By Neia Balao
8:09am PDT, Apr 23, 2020
From spending $111,000 on a two-story playhouse to being declared the youngest self-made billionaire for the second year in a row, Wonderwall.com is taking a look at the latest news that proves stars are nothing like us. Let's start off our April 2020 list with… Drake! The Canadian rapper unveiled his 50,000-square-foot mansion, which he calls "The Embassy," in the latest issue of Architectural Digest, photos of which hit the internet on April 8. The multimillion dollar "modern Art Deco" home — which includes a 4,000-pound black marble bathtub, an NBA regulation-sized basketball court and a 3,200-square-foot master suite — is in Toronto. "Because I was building it in my hometown, I wanted the structure to stand firm for 100 years. I wanted it to have a monumental scale and feel," the rapper said. "It will be one of the things I leave behind, so it had to be timeless and strong." The "God's Plan" hitmaker teamed up with Canadian architectural and interior designer Ferris Rafauli to bring his vision to life. "In form, materials, and execution, the structure is a proper 19th-century limestone mansion. But the exterior profiles are more minimal and the lines are a bit cleaner," began Ferris. "This isn't stucco, paint and fake gold. That's not what Drake wanted, and that's not what I do." From the Bösendorfer grand piano designed by Takashi Murakami (who famously created Kanye West's "Graduation" album art) to the replica of Lobmeyr's chandelier designed for the Metropolitan Opera in 1963 that contains more than 20,000 pieces of hand-cut Swarovski crystal, the Grammy-winning rapper describes his manor as "overwhelming high luxury." Keep reading for more…
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It's totally normal to spend $111,000 on a playhouse for your two children, right? MailOnline reported on April 13 that George Clooney and lawyer wife Amal Clooney are building a two-story playhouse for their twins, Alexander and Ella, that replicates their main family home. The oasis will feature a functioning kitchen and bathroom with running water, a zip wire and a life-sized toy giraffe. To bring their mini-pad to fruition, the A-list couple enlisted playhouse specialist Barbara Butler to get the job done.
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If there's a silver lining to the coronavirus pandemic, it's that now more than ever, people are coming together to support their communities — celebrities included. On April 15, "Saturday Night Live" star Michael Che announced via Instagram that he'd be paying one month's rent for all 160 apartments in his late grandmother's housing project. "It's crazy to me that residents of public housing are still expected to pay their rent when so many new yorkers cant even work," he began. "I cant offer much help by myself. but in the spirit and memory of my late grandmother, im paying one months rent for all 160 apartments in the NYCHA building she lived in." While the Manhattan-born comic thinks what he's doing is "just a drop in the bucket," his donation makes all the differences to the housing community.
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Can you imagine not doing your own house cleaning for more than 40 years?! On March 24, "The Real Housewives of New York City" star Ramona Singer took to Instagram to post a video of herself mopping the floor — the first time she's done so in 45 years — in a lacy nightgown. "Whelp what can I say… not taking any chances over here so had to do away with the housecleaning service," she wrote. When "RHONY" co-star Dorinda Medley commented on how she was "mopping the wrong way," the 63-year-old reality star replied, "Doing the best I can haven't mopped in 45 yrs… and they changed them… lol 😂." Really though, we can't relate!
Impressive! According to the Forbes magazine's annual World's Billionaire list, which was released on April 7, Kylie Jenner remains the youngest self-made billionaire in the world for the second year in a row. While the term "self-made" has been the subject of controversy as the Kylie Cosmetics founder owes her fame and earning power to her family and their reality TV shows, Kylie didn't inherit her business — she built it herself. There are only two other billionaires in the world under the age of 30 who've made their own fortunes — John Collison, who co-founded Stripe, a payment processor, and Snapchat co-founder Evan Spiegel. Both of them, however, are still seven years older than Kylie, who's 22.
On April 3, Pink took to social media to reveal that she and 3-year-old son Jameson had tested positive for the coronavirus. They've since made a full recovery. The singer also shared that she would be donating $1 million to fund coronavirus relief efforts. "In an effort to support the healthcare professionals who are battling on the frontlines every day, I am donating $500,000 to the Temple University Hospital Emergency Fund in Philadelphia in honor of my mother, Judy Moore, who worked there for 18 years in the Cardiomyopathy and Heart Transplant Center," she wrote. "Additionally, I am donating $500,000 to the City of Los Angeles Mayor's Emergency COVID-19 Crisis Fund." She ended her post by thanking healthcare professionals and "everyone in the world who are working so hard to protect our loved ones."
As the coronavirus pandemic trudges on, service industry workers continue to face the negative consequences of non-essential business closures. Enter Tyler Perry. According to TMZ, on April 5, the filmmaker left a $500 tip for each of the 42 out-of-work employees — that's $21,000 — at his local Houston's in the West Paces area of Atlanta, a spot he frequents. But that wasn't his only act of kindness: A week earlier on April 8, he surprised thousands of seniors when he picked up their grocery tabs while shopping! He paid for groceries at 44 Kroger stores in Atlanta and 29 Winn-Dixie stores throughout Louisiana.
Bindi Irwin married former professional wakeboarder Chandler Powell on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland at her family's zoo on March 25. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the couple had to have a small ceremony rather than the larger one they'd been planning for nearly a year. On April 7 — otherwise known as actor Russell Crowe's birthday — Bindi took to Instagram to not only lament how she wouldn't be able to hug him, but to show the extraordinary wedding gift he'd sent them. "You'll always be part of our family. Even though we can't see you right now, we're giving the beautiful fig you gifted us a hug and thinking of you," she wrote to the actor, who's a longtime Irwin family friend. The photos show Bindi and her hubbie smiling next to a large Port Jackson fig tree, which featured a note that read, "Presented to Bindi and Chandler to commemorate their wedding. Love from, Russell Crowe and family."
