By Jessica Wedemeyer
8:14am PST, Jan 25, 2018
Wonderwall.com is taking a look back at the celebrities who found love, suffered heartbreak or experienced some other major event in their love lives this week, starting with one of the biggest revelations of the month: E! News reported on Jan. 24 that the secret matchmaker who set up Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is his childhood friend Violet von Westenholz, a Ralph Lauren publicist whose father is a baron and Prince Charles pal. She's reportedly been a member of Harry's inner circle for years and, according to E!, "a confidante for Harry when it came to matters of the heart." According to a source, "Harry was having a really hard time finding anyone. … It was something he had confided in his closest friends about; he was ready to meet someone but it was so hard to actually find the right person." Enter Violet, who met the "Suits" star through work. "Meghan had been a part of the London social scene for a while and had slotted into the high society set really easily," says E!'s source. "And so when Harry told Violet he was having trouble finding someone, Violet said she might just have the perfect girl for him." The rest is history!
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ET Online reported on Jan. 21 that Chris Pratt and Olivia Munn shared a "totally romantic" dinner date in Los Angeles on Jan. 19. "He had his arm around her at one point," a spy told the website, adding that it didn't look like the duo were trying to keep their PDA under wraps. But not long after the report surfaced, the "X-Men: Apocalypse" actress took to Instagram to throw cold water on the rumors by sharing a screengrab of her text conversation with Chris's ex-wife, Anna Faris, after she reached out to clear the air: "Sooo… I would never respond to random tabloid stories, but since we know each other I wanted to reach out to you personally to tell you the story about me and Chris dating has 0% truth," Olivia texted Anna. "I'm sure you already know it's not true, or maybe you didn't care either way, but I just wanted to reach out personally to tell you it's not true." The "Mom" star responded, "Hi!!!! Oh my god-this town is so f—— crazy-you are so sweet to text-I love you-having said that if you were my new sister in law I would be thrilled! –let's please catch up soon."
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Brandi Glanville had some strong words for Gerard Butler after he dished on their 2011 fling — and came off as embarrassed by it — during the Jan. 17 episode of "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen." During the interview, the "300" actor explained that he never knew Brandi's last name or that she was famous: "I had no idea who she was," he said. "I kept saying, 'What do you do?' She goes, 'It doesn't matter. It's not important.' … Anyway, we hung out, we had fun and then I never saw her again. Suddenly, I was walking down the street with a director and these guys from TMZ go, 'Hey, what about you and Brandi Glanville?' And I'm like, 'Who's Brandi Glanville?' because I didn't even know her last name. … She got pretty upset." The onetime star of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" took to Twitter on Jan. 18 to clap back at Gerard in a series of tweets: "Let's set the record straight Gerard Butler hit on me at a party Asked for my phone number called me up the next day and asked me out so if he wants to cringe now he can f— off," she wrote. "Gerard Butler did not [know] my last name or what I did that is true but he hit on me and asked me out end of story.Moving on. … I'm sorry but when you meet someone that clearly doesn't know who you are, are you suppose to be a d— and say bye I'm famous????" But Brandi wasn't done with Gerard after her Twitter rant! On Jan. 22, she addressed his "misogyny" and "ego" in a lengthy blog post: "Your behavior the other night, publicly acting as if you were embarrassed to have ever met me or had relations with me as if I were some horrid decrepit troll is not only disgusting but unacceptable," she wrote after taking a swipe at his movie career. She then offered him some advice: "Respect the women you invite into your bed and into your life. Whether you know their last name or not! Whether they are famous or not! Just be a proper human being," she wrote. "Imagine that some man was on tv speaking of your mother, sister, daughter or even friend cringing with embarrassment. Exactly the way you acted and spoke of me. Well my two sons Mason,14 and Jake, 10 don't have to imagine it because it just happened to them, to me and to all of us." The mother of two concluded by chiding Gerard for his attitude about reality TV stars: "So Gerry are you saying that had you known I was on reality tv that you would not have approached me and asked for my number?? Do you have something against reality TV? Are you too big of a movie star to be associated with lowly reality television personalities? Honestly, what would knowing my last name have changed? Are you a better level of a human being because you do movie work?" asked Brandi. "For the record I am now embarrassed to have ever known you. I think you suck and my dad wants to kick you're a–." Get him, girl!
