Elizabeth Wagmeister-Senior Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent It’s official: Zach Shallcross will be the next star of “The Bachelor,” which heads into its 27th season in 2023. Shallcross — who Variety previously reported would be ABC’s next leading man — was a contestant from the current season of “The Bachelorette,” which wraps up its season tonight. “The Bachelor” announcement was made Tuesday night during the live finale by host Jesse Palmer. This season of “The Bachelorette” made history, starring two women for the first time: Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia. Shallcross was a finalist, having dated “Bachelorette” star Recchia as one of the most promising suitors of the season. But after a heartbreaking and surprising breakup on the show, Shallcross’ journey became one of the most dramatic storylines towards the end of the season.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent Nothing is official until it’s official, but sources tell Variety that ABC is all-but-set on Zach Shallcross being its next star of “The Bachelor.” Two individuals familiar with “The Bachelor” search have told Variety that Shallcross is the network’s pick to lead Season 27, which will likely air in early 2023. Shallcross is expected to be announced as the new “Bachelor” on next week’s season finale of “The Bachelorette,” during “After the Final Rose” on Tuesday, Sept. 20. Shallcross was a contestant on the current 19th season of “The Bachelorette,” which stars two women: Rachel Recchia and Gabby Windey.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent SPOILER ALERT: Do not read ahead, if you have not watched “The Bachelorette” Season 19 finale, part one, which aired on Sept. 13 on ABC… In an episode so dramatic, ABC had to unexpectedly extend the two-hour runtime, “The Bachelorette” began its journey to its grand finale, airing the first part of its live finale on Tuesday night. Leading ladies, Rachel Recchia and Gabby Windey, have both dwindled down their suitors to one man each. But will next week’s big finale see an engagement for either woman? Both women faced similar situations with men who say they love them, but aren’t quite ready to propose at the end of the reality show. The contestants say they want to spend the rest of their lives with Recchia and Windey, respectively, but hope to experience a more realistic relationship timeline than tying the knot on TV, after just a handful of weeks.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent Jennifer Hudson didn’t win “American Idol” 18 years ago — she came in seventh place. But it didn’t matter: She was soon destined for a tremendous, award-winning career. The superstar became the first and only “Idol” alum to win an acting Oscar, nabbing the best supporting actress trophy in 2007 for her stellar turn in “Dreamgirls.” Fast-forward to 2022 and Hudson is now an EGOT, having also won a Tony Award, Grammy and Daytime Emmy along the way. Now, she’s adding another credit to her lengthy resume: talk show host. Hudson will debut “The Jennifer Hudson Show” on Sept. 12, which also happens to be the star’s birthday. But why a talk show?

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent Sherri Shepherd will debut her own talk show next week. It’s a job she’s been preparing for her entire life — long before she was a co-host on “The View.” “It’s something that I used to dream about when I was a little girl. I would line up my Teddy bears with my Barbie dolls and I have a toilet paper roll and I would put them on chairs,” Shepherd tells Variety. Growing up, Shepherd would watch “The Phil Donahue Show” and Dinah Shore’s syndicated daytime talker with her grandmother. Later in life, she looked at Oprah and Sally Jessy Raphael as chat show inspirations. Now, she’s hoping to have a similar effect on her own viewers.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent “House of Hammer,” a new Discovery+ docuseries about the sexual abuse allegations against Armie Hammer, is making a change following its release, removing an on-screen image of a bite mark that one of the actor’s exes believed to be a photo of her own body. Turns out, the image in question appears to be a bite mark tattoo from Pinterest. In “House of Hammer,” Courtney Vucekovich  — one of Hammer’s former partners, who has accused him of improper sexual behavior — discusses the love-bombing, coercion and abuse she alleges to have endured during her relationship with the actor. In an on-camera interview, she says the actor convinced her into BDSM situations that did not make her feel safe, including rope bondage and biting.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent “This documentary contains graphic descriptions of violence, sexual abuse and coercive control.” That’s the warning viewers see when they first tune into “House of Hammer,” a new three-part docuseries from Discovery+, which exposes details surrounding the sexual abuse allegations against Armie Hammer. In early 2021, an onslaught of unverified messages that “The Social Network” star had allegedly sent to women surfaced on social media after one of his exes began to anonymously post graphic messages in which Hammer allegedly texted, “I am 100% a cannibal” and “I want to eat you.” The messages snowballed and Hammer’s career went into freefall.