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Today — 12 January 2025Us Weekly News

Celebrities Supporting Heidi Montag’s Music: Paris Hilton and More

12 January 2025 at 14:29
Celebs Who Have Shown Support For Streaming Heidi Montag’s Music
Heidi Pratt Jean Baptiste Lacroix/WireImage

Stars have been showing their support for Heidi Montag and her music after husband Spencer Pratt asked for help following the loss of their home in the Los Angeles wildfires.

“Thank you so much to everyone. No. 1 on iTunes chart, oh my gosh,” Montag shared via a Saturday, January 11, Instagram Story. “Thank you for the overwhelming love and support of my music and really rallying behind us in this devastating time and making it such a blessing.”

Montag’s album Superficial, which was released in January 2010, topped the iTunes albums chart ahead of Bad Bunny’s DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS and the Wicked movie soundtrack. The titular song off the album also charted No. 1 before ROSÉ and Bruno Mars’ “APT” and other tracks. Montag’s tune “I’ll Do It” also came in at No. 7.

“Thank you for helping support us, helping build us back up, helping to encourage us, give us that hope and faith and excitement in such a dark, dark time,” Montag continued. “No. 1, ahhh! Oh my gosh, I can’t believe it. And it’s the 15th anniversary of Superficial. So, the timing is just crazy. It’s so crazy, thank you…”

Scroll down to see which celebrities are showing their support:

Emily Ratajkowski

@emrata

♬ I’ll Do It (Sped Up Remix) – Heidi Montag

The model shared a video via TikTok of her listening to Montag’s “I’ll Do It.” Ratajkowski wrote over the clip, “Didn’t expect this Heidi Montag song to be the soundtrack to the 2025 apocalypse but you know what f—- yeah.”

Flavor Flav

Flav shared a video via TikTok with the text reading, “Doing my part to get Heidi Montag to #1.”

Heidi Montag Tops Music Charts After Losing Home in L.A. Fire: ‘Oh My Gosh’

Perez Hilton

Hilton encouraged fans to stream Montag’s music while sharing a video dancing to “I’ll Do It.” He wrote over the TikTok clip, “Streaming Heidi Montag’s music to help her and Spencer Pratt rebuild after their home burned down in Los Angeles.”

Paris Hilton

Paris sent a message to Montag, which Pratt shared via Instagram. “🥳Congrats @heidimontag 👏,” she wrote.

Jenny McCarthy

McCarthy shared a video via TikTok of her husband, Donnie Wahlberg, purchasing Montag’s Superficial album on Saturday, January 11. “So close. One more to get to number one! Let’s go! Donnie in da club,” McCarthy captioned the clip.

Check the LAFD website for local wildfire alerts and click here for resources on how to help those affected.

Hollywood Celebrity Hotel Welcomes Firefighters, Evacuees of L.A. Fires

12 January 2025 at 14:28
Extravagant Hollywood Celebrity Hotel Welcomes Firefighters Evacuees of LA Fires
FG/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

The exclusive Chateau Marmont, a beloved hotel to many of Hollywood’s most famous stars, is opening its doors for firefighters and evacuees of the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires.

“To the heroes and victims in the Hollywood community who’ve lost their homes… we’d like to invite you to our safe haven,” the hotel announced via an Instagram post on Sunday, January 12. “For the next week, we’re making our cottages available for complimentary two-night stays for Los Angeles firefighters and members of the unions representing our city’s creative industries.”

In order for firefighters and those displaced by the ongoing fires to take advantage of the offer, the post directs those in need to “call the hotel directly.” The correct number for the Chateau Marmont can be located in the hotel’s Instagram bio.

“Requests for cottages will be located in the order they’re received,” the post concluded.

Meghan Markle, Prince Harry Open Montecito Home to Friends Amid L.A. Fires

According to local authorities, at least 16 people have lost their lives as a result of the five wildfires burning around L.A., though officials believe that number is likely to increase as more search and rescue efforts are underway. According to NBC News, the fires have burned through at least 37,000 acres and destroyed more than 12,000 structures, while tens of thousands have been forced to flee their homes under mandatory evacuation orders.

Extravagant Hollywood Celebrity Hotel Welcomes Firefighters Evacuees of LA Fires
DAVID SWANSON/AFP via Getty Images

Many celebrities and Hollywood A-listers have lost their homes as a result of the fires, including Paris Hilton and Anthony Hopkins. Other stars have gone out of their way to help their fellow Angelinos as communities continue to be ravaged by the flames.

Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle and her husband, Prince Harry, spent time volunteering alongside World Central Kitchen workers, while Selling Sunset’s Jason Oppenheim announced his realtors will be donating their services to those in need of a new home.

“If you’ve lost your home in the Los Angeles fires and you need to find a place to rent until your home is rebuilt, all Oppenheim Group agents will represent you for free or credit you back any commission we receive in the transaction,” the Selling Sunset star, 47, wrote in a Thursday, January 9 Instagram post. “Please reach out to us at [email protected].”

Celebrities Share Personal Photos of Heartbreaking Los Angeles Wildfires

Actress Jennifer Garner was spotted in L.A. also volunteering alongside World Central Kitchen workers and celebrity chef José Andrés, People reported at the time. Meanwhile, Sharon Stone and Halle Berry have donated their “entire closet” to those who lost everything in the fires.

“I’m packing up my entire closet and heading over to the COOP!” Berry, 58, said via Instagram on Thursday, January 9. “If you live in the Southern California area, I urge you to do the same. This is something we can do right now today to help all of the displaced families that are in need of the basics today! Thank you @sharonstone for your leadership. Love you Lady.”

Check the LAFD website for local wildfire alerts and click here for resources on how to help those affected.

Why Caden Prieskorn's Family Didn't Move With Him for NFL Draft Training

12 January 2025 at 14:07
Cali Prieskorn Explains Why She and Her 2 Kids Didnt Move With Husband Caden to Train for NFL Draft
Courtesy of Cali Prieskorn/Instagram

Collegiate tight end Caden Prieskorn and his wife, TikTok personality Cali Prieskorn, are navigating a long-distance marriage while he trains for the 2025 NFL draft.

Caden, 25, recently finished his final year playing football for the University of Mississippi. At many of his games, he was supported by wife Cali, also 25, and their two kids. They share son Mac, 3, and daughter Romy, 8 months. (Mac previously went viral on TikTok for doing “lucky [fist] bumps” with the Ole Miss players before each game.)

Cali, however, opted not to leave Mississippi with the kids full-time, instead deciding to travel to see Caden on the weekends.

“My husband just finished his last year of college and football and just moved to Nashville to train for the NFL draft,” Cali said in a Friday, January 10, TikTok video. “I decided to stay back with the kids because Mac still has school, but we’re trying to get to Nashville every weekend.”

NFL Families Get Real About the Cost of Football: Uniforms, Fines and More

She added, “I’m honestly so excited he’s training in Nashville. There’s so much to do and so many good places to eat. This weekend’s gonna be super chill, but it’s going to be nice spending time as a family.”

In another video posted earlier this month, Cali revealed that Caden’s training will last approximately three months.

“I’m so glad he gets to keep pursuing his dreams,” she said in the TikTok clip. “He will leave for a little bit because he got invited to the Shrine Bowl [in Dallas]. He worked so hard, so I’m glad he’s getting that opportunity. I’m going to take the kids down to Dallas, as well, and then he’ll go back to Nashville for training.”

Cali Prieskorn Explains Why She and Her 2 Kids Didnt Move With Husband Caden to Train for NFL Draft
Courtesy of Cali Prieskorn/Instagram

The NFL draft is held annually in April, which is when Caden will learn whether or not a football franchise decided to sign him to their 53-man roster. In her second video, Cali also reiterated why she didn’t plan to uproot her family in order to follow and remain close to her husband.

