Ashley Judd slams trolls for 'misogynist' criticism of her face, plus more news

Ashley Judd slams 'misogynists on Twitter'

Ashley Judd is over the negativity and trolling she faced over her appearance in a video for Democratic presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren. According to Today.com, commenters criticized the 51-year-old star for looking "puffy," and accused her, in extremely nasty terms, of having had so much work done on her face that she was unrecognizable. There was so much chatter about her appearance, in fact, that she became a trending topic. Finally, on Thursday, Feb. 13, Ashley posted a long statement on Facebook in response to the criticism. She explained she gets Botox regularly to ward off "siege migraines." "Healthy self esteem. Good boundaries. Unshakeable knowledge of self," she wrote in the post. "These things are essential when I wake up & learn from caring friends that my appearance has been trending on Twitter. The misogynistic savages of both sexes have come out, as have plenty of folks who empathize and see it for what it is (woman bashing)." Ashley continued: "Have I had botox? It is a standard treatment for the ailment that I experience." She went on to detail how her last migraine raged on for more than four months and caused her to gain some weight. "What I know is that misogynists on Twitter have been slaughtering me compared to my pre-weight gain idealized self," she wrote. "My conventionally thin, athletic, 'pretty' AcroYoga body, and more slender face, is merely the flip side of the same patriarchal coin." Finally, she told off the haters. "Those of you who are talking about my female appearance, making assessments about my worth and desirability are basing your opinions on wholly gendered norms. The good news for my empowered self is I don't take compliments any more seriously than I do slurs," she asserted. "My self-worth and value are neither based on being built up nor on being torn down. … My earnest wish for all of us — because I know my experience is far from unique — is that when women speak up, we still get beaten up. Speak up anyway. … Conversations about our female bodies will continue to roar — both about us and outside of us. What I know for sure is that my peace is on the inside, in spite of the patriarchy and all who participate in it, male and female." Ashley closed with, "And to those for whom this is obvious and redundant, thank you. I feel you."

Keep reading to catch up on the latest news about Rihanna's ninth studio album …

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Rihanna finally confirms she's back in the studio — with a special collaborator

For much of the past year, Rihanna has apparently taken great joy in tormenting her fans about the release of her ninth studio album, which she put on the back burner while working on clothing and beauty lines, among other projects. This week, the singer (finally) ponied up some actual details about the album — and confirmed that she's actually working on it. Asked about her Valentine's Day plans, the newly single star told The Cut "I'm going to be in the studio," adding, "I'm so excited actually. I can't say who I'm working with, but it's somebody I've been wanting to work with him for a long time." She laughed, then admitted who the mystery collaborator is: "OK, I'll tell you," she said. "Pharrell."

RELATED: Rihanna's best fashion moments of all time

Orlando Bloom gets a new tattoo — with his son's name misspelled

Here's more proof no good deed goes unpunished. Orlando Bloom got a new tattoo on Wednesday, Feb. 12, in honor of a special little guy in his life — his 9-year-old son, Flynn, whom he shares with ex Miranda Kerr. "New #tattoo can you guess who?" he captioned a black and white photo of the new ink on Instagram. When a commenter asked him to spill the deets, he explained, "It's Flynn in MORSE CODE and his dob (date of birth) and time." Alas, what it actually says is "Frynn," a major detail fans soon pointed out. The good news? It's an easier fix than it might have been had Orlando gone for regular letters, as tattoo artist Balazs Bercsenyi pointed out in the caption of his own post about the tat. "A beautiful reminder for @orlandobloom of his son 👨‍👦" he wrote alongside the pic. "And yes, a dot is missing, we know, it will be fixed :)"

RELATED: See which celebs are sporting face tattoos

Geena Davis reflects on Brad Pitt's 'Thelma and Louise' audition

When Brad Pitt won his first acting Oscar last weekend for his role in "Once Upon a Time … In Hollywood," he waxed nostalgic in his speech, thanking "Thelma and Louise" star and director Geena Davis and Ridley Scott "for giving me my first shot." It seems Geena, for one, is not a bit surprised the guy who played her gorgeous fling in the classic film is getting his due. "He just has 'it,'" Geena tells People in a new cover story about Brad's "new life." "I could tell when he was auditioning that he was super talented," she says. "He has done so many incredible things over the years. I don't think that it is unusual for him to be honored. He really is the 'star' of the moment, which is fabulous, and it is just great to see."

