42 years,” O’Reilly said.

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Chip and Joanna Gaines announce departure from HGTV’s ‘Fixer Upper’

Fans of home-renovation shows were heartbroken Tuesday when Chip and Joanna Gaines announced that they’ll be leaving their hit HGTV series “Fixer Upper.”

“It is with both sadness and expectation that we share the news that Season 5 of ‘Fixer Upper’ will be our last,” the couple wrote on their blog. “While we are confident that this is the right choice for us, it has for sure not been an easy one to come to terms with.”

The Gaineses also posted a video on their blog expressing their gratitude to fans for joining them and explaining that they’re making the choice to focus on their family and their business in Waco, Texas.

“This journey has been indescribable,” said a visibly emotional Chip. “The opportunity of a lifetime. Our family has grown up before our eyes on national television, which is an experience, that I can tell you, is beautiful. It’s wonderful for so many reasons.”

“It’s such a bittersweet time for us, because the last five years, this has been our life,” added Joanna. “The show, the crew here, these homes that we’ve gotten to renovate for these beautiful families.”

“Fixer Upper” began its first season in April 2014 and soon became the jewel in HGTV’s real-estate renovation crown. Last year, the series averaged 4.3 million viewers, more than 1.5 million more viewers than the network’s second-place series, “Flip or Flop.”

“We’ve all been on an incredible journey with Chip and Joanna for five years,” HGTV said in a statement released Tuesday. “It takes a huge amount of time and creative energy to make a phenomenal series like ‘Fixer Upper’. We understand their decision to spend more time with their family. Like all of their fans, we want only the best for them and they know they will always have a home at HGTV.

“Fans can expect that the upcoming season of ‘Fixer Upper’ will be the best season ever and we can’t wait for it to hit the air later this year.”

Fans of the show should rest easy knowing that this announcement doesn’t mean the disappearance of the Gaines family from their lives.

Target announced two weeks ago that Chip and Joanna Gaines will be launching Hearth & Hand with Magnolia, a home and lifestyle brand for the big-box store, with products arriving in stores Nov. 5.

Chip Gaines also has a book, “Capital Gaines: Smart Things I Learned Doing Stupid Stuff,” scheduled for release Oct. 17.

And if you’re worried about getting your fix of shiplap – a type of wooden board that’s a staple on the show – HGTV recently posted a video on how to make your own.

Season 5 of “Fixer Upper” is expected to debut in November.

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George Clooney adds voice to NFL kneeling debate with poem ‘Prayer for Our Country’

(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

George Clooney is among the celebrities taking a knee in solidarity with NFL players.

And he’s doing it in the most poetic of ways.

The Oscar-winning director, actor and producer rarely shies away from tackling hot-button issues and injustices — often trading in wry social commentary or strongly worded statements.

On Tuesday, Clooney put in his two cents in the form of a personal poem published on the Daily Beast. The stanza came in the wake of President Trump reviving the kneeling debate by calling for the punishment of players who refuse to stand for the singing of the national anthem before sporting events.

In the 10-line “Prayer for Our Country,” the “Suburbicon” director said that he prays to “find more that unites us than divides us” and prays “that our nation’s leaders want to do the same.”

The activist and philanthropist, who raised funds for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, highlighted the racial tensions underlying much of the debate by praying for “young children like Tamir Rice,” “all of our children,” police, first responders and the men and women of the armed services.

“I pray that dissent will always be protected in this great country,” he continued. “I pray for a more perfect union.

“And when I pray, I kneel,” he concluded.

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Robert Plant announces 2018 tour, releases new song with Chrissie Hynde

Puncturing the zeppelin-sized dreams of nostalgic rockers hoping for a 2018 reunion with former bandmates Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, singer Robert Plant on Tuesday announced a solo tour, which will stop at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles on March 2.

The waxing millions might want to get over it already, at least based on the new recording Plant just issued. Called “Bluebirds Over the Mountain,” it finds the former Led Zeppelin frontman teaming with the Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde for a mesmerizing five-minute workout.

The song is the most recent teaser from Plant’s forthcoming album, “Carry Fire,” which is set arrive via Nonesuch Records on Oct. 13. Produced by Plant in western England, his 11th solo album features backing by his band, the Sensational Space Shifters. That same unit will tour with him.

In a statement announcing the concerts, Plant said of his new work with the Space Shifters: “It’s about intention. I respect and relish my past works but each time I feel the trawl and incentive to create new work. I must mix old with new.

“Consequently the whole impetus of the band has moved on its axis somewhat, the new sound and different space giving way to exciting and dramatic landscapes of mood, melody and instrumentation.”

Robert Plant will perform in L.A. in March in support of a new album, "Carry Fire."
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

“Bluebirds Over the Mountain” was penned by rockabilly star Ersel Hickey at the suggestion of singer Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers, and recorded by artists including Richie Valens and the Beach Boys (check out their version here).

Plant’s version revels in chugga-chugga electric guitar riffs, the occasional dose of feedback and a precisely placed, curiously strong fiddle solo. The song takes flight when paired with the roughly animated video, which stars two laser-beam-shooting people riding on the backs of soaring birds.

For the tour, Plant will be teaming with Ticketmaster and its new bot- and scalper-fighting “Verified Fan” initiative recently employed by superstars including Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen.

Ticket buyers can visit robertplant.tmverifiedfan.com to register for presale access before a Sept. 27 end date. Per the press announcement, those verified and selected “will receive a text invitation two to four hours before the presale begins on Thursday, Sept. 28 at 12 p.m. EDT. The general public on-sale will be on Friday, Sept. 29.”

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Broadway star Idina Menzel marries ‘Rent’ co-star Aaron Lohr

(Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Powerhouse vocalist Idina Menzel married her “Rent” co-star Aaron Lohr over the weekend.

The “Frozen” actress and actor-turned-psychologist, who co-starred in the 2005 adaptation of “Rent,” wed at home, she announced on Facebook on Monday by sharing beautiful photos from the big day.

“Dad & son walked me down the aisle. It was magical,” Menzel wrote. “Thank you to everyone who helped make my wedding day so special.”

According to People, Menzel’s off-the-shoulder lace gown was made by Carolina Herrera. She wore Jimmy Choo shoes, Ricardo Basta jewels and a Jennifer Behr headpiece. Lohr wore a suit by John Varvatos.

The theater kids have been dating since 2015 and have been engaged for a year.

Menzel, 46, was previously married to another “Rent” co-star, actor Taye Diggs, with whom she shares 7-year-old son Walker. The two married in 2003 and split in 2013.

Lohr, 41, who holds master’s degrees in criminal justice and psychology, works as a therapist at Avalon Malibu, a mental health and addiction treatment center in California. He also starred in Disney’s “Mighty Ducks” films, “Newsies” and “The Goofy Movie” and continues to make guests appearances on television in shows such as “Law & Order” and “The Mentalist.”

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Paley Center to honor Betty White and women in television at October gala

Betty White will be the woman of the hour at the Paley Center's October gala.
(Evan Agostini / Invision/Associated Press)

The Paley Center for Media announced Tuesday plans for Paley Honors in Hollywood: A Gala Celebrating Women in Television.

The star-studded event will showcase television’s ability to shape culture and the contributions of women across all genres, including drama, comedy, music, variety, news, talk and sports.

Featuring a special tribute to comedy icon Betty White, the gala will feature presenters and participants including Kristin Chenoweth, Nadia Comaneci, Allison Janney, Debra Messing, Rita Moreno, Wanda Sykes and Lynn Whitfield.

“I am thrilled to be honored by the Paley Center,” White said in a statement. “To be acknowledged for working in a business I love for as long as I have is truly a privilege. I’m proud to share this evening with these amazing and talented women.”

Among the guests will be Pamela Adlon, Julie Bowen, Ilene Chaiken, Tyne Daly, Sharon Gless, Misha Green, Diane Guerrero, Marilu Henner, Niecy Nash and many more.

“The Paley Center is so proud to honor this incredible group of women at this once-in-a-lifetime event,” said Maureen J. Reidy, president and CEO of the Paley Center for Media, in a statement.

“No other medium has brought people together the way television has, and this is the perfect time to celebrate the pioneering entertainers, groundbreaking series, and current hit shows that have sparked conversations, educated audiences, and thrilled generations,” she said.

The Paley Honors in Hollywood: A Gala Celebrating Women in Television will take place Oct. 12 at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills.

Tickets and tables can be ordered at paley.me/lahonors2017.

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Forget a knee. President Trump took it on the chin from late-night TV over his NFL comments

After a weekend of picking fights with both the NFL and NBA, President Trump practically guaranteed unity from the snarkiest segment of the U.S. populace: late-night TV hosts.

Trump caused a stir — and sparked what could become a growing movement — when he slammed NFL owners for not punishing players who take a knee during the national anthem.

On “Late Night,” Seth Meyer dedicated his “A Closer Look” segment to dissecting Trump’s comments in Alabama and the ensuing fallout, airing a news clip in which the anchor mentioned that the footage might contain inappropriate language for younger viewers.

“Donald Trump is our first NC-17 president,” Meyers said. “And it’s not even a good NC-17 movie. Trump is basically the ‘Showgirls’ of presidents.”

Stephen Colbert opened his monologue by also revisiting Trump’s Alabama speech.

“That was unnecessary roughness,” Colbert said after airing Trump’s remarks. “There should be a flag on that play. And I’m going to say a Confederate flag.”

Trevor Noah dedicated two separate segments on “The Daily Show” to the NFL protest, including one that questioned when, precisely, is the right time for black people to protest.

Noah even came up with a Dr. Seuss-type rhyme to sum up all of the reasons protest has been deemed unacceptable by the current administration.

It’s wrong to do it in the streets
It’s wrong to do it in the tweets
You cannot do it on the field
You cannot do it if you’ve kneeled
And don’t do it if you’re rich
You ungrateful son of a bitch
Because there’s one thing that’s a fact
You cannot protest if you’re black

James Corden and “The Late Late Show” keyed in on Trump’s claims that his comments about the NFL were about the importance of respecting the American flag.

“Trump thinks that people should treat the flag with more respect,” Corden said. “You know, like on his website, where you can spend $8 on a Trump American flag beer koozie.”

On “The Tonight Show,” Jimmy Fallon announced a list of other changes Trump suggested the NFL make.

“Trump’s first rule is that someone has to get sacked every five minutes, just like at the White House,” Fallon said. “Then he said the broadcasters for every game have to be the hosts of ‘Fox & Friends.’

“And finally,” Fallon concluded, “When a referee overturns a call, he has to say, ‘The previous play was fake news!’ ”

(Only Jimmy Kimmel avoided Trump’s NFL brouhaha, instead turning his monologue over to his continued fight against the Graham-Cassidy healthcare bill.)

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A Star Is Born: Linda Hamilton turns 61 today

(Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

The truth? I followed a boyfriend. I was in college, and the boy I was in love with at the time -- who was a townie, not even from college; we had done some community theater together -- came up to New York to study acting. And I was like, ‘Me, too!’ That’s how it all started. Now, I truly loved the theater, but it was all an accident, really.

— Linda Hamilton, 2007

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Beauty and the boards

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Latin Grammy Awards nominations announced — and, yes, ‘Despacito’ is in the mix

Luis Fonsi, left, and Daddy Yankee perform in Florida in April.
( (Lynne Sladky / Associated Press))

The Latin Grammy Academy has announced the nominations for the 18th Latin Grammys, and to the surprise of few handicappers, the Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi’s smash hit “Despacito” has snagged nods in the two top song categories, record of the year and song of the year.

Featuring Daddy Yankee, Fonsi’s hit, which recently tied Mariah Carey’s record streak of 16 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top 100, will compete against a roster of talent both veteran and fresh, including Rubén Blades, Juanes, Natalia Lafourcade, ADG, Shakira and Mon Laferte.

Despite the massive crossover, “Despacito” isn’t a lock for anything. The rapper Residente, best known as co-founder of the duo Calle 13, earned a field-leading nine nominations for work from his eponymous solo album. The swoon-worthy Colombian singer and songwriter Maluma, who in 2016 collaborated with artists including Ricky Martin and Shakira, earned seven nods.

Shakira earned six nominations for work from her album “El Dorado,” including album, record and song of the year.

The nominations were slated to be announced last week, but after an earthquake devastated Mexico City, the news was postponed. A few days later, Fonsi’s home, Puerto Rico, was hit by Hurricane Maria, a storm that has knocked out power to the entire U.S. territory and left countless thousands stranded without basic necessities.

Fonsi has since been vocal about the tragedy unfolding in Puerto Rico, and was overcome with emotion during a show this weekend in Hollywood, Fla.

“Right now, there are a lot of people suffering and it’s time to unite, it’s time to help,” Fonsi said, according to Billboard. His voice was shaky with emotion.

These tragic events have added weight to an otherwise celebratory occasion.

In a statement, Gabriel Abaroa Jr., president and CEO of the Latin Recording Academy, said, “More than ever, Latin music continues to have an enormous cultural impact by uniting people throughout the world.”

He added: “Many of this year’s nominees have expanded beyond traditional genres to create different fusions through creative collaborations. These artists, producers, and writers, united by artistic excellence and devotion to their craft, have come together to deliver eclectic music that has resulted in worldwide success.”

The ceremony is scheduled for Nov. 16 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and will be broadcast on Univision.

Below, nominations in key categories. For a full list of nominees, check the Latin Grammy Awards website.

Album of the Year

  • “Salsa Big Band” — Rubén Blades and Roberto Delgado & Orquesta
  • “Obras Son Amores” — Antonio Carmona
  • “A La Mar” — Vicente García
  • “Fénix” — Nicky Jam
  • “Mis Planes Son Amarte” — Juanes
  • “La Trenza” — Mon Laferte
  • “Musas (Un Homenaje al Folclore Latinoamericano en Manos de Los Macorinos, Vol. 1)” — Natalia Lafourcade
  • “Residente” — Residente
  • “El Dorado” — Shakira
  • “Palabras Manuales” — Danay Suarez

Record of the Year

  • “La Flor De La Canela” — Rubén Blades
  • “El Surco” — Jorge Drexler
  • “Quiero Que Vuelvas” — Alejandro Fernández
  • “Despacito” — Luis Fonsi featuring Daddy Yankee
  • “El Ratico” — Juanes featuring Kali Uchis
  • “Amárrame” — Mon Laferte featuring Juanes
  • “Felices Los 4” — Maluma
  • “Vente Pa’ Ca” — Ricky Martin featuring Maluma
  • “Guerra” — Residente
  • “Chantaje” — Shakira featuring Maluma

Song of the Year (award for the songwriter)

  • “Amárrame” — Mon Laferte, songwriter (Mon Laferte featuring Juanes)
  • “Chantaje” — Kevin Mauricio Jiménez Londoño, Bryan Snaider Lezcano Chaverra, Joel Antonio López Castro, Maluma and Shakira, songwriters (Shakira featuring Maluma)
  • “Desde Que Estamos Juntos” — Descemer Bueno and Melendi, songwriters (Melendi)
  • “Despacito” — Daddy Yankee, Erika Ender and Luis Fonsi, songwriters (Luis Fonsi featuring Daddy Yankee)
  • “Ella” — Ricardo Arjona, songwriter (Ricardo Arjona)
  • “Felices Los 4” — Mario Cáceres, Kevin Mauricio Jiménez Londoño, Maluma, Servando Primera, Stiven Rojas and Bryan Snaider Lezcano Chaverra, songwriters (Maluma)
  • “Guerra” — Residente and Jeff Trooko, songwriters (Residente)
  • “La Fortuna” — Diana Fuentes and Tommy Torres, songwriters (Diana Fuentes featuring Tommy Torres)
  • “Tú Sí Sabes Quererme” — Natalia Lafourcade, songwriter (Natalia Lafourcade featuring Los Macorinos)
  • “Vente Pa’ Ca “ — Nermin Harambasic, Maluma, Ricky Martin, Mauricio Montaner, Ricky Montaner, Lars Pedersen, Carl Ryden, Justin Stein, Ronny Vidar Svendsen and Anne Judith Stokke Wik, songwriters (Ricky Martin featuring Maluma)

Best New Artist

  • Paula Arenas
  • CNCO
  • Vicente García
  • Martina La Peligrosa
  • Mau y Ricky
  • Rawayana
  • Sofía Reyes
  • Rosalía
  • Danay Suarez
  • Sebastián Yatra

Best Urban Fusion / Performance

  • “Si Tu Novio Te Deja Sola” — J. Balvin featuring Bad Bunny
  • “Despacito” (Remix) — Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber
  • “El Amante” — Nicky Jam
  • “Dagombas En Tamale” — Residente
  • “Chantaje” — Shakira featuring Maluma

Best Alternative Music Album

  • “Jei Beibi” — Café Tacvba
  • “Apocalipsis Zombi” — El Cuarteto de Nos
  • “La Trenza” — Mon Laferte
  • “La Promesa De Thamar” — Sig Ragga
  • “Palabras Manuales” — Danay Suarez

Best Regional Song (award for the songwriter)

  • “Compromiso Descartado” — Espinoza Paz, songwriter (Leonardo Aguilar)
  • “Ganas De Volver” — Horacio Palencia, songwriter (Horacio Palencia)
  • “Sentimiento Emborrachado” — Raúl Jiménez E. and Chucho Rincón, songwriters (Santiago Arroyo)
  • “Siempre Es Así” — Juan Treviño, songwriter (Juan Treviño featuring AJ Castillo)
  • “Vale La Pena” — Edgar Barrera, Martín Castro Ortega and Alfonso Lizárraga, songwriters (Banda El Recodo de Cruz Lizárraga)
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Don Rickles dining with Snoop Dogg? Watch ‘Dinner With Don’ online now

Don Rickles, left, and Snoop Dogg listen to music during an episode of "Dinner With Don."
(Sean Costello / AARP Studios via Associated Press)

Don Rickles, the late, great “Mr. Warmth,” continues to entertain, despite his April death from kidney failure at age 90.

AARP Studios’ digital series “Dinner With Don” debuted Monday on the organization’s YouTube channel. The 13 episodes feature Rickles talking showbiz with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, including Amy Poehler, Jimmy Kimmel, Sarah Silverman, Billy Crystal, Judd Apatow, Snoop Dogg, Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese.

Filmed in his favorite restaurants around Los Angeles, the show began production in November 2016 and concluded in January, just three months before Rickles’ death. AARP said the series was Rickles’ final project.

All 13 episodes are now available to watch for free here.

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Prince Harry and sweetheart Meghan Markle make official debut as couple

Prince Harry and his girlfriend, Meghan Markle, attend a wheelchair tennis event at the Invictus Games in Toronto on Monday.
(Nathan Denette / The Canadian Press via Associated Press)

It’s official!

Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle made their first official appearance as a couple Monday, as they took in a wheelchair tennis event at the Invictus Games in Toronto.

News of Markle’s relationship with Harry first surfaced in October, at which point the pair had reportedly been dating for three months.

In November, the couple went a step beyond what commoners might call “Facebook official” when Harry’s press secretary released a statement decrying the “wave of abuse and harassment” Markle was exposed to, merely for being the prince’s paramour.

Though photographed together previously, this is the first outing that the pair have made at an official event.

This is just the latest photo-related news item from this year’s Invictus Games, a Paralympic-style, multi-sport event that Harry started in 2014 for wounded veterans.

On Saturday, First Lady Melania Trump met with Harry on her first solo foreign trip of her husband’s administration, leading the United States delegation to the games.

The two sat down to chat, but not before taking the world’s most awkward photos, some of which sent the internet down a rabbit hole of body language experts and conspiracy theories.

Melania Trump and Prince Harry.
(Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation)

Mysterious hand positioning aside, it doesn’t take a body-language expert to see that neither party looks very comfortable. In fact, it looks a little like an extremely awkward prom photo.

Poor Harry. Is he always this reserved around first ladies? Um, apparently not.

Jill Biden, left, Prince Harry and then-First Lady Michelle Obama in 2015.
(Andrew Harnik / Associated Press)
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Haim pulls back the curtain in Paul Thomas Anderson’s intimate new short film ‘Valentine’

After tackling topics such as Scientology, the early days of the oil business, gambling, Thomas Pynchon, porn and the entertainment world, director Paul Thomas Anderson recently took a breather to shoot a short performance piece with Los Angeles sister act Haim.

Set in a recording studio during different sessions with producer Ariel Rechtshaid, the 15-minute film “Valentine” spotlights Haim sisters Este, Danielle and Alana not as pop stars but as accomplished musicians at work.

As they perform three relationship songs from their recent album “Something to Tell You” -- “Right Now,” “Nothing’s Wrong” and the title track -- Anderson captures them maneuvering around the studio adding parts, working as a unit toward the songs’ greater good.

Needless to say, Anderson’s done this before, having shot musicians including Joanna Newsom, Aimee Mann, Fiona Apple, Radiohead and others.

Such affection for the art of musical creation is obvious across “Valentine.”

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Rapper Cardi B eclipses Taylor Swift on Billboard singles chart; Foo Fighters have No. 1 album

Cardi B
(Angela Weiss / AFP/Getty Images)

Album rock’s still not dead, at least not as long as Dave Grohl and his band Foo Fighters are dropping riffs and preaching hard-driving musical release.

Foo Fighters have banked the No. 1 album in the country for its newest release, “Concrete and Gold,” according to Nielsen Music data released on Monday. The band’s ninth studio effort is its second to hit the top; its 2011 album, “Wasting Light,” also reigned.

The difference? “Concrete and Cold” sold about 127,000 album-equivalent units — a calculation based on streaming, downloads and physical sales — compared with 235,000 sold for “Wasting Light.”

That number was down from the band’s 2005 sales peak for “In Your Honor,” which made it to No. 2 through first-week sales of 311,000, according to Billboard.

On the singles front, ascendant rapper Cardi B has injected new life into the Billboard Hot 100 with her smash hit, “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves),” which accomplished a rare feat in 2017 by knocking Taylor Swift from the top. “Bodak Yellow” is also the first No. 1 song by a solo female rapper since Lauryn Hill’s “Doo Wop (That Thing)” in 1998.

Cardi B, who rose to fame via a star turn on the VH1 reality show “Love & Hip Hop: New York,” earned extra attention last month at the VMAs when, in an unscripted moment, she said, “Colin Kaepernick, as long as you kneel for us, we’ll stand with you, baby.”

The Los Angeles-based rapper Post Malone’s breakthrough year continues. His track, “Rockstar,” jumped to No. 2, his second top-10 hit this year. Also hitting with singles are Charlie Puth, Yo Gotti, Logic, French Montana and Portugal the Man.

Foo Fighters’ album “Concrete and Gold” outpaced rapper Lil Uzi Vert’s “Luv Is Rage 2,” which sold the equivalent of just under 50,000 copies to land at No. 2. Tracks from his album were streamed nearly 70 million times, compared with Foo Fighters’ more Luddite fan-base, which streamed “Concrete and Gold” songs 9.3 million times.

Also landing in the Top 200 were country artist Thomas Rhett, Compton king Kendrick Lamar, the controversial rapper Xxxtentacion, R&B singer Khalid, country superstars Big & Rich and Imagine Dragons.

Surprisingly, the South Korean boy-band BTS pulled a “Gangnam Style” maneuver by debuting its album “Love Yourself” at No. 7 on the album charts.

Notable plummets? The highly touted return by LCD Soundsystem, “American Dream,” caused a ruckus a few weeks back when it debuted at No. 1. Three weeks later, it’s dropped to No. 111 on the back of 6,341 records sold — just behind Linkin Park’s “One More Light.”

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James Corden to return as host of the Hollywood Film Awards

James Corden
(Chris Pizzello / Invision /Associated Press)

The Hollywood Film Awards were so nice that James Corden decided to host them thrice.

Dick Clark Productions announced Monday that Corden will return to host the 21st Hollywood Film Awards, to be held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills on Nov. 5.

The event bills itself as the official launch of the award season and honors the year’s acclaimed films and actors.

The 2017 ceremony will benefit the Motion Picture & Television Fund, a charitable organization that offers assistance and care to those in the industry with limited or no resources.

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Jennifer Lopez pledges $1 million to Puerto Rico hurricane relief efforts

Jennifer Lopez announces her new hurricane recovery efforts for Puerto Rico on Sunday in New York. She pledge to donate time and money to help the recovery efforts.
Jennifer Lopez announces her new hurricane recovery efforts for Puerto Rico on Sunday in New York. She pledge to donate time and money to help the recovery efforts.
(Michael Noble Jr. / Associated Press)

As the unprecedented fallout from hurricanes Irma and Maria continues to reveal itself in Puerto Rico, Jennifer Lopez has promised that help is on the way.

Appearing at a Sunday press conference with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the singer and actress announced that she is donating $1 million to the ravaged U.S. territory.

“Alex Rodriguez and I, who are both New Yorkers, are using all our resources and relationships in entertainment, sports and business to garner support for Puerto Rico and the Caribbean,” Lopez said.

Rodriguez, who is dating Lopez, lived in the Dominican Republic growing up and Lopez’s family hails from Puerto Rico.

Lopez is also working closely with ex-husband Marc Anthony, whose roots also go back to Puerto Rico, to mobilize aid to both Mexico and the Caribbean.

During the press conference, Lopez reiterated that she had yet to make contact with her family living on the island, which has been primarily without power or cell service since Maria hit on Wednesday.

Individuals interested in donating to Puerto Rico relief efforts can donate at www.UnitedForPuertoRico.com.

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After Trump’s Twitter criticism of the NFL, celebs #TakeAKnee in solidarity

Stevie Wonder, left, takes a knee "for the country" with his son, Kwame Morris, before performing at the 2017 Global Citizen Festival in New York's Central Park on Sept. 23.
(Michael Noble Jr. / Associated Press)

What began as a peaceful protest by Colin Kaepernick during the 2016 football season ballooned into so much more over the weekend after President Trump took aim at the NFL and sparked a full-blown movement.

Celebrities offered a groundswell of support in the 48 hours after the president chastised NFL owners for not punishing players who opted to kneel during the national anthem, in silent protest over racial inequality in America.

“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, you’d say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He’s fired,’” Trump said Friday at an Alabama rally for Republican Sen. Luther Strange.

If that weren’t enough sports-related controversy, the president also uninvited the NBA champion Golden State Warriors from the White House — after star Stephen Curry stated he didn’t want to attend the traditional ceremony — invoking not just the scorn of LeBron James, but resulting in the Warriors opting out altogether.

The president fired off 17 sports-related tweets over the weekend, and the country took notice. #TakeAKnee trended on Twitter for much of the weekend. And it wasn’t just NFL players getting involved.

Saturday night, music legend Stevie Wonder took a knee while performing at the Global Citizen Festival in New York, and delivered a prayer for the world.

“Tonight, I’m taking a knee for America,” Wonder said as he held on to his son, Kwame Morris, who knelt next to his father. “But not just one knee; I’m taking both knees. Both knees in prayer for our planet, our future, our leaders of the world and our globe. Amen.”

Eddie Vedder
(Amy Harris / Invision / Associated Press)

Wonder repeated the gesture Sunday night at the Concert for Charlottesville, where he was joined in the symbolic protest by musician Dave Matthews.

At the same Charlottesville fundraiser, Pharrell Williams dropped to his knees and stated, “I’m in Virginia right now, I’m home. Can’t nobody tell me what to do if I want to get on my knees right now.”

Eddie Vedder also took a knee Sunday while performing during the Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival in Franklin, Tenn.

John Legend took the movement global on Sunday, posting a photo on Instagram showing him kneeling during a concert in Hamburg, Germany, fist raised in solidarity.

As teams across the NFL locked arms and knelt during the national anthem Sunday, three performers of the patriotic song went so far as to engage in the symbolic gesture at the end of their performances.

Before the Atlanta Falcons-Detroit Lions game in Detroit, Rico Lavelle took a knee as he finished the song.

Meghan Linsey, a runner-up on “The Voice,” and guitarist Tyler Cain also knelt during the final note of the anthem during their performance before the Seattle Seahawks-Tennessee Titans game in Nashville.

The president on Monday tweeted several thoughts about the weekend’s events, including a celebration of fans who booed players that knelt during the anthem.

