Elizabeth Wagmeister-Senior Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent When Ryan Seacrest announced he’d be leaving “Live! With Kelly and Ryan,” at least three people were very concerned: Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos’ children. Ripa and Consuelos’ two adult sons and daughter have grown up in front of America. They’ve also grown up with Seacrest, who Ripa jokes is known as “Uncle Cool” in their household. Seacrest and Ripa have shared six years together as co-hosts on their top-rated show, but they’re relationship started long before that. The duo are such close friends that Seacrest has attended graduation ceremonies for the Ripa-Consuelos kids, and he regularly texts Consuelos for advice on everything from fashion to investing. In fact, Seacrest says he would have never considered moving across the country for “Live!” had it not been for Ripa.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent SPOILER ALERT: Do not read ahead, if you have not watched “The Bachelor” Season 27 finale, which aired on Monday, March 27 on ABC. 27 seasons later, “The Bachelor” is still handing out his final rose to the sound of tears, heartbreak and joy. On Monday night, leading man Zach Shallcross had a big decision to make between his final two contestants, Gabi Elnicki and Kaity Biggar. The finale followed last week’s very dramatic “sex week” episode where Shallcross, for some reason, felt compelled to discuss his sexual intimacy behind closed doors with Elnicki with his other finalists, only after telling them that he would not have sex with anyone. To no one’s surprise at all, that created high tensions with his final two women going into the proposal week.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent Sheryl Lee Ralph has alleged she was sexually assaulted by a “famous TV judge” at a business event years ago, claiming network executives witnessed the attack, but asked her to stay silent to avoid “bad press.” “I’m at a very public place. I was suited. I had my suit on. I was handling my business for the television show I was on at that time. He and I were on the same network,” Ralph said, recalling the alleged incident. “This man walked in, grabbed me by the back of my neck, turned me around and rammed his nasty ass tongue down my throat,” Ralph said. “And everybody at the network saw it.”

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent Sarah Ann Masse, an actor and activist who appeared in the film “She Said,” launched an outreach campaign via her organization Hire Survivors Hollywood, which had Hollywood notables wearing pins to support survivors of sexual violence across the entertainment industry at some of the buzziest events in the biz. Masse — who is a real-life survivor of Harvey Weinstein, but did not play herself in “She Said” — is the founder of Hire Survivors Hollywood, a grassroots organization that aims to get major studios and networks to make a pledge to hire survivors and give them the same opportunities as others, and stand against retaliation for speaking up. Masse started Hire Survivors Hollywood out her own necessity, after she says she was retaliated against for coming forward about Weinstein, and because she believed other survivors of sexual abuse were facing similar professional backlash.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent When one door closes, another one opens — and for ABC contestant Charity Lawson, her “Bachelor” breakup with Shallcross that aired last night was the best thing to ever happen to her. Why? Because now she’s the star of her own show. Lawson has been cast as ABC’s newest leading lady for “The Bachelorette” Season 20, which will air this summer. The announcement was made on Tuesday night’s episode of “The Bachelor: Women Tell All” where host Jesse Palmer surprised Lawson with the news. “Women Tell All” taped on the Warner Bros. lot on February 24th, and when Lawson’s “Bachelorette” announcement was made, the set was cleared so members of the media who were present were not made privy to the news. Variety was at the taping of “Women Tell All,” and the scene with Lawson was the last piece filmed that day. It’s typical for “The Bachelor” and “Bachelorette” casting news to leak, so the franchise pulled off a rare feat with no leaks of Lawson’s big news.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent “The Bachelor” franchise is no stranger to controversy, and after having been embroiled in race-related scandal in recent years, the ABC dating show addressed a contestant controversy head-on in the latest episode. Greer Blitzer is a contestant on the current season of “The Bachelor,” which stars leading man Zach Shallcross. Before the season premiered, Reddit users unearthed former tweets from 2016 where Blitzer defended wearing blackface. The reality star apologized on her own social media in January for the racially insensitive tweets, but the show had not addressed the controversy until now. On Tuesday’s episode of “The Bachelor: Women Tell All,” host Jesse Palmer put Blitzer in the hot seat and asked her address the backlash regarding her “troubling” and “disturbing” posts, in front of a studio audience.