Barry Diller Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

IAC, the Barry Diller-owned company that controls The Daily Beast, has landed a strategic partnership with former Disney executive Ben Sherwood and Hearst veteran Joanna Coles to define the digital publication’s next chapter in a struggling media climate.

Jessica Casano-Antonellis, a former exec at Disney+, Hulu and Vimeo, is returning to the streaming sector as the head of communications for the new sports-centric service coming from ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery.

David Faustino took over the role of Bud. Christina Applegate initially rejected the chance to audition for Kelly because she found the script “disgusting.” After watching the pilot, she had a change of heart.With the cast assembled, the show prepared for launch with the promise of autonomy over its material.But, Fox broke its vow before the show even aired.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Ben Sherwood and Joanna Coles inked a deal to lead IAC’s The Daily Beast, under which the media veterans have been granted a minority stake in the news and opinion site. Effective immediately, Sherwood — one-time president of the Disney ABC Television Group — will serve as The Daily Beast’s publisher and CEO. Coles, previously Hearst Magazines’ chief content officer, is the site’s chief creative and content officer.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Shares of Trump Media & Technology Group, the company majority-owned by Donald Trump that operates the Truth Social social media network, have fallen about 50% off their high since they started trading a little over two weeks ago. TMTG stock closed at $32.59 per share Friday, rallying late in the day to close up 0.6% — but it’s down 50.7% from its peak closing price of $66.22 per share on March 27, the day after it first started trading on the Nasdaq exchange.

Gerald M. Levin, the former CEO of Time Warner who helped oversee its calamitous merger with AOL, died Wednesday in Long Beach, CA. He was 84.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez were thrown a star-studded engagement party in Los Angeles on Sunday (November 12) at the home of Barry Diller and Diane von Furstenberg.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Heather Dietrick, CEO of IAC‘s Daily Beast, is leaving the news and opinion website at the end of 2023, Variety has learned. Dietrick has been hired as chief media officer at Outside Interactive, whose 13 editorial brands include Outside Magazine, Backpacker, Ski, Climbing, Yoga Journal, Velo, Pinkbike and Triathlete. She will remain with the Daily Beast through the end of the year as IAC searches for her replacement.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Jonathan Dolgen, the former head of Viacom Entertainment and a former top 20th Century Fox executive, died Oct. 9 of natural causes in Los Angeles. He was 78.

Ritzy Charters have revealed a list of the 10 most expensive yachts afloat — and the top three are worth a whopping $1.29 billion combined, exceeding the GDP of some smaller countries.“Luxury yachts are more than just a symbol of wealth; they not only provide incredibly gorgeous views but a level of privacy to those onboard who want a sense of relaxation that you can’t get from anywhere other than chartering across oceans,” a spokesperson for the company said in a statement.Number one on the list is media magnate David Geffen’s The Rising Sun, worth a jaw-dropping $590 million.Originally owned by tech mogul Larry Ellison, the superyacht cost an estimated $200 million to build back in 2004.

EXCLUSIVE: Airplane! writer-directors David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker are teaming up with a cast of celebrities and industry figures to chronicle the making of the influential hit 1980 comedy.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor CollegeHumor is dropping its collegiate moniker after nearly 25 years… to become Dropout. The company is officially rebranding from CollegeHumor to Dropout, the name of the ad-free, subscription streaming platform it launched in 2018. CollegeHumor was founded in 1999 by Josh Abramson and Ricky Van Veen — back in the days before the streaming revolution — and gained traction as a free, ad-supported comedy website.

The Authors Guild, John Grisham, George R.R. Martin, Michael Connelly, Jodi Picoult and a group of other famous fiction writers filed a class action lawsuit on Wednesday against OpenAI, claiming that their technology is infringing on their works.

Ellise Shafer To Diane von Furstenberg, the city of Venice is a woman. “I’ve never wanted to be any other woman than me, right?” the iconic fashion designer and humanitarian told Variety before the 14th annual DVF Awards. “But I would love to be Venice.” Von Furstenberg estimates that she has been to the group of Italian islands every year for most of her life, a love affair that began when she first started her fashion brand in the ‘70s.

Longtime media potentate Barry Diller called on media companies to “get out of the room” with tech giants and instead hammer out a separate resolution to the writers and actors strikes.