“Many people booed the players who kneeled yesterday (which was a small percentage of total). These are fans who demand respect for our Flag!” Trump tweeted of individuals who jeered through the national anthem.

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A Star Is Born: Barbara Walters turns 88 today

(Jennifer S. Altman / For The Times)

You can’t forget I’m there when I’ve got lights in your face, and cameras whirring, and you perspire. To get these people to forget there are lights -- these people who are actors -- to get them to be introspective . . . To get that humor? When there’s no audience? Because I tell the crew before the taping, `I don’t care how funny they are, I don’t want any laughter. This is between the two of us.’ The audience at home must feel as we feel.

— Barbara Walters, 1988

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Hollywood and the Exercise of Power : How Does It Feel to Be Barbara Walters?

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Soul singer Charles Bradley dies at 68

Singer Charles Bradley performs at the 2016 South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas.
( Dave Mangels / Getty Images for Pandora)

The soul singer Charles Bradley, one of the most joyful and powerful contemporary vocalists in his genre, died Saturday morning. He was 68.

Representatives for the singer said in a statement that Bradley died of complications from stomach cancer, which had been in remission. Bradley toured up through the last year of his life.

Bradley, like his Daptone label mate, the late Sharon Jones, was a later-in-life soul music success story. He was discovered while working as a James Brown impersonator, and he released his debut album, “No Time For Dreaming,” in 2011. “The Screaming Eagle of Soul” quickly turned ears among vintage R&B enthusiasts and younger audiences at festivals like FYF Fest, where Bradley played in 2016 to raucous crowds.

His 2016 album “Changes” was widely praised and led to numerous mainstream television appearances, including a performance on “CBS This Morning: Saturday” that earned an Emmy nomination for outstanding on-camera musical performance in a daytime program.

Born in Gainesville, Fla., Bradley moved to Brooklyn as a child and lived all over the U.S. before returning to New York for the last 20 years of his life. He closely collaborated with a number of acts and backing bands in his career, including His Extraordinaires, Menahan Street Band, Budos Band and the Jimmy Hill Allstarz.

Musicians around the music world lamented his passing. The Daptone band Antibalas tweeted “RIP to our dear brother Charles Bradley. Your heart was too big for this planet. See you on the other side. We love you.” Singer-songwriter Neko Case wrote, over a picture of Bradley and Sharon Jones, that “I’ve had the honor of being completely and utterly blown off stage by both of these sweethearts.”

Representatives for the singer said, “Mr. Bradley was truly grateful for all the love he’s received from his fans and we hope his message of love is remembered and carried on.”

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A Star Is Born: Bruce Springsteen turns 68 today

 I think the fear when you are young is you will somehow be diminished by separating your energy into this and that. In truth, it expands who you are and what you can do, your connection to the world, the way you see things, and all those feelings get funneled back into your music.

— Bruce Springsteen, 2001

from the archives: Under the Boss’ Skin

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Kylie Jenner is pregnant, according to reports

(Mark Davis / Getty Images)

The Life of Kylie just hit another milestone: Kylie Jenner, the youngest member of the Kardashian brood, is reportedly pregnant.

The news came via TMZ on Friday, with the website reporting that the father is Jenner’s beau, rapper Travis Scott. People also had the news, reporting that the baby is due sometime in February.

As UsWeekly astutely pointed out, the E! reality star sparked rumors earlier this week when fans noticed that she was primarily posting old photos on her social media accounts and her current photos have been only close-ups.

Jenner’s rep did not immediately respond to the Los Angeles Times’ request for comment.

This would be the first child for the 20-year-old Kylie Cosmetics mogul and the Houston rapper, whose real name is Jacques Webster Jr. The two have been linked since the Coachella Valley Arts and Music Festival in April and made a public appearance courtside at an NBA game soon after that.

Sources told the sites that the couple began telling friends about the pregnancy earlier this month.

The pregnancy news comes on the heels of rumors that her older half-sister, Kim Kardashian, is expecting her third child with Kanye West via surrogate.

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Future, Rae Sremmurd, Lil Uzi Vert to headline Rolling Loud’s inaugural SoCal installment

Future performs at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio earlier this year.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

The annual Rolling Loud Festival is going from a standalone hip-hop blowout in Miami to an international event that will travel to multiple countries and set up on the West Coast.

Its inaugural event in Southern California — set for Dec. 16-17 at the NOS Event Center in San Bernardino — will be headlined by Future, Rae Sremmurd and Lil Uzi Vert, festival organizers announced Friday.

Rolling Loud’s bill is stacked with young rap stars such as Post Malone, 21 Savage and Young Thug as well as emerging acts such as Lil Pump, SOB x RBE, Kodie Shane, Young Dolph, XXXTentacion and PnB Rock.

There are still a handful of unannounced acts, with organizers blurring out the names of seven acts on Friday’s announcement.

The SoCal edition will boast three stages, including one indoors, and an area for cannabis consumption for those with a medicinal card.

Founded by Tariq Cherif and Matt Zingler, Rolling Loud has become the largest festival dedicated strictly to hip-hop, attracting more than 120,000 fans to Miami each year.

The festival has also expanded to the Bay Area this year with Travis Scott, Lil Wayne and Schoolboy Q set to headline a two-day event in Mountain View, Calif., on Oct. 21-22.

Organizers are planning to take Rolling Loud to China, Japan and Britain next year.

Tickets for the SoCal edition go on sale Monday at noon through the festival’s site.

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Jerry Lewis excludes his six sons from his will

(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Jerry Lewis’ six sons were purposely excluded from the late comic’s will. The legendary comedian, who died in August at 91, explicitly asked that they receive no benefits from his estate.

In documents obtained by the Blast and People, the Emmy-winning star’s last will and testament declares the exclusion of his children with ex-wife Patti Palmer, whom he was married to from 1944 to 1980.

“I have intentionally excluded Gary Lewis, Ronald Lewis, Anthony Joseph Lewis, Christopher Joseph Lewis, Scott Anthony Lewis, and Joseph Christopher Lewis and their descendants as beneficiaries of my estate, it being my intention that they shall receive no benefits hereunder,” the excerpt said.

Obituary: The slapstick, the telethons, ‘L-a-a-a-dy!’ — comic and philanthropist Jerry Lewis dies at 91

The will was executed in 2012, the Blast reported, and in it Lewis noted that his youngest son, Joseph, was deceased. (He died of a drug overdose at age 45.)

The rubber-faced star and philanthropist reportedly listed his sole beneficiaries as his second wife, SanDee, whom he married in 1983, and their adopted daughter, Danielle, 25.

Lewis is said to have cut ties with his other children shortly after adopting Danielle as a newborn. Lewis admitted in several interviews that he had been unfaithful to Palmer, particularly at the height of his popularity with comedy partner Dean Martin.

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Showtime acquires rights to Bill Clinton-James Patterson novel ‘The President Is Missing’

James Patterson and former President Clinton.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times, left; Diedre Laird / Charlotte Observer)

Showtime is getting into the White House game.

The premium cable network announced Friday that is has acquired the rights to adapt “The President Is Missing,” the upcoming novel by former President Clinton and James Patterson.

The thriller, which is be published in June 2018, tells the story of a sitting U.S. president’s disappearance.

According to the Associated Press, Showtime won a bidding war to develop the thriller for television. The network’s affiliation with CBS and its boss, Les Moonves, helped seal the deal. Moonves knows Clinton, and Patterson has worked on the broadcaster’s “Zoo” and “Instinct” series.

Clinton will provide unique insights and “the level of detail that only someone who has held the office can know,” Showtime said. The fictional work brings to life the “pressures and realities of the most important position in the world.”

“I’m really enjoying writing this book and working with Jim,” Clinton said in a statement. “And I can’t wait to see Showtime bring the characters to life.”

Showtime President and CEO David Nevins said developing the adaptation “is a coup of the highest order.”

“The pairing of President Clinton with fiction’s most gripping storyteller promises a kinetic experience, one that the book world has salivated over for months and that now will dovetail perfectly into a politically relevant, character-based action series for our network,” he said.

Patterson, who has sold more than 380 million books worldwide during his decades-long career, said Clinton’s involvement in the novel provides “rich storytelling opportunities for this series.”

The 42nd president has authored several nonfiction books, but “The President Is Missing” is his first novel and marks the first time an American president has ever coauthored a thriller. The book is to be published jointly by Alfred A. Knopf and Little, Brown and Co.

No word yet on when the series will hit the small screen.

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Salma Hayek implores people to donate to Mexico earthquake relief efforts

(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Actress Salma Hayek has rallied support for victims of Mexico’s recent earthquakes.

The “Hitman’s Bodyguard” star is aiding her native country as it recovers from Tuesday’s fatal 7.1-magnitude quake by launching a Crowdrise campaign “to help the families that are going through this nightmare.”

Hayek, who is married to luxury goods billionaire François-Henri Pinault, has teamed with UNICEF for the campaign and offered to match the first $100,000 of donations.

Full coverage: Deadly earthquake hits Mexico City on 32nd anniversary of 1985 quake

“The people of my country have now suffered three natural disasters in a row,” Hayek wrote on Instagram on Thursday, posting a video imploring people to donate to the campaign. “Many children and families are hurt and in terrible need. I’m contributing $100,000 now to UNICEF which has teams on the ground responding. Please join me and contribute what you can.”

The Oscar-nominated actress said that in 1985 she was among the evacuees of Mexico City’s disastrous 8.0-magnitude earthquake and had friends and an uncle who died as a result of it.

“I have lived in the aftermath of a disaster of this magnitude and it’s horrific,” she said.

As of Friday morning, the campaign had raised more than $365,000.

On Thursday, Spanish-language television stations Univision and Telemundo both announced fundraising initiatives to benefit the several American and Latin American communities battered by earthquakes and hurricanes in recent weeks.

Singer Sia and “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling have also encouraged people to donate to relief efforts.

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How to help Mexico’s earthquake victims

Mexicans aren’t counting on the government to rescue them. They’re saving themselves

Why some buildings crumbled and others survived the Mexico City quake: A sober lesson for California

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Stephen Colbert leaks his own meltdown tape in ‘solidarity’ with Lawrence O’Donnell

(Chris Pizzello / Invision/Associated Press)

Stephen Colbert knows what it’s like to have chaos reigning in his ear while hosting a TV show. And he sure showed it during a Thursday clip ribbing MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell.

Leaked footage recently showed O’Donnell, “The Last Word” anchorman, having several tantrums on-camera over technical difficulties, which Colbert described as going from “zero to Dad on Day 3 of road trip like that.”

“Folks, I gotta say, while the footage is not flattering, as a broadcaster, I sincerely feel for Lawrence O’Donnell in this clip,” the “Late Show” host said in his opening monologue. “Hosting a television show is extremely stressful. ... It is really hard to do with any distractions.”

In solidarity with O’Donnell — and “just to get ahead of the story before it breaks” — Colbert decided to release his own expletive-laden tape mimicking O’Donnell’s startled reactions to off-camera drilling and a woman reciting the “12 Days of Christmas” in his ear.

Watch it below.

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Jimmy Kimmel is sure Trump doesn’t know anything about the Graham-Cassidy healthcare bill

Jimmy Kimmel’s battle against the Graham-Cassidy healthcare bill continued in Round 3 on Thursday. For the third consecutive night, Kimmel slammed the proposed Obamacare repeal and the politicians who support the plan.

The “Jimmy Kimmel Live” host kicked off his monologue with his sights set on Donald Trump, who had finally tweeted his way into the healthcare debate the day before.

“Those are the key words: Repeal and replace,” said Kimmel. “Because for Donald Trump this isn’t about the Graham-Cassidy bill. It’s about getting rid of Obamacare, which he hates, primarily because Obama’s name is on it.

“At this point he’d sign anything if it meant getting rid of Obamacare,” Kimmel continued. “He’d sign copies of the Koran at the Barnes & Noble in Fallujah if it meant he could get rid of Obamacare.”

Kimmel asserted that because the president’s only concern is repealing Obamacare, he does not actually understand any specific details about the new bill.

“I guarantee [Trump] doesn’t know anything about this Graham-Cassidy bill,” insisted Kimmel. “He doesn’t know the difference between Medicare and Medicaid. He barely knows the difference between Melania and Ivanka.”

Kimmel also responded to criticism that he should leave the policy debates to the experts. He reiterated that he has never claimed to be a healthcare expert and that his only goal is to question why others are not listening to what the actual experts are saying.

“I should not be the guy you go to for information on healthcare, and if these [politicians] would tell the truth for a change, I wouldn’t have to,” argued Kimmel.

He also had one simple rebuttal for people who question his qualifications for entering the political discourse.

“I feel like it’s my duty to remind these people who are so concerned about my qualifications [that] the guy you voted for for president, his job qualification was … he fired Meatloaf on television,” said Kimmel. “And then you put him in the White House.

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A Star Is Born: Joan Jett turns 59 today

(Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

It’s hard to be yourself. One of the mistakes I made was believing that the rock ‘n’ roll genre as a genre was much more free than the whole pop or R&B scene. ... But there are bigots everywhere.

— Joan Jett, 2013

FROM THE ARCHIVES: With her new album and L.A. acclaim, former Runaway Joan Jett proves she never left

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Billy Eichner’s ‘Billy on the Street’ is leaving TruTV

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Billy Eichner is taking his madcap Q&A show elsewhere. The Emmy-nominated “Billy on the Street With Billy Eichner” is leaving Turner Broadcasting’s TruTV.

“We can confirm that new episodes of ‘Billy on the Street’ will not be returning to TruTV,” a TruTV representative confirmed to The Times on Thursday.

“The show is deceptively time-consuming to make and scheduling was increasingly difficult. We had a great run together capped off by the show’s Emmy nomination, and we wish Billy nothing but the best.”

It is unclear where the cult hit will go next, but the news comes after its star shared cryptic tweets on Twitter earlier this week.

“For those asking, yes BILLY ON THE STREET will be back!” he wrote. “But we’re shifting gears a bit...exciting things ahead...more will be revealed soon!”

“Billy on the Street,” which features the unfiltered comedian running around New York with guest stars to quiz people on pop culture, joined TruTV in 2015 as part of the network’s growing slate of original programming. The deal included rights to all previous episodes too.

Eichner was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for hosting the show in 2013 and the comedy was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for short-format, live-action entertainment program this year.

The entertainer’s current obligations include Hulu’s “Difficult People,” Netflix’s “Friends From College” and “American Horror Story: Cult,” and he also indicated to Vanity Fair earlier this month that some changes were on the horizon.

“I want to meet my fans where they are, so it’s certainly not going away,” he said of “Billy on the Street.” “I would hate for it to go away. I don’t know if it’s going to take up as much space in my brain as it used to, as much time in my schedule as it used to, but I think it will continue to be a part of my life, and I just have to weave it into all of the other things I’m trying to do.”

Page Six, which was first to report the news, cited sources who said that the show would likely continue but would “be distributed differently.”

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‘Fox & Friends’ host Brian Kilmeade takes offense at Jimmy Kimmel’s insults

Ainsley Earhardt, left, and Brian Kilmeade appear on the set of Fox News on March 3, 2017.
(Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

“Fox & Friends” co-host Brian Kilmeade launched the ultimate “sorry, not sorry” at Jimmy Kimmel on Thursday morning, just hours after Kimmel called the conservative pundit a “phony little creep.”

After sharing how Kimmel “personally attacked” him, Kilmeade said, “I hope your son gets better. I hope your son gets all the care he needs.”

Kilmeade’s sentiment is fine, but overlooks the point of Kimmel’s passion: that healthcare is important for children whose fathers don’t make millions of dollars.

Kilmeade proceeded with a verbal head pat for Kimmel, saying, “I’m glad you’re interested [in healthcare]. You’re doing a great job bringing the dialogue out. But you should do what we’re doing — talk to the people that wrote it.”

Again, Kilmeade’s words gloss over the fact that Kimmel’s healthcare rant Tuesday night was spurred by Sen. Bill Cassidy, co-sponsor of the Graham-Cassidy bill, lying to the late-night host in a previous appearance on his show.

Something tells us Kilmeade’s words aren’t going to go far with Kimmel, but only Thursday night’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” monologue will say for certain.

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Telemundo and Univision announce fundraisers for disaster relief

Telemundo and Univision are holding fundraisers for disaster relief for Puerto Rico, seen here following Hurricane Maria's destruction, Mexico and the U.S.
(Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Help is on the way for areas battered by recent natural disasters, as Univision and Telemundo both announced fundraising initiatives to benefit communities in Mexico, Puerto Rico and beyond.

The announcement from each Spanish-language station comes in the aftermath of two earthquakes and three hurricanes rained destruction on the same area in recent weeks.

Univision announced Wednesday it will hold a seven-hour live telecast called “Unidos por los Nuestros” (United for Each Other) on Saturday, featuring on-air personalities and celebrities, beginning at 4 p.m. Pacific time.

“As we witness the unimaginable devastation caused by the hurricanes and earthquakes of the last few weeks, Univision and our employees have a mission to mobilize and unite our communities and audience to show solidarity and help bring resources to so many people in dire need of assistance,” Randy Falco, president and CEO of Universal Communications Inc., said in a statement.

Univision’s fundraiser will benefit the American Red Cross, and money raised will be used in the most heavily affected areas of Houston; Mexico City, Oaxaca, Chiapas and Morelos in Mexico; South Florida; and Puerto Rico.

Telemundo, partnered with the Red Cross, will air its live four-hour special at 7 p.m. Pacific on Sunday, hosted by Mario “Don Francisco Kreutzberger (of “Sábado Gigante” fame) and featuring Latino celebrities such as Rafael Amaya, Carlos Ponce, Maria Celeste Arraras and Jose Díaz-Balart. It will raise money for victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and Tuesday’s earthquake in Mexico.

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First trailer for ‘Isle of Dogs’ takes you inside Wes Anderson’s next animated film

Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Bryan Cranston, Liev Schreiber and Tilda Swinton are among the stars who lend their voices to Wes Anderson’s “Isle of Dogs.”

The first trailer for Wes Anderson’s “Isle of Dogs” was released Thursday, giving the most revealing look yet at the filmmaker’s upcoming movie, which Fox Searchlight will release in March.

The new project is the first feature from Anderson since 2014’s “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” which earned the filmmaker Oscar nominations for directing, writing and best picture.

“Dogs” finds Anderson returning to the painstaking stop-motion animation style of his 2009 Roald Dahl adaptation, “The Fantastic Mr. Fox.” The new film again exists in a world in which anthropomorphized animals and humans exist together.

It also features another impressively large ensemble cast of voice actors, a mix of newcomers and returning players including Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Jeff Goldblum, Frances McDormand, F. Murray Abraham, Tilda Swinton, Bill Murray, Bob Balaban, Greta Gerwig, Courtney B. Vance, Harvey Keitel and Yoko Ono.

A voiceover on the trailer describes the setting as “the Japanese archipelago, 20 years in the future,” while the film’s official synopsis more specifically locates the action in “Megasaki City.” An outbreak of dog flu causes the city’s leadership to place all dogs on a garbage dump known as Trash Island. A young boy named Atari Kobayashi goes to the island in search of his dog Spots.

Anderson’s previous films have often been set in stylized versions of real places, such as the not-quite New York City of “The Royal Tenenbaums” and the memory-book New England of “Moonrise Kingdom.” “The Darjeeling Limited” was shot and set largely in India, which not surprisingly opened Anderson up to some criticism of engaging in a form of cultural tourism and/or appropriation.

Consciously or not, Anderson seems to be looking to head that conversation off this time by featuring an extensive cast of Japanese voice performers on “Isle of Dogs,” including Kunichi Nomura, Akira Ito, Akira Takayama, Yojiro Noda, Koyu Rankin, Ken Watanabe, Mari Natsuki and Nijiro Murakami.

In an interview with The Times around the release of “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” Anderson expressed some surprise at the connections people see among his movies, since his goal is to make each one wholly distinctive.

“I know often people see my movies linked to each other, which I totally understand why they see that,” Anderson said. “But for me I’m just doing a completely different story. I make no effort to make them anything like each other. I just do ‘em the way I like to do ‘em.”

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Sean Spicer’s Emmys cameo was Trump-approved: ‘He thought I did a great job’

Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer continued his press tour (for what, exactly?) Thursday with an appearance on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

Spicer sat down with Paula Faris, whose first question was about President Trump’s reaction to Spicer’s heavily criticized cameo at Sunday’s Emmy Awards ceremony.

“He was very supportive. He thought I did a great job,” Spicer said. “It was very reassuring.”

Faris then asked Spicer if that surprise appearance was a step toward rehabbing his image.

“I feel very good with my image,” said Spicer, who made his late-night-TV debut on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” last week and gave a regretful interview to the New York Times Monday. “I’m very happy with myself. I’m able to go out and explain a lot of things now, but I’m not on a tour. I’m out having some fun.”

Spicer was less comfortable when Faris moved on to his former job.

“I don’t think so,” Spicer told Faris when asked if he had lied to the American people. “I haven’t cheated on my taxes. I’ve not knowingly done anything to [lie], no.”

Watch Spicer’s full “GMA” interview above.

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MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell apologizes for expletive-laden tantrums caught on leaked clips

(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Leaked footage showing MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell having several on-camera outbursts during breaks has prompted the anchorman to do some damage control.

“A better anchorman and a better person would’ve had a better reaction to technical difficulties. I’m sorry,” the political pundit tweeted Wednesday evening about his expletive-laden tirade.

In the obscenity-heavy rant published on Mediaite, “The Last Word” anchor bangs on his desk, gesticulates wildly, curses at a person talking in his earpiece and berates his staff for not getting the edits he wants in the script.

“There’s insanity in the control room tonight,” O’Donnell said, later adding through clenched teeth: “You have insanity in my earpiece .... It’s not my earpiece, it’s somebody talking on our lines.”

The cobbled-together clips appear to be from the Aug. 29, 2017, show, Mediate said, and also feature the increasingly irate newsman losing it when nearby hammering disrupts his segment. O’Donnell, a former writer and producer of “The West Wing,” even calls on MSNBC President Phil Griffin to put an end to it.

“Somebody go up there and stop the hammering! I’ll go down to the ... floor myself and stop it. Keep the ... commercial break going,” he shouted. “I don’t care who you have to call. Stop the hammering!”

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Michael Hiltzik: The lesson from that KB Home CEO’s rant about Kathy Griffin is you can get away with being a spectacularly bad neighbor, if you’re the boss

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Jimmy Kimmel fires back at Sen. Cassidy: ‘Which part don’t I understand?’

Jimmy Kimmel doubled down on his criticism of Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy on Wednesday, firing back at the co-sponsor of the new Graham-Cassidy healthcare bill and many others who responded to his monologue from the previous night.

On Tuesday, the “Jimmy Kimmel Live” host called out Cassidy for, as he put it, lying to his face about his commitment to ensure that every American family, regardless of income, has access to quality health care. Cassidy shot back the next morning, insisting that Kimmel just didn’t understand the bill.

And Kimmel was not having it.

“Oh, I get it. I don’t understand because I’m a talk show host, right?” said Kimmel. “Well, then help me out. Which part don’t I understand?

“Is it the part where you cut $243 billion from federal healthcare assistance? Am I not understanding the part where states would be allowed to let insurance companies price you out of coverage for having pre-existing conditions?” asked Kimmel.

“Maybe I don’t understand the part of your bill in which federal funding disappears completely after 2026? Or maybe it was the part where the plans are no longer required to pay for essential health benefits like maternity care or pediatric visits?” he continued.

“Which part of that am I not understanding?” pressed Kimmel. “Or could it be, Sen. Cassidy, that the problem is that I do understand and you got caught with your G-O-Penis out? Is that possible? Because it feels like it is.”

But Cassidy was not the only target of Kimmel’s ire. The host had plenty of additional words for his other critics, including Gov. Chris Christie, Sen. Lindsey Graham, President Trump and especially “Fox & Friends” host Brian Kilmeade, who dismissed Kimmel’s speech as rumblings from the out-of-touch “Hollywood elite”.

Kimmel found Kilmeade’s comments “particularly annoying” because Kilmeade has always sucked up to Kimmel “like a little boy meeting Batman.” He had even asked Kimmel to write a blurb for his book, which he did.

“I don’t get anything out of this, Brian, you phony little creep,” said Kimmel. “Oh, I’ll pound you when I see you. That is my blurb. That will be my blurb for your next book. ‘Brian Kilmeade is a phony little creep.’ That’s right.”

Watch the full segment above.

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A Star Is Born: Stephen King turns 70 today

(Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times)

As a writer, you’re talking with two voices. At one level, you’re screaming at your audience about ghosts and vampires. At another level, you’re whispering to them about real fears.

— Stephen King, 1989

FROM THE ARCHIVES: THE KING OF HORROR: Author of ‘Incredibly Creepy Stuff’ Thrills ‘Em in Pasadena

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Read the sweet open letter new mom Serena Williams penned to her own mother

The overwhelming influence of motherhood has prompted tennis champ Serena Williams to pen an open letter to her own mother, Oracene Price, about strength and body image.

“You are one of the strongest women I know. I was looking at my daughter (OMG, yes, I have a daughter 😳) and she has my arms and legs! My exact same strong, muscular, powerful, sensational arms and body,” Williams wrote on her Reddit profile on Tuesday, which she promoted with an image of her daughter on her Instagram account.

“I don’t know how I would react if she has to go through what I’ve gone through since I was a 15 year old and even to this day.”

The 23-time Grand Slam champ welcomed daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian with her fiancé, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, on Sept. 1. And it appears the post-partum hormones have fully flung her into mama-bear mode, with Williams already thinking about how to shield her child from the world’s ills.

The admiring letter dedicated to Price -- a tennis coach and mother of five who got Williams and her sister, Venus, involved in the sport -- spoke of her strength against those “too ignorant to understand the power of a black woman” and Price’s resolve against the naysayers.

The 35-year-old athlete addressed several challenges she endured too. Williams said she’s been called a man because she “appeared outwardly strong,” accused of using drugs (“I have always had far too much integrity to behave dishonestly in order to gain an advantage”), and told that she belongs in men’s sports because she looks “stronger than many other women do.”

To that she said, “I just work hard and I was born with this badass body and proud of it.”

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Sen. Bill Cassidy fires back at Jimmy Kimmel: ‘I’m sorry he does not understand’

Sen. Bill Cassidy, left, and Sen. Lindsey Graham talk about health care on Capitol Hill in July.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, left, and Sen. Lindsey Graham talk about health care on Capitol Hill in July.
(Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press)

The war of words between late-night host Jimmy Kimmel and Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy escalated Wednesday morning, as the latter defended himself against accusations of lying about his position on healthcare reform.

“I’m sorry he does not understand,” Cassidy said on CNN’s “New Day” about Kimmel’s Tuesday night screed that the senator had lied to his face about his healthcare priorities.

Cassidy claimed that under the Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson proposal, more people will have coverage and individuals with pre-existing conditions will remain protected.

On MSNBC, Cassidy was questioned about what safeguards were in place to ensure that healthcare coverage was indeed “adequate and affordable” as promised.

“Who decides what’s affordable to a family? Because that’s very different to family A than to family B,” said “Morning Joe” co-anchor Willie Geist.

Cassidy didn’t give a straightforward answer, instead stating that there was some discretion on things that are allowed.

Kimmel has yet to comment on Cassidy’s morning of rebuttals, but did tweet a link to a Washington Post story backing up his assertions about the Graham-Cassidy bill.

If the “Jimmy Kimmel Live” host does opt to respond, it will likely be on Wednesday’s episode of his show. Perhaps he’s calling in specialists to assist him, much like he did on Tuesday.

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The CW is officially giving ‘Sabrina the Teenage Witch’ the ‘Riverdale’ treatment, with a horror twist

Sabrina Spellman is headed back to TV. After months of teasing and speculating, the CW and WBTV have finally announced they’re officially developing a horror-centric show based off the Archie Comics character Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

But similar to the hyper stylized, neo-noir reboot of the original “Archie” comics “Riverdale,” this Sabrina reboot will be based on her new (and much darker) comic series “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,” which will also serve as the new TV show’s name.

