By Wonderwall.com Editors
6:00pm PDT, Jun 18, 2023
Dad's $15M payday
Taylor Swift may not have had the opportunity to buy her own masters back before they were sold to Scooter Braun in 2019, but a new report indicates her dad walked away with more than $15 million from the controversial sale. According to Music Business Worldwide, Scott Swift was a shareholder in the Big Machine label and owned 5 percent of the company when its founder, Scott Borchetta, moved to sell it. The outlet was reportedly able to confirm Taylor's dad received a transfer of $15.1 million in August 2019 "as a result of the sale of Big Machine" to Scooter's Ithaca Holdings.
Discussing the sale in her Tumblr blog in 2019, Taylor told supporters how frustrating it was that Scooter, specifically, bought her first six albums when she was not given the chance to because she was allegedly the target of his "incessant, manipulative bullying" in the past. She also wrote that she "learned about Scooter Braun's purchase of my masters as it was announced to the world," a claim Borchetta denied on his website. At the time, he wrote that shareholders were notified of the pending sale three days in advance and given the opportunity to vote on it. Three of the five shareholders voted yes, he noted. A rep for Taylor told TMZ at the time that the singer's dad opted out of the call because it would have required him to comply with a strict non-disclosure agreement and he didn't want to keep information from his daughter.
Scooter went on to sell Taylor's catalog three years after he bought it, while Taylor has been busy recording and re-releasing all the music from the catalog (and then some) in her "Taylor's Version" series. Her first of those albums, "Red (Taylor's Version)" broke multiple industry records in its first week on the charts, including Spotify's record for the most global streams in one day (90.8 million), according to American Songwriter.
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Chrissy claps back
Chrissy Teigen called out California-based plastic surgeon Kay Durairaj on Instagram this week after spotting a Reel in which the doctor used Chrissy's "new face" as an example of cheek fillers gone wrong. "This post is not out of mean intentions. It is merely here to discuss overfill and its possible consequences," Kay's Instagram Reel caption read. "Chrissy Teigen's 'New Face' ‼️ Look at how your face could become if you're doing it wrong!"
Chrissy, who shared candid updates about having her breast implants removed in 2020, shot back at the surgeon on her Instagram Stories on Thursday, June 15. According to the mother of three, she hasn't had fillers — she simply weighs more than she once did. "No mean intentions? But saying this could be your face if you do it wrong?" asked the TV personality. "You're a piece of s***. I gained weight." She also shared screenshots of some of the insulting comments other users left on the surgeon's Reel. One user likened her to a character from "Spongebob Squarepants," while another claimed she's "destroyed her face." Wrote a third user: "She's a bad person so this is just her karma." Chrissy then tagged the doctor, writing, "Thanks for this @beautybydrkay." The Instagram Reel has since been taken down, according to The Independent.
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White House dreams
Arnold Schwarzenegger says he'd "absolutely" run for president in 2024 — if only he were legally allowed to. He even has a good idea of how he could win, or so he said on "Who's Talking to Chris Wallace" on Friday, June 16. "I mean, I think the field was wide open in 2016. And I think the field is open right now," said the "Terminator" star and former Republican governor of California, according to Entertainment Weekly. "I mean, think about it right now. I mean, who is there? There is really not a person that can bring everyone together." Arnold, 75, was born in Austria, not the United States, and is therefore barred from running. But he seems to have given the possibility plenty of thought. "Put me in because it's, look — it's a no brainer. I see so clearly how I could win that election," he said. "I mean, it's like me and California. … When [I] was, you know, running for governor, it was clear that people are looking for some new answer, not a right wing or left wing, but someone that can bring the nation together and doesn't see the other party as the enemy."
In the star's mind, finding a path towards unity is the key to this country's success. "There's just so many things that need to be done. And can be done," he said. "And what makes it so wonderful is because it's doable. It's all doable, or at least it's just people coming together and [saying], 'Yes, we can do it.'"
