Reese Witherspoon grabs lunch with her lookalike daughter, Ava Phillippe
"Twins!" So said a stunned Gabrielle Union — and much of the rest of the internet — after Reese Witherspoon shared a cute new pic of herself with her lookalike, 20-year-old daughter, Ava Phillippe, on Instagram this week. Captioned, "Lunch with my girl 🥰," the shot showed the blonde mother-daughter team chowing down on some salads while wearing huge smiles on their faces and twinning, as usual. "I think the way Ava and I are most alike is in our opinions and empathy," Reese said in a 2018 interview for her Draper James brand blog. "There is nothing like the love I have for my daughter," she added. "We share every emotion with each other, our hopes, and dreams… We can talk for hours!"
Read on to find out how Lizzo celebrated her eight Grammy noms …
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Lizzo celebrates Grammy noms with a trip to Disneyland
Nobody's taken home a 2020 Grammy Award yet, but there's definitely one winner in the nominations category and that's Lizzo, who snagged a whopping eight noms, making her this year's most-nominated artist. So it's no wonder the singer was feeling — sorry — good as you-know-what the day after the nominees were announced. According to TMZ, she took those happy vibes to a place where happy vibes reign — Disneyland — on Thursday, Nov. 21. Joined by her sister, who was celebrating a birthday, and their friends, plus a VIP tour guide, Lizzo was spotted wearing Minnie Mouse ears and checking out attractions including Space Mountain, It's a Small World, the Matterhorn Bobsleds and Disney California Adventure for Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout! The 2020 Grammys air Jan. 26.
Kim Kardashian West and Kourtney Kardashian have a mid-show chat with Madonna
File this one under Stars Are Nothing Like Us. Kim Kardashian West and Kourtney Kardashian checked out Madonna's show in Los Angeles this week and thanks to their front and center seats, Madge climbed off the stage and chatted with them. ET reports the singer sat down with the reality stars and asked Kim if she was having fun. "It's so surreal. I'm with my sister, Kourtney, and she used to play your records all the time when we were young," Kim replied. The chat reportedly went on for a few more minutes, with Madge asking Kim about topics such as motherhood and beauty. "I don't know how you wake up early and look so beautiful," Madonna told Kim, who said she and her kids go to bed early. "I look like s— in the morning," Madonna cracked. "You must be drinking the right juice." Kim then credited "eye masks" and said she's "not a big drinker, to which Madonna replied, "Neither am I, but I'm so dehydrated. I'll drink anything." She then told her new friend she hoped she was "having a great time" before adding, "… if your sister misbehaves, I'm bringing her onstage with me."
How Elizabeth Banks used 'Charlie's Angels' as an empowerment platform for women
For Elizabeth Banks, remaking "Charlie's Angels" was about putting smart, career-minded women onscreen, something she doesn't see enough. "I told the studio and my collaborators: 'I want to make a movie about women working, and I do not want to tell a story about the boyfriend they don't see enough, or the mother they don't call enough, or the cat they don't feed.' Those are ridiculous tropes in women's movies, and you do not see James Bond worrying about calling his f—ing mother," she says in Porter magazine's new cover story. The producer and director also notes that her goals in 2019 aren't the same goals someone in her position might have had a couple of decades ago. "I'm not here to re-teach feminism to young women. I am here to empower them and to have them see themselves in a movie, which happens far too infrequently, especially in the action genre," Elizabeth explains. In recent years, she's focused more on producing than acting; her next directorial role is slated to be on the upcoming TV movie, "The Greater Good."
Keep reading for highlights from Oprah Winfrey's moving Toni Morrison tribute …
Oprah Winfrey gives moving tribute to Toni Morrison at celebration of the late author's life
The literary world celebrated the life of late author and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winner, Toni Morrison this week in New York City. One of the most talked-about homages from the event came courtesy of Oprah Winfrey, who frequently featured the author's novels in her Book Club and starred in and produced the 1998 movie adaptation of "Beloved." Praising Toni for paving the way for other writers and for the sheer power of her words, Oprah said (via THR): "[Toni] thought deeply about the role of the artist and concluded that writers are among the most sensitive, the most intellectually anarchic, most representative, most probing of all the artists. She believed it was a writer's job to rip the veil off to bore down to the truth. She took the canon, she broke it open." She continued: "Toni Morrison was her words, she is her words, for her words often were confrontational. She spoke the unspoken, she probed the unexplored. She wrote of eliminating the white gaze, of not wanting to speak for black people, but wanting to speak to them. To be among them. To be among all people." Toni died on Aug. 5 at age 88.
