By Wonderwall.com Editors
2:12pm PDT, Jul 16, 2020
Kanye West is now on the presidential ballot in at least one state
He may be polling at a not-so-whopping 2 percent, but Kanye West appears to be making progress towards a real White House bid. After the rapper announced his third-party candidacy plans on Twitter and in a Forbes interview earlier this month, skeptics including Donald Trump wondered if it wasn't too late to even get on the ballot — and it is too late in some states, but not all. On Thursday, July 16, Time reported Kanye met the requirements to get himself on the presidential ballot in Oklahoma, though it appears to be the only state where he's managed to do so ahead of the filing deadline. According to Time, a rep for 'Ye filed the rapper's paperwork and paid his $35,000 filing fee on Wednesday, making him one of three independent candidates on the ballot there. That same day, Kanye's team filed a "Statement of Organization" with the Federal Election Commission, naming a "Kanye 2020 committee" as his main campaign organization, according to TMZ. He has reportedly missed the deadline to get on the ballot in a few states, though. New York Magazine, meanwhile, reported this week that Kanye's adviser Steve Kramer told the outlet "he's out."
Keep reading to find out what Kelly Ripa wants to do differently when "Live" returns to the studio …
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Chris Rock and his daughter get matching Basquiat tattoos
Chris Rock, 55, just got his first tattoo. On Wednesday, New York City tattoo artist Bang Bang shared black and white photos of the Jean-Michel Basquiat-inspired crowns he recently inked on the shoulders of Chris and one of his teenage daughters. "First tattoo for King @chrisrock and his wonderful daughter," he captioned the pics. "Thank you for the trust." While Chris stuck with the simple, three-pointed crown outline, his daughter — Bang Bang didn't specify if it was Lola, 18, or Zahra, 16 — went for a dinosaur wearing the same iconic shape. The late artist's beloved crown is a timely choice. As Sotheby's art auction house explains on its website, Basquiat's habit of "adorning black male figures, including athletes, musicians and writers, with the crown … raised these historically disenfranchised artists to royal even saintly stature."
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Kelly Ripa is only returning to the 'Live!' studio on this condition
Filming "Live with Kelly and Ryan" from home seems to be growing on Kelly Ripa after nearly four months of practice. Now, she has a small demand for the powers that be if they want her to come back to the studio this fall — and it involves a certain wardrobe component the world's new working-from-home force has determined to be irrelevant in the time of pandemic-mandated Zoom meetings. During their Wednesday appearance on "jimmy Kimmel Live," Ryan said that "as of now, they're selling us September that we'd be back in the studio in some way," according to ET. Kelly agreed that was the plan, then cautioned that her return is conditional. "I'm not coming back if I have to wear pants or bottoms of any kind," she joked. "I like this from-the-waist-up thing that we're doing. So I think we should build a studio where you can't see what we're wearing from the waist down. That's the only way I'm coming back." The pants-off workday isn't the only new thing Kelly's enjoyed since the pandemic began, though. She also said her eating habits have changed. "I eat solid food," joked the infamously diet and exercise-obsessed host. "I am not on an all-liquid diet. I'm on an all-carbohydrate diet," she added. Ryan? Not so much. Rehashing a typical day, he said: "Four thirty is when the alarm goes off, but at 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, I wake up thinking it's not going to go off, so that's the schedule overnight. Then it starts with a tea and two very strong coffees with nothing in it… And for dinner, it's a green juice." So weird that he's been suffering from exhaustion …
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Winona Ryder, Vanessa Paradis defend ex Johnny Depp in libel trial statements
As Johnny Depp's libel trial against the publisher of The Sun over a 2018 article that branded him a "wife beater" continued in London this week, his exes Winona Ryder and Vanessa Paradis initially planned to testify on the actor's behalf. Instead, the court opted to release their pre-filed witness statements, both of which emphasize the women never saw him act violently towards them or others. Both women also went on the record expressing shock and confusion about Amber Heard's claims Depp, 57, beat her during their marriage. Ryder, 48, described her four-year romance and brief engagement with the star "as one of the more significant relationships of my life," said her experience with him was "wildly different" from Heard's (via Page Six). "The idea that he is an incredibly violent person is the farthest thing from the Johnny I knew and loved," she told the court. "He was never, never violent towards me. He was never, never abusive at all towards me. He has never been violent or abusive towards anybody I have seen," she continued, adding that she knew him as a "good man" who was "protective" and made her feel "so very, very safe." Paradis, 47, echoed Ryder's sentiments, saying that in the course of her 14-year partnership with Depp, which ended in 2012, shortly before he met Heard, she's "known Johnny to be a kind, attentive, generous and non-violent person and father." She cited positive responses to his "humble and respectful" nature on movie sets, praised his "kindness and generosity" and said that in her "personal experience of many years, I can say he was never violent or abusive to me." Page Six notes that b "We are glad they did not have the same experience as Ms. Heard. However, one woman's experience does not determine the experience of another woman."
