November 10, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

ABC/Eric McCandless – ABC/Image Group LA(LOS ANGELES) — Actor-director Zach Braff is speaking out against the harsh criticism he and girlfriend Florence Pugh faced over their 21-year age difference. 

In a candid Monday interview with Mr. Porter’s magazine, Braff, who is 45, revealed why he decided to open up now about the controversy.

Back in April, Pugh was highlighted as the new “it girl” in Hollywood thanks to her standout performances in Midsommar and Little Women, the latter of which earning her an Oscar nomination. But once the 24-year-old British actress confirmed she was dating the Scrubs veteran and Garden State writer-director, the two were met with an onslaught of unsavory and belittling comments.

As a result, Pugh took to Instagram to unleash a fiery video that shamed fans for thinking they had the right to tell her who she can and cannot date. She also ordered her nearly two million followers to stop “bullying” her boyfriend.

“The abuse that you throw at him is abuse that you are throwing at me, and I don’t want those followers,” the Black Widow star condemned at the time. “It makes me upset that during this time when we need to be together, the world is aching and the world is dying, and a few of you decided to bully for no reason.”

Braff told the magazine that he was beyond impressed by Pugh’s fearlessness and self-assuredness, remarking, “She literally sat down, hit record on her phone and said that.”

However, when the Emmy nominee tried to think up his own response to the controversy, he realized Pugh’s original commentary covered everything that needed to be addressed.

“I thought: how could I possibly follow anything as intelligent and articulate as that? So, I chose not to,” Braff admitted. 

Braff and Pugh are currently hunkering down in London now that the U.K. is enforcing another lockdown to stop the spread of COVID-19.

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

November 10, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Jeopardy! Productions/Sony Pictures Television(LOS ANGELES) —Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek, who died Sunday following a battle with pancreatic cancer, was honored during the quiz show Monday.

Executive producer Mike Richards delivered an emotional message at the top of the show on behalf of the Jeopardy! family, memorializing Trebek and thanking him for all that he did.

Trebek began hosting Jeopardy! in 1984, and after announcing his pancreatic cancer diagnosis in 2019, he continued to be at the helm of the quiz show until last month. His final day in the studio was October 29, and episodes featuring Trebek will continue to air until December 25.

“Over the weekend, we lost our beloved host Alex Trebek. This is an enormous loss for our staff and crew, for his family and for his millions of fans. He loved this show and everything it stood for,” Richards said. “He will forever be an inspiration for his constant desire to learn, his kindness and for his love of his family. We will air his final 35 episodes as they were shot. That’s what he wanted. On behalf of everyone here at ‘Jeopardy!,’ thank you for everything Alex.”

Richards then began the show the way Trebek always did: “This is Jeopardy!” he said.

Surrounded by friends and family, Trebek, 80, died at home in Los Angeles on Sunday, following a 20-month battle with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. In the wake of his death, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN), a nonprofit organization focused on the disease, reported that it has seen a 450% increase in traffic to its website and more than $55,000 in donations. Last year, Trebek appeared in a public service announcement for the group.

“Alex Trebek, through his bravery and willingness to share his journey about his pancreatic cancer, has been a true ambassador and hero, fighting the disease and blazing a better path for many as a result,” PanCAN said in a statement Monday.

By Lesley Messer
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. 

November 10, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for JumpLine(LOS ANGELES) — After sparking backlash for her seemingly dismissive comments about Black women, Eva Longoria not only issued an apology but a clarification of what she really meant, as well — and Kerry Washington is backing her up. 

On MSNBC on Sunday, Longoria discussed the impact of Latina women voters on the 2020 presidential election and said, “The women of color showed up in big ways.”

“You saw in Georgia what Black women have done, but Latina women were the real heroines here, beating men in turnout in every state and voting Biden-Harris at an average rate of close to 3 to 1,” she continued. 

Many social media users took issue with her “real heroines” comment and took it as her dismissing Black women. In response, Longoria issued an apology and explained what she truly meant when she made the statement, which Washington vouched for. 

