ESPN Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Nelson Peltz, the activist investor who runs hedge fund Trian Partners, believes urgent change is needed at Disney. He’s waging a proxy-fight battle to install himself and ex-Disney CFO Jay Rasulo as directors, a vote that will go up at Disney’s 2024 annual shareholders meeting April 3. What does Trian want? “Fundamentally and crudely, we want the stock to go up,” Peltz says in a video on Trian’s Disney proxy-fight site.

Page Six reported. Kelly's abrupt departure left "Today" in a bind, as producers scrambled to find a last-minute replacement.Keep reading for more on the drama….MORE: Follow Wonderwall on MSN for more fun celebrity & entertainment photo galleries and contentKelly Rowland appeared on "Today" as a guest in the 8 a.m. hour to promote her Tyler Perry-produced Netflix movie "Mea Culpa." (She stars in the film, which she also produced.) She was also set to guest host the fourth hour of the show with Hoda Kotb.

The Super Bowl didn’t go down without a little bit of on-field controversy!

An insider is explaining that on field outburst that Travis Kelce had during the 2024 Super Bowl, where he screamed at his head coach Andy Reid and even caused him to lose his balance by bumping into him.

, wife of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, in an Instagram Story on January 31. “The fact that you’re bringing my name onto tables I don’t sit at shows your obsession. Stay bothered.”Long before or was endlessly debated about during ESPN segments, Mahomes, 28, has attracted a disproportionate degree of vitriol from football fans, who insist that—for some reason—her very presence is a scourge on the entire sport.

The Super Bowl is here!

Keep clicking to see how others in Congress are reacting….MORE: Follow Wonderwall on MSN for more fun celebrity & entertainment photo galleries and content"The sham impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas was demanded by Donald Trump and is being led by Marjorie Taylor Greene. What does this have to do with fixing the challenges at the border? Absolutely nothing." —Rep. Hakeem Jeffries via CNN"There was a motion to recommit.

You may or may not watch sports on television, but the announcement this afternoon of a new streaming partnership may be a major incentive for your household to cut that cable bill. In a seismic moment in streaming history, the Walt Disney Company (ESPN, ABC), FOX, and Warner Bros.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Jemele Hill has signed with WME for representation in all areas, Variety has learned exclusively. Hill currently serves as contributing writer for The Atlantic and a creative consultant for Meadowlark Media. She is also a co-founder of Lodge Freeway Media.

Jim Harbaugh, fresh off a college footbll national championship with the Michigan Wolverines, will be the next coach of the Los Angeles Charges, the team has confirmed.

Rudie Obias editor If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. With the 2023-24 NHL season almost at the halfway point, it might be a good time to check in on pro hockey just before the all-star game in Feb. Many NHL national games are broadcasts on ESPN, TNT and ABC, while local games can be found on regional sports networks, like Bally Sports, MSG Network, NBC Sports, SportsTime Ohio, YES Network and others — depending on your location.

Jason Kelce has ended his football career.

As you’re watching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL playoffs tonight, you might be wondering a bit about Baker Mayfield‘s dating life.

Rudie Obias editor If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. The NBA on MLK Day pays tribute to the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. with a slate of games that promote equality and activism.

The National Football League and ESPN are reportedly in advanced talks about the league acquiring an equity stake in the sports network, according to reports by several media outlets. As part of the deal, ESPN would gain control of NFL Media, including NFL Network and NFL RedZone.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor One of the greatest plays in sports isn’t taking place on any athletic field. Walt Disney Co.

A former contributor for CNN is opening up about an alleged inappropriate text exchanged between her and Chris Cuomo “that went woefully wrong” — and allegedly got her axed from the network.

ESPN has been called out by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences after it was revealed that the network was caught breaking rules to win Emmy Awards for its on-air talent.

ESPN acknowledged it was “clearly wrong in submitting certain names going back to 2007” in light of a shocking report that reveals how the network skirted Emmy rules to help on-air talent rack up trophies.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor ESPN has disciplined members of its staff who worked for years to secure Emmys for on-air personnel who were not normally eligible for the awards by using fake names and entering them in various categories, according to an investigation by The Athletic. The probe found that ESPN has for more than a decade inserted fake personnel names in entries to win more than 30 Emmys, then took the awards, removed the fraudulent nameplates and had the statues engraved anew so they could be given to on-air staff.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor ESPN has been giving one of its newest show hosts a lot of rope despite a years-long policy of keeping talent on a very short leash. Pat McAfee has generated reams of unwanted publicity for the Disney-backed sports-media giant in recent days, allowing frequent guest Aaron Rodgers to spread misinformation about vaccinations; insulting Norby Williamson, an influential ESPN executive who manages many studio shows and tries to keep a tight rein on them, and accusing him of working to sabotage his show in talks to media outlets; and giving Rodgers room to call out Jimmy Kimmel, the ABC late-night host who is one of the most high-profile employees in the Disney empire.

UPDATED, 6:02 PM: The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office said tonight that it won’t file felony domestic violence charges against former Los Angeles Dodger star Julio Urías. The case, however, has been referred to the City Attorney’s Office for consideration of a possible misdemeanor case.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter WWE has hired Lee Fitting as the company’s new head of media and production, Variety has learned. The hiring comes just after the departure of Kevin Dunn, the longtime WWE head of production. Dunn had been with WWE for over four decades before his exit was announced in late December.

Deadline may receive commission from some products and services linked in this post

Pat McAfee is standing firm on his claims that an ESPN executive was “trying to sabotage” his show.

Kevin Negandhi will continue to be a presence on ESPN. The anchor and studio host has signed a new multi-year contract with the network in which he’ll continue to host weekday SportsCenter, as well as Special Olympics and ABC’s coverage of college football and the NBA draft.

ESPN is responding to claims made by Pat McAfee that an executive from within the sports network is “trying to sabotage” his show.

Olivia Wilde is heading home after a workout.

Less than a year after signing a reported $85 million deal spread over five years to join ESPN, host Pat McAfee is not happy with at least one network executive.,

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Marie Donoghue, who parlayed a stint at ESPN into a job helping Amazon break into the U.S. sports-media business, is leaving the company, according to a person familiar with the matter. Amazon declined to comment.