By Wonderwall.com Editors
3:17pm PDT, Sep 9, 2020
Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez up the ante in their Mets bid
"It ain't over until it is over." That's how a confident Jennifer Lopez assured the New York Post this week that she's not backing off of her bid alongside fiance Alex Rodriguez to take over the Mets. "We are New Yorkers and we are not going to give up. We feel we have the best bid for the sport, the team and the city," she added. The couple have been working as lead investors on a deal to buy the MLB team for months. At the end of August, however, their rumored $1.7 billion offer — which reportedly included $300 million of J.Lo and A-Rod's own money — appeared to be dead in the water. That's no longer the case, apparently. According to the Post, the couple's investor group is now offering a deal in which Jennifer, rather than her Yankees alum partner, would be, as she put it, "the control person." That's reportedly a switch from the original deal in which Alex would have been the control person. It would also make J.Lo the first Latina owner of an MLB franchise, the Post notes. The couple have also reportedly included a guarantee that the Mets would either win a World Series in the first decade of their ownership or J.Lo and A-Rod would donate $100 million to charities in the Big Apple. Their plan seems to be to have Alex handle baseball decisions while Jennifer covers branding and entertainment interests. If the current owners don't pick J.Lo and A-Rod's group, they're expected to sell the team to billionaire hedge fund manager Steve Cohen. The sale is expected to go through one way or another before the end of the year.
Keep reading for the latest on Drew Barrymore's marriage plans (or lack thereof) and more …
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Drew Barrymore has some hilariously strong feelings about marriage …
Drew Barrymore remains a self-professed, "hopeless romantic," in spite of having been married and divorced three times. So would she consider another set of wedding bells should Mr. Right come along? Not so much. "Never. Never, never, never. I will never get married again!" Drew, 45, declares in the new issue of People. "And I also believe people should not say the word 'never,' and I will never, with a capital N-E-V-E-R, never get married," she adds. "It's like I have two options: Cut it — this has not worked — or be Elizabeth Taylor. And I have too many more to go." Drew's ex-husbands include bar owner Jeremy Thomas, whom she wed and divorced in 1994, Tom Green, who she married in 2001, and art consultant Will Kopelman, her husband from 2012 until 2016. "I never want to be entwined with someone like that again ever," she explained. "You break up, and you move on. You get divorced, and it's just so different. I love that we are trying to hold on to an institution that [started] when the closest person to you for companionship was a three-day horse ride away and your life span was 30 years." That said, Drew's not ruling out another romance. She's just not actively "seeking it," she tells the outlet, adding, "My cup runneth over. I have so much love in my life." One of the non-romantic new loves in her life is "The Drew Barrymore Show," her upcoming daytime talk show. The new show premieres Sept. 14 — and according to Drew, it will likely involve some explorations of love and relationships.
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Zac Efron is house-hunting in Byron Bay amid new romance in Australia
Has America — and all its Zac Efron-loving female fans — lost the "High School Musical" star for good? It sure is looking that way to a People source who's shedding new light on rumors Zac is done with Hollywood and planning to settle down in Australia's Byron Bay. The insider claims Zac's "been house-hunting" while renting a place "minutes from the beach." "It really seems he plans on staying in Australia permanently," the source says. That plan probably has something to do with the star's love life. Over the summer, the star was linked to model Vanessa Valladares who he met Down Under. This week, the two were spotted clutching paws, which some outlets are taking as confirmation the two are more than just friends. According to People's source, the pair have been "hanging out" since at least July and "recently took a ski trip together." She's also reportedly been hanging out at Zac's rental pad a lot lately. If he does decide to stick around in Byron Bay, however, he'll likely be due back in the States in the near future to shoot the upcoming Disney+ remake of "Three Men and a Baby."
