WebProNews

Author: Pam Wright

  • Shoshana Roberts, YouTube ‘Catcall’ Viral Video Actress, Deals With Negativity Her Way

    Shoshana Roberts, the actress who became an overnight sensation on YouTube with her ‘Catcall’ video, has decided to deal with the negative backlash her way.

    The video shows the actress walking around New York City for 10 hours, receiving a multitude of catcalls from men. The response was phenomenal, and while most of it was positive, some of the reaction to the video that had the intention of bringing awareness to what women face has been surprisingly negative, including threats of rape.

    “There are lots of mean people in this world and there are threats,” Roberts told Access Hollywood Live‘s Billy Bush and Kit Hoover on Monday.

    Roberts said she decided to let others deal with the backlash, so she doesn’t have to take things personally.

    “I have had my people going through all of the e-mails and the social media. Fortunately, I haven’t had to read most of them first hand. It’s friends and family telling me the important things that I need to be aware of for my safety,” she said.

    The video produced by Hollaback! and director Rob Bliss has received more than 31 million views.

    “It’s the majority of people that support me and are proud of me and are behind me and want to share their stories. I encourage everyone to share their stories ’cause again, my story is not unique,” she said.

    Roberts said she recreated her daily routine as she walked the streets of New York, taking her familiar routes she took to work. She said her experiences of receiving catcalls from men are not “unique” to her, but happen to millions of women every day.

    “This is my story that I’m telling, but my story isn’t unique,” Roberts said. “So many people all over the world are dealing with this.”

  • Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds Want to Be ‘Surprised’ By Baby’s Gender

    Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds reportedly will not find out the gender of their coming baby, according to Us Weekly.

    “Blake and Ryan aren’t finding out what they’re having,” the insider tells the magazine. “They want to be surprised!”

    The source added that the actress is “[feeling] super relaxed and mellow.”

    The 27-year-old mom-to-be announced her pregnancy last month on her lifestyle website Preserve.

    In the post entitled Preserve Celebrations: Falling for Family, Lively, who is expecting her first child in the spring, shared a photo of herself cradling her growing baby bump.

    “With a new baby on the way there is so much to do!” Lively wrote on the post. “But before experiencing the joy of 3 a.m. screams, seemingly impossible amounts of poop and having a favorite shirt covered in reflux … there are presents to open, onesies to dye, there is cake to serve, advice to be shared and all around celebration to be had. And that we did.”

    In an interview with Us Weekly at an event on Oct. 16, Lively said that daddy-to-be Reynolds has just doted on her throughout her pregnancy.

    “He’s always good to me,” said The Gossip Girl. “That’s like a jerky thing to say because you want to be able to complain about your husband and be that person, but he takes pretty good care of me.”

  • Allison Janney, Anna Faris to Host 2015’s People’s Choice Awards

    Allison Janney and Anna Faris are set to host the 2015’s People’s Choice Awards, announced the awards show’s executive producer Mark Burnett on Wednesday.

    The Mom co-stars will succeed the 2014 host, Kaley Cuoco, in hosting the awards show, which recognizes talent in the arenas of television, film, and music.

    “We are thrilled to have Anna and Allison as hosts of our show,” said Burnett. “Our job is to entertain our audience, and these actresses have such chemistry and comedic timing that no matter who wins, everyone will be having fun.”

    Mom, a CBS comedy co-created by Chuck Lorre, debuted in 2013 and showcased Janney and Faris’ comedic talents and their on-screen chemistry.

    Janney got her big break came with her portrayal of White House Press Secretary CJ Cregg in the critically acclaimed series The West Wing, for which she won four Emmy Awards and four SAG Awards.

    The statuesque actress recently broke records for receiving the most award nods in a single year, receiving both an Emmy and a Critic’s Choice Award for her work on Mom and another Emmy and Critic’s Choice Award for her multi-episode arc on the series, Masters of Sex.

    Her film credits include The Way, Way Back, Tammy and Bad Words, among many, many more.

    Over 70 million fans voted to determine this year’s nominees. Shailene Woodley leads the list of movie nominations with four acting nods. She was nominated twice in the category of “Favorite Movie Duo,” once with her Divergent co-star Theo James, and again with her The Fault in Our Stars co-star, Ansel Elgort. Grey’s Anatomy, Supernatural and The Vampire Diaries lead the list of TV nominees with five each.

