By Wonderwall.com Editors
11:20am PDT, Apr 1, 2022
Elliot Page's 'Umbrella Academy' character is coming out as transgender
When "Umbrella Academy" wrapped production on Season 2 in November 2019, one of its main characters, Vanya Hargreeves, was played by an actor then known as Ellen Page. One year later, that actor came out as transgender and became Elliot Page. And on Monday, March 30, Elliot revealed that in Season 3, his character will come out as transgender, too. "Meet Viktor Hargreeves ☂️," the Oscar and Emmy nominee announced on Twitter, sharing a photo from the upcoming season. Netflix also shared the news on Twitter, posting, "Welcome to the family, Viktor — we're so happy you're here ❤️." While some fans expressed skepticism about whether the storyline can comfortably accommodate the change, the Twitter response has mostly been positive, with plenty of fans pointing out that the premise of the show alone should make a character's transition NBD. As one person put it, "I'm dying. Everyone accepts super powers, time traveling, Reginald being a monster in a human suit, Five being an adult man stuck in a kids body. A trans person existing in the universe? That's somehow the line? Lmao." Season 3 hits Netflix June 22.
Leslie Mann says she confronted David Duchovny about ghosting her way back when
Leslie Mann stars alongside David Duchovny in the new Netflix comedy, "The Bubble," but it wasn't the first time the two met — and it wasn't the most comfortable reunion, at least for Leslie. According to the "Knocked Up" star, she and David hung out a few times back in the '90s. Then he ghosted her. "He's so cute," Leslie, 50, said on "Live With Kelly and Ryan" on March 30 (via People). "I met him 25 years ago when we were working in Vancouver. I was working on my first job, a TV show called 'Birdland.' He was doing 'The X-Files.' I thought, 'He's really into me. Maybe we'll date or something,'" she said of David, 61. "He invited me to his set and I invited him to a Halloween party I was having in my hotel room. And then after the party, we decided to go to a bar to have a drink. We get into the cab, David, my best friend, and me, and he stops the cab, gets out of the cab, runs away, and doesn't speak to me again for 27 years," she explained. "For 27 years, my best friend and I would talk about everything. What went wrong? What happened? So anyway, then, we had this reunion on 'The Bubble' and I'm like, 'S***, it's going to be weird.'" Rather than live with the unsolved "mystery" any longer, Leslie said she confronted him. "I work up the courage to go ask him what happened, 'Why'd you get out of the cab?'" she says. "And he was like, 'Oh. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I kind of remember that. I don't know.'" But once he thought about it, she said he realized it was likely marijuana-related. "I probably just left my w*** in my room or something," he told her. "It's terrible!" Leslie joked, adding that "it wasn't personal," he just "needed" his green goodies. Leslie went on to marry Judd Apatow in 1997; Judd directed "The Bubble," which starts streaming on Netflix on April 1.
Chris Pine had the perfect response to being mistaken for Joey Lawrence
Here's a pro-tip for next Oscars season: Get your "Hollywood Chrises" straight if you're party-bound in Los Angeles, or prepare to get pranked. During an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on March 30, Chris Pine (aka the Chris of "Star Trek" and "Wonder Woman" fame) mentioned that he'd been mistaken for another actor yet again while attending an Academy Awards bash over the weekend. This time, he wasn't mistaken for another Chris, but for former "Blossom" actor, Joey Lawrence. Apparently the guy kept pressing once Chris told him he'd guessed wrong. "C'mon, man, tell me, who are you?" the other guest said, per Chris' retelling. Finally, he gave in and introduced himself: "Chris Evans, Captain America," he said, giving the wrong Chris name just for fun. "And just to top it off," Chris told Jimmy, "… he goes, 'That's my man!'" Chris, 41, also admitted he's pretty used to being mistaken for other stars, having been dubbed Matt Damon, Ryan Reynolds and more, in addition to Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pratt and now, Joey Lawrence. Chris returns to the big screen in "The Contractor," on April 1, and the small screen in "All The Old Knives," which hits Amazon Prime on April 8.
