Celebrity Scoop – 09/04/2018

TAYLOR SWIFT PERFORMS RARELY HEARD SONG, GIVES POWERFUL SPEECH AT ‘REPUTATION TOUR’ SHOW – (09/04/2018)

Taylor Swift performs a surprise song every night on her reputation Stadium Tour and one of the latest ones she sang was a rarely-heard track.

The 28-year-old singer performed her song “Tied Together With a Smile” during her show on Saturday in Minneapolis.

Taylor has previously said she wrote the song about a beauty queen who was the most popular girl in her high school, who also.suffered from an eating disorder. She reportedly hasn’t performed the song live in over a decade!

In a speech before performing the song, Taylor opened up about the meaning of the song and said some powerful words to fans in the audience.

“One thing I have noticed in my life is you can never judge what somebody else is going through, even if they seem like they have it all together, they seem like, how can they ever have any problems?” Taylor said. “Somebody is maybe really beautiful or seems like they have it all together, maybe they have a life that you’re really envious of.”

“But I’ve learned that appearances aren’t everything,” she continued. “Just because somebody looks happy doesn’t mean they are. Just because somebody looks healthy doesn’t mean they are.”

PETE WENTZ GIVES ARIANA GRANDE PROPS FOR MAKING A ‘STRANGE, INTERESTING POP ALBUM’ – (09/04/2018)

Ariana Grande has been receiving quite a bit of praise over her recently released album Sweetener, which dropped August 17th and quickly topped the U.S. album charts.

On Thursday, Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz chimed in with his own kind words and love for her album, telling Grande that she “took a left turn and made a strange, interesting pop album. She didn’t have to and I think that kind of makes it mean even more.”

Grande, who performed a moving rendition of “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” at Aretha Franklin’s Detroit funeral on Friday morning, wrote right back to Wentz, thanking him from the bottom of her “fall out boy worshipping heart.”

ARE DRAKE AND KANYE BEEFING OVER KIM KARDASHIAN? – (09/04/2018)

Please note the following story contains language that could be considered offensive.

Kanye West has been very open about his issues with Drake, but there’s a rumor going around that the real reason the two are beefing is because Drake slept with Kim Kardashian. TMZ pointed out the fact that Drake refers to a woman named “KiKi” in his hit “In My Feelings,” which is Kim’s nickname and also the color of one of her KKW beauty lipsticks.

Meanwhile, the other clue people are social media are using to connect the dots is from Drake’s song with Kylie’s boyfriend Travis Scott called “Sicko Mode.”  Drake’s home is pretty close to Kim’s and the lyric goes: “I crept down the block, made a right, cut the lights, paid the price.”

The site reported that the two have some mutual friends and are cordial when they run into each other, they’ve never had a personal friendship or relationship.

KIM RESPONDS

Kim took to Instagram to respond to The ShadeRoom‘s post about the rumor. The site posted a clip of Kim’s ex Nick Cannon on “Everyday Struggle” talking about whether he believes Drake had sex with Kim. DJ Akademiks said, [“I think Drake smashed Kim K. … ” Nick Cannon: “That ain’t that too far off of a concept….. I was thinking the same sh*t.”]

Kim wrote,  “Never happened. End of story.”  Drake later followed Kim Kardashian on Instagram.

MACHINE GUN KELLY FIRES BACK AT EMINEM – (09/04/2018)

Please note the following story contains language that could be considered offensive.

Machine Gun Kelly has responded to Eminem‘s diss track towards him called “Not Alike.” On the song, Eminem spit, “But next time you don’t gotta use Tech N9ne if you wanna come at me with a sub-machine gun  / And I’m talking to you but you already know who the f*** you are, Kelly  / I don’t use sublims and sure as f*** don’t sneak-diss  / But keep commenting on my daughter Hailie.”

Em’s shots stem from tweets that MGK sent out back in 2012, when he was 22. He tweeted about Em’s then 16-year-old daughter, “Ok, so I just saw a picture of Eminem’s daughter… and I have to say, she is hot as f*ck, in the most respectful way possible cuz Em is king.”

Then last year, MGK sent a few subliminal shots on song with TechN9ne called “No Reason”  –which is the song Em was referring to. MGK rapped, “It’s only one option, you gon’ need a doctor / I ain’t talkin’ ’bout the one from Compton. / I pop cherries and popstars, you popsicles is not hard / Popped in on the top charts out the cop car / To remind y’all you just rap and not God and I don’t care who got bars.”

Now, in response to “Not Alike,” MGK posted a song called “Rap Devil,” along with the caption, F*CK RAP GOD IM THE RAP DEVIL. On the song, he rapped, [“You sober and bored, huh?/ About to be 46 years old, dog / Talkin’ bout “I’ma call up Trick Trick” / Man, you sound like a b*tch, b*tch / Man up and handle your sh*t / Mad about something I said in 2012 / Took you six years and a surprise album just to come with a diss / Homie we get it, we know that you’re the greatest rapper alive / F*cking dweeb, all you do is read the dictionary and stay inside.”

Celebrity Scoop – 09/03/2018

‘A STAR IS BORN’ GETS EIGHT-MINUTE OVATION IN VENICE AFTER SCREENING INTERRUPTED BY LIGHTNING STRIKE – (09/03/2018)

Lightning stuck at the Venice Film Festival on Friday, interrupting the premiere screening of Lady Gaga’s new movie A Star Is Born.