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent In early 2021, Armie Hammer’s world began to unravel. The actor with a seemingly perfect life had recently announced a divorce with his wife of 10 years with whom he shares two young children – and then explosive social media posts regarding Hammer’s sexual proclivities spiraled into a media firestorm. Hammer was swiftly dropped from a number of projects and his agency, WME. The unverified texts allegedly sent by Hammer depicted him telling women he wanted to bite them and tie them up. “I am 100% a cannibal,” one of the alleged text messages from Hammer read. “I want to eat you.” As the story progressed, numerous women claimed Hammer was abusive, controlling and coercive. One woman accused him of rape. The actor was named the main suspect in an ongoing sexual assault investigation by the LAPD.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentFree Britney, at last! Britney Spears’ fans around the world are praising the pop star’s return to music after she dropped her new single with Elton John.Spears collaborated with John on “Hold Me Closer,” a new spin on his hit song “Tiny Dancer.” The single marks the first music to come from Spears since her conservatorship was terminated in November 2021.Throughout the conservatorship, Spears recorded music, went on tour and held a Las Vegas residency, but testified last summer that she was forced to work against her will throughout the 13-year court-ordered arrangement.Spears’ legal battle continues, as the singer fights against her father, Jamie Spears, who oversaw her conservatorship, and her former business manager, Tri Star Sports & Entertainment Group. Spears claims that her father and Tri Star took advantage of her finances throughout the conservatorship and has made damning allegations about their alleged behavior towards her, which she has categorized as “conservatorship abuse.” The judge recently sided with the singer, ordering that her father must sit for a deposition this month, and ruling that she would not be deposed.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent If you haven’t heard of “Don’t Worry Darling,” you’ve probably read something about it. Olivia Wilde’s upcoming movie has become one of the most talked-about films of the year, especially considering it doesn’t even hit theaters for another month. Ever since “Don’t Worry Darling” was announced, the psychological thriller has attracted considerable attention in the tabloids and across social media with internet sleuths picking apart each and every detail of the film that stars Florence Pugh and Harry Styles. The latest gossip to come from the “Don’t Worry Darling” rumor mill claimed that Styles made more than three times Pugh’s salary on the film. (While Styles is the male lead, Pugh is, without question, the star of “Don’t Worry Darling.”)

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent Harry Styles is one of the most famous musicians on the planet, and this year, he will become a bonafide movie star. Having previously appeared in Christopher Nolan’s 2017 war drama “Dunkirk,” Styles has now taken on two leading roles: Olivia Wilde’s “Don’t Worry Darling,” in theaters Sept. 23, and “My Policeman,” which Amazon Studios will release on Oct. 21. In “Don’t Worry Darling,” Styles plays Jack, the on-screen husband to Florence Pugh’s Alice. But he doesn’t just act in the upcoming psychological thriller — Variety can reveal that Styles also brought his musical talents to the film, writing a key song in the movie.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent This past April, Olivia Wilde was excited to introduce her upcoming film, “Don’t Worry Darling,” to theater exhibitors at CinemaCon, a ticketed industry convention. Wilde was onstage and ready to show the first footage from her second directorial project, a psychological thriller starring Florence Pugh and Harry Styles. Suddenly, she was handed a mysterious manilla envelope, which was first reported to have had a script inside — soon after, it was reported that the contents of the envelope were actually child custody papers from her former partner, Jason Sudeikis. At the time, Sudeikis declined having anything to do with the incident, stating he had no prior knowledge that Wilde would be served at the event.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentEboni K. Williams is launching a new season of her podcast with Interval Presents, the new in-house podcast network from Warner Media Group, Variety has learned exclusively.Williams — an attorney, journalist, TV host and author — recently starred on “The Real Housewives of New York City,” becoming the first-ever Black cast member to be cast on the Bravo show.“Holding Court with Eboni K.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentFor the second year in a row, “The View” is the most-watched daytime talk show across both network and syndication, Variety has learned.For the 2021-2022 television season, the ABC series ranked No. 1 in both households and total viewers, topping all other network and syndicated daytime talk shows with a 1.7 rating, tied with “Dr. Phil” in households, and an average of 2.411 million total viewers for the season, per Nielsen.In total viewers for the full season, “The View” came ahead of “Dr.