Another celebrity helping in the fight against COVID-19? Oprah Winfrey! On April 2, the media mogul took to Instagram to announce that she'd be making a $10 million donation to contribute to coronavirus relief efforts. And, in partnership with Apple, $1 million of her donation would go to the Leonardo DiCaprio co-created America's Food Fund. "I was struck by the work these organizations are doing and while everyone's priority right now is to stay safer at home, I know there are many of us looking for ways to help," she began. "I am donating $10 million overall to help Americans during this pandemic in cities across the country and in areas where I grew up."
When you're a high-profile celeb, safeguarding your personal belongings isn't a bad idea… but have you ever heard of a celebrity needing security to guard their underwear? Such was the case for '90s supermodel Claudia Schiffer at the height of her fame, which she recounted in ELLE UK in late March. "It was insane… like being a rock star. You couldn't get to your car unless a path was carved for you. People would cut holes in the fashion tents and try to take pictures of us. We had security at every fashion show," she began. "When I was out on the runway I'd come back and constantly my underwear would be gone — my bra, my knickers… gone!" Yikes!
On April 1, Jess Buslewicz, a college sophomore who was required to leave school amid the global health crisis, which meant she lost her babysitting and on-campus jobs, received a $3,000 donation from Taylor Swift. Jess had posted about her struggles on a Taylor-dedicated Tumblr page, where she asked for financial help via Venmo or Paypal. And who saw her message? The "Lover" hitmaker herself! "Jess, I saw your post about everything you're going through, I'm sorry you lost your campus job. I can see that this situation has caused you intense anxiety and I hope this gift of $3,000 will help and that you and your mom are healthy and safe. Sending you hugs, Taylor," the Grammy-winner wrote in her PayPal message. If there's one thing for sure, it's that Taylor takes care of her Swifties!
Only a celebrity would want to pose nude in celebration of her 75th birthday! "Three's Company" star and former Playboy covergirl Suzanne Somers revealed that she wanted to celebrate her milestone birthday in 2021 by baring it all once again for the notable magazine. While chatting with "Access" personality Kit Hoover on March 30, the actress explained, "That would be really cool. I would like Annie Leibovitz to shoot me nude for Playboy for my 75th birthday." She likes to be au naturale: In October 2019, Suzanne posted a near-naked photo on Instagram that she captioned, "Here I am at 73 in my Birthday Suit!!!"
Rapper Drake appears on our list yet again! The "One Dance" hitmaker took to Instagram on March 24 to share his incredible sneaker closet, which is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. The closet houses an impressive collection of sought-after sneakers — from the Air Jordan 5 Retro Tokyo T23s to the unreleased Air Jordan 1 High OG Dior sneakers. His selection also includes various Kobe Bryant signature sneakers, like the Nike Zoom Kobe 6 Grinch and the Nike Kobe 4 Protro Undefeated Los Angeles Lakers.
On April 4, Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander and model wife Kate Upton took to Instagram to share that they'd be donating the weekly paychecks he's earning while the MLB season is shut down to various coronavirus relief effort organizations (Justin signed a two-year, $66 million contract extension with the Astros for the 2020 and 2021 seasons). "Recently the @mlb announced they will be continuing to send paychecks to players while the season is suspended. @kateupton and I have decided to donate those funds to a different organization each week so that we can support their efforts and highlight the great work they're doing during the COVID-19 crisis," Justin wrote. "Everyone around the world is affected by this virus, and we hope to contribute to the families and jobs affected, the healthcare workers and first responders on the front lines and the many others in need of basic necessities, medical supplies and support at home. As soon as the first paycheck is received we will be highlighting the first organization. We know everyone is impacted by this crisis, but for those who are able, we encourage you to stay home to help flatten the curve and look to those around you who need a helping hand."
On April 13, "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" star NeNe Leakes gave "Extra" an inside look at her extravagant, color-coordinated closet. The closet — which looks like more of a corridor — contains a sitting area, a luxury purse collection, an impressive selection of designer sunglasses and a display of opulent jewels. "I have shoes galore. Lots of boots and stuff," she says while showing off her luxe space. "You would not want me for your girl, I'll spend all your money," she laughed. "People always want to get inside of my closet," she continued. "I own three boutiques and I own an online store. I love clothes, I love fashion."
On April 15, it was announced that Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Rihanna's Clara Lionel Foundation would be working with JAY-Z's Shawn Carter Foundation to donate $6.2 million in grants to fund coronavirus relief efforts. "This latest joint effort follows multiple additional rounds of COVID-19 response grants, including a co-funded $4.2 million round by CLF and Jack Dorsey and a $2 million matching grant commitment by CLF and the Shawn Carter Foundation," read the Clara Lionel Foundation's website. The trio revealed they'd be distributing the grants to protect the populations most vulnerable to COVID-19 at this time including those in New York, Puerto Rico, New Orleans and some international communities.
If only our significant others signed $64 million contract extensions! On April 16, model Olivia Culpo was recorded popping a bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne in celebration of the lucrative deal her 23-year-old NFL player boyfriend, Christian McCaffrey, had inked with the Carolina Panthers. Olivia's sister Sophia recorded the clip, which she captioned, "We celebratin'." With the new extension, Christian will earn an average annual salary of $16 million, making him the highest paid running back of all time. We can't even imagine!