Variety reports that about an hour into the movie, the screen went black, reportedly from lightning due to a heavy rainstorm in the Italian city. The blackout lasted about 15 minutes, during which Gaga began blowing kisses to the cheering audience.

When the film resumed, it earned an eight-minute standing ovation. Gaga looked relieved, while director and co-star Bradley Cooper thanked the audience for staying. The film co-stars Sam Elliott, Andrew Dice Clay and Dave Chappelle.

Warner Bros releases A Star Is Born on October 5th domestically.

Per a recent Fandango survey, A Star Is Born is among the Top 5 upcoming most anticipated releases and Gaga is the No. 1 most anticipated actress. There is also a lot of Oscar buzz about the movie.

CARDI B ACCUSED OF ORDERING AN ASSAULT ON TWO WOMEN OVER OFFSET – (09/03/2018)

Cardi B has been accused of ordering a beatdown of two women that she thinks have been sleeping with her husband, rapper Offset. According to TMZ, Cardi has allegedly been threatening Baddi Gi — a bartender at the strip club Angels NYC, for months. Baddi G’s sister Jade is Offset’s alleged “side piece.” Cardi saw Jade and Baddi G and that’s when bottles and chairs started flying.

The sisters are saying that Cardi saw them behind the bar and ordered her crew to attack them with chairs and bottles and fists and it caused “serious injuries that required medical attention.” Baddie Gi confirms she saw Cardi B throw “at least one bottle” during the altercation.

The girls have hired prominent attorney Joe Tacopina — who is mulling over filing a suit against Cardi and others. Tacopina told Theybf.co that both of his clients plan to file a police report and Cardi will be named.

Meanwhile, Cardi went on Instagram and denied having anything to do with the incident.

CARDI B WANTS LIPOSUCTION

In other news, Cardi B took to Instagram Live this weekend and pondered if she should get lipo to get rid of her post baby “love handles.”

She said, while pulling her stomach, “I still feel like I got a lot of love handles right here. It’s not much but it’s like — I’m used to having, like, a real tight stomach.”

Cardi said with a new baby, she doesn’t have time to work out. She explained, “If I’m not working, I gotta make sure my baby’s okay. I might just get a little lipo, you know what I’m sayin’?”

Cardi B gave birth her daughter Kulture seven weeks ago.

G-EAZY RESONDS TO MACHINE GUN KELLY WITH ‘BAD BOY’ – (09/03/2018)

Please note the following story contains language that could be considered offensive.

G-Eazy has responded to Machine Gun Kelly with a diss song called “Bad Boy.” Last week, MGK stopped by a radio show and dropped a freestyle taking shots at G-Eazy, claiming that he stole his style and that he slept with G-Eazy’s girlfriend Halsey.

On “Bad Boy,” G-Eazy spits, “I answer to no one, nobody can get control of me / MGK, please stop trolling me / Get over me. You wanna be me, you’re mad that you’re not as big as me / I’m everywhere, I’m your nightmare / You can’t get rid of me.”

He continued, “I headline arenas and all of my shits go platinum / You never seen a plaque and your last shit did 30,000 / It’s not a competition / I’d heard you if I start bragging. I’m headlining, heard you opening up for Fall Out Boy / Don’t play with my name, you f*cker / I said it’s not a toy / Disrespect her again, I’ll smack you / I’m not a boy.”

On MGK and Halsey’s relationship, G-Eazy rapped, “‘Him & I’s’ on, bet you’re listening to Halsey sing to me / Can’t f*ck with nobody with so much negative energy / A pillar in this game, bro, I’ll be here until infinity / Ask myself why am I entertaining a mini me / You’re so below my class, you’re reaching, you’re not offending me.”

G-Eazy and MGK have been beefing for some time now. When G-Eazy debuted his blond hair at the ESPY Awards, MGK threw a shot, tweeting, “holy sh*t just be yourself homie” with the laughing emoji.

EMINEM DISSES MGK

In addition to G-Eazy, Eminem also dissed MGK this week. Apparently, MGK made comments about Eminem’s daughter Hailie in the past. In a song off of his new album Kamikaze, Em spit, “But next time you don’t gotta use Tech N9ne, If you wanna come at me with a sub, Machine Gun, And I’m talkin’ to you, but you already know who the f*ck you are, Kelly, I don’t use sublims and sure as f*ck don’t sneak-diss, But keep commentin’ on my daughter Hailie.”

 ‘CATS’ MOVIE ADAPTATION STARRING TAYLOR SWIFT & JENNIFER HUDSON GETS A RELEASE DATE: The star-studded Cats movie has a release date. The upcoming Universal film adaptation of the musical will be hitting theaters on December 20, 2019. The movie is set to star Taylor Swift, Jennifer Hudson, James Corden and Ian McKellen. It’s been revealed that Jennifer will be playing the role of Grizabella, who sing the famous song from the musical, “Memory.” It is not know what roles Taylor, James or Ian will take on.

Celebrity Scoop – 08/31/2018

ARETHA FRANKLIN TO BE LAID TO REST TODAY – (08/31/2018)

Aretha Franklin’s four day celebration of life will come to a close today (August 31st) as she will be laid to rest at 10 a.m. at Detroit’s Greater Grace Temple Church. According to Bossip, the service will last five-and-a-half hours, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The funeral will consist of a musical prelude performed by the Aretha Franklin Orchestra, lighting of candles, the processional, a prayer of comfort, scripture of comfort, a reading of the Old Testament by Bishop T.D. Jakes and the New Testament by Pastor Solomon Kinloch. Franklin will also be honored with a number of musical tributes from artists such as Faith Hill, Jennifer Hudson, Ariana Grande, The Clark Sisters, Chaka Khan, Ronald Isley, Fantasia, Yolanda Adams, Bishop Marvin Sapp and Stevie Wonder. 