    Sam Smith dominated the music categories with four nominations and two stars crossed genres — Lucy Hale for “Favorite Female Country Artist” and “Favorite Cable TV Actress”, and Melissa McCarthy for “Favorite Movie Actress” and “Favorite Comedic TV Actress.”

    Voting begins today for all 58 categories on www.PeoplesChoice.com, Facebook, and mobile applications. Voting will end at 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 4, 2014. Winners will be revealed during a live broadcast from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2015, on CBS.

  • Hope Solo Makes Court Appearance, Her Domestic Abuse Trial Set for January

    Hope Solo, who was arrested in June on domestic violence charges, will be facing a jury of her peers in January, according to the Seattle Times.

    The soccer star and her lawyer made an appearance Tuesday at Kirkland Municipal Court in Washington, where her trial date was set for Jan. 20, 2015.

    The judge in the case also ruled during Tuesday’s court appearance that her attorney could depose the alleged victims in the case: Solo’s half-sister and nephew, who have allegedly refused to participate in a recorded interview with defense attorneys.

    Solo, 33, is accused of assaulting family members during a drunken encounter at the home of the soccer star’s half-sister.

    The two-time Olympic gold medalist has continued to play on the US national team since her arrest, causing some controversy. Some critics say she should not be allowed to play, noting that several NFL players accused of or having admitted to domestic violence have been removed from the sport.

    Back in June, police officers were sent to the home of the singer’s half-sister on reports that a woman was “going crazy and hitting people.” During the altercation, Solo’s half-sister and nephew were allegedly injured.

    After her arrest, Solo took to Facebook to apologize.

    “I understand that, as a public figure, I am held to a higher standard of conduct,” she wrote. “I take seriously my responsibilities as a role model and sincerely apologize to everyone I have disappointed.”

    Solo also touched on her family issues in the post. An affidavit indicates that she had been estranged from her half-sister and nephew until recently.

    “I love my family dearly,” Solo wrote. “We, like all families, have our challenges, but my sincere hope is that we are able to resolve this situation as a family. Adversity has always made us stronger and I know this situation will be no different.”

    Post by Hope Solo.
  • Priscilla Presley Says Ex-Husband, Elvis Presley, Was ‘The Real Deal’

    Priscilla Presley Says Ex-Husband, Elvis Presley, Was ‘The Real Deal’

    Priscilla Presley says that her former husband, the legendary singer Elvis Presley, was “the real deal.”

    The 69-year-old celebrity, who married the Heartbreak Hotel singer in 1967, told the Daily Mirror that her former husband was very down to Earth and truly appreciated his fans.

    “I was just a teenager at the time and I was in Germany, he was signing autographs,” recalls Priscilla.

    “I just thought how he was the real deal, Elvis wasn’t putting on any pretence, he never did. What you saw with him is what you got.

    “You don’t get that with so many musicians or celebrities these days, they don’t value their fans, so I want to share with the world what he was really like.”

    Priscilla was only 14 when she first met the singer in Germany at a party. She was an Army officer’s daughter; he was serving in the Army. She said the two had instant chemistry from the moment they laid eyes on each other.

    “I remember when I set eyes on him, he was just so kind, so authentic,” she said.

    The Presleys divorced in 1973, after having daughter Lisa Marie Presley. Following his death in 1977, she opened the Love Me Tender crooner’s Memphis home, Graceland, to the public in 1982. She will be taking some artifacts from his home to London for a new exhibition at The O2 Arena.

    “I’m very excited about it, we have been wanting to bring an Elvis exhibition to England for some time,” she said.

    “Some of these exhibits haven’t been seen before,” said Priscilla. “Elvis will be so happy, he always thought his British fans were so supportive, he had a special love for them.”

  • Angie Harmon, Jason Sehorn to Divorce After 13 Years of Marriage

    Angie Harmon and Jason Sehorn are splitting after 13 years of marriage.

    A rep confirmed the news to People on Monday.

    “For the sake of their children, they ask for respect and privacy as they navigate this time in their lives,” said the rep.

    The ex-NFL star proposed in a very public, lovely and memorable way to Harmon live on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 1998.

