By Wonderwall.com Editors
6:53am PDT, Mar 18, 2022
Wendy Williams says she's healthy, ready to return to TV in 3 months, despite cancelation
Wendy Williams says she's "about three months" away from being "free and ready" to return to work, despite recent news Sherri Shepherd is slated to take over "The Wendy Williams Show" time slot with a talk show of her own. Wendy, who's been battling health problems that have rendered her unable to host her own show in recent months, called in to "Good Morning America" with an update on her health and financial situation on March 17. According to People, she told the hosts she's of "sound mind." She also reportedly wanted to stay off-camera for her appearance. "[My] health is very well. And I've actually had a few appointments," Wendy said, without elaborating much on the nature of the appointments. She also shared a few details about her financial battle with Wells Fargo. People reports Wendy filed a complaint in court indicating the bank asked Wendy to enlist a guardian. Until she does, she says she can't access "several million dollars" because the bank believes she's "of unsound mind," which she disputes. "They say that I need somebody to handle my account and I don't want that," she said on "GMA." "I want all my money. I want to see all my money that I've worked hard for my entire life. My entire life. I don't lie, I don't cheat and I don't steal. I am an honest, hard-working person." As for her desire to go back to work, presumably on her soon-to-be retired show, it's unclear how that would pan out. Wendy's rep said in a statement in February that Debmar-Mercury, the production company behind "The Wendy Williams Show" and "Sherri," "… that should [Wendy's] health get to a point where she can host again and should her desire be that she hosts again that she would be back on TV at that time." But Sherri's eponymous show kicks off in September — and it's pretty clear she snagged the "Wendy" slot because of her high ratings while guest-hosting for Wendy. "I'm very comfortable [working again]," Wendy said on "GMA." You know, my partners with the show — everybody's ready. Give me about three months. There are private things that I have to deal with and then I'll be ready to come back and be free and ready to do my thing." Speaking to fans, she added, "Keep watching."
Keep reading for the latest on Wendy Williams' health battle and plans to return to TV ..
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Kanye West suspended from Instagram; fans petition Coachella to drop him from lineup
On the March 16 edition of "Ellen," Kim Kardashian spoke candidly about her romance with Pete Davidson for the first time, admitting he now has tattoos (and one chest branding) in her honor. She also dished on going Instagram-official with the "Saturday Night Live" star, whom she started dating last year amid her divorce from Kanye West. Kanye, meanwhile, is having a decidedly different relationship with social media this week. Hours after Kim's appearance on "Ellen," Meta confirmed it had suspended the rapper's Instagram account for 24 hours because he violated the company's hate speech, bullying and harassment policies, according to NBC News. That same day, a Change.org petition surfaced in which users are demanding Coachella drop Kanye from its 2022 lineup. The petition claims the rapper "has endangered the safety of … Kim Kardashian and her new partner Pete Davidson" and "has verbally attacked countless people publicly and jeopardized their safety in the process." They go on to demand his removal from the festival. Ye, as he's now legally called, has repeatedly attacked Pete on Instagram and has posted and deleted multiple disparaging comments about Kim. He reportedly included racial slurs in the caption to a photo he posted of Trevor Noah this week, sparking that Meta to temporarily block him from using Instagram. Ye's Trevor post appeared to have been a response to comments Trevor made on the March 15 "Daily Show" regarding the rapper's assaults on his ex. "Two things can be true," Trevor said, in part. "Kim likes publicity, Kim is also being harassed. NBC reports that after Kanye's 24-hour suspension is lifted, "additional steps will be taken if [he] continues not to follow Instagram community guidelines."
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Peta Murgatroyd tears up about Ukraine war in emotional video
In a new post on her Instagram Stories this week, Peta Murgatroyd broke down in tears as and said the war in her husband, Maks Chmerkovskiy's native Ukraine "is continually breaking my heart." The moving video features Peta speaking directly to the camera as she shares what she's been going through as Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to order sieges on major Ukrainian cities amid a rising civilian death toll. "I'm struggling to get through some days. Sometimes I have great days, other days I have terrible days because I just can't get this out of my head," the "Dancing With the Stars" pro says through tears in the clip, according to People. "I've walked those streets, I've been there. It is such a beautiful country … And the children that are dying right now …" She then urges fans to watch the footage of explosions and worse in Ukraine that she's posted elsewhere on Instagram Peta adds that while Maks is "home for now" after his recent escape from the war-ravaged country, his presence in Los Angeles, "does not mean that we aren't continually doing stuff to try to help, and we aren't continually thinking about what's going on there every single day." Maks previously revealed he was arrested while trying to flee Ukraine, where he'd been filming a dance show prior to Russia's invasion on Feb. 24. Speaking to Anderson Cooper on CNN after his return, Maks said, "I spent the last couple of days with survivor's remorse, and I'm currently working on an opportunity to go back." At the time, he said he planned to make his way to Poland "and join efforts on the ground."
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Leah Remini trolls Jennifer Lopez for being too hot in hilarious TikTok
If you've ever wondered what it's like to be besties with Jennifer Lopez, look no further than the hilarious TikTok Leah Remini shared while poolside with the singer on March 16. The clip opens with Leah telling viewers, "So Jen asked me to meet her by the pool right? Here's me." She then shows off her low-key outfit — baseball hat, tousled hair, T-shirt. "Here's me normal," she continues, "… and look at this one." Leah then pans to her insanely gorgeous buddy, who's clad in a sexy orange swim suit, with a scarf delicately covering her hair. An assortment of gold and white bangles sparkle on Jen's wrist and matching earrings dangle from her ears as she looks at the camera with a "what's wrong" expression. Leah quickly fills her in, sending Jen into a fit of hysterical laughter. "Head wrap! Jewelry!" Leah shouts, trolling her longtime BFF. "Can you be ugly once? Can you just be normal once?!" she jokes. The camera then gets wobbly and Leah appears to jump on Jen with a bear hug while yelling, "You're such a j*** off!" "Jennifer Lopez vs Me By The Pool," Leah wrote on the post.