According to TMZ, J-Hud will be performing “Amazing Graze,” Faith Hill will be singing, “What A Friend We Have In Jesus,” Ariana Grande will sing, “Natural Woman,” Stevie Wonder will perform, “The Lord’s Prayer” and Fantasia will sing “Precious Lord.”

Former President Barack Obama will not be in attendance, but he reportedly sent a letter paying tribute to the Queen of Soul. 

The funeral will air live on BET, HLN, CNN, MSNBC and Fox News. It will also be live streamed by The Associated Press, SiriusXM, and ABC News Live.

On another note, according to Billboard, Bishop Charles H. Ellis III — who is over the funeral, says that the service will not be a show or a concert. He said, “It is my goal and my aim to ensure that people leave here with some kind of spiritual awakening. This is not a concert, this is not a show, this is not an awards production. This is a real life that has been lived, that a person regardless of how famous she became no matter how many people she touched around the world, she still could not escape death. And hopefully, a lot of people here with money and fame and influence and friends and notoriety and wealth, hopefully they will think of their mortality and say there is something bigger than fame, there is something bigger than Hollywood, something bigger than being a recording artist and selling gold albums or what have you.” 

It has also been reported that the Greater Grace Temple Church will be lined with pink Cadillacs — a tribute to Franklin’s ‘80s record, “Freeway of Love.”

LADY GAGA’S ‘A STAR IS BORN’ SOUNDTRACK DETAILS – (08/31/2018)

Interscope Records has announced the soundtrack for Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga’s upcoming film, A Star Is Born, which will follow “the musical arc and romantic journey of the movie’s two lead characters,” according to the press release.

The 34-track album – which is available for pre-order now – is set to feature 19 songs and 15 dialogue tracks, which will “take listeners on a journey that mirrors the experience of seeing the film.”

Lady Gaga and Cooper both contributed to the writing on the album, with the 43-year-old actor lending his songwriting talents to four tracks and the 32-year-old singer earning writing credits on 13. The co-stars are also set to perform four duets in the film, including “Shallow,” which was featured in the movie’s trailer.

The soundtrack also features the talents of Lukas Nelson, Jason Isbell, Mark Ronson, Julia Michaels and Lori McKenna, and is set to drop October 5th, the same day the film hits theaters.

Lady Gaga shared the exciting news on Twitter, writing, “From our hearts to yours. The soundtrack to A Star Is Born.”

A Star Is Born, which marks Cooper’s directorial debut, is the fourth remake of a 1937 film. It was most recently made in 1976 with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson. In the film, Jackson (Cooper) discovers a struggling artist named Ally (Gaga) and the two fall in love, set to a backdrop of country music.

The film is set to premiere today at the Venice Film Festival, ahead of its October 5th theatrical release.

In a new interview, Bradley Cooper says  he wanted Lady Gaga to be completely natural during her audition for A Star Is Born.

According to the LA Times, Cooper, who directs and stars in the film, swiped off Gaga’s makeup because he wanted to see her “completely open” and with “no artifice.”

“Take it off,” Cooper told Gaga when she walked into the audition with concealer, mascara and lipstick on. Then he took out a makeup wipe and removed it himself.

Meanwhile, Gaga made quite the entrance at the 2018 Venice Film Festival on Thursday, striking a glamorous pose on the edge of a water taxi as she pulled up to the event.

Gaga was all smiles as she cruised into the Palazzo del Cinema di Venezia on the side of the boat, showing off her fit figure in a chic black Jonathan Simkhai resort cocktail dress and matching black pumps. The Grammy winner, whose boyfriend, Christian Carino, accompanied her on the water, was also photographed blowing kisses to fans and sniffing a red flower before hopping off her ride.

JENNIFER LAWRENCE’S HACKER SENTENCED TO JAIL – (08/31/2018)

STATIONS: Please note the following story contains language that could be considered offensive to your audience.

The last of four hackers who leaked private nude photos of Jennifer Lawrence and other female stars in 2014 was sentenced to eight months in prison, according to the United States Attorney’s Office in the District of Connecticut.

George Garofano, 26, pleaded guilty in April to a phishing scheme that ultimately garnered private photographs and videos of Lawrence, Kate Upton, Kirsten Dunst, Meagan Good and many more. Their photographs and videos were then dispersed online. 

LAWRENCE TALKS FITNESS

Meanwhile, Lawrence also discussed her approach to diet and fitness with Vogue. The 28-year-old Oscar winner said she tries to balance junk with good stuff. 

“I don’t like when people say, ‘I only do this or eat this,'” she told Vogue, “Because I eat. I’m not very strict with my diet: If I want a piece of pizza, I eat a piece of pizza.”

“But I do work out more than normal because I have a certain way that I want to look, and a way that I want to fit into my clothes,” she continues. “I get photographed when I’m not asking for it, so there’s added pressure to look and feel your best.”