    The couple married in 2001 and went on to have three daughters — Finley, 11, Avery, nine, and Emery, five.

    Harmon, Sehorn and their family removed themselves from the hustle and bustle of Hollywood and set up housekeeping in Charlotte, N.C. But, it didn’t always prove to be an easy task for Harmon, traveling to and from Los Angeles to work on her TNT drama, Rizzoli and Isles, as Harmon told CBS News in February.

    “I shoot six months out of the year,” said Harmon, who portrays Boston detective, Jane Rizzoli, on the series. “So I’m on the other side of the country for six months out of the year. The silver lining in this is that I’m from Texas. They get on a plane from Charlotte, I get on a plane from LA. We fly, we meet in the middle. They get to spend time with their grandparents and grow up with their cousins. It’s not the ideal situation, but it works.”

    “A large part of it is when you spend five or six months a year away from your spouse, it gets really tough,” an insider told Us Magazine.

    According to the insider, there was no cheating or other betrayal involved in the couple’s decision to separate.

    “They’re good, devout Christian people,” the source said. “The split wasn’t shocking to their close friends.”

  • Savannah Guthrie Returns to ‘Today’ after 3-Month Maternity Leave Looking Fabulous

    Savannah Guthrie returned to the Today show Monday after a three month maternity leave and she looks great.

    The 42-year-old mother returned 12 weeks after she and husband Mike Feldman welcomed their little baby girl, Vale.

    “It’s so great to be back here, just to see everybody and all of our friends here behind the scenes,” said Guthrie. “I’m used to that three a.m. alarm, but it sounds more like a baby crying.”

    Guthrie indulged fans and co-hosts alike with some home videos she and Feldman shot of their little family.

    The adorable montage shows all of the big moments of the past few months, including an emotional Guthrie heading to the hospital to give birth and the couple holding their baby for the first time.

    “When I lay my eyes on her, I’m just like ‘There you are!’” Guthrie gushed.

    The clips of the the baby, who apparently “looks a lot like Mike,” include every little new parent faux-pas.

    “They don’t send you home with a little manual on what to do” said Guthrie before the video shows the couple trying to install their daughter’s car seat.

    “This first month or so I really checked out. It just felt really important for to focus on her and family,” said Guthrie.

    Like every mother before her, Guthrie‘s first morning back to work was “bittersweet.” Having to leave her little one at home for the first time was hard because the time she has shared with Vale was “so precious and magical.”

    “I definitely don’t want to paint a completely rosy picture. It’s hard. You get very, very exhausted. I’m terrified to come back to a job where I have to speak for a living because I honestly have a really hard time right now putting basic sentences together,” she said before adding “Matt [Lauer] will be so gracious about that.”

    The final tear-invoking moment of the video shows Guthrie waking up her daughter before her first day back, whispering into her precious girl’s ear, “I’m going to work.”

    It was a sweet return for the new mom, with well-wishes coming from a slew of celebrities, including Josh Lucas, Debra Messing, Keri Russell, Rita Wilson, Glenn Close, Russell Brand, Seth Rogen, Jill Martin, Minnie Driver, Lady Antebellum, Chelsea Handler, Emmy Rossum, Clive Davis and B.J. Novak.

  • Hayden Panettiere Feeling the Weight of Her Pregnancy Pounds

    Hayden Panettiere has packed on quite a few pounds during her pregnancy and is really beginning to feel the strain on her petite frame.

    “I’m five feet, two inches, and I started out at 106 pounds and guess how much I weigh now? Around 145 pounds,” the eight-month-preganant actress told Hello Magazine, via The Daily Mail. “And the worst part is that my feet are still size five and they’re going, ‘What’s going on with all this weight?’ They’re about to snap from underneath me with the strain.”

    The Nashville star, who showed off her bare baby bump in a Halloween Twitter photo last week, believes some of her weight gain can be attributed to her athletic body.

    “I’m still quite muscular, so if you’re running around carrying 40 pounds of extra weight, you’re going to build extra muscle,” she said.

    Not only is Panettiere keen to have her pregnancy over with and return to her normal weight, she is also very excited to see her new little baby girl and hold her for the first time.

