Angelina Jolie talks parenting during the pandemic, plus more news

By Wonderwall.com Editors 2:32pm PDT, Jun 12, 2020

Angelina Jolie rarely shares personal details about her life as a mom to the six kids she shares with ex Brad Pitt. But the actress and refugee advocate — who is currently working with Amnesty International on a book "to help children empower themselves" — made an exception for an interview published this week in Harper's Bazaar UK. Asked how she deals with "anxious thoughts" at home, Angelina said she works to banish those feelings. "Like most parents, I focus on staying calm so my children don't feel anxiety from me on top of all they are worrying about," she explained. "I put all my energy into them." Angelina shares Maddox, 18, Pax, 16, Zahara, 15, Shiloh, 14, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 11, with Brad. And the two are said to be getting along better than ever since they worked out their custody arrangement. Brad, who reportedly helped Shiloh celebrate her birthday with her siblings at the end of May, now lives just five minutes away from Angelina — the Daily Mail reported this week that the exes even have matching backyard playground setups that likely come in handy during quarantine. Angelina said having pets has been helpful to the kids in recent weeks, too. "During the lockdown, Vivienne's bunny passed away during a surgery, and we adopted two sweet little ones who are disabled," she shared. "[The bunnies] need to be in pairs. They are so gentle and it has helped to focus on their care with her at this time. And on the dogs, and snake and lizard …" Finally, the UN Special Envoy revealed that "this moment in America" is making her take a harder look "the needs and suffering within my own country." She added: "A system that protects me but might not protect my daughter – or any other man, woman or child in our country based on skin color – is intolerable … we need to progress beyond good intentions to laws and policies that actually address structural racism and impunity."

Keep reading to see how Rachel Lindsay is reacting to news 'The Bachelor' cast its first male lead …

'The Bachelor' announces its first-ever black male lead, Matt James; Rachel Lindsay calls the move a 'band-aid'

For the first time in its 18-year history, "The Bachelor" has a black male lead. On Friday, the show announced Matt James, a 28-year-old real estate broker and community organization founder will star as Season 25's Bachelor. The news sparked cheers from lots of Bachelor Nation alums — including former Bachelorette Hannah Brown, who faced backlash recently for singing along with lyrics to a song that included a racial slur on Instagram. Matt's casting comes after Rachel Lindsay, the first (and only) black "Bachelorette" lead, criticized ABC for the lack of diversity within "the whole franchise," sentiments fans echoed in a Change.org petition demanding a black lead for the next season. Rachel appeared on "Good Morning America" Friday after Matt and expressed concern his casting is simply a "band-aid" on a problem that demands a formal acknowledgement from ABC. "I was hoping when I came on to be a trailblazer for that and to increase diversity in the audience that watches it," she said, according to Us Weekly. "But in the last three years, there really haven't ben changes made. I want producers of color. I'd like for them to cast leads that are interested in dating outside of their race that aren't just getting their first-time experience — for the first time — on national TV." She added: "Not putting a band-aid over the situation and just saying, 'Here, we're going to put this here. Are you happy now?'"

Gwyneth Paltrow feels 'calmer' because of the quarantine

Early on in the pandemic, Gwyneth Paltrow shared a mask-clad selfie from a flight to Paris. She looked super nervous in the pic and cracked a joke about her "panic" by referencing 2011 film, "Contagion," saying, "I've already been in this movie." Four months later, it turns out her anxiety was warranted. But as she says in the new issue of Shape, Gwyneth, 47, feels "calmer" in some ways because of the pandemic, and has made a vow to herself to slow down when (slash if) life returns to normal. "I had not realized how much the normal pace of life was overburdening our bodies, our minds, and our nervous systems," she tells Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris, California's Surgeon General, whose practice has largely focused on the negative effects of childhood stress on health in later life. The GOOP founder goes on to share how quarantine has sparked a mix of "emotional distress" and "peace," saying that the experience has "given me new perspective about how much I will take on going forward." Before the pandemic, Gwyneth says, she "was constantly trying to pack in wellness moments" but those didn't necessarily allow her to decompress. "Now I feel different, letting my body go to sleep and wake up in its natural rhythm, having my kids around all the time, eating meals together, and having meaningful conversations," she muses. "We linger at the table; our dinners are an hour and a half long. My heart feels fuller, and my mind feels calmer in that respect."