FAST FACTS:

  • “When the hacking thing happened, it was so unbelievably violating that you can’t even put it into words,” Lawrence told The Hollywood Reporter of getting hackedin November 2017. “I feel like I got gang-banged by the f—— planet — like, there’s not one person in the world that is not capable of seeing these intimate photos of me. You can just be at a barbecue and somebody can just pull them up on their phone. That was a really impossible thing to process.”
  • The other three hackers also got sentenced to 9-18 months in jail. 

EMMY ROSSUM IS LEAVING ‘SHAMELESS’ AFTER 8 YEARS – (08/31/2018)

Emmy Rossum is making her last bow on Shameless. Rossum has played Fiona Gallagher since the show debuted, and she announced her leave-taking in a lengthy, emotional post on Facebook that noted her years on the show were “the best of” her life.

“See, in real life, unlike Fiona, I’m an only child. I never had a big family. Being ensconced in that messy Gallagher family love is something I’d always dreamed of. But even off set, it feels real. We’ve watched the kids grow up into the strong, talented, independent human beings that they are. I taught Emma to shave her legs. I was there when Ethan learned to drive. Shanola and Jeremy and Joan and Bill danced at my wedding in New York last year. Our fearless leader John Wells thankfully held Sam and me up on those rickety chairs during the hora. I’ve spent the Jewish holy days in temple with David Nevins and his wonderful wife and kids. It really feels like a family,” she said. 

Rossum famously waged a war over equal pay in 2016, and won. 

Season nine of Shameless is currently filming and set to debut on Showtime on Sunday, Sept. 9. It has not yet been renewed for a tenth season, but she hints the show will go on.

She wrote: “I know you will continue on without me, for now. There is much more Gallagher story to be told. I will always be rooting for my family. Try not to think of me as gone, just think of me as moving down the block.”

 

Celebrity Scoop – 08/30/2018

YOUTUBE NAMES ITS SONGS OF THE SUMMER – (08/30/2018)

YouTube says that in the U.S., the No. 1 Song of the Summer for 2018 is “I Like It,” by Cardi B, Bad Bunny and J Balvin. The No. 2 YouTube song is “Lucid Dreams” by Juice WRLD, followed by “Girls Like You” by Maroon 5 and Cardi B. Drake’s “In My Feelings” and Ella Mai’s “Boo’d Up” round out the top five.

When it comes to global views, however, it’s a different story. On that list “Girls Like You” is No. 1, followed by a song called “Te Bote” by Caspar, Nio García, Darell, Nicky Jam, Bad Bunny and Ozuna. A song by BLACKPINK, a K-pop girl band, is next, followed by “I Like It” at No. 5. 

CHECK IT OUT

Full Story: Variety

YouTube’s Top 10 Songs Of The Summer U.S. List:

  1. Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin – “I Like It”
  2. Juice WRLD – “Lucid Dreams”
  3. Maroon 5 – “Girls Like You ft. Cardi B”
  4. Drake – “In My Feelings”
  5. Ella Mai – “Boo’d Up”
  6. XXXTENTACION – “SAD!”
  7. Tyga – “Taste” (Official Video) ft. Offset
  8. 6ix9ine, Nicki Minaj, Murda Beatz – “FEFE”
  9. Casper – “Te Bote” (Remix) ft. Nio García, Darell, Nicky Jam, Bad Bunny, Ozuna
  10. Post Malone – “Psycho” ft. Ty Dolla $ign

YouTube’s Top 10 Songs of the Summer Global List:

  1. Maroon 5 – “Girls Like You ft. Cardi B
  2. Casper – Te Bote (Remix) ft. Nio García, Darell, Nicky Jam, Bad Bunny, Ozuna
  3. BLACKPINK – “(DDU-DU DDU-DU)”
  4. Becky G, Natti Natasha – “Sin Pijama”
  5. Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin – “I Like It”
  6. Nicky Jam x J. Balvin – “X (EQUIS)”
  7. Daddy Yankee – “Dura”
  8. Neha Kakkar, Dhvani Bhanushali & Ikka Singh – “Dilbar”
  9. Drake – “In My Feelings”
  10. Ed Sheeran – “Perfect”

ARETHA FRANKLIN TO HAVE OUTFIT CHANGES FOR VIEWING AND FUNERAL – (08/30/2018)

Aretha Franklin’s four-day celebration of life has commenced. On Tuesday (August 27th), the Queen of Soul’s public viewing took place at the Charles H. Wright Museum in Detroit. Her body was presented in a solid gold casket, and she wore a red dress with a pair of $775 red patent leather Christian Louboutin heels. According to The Jasmine Brand, Franklin will have a few outfit changes during the viewing. People magazine reported that on Wednesday (August 29th), the singer wore a powder blue dress and matching shoes.

O’Neil Swanson II, the owner of Swanson Funeral Home who is handling Franklin’s services, said, “She’s not going to be wearing the same outfit [each viewing day]. Wednesday, she’ll be wearing the red dress. On Thursday, she’ll be in a gold dress, and Friday, she’s wearing a gown.” 

Franklin’s funeral on Friday (August 31st) will be private, but will be made available to view online and on television. 

ARIANA GRANDE REVEALS NEW ANIME-INSPIRED TATTOO – (08/30/2018)

Ariana Grande is sporting some new ink. The 25-year-old took to her Instagram Stories to show off her new tattoo of the anime movie Spirited Away’s main character Chihiro which she got on her forearm.

Spirited Away was released back in 2002 and follows Chihiro’s journey to rescue her parents after they are turned into pigs.

