July 30, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Courtesy of HBO(NEW YORK) — U.K. star Paapa Essiedu can finally breathe a sigh of relief now that he knows fans are loving every moment of his new HBO drama series I May Destroy You.

The new series centers on the show’s creator, Michaela Coel, as Arabella, a Twitter star-turned-novelist who discovers she’s been sexually assaulted after a night out with friends. It also follows Essiedu as Kwame, Bella’s best friend who survives his own sexual assault during a one-night encounter.

Essiedu tells ABC Audio that he’s elated people have embraced the show, which brings attention to how men and women are often treated differently when it comes to sexual assault.

“I mean, obviously, it feels amazing, like we never knew what the show was going to even be like, you know,” he says. “It’s not the most conventional show, especially when you’re making it. You’re kind of like, ‘Is this good?’ It’s just like, ‘Does this work, right?’ All of us were like that. [Coel] included.”

With the season now headed towards its end, Essiedu says it’s really been “thrilling to see it all come together.”

“And for that to happen in like, a joyful, but brilliant way,” he adds.

But, even more than the favorable reviews, the actor admits that having fans connect with his character’s story and struggles gives him the most joy.

“It’s… great to see that people are responding to it, because it means that the questions that we’re asking, or the provocations that we’re making with it are really hitting home,” he says. “And… that’s all we could really hope for.” 

I May Destroy You airs Monday nights at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.

By Candice Williams
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

July 30, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

ABC/Nicole Wilder(TEXAS) — Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey is now an author. 

In a message to his social media followers, the actor and part-time college professor revealed the book is called Greenlights. 

“Ever since I learned to write, I’ve been keeping a journal, writing down anything that turned me on, turned me off, made me laugh, made me cry, made me question, or kept me up at night,” the actor explained.

“Two years ago, I worked up the courage to take all of those journals off into solitary confinement just to see what the hell I had, and I returned with a book.”

“Yesss,” McConaughey drawls in celebration, holding up a copy.

His opus seems to be part self-help, as well, but if anything, it’s beachy, not preachy. McConaughey notes of Greenlight‘s title, “It’s the story about how I have — and we all can — catch more of them in this life we’re livin’. You see, we don’t like the red and yellow lights because they take up our time, right?” he asks rhetorically.

“But when we realize that they all eventually turn green, that’s when they reveal their rhyme. That’s when life’s a poem and we start getting what we want and what we need at the same time. And I call that the honey hole, a little place called Heaven on earth.”

McConaughey says the book goes on sale October 20, but is available for pre-order now.

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

July 30, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

The ‘Nostromo’/Prop Store(LONDON) — If you’ve got a half million bucks burning a hole in your pocket, you could walk away with a piece of cinema history, thanks to an upcoming auction.

The UK-based company Prop Store has announced it will be putting a host of priceless props on the block, including the original 11-foot-long model of the Nostromo, the deep-space mining rig seen in 1979’s classic sci-fi film, Alien. 

While that piece is expected to fetch anywhere from $300,000 to $500,000, PropStore’s Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction will feature many other pieces of varying price points.

The event, which will be held August 26th and 27th, will see 850 props and costumes from Terminator 2, Back to the Future II, Star Wars, Men in Black and others up for grabs.

Brandon Alinger, Prop Store COO, calls the centerpiece, “one of the most significant and largest spaceships that we’ve ever handled,” adding, the Nostromo stands among spaceship icons like the Millennium Falcon and the Discovery from 2001 [A Space Odyssey]…”

Also up for auction are Sergeant Apone’s Colonial Marine Armor costume from Aliens, expected to fetch between $40,000-$60,000; Billy Campbell’s Rocketeer costume, expected to grab at least $20,000; a full-sized Edgar Bug animatronic alien from Men in Black, expected to fetch between $15,000-$25,000; a T-800 endoskeleton arm from Terminator 2, estimated to go for between $10,000 and $15,000; and a Grays Sports Almanac cover with Oh La La Magazine from Back to the Future Part II, which is more modestly budgeted at $5,000-$7,000.

Bids will be accepted both online and in person.  Check out the auction’s official website for more details.

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

July 30, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Robert Kamau/GC Images(LOS ANGELES) — (NOTE NATURE, CONTENT) Jessica Simpson opened up about her painful past on Wednesday and why she chose forgiveness.

Appearing alongside Katherine Schwarzenegger for her podcast The Gift of Forgiveness, Simpson revealed she was assaulted by someone she considered a “family friend” when she was little.

The abuse happened over several years, where the woman molested Simpson whenever their families would get together for sleepovers.  However, she chose not to confront that person until “eight years ago,” saying she wanted to move on from the pain.

“I went to her and I just said, ‘I know you know what was going on and I know that you were being abused,'” The Dukes of Hazzard star explained.  “She was being abused by an older guy.”

The man was in the same house and, while he never touched Simpson, “he would abuse her and then she would come to me and do the stuff to me.”

“I told her in the moment, ‘I know that you have a lot to deal with,’ and I told her that she should probably talk to someone and find a way to understand those moments and to forgive those moments and to heal from those moments,” Simpson continued, adding she chose to forgive but not forget.

She inevitably told her abuser, “I just want you to know that I forgive you and I don’t really care to be around you that much ever again.”

The “With You” singer expressed that the confrontation served as her way to tell that person she acknowledged what happened and “I’m not gonna live in denial about it.” 

“I left it unsaid for far too long,” reflected Simpson, adding she sent her abuser a copy of her memoir Open Book.

“I told her that ‘I hope it brings healing,'” she concluded.

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

July 30, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) — With the Olympics on hold thanks to COVID-19, tennis champ Naomi Osaka has been relaxing by catching some rays according to her Instagram, but as one unfortunately might expect, that flushed out some trolls.

Osaka looked stunning getting some sun in a yellow two-piece, with the friendly caption, “Welp mornin’ to you I guess,” complete with a sun emoji.

Like she does on the court, she served the trolls — hard. 

“I just wanna say it’s creeping me out how many people are commenting @ me to maintain my ‘innocent image’ and ‘don’t try to be someone your not,'” she tweeted in response to some of the comments.  

“You don’t know me,” the Grand Slam champ said. “I’m 22, I wear swimsuits to the pool. Why do you feel like you can comment on what I can wear?”

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