Selena Gomez confirms her relationship status with hilarious lip sync TikTok
So much for those Chris Evans romance rumors. For months, fans on Twitter and Instagram have pointed to various photo and video posts they say prove there's truth to chatter suggesting the Marvel star is dating Selena Gomez. But on TikTok this week, Selena pretty much threw that theory out the window. The singer shared a hilarious video that shows her lip syncing to a viral King Nas audio clip featuring a guy trying to holler at an audibly unimpressed woman. "You're pretty," he says. "Aw," Selena mouths along with the woman's reply, while rolling her eyes. "You have a nice smile," says the guy. "Aw," Selena lip-syncs pretending to be super bored. "Maybe this is why I'm single," Selena captioned the post, adding, "Don't believe a d*** word."
Jessica Simpson stars in first fashion campaign since she bought her company back for $65M
Jessica Simpson and her mom, Tina, bought back Jessica's name and eponymous fashion brand last fall for a rumored $65 million. Now, the former pop star is celebrating the launch of her first campaign as a full owner of the company she started. This week, Jess, 41, hopped on Instagram to show off photos from the shoot for the new line, which she stars in. "My Spring 2022 @jessicasimpsonstyle campaign has arrived!" she captioned the shots. "Shot by one of my favs @adamfranzino, I wanted to share the vibrant, wild and free spirit of Spring. This is the first campaign @tinasimpsonofficial and I have shot as the complete owners of the Jessica Simpson Collection and we wanted to share some of that serenity and confident power with everyone." Jessica and Tina completed their buy-back after Sequential Brands, the now former parent company of the Jessica Simpson Collection, filed for bankruptcy protection last year. At the time, they reportedly owned 37.5 percent of the company. "I am truly humbled to reclaim 100% ownership of MY name and my brand," she wrote on Instagram at the time. "It was a long journey getting to this point. I was told no, that brand ownership was out of the question, that I was not relevant enough, and I would never have 100%. TODAY we can look back and say we BEAT ALL ODDS stacked against us. We withstood the battle and today we CONFIDENTLY claim victory!" she continued. "The entire Jessica Simpson Collection belongs to us! #OwnYourself." The shrewd move landed her on the cover of Bloomberg Businessweek in early January 2022.
Lizzo is launching her own shapewear line
Look out, Kim Kardashian, there's a new famous name in the shapewear biz. On April 12, Lizzo is set to unveil Yitty, which she described in a press release as "a revolutionary shapewear brand" that's all about "self-love, radical inner confidence, and effortless, everyday wear." Named in honor of the singer's nickname from childhood, Yitty's sizes run the gamut from XS to 6X and will launch with three collections, ranging from lightweight to mesh to "everyday lifestyle pieces." The color names all come from Lizzo's songs (think Tempo Lavender and Moody B**** Taupe). In an interview with The New York Times published this week, Lizzo explained that as a larger woman, she's been wearing shapewear since grade school — when she was pitching the concept, she wanted to call the product "bodywear," she said. "I'm selling a mentality that 'I can do what I want with my body, wear what I want and feel good while doing it,'" she explained. "That whatever body you are showing off, it's not, 'Oh, how brave.' No. No more of that. Nothing to see here but a body, just like your body." Lizzo added: "I want to be a world changer. I wasn't just making cool music — my art always had a bigger purpose. Now I'm just taking that usefulness and making it tangible."