According to the news release, “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” show reimagines Sabrina’s origins as a dark, coming-of-age story steeped in the occult and witchcraft. Viewers will follow the struggles of the half-witch, half-mortal Sabrina as she attempts to pacify her dual nature. Plus she’ll have to protect her human friends from the atrocities of dark magic and the like while balancing prom.

The CW is referencing “Rosemary’s Baby” and “The Exorcist” as tonal influencers for the series, and if that seems like a stretch, note the smog-filled and perfectly “Twin Peaks-ian” hallways of Archie and Jughead’s new high school on “Riverdale.” Anything is possible in this new CW/Archie mashup world. And this sounds like a big deviation from the 1996 Melissa Joan Hart TV series.

The one-hour drama will be written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and directed by Lee Toland Kriege, who will both also serve as executive producers along with Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Jon Goldwater.

So how does Sabrina fit into the “Riverdale” world? In the comic books, this darker interpretation of Sabrina debuted in “Afterlife with Archie” where she is asked by Jughead to bring his beloved dog Hot Dog back to life and inadvertently starts a zombie apocalypse.

The title’s success lead to Sabrina starring in her own comic “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,” a not-quite-spinoff that takes place in a different reality. This “Sabrina” series is set in the 1960s, where Sabrina lives with her aunts Hilda and Zelda, as well as her cousin Ambrose (all witches).

“The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” will be produced by Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. The show is being targeted for the 2018-2019 television season as a companion to “Riverdale.”

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Netflix releases first trailer for ‘The Punisher’

Another day, another look at a new Marvel series.

With ABC launching “Inhumans” on Sept. 29 and Hulu debuting “Runaways” on Nov. 21, Netflix seems eager to stay in the comic book conversation.

On Wednesday, the streaming service released the first official trailer for “The Punisher,” starring Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle on a bloody path of vengeance in the wake of his family’s murder.

Castle first appeared in the second season of Netflix’s “Daredevil,” and Netflix greenlighted a Punisher spin-off in April 2016.

Netflix has been playing fast and loose with announcing an official release date for “The Punisher,” but has confirmed that it will debut this year.

(Warning: This trailer includes graphic violence.)

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Fergie says hiding the news of her split from Josh Duhamel was ‘getting a little weird’

(Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images)

Fergie asked for some privacy following her split from husband Josh Duhamel, but the duchess is holding court and fielding questions about the breakup.

“Honestly, it was just getting a little weird for us with all the romantic questions,” the singer told People on Tuesday.

“We’re great friends, we love each other so much, and it just got to the point where it was getting a little weird,” she added. “There’s no perfect time, so we just decided to do it.”

The Black Eyed Peas singer and the “Transformers” star announced last week that they had separated after eight years of marriage.

“With absolute love and respect we decided to separate as a couple earlier this year,” they said in a joint statement. “To give our family the best opportunity to adjust, we wanted to keep this a private matter before sharing it with the public. We are and will always be united in our support of each other and our family.”

The reformed party girl and Midwest-bred actor had been an item for 13 years and welcomed son Axl in August 2013.

Meanwhile, Fergie is focusing on the release of her long-gestating sophomore solo album, “Double Dutchess,” which features their son on the track “Enchanté (Carine).”

For those expecting morsels about her troubled marriage on the solo record, Fergie told the Aussie Herald Sun that its revelatory songs are actually about “a lot of relationships in my life, and not all romantic ones.”

“Double Dutchess” drops on Sept. 22.

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Hillary Clinton tells Stephen Colbert: ‘I am not going anywhere’

For former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, the question of “what happened” began at midnight on election night. Or as she called it, “The dark time of the soul, midnight.”

“I’m waiting for it to not be midnight soon,” Stephen Colbert responded on Tuesday night’s “Late Show.”

It was Clinton’s first late-night appearance since her November defeat by Donald Trump. She sat down with Colbert to explore what happened, how to prevent it from happening again and what exactly Colbert had in mind for his alt-universe election night special.

Promoting her new book, “What Happened,” Clinton and Colbert talked of many things. Like how some people wish she would just go away.

“Well, you know, if they’d take up a collection and somewhere really nice, I might consider it,” Clinton joked about her detractors, before clarifying: “I am not going anywhere,” which elicited raucous and extended audience applause.

Clinton and Colbert also discussed if the federal investigation into Russia’s involvement in the 2016 election could undermine the legitimacy of Trump’s victory.

“Nobody’s talking about contesting the election,” Clinton said. “Including me.”

When an audience member registered disapproval, Clinton explained that there was no mechanism to do such a thing.

“This is someone who believes in the Constitution, unlike the guy who got the job,” Colbert explained.

Not everything was so serious, though. While sipping Chardonnay and chatting, Colbert offered Clinton an envelope full of his Hillary victory jokes, unused on election night.

To Clinton’s apparent shock and delight, it included a photo of several nude young men with an inspiring message painted on their buttocks.

“I wish we could have told those jokes,” Colbert said. “I wish you were our president.”

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Sean Penn launches into television with Hulu’s space drama ‘The First’

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Two-time Academy Award winner Sean Penn is the latest movie star to take his acting chops to the small screen.

The “Milk” and “Mystic River” Oscar winner will star in Hulu’s upcoming space drama “The First” from “House of Cards” creator Beau Willimon, the streaming service announced Wednesday.

Penn has guested on several TV shows throughout his celebrated career (“Ellen,” “Friends,” “Two and a Half Men”), but the Hulu project marks his first role as a series regular.

“I have such deep admiration for Sean’s immense talent and extraordinary body of work,” Willimon said in a statement. “I feel very lucky to be collaborating with an artist of his caliber.”

Details about Penn’s role are still shrouded in secrecy, but the series is set in the near future and follows the first human mission to Mars. “The First” deals with the challenges of interplanetary colonization, Hulu said, and the story focuses on the astronauts, their families and loved ones, and the ground team on Earth.

Hulu and the U.K.’s Channel 4 gave the project a straight-to-series order. Willimon will write the script and serve as executive producer alongside his producing partner Jordan Tappis under their Westward Productions banner. IMG will handle all international rights.

Production is set to begin this year, and the show is slated to premiere in 2018.

Penn is the latest get for Hulu, which earned top honors at Sunday’s Emmy Awards when its original series “The Handmaid’s Tale” became the first streaming show to win the prize for drama series.

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Jimmy Kimmel says Sen. Bill Cassidy ‘lied right to my face’ about healthcare bill

Jimmy Kimmel had some thoughts about the latest healthcare bill, and none of them were good.

ABC’s late-night host opened Tuesday night’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” by taking aim at the Graham-Cassidy bill to repeal Obamacare, as well as his experiences talking previously with the bill’s cosponsor, Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy.

The short version?

“This guy, Bill Cassidy, just lied right to my face,” Kimmel said.

In May, prompted by the birth of his son Billy, who was born with a congenital heart defect, Kimmel shared a heartfelt plea for continued healthcare.

A week later, Kimmel returned to the show and discussed some of the reactions his words had gotten, both in the political sphere and beyond. During this segment, Kimmel had Sen. Cassidy on and at that point, the senator coined the term “Jimmy Kimmel test.”

With that test, Cassidy would then determine if he could vote on a healthcare bill, based wholly on assurances that the bill in question would mandate that no family should be denied medical care, emergency or otherwise, because they can’t afford it.

With all of that backstory established, Kimmel committed the rest of his monologue to trying to walk the American public through the healthcare system in America and what damage the Graham-Cassidy bill could do.

“This new bill actually does pass the ‘Jimmy Kimmel test,’ but a different ‘Jimmy Kimmel test.’ [With] this one, your child with a preexisting condition will get the care he needs if, and only if, his father is Jimmy Kimmel,” Kimmel quipped. “Otherwise, you might be screwed.”

Kimmel went through tapes of what Cassidy had said both to him and in other interviews months ago.

“These are his words,” Kimmel said. “He says he wants coverage for all, no discrimination based on preexisting conditions, lower premiums for middle-class families and no lifetime caps.

“Guess what. The new bill? Does none of those things.

“Not only did Bill Cassidy fail the ‘Jimmy Kimmel test’, he failed the ‘Bill Cassidy test.’ He failed his own test and you don’t see that happen very much,” Kimmel said.

He also said Cassidy seemed like a decent guy and reminded him that no one outside Congress wants this bill and that only 12% of Americans supported the last one.

Kimmel urged Cassidy to get on board with bipartisan efforts to improve instead of repeal the current healthcare bill.

But if Cassidy is unwilling to find real and lasting healthcare solutions, then Kimmel has a demand.

“Stop using my name. I don’t want my name on it. There’s a new ‘Jimmy Kimmel test’ for you,” Kimmel said. “It’s called a lie-detector test. You’re welcome to stop by the studio any time and take it.”

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A Star Is Born: Sophia Loren turns 83 today

(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

If you believe in life fervently, if you believe in yourself, one day or the other, something beautiful is going to happen.

— Sophia Loren, 2014

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Sophia Loren calls AFI Fest honor ‘this wonderful prize’

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Commentary: James Cameron brings Linda Hamilton back to the ‘Terminator’ franchise but snubs ‘Wonder Woman’ again

The original Sarah Connor is back. Fans are going crazy at director James Cameron’s announcement that Linda Hamilton, the first actor to portray fan-favorite Connor in the “Terminator” franchise, will be returning to the world of killer robots — a reveal that he championed due to what he said was Hollywood’s lack of roles for female action heroes over the age of 50. Which leads us to ask, has James Cameron actually seen “Wonder Woman?”

New “Terminator” franchise director Tim Miller (formally from “Deadpool”) and Cameron hosted a filmmaker discussion on the Paramount Studios lot to give an update on all things Skynet.

According to the Hollywood Reporter — other media outlets were not allowed inside the THR-hosted conversation — Cameron was particularly excited about the inclusion of Hamilton because “there are 50-year-old, 60-year-old guys out there killing bad guys … but there isn’t an example of that for women.”

This statement completely disregards the much-praised performances of 51-year-old Robin Wright and 52-year-old Connie Nielsen, who played warrior women Antiope and Hippolyta in “Wonder Woman.” Both characters are shown leaping off horses and into battle in the very first action scene of the film

Cameron’s remarks are especially odd considering the fact that the director received a lot of online flak last month for calling the titular character of the popular movie “misguided” and a “step backwards” for female heroes. His comments received so much attention they prompted “Wonder Woman” director Patty Jenkins to respond.

That said, Cameron is correct that in the world of “The Mummy” and in the “Taken” franchise, for example, there are certainly a dearth of mature lead action roles portrayed by women. However, without any plot details, the depth of Hamilton’s role in the new feature is not known.

What we do know is that Arnold Schwarzenegger will be involved (in some form) and that this new movie will follow the action of 1991’s “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.” It is also poised to serve as the first film in a new trilogy within the “Terminator” world as Cameron revealed that they were actively searching for an “18-something woman” to be the “centerpiece” of the new series.

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The ghosts of Ian Curtis followed New Order to the Hollywood Bowl

At the Hollywood Bowl on Monday, New Order closed out its set with a trio of Joy Division covers — “Decades,” “Atmosphere” and, of course, “Love Will Tear Us Apart.” They all but kicked off the set with yet another one — “Disorder” — that singer Bernard Sumner said the act had never played in Los Angeles before.

New Order was formed out of Joy Division after Ian Curtis’ suicide. The band has since enjoyed decades of influence as a pioneer of emotional, future-thinking electronic pop. But was it an accident, given the global anxieties of 2017, that the act looked back mournfully on its youth and played a batch of songs written from the edge of despair?

It’s easy to imagine the echoes of early New Order’s late 1970s and early ‘80s Britain in our current political mood: a disposed industrial working class, a newly elected conservative administration promising major changes and even talk of nuclear war. It’s a fool’s argument to say that music gets better in bad times, but I bet it’s no coincidence that when New Order assembled its set, the bleak, gray feelings of the old Joy Division era were more resonant than they’d been in a long time.

Monday’s show wasn’t all gloom-soaked though. It’s 2015 LP “Music Complete” was one of its strongest in years, with “Singularity” and “Plastic” each standouts among the rock or club-driven highlights on Monday. “Ultraviolence” and “Temptation” were ageless, as always, and the band did its level best to inject some Ibiza-summer club bounce in the set.

But even longtime fans were probably struck by how deeply the mood of Joy Division crept into the set. The loving, grainy old pictures of Curtis projected behind New Order showed one of rock’s pivotal figures at both the height of his powers onstage, and also at the edge of his mental illness privately.

His personal pain was unknowable, but there’s a reason his songs stuck with those Thatcher-era fans for the rest of their lives. He captured something essential about what they were feeling then — something that probably feels a lot like what many are feeling now.

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Latin Grammy nominees announcement postponed after Mexico earthquake

Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez at the 17th Latin Grammys.
Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez at the 17th Latin Grammys.
(Christopher Polk / Getty Images)

Citing “the current events in Mexico,” the Latin Recording Academy, which administers the annual Latin Grammy Awards celebration and broadcast, has postponed its scheduled Wednesday morning nominees announcement.

On Tuesday, central Mexico was hit with an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The epicenter was about 100 miles southeast of Mexico City in the state of Puebla.

The 18th Latin Grammys ceremony, which celebrates the recorded output of Spanish-language musicians, is slated for Nov. 16 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and will be broadcast on Univision.

The academy has not indicated when a rescheduled announcement will occur.

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Billy Bush and wife Sydney Davis reportedly separate

(Richard Shotwell / Invision/Associated Press)

It’s apparently over for embattled TV personality Billy Bush and his wife, Sydney Davis.

The couple, who have been married for nearly 20 years, are separated, according to Tuesday reports from Page Six and TMZ.

The former “Today” show cohost and Davis are “on a short-term break,” Bush’s lawyer, Marshall Grossman, told Page Six, denying reports of infidelity. Bush’s representative also confirmed the split to the publication and denied rumors that Davis left him.

“After almost 20 years of marriage, they have separated for the moment to evaluate their life together. They love each other and their children deeply and are committed to a bright future,” his spokesperson said.

Bush’s rep did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment.

The disgraced entertainment reporter, whose uncle and first cousin are former presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, respectively, has three children with Davis.

The break-up news comes almost a year after outtakes from the former “Access Hollywood” correspondent’s crude 2005 conversation with then-”Celebrity Apprentice” star Donald Trump leaked, resulting in Bush losing his lucrative “Today” show job.

It’s unclear if the public incident had a role in the split, though Page Six sources contend that it did.

“When you have a big, traumatic event, you go through stages, and it led to acceptance and understanding,” Bush said in a May interview, regarding the tape scandal. “And then I found myself in a place of soul searching. And I developed a commitment to become a better, fuller man.”

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‘Saturday Night Live’ will continue to air live simultaneously from coast to coast

Alec Baldwin will resurrect his Emmy-winning impression of President Trump when "Saturday Night Live" returns Sept 30.
(Will Heath / Associated Press)

“Saturday Night Live” walked away from the 2017 Emmy Awards with more trophies than any other show and a bit of a swagger in its step.

NBC announced Tuesday that when the program returns for its 43rd season it will resume live coast-to-coast broadcasts, as it experimented with last season.

For the first time in its history, “SNL” opted to air live nationwide for the final four episodes of Season 42, a move that garnered an 11% gain in “live plus same-day” viewership versus what “SNL” averaged earlier in the season.

Either way, the long-running sketch show found ratings gold in the 2016 election and beyond, earning the show its highest ratings in 22 years.

Each episode of the season will air live at 11:30 p.m. Eastern, 10:30 p.m. Central, 9:30 p.m. Mountain and 8:30 p.m. Pacific.

Season 43 of “SNL” premieres Sept. 30 with host Ryan Gosling and musical guest Jay-Z.

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James Corden kind of regrets kissing Sean Spicer at the Emmys

James Corden and Sean Spicer
(Richard Shotwell / Invision / AP; Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

“Late Late Show” host James Corden used his monologue during Monday’s episode to address the photo of him getting cozy with former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer during the Emmy Awards.

Corden approached the subject guised as a recap of the awards show.

“The big winners last night were Donald Glover, Hulu and former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer,” Corden said. “Spicer won best actor in a comedy for his role in Donald Trump’s administration.

“I’m kidding, of course, but Sean Spicer actually did make a cameo a last night’s ceremony,” he continued. “And according to some reports at the after-parties, Spicer was the most popular guy in the room.”

Corden took that moment to blast the “Hollywood Elite’s” short-term memory.

“I just want to say, I think people are forgetting that this man lied to the American people and should not be embraced,” Corden said. “These Hollywood phonies kissing up to Sean Spicer are disgusting. I mean, who did this? Who are we talking about here?”

Then the photo of Corden kissing Spicer on the cheek flashed across the screen.

“I know you think that’s a picture of me kissing Sean Spicer, but in the spirit of Sean Spicer: No, it isn’t,” Corden joked. “I mean, anyone ever have that feeling when you get a little drunk and then wake up the next morning and think, ‘Oh, God, who did I kiss last night?’ ”

Corden didn’t stop there.

“To be fair, everyone was kissing ass last night at the Emmys. I just happened to kiss the biggest one there,” Corden quipped.

“Understandably, some people have been disappointed by this photo,” Corden continued. “In truth, I’m disappointed by it as well. I’ve been reading a lot of harsh comments on Twitter today, and I hear you loud and clear. Truly I do.”

“So much so I’m really starting to regret that ‘Carpool Karaoke’ that we’ve taped with Steve Bannon. Feels like a mistake today,” Corden said.

“I can promise you this: That kiss was a one-time thing,” he insisted. “I’m not one of these people who has a couple of drinks and goes around kissing people that I don’t know.”

Except, it turns out, he might be. Or so Corden wants you to think as he then showed multiple photos of him kissing various celebrities, from Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Allison Janney to Bryan Cranston, Daniel Radcliffe and even a couple former members of One Direction.

“Basically, what I’m saying is, I need to learn how to shake hands,” Corden said.

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Jada Pinkett Smith shuts down Leah Remini’s claims that she’s a Scientologist

(Paul Miller / EPA)

Jada Pinkett Smith says she’s no Scientologist.

She’s no Jew, Hindu or Buddhist either.

The “Girls Trip” star, who often publicly shuts down rumors about her marriage and unique parenting style, set the record straight about her faith on Facebook in the wake of ex-Scientologist Leah Remini’s weekend claims that Pinkett Smith has “been in Scientology a long time.”

Pinkett Smith and her husband, actor Will Smith, have long been associated with Scientology, the controversial church based on the works of sci-fi author L. Ron Hubbard, but have repeatedly said they are not members.

I practice human kindness, and I believe that we each have the right to determine what we are and what we are not. NO ONE ELSE can hold that power.

— Jada Pinkett Smith

“I recently lit Shabbat candles with Rabbi Bentley at Temple Sinai... but I am not Jewish,” Pinkett Smith began her Facebook message early Tuesday.

“I have prayed in mosques all over the world... but I am not a Muslim; I have read the Bhagavad Gita... but I am not a Hindu; I have chanted and meditated in some of the most magnificent temples on earth… but I am not a Buddhist; and I have studied Dianetics, and appreciate the merits of Study Tech… but I am not a Scientologist. I practice human kindness, and I believe that we each have the right to determine what we are and what we are not. NO ONE ELSE can hold that power.”

That brand of “human kindness” appears to have been directed at Remini, who has been crusading against the organization since her explosive departure from the church in 2013 and recently picked up a Primetime Emmy Award for her A&E docuseries, “Scientology and the Aftermath.”

In an interview with the Daily Beast published Saturday, Pinkett Smith was the latest A-lister Remini has called out, insisting the “HawthoRNe” alum was in deep.

“I know Jada’s in. She’s been in Scientology a long time,” Remini said. “I never saw Will [Smith] there, but I saw Jada at the Celebrity Centre. They opened up a Scientology school [called New Village Leadership Academy], and have since closed it. But Jada, I had seen her at the Scientology Celebrity Centre all the time.”

Remini added that she hoped Pinkett Smith had left Scientology but recalled a recent interview on Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live” as “the telltale sign she was still in.”

Pinkett Smith appeared on Andy Cohen’s talk show in July and was asked about an anecdote from Remini’s book, “Troublemaker,” in which the “King of Queens” star recalls an unusual game of hide-and-seek at the home of high-ranking Scientologist Tom Cruise. The game, in which Remini said she declined to partake, involved Cruise, Pinkett Smith and Will Smith.

Pinkett Smith insisted Remini “lied” about the game and asserted that kids were there too.

“That was untrue,” Remini said. “There were no kids there. I was like, ‘OK, all right, you’re gonna do that? More power to ya.’ ”

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Morrissey’s new song, ‘Spent the Day in Bed,’ has some sage advice for our troubled times

Morrissey performs at Staples Center in Los Angeles in 2013.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Morrissey has a two-night stand coming up at the Hollywood Bowl this fall, but true to form, his latest single suggests he’d rather be curled up under a blanket and hiding from the world.

“Spent the Day in Bed” is the new single from his forthcoming album, “Low in High School,” and its electric piano-driven riff is a bit of a departure from his usual palette.

It also has some useful advice for staying sane in these trying times: “Stop watching the news / Because the news contrives to frighten you / To make you feel small and alone / To make you feel that your mind isn’t your own.”

Moz, a recent Twitter convert, also detailed the album art and tracklisting for “Low in High School,” which includes the volatile single “Who Will Protect Us From the Police?”

“Low in High School” is out Nov. 17, and Morrissey headlines the Bowl on Nov. 10-11, sharing the bill with Billy Idol (huh?) both nights. You can buy tickets here.

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Kevin Hart’s ex-wife renews claims about his ‘lies and infidelity’

Torrei Hart says infidelity ended her marriage to Kevin Hart.
(John Salangsang / Invision)

Torrei Hart, ex-wife of comedian Kevin Hart, has lobbed new accusations that the actor was unfaithful to her during the final years of their marriage.

In an interview with “Inside Edition” on Monday, Torrei Hart attributed the end of the couple’s marriage to both growing apart and “lies and infidelity.”

Her claims come on the heels of Kevin Hart’s video apology he posted over the weekend after an alleged extortion attempt suggested he might not have been faithful to his wife of a year, Eniko Parrish.

Parrish and Torrei Hart have sparred before. On Instagram, Parrish featured a photo from her wedding to Hart, stating that they had been together for eight years and married for one.

Torrei and Kevin Hart have been divorced for six years.

Parrish maintains that Kevin and Torrei were separated when she began her relationship with Kevin: “It was never a secret.”

Torrei Hart had something to say about that.

“She said we were separated, not living together. That’s a lie. We were very much not separated,” Torrei told “Inside Edition.”

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John Stamos and ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic will star in Hollywood Bowl’s ‘Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory’

John Stamos, left, will star as Willy Wonka, and "Weird Al" Yankovic will play the Oompa Loompas.
(Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times, left; Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times, right)

Hold your breath, make a wish, count to three: John Stamos and “Weird Al” Yankovic will headline the Hollywood Bowl’s live-to-film adaptation of “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” in November.

Stamos, a star of Netflix’s “Fuller House,” will play the titular confectioner, the role made famous by the late Gene Wilder in Warner Bros.’ iconic 1971 film, and will sing “Pure Imagination.” Song parodist Yankovic will sing the parts of all the Oompa Loompas, which begs the question: What is this, Hollywood Bowl? Some kind of funhouse?

“Willy Wonka is the first movie I ever saw,” Stamos said in a statement Tuesday. “The film was released at a time when you could bring your own popcorn to the movie theater. I filled a whole grocery bag full of popcorn, but never touched it because I was so fascinated with what was going on behind Willy’s eyes. Gene Wilder as Willy was pure magic.”

Joining Stamos and Yankovic are Finn Wolfhard (“Stranger Things”) as Charlie, Giancarlo Esposito (“Better Call Saul”) as the Candy Man, Richard Kind (“Inside Out”) as Grandpa Joe, Elle King singing Veruca Salt’s “I Want it Now” and Ingrid Michaelson as Mrs. Bucket.

“Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” in concert at the Hollywood Bowl premieres Nov. 3 and Nov. 4. and features the actors singing songs from the beloved adaptation of Roald Dahl’s book “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” as the film plays onscreen.

The family-friendly event will mix film, live music, singers, dancers, effects and special guests. It also includes a costume contest, special projections by artist Shag and will be presented with “Smell-O-Rama,” affording concert-goers an olfactory experience with exclusive Scratch-N-Sniff Golden Tickets.

Richard Kraft, who helmed the Bowl’s similar presentations of “The Little Mermaid” and “La La Land,” will co-direct with Maximillian Castillo.

“‘Pure imagination’ has been the vision behind creating this unique celebration,” Kraft said. “Wonka is all about creating an unexpected, experiential overload of sights and music, and even smells. Every member of our audience will be receiving their own scratch-n-sniff Golden Ticket, so at the right moments they will be experiencing the aromas like chocolate and bubble gum. Even the Snozzberries will smell like Snozzberries.”

Tickets go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. at Ticketmaster.

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Jimmy Kimmel mocks Donald Trump’s handshake with Melania: ‘These two lovebirds cannot get enough of each other’

Jimmy Kimmel proved that there’s nothing more inspiring than watching the public displays of affection between First Lady Melania Trump and her husband. Nothing that could inspire more jokes, that is.

On Monday night’s show, the “Jimmy Kimmel Live” host turned his attention to the most recent public interaction between Melania and Donald Trump. The Trumps spent Friday at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland for the president to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Air Force.

“This was the moment everyone is talking about,” Kimmel said. “Melania was charged with giving her husband an introduction. And the result was perhaps the most uncomfortable display of affection between any husband and wife this year.”

He shared a clip of the president greeting his wife with a firm handshake before telling her to “go sit down.”

“That’s how it goes when you’re in a relationship. My wife and I shake hands before bed every night,” Kimmel quipped. “He shut her down like a robot from ‘Westworld.’ ”

Kimmel then introduced a new handshake cam, hoping to inspire more public handshakes between couples so very much in love.

Of course, we’ve witnessed the unique dynamic between Donald and Melania before. Remember that time she seemingly swatted away his hand as he reached to take hers?

Kimmel does, and he created a special tribute for the happy couple with a montage of that moment and others.

“These two lovebirds cannot get enough of each other,” Kimmel said. “After all these years of marriage, it’s so sweet to watch how into each other they are.”

Watch the full segment above.

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A Star Is Born: Jeremy Irons turns 69 today

(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

Careers are not just about talent. They’re about other things. And then there’s luck. But I think luck has to do with balance. Luck is the result of a mixture of many things. I think we all get chances in life, but probably a lot of us don’t notice them. Don’t notice they’ve happened, don’t notice we’ve missed them.

— Jeremy Irons, 1991

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Eyeing His Options: Jeremy Irons likes the decisions he’s made

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Actress Kate Walsh opens up about brain tumor: It was ‘big, the size of a small lemon’

(Annie Wells / Los Angeles Times)

Kate Walsh turned from TV doctor to real-life patient in 2015 when she and her medical team discovered a tumor “the size of a small lemon” in her brain.

The “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Private Practice” alumna opened up about her health scare during Monday’s “Today” show, sharing that her tumor was benign and that she underwent surgery to have it removed.

Walsh, 49, was diagnosed soon after she wrapped her TV comedy “Bad Judge,” which she was starring in and executive producing. She said she was exhausted all the time and caffeine and working out didn’t help. Her Pilates instructor noticed that her right side was dipping, she started swerving while driving and soon after that, she experienced aphasia, becoming unable to find her words and finish her sentences.

“It was subtle then it got pretty apparent pretty quick,” she said of the onset of her symptoms.

“I went to a neurologist and pushed for an MRI, and thank God I did,” she said. “It’s not something that they do all the time... I had to advocate a little bit for it. They don’t hand them out all the time ‘cause it’s magnetic radiation. I found out immediately that I had a very sizable tumor.”

Three days later, she was in the operating room to have the tumor removed from her front left lobe. It was “big, the size of a small lemon” and “a little over five centimeters” wide.

“I was very lucky that it was benign and they got it all out,” Walsh said.

