Gwen Stefani talks self-confidence struggles and dyslexia, more news

By Jennifer Odell 3:30pm PST, Dec 14, 2020

Gwen Stefani reveals she and her kids are dyslexic

Gwen Stefani recently came to understand a new part of herself — and it helped explain some of the anxiety she's experienced over the years. Speaking to Zane Lowe on his Apple Music "At Home With" series, Gwen, 51, revealed that it was only after her kids began to struggle with reading that she she learned she was dyslexic. "One thing that I've discovered through having kids is that I have dyslexia — everyone has things that happen and mine was that," she told Zane (via People), referencing sons Kingston, 14, Zuma, 12, and Apollo, 6, whom she shares with her ex, Gavin Rossdale. "And I feel like a lot of the problems that I have had or even decisions that I've made for myself stem from that, because now the children — obviously, it's all genetic — they have some of those issues," she said. Whereas Gwen didn't even know she had a learning disability growing up, the singer's happy to see that her kids are having a totally different experience. "They have these incredible teachers and schools and they don't have to have shame about it," she said. "They understand that their brain functions in a different way. All of our brains do, you know what I mean?" Gwen went on to recall how she "failed at school," having found it was "hard" for her to exist in the same "square box" as her classmates. Now, she said, she sees that her brain "works in different ways that are probably a gift." Looking back, the singer even connects the dyslexia to the anxiety she experienced when she first started out in No Doubt — until she discovered being onstage was where she felt most at home. "At that time I had written that whole record not even knowing how to write a song and I had literally laid my entire life out for everyone to hear. And then I'm still in the band with [ex-boyfriend] Tony [Kanal] who I was so dependent on, because of probably my dyslexia," Gwen continued. "I didn't know any of this until now, but I think that I didn't have any confidence in myself at the time. But when I would write a song or I would get on stage, it just felt so right and the only thing that was going right for me."

Keep reading to find out who was the highest paid celebrity in 2020 and more …

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Kylie Jenner and Kanye West were the world's highest-paid celebs in 2020

Forbes released its annual list of "The World's Highest-Paid Celebrities" on Monday. And while Hollywood collectively earned about $200 million less in 2020 than in 2019, thanks to the pandemic, stars like the list's top spot holders, Kylie Jenner and her brother-in-law, Kanye West, still kept their bankers plenty busy. Kylie's January sale of a majority stake in her cosmetics company to Coty kicked her earnings up to about $590 million this year, according to Forbes, which called the sale, "one of the biggest celebrity cash outs of all time." Kanye came in right behind No. 1-seated Kylie this year, placing at No. 2 on the list with $170 million in earnings, mostly from his Yeezy deal with Adidas. Others in the top ten included Tyler Perry, whose spate of good deed-doing during the pandemic may have been partly inspired by the $97 million he made this year, placing him at No. 6. Just behind Tyler at No. 7 was soccer star Neymar, with $95.5 million, while Howard Stern, who reportedly made $90 million in 2020, landed at No 8. Hoops champ LeBron James snagged the No. 9 spot, with a $88.2 million income this year. And No. 10 on the list was business savvy star, Dwayne Johnson, who reportedly brought in $87.5 million.

George Clooney talks pandemic parenting and why his family hasn't left their compound since March