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent Just as Harvey Weinstein’s Los Angeles legal battle came to a close, another accuser has publicly come forward to reveal her identity. Kate Jaggard was set to be Jane Doe No. 5 in Weinstein’s 2022 rape trial, but she was ultimately never called to testify. In turn, the four charges associated with her allegations were dropped. Little details were shared about Jaggard, other than her being an actor and model who lives in Australia. She is represented by attorney Gloria Allred, who revealed her identity to the media on Tuesday following the final hearing in Weinstein’s L.A. case.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent Last year, Harvey Weinstein was found guilty by a Los Angeles jury — though in a mixed verdict, jurors could not reach a unanimous decision on all counts, with the judge declaring a mistrial on three of seven charges. On Tuesday, the judge dismissed those three remaining charges, and ruled that she would not be putting Weinstein back on trial. Prior to the judge’s decision, the prosecution announced the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office would not be proceeding with the remaining charges. Weinstein was sentenced last month to 16 additional years for his most recent conviction in L.A. He is already serving a 23-year sentence for his 2020 rape and sexual assault conviction in New York, and will all-but-likely spend the rest of his life behind bars. He is appealing both of his convictions.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent “The Late Late Show With James Corden” might be making its final curtain call on CBS this spring, but CBS Studios is continuing its partnership with Fulwell 73, the production company behind the late-night show and much more. Fulwell 73 has re-upped its first-look development deal with CBS Studios for three more years, Variety has learned. A person familiar with the agreement says the renewal deal began last fall. Under the deal, Fulwell 73 will continue to develop scripted, alternative and digital projects for the studio across broadcast, cable, streaming and digital platforms. Fulwell 73 first inked a deal with CBS Studios in 2016. The company has been in business with CBS since 2015 when Corden began hosting “The Late Late Show,” which became a mega success for the company defined by countless viral moments during its run.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent Evgeniya Chernyshova — formerly known as Jane Doe No. 1 in the Harvey Weinstein trial — sat down for her first television interview, revealing her identity on-camera and speaking about why she decided to come forward. Chernyshova was the first witness called in Weinstein’s Los Angeles trial last year. Her testimony compelled the jury to convict Weinstein on three charges of rape and sexual assault, ultimately resulting in a 16-year sentencing. Weinstein is already serving a 23-year sentence from his New York conviction in 2020. Once the most powerful man in Hollywood, the disgraced movie mogul is appealing both of his convictions. “You can stand. You can fight a monster. You can win,” Chernyshova said in a television interview with ABC News, which aired on Feb. 27.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent After being sentenced to 16 additional years last week, Harvey Weinstein is all-but-likely to spend the rest of his life behind bars. Weinstein is appealing his rape and sexual assault conviction, but for survivors, they feel justice has finally been served. “Today, he will be sentenced. He cannot hurt anyone anymore,” Evgeniya Chernyshova, known in the case as Jane Doe #1, said at Weinstein’s sentencing on Feb. 23 at the criminal courthouse in downtown Los Angeles. “I truly believe that this verdict, and the maximum sentence, will restore the faith in the justice system for many survivors out there,” Chernyshova told the judge, moments before Weinstein was handed his punishment.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to an additional 16 years in prison on Thursday, but his lawyers will continue to fight for the disgraced producer to live a life outside of jail, pledging to appeal his Los Angeles conviction. Weinstein’s defense, led by Mark Werksman and Alan Jackson, is finalizing their notice for appeal and is expected to file as soon as late Friday or mid-next week, Variety has learned. Werksman and Jackson did not immediately respond for comment, but at Weinstein’s sentencing, they told the judge that they planned to appeal. When contacted by Variety regarding the appeal, Weinstein’s spokesperson, Juda Engelmayer, provided a statement claiming that Weinstein had an unfair trial.