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Jesse Williams has a new girlfriend, and she's reportedly met the two kids he shares with ex-wife Aryn Drake-Lee — a violation of the former couple's custody agreement, which requires both parents to wait until they've passed the six-month point in a new relationship before introducing their new boyfriend or girlfriend to the kids. According to court documents filed by Aryn and obtained by TMZ, the "Grey's Anatomy" star has been taking the children to his new girlfriend's house since October 2017. Jesse's ex also alleges that her children call their dad's new lady "Mama C" and that the mystery woman joined Jesse and the kids on a vacation to California's Bear Mountain. (The actor was linked to Minka Kelly in the months following his breakup from Aryn, who's accused him of having a "revolving door" or women.)
Ed Sheeran took to Instagram on Jan. 20 to reveal that he and Cherry Seaborn got engaged in late 2017. "Got myself a fiancé just before new year. We are very happy and in love, and our cats are chuffed as well," he captioned a photo of himself and his former classmate, whom he had a crush on in high school. The duo reconnected in 2015 and moved in together in late 2016. Cherry inspired Ed's hit track with Beyonce, "Perfect."
Darren Criss also took to Instagram on Jan. 20 to reveal that he's engaged. "Mia and I have had seven and a half years of fun, wacky, wonderful, CRAZY adventures together. And I'm happy to announce that we're kicking those adventures up a notch. We're goin for it. To boldly go where neither of us have gone before. Engage," he captioned a photo of himself and longtime love Mia Swier.
Tarek El Moussa and Christina El Moussa are (finally) officially divorced, People magazine reported on Jan. 22. The "Flip or Flop" co-stars, who first made moves in January 2017 to legally end their marriage, parted ways romantically in 2016. Since then, Christina has been linked to several different men. She and British TV presenter Ant Anstead have reportedly been an item since late 2017. And on Jan. 25, In Touch reported that Tarek has recently moved on with lingerie model Patience Silva. They "met toward the end of last year on the celebrity dating Raya," a source told the magazine, adding that "Tarek's in love with Patience."
Ray J's pregnant wife, Princess Love, raised questions about the state of their marriage of less than two years when she shared a since-deleted text post about relationships on Instagram in mid-January. "The problem is women think he will change, he won't. And men make the mistake of thinking she will never leave, she will," read the post (per The Jasmine Brand), which Princess captioned, "Keep foolin the world but you can't fool me anymore," along with the peace sign emoji. She also shared a series of cryptic, since-deleted tweets. "If you're going to stay with a man, do it because that's what you truly want. Never stay because of children.. When they grow up, then what???" she wrote. "To me, for better of worse doesn't mean cheating.. that's like saying stay with a man that beats you," read another since-deleted tweet. Princess also retweeted a fan who posted about ending a marriage over adultery, adding the comment, "This!" The original fan tweet read, "What woman in their right mind vows to stick through cheating? That's not the vows ma'am. The Bible says for adultery you may leave. Even God given an out." Ray J seemingly addressed the rumors in the caption of a photo of himself on a private jet, which he posted on Instagram on Jan. 23 with the hashtag #ThoughtsToSelf. He wrote in part, "dont let this negative energy get 2 you Ray- You are doing everything right – from being faithful – staying focused on the goal and treating everyone with respect and love … Be the best father on the Planet! – Pray 4 all those who want to bring you down Ray- and show them even more love to let them know how LOVE overpowers all- Keep God first – be patient in your relationship – Listen and learn Ray."
Amber Heard and Elon Musk further fueled the rumors that they've reconciled when they were photographed holding hands outside a sushi restaurant in Los Angeles on Jan. 22. The duo have been spotted together several times since they called it quits in mid-2017 after about a year of coupledom, though they've yet to confirm that they've officially reconciled.
According to a Jan. 24 report in the National Enquirer, Lisa Marie Presley is dating Billy Corgan "to get revenge" on her estranged husband, guitarist Michael Lockwood, whom she's currently in the process of divorcing. The mother of four was reportedly seen cozying up to the Smashing Pumpkins frontman at Marilyn Manson's birthday party. (The shock rocker turned 49 on Jan. 5.) "Lisa Marie wants to show her soon-to-be ex — and the world — that she can still get a man," an alleged insider told the tabloid. "And because Billy's a famous rocker, she's convinced it'll get under Michael's skin!"