Bruce Willis' Razzies Award rescinded after aphasia announcement
Following news of Bruce Willis' deteriorating health, the Razzies, which jokingly celebrate the worst in film each year, have rescinded an award they gave the "Die Hard" star. Bruce's family announced on March 30 that the 67-year-old actor will be "stepping away" from his career after being diagnosed aphasia, a condition that causes cognitive problems with communication. "After much thought and consideration, the Razzies have made the decision to rescind the Razzie Award given to Bruce Willis, due to his recently disclosed diagnosis," the faux awards group said in a statement on March 31. "If someone's medical condition is a factor in their decision making and/or their performance, we acknowledge that it is not appropriate to give them a Razzie." While Bruce's family has yet to reveal what's causing his aphasia, the Mayo Clinic reports the condition is most often caused by a stroke. A brain tumor, a head injury or a disease or infection that causes progressive brain damage can also lead to aphasia. Page Six reports Bruce had been "having cognitive problems" on the sets of recent projects since about 2020, and was relying on earpieces so he could be fed lines. The Los Angeles Times and other outlets have since published similar claims. The family's joint statement was signed by Bruce's wife, Emma Heming, his ex-wife, Demi Moore, and his daughters. "To Bruce's amazing supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities," they said on social media, in part. "As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him. This is a really challenging time for our family and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion and support." The Razzies also rescinded an award given to Shelley Duvall for "The Shining" due to new information about Stanley Kubrick's treatment of the actress on-set, according to IndieWire.
Machine Gun Kelly reveals why he and Megan Fox took ayahuasca
Machine Gun Kelly sees the ayahuasca ceremony he experienced with his now-fiancee, Megan Fox, in Costa Rica as "one of the most important things that happened" to him in his life. The singer, whose real name is Colson Baker, opened up about partaking in the psychoactive tea on the March 29 edition of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Megan spoke with Jimmy about their experience back in 2021, telling him it made her feel like she "went to Hell for eternity." As Colson recounted this week, "Going [into] the third night, Megan was like 'I can't, I can't do this. I can't go back.' Her first night, [was all] rainbows [and] unicorns. It was great. Her second night, she was like, 'I don't ever want to see that again,'" he explained. "We were exorcising some things out of us that we needed to get rid of." Colson also said he literally saw something leave his body, but only after he was told by the shaman leading the group that he should keep taking more tea. It seems the shaman saw "a big shadow of darkness behind" him. Asked if the shadow went "away" eventually, the singer said, "On the third night, I remember the shaman, he had a bottle of tobacco water and he did this thing and I saw gray … it looked like sand coming from my body, and I watched it go. And I was like, 'What was that? Was that me?'" According to Megan's 2021 recollection, "everybody's journey is different" with ayahuasca. "It just goes straight into your soul and it takes you to the psychological prison that you hold yourself in," she said at the time. "So it's your own version of hell, and I was definitely there." The couple announced their engagement in January 2022 after meeting on the set of "Midnight in the Switchgrass."
Wanda Sykes weighs in on Will Smith's Oscars slap
As the fallout from Will Smith slapping Chris Rock onstage at the 2022 Oscars continues, the ceremony's co-host, Wanda Sykes, wants to know why Will was allowed to stay in the Dolby Theater for the rest of the show — and why he has yet to apologize to her and her co-hosts, Amy Schumer and Regina Hall. Speaking to Ellen DeGeneres on her show this week, Wanda revealed it was not Will but Chris who apologized personally for the incident, which took place after Chris made a joke about Will's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, during an award presentation. According to Wanda, she saw Chris at Guy Oseary's afterparty following the ceremony. "As soon as I walked up, the first thing [Chris] said to me was, 'I am so sorry. It was supposed to be your night. You and Amy and Regina were doing such a good job. I'm so sorry this is going to be about this.' That's who Chris is," Wanda said. "I just felt so awful for my friend Chris," she continued, calling the moment "sickening." "For [the Academy] to let him stay in that room and enjoy the rest of the show and accept his award. I was like, 'How gross is this?' This is just the wrong message," she added. "You assault somebody, you get escorted out the building and that's it. But for them to let him continue, I thought it was gross. Plus, I wanted to be able to run out after he won and say, 'Unfortunately Will couldn't be here tonight.'" Will apologized to the Academy and other nominees during his Oscar acceptance speech. He later apologized to Chris on social media. The Academy, meanwhile, said it "condemns" the assault and has said it's conducting a "formal review." According to CNN, a letter sent this week by the Academy's president and CEO told members it could take weeks to decide on an "appropriate action" to take in response. As for Will's apologies, Wanda added to Ellen: "I know he apologized to Chris but I believe we were the hosts. This is our house. We're inviting you in. We're going to take care of all of you tonight. Make sure you have a good time. Nobody has apologized to us. We worked really hard to put that show together. … It's just wrong."
