August 11, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

ABC/Todd Wawrychuk(LOS ANGELES) — Despite a hat, face covering and sunglasses, a sharp-eyed paparazzo spotted Ellen Degeneres’ wife Portia de Rossi on a dog walk in Santa Barbara, and asked her how Ellen was holding up in the wake of the toxic work environment controversy surrounding her show. 

“She’s doing great,” de Rossi insisted, according to PageSix, with the Arrested Development co-star adding that reports DeGeneres was considering walking away from the show have been exaggerated.

When pressed if Ellen planned to go on with the program, de Rossi said plainly, “Yes, she is.” 

A Buzzfeed article back in July saw former and current show staffers blast a “toxic” work environment on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, touching off an investigation from Warner Bros. Television and prompting an apology from Ellen herself, who vowed the bullying and racial tensions some say they suffered on set would not be tolerated.

“I’m committed to ensuring this does not happen again,” DeGeneres said in part in an email to staffers.

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

August 11, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

ABC/Lara Solanki(LOS ANGELES) — A never-before-seen episode of the ABC series black-ish made nearly three years ago is now available to watch on Hulu.

“In November 2017, we made an episode of black-ish entitled ‘Please, Baby, Please.’ We were one year post-election and coming to the end of a year that left us, like many Americans, grappling with the state of our country and anxious about its future,” series creator Kenya Barris wrote in a statement posted Monday on Instagram and Twitter accounts.

He continued, “Those feelings poured onto the page, becoming 22 minutes of television that I was, and still am, incredibly proud of. ‘Please, Baby, Please’ didn’t make it to air that season and, while much has been speculated about its contents, the episode has never been seen publicly… until now.”

The episode’s description on the streaming site simply reads, “Dre reads a crying Devante a bedtime story.”

Barris said he asked Walt Disney Television to make the episode available in the wake of renewed interest in the Black Lives Matter movement after George Floyd’s death on Memorial Day.

“Recognizing the importance of this moment, they listened and agreed,” he added.

“I cannot wait for everyone to finally see the episode for themselves and, as was the case nearly three years ago, we hope it inspires some much-needed conversation — not only about what we were grappling with then or how it led to where we are now, but conversations about where we want our country to go moving forward and, most importantly, how we get there together,” Barris explained.

Barris concluded by thanking ABC Entertainment “for allowing this moment to happen,” and thanking the entire black-ish family “for never shying away from tough conversations, making telling stories like this possible.”

By Carson Blackwelder
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

August 11, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Disney+(LOS ANGELES) — Leslie Odom Jr. shocked Hamilton fans last week when he revealed he almost didn’t appear in the filmed adaptation of the musical.

Odom, who originated the role of Aaron Burr that won him a Tony Award, recently told Dax Shepard on his podcast Armchair Expert why he nearly bowed out of the opportunity.

The 39-year-old explained when executives approached him about filming, he remained adamant that he would not “sell it away for magic beans” nor “give it away” because “This is my area of expertise. This is all I have. This is my life’s work on the stage.”

Odom understood that he was a major part of the production and wanted to ensure he would be compensated fairly. So, he did his homework and asked around to find out what Aaron Tveit, a white actor, made when performing Grease Live! on TV.

“So when I found out what he made, I didn’t ask for a penny more. I didn’t ask for one penny more, but I said, ‘You must pay me exactly what that white boy got to do Grease Live!‘ That’s the bottom line,” Odom recounted.

Apparently, those behind the filmed adaptation didn’t budge, which resulted in the Grammy Award-winner to make one final stand.

“The day before we shot that movie I called out. I was not kidding…I was not coming to work the next day to do the movie,” Odom attested. “It was a principle for me.”

While it is unknown what executives paid the Broadway star in the end, Odom did go on to appear in the movie, which was originally slated to hit theaters in October 2021.

However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was released early on Disney+ last July, much to the delight of fans everywhere.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

By George Costantino
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

August 11, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Donato Sardella/Getty Images for LACMA(LOS ANGELES) — Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli may be headed to the big house but not before they settle into their new one. 

The former Full House star and her fashion designer husband recently purchased a $9.5 million dollar home located in Hidden Hills, California, according to People. 

The six-bedroom, nine-bathroom contemporary farmhouse home is nuzzled within a gated community and boasts almost 12,000 square feet of living space. Aside from the “sweeping views” and “picturesque hills” outside, their new residence has a backyard complete with a pool, spa, fire pit and BBQ station. And the inside is just as luxurious with a walk-in wine cellar, gym, & movie theatre. 

The couple’s purchase comes after they sold their Bel Air home for just under $18.75 million to Tinder co-founder Justin Mateen. 

Loughlin and Giannulli are currently awaiting sentencing for their involvement in the college admissions scandal. In May, they both agreed to plead guilty and serve time for paying bribes to get their daughters, Olivia Jade Giannulli and Isabella Rose Giannulli, into the University of Southern California as rowing recruits. Neither of them row. 

If their plea agreement is approved by a judge, Loughlin will serve two months in prison, complete 100 hours of community service and pay a fine of $150,000. Giannulli will serve five months, perform 250 hours of community service and pay a $250,000 fine.

The couple’s next court date is set for August 21.

By Danielle Long
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.