December 29, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

iStock/seanL(LOS ANGELES) — While maintaining that “music, TV and film productions are allowed to operate,” the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has issued a memo asking producers to “strongly consider pausing work” amid the county’s “catastrophic surge in coronavirus cases.”

Despite strict lockdowns, California is experiencing one of the biggest infection spikes in the country.  The state has had more than 2.17 million COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began, with at least 24,337 deaths reported, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Deadline reports the memo, from December 24, noted that the officials are asking those in the industry to, “Identify and delay higher risk activities, and focus on lower-risk work for now, if at all possible.”

On Sunday, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported 13,580 new positive cases and 44 new deaths.

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

December 29, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) — Reese Witherspoon has an empowering message for financially successful women — don’t be ashamed. 

While appearing on a recent episode of the The HFPA in Conversation podcast, the 44-year-old actress reflected on a comment her ex-husband Ryan Phillippe made when they attended the 2002 Oscars. During the awards ceremony Phillippe told his then-wife that she should speak first because “you make more money than I do.”

“I forgot that ever happened. But you’re right, he did say that, and no, it wasn’t scripted,” Witherspoon recalled. “He didn’t tell me he was going to say that before it happened on air. So I was a little bit flummoxed in the moment, too.”

“There’s so few women that make a lot of money that sometimes they’re shamed for it, and sometimes they are expected to give more and do more and be more to others in the same position that maybe a male movie star may not be expected,” she added. “But I do think gender norms have changed quite a bit since that moment in 2000 or something.” 

Elaborating on the topic the Little Fires Everywhere star recalled a moment when her daughter Ava, 21, was in second grade and came home “so embarrassed” after classmates brought up that her mother was one of the highest-paid actresses. 

“I said, ‘Don’t ever feel ashamed of a woman making money.’ There are women all over this world who don’t have an opportunity or an education or the ability to make money,” said Witherspoon, who is also mom to sons Deacon, 17, and Tennessee, 8. 

“[I have] an interesting relationship with the word power,” she continued. “I just hope in my lifetime, I can help more women make more money. Financial stability is freedom.”

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

December 29, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Disney/Matt Petit(LOS ANGELES) — Idina Menzel launched a new series on Monday titled Idina’s Treehouse. The voice of Queen Elsa from Frozen confesses she created it herself in her backyard on her iPhone to give kids meaningful entertainment — and parents a break.

“Just something I started working on during quarantine. Hope you all like it,” the Tony winning Wicked vet said in a statement. 

“In search of a little peace and quiet during lockdown and stressful homeschooling I took refuge in my son Walker’s treehouse. Started talking and singing to myself.  Delirium?  Stir crazy?  Mother gone mad?  I offer up myself for your children’s amusement.” 

The first episode is live on YouTube.

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

December 29, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Netflix(FLORIDA) — In an end-of-year email to her fans, controversial Tiger King star and former Dancing with the Stars contestant Carole Baskin says she’s still grinding away. 

The 59-year-old says she’s “in negotiations for a TV show series on the work we do to end big cat abuse and to write my memoirs,” and has been making bank by sending messages to fans via the video messaging service Cameo. 

“I’m one of Cameo’s most prolific earners,” she gushes, “having created more than 2,300 greetings with 400+ fabulous reviews.”

According to Baskin’s Cameo profile, a personalized message from the reality show star costs $299. 

She also said she’s been at work on her cellphone game, and on licensing deals for a bobblehead and Halloween masks bearing her likeness, Page Six reports.

By contrast, Baskin points out in her “Where are the ‘Tiger King’ stars now?” section of her email that her former nemeses Joe Exotic and Doc Antle are doing considerably less well. Both men are behind bars for plotting to have her killed and for wildlife trafficking, respectively.

The eccentric Exotic has accused Baskin of killing her wealthy ex-husband, Don Lewis, and having his corpse shredded in a meat grinder and then fed to her big cats. Baskin denied the accusations. Officially, she reported her husband missing in 1997, and petitioned a judge to have him declared dead five years later. 

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

December 29, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

BG015/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images(LOS ANGELES) — Emma Roberts is a new mom!

The 29-year-old actress and her boyfriend Garrett Hedlund welcomed a baby boy named Rhodes on Sunday, according to TMZ.

Rhodes weighed in at about nine pounds, according to the gossip website, which reports mother and baby are doing fine.

Emma confirmed she was pregnant in an Instagram post back in August, captioning a series of photos showing off her growing baby bump, “Me…and my two favorite guys.”

It’s the first child for both Roberts and Tron: Legacy actor Hedlund, 36; the pair were first romantically linked in 2019.

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