By Wonderwall.com Editors
3:24pm PDT, Oct 13, 2020
Cardi B and Offset take their seemingly on-again romance to Atlanta
Cardi B and Offset's divorce lawyers may want to hold off on their next filing. After the recent exes enjoyed more than a few PDA-packed moments at Cardi's birthday party in Las Vegas over the weekend, the two were photographed looking very much like a couple while partying together at Allure Gentlemen's club in Atlanta on Monday night. (Despite Georgia's surging COVID-19 case numbers, nobody in the club appeared to be wearing a mask.) When the seemingly on-again couple returned to the home they apparently still share, the Daily Mail reports Offset filmed himself flirting with the "WAP" rapper, who filed for divorce just last month. Cardi and Offset previously split in 2018. After their birthday party appearance — and the multiple expensive gifts Offset lavished on Cardi — a source told E! News, "They aren't back together but [it's] just a matter of time. She loves the attention from him and he's trying really hard to win her back."
Keep reading for highlights from Megan Thee Stallion's powerful op-ed and more …
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John Travolta remembers late wife Kelly Preston on her birthday
John Travolta had his late wife, Kelly Preston, on his mind even more than usual on Tuesday, which would have been her 58th birthday had she not lost her battle with breast cancer in July. "Happy Birthday hon!" John, 66, captioned a split photo of the two from their wedding next to a pic from the day his parents said "I do." "I found this photo of my mom and dad's wedding. It was nice to see ours alongside theirs," he wrote, adding, "All my love, John." The "Grease" alum confirmed news of Kelly's death over the summer on Instagram as well, thanking the team that cared for the actress, "at MD Anderson Cancer Center, all the medical centers that have helped, as well as her many friends and loved ones who have been by her side." John and Kelly met on the set of "The Experts" in the late '80s, got married in September 1991, and went on to have three children together, Ella, now 20, Benjamin, now 9, and Jett, who died at age 16 in 2009.
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Oprah Winfrey cold calls Texas voters ahead of the state's early voting period
Clad in a shirt that read, "Your Voice Matters," Oprah Winfrey made cold calls to Texas voters this week to make sure they had a voting plan and knew the early voting dates for their state (which this year are Tuesday, Oct. 13 through Friday, Oct. 30). She shared video on Instagram Monday from her first call, which she placed to a voter named Christian who, after realizing it was actually Oprah on the phone, eagerly assured her that on a scale of 1 to 10, his likelihood of voting this year is "an 11." He said he also hoped to "galvanize a friend" or two who may have otherwise been unlikely to vote to make it to the polls this year because so much seems to be at stake. Like many who want to avoid potentially long lines and bigger crowds during the pandemic on Nov. 3, Christian also said he planned to vote early. "Since I can't go knocking on people's doors this election, I spent today talking with @betoorourke and calling Texas voters to make sure they have a voting plan," Oprah captioned the clip. "So get ready like Christian because early voting starts … 10/13 for the Lone Star State! Visit poweredxpeople.org to find your nearest polling place🤠🇺🇸🗳."
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Jonah Hill and Gianna Santos call off their engagement
There will be no wedding bells after all for Jonah Hill and Gianna Santos. That's according to People, which reported Monday night that the pair have called off their engagement a year after Jonah popped the question. Gianna, 31, was first linked to the 36-year-old "Wolf of Wall Street" star in 2018. Since then, they've kept their romance out of the public eye as much as possible. And it appears they're still on good terms. A source told People the split was amicable and Jonah, along with his sister, Beanie Feldstein, and their mom, Sharon Feldstein, all still follow Gianna — a content manager at the beauty company Violet Gray — on Instagram.
Megan Thee Harris pens moving NYT op-ed, 'Why I Speak Up for Black Women'
In a powerful op-ed titled, "Why I Speak Up for Black Women," published in the New York Times Tuesday, Megan Thee Stallion explains everything from why she is now speaking out about being shot, allegedly by Tony Lanez, to the injustices she finds against Black women like Breonna Taylor, whose killers were not arrested. Megan opens by pointing to the upcoming election, writing that, "Black women are expected once again to deliver victory for Democratic candidates … Despite this and despite the way so many have embraced messages about racial justice this year, Black women are still constantly disrespected and disregarded in so many areas of life." Referencing the shooting, she writes: "After a party, I was shot twice as I walked away from him. We were not in a relationship … Violence against women is not always connected to being in a relationship. Instead, it happens because too many men treat all women as objects, which helps them to justify inflicting abuse against us when we choose to exercise our own free will." The rapper goes on to explain why, as she puts it, "there's not much room for passionate advocacy if you are a Black woman," before she asserts she's "not afraid of criticism" and points out, "it's ridiculous that some people think the simple phrase "Protect Black women" is controversial," referencing her recent backdrop for a performance on "SNL." "We deserve to be protected as human beings," Megan continues. "And we are entitled to our anger about a laundry list of mistreatment and neglect that we suffer." She closes by sharing the achievements of Black women and girls who have changed history, then says she hopes Kamala Harris' V.P. nomination, "will usher in an era where Black women in 2020 are no longer 'making history' for achieving things that should have been accomplished decades ago."