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Halsey set to make her acting debut alongside 'Euphoria' star Sydney Sweeney
Halsey might be having the most productive pandemic in Hollywood. Earlier in the summer, the singer revealed that in addition to studying for the bar exam (sans law school, a la Kim Kardashian), she's preparing to release her first book of poetry. Turns out she's also set to make her acting debut. THR reports Halsey will star in and produce the upcoming TV series, "The Player's Table," based on Jessica Goodman's YA novel, "They Wish They Were Us." Set at an elite New York prep school whose social scene is run by a secret society called "The Players," the drama features Halsey as recent grad Rachel Calloway and "Euphoria" star Sydney Sweeney as high school senior Jill Newman. Rachel's brother has been convicted in Jill's friend's killing, but Rachel, a former "player," believes others are to blame. The two eventually team up to figure out what happened on the night of the friend's death and whether The Players were involved. According to THR, Sydney sent the project Halsey's way after the two worked together on Halsey's "Graveyard" music video and became pals. As of Wednesday, no network had picked up the series yet. Halsey's book, "I Would Leave Me If I Could," is due out Nov. 10.
Kaley Cuoco shuts down trolls who criticized her use of a mask at the gym
Kaley Cuoco's got a new workout routine, complete with CDC-approved safety gear to protect herself and others from any possible coronavirus exposure. Unfortunately, that's not how all her followers see it. This week, "The Big Bang Theory" alum shared a cute video of herself jumping rope and cardio jogging in black workout clothes and a matching black mask. "Jump It Out," she captioned the post. "My newest obsession during COVID/quarantine! All you need is 20 mins, a jump rope, and good music !" It wasn't long before some Instagram commenters took issue with her mask. "You're wearing a mask because why?" asked one person (via Page Six). Others chimed in with comments such as, "You don't need a mask when you workout :)," and, "Don't use mask to exercise. CO2. Nice going," even though the official CDC position is that everyone should wear a mask or face covering when it's "feasible" to do so, but especially while indoors around other people. Cue Kaley's clap back, based on the current guidelines for minimizing the spread of COVID-19: "For everyone and their mask comments. I wear a mask when I'm in an enclosed space around others, which I was," she wrote in the comments. "I'm protecting myself and everyone around me. That's why I choose to wear a mask. Thanks for playing." Her response was met with support from fans and followers who noted that it's "her prerogative" to wear a mask in the gym since she's able to comfortably and that she's simply "being a responsible citizen." As one user put it: "Mask wearing protects others and yourself. SMH that this still needs to be explained." Kaley returns to TV this fall in HBO Max's "The Flight Attendant."
Mindy Kaling, Billy Baldwin and more stars congratulate Alec and Hilaria Baldwin on baby No. 5
And then there were five! "We had a baby last night," Hilaria Baldwin posted on Instagram Wednesday, sharing a photo from the hospital of her in bed beside Alec Baldwin as the two look lovingly at their new son. "He is perfect and we couldn't be happier … Stay tuned for a name🤍." The couple's fifth child together comes after a difficult 2019, during which Hilaria suffered two miscarriages, one in April and a second in November. After spotting Hilaria and Alec's happy news on the 'Gram, the pair's family and friends — including Katie Couric, Mindy Kaling, Jamie Lynn Sigler, Mario Lopez and Rosie O'Donnell — chimed in with lots of love and congrats. Alec's brother, Billy Baldwin, even offered his thoughts on a baby name, commenting, "Congratulations to the entire battalion!!I think Guillermo Eduardo has a fabulous ring to it!! 🔥." A few hours after Hilaria's post, Alec shared the same pic on his own IG. "Número Cinco está aqui … (Para mi, número seis)," he wrote in Spanish. ("Number five is here … for me, number six.") "I love you, @hilariabaldwin. My karma is your karma. Your karma is mine," he added. Alec shares daughter Ireland Baldwin, 24, with Kim Basinger. He and Hilaria are also parents to Romeo, 2, Leonardo, 4, Rafael, 5, and Carmen, 7.
