Lori Loughlin is reportedly optimistic ahead of trial thanks to new evidence, plus more news

Lori Loughlin is reportedly 'ready to fight' as trial date looms

Prospects haven't looked great for Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli as they prepare to defend themselves against fraud and bribery charges in their upcoming college admissions scandal trial. But multiple outlets are now reporting the couple could come out on top, thanks to new evidence. The "belated discovery" allegedly shows admissions expert-slash-scammer Rick Singer deleted evidence after agreeing to cooperate with the FBI in his communication with Loughlin, Giannulli and seven other defendants accused of similar crimes, according to the Boston Globe. Defense attorneys claim to have proof that after Singer agreed to cooperate with the FBI, he deleted "approximately 250" iMessages that could incriminate him rather than the defendants. The messages are said to, include correspondence between Singer and defendants such as Felicity Huffman, who took a plea deal early on. Meanwhile, Us Weekly reports Loughlin and Giannulli's legal team dug up notes Singer took regarding his instructions from the FBI. "Singer's notes indicate that FBI agents yelled at him and instructed him to lie by saying that he told his clients who participated in the in the alleged 'side door' scheme that their payments were bribes, rather than legitimate donations that went to the schools," the couple's attorney Sean Berkowitz told Us. Given the new information that her lawyer believes could "exonerate" her, Loughlin "… is feeling motivated and ready to fight and has a renewed sense of hope with the recent evidence," according to an Us source. She and her husband have pled not guilty to all charges so far. Opening statements in their trial are expected to begin Oct. 5.

Keep reading to find out why Prince Harry joined Jon Bon Jovi at Abbey Road Studios …

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How Demi Lovato reportedly feels about Wilmer Valderrama's engagement

When Wilmer Valderrama and model Amanda Pacheco announced their engagement after less than a year of dating, Demi's fans were less than pleased, given the singer's now-defunct, 6-year-long romance with the actor, whom she dated from 2010 until 2016. So how does Demi really feel about Wilmer and Amanda's wedding plans? Uh … just fine, according to an Us Weekly source. "She is still in touch with Wilmer, but obviously not in a romantic relationship way," an insider tells the magazine. "There is still love there for sure, but Demi fully supports him and his engagement to Amanda. She just wants what's best for him and for the both of them to be happy." Demi and Wilmer have made it clear social media they've remained close since their split — and through Demi's recovery after she overdosed. Now that she's getting ready to promote a new album amid rave reviews for her moving performances at the 2020 Grammy Awards and Super Bowl, it's understandable if she has no time or interest in negativity.

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Kendall Jenner reveals her dream personal assistant gig

Kendall Jenner recently revealed the one celeb she'd happily work for as a personal assistant — but we kinda find who she picked less telling than why she picked her. "If I had to be a personal assistant for a year," Kendall said in a behind-the-scenes video for her new Calvin Klein campaign, according to Elle UK, "I'd pick Beyoncé, just because I want to know what she eats in the morning. I just want to know what she has for breakfast. And, like, what TV shows does she watch? I just really need to know what TV shows she watches," the reality star turned supermodel continued. "Like, do you watch 'Bachelor in Paradise?' Because if so, we should be best friends." To be fair, we're so on board with Kendall on the curiosity tip, especially coming from a girl whose career revolves around reality TV and modeling (a profession where one's food choices are far from inconsequential). Unfortunately, we suspect Bey's personal assistant is one of the busiest people in the music industry — and we doubt she's the Queen's bestie. Now if Kendall's personal assistant hangs out on the couch with her while eating pancakes and catching up on "The Bachelor" nation … well, let's just say we know whose personal assistant we'd like to be for a year!

Prince Harry joins Jon Bon Jovi at Abbey Road Studios for a duet

Prince Harry is currently working through his final month of royal duties before he and Meghan Harry step back from their royal duties, per their agreement with the Queen. And if any of the chatter from those who oppose the decision is getting to the prince, he certainly didn't let it show in London on Friday, Feb. 28, when he teamed up with Jon Bon Jovi for an unexpected duet at Abbey Road's Studio 2, where the Beatles famously recorded. According to CNN, Harry and Jon Bon shared a photo op with members of the Invictus Games choir on the zebra walk outside the studio before Harry watched the rocker work on a new version of "Unbroken" as part of a promo for Harry's 2020 Invictus Games. At one point, Harry joined Jon on the mic. "It's gonna be really easy, just pretend you're singing in your bedroom," Jon said. "Just shout it out." After they wrapped up, Harry joked to press, "We've just been gargling next door so we're ready to go."