“To survive in Hollywood, all you need is an occasional miracle.”

Tubi has appointed former Vimeo chief Anjali Sud as CEO.

Barry Diller, the former head of ABC, Fox Broadcasting Company, and Paramount and current Chairman and Senior Executive, IAC and Expedia Group, stirred the pot during an appearance Sunday on CBS talk show “Face the Nation.”

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Vimeo is ending support for its existing TV apps — with the video management and hosting provider telling customers they’ll have a “better ongoing experience” by using video-casting features instead. The company is ceasing support for Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, and Roku as of June 27, 2023. “That means we will remove the TV apps from the app stores and we will not publish any new releases, security updates or provide technical support for TV apps,” Vimeo says in a notice on its help site. Why is Vimeo ending support for its TV apps? According to the message on the customer-support site, “Occasionally, we retire legacy products and features that are no longer consistent with our standards. We believe that our users looking to view Vimeo videos will receive a better ongoing experience by casting via our mobile app, enabling customers to enjoy Vimeo content on their TV.”

The classic New York vs. Los Angeles tension is playing out on several fronts at the moment, much to the discomfort of those of us who align with both sides.

Broadway’s hit revival of The Music Man starring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster is extending its run by two weeks, with a closing date now set for Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023.

Broadway’s current revival of “The Music Man,” starring Hugh Jackman, is coming to an end.The musical will close on Jan. 1, 2023, producers Barry Diller, David Geffen and Kate Horton announced Tuesday morning.When the show ends, it will have spanned 358 regular and 46 preview performances, featuring Jackman and co-star Sutton Foster.“We are so proud of our extraordinary company, led by Hugh and Sutton, for their tireless work in bringing joy to our audiences night after night.

Hillary Clinton and daughter Chelsea Clinton are stepping out for the premiere of their new Apple TV+ show!

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Hillary Clinton and Universal’s Donna Langley praised U.S. director, producer and social justice activist Ava DuVernay for being “a pathbreaker, a change-maker, a historical filmmaker,” as Clinton put it, during the 13th DVF Awards. The gala was held Thursday on the sidelines of the Venice Film Festival by fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg to honor extraordinary women.  The former U.S. secretary of state noted that DuVernay – who is among this year’s DVF honorees – “became the first African American woman ever nominated for an Academy Award as director [for “Selma”]. “Yes, her visionary works about Black histories and experiences are more relevant today than ever,” Clinton added. But Clinton went on to further praise DuVernay for “opening doors not just for herself, but for so many others.”

Cynthia Littleton Business EditorLongtime CBS communications executive Lauri Metrose has been named head of global PR and social media for travel giant Expedia.Metrose will serve as senior VP for Expedia Brands, overseeing public relations and social media for the well-trafficked digital travel service that is owned by Barry Diller’s IAC.“Lauri is one of the most respected PR and social media executives in the media industry, well known as a world-class storyteller,” said Jon Gieselman, president of Expedia Brands.Metrose had been with CBS and Paramount Television since 1998. Most recently she served as executive VP of communications for CBS Studios.

Michael Appler Gala on the Green, the Public Theater’s annual benefit held Tuesday night steps from the Delacorte Theater in New York’s Central Park, is the best spot in town for a breezy evening spent as a fly on the wall.Last evening, for example, Liev Schreiber served as emcee. At his table sat Oscar Isaac and Ethan Hawke, while nearby was Peter Dinklage and partner Erica Schmidt. Pillars of the New York theater community like Lin-Manuel Miranda, Kelli O’Hara, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Julia Murney and “A Strange Loop’s” Michael R. Jackson were on hand, too.

UPDATED with approval: The Nevada Gaming Commission has approved a limited license for MGM Resorts International shareholder Barry Diller to work in the state’s casino industry after probing the billionaire IAC chairman and former media mogul about a federal investigation into his purchases of shares of Activision Blizzard.

The Nevada Gaming Commission today sent IAC Chairperson Barry Diller and CEO Joey Levin’s gambling license applications back to the Nevada Gaming Control Board for “further fact finding and investigation”.

The U.S. government wants a word with Barry Diller, David Geffen and a third man involving the planned $68.7 billion merger of Microsoft and Activision Blizzard.