By Jennifer Odell
3:38pm PST, Dec 9, 2020
Johnny Depp actively moved to have Amber Heard 'replaced' in 'Aquaman': Report
Johnny Depp's allegedly "unquenchable thirst for revenge" ultimately contributed to his own career's demise, according to a scathing new report from THR that alleges the actor's ex-wife, Amber Heard, was often his target. Citing British Judge Andrew Nicol's 132-page ruling against the actor in his recent defamation case against The Sun, THR claims Depp tried to get Warner Bros. to replace Heard in "Aquaman" at one point, via his sister, producer Christi Dembrowski. "I want her replaced on the WB film," he reportedly wrote to Dembrowski at a time when her previous deal with the studio still gave her leverage there. THR adds that Depp confirmed the "WB film" in question was "Aquaman" during the libel trial. Though he had no luck getting his ex thrown off her franchise, even after his fans launched a petition to have her nixed from the movie, Depp was asked to resign from his role as Grindelwald in "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" following the trial. Heard, meanwhile, has said publicly she'll return to her role in "Aquaman 2."
Keep reading for Gwyneth Paltrow's thoughts on why she's moved away from acting and more …
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Gwyneth Paltrow: 'Rough boss' Harvey Weinstein contributed to her move away from acting
In recent years, Gwyneth Paltrow's devoted most of her professional energy to her successful lifestyle website, Goop, having shelved if not retired from an acting career that kicked into high gear in her 20s, when she was working primarily with Miramax's Harvey Weinstein, who's now serving a 23-year prison sentence for rape and sexual assault. Speaking to Bruce Bozzi this week on SiriusXM's "Quarantined with Bruce" show, Paltrow, now 48, said there were a number of reasons she became disillusioned with making movies — and Weinstein was one of them. After acknowledging that she hit a point of wondering who she was and what her goals were, having won an Oscar by 1999 for "Shakespeare in Love," Paltrow said the "intense public scrutiny" wore her down. A self-described "homebody," she said she also wasn't crazy about being sent off to places like "Budapest for six weeks," to work. "So if you compound those things," she continued, "with the fact that, you know, to be totally candid, I had a really rough boss for most of my movie career at Miramax. So you take all those things …" Paltrow was among the first of more than 80 women who have accused the former Miramax exec of sexual misconduct, assault or rape. She has said she rebuffed him after he invited her to his hotel room, seemingly to talk business, then tried to get her to massage him. "Yeah. So you're like, 'I don't know if this is really my calling,'" she recalled, in conclusion on Sirius. "So I'm still trying to parse out what came from what, and you know, where, how my life changed course. But I think that stew is a big piece of it."
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John Oliver's weird Pringles mascot joke just became a $20k gift for Feeding America
We have some good news for John Oliver's favorite "larynx-crushing, unwieldy boulder" TV crush, Adam Driver. The "Last Week Tonight" host just got to know his other obsession, the Pringles mascot, on a much more intimate level. The weirdness started with a joke pegged to Pringles' news the brand was updating its "Mr. P" mascot, the Monopoly-looking gentleman who sports a mustache on the chips containers. Though the show is over for the season, John returned over the weekend in a short web video to demand more information about Mr. P. "Is he tall or short? Does he have a lot of body hair or is he completely smooth?" he asked, demanding whether it would be "weeks or days" before he got answers. He then sweetened the deal by offering to donate $10,000 to Feeding America for a glimpse at Mr. P's bod. Pringles tweeted "challenge accepted" this week and, on Tuesday, Dec. 8, unveiled the new mascot. That mascot turned out to be a person in a Mr. P suit, who opened the door to his hip, expensive-looking pad and did a little spin for John by a Christmas tree. Pringles also went one step further and matched the $10,000 donation made by "Last Week Tonight," a gift the company's Twitter said it made, "in honor of every second John has thought of Mr. P's body."
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Spike Lee presents courage award to Darnella Frazier, teen who recorded George Floyd's killing
Spike Lee, Barack Obama and Madeleine Albright celebrated the courage of Darnella Frazier, the Minneapolis teen who recorded the killing of George Floyd at the hands of police, as she accepted the PEN Benenson Courage Award at a virtual gala on Tuesday, Dec. 8, according to Fox News. Introduced as "a young woman whose cell phone and fearlessness may have changed the world" by host Franklin Leonard, the 17-year-old was then honored by Spike, who presented her courage award. "My sister, I commend you and you deserve this," he told her. After accepting the honor, Darnella admitted the praise she's received for sharing the footage has "been a lot to take in," (via NBC). Through tears, she added, "Everybody's asking me how do I feel," telling NBC's reporter that she doesn't "know how to feel" because the whole thing was "so traumatizing." Darnella's video has been widely credited with galvanizing the movement to end systemic racism in America in 2020. "Without Darnella's presence of mind and readiness to risk her own safety and well-being, we may never have known the truth about George Floyd's murder," PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel said in a statement.
