Censorship, Human Rights and Compassion Take Center Stage at Variety’s Power of Women New York: ‘Our Lives Are at Stake’

On very good terms. Jennifer Aniston and ex-husband Justin Theroux shared a hug after reuniting in New York City.

“This case is about the forcible rape of three women,” said in Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller in his opening statement for Danny Masterson’s retrial on multiple rape charges today. “The evidence will show they were drugged,” the prosecutor added of the three Jane Does at the heart of the Scientology spotlighting matter.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer In a months-long goal to reach 7,000 job cuts total, Disney will begin its second round of layoffs of the year today. The notifications will be handed out to staff through Thursday, concluding with approximately 4,000 job eliminations completed overall by week’s end, according to company officials. While the Disney workforce will be reduced by thousands across divisions Disney Entertainment, ESPN, and Disney Parks, Experiences and Products (hourly frontline operations roles at Parks and Resorts will not be affected), and locations from Burbank to New York and Connecticut, there are still more layoffs to come. According to Disney, a third and final wave of cuts is expected to begin ahead of the summer, which will bring the Mouse House to its 7,000 layoffs target. (The figure represents 3.2% of Disney’s total headcount of about 220,000 worldwide as of Oct. 1, 2022.)

Angelique Jackson Literary icon Judy Blume has been in the public eye for more than 50 years, but lately she’s been posing for even more cameras than usual. For the past few months, Blume has been everywhere — from the red carpet premiere of the feature adaptation of her 1970 classic “Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret” in Los Angeles last week, to Variety’s Power of Women ceremony in New York City, where she was honored earlier this month. But on Monday night in Studio City, Calif., it was Blume’s husband George Cooper on the other side of a cell phone camera lens. As Blume was introduced to an eager (and pink-masked) crowd by 16-year-old Annabelle Chang, who owns Annabelle’s Book Club LA, Cooper sprang from his seat behind the desk to capture the moment on his cell phone.

Andy Cohen is sticking up for his longtime friends.

occasionally pre-recorded episodes of “Live with Kelly and Ryan,” sometimes in order to accommodate the “American Idol” host’s busy schedule splitting time between New York City and Los Angeles. Ripa and Seacrest would most commonly tape a Friday episode prior to broadcast — something they did for Seacrest’s final episode last week. Given that this Friday’s installment of “Live with Kelly and Mark” has likely been pre-recorded, it appears Ripa and Consuelos will work just three days this week.

Angelique Jackson Monday morning started out just like any other day for Ryan Seacrest. The alarm went off at 5:45 a.m. and he got straight to work. Except this time, he wasn’t in New York City leaving for the “Live With Kelly and Ryan” studio, where he’d do “Host Chat” perched next to Kelly Ripa. Instead, he threw off the covers and leaned into a microphone at his bedside to start “On Air With Ryan Seacrest” on Los Angeles’ KIIS-FM. You see, last Friday marked his final episode of “Live,” and after six years of working six jobs at once, life as he knew it had changed. “The benefit of radio is I can do it remotely,” Seacrest says. “I will be able to jump out of bed, slip into my Uggs, make my coffee and be on the radio. And flip on ‘Live With Kelly and Mark’ in the background while I’m on air.”

Matthew McConaughey's got some stiff competition in the bromance department with Woody Harrelson, and it's a familiar face: Justin Theroux.Theroux spoke to ET on Monday night at the New York City premiere of his and Harrelson's highly anticipated limited true-crime series, , on HBO and he talked about the strong bond he's formed with Harrelson.«He's down to have fun all the time,» Theroux says. «He's a good time.

No backing out! Mark Consuelos made his official debut as wife Kelly Ripa‘s cohost on Monday, April 17 — with a few special guests in the audience.

final episode of “Live with Kelly and Ryan” on Friday — and there was even whisper of a wedding. Petcosky, 25, joined Seacrest’s parents and sister in the live studio audience, watching on as Seacrest, 48, sobbed while wrapping up his six-year stint on the morning show. Co-host Kelly Ripa, 52, paid tribute to Seacrest and made special reference to Petcosky in the crowd.

