Jamie Spears 'would love to see Britney not need a conservatorship,' his lawyer claims
A lawyer for Britney Spears' father, Jamie Spears, spoke out again this week about Britney's conservatorship, which he now co-manages in spite of the singer's request to have him removed and his petition to stay on as sole conservator. After telling ABC News in late February that she believes her client "saved Britney's life," Vivian Lee Thoreen told CNN on Tuesday, March 2, that Jamie would be all for seeing an end to the conservatorship, saying whether that happens is ultimately up to Britney. "[Jamie] would love nothing more than to see Britney not need a conservatorship," Vivian said. "Whether or not there is an end to the conservatorship really depends on Britney. If she wants to end her conservatorship, she can file a petition to end it." She went on to say Jamie has never purported to be "the perfect dad," but he "believes every single decision he has made has been in her best interest." Adding that Jamie just wants to ensure he and the new co-conservator, Bessemer Trust, share "equal power" in managing the arrangement, Vivian pointed out that a court investigator routinely interviews all parties involved with the conservatorship. "And what I can tell you is every year the court has kept the conservatorship in place," the attorney said. Britney, 39, has seen the bulk of her financial, career and health affairs managed by her father since the conservatorship went into effect in 2008.
'Bachelor' latest: Producers slam bullies for harassing Rachel Lindsay, Chris Harrison to address departure on 'GMA'
The executive producers of "The Bachelor" franchise issued a statement on Monday, March 1, condemning the online bullying of Rachel Lindsay. Earlier this month, Rachel, who was the first Black "Bachelorette" in franchise history, drew criticism from Bachelor Nation for asking Chris Harrison about racially insensitive photos of contestant Rachael Kirkconnell during an interview with Chris for "Extra." Chris defended Rachael, but later apologized and acknowledged he was wrong for "excusing historical racism." When he announced he was "stepping aside" as host, however, fans went on the attack on Rachel's social media. "Rachel has received an unimaginable amount of hate and has been subjected to severe online bullying, which, more often than not, has been rooted in racism," the producers said in a statement late in the day on Monday. "That is totally unacceptable. Rachel has been an incredible advocate for our cast and we are grateful that she has worked tirelessly toward racial equity and inclusion," they added. Chris, meanwhile, will reportedly appear on "Good Morning America" later this week in an interview with Michael Strahan, according to "Extra."
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Dolly Parton gets her first COVID-19 vaccine shot
"Vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, vaccine / I'm begging of you, please, don't hesitate / Vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, vaccine / 'Cause once you're dead, then that's a bit too late." That's the update Dolly Parton gave to her classic hit, "Jolene" in a Twitter video on Tuesday, March 2. The clip shows the singer getting her first dose of the coronavirus vaccine she helped fund with a $1 million donation to research efforts at Vanderbilt University. As she joked on Twitter, it was literally "a dose of her own medicine." "I just want to say to all of you cowards out there: Don't be such a chicken squat, get out there and get your shot," Dolly quipped in the light-hearted post. After she gets the shot in the video, Dolly tells her doctor pal, "That didn't hurt! Just stung a little bit, but that was from the alcohol pad, I think."
John Mayer seemingly responds to Taylor Swift fans in attack mode on his TikTok
Much like the internet itself, Taylor Swift's fans never forget. Just ask John Mayer, who innocently joined TikTok on Monday, March 1, and promptly found his first few posts flooded with comments from Swifties. They alternately sent warnings ("you're not safe here, John,"); snide, Team Taylor remarks ("taylor would know how to flip the camera") and even the occasional insult, like one in which John, 43, was accused of having an "old man victim complex" after his relationship with Taylor, 31, more than a decade ago. Others posted quotes from Taylor's song, "Dear John," which is widely believed to have been inspired by the romance and the apparent pain it caused taylor, who was much younger than the guitarist at the time. John, for his part, took the response in stride. As the digs poured in, John's second post shows him nodding, "mhmm" at the camera alongside the caption, "POV: You're berating me and I'm hearing you out." While he didn't explicitly say he was responding to Taylor's fans, there wasn't much vitriol coming from anyone else. In his third post, John continues to play it cool as he sings, " that was a good day / that was a real weird day," while playing the piano as the words, "Good night new friends!" appear on the screen.
Halsey says her pregnancy was '100% planned'
Halsey's surprise pregnancy announcement on Jan. 27 apparently left some fans wondering whether she'd been trying to conceive. Now, Halsey's wondering what makes people think speculation about such a personal matter is acceptable. "Why is it ok to speculate and pass judgement about fertility and conception?" the singer, 26, asked on her Instagram Story this week (per People). "My pregnancy was 100% planned, and I tried very hard for this bb. But I would be just as happy even if it were another way." Halsey's been open in the past about her very serious interest in becoming a mom, telling Rolling Stone in 2016 that she'd had a miscarriage the year before and "beat myself up" over it. She added that she wants, "to be a mom more than I want to be a pop star, more than I want to be anything in the world." But she's also been open about her struggles with fertility, which she detailed in the liner notes to her album, "Manic." In her happy announcement earlier this year, Halsey tagged screenwriter Alev Aydin on photos showing her belly. "Heart so full, I love you, sweetness," he wrote in the comments at the time. "I love you!!!!!" she replied. "And I love this mini human already!"