The Little Fires Everywhere actress retweeted Longoria’s note and added, “I know Eva like a sister. We have been in many trenches together. She is a fighter for all women. Read below. This is what she meant. This is how she truly feels.”

In her apology, the former Desperate Housewives star wrote, “I’m so sorry and sad to hear that my comments on MSNBC could be perceived as taking credit from Black women.” 

“When I said that Latinas were heroines in this election, I simply meant that they turned out in greater numbers and voted more progressively than LATINO MEN” she clarified. “My wording was not clear and I deeply regret that.”

Longoria went on to acknowledge the history of anti-Blackness within the community and said she “would never want to contribute to that” before doubling down on her support of Black women. 

“Nothing but love and support for Black women everywhere,” she concluded.  

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

November 10, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

ABC/Eric McCandless(LOS ANGELES) — With the semifinals kicking off next week, no one was safe from elimination on Monday’s Dancing with the Stars.  While some competitors shined on the ballroom floor, others stumbled under the intense pressure to impress the judges and break away from the rest of the competition.

Once again, the stars were given a week to master two routines.  Unlike the previous challenge, which came in the form of a relay, competitors had to perform against one another in a high octane dance off for two extra bonus points.

Despite winning their respective dance off and earning those needed points, AJ McLean failed to make the semifinals and was forced to hang up his dancing shoes.

McLean’s journey was cut short due to a disastrous Viennese waltz to Queen’s “Somebody to Love,” which started out strong but was derailed by a misstep.  The 43-year-old was unable to recover and scored straight sevens.  Despite bouncing back against Johnny Weir in their jive dance off, the two bonus points did nothing to spare him from being sent home.

The Backstreet Boy found himself in the bottom two — shockingly — alongside Weir, who achieved his second perfect score of the season.   All three judges expressed dismay over how the audience voted, but ultimately decided that the figure skater accomplished more progress and, thus, opted to save him once again from being sent home.

As for the competitors who rose above the curveball of having to dance against another contestant, one example was One Day at a Time star Justina Machado.  Her first dance, a rumba to “Crazy for You” that doubled as a tribute to Madonna, showcased a softer side to her normally bold and brazen dancing style. 

However, Machado brought the spice back ten-fold when dancing the cha-cha against Kaitlyn Bristowe.  The actress clinched those two extra bonus points, which allowed her to finish the night with a 26 out of 30.

Also winning her respective dance off was Disney Channel star Skai Jackson, who went toe to toe against Nelly.  Her clean and precise salsa outshined the “Hot In Here” rapper, earning her two extra bonus points that pushed her to second place with a score of 29 out of 30.

Weir and Bristowe tied at the top of the leaderboard on Monday night as both earned straight 10’s for their respective routines.  

Kailyn dazzled with her “Toxic” Argentine tango that honored Britney Spears while Weir embraced Amy Winehouse’s unique flair for his quickstep to “Valerie.”

Lastly, while Nev Schulman was given immunity from participating in the night’s dance off because he had the season’s highest cumulative score, that didn’t stop him from baring his all on the ballroom floor.  The Catfish host tied with Jackson with a 29 out of 30 thanks to his joyful and stylized jive to Elton John’s “Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting.)”

With a narrowed competition paired with a volatile audience vote, even the judges don’t know who win this season’s Mirror Ball Trophy.

Find out who survives the semifinals when Dancing with the Stars returns next Monday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.  

Here are the current standings:

First Place:
Kaitlyn Bristowe, former star of The Bachelorette, with Artem Chigvintsev — 30/30
Johnny Weir, Olympic figure skater, with Britt Stewart — 30/30

Nev Schulman, host of Catfish, with Jenna Johnson — 29/30
Skai Jackson, Disney Channel star, with Alan Bersten — 27/30
Justina Machado, One Day at a Time star, with Sasha Farber — 26/30

Lowest score:
Nelly, Grammy Award-winning rapper, with Daniella Karagach — 24/30

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

November 10, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News