    “I’m so ready to hold my baby girl,” she said. “I’m going to be a very hands-on mom. I’m thrilled that I am having a girl first because I feel like I know a lot about raising a strong woman. I feel very empowered myself and I think my daughter will, too.”

    Panettiere said one thing that will have to wait until she’s back to normal size is a wedding with fiancé Wladimir Klitschko.

    “I’ll tell you one thing for sure, I am not walking down the aisle 40 pounds heavier than usual in a wedding dress with a huge pregnancy belly stitched in. Not happening,” she said.

  • Idris Elba, Tom Hiddleston Join ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ Cast

    Idris Elba let the cat out of the bag over the weekend.

    The Thor star spilled the beans during an interview with the U.K.’s The Telegraph that he and Tom Hiddleston will appear in next May’s Avengers sequel.

    Elba, 42, who has played the Asgard guardian Heimdall in both Thor and Thor: The Dark World, didn’t divulge very much about his role in Age of Ultron, apart from the revelation that he will share a scene with Chris Hemsworth, who plays the classic hero, Thor, and Hiddleston, who portrays Thor’s half-brother Loki.

    “I’m in Avengers,” Elba said. “I’m doing a scene with Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston, and they’re like, — ‘Aren’t you (meant to be) in Ibiza?’ ”

    Elba said arranging his schedule has proved to be challenging. Between his work on the Nelson Mandela biopic Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom and work on Thor: The Dark World, he’s keeping himself — and the airlines — busy.

    “I’d just done eight months in South Africa. I came to England and the day I came back I had to do reshoots on Thor 2,” Elba said. “I was like, ‘This is torture, man. I don’t want to do this.’ My agent said: ‘You have to, it’s part of the deal.’”

    Needless to say, Elba kept at it and will surely reap the benefits of all of his hard work.

    Avengers: Age of Ultron is set to open in theaters on May 1, 2015.

  • Eliza Dushku Allegedly Robbed on Halloween, Tweets the Whole Ordeal

    Eliza Dushku was apparently tricked in a big way on Halloween when she was robbed Friday at the Omni Hotel where she was staying for the Rhode Island Comic Con.

    The former Buffy the Vampire Slayer actress tweeted about the whole ordeal as it unfolded.

    “Was just robbed in front of my hotel a few hrs ago. Cameras caught everything:hotel/police/security weren’t able to do anything. #ricomiccon,” the 33-year-old tweeted Friday.

    Dushku continued to update her 1.6 million Twitter followers on the events of the evening. According to her tweets, the stolen Louis Vuitton duffle bag was not just any old designer bag.

    “If you see anyone walk out of hotel w this Duffle bag, it was a gift from @MrsSOsbourne ON her show in ’04. It’s been around the world w me,” she explained.

    “Really upset. It’s been a long night. The 2 men are in my hotel currently & ‘nothing can be done,’” she wrote. “They were, of course, wearing Halloween costumes. One of the guys wore a GOLD HEAD TO TOE ‘Ceasar’ outfit. Anyone in RI, ring a bell.? Help.”

    The drama ended well after the thieves were identified and Dushku‘s duffle bag was returned.

    Dushku shared a selfie at the hotel in her Halloween costume to prove the legitimacy of the tweets.

  • Katherine Heigl Admits, ‘I’ve Made Mistakes,’ During Facebook Q&A

    Katherine Heigl has admitted to some mistakes in the past, but says she’ll continue to stand up for herself if she feels slighted or disrespected.

    The 35-year-old State of Affairs actress responded to questions from her more than three million Facebook followers on Saturday during a fan Q&A.

    One fan came right out with it and asked her about the consistent rumors that she is a difficult actress to work with.

    “I’ve heard rumors that you’re very rude. What’s your thoughts,” the fan wrote.

    “Yeah I’ve heard those too…honestly I don’t think I am…nothing makes me more uncomfortable than confrontation or hurting someones feelings and I would never, ever actively do so on purpose,” Heigl replied.

    Post by Katherine Heigl.

    “Of course just like any human being I’ve made mistakes and unwittingly or carelessly spoken or acted but I always try to make any wrong right,” the actress continued. “That doesn’t mean I won’t stand up for myself by drawing boundaries and asking to be treated kindly and respectfully but I don’t do that with any rude or unkind intentions just with the same strength and honesty I think every one of us is entitled to.”