The experience prompted her to do what matters to her, including spending more time with family and friends and working on projects she loves, traveling and being “of service.”

It also prompted her to open up about the experience and partner with Cigna Healthcare, whose viral ad campaign includes some of TV’s famous medical practitioners: Doogie Howser (Neil Patrick Harris), Dr. Derek Shepherd (her “Grey’s” co-star Patrick Dempsey) and Dr. Christopher Turk (“Scrubs’” Donald Faison).

“It was a perfect opportunity to really emphasize the importance of advocating for your own health,” Walsh explained. “It’s such a great campaign to get people to their annual checkups and preventative medicine.”

As for what it was like to become her TV alter ego? “It was like a wormhole, all of us in our white coats again,” she said.

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Linkin Park members announce Chester Bennington tribute concert at the Hollywood Bowl

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

The surviving members of Linkin Park will reunite onstage for the first time since singer Chester Bennington’s death in July.

The group announced Monday morning a Bennington tribute concert at the Hollywood Bowl on Oct. 27. Though no lineup details have been revealed, the band said in a statement that they’ll be joined by a number of artists who knew Bennington or were influenced by his music.

The band members will donate their performance fees from the show to Music for Relief’s One More Light Fund in honor of Bennington. Pre-sales for the show begin Tuesday, with regular tickets going on sale Friday.

Additionally, Linkin Park has released a new video for the song “One More Light,” which directly addresses Bennington’s suicide and its aftermath within the group.

“It has been incredibly emotional to work on this, and especially to watch it,” director and Linkin Park founder Joe Hahn said in a statement. “I feel that by doing it, we not only faced some of our biggest fears, but it enabled us to use our talents to bring some light to people who need it.

“As we move forward to the Hollywood Bowl show and beyond, I think about the people who connect with the band, outside and inside our circle,” Hahn added. “This video is a gesture of goodwill to the people who want that connection.”

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Conservative voice Jedediah Bila exits ‘The View’

“The View” has lost yet another panelist: Jedediah Bila, the talk show’s lone conservative voice, announced Monday that she will be leaving the ABC talker.

“So this is my last day at ‘The View,’” Bila shared, thanking her co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg, Sara Haines, Joy Behar and Sunny Hostin, whom she described as “friends no matter what.”

“I want to thank you because I’m a little eccentric and you put up with me, and this has been just an amazing journey and I appreciate all of you,” Bila said. “And I want to thank the viewers, even the ones that write me the hate tweets. This is what I’m here for. I’m here to shake things up in life and television.”

The former Fox News contributor joined the 20th season of the show in September 2016. The self-proclaimed libertarian didn’t give a specific reason for her departure; however, she did share that she’s working on a book with HarperCollins and has numerous opportunities coming up. One of her co-hosts also interjected that she’s “getting married.”

“It’s great to have you here because we need to have somebody that disagrees,” Behar said. “I used to disagree with Elisabeth Hasselback all the time... it’s never been personal and that is good for the show.”

“Listen, I try to get as many libertarians in my corner as possible,” Bila added.

The network has not yet announced Bila’s replacement but rumors have been swirling that Meghan McCain, the daughter of U.S. Sen. John McCain and a Fox News contributor who left the network last week, could join the show.

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A Star Is Born: Jada Pinkett Smith turns 46 today

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

My husband has been baffled by this forever. I remember him asking me, ‘Jada, what do you want? I don’t understand why you don’t want to be the biggest actress in the world.’ But I never came to Hollywood for that. I really, really don’t like boxes. I’ve only wanted to do what I want to do.

— Jada Pinkett Smith, 2009

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Jada Pinkett Smith steps out on ‘HawthoRNe’

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Kevin Hart posts emotional video apologizing to wife and kids following alleged extortion attempt

Kevin Hart posted a video to his Instagram page yesterday after an alleged extortion attempt suggested he may have cheated on his wife.

“I’m at a place in my life where I feel like I have a target on my back,” the comedian said in the video. “And because of that, I should make smart decisions. And recently, I didn’t.”

The video comes in the wake of a failed extortion attempt where an unidentified person allegedly demanded millions in exchange for keeping a sexually suggestive video from going public, according to TMZ.

“I made a bad error in judgment and I put myself in a bad environment where only bad things can happen and they did,” Hart admits in the video. “And in doing that I know that I’m going to hurt the people closest to me, who’ve I talked to and apologized to, that would be my wife and my kids.”

Hart, who is expecting a child with wife Eniko Parrish, has two older children with his ex-wife. The couple have been married a year.

This is the third time in two months that the comedian has taken to social media to clear up cheating rumors. In July, Hart posted this picture following reports that he cheated on Parrish with a woman he met at a Miami Beach nightclub.

He later addressed his ex-wife’s claim that he’d cheated on her with Parrish while they were still married in a series of now-deleted videos posted to his Instagram.

“Going to be honest with you people, I’m at a point where I can’t even be shocked anymore. All I do is laugh man...Even after talking about my life in my stand-up specials, a lot of stand up specials, you actually see me grow as a man through my stand-up specials, still not enough?”

“This will act as nothing but material for your boy.”

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A Star Is Born: Danielle Brooks turns 28 today

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

I appreciate the fact that we’re highlighting that beauty can come in all shapes and sizes. There’s beauty in every roll, stretch mark, pimple on your face. There’s more to a person than all of that other stuff.

— Danielle Brooks, 2017

READ MORE: Danielle Brooks credits ‘Orange Is the New Black’ with helping her find her voice

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Mark Hamill warns ‘Star Wars’ fans to stay away from vintage comic

Mark Hamill at the opening of "Star Wars Celebration" in Anaheim in 2015.
Mark Hamill at the opening of “Star Wars Celebration” in Anaheim in 2015.
(Jesse Grant / Getty Images for Disney)

“Star Wars” star Mark Hamill has a message for fans trying to stay away from spoilers for “The Last Jedi,” the next episodic “Star Wars” film: Stay away from one certain issue in the franchise’s vintage comic book series.

“I’m begging you! For your own good-DO NOT READ this spoiler-laden comic book before FridayDecember15th 2017 You’ll thank me later,” Hamill tweeted.

The actor, who is best known as Luke Skywalker in the blockbuster franchise, was responding to a tweet that posted a cover of a “Star Wars” comic from 40 years ago and tagged him.

The title – also “The Last Jedi” -- was released as part of a long-running series launched by Marvel following the release of “Star Wars” in 1977.

Judging from Hamill’s earnest plea, the issue most certainly is riddled with plot points for the upcoming film -- so proceed with caution (or not).

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U2 cancels St. Louis show due to protests

The Irish rock band U2 has canceled its Saturday night concert in St. Louis after police told concert organizers that they couldn’t provide a standard level of security because of protests.

Hundreds marched Friday after a judge acquitted a white former St. Louis police officer in the 2011 shooting death of a black suspect. The protests were expected to continue on Saturday.

Police say nine city police officers and one state Highway Patrol officer were injured in Friday’s protests. There were 23 arrests before 6 p.m. and an unknown number of additional arrests after that.

The band says on its website that it can’t in good conscience risk its fans’ safety. The site outlines plans for refunds.

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A Star Is Born: Amy Poehler turns 46 today

(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Every comedian — at least me, I’ll speak for myself — wants to be considered an actor. ... I’ve kind of played arch characters that come in and try to be kind of crazy and leave. So I was excited to actually hunker down a little bit. ‘Feel the Earth,’ as my yoga teacher would say.

— Amy Poehler, 2008

FROM THE ARCHIVES: The gal pal gamble

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Olivia de Havilland files opposition to ‘Feud’ team’s motion to strike her lawsuit

Olivia de Havilland in June 2016.
(Thibault Camus / Associated Press)

Olivia de Havilland has filed an opposition to FX and Ryan Murphy’s motion to dismiss her “Feud” lawsuit.

The 101-year-old “Gone With the Wind” star, who sued FX Networks and Murphy’s Pacific 2.1 Entertainment Group over her depiction in their Emmy-nominated docuseries “Feud: Bette and Joan,” is trying to get their motion dismissed.

The two-time Oscar winner, who was played by Catherine Zeta-Jones in the eight-episode docudrama, served as a narrator of the storied rivalry between legendary actresses and De Havilland contemporaries Bette Davis and Joan Crawford.

The veteran actress contends that she was not contacted or asked for consent to have her identity be included in the series. Her legal team obtained sworn declarations from industry experts to back up her opposition. One said that her unauthorized inclusion in “Feud” resulted in $1.38 million to $2.1 million worth of losses for the actress.

Olivia de Havilland 101: Everything you need to know as the movie legend celebrates her 101st birthday »

FX and Pacific 2.1 “knowingly violated standards in the industry in producing ‘Feud’ without the consent of Miss de Havilland,” De Havilland’s lawyer said in a statement on Friday.

Her attorney, Suzelle M. Smith, argued in a state ment that the defendants didn’t comply with the law governing the right of a celebrity to control her name and identity in the state of California, citing the precedents of Eastwood vs. National Enquirer and No Doubt vs. Activision Publishing, Inc., among others.

Smith added that Crawford’s grandson, Casey LaLonde, is reported to have worked with FX and Murphy “to create an accurate portrait of her character.”

“Why in the world would FX obtain the backing and apparently compensate LaLonde for use of his deceased grandmother’s identity, and consciously ignore the rights of the very much alive Olivia de Havilland to protect her reputation from distortion?” Smith said, adding that “they chose to ignore it and roll the dice.”

Olivia de Havilland at her Paris home in 2003.
(Jean-Marc Giboux / Getty Images)

In a declaration, Cort Casady, a TV writer-producer who reviewed “Feud” on De Havilland’s behalf, said that the use of her name and identity in the series “cannot have been done by accident, but must have been an intentional act.” Casady also said that it is not industry practice to use a celebrity’s name and/or identity in a commercial production without permission.

“It is certainly beneath industry standards — in fact, it is production malpractice — to attribute false statements and inaccurate endorsements to a person portrayed in a production without their permission,” Casady said.

David Ladd, a former senior executive at MGM, said that “obtaining consent of a well-known person for use of their name, identity, character or image, is a serious matter on the standard pre-production checklist for a film. Failure to obtain proper consent would be out of the ordinary.”

Another expert, Mark Roesler, chairman and CEO of Celebrity Valuations, testified that the failure to obtain consent and negotiate the value of using De Havilland’s name in the series, as well as the false use of it, resulted in losses and unjust benefits to the defendants valued at between $1.38 million and $2.1 million.

A representative for FX’s and Murphy’s legal teams told The Times they had no additional comment.

FX and Murphy filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit earlier this month that cited the U.S. and California constitutions’ rights to free speech in connection with a public issue, arguing that it “is a prime example of an important expressive work.”

They claimed that De Havilland’s consent was not needed to include her in the show, nor did her inclusion violate her right of publicity, citing the state’s statutes protecting petition and free-speech rights.

Earlier this week, De Havilland was granted an expedited trial, and a judge set the date for Nov. 29. A hearing on the motion by FX and Murphy to dismiss the lawsuit has been set for Sept. 29.

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Wanna feel old? ‘Full House’ is nearly 30. Watch the trailer for Season 3 of ‘Fuller House’

It’s been 29 years and 51 weeks since the world first met the Tanner family, and nothing’s been quite the same since. After eight seasons, the ABC show wrapped up in 1995 before being revived last year.

The “Full House” legacy lives on via Netflix’s “Fuller House” and centers around D.J. (Candace Cameron Bure) and Stephanie Tanner (Jodie Sweetin) and BFF/irritant Kimmy Gibbler (Andrea Barber) as they traverse their adult lives, still trapped in the same home they grew up in.

On Friday, a new trailer for Season 3 debuted, and the women acknowledge how strange it is to still be in the same place they were decades ago. But they quickly brush it off and focus on the imaginary anniversary when they became a family.

Then there’s lots of shots of the season to come, including plenty of drama surrounding D.J.’s high-school boyfriend, who is getting married to someone else, and will clearly end up with D.J. because life is basically one big romantic comedy.

Season 3 of “Fuller House” premieres on Netflix Sept. 22, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the premiere of the original “Full House.” God help us all.

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Angelina Jolie brings reinforcements — including dad Jon Voight — to movie premiere

( Dia Dipasupil / Getty Images)

Angelina Jolie had the whole family with her at the New York premiere of “First They Killed My Father,” including father Jon Voight.

While father and daughter didn’t pose together on the red carpet, the “Ray Donovan” actor stood for snaps with “Wild Thing” songwriter Chip Taylor, his brother.

Another important man at the premiere — perhaps more important? — was Jolie’s eldest son, Maddox Jolie-Pitt, who served as an executive producer on the movie.

“He’s very studious,” she told “Entertainment Tonight” about her 16-year-old, who was born in Cambodia, where the movie is set. “Much more than I am. ... When we did our notes in the production meetings, his were always better than mine.”

Earlier in the week, Maddox told People that his mom was “fun, funny, and easy to work with. She’s a wonder.”

Pax Jolie-Pitt also worked on the movie, as set photographer. “First They Killed My Father” premieres Friday on Netflix.

Voight, Maddox, Pax and most of the rest of the young Jolie-Pitt clan — including Shiloh, Vivienne and Knox — were all suited up for the occasion, though Zahara slipped a lacy black top under her pantsuit. Jolie showed off her tattoos in a strapless, backless taupe Dior Haute Couture gown.

All of them, minus Voight, were also at the movie’s Toronto International Film Festival screening Monday.

Out of the public eye, when it comes to hanging with the kids, Voight “knows kind of the rule,” Jolie told Vanity Fair over the summer. “[D]on’t make them play with you. Just be a cool grandpa who’s creative, and hang out and tell stories and read a book in the library.”

Jolie and Voight had been estranged for years after he bailed when she was an infant. Voight notoriously told “Access Hollywood” in 2002that his daughter had “serious mental problems” but had refused his attempts to help her.

At the time, Jolie said in a statement that she didn’t want to go public with the reasons for her bad relationship with her dad, though she “would have loved to have had a warm and loving relationship” with him.

“After all these years, I have determined that it is not healthy for me to be around my father, especially now that I am responsible for my own child.”

They started talking again in 2008, when her mom, Marcheline Bertrand, was fighting ovarian cancer, and reconciled in 2010, allegedly with encouragement from Brad Pitt.

Jolie’s marriage to Pitt got “difficult” last summer, she told Vanity Fair, during post-production for “First They Killed My Father.” She filed for divorce in September 2016.

After a nasty period in which the two appeared to be communicating only through their lawyers and the media, Jolie and Pitt reportedly started talking again in March.

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Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel dish about Sean Spicer

CBS’ “The Late Show” has been off all week as Stephen Colbert prepares to host Sunday’s Emmy Awards.

The world is a cold and empty place without Colbert available to comment on ridiculous events in Washington, D.C., and beyond, but Thursday night offered a little relief as the former “Daily Show” correspondent stopped by “Jimmy Kimmel Live” to talk shop.

“You rarely see two middle-aged white men talking on television anymore,” Colbert quipped to Kimmel as he took the stage.

The pair swapped stories throughout the interview, with Colbert sharing the most valuable information predecessor David Letterman ever gave him – how to run the elevator at the Ed Sullivan Theater – and Kimmel giving his best tips to hosting the Emmys – rule with fear.

But the late-night hosts also discussed Kimmel’s interview with former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, his first interview about his time in the Trump White House.

Colbert had nothing but praise for how Kimmel handled the interview, but his feelings about Spicer were decidedly more harsh.

“He wants to be forgiven, but he won’t regret anything he did,” Colbert observed. “You gotta regret something you did if you want to be forgiven.”

Watch the full segment above.

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A Star Is Born: Oliver Stone turns 71 today

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

I try to make films that are bold and on the cutting edge, with ideas that are greater than me -- and I try to serve those ideas.

— Oliver Stone, 1991

FROM THE ARCHIVES: RIDER ON THE STORM: With ‘The Doors,’ Director Oliver Stone Exhumes the ‘60s in All Their Lurid Excess

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Lady Gaga hospitalized; Rock in Rio performance canceled

Coming on the heels of her Tuesday acknowledgement that she suffers from fibromyalgia, Lady Gaga took to Twitter to announce she has been hospitalized for severe pain and is unable to play her scheduled show at Rock in Rio on Friday.

“Brazil, I’m devastated that I’m not well enough 2 come to Rock In Rio. I would do anything 4 u but I have to take care of my body right now,” Gaga tweeted Thursday morning.

The “Bad Romance” singer then begged the country for patience and promised she would make up the show soon.

“I ask for your grace and understanding,” Gaga wrote, “And promise that I will come back and perform for you soon.”

“Lady Gaga is suffering from severe physical pain that has impacted her ability to perform. As a result, she sadly must withdraw from this Friday’s Rock In Rio performance,” a representative for Gaga confirmed to The Times via email. “Lady Gaga is under the care of expert medical professionals. She sends her love to all her fans in Rio and thanks them for their support and understanding.”

Shortly after her original messages, Gaga told fans that what she was experiencing was beyond generalized aches and pains.

“I was taken to the hospital its not simply hip pain or wear & tear from tour, I’m in severe pain. I’m in good hands w/ the very best doctors,” she tweeted.

The hospitalization comes just a week after the Toronto International Film Festival premiere of “Gaga: Five Foot Two,” a documentary about the performer’s life that illustrates, in part, her continued battle with chronic pain.

The documentary debuts on Netflix on Sept. 22.

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Numero Group’s Ken Shipley poignantly remembers Hüsker Dü’s Grant Hart

Husker Du founding member Grant Hart, who died Wednesday at 56, had been working in recent years on a box set, "Savage Young Du," slated for release Nov. 10.
(Elizabeth Flores / Associated Press)

Hüsker Dü drummer Grant Hart had been working on and off for years on “Savage Young Dü,” a box set culling from the band’s demos and other unreleased recordings, a project that he had hoped to see the light of day while he was still alive.

That did not come to pass, as noted by Ken Shipley, co-founder of the Numero Group record label with whom Grant was collaborating on the project until Grant’s death Wednesday at 56 from cancer.

“‘Can you get it out before I go?’” Shipley recalls Hart asking him in March, which he included in a heartfelt statement issued Thursday. His relationship with Grant dates to 2010, when Shipley reached out to start discussions for a box set, which after years of wrangling is set for release on Nov. 10.

Shipley’s statement recounted with humor and pathos Hart’s complicated work and interpersonal relationship style.

“To know him was to ... I’m not sure ‘love him’ is the right choice of words,” Shipley wrote. “I had a ton of respect for the guy. I enjoyed his company. I certainly liked him. Is there a word to describe that region between love and like?”

Shiply said that plans for the box set often proceeded at “a snail’s pace,” yet “my relationship with Grant continued in the background. We traded messages every few months, almost always prompted by him. He always asked about my kids and somehow remembered my daughter’s name. ‘How’s Clementine?’ he’d ask.”

Hart told Shipley of his battle with cancer in 2015, but continued to push for release of “what would become the first official Husker Du project in more than 25 years.”

On Thursday, Shipley suggested that “Grant Hart would have loved his own death. Furious text messaging in the middle of the night seeking confirmation and commiseration. Condolences from acquaintances and media outlets who haven’t come out of the woodwork in years. E-mails from the Associated Press at 4:45am. The clamoring for details. When and where? What kind of cancer? He loved to stir the peanut butter. Actively sought the circus, metal or otherwise.”

And he offered a posthumous apology about the continued delays that prevented completion of “Savage Young Dü” earlier.

“I’m sorry we failed, Grant. We pushed as hard as we could to get this beast into the wild, but it wasn’t hard enough,” Shipley wrote. “Now it’s two months to the release date and everyone is sad and asking a million questions. It’s chaos down here and you’re probably looking down with your arms crossed, a gigantic, mischievous grin running ear to ear. Just a boy living on Heaven Hill.”

You can read Shipley’s full remembrance on Numero Group’s website.

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Michelle Williams, Kevin Spacey spar in Ridley Scott’s Getty thriller ‘All the Money in the World’

The trailer for Ridley Scott’s “All the Money in the World” debuted Thursday and showcases a nearly unrecognizable Kevin Spacey as American oil magnate J. Paul Getty, then the richest man in the world whose fortune built the J. Paul Getty Museum.

The action in Scott’s latest thriller revolves around the notorious miser and his actions during the 1973 kidnapping of his 16-year-old grandson, John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer) — the tragic scion of the oil dynasty — and Getty’s estranged daughter-in-law’s (Michelle Williams) efforts to get him back.

“To be a Getty is an extraordinary thing,” young John Getty says in the trailer. “My grandfather wasn’t just the richest man in the world. He was the richest man in the history of the world.”

As the drama unfolds to the Zombies’ “Time of the Season” — gagging, shooting, wheeling, dealing and bean-counting included — Williams’ Gail Harris gets the call that her son has been taken from an Italian piazza and she’s expected to tap her wealthy ex-father-in-law for the $17-million ransom.

“I’m not a real Getty. I just married one,” the exasperated Harris explains. “I’m fighting an empire.”

When Getty refuses to pay the ransom, Harris attempts to negotiate with her son’s violent captors and she and Getty’s advisor (Mark Wahlberg) become “unlikely allies in the race against time that ultimately reveals the true and lasting value of love over money,” according to Sony Pictures’ official synopsis.

The film, which also stars Romain Duris, Timothy Hutton and Andrew Buchan, hits theaters Dec. 8.

And if you don’t already know how the kidnapping plays out, read more here.

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Candice Bergen once went on a date with Donald Trump. How did it go? ‘I was home very early’

If Murphy Brown and Donald Trump had gone on a date in college, how would it have gone? About as well as you’d expect.

Actress Candice Bergen, best known for her five-time Emmy-winning turn as the outspoken, feminist eponymous lead of “Murphy Brown,” appeared on Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live” Wednesday night and revealed details of her collegiate date with the eventual leader of the free world.

Bergen, 71, told host Andy Cohen and “Home Again” co-star Reese Witherspoon that she and a young Trump went on a single date in college.

“He was wearing a three-piece burgundy suit and burgundy patent leather loafers and in a burgundy limousine,” Bergen reminisced, wearing a “Free Melania” sweater for the occasion.

“Was there chemistry on the date?” Cohen asked, a question that Bergen quickly dismissed, saying, “No, I was home very early.”

But there was a single point that Bergen was especially eager to underline.

“There was no physical contact, whatsoever,” she said emphatically.

Though ultimately dropping out of school, Bergen attended the University of Pennsylvania for two years. Trump attended the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania to study real-estate studies.

Bergen went on to a successful career as a model and an actress, and Trump pursued a successful career in reality television. And also became president.

Trump didn’t come out looking all bad in Bergen’s estimation. The actress did admit that at the time, Trump was an attractive man.

“He was a good-looking guy,” Bergen said. “And a douche.”

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Grant Hart, Hüsker Dü’s co-founder and drummer who rewired fans’ brains, dies at 56

For a certain kind of punk rocker at a particular time in the American underground rock movement of the 1980s, Grant Hart, the drummer, singer and songwriter for Minneapolis three-piece Hüsker Dü, was a godhead.

Along with co-founder Bob Mould, Hart, who died on Wednesday at 56, helped bridge the divide between loud, fast hardcore punk and more jangly, down-to-earth pop melodies.

Hart-penned songs such as “Diane,” “Pink Turns to Blue” and “Books About UFOs” inspired the so-called grunge movement, and the band’s trio of classic records — “Zen Arcade,” “New Day Rising” and “Candy Apple Grey” — influenced bands including Nirvana, the Pixies, Dinosaur Jr., My Bloody Valentine, Green Day and No Age.

Hart’s death, after a long battle with cancer, was confirmed by Mould on his Facebook page. Hart, wrote Mould, “was a gifted visual artist, a wonderful story teller, and a frighteningly talented musician. Everyone touched by his spirit will always remember.”

It’s impossible to forget the rush of cracking open “Zen Arcade” in 1984 for the first time. Word of the gatefold double album, released by Southern California label SST, had reverberated across the underground scene one fanzine review at a time, so much so that the first pressing quickly sold out.

A punk band had released an epic concept record with a connected narrative about suburban alienation, adolescent angst, drugs and depression. A punk opera? One that’s not totally stupid?

It was a world to get lost in, and its impact changed the way I thought about hardcore. I examined that album cover like it was the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Like a great Beatles record, you could sing along. Like a great Black Flag song, you could thrash. The band underscored this truth by issuing a wildly aggressive version of the Byrds’ “Eight Miles High.”

“New Day Rising” was a more concise statement and further confirmed Hart’s ability to write pop songs. “Books About UFOs,” for example, is a love song about a space-obsessed girl.

Sings Hart:

Her life revolves around all of the planets
And she is constantly aware of all the changes that occur
I’m going to turn into a lens and focus all my attention
On finding a new planet and naming it right after her

In addition to inspiring a generation of punks, Hüsker Dü helped establish SST Records as an independent powerhouse. Founded by Black Flag’s Greg Ginn to issue his band’s records, SST was a mostly local concern until its success with Hüsker Dü.

The “Metal Circus” EP, “Zen Arcade” and “New Day Rising” helped persuade East Coasters including Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr. and Bad Brains to release records through SST.

For its part, Hüsker Dü signed to Warner Bros. Records after issuing its poppy 1985 album, “Flip Your Wig,” and released “Candy Apple Grey,” which featured a lot of — horror of horrors! — acoustic guitar. The double-album 1987 follow-up, “Warehouse: Songs and Stories,” further refined the band’s sound — but tense relations between Mould and Hart caused a split.

Live, the band was ferocious and drew a mix of hardcore punks and pop fans. I saw them at the Blue Note in Columbia, Mo., at what ended up being the band’s final show. Hart, who long struggled with substance abuse, had become hooked on heroin, but I don’t remember anything except screaming along to the lyrics within sheets of noise.

It’s hard to overstate Hüsker Dü’s influence. Like the Velvet Underground before them, echoes of their distorted melodies continue to resonate.

Unlike Mould, who has successfully established himself as a career artist, Hart had difficulty adapting his knack for melodic punk for mass consumption, a challenge for anyone, let alone someone working through addiction.

Still, even if Hart were hardly a household name, his music rewired a lot of brains.

Grant Hart is seen in 2009.
(Elizabeth Flores / Star Tribune via Associated Press)
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Comedy Central extends Trevor Noah through 2022

(Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

Comedy Central is staying in the Trevor Noah business.

The network announced Thursday that it had agreed to a contract extension to keep Noah in place as host of “The Daily Show With Trevor Noah” through 2022.

The deal comes as Noah, who replaced a departing Jon Stewart, approaches his second anniversary at “The Daily Show” on Sept. 28.

“I’m thrilled to be continuing this amazing journey with both fans of ‘The Daily Show’ and Comedy Central,” Noah, who is also a writer and executive producer on the program, said in a statement. “It’s really exciting to renew this contract for either five more years or until Kim Jong Un annihilates us all — whichever one comes first.”

The South African comedian was tapped as Stewart’s replacement in March 2015. At the time, he was largely unknown to American viewers aside from a few appearances as a “Daily Show” correspondent.

“I do believe that he has totally set himself apart,” Comedy Central President Kent Alterman told The Times on Thursday. “I think that he came into this job with sort of unacknowledged advantages and I think people didn’t realize it. He’s so brilliant and thoughtful and incisive and funny, and I think that people really underestimated him coming into this.”

Faced with the daunting task of replacing a figure as revered as Stewart, Noah has put his mark on “The Daily Show,” carving out an avid following among younger viewers and expanding the show’s reach online, Alterman said.

“We knew it would take him a while to find his voice in the show, just as it took Jon some time to transform the show from what it was under Craig Kilborn,” Alterman said, attributing Noah’s growth to an increased comfort with the inner workings of the show and the perspective that comes with living full time in the United States for several years.

“What’s really gratifying is the world has taken notice and is embracing him and we see that in all quarters,” he added.

“The Daily Show” is the only daily late-night show to grow with both total viewers and viewers younger than 50, according to Comedy Central. It is poised to finish the quarter as the most-watched daily late-night show among millennials and ranks as the third-highest-rated daily late-night show with viewers younger than 50.

