October 6, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) — President Donald Trump is on the mend after spending nearly three days at Walter Reed Medical Center fighting COVID-19.  The president left the hospital on Monday and, shortly after returning to the White House, issued a statement where he appeared to dismiss the severity of the virus.

“Don’t be afraid of Covid,” President Trump remarked on Twitter.  “Don’t let it dominate your life.”

The president also touted the advances in American medicine when it comes to treating the virus, claiming he feels “better than I did 20 years ago!”

President Trump’s remarks didn’t sit well with Amanda Kloots, who is still grieving the death of husband Nick Cordero.  Cordero, 41, lost his extensive battle with the virus in July.

“To all the over 208,000 Americans who lost loved ones to this virus – I stand by you, with you, holding your hand,” Kloots penned in an emotional letter on Instagram early Tuesday. “Unfortunately it did dominate our lives didn’t it? It dominated Nick’s family’s lives and my family’s lives. I guess we ‘let it’ – like it was our choice??”

Kloots’ anger was evident as she continued criticizing the president’s seemingly callous remarks, adding that “Unfortunately not everyone is lucky enough to spend two days in the hospital” while she “cried next to my husband for 95 days watching what COVID did to the person I love.”

“It IS something to be afraid of,” the fitness trainer maintained. “After you see the person you love the most die from this disease you would never say what this tweet says. There is no empathy to all the lives lost. He is bragging instead.”

Kloots concluded by calling President Trump’s remarks “disgraceful.”

Cordero, who was 41, wed Kloots in 2017.  They shared a son, one-year-old Elvis.

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

October 6, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

ABC/Eliza Morse(LOS ANGELES) — American Idol began production on its fourth season for ABC on Monday with strict safety precautions will be in place to protect the judges, contestants and crew amid the COVID-19 pandemic, while maintaining its grand scale, according to Deadline.

The judges auditions, for instance, which usually take place throughout the country, will be limited to a number of locations throughout California.

Judges Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan and Katy Perry — who gave birth in August — are back with host Ryan Seacrest, but will sit at separate tables.  Zoning will also reportedly be in place for interacting with others.

Contestants will be traveling to each of the auditions from all over the country, but with rigorous health and safety protocols to ensure that the set is as safe as possible.

The cast and crew are all being tested in accordance with local, state, union and industry guidelines from organizations including the U.S. Center for Disease Control, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, federal, state, local government and health agencies and medical professionals, according to Deadline.  There will also be social distancing on set and cast and crew will be required to wear masks when not on camera.

Idol was one of the first major entertainment formats to tape amid the COVID-19 production shutdown, wrapping up its last season with a series of episodes filmed remotely.

A premiere date has yet to be announced.

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

October 6, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Ali Goldstein/Netflix(LOS ANGELES) — Netflix announced Monday that it is cancelling its popular wrestling series GLOW due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

The series had been picked up for a fourth and final season, but will not proceed as planned. Set in the 80s, the show followed a group of female wrestlers and starred Alison Brie and Betty Gilpin. 

Prior to production wrapping due to the pandemic, the season had just started filming its second episode. 

“We’ve made the difficult decision not to do a fourth season of GLOW due to COVID, which makes shooting this physically intimate show with its large ensemble cast especially challenging,” Netflix said in a statement to Deadline.

Following the news, Alison Brie posted a cast photo to her Instagram, writing, “Going to miss this… Forever grateful to my GLOW family for changing my life forever.”

Other cast members including Marc Maron, Britt Baron, Rich Sommer, and Rebekka Johnson also shared their reactions to the cancellation.

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

October 6, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Marc Piasecki/WireImage(LOS ANGELES) — Kim Kardashian has spent the past few months standing by her husband Kanye West through his run for president and recurring bipolar disorder, but she says neither was as daunting as caring for him while he recovered from COVID-19.

The 39-year-old Keeping Up with the Kardashians star tells GRAZIA, “Kanye had it way at the beginning, when nobody really knew what was going on.”

“It was so scary and unknown. I had my four babies and no-one else in the house to help,” adds Kardashian West — who shares daughters North, seven, and Chicago, two, and sons Saint, four, and Psalm, 16 months, with the 43-year-old rapper.

“I had to go and change his sheets and help him get out of bed when he wasn’t feeling good,” she continued. “It was a challenge because it was so unknown.”

West, who previously revealed he had came down with the virus in late February, has since claimed he tested positive around the same time as Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson had it in mid-March.

In July, West discussed facing his COVID-19 diagnosis in an interview with Forbes.

“Chills, shaking in the bed, taking hot showers, looking at videos telling me what I’m supposed to do to get over it,” he said of the virus.  “I remember someone had told me Drake had the coronavirus and my response was Drake can’t be sicker than me!” 

Drake later revealed he had tested negative.

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

October 6, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic(LOS ANGELES) — “From one genie family to another,” Robin Williams’ kids honored Will Smith and his family as recipients of the Robin Williams Legacy of Laughter Award.

On Monday, Will shared a YouTube video of the family — which includes Will, his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith, and their children Trey, Jaden, and Willow — accepting the award which is given to individuals in the entertainment realm who embody the “best sparks” of the late actor.

In the 11-minute video, the Smith family reflected on the generational impact that William’s had on each of them as they named some of their favorite movies by the comedian, including Flubber, Mrs. Doubtfire, Jumanji, and Mork & Mindy.

Will also shared snippets to Instagram with the caption, “From one genie fam to another, thank you… Robin’s love lives on thru our laughter and memories.”

The award was given to the family by Willam’s children, Zachary, Cody, and Zelda, in partnership with the nonprofit organization Bring Change To Mind, which focuses on mental health. 

The Smith family are the fourth to receive the esteemed award, but the first family to do so. Billy Crystal was handed the award first in 2017, followed by Whoopi Goldberg, and then Ben Stiller.

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