    Heigl’s former boss, Shonda Rhimes, dissed her in an October interview for The Hollywood Reporter.

    “I don’t put up with bullsh-t or nasty people. I don’t have time for it,” Rhimes said after flat-out saying there were no “Heigls” working on any of her current shows.

  • Nicole Scherzinger is Reportedly Feeling ‘Drained and Unhappy’

    Nicole Scherzinger is allegedly feeling “drained and unhappy.”

    But, who wouldn’t be with her crazy schedule?

    Reports claims the former Pussycat Dolls singer has been incredibly busy with work recently, promoting her new album Big Fat Lie and announcing she will appear in London’s West End production of the musical, Cats.

    The 36-year-old is also rumored to be seeking more commitment from her 29-year-old boyfriend, Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton.

    Apparently, all the strain is becoming too much for the singer.

    “Nicole puts so much pressure on herself to succeed that she ends up burning out,” an insider said.

    “Her solo career isn’t going as well as she hoped, so she’s throwing herself into other projects. But she’s not looking after herself. She’s drained and unhappy,” continued the source.

    Who got their copy of #BigFatLie this week?? http://smarturl.it/NS_BigFatLie

    Uma foto publicada por Nicole Scherzinger (@nicolescherzy) em

    There have been several recent incidences that have caused concern for the singer.

    Last month, Scherzinger reportedly asked her driver to pull over in rush-hour traffic because she felt ill. The driver told Scherzinger it was impossible to stop in traffic, so Nicole took matters into her own hands. The end result was a minor fender-bender.

    “Nicole felt ill and was disorientated. She screamed at her driver to pull over, but he couldn’t so she just opened the door,” the insider said.

    Sound checking #OnTheRocks getting ready for the @moboawards tonight! #LetsDoThis #BigFatLie

    A photo posted by Nicole Scherzinger (@nicolescherzy) on

    Reports also claim the singer is ready to settle down, get married and start a family. But with their hectic schedules and frequent separations, any plans to settle down are proving impossible.

    Just landed in the middle of the night here! #HappyHalloween from #Azerbaijan! #nocostumezone

    A photo posted by Nicole Scherzinger (@nicolescherzy) on

    “Lewis is based in Monaco, while Nicole spends most of her time between London and LA. The distance can cause problems,” said the source.

  • Jennifer Lawrence Does What Girls Do After a Breakup — She Bought a House for $8.225 Million

    Jennifer Lawrence Does What Girls Do After a Breakup — She Bought a House for $8.225 Million

    Jennifer Lawrence has done what any celebrity girl does after a breakup — she bought a house.

    According to the Los Angeles Times, The X-Men: Days of Future Past star purchased a Beverly Crest home — an abode owned at one time or another by several A-list celebrities — for $8.225 million.

    The Times reports that the five-bedroom, six bathroom home was previously owned by Jessica Simpson, who sold it a year ago for $6.4 million to Sydney Holland, the girlfriend of Viacom and CBS executive chairman Sumner Redstone.

    Holland put it on the market in July, which makes this a nice little flip.

    It was also the home of Ellen DeGeneres for a while back in 2001.

    Built in 1991, the 5,500-square foot home includes a koi pond in front, a pool in the backyard and a spiral staircase in the foyer.

    The listing agents were Branden Williams and Rayni Romito of Hilton & Hyland/Christie’s International Real Estate.

    According to the Times, Lawrence, who can be seen in Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1 starting Nov. 21, was represented by Leah Lail and Steve Frankel of Coldwell Banker.

  • Gisele Bundchen, Tom Brady and Their Brood Channel Ferocious Dragons for Halloween

    Gisele Bundchen, Tom Brady and their brood were the most adorable group of dragons in town on Friday, dressing as a few of the How to Train Your Dragon characters for Halloween.

    The 34-year-old supermodel posted a photo to her Instagram page of her family dressed to the hilt in dragon, including their kids, four-year-old Benjamin and Vivian, 22 months.

    “That’s what happens when you let your four-year-old choose the family halloween costumes,” Bundchen captioned a shot of the family jumping in midair and looking really ferocious. “Happy Halloween!!! #dragonfamily.”

    Turns out it was all Benjamin’s idea. He was dressed as How to Train Your Dragon character Toothless the Black Night Fury dragon from the beloved animated hit.