Noah’s memoir, “Born A Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood,” which detailed his experiences as a mixed-race child in post-apartheid South Africa, earned critical praise and became a bestseller when it was published last year.

Last weekend, Noah won his first Emmy for short-form variety series for the digital series “Between the Scenes.”

As part of his contract extension, Noah will also host annual, year-end specials because, as Comedy Central’s news release put it, “‘The Daily Show’ will no longer take for granted that humankind has made it to another December 31st.”

Noah’s extension gives Comedy Central’s some stability in late night after a series of changes in the 11-to-12-p.m. hour. “The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore” was canceled last year, and the quiz show “@midnight With Chris Hardwick” ended its run last month to make room for “The Opposition With Jordan Klepper,” which premieres Sept. 25 and is executive produced by Noah.

The network has also expanded its topical programming with “The President Show” and “The Jim Jefferies Show.”

“We’re so solid in late night and the late-night sensibility,” Alterman said.

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Elvis Presley’s holiday recordings posthumously paired with orchestra for new Christmas album

In what appears to be a new annual tradition, Elvis Presley’s record company will be releasing another album featuring the King’s vocal tracks posthumously wedded to accompaniment by England’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

This time they’re giving the symphonic treatment to a baker’s dozen of Presley’s holiday recordings for “Elvis Presley: Christmas With Elvis and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.”

The new album, slated for release Oct. 6 (with an expanded deluxe version arriving on Nov. 24), follows RCA and Legacy Recordings’ 2015 and 2016 releases that put Presley in new orchestral settings, “If I Can Dream: Elvis Presley With the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra” and “The Wonder of You: Elvis Presley With the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.”

“The songs chosen were songs that Elvis was particularly fond of and it seemed quite fitting to have the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra once again accompanying him at this very special time of year,” Priscilla Presley, executive producer of the all three albums, writes in the album’s liner notes.

“I’m positive he would be smiling if this opportunity came up in his lifetime and that this album would definitely be in the making,” she added.

“If I Can Dream” has sold more than 1.5 million copies, according to RCA/Legacy.

“That was a surprise,” Priscilla Presley told The Times last year in conjunction with the release of that album’s follow-up, “The Wonder of You,” which has since topped equivalent sales of 800,000 copies.

“Afterwards, people were writing in: ‘Are you going to do more?’” she said. “So we jumped right on it. We didn’t want to lose the momentum.”

The new “Christmas With Elvis” album draws from the two seasonal collections Presley made and coincides with the 60th anniversary of the first of those collections, “Elvis’ Christmas Album,” released in 1957 and the best-selling holiday album of all time, as well as “Elvis Sings the Wonderful World of Christmas” from 1971.

Among the tracks on the new album are “Blue Christmas,” “Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane),” “White Christmas,” “Santa Bring My Baby Back (to Me),” “White Christmas” and “Silent Night.”

The deluxe version will include four more songs from his spiritual EP “Peace in the Valley”: “(There’ll Be) Peace in the Valley (for Me),” “I Believe,” “Take My Hand, Precious Lord,” and “It Is No Secret (What God Can Do).”

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Selena Gomez reveals she received a kidney transplant from pal Francia Raisa

The Secret Life of Selena Gomez has just taken a medical turn: The singer says she underwent a kidney transplant over the summer, and the donor was her pal Francia Raisa, who starred in “The Secret Life of the American Teenager.”

The “It Ain’t Me” singer, who limited her public appearances over the summer despite the release of new tracks such as “Bad Liar” and “Fetish,” said the surgery was a result of her longtime battle with lupus and that she was keeping a low profile to recover, she revealed Thursday morning on Instagram.

“I’m very aware some of my fans had noticed I was laying low for part of the summer and questioning why I wasn’t promoting my new music, which I was extremely proud of,” Gomez divulged. “So I found out I needed to get a kidney transplant due to my Lupus and was recovering. It was what I needed to do for my overall health.”

The 25-year-old famously took a break from her career in late 2013 to undergo chemotherapy for the autoimmune disease that she’s dealt with for years. Gomez has been candid about its effects on her, and, in August 2016, she took another break to cope with the disease’s challenging side effects of anxiety, panic attacks and depression.

The latest hurdle appeared to result in the kidney transplant, which she explained in the lengthy Instagram post that featured an image of her and Raisa holding hands and smiling as they lay in adjacent hospital beds.

The Disney Channel alum said she planned to share the details of her journey “soon” and thanked her family and doctors for caring for her during the harrowing experience.

“And finally, there aren’t words to describe how I can possibly thank my beautiful friend Francia Raisa. She gave me the ultimate gift and sacrifice by donating her kidney to me. I am incredibly blessed. I love you so much sis,” she said.

Gomez’s fans took to Raisa’s Instagram account following the announcement to flood her comments with gratitude.

“What a great friend you are god bless you,” said one commenter, with another writing. “Thank you!!!! You saved selena😍!! You are an angel❤️”

Gomez concluded her remarks by saying that “lupus continues to be very misunderstood but progress is being made,” and urging her followers to visit the Lupus Research Alliance website.

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‘This Is Us’ star Mandy Moore engaged to Dawes frontman Taylor Goldsmith

Mandy Moore is reportedly engaged to Taylor Goldsmith after dating for two years.
(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

This is us ... getting married!

Mandy Moore, star of NBC’s breakout family drama “This Is Us,” and Taylor Goldsmith, frontman of folk-rock band Dawes, are engaged.

Former E! News reporter Marc Malkin broke the news on his Facebook page Tuesday, stating that Goldsmith had popped the question the evening before.

Moore was seen Tuesday in Brentwood wearing what appeared to be an engagement ring, according to People.

ET spoke to “This Is Us” costars Chris Sullivan and Jon Huertas on Wednesday, who confirmed the rumor.

“She just sent out an alert over our family text chain, so I can’t wait to hear about it,” Sullivan told People. “She just sent a photo and just wanted us all to know that this just happened, and so then we went on a response spree for about a day and a half.”

The pair celebrated their two-year dating anniversary in July, with Moore posting a photo on Instagram captioned, “The best 2 years. Never not smiling with you, T.”

In August, Goldsmith posted a photo of himself and Moore celebrating his birthday on the official Dawes Instagram account. It was captioned, “Thanks for all the birthday wishes everyone. Here’s me blowing out some candles with my favorite person in the world.”

Moore has been married once before, to singer-songwriter Ryan Adams. After marrying in 2009, the two released a statement announcing their separation in January 2015. Their divorce was finalized in June 2016.

Representatives for Moore did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment Thursday morning.

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Sean Spicer proves he’s still Team Trump on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’

Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer faced plenty of questions Wednesday night in his first late-night TV interview since leaving his position with the Trump administration. And he spent much of his time on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” continuing to defend the president.

Introducing Spicer as someone who “survived one of the worst jobs ever” and who was “free at last to speak about it,” Kimmel launched into a topic that Spicer probably would never like to revisit: the crowd size at President Trump’s inauguration.

Ultimately Kimmel did not press Spicer to admit that the president’s claims about the crowd were exaggerated, and Spicer continued to assert that his job was just to articulate Trump’s messages and beliefs.

But Kimmel didn’t let up on Trump’s Twitter habits and his attitude toward journalists and the mainstream media.

Though the exchange started a bit lighthearted, with Kimmel joking about Trump’s late-night tweeting and whether Spicer ever tried to “accidentally” drop the president’s phone down the toilet (he didn’t), Kimmel did press Spicer about “fake news.”

“This idea of fake news. Do you agree that the majority of journalists are decent people who are looking to get the truth and write the truth?” Kimmel asked.

“I think probably the majority,” Spicer said. “[But] there are a lot that would rather be first than right. And I think that’s unfortunate because it gives a bad name to those who actually do take the time to get it right.”

According to Spicer, journalists cross a line when “they go on Twitter, or on other social media, and start to perpetuate myths.”

“Wait a minute, the journalists go on Twitter and perpetuate myths?” countered Kimmel. “How about the president?”

Kimmel did not let up there.

“It seems that what [Trump] calls fake news is really anything that criticizes him. Then he’ll give validity to wacky news sources sometimes because they are complementary,” he said. “Do you think that is a dangerous thing — to delegitimize the press — for America?”

“I believe that a free press is paramount to a democracy. It’s what makes our country great,” Spicer said, before accusing the press corps of continually attacking Trump to “undermine him or call into question his credibility.”

Kimmel eventually got around to asking Spicer one question many Americans have likely wondered since Trump’s election: “Do you think Donald Trump wants to be president?”

“Absolutely,” Spicer said, to Kimmel’s apparent surprise.

Of course, the inteview wasn’t all politics. Kimmel and Spicer also discussed “Saturday Night Live” (Spicer admitted he thought Melissa McCarthy’s impression of him was kind of funny), the possibility of a tell-all book and more. Watch the full interview above.

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A Star Is Born: Tyler Perry turns 48 today

(Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)

I want to be a part of a system where an artist can create the art he thinks his audience wants. That is difficult because the studios have become huge corporations where scripts, ideas and casts go through so many hands it ends up not being your vision.

— Tyler Perry, 2007

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Studios aren’t only show in town for Tyler Perry

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Jessi Zazu of Those Darlins dies of cancer at 28

Jessi Zazu, the singer and founder of Nashville’s rowdy, country-leaning indie band Those Darlins, died Tuesday at age 28 after a long fight with cancer. The band unveiled the news on its Facebook page.

Zazu, whose full name was Jessi Zazu Wariner, was public and candid about her illness, sitting for a long interview with the Nashville Scene in the months before her death and continuing to make visual art about her struggles with the disease.

“She maintained a sense of humor and a commanding presence up until and through her final moments,” her bandmate Linwood Regensburg told the Tennessean. “She was in the company of those who cared deeply about her and who she cared deeply about.”

The group was a fixture in the Nashville music scene, helping establish its reputation as a hotbed for rock acts outside the country music industry.

“Jessi was a force of nature -- the way she lived, the way she played... It was an honor to work with her and to know her,” wrote singer Margo Price.

Zazu was also widely admired for her activism in women’s health and outspokenness about her illness.

“I knew there was going to be a response, it was just so much more grand than I thought it was going to be,” she said in June. “Thousands of people reached out. They pitched in — they told me heartfelt stories. I felt like so many people had my back — like I had an army of people that were with me.”

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Scarlett Johansson reaches divorce settlement with second husband Romain Dauriac

(Marc Piasecki / Getty Images)

Scarlett Johansson has finalized her divorce from French journalist Romain Dauriac.

The “Avengers” actress and Dauriac submitted a sealed settlement in Manhattan Supreme Court on Tuesday, according to the New York Post‘s Page Six. The settlement is believed to have resolved their custody dispute over their 3-year-old daughter, Rose Dorothy Dauriac.

Johansson was seeking primary custody of Rose, but Dauriac opposed it because he planned to move back to his native France with their daughter, Page Six reported. Additionally, Johansson’s travel schedule reportedly strained the former couple’s informal every-other-week custody arrangement.

Rumors of the split bubbled up in January, and Johansson filed for divorce in March, saying that the union was “irretrievably broken.”

The “Rough Night” star began dating Dauriac in 2012, and the two got engaged in 2013. They quietly wed in Montana in late 2014, shortly after Rose was born.

It was the second marriage for Johansson, who previously was wed to “Deadpool” star Ryan Reynolds from 2008 to 2010.

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Larry King reveals he had surgery for lung cancer: ‘I never thought it would happen to me’

Larry King has revealed that he underwent surgery for lung cancer in July.
(Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

Though he hasn’t smoked in 30 years, Larry King was reminded of the all-too-real consequences of tobacco use earlier this summer.

The octogenarian interviewer underwent surgery for lung cancer in July, he revealed to People in a story published Wednesday.

“They said I was lucky and smart to get annual chest X-rays because lung cancer doesn’t give you any signs until it’s in late stages,” King said. “And by then it’s too late.”

King’s Stage 1 cancerous mass appeared in X-rays as a cloud on his lung. Doctors removed the malignancy through a surgical procedure that went in through his ribs, and after a week of recovery, King was back to work on the sixth season of “Larry King Now.”

The legendary broadcaster, 83, opted to be transparent with his latest health scare as a way to raise awareness.

“When I had my heart attack and was diagnosed with type-2 diabetes [in 1987] and prostate cancer [in 1999,] I talked about it and felt that I helped a lot of people,” King said. “I want people to make sure to get annual X-rays.”

King’s doctors attributed his lung cancer to his years of smoking three packs a day, despite stopping after his heart attack.

“I never thought it would happen to me. I saw all the warnings, but I never paid attention. I loved smoking, but when I had the heart attack that February of 1987, I stopped that day and never reached for one again,” he said. “It was easy for me because I got scared to death.”

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Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt and more to perform at Hurricane Harvey benefit concert

Willie Nelson will perform at the "Harvey Can't Mess With Texas" benefit concert.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

A bevy of music legends are banding together to remind the world that you don’t mess with Texas.

Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Paul Simon and James Taylor will perform at the “Harvey Can’t Mess With Texas” benefit concert set for Sept. 22 in Austin.

The event will be broadcast on YouTube and will raise funds for Rebuild Texas, an organization that supports both short- and long-term relief efforts after the estimated $100 billion damage from Hurricane Harvey.

Also scheduled to perform are Lyle Lovett, Leon Bridges and Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, in addition to other guests.

Tickets for “Harvey Can’t Mess With Texas” go on sale today, with prices ranging from $30-$1,000. Donations can be made at www.rebuildtx.org.

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Olivia de Havilland’s ‘Feud’ trial expedited, set for November

Two-time Oscar winner Olivia de Havilland will be getting her day in court this fall.

The 101-year-old Hollywood icon, who sued FX and Ryan Murphy over her depiction in the Emmy-nominated docuseries “Feud: Bette and Joan,” has been granted the speedy trial she was seeking due to her advanced age.

De Havilland’s jury trial will begin on Nov. 27 and is expected to last five to seven days, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Holly Kendig ruled Wednesday at a hearing for the actress’ motion to fast-track the lawsuit.

Olivia de Havilland 101: Everything you need to know as the movie legend celebrates her 101st birthday

“I can’t imagine not granting the motion based on the plaintiff being 101,” Kendig said (via Deadline).

Though de Havilland, who lives in Paris, did not appear in court, her daughter Gisele Galante Chulack, an L.A. resident, attended the hearing instead, Deadline reported. It is unclear if the veteran actress will appear for later court dates.

The “Gone With the Wind” star sued FX and Murphy in June claiming that her depiction in “Feud” was unauthorized. De Havilland, who was played by Catherine Zeta-Jones in the miniseries about rival actresses Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, makes four major legal claims about violations of her common law and statutory rights of publicity, her right to privacy and unjust enrichment.

Her attorney Suzelle M. Smith said de Havilland is “absolutely thrilled” that the trial has been expedited.

“Having this case resolved quickly is particularly meaningful to the plaintiff, who is defending the reputation of grace and integrity that she has built over the course of her 80-year career,” Smith said in a statement following the hearing.

A rep for FX had no further statement regarding Wednesday’s hearing.

In the lawsuit, de Havilland alleges that neither FX, Murphy nor producers at 20th Century Fox TV sought or obtained her permission to include her in the eight-episode anthology. De Havilland also took issue with her portrayal during an episode about the 1963 Oscars during which Zeta-Jones had ample screen time and relayed gossipy commentary about the players of the night. The veteran actress believes the episode cast her in a “false, hurtful and damaging light.”

Olivia de Havilland will have her day in court in November.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

On Wednesday, FX’s attorney sought more trial time to track down third parties and experts because the issue “goes back decades.” FX and Murphy’s attorneys have argued that de Havilland’s lawsuit impinges on the defendants’ First Amendment right to “create expressive works about matters of public interest” and filed an anti-SLAPP motion to strike the lawsuit in its entirety last month.

They said that de Havilland’s consent was not needed to include her in the series, nor did her inclusion violate her right of publicity. They argued that de Havilland “cannot carry her burden of showing a probability of prevailing on any of her four causes of action” under the state’s anti-SLAPP statutes protecting petition and free-speech rights.

That motion further complicates the situation because, if granted, the defendants would be awarded an automatic pre-trial appeal, which could push the trial date back further, the Hollywood Reporter said.

A hearing on the anti-SLAPP motion has been set for Sept. 29.

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‘Hand in Hand’ benefit raises $44 million (and counting) for hurricane relief

Tuesday night’s “Hand in Hand: A Benefit for Hurricane Relief” harnessed its celebrity star power and generated more than $44 million in donations.

Stars of all stripes turned out in support of the telethon, including performances by Stevie Wonder and George Strait, while other celebrities lobbied for donations via taped submissions.

“Natural disasters don’t discriminate,” Houston native Beyoncé said in her message. “They don’t care if you’re an immigrant, black or white, Hispanic or Asian, Jewish or Muslim, wealthy or poor.”

Household names also manned the phones, with Oprah Winfrey, Justin Bieber, George Clooney and Barbra Streisand joining dozens of other celebrities fielding donation calls.

“Hand in Hand” was originally organized by Houston rapper Bun B and Hollywood talent manager Scooter Braun as a benefit for Hurricane Harvey victims, but was expanded Tuesday in the wake of Hurricane Irma’s widespread devastation.

If you missed the televised event, you can still donate online or by calling (800) 258-6000 or texting “GIVE” to 80077

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Late-night hosts ‘liked’ Ted Cruz’s NSFW Twitter mishap

People threw things on late-night television Tuesday — stones in the form of jokes directed at Sen. Ted Cruz, who is in the news this week after his personal Twitter account “liked” a pornographic post.

Many of the jokes were appropriately “blue,” in the comic parlance, and won’t be repeated here, but that is only traditional for after-hours comedy.

Seth Meyers on “Late Night”: “‘Ew, gross’ …. said porn stars after hearing that Ted Cruz watched them.”

“I have four theories” as to how it happened, said Jimmy Kimmel on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

“Number one, someone on his staff was browsing porn on Twitter and accidentally liked it.

Number two, his Twitter account was hacked.

Number three, Ted himself was looking at the porn. His wife, Heidi, walked in and he accidentally hit the ‘Like’ button while he was trying to get his pants zipped up.

Or number four, you know, Ted lost the presidential election, he’s been bullied by Trump, he didn’t get a Cabinet position, he’s tired of being the uptight religious guy from Texas. He just said … ‘I watch porn in public now, this is who I am.’”

(Number one is the official line.)

Both Kimmel and James Corden on “The Late Late Show” made hay from the fact that in many photographs Cruz looks exactly like a person who is either about to look at, or has just looked at, pornography.

“I really honestly don’t think it was Ted Cruz,” Kimmel concluded. “I don’t think Ted Cruz looks at porn. Ted Cruz masturbates to pictures of poor people without healthcare.”

Elsewhere, actual objects were being fired at targets human and human-shaped.

On “The Late Late Show,” the members of the singing group Fifth Harmony agreed to a game of “Flinch.” This is a recurring feature on Corden’s show, wherein contestants stand behind a glass wall and try not to spill a cocktail when a water balloon is fired at them. It is a simple thing that pays reliable dividends.

Over on “The Tonight Show,” Jimmy Fallon and Jennifer Lawrence threw axes at a target (“which we found in the old ‘Tonight Show’ prop room”) with the outline of a man. Lawrence’s throws failed to stick. Fallon’s first one went over the top, but the next two landed perfectly, both for purposes of the contest and the comedy.

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Serena Williams debuts baby girl Alexis with sweet YouTube video

Tennis champ Serena Williams’ daughter made her social media debut on Wednesday in an intimate portrait of her cuddling with Mom.

Born Sept. 1, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. weighed in at 6 pounds, 14 ounces — and she’s already got one grand slam title, the new mom quipped in a YouTube video accompanying her Instagram reveal.

“So we’re leaving the hospital after six, seven days,” Williams says at the end of the clip, which documented several moments from her pregnancy. “It’s been a long time, but we had a lot of complications. But look who we got — we got a baby girl!”

The mini-tennis pro gets her name from dad: Williams’ fiancé and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. Williams called her “Junior” in the video. Meanwhile, Junior’s proud papa said their little girl is “already mama’s perfect sidekick.”

Williams and Ohanian met by happenstance in Rome in May 2015, and he proposed in December 2016.

In the August issue of Vanity Fair — for which Williams posed nude while about 6 months pregnant — the first-time parents said they plan to get hitched in the fall after Williams gave birth. Come January, the six-time U.S. Open winner told the magazine, she’s planning to return to the pro tennis circuit.

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A Star Is Born: Fiona Apple turns 40 today

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

I have this weird, contradictory relationship with the audience when I’m onstage, where I’m totally doing everything for them and there’s that great relationship that happens with everybody in the room. But I also totally pretend that they don’t exist, during the songs at least. The more voyeuristic it can be, the better it will be.

— Fiona Apple, 2012

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Slices of life from Fiona Apple

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Hand in Hand fundraising efforts will now include Hurricane Irma recovery too

George Strait, right, is scheduled to perform live on the Hand in Hand benefit Tuesday night. The fundraiser has been expanded to include devastation from Hurricane Irma.
(Wade Payne / Invision/Associated Press)

“Hand in Hand: A Benefit for Hurricane Relief” has announced that beneficiaries of Tuesday night’s fundraising efforts will include those devastated by Hurricane Irma, in addition to those recovering from Hurricane Harvey.

Originally planned as a benefit for Hurricane Harvey survivors, Tuesday’s one-hour telethon will air commercial-free at 8 p.m. Eastern and be rebroadcast at 8 p.m. Pacific for the West Coast.

The special will feature a who’s who of celebrities from all walks of life, including Tom Hanks, Will Smith and Drake. Three cities – Los Angeles, New York and Nashville – will play host to the benefit, with a live performance by George Strait (and friends) from Texas.

“Hand in Hand” will air on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, BET, Bravo, CMT, E!, HBO, HBO Latino, MTV, MTV2, MTV Live, MTV Classic, Oxygen and Univision, while also streaming on a variety of online outlets including Facebook and Twitter.

Donations can be made online, by text and phone. To donate by phone, call (800) 258-6000. To donate $25 by text message, text “GIVE” to 80077.

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James Woods, Armie Hammer, Amber Tamblyn spar over how young is too young

Amber Tamblyn, James Woods and Armie Hammer.
(Robin Marchant / Getty Images; Evan Agostini / Associated Press; Rich Polk / Getty Images)

Man, have James Woods, Armie Hammer, Amber Tamblyn and David Cross been throwing down on Twitter this week. The topic: adults in sexual relationships with teenagers.

The inciting incident was a Sunday tweet from Woods commenting on a gay conservative’s opinion that Hammer’s new movie, “Call Me by Your Name,” celebrates adults having sex with teens. “24 year old man. 17 year old boy. Stop,” wrote Chad Felix Green.

In “Call Me by Your Name,” Hammer, 31, portrays a 24-year-old graduate student who has a romantic and physical relationship with the 17-year-old son of a professor who is hosting him for six weeks abroad one summer.

“I have experience being the teenager. LGBT should not be romanticizing adult-teen sex,” Green tweeted Sunday.

Woods’ Twitter comment was blunt, touching the third rail that is the North American Man/Boy Love Assn.: “As they quietly chip away the last barriers of decency. #NAMBLA.”

That earned him a slap Monday morning from Hammer, who tweeted at the conservative actor, “Didn’t you date a 19 year old when you were 60.......?”

Tamblyn, 34, jumped into the fray a few hours later, alleging, “James Woods tried to pick me and my friend up at a restaurant once. He wanted to take us to Vegas. ‘I’m 16’ I said. ‘Even better’ he said.”

When asked by a noncelebrity how a relationship between a 24-year-old and a 17-year-old was different from what Tamblyn had accused him of doing, the 70-year-old “Shark” actor replied, “The first is illegal. The second is a lie.”

A few hours later, Cross, who is Tamblyn’s husband, chimed in, dubbing his wife’s account of her encounter with Woods “deliciously, massively hypocritically, true.”

“Somebody told me the libs are yelping,” Woods said later Monday. “Troll traffic is up. I don’t pay any attention really. I like Armie Hammer as an actor though. A lot.”

Putting a pin in his participation, Woods wrote, “Okay, now I want all my little trolls to put on their onesies and go to bed! Final word on this: I don’t [care] what liberals think.”

On Tuesday, Tamblyn posted a screen grab of a text exchange with a friend that would seem to support her story.

“Creepy old dudes who didn’t think she’d repeat the story, for $400, please, Alex...,” added “Hotel Rwanda” actor Don Cheadle in his own tweet.

Tamblyn and the 53-year-old Cross are, of course, conscious of their own age difference. At a comedy show in 2012, they shared how they met in 2007 on an airplane, and made fun of the 19 years that separate them.

“I was slow to make any moves because of our age difference, and also because she was a fan [of ‘Arrested Development,’]” Cross said, according to the Huffington Post.

“If anyone’s wondering, I’m 14!,” joked Tamblyn, who was in her mid-20s when they first perused the SkyMall catalog together. She and Cross got married in 2012 and have a daughter together.

“Call Me by Your Name,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January and just screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, is scheduled for a release in theaters Nov. 24.

The Luca Guadagnino movie is, according to The Times’ Justin Chang, “a powerfully erotic and affecting love story.” With 42 reviews counted so far, it has a 98% “Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Also at TIFF is Louis C.K.’s “I Love You, Daddy,” in which C.K.’s character sees his 17-year-old daughter head off to Paris with a 68-year-old director.

“When I was growing up a lot of dudes of that [older] generation had teenage girlfriends,” C.K., 49, said in an interview Sunday with several actors from “Daddy.”

“You’d see pictures of them at Studio 54, and they would have a girl on their lap who was obviously a teenager. And,” the comic said with a wave of his hand, “people would say, ‘Oh, that guy just likes that.’”

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If you’re going to tease ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’s’ Larry David, better to call him bald than old

Larry David is back and as wry as ever.

Not much has changed for the “Curb Your Enthusiasm” scribe and star since his idiosyncratic comedy went off the air in 2011 -- except that he’s older.

Gearing up for the long-awaited Season 9 premiere next month, the “Seinfeld” co-creator stopped by “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on Monday to answer a few of the host’s questions about the new season, namely how his cranky misanthropic character has evolved.

“What’s changed is the way that people yell at me,” David explained, “because you know every show somebody’s yelling, cursing, usually it’s, ‘You bald bastard,’ things like that. And it always made me laugh.”

However, due to the hiatus and the self-parodying nature of the show, his co-stars have picked up on his age (he’s 70 now), which has become frequent fodder on the largely improvised comedy.

“Now, instead of a ‘bald bastard’ they’re calling me an ‘old bastard.’ ... And the ‘bald bastard’ used to make make me laugh but the ‘old bastard,’ oh, no, I didn’t like that at all,” he said. “Boy, do I miss being called bald. I never thought I’d miss it.

“I’m very proud of myself -- and I’m not proud of myself for a lot of things -- [I’m] very proud of myself for the way I accepted my baldness,” he asserted. “It’s the only demonstration of character I’ve ever displayed in my life. In my entire life. I’m amazed.”

“Curb Your Enthusiasm” returns on Oct. 1. You can watch the latest NSFW trailer here.

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Live from the Apollo, Bruno Mars lands his first TV special

Bruno Mars will star in a CBS special from the Apollo Theater.
(Matt Sayles / Invision/Associated Press)

Bruno Mars has scored his first prime-time television special. “Bruno Mars: 24K Magic Live at the Apollo” is slated to air Nov. 29 on CBS.

The pop-R&B star taped the show at the historic Apollo Theater in New York’s Harlem and performs an opening sequence atop the venue’s well-known marquee.

“He is the very definition of event television,” said Jack Sussman, CBS’ executive vice president of specials, music and live events. “He burns the roof off the Apollo while paying respect to its tradition and history. We at CBS are proud to be broadcasting his first TV special.”

Mars shares executive producer credits with Ben Winston for the special, which also features Mars’ band, the Hooligans, in various sequences created for the show.

The title references Mars’ recent album “24K Magic,” which has sold more than 1.4 million albums, according to Nielsen Music.

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Jon Stewart, John Oliver and Trevor Noah to headline Stand Up for Heroes veterans fundraiser

Veterans of “The Daily Show” are turning out in force for this year’s Stand Up for Heroes fundraising event.