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent Jennifer Siebel Newsom, one of the star witnesses of Harvey Weinstein’s west coast trial, says justice was served with the convicted rapist’s 16-year sentencing on Thursday, but warns there is more work to be done. A filmmaker and actor, Siebel Newsom is married to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, making her the First Partner of the state. She testified in Weinstein’s trial, accusing him of raping and sexually assaulting her in 2005. While the jury found the disgraced Hollywood producer guilty on three charges, they acquitted him of the two charges related to Siebel Newsom’s accusations. Speaking in a video posted to her social media on Thursday, Siebel Newsom spoke about her experience throughout the trial and called on the public to end the culture of sexual abuse.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent Harvey Weinstein made a final plea to the court on Thursday, just before a judge sentenced him to 16 years in prison. “I maintain that I’m innocent,” he said. “I never raped or sexually assaulted Jane Doe 1. I never knew this woman, and the fact is she doesn’t know me. This is about money and coming after me.” Weinstein did not stand up to address the court, noting that he has a spinal condition. From his chair, he took aim at a “cottage industry of lawyers” who “put victims on the stand” and then file civil suits. “I did not rape this woman. I did not see this woman. She perjured herself,” Weinstein said. “This is a made-up story. With all due respect, Jane Doe 1 is an actress and can turn on the tears.” 

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent Harvey Weinstein has been sentenced to 16 years, effectively ensuring the former Hollywood mogul and convicted rapist will spend the rest of his life behind bars. Weinstein’s sentencing was held in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday morning, nearly two months after his Los Angeles trial concluded with a jury convicting him on three counts of rape and sexual assault. Weinstein is already serving a 23-year sentence in New York, after being convicted of rape and sexual assault in that jurisdiction in his 2020 criminal trial. All three charges on which Weinstein were convicted were based on the counts relating to Jane Doe #1, a European model who testified she was raped by Weinstein at Mr. C Hotel after the L.A. Italia Film Festival in 2013. Weinstein’s attorneys have stated that Weinstein had an unfair trial — and therefore, conviction — because the court, his lawyers claim, precluded the defense from admitting relevant evidence and argument, particularly centering around Jane Doe #1.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent Reba McEntire will join “The Voice” as a mega mentor for Season 23, Variety has learned. McEntire joins the A-list lineup of coaches Chance the Rapper, Kelly Clarkson, Niall Horan and Blake Shelton for the new season that premieres on Mar. 6 on NBC. Season 23 is Shelton’s final season. He has been part of the musical competition show from the very beginning, as the only coach who has remained for the entirety of the show’s run. Having McEntire on board brings another country superstar into the show’s mix. It also marks McEntire’s return to “The Voice,” as she served as a Battle Advisor to Team Blake during the show’s inaugural season in 2011. Now, having her back on the series as Shelton coaches his final group of artists and bids farewell to the competition is a fitting full circle reunion.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers from episodes 1-8 of Netflix’s “Perfect Match.” If you’ve tuned into Netflix’s newest dating show, “Perfect Match,” you’ve seen singles frolicking around and romancing each other, in hopes of finding their so-called perfect match. And as part of this quest to find love, the reality TV contestants do not discriminate when it comes to jumping into the dating pool. The cast flip-flops dating each other and each other’s exes, as they test the waters to see who they might discover to be the best companion.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent Netflix’s popular dating show “Love Is Blind” will premiere its latest season next month. The streamer announced that Season 4 will launch on Friday, March 24 with batches of new episodes dropping on weekly basis on Fridays. The new season consists of 12 episodes. Netflix dropped the first teaser to preview Season 4, though the cast has not been revealed yet. “Love Is Blind” follows singles who will choose someone to marry without ever meeting them. The format sees contestants going on dates with each other by meeting in pods, speaking through walls and never meeting face-to-face, until they accept a marriage proposal in the pods. Then, over several weeks, the newly engaged couples will move in together, plan their wedding and find out if their physical connection matches their emotional bond developed in the pods. By the time their wedding day arrives, will they marry the person they fell blindly in love with, or will they break up at the altar?

