By Wonderwall.com Editors
5:48am PST, Jan 21, 2021
Tony Goldwyn delights, confuses 'Scandal' fans with inaugural parade hosting gig
Once a president, always a president? "Scandal"
alum Tony Goldwyn, who played President Fitzgerald Grant (and Olivia Pope's soul mate) on the long-running Shondaland show, was tasked with hosting the virtual Inauguration Day parade for President Joe Biden on Wednesday, Jan. 20, and "Scandal" fans had more than a few thoughts to share about the casting choice on Twitter. While some praised the idea of including "Inaugural woke bae Tony" in the festivities, others were a little less convinced it was the right move. "Not Tony Goldwyn participating in the inaugural parade….Olivia Pope come get Fitz please," another user begged. Ultimately, though, Fitz's not-so-random parade popup seemed like an apropos kickoff for a president supported by much of Hollywood leading up to the election. As one person noted: "They may have not gotten former President Trump to attend but they got former President Fitz Grant."
Keep reading for the scoop on John Mulaney's Secret Service investigation and more …
RELATED: How Hollywood reacted to President Joe Biden's inauguration
Secret Service file details investigation into John Mulaney over Trump jokes on 'SNL'
The Associated Press has confirmed John Mulaney was investigated by the Secret Service after making jokes at Donald Trump's expense during his "Saturday Night Live" monologue on Feb. 29, 2020. John mentioned the investigation during a recent chat with Jimmy Kimmel. According to the AP, the comic's remarks — most of which centered around comparing then-President Trump to Julius Caesar, who was killed by his political colleagues — sparked "law enforcement officials" to contact NBC security. The Secret Service file apparently found John "made no direct threats towards Trump," therefore they never spoke with John directly.
RELATED: Stars who've played politicians on 'SNL'
Lady Gaga's bird pin inspires 'Hunger Games' comparisons
It was, by all accounts, a really big bird — but a Mockingjay it was not. As Lady Gaga finished belting out the National Anthem at Joe Biden's inauguration on Wednesday, Jan. 20, Twitter decided the Mother Monster was throwing her devoted fans some major "Hunger Games" vibes, courtesy of the gold winged creature that stretched so far across her lapel it in itself looked like a potential security threat. Though she shared an Instagram prayer for inaugural peace the day before — and even posted a closeup shot showing the dove holding an olive branch on her notably half blue, half red gown — social media largely responded by applauding what some believed was a reference to the gold Mockingjay pin worn by Katniss Everdeen in the "Hunger Games" films. "Congrats to lady Gaga's dress on its success in the hunger games," quipped one Twitter user. "I was waiting for her to spin and it to light on fire to reveal a new dress," another commented. "Lady Gaga said : 'Capitol? Say no more fam' And pulled out her hunger games mood board," a third wrote. Lady G's braids, woven thick a la Jennifer Lawrence's Katniss braid, didn't help matters. As Gaga herself wrote on Twitter Wednesday, the pin was a stylistic appeal for peace. "A dove carrying an olive branch," she tweeted. "May we all make peace with each other."
RELATED: Donald Trump leaves Washington, D.C., and the presidency: Pics
Jennifer Lopez adds her own 'Let's Get Loud' to Inauguration Day medley
Jennifer Lopez performed at the inauguration on Wednesday, Jan. 20, as well, and the reviews were mixed, to be sure. As The Independent's Enrique Limon put it: "Witnessing Lopez's en Español adlib was enough to make my Grinchy journalist heart grow three sizes, and almost forgive her for immediately segwaying to a sample of her own 1999 hit, 'Let's Get Loud' — almost." Clad in all-white Chanel, J.Lo opened with "This Land Is Your Land," which she soon medleyed into "America the Beautiful." From there, she found a way to incorporate The Pledge of Allegiance line, "One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all," in Spanish: "Una nación bajo Dios, indivisible, con libertad y justicia para todos!" Where she went wrong, critics later griped, was the next bit — a quote from her own 1999 hit "Let's Get Loud," which felt to many like a promo for, well, J.Lo. Twitter users complained the moment read as if the singer were, as one person put it, "rewriting This Land Is Your Land as a JLo greatest hits medley."
Donald Trump pardons rapper Lil Wayne
Just a few weeks after Lil Wayne (born Dwayne Carter) met with Donald Trump to discuss the "Platinum Plan," an appeal to Black voters, the rapper pled guilty to illegally possessing a gold-plated handgun. This week, Weezy appeared to cash in on those favors when the outgoing president granted him a full pardon. "Mr. Carter pled guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, owing to a conviction over 10 years ago," Kayleigh McEnany said in a statement published by CNN. She went on to cite the rapper's "commitment to charities" and quote letters sent to the president in support of a pardon for Weezy from people including former NFL star, Deion Sanders, who praised the Louisiana native as "a provider for his family, a friend to many, a man of faith, a natural giver to the less fortunate, a waymaker, [and] a game changer.'" The bulk of Trump's pardons and commuted sentences were granted to supporters of the president who'd committed crimes ranging from racketeering and tax fraud to Medicare fraud to operating Ponzi schemes. But there were more celebs with ties to the list. Those included rapper Kodak Black and Chris Young, whose life sentence commutation Kim Kardashian West has been advocating for. Chris was convicted on nonviolent drug charges at age 22.