Selena Gomez invites fans to tell her what makes them 'rare' for a chance to appear in her beauty line camapign

Selena Gomez wants her fans to get involved in an upcoming campaign for her beauty line, Rare. On Thursday, Feb. 27, the singer put a call out on social media for her "Selenators" to submit a story about what makes them "rare," along with their Instagram handle and the color of their Sephora Color IQ shade matching tool. "Our first #WeAreRare community call is open and we're excited to build this community together! It's all about celebrating what makes you, you; and we would love your voice to be a part of the story," she posted on Insta (via Page Six). Selena will reportedly lead the selection process on March 9 with her team. The winners will appear in the line's campaign and get early access to various products. Due out online and in Sephora stores this summer, the goal of Rare is to "find beauty in what society considers 'imperfect' and build a community that shapes conversations around beauty, self-acceptance, and mental health," according to a press release.

How Mark Wahlberg lost 10 pounds in five days

At 48, Mark Wahlberg still has one of the most enviable bods in Hollywood, which is why TMZ caught up with him last month to get his take on Dr. Mehmet Oz's claim that breakfast is not an important meal if you stick to the "intermittent fasting" program the doctor champions. While Mark disagreed vehemently at the time, he admitted this week on "Ellen" that he recently tried a bone broth fast and he had found it worked for him. "I was kind of from the old school, bodybuilding philosophy that you had to eat all this ridiculous amounts of protein," he explained (via Today.com). "I was eating every three hours, but the last movie that I did, I started having some issues because of eating so much. I was eating so much protein, I was storing it and using it other than building lean muscle, so I was getting a leaky gut, so I just literally did a bone broth fast." He said that within five days, he'd lost 10 pounds. "First day, nobody wanted to be around me," Mark admitted. "I was miserable. Then I started having more energy." Before they moved on, the actor added that he did the fast because he feels "so lucky and fortunate to have my job and do what I do that there isn't anything I wouldn't do to prepare."

Gwyneth Paltrow, Green Day and more celebs respond to coronavirus outbreak

For most of us, the coronavirus and its seemingly incessant worldwide spread mostly means reading the news with more trepidation than usual, washing our hands more and maybe delaying some travel plans. For anyone who travels for a living, the threat may be more unnerving. In the past week, Green Day has postponed a large portion of its tour out of caution and concern, according to Rolling Stone. And Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Hudson and Bella Hadid have all posted selfies from planes on which they're wearing face masks. "En route to Paris," Gwyneth captioned an Instagram shot on Wednesday, Feb. 27. "Paranoid? Prudent? Panicked? Placid? Pandemic? Propaganda? Paltrow's just going to go ahead and sleep with this thing on the plane. I've already been in this movie," she continued, referencing "Contagion." "Stay safe. Don't shake hands. Wash hands frequently. 😷," she added. It's worth noting, by the way, that the CDC and other experts say those masks only prevent the wearer from spreading germs — they don't do much for anyone trying to avoid getting sick, according to The Cut. That's where good old hand washing comes in. In the meantime, stay healthy out there!

