Ryan Seacrest allegations spark 'crisis' meetings ahead of Oscars

By Wonderwall.com Editors 10:13am PST, Mar 1, 2018

Is NBCUniversal in pre-Oscar 'crisis mode' amid Ryan Seacrest allegations?

It's likely to be a complicated red carpet for E! News at the Oscars on Sunday, March 4, which probably explains why, according to the New York Post, NBCUniversal was mired in "crisis meetings" on Wednesday, Feb. 28. As of mid-week, Ryan Seacrest was still slated to interview celebs for the pre-awards segment of E!'s Oscar coverage despite allegations he sexually harassed stylist Suzie Hardy. Ryan has vehemently denied the allegations and has told multiple outlets a full investigation of her claims had long since cleared him of fault. He also says that "on multiple occasions," Suzie offered to make her story go away in return to for a payment of "millions." Suzie, meanwhile, has stuck to her claims that on various occasions, he slapped her rear so hard he left a welt, groped her and grinded against her while wearing only underwear. Earlier this week, the Post reported publicists planned to keep their clients away from Ryan on the red carpet this weekend. According to the new report, the plan is for E!'s producers to prearrange interviews for Ryan with people they trust will be "friendly" toward him. "There will be no Debra Messing moments this time round," said a source in reference to the "Will and Grace" star's on-camera Golden Globes invocation of Catt Sadler's gender pay gap dispute with the network. Kelly Ripa's apparent dig at Ryan about the misconduct allegations on "Live With Kelly and Ryan" isn't helping matters for E! and NBC. "I have worked extremely hard to achieve my success and I don't take my opportunities for granted," Ryan said in a statement after Suzie's claims went public. "I don't want to accuse anyone of not telling the truth, but in this case, I have no choice but to again deny the claims against me, remind people that I was recused of any wrongdoing, and put the matter to rest."

Kiernan Shipka, Ava Phillippe and more celebs celebrate Chanel's 'immersive' popup

Chanel Beauty House: Where onscreen Hollywood kids and offscreen Hollywood kids unite! "Mad Men" alum Kiernan Shipka, who played Don and Betty Draper's daughter, Sally on the long-running hit show, caught up with Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe's daughter, Ava Phillippe this week at a party at the Chanel Beauty House in Los Angeles. The Daily Mail reports the beauty house's "immersive experience" popup will be open to the public for four days on Sunset Boulevard, giving visitors like the Chanel-clad Kiernan and Ava a chance to check out different installations showcasing various Chanel beauty products. Other celebs who stopped by the Chanel bash included Kristen Stewart and Stella Maxwell, Cindy Crawford and Tessa Thompson.

Nick Jonas makes out with mystery gal in Australia

Seems like Nick Jonas is having fun Down Under. Nick and his brother, Joe Jonas, have been in Australia for the past few days but on Wednesday, Feb. 28, Nick's attention was clearly not on family matters. TMZ spotted the younger Jonas brother enjoying a day and evening-long date with a gorgeous, raven-haired female pal whom he kissed pretty openly over the course of their get-together in Sydney. According to TMZ, Nick helped his mystery lady with a bloodied knee she got during a bike ride at one point. The two also reportedly enjoyed lunch, hit the beach, grabbed drinks at Watson's Bay Hotel and proceeded to stick around until after the rest of the patrons had left.

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How Miley Cyrus' infamous MTV VMA performance led her to start her Happy Hippie Foundation

When a barely dressed, butt-grinding-prone Miley Cyrus took the stage with Robin Thicke clad in his best Beetlejuice getup at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, the pair's performance of "Blurred Lines" became instantaneously infamous. Yes, she remembers it. And for the record, she seems to have all of zero regrets. In a new cover story for Wonderland magazine (via JustJared), Miley reflects on the pop culture moment she created this way: "Not only was culture changed, but my life and career were changed forever … It inspired me to use my platform for something much bigger. If the world is going to focus on me and what I am doing, then what I am doing should be impactful and it should be great. It encouraged me to be more involved, which then led me to start my own organization, which is the Happy Hippie Foundation. It's dedicated to fighting injustice for vulnerable populations." While she makes no mention of what Jaime King described at the time as Miley's "epileptic tongue" during that performance, the singer and former "Hannah Montana star also opens up about why she hasn't gone back to acting. "My attention span doesn't love the idea of focusing and being on one project for so many months, especially being a character and not getting to be myself for that amount of time," she explains. "I get really deep into the characters I play, just like I do with music. So then in becomes hard for me to relate — even to my family and friends — I'm so deep into that character. So for right now, I am so content with where I am, being someone else doesn't sound that fun to me."