Kanye West reflects on 'healing' after the pandemic

Kanye West recently spoke with Pharrell Williams for the cover of i-D magazine's summer issue from Wyoming, where the Yeezy designer was self-quarantining with Kim Kardashian West and their four kids. Though 'Ye talked at length about his Yeezy team, why Michael Jackson shouldn't be nixed as part of so-called cancel culture and his biodome designs, he also shared some insight into what he's gained from being in a slower-paced version of life because of the pandemic. "Time moves differently here in Wyoming, space is different," he told Pharrell. "Just to have nothing but space and time instead of everything. It's like a different stream of consciousness. It's more about finding the things that drive you spiritually and remind you who you are." At one point, Pharrell nudged his pal to reflect on "healing," in a seeming reference to the devastation caused by the pandemic and the divisions being underscored by George Floyd's death, the protests and that have followed. Kanye responded by sharing a story that ended with his manager saying, "You're better off [poor in Africa] than in America, because if you're in Africa, the community won't let you go hungry." Added Kanye: "That's the type of mentality that we've gotta apply moving forward [after] this pandemic. That's the change that must happen."

Taylor Swift slams Tennessee government for vowing to replace statue torn down during protests

Now that she's committed to speaking out about political and social issues, Taylor Swift is making her opinions crystal clear with regard to controversy around statues of confederate leaders. The singer posted at least 10 tweets on the matter on Friday, detailing the specific reasons she wants certain statues in her home state to be removed. "As a Tennessean, it makes me sick that there are monuments standing in our state that celebrate racist historical figures who did evil things. Edward Carmack and Nathan Bedford Forrest were DESPICABLE figures in our state history and should be treated as such," she tweeted (via JustJared). "Edward Carmack's statue was sitting in the state Capitol until it was torn down last week in the protests. The state of Tennessee has vowed to replace it." She went on to call replacing the monument "a waste of state funds and a waste of an opportunity to do the right thing." Though she admitted "taking down statues isn't going to fix centuries of systemic oppression, violence and hatred that black people have had to endure," she said , "it might bring us one small step closer to making ALL Tennesseans and visitors to our state feel safe – not just the white ones."

Keke Palmer opens up about her now viral exchange with National Guardsmen at a protest

On June 2 in Los Angeles, Keke Palmer had an exchange with members of the National Guard that had lined up at a peaceful protest. In a video that soon went viral, she can be heard asking a guard to join the demonstrators in their march demanding justice for the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and others. The officers eventually took a knee in support of the cause, though they didn't march. She opened up about the moment to Jimmy Kimmel on his show Thursday, explaining that she was actually "confused" when she saw National Guardsmen "blocking us from going further with the peaceful protest," according to THR. She said she felt it was clear the guardsman she was speaking to wanted to join the march. "I know they have a job to do. I don't know. I just felt like, 'Why can't they be with us? Marching with us?'" she explained. "I feel like there's such a division being created in society right now from every angle, whether you're in the military, whether you're black, white, whatever, that I just felt like we all need to come together. And I think I just was really overwhelmed." Keke also revealed Joe Biden called her after the video went viral. "We had a conversation. I didn't get to ask him everything I wanted to ask him, but it was good to talk, you know, and just to kinda hear what he's talking about and what he's saying right now," she said of the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

'Total Bellas' stork update: Nikki Bella reveals the gender of her baby-to-be

Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev are expecting a baby boy! The couple, who found out their little one's gender by breaking open a pinata filled with blue confetti at a party, revealed the big news about their first child on Thursday's "Total Bellas," according to Us Weekly. "I'm so excited that Nicole and Artem are having a boy. I knew [it]. I really, in my heart, I just felt it for her," said Nikki's twin sister Brie, who's also pregnant. "I think you and your little boy will have such a great bond," she told Nikki. "I do. I really feel that." The sibs are due this summer, just a week and a half apart.

