By Mark Gray
8:51am PDT, Apr 24, 2020
Unmasking an issue
"Shark Tank" star Daymond John has been accused of trying to hawk highly coveted and hard-to-find N95 masks for more than three times their value to the state of Florida. Daymond, however, slammed the story as false and said he didn't set prices and that his company was serving as an "intermediary" to vet distributors. The Miami Herald reported on April 22 that Daymond, who founded Fubu and now heads the Shark Group, told Florida officials he had access to 1 million masks from China at a rate of $7 per mask. The masks, which are made by 3M, typically sell for less than $2 each. Despite the high cost, Florida officials agreed to buy them at the inflated price as the Sunshine State needs them to protect health care workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The deal eventually fell through but got the attention of 3M. "3M is filing lawsuits in cases where third parties use the company's name, brand or trademark to engage in price gouging of N95 respirators and other illegal and unethical behavior," a spokesman said. Daymond said, "My company was serving as an intermediary to vet the numerous 3M distributors and to protect Florida taxpayers, while establishing escrow protections that allowed the State to conduct proper due diligence before finalizing its purchase of masks."
RELATED: Stars donating to COVID-19 relief efforts
Upset?
Bethenny Frankel quit the "The Real Housewives of New York City" last year, but a new report claims she still wants to the wanted… And therein lies the problem. The reality TV star supposedly lost it after hearing that a "RHONY" producer said on stage at last fall's BravoCon that Bethenny wasn't needed for the show to be a success. "Bethenny got wind of it, got very angry and blocked [the producer] from her phone," a source told Page Six. Bethenny has taken several digs at the show since leaving it (for the second time). Page Six's source said Bethenny is "jealous [because] she's not on still. She made a rash decision [to leave] and she misses the limelight of it all." The source also believes that Bethenny "can't believe it will be as successful without her and may be better."
RELATED: "Real Housewives" stars' most dramatic exits
Baby news!
Richard Gere and his wife, Alejandra Silva, have reportedly welcomed their second child together. HOLA! broke the news on April 22, sharing that the couple are now at home with their newborn son at their estate in Pound Ridge, New York. Richard, 70, and Alejandra, 37, are also parents to son Alexander, who was born 14 months ago, and each has a child from a previous relationship. The couple married in April 2018.
RELATED: Celebs expecting babies in 2020
FDA issue
Andy Cohen got emotional while blasting the FDA for prohibiting him from donating his plasma because he's gay. The Bravo host and exec has recovered from coronavirus and researchers have said the plasma of someone who's completely recovered from COVID-19 can help save lives. Andy called the rule "antiquated and discriminatory." He added, "Even the new relaxed rules require gay men to abstain from sex for three months, whether they're in a monogamous relationship or not, before giving blood." Andy noted that no such restrictions are in place as it pertains to other sexual orientations. "We're valuing stigma over science," he said. People magazine notes that guidelines set in 2015 recommended that gay and bisexual men wait for 12 months before making a donation. After the pandemic, the FDA relaxed that timeline to three months. "So why the three month rule? Why are members of my community being excluded from helping out when so many people are sick and dying?" he asked. "My blood could save a life but instead it's over here boiling."
Hacked
"Stranger Things" star Joe Keery was the victim of an awful Twitter hack on April 20. Fans initially grew very concerned for the actor's well-being following a string of middle-of-the-night tweets that reportedly featured racist and insensitive messages as well as accusations of less-than-savory incidents on the set of the Netflix show. There were also tweets insulting fellow Twitter users and his "Stranger Things" co-stars. Twitter soon locked down Joe's account and suspended the account of the alleged perpetrator. "What a bummer that someone would go to such great lengths to spread hate," Joe tweeted the following day, confirming he was the victim of a hack. "I want to apologize for the horrible comments that were posted, it was deeply upsetting to me. Much love to you all in these crazy times." Joe's rep said he had "no direct interaction with the hacker."
Words matter
Say what? "Real Housewives of Orange County" star Kelly Dodd faced backlash and was forced to apologize after saying the Covid-19 pandemic was "God's way of thinning the herd." She also said that regardless of the pandemic, "That many [would have] died anyway!!" On April 21, she issued a mea culpa.. two of them, actually. "I want to give a public apology. When I wrote this is God's way of thinning the herd, that's not what I meant. What I meant was, do these pandemic's happen because it's God's way? I'm not God. I'm not insensitive," she said. "I feel bad for all the families who have lost loved ones. And I do think we should all stay home and protect everybody. That's not what I meant, and I want to apologize to anyone who got offended. Ok, I'm sorry." She later issued a second similar statement, saying her comments were "so ridiculous and so stupid."
Unconventional marriage
What is going on with Julianne Hough and Brooks Laich? The couple, who married in July 2017, have been quarantining separately — she's at their house in Los Angeles, he's at their vacation home in Idaho — and she's even been spending time with another man, "Westworld" actor Ben Barnes. The "Dancing With the Stars" alum said on social media that she didn't feel "lonely" while in Los Angeles and even called her and Brooks' time apart "magical." The former hockey player also revealed on social media, "I think I'm an introvert by nature. I love having my dog. If it wasn't for my dog, I'd probably be a little more antsy with the isolation. But I do miss the friendships and companionships where you do get to hug somebody and be in the same room." Julianne, by the way, left a flirty comment on his Instagram on April 22.
Weight loser
"Jersey Shore" star Vinny Guadagnino showed off his new body on Instagram on April 21, astonishing many who never thought of him as unfit. "A lot of people didn't know that I struggled with my weight my whole life. I was the king of yo-yo dieting. I was my biggest during the years I was off TV so a lot of people didn't realize," he wrote alongside before-and-after images of himself. "My genetics make me gain weight easily especially to high sugar/carb food." Vinny has shed the weight by embracing the keto lifestyle, which is a low-carb, high-fat diet. "I don't react well to sugar. It bloats me, makes me feel groggy and lethargic, and i feel that it makes me fat easily," he said. "I'm an Italian foodie so I LOVE the taste of food. So I need fat in my diet to create delicious meals while still eating clean." Vinny didn't share exactly how much weight he's lost.
Baby bliss
Joshua Jackson and wife Jodie Turner-Smith have welcomed their first child, her rep confirmed on April 21. While the couple hasn't officially revealed the gender of the child, Jodie recently referred to her unborn baby as "she." "Can you see her dancing in there? Every time I try to record she stops," she said in a video showing her midsection last month. The couple's rep confirmed the baby news. On April 23, Jodie took to twitter to share, simply, "i'm a mother!"
Separation!
Ben Higgins proposed to Jessica Clarke last month, but they're experiencing some separation in the bedroom. Literally. While speaking to Nick Viall on his "The Viall Files" podcast Wednesday, the former "The Bachelor" said he and Jessica are sleeping in separate bedrooms at her parent's Tennessee house. "Right now she has a bedroom upstairs at her parents' house, I'm in the downstairs," he said. "It's like a respect level and also just like how — what the logistics of it is." Getting personal, Nick then asked if Ben and Jessica were having sex in her parents house. "Definitely not this week, and not in the last like, year and a half," Ben said, acknowledging that they're waiting for marriage to consummate the relationship.