“Chihrio’s growth into a capable individual is a core factor to the movement of Spirited Away’s plot. During her adventure in the Spirit World, she matures from an easily-scared girl with a child-like personality to match her age to a hard-working, responsible and brave young girl who has learned to put her fears aside for those she cares for,” Ariana wrote after showing off her new tattoo. “To protect her friends and rescue her parents from a spell that has turned them into livestock, Chihiro sheds her former personality and adapts to her environment to become a courageous, quick-witted and reliable girl.”

In another photo, she wrote, “I love her so much” and tagged the tattoo artist, Mira Mariah. Grande and Mariah previously worked together on the singer’s Manchester tribute tattoo, which is a small bumblebee behind her ear.

In a series of tweets earlier this week, Ariana revealed her and her fiancé’s love for the anime film. “Pete and I just ate like the parents from spirited away,” she tweeted.

That wasn’t the first time she referenced the film on her social media account. In 2016, she posted a tribute to animator Michiyo Yasuda, who worked on the film, when Yasuda died.

CHRISTINA MILIAN ROBBED FOR SECOND TIME IN FOUR DAYS: Christina Milian and M. Pokora’s home has been broken into for the second time in four days, sources tell TMZ. The San Fernando Valley home was burglarized Tuesday; robbers smashed in a side door, just as they had the previous Friday. Police are unsure how much was seized Tuesday as Milian and Pokora are out of the country. On Friday, they made off with $100K worth of jewelry and watches. It continues a string of celeb break-ins; Wiz Khalifa, Bella Thorne and John Mayer have also been targeted.

CARDI B NOT RETURNING TO STAGE FOR LESS THAN $300K: Cardi B isn’t leaving her baby Kulture Kiari Cephus’s side unless people want to pay her upwards of $300K to perform, sources tell TMZ. She also doesn’t want to go too far from home. Cardi B reportedly nabbed $100K per show at Coachella (when she was pregnant), and her popularity is consistently rising, so commanding that figure isn’t out of reach. Last weekend, she performed at the Aubrey & the Three Migos Tour in NYC, but her camp is mum on the fee she landed for the gig.

Celebrity Scoop – 08/23/2018

GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS TEAMS UP WITH SPOTIFY FOR RECORD-BREAKING PLAYLIST – (08/23/2018)

Spotify and Guinness World Records has announced the launch of the ultimate record-breaking playlist The Year in Pop. To celebrate the musicians featured in the upcoming Guinness World Records 2019 book, the playlist is made up of the artists’ record-breaking tracks for all to listen.

“With records from ‘Most streamed track worldwide’ to ‘Most followers on Instagram,’ these musicians are recognized for a variety of record-breaking achievements, including tours, online streaming, social media and even crowdfunding,” Guinness said on its website.

The playlist features Justin Bieber, BTS, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and more.

GEORGE CLOONEY TOPS FORBES’ LIST OF HIGHEST-PAID ACTORS – (08/23/2018)

Buoyed by the sale of Casamigos Tequila, George Clooney topped Forbes’ list of highest-paid actors in 2017. Between June 1, 2017 and June 1, 2018, Clooney made $239 million, more money than any other actor has ever, Forbes found. 

But don’t cry for everyone else in Hollywood. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson came in at No. 2, with an estimated $124 million pre-taxes. Much of that is thanks to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. 

Robert Downey Jr. rounded out the top 3 with $81 million. 

All told, the top 10 made $748.5 million between June 1, 2017, and June 1, 2018, before fees and taxes. The top-earning female stars earned $186 million in the same period, or just one quarter of their male cohorts’ paydays.

FAST FACTS:

  • In 2013, Clooney, Mike Meldman and Rande Gerber (Cindy Crawford’s husband) founded Casamigos. Last year, Diageo bought the brand for $700 million.
  • The Rock credited social media (113 million followers on Insta, 13 mill on Twitter) with his epic success. “Social media has become the most critical element of marketing a movie for me,” he told Forbes. “I have established a social media equity with an audience around the world that there’s a value in what I’m delivering to them.”
  • The Iron Man earned an estimated $15 million for a limited-screen-time role in Spider-Man: Homecoming. 

NICKI MINAJ PUTS ‘BILLBOARD’ ON BLAST OVER REPORTS OF ‘CANCELED’ TOUR – (08/23/2018)

Please note the following story contains language that could be considered offensive.

Nicki Minaj has put Billboard on blast for reporting that she canceled her upcoming, “NICKIHNDRXX” tour, using the headline, “Nicki Minaj Details North American NICKIHNDRXX Tour Cancellation: ‘I Don’t Have the Time to Rehearse.’” Nicki took to social media and wrote, “You are now in the running for #C*ckSuckaOfTheDay award on #QueenRadio this Thursday. Barbz get me the name of this writer then hit them & tell them this is one black woman they will not bully into a corner by FRAUDULENT SHAMING TACTICS. So to clarify; because I realize common sense is far from common… I haven’t CANCELLED anything. I reversed the order of the US & EUROPEAN LEGS of my tour. This is for obvious reasons to anyone with a brain. My album was originally going to drop in June which would’ve given me 3 months of tour rehearsal. However, I was still writing & recording up to last week. We are all grown right? We can all do math right? Or will they just pretend to not have basic sense so that they can board the Nicki Hate train & get some clicks? I can’t rehearse 4 WEEKS for a tour I originally planned on rehearsing 3 months for. I give my fans QUALITY. I write & co produce my own music. Therefore, I can’t rehearse while I’m WRITING & RECORDING my album. My true fans understand & know that I will deliver an extraordinary US TOUR which begins in MAY just like I delivered an extraordinary album entitled #Queen. My European fans get the SAME EXACT DATES they’ve always had. Australian fans SAME EXACT DATES they had. Cancelled what? Where?”