Colin Jost gets candid about whether he'll leave 'SNL'
In his new memoir, endearingly titled "A Very Punchable Face," Colin Jost opens up about why the prospect of leaving "Saturday Night Live" scares him. He says he's worried he'd never find anything he liked quite as much as "SNL," and that he'd have to finally face "growing up," since "no one works at 'SNL' is really an adult." Colin — who joined the sketch show as a writer in 2005, becoming a head writer and "Weekend Update" co-host in 2014 — talked more about leaving "SNL" during an appearance on Howard Stern's Sirius XM show this week. Asked directly if he was on his way out, he couldn't confirm or deny much, according to the New York Post. "I've been talking to [Michael] Che about it in general," he said. "I'm not sure. The COVID stuff has really affected how I feel about it because, you know, being away from people who make you laugh at work in that way for this long, really makes you appreciative of not only the job, but of the routine of being at work." Still, as the pandemic rages on with no sign of a finish line, Colin seems conflicted. Sharing a Lorne Michaels quote — "the people you love who used to be cast members on 'SNL,' the funniest they ever were was on 'SNL,' even if they did great brilliant work after" — he pointed to Will Ferrell's post-"SNL" career. "Will Ferrell has made such funny movies, but there's that thing about the first glimpse you got of Will Ferrell yelling at the dinner table," he said, referencing Will's famous sketch, "… it's like a pure thing."
Alex Trebek says he's 'feeling great,' eager to return to the 'Jeopardy!' studio
Alex Trebek is "feeling great," embracing his new quarantine goatee and getting ready to release the book he wrote during "Jeopardy!'s" "break from the studio," according to a new video released Thursday by ABC News. The quick clip features an update on Alex's preparation for the show's upcoming, four-week "From the Vault" retrospective. "As many of you know, whenever there is a break in our 'Jeopardy' tape schedule, I often take that opportunity to grow some facial hair. Clearly I've been doing that while waiting for us to safely return to the studio, which I hope will be very, very soon," he jokes in the video. "Now in the meantime, I'm here at home recording show openings for some very special 'Jeopardy!' episodes that will be coming up in July," he continues. "For the first time ever, we are going to open the 'Jeopardy!' vaults and take another look at some of our favorite episodes, including the very first 'Jeopardy' show I ever hosted — mustache and all." The 79-year-old show host, who announced last March that he's battling stage four pancreatic cancer, then shares a "quick health update." "I'm doing well. I've been continuing my treatment and it is paying off, though it does fatigue me a great deal,"he says. "My numbers are good, I'm feeling great. In fact, during the break from the studio, I even wrote a book that will be coming out July 21." He signs off by saying he "can't wait to return to the studio and start recording shows for the new season in September," adding, "Meanwhile, my wish for all of you, stay safe." According to The Wrap, "Jeopardy!" went on a pandemic-sparked break on March 20.
Tina Fey, Jane Krakowski reveal how the '30 Rock' reunion came to be
Turns out it's no coincidence the "30 Rock" reunion on NBC is serving as a vehicle for the network's upfront presentations — that was actually built into the concept from day one, according to Tina Fey. "Every year, NBC and every network do a thing called the upfront presentations where all the new shows get announced, basically just a corporate presentation for advertisers," Tina explained Wednesday on "Stars in the House," (via the Daily Mail). "Obviously none of that can happen this year, and NBC thought it might be nice to broadcast their presentation, and they asked us to write a '30 Rock' around that, which I guess makes sense because the show was about NBC and about television itself. We said sure, because what else were we doing?" Within a month, Tina had teamed up with "30 Rock" co-creatir Robert Carlock and "five or six of the original writers" over Zoom to hammer out the script. When it came time to shoot "30 Rock: A One-Time Special on NBC," the cast was still forced to abide by social distancing safety mandates — ie, they all shot from their respective homes, except for Tina's moment of shooting from the street which she joked was "thrilling." Jane Krakowski was on hand to share tidbits from the filming process, too. "First of all, if any actor never appreciated the entire crew, this kind of thing makes you appreciate everyone who works on these things, because we were asked to do every job, hair, makeup, set decor, lighting," she said. Jane did have some help from her 9-year-old son, Bennet, though. "When I needed a fan to hit on one lyric, the boy had it. I had trained him well," she boasted. "He kept saying 'Quiet on set' when there was no one home." As for reconnecting with the cast, Jane said it was clear from the time they did their read-through that they could pick up where they;d all left off. "It just felt like all of our old energy," she said.
Nia Long talks discrimination at 'Charlie's Angels' audition
In an explosive interview with Vulture published last week, Thandie Newton said she passed on "Charlie's Angels" because of racist comments then-Sony studio head Amy Pascal allegedly made to her. Seems Nia Long can identify. In a recent chat with Insider, Nia says she auditioned for the same role Thandie was up for — Alex Munday, which ultimately went to Lucy Liu — but was told she didn't get it because she "looked too old" next to Drew Barrymore. Since she's only four years older than Drew, Nia read between the lines. "I was like, 'What?' I love Drew Barrymore, I think she's amazing, but I think that was just a nice way to say you're a little too Black," she told Insider. Her agent also said she looked too "sophisticated" compared to her would-be co-star. "And I'm thinking to myself, it's an actor's choice to walk in the room how they want to look, but it's a director's vision to help create and curate a character," Nia recalled. "So if you couldn't see beyond the fact that I had on a blazer and a pair of jeans then that was clearly not the job and opportunity for me. So, no problem, I'll keep it moving."
Britney Spears reportedly supports her mom's request to be involved in her finances
More details have surfaced about Lynne Spears' request for special notice on "all matters" related to her daughter, Britney Spears' SJB Revocable Trust. According to an ET source, Lynne filed the request in court Monday in part so that she can help Britney achieve a bit more freedom, financially. "Britney trusts Lynne and has asked her mother to be part of her conservatorship," says the insider. "She truly believes that her mother wants to help her have more autonomy when it comes to her money. Britney is aware that how she is doing psychologically seems to directly correlate to her spending habits. She knows right now she might not be ready to be in complete control but she wants more freedom to spend how she pleases." The source adds that Britney feels Lynne will take her "desires will be taken more seriously," as the two are said to be "closer than ever."