    Little Benjamin spilled the beans about the family’s plans to don dragon on Oct. 20, when he joined in on an interview phone call with Brady.

    “Hi, Mr. Gray!” the four-year-old said on the call with Westwood One Sports‘ Jim Gray. “Daddy’s costume just arrived at our house. It’s Barf and Belch, a dragon from How to Train Your Dragon.”

    Could he be any cuter?

    Benjamin’s baby sister, Vivian, wore a full furry dragon costume. In the photo, she is seen being held by her famous mama decked out in a green horned mask and wings.

    For Halloween last year, Bundchen and Brady dressed as Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion from the classic 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz.

    Here are a few more cute family photos recently posted on the model’s Instagram page.

    So happy for my love!!! Go Pats!!! 51 points!!!

    Une photo publiée par Gisele Bündchen (@giseleofficial) le

    A photo posted by Gisele Bündchen (@giseleofficial) on

    A special visit at work! Uma visita especial no trabalho!

    Une photo publiée par Gisele Bündchen (@giseleofficial) le

    Today will go down in history. The People's Climate March is a necessity, and it's urgent. The environment can no longer wait. Specialists have been raising red flags for years, and the critical consequences of climate change are felt around the globe. It is an undeniable fact. Popular rallies like this one are important to alert governments and society that something is wrong. The time has come for us to call on our leaders to take action in seeking a global economy that works for both people and the planet. Let's embrace this cause, taking part in any way we can — either by attending or creating buzz in social media. Stop and look around, we cannot continue thinking that environmental issues aren't our concern. The planet is our home, and we all need to do our share. Our health and well-being relies on our planet's health. Let's unite in this awesome movement to create the world we want.#weareone #peoplesclimate #togetherwecanmakeadifference

    November 2, 2014
  • Emma Watson Dedicates Britannia Award to Her Dead Hamster, Find Out Why

    Emma Watson Dedicates Britannia Award to Her Dead Hamster, Find Out Why

    Emma Watson surely surprised the audience at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in Los Angeles on Thursday when she dedicated her Britannia Award to her late hamster Millie.

    Watson, who rose to fame as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series of films, won the Britannia Award for British Artist of the Year.

    A graduate of Brown University and a U.N. Women Goodwill Ambassador, Watson was honored in a video shown at the BAFTA Award ceremony by Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling and director Alfonso Cuaron.

    “That was really overwhelming for me to watch,” said Watson, trying to hold back tears. She added that the British film industry “hasn’t just been a workplace for me — it was where I grew up.”

    The 24-year-old actress told the audience the story of her pet hamster Millie’s death during production of the first Harry Potter film and how the production team took care of the young actress.

    “On the first Harry Potter film, my on-set hamster Millie had a heart attack and didn’t quite make it,” Watson said. “The set decorators built a small mahogany hamster-sized coffin and it had a velvet lining [and] a silver plaque on front which had Millie’s named engraved in it.

    “Rest in peace, Millie. This one’s for you,” she said.

    Other winners included Robert Downey Jr., who won the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film; Julia Louis Dreyfus , who won the Charlie Chaplin Britannia Award for Excellence in Comedy; Mark Ruffalo, who won the Britannia Humanitarian Award; Dame Judi Dench, who won the Albert R. Broccoli Britannia Award for Worldwide Contribution to Entertainment; and Mike Leigh, who won the John Schlesinger Britannia Award for Excellence in Directing.

  • Julie Andrew’s Collaborator, Conductor and Friend, Ian Fraser, Dies at 81

    Julie Andrews lost a good friend and musical collaborator over weekend.

    Emmy award-winning composer and longtime conductor Ian Frazer died “very peacefully” of cancer at his Los Angeles home Friday. He was 81.

    “Ian was my beloved friend, trusted conductor, arranger, pianist and all-around musical genius,” Andrews said in a statement Friday. “I will miss him very much, indeed.

    “As a mentor, he encouraged me to try things that enhanced my knowledge of music and my singing abilities.”

    Fraser’s daughter Tiffany confirmed the news to the Los Angeles Times, noting that Andrews was on the phone with several of Fraser’s relatives shortly before he died.

    “He was just an amazing person surrounded by family,” Tiffany said.

