Will Heath/NBC (NEW YORK) — John Mulaney is stepping back into hosting duties on Saturday Night Live.
Entertainment Weeklyreports that the former writer on the show will host the upcoming Halloween episode, with rock veterans The Strokes as the musical guest.
This is Mulaney’s fourth time hosting the show and his second time this year — he also hosted February 29, the second-to-last show filmed in-studio before production shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic and SNL went remote for the reminder of its 45th season. The iconic show returned to Studio 8H in Rockefeller Center with its season 46 premiere on October 3.
Mulaney was a writer on SNL from 2008-2012 and helped create Bill Hader’s fan-favorite Stefon character. He, Seth Meyers and Justin Timberlake won an Emmy for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics in 2011 for Timberlake’s monologue.
Monica Schipper/FilmMagic(LOS ANGELES) — After the heartbreaking loss of their French bulldog Pepper, who lost her battle to cancer last Monday, Reese Witherspoon’s daughter delighted fans by showing off the family’s newest four-legged family member.
Ava Phillippe, who is 21, announced she recently rescued a mixed breed named Benji. As it turns out, his “gotcha” day coincided with Pepper’s unexpected death.
“What a wild & bittersweet week. The day we lost Pepper just so happened to be the day I brought this sweet boy home with me,” Philippe shared on Sunday, alongside a series of photos of her adorable new fur baby. “This is Benji! He’s from the @bestfriendsanimalsociety sanctuary in Southern Utah and is a dream of a rescue dog.”
As it turns out, Benji has been crucial in helping the family heal from losing Pepper so suddenly.
“He loves to cuddle and meet new friends (human & canine) and has quickly adjusted to life in his new home environment,” detailed Philippe. “He is the happiest, smartest boy, and I’m so grateful to be his person.”
The 21-year-old also shouted out the shelter that connected her with Benji, endorsing, “I want to give many thanks to Best Friends Animal Society for all the work they do to save the lives of animals big and small and for helping me and Benji find each other.”
“Even though we just entered each other’s lives, I feel like I’ve known Benji forever,” Philippe sweetly continued. “I’m super excited for many adventures with this guy by my side!”
Phillippe honored Pepper on Tuesday, telling fans she had been battling an “aggressive cancer” for months and was showing signs of improvement before her health took a turn for the worse.
Suzanne Cordeiro/Corbis via Getty ImagesCountry music has lost one of the greats, Jerry Jeff Walker. The singer/songwriter, who is best known for writing the classic tune “Mr. Bojangles,” passed away at the age of 78.
Walker died Friday after a long battle with throat cancer, according to family spokesman John T. Davis.
Walker came into prominence in the 1960s after founding the psychedelic-folk-rock band Circus Maximus, where their 1967 single “Wind” achieved moderate success across progressive heritage stations.
Later, Walker embarked on a solo career and broke out in 1968 with his song “Mr. Bojangles,” which was inspired by a New Orleans street performer. The tune became a #9 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 for The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1970, and also has since been covered by a variety of other well-known artists, including Dolly Parton, Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, Sammy Davis Jr. and more.
Walker also recorded a notable cover of Guy Clark‘s “L.A. Freeway” in 1972 and later partnered with the Los Gonzo Band a year later to record ¡Viva Terlingua! — an album that is considered a classic among country-rock music.
After securing his place in the Texas outlaw country scene, Walker satisfied himself by creating the record label Tried & True Music alongside his wife, Susan. He also released over 30 albums that spanned his music career.
Walker was first diagnosed with throat cancer in 2017. His last release came a year later, 2018’s LP It’s About Time.
Walker is survived by his wife Susan and their two children — a son and a daughter — Django and Jessie Jane.
ABC/Image Group LAOver the weekend, Maren Morris appeared at the massive “I Will Vote” concert for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, who faces President Donald Trump in the upcoming general election.
Maren voiced her support of Biden with an impassioned speech that, she explained ahead of the event, was especially meaningful to her because it wasn’t a musical performance.
“Y’all, I have never been asked to speak at anything, only perform,” she wrote on Twitter before taking the virtual stage. “This Sunday, I am speaking to my country.”
The “Girl” star laid out her reasons for voting for Biden in the 2020 election. Maren says she grew up being taught to treat people with respect — no matter their race, political affiliation or gender identity — but the importance of those beliefs hit home in a new way after she became a mom to her son, Hayes, in March.
“It wasn’t about just me anymore. It was about him, and all of our children’s futures in this country,” she said. “What will they make of this moment 20 years from now?”
That’s the sentiment that inspired Maren to write “Better Than We Found It,” a new song that she released at the beginning of October.
“Now, I live in the world of country music, which has always been about telling the truth. And just like I believe that country music is for everyone, so is this country,” she continued, adding that she hopes the song sheds light on the importance of this election, especially for groups such as immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community and Black Americans.
“And it’s about those of us who have a civic responsibility to do everything we can to make our country better by saying, ‘We are better than this.’ It isn’t a punishment. It’s a plea,” Maren said.
Nic Antaya for The Boston Globe via Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) — Felicity Huffman has cleared the last hurdle of her punishment stemming from being found guilty of cheating the college admissions process last year.
People reports that the Desperate Housewives alum wrapped up her supervised release on Sunday, fulfilling the last stipulation of her sentence after pleading guilty of arranging for her daughter’s SAT score to be manipulated.
Prior to entering the final phase of her punishment, which was a year of supervised release, Huffman was sentenced to 14 days in prison, was ordered to pay a a $30,000 fine and serve 250 hours of community service.
Huffman fulfilled her two week prison sentence in October 2019.
The Academy Award nominated actress is expected to have her passport returned to her in the coming days after relinquishing it to the probation department at the start of her sentence.
Huffman, 57, and more than 30 other wealthy parents were caught in the largest college cheating scam ever prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice, which was dubbed Operation Varsity Blues.
Huffman was accused of making payments to William “Rick” Singer, a college-entrance tutor guru whom prosecutors identified as the ringleader of the nationwide scam, to help her daughter Sophia cheat on the SAT.
The 57-year-old actress pleaded guilty and admitted that she paid Singer $15,000 to falsify her daughter’s score by arranging for a college entrance exam proctor to correct the answers. The payment also arranged for Sophia to have more time to take the test.
With Huffman finishing her sentence, another high profile name involved in the scandal is due to report to prison on November 19 — Lori Loughlin. The Full House alum has been sentenced to serve a two month jail sentence, pay a $150,000 fine and complete 150 hours of community service.
Will Heath/NBC (NEW YORK) — John Mulaney is stepping back into hosting duties on Saturday Night Live. 