Former host Jon Stewart, current host Trevor Noah, former correspondent John Oliver and current correspondent Hasan Minhaj will all be headlining the 11th annual event, alongside fellow TV host Conan O’Brien and comedian John Mulaney.

Presented by the Bob Woodruff Foundation and the New York Comedy Festival, Stand Up for Heroes brings together comedians and musicians for a night of entertainment and has raised more than $40 million for wounded service members and their families.

“Stand Up for Heroes is an opportunity for us all to put aside our differences and honor those who have, and continue to sacrifice so much for all of us,” Bob Woodruff, ABC News correspondent and co-founder of the Bob Woodruff Foundation, said in a statement Tuesday.

A portion of this year’s proceeds will go specifically to support veteran organizations affected by recent natural disasters.

This year’s festivities will be Nov. 7 at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

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With J.J. Abrams directing, ‘Star Wars: Episode IX’ pushes back release date

The Force remains with J.J. Abrams, and he remains with the “Star Wars” franchise.

Announced Tuesday morning, the filmmaker will return to direct and write the final installment of the sequel trilogy, “Star Wars: Episode IX,” replacing the recently ousted Colin Trevorrow.

Abrams, whose other major credits include “Lost,” “Super 8,” “Star Trek” and “Westworld,” is credited with reinvigorating the space saga with “The Force Awakens” in 2015.

“With ‘The Force Awakens,’ J.J. delivered everything we could have possibly hoped for, and I am so excited that he is coming back to close out this trilogy,” Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy said in a statement Tuesday.

The director also will co-write the screenplay with “Argo” and “Justice League” scribe Chris Terrio.

Abrams’ production company, Bad Robot, and Lucasfilm will produce the new film.

Earlier this month, Lucasfilm and Trevorrow had “mutually chosen to part ways” on the upcoming film because of differing visions for it.

The 3-D film was previously slated for release in May 2019 but has been pushed back to Dec. 20, 2019, Walt Disney Studios, which owns Lucasfilm, said Tuesday afternoon.

Update, 12:45 p.m.: This story has been updated to include the film’s new release date.

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Seth Meyers reminds us that Trump is very much a Republican

Things may be quiet in the eye of a hurricane, but Seth Meyers had plenty to say Monday night about the coverage of Hurricane Irma as well as the Trump administration’s response to it.

In a segment that began with the “Late Night” host wondering why reporters were placing themselves in danger just to describe “wind and rain,” Meyers took the president and his team to task for their comments on Irma.

After pointing out how Trump was unable to praise the Coast Guard for its work during the storm, Meyers explained how the administration is refusing to even discuss climate change and its correlation to recent weather events.

“The evidence shows that the effects of climate change … are making these kinds of extreme weather events worse. And yet the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, says now is not the time to talk about it,” Meyers said.

“That’s like crashing your car into a telephone pole and telling the cops, ‘This is not the time to talk about my drinking problem.’ If now is not the time, when is the time?”

Meyers reiterated how Trump’s views (read: denial) of climate change is just one of the ways the president is completely aligned with Republicans — a reminder he felt people needed after the media praised Trump for going against his party to make a deal with congressional Democrats to extend the nation’s debt limit.

“Can we just stop with this absurd talking point? Donald Trump is not an Independent,” Meyers said. “The only thing he’s independent of is reality. Whether it’s his views on climate change, immigration, race, taxes, education or national security, he has proven time and again, that he is a Republican. The GOP is now totally and completely the party of Trump.”

Watch the full segment above.

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A Star Is Born: Jennifer Hudson turns 36 today

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

This is something I’ve always dreamed of since I was 7. I wanted to be a singer, and I wanted to be famous.

— Jennifer Hudson, 2006

FROM THE ARCHIVES: And I am telling you ...

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Warner Bros. lassoes ‘Wonder Woman’ director Patty Jenkins to helm sequel

“Wonder Woman” director Patty Jenkins is springing back into action for a sequel to the summer blockbuster, The Times has confirmed.

Jenkins reportedly inked a deal in the $8-million range to write, direct and produce the sequel, making her the highest-paid female director of all time, Variety reported. She was already attached to the film and has been at work on the script with DC Entertainment’s Geoff Johns.

“Wonder Woman” was the fourth installment in the DC Extended Universe and the first feature-length film for the superheroine.

Having grossed $410 million at the box office domestically and $816 million globally, it’s the highest-grossing live-action film directed by a woman. It also earned an impressive 92% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, despite what James Cameron had to say.

Gal Gadot will reprise her role as the indomitable lasso-wielding princess for the sequel, which reportedly will be set in the final days of the Cold War and see her taking on Soviet forces.

“Wonder Woman 2” is slated to hit theaters on Dec. 13, 2019. In the meantime, Gadot’s Diana Prince will make a return appearance this November in the Batman-Superman movie “Justice League.”

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Grand Ole Opry announces Troy Gentry memorial service plans

A public memorial at the Grand Ole Opry will be held Thursday in honor of Troy Gentry, a member of the country music duo Montgomery Gentry, who died in a helicopter crash Friday at age 50.

The Opry announced plans for the public celebration of Gentry’s life on its website Monday. The ceremony will be followed by a private interment.

The music world was shocked by the news of Gentry’s death Friday, when the helicopter he was flying in crashed outside of the Flying W Airport and Resort in Medford, N.J., where he was scheduled to perform that night.

A senior air safety investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board told People that Gentry’s helicopter trip was a “spur of the moment” decision. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot — who was also killed in the crash — reported that he was having trouble controlling engine RPM. An attempt to land fell short of the runway.

Gentry is survived by his wife, Angie Gentry (née McClure), as well as his daughters, Taylor and Kaylee.

Thursday’s memorial service will be held at 9 a.m. PDT and streamed live online. The Grand Ole Opry will have more details when they are available.

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Kid Rock is mad at the extreme left and the extreme right and loves black people

Kid Rock had a very important message for those invested in his potential campaign for a U.S. Senate seat out of Michigan.

“People! Pay NO attention to the garbage the extreme left is trying to create!” he said on his website Monday in a post loaded with profanity. The performer was incensed by recent accusations that his use of the Confederate flag could be construed as racist.

In his explicit screed, Rock — who announced in July the possibility of a Michigan Senate run against Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow — wrote of his critics, “My track record in Detroit and Michigan speaks for itself, and I would dare anyone talking trash to put theirs up against mine.”

The 46-year-old entertainer born Robert Ritchie apparently has no use for extremists on either side of the aisle, cussing out both the far right and far left in a parenthetical.

READ MORE: No joke — Kid Rock is a competitive candidate for the U.S. Senate in Michigan>>

Though most of Rock’s statement can’t be reprinted due to its content, he did go on to financially threaten charitable organizations that didn’t defend him from his critics, as well as adding no less than five postscripts to his original thoughts.

The postscripts included Rock cursing out a Detroit political consultant, decrying NFL players who take a knee during the national anthem, blasting “fake news” and hyping his upcoming concerts in Detroit.

Rock concluded his statement with, “P.P.P.P.P.S. I LOVE BLACK PEOPLE!!”

No, really.

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Busy Philipps hospitalized for ovarian torsion while celebrating BFF Michelle Williams’ birthday

Michelle Williams, left, and Busy Philipps.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Actress Michelle Williams’ birthday celebration took a “super weird” turn when her best friend Busy Philipps wound up in the hospital with ovarian torsion.

The inseparable stars were hitting the town in Boston — in coordinating “best friends” leather jackets, no less — for Williams’ 37th birthday when Philipps started feeling an “excruciating pain” in her side, which ultimately landed her in Massachusetts General Hospital.

“[I]f you listen to my podcast, you know our advice is always, don’t be a hero, go to the doctor,” Philipps divulged in a lengthy Instagram post on Sunday. “Anyway, I had a crazy excruciating pain in my lower right side and after a long time at Mass Gen, it was determined my ovary had flipped over- it’s called torsion. Mine flipped back by itself and I’m ok but sometimes if it doesn’t you have to get surgery or you can lose your ovary.”

Even though she “felt like an idiot for going to the hospital,” Philipps said she posted about the incident because going to the hospital was the right move.

“It always is!,” she said. “Even if they say you’re fine and send you on your way!”

The “Cougar Town” alum is in Beantown with Williams to shoot the Amy Schumer comedy “I Feel Pretty,” co-directed by Philipps’ husband, Marc Silverstein, and Abby Kohn. Earlier that day, she shared a set photo with Schumer, “Saturday Night Live” star Aidy Bryant and Williams. The film, which also stars model Emily Ratajkowski and Kevin Kane, is due in the summer of 2018.

Philipps, who’s been been dear friends with Williams since they co-starred in the 1990s teen drama “Dawson’s Creek,” got her sense of humor back by Monday with a pastoral “Creek” tribute on Instagram.

“We found a dock. WHERE YOU AT DAWSON? #wedontwanttowaitforourlivestobeover,” she wrote.

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Smithsonian honors Sting for musical and philanthropic contributions to American culture

Sting was honored Friday by the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History for his musical and his philanthropic contributions to American culture.

The English singer, songwriter and former frontman for the Police donated the 1978 Fender Stratocaster on which he wrote several of the Police’s hits and played his first-ever solo performance for a 1981 Amnesty International benefit.

“I’ve decided to give them my Fender Strat from the ‘80s, the one I used on the ‘Secret Policeman’s Other Ball,’” Sting said in a statement. “There are a number of reasons why I think this is the right choice. … I wrote a lot of my hits on that guitar (‘Message in a Bottle’ for one). That performance marked the beginning of my move to a solo career. ... It also marked my long-standing and continuing association with Amnesty International.”

He was also recognized for starting the Rainforest Foundation with his wife, Trudie Styler, in 1989.

During the evening he participated in a question-and-answer session moderated by Smithsonian Secretary David Skorton and including composer J. Ralph, with whom Sting wrote the “The Empty Chair” from the documentary “Jim: The James Foley Story.” The original song earned an Academy Award nomination earlier this year.

The film told the story of American photojournalist Foley, who was kidnapped in Syria in 2012, held hostage for two years and then killed in 2014.

Ralph also was included in the Smithsonian’s honor for his part in “The Empty Chair,” and donated orignal sheet music, lyrics and recordings of that song and another of his compositions, “Evolocean,” to the museum’s collection.

Sting gave a solo acoustic performance of “The Empty Chair” on Friday.

“I know first-hand … that Sting’s participation in the ‘Secret Policeman’s Other Ball’ was an inspiration to numerous other musicians,” said Martin Lewis, organizer of the Amnesty International event.

Many of those musicians “subsequently supported Amnesty International and stepped up their own social and political activism — including Bob Geldof, Peter Gabriel, Bono & U2, Jackson Browne, Bryan Adams, Lou Reed, Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Phil Collins, Radiohead, Coldplay, Green Day and many more,” Lewis said.

“With the success from his music career he could easily have sat back, reaped the rich rewards and turned his back,” Lewis added. “He lives out John Lennon’s creed of using his success creatively as a platform to make the world a better place.”

Update at 4:15 p.m.: This post was updated to include the Smithsonian’s recognition of composer J. Ralph and items he donated to the national Museum of American History.

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Noel Gallagher gets emotional at first Manchester Arena show since bombing

Noel Gallagher headlines the We Are Manchester benefit concert at Manchester Arena on Saturday.
(Shirlaine Forrest / Getty Images)

With Noel Gallagher at the top of the bill, Manchester Arena reopened Saturday for the first time since a May 22 terrorist attack outside an Ariana Grande concert left 22 people dead and a city traumatized.

The mood at the We Are Manchester benefit was both teary and triumphant with Gallagher and his High Flying Birds headlining the concert, which also featured sets by Courteeners, Pixie Lott, ex-Girls Aloud singer Nadine Coyle, Rick Astley, Blossoms and Bugzy Malone.

The most emotional moment in Gallagher’s set came with the performance of “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” the unofficial rallying anthem of the Manchester attack.

“It became an anthem for defiance,” the Manchester native said of the song he wrote in 1995 while lead guitarist and co-lead vocalist of Oasis. “Every time you sing, we win. So sing like you’ve never sang before.”

It was that singing that appeared to touch Gallagher’s heart during the final chorus, as he wiped tears from his eyes and allowed the crowd to finish out the song.

Saturday’s benefit took place before a sell-out crowd of 14,000 people. Money raised by the event will go to a permanent memorial or memorials to the victims of the Manchester Arena attack.

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John Oliver calls Trump’s pardon of Joe Arpaio a slap in the face to Latinos and rule of law

Former Maricopa County, Ariz., Joe Arpaio
(Joshua Lott / Getty Images)

After a few weeks off the air, “Last Week Tonight” returned to HBO on Sunday night with a blistering segment on Joe Arpaio, the former Maricopa County, Ariz., sheriff recently pardoned by President Trump.

Or, as host John Oliver put it, “a man who answers the question ‘What if a decaying russet potato somehow hated Mexicans?’”

As Oliver recapped, Arpaio gained a national profile thanks to a host of controversial practices, including feeding prisoners rotting food and forcing them to wear pink underwear and chain-gang style uniforms and live in a tent city where temperatures soared.

Maricopa County, where Arpaio served until last year, has also paid out several settlements to families of inmates who died while in custody.

Though Arpaio’s targeting of Latino communities drew scrutiny from groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union and the Department of Justice, he has shrugged off charges of racism, once citing his daughter’s adoption of “a black and a Mexican with Down syndrome” as evidence of his tolerance.

But for all of Arpaio’s tough-on-crime rhetoric, Oliver argued, the notorious sheriff — who like Trump once had his own reality show —seemed content to let certain crimes fall through the cracks.

The comedian noted that Arpaio’s department had failed to adequately investigate some 400 sex crimes, some involving children.

“That is a casual indifference to overlooking sex crimes so egregious I am genuinely surprised that Penn Sate hasn’t erected a statue of him,” Oliver said.

But what ultimately got Arpaio in trouble was his practice of racial profiling. He was found guilty of criminal contempt last year for continuing to target Latinos in defiance of a court order, and also lost his bid for reelection.

Trump’s pardon was not only a slap in the face to Latinos, Oliver said, it was also a slap in the face “to the very rule of law itself.”

“Arpaio broke the very rules he was sworn to uphold, rules that are put in place to protect citizens from a government going out of control,” he continued. “At least as far as this White House is concerned, for the next few years, law enforcement won’t necessarily be expected to do their jobs the way the Constitution or the courts say they should.”

You can watch the segment, which includes profanity, here.

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At Creative Arts Emmys, Dave Chappelle and Melissa McCarthy win for ‘SNL’ gigs

A trio of shows — “Westworld,” “Saturday Night Live” and “Stranger Things” — each took home five wins and HBO notched 19 wins total at the 2017 Creative Arts Emmys over the weekend.

Though the bulk of the awards handed out Saturday and Sunday nights were for behind-the-scenes and technical achievements, there were some performance awards as well.

Melissa McCarthy and Dave Chappelle won for guest actress and actor in a comedy series for their appearances on “Saturday Night Live,” while the awards for guest actor and actress in a drama went to Gerald McRaney, for his work as Dr. Nathan Katowski on “This Is Us,” and Alexis Bledel, who played Ofglen in “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

RuPaul Charles was once again named outstanding host for a reality or reality-competition program. Leah Remini won her first Emmy, and Meryl Streep took home her third.

The 69th Creative Arts Emmys, which saw awards handed out in 93 categories, will be broadcast at 8 p.m. Sept. 16 on FXX, leading up to the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards at 5 p.m. on Sept. 17 on CBS.

For the record, 4:48 p.m.: An earlier version of this post gave RuPaul Charles’ name as RuPaul Jones. It also said the ceremony was Friday and Saturday; it was held Saturday and Sunday.

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Kristen Bell dubs Irma ‘best hurricane ever’ as she shelters and sings in Orlando

(Chris Pizzello / Associated Press)

Kristen Bell was making the best of her situation while she hunkered down in Orlando waiting out Hurricane Irma.

The “Frozen” and “Bad Moms” star’s latest shenanigans include getting serenaded by a senior citizen — and rubbing it in her husband’s face.

“Dear @daxshepard1, this is john. My side piece in orlando. I hope u understand. Im powerless over a man who serenades me. #Irma2017,” she tweeted Sunday, sharing a video of said crooning side piece.

“I fully approve of this side action. Git it gurl,” Shepard replied.

The gentleman, who sang “You Are My Sunshine,” was among the latest seniors to be featured on her Irma-filled Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Bell also posted a photo of her hugging a woman named Corey who “cries when she’s happy too” and another of the seniors being treated to “a spa station” at the hotel.” Those posts warranted the hashtag #besthurricaneever.

MORE: What we know about Irma so far

“The Good Place” star was in Florida filming her Netflix comedy “Like Father” last week when Irma struck the Sunshine State. The mother of two didn’t make it out in time and joined the masses holed up in hotels to wait out the storm. Despite her situation, her do-gooder proclivities stretched to the family of “Frozen” costar Josh Gad.

“No joke. @IMKristenBell just literally saved my parents, my brothers and entire family from #HurricaineIrma — you are an angel. I adore you,” Gad tweeted Friday.

Gad’s brothers, sister-law, niece and nephew were stranded in Florida and the actress was able to get them a room at her hotel.

“They don’t make them like this girl. Thank you Kristin. You are truly an angel sent from above. And thank you @ewablueeyes for bother [sic] her when I asked you not to!!!!” he added on Instagram.

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A Star Is Born: Taraji P. Henson turns 47 today

(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

I’ve been doing this for a long time, and in my opinion I’ve been doing very good work. But now people are discovering me.... I’ve always been that utility worker, that utility actor, but now all of a sudden the world is seeing me on a platform they’ve never seen me on before. 

— Taraji P. Henson, 2015

FROM THE ARCHIVES: ‘Empire’s’ tough Cookie, Taraji P. Henson, always up for a challenge

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A Star Is Born: Colin Firth turns 57 today

(Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

I’m more comfortable in dramas than in comedies, and I think there’s a certain irony that for so many years I was involved on the comedy side. Some of them I’m really happy to have done. But they’re not necessarily movies that I would go to.

— Colin Firth, 2010

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Colin Firth’s royal pains

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A Star Is Born: Michelle Williams turns 37 today

(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

I think it’s a mistake to take projects just for that intention or just to shock people. You attract what you are ready for. I am finding that to be true. The projects I have come across recently have been there for a reason. It’s all about timing.

— Michelle Williams, 2002

FROM THE ARCHIVES: She Finds Her Secret Self Up on the Big Screen

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Troy Gentry, of country group Montgomery Gentry, dies in helicopter crash

Troy Gentry of music group Montgomery Gentry was killed in a helicopter crash Friday in Medford, N.J. He was 50.
(Frederick Breedon IV / Getty Images)

Troy Gentry, the co-founder of the country-rock duo Montgomery Gentry, has died in a helicopter crash. He was 50.

The duo was scheduled to perform a show on Friday at the Flying W Airport & Resort in Medford, N.J. The helicopter crashed in a forested area just outside the venue, according to FAA reports cited by Associated Press.

Gentry and a fellow passenger were killed, though it was not immediately clear who was piloting the helicopter.

“It is with great sadness that we confirm that Troy Gentry, half of the popular country duo, Montgomery Gentry, was tragically killed in a helicopter crash,” read a statement on the band’s website. “Troy Gentry’s family wishes to acknowledge all of the kind thoughts and prayers, and asks for privacy at this time.”

Gentry co-founded the group with Eddie Montgomery in Lexington, Ky.

The duo released its debut album “Tattoos & Scars” in 1999, and went on to score several country chart-topping hits, including ‘’Lucky Man,” “Roll With Me,” “Something to Be Proud Of,” ’’Back When I Knew It All” and “If You Ever Stop Loving Me.”

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Martin Shkreli is selling rare Wu-Tang Clan album — and bids have surpassed $1 million

The pharmaceutical pariah who turned out to be the secret purchaser of the Wu-Tang Clan’s single-copy-only album “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin” is auctioning it off with the stated hope that “someone with a bigger heart for music can be found for this one-of-a-kind piece and makes it available for the world to hear.”

Martin Shkreli, the former CEO of his own Retrophin pharmaceuticals company as well as Turing Pharmaceuticals, where he drew international scorn for hiking the price of a lifesaving AIDS drug to boost his company’s profits, bought the Wu-Tang album in 2015 for $2 million.

He posted the CD on eBay and started bidding at $1. As of Friday afternoon, the album had drawn 320 bids that have upped the potential sale price beyond $1 million.

Shkreli is offering free shipping for the CD. The auction continues through Sept. 15.

His listing, which includes a photo of himself holding the album, states that, “This is the one and only Wu-Tang album. I decided to purchase this album as a gift to the Wu-Tang Clan for their tremendous musical output. Instead I received scorn from at least one of their (least-intelligent) members, and the world at large failed to see my purpose of putting a serious value behind music.”

The listing adds:

“At any time I may cancel this sale and I may even break this album in frustration. I will donate half of the sale proceeds to medical research. I am not selling to raise cash — my companies and I have record amounts of cash on hand. I hope someone with a bigger heart for music can be found for this one-of-a-kind piece and makes it available for the world to hear.

“Upon sale, I will represent & warranty any copies of the music I have will be destroyed. I have not carefully listened to the album, which is a double CD. There is also a finely crafted booklet which you can read about elsewhere. I will pay legal expenses for the buyer up to $25,000 to ensure the final purchase details are mutually agreeable.”

Martin Shkreli arrives for the first day of jury selection in his federal securities fraud trial on June 26, 2017.
(Timothy A. Clary / AFP/Getty Images)

Shkreli was convicted in August on two counts of securities fraud and one count of conspiracy. Shortly after his conviction by a jury in Brooklyn, he posted a video of himself calling his trial “a witch hunt of epic proportion” and said his sentence would be “close to nil.” He said he expected to serve any time in “Club Fed,” where he would “play basketball and tennis and Xbox” for the duration of his sentence.

Federal prosecutors accused Shkreli of conducting what they said was essentially a Ponzi scheme that bilked investors in several investment funds out of more than $11 million.

The saga of the creation of the album and Shkreli’s purchase is the subject of author Cyrus Bozorgmehr’s book “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin: The Untold Story of Wu-Tang Clan’s Million-Dollar Secret Album, the Devaluation of Music, and America’s New Public Enemy No. 1,” which was published in July.

The strict terms of the album’s original sale did not preclude the buyer from reselling it, but required that it could not be commercialized or duplicated, raising a potential legal and/or ethical question about the line in Shkreli’s eBay listing seeking another buyer “to [make] it available for the world to hear.”

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Garth Brooks coming to Stagecoach Country Music Festival in 2018

Garth Brooks, shown playing the Forum in July, will be the Stagecoach 2018 headliner.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

It’s official: Garth Brooks will headline the Stagecoach Country Music Festival in Indio next year.

Brooks tweeted a short video on Friday alerting followers to his coming Stagecoach appearance, posing it as a question: “Are YOU ready for the BIGGEST party on the planet? Love, g.”

The video, which also is now showing on the Stagecoach website, slowly reveals a neon sign that spells “Stagecoach” using Brooks’ lowercase “g” logo as part of the word. No other details were offered.

Dates have not been formally announced, but since promoter Goldenvoice revealed that next year’s Coachella will take place April 13-15 and April 20-22, it’s expected that Stagecoach will immediately follow on the weekend of April 27-29.

Billboard recently reported that Brooks would headline next year but did not identify the source of the information.

Here is Brooks’ tweet:

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Former Rep. Loretta Sanchez to executive produce political drama ‘Accidental Candidate’ for NBC

(Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Former Rep. Loretta Sanchez is coming to Hollywood — only this time, instead of asking for money, it looks as if she’s aiming to make some.

Sanchez, a Democrat who represented Orange County for 20 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, is named as an executive producer on a political drama that just got a script commitment from NBC, the Los Angeles Times has confirmed.

“Accidental Candidate” will follow a small-town mom who gets thrust into the spotlight after a confrontation with a politician at a town hall meeting and impulsively decides to run for Congress as “the ultimate outsider against a powerful male incumbent,” according to the show’s logline.

If that sounds at all familiar, it’s because the early years of Sanchez’s political career had her upsetting Rep. Bob Dornan, a six-term Republican incumbent, in a brutal battle for Orange County’s 46th District.

“Nashville” showrunner Dee Johnson is on board as an executive producer and writer. Josh Berman of Osprey Productions and Chris King are also EPs.

The Hollywood Reporter was the first to report the script sale Friday.

After the 57-year-old former congresswoman went all-in on a 2016 Senate bid and lost her next move was unclear. Not anymore.

“Although we don’t know what our future will be,” Sanchez said in a Nov. 9 speech conceding victory in the Senate race to Kamala Harris, “I can tell you that this is not the last that people will see of me.”

At the very least, there’s a chance her supporters will be seeing her name, and a version of her life story, on TV.

Updated, 12:20 p.m: This story was updated with confirmation of the script sale and additional information on the project.

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Dr. Phil to Sinéad O’Connor: ‘Do you want to be dead?’

Sinéad O’Connor is giving herself up to “The Dr. Phil Show.”

The Irish singer, whose life in recent years has been peppered with drama that has threatened to eclipse her art, is a guest on Phil McGraw’s show next week in the wake of her public struggle with mental health. She shot a video in a New Jersey hotel room in early August that alluded to suicidal thoughts and decried the stigma some attach to mental illness.

O’Connor reveals that she thought about making the video for a year before she finally did it. McGraw notes that in one year she attempted suicide eight times.

“I’m really sorry it took me this long to find you,” he says in the teaser clip above.

“I’m so happy that you did,” O’Connor replies.

Shortly after the troubling video was posted this summer, the 50-year-old singer was “surrounded by love and receiving the best of care,” according to an anonymous post on her Facebook page, written by a person who said the singer had “asked for this to be posted knowing you are concerned for her.”

Now, according to a news release, McGraw tells O’Connor, “For you to have the courage to candidly and openly talk about this gives others the courage to come forward and seek the help they need.”

That said, questions posed bluntly by McGraw during the sit-down — which is to air Tuesday and appears to include a performance of “Nothing Compares 2 U” — include “Are you mentally ill?”, “When you tore the pope’s picture up on ‘Saturday Night Live,’ whose picture were you tearing up?” and “Do you want to be dead?”

The episode kicks off the 16th season of “The Dr. Phil Show.”

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Sen. Bernie Sanders swats back at Hillary Clinton’s book accusations about him

Continuing the long tradition of political finger-pointing, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) appeared on Thursday night’s episode of “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” ready to lay some blame and muddy the waters about his plans to run for president again.

Colbert opened his interview with the lawmaker by asking about Hillary Clinton’s accusations in her forthcoming book, “What Happened.” She asserts that Sanders’ attacks made it harder to unify progressives during the 2016 presidential election she eventually lost to Donald Trump.

Sanders, though, had his shade locked and loaded, dismissing Clinton’s claims by saying, “Secretary Clinton ran against the most unpopular candidate in the history of this country, and she lost. And she’s upset about that. I understand that.”

Ouch.

Colbert later pivoted from last year’s election to the next one, asking Sanders — 76 years young as of Friday — if he is planning another run at the presidency in 2020.

“Stephen, I’ll tell you what I tell everybody,” Sanders responded. “That right now what the American people want the Senate and the House to do is start addressing the real issues that they’re facing.

“They do not like never-ending campaigns,” he continued. “Media likes that, I don’t think people do. We’ve got a long time to go. So let us focus on issues that people care about and the politics will follow that.”

Which, if you read carefully, is not actually a “no.”

Clinton will likely share her own thoughts on what happened when she appears with Colbert on “The Late Show” on Sept. 19, her first late-night appearance since her stunning defeat.

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In the new ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ trailer, Thor’s team of gladiators has a name — or maybe it doesn’t

While the NFL kicked off its regular season Thursday night, Marvel Studios kicked off “Thor: Ragnarok” ticket sales during the game with a petite new trailer for the superhero flick that opens Nov. 3 in the U.S.