Alec Baldwin snaps at nosy Instagram troll over questions about his new daughter
One day after announcing the birth of their sixth child, Hilaria Baldwin revealed her baby's name — and her husband, Alec Baldwin, confirmed the family won't be sharing further details about the little's arrival just six months after Hilaria gave birth to their son, Edu. "We are so in love with our daughter, Lucia," Hilaria wrote on Instagram on Tuesday, March 2, sharing a sweet photo of her new little girl. "Just like your brothers and sisters, you are a dream come true," she added. The couple's rep declined to share further details about Lucia's birth when asked by Page Six. Alec declined, too, snapping at a nosy social media user whose questions verged on attack-oriented. "Who's the mother? She wasn't pregnant. She gave birth six months ago," the person asked the star in comments on a family photo he shared on Monday. "If it was a surrogate just say that. If the baby was adopted just say that. If the baby was the product of an affair and you've decided to raise it with your wife just say that. If you don't want to say anything—why don't you both stop constantly posting and begging for clickbait. Just raise your 100 children in private." Alec, who defended Hilaria on social media earlier this year amid speculation she invented her claims of Spanish heritage, responded by encouraging the user to "shut the f— and mind your own business." In addition to Lucia and Edu, Alec and Hilaria share Lucia and Carmen, 7, and Romeo, 2, Leonardo, 4, and Rafael, 5. Alec's eldest is Ireland Baldwin, 25, whose mom is Kim Basinger.
Kal Penn is writing his first book
Last fall, CNN reported a whopping 61 percent of job seekers had considered working in a new field during the coronavirus pandemic. Those folks may want to add Kale Penn's forthcoming book to their reading lists. The former "House" star — who put acting on hold in 2009 to serve as the White House Office of Public Engagement's associate director under President Barack Obama — recently announced plans to release a memoir titled "You Can't Be Serious," in November. According to EW, the book "will be part memoir, part essay collection," covering everything from how he got to Hollywood to how he handled the "constant racial microaggressions" that came his way once he started working in showbiz to the career pivot that sent him to Washington, D.C. "I've had some ridiculous experiences so far in life," says Kal, 43, in a statement. "From a summer job working as a New Jersey farmhand (which by the way I highly recommend because it gives you incredible abs) to starring in big movies and television shows, to serving my country in the White House. This book is for anyone who has ever wondered if it's possible to have more than one calling." "You Can't Be Serious" hits shelves Nov. 2.
Demi Lovato celebrates 'accidentally' losing weight after ditching 'the diet culture'
Demi Lovato was "full of peace, serenity, joy and love" on Monday, March 1, after noticing she'd slimmed down, despite having quit the "diet culture." In a sparkle-bedecked video posted to her Instagram, Demi, 28, can be seen checking out her trim midriff in a mirror. "Accidentally lost weight," she says in a message overlaid on top of the clip. "I don't count calories anymore. I don't exercise anymore. I don't restrict or purge. And I especially don't live my life accordingly to the diet culture. And I've actually lost weight," she adds. "This is a different experience but I feel full. Not of food but of divine wisdom and cosmic guidance." Speaking to Ashley Graham on her podcast in 2020, Demi said she'd come to understand that she was "falling" back into an eating disorder when she relapsed with substance abuse issues. "[It] was just, like, me thinking I found recovery when I didn't, and then living this kind of lie and trying to tell the world I was happy with myself when I really wasn't," she said at the time.
Irina Shayk makes rare comment about raising Lea, 3, with ex, Bradley Cooper
Since their split in June 2019, Irina Shayk and Bradley Cooper have continued to share parenting duties for their daughter, Lea, now 3. That's something they'd do whether they were together or not, the supermodel tells Elle in the magazine's March cover story. "I never understood the term co-parenting. When I'm with my daughter, I'm 100 percent a mother, and when she's with her dad, he's 100 percent her dad. Co-parenting is parenting," she says. As for her decision to keep other details about Bradley to herself, she explains that she's both protective of her personal life — and "too busy" to worry about what's written about her and Bradley, whom she calls "an amazing dad." "My past relationship, it's something that belongs to me, and it's private. It's just a piece of my inner self that I don't want to give away," she says. "I don't read what is out there. Honestly, I'm too busy raising a child. If they want to write articles [about me], they're doing their job. I'm concentrating on my life and my friends. The rest is just noise."