By Wonderwall.com Editors
3:50am PST, Jan 18, 2017
Lindsay Lohan is 'educating herself' about Islam
Lindsay Lohan welcomed 2017 with a clean Instagram slate — and an Arabic greeting that's often used by Muslims in prayer, "Alaikum salam," in her bio. Between that and her recent visits to Turkey to meet with refugees, some suggested this week she may have converted to Islam, although her rep confirmed to GossipCop that she had not. Now, sources tell the New York Post the changes reflect Lindsay's newfound interest in global learning. "Lindsay is educating herself on different cultures and their practices to be able to better understand the people and communicate," said a friend close to the star. Lindsay mom, Dina, echoed that sentiment (albeit in self congratulatory terms): "I have raised my children to be compassionate and to educate themselves on a global level — to learn about different cultures and their practices and to respect them!"
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Alicia Keys wears makeup for the first time in nearly a year
In the new issue of Allure, Alicia Keys does something she hasn't done in nearly a year: She wears makeup. Not much, and only in a few photos, but as she tells the magazine (via E! News), she's "not a slave to wearing … [or] to not wearing makeup" either way. "That's my right," Alicia says, adding that she's spent most of her adult life being forced to wear makeup, sweat under the lights and deal with the acne those elements created as well as the confusion. "It took me so long to finally say, 'Whoa! Who am I under there?' That is just my own personal quest," the singer explains. "I am all about a woman's right to choose. I think a woman should do anything she wants as it relates to her face, her body, her health. Whatever mode of expression that empowers you, that's what you should do. What I am not down for is this ridiculously high, unrealistic expectation about appearance that we as women are held to. Alicia, who's inspired scores of women to follow suit and explore a world without makeup, went on to say she's now often told she glows. "I kind of recognize that glow because I've begun to listen to myself inside," Alicia says. "And I think there's something really powerful that happens when you start to listen to yourself. It makes you feel more aware. In touch. More confident … But there's definitely something powerful about the way your inner feels that reflects on the outer, on your skin. That, to me, is real beauty."
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Kanye West has a strong bond with Caitlyn Jenner: Report
Did Caitlyn Jenner have something to do with that Kanye West-meets-Donald-Trump photo op? A source tells Radar the rapper has become extremely close with Caitlyn and that the two have formed a bond in a way Kanye hasn't been able to do with his mother-in-law, Kris Jenner. "It was Caitlyn who convinced him of Donald Trump's merits," said the insider. In addition to talking politics, Caitlyn's reportedly helped her son-in-law deal with his grief about the death of his mother that some believe was to blame for his breakdown last year. "They speak two or three times a day," the source said. "She's really stepped in and filled an empty gap in his heart."
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Followers support Jessica Chastain against Matt Garza on birth control
As Senate works to get rid of the Affordable Care Act, people like Jessica Chastain are increasingly concerned about what women will have to pay for preventative health services like birth control in a post-Obamacare world. "#BirthControl is no longer covered by health insurance. Congrats USA, you're doing your part to keep women out of the work force. #smfh 😠," she tweeted (via Us Weekly), following it up with explanations about how low income women who can't afford birth control are at risk of being forced to provide for a family when they may not have finished school or gotten the career experience they want. Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Matt Garza, however, sees things differently. "It's called abstinence, a word that has been forgotten amongst this generation… it's the best contraceptive… #juatsaying," he replied. The Interwebs weren't too kind to him once folks started figuring out Matt, who earned $12.5 million in 2016, has six kids. "Yeahhh. How many ppl do you know who are abstinent?" one Twitter user asked. "Don't lecture women about abstinence…especially when you had a kid at 18." Another pointed out, "Women use birth control for a myriad of health reasons, not just as a contraceptive. Matt Garza obviously knows nothing about that," while a third griped, "says the guy who was a teenage father" in response. Jessica, for her part, declined to chime back in on the conversation. Instead, she turned her Twitter attention to vowing to march on Washington this weekend in solidarity "with the disenfranchised," writing, "I stand with you for reproductive choice, wage equality, and freedom from sexual violence."
Uma Thurman's ex makes new claims against her in custody battle
In less happy news, Uma Thurman and Arpad Busson have spent most of the week in court in Manhattan battling for custody of their 4-year-old daughter, Luna — and Arpad isn't holding much back. Earlier this week, it was reported his lawyer raised questions about Uma's alcohol use and prescription medication. Now, the New York Post reports the French financier has accused his former fiancee of keeping the $1.5 million engagement ring he gave her, staging a revolving nanny door in which "six to seven" were hired and fired last year last pushing him to sign off on a parenting contract before Luna was born. "She wanted to have a contract two weeks after she was pregnant. She wanted to have a contract — the kid, visitation, everything," he said. "She was never very specific about what she wanted, but she just wanted a contract with terms, for me not to be able to have Luna on weekends, further out, as little as possible. I didn't see a point of having a contract at that time." According to the Post, the trial will continue through next week barring a settlement or other interruption.
Duchess Kate takes a dig at Prince William's marathon running abilities
Pippa Middleton recently finished a marathon in Kenya and it sounds like brother-in-law now has the same goal. "I chatted to Prince William," Sean Fletcher of "Good Morning Britain" told People reporters this week, "and he has promised that he will run a marathon in Kenya sometime." Promises, however, are made to be broken. "Then I spoke to Kate," Sean added, "and she said, 'I'll believe it when I see it.'" Digs aside, Sean plans to run the London marathon, as it benefits the Young Minds organization, which works to help people like Sean's son, who suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder. Young Minds is among the groups William, Kate and Prince Harry have supported since launching their Heads Together mental health campaign. "This is all very new to me — I'm learning very fast because of my son's situation," Sean said. "William's understanding was incredible, but also his sympathy and empathy with me."
Is Kate Gosselin being overly controlling with her kids' visits with Jon?
If a new report from InTouch is true, Kate Gosselin has some serious trust issues when it comes to her ex, Jon Gosselin, and their eight kids. For starters? "Kate says no clothing or belongings can be brought from her house to Jon's house, so the kids arrive for visitation [at Jon's] in their school uniforms and change into clothes Jon has for them when they get to his house," an insider tells the magazine. "Then they put their uniforms back on before heading to their mom's house." The source says it doesn't stop there. Kate won't allow the children to have phones. "So after they visit with their dad," the source says, "she lines the kids up and pats them down for cellphones … She has these insane practices and rules to ensure she has total control of everything her kids do."