Demi Lovato partners with Talkspace to promote online therapy
Back in April, Demi Lovato launched The Mental Health Fund to support crisis intervention text line organizations as the coronavirus pandemic sparked an increase in the need for their services. Five months later, the fund is inching closer to its $5 million GoFundMe goal, and Demi, who's struggled with bipolar disorder, addiction and eating disorders, is shifting gears to help promote at-home therapy via Talkspace. Speaking to Amy Robach on "GMA" Wednesday, the singer reflected on her own struggles with mental health issues and the stigma that comes with them. After admitting that she's "maybe just a little embarrassed" to have "made some of the choices" she's made in the past, Demi acknowledged that making mistakes with regard to mental illness is "natural," according to People. "But I also know that a part of getting rid of the stigma is spreading the awareness and talking about it," she continued. Turning her attention to viewers who may be struggling, Demi assured them that they're not alone. "There are so many people, more than ever before that are feeling exactly what you're feeling," she said. "When you are struggling, sometimes you tend to seek out permanent solutions for temporary problems, but those have lasting impacts that make a ripple effect in so many people's lives." Demi added: "There are people there that love you and care about you and that will answer the phone if you call. And if they're not there for you, put on my music and I'll be there."
Selena Gomez gets candid about pressure to 'show skin' early in her career
Just a few seasons into her career with Disney, a then teenaged Selena Gomez realized that while she was improving her skills as an actress, those gains came at the expense of her privacy, among other things. As she recalls in Allure's October cover story, once fans started following her to the set and interviewers began questioning her dating choices, the career path she'd chosen took a weird turn. "My personal life was out everywhere," says Selena. "It felt very claustrophobic and just…I felt very trapped." It didn't end there, though. She went on to battle Lupus and struggle with her health, which affected her body. The public noticed — and often criticized her for it. "I was dealing with a lot of medical problems, so I fluctuated in weight a lot," she explains. "[The criticism] was just unfair for someone to handle." By 2015, when she released her second studio album, expectations about the relative sexiness of her image only added to the pressure. "I just did things that weren't really me. There was pressure to seem more adult on my album, 'Revival,'" Selena says of the release, which features a black and white image of the singer, then 23, sitting on the floor wearing nothing. "[I felt] the need to show skin … I really don't think I was [that] person." After everything she's endured in the public eye, the 28-year-old, who was recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder, is now determined to make her mental health a priority. And that's something she's not necessarily keeping to herself. "I have always had so many different emotions and I didn't know how to control them quite well. It was complicated. But I think I'm happy to understand it," she explains. "Once I did find out more about who I was, I was proud. I also felt comfortable knowing that I wasn't alone, and I was going to get through it. So I will always be passionate about that. It's something I will continue to talk about."
Amy Schumer reveals she has Lyme disease
Like Justin Bieber, Alec Baldwin and Shania Twain, Amy Schumer is among the estimated 300,000 people diagnosed with Lyme disease in this country each year. The comic shared her diagnosis this week on Instagram, asking for feedback from others who may have had experience with the inflammatory, tick-borne illness. "Anyone get LYME this summer? I got it and I'm on doxycycline," Amy shared. "I have maybe had it for years. Any advice? Can you have a glass of wine or 2 on it? I know to stay out of the sun. I'm also taking these herbs from cape cod called lyme-2. Please comment or text me on my number in my bio. I also want to say that I feel good and am excited to get rid of it."
Kevin Spacey sued for alleged sexual assault
An actor who first accused Kevin Spacey of sexual misconduct in 2017 has filed suit against the star, as has a new plaintiff who was reportedly once in Spacey's acting class. JustJared reports Anthony Rapp and a plaintiff known as "C.D." in court documents filed suit against the "American Beauty" star on Wednesday, accusing him of sexual battery. Both men say they were 14 when Spacey allegedly attacked them on separate occasions in the '80s. Spacey was previously sued on similar charges in Massachusettes and Los Angeles. Both those cases were eventually dismissed.