Between George Clooney's promotion of his new Netflix movie, "The Midnight Sky," and his wife, Amal Clooney's high-profile, human rights cases, it's been a busy few months for the couple. Despite their work, however, the Clooneys and their 3-year-old twins, Ella and Alexander, have managed to stick to their compound in the Hollywood Hills section of Los Angeles for most of the coronavirus pandemic. In a zoom interview with The Guardian published over the weekend, George, who was keeping an eye on the twins as they practiced their bike-riding skills on the family's tennis court, opened up about his approach to parenthood as far as safety — bicycle-related and otherwise — and more. "The idea of them falling is not my favorite thing. And I try to give 'em enough room to make their mistakes," he explained. "There's a lot of things you try not to do that your own parents did. Not because your parents were bad parents. But because you can see the way it has affected you… You're trying to break the chain, man." Of course, parenting in 2020 comes with its own set of challenges. For George and Amal, that includes protecting a their son's health, in particular. Admitting that it's been a bad year "for everyone," George said he feels "very lucky" to have braved 2020 from a comfortable position. "I ended up having a successful career. I wound up living in a home with some space in it. We can walk around outside," he said. He added that they've stayed on the family property since March. "… My son has asthma," he explained. "They say it's not so bad on young people. But do we know that? We don't know anything about the long-term of this yet." As for the bigger picture parenting issues that have come up this year, George and Amal are focused on fighting injustice through their foundation and Amal's legal battles. "I just feel like, with kids this age, having young children in a period of time when there's all this craziness, I wanna make sure I can say, 'These are the things we did to stand against this moment in history,'" George said. "Not just to make them proud. But to make their world better."

The timing is off in Taylor Swift fans' theory about Gigi Hadid's baby's name

Taylor Swift's recent string of surprise releases — new albums, "Folklore" and "Evermore," and the "Folklore"-pegged documentary, "Long PondStudio Sessions" — have had her fans working overtime to scope out Easter eggs related to the singer's personal life. One of the latest Swiftie theories centers around "Dorothea," the eighth track on "Evermore," and Taylor's long-running friendship with Gigi Hadid, who welcomed her first child with Zayn Malik in September. For a number of reasons, fans believe Dorothea is the name of Gigi and Zayn's daughter, which they have not yet made public. Despite the solid clues they've unearthed — Taylor revealed the name of her pals Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds' third child, "Betty," in the eighth track on "Folklore," for example — BuzzFeed spotted a nuts and bolts problem with the theory. Last week, Taylor shared on social media that the first song she wrote for "Evermore" was "Dorothea." She also said she started writing what became "Evermore" the week after she released "Folklore," which dropped in July. Gigi and Zayn's little one arrived in September, though, making it seem a tad bit less feasible that Taylor's "Dorothea" is a tribute to Gigi's firstborn.

FKA Twigs, Sia support one another following Shia LaBeouf abuse allegations

One day after FKA Twigs went public with abuse and sexual battery allegations about her ex-boyfriend, Shia LaBeouf, singer Sia confirmed speaking out was the right thing to do by sharing her own story about the actor's allegedly predatory behavior. "I too have been hurt emotionally by Shia, a pathological liar, who conned me into an adulterous relationship claiming to be single," Sia tweeted over the weekend. "I believe he's very sick and have compassion for him AND his victims. Just know, if you love yourself- stay safe, stay away," she added. Twigs, whose real name is Tahliah Debrett Barnett, has since responded to the post. "I'm sorry @Sia this reinforces why i had to publicly share my experience. we need to support each other <3," Tahliah wrote to Sia on Sunday. In a second exchange between the singers, Sia told Tahliah, "Also I love you @FKAtwigs. This. is very courageous and I'm very proud of you." Tahliah soon responded again, telling Sia, "Love you back @Sia you're an inspiration and thank you everyone for your love and solidarity." Tahliah filed suit against her ex last week. In both court documents and in an interview with the New York Times, she detailed multiple instances in which the actor allegedly assaulted her, verbally abused her and caused her deep emotional distress during their relationship, which began after they met and worked together on the film, "Honey Boy" in 2018. Asked to comment on his ex's claims, Shia told the New York Times, "many of these allegations are not true," but acknowledged he "will forever be sorry" for hurting people while battling "PTSD and alcoholism." As his exes supported one another on social media over the weekend, the actor stepped out in Los Angeles on Sunday wearing a face mask with the words, "Love Me Like You Hate Me" on it. According to Page Six, the mask was created as merch related to a song of the same name by Rainsford. Shia appeared in the video for the song in October.