TMZ caught up with Alex Pall of The Chainsmokers at an airport in Los Angeles on Jan. 23, a week after Tori Woodward, his girlfriend of nearly four years, took to Instagram to publicly accuse him of cheating on her with multiple women. "It's been a little rough, but it's alright; you know, that's life," he said before admitting that he's "been miserable" in the wake of the breakup. As for his ex, "She deserves the best," said Alex. "I wish nothing but the best for her. She deserves a better guy than me." The Grammy winner also revealed what he's learned from the debacle: "Be a better person and take care of those who love you," he said.
Jermaine Dupri shot down rumors that he and Janet Jackson have reconciled during an interview with "The Breakfast Club" on Jan. 16: "All of that is just, like, speculation, I guess, when somebody gets single," he said. "The fans actually want to see us back together. They've been championing this, but none of this is actually true. It's actually the funniest thing in the world for me. … I dated Janet for d— near 10 years. I don't have to hide. Why would I hide? Why am I going to sneak around with somebody y'all know I been with? It's not even secret. That's the part that's tripping me out." Jermaine and Janet split in 2009 after seven years as a couple.
TMZ reported on Jan. 24 that Pamela Anderson and her Golden Retriever, Zuzu, are now living with her boyfriend of less than a year, French soccer star Adil Rami, in Marseille, France, where his team is based. According to TMZ, the 50-year-old "Baywatch" alum has even been looking at engagement rings with which her 32-year-old beau, whom she met at the Monaco Grand Prix in May 2017, could pop the question.
"Entertainment Tonight" host Keltie Knight jumped straight to the point while interviewing Madeline Brewer during the SAG Awards on Jan. 21: "Are you dating Nick or what?" she asked the star of "The Handmaid's Tale," who shared an intimate dinner-for-two with Nick Jonas following the Critics' Choice Awards in Santa Monica on Jan. 11. "No! No! We ate food across from each another," said Madeline, to which Keltie retorted, "In Hollywood, that's a date." Replied the actress, "I guess so. I guess so. He's really nice. He's a nice guy." The hostess then implied that the dinner was "not official" but just "a fun time," which prompted Madeline to clarify, "We're friends." After Keltie called the singer-actor cute, the "Orange Is the New Black" alum chimed in, "He's adorable, yeah. I mean, that's just, like, objectively, yeah, he's a cute guy."
Princess Eugenie and her boyfriend of about seven years, Jack Brooksbank, got engaged in Nicaragua in early January 2018, Buckingham Palace announced on Jan. 22. The duo plan to wed in the fall at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, the same venue where her cousin, Prince Harry, plans to marry Meghan Markle. Eugenie called the proposal a "complete surprise" — even though she and Jack, who got down on one knee, have been together since she was still in college!
E! revealed on Jan. 21 that Jason Clarke and his longtime partner, Cécile Breccia, quietly tied the knot at an unknown date. The report followed the couple's appearance on the red carpet at the SAG Awards, where the model-actress debuted her baby bump, earlier in the day. The duo, who've been an item since 2010, also share a 3-year-old son.
Steve-O took to Instagram on Jan. 22 to reveal that he'd asked his girlfriend, Lux Wright, to be his wife. "Last night, in front of a bunch of my Jackass buddies, my closest friends, my dad, and my sister… she said 'yes'. I planned that for more than six months, and I'm so happy — I can't wait for you all to see it… #GNARLY," he captioned a slideshow of photos of himself and his lady, including a shot of Lux's hand adorned with her new engagement bling. The "Jackass" alum has been married twice before.
Did wedding bells secretly ring for Toni Braxton and Birdman? That was the question when the "Un-Break My Heart" singer sported a massive rock on her ring finger during the premiere of "Faith Under Fire: The Antoinette Tuff Story" in New York City on Jan. 23. During the event, Toni made no attempt to hide the sparkler while cozying up to the rapper-producer, to whom she's been linked since mid-2016. In October 2017, The Jasmine Brand reported that the duo had secretly tied the knot: "They don't want anyone to know yet," a source told the website. "They're trying to keep it secret, just like their relationship. They tried for as long as they could to deny that they were actually together." At the time, Toni's rep denied the marriage rumors, telling The Jasmine Brand that the singer was just "dating." But her sister, Tamar Braxton, confused matters during an interview with Wendy Williams around the same time: "I think that's my brother-in-law, I really do," she said of Birdman. "I think they eloped."