Lady Gaga accepts a proposal from herself on Valentine's Day

Lady Gaga is proudly putting a ring on it — and by "it," we mean, on her own finger. The singer stepped up to promote a friend's new jewelry line on Instagram on Friday, Feb. 14, and she did so in the most feminist way possible. "Celebrating Valentine's Day wearing this bada– ring designed by my friend @bcompleted for @klarna.usa," she told followers while showing off the "Knight Ring" by Klarna and stylist Bea Åkerlund. "Did you know that an old tradition says that only during a leap year, on Feb 29th, are women allowed to propose to men? 🤦‍♀️," Gaga asked. "It's 2020, and any person of any gender identity can propose to anyone, anytime! So as we all celebrate love today, I put this ring on my own finger as a sign of my love for myself and for my fans – and a reminder that we are all born superstars. 💕 #getwhatyoulove." According to ET, all proceeds from sales of the ring and other items in the new line's Get What you Love campaign will go to Dress For Success, which provides women in need with professional workplace wear, career development support and more.

Justin Bieber talks about his "pretty crazy" love life with wife Hailey Bieber

"Yummy," indeed! Justin Bieber came awfully close to a TMI about his love life with Hailey Bieber during Q&A session that was part of a performance this week in London. One fan asked what the Biebs does in his downtime when he's not touring, recording or promoting new music. "It just depends who I'm with," Justin replied, according to E! News. "When I'm with my wife, we like to … You guys can guess what we do," he quipped. "It's gets pretty crazy… that's pretty much all we do." He added that the couple also likes "to Netflix and chill," but said they "definitely do more of the chilling." Well-played for a PG-13 crowd, buddy!

Gayle King accepts Snoop Dogg's apology after Kobe Bryant comments

All is well between Gayle King and Snoop Dogg, if you were wondering. The veteran journalist issues a statement this week to NBC News in which she says she forgives Snoop for attacking her over questions she asked WNBA alum Lisa Leslie regarding Kobe Bryant's 2003 sexual assault case. "I accept the apology and understand the raw emotions caused by this tragic loss," she told the outlet following Snoop's apology for going overboard. Gayle also noted she didn't mean to detract from anyone's grieving process. She previously criticized CBS publicly for taking one small part of a wide-ranging interview out of context for a teaser clip. In that segment, Gayle asks Lisa if she feels the allegations "complicated" Kobe's legacy following his death in a helicopter crash in January. Snoop and others posted threatening comments on Gayle's social media after the clip aired; her best friend Oprah Winfrey said she got death threats.

Some of Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan's U.K. staffers will be out of a job by the spring

The controversy continues for Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan … CNN reports the royals have decided to close their Buckingham Palace office, now that they're stepping back from their royal duties and spending time living in North America. According to ITV, members of the couple's staff are expected to be jobless as of this spring. "Given their decision to step back, an office at Buckingham Palace is no longer needed," a palace aide said. "While the details are still being finalized and efforts are being made to redeploy people within the royal household, unfortunately there will be some redundancies." Harry and Meghan are reportedly still on Vancouver Island in Canada and said to be looking at homes in Los Angeles for the summer.

Dakota Johnson co-directs Chris Martin's new Coldplay video

Dakota Johnson just added a new director title to her resume. JustJared reports the actress co-directed Coldplay's newest music video, "Cry Cry Cry," from their album "Everyday Life." Shot on location at London's Rivoli Ballroom, Dakota worked alongside director Cory Bailey, while Celia Rowlson-Hall handled choreography. Other than one brief split last year, Dakota has been dating Coldplay frontman Chris Martin since 2017.

Wendy Williams apologizes for homophobic comments

Wendy Williams posted an apology on social media this week after she was criticized for ranting about gay men "wearing our skirts and heels" on her Thursday, Feb. 13 show. Her tirade came after she asked her audience who was celebrating the pre-Valentine's, female friends-focused "Galentine's Day." "If you're a man and you're clapping, you're not even a part of this," she said, according to Page Six. "You don't understand the rules of the day … I don't care if you're gay. You don't get a menses every 28 days. You can do a lot that we do, but I get offended by the idea that we go through something you will never go through," she continued. "And stop wearing our skirts and our heels," Wendy added "Just saying, girls, what do we have for ourselves. … Looky here now, gay men, you'll never be the women that we are. No matter how gay." The comments quickly dredged up backlash on social media. In her apology video, the teary-eyed show host said she understands now that she may have sounded "out of touch." She continued: "I'm not out of touch except for perhaps yesterday by saying what I said. I deeply apologize and I deeply appreciate the support that I get from the community. I will do better."