By Mark Gray
1:38pm PST, Feb 11, 2023
Convent living
On the heels of her split with Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2011, Maria Shriver needed to heal, but she did so at an unconventional place… a convent. "I first felt like, 'Oh I'd better go and figure out like, what is the truth?' I went to a convent — I did so many things — but one of the things I did is I went to a convent, a cloistered convent, to be in silence and look for advice," she revealed on the "Making Space with Hoda Kotb" podcast. While there, the Reverend Mother told the journalist that she couldn't "stay" at the convent. "She goes, 'You can't come live here … but you do have permission to go out and become Maria,'" Maria recalled. "I was, like, sobbing. I was like, 'Who is that?'" The experience, she said, "felt like I was in a scene out of 'The Sound of Music.'" After leaving the convent, she gave herself "permission to start learning." She added, "I had never given myself permission to feel, to be vulnerable, to be weak, to be brought to my knees. And the world did it to me. And then I was like, 'OK, God, let's go. And I'm going to take this and learn everything I can about my role and what I need to learn … When the universe knocks you like that, I think you have to not focus on the other person [but] … what do you need to learn from this experience?"
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Face it
Madonna, that you? The Material Girl took the Grammys stage to introduce Sam Smith and Kim Petras's performance of "Unholy" on Feb. 5, but many fans couldn't stop looking at what one tweeter called the "Vogue" singer's "whole new face." Another person tweeted, "Madonna is an icon but her face genuinely looks like it's made out of plastic." Multiple tweets simply asked, "What happened to Madonna's face?" Two days later, the Material Girl took to Instagram to hit back at criticism of her "unrecognizable" face, writing in part, "Instead of focusing on what I said in my speech which was about giving thanks for the fearlessness of artists like Sam and Kim- Many people chose to only talk about Close-up photos of me Taken with a long lens camera By a press photographer that Would distort anyone's face!! Once again I am caught in the glare of ageism and misogyny That permeates the world we live in. A world that refuses to celebrate women past the age of 45 And feels the need to punish her If she continues to be strong willed, hard-working and adventurous."
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Meme-worthy
Ben Affleck became a meme again on Feb. 5 due to his appearance at the Grammy Awards. The Oscar winner attended music's biggest night with his wife, Jennifer Lopez, but he didn't seem to be in the best mood. In fact, fans began tweeting that he looked "miserable." Later, video of an awkward moment between newlyweds J.Lo and Ben — when they seemingly didn't realize they were on camera — emerged online. In the clip, Ben whispers something in J.Lo's ear that causes her to jerk away before appearing to snap at him. He then frowns and looks unhappy, only for J.Lo to notice cameras were rolling. According to a lip reader commissioned by DailyMail.com, J.Lo told Ben, "Stop. Look more friendly. Look motivated," to which he replied, "I might."
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Ranch rift
"Yellowstone" in its current form could be coming to an end. A Feb. 6 report from Deadline revealed that Kevin Costner is having issues with his shooting schedule — and he's pushing back. The actor, who won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of ranch owner John Dutton, wants a more condensed filming schedule than Paramount has envisioned. The friction between Kevin and the top brass is "causing morale issues with fellow actors on the show," Deadline reported, adding that Paramount Network and series co-creator Taylor Sheridan have discussed trying to extend the franchise with a new show starring Matthew McConaughey. There's a very real possibility that "Yellowstone" could end after the second half of its current season airs this summer. "We have no news to report. Kevin Costner is a big part of 'Yellowstone' and we hope that's the case for a long time to come," a Paramount Network spokesperson said. "Thanks to the brilliant mind of Taylor Sheridan, we are always working on franchise expansions of this incredible world he has built. Matthew McConaughey is a phenomenal talent with whom we'd love to partner."
Lady love
Bill Gates has a new lady in his life. On Feb. 8, DailyMail.com reported that the Microsoft founder has been dating Paula Hurd, the widow of Oracle boss Mark Hurd, who died in 2019. "They're inseparable," a source said, noting that "they've been together over a year" and "it's no mystery to their inner circle that they're in a romantic relationship." They've been photographed together several times since early 2022 — a little less than a year after Bill split from his wife of nearly three decades, Melinda French Gates.
Baby bliss
After more than a decade of trying "everything" to have a baby, popular TV host Maria Menounos and her husband, Keven Undergaro, are expecting a child via a surrogate. On Feb. 7, the couple revealed the news to People magazine and on "Live With Kelly and Ryan." "Keven, my dad and I are all beyond excited for this soul to come into our lives. What a blessing," she told the magazine. In chatting with Kelly Ripa, she said her surrogate is a "literal angel." Maria said she sought surrogate advice from Kim Kardashian and Zoe Saldana.
Heartbreaking loss
On Feb. 5, Grayson Smiley-Arroyo — the son of former "The Real Housewives of Orange County" star Slade Smiley and ex Michelle Arroyo — died at 22. After the tragic news broke, Slade's longtime fiancée, former "RHOC" star Gretchen Rossi, took to Instagram to share a slideshow of photos of Slade with Gray. "Our rational minds told us this day might come, but our hearts always held onto the hope that this day would not come to fruition," she wrote, calling Gray "such a special human being" and "an Angel on this earth and an incredible warrior… a warrior like no one has ever seen before." Gretchen added, "He fought everyday through his pain and discomfort to find joy in the smallest of things. He was always singing & dancing & laughing despite his circumstances. He was a true beacon of light and hope. Although his life was cut short on earth he made an incredible impact on so many people. The Lord knew his life had purpose and would touch many along the way." She continued, "We are forever grateful for the many lessons learned from this little man, and will miss his beautiful spirit immensely. May the Lord hold him in his hands, renew his broken body, and give him life again. This isn't goodbye but rather see you soon little man…..We love you Grayson. You will forever be in our hearts. Love your Dad, Gretchen & your sister Skylar Gray."
Daddy's girl gets married
David Hasselhoff was the father of the bride. The "Baywatch" actor walked daughter Taylor Hasselhoff down the aisle as she married Madison Fiore on Feb. 4 at the picturesque Ethereal Gardens in Escondido, California. Taylor told People magazine she got emotional as her famous father escorted her down the aisle to "Bittersweet Symphony." "Before I walked out, I had it all together and I felt fine until I saw [my dad] and I was like, 'Oh crap,'" she said. "And I just started hysterically crying and I was like, 'Pull it together.' But it was just because he was so happy for me and his smile was so big and he was just like, 'You look so beautiful.'"
