By Wonderwall.com Editors
10:51am PST, Dec 5, 2017
Matt Lauer's rumored jealousy of potential 'Today' rivals left NBC in the lurch
With Matt Lauer reportedly headed into retirement following the sexual misconduct allegations that got him fired from "Today," the show has few, if any options, to replace him. According to the New York Post, that's because Matt's "intense, long-running jealousy over potential rivals" and his determination to remain at the top of the heap at NBC meant that he prevented competitors from getting anywhere near his gig. "Matt killed off, in their infancy, every man who could succeed him at the time that he was ready to hang it up — so there's nobody to take his place. And now NBC is paying the price," said one insider. Another cited Craig Melvin from "Weekend Today" as a potential replacement but noted Craig lacks the name and face recognition Matt had built over 20 years. As for rumors Megyn Kelly could be vying for the anchor role? Those are effectively over thanks to her dismal November sweeps ratings, which the Post said were "the worst … of any in the history of the 9 a.m. hour of 'Today' — across all demos. Other insiders have maintained Megyn is not interested taking over for Matt, as well.
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Is Lindsay Lohan returning to film?
Lindsay Lohan could be ready to stage her big screen comeback. The actress-turned world traveler/nightclub muse (hopefully she has different business cards for different occasions) is back in the U.S. this week. Insiders tell The Blast that while she's visiting the Big Apple for the holidays, she's also taking meetings about potential movie projects. Lindsay appears in some scenes from the second season of the British show "Sick Note," so she's not totally out of the loop, acting-wise. And The Blast claims she feels broadening her horizons with stints in London and Greece recently has helped develop her skills as an actress. The experience certainly seems to have developed her ability to invent faux-European accents. All she needs now is a role for a native Turkish, Russian, French and Italian speaker from Long Island. Your move, screenwriters.
RELATED: Lindsay Lohan's highs and lows: A look back at her rollercoaster life
Selena Gomez sets Instagram to private, takes issue with Billboard feature
Lost in translation? Something seems to have been taken out of context or otherwise misrepresented in Billboard's cover story on Selena Gomez — at least, that's how Selena apparently sees it. The singer set her Instagram account to private this week, a dramatic move given her reign as the most followed user on the social media platform. The last post before she went private was an Instagram Story that showed a screenshot from the Billboard feature, along with the words: "Never will I let another human being guess my words ever again. Or invite them in my home. That is so hurtful. The most ridiculous part of that is no one knowing my heart when I say things" (via JustJared). The passage from the magazine shown in the screenshot read: "There's a five-foot teddy bear sprawled across the kitchen floor in Selena Gomez's North Hollywood home. 'I know, I know,' says Gomez, rolling her eyes, acknowledging that the stuffed animal doesn't quite blend with the trio of armchairs nestled in the inviting, marble-accented nook. 'It was a gift, and at first I thought, 'This is so ridiculous, I can't wait until I give it away to another person.' But Gomez, 25, hasn't let go of it — yet." In the piece, she gushes about how great her friendship with ex-boyfriend, The Weeknd, remains after their split. And yet The Weeknd deleted all traces of Selena from his Instagram late last month, around the same time it became clear she and Justin Bieber were rekindling their romance. Since Selena graciously accepted her Billboard Woman of the Year honor without critique of the feature before all of this went down, it's hard not to wonder if this week's post — and The Weeknd's decision to erase Selena from his Instagram — may have been related to the aforementioned giant teddy bear Billboard's writer said she had yet to give away to someone else.
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Pink reveals her dating advice for Willow
Pink has some rules for her daughter, Willow, when it comes to finding Mr. Right someday. Speaking to Cosmopolitan for the magazine's January 2018 cover, Pink revealed she recently had a conversation with the 6-year-old about qualifications for potential suitors. "She said to me the other day, 'How many boys can I have at once?' And I said, 'Excuse me?'" Pink recalled. "I said, 'Probably none of them because they won't deserve you. They have to be kind, respectful, they have to be chivalrous, they have to be good to their moms, they have to be good looking, they have to be funny.'" Gentlemen of the future, you have been warned!