Normani addresses Camila Cabello's racist Tumblr comments

Normani is breaking her silence on the racial slurs her former Fifth Harmony bandmate Camila Cabello once posted on a Tumblr account. Speaking to Rolling Stone for the magazine's latest cover story, Normani explains how she felt like "the other one in the room" as the only black member of the singing group. Her dad tells the outlet his daughter is "still scarred from" the lynching images, death threats and other comments she got from trolls while in the group. Asked about Camila's comments — which she posted when she was about 14 and his since apologized for — Normani took "a few weeks" to, as she put it in the email she eventually sent the reporter, "make sure that anything I say is exactly what I mean" and to ensure her words would not be "misconstrued." "I struggled with talking about this because I didn't want it to be a part of my narrative, but I am a black woman, who is a part of an entire generation that has a similar story," she wrote in the email. "I face senseless attacks daily, as does the rest of my community. This represents a day in the life for us. I have been tolerating discrimination far before I could even comprehend what exactly was happening. Direct and subliminal hatred has been geared towards me for many years solely because of the color of my skin," she continued. "It would be dishonest if I said that this particular scenario didn't hurt me. It was devastating that this came from a place that was supposed to be a safe haven and a sisterhood, because I knew that if the tables were turned I would defend each of them in a single heartbeat. It took days for her to acknowledge what I was dealing with online and then years for her to take responsibility for the offensive tweets that recently resurfaced. Whether or not it was her intention, this made me feel like I was second to the relationship that she had with her fans." Normani went on to write that she believes "everyone deserves the opportunity for personal growth" and that she hopes "an important lesson was learned in this." She ends by writing: "I hope there is genuine understanding about why this was absolutely unacceptable. I have spoken what is in my heart and pray this is transparent enough that I never have to speak on it again. To my brown men and women, we are like no other. Our power lies within our culture. We are descendants of an endless line of strong and resilient kings and queens. We have been and will continue to win in all that we do simply because of who we are. We deserve to be celebrated, I deserve to be celebrated and I'm just getting started."

Offset to appear on 'NCIS: Los Angeles'

Migos rapper Offset will make his acting debut this weekend on the Sunday, March 1, edition of "NCIS: Los Angeles," as undercover CIA agent Kadri Kashan Khan, according to Billboard. He's reportedly set to debut a new track on the show called "Danger." Explaining his sudden interest in acting in a preview clip, he implied that he was simply waiting to be offered the right role. "I never wanted to come into acting and be like put in this category of, 'Oh, you be the bad guy all the time,'" he said. "I wanted to be able to show that I can do anything that someone sets in front of me." He added: "My own fans are so excited to see me do something different, To be honest, it's one of my top experiences."

Mandy Moore nearly gave up acting during painful marriage to Ryan Adams

In a candid new interview with "CBS Sunday Morning," set to air Sunday, March 1, Mandy Moore opens up about how the emotional abuse she's said she suffered while married to Ryan Adams affected her career. "I just felt like I was at a point in my life where I was the most comfortable making myself the least priority, and I made myself as small as possible in order to make someone else comfortable," she explains, reflecting on the marriage. She ultimately filed for divorce in 2015, but even then, she was serious about giving up on Hollywood altogether. "I had done four failed TV pilots. So, I was kind of at the point where I was like, 'Maybe this acting thing is done for me.' Like, 'Maybe I need to hang it up and go back to Florida, go to school, go try my hand at something else,'" she recalls (via Us Weekly). Mandy, who now stars in the acclaimed series "This Is Us" and married Dawes singer Taylor Goldsmith in 2018, added that the alleged abuse also "destroyed" both her connection to and interest in music and her "sense of self."

Harvey Weinstein sex crime trial juror says #MeToo did not influence verdict

Gayle King recently sat down with one of the jurors who found Harvey Weinstein guilty of two of the five charges brought against him in his sex crimes trial for a segment on "CBS This Morning." A large portion of the interview focused on the implications of the larger #MeToo movement on the trial and the jury's verdict. Drew said that for him, the case had to be about the specific incidents and nothing else for the trial to be fair — and for the jurors to be able to"live with" the "choices" they made in the end. "It would be an adulteration of the process to take outside factors and have that weigh on our decision-making process and eventual findings," he said. "And, you know, I have no appetite or aspirations to be the voice or face of both the jury and the larger movement. It's, you know, this case, these people, this is our decision." Drew also broke down why they decided Weinstein hadn't raped actress Jessica Mann in the first degree, saying, "There was no physical compulsion with the threat of bodily harm or death. But there was no consent given, despite a lack of physical resistance, and a reasonable person should have known that there was no consent given in that instance." Drew also described how the whole trial, including testimony he ultimately shelved because he didn't think it had to do with the incidents in question, affected him "deeply" and were difficult to hear. Asked if he felt influenced one way or another by Weinstein not taking the stand, he conceded that he "wanted him to," but said ultimately, "The only thing that influenced mine and our collective decision making was what we had in front of us."