Halsey buys Liam Payne's Calabasas home for $10M
Over the course of the past year, Halsey's launched her own, emo-inspired makeup line. She's published her first book of poetry. And she's been studying to take the bar exam. In other words, it's fair to say she deserves to treat herself to something nice — like, say, a new mansion. According to TMZ, that's just what the singer did — and it's not just any mansion. Halsey has reportedly bought Liam Payne's home in the Calabasas section of Los Angeles for $10 million. The hidden pad features five bedrooms, six baths, a home theater, a huge library and a wine cellar, plus outdoor space complete with waterfalls, a koi pond and gardens. Beyond the main building sits a "massage/meditation house," as well as a full recording studio, a pool house with a gym and guest room and another private guest house.
Why Anthony Mackie can't watch Chadwick Boseman in 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom'
Chadwick Boseman has already generated Oscar buzz for his performance alongside Viola Davis in the Netflix film, "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom." But the late actor's friend and three-time co-star, Anthony Mackie, has yet to tune in. He opened up about why that is in a recent conversation with "Extra," where he detailed the level of emotion he knows he'll have to face in order to see the critically acclaimed movie, which is based on August Wilson's play of the same name. "'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' holds a very special place," Anthony explained. "With the relationship to that, and the relationship to August Wilson, and my relationship to Chad, I haven't been able to pull myself to the point emotionally to be able to sit and take that experience in. Because I wouldn't be able to watch it for the performance and the art, it would just be too emotional of a process for me." Chadwick passed away in August following a battle with colon cancer. "I met Chad in '98, '99, so I've known him, I knew him for a long time," Anthony continued. "What was great about Chad, unlike everybody else today, Chad kept his circle close to his vest. He kept his world very private." Like Chadwick, Anthony said he's careful to keep his work life and personal life separate, adding, "…that's what keeps you grounded."
Dakota Johnson suffered massive panic attack on the set of 'Our Friend'
Actors get stage fright, too. Just ask Dakota Johnson, who revealed during an appearance on "The Tonight Show" this week that she surprised even herself when her fear of singing in front of people sparked a serious panic attack on the set of "Our Friend," her new film with Casey Affleck and Jason Segal. "Singing in front of people is actually so terrifying for me, and we had to shoot the scene where you don't even really see me," she admitted to Jimmy Fallon on the show. Rehashing the moment, Dakota said things went downhill when the director yelled "action." They were filming at a community theater, she explained, and when she heard the call to begin singing, she instead ran from the cameras. "I was running around, and then just started laughing hysterically, and everyone on the crew's like, 'What's she doing?'" Dakota recalled. "Running around, laughing and then just stopped moving and started crying. It was like extreme flight mode. Page Six notes that Dakota, who was wearing the large emerald ring that's been on her left ring finger since December, didn't confirm or deny whether it was an engagement ring from her boyfriend, Chris Martin.
Priyanka Chopra opens up about the racist bullying she experienced in high school
In her new memoir, "Unfinished," Priyanka Chopra Jonas reveals the deep pain she felt when she was bullied in high school after moving from India, where she was born, to the U.S. "I took it very personally. Deep inside, it starts gnawing at you," Priyanka, 38, tells People in a new interview. "I went into a shell. I was like, 'Don't look at me. I just want to be invisible,'" she recalls. "My confidence was stripped. I've always considered myself a confident person, but I was very unsure of where I stood, of who I was." Eventually, the bullying wore her down so much that she decided to return to India to complete school. "Going back to India healed me after that experience in high school," Priyanka explains. Today, she believes that the harassment she experienced came from a place of insecurity on the part of the bullies. And she hopes that by writing about what she went through, other young people will realize they're not alone. "Insecurity becomes small as soon as you talk about it with someone you trust: A therapist, a counselor," she tells People. Priyanka's memoir is due out Feb. 9.
Hollywood reacts to Donald Trump's exit, Joe Biden's inauguration
On Wednesday, Jan. 20, President Donald Trump told his supporters to "have a good life" and boarded a Florida-bound plane as the Village People's "YMCA" played in the background, a moment celebs including Meghan McCain couldn't help responding to on social media. "Have a good life' followed by the Village People's 'YMCA' is how this ends?!" she tweeted. "Was this all a fever dream?!" Other stars posting about the day's events in Washington, D.C., meanwhile, seemed ready to look forward to a new administration. As Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States, Kerry Washington, who spent much of the summer traveling around the country getting out the vote, shared on Twitter, "Sooooo much work to do. But TODAY I want to celebrate. And pray. And revel in our tremendous power (even against all odds) to make history happen." In another tweet, she shouted-out 22-year Amanda Gorman, who made history as the youngest poet ever to read at an inauguration when she recited her moving piece, "The Hill We Climb." "YES @TheAmandaGorman. YES!!!!!! God bless you," Kerry wrote. "'It's the past we step into and how we repair it.'"
