Ellen DeGeneres may be leaving daytime television, plus more news

Ellen DeGeneres is conflicted about staying on daytime TV

This past spring, Portia de Rossi appeared on her wife, Ellen DeGeneres' show and talked about her decision to quit acting and try something new, career-wise. Seven months later, Ellen may be ready to change course, as well. Speaking to The New York Times in an interview published this week, Ellen reveals she hesitated to extend her contract through the summer of 2020. The Times describes the 32-time Emmy Award winner as "feeling boxed in by her reputation for kindness," then lays out the nature of why she's "weighing whether to leave daytime TV," a decision she's contemplating with the help of loved ones including her brother and Portia. "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" first aired in 2003. Since then, she's become such a regular part of people's lives that she recounts being stopped by a fan in the street and asked — seriously — why she's not dancing. "Of course I'm not dancing," she told the fan. "I'm walking down the street." Ellen's stopped dancing on her show since then and her new Netflix stand-up special, "Relatable" depicts her, in Tig Notaro's words, as "a real person with a foul mouth." Portia has urged her wife to continue branching out: "I just think she's such a brilliant actress and stand-up that it doesn't have to be this talk show for her creativity. There are other things she could tackle," she says, Ellen's brother, Vance, meanwhile, is concerned Ellen' audience needs her to remain what the Times describes as "positive, unifying voice" in "the age of [Donald] Trump." For now, at least, Ellen remains conflicted. She tells the Times she would relish going back to the big screen to break her usual mold by playing "someone unappealing" for a change. As for her reputation for kindness? While Ellen makes it clear to the Times that she's not always the sweetheart we see on TV every day, she also seems upset when the reporter mentions a rumor she treats her staff poorly. "That bugs me if someone is saying that because it's an outright lie," she says. "The first day I said: 'The one thing I want is everyone here to be happy and proud of where they work, and if not, don't work here.' No one is going to raise their voice or not be grateful. That's the rule to this day." At the end of the day, Portia points out that Ellen's simply not as two-dimensional as her host personality may present her. "She's just a bit more complicated than she appears on the show," Portia says. "There's more range of emotion." "Relatable" hits Netflix Dec. 18.

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Engagement rumors hit Chris Martin, Dakota Johnson

After more than a year of dating Dakota Johnson, is Chris Martin ready to pop the question? An Us Weekly source seems confidant he is, telling the magazine, "they'll be engaged soon" as Chris, 41, "is head over heels" for the 29-year-old "Suspiria" star (whose rep, by the way, recently debunked a report that the couple was expecting). "He wanted to make sure the kids didn't have too much change all at once," the insider claims, referring to his ex, Gwyneth Paltrow's September knot-tying festivities with Brad Falchuk. The Us source also praised the the Coldplay frontman for being "a great dad," implying he's just been biding his time until after Gwyneth's wedding. It's worth noting, however, that Gwyneth recently told WSJ Magazine she and Brad are still living separately in the interest of not rocking the boat too much for the kids they both have from previous relationships. "With teenage kids, you've got to tread lightly," said Gwyneth, who shares 14-year-old Apple and 12-year-old Moses with Chris. "It's pretty intense, the teenage thing." If Gwyneth feels like the kids aren't ready to share a home with Brad, it's hard to see Chris — who remains extremely close to his ex — thinking the time is right for Apple and Moses to deal with another wedding.

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Miley Cyrus calls Liam Hemsworth 'her survival partner' rather than fiance

Ever since they called off their initial engagement back in 2013 — then rekindled their romance a few years later — the rumor mill's veered back and forth about whether Miley Cyrus are engaged again, already married or simply living happily together without slapping a label on what that means. So when Miley stopped by Howard Stern's show on Wednesday, Dec. 12, it was no surprise the host asked point blank for some clarification. Miley was talking about how she and Liam lost their $2.5 million Malibu home in the Woolsey fire when she brought up the actor's name. "So actually, Liam, I've never loved him more for this—" she began to say (via Elle). "This is your boyfriend? Fiancé?" Howard asked. "Yeah, kind of-ish," Miley replied. "My partner, I call him my 'survival partner' now. He thinks it's not romantic, but I learned that it is. That is why you pair up with someone, for survival, and he was so incredible," she said steering the direction back to the fire. "He got all the animals out in his truck," she said of their many (many) pets. She joked that Liam "got a lot of action" for his hard work saving their fur babies ("we had to make sure he knew I was very, very grateful") before getting serious again. Miley and Liam now live in Nashville, she explained, and are trying to adjust to the different vibe, which she said has been hard for Liam, an avid surfer. Before the end of the interview, Miley also confirmed she's set to appear on "Black Mirror" and revealed that while her loved ones, furry and otherwise, made it out safely as the home burned, her notebook of original lyrics for hits including "Malibu," ironically, were not so lucky.

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Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott take Stormi to Denver's Downtown Aquarium

The family fun continued for Kylie Jenner and Stormi Webster this week as they continued traveling with Stormi's dad, Travis Scott, on his Astroworld tour. According to E! News, the proud dad took advantage of some down time on Tuesday, Dec. 11, to accompany his "wifey" and their 10-month-old daughter to Denver's Downtown Aquarium for the day. Photos posted to Kylie's Instagram Story showed each parent holding the pink beanie-clad infant as they gazed up at fish and other sea life swimming around behind the glass. Before heading out, the trio reportedly took a look at the whole exhibit then picked up some jewelry, toys, gift cars and other goodies from the gift shop. The young family is expected to be back home in time for Christmas after Travis' tour wraps up on Dec. 22.

