County Palo Alto Showbiz Latest News and Updates

Ahhh, so this is why Kanye West and Bianca Censori got married so fast?!

Wayne Benitez, an ex-Palo Alto police officer, has entered a guilty plea for abusing a gay man in Silicon Valley.

EXCLUSIVE: Jack Kilmer (Palo Alto), Paris Jackson (Gringo), and Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight) are in production in Atlanta on Open Wounds, an indie horror thriller from director Ronald Krauss (Gimme Shelter). Rounding out the cast of the pic are Lambert Houston (Resurrection Factor), Renata Notni (Zorro), Richie Radichi (My Best Friend’s Dead), and Jay Giannone (American Hustle).

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor A federal jury convicted Sam Bankman-Fried, the former CEO of failed cryptocurrency company FTX, on seven counts of fraud and conspiracy. The charges carry a maximum prison term of 110 years, per the New York Times. The jury verdict Thursday came after a trial of a little over a month in federal court in New York City.

Kanye West and Bianca Censori have officially gotten married, according to reports, as documents confirming the couple tied the knot in a ceremony on 20th December, 2022, have been obtained. The musician, 46, who now goes by the name of Ye, only finalised his divorce from first wife Kim Kardashian, who was recently said to be left "embarrassed" by her ex-husband's actions in Italy, in November 2022, one month before his next nuptials. The pair entered into a whirlwind romance while the rapper was still involved in serious divorce drama with the mother of his four children, Kim.

Ten months after rumors started circulating that Kanye West had said “I do” to Bianca Censori, newly obtained documents are providing some details about the couple’s wedding.

Turns out the wedding bells WERE real! Kanye West and Bianca Censori really did get married! Legally!

Despite Mark Zuckerberg calling off the cage match against Elon Musk, the X Corp. owner is insisting on making the fight happen and will livestream the “adventure.”

EXCLUSIVE: Bella Thorne (Divinity) and Jack Kilmer (Palo Alto) have been set to topline The Tower, one of 102 projects to have been granted a SAG-AFTRA Interim Agreement following the launch of the actors strike. Also set for the fantastical drama, from filmmaker Adam Sigal (Nandor Fodor and The Talking Mongoose), are Cam Gigandet (Violent Night) and Chris Mullinax (Chariot).

EXCLUSIVE: Actress Alexi Wasser (Poker Face) has made her feature directorial debut with Messy, a relationship comedy she also wrote and leads, which is now in post. Others appearing alongside her include Adam Goldberg (The Equalizer), Thomas Middleditch (Silicon Valley), Mario Cantone (And Just Like That…), Ione Skye (Beef), Jack Kilmer (Palo Alto), Michael Panes (We Bought a Zoo), Ruby McCollister (Search Party), Dion Costelloe (Blue Bloods) and Merlot.   

Michaela Zee editor At the 2023 Asia Society Southern California Gala, Awkwafina shared a personal anecdote about her time with the organization while accepting the Culture Visionary honor.  “I first went to the Asia Society when I was in high school. My dad was an avid supporter and we’d always go to shows and talks there together,” Awkwafina said on Sunday night at the Skirball Cultural Center. “It was a resource for us Ramones-, Joan Didion- and Jay-Z-loving Asian Americans growing up to learn more about our own cultural identities. And I think that it’s that kind of self-motivation to curate and cultivate our identities as Asian people, is where cultural vision is born.” 

Anna Marie de la Fuente Elevated genre has just been turbo charged by a new strategic alliance between Globalgate Entertainment and Morbido Group, the fast expanding horror conglomerate in Ibero-America. Co-founded in 2016 by former Pantelion Films CEO Paul Presburger, Globalgate Entertainment is a local-language film & TV production and co-financing consortium formed by Lionsgate and 14 other prominent international entertainment companies, including key players in major markets. The strategic partnership, dubbed MorbidoGate, aims to develop elevated genre content by generating and acquiring IP while fostering emerging talent in key markets worldwide.

Sophia Scorziello editor A new production company is on the mission to bring weird science to life through story. Neuroscientist and Stanford professor Dr. David Eagleman has teamed up with producers Matt Tauber and Adam Fratto to launch Cognito Entertainment, an independent production company centered around science programming and films. The Los Angeles and Palo Alto-based company has already begun working on scripted television series, documentaries and literary adaptation. “We are living in an unparalleled moment of scientific advancement,” said Eagleman. “From brains to space to genetics, there are endless mind-blowing stories to share. In a world that sometimes seems upside-down, science can be a source of great inspiration, wonder, and belief.”