Jane Fonda, Colin Kapernick honored by the ACLU
"Keep kneeling until you can stand up." So said Jane Fonda in her acceptance speech when she was honored along with Colin Kaepernick by the ACLU of Southern California's annual Bill of Rights awards gala on Sunday, Dec. 3. Jane won the 2017 Ramon Ripston Liberty, Justice & Equality Award, while the NFL star took home the Eason Monroe Courageous Courage Award for his brave assertion that players have a right to kneel in protest of inequality during the National Anthem at football games. "We must confront systematic oppression as a doctor would a disease. You identify it, you call it out, you treat and you defeat it," he said, according to the New York Post. "We all have an obligation no matter the risk and regardless of reward to stand up for fell men and women who are being oppressed with the understanding that human rights cannot be compromised. In the words of Frederick Douglas, 'If there is a no struggle, there is no progress." Colin's remarks were met with a standing ovation from the crowd, which included celebs like Gina Rodriguez and Judd Apatow.
Coco Rocha is pregnant
Two years after Coco Rocha became a mom, the model's daughter Ioni is about to become a big sister. "Surprise!" the adorable toddler says in a clip posted on Instagram on Monday, Dec. 4. "There's a baby in Mommy's tummy!" Coco and her husband, interior designer James Conran, wed in 2010. Speaking to Bazaar earlier this year, Coco gushed, "being a mother is by far the most rewarding and beautiful experience I've ever had." Congrats!
Katie Holmes joins Jamie Foxx at Prive Revaux Eyewear event in NYC
Nothin' like a little quiet support from your honey at a high-profile event. Sorry, from your rumored honey. Despite years of pretty solid signs Jamie Foxx and Katie Holmes are an item, the two have managed to avoid confirming their relationship publicly. More and more, though, they've seemed less vigilant about keeping the romance buzz at bay. On Monday, Dec. 4, for example, Katie joined Jamie at the launch of Privé Revaux eyewear's pop-up store in New York City, where Jamie joined the DJs in the booth for much of the evening. Other celebs joining the festivities included Nicki Minaj, Kid Capri and Odell Beckham. Katie, meanwhile, kept things low-key and skipped the potential photo op with her beau.
Howard Stern: Donald Trump's election 'was mind-boggling'
Despite their long and well-documented friendship, Howard Stern still can't believe Donald Trump was elected president. "It was mind-boggling," he told Us Weekly in a recent interview. As for the president's history of making degrading comments about women, including the "grab 'em" conversation he was recorded having with Billy Bush years ago, Howard said, "[The tapes of him] are all out there … but you know, look, those interviews speak for themselves. I'm glad [the tapes] are out there. Donald always came on the show as a guest and was entertaining. He wasn't the president, it was a different kind of scene but yet what he says is relevant even to this day and it gets into whole other discussion – sexual harassment – but at that point, I never imagined that Donald would run for president." In February, Howard cautioned that he thought Donald's bid for the White House was the wrong move. "I personally wish that he had never run. I told him that," Stern said on his show. "Because I actually think this is something that is going to be very detrimental to his mental health too. Because he wants to be liked, he wants to be loved, he wants people to cheer for him. I don't think this is going to be a healthy experience for him."
Casey Affleck and Summer Phoenix's divorce has been finalized
It's officially over for Casey Affleck and Summer Phoenix. TMZ reports divorce proceedings between the former couple of nine years have been finalized. Summer, an actress and musician, performed onstage alongside Casey and Matt Damon a few years before they married. She filed for divorce over the summer due to irreconcilable differences. Despite asking the court to deny spousal support to Summer, Casey and his ex reportedly settled on how to deal with finances and will get joint custody of their children, Indiana, 13, and Atticus, 9. A similar report surfaced back in September but appears not to have been confirmed until now.
Danny Masterson responds to getting axed from 'The Ranch' amid sexual assault investigation
"The Ranch" will proceed without Danny Masterson starting in 2018. Netflix announced it would be writing Danny off the show as the Los Angeles Police Department continues to investigate allegations the actor sexually assaulted three women. "As a result of ongoing discussions, Netflix and the producers have written Danny Masterson out of 'The Ranch.' Yesterday was his last day on the show, and production will resume in early 2018 without him," Netflix told ABC News in a statement. Danny followed up with a statement of his own. "I am obviously very disappointed in Netflix's decision to write my character off of 'The Ranch," the statement read. "From day one, I have denied the outrageous allegations against me," the statement continued. "Law enforcement investigated these claims more than 15 years ago and determined them to be without merit. I have never been charged with a crime, let alone convicted of one." He continued: "In this country, you are presumed innocent until proven guilty," he added. "However, in the current climate, it seems as if you are presumed guilty the moment you are accused. I understand and look forward to clearing my name once and for all. In the meantime, I want to express my gratitude to the cast and crew that I've worked so closely with over the past three seasons. I wish them nothing but success. I am also so thankful to the fans that have supported me and continue to do so."