Kanye West was invited to bring his Sunday Service to a strip club
During his appearances in Houston last weekend, Kanye West told his Sunday Service celebrants he believes strip clubs are a form of sex trafficking ("if there's an advertisement for a strip club, that is advertising sex trafficking," he said, according to BET). Now, a strip club in New York City wants to host one of the rapper's Sunday Services at the venue. "I saw you recently brought your Sunday Service inside Harris County Jail and the Baker Street Jail in Houston," the Vice President of Sapphire Gentlemen's Club said in an open letter posted on social media. "You followed that up by bringing the Sunday Service to Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church and delivered a powerful message in your signature stream of consciousness style, making several…interesting…statements throughout," he continued. "Given your affinity for adult entertainment, we wanted to extend you an offer to deliver your free faith-filled concert in a new venue and to a new audience of Gentlemen's Club entertainers, service staff, and more. We'd love to open the doors…and have you and your choir grace us with your presence." BET points out that while Kanye has not responded publicly, he did perform at the 2018 PornHub Awards, which might be related to the Sapphire exec's "adult entertainment" reference.
Mel B wants to move with her daughter back to the U.K.
Mel B seems poised to reignite a custody battle with her ex-husband, Stephen Belafonte. The singer recently filed documents requesting permission to move with her 8-year-old daughter, Madison, to the U.K. Citing financial problems and an inability to find work in the U.S., Mel's filing indicates she wants to relocate to Leeds, where she is from, when her work visa is up early next year. "My United States Visa expires in February 2020. I will not be permitted to work or live in the United States after that point," Mel says in the documents, according to The Blast. "During my marriage to Stephen [Belafonte], we lived in Los Angeles, where I worked. However, all of my sources of income in the United States have been exhausted. My contract on the show, 'America's Got Talent,' ended in September of 201 8 after several years of my participation. I have not had steady income in the U.S. for over a year." In the wake of their 2018 divorce settlementStephen has reportedly looked after Madison on Wednesdays and every other weekend. Mel believes Madison won't be able to continue living the lifestyle she's accustomed to if Mel has to stay in the U.S., where work is scarce, though. "As the court is well aware, my marriage to Stephen was unhealthy," she says in the filing. "I was subjected to years of verbal and sexual abuse by Stephen, which included his active isolation of my daughters and me (including Madison) from my home and family in the United Kingdom." She goes on to say her "main source of income for the past year" has been via the Spice Girls and their reunion tour in the U.K. "If I were forced to stay in the United States," she continued, "I would be unable to maintain the standard of living to which Madison is accustomed. The rent for my two-bedroom apartment in Los Angeles is in excess of 88,000. On top of rent, I have to pay for monthly living expenses, bills, and attorney's fees and costs," Mel says, adding, "With my contract with 'America's Got Talent' ending over a year ago, and my Visa expiring very quickly, it is impossible for me to continue living in the United States." Stephen has denied all claims of abuse. Domestic violence charges Mel brought against him were dropped in 2018.
Susan Sarandon won't be stumping for Bernie Sanders this weekend due to injury
Susan Sarandon is recovering from a fall that she says left her with a concussion. Her bruised face isn't her main concern, though. The 73-year-old actress posted photos of her injuries on Instagram on Friday, Nov. 22, telling followers, "A little slip = concussion, fractured nose, banged up knee," (via ET). Then she switched gears. "So, looks like I won't be able to meet the folks in New Hampshire with Senator Sanders tomorrow. I'm really sorry I'll miss that opportunity …," she wrote. "This is not the time for a 'pathway' to or 'framework' for incremental change," she continued. "Emergencies require bold, visionary leadership. Senator Sanders believes in us and that together a better world is possible. He has been fighting for social, racial and economic justice his entire life, long before running for President, often before it was acceptable. Now it's time for us to fight for him." Susan's been one of Bernie's most vocal celebrity supporters since his bid for the presidency in 2016.
Sheryl Crow tweets at the Recording Academy after being shut out of this year's Grammy nominations
Following this week's Grammy nominations announcement, there was arguably as much buzz about who was snubbed as there was about who made the cut. Sheryl Crow, who's said her new album, "Threads," will be her last studio recording, found herself in the snubbed category — and she wants to know why. On Thursday, Nov. 21, the singer tweeted at the Recording Academy, asking, "Hey @RecordingAcad didya even read my album notes?" She went on to remind the Academy about the concept for her album, writing: "Greatest story ever about a girl listening to her heroes' records & dreaming of going off into the world to play music… then making a record with all of them, for cryin out loud!" She added a "#grammysforoldpeople" hashtag in reference to the seemingly skewed mix of younger artists versus their more established counterparts, according to Variety. The outlet notes Bruce Springsteen's "Western Stars" also failed to get a nomination in spite of the recording's critical praise.
Elsa Pataky says Liam Hemsworth is 'coping well,' after Miley Cyrus split: 'He deserves much better'
For years during her relationship with Liam Hemsworth, Miley Cyrus was close with Liam's sister-in-law, Elsa Pataky, who's married to Liam's brother, Chris Hemsworth. But Miley and Liam's split may have created a rift in that friendship. Speaking to Hola!, Elsa said Liam's been leaning on Chris since he filed for divorce from Miley this summer. She also said she thinks Liam deserves "better" than whatever he had with his ex. "After a relationship that you've dedicated ten years to, he's a little bit down, but he's coping well, he's a strong boy and he deserves the best, I think he deserves much better," Elsa said (via Elle.com). "You always find support in your family, and he's joined at the hip with his brother, who has been there to give all the strength he needed."