    Born Aug. 23, 1933, in Hove, England, he was best known for his work on several albums for Andrews and on her 1970s variety show. He also served as musical director for the award show three times, winning 11 Emmys for his television work.

    He will also be remembered for his famed Bing Crosby/holiday mashup, Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth.

    The unlikely Crosby/Bowie duet was performed on the 1977 Bing Crosby’s Merrie Olde Christmas program, a classic that would become even more poignant because it would be Crosby’s last performance before he died.

    The plan was to have Crosby and the British rocker sing Little Drummer Boy, but Bowie objected.

    “David walked in and said, ‘God, I hate that song. Isn’t there something else I could do?’” Fraser said in a 2010 interview on the ABC News show Nightline.

    So Fraser stepped in and came up with the mashup.

    When he died on Friday, Fraser was on his 10th term as governor of the Television Academy of Music.

    “Ian will be remembered by all who had the great fortune to know and work with him as a man of great taste and talent, intelligence and warmth, and a wonderful sense of humor and fun,” said Bruce Rosenblum, chairman and CEO of the Television Academy of Music, in a statement.

    His survivors include his wife, Judee; children and grandchildren.

  • Kristin Scott Thomas to Take on the Role of Queen Elizabeth II in West End Production

    Kristin Scott Thomas is the next in line to play a reigning royal on stage.

    Thomas will receive the crown from Helen Mirren in a revival of the West End play, The Audience. She will be taking on the role Queen Elizabeth II, originally played by Mirren.

    Mirren, who also played Queen Elizabeth II in film The Queen, will be taking her production, directed by two-time Tony Award winner Stephen Daldry, to Broadway in February.

    Mirren originated the role in the 2013 West End production of the play and won an Olivier Award for her performance.

    Written by Peter Morgan, the play documents the monarch’s relationships with the dozen prime ministers who have served during her six-decade reign.

    Daldry will also direct the new London production, which begins previews April 21 at London’s Apollo Theatre.

    Scott Thomas, whose film credits include Four Weddings and a Funeral, The English Patient and Only God Forgives, is currently starring in Sophocles’ Electra at London’s Old Vic Theatre.

    Meanwhile, Mirren was recently named the new face of L’Oréal Paris at the age of 69. Now, that is cool.

  • Alabama Sex Ring: Incestuous Family’s Sex Crimes Uncovered During Missing Teen’s Investigation

    An Alabama sex ring has been uncovered after an investigation for a missing teen led to what authorities describe as “a dark, twisted tale of perversion in the working-class neighborhoods and piney backwoods of coastal Alabama.”

    Brittney Wood, 19, went missing on May 30, 2012. Her uncle, Donnie Holland, who was under investigation for a slew of horrific sex crimes at the time, was reportedly the last person to see her. Holland died from a bullet a few days later in what was ruled a suicide.

    The ensuing investigation revealed the largest sex ring ever uncovered in Alabama, and authorities believe Wood was the key to unraveling the sex ring, which may be the reason for her disappearance.

    Eight of the teen’s family members and three family friends have been charged with dozens of felonies. Authorities say the members of the incestuous ring shared children for group sex.

    “Brittney could have been huge,” said prosecutor Teresa Heinz. “She could have corroborated so many things.”

    There is no trace of Wood and she is presumed dead.

    Two of her uncles and an older brother already have pleaded guilty to sex charges. The teen’s mother, Chessie Wood, and two aunts await trial, among others.

    Chessie Wood, 39, denies committing the crimes. She has accused some of her closest relatives of being guilty of abusing children, including the abuse of her own daughter.

    “There are innocent people in this and there are guilty people in this,” Wood, 39, said in an interview. “I don’t know how the judicial system is going to figure it all out because they’re not the sharpest tools in the shed.”

    Chessie Wood, who is herself accused of having sex with a young female relative, said she had no idea what was going on in the family until after her daughter’s disappearance.

    “The No. 1 thing here is to find Brittney. The No. 2 thing is to get all these sick (people) off the streets,” she said.

  • Portia de Rossi and Ellen DeGeneres Can’t Seem to Catch a Break

    Portia de Rossi and Ellen DeGeneres are under fire once again.

    Shocking, right?

    It just doesn’t seem to let up for these two, no matter how hard they try to show the world a united front.