Wendy Williams plans to extend her show's hiatus until in-studio production is possible

Wendy Williams won't be returning to her show anytime soon. The star went on hiatus from "@Home" versions of "The Wendy Williams Show" in May for reasons related to her Graves' disease. This week, she announced she hopes to stay off the air until she can film in the studio again. "I'm waiting for the state of New York to say that we as a show can go back," she said in videos posted to social media on Wednesday. "I want to go back to doing our show. Nothing makes me happier than to be Wendy on 'The Wendy Show' … what I want the most is to be with you. I miss you. I miss you a lot," she continued. A rep for the show later confirmed to Deadline, "The goal is to be back in studio as soon as we are allowed," adding, "If that is delayed until later in the year, we may revisit the @Home shows." Wendy began filming from her home in New York City on April 6 after COVID-19 concerns shut forced regular production to go on hold.

Justin Bieber's camp accused of making Lil Twist a scapegoat for singer's drug use

In the 2010s, Justin Bieber was frequently spotted out and about with rapper Lil Twist. Now, Twist is alleging their friendship left him taking the rap for the singer's drug use. "If they would have put weed charges on Justin in his early career, it would have been bad on him," Twist said on the podcast "Mina's House" this week, according to Page Six. "So I got a call one day saying, 'Twist, do you really love this kid?' I said, 'Yes.' They said, 'Cool, if you love him then you can take the heat for him because you can come off a little weed charge. You're associated with Lil Wayne. You're a rapper.'" Page Six notes Twist got arrested twice while behind the wheel of Justin's cars in 2013. "It got to a point where I didn't even have to be there at times and they were putting it, 'Twist did it, Twist did it, Twist did it,'" he claimed. "It became overwhelming." Through an unnamed source, Justin told the tab he "wishes Twist well and finds these comments unfortunate and completely untrue." Twist later said in a statement he made the assertions because he wanted to be "transparent" with fans, because "if you truly support the Black Lives Matter Movement, Black People and Black Culture, your actions have to reflect that."

Emmy Rossum slams Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, Free People amid racial profiling claims

Four years Emmy Rossum negotiated a major "Shameless" pay bump to put her on equal income footing with her male costar, William H. Macy, the actress has made it clear on her increasingly political Twitter feed that the Black Lives Matter movement has her full support. This week, Rossum called out boho fashion chain Anthropologie for an alleged policy of racial profiling after Diet Prada shared accounts from former employees who say the store used a code word to communicate about black shoppers in the store. "Hey @Anthropologie," Emmy tweeted on Wednesday (via Page Six). "Your policy of racial profiling is disgusting. Your employees (US and Canada) tell stories about the codename 'nick' they were directed to use when forced to profile black customers. The time for tranparency, apology and CHANGE is NOW." When the star learned Anthropolgie shares parent company URBN with Urban Outfitters and Free People, she tweeted that they'd been added to her blacklist, as well, telling the stores via Twitter, "I am now sorry that I wore so many of your stupid bralets in Shameless. I'm disgusted by your culture." Multiple users responded to the tweets by saying they had either worked or shopped in the stores and had witnessed racial profiling or been profiled themselves. Athropologie responded to the allegations on Instagram Thursday, posting, "…we have never and will never have a code word based on a customer's race or ethnicity. Our company has a zero-tolerance policy regarding discrimination or racial profiling in any form. Employees who do not adhere to this policy are subject to disciplinary action which may include termination." Urban Outfitters followed suit, posting: "To Our UO Community: You deserve better, and we commit to doing better," and vowing to employ "a more diverse workforce," to "create a culture that values and respects anti-racism," and to donate $100,000 to the United Negro College Fund.

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