“Mac is in school and I love his school so much,” she stated. “I think it’s important that they have that structure. I’m just going to split my time between the two [places.] I’ll be in Oxford, [Mississippi] during the week while Mac has school.”

A Guide to the Wives and Girlfriends of 2024 NFL Quarterbacks

Cali added that she was still “trying to figure out how to balance” solo parenting while Caden is away working out.

“I don’t think it’s going to be easy,” the influencer added. “College football has been so fun. I’m honestly just so excited to see where we’re going and what we’ll be doing. I just feel like this is such a huge step in life [and] I’m so excited to see what happens.”

Ariana Grande Recalls ‘Long, Emotional Process’ Filming New ‘Wicked’ Song

12 January 2025 at 13:54
Ariana Grande Confirms Glinda Will Have a New Song in Wicked
Ariana Grande XNY/Star Max/GC Images

Ariana Grande opened up about the emotional process of filming Wicked: For Good, teasing a new song for Glinda as well as a major transformation for the character.

While appearing on Variety’s “Awards Circuit Podcast,” released on Saturday, January 11, Grande, 31, opened up about filming the song “For Good,” the iconic duet between Glinda and Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo). For the uninitiated, the song marks a pivotal moment for the characters in the upcoming Wicked sequel.

“Shooting ‘For Good’ was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced,” Grande shared. “It was such a long and emotional process. I kind of left my body. We filmed it over the course of a week, and it stayed with me. I haven’t even seen the final cut yet because I’m not sure I’m ready to feel all of it again.”

Wicked: For Good will also feature a completely new song for Glinda, which was written by composer Stephen Schwartz for the film.

Ariana Grande Credits Wicked’s Cynthia Erivo for Helping ‘Heal’ Her

“It’s a pivotal moment in Glinda’s journey,” Grande reveals. “It shows a side of her we’ve never seen before. In the stage show, this transformation happens offstage. But in the movie, we get to see her make the decision that defines who she is. It’s a privilege to sing this song and be the first Glinda to bring it to life.”

Glinda was originally played by Kristin Chenoweth in Wicked on Broadway. Speaking with Variety, Grande further reflected on her own interpretation of the character, saying, “From the moment it was announced, I realized this role would live with me forever.”

She continued, “It’s an honor, but it also comes with so much weight. I wanted to do it justice. Glinda isn’t just a character to me — she’s a symbol of growth and love, and I wanted to give her everything I had.”

Directed by Jon M. Chu, Wicked is based on the Broadway musical and Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel of the same name. It follows the story of Elphaba, a.k.a. the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda, a.k.a. Glinda the Good Witch, before and during the events of The Wizard of Oz as their relationship develops from rival roommates to best friends, set against the backdrop of societal turmoil in the land of Oz.

Ariana Grande and Kristin Chenoweth Agree Glinda Is 'A Little in the Closet'

Erivo, for her part, also gushed about one of the sequel’s new songs on a December 2024 episode of Variety’s “Award Chatter” podcast.

“I collaborated on one of the new songs, and it’s so special to me,” she said at the time. “When we filmed it, the entire crew was in tears. I hope audiences are ready — it’s a song that speaks to the heart of who Elphaba is.”

She continued, “We’re diving deeper into the consequences of the characters’ choices. The story is richer, and the stakes are higher. It’s not just a continuation; it’s a transformation.”

Wicked is in theaters now and is available to rent and purchase on digital platforms. The sequel, titled Wicked: For Good, will hit theaters on November 21.

Why Sheryl Lee Ralph Is Glad Husband Vincent Hughes 'Has His Own Life'

12 January 2025 at 13:38
Sheryl Lee Ralph Defends Her Unconventional Marriage to Vincent Hughes: 'I Have My Own Life'
Vincent Hughes and Sheryl Lee Ralph Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Sheryl Lee Ralph and her husband, Vincent Hughes, remain blissfully in love after two decades of marriage — even though they don’t often live together.

“I’m very fortunate. The man that I am married to is Senator Vincent Hughes, seventh Senatorial District of Pennsylvania,” the Abbott Elementary star, 68, told People in a profile published on Wednesday, January 8. “You fall in love with somebody and you realize he’s not leaving his career. He’s not leaving Philadelphia. I’m not leaving Hollywood. When you have children, it’s very difficult.”

Ralph and Hughes, 68, have been married since 2005. The actress was previously married to Eric Maurice, with whom she shares son Etienne and daughter Ivy-Coco.

Ralph is based in Los Angeles, where she films ABC’s Abbott Elementary, while Hughes keeps a residency in Pennsylvania for his political constituency.

'Does It Matter?' Sheryl Lee Ralph Responds to Super Bowl Lip Sync Rumors

“Every two weeks we saw each other, and it has continued to work out well,” she explained to the outlet. When I go to see him, I love to see him. When it’s time to leave, ‘Bye-bye. See you soon.’ I’m telling you, life is good.”

Ralph continued, “He has his own life. I have my own life. He has his own real career, I have my own real career. He has his light to stand in, I have my light to stand in. He is not looking at me thinking about status or this or that. He’s doing his thing. I get to do my thing.”

That being said, Ralph and Hughes remain each other’s biggest career cheerleaders.

“It’s all good,” Ralph explained, citing communication as their secret to success. “I’ve evolved into [saying], ‘Let’s talk about it.’ If you sit in problems, you get anxious, depressed, and all the juiciness in life starts to dry up. I can’t have that, because all of that will mess with my good looks!”

Sheryl Lee Ralph Addresses Rumors She Doesn’t Live With Senator Husband

Ralph’s bicoastal marriage initially raised eyebrows years earlier in 2023.

“I see him every two weeks and when I see him I’m so happy to see him and then when I’m leaving I’m so happy to leave ‘cause I know I’ll be back again!” Ralph told Extra in December 2023.

Weeks later, she reiterated that the long-distance romance works for them.

“[Vincent and I] live together on and off, in that I’m shooting Abbott Elementary in L.A. [and] he is at the Capitol every week,” Ralph told E! News. “So, we see each other in between [our busy schedules].”

Aubrey Plaza Deletes Instagram Account 1 Week After Husband's Death

12 January 2025 at 13:34
Aubrey Plaza Deletes Instagram Account 1 Week After Husband Jeff Baena's Death
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 16: Aubrey Plaza Amy Sussman/WireImage

Aubrey Plaza has deleted her Instagram account one week after the death of her late husband, Jeff Baena.

While Plaza’s account was previously active, a message now reads, “Sorry, this page isn’t available.”

Plaza’s decision to erase her account comes after news broke that Baena died at age 47. According to medical examiner records reviewed by Us Weekly, Baena’s official cause of death is listed as suicide. No additional causes or suspicious circumstances surrounding Baena’s passing were listed.

Days later, Plaza’s rep addressed his death in a statement on behalf of the Parks and Recreation actress and her family. “This is an unimaginable tragedy,” the statement to Us read. “We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support. Please respect our privacy during this time.”

Aubrey Plaza Breaks Silence After Husband Jeff Baena's Death at 47

Prior to his death, Plaza, 40, and the filmmaker had been together for 14 years and exchanged vows in 2020. One year after saying “I do,” Plaza recalled how she and Baena decided to tie the knot.

“A lot of things happened during COVID for me. Yes, we got married. Big deal,” Plaza recalled during a December 2021 appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. “We got a little bored one night. We got married and I’ll tell you how: Onehourmarriage.com. That’s real, look it up.”