She continued, “The narrative they are trying to create is disgusting. But I must say, I’m enjoying this. I love bringing some excitement to this sh*t. I love having the b*lls others only dream about. Wait, who’s been dreaming about b*lls? 🙈 There’s another publication I’m giving CSOTD award to. I won’t tell you who. It’s a surprise  😜 Shout out to my fans around the world. I love you guys so much for holding me down. I’m working on a M&G experience for the tour & will update you ASAP.”

In other news, according to TMZ, Kylie Jenner avoided Nicki on the VMAs red carpet on Monday (August 20th). According to a video published on the site, Kylie and Nicki arrived on the carpet at the same time, on different entrances, but shortly after, Kylie made a U-turn and went in the other direction. TMZ reports that she was trying to avoid confrontation.

DRAKE’S ‘IN MY FEELINGS’ HITS CLASSROOMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY – (08/23/2018)

Not only has Drake’s “In My Feelings” gone viral with a dance challenge, but the record is also being used in schools to encourage students to read. Teachers all over the country have switched up the chorus to Drake’s hit record, “Kiki, do you love me?/Are you riding?/Say you’ll never ever leave from beside me/’Cause I want ya, and I need ya/And I’m down for you always,” replacing the words with reading, writing, knowledge and books. 

One school bulletin board said, “Kiki, are you reading? Are you writing? Are you down with knowledge? Cause I need ya and I want ya to go to college!” Meanwhile, another said, “Kiki, do you study? Are you ready? Say you’ll never stop learning!” 

BIG BANG THEORY ENDING AFTER SEASON 12: Warner Bros. Television and CBS announced that the Big Bang Theory will end its run in May of 2019, making it the longest-running multi-camera series in TV history. The show debuted in 2007, has earned 52 Emmy nominations and 10 wins, will end after 12 seasons with 279 episodes under its belt. The series stars Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar, Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch. 

Celebrity Scoop – 08/22/2018

CAMILA CABELLO SENDS A MESSAGE TO HER YOUNGER SELF AFTER WINNING VMA VIDEO OF THE YEAR – (08/22/2018)

Camila Cabello is sending a message to her 15-year-old self.

Back in 2012, Camila tweeted how badly she wanted to go to the VMAs and her dream just came true in the wildest way. Not only did Camila get to go to the VMAs this year, she also took home Video of the Year for “Havana.”

“#VMA2012 I wanna be there SOOOOOOO bad you dont understand #someday,” Camila tweeted in 2012.

After Monday’s show, Camila replied to her old tweet, sending a message to her younger self.

“YOURE NOT GONNA BELIEVE THIS SMOL CAMILA BUT: IN 2018 MADONNA IS GOING TO GIVE YOU AN AWARD FOR VIDEO OF THE YEAR AND YOUR ACNE WILL CLEAR,” Camila wrote.

NORMANI THANKS NICKI MINAJ FOR DEFENDING HER AFTER TIFFANY HADDISH’S FIFTH HARMONY SHADE – (08/22/2018)

Normani sent a message to Nicki Minaj after Nicki stood up for her after Tiffany Haddish’s Fifth Harmony shade.

Tiffany and Kevin Hart were cracking jokes on stage during the MTV VMAs when she brought up Camila Cabello’s nominations that evening.

“[Camila]’s nominated for five VMAs tonight. So for those of you watching at home – hi Fifth Harmony!” Tiffany said. Nicki later came on stage and turned to Tiffany and said, “And Tiff, don’t be coming for Fifth Harmony, because Normani is that b*tch.”

Normani then tweeted at Nicki, “I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you 🙈✨💖 You perfect queen you! Thank you for lifting me up. God is real. Now y’all know I love me some Nickiiiiiiiiiiiiii. Congratulations on tonight!!! Proud of you always.”

ONEREPUBLIC DONATES $100K TO NASHVILLE SHOOTING VICTIM – (08/22/2018)

The guys in OneRepublic are digging deep in their pockets to help a Nashville woman left paralyzed after being shot in a drive by.

The group tweeted, “The wife of one of our family within the 1R team just got shot through the back while walking her dogs. Please help us help this family recover & bring attention to the EPIDEMIC of gun violence in this country. Thank you.”

In an accompanying video, the group explains that the victim is the wife of a guy who’s worked closely with the band for years and was on stage with them in Los Angeles when the incident occurred in Nashville.

“This video isn’t about the epidemic of gun violence that exists in this country, which is unspeakable. This is about helping people who mean everything to us,” lead singer Ryan Tedder explains.  He adds, “We never thought it would affect us and now it’s personal.”

They included a link to a Go Fund Me page for the victim, who is currently recovering in the hospital after her “life changing injuries” that required multiple surgeries.

The band has also donated $100,000 to the cause. Country star Dierks Bentley also chipped in $2,000. The Go Fund Me page has raised over $180,000 of its $200,000 goal so far.

ARIANA GRANDE PERFORMS ‘SWEETENER SESSIONS’ CONCERT IN NEW YORK CITY – (08/22/2018)

Please note the following story contains language that could be considered offensive.

