Inside the Kardashians' and Jenners' security makeover
In the space of five months, sisters Kim Kardashian West and Kendall Jenner were robbed of millions of dollars worth of jewelry — and Kim, who was robbed at gunpoint in Paris in October, could have lost her life. Following a break-in at Kendall's home in the Hollywood Hills section of Los Angeles this month, the sisters' mom, Kris Jenner, confirmed to Us Weekly the whole family has increased their security precautions in a major way. "It's an eye-opener how many people have tried to access our homes," Kris said, adding that the family is now "protected to a crazy level." Kendall fired the security guard who had been watching her home when she was burgled almost immediately. Kim, meanwhile, had her employees undergo polygraph tests since police believed that robbery may have been an inside job. (They have also suggested Kendall's intruder knew how to get into her home.) "Everyone passed," a source close to Kim tells Us. The "Selfish" author has also set up a new security protocol outside her home in Bel Air. "You get patted down by security," says a friend. "It's intense."
Kate Winslet opens up about being bullied about her weight
According to the annual event's website, "WE Day is a celebration of youth making a difference in their local and global communities." But it's tough to make a difference when you're being bullied — a fact Kate Winslet is all too familiar with. On Wednesday, March 22, the actress spoke at a WE Day U.K. event, where she admitted she was made fun of for her weight throughout her childhood. "I was always comparing myself to others," she said, according to Us Weekly. "They called me 'Blubber'; they teased me for wanting to act. Locked me in the cupboard and would laugh at me. I wasn't the prettiest, and I was even told that I'd be lucky in my acting if I was happy to settle for the fat girl parts. I'd never let go of that, and they'd say, 'You're just not what we're looking for, Kate.' This unkindness made me feel truly horrendous." She found a way out of that feeling through acting. "I was always auditioning for the school plays," she said. "I didn't really get very good parts, mind you, but I didn't mind. I didn't care. I would often get cast as the crocodile, or the scarecrow, or the dark fairy. I was even a dancing frog once. But it didn't matter. I still loved it. I loved acting. It didn't matter how big or small the parts were. I wanted to be great, and I was determined to keep learning."
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Tom Cruise felt persecuted for believing in Scientology
A new book about Paramount Pictures CEO Sherry Lansing sheds new light on how and why Tom Cruise felt publicly attacked for subscribing to Scientology. Describing an incident between Tom and the studio's former president of production, John Goldwyn, "Leading Lady" author Stephen Galloway recalls that Tom was initially furious when he learned John had brought up the religion in his divorce proceedings. It was eventually established that John was concerned for the welfare of his daughter should she go into her Scientologist-mother's custody. But Tom was frustrated that the reference was public and negative. "Only once did Cruise's beliefs affect his professional relationships: during a confrontation with Goldwyn," the author writes (via the New York Post). He then quotes John as saying: "Tom got very upset because he thought I was launching a campaign against Scientology, and he felt I was persecuting him for his religion. Tom was rabid about it and said, 'It's because of people like you that I have to ride in a bulletproof car and why I cannot practice my faith openly.'" The two ultimately overcame the dustup and Tom helped John with his divorce settlement. In 2015, as news of Leah Remini's Scientology series emerged, Tom reportedly became irate again. A source told Us Weekly at the time he felt the show represented "a huge betrayal."
Sia smiles and shows her face in Los Angeles
Who's that girl, you ask? That would be a wig-free Sia, showing her sunny smile as she walked through the airport in Los Angeles on Wednesday, March 22, on her way to her upcoming show at the Dubai World Cup. Though her face is almost always hidden by wigs, masks or other items when she appears in public, the singer appeared to be feeling comfortable being herself, exposed face and all, this week. On "Nightline," she explained — with her back to the interviewer — why she avoids being seen. "I don't want to be famous, or recognizable. I don't want to be critiqued about the way that I look on the Internet," she said, according to E! News. "You know I was at Target the other day buying a hose and nobody recognized me—and my song was on the radio. And I thought, OK, this experiment is working."
Where is Taylor Swift?