John Mayer's first watch collab riffs on the Casio keyboard he played as a kid
Long before his pop stardom and the multi-million dollar watch collection it allowed him to build, John Mayer was a wannabe musician in Connecticut a playing Casiotone SK-5 keyboard. For his latest project, the singer and guitarist married those two aspects of his background to design his own watch for Casio. GQ reports John, 43, collaborated with watch site Hodinkee to create the G-SHOCK Ref 6900, which cribs more than a few aesthetic notes from the classic keyboard's playbook. John's watch features '80s-era shades of teal and orange, for example, while the case is the same shade of gray as the body of the SK-5. "When Casio approached me about the possibility of working together on a G-SHOCK, it actually timed out really well," John says in a press release. "Casio keyboards came to mind as much as the watches did. Then I remembered how important the Casiotone SK-5 was in my life, and it got exciting really fast," he continued. "It's the perfect bridge between my double life as a musician and a watch enthusiast." It also may be the perfect watch for non-famous musicians who dig Casio and the '80s — the G-SHOCK Ref 6900 is priced at an affordable $180.
David Bowie coin launches into space in honor of the Starman
The Starman finally got his trip to outer space, thanks to The Royal Mint. The official coin manufacturer for the U.K. unveiled a David Bowie commemorative coin on Monday, Dec. 7, and launched it into space in the late rock icon's honor, the AP reports. The coin, which features a "stardusted" version of David's iconic lightning bolt, was sent more than 22 miles above the Earth, where it orbited the atmosphere for 45 minutes. "In recognition of Bowie's first hit single 'Space Oddity', we felt it was fitting to send his coin into space and celebrate the Starman in his own pioneering fashion," The Mint's Clare Maclennan said in a statement. David died in 2016 at age 69 after a private battle with cancer. His coin is the third release this year from the Mint's "Music Legends" collection. Its trip into orbit marks the first time the Mint has sent a coin into space.
Jennifer Lawrence stumps for Georgia Dems ahead of Jan. 5 runoffs
"If you don't vote, everything will not be OK," says former "little Republican" Jennifer Lawrence in a new video from Generator Collective about the importance of the upcoming runoff elections in Georgia. The Kentucky native spoke earlier this year about her change of heart with regard to politics. Now, she's urging fans to take action that will potentially cede control of the Senate to Jen's new party, the Democrats. Stumping for Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossof alongside "Broad City" star Ilana Glazer, the Oscar winner minces no words in her strong support for Ossof, in particular. "Jon Ossoff has a media company that investigates corruption, human trafficking … he saved lives of women who were being used as sex slaves in ISIS, he has promised clean energy and medicare, he is a huge defender Roe v. Wade," she says. "He is a terrific, terrific candidate, and an amazing man, and I want you to vote for him." Jennifer lived in Atlanta for six years, according to InStyle. Georgia residents return to the polls Jan. 5.
Angelina Jolie talks domestic violence and staying safe ahead of the holidays
Since early on in the pandemic, Angelina Jolie's used her platform as UNHCR Special Envoy to raise awareness about women's health, including the new danger victims of domestic violence may face amid lockdowns. Around the world this past year, 243 million women and girls were abused by an intimate partner in the past year, according to the U.N. Speaking to Harper's Bazaar in a new interview published this week, Angelina explained that she's driven to protect women from gender-based violence because "societies remain unequal," which often leaves abused women with few to no resources for help. "We don't take domestic or gender-based violence seriously enough anywhere, and we often overlook the trauma and injury suffered by children who witness or experience violence, in their own homes," Angelina said. As Christmas approaches, family time at home potentially puts more abused women in danger. Asked how they can protect themselves, the actress and mother of six urged anyone who fears they will be abused to remain in touch with others. "Talk to someone. Try to find allies. Be connected for emergencies. For example, you can agree a code word with a friend or family member, which tells them if you are facing an emergency," she said. "Begin to build a network and gain knowledge. It's sad to say, but you can't assume all friends and family will always want to believe and support you. Often it will be strangers who help. Or other victims, support groups, or faith groups. Above all, be careful. Only you really know the danger you are in, and until you find your support outside, you may feel quite alone." For those who may suspect a friend or family member could be in danger, Angelina said it's important to "stay close and present in their lives," and get educated about the effects of domestic abuse on the both abused and children who may witness violence at home.
Is 'Pastoral burnout' a treatable psychiatric condition? Carl Lentz appears to be finding out
Carl Lentz — the former pastor of celeb-magnet Hillsong Church — is reportedly "in treatment at an outpatient facility that specializes in depression, anxiety, and pastoral burnout" after losing his job, seemingly for having cheated on his wife. That's according to People and Page Six, both of which reported virtually identical updates late on Monday, Dec. 7. A source told the magazine and the tab that Carl "wants to be better for his family and is dedicated to doing the work." Variety points out that despite a request for Carl's privacy from the well-placed source, the erstwhile church leader has managed to keep himself vaguely in the spotlight, having sold his family home in New Jersey and relocated to California's Manhattan Beach "days before" his firing made headlines. Since moving to the Left Coast, he's already been photographed by various paparazzi — and, according to a report from British tab The Sun, had his $16,000-a-month rent picked up by Tyler Perry for the next six months.