Kelly Ripa revealed to ET's Rachel Smith what she said to Ryan Seacrest right before they stepped out to film his last show on . And while it wasn't anything elegant — her words! — it succinctly described exactly how she felt in the moment.ET was with Ripa and Seacrest at ABC Studios in New York City as they filmed his last show, which aired Friday, and it was undoubtedly an emotional day, especially for Seacrest, who called  home for nearly six years.

Subtle but effective! Jennifer Garner sported a new ‘do while out and about in New York City. 

Twice-impeached and now officially indicted former president Donald Trump appeared in New York for his arraignment on Tuesday, and so did a few of his supporters. That included Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene who, as Seth Meyers joked, really just went about it as a weird means of getting attention.To kick off his “A Closer Look” segment on Tuesday night, Meyers admitted that he never thought he’d get to say the words “Donald Trump was arrested,” before honing in on the size of the crowds he brought with him.

After Donald Trump was indicted with 34 felony charges, the late-night show hosts had a field day poking fun at the former U.S. president.

Lea Michele rocks a chic brown dress while arriving for Variety’s 2023 Power of Women held at The Grill on Tuesday (April 4) in New York City.

Kelly Ripa is learning from the younger generation. On Tuesday, the  host spoke with ET at 's 2023 Power of Women event in New York City, and shared what she most admires about her and Mark Consuelos' 21-year-old daughter, Lola Consuelos. «I am the most impressed with her ability to really speak about what she needs when she needs it,» Ripa tells ET. «She unapologetically does that.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent “Support is what all women in every industry could always use more of — and will seldom ask for,” Kelly Ripa said, as she took the stage at Variety‘s Power of Women: New York event on Tuesday afternoon. “Offer support to someone who needs it. Encourage others to do the same. Sometimes just being asked is enough.” Ripa’s advice was part of her stirring speech at Variety‘s annual luncheon where she was one of five Power of Women honorees, along with Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Rosie Perez, Natasha Lyonne and Judy Blume. “Don’t ever be afraid to advocate for yourself. Don’t ever be afraid to advocate for others,” Ripa continued. “Knowing that a person or group of people have your back can be the most powerful thing in the world.”

Tatiana Siegel When it comes to activism, Rosie Perez isn’t one to merely lob a tweet. She was arrested for disorderly conduct in 2000 while protesting the U.S. Navy’s deadly air bomb training off the coast of Puerto Rico. And the Oscar- and Emmy-nominated actress, whose mother died of AIDS, served on President Obama’s Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, beginning in 2010. On Tuesday, she put the spotlight on first responders at Variety‘s Power of Women luncheon, presented by Lifetime, in New York City. The “White Men Can’t Jump” actor highlighted the Heart 9/11 charity organization, which was founded in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terror attack that crippled Perez’s hometown, New York City.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Midseason CBS drama “True Lies” has been a solid early performer in both TV ratings and streaming viewership. Per CBS parent company Paramount, the streaming average minute audience (AMA) for the premiere episode of the Steve Howey and Ginger Gonzaga-led series ranks as CBS’s third-largest premiere this season on both Paramount+ and CBS TVE. Ahead of “True Lies” are the premieres for the second season of comedy powerhouse “Ghosts,” which sits at No. 1 on the list of CBS’ streaming debuts of the 2022-2023 season, and freshman drama “Fire Country.” Debuting on CBS March 1, the first season of “True Lies” is averaging 4.6 million total linear viewers across its first four weeks, based on the “most current” data stream from Nielsen, which includes a week’s worth of delayed viewing where available. With two weeks of (mostly DVR) playback, the “True Lies” premiere episode has risen to 5.73 million viewers, up 77% from the episode’s Live + Same Day audience.

Natasha Lyonne if she’s irritable today. She just quit smoking, which is no small feat for someone who’s so synonymous with the habit that there’s an Instagram account dedicated to the coolness of her taking a drag. “I’ve been putting it off for so long,” she tells me, pointing to the small Nicorette pack on the coffee table in her East Village apartment. “I’m naturally wired for self-destructive crutches. I fucking love a vice.” Though she admits there are “immense” consequences of raging nicotine withdrawal, the health benefits far outweigh the discomfort (at least, that’s what she’s telling herself).