Cher sues L.A. Times owner for allegedly cheating her out of multi-million dollar stock shares

Two years after selling her valuable shares in a biopharmaceutical company at a much lower price than she could have, Cher is suing the man who bought them. The New York Post reports that in January, the singer amended a lawsuit she filed in October against Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, whose estimated $7 billion net worth earned him the title of "America's richest doctor" in Forbes. (He also recently bought the Los Angeles Times.) Cher claims that in 2015, the doctor offered to buy her shares as well as those belonging to eight other investors in Altor BioScience, which is working on drugs to treat cancer and HIV. According to her lawsuit, the company was making great strides toward finding a cure at the time Patrick made the offer — but she says she and the other investors were kept in the dark about the progress that was spiking the stock's value. "Soon-Shiong pretended he wanted to speak with me about it," she tells the Post. "Really, he just wanted to grab my shares at a discount." The doctor is currently the chairman of the company Cher had invested in. He also has a reputation as someone who routinely angers "investors and colleagues alike," according to Forbes. He did not respond to a request for a comment on the lawsuit from the Post.

Why Katie Holmes and Jamie Foxx's ultra-private relationship works

"Their relationship works because of the love, compassion, trust and support they have for each other." That's how one source explained what makes the private romance between Katie Holmes and Jamie Foxx tick. Speaking to Us Weekly, the insider said that while the two "lead their own separate lives," they also "confide in and rely on each other pretty heavily," adding that "they're definitely very serious." In September 2017, the couple was finally spotted holding hands on a beach after four years of incessant rumors about their relationship. Though they'd denied they were anything but friends, the rumors persisted through this month, with insiders saying it seemed like Katie, who split from her husband Tom Cruise in 2012, was finally ready to go public with Jamie. That hasn't quite happened, but Katie and Jamie were seen together looking "happy" and "at ease" with one another on a basketball court in the Calabasas section of Los Angeles on Valentine's Day. "When they're together, it works. When they're not, they're on their own. It's what works for them," says the source. In January, an insider pointed out that both stars had "been in public relationships before," adding that "they care about each other a lot and they tried to stay as quiet as possible because they didn't want to ruin that." Previous reports have suggested the two simply agreed early on not to discuss one another or their romance with the press.

Mariah Carey rents a new mega-mansion for $35k a month

New digs! Mariah Carey has said "so long" to the home she once shared with her ex, James Packer — a rented mansion in Calabasas, California, that played a part in the multi-million settlement she got from him after their split — and has signed a lease in the even tonier Beverly Hills neighborhood. Her new, "12,000 square-foot mega-mansion" goes for $35,000 a month, according to TMZ. For that rate, the resident gets nine bedrooms, a guest house, a two-story entrance foyer, a spa and great views of the city. It was also once the home of Nicki Minaj and Meek Mill.

Louis C.K. emerges to visit the Comedy Cellar in the wake of misconduct allegations

Is Louis C.K. starting to plan a return to the stage? The comedian has been laying low since he issued an apology for his behavior following multiple women's allegations of sexual misconduct in November. But on Monday, Feb. 26, he reportedly stepped out to see his friend Joe List perform at the Comedy Cellar in New York City, according to The Blast. After watching the show, Louis caught up with Joe and comedian Michelle Wolf at the Olive Tree Cafe for a couple of hours. Located above the comedy club, the Olive Tree has a table reserved for comics performing at the Comedy Cellar. The Olive Tree reportedly closed off the bar to outside patrons to give Louis some privacy with his friends. Insiders tell The Blast Louis wants to get back onstage but is still worried about the reception.

Farrah Abraham: 'MTV is not allowing me to attend ['Teen Mom OG'] reunion'

With a lawsuit pending against MTV's parent company Viacom, it's perhaps no surprise that Farrah Abraham won't be at the "Teen Mom OG" reunion on March 3 and 4. Speaking to Us Weekly, Farrah, who was recently replaced on the show by Mackenzie McKee, said, "MTV is not allowing me to attend the reunion." She added, "… and my dad won't attend if I don't go. I can't speak for my mom," presumably in reference to Us' claim that MTV was hoping Farrah's parents would be there. "I wish them all the best with the show. I'm out on a high note. This is the longest season in history and I'm their biggest star. I can do my own show, but I don't want to focus on reality TV," Farrah told Us. "I'm focusing on scripted opportunities, but will always enjoy a good reality TV project. I don't know what the show is doing. You could take all the girls on all the series, but none can bring or do as much as I do for the series." In her multi-million dollar lawsuit, lawyers for Farrah claimed Viacom "wrongfully terminated her employment because she did not conform to gender stereotype." The suit also alleges Farrah's adult film work led her to be "harassed, humiliated, discriminated against, disrespected, ridiculed, degraded and sex shamed" in her dealings with "Teen Mom OG."

Ali Fedotowsky announces her baby's gender

Hollywood has a slew of parents and parents-to-be expecting babies in 2018 — including "Bachelorette" alum Ali Fedotowsky and her husband, Kevin Manno. This week, the couple announced a key new detail about Ali's pregnancy, with some help from their daughter, Molly, and the family pooch. "Oh Boy!!! Kevin, Molly, Owen and I are so excited to share that we are expecting a little boy!!!!" Ali wrote on Instagram on Wednesday, Feb. 28, sharing a photo of the whole crew surrounded by blue balloons. Ali and Kevin wed in March 2017 after four years of dating. Ali was previously engaged to Roberto Martinez, who won her hand on "The Bachelorette;" they split in 2011.