Ariana Grande performed at the American Express x Ariana Grande: The Sweetener Sessions on Monday night at Irving Plaza in New York City. She hit the stage just a few hours after performing “God Is A Woman” at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall. Madonna, Karlie Kloss and fiancé Pete Davidson were all in attendance at the intimate performance.

Before Grande stepped onto the small stage, she was introduced by Davidson. He first asked everybody to “shut the f*ck up” before introducing “the best person I know.” As he exited the stage and she came on, the two exchanged a quick kiss before she settled onto the small black stool placed center stage.

The intimate show marked the first of three Sweetener Sessions, organized by American Express, during which Grande performs tracks off her latest album in a stripped-down, super small setting. New York’s set marked the live debut of 11 Sweetener songs, and dates in Chicago and Los Angeles will follow.

KATY PERRY TO PLAY INTIMATE SHOW FOR CITI CARDMEMBERS NEXT MONTH – (08/22/2018)

KatyCats who are also Citi cardmembers should head to Los Angeles next month because Katy Perry is playing an intimate show just for them. The September 10th show at The Theatre at Ace Hotel in L.A. is part of Citi’s Sound Vault series, exclusively for Citi ThankYou cardmembers.

From now until August 31st, cardmembers can register to unlock exclusive access using their card. Cardmembers who receive a verification code will have the opportunity to use their Citi ThankYou card to complete their ticket purchase starting September 5th.

You can get all the details at CitiPrivatePass.com.

Meanwhile, Katy just officially wrapped up her Witness world tour, and tweeted that she didn’t have to cancel a single show,.

“IT’S THE LAST NIGHT OF #WITNESSTHETOUR Y’ALL!,” she wrote. “113 shows with perfect attendance! Grateful for everyone’s love & support all year… #resilient.”

Katy marked the end of the tour by getting a tattoo of a planet on her wrist, which she showed off on Instagram.

“The planet in the middle is Saturn as this journey has taught me many lessons with a few tears along the way BUT I am happy to report a sense of real resilience as we wrap,” she wrote. “I share this insignia with 45 other tour mates and moreover an incredible year of memories with over 100 beautiful & kind humans and a numerous amount of gracious attendees.”

Katy also got tattoos to mark the end of all her previous tours. The Saturn tattoo joins her strawberry, a peppermint and a prism.

Celebrity Scoop – 08/21/2018

CAMILA CABELLO WINS ARTIST OF THE YEAR AT THE 2018 MTV VMAS – (08/21/2018)

Please note the following story contains language that could be considered offensive.

Moon Person trophies were handed out at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards last night with Camila Cabello winning not one, but two trophies for Artist of the Year and Video of the Year for her video “Havana.”

Other winners of the evening included Post Malone’s “Rockstar” taking the trophy for Song of the Year and Cardi B nabbing Best New Artist. Atlanta star and creator Donald Glover’s music video for “The Is America” snagged Best Video With a Message, Best Choreography, and Best Direction.

Other Highlights Include:

  • The Backstreet Boys performed at the pre-show. The guys – Howie D., Kevin Richardson, Nick Carter, AJ McLean, and Brian Littrell – took over the front of Radio City Music Hall to perform one of their new hits “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.” Later on in the show, the guys hit the stage to present.
  • Rising star Hayley Kiyoko received the Push artist of the year, beating out SZA, Khalid, Lil Xan and several others. “This validates any queer woman of color that you can follow your dreams,” Kiyoko said in an impromptu interview on the pink carpet.
  • Cardi B kicked off the ceremony by cradling the VMAs signature trophy as if it were her child which led to a wet T shirt performance from Shawn Mendes as well as a Nicki Minaj performance that was very royal to go in line with her album Queen.
  • Tiffany Haddish and Kevin Hart opened the show by reassuring the crowd they could express themselves freely at the show, at least more freely than an NFL player can. “We are live coast-to-coast, people. I’m looking at this like it’s game day,” Hart said. “But do not worry. For this game, you’re allowed to kneel. You can do whatever the hell you want. There’s no old white man who can stop you.” They also had some zingers for people in attendance (“Jersey Shore is back and bigger than ever, which makes sense. Without treatment, that sort of thing will keep flaring up every couple of years.”) – but Hart saved his most pointed jab President Donald Trump. “You never know what’s going to happen at the VMAs,” he said. “Bad language, people run to the bathroom and send out crazy tweets. It’s basically like a typical day at the White House. In your face, Trump! Suck it!”
  • Haddish, meanwhile, mispronounced Camila Cabello’s name. “Y’all know I can’t read that good. I only speak English, and that’s mostly in Ebonics,”she quipped. Haddish then called out Cabello’s old band Fifth Harmony by saying they were at home watching instead of being invited to the show. Nicki Minaj stood up for her Fifth Harmony pal Normani and told Haddish when the rapper stepped on stage to accept an award, “Don’t be coming for Fifth Harmony because Normani is that b*tch!”
  • Travis Scott performed a medley of songs off of his new album Astroworld. Travis was joined by James Blake on stage where the two performed a medley of “Stargazing,” “Stop Trying To Be God,” and “Sicko Mode.”
  • Nicki Minaj performed a medley of her songs “Barbie Dreams” and “Majesty” during the nearly five-minute performance.
  • Panic! at the Disco, fronted lead vocalist Brendon Urie, commanded the crowd with a stellar performance of “High Hopes.” Brendon donned a black and gold floral suit as he opened the song on a rotating platform that descended into the crowd.
  • Ariana Grande performed her current single “God is a Woman” from her album Sweetener. The performance kicked off with a visual of The Last Supper featuring only women. At the end of the performance, Ari‘s mom Joan and her grandma Nonna came on stage.
  • Logic and Ryan Tedder hit the stage together to perform their track “One Day.” During the performance, Logic wore a shirt that read “F**k the Wall.” He was later joined by immigrant families wearing shirts that read “We Are All Human Beings,” and held up candles.
  • Jennifer Lopez was honored with the Video Vanguard Award and delivered a performance of current and past hits to remind us that she’s still Jenny from the Block. After the epic performance, the 49-year-old entertainer returned to the stage to accept the coveted award. After thanking her team and family, Jen gave her gratitude to boyfriend Alex Rodriguez. “And Alex. You’re like my twin soul. We’re like mirror images of each other,” Jen said. “My life is sweeter and better with you in it because you make me realize that every day the sky is not the limit – the universe is infinite, and so is what we can accomplish together with love and trust and understanding. There’s so much more to do – to experience – and there is no one I’d rather do it with. You’re my macho baby and I love you.”
  • Madonna, who recently celebrated her 60th birthday, made an appearance to not only present the award for Video of the Year but to serve as a conduit for an Aretha Franklin tribute. She shared a story of her early days as a struggling singer and dancer on how she was inspired by Franklin and how she “belted” out “Natural Woman” at an audition. She said the point of her story was that her career wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t  “for our ‘Lady of Soul’.” “Thank you for empowering all of us,” she added. “Long live the queen.”
  • Post Malone ended the telecast with a performance with the legendary Aerosmith.
  • The 2018 MTV Video Music Awards is the second ceremony since MTV changed the “Moon Man” trophy name to the gender neutral “Moon Person.”

