Why did Kelly Ripa really come to Ryan Seacrest's defense?

By Wonderwall.com Editors 11:36am PST, Mar 2, 2018

How does Kelly Ripa really feel about the sexual misconduct allegations Ryan Seacrest is facing?

If Kelly Ripa was really taking an intentional dig at her "Live!" costar, Ryan Seacrest's sexual misconduct allegations earlier this week, she seemed to want to make up it the next day. "I cannot wait to see you there [at the Oscars]. I am very excited," Kelly told Ryan on Thursday, March 1, amid controversy over his upcoming red carpet gig for E! at the awards show. "I just want you to know, you are a privilege to work with, and I adore you," she added. "Speaking on behalf of all of us here, I know what an easy, professional, great person you are, and I feel very, very lucky to work with you each and every day." The kind words came after Kelly made what seemed like snide comment about putting Ryan's shoes back on for him — following his former stylist's allegations that he sexually harassed her with behavior including allegedly shoving her head near his crotch when she was tying his shoes. While Kelly seemed ready to back Ryan's Oscar appearance no matter what in spite of her jab, some insiders say her pro-Ryan cheerleading isn't necessarily coming from her heart. "Kelly doesn't want to risk anything happening to 'Live' … She is understandably livid because it could potentially f— up her show," a source tells the New York Post. A second insider chimed in: "They oversell their friendship … Her reputation is rolled up in this — this is her show. For Kelly, there's not a Plan B. She has to make a decision and rally around him." Although reps for Ryan and Kelly did not comment, a third source dismissed the possibility that there's any tension between them about the sexual misconduct allegations, which E! had already cleared him of when they became public. (Ryan has strongly denied all of the allegations made by the stylist, saying she was making a money grab.) "He's one of her closest friends, and they're very protective of each other," the third source told the Post. "They've known each other for years and talk about everything … it's been a tough week." According to the tab, some publicists plan to have their clients avoid Ryan on the red carpet this weekend. Meanwhile, NBCUniversal, the parent company of E!, which will feature Ryan, is said to have gone into "crisis mode" about their star reporter's potential reception. The Oscars telecast airs Sunday, March 4, at 8 p.m. EST and 5 p.m. PST.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are reportedly having a 'lake-sized' swimming pool installed in their backyard

Sometimes you just wanna come home, curl up with a good book and chill out in the chlorinated lake you've had installed in the backyard. We have to assume that's how Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West arrived at the decision to install what the Daily Mail describes as a "lake-sized swimming pool" in their newly renovated $20 million mansion in the Hidden Hills section of Los Angeles. They've reportedly just begun construction on the large body of water, which may prove difficult to replenish regularly given the severe drought conditions the U.S. Drought Monitor recently declared Los Angeles is again suffering. In 2015, after photos showed Kim and Kanye's Calabasas home surrounded by verdant lawns while all her neighbors' lawns were dry and brown due to water use restrictions tied to a drought, Kim's publicist helpfully pointed out to Curbed.com that farmers use more water than celebrities. For those of you keeping score at home …

Amy Schumer sent Jennifer Lawrence a hilariously cold note after her recent split

Ever wonder what it's like to be pals with Amy Schumer? Think sarcasm. Lots and lots of sarcasm. During an appearance on "Watch What Happens Live" this week, Amy's buddy Jennifer Lawrence shared a tidbit of insight about their friendship and the shoulder to cry on Amy offered Jen following her split from Darren Aronofsky. "When Darren and I first broke up, I told her, and I was really sad," Jen recalled (via E! News). "The next day I got a bouquet of flowers delivered and I said, 'What is this?' I bring the bouquet in and there was a note that said, 'I'm so sorry to hear that you're going to die alone. Love, Amy.'" (Almost as amazing as the personalized M&Ms emblazoned with a couple-photo of Sarah Silverman and Michael Sheen that Michael's ex — and Sarah's friend — Kate Beckinsale sent Sarah after Sarah broke up with Michael.) Jen also revealed she and Amy recently had a table reading for the comedy they wrote together, noting that it still needs "a director and a date." Andy Cohen pointed out that Bette Midler has said she wants to play Jen's mother — the prospect of which caused Jen's eyes to almost pop out of her head as she exclaimed, "Are you being serious right now? Well, that's news to me! She's hired! We don't have a mom — but we'll write one in!"