Aubrey Plaza Deletes Instagram Account 1 Week After Husband Jeff Baena's Death
Aubrey Plaza and Jeff Baena Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

Plaza continued, “We were in the lockdown. Things got a little crazy, especially in my house. My husband got really into tie-dying and when I say tie-dying, I mean 50 shirts a day.”

The White Lotus actress said she wanted to “do something” special for their 10th anniversary and decided to throw a ceremony in their backyard.

Aubrey Plaza’s Husband Jeff Baena Cause of Death Revealed

“I created a very quick love altar in our yard. Facts of our love, little stones, smoke, fire. Things of that nature,” she said. “Then the man from Alhambra showed up in a Hawaiian shirt with a briefcase [to perform the ceremony]. … I can’t remember a lot of it, it was fuzzy. But I’m pretty sure it’s legal.”

The following year, Plaza shared that her nuptials to Baena was not well-received by some fans. “Oh, my God. Jeff got death threats in his DMs,” Plaza told Cosmopolitan in a 2022 profile. “I think so. People project so much stuff onto marriage, but it wasn’t some big statement I’m trying to make where I want everybody to react to it.”

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.

Craig Melvin’s 1st Day as Today Coanchor After Hoda Kotb Exit: What to Know

12 January 2025 at 13:24

Craig Melvin is stepping into a new role at Today after being part of the morning show family since 2018.

After Hoda Kotb announced her departure from Today in September 2024, Melvin was named as the morning show’s new coanchor alongside Savannah Guthrie. Melvin gushed in November 2024 that he is “beyond excited and grateful” to be taking over for Kotb.

“I want to, obviously, thank NBC and the folks here who deemed me worthy,” he said at the time. “I’ve enjoyed just a lifetime of blessings, and this is the latest in a long line of blessings.”

News of Melvin’s new role was well-received in the office, a source exclusively told Us Weekly. “Craig is so awesome, people were cheering when they got the staff email,” an insider said. “He’s the best – everybody is so excited for him.”

The source added that Melvin made sense as a replacement for Kotb. “He has been ‘Steady Eddie’ for seven years – alongside Savannah and Hoda,” the insider added. “It was the right choice, the clear choice, the choice that everybody could get behind. He is so beloved.”

Scroll down for what to know about Melvin’s first day as a Today coanchor:

When Is Craig Melvin’s 1st Day as Today Coanchor?

When Is Craig Melvin’s First Day on ‘Today’ After Hoda Kotb’s Exit? What to Know
Nathan Congleton/NBC

Days after Kotb’s final appearance as a coanchor on Today, Melvin will begin his new role alongside Guthrie on Monday, January 13.

“Craig, I mean, I’m so happy for you,” Kotb said through tears on the Friday, January 10, episode of Today. “You’ve earned this. You own this. And come Monday at 7:00 a.m., I’m going to be dead asleep but you’re going to be fantastic. You are going to bring it home. Craig, you’re going to be so good.”

Will Craig Melvin Continue to Cohost the 3rd Hour?

Prior to following in Kotb’s footsteps, Melvin served as a news anchor on the show’s first and second hours. He also was a third hour cohost alongside Al Roker, Sheinelle Jones and Dylan Dreyer — a position he will continue to hold.

Inside Craig Melvin's 'Today' Show Gig: Salary, Staff Reaction

Is Craig Melvin Cohosting the 4th Hour?

Melvin will not be taking over as cohost of the fourth hour alongside Jenna Bush Hager. While the show finds a replacement for Kotb, the fourth hour will be renamed as Today With Jenna & Friends and will feature a lineup of rotating guest cohosts.

How Much Is Craig Melvin Making as Today Coanchor?

A separate insider exclusively estimated to Us in November 2024 that Melvin will make around “$5 or $6 million” in his new gig.

© Nathan Congleton/NBC

Meghan Markle's Netflix Show Delays Premiere Amid Los Angeles Wildfires

12 January 2025 at 13:06
Meghan Markles With Love Netflix Show Premiere Delayed After Los Angeles Wildfires
Meghan Markle Courtesy of Netflix

Netflix has postponed the premiere of Meghan Markle’s With Love, Meghan docuseries following the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles.

“I’m thankful to my partners at Netflix for supporting me in delaying the launch, as we focus on the needs of those impacted by the wildfires in my home state of California,” Meghan, 43, said in a Sunday, January 12, statement shared on Netflix’s Tudum.

Meghan lives near L.A. in Montecito, California, with her husband, Prince Harry, and their two children: Princess Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3. The couple, who stepped down from their royal duties in 2020, have been lending a hand amid the natural disaster — both were seen volunteering with World Central Kitchen on Friday, January 10.

Meghan is a California native and filmed With Love in the Sunshine State. In the show, she will share her love for lifestyle trends, cooking, gardening and more with viewers and her famous friends.

Was Meghan Markle’s Netflix Show Actually Filmed in Her Montecito Home?

Initially slated for release later this month, the eight-episode series will now hit the streaming platform on Tuesday, March 4.

“In each episode, we join Meghan in the kitchen, garden — and even at the beehive — as she prepares to host friends both old and new,” a Netflix description reads. “Whether Meghan is sharing personal tips and tricks, or taking the opportunity to learn something new, it’s a time for connection.”

A trailer debuted weeks earlier in January, in which Meghan showed off her skills.

Meghan Markles With Love Netflix Show Premiere Delayed After Los Angeles Wildfires
Courtesy of Netflix

“I’ve always loved taking something pretty ordinary and elevating it,” she mused in the footage. “Surprising people with moments that lets them know I was thinking of them.”

The Duchess of Sussex will be joined by the likes of Mindy Kaling (who appeared in the trailer), Abigail Spencer, celebrity chef Roy Choi and Alice Waters.

“I was just on my maternity leave and Meghan texted me and said, ‘Hey, do you wanna come be in my show … come to Montecito and have me cook for you?’” Kaling, 45, told Deadline earlier this month. “And I was like, ‘Yeah, that sounds perfect. I would love to do that.’”

Why Meghan Markle's Next Phase Is 'Organic to Who She Is'

According to Kaling, Meghan’s culinary skills “unsurprisingly kind of blew me out of the water.”

“The thing about her recipes and being there is that it’s just really accessible,” Kaling gushed. “She has a garden from scratch, which I could never do, and chickens … they’d probably all die if I tried to take care of chickens. I was like, ‘Oh, this is very accessible.’”

Meghan and the Sex Lives of College Girls creator have been friends for years. In fact, Kaling previously appeared on Meghan’s “Archetypes” podcast before receiving a limited sample of her American Riviera Orchard strawberry jam.

With Love, Meghan premieres on Netflix Tuesday, March 4.

Check the LAFD website for local wildfire alerts and click here for resources on how to help those affected.

Little Mix Alum Jesy Nelson Is Pregnant, Expecting Twins With Zion Foster

12 January 2025 at 13:01

Former Little Mix singer Jesy Nelson is pregnant.

“She’s eating for 3 now 👶👶,” Nelson, 33, and boyfriend Zion Foster wrote in a joint Instagram post on Sunday, January 12, announcing what appears to be a twin pregnancy and sharing a simple maternity photo.

In the snap, Nelson held a Polaroid picture of her and Foster, 26. The British singer wore a white sports bra and a pair of camouflage pants that showed off her bare baby bump. Foster rested his hand on Nelson’s belly.

Nelson also reshared the upload onto her Instagram Stories with two baby emojis, again appearing to indicate that she is expecting twins.

Perrie Edwards Calls Little Mix's Jesy Nelson Drama 'Heartbreaking'

Her famous friends celebrated the happy news in the comments section.

“Massive congrats! The best thing in the world xx,” former Love Island UK host Laura Whitmore, who shares a daughter with husband Iain Stirling, commented.

