By Wonderwall.com Editors
6:35am PDT, Oct 5, 2021
Lady Gaga recalls first time Tony Bennett said her name amid Alzheimer's battle
Tony Bennett is not aware he's suffering from Alzheimer's disease, his wife, Susan Benedetto told Anderson Cooper on the Oct. 4 edition of "60 Minutes." "He recognizes me, thank goodness, his children, you know we are blessed in a lot of ways," Susan explained in a segment devoted to the 95-year-old music icon, whose new album with Lady Gaga, "Love For Sale," came out last week. "He's very sweet," Susan continued. "He doesn't know he has it." The segment featured Anderson's interviews with Tony, Susan and Gaga following Tony's final stage performance this summer at Radio City Music Hall. Gaga, 35, recalled how emotional she got when Tony said her name on stage as they performed some of the duets they've recorded in recent years. Speaking to Anderson on "60 Minutes," she explained that the concert marked "the first time that Tony said my name in a long time," following his 2017 diagnosis with the disease, which causes memory loss and confusion. "I had to keep it together, because we had a sold-out show, and I had a job to do," Gaga continued. "But I'll tell you when I walked out on that stage, and he said, 'It's Lady Gaga,' my friend saw me. And it was very special." Despite the disease, Tony can still sing without sheet music, as he proved on "60 Minutes." When his wife told Anderson, "Tony likes to say he's in the business of making people feel good, and he still is," Tony agreed, saying, "That's it!" Gaga noted that while "it's hard to watch somebody change," it's been both "beautiful" and "challenging," since the disease "affects him in some ways, but to see how it doesn't affect his talent." She added: "I think he really pushed through something to give the world the gift of knowing that things can change and you can still be magnificent."
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Elizabeth Hurley had teenage son 'on task' for viral bikini pic shoots
Back in January, after Piers Morgan claimed Elizabeth Hurley's teenage son, Damian, was the shutterbug behind some of her insanely sexy, skin-baring bikini pics on Instagram, the model and swimwear designer tweeted that the photos "were in fact taken by my 80 year old mother." It turns out Damian,19, has played a role in some of the shoots, though. Asked about the viral photos she's shared throughout the pandemic Liz, 56, recently told People TV that Damian was often on confidence-building duty. "Well, it was challenging because I didn't leave the country for anywhere hot. So all I had was my yard and my house, which is England," Liz said when asked about the often surprising backgrounds. (The picture Piers took took issue with featured Liz wearing nothing but a white bikini bottom and coat while standing before a snow-covered yard.) "I didn't have the beach, I didn't have the sea, I don't have any water. We very rarely have the sun." She does, however, have a helper in Damian when she's unsure of how to get just the right shot. "He said, mom, 'Just do it, OK.' I'm like, 'OK,'" she recalled. "But it's good. I had him on task, especially during lockdown."
RELATED: Liz and Damian Hurley join Demi Moore at Versace's Milan Fashion Week shows
Amal Clooney says George has been teaching their kids 'pranks' during the pandemic
During the coronavirus pandemic, George Clooney's taken on the role of teacher at home with the twins he shares with international human rights attorney Amal Clooney. "It was fine," George told ET over the weekend at the premiere of his new film, "The Tender Bar." "You just feel so bad for the world and all of that, you know? But our kids are 4 and they were two and a half when it started so you know, they weren't missing out on much out in the world," he continued. "So, you know, I didn't have to teach them trigonometry at home." While Amal credited her husband with being "a great" teacher, she agreed the lessons he gives their 4-year-olds, Ella and Alexander, are pretty far from trigonometry. "He's mainly teaching pranks for the time being," she noted. "But we'll see if it develops." George, meanwhile, remains convinced the education in pranking "can really pay off." "The Tender Bar," which George directed and stars Ben Affleck, hits theaters Dec. 22 before arriving on Prime Video early next year.
RELATED: George Clooney's life and career in pictures
Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop debuts 'DTF' libido supplements
Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop empire — which was ordered to pay $145,000 fine for making unscientific claims about the benefits of its infamous "Yoni eggs" — just added a new supplement to its roster that allegedly supports a stronger libido in women. It's called "DTF" — and yes, that stands for exactly what you think it does. "Everyday stress and anxiety, hormonal changes, exhaustion, age… these can impact our libido and sexual health. So yes, we (with our science and research team) created a supplement that REALLY helps," Gwyneth wrote in a promo on Instagram over the weekend. The pills contain Libifem fenugreek extract, which Goop.com claims is "clinically shown to support healthy sexual arousal and desire in women," plus shatavari, "a traditional female health adaptogen," per Goop. "Saffron extract rounds out the formula, providing mood support," the website says. According to a footnote, you'll want to pop two of the pills, which cost about $55 for a bottle, every day for "at least eight weeks" to reap their purported benefits. "It's not just about sex: It's about supporting our pursuit of more pleasure, more often," Goop explains. "And yes, we chose to name it DTF. It can be a joke we share." Asked for her take on the pricey pills, sex expert and counselor Jessica Leoni tells the Huffington Post that while it's great to see Goop "helping women to explore their sexuality more fully," going for a run would be a quicker way to feel a similar adrenaline boost. "You will feel 10 times better afterwards, it won't cost [$55] and the feeling of wellness it inspires will enhance your desire for sex," she said.