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent It’s Monday after the Super Bowl, and at 8:30 a.m., Emma Grede has been awake for hours. After getting up at 5:00 a.m., Grede has just dropped off one of her four young children at school, and is now on her way to her offices in Culver City. The British businesswoman lives with her family in Bel Air, but is feeling extra rested after having spent the weekend at her second home in Malibu where she woke up this morning. “What have I ever been doing? This is why you live in California,” a chipper Grede says over the phone from her car. “I worked a paper route when I was 12, and I really learned the joy of the morning — that quiet time, it’s so precious. I have my coffee, I like to have a moment to think and I do a workout. But I wake up naturally. I wake up 15 minutes before any alarm goes off.”

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent A judge ruled Thursday that no additional victims — beyond the one woman whose testimony was the basis for Harvey Weinstein’s conviction — will be able to give victim impact statements at Weinstein’s sentencing next week. The ruling comes amid calls from attorney Gloria Allred to allow more victims to speak at the sentencing, which she says is the “right of a victim.” Allred represented three women in Weinstein’s Los Angeles trial, and has argued that all women involved in the case, regardless of the verdict, should be able to speak at the sentencing to let their voice be heard and provide relevant information for the court to consider. At the Thursday hearing, prosecutors Paul Thompson and Marlene Martinez asked the judge to hear from Allred in court.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent Francesca Farago broke out into reality superstardom during the pandemic when Netflix launched the first season of “Too Hot Too Handle” in 2020. Inarguably the biggest star to come from that show, Farago blew up on social media after becoming known for owning her sexuality, her shameless personality and one-liners that would not fly on broadcast television. Love her or hate her, she is reality TV gold. Farago is now back on “Perfect Match,” Netflix’s new reality dating show mega-mashup, which brings together all-star alums from the streaming service’s portfolio of series such as “Too Hot To Handle,” “Love Is Blind” and “The Circle” to frolic around in their bikinis and crop-tops at a tropical locale. There, they all live at a luxurious villa under one roof — and mayhem ensues. Cocktails are flowing, the drama is high and contestants are put to the test in raunchy “Double Dare”-like challenges on the beach, all in an effort to — of course — find their perfect matches.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent Fulwell 73 Productions is teaming up with NBA Entertainment to produce a docuseries that will follow the 2023 basketball playoffs, Variety has learned exclusively. The 10-part docuseries, which is currently untitled, will soon be brought to market. The project is described as the “defining series on the league’s annual marquee event.” Fulwell 73 is behind “The Late Late Show with James Corden,” “Carpool Karaoke,” “The Kardashians,” the Grammy awards, the “Friends” reunion and Adele’s Emmy-winning CBS special, among others. The production company also has produced nearly a dozen sports docs, including Amazon’s “All or Nothing: Juventus,” which followed the Juventus football club in the Italian Premier League for the 2020-21 season, and the Netflix documentary “Sunderland ‘til I Die,” which chronicled the English club through the 2017-18 season.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent After more than a decade ago on “The Voice,” Blake Shelton is preparing to say goodbye. NBC has announced that the next season of the singing competition will be Shelton’s last. Shelton has served as a coach on “The Voice” for all of its 22 seasons. Season 22 is currently airing on NBC, and Season 23, which airs in the spring of 2023, will be his last. “I’ve been wrestling with this for a while and I’ve decided that it’s time for me to step away from ‘The Voice’ after season 23,” Shelton said in a statement. “This show has changed my life in every way for the better and it will always feel like home to me.”

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent On the second day of jury selection in Harvey Weinstein’s Los Angeles trial, the former movie producer was wheeled into the courtroom, having changed from his jail attire into a suit. “Hi everyone,” he said, greeting jurors from the defense table where he had climbed into a seat from his wheelchair. But before Weinstein faced a group of 71 potential jurors in his rape and sexual assault trial, his attorneys had another issue to raise with the court: the “unsanitary” and “fetid” conditions of Weinstein’s holding cell. “It’s almost medieval, the conditions. I’m concerned about his health and his ability to survive this ordeal,” one of Weinstein’s lawyers, Mark Werksman, told Judge Lisa B. Lench. “I’m worried about him surviving this ordeal without a heart attack or stroke.”