Dancer Aaron Pring added, “You deserve every happiness Jesy! Congratulations 🥳❤.”

Nelson and Foster have been linked since January 2022. They later collaborated on the duet “Mine” in August 2024.

Nearly five years earlier, Nelson wasn’t sure if parenthood would be in the cards.

Little Mix Alum Jesy Nelson Is Pregnant, Seemingly Expecting Twins With Zion Foster: 'Eating for 3'
Jesy Nelson and Zion Foster Courtesy of Jesy Nelson/Instagram

“No, I don’t want children. It’s just not in me,” she told Glamour UK in October 2021. “I think as a woman, [motherhood is] either in you or it isn’t. You either have that maternal feeling or you don’t, and I’ve never had that feeling.”

She added at the time, “I think women have to do what is right for them. My mum is my hero. She brought up four kids single-handed. To me, she is Wonder Woman, but I know it was hard. There’s never been a part of me that’s thought, ‘Oh, I’d really love a baby.’ I’ve been so in love, thought ‘this is the one for me,’ but [I’ve] still not wanted a baby.”

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Nelson rose to fame as part of the U.K.’s Little Mix alongside Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards and Leigh-Anne Pinnock after they were put together as a group on The X Factor UK in 2011. Nelson was the first member to leave, announcing her exit in December 2020. The rest of the musicians went on an indefinite hiatus in 2024.

Nelson is now the third Little Mix star to become a mother. Pinnock, 33, shares 3-year-old twin daughters with husband Andre Grey, while Edwards, 31, and fiancé Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are parents to 3-year-old son Axel. Pinnock and Edwards were pregnant at the same time.

© Ricky Vigil M / Justin E Palmer/GC Images

Liam Payne and Zayn Malik’s Ups and Downs After Their One Direction Days

12 January 2025 at 12:40
Liam Payne and Zayn Mailk s Ups and Downs Friendship and More 811
Stefania D'Alessandro/Getty Images

Liam Payne and Zayn Malik experienced a series of ups and downs over the years.

Both musicians were thrust into the spotlight alongside Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson while on The X Factor in 2010 to form One Direction. After releasing four albums as a group, Malik announced his departure from the boy band in March 2015.

“He had to do what he had to do really, for himself,” Payne said of Malik during a May 2015 interview. “It’s fine. We’re just going to carry on doing what we’re doing. We wish him all the best with whatever he goes into and stuff. We’ll just have to see what happens.”

The boy band continued without Malik, releasing one more record before their December 2015 hiatus.

As One Direction went their separate ways and the guys kicked off their solo endeavors, Payne (who died at age 31 in October 2024) offered insight into some of the band’s dynamics — including his relationship with Malik.

Everything the One Direction Alums Have Said About Leaving the Band

Keep scrolling to see Payne and Malik’s ups and downs over the years:

No Bad Blood

In 2017, Payne said all was “fine and good” with Malik despite the “Pillowtalk” singer’s negative comments about being in the group.

“If he feels hurt and scorned in some sort of way that I don’t really understand, that’s down to him so there we go,” Payne shared on “The Dan Wootton Interview” podcast at the time. “It is very sad because One Direction was a wonderful, wonderful time in all of our lives.”

Subtle Shade Toward Malik

“Zayn makes music, but he doesn’t really perform,” Payne stated on the “Killing It” podcast in April 2020. “For him, he had such performance anxiety that he just couldn’t put his head around it.”

Liam Payne and Zayn Mailk s Ups and Downs Friendship and More 810
Michael Buckner/AMA2014/Getty Images for DCP

Payne recalled watching Malik’s “really great” first solo performance after leaving the group.

“I think he is just kind of happy,” Payne speculated. “He likes going to the studio, making the songs, he just doesn’t want to do anything that happens after that. But he is streaming hugely.”

The TikTok Poking Fun

In September 2021, Payne posted a now-viral TikTok poking fun at Malik’s departure from One Direction and asked fans to “see the funny side” of it.

Payne could be seen mouthing the words: “Are we absolutely sure what direction we’re going?” He wrote, “POV the meeting after Zayn quit,” on the screen.

The Podcast Drama

Payne admitted there were “many reasons” why he didn’t like Malik during a May 2022 appearance on Logan Paul’s “Impaulsive” podcast. However, the “Strip That Down” singer said there are “many reasons” why “he’ll always be on [Malik’s] side” too.

Most notably, Payne referenced Mailk’s upbringing and compared their home lives while growing up.

“My parents are overly supportive to the point where it’s annoying at times. Zayn had a different upbringing in that sense,” Payne shared. “You can always look at the man for where he is and say, ‘Oh, yeah, whatever, that guy’s a d—.’ But at the end of the day, once you’re understanding what he’s been through to get to that point — and also whether or not he wanted to be there.”

Former One Direction Members: Where Are They Now?

During the same interview, Payne notoriously noted that he and one of his former One Direction band members “hated each other” during their time in the band. (Payne’s ex-fiancée Maya Henry has since revealed he was talking about Malik.)

“Like, come to blows hate each other, it was close,” he said. “There was one moment where there was an argument backstage, and one member in particular threw me up a wall.”

Following the comments, Malik posted a since-deleted video of him singing his famous riff from One Direction’s “You & I,” which fans took as a response.

Payne’s Apology

Liam Payne and Zayn Mailk s Ups and Downs Friendship and More 809
Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

The following month, Payne seemingly addressed the podcast comments.

“I wouldn’t normally comment on this stuff but when it’s your family it’s hard to let it slide,” he shared via X in June 2022. “They mentioned a specific incident involving Zayn which I responded to — but listening back maybe I didn’t articulate myself as well as I could have.”

The social media post continued: “I was saying that there will always be things we disagree on but that I will always, always be on his side. That’s family. Zayn is my brother and I will stand by him forever.”

Having Malik’s Support

Payne also addressed the “Impaulsive” podcast comments in a July 2023 YouTube video.

“A lot of what I said came from the wrong place,” he admitted. “I was so angry at what was going on around me and instead of taking a look inwards I decided to look outwards at everybody else and I just think, yeah, I took it out on everybody else, which is just wrong, really.”

Addressing Malik by name, Payne added: “The rest of the boys really stuck by me when I needed them most, they kinda came to the rescue. Even Zayn, as well, which is why I did send him a little thank you online.”

Liam Payne and Zayn Mailk s Ups and Downs Friendship and More 808
David M. Benett/Getty Images

Still Supporting Each Other

Payne commented on a June 2023 Instagram post that showed Malik teasing new music.

“This sounds big already,” he wrote. Malik replied, saying, “Appreciate it bro, thanks for the love.”

Forever in His Heart

“Liam, I have found myself talking out loud to you, hoping you can hear me, I can’t help but think selfishly that there are so many more conversations for us to have in our lives. I never got to thank you for supporting me through some of the most difficult times in my life,” Malik wrote via Instagram in October 2024, one day after Payne died in Argentina. “When I was missing home as a 17-year-old kid you would always be there with a positive outlook and reassuring smile and let me know that you were my friend and that I loved.”

Malik recalled thinking that although Payne was younger than him, he was “always more sensible,” saying, “You were headstrong, opinionated, and gave no f— about telling people when they were wrong. Even though we butted heads because of this a few times, I always secretly respected you for it,” he continued.

The “Dusk Till Dawn” singer gushed about Payne’s musical talents, noting that he was “the most qualified in every sense.” He confessed that he was a “novice child with no experience” when he met Payne. (Malik also shared a photo from their 1D days in which the two slept soundly on the road.)

“I was always happy to know, no matter what happened on stage we could always rely on you to know which way to steer the ship next,” Malik wrote. “I lost a brother when you left us and can’t explain to you what I’d give to just give you a hug one last time and say goodbye to you properly and tell you that I loved and respected you dearly.”