Lots of fighting, myriad cool weapons and a thundering herd of winged horses are included in the 45-second peek at the newest satellite in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Plus there’s a creepy fire monster. And Cate Blanchett, of course, as the villainous Hela, goddess of death.

Nice headgear, Hela.

“I’m puttin’ together a team,” Chris Hemsworth’s Thor says, swaggering toward Valkyrie, played by Tessa Thompson.

“This team of yours, has it got a name?” Valkyrie inquires, as one does when approached by a swaggering man dressed in armor, leather and a smidgen of a cape.

Yeah, um, it’s called — what was it called? The Revengers? OK, maybe not. Maybe no name at all? That’s what Thor meant to say in the first place, guys. Just ask the Hulk.

“If we were taking things a little too seriously, I would say, ‘Never forget that we’re making a cosmic adventure with a space Viking,’ ” director Taika Waititi told The Times recently. “That sort of captures it all.”

Anyway, don’t miss the superhero landing, folks. This time, it’s at the end.

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A Star Is Born: Aimee Mann turns 57 today

(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

The music is the easy part. It’s the photo sessions that are hard. See, I actually have the problem ancient tribes have -- that a picture steals your soul. It’s like, ‘Don’t you know? I’m in the music business, there’s not much of my soul left to go around!’

— Aimee Mann, 1996

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Spoiling for a Fight: Aimee Mann is a tough customer disguised as a new-pop chanteuse

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See how the Emmy Awards crowd will dine and party at the post-show Governors Ball

Emmys Governors Ball press preview.

Everyone is a winner following the Creative Arts Emmys and the 69th Emmy Awards next week because that’s when the Governors Ball celebrations lay out a feast amidst lavish decor for whoever can wrangle their way into the parties.

The 2017 version has a “Golden Grandeur” theme, and the Times was among those able to get a glimpse into the preparations going into the ballroom’s transformation. In the above video, event producer Cheryl Cecchetto mentions how the “epic look” of the venue “is going to make everyone feel so important.”

The Creative Arts Governors Ball Celebrations will take place September 9 and 10, following the 2017 Creative Arts Awards, and the Governors Ball will kick off following the primetime Emmy Awards on September 17.

The Emmy Awards Governors Ball preview gets underway.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Chocolates by chocolatier Phillip Ashley
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Andy Seymour, a mixologist with the Hilhaven Lodge and Diageo Brands, mixes the Fireside, the signature Emmy cocktail.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter stepping down after 25 years

Graydon Carter at Vanity Fair's 2016 Oscars after-party
(Evan Agostini / Associated Press)

Graydon Carter, editor of Vanity Fair since 1992, is finally walking away from what might be the highest-profile gig in magazine publishing.

He will leave by the end of the year, the magazine announced Thursday.

“I’ve loved every moment of my time here and I’ve pretty much accomplished everything I’ve ever wanted to do ...,” Carter said in a statement. “We built a magazine with sophistication, wit, and an international outlook, on a bedrock of solid journalism.”

Under Carter, the magazine’s efforts have included topics as diverse as a 2005 exclusive in which Mark Felt revealed himself to be “Deep Throat” and 2015’s Caitlyn Jenner cover story, which included her first post-transition photo spread.

“The Grexit is upon us,” David Kamp said in a Vanity Fair essay noting the departure, which comes just months after Carter hit 25 years on the job.

The 68-year-old Spy magazine co-founder replaced Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown after the latter went to edit the New Yorker in 1992. Carter had been at the helm of the New York Observer for a year before he made the jump.

Since then, the magazine has in large part been crafted in his image — or at least in the image of his interests.

“I want to leave while it’s in vibrant shape, both in the digital realm and the print realm,” Carter told the New York Times in an interview conducted a day before his exit strategy went public. “And I wanted to have a third act — and I thought, time is precious.”

He told his staff on Thursday, the paper said, and will give publisher Condé Nast suggestions on who might replace him.

Carter told the paper he will spend the next six months at a rented home in Provence. The paper listed Adam Moss of New York magazine and Janice Min of the Hollywood Reporter as talked-about contenders to replace him.

The Canadian native moved to the U.S. in 1987 and became a citizen in 2000. In the Vanity Fair job he has been, according to Kamp, “an impresario as much as an editor, a job description he essentially created.” Indeed, his Oscars after-party has been one of the most sought-after tickets associated with the Academy Awards each year.

The man who notoriously tagged Donald Trump as a “short-fingered vulgarian” years before the real estate developer became president also caused a buzz earlier this year when he yanked Vanity Fair’s involvement in the White House Correspondents’ Dinner as well as its sponsorship of an exclusive after-party.

And as for next year’s Oscar party? Will Carter attend?

“You don’t really need me there,” he told the New York Times. “I’m like a glorified maître d’.”

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JR, the French artist behind that baby installation on the U.S.-Mexico border, is speaking in L.A. tonight

French artist JR, pictured near his artwork on the U.S.-Mexico border in Tecate, Calif., will be speaking about immigration Thursday in Los Angeles.
French artist JR, pictured near his artwork on the U.S.-Mexico border in Tecate, Calif., will be speaking about immigration Thursday in Los Angeles.
(Guillermo Arias / AFP/Getty Images )

The image of an inquisitive baby now peers over the U.S.-Mexico border thanks to the French artist known as JR.

On Tuesday, the artist shared video of the installation of his latest project, a 70-foot piece with an image built in Mexico that faces the U.S. side of the wall in Tecate, Calif.

“Some people dream about fantasy worlds, I dream about walls,” he told the New York Times in a story published Thursday.

“I wonder, is this kid worrying about what will happen? What does he think?” JR said. “At 1 year old, you don’t see the frontier or which side is better.”

The artist describes his work as “pervasive art,” which utilizes large, black-and-white photography in public places in the same fashion as a graffiti artist; he’s sometimes referred to as “the French Banksy.”

For those in Los Angeles who want to know more about how immigration has influenced JR’s large-scale installation projects, he will be in conversation with curator Pedro Alonzo at Blum & Poe on Thursday night. The event is free and begins at 8 p.m.

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Royals, they’re just like us: Prince William walks Prince George to kindergarten on first day of school

Prince George, with dad Prince William at his side, greet Helen Haslem, head of the lower school, at Thomas's Battersea School on Thursday.
(Richard Pohle / Getty Images)

As if a sick mom, a new sibling and a whole empire weren’t enough to contend with this week, Prince George also has to deal with his first day of kindergarten.

The 4-year-old British royal, third in line to his grandmother’s throne, started primary school on Thursday, joining the droves of kids gearing up for the new school year. (Let’s be honest: You’ve seen the emotional-parent posts flooding your newsfeeds. You may have liked them. Or maybe blocked them.)

Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, were among the proud parents sharing moments from the occasion via social media (thanks @KensingtonRoyal). William was prominently featured in one portrait holding his uniformed son’s hand before they left home for George’s first day of school.

Alas, there was no cute sign sharing George’s teacher’s name or his aspirational career endeavors. (We’ll fill that in for him: “Future monarch.”)

William, toting George’s backpack, accompanied his firstborn to the doors of Thomas’s Battersea School near their Kensington Palace home in London. They were greeted by Helen Haslem, the head of the lower school, who shook their hands before taking them to George’s classroom.

The school educates about 560 children between the ages of 4 and 13. According to its website, its most important school rule is: “Be Kind.” (That’s “kind,” not “king.”)

Catherine did not partake in Thursday’s milestone because she “remains unwell,” the palace said. The duchess is suffering from severe morning sickness as she carries the couple’s third child. The palace announced her pregnancy on Monday by saying she was not feeling well enough to attend an official engagement later in the day.

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Animal Planet special to feature the rescue of furry friends from Hurricane Harvey

If images of the damage wrought on Houston and beyond weren’t devastating enough, Animal Planet announced Thursday “Surviving Harvey: Animals After the Storm,” a special featuring animal rescues, reunions and adoptions in the wake of the natural disaster.

“We are pleased to bring the stories from Hurricane Harvey that profile the incredible efforts being made on behalf of the animals in harm’s way,” said Patrice Andrews, general manager of Animal Planet, in a statement.

“We hope our special helps to also promote continued contributions to the organizations working tirelessly to rescue and shelter the animals.”

The program will also bring attention to the volunteers who went to great lengths to save hundreds of animals.

“Surviving Harvey” will air Saturday at 8 p.m. Pacific on Animal Planet.

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Ryan Murphy, Sarah Paulson team up for Netflix’s ‘Cuckoo’s Nest’ prequel, ‘Ratched’

Sarah Paulson and Ryan Murphy
(Emma McIntyre / Getty Images)

Producer Ryan Murphy and actress Sarah Paulson are teaming up again, this time with Netflix to flesh out the story behind the sadistic, rules-loving Nurse Ratched of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”

According to Deadline, “Ratched” will explore the psychiatric nurse’s origins beginning in 1947 and chronicle how she transformed into the tyrannical caregiver made famous by Louise Fletcher in the 1975 film.

The Emmy-winning Murphy and his muse, Paulson, have worked together repeatedly on projects such as “American Horror Story” and “American Crime Story.” The two will co-produce Evan Romansky’s series, which marks Murphy’s first foray into streaming. Romansky, a recent film school graduate, penned the script and will write the pilot, Deadline said. Murphy will direct it and Paulson will play the formidable titular character.

Netflix called for a two-season, 18-episode, straight-to-series order, and production is planned for 2018. The highly coveted prequel reportedly launched a bidding war among Netflix, Hulu and Apple.

Two-time Oscar winner Michael Douglas will also serve as executive producer. His father, Kirk Douglas, co-owned the “Cuckoo’s Nest” film rights and originally starred in the 1963 stage adaptation. Michael Douglas and Saul Zaentz co-produced Milos Forman’s Jack Nicholson-starring film, and Murphy reportedly spent a year securing the rights to the Ratched character, as well as Michael Douglas’ and the Zaentz estate’s participation, Deadline said.

Based on Ken Kesey’s 1962 novel, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” won the Oscar for best picture and earned Nicholson an Academy Award. Fletcher’s career-defining role earned her the supporting actress Oscar, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA. The enmity her character wrought was a focal point of her Oscars speech, which she famously delivered in sign language.

“Well, it looks like you hated me so much that you have given me this award. And all I can say is — I’ve loved being hated by you!” Fletcher said.

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Arie Luyendyk Jr. is the next ‘Bachelor’ (in a possibly last-minute move)

(Imeh Akpanudosen / Getty Images)

Arie Luyendyk Jr. is the next leading man on “The Bachelor,” and like many other things in the race car driver’s life, the gig came up fast.

So fast, in fact, his parents found out via “Good Morning America” early Thursday, just like the rest of the audience.

Asked what his father thought of his return to Bachelor Nation — he was Emily Maynard’s runner-up during Season 8 of “The Bachelorette” in 2012 — the 35- going on 36-year-old said, “He’s finding out right now, so, hey, Dad, Mom ...

“I kind of kept things really under wraps just because I didn’t know how this would turn out. It’s been such a quick turn of events, and my family doesn’t know,” he said. “So, now they know.”

Comments like that were in line with buzz from the past two weeks.

Showrunner Mike Fleiss has been teasing to the reveal since Monday, when he tweeted “power rankings” that had Peter Kraus, the runner-up from Rachel Lindsay’s season of “The Bachelorette,” in the lead.

On Wednesday night, Fleiss said Kraus “probably” wasn’t the guy, fueling rumors that the decision went right up to the last minute while messing with those who had him locked into the deal.

“They are in a full-blown panic mode,” an “insider” told People on Wednesday. “Peter was honestly never their first choice; they’re still mad at him because of the whole Rachel situation. But they knew he’s who the fans wanted. And the fact that they went to Peter even after they’d initially said they wouldn’t? That let Peter know he had a ton of power going into this situation.”

Luyendyk said on “GMA” that he had been “in talks” with the show for years, but this season, the timing was right. Also, his 24-year-old brother just got married, so he figured it was about time for him to do the same.

The professional driver said he’s still friends with his Season 8 “Bachelorette” buddies John Wolfner and Sean Lowe and would be reaching out to them for advice. Wolfner shared his excitement in bro-like fashion on Instagram.

“Now that I’ve had some time and distance away from it, it feels like the feeling I had before I went into it the first time,” Luyendyk told People in an interview published Thursday. “I think sometimes when you’re on ‘The Bachelorette’ and you jump right into being the Bachelor, for me it would’ve been too soon. This feels more natural. I’m not concerned what people think.”

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HBO’s ‘Veep’ to end in 2018

Could it be that American politics has finally gotten too weird for HBO’s “Veep” to satirize?

That’s the feeling after Wednesday’s news that the two-time Emmy-winning comedy series will conclude its run with Season 7 in 2018.

“It became clear that this season should be the last season,” Julia Louis-Dreyfus told The Hollywood Reporter. “We don’t want to repeat ourselves or wear out our welcome. The story has a finality to it that feels end-of-series.”

Executive producer and showrunner David Mandel, who took over for series creator Armando Iannucci with Season 5, echoed Louis-Dreyfus’ comments when speaking to THR.

“It was just a very natural thing,” Mandel said. “We don’t want to repeat ourselves or be boring. It’s bittersweet, but it’s right.”

“The decision to bring ‘Veep’ to a close at the end of next season is bittersweet,” Casey Bloys, president of HBO Programming, said in a statement. “We love the show and everyone involved but respect the producers’ choice to bring Selina Meyer’s journey to its conclusion after an extraordinary run of critical and award-winning acclaim.

“Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ comedic brilliance infused Selina with a dynamic presence and a vibrant wit which will ensure her a place in the history of television’s most iconic comedic characters. We look forward to producing the seventh and final season,” Bloys’ statement concluded.

The series’ sixth season scored 17 nominations for this year’s Emmy Awards, which will be given out Sept. 17. Filming for the final season will begin Oct. 16.

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A Star Is Born: Evan Rachel Wood turns 30 today

(Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Once I was old enough to walk and talk, I was pushed out on stage, and I just kind of did it ever since. It wasn’t until I was about 9 or something that I realized that this was a really special thing I was getting to do and I wanted to keep doing it.

— Evan Rachel Wood, 2005

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Young in years, mature in skills

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Seth Meyers criticizes Hillary Clinton for blaming her loss on Bernie Sanders

Late-night hosts have not wanted for material since Donald Trump became president. Seth Meyers, whose “Closer Look” segments regularly offer some of the most pointed critiques of his administration, aimed at a new target Wednesday: Trump’s former rival.

Reacting to recently released excerpts from Clinton’s upcoming book, “What Happened,” Meyers criticized the Democratic presidential candidate for partly blaming Bernie Sanders for her loss.

“Don’t blame Bernie because Donald Trump called you names,” Meyers said, referencing a passage in the book. “It’s not like Trump wasn’t going to do that anyway.”

Initially, Meyers needled all sides, but Clinton remained his focus. “Bernie isn’t the reason you lost,” Meyers went on, addressing Clinton directly, “You beat Trump by 3 million votes. If you want to blame something ancient, blame the electoral college.”

Meyers then recounted the Clinton campaign’s series of poor decisions, a list of details followed by a plea for unity that probably didn’t help her supporters sleep any easier last night.

Bear in mind there’s a few rude words in the segment — reserved for the president. You can watch it here.

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Donald Sutherland and Charles Burnett are among those receiving honorary Oscars

Donald Sutherland and Charles Burnett
(Jay L. Clendenin and Stephen Osman / Los Angeles Times)

Writer-director Charles Burnett and actor Donald Sutherland are among those to be presented with honorary awards by the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences at the Governors Awards on Nov. 11.

Joining Burnett and Sutherland in receiving Oscar statuettes will be cinematographer Owen Roizman and director Agnès Varda.

As a writer, director, editor and cinematographer, Burnett is well known to independent filmmakers. His most popular works include “To Sleep with Anger” and “The Glass Ceiling.”

Sutherland is probably best known for “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” and “Ordinary People,” but was also instrumental in “The Hunger Games” franchise as the malevolent President Snow.

Owen Roizman
(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Roizman has earned five Oscar nominations for his cinematography on “The French Connection,” “The Exorcist,” “Network,” “Tootsie” and “Wyatt Earp.”

Varda is a well-respected filmmaker known worldwide as the mother of the French New Wave, and is still releasing films at 89. Her documentary “Faces Places” was screened at this year’s Telluride Film Festival. Her other prominent films include “Cleo from 5 to 7,” “Breathless” and the autobiographical documentary “The Beaches of Agnes.”

According to the academy, the award is given “to honor extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences, or for outstanding service to the Academy.”

The ceremony is set for the Ray Dolby Ballroom at the Hollywood and Highland Center.

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How to meet and marry George Clooney? Being an amazing pen pal helps

(Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images)

Sure, it’s a little late now, but George Clooney is finally telling the world how to meet and marry him.

First off, he revealed in a new interview with the Hollywood Reporter, get a mutual friend to introduce you. It might happen somewhere fabulous — say, Lake Como, Italy, where he has a home.

Be on your way to somewhere equally fabulous — say, to Cannes, France, with a friend.

Then be beautiful and funny and smart — like, say, the woman formerly known as Amal Alamuddin.

Nobody’s saying that recipe would work every time, but it did that one time, turning the notoriously avowed bachelor into a husband and father of twins.

After their first meeting, in July 2013, “she sent some pictures from when she was here, and we were writing each other, emailing, talking, mostly about what was going on in each other’s lives, and over a period of time it became clear we were more than just friends,” the “Suburbicon” director told THR.

They got together in London that October for a first date while he was supervising the recording of his “Monuments Men” score at Abbey Road Studios.

“Then we went for dinner,” said Clooney, 54. “She said, ‘Let’s go to this place.’ It was one of those places that was incredibly hip and chic. And when we came out, there were 50 paparazzi there. But she handled it like a champ. And pretty quickly, things escalated once I was in London.”

He spent six weeks in London, and then they went to Cabo for Christmas. Then to Kenya for a safari because apparently Amal loves giraffes.

In April 2014, he proposed and she said yes, with songs by his late aunt Rosemary Clooney playing in the background.

A little more than three years later — without the help of fertility drugs, the new dad said, debunking rumors that popped up during his wife’s pregnancy — the couple welcomed twins Alex and Ella.

“We never talked about [having children] until after we were married, which is funny,” he said. “There was an assumption that we didn’t want them. And then, after the wedding, Amal and I were talking and we just felt we’d gotten very lucky, both of us, and we should share whatever good luck we’ve got.

“It would seem self-centered to just have that belong to us,” Clooney added.

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EDC Las Vegas moves to May in 2018, adds camping

At Electric Daisy Carnival’s flagship Las Vegas event, the searing heat is as much a fixture as the pulsing EDM music and the spectacles of neon lights.

But a schedule change for the 2018 event may help alleviate some of the sweat.

Organizers announced Wednesday that the festival -- one of the largest in North America -- will move from its usual June dates up to May 18-20. Promoter Insomniac said it made the decision in part to avoid the brutal summer heat and allow for gates to open earlier in the day for the 400,000 fans who attend the fest over three days.

“We strive to make every year better than the last, and after a lot of brainstorming and feedback from our community, we have decided to move next year’s festival to May 18, 19 and 20,” Insomniac founder Pasquale Rotella said in a statement. “This way we can enjoy cooler weather, the gates can open earlier, and we can hold a very special opening ceremony each day.”

Nighttime temperatures routinely top 100 degrees at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The festival over the years has seen several drug-related deaths, and overheating and dehydration can compound the adverse effects of popular party drugs such as ecstasy.

Additionally, the festival will for the first time introduce an on-site camping option for fans (with both general admission and luxury packages) and shift shuttle operations to an independent transportation firm, in an effort to alleviate some of the famously snarled traffic to and from the venue.

“We’ll be building an immersive camping experience right next to the speedway, which will eliminate traffic all together for campers,” Rotella said. “I’m looking forward to revealing what this exciting next chapter of EDC Las Vegas will look like in the months to come.”

Tickets for the 2018 festival go on sale Sept. 28.

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CMT to support Hurricane Harvey relief while honoring artists of the year

Chris Stapleton will be honored as a CMT Artist of the Year on Oct. 18 in a ceremony that also will highlight Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

CMT announced Wednesday its plans to champion Hurricane Harvey relief efforts while celebrating country music’s biggest stars at this year’s Artists of the Year special.

Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Chris Stapleton and Keith Urban will be honored at a ceremony airing live from Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center at 8 p.m. Eastern time Oct. 18.

Beyond the accolades, the network is determined to honor the efforts of volunteers and victims of the storm that wreaked havoc on southeast Texas in early September.

“Working with our honorees and the entertainment community, we’ll take advantage of one of our biggest nights of the year to honor the resilience of those impacted by this disaster and applaud the fearless efforts of those on the front lines,” Frank Tanki, general manager of CMT and TV Land, said in Wednesday’s statement.

The ceremony also will include a charitable initiative to be announced at a later date.

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Emmys line up Oprah Winfrey, Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon and others to present

The talent has arrived.

Oprah Winfrey, Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon are just a few of the A-listers who will be handing out golden statuettes at the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sept. 17.

Keeping with tradition, the Television Academy has tapped several of its prospective and past winners to present at this year’s ceremony at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

LIST: 2017 Emmy Award nominees

The first round of presenters announced Wednesday includes nominees Winfrey (“The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks”), Witherspoon and Kidman (“Big Little Lies”), Riz Ahmed (“The Night Of,” “Girls”), Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross (“black-ish”), Alec Baldwin (“Saturday Night Live,” “Match Game”) and Allison Janney (“Mom”).

Other presenters include TV stars Jason Bateman (“Ozark”), Jessica Biel (“The Sinner”), Edie Falco (“Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders”), Anna Faris (“Mom”), Rashida Jones (“Angie Tribeca”), Debra Messing (“Will & Grace”), Lea Michele (“The Mayor”), Shemar Moore (“S.W.A.T.”), Kumail Nanjiani (“Silicon Valley”), Jim Parsons (“The Big Bang Theory”) and Adam Scott (“Ghosted,” “Big Little Lies”).

Stephen Colbert will host the ceremony, which will be telecast live on CBS at 5 p.m. Pacific. And the nominees are....

For complete Emmys coverage, click here.

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U2 goes personal: Listen to the lovesick ‘You’re the Best Thing About Me’

Experience of all kinds matters — that’s the implicit message of U2’s “You’re the Best Thing About Me,” the proudly lovesick new song the veteran Irish band released Wednesday morning as the official lead single from its next album, “Songs of Experience.”

The follow-up to 2014’s “Songs of Innocence” (which took clear inspiration from the group’s beginnings), “Songs of Experience” was supposed to come out shortly after the earlier album.

But then 2016 gave the world Brexit and President Trump; U2 felt it had no choice but to overhaul its work to better reflect such disruptive forces.

“Statues fall / Democracy is flat on its back,” Bono sings in one of the band’s new songs, “The Blackout,” which appeared last month in a live concert video posted on Facebook. (“Songs of Experience” is due Dec. 1, according to the New York Times, and will feature production by Ryan Tedder, Jacknife Lee and Steve Lillywhite.)

Yet U2’s new single looks past current events to consider a more elemental experience: the irresistible torture of romance.

“You’re the best thing about me,” Bono sings over the Edge’s signature electric-guitar arpeggios, “The best things are easy to destroy.” Later he wonders, “Why am I walking away?”

More polished and immediately catchy than the comparatively rough-edged “Blackout,” “Best Thing” (which eventually takes on sweeping, disco-style strings) feels aligned with late-period U2 singles like “Beautiful Day” and “City of Blinding Lights” — tunes about human-sized emotions that the band scales up to stadium dimensions.

It’s an unexpectedly personal statement at a moment when the world seems to be burning. But it also reminds you that the world was built by people.

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Justin Timberlake, Ariana Grande and Pharrell sign on for Dave Matthews Band’s ‘Concert for Charlottesville’

Dave Matthews
(Owen Sweeney / Invision / Associated Press)

News of tropical storms and recovery relief have dominated headlines in recent weeks, but the violent white-nationalist protests that besieged Charlottesville, Va., in August have not been forgotten.

Dave Matthews Band, which formed in that college town in 1991, announced on its website Wednesday a way to ease the aftermath: “A Concert for Charlottesville,” an evening of music and unity, will be free for members of the Charlottesville area and University of Virginia communities.

Joining DMB are a number of prominent artists with ties to the South, including Justin Timberlake, a Tennessee native, and Pharrell Williams, who grew up in Virginia Beach.

Also scheduled to perform are Ariana Grande, Chris Stapleton, the Roots, Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes, Cage the Elephant and more.

Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes
Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

The event is to take place at the University of Virginia’s Scott Stadium in Charlottesville on Sept. 24, with doors opening at 3:30 p.m.

Tickets will be available initially to residents of Charlottesville and surrounding counties, as well as the university’s students, faculty and staff with a valid ID. Online ticket requests are underway at www.concertforcharlottesville.com and will remain open until noon on Sept. 11.

The band noted that even though the concert is free, people are encouraged to donate to the “Concert for Charlottesville” fund. Proceeds will go to victims of the violence in Charlottesville, their families, first responders and organizations that support healing, unity and justice.

News of “A Concert for Charlottesville” comes just a day after Bun B and Scooter Braun announced plans for their star-studded telethon, “Hand in Hand: A Benefit for Hurricane Harvey Relief.” That event is set to air live on ABC, CBS, CMT, Fox and NBC on Sept. 12.

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Late-night shakes its head over Trump’s DACA decision

On Tuesday, President Trump ordered an end to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, the Obama administration policy that grants young immigrants a way to stay in the country legally, the right to work and apply for driver’s licenses. As the day’s biggest news, it was headed straight to late-night television for commentary.

“This morning, our president woke up and asked his staff, ‘Now that this hurricane is over, what’s something horrible I can do to distract people from the Russia investigation?’ ” said Jimmy Kimmel on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”

“And someone said, ‘There are 800,000 innocent kids you could deport for no good reason,’ and he said, ‘Done, and done,’ ” Kimmel said.

“This is what he wants to do away with, mostly because President Obama is the one who ordered it. It seems like his main agenda is just to undo everything Obama did. I hope he doesn’t bring bin Laden back to life,” Kimmel joked.

Over on “The Tonight Show,” Jimmy Fallon worked the same theme: “If Obama really wants to save DACA, he should say he hates it, then Trump will say, ‘In that case, I love it. I want to double, double the DACA.” (Fallon really seemed to like saying “double DACA” in his Trump voice.)

“But anyway,” Kimmel continued, “it’s a surprise because a few months ago, Trump said those covered by DACA could rest easy. And that’s when you know you’re in trouble. It’s like when Dracula tells you to relax and take off your scarf.

“Ultimately Donald Trump believes that if these kids want to be American,” Kimmel said, “they have to do it the right way — by marrying Donald Trump. And it’s as simple as that.”

On “Late Night,” Seth Meyers got to DACA by way of Hurricane Harvey, having first examined Trump’s tonally bizarre addresses to its victim: “What a crowd; what a turnout,” “Have a good time, everybody.”

“It reminds me of newscaster Herbert Morrison and his commentary during the Hindenburg disaster,” Meyers said. “‘Just look at those beautiful flames arching skyward from that airship. Oh, the humanity — the humanity is having the time of their lives.”

Meyers pivoted to DACA through paramedic Jesus Contreras, a “Dreamer” who “spent six straight days rescuing people in Houston” and whom Trump’s order makes vulnerable to deportation.

“Now polls have shown consistently that a large majority of Americans support letting DACA recipients, known as Dreamers, stay in the country. Which may explain why Trump hid behind his attorney general today, letting Jeff Sessions make the announcement,” Meyers said.

“All Trump could muster was a statement supporting the decision and a tweet urging Congress to come up with a solution. … ‘Congress get ready to do your job. DACA!’ Trump ends every tweet like he’s jumping out from behind a door to scare you.

“So a president who backed himself into a corner by catering to the racial resentments of his base is now needlessly throwing the lives of hundreds of thousands of hardworking Americans into chaos,” Meyers observed.

There was no punchline attached.

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The Lacheys, Drew Scott, Derek Fisher and Debbie Gibson to compete on ‘Dancing With the Stars’

Let the sequins and spray tans commence.

