By Mark Gray
7:17am PDT, Oct 30, 2020
Party foul
Kim Kardashian West went all out for her 40th birthday… and therein lies the problem. Throughout the week, the reality star posted images from her luxe party, which took place on a private island in Tahiti. Kim flew dozens of family members and friends out for the festivities on a private jet. The bash, which lasted five days, reportedly cost her $1 million. Kim allegedly made it clear that no one could post social media images from the party until after they got home, a policy to which all the guests adhered. Many fans, however, were livid once pictures emerged, as they accused Kim of flaunting her wealth during a time when so many people are jobless due to the global coronavirus health crisis. "Nobody in this family could read a room if their life depended on it," one person commented. Another added, "Reading this as half of my office got laid off today." The party was labeled by many as "tone deaf."
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Finally!
It was only a matter of time! On Oct. 27, after more than five years as a couple, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani announced that they had gotten engaged. "@blakeshelton yes please!" the pop star captioned an Instagram photo that showed her kissing Blake and displaying her left hand, which featured a big ol' diamond ring. The country music singer posted the same photo on Instagram, captioning it, "Hey @gwenstefani thanks for saving my 2020… And the rest of my life. I love you. I heard a YES!" Friends and fans took to social media to share how thrilled they were with the engagement news.
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Dunzo
That sound you heard was millions of single women screaming with joy, for Brad Pitt is single again. On Oct. 28, Page Six reported that the actor and German model Nicole Poturalski — who reportedly has an open marriage with her 69-year-old restaurateur husband, who's based in Berlin — had split. A source said the breakup was "a while ago" and explained that the romance is "totally over." Brad and Nicole were first linked in August when they were photographed together at a Paris airport, and it later emerged that they'd been spending time together since the second half of 2019. "It was never all that serious as it was cracked up to be," the source added.
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Married
Mr. and Mrs.! Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost have gotten hitched. The couple married in a small ceremony in Palisades, New York, during the weekend of Oct. 24, it was reported on Oct. 29. Scarlett and Colin allowed Meals on Wheels to make the formal announcement for them in an effort to draw attention to the good work done by the organization. "We're thrilled to break the news that Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost were married over the weekend in an intimate ceremony with their immediate family and love ones, following COVID-19 safety precautions as directed by the CDC," an Instagram post from Meals on Wheels revealed. "Their wedding wish is to help make a difference for vulnerable older adults during this difficult time by supporting @mealsonwheelsamerica." This is Scarlett's third marriage and Colin's first.
Sentencing
Keith Raniere, the leader of a purported cult that involved several celebrities, will not walk around as a free man ever again. On Oct. 27, he was sentenced to 120 years in prison for sex trafficking, wire fraud, forced labor and other crimes. Keith and his NXIVM group — which started out offering personal and professional development seminars but later sparked the creation of a secret society that forced women into sexual slavery — have been the subject of several TV shows including HBO's "The Vow" and Starz's "Seduced." The group's teachings were followed to varying degrees by celebrities including "Smallville" actress Allison Mack (pictured) — who in 2019 pleaded guilty to various racketeering charges in connection with her actions while in a leadership role in the cult — and "Battlestar Galactica" actress Nicki Clyne, who's married to Allison and continues to support Keith. "Stargate SG-1" star Sarah Edmondson and actress India Oxenberg, the daughter of "Dynasty" star Catherine Oxenberg, were among 15 people who gave victim impact statement to the court ahead of Keith's sentencing, after which many former members of NXIVM celebrated.
Romance rumors
The stories were everywhere, and they all went something like this: Adele is dating British rapper Skepta. On Oct. 28, multiple media outlets claimed Adele was seeing the British music star. People magazine reported that "things have been heating up" between them. A source told Us Weekly, "They have been seeing each other." Other outlets said similar things. Maybe nobody checked with Adele. Amid the reporting about her love life, she said she's "single." Adele and Skepta were first linked in 2019 around the same time. Maybe it's a new October rite of passage.
Replaced
The rumors are true. For months, there have been claims that "The Bachelorette" star Clare Crawley left the show early after falling hard for one of her suitors, Dale Moss. The rumors also claimed that fan favorite Tayshia Adams came in to replace Clare. On Oct. 27, the ABC show aired a preview for the following week's episode that all but confirmed the ubiquitous speculation. Tayshia hinted at it on Instagram too. Afterward, ABC exec Rob Mills confirmed that Clare was out. Host Chris Harrison noted that the last straw came during events that aired on the Oct. 27 episode in which Clare refused to give the group date rose to anyone on the date, largely because Dale wasn't there. "That wasn't a great look, I will admit," the host told "Entertainment Tonight." "She was on the group date, had talked about Dale ad nauseam, and these guys just wanted a chance." It appears that producers eventually stepped in. "I just wanted [the potential suitors] to have a fair shot and you can very clearly see on that date, they're not getting that shot anymore," Chris said.
Baby bliss
Emily Ratajkowski is about to be a model mommy. On Oct. 26, Emily announced via an essay in Vogue that she's pregnant. In her piece, Emily explained why she and her husband, film producer Sebastian Bear-McClard, aren't revealing the gender of their child. "When my husband and I tell friends that I'm pregnant, their first question after 'Congratulations' is almost always 'Do you know what you want?' We like to respond that we won't know the gender until our child is 18 and that they'll let us know then," the model-actress wrote. She later added, "I don't try to envision a pink or blue blanket in my arms. I'm too humbled to have any false notions of control. I'm completely and undeniably helpless when it comes to almost everything surrounding my pregnancy: how my body will change, who my child will be. But I'm surprisingly unbothered. Instead of feeling afraid, I feel a new sense of peace. I'm already learning from this person inside my body. I'm full of wonder." This will be the first child for Emily and Sebastian.
Bravo awaits
Crystal Kung Minkoff has herself a diamond. On Oct. 26, it was announced that Crystal, the founder of Real Coco and wife of filmmaker Rob Minkoff, was joining the cast of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills." The mother of two will be the first Asian American housewife on "RHOBH." Also this week, it was reported that Kathy Hilton will join "RHOBH" as a "friend of the show."
Latest celebrity COVID-19 reveals
This week, three more stars went public with their COVID-19 diagnoses. In a teaser for the Oct. 29 episode of "Keeping Up With the Kardashians," Khloe Kardashian revealed she tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this year and detailed all her symptoms. "Arrow" star Stephen Amell shared his diagnosis on the Oct. 27 episode of the "Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum" podcast, telling fans, "I have actively, actively, actively tried to avoid contracting this virus. And guess what? I … got it anyway, so be smart," he said. "If you're being smart, stay smart. And if you're not, you're just dragging this s*** on longer for everybody else." And just a few weeks after announcing her first pregnancy with husband Christian Huff, former "Duck Dynasty" star Sadie Robertson on Oct. 26 revealed on Instagram that she'd had to go to the hospital due to coronavirus complications. Days later, she detailed her struggle and said her mom Korie Robertson, sister Bella and husband also had it. "I know everyone experiences COVID differently, but wow these symptoms are wild. I've definitely struggled…" she explained.