    Reports about the couple have been up and down for weeks now, and it looks like this week is destined to be one of those down weeks.

    PageSix reported that a huge argument erupted between de Rossi and DeGeneres in the car on their way to the Saving SPOT! fundraiser at Tiato in Santa Monica. It apparently became so heated, the two turned around and went right back home.

    “Ellen and Portia were supposed to be at the event at 5 p.m., but at 6:30 p.m., the media was still waiting for their arrival. Reporters were told they were on their way, until the head of the charity informed everyone at the end of the event that they weren’t going to make it due to ‘logistics,’” a source told PageSix.

    Now RadarOnline reports that de Rossi has been showing up at DeGeneres’ workplace to keep an eye on her wife.

    “It is kind of creepy. Portia never used to come to see her at work,” said the source. “Ellen tells us that it helps having her there because she ‘at least she doesn’t have to worry about her being home alone.’ I have to admit, however, it seems like Portia is being slightly controlling by her unplanned visits.”

    These two can’t seem to catch a break. The most likely truth is these reports are much ado about a whole lot of nothing.

    The truth is more likely found in their personal tweets from the past week or so.

  • Jehovah’s Witnesses Ordered to Pay $13.5 Million in Child Molestation Case

    Jehovah’s Witnesses have been ordered to pay $13.5 million to a San Diego man who claims he was sexually abused by a bible teacher as a child.

    Jose Lopez, 36, filed the lawsuit four years ago against the organization that runs the church, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, saying he was molested in 1986.

    According to Lopez, he was seven years old when he was molested by church leader Gonzalo Campos while a member of the Spanish congregation in the Linda Vista section of San Diego.

    “It’s never going to be over for me,” Lopez told reporters during a press conference on Friday. “It was just a horrible thing and I want people to know what happened to me,” he said.

    Seven other people, six men and one woman, also claim they were molested by Campos and settled out of court.

    Mario Moreno, a lawyer for the church, called the decision by San Diego Superior Judge Joan Lewis “drastic” in a statement and said the church would appeal.

    “Jehovah’s Witnesses abhor child abuse and strive to protect children from such acts,” the statement said.

    Lopez’s lawyer, Irwin Zalkin, told reporters the Jehovah’s Witness church has a culture of secrecy.

    “These guys will deny and deny, they are belligerent, they are arrogant, they treat victims as adversaries,” he said.

    Zalkin said the church allowed Campos to work with Lopez even though it knew he admitted to molesting another boy in 1982. According to Zalkin, the church believed he was “repentant” of his actions and could once again be trusted with young boys.

  • Erica Mena to Keep Life with Bow Wow Private, He Will Not Appear on ‘Love & Hip Hop’ to Protect ‘Her World’

    Erica Mena will not be airing her private life with new fiancé Bow Wow on her popular reality show, saying she wants to protect what is most important to her.

    Because of the recent and very public breakup between Amber Rose and Wiz Khalifa, Mena said she wants her relationship to Bow Wow — whose real name is Shad Moss — to remain private and won’t be exploiting their relationship on Love & Hip Hop.

    “[Rose’s divorce] helps me realize that when you’re in the spotlight, you have to protect what’s yours so much more than the average person. And I think that’s why a lot of people will be surprised to know that my fiancé won’t be on Love & Hip Hop.”

    “I’m just pro-saving what’s mine and keeping it away from the world,” she said. “When it’s time — right situation, right whatever — maybe we’ll consider it, but I really want to protect this one. This one is like everything I need, everything I want, he’s my world. Sometimes you can’t really show the world your world.”

    A photo posted by Shad Moss (Bow Wow) (@bowwow) on

    A photo posted by Shad Moss (Bow Wow) (@bowwow) on

    It came as a surprise to many when Mena announced that she and the 106 & Park host were getting married.

    Even though Mena wants to keep things private on her television show, she’s fine with sharing her love on social media.

    The pair share many Instagram photos, including a recent shot that displayed Bow Wow wearing an image of Erica on his socks.

    Daddy at work today #MenaMondays

    A photo posted by Erica Mena (@iamerica_mena) on

    The pair also shared an adorable picture of a family lunch with Erica’s son.

    A photo posted by Erica Mena (@iamerica_mena) on