He concluded: “I will cherish all the memories I have with you in my heart forever, there is no words that justify or explain how I feel right now other than beyond devastated. I hope that wherever you are right now you are good and are at peace and you know how loved you are. Love you bro.”

Malik went on to honor Payne during a November 2024 concert. Before the encore of Malik’s show, the lights flicked off and on as a memorial graphic was shown. “Liam Payne 1993-2024,” the sign read. “Love you bro ❤.” Malik’s song “Stardust” played in the background.

Kelly Stafford and Kids Arrive in Arizona for Playoff Game: 'Happy Place'

12 January 2025 at 12:27
Kelly Stafford Arrives in Arizona for Husband Matt's Playoff Game With Kids After Hospital Stay
Kelly, Matthew Stafford and kids Courtesy of Kelly Stafford/Instagram

After Kelly Stafford and her four daughters left the hospital following an undisclosed illness, they hit the road to cheer on Matthew Stafford’s first Los Angeles Rams playoff game.

“Found our happy place in AZ,” Kelly, 35, wrote via Instagram Stories on Sunday, January 12, along with a snap of two of her daughters looking less than pleased at a Waffle House restaurant. “I promise we are happy.”

Kelly and Matthew, 36, have been together since college, later welcoming four daughters. They share twins Sawyer and Chandler, 6, Hunter, now 4, and Tyler, 2.

During their Sunday brunch, the Stafford girls noshed on waffles, eggs, hash browns and bacon.

Kelly Stafford Is Renting Buses to Get Rams Fans to Arizona for Playoffs

“My southern ❤is so happy,” the Georgia native wrote in a follow-up post, sharing a photo of their plates.

Several hours earlier, Kelly shared that she had taken her daughters to a local emergency room. It is not clear which child was sick or what the diagnosis was.

“Last night was long,” she wrote in a Saturday, January 11, upload. “Back in beds and sleeping, everyone except Hunter. Feels like she drank a Celsius. … Before that tho, they were all smiles getting to go with daddy on his work trip.”

Kelly Stafford Arrives in Arizona for Husband Matt's Playoff Game With Kids After Hospital Stay
Courtesy of Kelly Stafford/Instagram

Kelly brought the girls along for Matthew’s “work trip” to Arizona for the Rams’ Wild Card matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. The game was scheduled to be played at L.A.’s SoFi Stadium but was moved amid the ongoing wildfires in and around the Los Angeles area.

“It’s a tough thing to watch on the news, to be around, to see,” Matthew said in a press conference earlier this week. “Driving around seeing all that, it’s just really sad to see what’s going on. Obviously, a bunch of people [are] doing everything they possibly can to try and get things under control and get people back to normal as quickly as possible.”

Matthew Stafford and Wife Kelly Stafford's Family Album With 4 Daughters

He added, “Every time we suit up, we’re the Los Angeles Rams. We play for the people in this community. The people in this community support us. This week will be another example of that, obviously. Hopefully a great escape for people who have been going through a lot of tough times.”

Kelly, for her part, organized a slew of charter buses to transport Rams fans to Arizona in time for the Monday, January 13, football game.

“Have a safe drive,” she wrote via Instagram on Sunday, reposting a fan’s grateful message about the offer. “See y’all soon.”

Check the LAFD website for local wildfire alerts and click here for resources on how to help those affected.

Naya Rivera’s Ex Ryan Dorsey Wishes Her a Heavenly Birthday

12 January 2025 at 12:24
Ryan Dorsey Wishes Naya Rivera a Heavenly Birthday
Naya Rivera and husband Ryan Dorsey Gregg DeGuire/WireImage

Ryan Dorsey is paying tribute to his late ex Naya Rivera four years after her death.

🤍.Happy Heavenly Birthday. 🤍,” Dorsey, 41, wrote via Instagram on Sunday, January 12. “5 birthdays since you’ve been gone. Thoughts everyday about how it went wrong. The memories attached to places, Still see all the things, see all our faces.”

“Visions of happiness and sadness, 15 years flash by when I hear a certain song. I shake my head often still in disbelief, They say time heals all, but all is not grief,” he continued. “Doing the best I can for our JoJo Binx, As the time goes by, Im often alone and sit and think.I think more of our better times, Like this picture from the past, but it still f—— stings.”

Alongside his message, Dorsey shared a picture of him and Rivera walking hand in hand while attending a previous Golden Globes award show.

Naya Rivera's Ex Ryan Dorsey Mourns Dog's Death: 'Keep Mommy Company'

“So give Emmy and Lucy one good rub, And if you’re reading this, Be kind to the ones you love, You’ll never know when you give your last hug. 🤍.” (Emmy and Lucy were the former couple’s dogs.)

Dorsey and Rivera tied the knot in 2014 and welcomed son Josey the following year. “They are so excited to be first-time parents,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly at the time. “It was a very easy pregnancy and birth. Naya was born to be a mother and is doing really great so far. And Ryan has amazing paternal instincts and has been waiting on them both hand and foot.”

The pair divorced in 2018, coparenting their son until Rivera died in July 2020 at age 33. Rivera was swimming at Lake Piru in California with Josey when she drowned.

Since her death, Dorsey has continued to honor Rivera via emotional social media tributes. In January 2023, Dorsey commemorated Rivera’s birthday with a series of throwback photos of her and Josey.

Ryan Dorsey’s Sweetest Moments With His and Naya Rivera’s Son Josey

“A little easier with each little bit of time that passes by to look at pictures…but I still don’t have the answers to the questions to the why’s our sweet boy asks from time to time. I never will,” he wrote via Instagram. “Doing the best we can. 🕊🦋Fly high 🦋🕊.”

He continued, “If you’re reading this no matter what you’re going through, take a moment of gratitude that you’re still here on this ride. I know some days are harder than others to get up, but keep we just gotta keep pushing onward. 🫶.”

Ashley Tisdale Addresses Mental Health in Emotional Post Amid L.A. Fires

12 January 2025 at 12:20
Ashley Tisdale Shares Emotional IG Story on Mental Health Amid LA Wildfires
Ashley Tisdale Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Ashley Tisdale is opening up about the toll the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires are taking on her mental health.

“There are times in my life due to my mental health where I feel very alone, even when I’m out to dinner with friends,” Tisdale, 39, wrote in an emotional post shared via her Instagram Stories on Saturday, January 11.

“This experience has shown me how many amazing people I have in my life and I am far from alone,” she continued. “The amount of people checking in with each other is so amazing. You realize in dark moments you have each other. The human connection is not lost. Shout out to the mom group that’s there in the highs and the lows.”

Tisdale went on to tag several of her friends in the post, including Hilary Duff, Mandy Moore and Meghan Trainor.

Celebrities Share Personal Photos of Heartbreaking Los Angeles Wildfires

In another candid post, Tisdale also opened up about how difficult it is to parent during such a heartbreaking time.

Ashley Tisdale Shares Emotional IG Story on Mental Health Amid LA Wildfires
Courtesy of Ashley Tisdale/Instagram

“It’s all too much,” she posted, as reported by Entertainment Tonight. “Trying to be a parent to my two kids while I’m scared as hell and calling my own parents. I’m traumatized.”

Tisdale and her husband Christopher French share two daughters, Jupiter Iris and Emerson Clover.

At least 16 people have lost their lives as a result of the five wildfires burning in and around the greater Los Angeles area, according to local officials who stressed the death toll is likely to climb as more search and recovery efforts are underway. According to NBC News, the first have burned through at least 37,000 acres and have destroyed or severely damaged more than 12,000 structures. Thousands of residents have been forced to flee their homes under mandatory evacuation orders.