One of Sylvester Stallone's three daughters, 19-year-old model Sistine Stallone, stepped out with actor Gregg Sulkin, Bella Throne's ex-boyfriend, in Beverly Hills on Jan. 24. The duo were even spotted holding hands at one point during their fashionable outing. The 25-year-old "Runaways" star has also been linked to Britt Robertson, Debby Ryan, Pixie Lott, singer-actress Lexy Panterra and "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." star Chloe Bennet, with whom he stepped out in Los Angeles the day before Thanksgiving in November 2017.
Consider us excited for Paris Hilton's upcoming nuptials — all three of them! The DJ-entrepreneur told "Extra" in early January 2018 that she hopes to marry fiance Chris Zylka multiple times: "For my 21st birthday I had five parties, so maybe for the wedding I'll have a European one, an American one [and] one for everyone around the world," she said. (Paris's mom, Kathy Hilton, told Life & Style that she's serving as her daughter's wedding planner.) The celebutante also intends to take her husband's last name — though don't expect her to drop the "Hilton" anytime soon. In a video published by The Blast on Jan. 19, Paris tells a videographer on the streets of Beverly Hills that she'll use "both" names after they tie the knot.
Miley Cyrus and longtime off-and-on love Liam Hemsworth are apparently rocking matching tattoos. The singer-actress got a small tat of a jar of Vegemite, one of her fiancé's favorite snacks, on her upper arm in mid-2016. But it wasn't until January 2018 that eagle-eyed fans noticed a similar piece of body art near the actor's ankle (see it here). Hey, who needs a wedding to prove your commitment to your relationship when you've got body ink? Speaking of weddings: Liam's older brother, Chris Hemsworth, clarified during a Jan. 16 interview on SiriusXM's "Sway in the Morning" that the duo are "not officially married." He added of his future sister-in-law, "She's a lot of fun." A source told Us Weekly in late 2017 that Miley and Liam already "consider themselves married" and "have zero plans of having an actual wedding."
The Blast reported on Jan. 22 that Kevin Sussman quietly divorced Alessandra Young in October 2017 after 11 years of marriage. But here's the kicker: The star of "The Big Bang Theory" and his missus actually separated on New Year's Eve in 2012. The actor reportedly made a one-time equalization payment to his estranged wife when they first separated, so he won't be paying spousal support to her.
Sam Rockwell and Leslie Bibb are finally spilling the beans on their relationship of more than a decade. E! host Giuliana Rancic asked the longtime couple about the secret to their success during the SAG Awards on Jan. 21. "Communication," said the Oscar nominee. "Good sex," chimed in the actress. "Communication and good sex," echoed the actor. "And a healthy sense of humor," said his girlfriend. "Humor is very important," concluded Sam. "She's very funny." So it seems!
A source close to Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel dished on the duo's dynamic to Us Weekly as part of a story published on Jan. 24: "Jessica and Justin are true best friends and that's why they work so well," said the source. "They love spending time together. They don't have to be doing much, but they are still laughing and having a good time." The source attributed some of the power couple's staying power to their shared love of sports: "They are always outside playing golf together, going hiking or snowboarding," added the source. "She's up for anything and so is he." The actress is "a great wife and homemaker," said the insider. Her husband, meanwhile, "loves being a dad and a family man more than he ever thought." The snitch also told the magazine that the duo "want to have more kids for sure."
Radar Online used Hoda Kotb's "Today" show promotion as an excuse to catch up with her ex-husband, Burzis Kanga. The former tennis coach dished on their whirlwind romance and shed some light on why they called it quits as part of an interview published on Jan. 19. "She was my soul mate," he told the webloid. "She was my best friend. She was someone very special to me. I have no intentions of getting remarried again." The duo met at a fundraiser in New Orleans on Valentine's Day, got engaged in May 2005 and tied the knot that December, but Hoda filed for divorce in February 2007, and by the following year, they were done. "We had some differences," Burzis told Radar. "My father was ill. She was ill. It was a difficult time. Those were personal reasons for both of us." (The anchor was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2007.) "The divorce happened under difficult conditions," he added. "Those were personal reasons for both of us. In hindsight, there was level of immaturity on my part, mistakes I made. It was unfortunate we were married for a short time. It's a shame it transpired that way." Burzis also attributed tensions in their marriage to his inability to adapt to life in New York City, where he relocated from New Orleans to be closer to Hoda. "I will always cherish our memories," he concluded. "She is the epitome of class. I think the world of her. We had great memories together." Hoda celebrated four years of making memories with her current boyfriend, Joel Schiffman, in June 2017.