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent Jury selection in Harvey Weinstein’s trial is officially underway. Weinstein, who was convicted of rape and sexual assault in his New York trial in 2020, faces 11 new charges in Los Angeles in a trial that began Monday morning at the criminal courthouse in downtown L.A. Nine women are expected to testify in a trial that could effectively put Weinstein behind bars for life, if convicted. Weinstein — whose monumental fall was the fuse the ignited the #MeToo movement — is already serving a 23-year sentence from his 2020 conviction where Weinstein was found guilty of third-degree rape and a first-degree criminal sexual act. The New York Court of Appeals, which is the highest court in that state, has agreed to hear his case. Weinstein was extradited in July 2021 to L.A. from N.Y., where he was serving his sentence.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent Vanessa Hudgens is going on a spiritual, supernatural journey — and wants to take viewers with her. Hudgens teamed up with Bunim-Murray Productions to produce an unscripted film, “Dead Hot: Season of the Witch,” Variety has learned exclusively. The project documents Hudgens’ journey in Salem, Mass., along with her best friend, musician GG Magree, as they set out to learn about witchcraft, ghost hunting and connecting with the spirit world. “Dead Hot” is in post-production, and the project is currently being shopped to outlets. Banijay Rights, the international distribution division of Banijay (which owns Bunim-Murray), is handling distribution.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent Guy Fieri has recently become a thing on social media. If you haven’t perused through TikTok to see him vibing at a rock concert, you might have seen one of his mock movie posters on Instagram. In August, Fieri inserted an image of himself over Brad Pitt on a prank poster for “Burger Train” (i.e., “Bullet Train”); and in September, he photoshopped himself into a poster for “Don’t Worry Diner” (i.e., “Don’t Worry Darling”), with the tagline “Welcome to Flavortown” and a caption that’s a wink and a nod to star Harry Styles’ now-infamous quotable from the Venice press conference. Despite his love for movies, Fieri is no entertainment expert. When asked to play a game of pop culture trivia at breakfast at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills, Fieri is unaware of Elton John’s new single with Britney Spears, though he thinks it’s cool, and responds, “When do we get to talk about food?”

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent Prince Andrew, Duke of York is the subject of a new documentary coming soon to Peacock. Titled “Prince Andrew: Banished,” the 90-minute doc will explore the sexual assault allegations against the royal and his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, which eventually caused Queen Elizabeth II to strip her son of his military titles and royal patronages.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent You know how they always say this is the most dramatic finale in “Bachelor” history? Well, this really might have been it. “The Bachelorette” Season 19 began with leading ladies Rachel Recchia and Gabby Windey both in seemingly happy relationships, with each only having one suitor left — for Rachel, it was Tino Franco; and for Gabby, it was Erich Schwer. Both women were hoping for proposals and they got them. But their fairytale endings were short-lived, as off-camera scandals soon ensued. Gabby and Erich weathered their storm of Erich texting one of his exes, who came forward on social media. The pair are still happily engaged. The same cannot be said for Rachel and Tino, who admitted to cheating on her after the season had wrapped production — of course, cameras followed the couple as they had one of the franchise’s most hard-to-watch conversations of all time. Needless to say, they are broken up.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent This week’s season finale of “The Bachelorette” saw a happy ending for leading lady, Gabby Windey, who received a proposal from her final suitor, Erich Schwer. But despite the couple’s engagement, their road to find love on reality TV was not without controversy — and not just the on-screen drama you expect from a dating show, but the real trouble that comes with being thrust into the public spotlight. Towards the end of the season, an old photo from Schwer’s high school yearbook surfaced online, showing the then-teenager wearing blackface as part of a high school Halloween costume in which he dressed up as Jimi Hendrix with dark makeup and an afro wig.