By Mark Gray
6:44am PST, Mar 10, 2023
Sexuality confession
Announcement! Amid rumors pertaining to her sexuality, "Sister Wives" star Meri Brown is making one thing clear: She's straight. In a recent Instagram Live video, Meri spoke about speculation about her romantic life. "I am straight," she said, noting that living a public life can often lead to untrue assertions. "Listen, it does not matter who I take a picture with and post it," she said. "I'm either dating this guy or dating this girl, because people can't seem to think that I can be friends — completely platonic friends — with females or males. It doesn't matter." A fan soon wondered why Meri, who recently got out of her plural marriage, felt the need to bring up the topic. "It's a common topic of conversation on whether or not I'm going to come out or not. And I'm coming out as being straight, so there you go," she replied. In December, Meri confirmed she split from Kody Brown after 32 years of marriage. The two share 26-year-old Leon, who came out as transgender last summer.
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Self "Control" issues?
Janet Jackson's nephew wishes she wasn't so "Nasty." On Feb. 27, TJ Jackson publicly came after his aunt over her risqué concerts. After a fan shared a clip of Janet during one steamy sequence, TJ tweeted, "I never liked when she did this in concerts either. I don't like when females are overly sexualized in art… it degrades and objectify's [sic] women in a way that's not healthy." TJ, who admitted that Janet is "a trailblazer and an icon," later went on to slam other female artists for "over sexualized" performances. TJ argued against theories that his feelings are skewed because Janet is family and arguably the most popular living Jackson. "To all the black women out there…. know your worth. I truly believe you are the strongest beings on the planet. Don't sell yourself short. Become the queens you are meant to be. #lovealways," he added.
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Testing, testing
Megyn Kelly is openly shading Savannah Guthrie, her former NBC colleague, after the "Today" host contracted COVID for a third time. On her Feb. 28 SiriusXM podcast, Megyn suggested that political ideology was at play and mocked those who continuing to test for the coronavirus. "All of it is such a perfect indication of how the left, and especially the left in New York, continues to live," Megyn said. "I mean, at this point, seriously? Is anyone still even testing for COVID?" The former Fox News host added, "There's zero chance NBC is not requiring all boosters. This is reportedly Savannah's third bout of COVID, and I guarantee you she's had all the vaccines and the boosters because you won't be able to go into [NBC headquarters] without them." Savannah began hosting "Today" on Feb. 28 but she suddenly disappeared. A co-host eventually detailed that Savannah left the set after testing positive. Hours after the "Today" show drama, Megyn said, "I don't test for COVID anymore. Who's testing for COVID still? It's amazing to me. These guys are leftists and it's amazing to me to see how the leftists still live under the grip of COVID."
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Police matter
Dralin Carswell, the boyfriend of Alana Thompson — who's better known as Honey Boo Boo — was arrested for DUI in Georgia on Feb. 28 after taking police on a car chase. The reality TV star was in the vehicle with him at the time. The Monroe Country Reporter reported that the situation began when an officer ran a routine check of the tags on a Dodge Charger that Dralin, 21, and Honey Boo Boo, 17, were riding in. After discovering that the owner of the car had outstanding warrants from a neighboring county, the officer attempted to make a traffic stop. Dralin, who was driving, allegedly refused to pull over and led officers on a chase for about three miles. Police used a pin maneuver to make the Dodge come to a stop. Honey Boo Boo, who was not arrested, was riding in the passenger seat during the incident. Alana's beau was eventually arrested for DUI, drug possession, fleeing police and the outstanding warrants. (Police reportedly found marijuana in the car.)
Heartbreaking
Grammy-nominated musician Ben Kweller and wife Liz Smith Kweller shared heartbreaking news on Feb. 28: They lost their oldest child, 16-year-old son Dorian, in a car accident. "There's no way that I can be typing this but I am…. Our son, Dorian Zev Kweller, was killed last night. He was only 16 and he was a true legend," Ben shared on Instagram alongside this photo of his son. "Kindest, gentle soul, a friend to all. If you knew him, you know. We'll never get over him as long as we're here on earth. Please keep his spirit alive with your memories and the music he made: @reallyzev." Like his father, the teen was a musician. Ben, who was nominated for a Grammy in 2015, later added, "I have no idea why things like this happen. We're in complete shock and don't know what the future holds. Lizzy, [our younger son] Judah, and I have no idea how to deal with this disaster. Thank you for your prayers and support and we apologize if we are slow to respond to messages."
Mysterious absence
Where's Hoda? "Today" mainstay Hoda Kotb became a trending topic due to her prolonged absence from the morning show in late February and early March. Given the fact that Hoda hadn't appeared on "Today" since Feb. 20, fan concern began reaching a fever pitch — yet, no explanation was given for her being MIA. Finally, on March 1, "Today" host Craig Melvin shed some light on Hoda's absence, telling viewers during the morning show broadcast, "We know some of you are wondering how she's doing. We can tell you, Hoda's OK. She's got a family health matter she's been dealing with." It's an explanation, but it's vague.
Law and order
Who's that man? The person in this picture is known for his good looks and charm, but he's unrecognizable in his upcoming role in Disney's live-action movie "Peter Pan & Wendy." Believe it or not, this is dashing British actor Jude Law. The two-time Oscar nominee is playing the diabolical Captain Hook in the Disney+ series, which debuts in April.
Evicted by dad
Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan are homeless… in Britain, at least. On March 1, a spokesman for the couple confirmed that they'd been evicted from their U.K. home, Frogmore Cottage, which is on the grounds of the Home Park in Windsor, England, near Windsor Castle. It's been their U.K. home since 2019 — before they gave up royal duties and moved to Southern California. Yahoo! News' royal executive editor, Omid Scobie, reported that King Charles III evicted the couple following the release of Harry's memoir "Spare" in January. The king has since offered the home to his controversial brother Prince Andrew. Omid, who penned "Finding Freedom," a bestselling book about the kicked-to-the-curb royals, wrote for Yahoo!, "Despite the risks and the prospect of grandchildren Archie and Lilibet not being able to visit in the future, King Charles is sticking firm to his eviction. The monarch, I'm told, has focused his priorities elsewhere." A source told the author, "I think the king is fed up with the entire situation." In addition, a friend told the outlet, "It all feels very final and like a cruel punishment. It's like [the family] wants to cut them out of the picture for good."
End is near
Having shown little to no progress since suffering a brain aneurysm — the result of a stroke he had on Feb. 18 — actor Tom Sizemore's days are numbered. TMZ reported that the "Saving Private Ryan" star's family has to make end-of-life decisions. Since his stroke, Tom has remained in critical care, in a coma and in the ICU at a Los Angeles hospital. Doctors have consulted with Tom's family and laid out an end-of-life plan, TMZ reported on March 1. "We are asking for privacy for his family during this difficult time and they wish to thank the hundreds of messages of prayers and support that have been received. This has been a difficult time for them," Charles Lago, Tom's manger, told the website.
