Jennifer Garner makes major move in Ben Affleck divorce, plus more news

Jennifer Garner requests private judge in Ben Affleck divorce case

More than three years after Jennifer Garner announced her split from Ben Affleck, she's ready to speed up the divorce process and become officially single for the first time since 2005. The actress recently requested that the judge handling her divorce pass the case along to a private judge, according to TMZ. It seems the regular court system in Los Angeles can be extremely slow to process divorces, whereas a private judge is able to finalize everything much more quickly. Sources tell TMZ Jen is aiming to be done with the whole thing by the end of 2018. The actress only filed for divorce last spring, having reportedly waited until Ben was on solid ground with his on-again, off-again sobriety before putting together a custody agreement for their three children. Ben's current stint in rehab seems to have put him in good standing from his wife's perspective, leading her to make a move toward a speedy resolution with regard to the legal aspects of formally ending their marriage. When it was revealed Ben had returned to drinking earlier this year, it was Jen who drove him to rehab. Last weekend, after the actor was spotted leaving rehab to attend church with his estranged wife and their kids, one of their regular Sunday activities. Speaking to People, a source recently confirmed Ben was more serious than ever about getting healthy. "This time is different," said the insider. "He doesn't want his kids to have to go through this again. Ben is really trying very hard to get better." Ben and Jen settled on the terms of their divorce over the summer and reportedly planned to finalize everything once Ben had completed his treatment program.

Brad Falchuk changed Gwyneth Paltrow's mind about marriage

After enduring a successful "conscious uncoupling" from Chris Martin, Gwyneth Paltrow fell in love again, this time with Brad Falchuk, whom she married in the Hamptons last weekend in what she previously described as her first real wedding (Gwyneth and Chris eloped). She reflects on her new adventure in Marie Claire UK's November cover story, explaining why she initially hadn't planned to marry again — and what changed her mind. "I think that marriage is a really beautiful, noble and worthwhile institution, pursuit and endeavor. Because I don't think you get married and that's it – I think it's the beginning," she muses. "You create this third entity, this third being that you have to nourish and look after. For a while, I thought, I don't know if I'd ever do it again. I have my kids – what's the point? And then I met this incredible man, who made me think, no, this person is worth making this commitment to. I'm very much the marrying kind. I love being a wife. I love making a home."

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Corey Bohan demands Audrina Patridge keep their daughter off 'Hills' reboot

As she heads back to MTV's "The Hills" for its upcoming reboot, Audrina Patridge may already have a problem where her ex, Corey Bohan, is concerned. The Blast reports Corey, whom Audrina filed a restraining order against shortly after their split, wants to keep their 2-year-old daughter, Kirra, off the show. In documents excerpted by the website, Corey is asking for a court order "restraining either party from allowing the minor child to be filed [sic] or to appear on any reality television production without the express written consent of the other parent." He also wants to "revoke any prior consent she may have provided for the minor child to appear on 'The Hills' reboot," according to the filing. He goes on to say: "I do not believe it is in Kirra's best interest to appear on reality TV as the effects of being in the public spotlight could be extremely damaging to such a young child and could result in potentially dangerous interactions with fans and/or paparazzi." Corey also takes a dig at Audrina in the papers, telling the court: "I believe that any consent that Audrina has given to allow Kirra to appear on 'The Hills' reflects poor judgment." According to Corey, he never consented to let Kirra appear on the show, which he says he found out was happening because of "tabloid articles and word of mouth." When Audrina filed for divorce in 2017 after less than a year of being married to Corey, she claimed he emotionally and physically abused her in the presence of their daughter. The two began dating in 2008. They initially split in 2011; the breakup appeared on Audrina's eponymous VH1 reality show.

RELATED: Reality TV scandals

Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan reveal a big hint about their mystery dog

Stork rumors aside, Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan are, in fact, expanding their family. At least, in the form of fur-babies. The couple recently adopted a second dog, the first being Guy, the rescue Meghan brought with her from Toronto. They've been quiet about the new pup's name but during a visit this week to the Survivor's Network in Brighton, they did let a few hints go about their new addition. According to People, Meghan was gifted with a framed artistic rendering of Guy — with a twist. "We had a local artist do an intersectional feminist print of your dog," said Jay Breslaw when he presented the piece to the royal couple. That's when Harry burst in with a laugh, saying, "No one's even seen our dog!" Added Meghan: "People keep getting her name wrong," revealing, perhaps accidentally, the first and only factoid we know about the pooch — that she's a girl. As for the print, when Meghan realized it was meant to be Guy, she exclaimed, "How lovely! Look at the little freckles on his face!" The drawing features an speech bubble hovering near the dog asking, "Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy?" Guy's speech bubble reply? "A boy who makes every effort to dismantle the patriarchy (whilst keeping in mind intersections with other forms of oppression)."

Cardi B shares first photo of Kulture

Kulture's ready for her closeup! Cardi B was enjoying some mom time in Miami this week when she stepped out on her hotel balcony in Miami to snap some cell phone pics with her new daughter, Kulture. TMZ notes it's the most public Cardi's been as of yet with her baby, whom she and Offset welcomed in July. Maybe a little glamour shot action is just what the doctor ordered after a rough couple of weeks … The rapper recently turned herself in to police after allegations she'd ordered an attack on two strip club bartenders. That was after the fracas she invited at New York Fashion Week when she went after Nicki Minaj.