Christian Bale on meeting Donald Trump: 'I think he thought I was Bruce Wayne'

Lest we forget Donald Trump has more experience in the entertainment industry than politics … At the Los Angeles premiere for his new film, "Vice," Christian Bale, who plays former Vice President Dick Cheney in the movie, was asked if he'd ever met the current president. In fact, he has. "I met him, one time," Christian told Variety on Tuesday, Dec. 11. "We were filming on 'Batman' in Trump Tower and he said, 'Come on up to the office.' I think he thought I was Bruce Wayne because I was dressed as Bruce Wayne. So he talked to me like I was Bruce Wayne and I just went along with it, really. It was quite entertaining," Christian acknowledged. "I had no idea at the time that he would think about running for president." The actor, who's now back to a healthy size after packing on the pounds to play the former V.P., also said that unlike his physical transformations for "The Machinist" and "Batman Begins," he tasked an expert with helping him gain and los the weight healthily. "This is the first time I actually did go to a nutritionist 'cause I'm starting to feel my mortality," Christian said. "I did decide, 'You know what, I might die, so maybe I should go to see someone who actually knows what they're talking about instead of just winging it,' which is what I've always done." Good plan. "Vice" is due out Dec. 25.

Meet Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan's new 'live wax figures' — and enjoy those nightmares

Just when you thought Madame Tussauds figures couldn't get any more terrifying … ta-da! A pair of ugly sweater-clad actors donned silicone Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan masks for a holiday party-themed photo shoot at the museum's Berlin location on Tuesday, Dec. 11. The resulting pics showed the so-called "live wax figures" ("undead embalmed night terrors" somehow works here, too) opening gifts by a Christmas tree while possibly plotting to take over the world via some nefarious waxen zombie army. But we digress. The "live figures" first appeared via Madame Tussauds' New York City location, where actors played Donald Trump and Melania Trump in June. In August, Harry and Meghan's versions were photographed walking a beagle (thankfully, sans dog mask) and hitting a local London pub, according to People. "The Nightmare Before Christmas," indeed.

Ed Sheeran is allegedly making a cameo in the next 'Star Wars' movie

Ed Sheeran could be following up his random "Game of Thrones" cameo with an equally random appearance in "Star Wars: Episode IX, " due out in December 2019. That's according to British tabloid The Sun, which reported this week that the singer is set to play a stormtrooper in the forthcoming film. Why, you ask? We have little to go on here, but The Muse does cite previous "Star Wars" franchise cameos from the likes of Daniel Craig, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Carrie Fisher's dog as a potential, if partial explanation. At least he'll get less heat for wearing a head-to-toe space army costume than he did for dressing like a college kid stepping out for a pack of smokes while sharing the stage with a purple ruffle ensconced Beyoncé at the Global Citizens Festival …

How Julia Louis-Dreyfus stayed positive while fighting breast cancer

When Julia Louis-Dreyfus was diagnosed with breast cancer, she found it was her go-to remedy of humor that got her through the ordeal. Asked if she ever "succumbed to fear or self-pitying" at the time, the "Veep" star recently told the New Yorker (via the New York Post) she refused to go into a dark hole about the situation. "Am I gonna be dead tomorrow kind of thing?" she asked the magazine, clarifying the question. "I didn't let myself go there. Don't misunderstand: I was to-my-bones terrified. But didn't let myself – except for a couple of moments – go to a really dark place. I didn't allow it." Julia completed chemotherapy in January of this year after announcing her diagnosis in September 2017. "The old cliché about laughter being the best medicine turns out to be true: when I was getting my hideous chemotherapy, I'd cram a bunch of friends and family into the tiny treatment room with me," she explained. "We really did have some great laughs. Of course, I was heavily medicated and slipping in and out of consciousness, so I was a pretty easy audience."

Nicki Minaj threatens legal action against Daily Mail reporter over Kenneth Perry coverage

First, Nicki Minaj's fans took issue with her new relationship with Kenneth Perry, a registered sex offender she reportedly knew as a teenager in Queens before going public with their romance on Instagram over the weekend. Now, her fans are coming to her defense as she levies legal threats against Daily Mail TV reporter Jesse Palmer, who discussed her romance on camera this week. "This is not the first time that Nicki Minaj has defended a sex offender," he told viewers (via The Blast) in a clip from the segment that angered Nicki. "Remember, she supported her brother Jelani Maraj two years ago when he was found guilty of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl." On Tuesday, Dec. 11, Nicki tweeted, "Daily Mail TV. The barbz are getting more tuition & student loan money after I sue this hoe @JessePalmerTV." On Instagram, she added, "You just lied on me on nat'l TV & now you're being sued. You better be able to back up what you just said about me with FACTS." The Barbz quickly followed up with comments ranging from "YOU ARE GOING TO JAIL" to "somebody is getting fired."

Josh Henderson reportedly has evidence to show he was not involved in burglary

Actor Josh Henderson — an alum of "Desperate Housewives" and "Beverly Hills 90210" — may have been arrested for burglary because of an identity mix-up. TMZ reports that after the 37-year-old was busted for allegedly stealing about $7,000 worth of jewelry from a neighbor's home, a source close to him told the website the neighbor mistook Josh for someone else and would soon be exonerated. "Josh was initially mistakenly identified with a grainy security camera, but he is fully cooperating and evidence is now being presented to the authorities showing he had nothing to do with any of this," the source said. "Josh is innocent and we are confident he will be cleared very quickly." The actor was nabbed after one of the neighbors said he or she recognized Josh's jawline, according to People. Josh was released on bail on Tuesday, Dec 11, the same day of his arrest. Three suspects in total were initially picked up by Los Angeles police in connection with the crime.