Kelly Clarkson's name change finalized in court
Kelly Clarkson is now officially Kelly Brianne, multiple outlets reported on March 30. The 39-year-old singer and TV personality filed to legally change her name in February, telling the court it "more fully reflects who I am," in the request. In a recent interview with People, she said the move was sparked by her divorce from Brandon Blackstock — "I had to drop my married last name," Kelly explained. "I just kept my middle name for my personal life," she added. The "American Idol" veteran still plans to go by Kelly Clarkson professionally, she told the outlet. Kelly and Brandon's divorce was finalized three weeks ago after a contentious settlement process. The former couple, who share two kids, daughter River, 7, and son Remington, 5, announced their separation in June 2020.
Joe Rogan threatens to leave Spotify if he's forced 'to walk on eggshells'
Joe Rogan has vowed to ditch his $200 million Spotify podcast if he's forced to "become something different" because of public criticism. "I will quit," Joe told MMA fighter Josh Barnett on the March 29 edition of "The Joe Rogan Podcast." "If it gets to a point that I can't do it anymore, where I have to do it in some sort of weird way where I walk on eggshells and mind my p's and q's, f*** that!" He was, of course, talking about recent Spotify boycotts sparked by some of what he and his guests have said on the show, from theories about COVID-19 that were already proven to be misinformation to his past use of racial slurs. Last month, he was mocked heavily online after he shared a spoof report that claimed Steven Seagal was working with Russia to help the country invade Ukraine. "There's more people poring over it but it's the same thing. I do it the same way," he said. "If I become something different because it grew bigger, I will quit." According to the New York Post, Joe originally signed with Spotify in 2020 for $100. The outlet reports his contract has since "doubled in valuation." In response to the outrage over his on-air banter, Spotify added a content advisory to certain episodes regarding COVID-19. The streamer also removed 113 episodes of "The Joe Rogan Experience," according to the Post. Joe's guest encouraged him to continue doing the show the way he has been, including controversial conversations. "It resonates with people because they're so starving for that," Josh said.
Kacey Musgraves talks backlash over LGBTQ-inclusive songs
head of Vanguard honor at this weekend's GLAAD Media Awards, Kacey Musgraves is reflecting on the backlash she faced in the country music industry for songs like "Follow Your Arrow," now widely considered to be a gay anthem. Asked about her icon status in the LGBTQ+ community, the six-time Grammy winner recently said on Apple Music Country's Trailblazers Radio that she never planned to "break all the rules," she was "just writing songs that were being inspired by my real life," according to People. "Follow Your Arrow" features lyrics like, "make lots of noise, kiss lots of boys, or kiss lots of girls if that's what you're into … just follow your arrow wherever it points." Said Kacey: "Naturally, some songs came out that were inspired by that. I was like, 'They have to be included.' If we're talking about a genre that is supposedly built on real life and real stories about real people, why would this one thing be excluded? That's a narrative that just doesn't make sense to not be there. It doesn't matter what walk of life you're from, you experience love and emotions just like everyone else." She also said she had to "fight for" that song and others "to be included" in the country world. "It was definitely told to me that it would go down in flames, it would tank on the radio … I really didn't care because I knew it would mean more than those things if people got to hear it," she said. "I guess in some senses it did kind of tank on the radio, in fact, it did get banned from some stations." What matters more, Kacey said, is that she's having an "impact" on fans — and they often tell her so. "It sounds cliché at this point, but love is love," she added.