Ben Affleck says 'it's a very happy time in my life' as Jennifer Lopez romance continues
With two new films headed to theaters and a seriously on-again romance in the works with Jennifer Lopez, "life is good" for Ben Affleck, the Oscar winner told "Extra" on Oct. 3. "I'm very happy. It is a very happy time in my life …," Ben said while promoting the George Clooney-directed "The Tender Bar." He also name-checked his return to the big screen alongside bestie Matt Damon in "The Last Duel," adding that he was "proud" of both films. "Life is good," he said. Although Ben and Jen have been traveling separately for work in recent weeks, the two were spotted holding hands at a Los Angeles screening of the film over the weekend, according to the Daily Mail. "The Tender Bar" features Ben as a bar owner who bonds with his nephew when the boy's father goes MIA. "Working for George was a real treat, so it's a time in my career that is surprisingly kind of fruitful …," Ben said. "I kind of lucked into this … Very grateful, so yes, I am happy." Ben and Jen rekindled their romance this spring following her split from Alex Rodriguez.
RELATED: 'OITNB' star ends engagement after just a few months, plus more celeb splits of 2021
Shannen Doherty is 'fighting to stay alive' after Stage 4 cancer diagnosis
As Shannen Doherty continues her battle with Stage 4 breast cancer, she's still busy with work and seeing friends and family as much as possible. What she's not doing is making a "bucket list." During an Oct. 4 appearance on "Good Morning America," the actress, 50, explained: "A bucket list almost feels like those are things to check off before you die, and I never want to operate like that. I just want to operate as, I don't have things to check off because I'm going to keep fighting to stay alive." The "90210" alum was first diagnosed with cancer in 2015. She had a mastectomy in 2016, but revealed the cancer had gone into remission the following year. In February 2020, she shared that she'd been diagnosed with Stage 4. But that hasn't slowed her down much, work-wise. "I think work was always very fulfilling to me, but in a way it's become even more fulfilling," said Shannen, who appears in two new Lifetime movies due out this month. "A lot of people who get diagnosed with Stage 4, they sort of get written off. It's assumed that they cannot work or they can't work at their full capacity, and that is not true," she continued. "That is something that I would really like for people to stop assuming and give us a chance to prove them wrong."
Natalie Morales joins 'The Talk'
"The Talk" is getting a new permanent host. Natalie Morales, who announced last week that she's leaving NBC after 22 years, confirmed on Oct. 4 that she's headed to CBS. According to Deadline, Natalie's set to take a seat alongside Sheryl Underwood, Amanda Kloots, Jerry O'Connell and Akbar Gbajabiamila on the Oct. 11 edition of the Emmy-winning daytime show. "It's an extraordinary opportunity to be joining this team at 'The Talk,'" Natalie said in a statement after news of her move was announced live on her soon-to-be home turf. "I love the new energy and direction and couldn't be more excited to join Sheryl, Amanda, Jerry and Akbar. I'm looking forward to many good times while talking about the days' topics, and I can't wait to get going." Natalie's addition to the talk show panel comes after Sharon Osbourne's scandal-stirring exit in March over comments she made about racism related to Piers Morgan and Duchess Meghan. Carrie Ann Inaba and Elaine Welteroth left the show in August. Natalie, who serves as the West Coast anchor of "Today" and a contributor to "Dateline," has also hosted "Access Hollywood" and contributed to "NBC Nightly News" during her long tenure with the network.
Netflix, Howard University launch $5.4M Chadwick Boseman Memorial Scholarship
The late Chadwick Boseman is being honored once again, more than a year after his unexpected death at age 43. This week, Netflix and Chadwick's alma mater, Howard University, announced the launch of a new, $5.4 million scholarship in his name for students at Howard's College of Fine Arts, which was dedicated to the "Black Panther" star earlier this year. According to NBC News, the Chadwick A. Boseman Memorial Scholarship covers all admission costs for four years and kicks off this fall with awards of one scholarship per class, to be given to fine arts students "demonstrating a drive for excellence, leadership, respect, empathy and passion," as Chadwick did. Chadwick's wife, Simone Ledward-Boseman, said in a statement that the endowment "represents Chad's devotion to the craft, his compassion for others, and his desire to support future storytellers." The award-winning actor died last year after a private, four-year battle with cancer.