James Franco was joined by longtime girlfriend Izabel Pakzad and a multitude of stars while celebrating the launch of his new apparel line PALY.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Silicon Valley investment firm Maum Capital Group has struck a strategic and financial alliance with Globalgate, the local-language film and TV production consortium assembled by Lionsgate. The move involves an investment of unspecified value and significance into Globalgate. It also sees the appointment of Globalgate’s executive chairman William Pfeiffer as CEO of Maum affiliates, including Maum Culture Innovation and Maum Studio, which are focused on content-based businesses. The Maum-Globalgate alliance “furthers Maum’s plans to harness and expand Korean and global content, filmmakers, and talent on the worldwide stage,” the companies said in a statement. Korean music and TV content is currently among the most exportable, following the successes of BTS and Blackpink, TV hit “Squid Game” and the Oscar success of “Parasite.”

Privately held, Korea-founded Maum Capital Group, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, has made a significant undisclosed investment in Globalgate Entertainment, creating a strategic and financial alliance. At the same time, Globalgate Executive Chairman William Pfeiffer has been appointed CEO of the Maum affiliates as they focus on the development of the intercultural content-based businesses of the group, which includes Maum Culture Innovation and Maum Studios.

EXCLUSIVE: Lauren Oliver — the bestselling YA author, screenwriter and producer known for titles like Panic and Before I Fall — has today announced the launch of her new media company, StoryGiants, also naming projects currently on its slate.

Elon Musk wants to move a shareholder class action lawsuit from San Francisco to West Texas, claiming a lack of unbiased jurors in the Bay Area.

Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw was one of the most sought-after names at the recent Camerimage film festival, with both fans and industry colleagues flocking to hear her speak at a post-screening Q&A.

Prime Video today shared the first-look image of Emma Roberts in the new original romcom Space Cadet.

An employee at Stanford University said she was dragged into a campus basement and raped last Friday afternoon, prompting concern from students on campus. The university said the incident happened on the school's Palo Alto campus around 12:30 p.m.

“Survivor” is back with new castaways vying for the $1 million prize on season 43.

is back with new castaways vying for the $1 million prize on season 43.The long-running CBS reality staple will introduce 18 new castaways who will attempt to outplay and outwit each other to earn the title of Sole Survivor. The upcoming edition, hosted by Jeff Probst, kicks off with a two-hour premiere Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 8 p.m.

confirmed Thursday by TheWrap, the actor will portray the Cuban revolutionary in the upcoming indie film about his daughter Alina Fernandez.Actor John Leguizamo, a vocal advocate for greater Latino representation in Hollywood, led the charge on Instagram.“How is this still going on?” he wrote in a Friday post. “How is Hollywood excluding us but stealing our narratives as well? No more appropriation Hollywood and streamers! Boycott! This F’d up!”Adding that it would be “seriously difficult” to represent Castro “without aggrandizement,” the “Encanto” star said: “I don’t got a prob with Franco but he ain’t Latino!”Franco was born in Palo Alto, California, and is of Jewish, Portuguese and Swedish ancestry.

Ellise Shafer Jack Kilmer has nabbed a leading role opposite Clifton Powell in B.B. King drama “The Thrill Is On,” Variety has learned exclusively.Kilmer will play Michael, a young drummer who has a chance encounter with blues legend King (Powell), which proves to be the start of an enduring friendship.

is another entry and first female character to be developed within the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel characters that also includes “Venom” and “Morbius,” and the studio has already set a release date for July 7, 2023. Up next is JC Chandor’s “Kraven the Hunter” starring Aaron Taylor Johnson, to be released in theaters on January 13, 2023.

Hunter Ingram Spoiler Alert: Do not read if you haven’t watched “Brave,” the series finale of “Love, Victor,” now streaming on Hulu and Disney+.Hulu’s “Love, Victor” came full circle in its series finale, ending where it began — atop Creekwood High’s Winter Carnival Ferris wheel.In the closing moments of the third season, Victor (Michael Cimino) returned to the spot where, exactly one year earlier in the pilot, he took a ride with former girlfriend Mia (Rachel Hilson) to conceal his sexuality. Only this time, it was his ex-boyfriend Benji (George Sear) sitting beside Victor, professing their love for one another after they spent the season apart so Benji could address his alcoholism and Victor could get to know himself.

Amanda Seyfried is looking back at her time playing Elizabeth Holmes on The Dropout.

It’s tempting to imagine what WeWork co-founder Adam Neumann would say to Theranos fraudster Elizabeth Holmes, given their similar public falls from grace. But short of that, we at least had the chance to listen to a conversation between the two actors who played them in recent limited series. Upon sitting down, Jared Leto (Apple TV+’s “WeCrashed”) and Amanda Seyfried (Hulu’s “The Dropout”) reveal they both approached their characters as layered humans — not mustache-twirling villains. They also had to find their real-life inspirations’ distinct voices, which was no small feat.JARED LETO: Thank you for being here.

For a consummate multi-hyphenate, Japanese-Australian singer-songwriter-rapper-comedian-YouTuber George Kusunoki Miller (Joji) has been relatively quiet these past two years. From the release of his September 2020 sophomore LP Nectar till today, he hadn’t dropped a single song.