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Pete Davidson now faces a reckless driving charge in connection with an accident in March 2023 in which he crashed a Mercedez into a home in Beverly Hills, California, TMZ reports. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office charged Pete with one count of reckless driving on Friday, June 16, according to the outlet.
"We believe that Mr. Davidson engaged in reckless driving, which ultimately resulted in his involvement in a serious collision into a home," a rep for the D.A.'s office later told Page Six. "Luckily, no one was seriously injured as a result of this collision. We know that reckless driving can have devastating consequences."
The accident reportedly took place as Pete was driving at "a high rate of speed" with his rumored girlfriend, actress Chase Sui Wonders, in the passenger seat. The car is believed to have gone over a curb and hit a fire hydrant before crashing into the side of the home. Pete and Chase later apologized to the owners of the house. There were no injuries or arrests reps for Pete had not commented on the charge by Friday afternoon. The "Saturday Night Live" alum's arraignment is slated for July 27, according to Page Six.
'Desperate Housewives' reboot?
Could "Desperate Housewives" be the next addition to the growing landscape of TV reboots and revivals? Eva Longoria, who played Gabby Solis on the show for its whole run, isn't so sure. She was asked about the possibility by a fan during a chat with Andy Cohen on "Watch What Happens Live" on Thursday, June 15, while promoting her new film — and directorial debut — "Flamin' Hot."
"I would be the first to sign up," Eva said when asked if she'd join a reboot of the show (via Entertainment Tonight) . "I mean, I love [it]. I miss Gabby. But I think I'd be the only one to sign up." According to Eva, showrunner Marc Cherry is fond of saying he "fully mined those characters" during the show's long ABC run from 2004 until 2012. "Back in the day, we used to shoot 24 episodes a season and we did that for eight years," Eva explained. "We fully mined those characters," she said before revealing the other big reason Gabby's storyline has been exhausted: "There was nobody left on the street for me to sleep with," she joked. "I slept with everybody."
Symptom surprise
Kathy Griffin has been cancer-free since she had a large portion of her left lung removed in 2021, but the surgery left the comic with what she's called a "whisper voice." Now, she says that even after the "gnarly" procedure she underwent on May 30 to address a paralyzed vocal cord, her voice will "probably never get better" than where it is today. "The thing that's been really crazy and kind of like, a mindf***, is that when I had cancer, I had no symptoms," Kathy, 62, told People. ahead of her June 17 performance in Las Vegas, her first in six years. "Then I got the surgery where they took out half my left lung. And now it's like, I sound and feel like I have cancer. The thing that's frustrating is I actually sound like I'm in pain, but I'm not."
The intense vocal cord surgery, which she shared video and photos of on Instagram, will need to be done every six months going forward in order for her to retain movement in the damaged vocal cord, she told the outlet. "This surgery gave me more resonance. So the voice that I have now I'm actually quite happy with. But they did tell me the prognosis is: It probably won't ever get better than this," she said. Kathy fist revealed she was diagnosed with stage 1 lung cancer in 2021.
Goodbye, Spotify
Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan's multi-year, Spotify podcast deal has come to an early end, according to a joint statement from the streamer and the couple's Archewell Audio company. "Spotify and Archewell Audio have mutually agreed to part ways and are proud of the series we made together," the statement read. That series was Meghan's "Archetypes" podcast, which ultimately churned out just 13 episodes. The Wall Street Journal previously estimated the couple's deal to have been worth about $20 million, but a report published by the outlet on Thursday, June 15, cited sources who claimed Harry and Meghan failed to reach the "productivity benchmarks" they would have needed to be paid in full. "Archetypes" debuted in August 2022 and featured stars like Serena Williams, Mariah Carey, Mindy Kaling, Paris Hilton and Trevor Noah. The show won a People's Choice Award and a Gracie Award. It was also initially a top performer on Spotify, according to Forbes. But insiders told Variety Spotify "expected more content" from the team behind Meghan's show. Earlier this month, Spotify announced announced plans to restructure its podcast division and laid off 200 employees.