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend donate $25k to March For Our Lives

Like George and Amal Clooney, Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg, Chrissy Teigen and John Legend using their wallets to show their support for the upcoming March For Our Lives anti-gun protest. During a chat with the AP on the red carpet for his "Jesus Christ Superstar" show, John said he and his wife donated $25,000 to the cause "to help with whatever costs they have for organizing," according to TheBlast. "I think that we've decided that everyone having unfettered access to guns is more important than all of us being safe," he said. As the organizers of the march explain on their website, "March For Our Lives is created by, inspired by, and led by students across the country who will no longer risk their lives waiting for someone else to take action to stop the epidemic of mass school shootings that has become all too familiar. In the tragic wake of the seventeen lives brutally cut short in Florida, politicians are telling us that now is not the time to talk about guns. March For Our Lives believes the time is now." Marches in Washington, D.C., and in cities across the country and around the globe will be held in protest of gun violence on March 24.

Beyonce is 'focused on Coachella' as rescheduled headlining appearance nears

A year after she had to cancel on her planned performance at Coachella in 2017 because she was pregnant with twins, Beyonce is back in action and ready to take the stage in Indio, California, in April. Speaking to E! News at Essence's Black Women in Hollywood Awards luncheon this week, Bey's mom Tina Lawson said all is well at casa Carter — and Queen B is working on her upcoming headlining sets at the festival. "She's doing fine," Tina said. "She's focused on Coachella!" The designer also admitted that "of course" she's "spoiling" her grandchildren, Blue, Sir and Rumi Carter. "They are amazing," she gushed. "My grandkids are amazing."

JAY-Z named wealthiest act in hip-hop

That $91,000 bar tab JAY-Z racked up last month may not have been as outlandish as it seemed. Forbes has announced Jay is now the world's richest act in hop-hop, thanks to his $900 million estimated worth, according to the New York Post. The title means Diddy, whose net worth is valued at $825 million, has been bumped from No. 1 to No. 2 in the ranking. Jay owns two successful liquor brands, Armand de Brignac and D'Ussé, in addition to his shares in Tidal and Roc Nation.

Sharon Tate's sister takes aim at stars connected with new films about her late sibling

Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio are lined up to star in the upcoming Quentin Tarantino film about an actor living next door to Sharon Tate in 1969 when she and others were murdered by the Manson Family — and Sharon's sister, Debra Tate, finds the project entirely disgusting and believes it will glorify or eroticize the murders, given Quentin's history. "To [celebrities] it's a paycheck and these people just don't care. They are terribly hurtful to the actual family and all the living victims. They don't give a s—," Debra tells TMZ, adding that Brad and Leo are "throwing all their social responsibility to the wind" if they haven't considered how Sharon's family might feel. Debra also said she was told by Quentin's lawyers that he would contact her. She has yet to hear from him. Hilary Duff isn't getting much love from Debra either. The actress is playing Sharon in a separate film and recently posted a photo of herself on the set, dressed as Sharon, who was murdered while she was eight and a half months pregnant. In the photo, Hilary holds a teddy bear wrapped up in a blue blanket. "I had the baby," she captioned the shot. "What kind of trash is she? That's just absolutely garbage," Debra said. "Is there any point in that?" The Quentin, Brad and Leo project, "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood …" is due out in 2019.