Dolly Parton to remain on Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ballot despite her request to bow out
Nope. That's pretty much how the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame responded to Dolly Parton after she asked to have her name withdrawn from consideration for this year's Rock Hall inductees. In a social media earlier this week, Dolly explained that she doesn't think she's "earned that right" to be included in a group of rock artists for the honor. "I really do not want votes to be split because of me, so I must respectfully bow out," she continued. "I do hope that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will understand and be willing to consider me again — if I'm ever worthy." Turns out the Rock Hall has already determined she's "worthy," so her name will remain on the ballot anyway. "In addition to her incredible talent as an artist, her humility is another reason Dolly is a beloved icon by millions of fans around the world," The Rock Hall said on Twitter on March 17. "From its inception, rock & roll has had deep roots in rhythm & blues and country music. It is not defined by any one genre, rather a sound that moves youth culture," the organization explained. "Dolly Parton's nomination to be considered for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame followed the same process as all other artists who have been considered," the post continued. "Dolly's nomination, along with the other 16 for the class of 2022 was sent out earlier this month to our 1,200 general ballot voters … We are in awe of Dolly's brilliant talent and pioneering spirit and are proud to have nominated her for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame," the hall concluded in its statement. The organization will announce the final list of new inductees in May.
Tom Hiddleston is engaged to actress Zawe Ashton
Congrats are in order for Marvel stars Tom Hiddleston and Zawe Ashton. After Zawe was photographed wearing what appeared to be a diamond halo-style engagement ring at the 2022 BAFTA Film Awards over the weekend, multiple outlets confirmed the couple's engagement on March 17. Tom, 41, and Zawe, 37, met on the set of their respective Broadway debuts in 2019's "Betrayal," which was also staged in London's West End. Last fall, the stars were photographed sharing a kiss in Ibiza, Spain, though neither confirmed their romance at the time. Later that month, they attended the Tony Awards together, according to Entertainment Tonight. Zawe, whose credits include "The Handmaid's Tale" and "Velvet Buzzsaw," returns to the big screen next year in "The Marvels," a sequel to 2019's "Captain Marvel," according to imdb. Tom, who's played Loki in six Marvel films and counting, is reportedly working on a second season of the Disney+ series named after his character.
Hugh Jackman shouts-out his mom and her handwritten recipe book in sweet post
Hugh Jackman took a break from Broadway this week and hit the kitchen, armed with a special recipe from his once-estranged mother, Grace McNeil. "On today's menu: chickpea burgers. Thank you Mum!" the 53-year-old star shared on his Instagram Stories on March 16. He also showed off photos of the patties on a tray and a close-up shot of the handwritten recipe he was using — one of many Grace included in a book of her son's favorite treats. "I can tell you that it is one of the most important gifts Hugh has ever received," a rep for Hugh later told Today.com, adding that Grace "hand wrote every single recipe all from memory." A few days earlier, the actor shared another IG Story while he was prepping what he called "Mum's Sunday Special Lentil Shepherd's Pie." "Many of the recipes are passed down through generations," Hugh told social media followers on Mother's Day 2020 in another post about the book. Back in 2012, Hugh revealed his relationship with Grace was troubled when he was growing up after she left his family in Australia to return to England. In an interview with The Australian Women's Weekly that year, the star said he and his mother have "spoken at length" about what she was going through at the time she left. "I know she was struggling. She was in hospital after I was born suffering from post-natal depression," he said. "And then you add five kids into the mix and the fact she had emigrated from England and there wasn't a support network for her here, plus the fact that Dad was at work all day — and you realize that as parents we make mistakes."
'Buffy' alum says Joss Whedon made set toxic 'for the really attractive women'
A recently published book celebrating the 25th anniversary of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" sheds new light on allegations Joss Whedon fostered a toxic workplace on the set of the long-running series. Asked about misconduct claims made about Joss by the likes of formers "Buffy" stars Charisma Carpenter and Michelle Trachtenburg, Danny Strong, who played Jonathan Levinson on the show before going on to co-create "Empire," among other hits, told author Evan Ross Katz he didn't realize how bad things were for his castmates. And he thinks there's a specific reason for that. "Look, my experience on the set was a very positive experience, including my interactions with Joss. And so I wasn't aware of how toxic the set was for some. And it seems like who it was toxic for was the really attractive women," Danny says in "Into Every Generation a Slayer Is Born: How 'Buffy' Staked Our Hearts," via IndieWire. "That was who he was creating really unpleasant working experiences for. … I think that this mentality that we're seeing in [Joss] is kind of like this high school nerd who's angry that the pretty girls didn't like him and he gets older and he's gonna lash out at the pretty girls or hook up with some of the pretty girls, and the pretty girls that don't want to hook up with him he's going to lash out at them in some way or turn other girls against them," Danny adds. He also doesn't accept Joss' claim that he was too young and inexperienced to act professionally. "I just want to say if you're in your mid-30s, f*** you. That's not an excuse. You should know better by then. You're very rich. You're very successful," Danny says. "Give me a f****** break that you're still talking about being the high school nerd that didn't get the girls. It's not an excuse to mistreat people."