Winners                                                                           

  • Video Of The Year: Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug – “Havana”
  • Artist Of The Year: Camila Cabello
  • Song Of The Year: Post Malone ft. 21 Savage – “rockstar”
  • Best New Artist: Cardi B
  • Best Collaboration:  Jennifer Lopez ft. DJ Khaled & Cardi B – “Dinero”
  • Push Artist Of The Year: Hayley Kiyoko
  • Best Pop: Ariana Grande – “No Tears Left to Cry”
  • Best Hip Hop: Nicki Minaj – “Chun-Li”
  • Best Latin: J Balvin, Willy William – “Mi Gente”
  • Best Dance: Avicii ft. Rita Ora – “Lonely Together”
  • Best Rock: Imagine Dragons – “Whatever It Takes”
  • Video With A Message: Childish Gambino – “This Is America”
  • Best Cinematography: The Carters – “Apes**t” – Cinematography by Benoit Debie
  • Best Direction: Childish Gambino – “This Is America” – Directed by Hiro Murai
  • Best Art Direction: The Carters – “Apes**t” – Art Direction by Jan Houlevigue
  • Best Visual Effects: Kendrick Lamar & SZA – “All The Stars” – Visual Effects by Loris Paillier for
  • Best Choreography: Childish Gambino – “This Is America” – Choreography by Sherrie Silver
  • Best Editing: N.E.R.D & Rihanna – “Lemon” – Editing by Taylor Ward
  • Song Of Summer: Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin – “I Like It”
  • Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award: Jennifer Lopez

SELENA GOMEZ & BFFS GET MATCHING TATTOOS – (08/21/2018)

Selena Gomez and her three best buds are taking their friendship to the next level with matching ink.

The star revealed two new tattoos on Instagram Saturday in honor of her friend Courtney Barry’s 26th birthday. The group of girls, which also includes longtime pals Ashley Cook and Raquelle Stevens, hit up the tattoo shop for some spontaneous ink after enjoying dinner together.

In a series of photos, Gomez, 26, documented the experience and shared the sweet meaning behind the number four tattoo they each received: “4, because you are my 4 for the rest of my life. I love you ladies. You all inspire me to be better, stronger, closer to god.”

Selena also inked the number one on her rib cage (as did the birthday girl), calling Barry “my actual #1.”

“The way you handle life’s most confusing moments is indescribable and graceful,” Gomez wrote about her best friend on Instagram. “You are the definition of FEARFULLY and WONDERFULLY made.”

“We have lived the most INSANE story together already,” Gomez wrote.

CAMILA CABELLO SHARES VIDEO OF HER GRANDMA DANCING TO ‘NEVER BE THE SAME’ – (08/21/2018)

Camila Cabello posted a cute video of her family and friends during her performance of “Never Be the Same” Sunday night during Taylor Swift’s Reputation Tour in Miami, Florida.

Camila captioned the tweet, “My grandma, our best friends Jenni and Alex, and my parents watching the show last night. broke my heart.” In the video, her grandma is seen dancing and proudly singing along to her granddaughter’s hit in their hometown.

In a separate tweet, Cabello explained, “I can’t imagine how weird it must be for them realizing that the same girl who didn’t want anybody to look at her, who waited for her parents to go to Publix to sing in her room, who made her grandma stand in the closet and close her eyes while she played guitar and sang to her from the other side of the door , that same girl who didn’t want anybody to look at her is suddenly telling her most intimate stories to a stadium of 64,000 people.”