A shark, two Fishers, a property bro, a married couple, a pretty little liar and a total diva are among the new batch of ballroom novices competing on Season 25 of “Dancing With the Stars.”

Alas, no former White House press secretaries or communications directors were selected.

“Shark Tank” star Barbara Corcoran, five-time NBA champion Derek Fisher, “Hamilton’s” Jordan Fisher, HGTV personality Drew Scott, singer Nick Lachey and wife Vanessa Lachey, “Pretty Little Liars” alum Sasha Pieterse and “Total Divas” star Nikki Bella are a few of the new recruits facing off for the Mirror Ball trophy. ABC’s reality competition series kicks off on Sept. 18.

The Lacheys, who joined their castmates on “Good Morning America” Wednesday morning, will each be partnered with the ballroom’s newlywed pros Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Peta Murgatroyd.

“I’ve actually moved out of the house for the duration of the season, just to keep the peace,” Nick Lachey quipped. His brother Drew Lachey won Season 2 of the competition and showed up via webcam to offer his brother some advice.

Here’s the full breakdown of the stars and pros.

  • “Shark Tank’s” Barbara Corcoran with Keo Motsepe
  • Broadway and 1980s pop star Debbie Gibson with Alan Bersten
  • NBA alum Derek Fisher with Sharna Burgess
  • “Property Brothers” star Drew Scott with Emma Slater
  • “Malcolm in the Middle” alum and race car driver Frankie Muniz with Witney Carson
  • “Hamilton” actor Jordan Fisher with Lindsay Arnold
  • Violinist and YouTube star Lindsey Stirling with Mark Ballas
  • 98 Degrees frontman Nick Lachey with Peta Murgatroyd
  • “Total Divas” and WWE champ Nikki Bella with Artem Chigvintsev
  • “Pretty Little Liars” actress Sasha Pieterse with Gleb Savchenko
  • NFL Pro Bowler Terrell Owens with Cheryl Burke
  • TV personality Vanessa Lachey with Maks Chmerkovskiy
  • Paralympic gold medalist Victoria Arlen with Val Chmerkovskiy

Taking a cue from its “Bachelor” franchise, ABC also announced its “Dancing With the Stars” fantasy league, launching Wednesday, that allows viewers to predict which couple will win the season. Players earn points for correct predictions and are entered to win a trip to Disney’s Aulani resort in Hawaii.

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Bernadette Peters is taking over for Bette Midler in ‘Hello, Dolly!’

Bernadette Peters, left, will replace Bette Midler in "Hello, Dolly!" next year.
(Michael Loccisano / Getty Images, left; Julia Kennedy, right)

There’s nothing like a new dame: Come February, Bernadette Peters will take over for Bette Midler in the Broadway production of “Hello, Dolly!”

“I cannot imagine leaving Dolly Levi in better hands than those of Bernadette Peters,” Midler said in a statement released by the Shubert Theatre. “She has created more historic roles in more legendary musicals than any living Broadway star, and most of the dead ones, too. I cannot wait to see her in the show from my very expensive premium seat in Row G which I know I will have to pay for.”

At the same time Peters takes on the Dolly role, Victor Garber will replace David Hyde Pierce as Horace Vandergelder, Broadway World reported.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to continue in the tradition of the incomparable Bette Midler, Carol Channing, and all of the other wonderful actresses who have played Dolly Levi, and I look forward to joining this wonderful company at the Shubert,” two-time Tony winner Peters said in the Shubert statement.

The 69-year-old’s most recent Broadway stint was in “Follies,” in late 2011 and early 2012.

There’s a lot riding on the Shubert finding a bankable replacement for Midler. In July, during the first week of the “Beaches” star’s two-week vacation, which was a holiday week as well, the show’s box office fell from $2.3 million to $936,000, according to Forbes. The “Hello, Dolly!” revival has been breaking box-office records since it opened in April.

Midler’s final curtain call in the Shubert Theatre, set for mid-January 2018, was announced in August. The Dolly Gallagher Levi role brought her the Tony Award for lead actress in a musical in June, the first Tony in a competitive category in her 50-year career.

“I am so privileged, so honored to receive this from you. I hope I don’t cry,” the 71-year-old performer said as she accepted the trophy. Kicking off her thank-yous, she quipped, “I’d like to thank the Tony voters, many of whom I’ve actually dated.”

Peters will take the stage starting Jan. 20, 2018, ahead of a Feb. 22 opening night. Currently, a “pooped” Midler is on vacation for a week. Apparently, she’s got her mind on politics.

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A Star Is Born: Idris Elba turns 45 today

(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

By the time I was in my 20s I was getting plenty of TV work. I wasn’t famous but I was recognizable. Everyone thought I was crazy to move here, but I could see the glass ceiling for me in England and I wanted more.

— Idris Elba, 2010

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Idris Elba pieces it together in ‘Luther’ on BBC America

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Colin Trevorrow out as director of ‘Star Wars: Episode IX’

"Jurassic World" director Colin Trevorrow will no longer helm "Star Wars: Episode IX."
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Colin Trevorrow’s “Star Wars” tenure is Trev-over.

Lucasfilm announced Tuesday afternoon that it had reached a mutual decision with the “Jurassic Park” director to part ways on “Star Wars: Episode IX.”

“Lucasfilm and Colin Trevorrow have mutually chosen to part ways on Star Wars: Episode IX,” the statement posted on the official “Star Wars” website read. “Colin has been a wonderful collaborator throughout the development process but we have all come to the conclusion that our visions for the project differ. We wish Colin the best and will be sharing more information about the film soon.”

Trevorrow – who was also tasked with co-writing the film – was announced as the director of Episode IX in 2015, after his revival of the “Jurassic Park” franchise, “Jurassic World,” triumphed at the box office.

There were indications that all was not well behind the scenes of the final film in the latest “Star Wars” trilogy when Jack Thorne was brought in last month to do rewrites on the script penned by Trevorrow and writing partner Derek Connolly.

This is also not the first time this year that Lucasfilm and a director have parted ways, with Phil Lord and Chris Miller exiting the Han Solo spinoff film in June.

There is no indication who will replace Trevorrow on Episode IX. Maybe Ron Howard can moonlight.

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Royals awarded $120,000 over topless pictures of Duchess Kate

A French court has ruled that three photographers and three media executives violated the privacy of Duchess Catherine by taking and subsequently publishing topless pictures of her in 2012.

The editor and the publisher of France’s Closer magazine were each fined 45,000 euro, the maximum amount for the offense, according to the Associated Press. They and two of the photographers were ordered to pay Prince William and his wife each 50,000 euro, collectively, in damages.

The total in damages, about $120,000 at Tuesday’s exchange rate, is a lot less than the 1.5 million euros (nearly $1.9 million) that the royals had sought. Even so, a lawyer for French gossip magazine Closer called the fines exaggerated, the AP said.

The blurry photos, taken with a telephoto lens while the couple was on vacation at a private villa in Provence, were published in Closer and in a regional newspaper, prompting the royals’ complaint. Though publications in Italy and Ireland followed suit, only the first two were part of the lawsuit.

Arguments in the case were heard in May.

“My wife and I thought that we could go to France for a few days in a secluded villa owned by a member of my family, and thus enjoy our privacy,” the royals’ French attorney said in court, reading a statement from the prince.

“We know France and the French and we know that they are, in principle, respectful of private life, including that of their guests,” the statement added. “The clandestine way in which these photographs were taken was particularly shocking to us as it breached our privacy.”

The couple wanted to make a strong statement in part because of the role of intrusive paparazzi in the death of Princess Diana, which happened 20 years ago last week, they said through the attorney.

Initially, the complaint included criminal charges that could have come with jail time.

“The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are pleased that the court has found in their favor and the matter is now closed,” Kensington Palace said in a statement (via People). “This incident was a serious breach of privacy, and Their Royal Highnesses felt it essential to pursue all legal remedies.”

However, not all nude royals are created equal.

A month before Kate’s topless-photo scandal broke, naked pictures of Prince Harry surfaced first via TMZ and, in the U.K. days later, via the Sun (remember his trip to Las Vegas?). No lawsuits were filed. Indeed, Harry supporters had his back.

“Heir it is!,” the Sun headline screamed, with a bit of an explanation added: “Pic of naked Harry you’ve already seen on the Internet.”

The Sun’s explanation? Basically, we’re publishing them because you can see them on the Internet anyway. And ...

“Further, we believe Harry has compromised his own privacy. These are not pictures of him and a girlfriend at Balmoral,” the paper said. “The Prince was in Vegas, the party capital of a country with strong freedom-of-speech laws, frolicking in the pool before inviting strangers to his hotel room for a game of strip billiards.”

No long lens required.

ALSO

Prince William and wife Kate are expecting their third child

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Saoirse Ronan, Greta Gerwig aim for Oscars in first ‘Lady Bird’ trailer

Straight outta the Telluride Film Festival and bound for this week’s Toronto Film Festival, Greta Gerwig’s already acclaimed solo directorial debut “Lady Bird” debuted its first trailer Tuesday.

Golden Globe-nominated actress Gerwig has established her filmmaking bona fides in collaborations with Noah Baumbach (“Frances Ha,” “Mistress America”) and Joe Swanberg (“Hannah Takes the Stairs,” “Nights and Weekends”).

Now Gerwig, seen last year in “20th Century Women,” “Wiener-Dog,” and “The Mindy Project,” goes behind the camera with the drama drawn from elements of her own background growing up in Sacramento.

Oscar-nominated Saoirse Ronan stars as Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson, a restless Catholic school student desperate to escape her provincial Northern California life. “I want to go where culture is,” she tells her mother (Laurie Metcalf), “like New York, or at least Connecticut or New Hampshire, where writers live in the woods.”

Timothée Chalamet, Lucas Hedges and Tracy Letts also star in Gerwig’s coming-of-age tale of rebellious female adolescence, which drew raves from Telluride and is already swirling in the early awards season conversation with an eye on Ronan’s performance.

A24 will release the film Nov. 10.

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Jennifer Lawrence, Darren Aronofsky debut ‘Mother’ — and their relationship — in Venice

"Mother" director Darren Aronofsky, left, and the film's stars — Michelle Pfeiffer, Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem — appear at the Venice Film Festival.
(Claudio Onorati / Associated Press)

The armchair critiques of Jennifer Lawrence and director Darren Aronofsky’s romance are rolling in.

The Oscar-winning actress and “Mother” director stepped out for their film’s premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Tuesday, and the celebrity blogosphere went to town about their official debut as a couple. (The movie was pretty good too, they say.)

Basically, they attended a photo-call and posed for photographers together. Lawrence’s co-star Michelle Pfeiffer stood in between them (giving epic side-eye), and Javier Bardem also was there.

Then the movie star and the director sat right next to each other during the film’s news conference.

So, if that isn’t true love, we don’t what is.

Producer Ari Handel, left, Jennifer Lawrence and Darren Aronofsky attend a news conference for "Mother" on Tuesday in Venice.
(Vittorio Zunino Celotto / Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)

The “Black Swan” director’s latest psychological thriller divided festival-goers but earned positive reviews and is being compared to “The Shining” and “Rosemary’s Baby.” The film also prompted the twosome’s romance.

Aronofsky and Lawrence have been romantically linked since September 2016, confirming reports that they began seeing each other after the film wrapped.

“We had energy,” Lawrence said in the September issue of Vogue. “I had energy for him. I don’t know how he felt about me.”

“I’ve been in relationships before where I am just confused. And I’m never confused with him,” she said, also shutting down concerns over their significant age difference (she’s 27, he’s 48).

During the film’s Tuesday panel, Aronofsky said “Mother” came together in five days. After quickly putting together the script, he showed it to Lawrence, who he said “was really excited about that idea. And suddenly we were making a movie.”

“Mother” hits U.S. theaters on Sept. 15.

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Oprah, Beyoncé and Barbra Streisand lead star-studded lineup for Hurricane Harvey telethon

Beyoncé, left, and Oprah will join other celebrities in an hourlong fundraiser for Hurricane Harvey relief.
(Larry Busacca / Getty Images)

The Hurricane Harvey telethon that Jamie Foxx hinted at last week became reality Tuesday, with the announcement of Houston rapper Bun B and Scooter Braun’s “Hand in Hand: A Benefit for Hurricane Harvey Relief.”

Based in Los Angeles at the Universal Studios lot, the fundraiser will host stages in New York’s Times Square and Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, as well as feature a special performance from Texas native George Strait from his San Antonio benefit concert at Majestic Theatre.

The hour-long “Hand in Hand” will simulcast live on ABC, CBS, CMT, Fox and NBC on Sept. 12 at 8 p.m. Eastern and replay on the West Coast at 8 p.m. Pacific. International viewers will be able to livestream the special via Facebook and Twitter in conjunction with the East Coast broadcast.

The event will feature appearances, performances and taped tributes by a variety of the country’s biggest stars, including Foxx, Beyoncé, Oprah, Blake Shelton, Barbra Streisand, George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Reese Witherspoon.

The fundraising effort comes after Harvey, a Category 4 hurricane, left a wide swath of flooding and devastation in its wake, with damages that could exceed $100 billion.

Donations will be accepted by phone, text and online beginning with the start of the Tuesday show and concluding an hour after the show’s end.

For more information on “Hand in Hand: A Benefit for Hurricane Harvey Relief,” visit www.HandInHand2017.com.

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A Star Is Born: Raquel Welch turns 77 today

(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

As life goes on, you get more valuable as a person. Many women look better. Personally, I think I look better because I have lived and I have a different kind of aura about me having lived.

— Raquel Welch, 2010

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Raquel Welch takes herself seriously, and so should you

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Happy #BeyDay: Adele, Michelle Obama and more say happy birthday to Beyoncé

Even infrequent tweeter Adele emerged from a social media hiatus to wish Beyoncé a happy birthday. And she’s not the only one.

Big-name stars and fans alike took to Twitter in droves to offer birthday wishes to the pop icon, who is 36 today.

Family and friends including mom Tina Knowles-Lawson, daughter Blue Ivy Carter and even former FLOTUS Michelle Obama paid tribute to Bey by posing in her signature “Formation” video look:

The singer, who was in Philadelphia for the Made In America festival over the weekend, was even serenaded by the crowd, led by husband Jay Z.

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Miranda Lambert leads nominations for 51st CMA Awards

Miranda Lambert performs at the 2016 CMA Awards in Nashville.
Miranda Lambert performs at the 2016 CMA Awards in Nashville.
(Gustavo Caballero / Getty Images)

Miranda Lambert woke up to good news on Labor Day. The singer, who released her critically acclaimed double album “The Weight of These Wings” in November, was the top nominee for the 51st CMA awards.

In all, the Texas native received five nods including album, female vocalist, single and song for her ballad “Tin Man” and music video for “Vice.”

Following closely on Lambert’s heels were vocal group Little Big Town and Keith Urban who both scored four nominations.

Other multiple nominees included Eric Church, Maren Morris, Thomas Rhett and Chris Stapleton.

Although Taylor Swift has left country for pop, she racked up her 23rd CMA nomination as the writer of Little Big Town’s song contender “Better Man.”

The morning’s biggest surprise was the album nomination for Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit. While the singer-songwriter’s “The Nashville Sound” was easily one of the best of the year, Isbell-- who is generally considered more of an Americana artist-- has not previously been embraced by the Nashville establishment in this fashion.

The CMA award nominations were announced Monday on “Good Morning America” by Dustin Lynch, Lauren Alaina and Brothers Osborne. Alaina and Brothers Osborne also received nominations, with the “American Idol” alum cited in the new artist category and the siblings from Maryland recognized in the vocal duo and music video categories.

Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley will reteam for the 10th time to host the show from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Nov. 8 at 8 p.m. on ABC.

51st CMA award nominees

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

Garth Brooks

Luke Bryan

Eric Church

Chris Stapleton

Keith Urban

SINGLE OF THE YEAR

“Better Man” - Little Big Town

“Blue Ain’t Your Color” – Keith Urban

“Body Like a Back Road” – Sam Hunt

“Dirt on My Boots” – Jon Pardi

“Tin Man” – Miranda Lambert

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

The Breaker – Little Big Town

From a Room: Volume 1 – Chris Stapleton

Heart Break – Lady Antebellum

The Nashville Sound - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

The Weight of These Wings – Miranda Lambert

SONG OF THE YEAR

(Award goes to Songwriter[s])

“Better Man” (Little Big Town)

Songwriter: Taylor Swift

“Blue Ain’t Your Color” (Keith Urban)

Songwriters: Clint Lagerberg, Hillary Lindsey, Steven Lee Olsen

“Body Like a Back Road” (Sam Hunt)

Songwriters: Zach Crowell, Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne

“Dirt on My Boots” (Jon Pardi)

Songwriters: Rhett Akins, Jesse Frasure, Ashley Gorley

“Tin Man” (Miranda Lambert)

Songwriters: Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

Kelsea Ballerini

Miranda Lambert

Reba McEntire

Maren Morris

Carrie Underwood

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

Dierks Bentley

Eric Church

Thomas Rhett

Chris Stapleton

Keith Urban

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

Lady Antebellum

Little Big Town

Old Dominion

Rascal Flatts

Zac Brown Band

VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR

Brothers Osborne

Dan + Shay

Florida Georgia Line

LOCASH

Maddie & Tae

MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR

“Craving You” - Thomas Rhett featuring Maren Morris

“Funny How Time Slips Away” - Glen Campbell with Willie Nelson

“Kill a Word” - Eric Church featuring Rhiannon Giddens

“Setting the World on Fire” - Kenny Chesney with Pink

“Speak to a Girl” - Tim McGraw & Faith Hill

MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR

Jerry Douglas (Dobro)

Paul Franklin (Steel Guitar)

Dann Huff (Guitar)

Mac McAnally (Guitar)

Derek Wells (Guitar)

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR

“Better Man” – Little Big Town

“Blue Ain’t Your Color” – Keith Urban

“Craving You” – Thomas Rhett featuring Maren Morris

“It Ain’t My Fault” – Brothers Osborne

“Vice” – Miranda Lambert

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Lauren Alaina

Luke Combs

Old Dominion

Jon Pardi

Brett Young

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A Star Is Born: Beyoncé turns 36 today

(Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

I try to think about everything in terms of how it will sound in 10 years, how will I feel when I look back on the decisions I’ve made, the things I did and didn’t do.

— Beyoncé, 2006

FROM THE ARCHIVES: A master plan in motion: Beyoncé tackles the big screen in ‘Dreamgirls’ with no less than Oscar in her sights

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Walter Becker of Steely Dan dead at 67

Walter Becker, the co-founder, guitarist and bassist of Steely Dan, an act known for its wry nature and its low-key musical proficiency, has died. He was 67.

No cause of death was revealed. His passing was first announced via his official website, and early Sunday his long-time musical partner Donald Fagen issued a statement in which he pledged to keep Steely Dan’s music alive.

Fagen praised his partner as “smart as a whip, an excellent guitarist and a great songwriter.”

Becker had recently missed the band’s July performances in Los Angeles and New York as part of the Classic West and Classic East festivals. “He took ill shortly before he was to come to California,” Fagen said on stage at Dodger Stadium on July 15. “We wish him a speedy recovery.”

Steely Dan, formed in the early ‘70s after Becker and Fagen met at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y., was known for its ability to incorporate jazz and R&B into often patient and calming arrangements that were full of unexpected detours. The band’s ornately produced albums, such as 1974’s “Pretzel Logic” and 1977’s “Aja,” became chart hits.

The band drifted after the release of 1980’s “Gaucho,” but reunited in 1993 and in 2000 released its first studio album in two decades with “Two Against Nature.” The album would eventually win the Grammy Award for album of the year, and Steely Dan remained a touring force.

A full obituary will appear later at latimes.com/obituaries.

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A Star Is Born: Garrett Hedlund turns 33 today

(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

I had to jump on the tractor and do my chores. I would have just killed to be in town, to be able to Rollerblade hand-in-hand with somebody I had a crush on. I just wanted to get off the farm, to find my outlet.

— Garrett Hedlund, 2011

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Garrett Hedlund realizes his Hollywood dreams

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A Star Is Born: Salma Hayek turns 51 today

(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

I’m not just doing this to make the characters cross over. I really want to create great, quality television programming, whether there is a Latin character in there or not. Because if it’s successful and a Mexican did it, I’m already sending the right message. It’s already changing the perception of who we are.

— Salma Hayek, 1999

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Actress Switches Roles for Colorblind Projects

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Toni Basil sues Viacom, Walt Disney Co., Forever 21 in continued rights battle over ‘Mickey’

Toni Basil at the MTV Movie Awards in 1999.
(Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)

Toni Basil, the acclaimed choreographer and self-described one-hit wonder, has filed suit against various corporations, including Walt Disney Co., Viacom and Forever 21, as well as the music publisher Razor & Tie.

It’s the latest development in Basil’s ongoing fight over rights to the popular song “Mickey,” which she recorded in 1981.

Basil alleges that Razor & Tie has been illegally licensing the song for use in commercials and TV shows. The recent suit is part of a saga stretching back decades.

According to the new suit, which was filed on Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Razor & Tie “regularly held themselves out as rights holders with the ability to license ‘Mickey’ for commercial synchronization,” when in fact it had no right to do so.

The defendants, the suit also claims, “knowingly used [Basil’s] name, likeness, and/or persona for the purpose of advertising, selling, and/or soliciting purchase of merchandise, goods and/or services” without her consent.

The suit claims Basil “became withdrawn, despondent and physically ill” as a result of the alleged unauthorized use in shows including “South Park” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and commercials by Forever 21,

Attorneys for Basil and Razor & Tie were unavailable for immediate comment on Friday.

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Here’s how to score tickets to ‘Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors’ at the Broad

The hottest ticket in Los Angeles goes on sale today, and we have the lowdown on how to nab yours.

The Broad Museum will release 50,000 tickets for purchase at noon for “Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors,” a highly anticipated exhibit opening Oct. 21.

Kusama is already featured in the museum’s permanent collection with “Infinity Mirrored Room — The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away.” The traveling exhibit will include six “Infinity” mirror rooms and debuted at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington in February.

Art lovers interested in scoring tickets should make sure they’re on www.thebroad.org at noon when sales begin. The Broad will form a virtual queue from individuals currently on the page and people will be given the opportunity to purchase tickets as the queue proceeds.

Tickets for the Kusama exhibition are $25 for adults, and free for children 12 and under. The museum will also have $30 same-day standby tickets available once the installation opens, with varied availability.

“Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors” will be featured at the Broad Oct. 21 through Jan. 1.

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Mark Ruffalo takes to the streets to oppose white supremacy

Mark Ruffalo has joined activists demonstrating against white supremacy.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Mark Ruffalo has never been afraid to get political, and now he’s taking his activism to the streets.

The star of “The Avengers” shared photos of himself Thursday joining the March to Confront White Supremacy, a group marching from Charlottesville, Va., to Washington, D.C., in protest of white supremacists and the government officials — including President Trump — who refuse to condemn them.

Ruffalo released a statement Thursday explaining why he joined the march and implored other Americans to take a stand.

“I’m marching today in memory of Heather Heyer, the young woman who lost her life to the hate of white supremacists in Charlottesville, as well as many others who were injured,” Ruffalo’s statement read. “I’m also marching because a central demand of this march is for Donald Trump to be removed from office following his statement supporting white supremacists and neo-Nazis.”

Ruffalo also invoked the memory of the hundreds of thousands of Americans who lost their lives in World War II in order to stop Nazism and argued that white supremacy is fundamentally opposed to American values.

“These white supremacists intend to stoke fear in people of color and their supporters, and we, as a decent, humane society, must never stand for it,” Ruffalo said. “There is no place for racism, violence, and hatred of any kind in our country. It’s time for all of us to take a stand for what is right and that is why I’m here marching today.”

On Ruffalo’s official Tumblr, he shared several photos with fellow protesters as they marched the 18 miles from Madison, Va., to Culpeper, Va.

“Met so many incredible people today. All so young, but so impactful, strong and brave,” Ruffalo wrote on Tumblr. “Thank you for letting me [be] a part of this day in history. Keep fighting for what you believe in. We cannot normalize a world of hatred, racism and bigotry. I will be cheering you all on.”

The March to Confront White Supremacy began Monday in Charlottesville and was organized after far-right rallies spawned violence and death in the college town.

Protesters will complete the 118-mile march to Washington on Wednesday.

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Tyler Perry is donating $1 million to Harvey efforts in Houston

(Richard Shotwell / Associated Press)

Tyler Perry has pledged $1 million for Harvey relief and recovery efforts after taking time to carefully select the recipients.

“What I’m seeing in Houston — the humanity, the caring for everybody, black, white, yellow, green, doesn’t matter — that is who we are as Americans. And I’m so proud of everyone who is helping so many people there,” he said in a Facebook video, contrasting this week’s relief efforts against the recent violence in Charlottesville, Va.

The mastermind behind the popular “Madea” franchise said he delayed his donation a bit because he wasn’t happy with the amount that went directly to those in need during the Hurricane Katrina aftermath in 2005.

“I was looking for people who were boots on the ground, who could help immediately, people that I trust, people that I know are going to do the right thing,” Perry said.

So far, he said, he’s given $250,000 each to pastor Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church and the same to efforts involving Houston native Beyoncé’s pastor, Rudy Rasmus. The balance of the money will be distributed later.

“I know that there’s been some controversy about Joel Osteen and him not opening the doors of the church,” Perry acknowledged. “Joel and [his wife] Victoria are amazing people — there’s no way that they would lock people out of the church or not let people seek shelter.”

Lakewood opened the doors of its 16,000-seat, 606,000-square-foot facility to Harvey victims late Tuesday morning, but before that rumors circulated that the megachurch had locked out people who were fleeing the storm.

Perry had given a heads-up about his intentions earlier this week.

“Sitting here heartbroken for this mother of two!!,” Perry wrote Tuesday on Facebook, where he included video of a woman on CNN cussing out a reporter for trying to interview her when what she needed was help.

“I’m trying to figure out how to help, but I’ve given millions of dollars to charities in the past that never got to the people it was meant for,” he wrote. “I know lots of people want to give and help but be careful. You really need to know how much of your donations actually get to the people before you choose an organization to give to.”

Beyoncé told the Houston Chronicle on Monday that she was working with her BeyGOOD foundation and St. John’s Church pastor Rasmus on “a plan to help as many as we can.” Ramus confirmed to “Entertainment Tonight” that the singer had made “a significant donation.” The BeyGOOD site on Friday was suggesting donating to the Greater Houston Community Foundation’s Harvey relief fund or Bread of Life, Rasmus’ charity.

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Damien Chazelle’s multilingual musical drama ‘The Eddy’ lands at Netflix

(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

Academy Award winner Damien Chazelle is singing and dancing his way to Netflix.

And France.

The “La La Land” and “Whiplash” director is getting into the TV business. He has teamed up with IMG and the streaming giant for the musical drama “The Eddy.” The series is set in contemporary, multicultural Paris and revolves “around a club, its owner, the house band and the chaotic city that surrounds them,” Netflix announced Friday.

The eight-episode series will be shot in France and will feature dialogue in French, English and Arabic. Chazelle will serve as executive producer with Emmy winner Alan Poul and will direct two episodes of the new show. Five-time BAFTA and Olivier-winning writer Jack Thorne will write the scripts, and six-time Grammy winner Glen Ballard will write original music.

“I’ve always dreamed of shooting in Paris, so I’m doubly excited to be teaming up with Jack, Glen and Alan on this story, and thrilled that we have found a home for it at Netflix,” Chazelle said in a statement.

Coming in the wake of “The Crown” and the upcoming series “Dark,” “The Eddy” is Netflix’s latest investment in international content being produced in Europe.

Patrick Spence and Katie Swinden of Fifty Fathoms also will serve as executive producers alongside Chazelle, Thorne, Poul and Ballard.

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A Star Is Born: Lily Tomlin turns 78 today

(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

Everything you wind up doing is imprinted on you during your first 25 years. But you don’t wake up to it until 20 years later.

— Lily Tomlin, 1986

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Lily Tomlin: Still Searching For Signs Of Intelligent Life

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