The world's been a little quieter — and a lot less blessed by cats named after TV characters — since Taylor Swift started laying low in the fall of last year. According to E! News, the singer has skipped out on selfies for months now, and has only been photographed once by a paparazzo, in New York, in March. Although she recently shared a new Lorde song on Instagram — because the squad comes first, obviously — she seems to be avoiding exposure. So what's up? As E! points out, Taylor could be keeping a lower profile because of the man who was arrested for burglary, stalking and trespassing at her New York apartment. She could also be working on a new album. Don't get your hopes up too soon, though, Swifties. The singer's pal Ed Sheeran recently said "Taylor isn't going to be releasing until probably the end of this year."
Kate Walsh dishes on Shonda Rhimes dirt
Shondaland is all about the onscreen dirt (OK, and hot guys), but when "Grey's Anatomy" and "Private Practice" star Kate Walsh stopped by "Watch What Happens Live" this week, Andy Cohen was quick to grill her on what it's really like behind-the-scenes on a show run by Shonda Rhimes. Asked to dish on the worst gift Shonda ever gave the cast, Kate admitted, "We once got I think just a box of potpourri. We were like, 'Really? We just won every award known to man, but that's cool," according to E! News. Andy also wanted to know when Kate thought Shonda went over the top, "Happy Days" shark-jump-style, with a show's plot. "I guess you could argue the bomb episode, but that was like the one that made it everything, that made 'Grey's Anatomy,'" the actress said. "I'd say she jumped that shark, but then we rode it all the way to the top."
Dean McDermott settles child support dispute
Dean McDermott has started paying off the child support he owes his ex-wife, Mary Jo Eustace. After a court battle in which Tori Spelling's husband was warned he could go to jail if he didn't catch up on the payments, he sent Mary Jo $6,000 last week, according to E! News. The website reports he needs to pay another $2,500 at the end of the month, per her court court claim he owes her "moving forward from February 1, 2017, [$]100,800 in monthlies until July 1, 2020." The payments began alongside an out-of-court settlement. Dean and Mary Jo share an 18-year-old son, Jack; the reality star is expecting his fifth child with Tori.
Selena Gomez was bullied at the Disney Channel
Ahead of the March 31 premiere of her Netflix show, "Thirteen Reasons Why," Selena Gomez opened up to the New York Times (via Us Weekly)about how while filming the series, she often felt it "was mirroring what was going on in my life." Based on a Jay Asher book, the show tells the story of a girl who's bullied so much at school she eventually kills herself. "I think he understood that I knew what it meant to be bullied," said Selena, who took time off last year to deal with anxiety and depression issues. "I went to the biggest high school in the world, which is the Disney Channel. And my mom had a lot of history dealing with [bullying]. I heard her stories growing up. She's very open about it." Selena has left the world of Disney, she added, but the bullying continues on social media such as Instagram, where she was recently ranked as the most followed user. "I delete the app from my phone at least once a week," she said. "You fixate on the [negative] ones. It's like they want to cut to your soul. Imagine all the insecurities that you already feel about yourself and having someone write a paragraph pointing out every little thing — even if it's just physical."
Jake Gyllenhaal recalls what Obama told him about his job
Since the election, it's been hard to have a conversation with almost anyone that doesn't delve into American politics. Jake Gyllenhaal, however, is avoiding the topic because of his status. The question of where America and Europe are politically today came up in Jake's recent interview with Esquire and after engaging the subject briefly, he stopped. "I'm not very interested in what I think because I'm a wealthy white male and right now what's important is not what I think. But I will say I don't like it when people say, 'You shouldn't hear what an actor has to say about something, let the politicians talk', because the irony is that we have elected a celebrity as a president, so as a result that doesn't work any more," he said. The "Life" star did reveal he toured Barack Obama's White House a few years ago and was encouraged "to wear something more formal," according to the magazine. "I thought that we were maybe going to run into the vice-president or something, so it was like, 'Oh my God!' I went and bought a new pair of shoes," he said. During the tour, he was invited into the Oval Office. "It was an amazing feeling, but not a comfortable one. I was just, sort of, not in my body. I don't really remember much of it, but I do remember [President Obama] saying that, at the time, 'Our country is in a really hard place and there are many people struggling, and it's your job to entertain us, and to bring some levity or joy, or to move us.' I loved that he said that. 'Just as I would give anybody else an objective, this is yours. This is my request of you.' And it was like, 'OK.'"