Spencer Pratt Defends Mandy Moore Amid Wildfire GoFundMe Backlash

Tisdale’s BFF, Moore, 40, has also been vocal on social media about the devastating fires and how they are impacting her and her family, including her in-laws who she says lost their home in the blaze.

Ashley Tisdale Shares Emotional IG Story on Mental Health Amid LA Wildfires
AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

“We were able to park and walk up our street to bear witness to all the loss,” Moore wrote in one Instagram post on Friday, January 11. “Miraculously, the main part of our house is still standing. For now.”

“It’s not livable but mostly intact,” Moore continued. “We lost Taylor and griffin’s studio with every instrument and piece of equipment they’ve ver owned. We lost our garage and back house. Everyone we know lost everything. Every house on our street is gone. My in laws. My brother and sister in law — 6 weeks from welcoming their first baby. Our best friends. Feeling weird survivors guilt. We love this community and will do everything we can to help rebuild and support. Thanks for everyone for checking on us and offering us help. Altadena strong.”

Check the LAFD website for local wildfire alerts and click here for resources on how to help those affected.

Tori Spelling Says Ex Dean’s New Hallmark Movie Brought ‘Levity’ to Family

12 January 2025 at 12:01
Tori Spelling Supports Dean McDermott's New Hallmark Movie After Fire Evacuation: 'Need Some Levity'
Tori Spelling and Dean Mcdermott Andrew J Cunningham/Getty Images

Tori Spelling is estranged husband Dean McDermott’s biggest fan amidst their divorce.

“Our family is so proud,” Spelling, 51, gushed via Instagram Story on Saturday, January 11. “We need some levity right now. Watch @iamdeanmcdermott new movie Polar Opposites on Hallmark tonight.”

Polar Opposites, which premiered on Saturday, leads off the network’s slate of “Winter Escape” programming. The film stars Rhiannon Fish as illustrator Emma, who stows away on a cruise to Antarctica with engineer Andy (Markian Tarasiuk) in a bid to help her ailing dad working as a researcher in the arctic country. Emma’s father is played by McDermott, 58.

Spelling and McDermott married in 2004 and separated 19 years later in 2024. Together, they share five children. (McDermott is also father to son Jack from a previous relationship.)

Why Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott Decided Divorce is ‘Best for Everyone’

Earlier this week, Spelling and the children were forced to evacuate their Los Angeles home amidst the ongoing wildfires.

“The post I didn’t want to have to do … days of watching destruction and monitoring and living in fear,” Spelling wrote via Instagram on Friday, January 10. “I haven’t posted or shared bc social media was saturated [with] amazing kindness, sorrowful loss, helpful shares and pleas. I didn’t want to be redundant. But, last night we were evacuated.”

She added, “I tried my best to hang in there and not just flee to flee but we had to finally. My hearts are with everyone who has lost and suffered so much. But, as a mama bear [with] 5 kiddos & fur babies your gut tells you when it’s time to take action.”

Tori Spelling Supports Dean McDermott's New Hallmark Movie After Fire Evacuation: 'Need Some Levity'
Markian Tarasiuk, Rhiannon Fish, Dean McDermott, Maeve Quinlan Courtesy Johnson/Hallmark

Spelling drove her kids — and their menagerie of pets — to safety.

“Friends who care told me for days to pack and have a plan. I should have listened,” she wrote on Friday. “I fit us all in barely. No clothes. But grabbed photo albums. And fled. … @airbnb saved us! Literally! They stepped in and found something to house our massive family and pets and same night.”

Spelling further concluded that her family is “OK.”

Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott's Ups and Downs

“We are some of the lucky ones,” she added. “It looked and felt like a movie I’d seen too many times. … We are safe. Woke up to a koi pond & a monarch butterfly sanctuary. Thanks, Dad!”

Tori is the daughter of Candy Spelling and the late Aaron Spelling, whose L.A. mansion was also lost in the fires.

A string of wildfires broke out in the Pacific Palisades and other surrounding neighborhoods earlier this week, ravaging thousands of acres of property. According to local officials, at least 16 individuals have died. Many residents also fled their homes under mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders.

Check the LAFD website for local wildfire alerts and click here for resources on how to help those affected.

Comedian Deon Cole Evacuates L.A. Shortly After Hospital Stay Due to Fires

12 January 2025 at 11:53
Comedian Deon Cole Evacuates LA Shortly After Hospital Stay
Deon Cole Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

Days after experiencing an unspecified health scare that landed him in the hospital, comedian Deon Cole was forced to evacuate his home in Los Angeles due to the ongoing wildfires.

“This day is devastating!!!! Left the hospital earlier, sick af, went home, then had to packed what I could to evacuate,” Cole, 53, wrote via Instagram on Saturday, January 12. “As I drove away I seen the fire rising from behind my house, It’s a nightmare!!! I got the flowers my mom gave me before she passed tho.”

Alongside his caption, Cole had shared a video he’d taken from the car as he drove through his neighborhood, capturing the thick smoke and intense, red glare of the fire as it continued to burn through the Los Angeles neighborhood. “Oh my God, look at this,” the Barbershop star can be heard saying in the video. “It’s right over my house.”

Cole, who celebrated his birthday on Thursday, January 9, had spent the day in the hospital following a health issue. He shared a selfie from his hospital bed via Instagram just two days before he was released and forced to evacuate, but did not provide any additional information regarding his health.

Celebrities Share Personal Photos of Heartbreaking Los Angeles Wildfires

“Thank u all for your birthday well wishes. I sure could use them. Thank you all,” he wrote via Instagram earlier this week.

Comedian Deon Cole Evacuates LA Shortly After Hospital Stay
Deon Cole Paras Griffin/Getty Images

Cole is one of tens of thousands of people whose home has been destroyed by the wildfires that began raging through the greater Los Angeles area on Tuesday, January 7.

A windstorm caused brush fires to move quickly through the Pacific Palisades and other Los Angeles neighborhoods — including Malibu and the Hollywood Hills — destroying or severely damaging more than 12,000 structures, and placing over 150,000 people under mandatory evacuation orders.

A number of celebrities have lost their homes due to the historic fires, including Paris Hilton, Anna Faris, Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt, Billy Crystal, Mel Gibson and Milo Ventimiglia. Other stars like Mark Hamill, Jennie Garth and Mandy Moore are among those who were ordered to evacuate.

Which Stars Have Been Affected by the Los Angeles Fires?

Hilton, 43, shared a video of what was left of her home via Instagram on Thursday, January 9, which had been completely burned to the ground.

“I’m standing here in what used to be our home and the heartbreak is truly indescribable.💔🥺,” she wrote. “When I first saw the news, I was in complete shock — I couldn’t process it. But now, standing here and seeing it with my own eyes, it feels like my heart has shattered into a million pieces.😢💔

She continued, “This house wasn’t just a place to live — It was where we dreamed, laughed, and created the most beautiful memories as a family. It was where Phoenix’s little hands made art that I’ll cherish forever, where love and life filled every corner. To see it reduced to ashes… it’s devastating beyond words. (Hilton shares son Phoenix, 2, and daughter London, 12 months, with husband Carter Reum.)

Check the LAFD website for local wildfire alerts and click here for resources on how to help those affected.

Why Ali Larter and Her Family Left L.A. for Idaho Town 4 Years Ago

12 January 2025 at 11:34
Ali Larter Explains Why She and Her Family Left Los Angeles for ‘Small Town’ in Idaho 4 Years Ago
Hayes MacArthur, Ali Larter and kids Courtesy of Ali Larter/Instagram

Ali Larter and her husband, Hayes MacArthur, relocated from Los Angeles to a small town in Idaho amid the coronavirus pandemic — and they wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Our kids’ schools were shut down during COVID and we were like, ‘Why are we just sitting here?’ It was not working at all in Los Angeles,” Larter, 48, said on the Friday, January 10, episode of Live With Kelly and Mark. “So, my husband said, ‘Let’s take a road trip to Idaho [and] go skiing with the kids.”