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentHarvey Weinstein’s latest hearing in his sexual assault case was delayed Friday morning when a flood caused a lockdown at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility, the Los Angeles prison where the convicted rapist is currently behind bars.“Just a routine delay,” one of Weinstein’s attorneys, Mark Werksman, told members of the media who were sitting in the courtroom.“My client, on the payphone, is still in his cell,” Weinstein’s attorney said at 9:29 a.m., asking for an update from the bailiff, who was on the phone with the prison, trying to arrange transportation for Weinstein to be escorted to the courthouse for the hearing.“It is my understanding,” Judge Lisa B. Lench began, “That there was a flood at Twin Towers where Mr.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior Correspondent“The View” is adding two new co-hosts: former Trump staffer, Alyssa Farah Griffin, as well as longtime contributor to the show, Ana Navarro, who Variety has learned has signed a multi-year deal as a permanent co-host, though she won’t appear every day on the show.The announcement is expected to come on today’s episode of “The View.”Both women are Republicans and will add conservative commentary to the daytime talk show, though their political brands are vastly different, despite their same party affiliation.Navarro and Farah Griffin will join moderator Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin and Sara Haines, resulting in six co-hosts for Season 26.Navarro — a fan-favorite on “The View” who identifies as a Republican, but is a staunch critic of former President Donald Trump —  has appeared as a weekly guest host on the show, but never officially had a permanent spot at the Hot Topics table until now. Over the years, Variety has reported that she had been in discussions to join “The View,” but a full-time deal never materialized.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentSunny Hostin is staying put at the most dramatic table on television.Hostin has inked a multiyear, multimillion-dollar deal to continue as co-host on “The View,” Variety has exclusively learned. The renewal deal will take Hostin through Season 28 of the ABC daytime show, which she currently co-hosts with Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar and Sara Haines — all of whom will be returning next season.ABC declined to comment on Hostin’s deal.As Variety previously reported, “The View” is expected to cast former Trump staffer Alyssa Farah Griffin as a co-host next season, which begins in September, filling the conservative seat on the panel that has been vacant ever since Meghan McCain left the show in 2021.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentAlyssa Farah Griffin, the former Trump White House director of strategic communications, is in final talks to join “The View” as the new conservative co-host of the daytime talk show, Variety has learned.Multiple sources tell Variety that ABC executives have chosen Farah Griffin, 33, to join “The View” for its 26th season, which kicks off in the fall. She has sat at the Hot Topics table regularly this season, auditioning for one of the most high-profile jobs on TV.Meghan McCain served as the conservative co-host of “The View” from 2017 through 2021, bringing a rating surge as she got into heated debates with the other co-hosts during the Trump era.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentHold me closer, Britney Spears?Some six years after she last released newly recorded music, Spears is back in the studio recording music with Elton John, according to reports in Page Six and TMZ — and it will be a brand-new recording of John’s 1971 song, “Tiny Dancer,” which took on a new life after it was featured in Cameron Crowe’s 2000 film, “Almost Famous.”According to the reports, Spears met with John last week in a Beverly Hills recording studio for a new version of the song, according to Page Six, and says the track is set to be released by Universal Music next month. Grammy-winning producer Andrew Watt, who has worked with everyone from Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber to Pearl Jam and Ozzy Osbourne, is reported to be overseeing the session.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentFood Network continues to cook up its relationship with popular host Guy Fieri, who is gearing up to launch his sixth show with the network.Fieri’s next outing is “Guy’s Ultimate Game Night,” a culinary game show with celebrity guests competing in food-related games and trivia that brings some Hollywood flavor into the TV chef’s ever-growing repertoire.The series — which launches on Aug. 31 at 9 p.m.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentA few days after her latest legal victory in court, Britney Spears is sharing her passion and love for music with her fans, singing a powerful new version of her hit “Baby One More Time.”Spears, who was freed from her conservatorship after 13 years this past November, took to Instagram to post a brand new rendition of “Baby One More Time,” the single that catapulted her to superstardom as a teen when she released it in 1998.