November 2, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

ABC/Laretta Houston(LOS ANGELES) — Jeannie Mai’s Dancing with the Stars journey is ending early.

The TV host was hospitalized after being diagnosed with epiglottitis, a potentially life-threatening inflammatory condition that can cause swelling in the flap of tissue that covers the windpipe, blocking airflow to the lungs, according to the Mayo Clinic. 

Mai confirmed she has to leave DWTS because of the diagnosis.

“My doctors discovered a health concern with my throat which requires immediate attention and surgery,” she told Good Morning America in an exclusive statement. “I am heartbroken that my DWTS journey has to end here.”

“I have pushed myself to new limits physically and mentally, and I am so proud of how far we’ve come,” she added.

Mai competed with pro dancer Brandon Armstrong on the show.  The pair narrowly escaped elimination in last week’s episode, with judge Carrie Ann Inaba casting the tie-breaking vote in favor of keeping Mai in the competition.

Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

November 2, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

ABC/Randy Holmes(LONDON) — A judge in a London court handed Johnny Depp a legal defeat in his libel case against the U.K. tabloid The Sun. 

The suit stemmed from an article that was published April 27, 2018 that branded Depp a “wife beater” during his messy marriage to Aquaman actress Amber Heard — something the actor has repeatedly denied.

In documents available online, Judge Andrew Nicol dismissed Depp’s case, writing, “Although he has proved the necessary elements of his cause of action in libel, the defendants have shown that what they published in the meaning which I have held the words to bear was substantially true.”

After examining 14 incidents between the former couple brought forth during the trial, the judge concluded, “It has not been necessary to consider the fairness of the article or the defendants’ ‘malice’ because those are immaterial to the statutory defense of truth.”

Throughout the months-long case, both parties had leveled abuse claims against the other. Heard showed bruises purportedly caused by the actor, while Depp insists it was Heard who got physical with him, punching him repeatedly and at one point cutting off the tip of his finger with a thrown vodka bottle.

During the case, Depp’s lawyers called the paper’s description of his client a “reputation-destroying, career-ending allegation.”

By Stephen Iervolino
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

November 2, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Frank Trapper/Corbis via Getty Images(TEXAS) — Hollywood is mourning the death of 30-year-old actor Eddie Hassell, who was shot over the weekend.

Variety reports that Hassell, who appeared in the 2010 movie The Kids Are All Right and the NBC series Surface, was the victim of an alleged carjacking attempt.

Representatives of the late actor say Hassell was shot in Texas on Sunday and are awaiting to release more information pending police investigation.

Born in July 1990, Hassell also made appearances in the movie 2012, the Steve Jobs biopic Jobs and the Showtime series Devious Maids — among others.  He most recently appeared as a waiter in the 2017 movie Oh Lucy!

No further information, including funeral proceedings, are available at this time.

By Megan Stone
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

November 2, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Kyle Dubiel/NBC(NEW York) — This weekend’s Saturday Night Live opened with Jim Carrey returning as Joe Biden, who delivered an election-themed version of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven, helped out by Maya Rudolph’s Kamala Harris and Kate McKinnon dusting off her Hillary Clinton impersonation.

Recalling President Donald Trump’s stunning upset victory over Clinton in the 2016 election, Carrey’s Biden attempted to ease Democrats’ fears of a repeat.

“They say I’m eight points ahead. Poll numbers like that can only go wrong once in a blue moon,” he assures, only to look out the window and see a blue moon, which actually appeared on Saturday.

“That’s a little troubling,” he then deadpanned.

Carey is then interrupted by a knock on the door from “someone still a little sore.”  That someone turns out to be McKinnon’s Clinton, who warns, “We lost before.”

“I said Raven,” chides Carrey, “Stop being such a drag, we got this one in the bag.  This is what every pundit says from shore to shore.”

“Not Michael Moore,” is Clinton’s reply.

Biden’s optimism is tested by an appearance from Fivethirtyeight election guru Nate Silver, played by SNL‘s Mikey Day — referencing Silver’s website that inaccurately predicted a Clinton victory four years ago.

Rudolph’s Harris also returns with a half-hearted pep talk for America, saying, “Our nation will endure.  We will fight another day…though it is never a good sign when Walmart stops selling guns.”

Finally, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell — played by the show’s Beck Bennett — makes a brief appearance to admit he’s actually pulling for the former vice president.

Saturday’s show was hosted by comedian John Mulaney, with musical guests The Strokes.  Dave Chappelle, who hosted SNL‘s post-election show in 2016, was announced as the host of this year’s post-election installment.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alaen4fno20&w=640&h=360]