Larter and MacArthur, 47, have been married since 2008 and share son Theodore, 14, and daughter Vivienne, 9. Their lockdown winter getaway eventually turned into a two-month stay.

“We fall in love with nature and the mountains and this entire new life,” the Landman actress gushed on Friday. “We totally pivoted and went for it. We literally had our house [in California] for less than a year. We went back to L.A. and we realized we wanted to put our family first.”

Ali Larter ‘Never Believed’ She’d Leave Hollywood and Settle Down in Idaho

Larter added, “Our life is so different there and it’s a small town, and it kind of holds you to a different type of accountability. It’s something that me and Hayes really wanted to do for our children, so we did.”

Larter further explained that their family now has “a real life” that is “rooted in reality” since they moved to the mountains.

“We’re so grateful,” Larter said, later joking that son Theodore initially wasn’t happy by the move. “He likes fast cars and designer colognes and that whole thing, like, he wants to be in the big city. I’m like, ‘At 18, you can go [back].’ … He really likes it now and I think he understands how great his wolf pack is there.”

According to Larter, she and MacArthur also “feel if you can hike a mountain, you can run a boardroom.”

“We just believe in raising them that way,” she concluded.

Stars Who Left Hollywood Behind: Cameron Diaz, Michael Schoeffling and More

Larter and MacArthur settled their brood in the small resort town of Sun Valley, which has previously played host to a number of famous faces and acclaimed festivals and business conferences through the years.

“We fell in love with the beauty of the mountains and their quiet grandness,” Larter told Rue Magazine in a September 2024 profile. “Neither of us had ever lived in a small town before. People look out for each other. There’s a real sense of community here and we’re so happy to be a part of it.”

Djimon Hounsou ‘Struggling Financially’ in Hollywood, Despite Oscar Noms

12 January 2025 at 11:23

Djimon Hounsou has dozens of award-winning films and two Oscar nominations under his belt, but the actor says he still struggles financially and is “definitely underpaid.”

In a new interview with CNN published on Friday, January 10, the Beninese-born actor, 60, said he doesn’t feel he has been compensated fairly for his work and still faces systemic racism in the industry.

“I’m still struggling trying to make a living,” Hounsou, who earned Oscar nominations for In America (2002) and Blood Diamond (2006), told Larry Madowo. “I’ve been in this business making films now for over two decades with two Oscar nominations, been in many blockbuster films, and yet, I’m still struggling financially. I’m definitely underpaid.”

Hounsou, whose best-known performances include Ridley Scott’s Gladiator (2000), Steven Spielberg’s Amistad (1997)and The Quiet Place franchise, went on to discuss racism in Hollywood.

Biggest Oscars Controversies in History: The Slap, Adele Dazeem and More

“I was nominated for the Golden Globe [for Amistad], but they ignored me for the Oscars, talking about the fact that they thought that I had just came off the boat and off the streets,” Hounsou stated in the CNN interview. “Even though I successfully did that [film], they just didn’t feel like I was an actor for whom they should pay any respect. This conceptual idea of diversity still has a long way to go. Systemic racism don’t change like that anytime soon.”

Hounsou — who shares 15-year-old son Kenzo with ex Kimora Lee Simmons and 2-year-old son Fela with partner Ri’Za — has been open about his career struggles in previous interviews. In a 2023 sit-down with The Guardian, Hounsou said he “felt seriously cheated” after his Blood Diamond costar Leonardo DiCaprio got the best actor nod while he was left in the supporting actor category despite the movie focusing on his character’s journey.

“Today, we talk so much about the Oscars being so white, but I remember there was a time where I had no support at all: no support from my own people, no support from the media, from the industry itself. It felt like: ‘You should be happy that you’ve got nominated,’ and that’s that.”

Two Time Oscar Nominee Djimon Hounsou Reveals He Is Still Struggling to Make A Living in Hollywood
Djimon Hounsou Clay Enos/Netflix

He continued: “I’m still struggling to try to make a dollar! I’ve come up in the business with some people who are absolutely well off and have very little of my accolades. So I feel cheated, tremendously cheated, in terms of finances and in terms of the workload as well.”

“I still have to prove why I need to get paid,” he added later in the interview. “They always come at me with a complete low ball: ‘We only have this much for the role, but we love you so much and we really think you can bring so much.’”

Margot Robbie and More Stars Who Are Continually Snubbed by the Oscars

In 2025, he’s set to star in Beneath the Storm alongside Phoebe Dynevor and The Zealot with Kodi Smit-McPhee after making appearances in a few DC and Marvel films. Still, Hounsou insisted to The Guardian that studios assumed he “went back” to Africa after Amistad and wasn’t “a true actor.”

“When you hear things like that, you can see that some people’s vision of you, or what you represent, is very limiting,” he said. “But it is what it is. It’s up to me to redeem that.”

© Bryan Bedder/Getty Images

Bob the Drag Queen Defends Targeting Housewives on ‘The Traitors’

12 January 2025 at 11:20
Bob the Drag Queen Defends Targeting Housewives on ‘The Traitors’: ‘Get Over It’
Bob the Drag Queen, Chelsea Guglielmino/Getty Images ; John Nacion/Getty Image ; Jeff Spicer/Getty Images

Bob the Drag Queen is aware it was a controversial move to murder two Housewives on The Traitors.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for season 3 of The Traitors.

While recalling his decision with fellow traitors — Danielle Reyes and Carolyn Wiger — to kill The Real Housewives of New York’s Dorinda Medley in episode two, Bob, 38, explained they agreed someone from the Bravo franchise should leave because they “have the strongest numbers.”

“The Survivor people do not like each other. The Housewives are friends,” Bob said on a Friday, January 10, YouTube livestream recapping the first three episodes. “The Survivor people and the Big Brother people have all backstabbed each other, they’ve hurt each other, so they are not buddy-buddy. The Housewives are buddy-buddy, and we do not think they will turn on themselves unless they want to make a point, right?”

[Spoiler] Cried Their ‘Eyes Out’ After Being Murdered 1st on ‘Traitors’

Despite Wiger, 38, thinking Medley, 60, could be a “good shield,” Bob (real name Christopher Delmar Caldwell) said they decided to kill the RHONY alum.

“This really pissed people off on the internet,” Bob said of their decision. “I don’t know this woman. I don’t know that she’s this icon on Real Housewives. I don’t know [if] she’s causing a scene. I have no clue who Dorinda is, so I’m like, ‘Girl, kill her.’ I don’t know, let’s pick someone, because they’re all strangers to me.”

Bob the Drag Queen Defends Targeting Housewives on ‘The Traitors’: ‘Get Over It’
Lord Ivar Mountbatten, Chanel Ayan, Bob Harper, Dolores Catania, Wells Adams, Danielle Reyes, Gabby Windey, Jeremy Collins, Dorinda Medley, Tom Sandoval, Chrishell Stause, Tony Vlachos, Bob The Drag Queen, Robyn Dixon, Chanel Ayan, Ciara Miller, Dylan Efron, Carolyn Wiger, Nikki Garcia, Sam Asghari Euan Cherry/Peacock

The next morning, the contestants gathered for breakfast and discovered that Medley was missing. While the group’s reactions were shown on camera, Bob and Reyes, 52, were seen crying — but he insisted his emotions were genuine.