“I haven’t shared my voice in an extremely long time … maybe too long,” Spears wrote on Friday in her caption that accompanied a video of her belting out the song that made her famous — but this time, an a cappella version.Spears sings with power in the video, showing off her raw vocal ability that garnered much praise in the comment section. Spears’ new version includes one notable difference from the original lyrics: “Give me a fucking sign,” she hits hard in her new video, which she says she recorded earlier this week.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentDespite denying any involvement with Britney Spears’ conservatorship, the pop star’s former business manager Tri Star Sports & Entertainment Group was directly involved in creating the legal arrangement, according to new court documents, filed by Spears’ attorney. The filing claims that Tri Star received at least $18 million from the conservatorship.Tri Star and its founder, Lou Taylor, served as the superstar’s business managers from 2008 through 2020.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentThis week, Chelsea Handler stepped in as guest host on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”The comedian brought her A-game, and as the news cycle would have it, Handler was tasked with handling the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, the sentencing of both Ghislaine Maxwell and R. Kelly, plus the Jan.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentThis week, R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison. The singer, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, was convicted of racketeering and eight counts of violating the Mann Act, which prohibits transporting people across state lines for prostitution.R.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentBritney Spears’ conservatorship is terminated, but the legal battle continues for the pop star.In the latest move in the saga against her father Jamie Spears — who was her former conservator — the pop star’s attorney is blasting the elder Spears for seeking “revenge” by trying to depose his famous daughter, calling it a “low blow” and a strategy to “intimidate” the singer.“He now, with no legitimate, good-faith basis, seeks to take a sham deposition of his daughter, all in an effort to upset and intimidate her,” the star’s attorney, Mathew Rosengart, wrote in a new legal filing to the Los Angeles Superior Court.The next hearing in Spears’ case is set to be held on July 13, where this matter is expected to be addressed in court. But if the conservatorship is over, why is this messy battle still ongoing? The singer is still fighting against her father, who has requested she pay his hefty legal bills, despite being suspended by the court, shortly before the conservatorship was terminated in November 2021.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentGhislaine Maxwell has been sentenced to 20 years for facilitating financier Jeffrey Epstein in sexually abusing underage girls.The British socialite and close confidante to Epstein was convicted in December on federal sex trafficking charges for luring underage girls to engage in sex acts with Epstein.On Tuesday morning, Maxwell was brought into the courtroom in ankle shackles where judge Alison J. Nathan said, “I find that the defendant’s criminal activity was extensive,” according to the New York Times.Numerous victims impact statements were made ahead of the sentencing, including from one of Epstein’s most prominent accusers, Virginia Giuffre, whose lawyer read her statement to Maxwell.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentAfter a civil jury found that Bill Cosby sexually abused Judy Huth in 1975 when she was a 16-year-old minor, Cosby’s team is calling the outcome an “astonishing victory,” yet pledging to appeal the $500,000 verdict.“Yesterday actor and comedian Bill Cosby was awarded an astonishing victory by jurors in a civil trial brought by Judy Huth,” reads a statement from Cosby’s spokesperson, Andrew Wyatt. “The jurors decided to grant Judy Huth with a $500,000 verdict but voted 9-3 in favor of not rewarding Ms.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentSherri Shepherd is heading back to daytime.The former cohost of “The View,” actress, comedian and Emmy winner is launching her own talk show, which has officially been cleared for national syndication and will premiere on Sept. 12, Variety has learned.The new show, titled “Sherri,” has been cleared in more than 97% of the country with the Fox TV stations as its core station group.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentJesse Collins Entertainment has received a minority investment from Fulwell 73, Variety has learned.The deal expands opportunities for both companies, which will continue to produce independently, in addition to collaborating. Both companies are known for producing live event and unscripted content with high-caliber talent, and previously worked together on the Grammy Awards.Financial terms of deal between the Jesse Collins Company and Fulwell 73 were not disclosed.