Gal Gadot's upcoming 'Cleopatra' role stirs controversy
Gal Gadot announced Sunday she's preparing to step into a different kind of "Wonder Woman" role — that of Cleopatra in an upcoming biopic directed by Patty Jenkins. Given Gal's Israeli heritage, the casting choice is already stirring controversy — even though new research from Smithsonian Magazine shows Cleopatra was "ethnically Greek, descended from Alexander the Great's general Ptolemy I Soter." (The film's screenwriter is Laeta Kalogridis, whose grandparents hailed from Greece.) In her announcement, Gal tweeted that she was excited, "to bring the story of Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, to the big screen in a way she's never been seen before …to tell her story for the first time through women's eyes, both behind and in front of the camera." But a number of users skipped over the fact women would be telling the story for the first time in Hollywood's history. "Ummm… you're not Egyptian though? Why would you accept a role that may offend others? … It's very selfish of you and I'd rethink the role," tweeted one person (via The Daily News). Others slammed the project as "another attempt to white wash a historical figure."
Glamour Woman of the Year Regina King talks 'bittersweet' success in fraught times
In September, "Watchmen" star Regina King's Outstanding Lead Actress Emmy win tied the record for the most acting Emmys won by a Black performer. That same month, she became the first Black director to have her work screened at the Venice Film Festival, which premiered her new film, "One Night in Miami." Critics are already buzzing that she's likely to become the first Black woman nominated for a Best Director Oscar, too. But as Glamour explains in Regina's Women of the Year cover story, published Tuesday, the history-making firsts and awards have left her with "survivor's guilt," given the backdrop of protests against so many instances of police brutality against Black Americans. "For that to be the case and all of this to be going on is bittersweet, sobering," she says. Regina, who wore a shirt demanding justice Breonna Taylor during her Emmy acceptance speech, says that she's getting through that conflict by "allowing myself to be OK with being emotional and being honest about being emotional." She's also looking forward to what she hopes will be "real systemic change" coming out of what she calls our current "powder keg moment," which for her includes "everything from the climate changing to the pandemic." Near the end of the interview, Regina's voice gives way to her emotion as she admits she felt "so much hope" seeing people around the world standing up for the Black Lives Matter movement. She goes on to say she doesn't want people to keep dying like martyrs but she wonders, "… if Jacob Blake hadn't [been shot by police]," the movement would have "calmed down." Ultimately, though, the actress and director says she's "got to believe" that "we're at our true reckoning."
Flaming Lips' frontman Wayne Coyne says they're planning to put audiences in 'space bubbles'
For years, Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne has included moments in his shows where he walks/rolls out onto the audience in a giant, plastic ball filled with air that lets him walk on top of fans without touching any of them. Now, with the band in promotion mode for their latest album, "American Head," amid a global pandemic, that technology sounds pretty appealing. In fact, in a new interview with BrooklynVegan.com, Wayne says the Lips are currently preparing for a concert in which the audience uses the "space bubbles" as protective barriers against the transmission of the coronavirus. "… We're starting to set up a show downtown even as we speak, where we have people in these space bubbles and do a show where the audience is in space bubbles and wearing space bubbles," Wayne said. "I mean, it seems absurd, but we at first were just doing it as … not a joke, but just as a kind of funny thing. And now it's becoming kind of serious and real." Asked if they were "actually going to do it," Wayne confirmed that's the plan. "Well, I think so. I mean, we're setting it up as we speak," he said. "I mean, we have these hundred that were made for us, but they were made in China, so it took a long time for them to get here and we didn't really know if they were going to arrive. … But we're starting to get ready to do an actual show where yeah, there's three people in each of these space bubbles, and we play… We think maybe playing two shows a night, and getting a big audience in there each time. … It sounds insane, but it seems doable." It's unclear what the logistics will involve, but Wayne says once the bubbles are full of air, "people can be in them for quite a while." He added that the band also has lots of experience working with them, which makes the Lips the right people to try it out. "Yeah, it's a bizarre situation for sure," he admitted. "I mean, I'm not suggesting the whole world should do it this way. I'm just saying the Flaming Lips can try it this way, and if you like our music, you can come see us. You'll have to be in one of these space bubbles, but maybe that'll be a good thing."
Kanye West wants to trademark 'God Save America'
As Kanye West continues campaigning on his last-minute, "Birthday Party" ticket White House bid, he's apparently looking to incorporate God into his (uber-expensive) merch. Last week, the rapper and designer filed an application to trademark the phrase "God Save America" for use on shirts, sweaters and sweatshirts, according to TMZ. Though the documents didn't specify that the phrase would be a campaign slogan, the filing reportedly landed just days before Kanye released his first campaign ad, which features statements such as, "By turning to faith … we will be the kind of nation … God intends us to be."
'Two and a Half Men' star Conchata Ferrell dies from complications following a heart attack
Conchata Ferrell, who played Charlie Sheen's housekeeper Berta on "Two and a Half Men," has died at age 77. Deadline reports the Emmy-nominated actress passed away on Monday with loved ones by her side at Sherman Oaks Hospital in Sherman Oaks, California. Conchata's health had reportedly failed after she suffered a heart attack while hospitalized in May. Charlie described Conchata as, "An absolute sweetheart, a consummate pro, a genuine friend," and called her death "a shocking, painful loss." Their co-star Jon Cryer said in a statement: "She was a beautiful human. Berta's gruff exterior was an invention of the writers. Chatty's warmth and vulnerability were her real strengths. I'm crying for the woman I'll miss, and the joy she brought so many." In addition to two Emmy nominations for her role on "Two and a Half Men," Conchata earned a nomination in 1992 for playing Susan Bloom on "L.A. Law." Other TV series and films in which she appeared include "Grace and Frankie," "The Wild Thornberrys," "Deported," and more.