Ryan Gosling's daughters think he's actually an astronaut

Hey, girl … Your dad's not really an astronaut. We imagine that's what Eva Mendes was left explaining to one or both of the daughters she shares with Ryan Gosling after the 4-year-old and 2-year-old visited their father in his Neil Armstrong getup on the set of "First Man." Ryan stopped by "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" this week, where he revealed he'd brought Esmeralda and Amada to the set to watch him shoot a scene for the new film. "I was in a space suit and pretending to launch," he recalled (via Us Weekly). "I think they think I'm an astronaut now. My oldest said the other, she pointed to the moon and she was like, 'That's where you work, right?'" Maybe it's a good thing Ryan doesn't work on the moon, though. He actually got a concussion while filming the movie — an experience he spoke to Jimmy about back in June. "I went home one night and I called Eva, and I was just hellbent on this idea that there were people in doughnut stores all around the world that were trying to charm their way into getting free doughnuts," he joked at the time. "She was so patient and listening. She was like, 'I've been saying you have brain damage as a joke, but I think you might have brain damage. I think you should go to the hospital.'"

Tracee Ellis Ross calls BS on 'the I woke up like this thing': "Balck-ish' is in HD, darling!'

Tracee Ellis Ross is here to remind us that personal happiness is, well, personal. "It's sort of fascinating to be 45 and single and childless. Happily single, I should add. Not at home crying about it," the "Black-ish" star tells InStyle in the magazine's November cover story. Although she says such "big and very personal questions" are nobody's business but one's own, she also understands that they make their way into the public dialogue. She's not afraid of addressing them, either. "Some of the ability to reflect on what I really want comes from pushing up against a society that shames me for not having the expected trappings," says Tracee. "I'm very pleased with my existence these days. Have I had to learn to make friends with loneliness? Yes. I think if I were in a relationship, it would be the same." Her approach is what she calls "choiceful solitude," or a state of embracing being in her own skin. It seems to extend to her work life and her daily beauty and self-care routines, too. "The 'I woke up like this' thing? Bull—-! 'Black-ish' is in HD, darling!" she notes. "There's no Vaseline on the lenses. At 18 I might have woken up like this. At 45 I f—ing work for it," she says. "I love potato chips more than anything in the world, and so I work out hard. I put masks on my face. I take care of myself. And, by the way, to me self-care does not mean going to the spa. It's learning to say no. It's knowing yourself so you can make choices that are an expression of you. That's self-care."

Tom Brady congratulates Gisele Bundchen on her new book with moving message

In her new book, "Lessons," Gisele Bundchen reveals how it felt to learn Tom Brady was going to have a baby with his ex. They were just dating at the time, but she said it turned her world "upside down." Now, Tom's making sure the world knows he supports his wife's honesty. "Congratulations on the launch of your new book! I am so happy and excited for others to read such an inspirational story," he posted on Instagram, sharing a photo of Gisele cradling the memoir. "You have overcome so much adversity and you take every challenge head o," he continued. "Thank you for being such an incredible example of what is possible in this world. Your humility, empathy and love for life is evident now more then ever. I am lucky to have you as my wife, and our kids are lucky to have you as their mother and protector! I know how much of a leap it can be to share your life with others, but I am so proud of you for all that you have achieved and what you will accomplish in the future! I have your back always and forever! Te amo muito! Link in bio to order! #LessonsByGisele

What does Megan Kelly know about Matt Lauer that she won't share?

Megan Kelly says she's privy to information about Matt Lauer that remains under wraps, even after the exposure of his sexual misconduct allegations led to his dismissal from NBC. In a recent sit-down with Us Weekly, Megan was asked if she thought Matt had a chance of getting back on TV after all that's happened. "I know too much that others don't know," she said. Asked about the reaction she got after she invited a production assistant on "Megan Kelly Today" to talk about her relationship with Matt, Megan would only share this much: "All I'm going to say is that I feel very strongly about the #MeToo coverage, the importance of doing it without fear or favor. I didn't let anyone stop me at Fox, and I'm not going to let anyone stop me at NBC." It has been rumored Megan was vying for Matt's gig on "Today" after he was fired.

Khloe Kardashian shares an unsettling Instagram message about being 'brutally broken'

What's going on with Khloe Kardashian? Over the past few days, she's posted a number of cryptic messages on social media, including one in which she admitted she's had sleepless nights due to "overthinking" things. She also posted about the importance of taking care of one's mental health. On Instagram Stories on Wednesday, she shared another intense-sounding reflection. "If you've been brutally broken but still have the courage to be gentle to other living beings, then you're a bada– with a heart of an angel," she posted. Outlets like People suspect the echoes of anxiety have to do with her upcoming return to Cleveland, where she and Tristan Thompson are due with their daughter, True, ahead of the start of his season with the Cavaliers. She was living there when allegations of Tristan's cheating scandal emerged within a week of True's birth. "She will really miss Kris [Jenner] and her sisters," a source recently told People of the move. "It's not going to be easy for her. But she is committed to keeping her family together. And Tristan has shown that he is committed to Khloé, so Khloé will make it work."