Viola Davis talks solving Hollywood's diversity and gender problems

When Viola Davis became the first African-American to win an Emmy in the Lead Actress category in 2015, she used the platform to remind the audience that black women face a different kind of challenge in Hollywood. "The only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity," she said at the time. "You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there. So here's to all the writers, the awesome people that are Ben Sherwood, Paul Lee, Peter Nowalk, Shonda Rhimes — people who have redefined what it means to be beautiful, to be sexy, to be a leading woman, to be black." And while that "redefinition" is happening to an extent, it's still not happening enough — a point Viola drives home in The Edit's new cover story. "Here's the thing: it's not about the Oscars, it's about how we're included in every aspect of the movie-making business," she says when asked about this year's somewhat less homogeneously white Academy Awards nominee class. Adding that "if it's not an urban or civil rights drama, they don't see you in the story," she suggests "what's missing is imagination" when it comes to solving the problem of diversity — or lack thereof — in her industry. She also points out that white women in Hollywood will need to stand together with women of color if real change is going to take place. "I don't want to tell anyone what to do, but I think Jessica Chastain did a really boss move with Octavia Spencer [on their latest, as yet untitled project] by saying Octavia's got to be paid the same as her," Viola says. "She actually upped Octavia's quote for that movie because she took a salary cut. I think Caucasian women have to stand in solidarity with us. And they have to understand we are not in the same boat. Even a lot of female-driven events in Hollywood, like power luncheons – which I've been to, and are awesome by the way – there will be 3,000 women in that room and five of them are women of color. And it's by invite! So, you're not even inviting us."

Katie Couric opens up about her experience with sexism at work

The #MeToo tide has yet to recede. The latest female star to come out and discuss her experience with gender discrimination and harassment is Katie Couric, who spoke in Cincinnati this week at the #WeSeeEqual forum hosted by Procter & Gamble ahead of its gender equality campaign pegged to International Women's Day on March 8. In her talk, Katie described the sexism and "gross" comments she's endured, including discovering that her clothing was the subject of criticism rather than her reporting when she became the first female solo host on "CBS Evening News," according to E! News. She also recalled a time when she walked into a meeting and found herself being described by a CNN exec whom she did not name this way: "She's successful because of her hard work, intelligence and breast size," a story that's been reported by multiple outlets. She noted that after contacting the executive about the incident — with the backing of her male supervisor — the executive reached out to apologize. "I've been very fortunate in terms of not being subjected to a lot of sexual misconduct, but certainly I have been subjected to widely held attitudes about women, about compartmentalizing women," Katie said at the forum. Addressing allegations Matt Lauer had sexually harassed and assaulted multiple women at the "Today" show before being fired, she told People in January she "had no idea this was going on," adding: "I think I speak for many of my former colleagues when I say this was not the Matt we knew. Matt was a kind and generous colleague who treated me with respect. In fact, a joke I once made on late-night television was just that, because it was completely contrary to our brother-sister relationship. It's still very upsetting." She also spoke out in support of the women who accused Matt. "The accounts I've read and heard have been disturbing, distressing and disorienting," she said at the time. "And it's completely unacceptable that any woman at the Today show experienced this kind of treatment."

Meghan Trainor opens up about her severe anxiety

Meghan Trainor's battle with depression and anxiety is an ongoing struggle. "I'm still in therapy," she recently revealed on "The Dan Wootton Interview" podcast (via the Daily Mail). The singer said her mental health has gotten so unstable at times in the past that her anxiety has even led to a form of delusion. "You know, moments like that I had, dissociation with your body and you think you're schizophrenic — you're seeing things," she recalled. "You feel like there's something wrong with you and you're embarrassed to talk about it. No one can help you. It's your brain. It's chemicals." Meghan went on to talk about a time when she ended up in the hospital. "I went to the emergency room one night, because I thought I was allergic to what I ate. My throat was closing and I was having trouble breathing," she said. "They told me, 'This is a full-blown panic attack.'" These days, she's managing the panic attacks and anxiety — and it's helping her make healthier choices when it comes to her body. "Talking to a therapist teaches you, 'God, I wasn't loving myself.' I was wearing Spanx, I was miserable. I was in a corset for a photoshoot, you know?" said Meghan, who has snice lost about 20 pounds. "I eat really clean, no sugar and low-carb as much as I can," she said. The singer recently got engaged to actor Daryl Sabara.