Kim Kardashian announces her kids' Elf on the Shelf dolls have COVID-19

Warning: Do not come into contact with the Elves on Shelves who have been monitoring the pre-Santa visit behavior of Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West's four kids. It seems they have contracted a potentially deadly virus. "Guys, our elves have COVID," Kim quipped in a video on her Instagram Story over the weekend. In her post, she showed off the mason jars the elves have been confined to, along with the note of explanation she left for North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm. "I can't take it anymore!!!" Kim wrote in the caption. "Our elves are in quarantine for 10 days. I keep forgetting to move them! I need a break 😂." Uh, happy holidays?

Demi Lovato dedicates a 'Here Comes the Sun' post to Naya Rivera

Demi Lovato spent some quiet time thinking about her late friend, Naya Rivera, over the weekend. On Sunday, the singer shared a handful of videos from a hike she was taking on her Instagram Story. In one clip, The Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun," could be heard playing in the background. It's the same song Demi and Naya sang together on "Glee" back in 2013, when Demi briefly played Naya's character's girlfriend, according to ET. "Miss you @nayarivera," Demi captioned the post, including a pink heart emoji. Naya, 33, passed away in July while on a boat excursion with her son, Josey, then 4. After her death, Demi praised Nayaon social media and said she'd "forever cherish" her experience working with the actress. "The character you played was groundbreaking for tons of closeted queer girls (like me at the time) and open queer girls," Demi wrote, "… and your ambition and accomplishments were inspiring to Latina women all over the world."

Meghan Markle celebrates pandemic heroes in surprise CNN appearance

Duchess Meghan made an unexpected appearance on CNN's annual "Heroes" special on Sunday, where she celebrated the "quiet heroes" who, "stood up and made sure the most basic needs of our communities were met," ensuring "those around them did not have to suffer in isolation," during the pandemic. Per Marie Claire, it was Meghan's first public engagement since she revealed in a New York Times op-ed that she'd suffered a miscarriage earlier this year. In her brief speech, the former "Suits" star praised those who worked to bring communities together and keep their neighbors from "going hungry." After describing how these heroes, "nourished their neighbors in more ways than one," Meghan closed on hopeful note. "And they showed us, all of us, that even in the darkest times, when we come together, we have the power to remind someone else that there is hope, and that we will be OK," she said. Since relocating to California, Meghan and her husband Prince Harry have pitched in to support their own community by helping deliver meals to families and veterans and school supplies to students in need.

Pippa Middleton, James Matthews expecting baby No. 2

Duchess Kate's sister is expanding her family. Pippa Middleton and her husband James Matthews are expecting their second child, Page Six reported on Monday. "Pippa and James are thrilled, it's fantastic news amid a difficult year," a family source told the outlet. "The entire family is delighted." Pippa, 37, and James, 45, already share 2-year-old son, Arthur. The couple said "I do" back in 2017.

Shawn Mendes on why he's wrestled with how to address rumors about his sexuality

For Shawn Mendes, the rumors about his sexuality that popped up when his music career took off were nothing new. As he told Dax Shepard on the latest edition of Dax's podcast, he's been deemed "gay" since about age 15. But with his life in the spotlight, he hasn't been sure how to address to the chatter, especially since he had close friends "who were gay and in the closet" at the time the rumor mill was buzzing. "It's such a tricky thing. You want to say, 'I'm not gay but it'd be fine if I was gay — but also there's nothing wrong with being gay but I'm not.' You don't really know how to respond to the situation," he explained (via JustJared). "I've realized that we just have to stop having to be experts and politicians about it, especially as a famous musician who's a guy," he continued. Instead of worrying about saying the wrong thing, Shawn's new approach is to be OK with possible mistakes and simply learn from them. "Everyone's been calling me gay since I was 15 years old. I'm not gay and I'm like, 'What does that mean?' I had these problems with the way my voice sounded. I'm like, 'How do I sit?' I'm always first to cross my legs and sit with a position of this feminine style and I really suffered with that …," he continued. "I think a lot of guys go through that and even worse than that there are just so many guys who are gay and in the closet and must be hearing s— like that and just being like, 'I'm terrified to come out.'"