“I was not acting,” Bob said. “It genuinely was sad for someone to go. Her dreams got crushed. Yes, I did it, yes I did it,but it was still sad. … I was never really acting on the show. If I was crying, I really was crying because I was emotional. It was also a crazy time in my life.”

‘The Traitors’ Season 3 Cast Includes Sandoval, Chrishell and Gabby Windey

While reflecting on her exit from the show, Medley said she “cried my eyes out.” She told Decider in an interview published Friday, “When I saw that envelope, it was so unexpected. First of all, I think I should have been a traitor. But it was so devastating because unlike the Housewives, where you can sort of go on and you’re in control of what you say, how you say it, what you’re doing … this, you just have no control over.”

Medley shared why she thought the traitors went after the Housewives. “I just think they realized that the Housewives are strong characters. We’re opinionated, and we’re strong,” Medley said. “I think people especially think of me as a strong woman who’s been through a lot of stuff and doesn’t take a lot of bulls—.”

After Wells Adams gets banished from the castle, the traitors’ next move was to kill The Real Housewives of Dubai’s Chanel Ayan. (Boston Rob joined the traitors after their first murder.)

“I know, guys. I know you’re mad at me. Get over it,” Bob told fans on Friday, before explaining his strategy. “Ayan will never get out at the round table. That will never happen, so how are we going to get her out? We have to kill her, right. … I do feel bad that she got murdered but it is what happened.”

The Traitors season 3 airs on Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on Peacock.

RHOC's Gina Kirschenheiter Donating Real Estate Services to Wildfire Victims

12 January 2025 at 10:45
RHOCs Gina K Donating Real Estate Services to Wildfire Victims
Gina Kirschenheiter JC Olivera/Strike Media via Getty Images

Real Housewives of Orange County star Gina Kirschenheiter is donating her real estate services to those who have been displaced by the wildfires raging through the greater Los Angeles area.

“My favorite part about being a realtor is helping people secure the place where life happens. Thinking about so many people losing that is heartbreaking,” Gina, 40, wrote via Instagram on Sunday, January 12, alongside a video of her and boyfriend Travis Mullen. In the video, the couple explained their plan to help those relocating to Orange County from Los Angeles.

“We’ve been thinking of ways that we could try to help in a meaningful way,” Travis said in the video. “So, The Gated Group, along with our team, has decided we’re going to help anybody that has to relocate because of the fires from L.A. and are choosing to come to Orange County.”

Gina added, “Whether it’s a rental or you need to buy a home in Orange County, the Gated Group will represent you, and 100% of the commission will either be donated directly right back to you, or to any relief fund that is helping to aid anybody and everybody who has been affected by the fires.”

Jason Oppenheim Says Agency Will Represent L.A. Wildfire Victims 'For Free'

In her caption, Gina also directed her followers to realtor Kyle Whissel, who is offering similar real estate services for those relocating to San Diego from Los Angeles because of the fires.

“And for anyone looking to go down to San Diego, reach out to @kylewhissel …..he has graciously offered to do the same ❤,” she wrote. “Stay safe, you are in our hearts LA County ❤.”

Tens of thousands of people have been forced to evacuate in the wake of the ongoing wildfires, which have been burning since the morning of Tuesday, January 7. A windstorm sparked fast-moving brush fires through the Pacific Palisades and other Los Angeles neighborhoods, destroying or severely damaging upwards of 12,000 structures.

Hollywood A-listers, such as Paris Hilton, Anna Faris, Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt, Billy Crystal, Mel Gibson and Milo Ventimiglia, have all lost their homes as a result of the historic fires. According to the Los Angeles Times, 150,000 are under mandatory evacuation orders and, as of Sunday, January 12, the death toll has risen to 16 people, per NBC News.

Celebrities Share Personal Photos of Heartbreaking Los Angeles Wildfires

Several celebrities have lent a helping hand since the start of the fires. Jamie Lee Curtis announced on Thursday, January 9, that she would be donating $1 million to relief efforts, while Sharon Stone is working with LA-based store The Coop to gather donations for people who have been displaced.

“This is the moment to reach out to anyone who lives in Los Angeles, who you think might be in some sort of traumatic shock and grief about losing their homes and the devastation of their neighborhoods and communities and offer your hand, home and resources,” Curtis wrote via Instagram on Thursday. “We are going to have to come together,as we may never have done before, in the City of Angels and help each other. AND WE WILL!”

Check the LAFD website for local wildfire alerts and click here for resources on how to help those affected.

Jason Kelce Told Kylie to 'Try Harder' After She Used This Tinder Line

12 January 2025 at 10:31
Kylie Kelce Reveals Tinder Pick Up Line She Used on Husband Jason And He Told Her to Try Harder
Jason and Kylie Kelce Courtesy of Kylie Kelce /Instagram

It was hardly love at first swipe for Jason Kelce and his wife, Kylie Kelce.

“[My friends and I] were just messing around, so I swiped right,” Kylie, 32, said of coming across her now-husband’s Tinder account during the Sunday, January 12, episode of the “Sunday Sports Club” podcast. “We matched [and] I sent him a pick-up line. I said, ‘I need LifeAlert. I’ve fallen for you and I can’t get up.’”

Jason, 37, apparently was not a fan of Kylie’s opening line.

“He messaged back and was like, ‘No, you got to try harder,’” Kylie recalled to fellow NFL wife Allison Kuch. “I then messaged, ‘If I told you I work for UPS. Would you let me handle your package?’ He was like, ‘Much better. I like that one a lot better.’ … And here we are, almost four kids later.”

Jason Kelce and Pregnant Wife Kylie Kelce's Relationship Timeline

Jason and Kylie matched on the dating app in 2015 during his early tenure as a center with the Philadelphia Eagles. At the time, Kylie was a student at Cabrini University but never realized the extent of Jason’s professional football career until meeting in person. (He retired in 2024 after 14 seasons playing for the Philly team.)

“His profile bio on Tinder [said] that he wanted to cuddle and have intimate conversations about having babies and it was sarcastic but ended up being very ironic,” Kylie quipped. “But then, we continued messaging and it was, like, playful, get to know you [conversations] and after a little while I kept thinking to myself that his photos looked familiar.”

Kylie and her friends had tried to look up Jason online using “all the information [they] had,” which led them straight to the Eagles.

“My friends and I, of course, were like, ‘It’s a catfish,’” the “Not Gonna Lie” podcast host recalled. “So, when he said, ‘You should meet us at this bar,’ my one friend who’s like my ride-or-die friend … she was like, ‘We have to go because if it’s him, it’s hilarious [and] if it’s not him, it’s even funnier.”

Jason Kelce Was ‘Fireman-Carried’ by Beau Allen After 1st Date With Wife

Kylie met up with Jason at a local bar in Philly hours after his team holiday party. As he’s previously mentioned on his and brother Travis Kelce‘s “New Heights” podcast multiple times, he fell asleep on the bar top within 45 minutes. His then-teammate Beau Allen was enlisted to “fireman-carry” him home.

Jason ultimately apologized to Kylie for his inebriation, asking for a second chance at a first impression that, ultimately, went much smoother. Per Kylie, they seamlessly talked for three hours — and kept talking during subsequent dates.

“The year that I was an R.A. [at Cabrini] … he would come to campus and, like, he stayed over in my dorm more than once,” Kylie recalled. “I would have people in class two days later say, ‘Oh, so-and-so was talking about how they were walking to their 8 a.m. and [saw] Jason Kelce just walking across campus to go to his truck.’ I was like, ‘This man must really love me because why the hell else would he be on [campus].’”

Jason and Kylie eventually got married in 2018, one year before welcoming daughter Wyatt. Daughters Ellie and Bennett followed in 2021 and 2023, respectively, and they are currently expecting another baby girl in 2025.

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