By Wonderwall.com Editors
7:49am PST, Nov 19, 2022
Taylor Swift addresses Ticketmaster nightmare
Amid pressure from fans, Taylor Swift is addressing Ticketmaster's massive failure to accommodate ticket sales for her upcoming Eras Tour. "It goes without saying that I'm extremely protective of my fans," the singer said in an Instagram message on Friday (Nov. 18), after nearly of week of delays, snarls and confusion stemming from the ticketing giant's "verified fans" program. The program was designed to ensure actual humans, not bots, could access pre-sale ticket codes in cases of unusually high demand. But on Tuesday, the system became "overwhelmed" and hit loading snags, according to CNN, leaving even fans with codes unable to buy tickets or forced to wait for hours and hours in processing queues. Days later, Ticketmaster canceled its Friday general sale date, angering customers even more as members of Congress griped on social media about the mess, with multiple representatives blaming Ticketmaster's merger with Live Nation. "It's really difficult for me to trust an outside entity with these relationships and loyalties, and excruciating for me to just watch mistakes happen with no recourse," Taylor told fans, putting the blame squarely on Ticketmaster. "I'm not going to make excuses for anyone because we asked them, multiple times, if they could handle this kind of demand and we were assured they could," she wrote. "It's truly amazing that 2.4 million people got tickets, but it really p***** me off that a lot of them feel like they went through several bear attacks to get them." She also vowed to "figure out how this situation can be improved moving forward" and said she hopes "to provide more opportunities for us to get together and sing these songs." On Thursday, Ticketmaster told CNN Taylor's tour sold more than 2 million tickets on Tuesday, more than any artist has ever sold in one day.
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Martha Stewart reveals secret Brad Pitt crush: 'I melt'
Sorry, Pete Davidson. You've been replaced as Martha Stewart's celebrity crush. The 81-year-old lifestyle entrepreneur stopped by "The Tonight Show" on Wednesday (Nov. 16), where Jimmy Fallon asked about if she ever gets star struck. "Well, if I could meet — I was asked this question once," she stammered before revealing the name of her would-be dream guy. "I've been sort of fascinated with this very handsome young boy on Instagram. He's called Brad Pitt," she said. Brad, 58, doesn't have an Instagram account, Martha added, so she checks him out on fan accounts. (She's also apparently quite the "Fight Club" fan.) "They're fan pages, I guess, I don't know. But whatever it is, he looks better and better as the years go by," she said with a girlish giggle. "I just sort of melt when I look at those pictures. I mean, he is so cute!"
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Adele says she's 'never been more nervous before a show' ahead of long-awaited Vegas residency
It's finally showtime in Sin City for Adele — and she's never been more nervous. In a candid Instagram post the day before her long-awaited Las Vegas residency was due to kick off at Caesars Palace Colosseum, the singer admitted she was a bundle of nerves. "I'm feeling all sorts as I write this. I'm highly emotional, incredibly nervous but can't sit still because I'm so excited," Adele captioned a shot of herself onstage in front of what appeared to be baby pics on Thursday (Nov. 17). "I feel a million miles away from home, I can't stop thinking about when I was little and saw Tom Jones in Mars Attacks and thought blimey how did he get from Wales to Las Vegas!? I always get scared before shows, and I take it as a good sign because it means I care and means I just want to do a good job," she continued. Adele went on to reference the residency cancelation that made headlines earlier this year, but kept the tone positive. "Maybe it's because I didn't start when I was supposed to," she wrote. "Maybe it's because it's opening night, maybe it's because Hyde Park went so great, maybe its because I love the show I don't know. But it's safe to say I've never been more nervous before a show in my career, but at the same time I wish today was tomorrow! I can't wait to see you out there x." "Weekends With Adele" was originally scheduled to launch Jan. 21 and run through mid-April. The singer called off the residency one day before she was supposed to take the stage, citing production-related delivery delays and a wave of COVID-19 diagnoses that took out half her team. "I know for some of you it was a horrible decision on my part, and I will always be sorry for that, but I promise you it was the right one," she told fans in July while announcing the 24 rescheduled dates. She's also added eight additional shows to "Weekends With Adele," which kicks off Friday and runs through March 2, 2023.
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Al Roker hospitalized with blood clots in his leg, lungs
After being MIA from this week's "Today" show, Al Roker has revealed he was recently hospitalized due to an issue with blood clots in his leg and lungs. "So many of you have been thoughtfully asking where I've been," the NBC weather anchor wrote on Instagram on Friday (Nov. 18), sharing a photo of a bouquet of flowers. 'Last week I was admitted to the hospital with a blood clot in my leg which sent some clots into my lungs. After some medical whack-a-mole, I am so fortunate to be getting terrific medical care and on the way to recovery," he explained. "Thanks for all the well wishes and prayers and hope to see you soon. Have a great weekend, everyone." The post was met with loving messages of support from Al's colleagues, including Hoda Kotb, who replied, "Al Roker – hurry back to us…counting the days," and Savannah Guthrie, who wrote in the comments, "You're the strongest person we know. We miss you and will see you soon!" Al, 68, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2020 and successfully underwent surgery that November. "I was very fortunate. We caught it early," he told Kelly Clarkson on her show in February 2022. "It was an aggressive form of prostate cancer, but we caught it very early."
Drew Barrymore says she's 'tried everything' in the bedroom
When it comes to sex, Drew Barrymore says she's tried it all. The actress-turned-daytime talk show host was discussing the Netflix show "How To Build a Sex Room" with her co-host, Ross Matthews, when she admitted that despite her recent celibacy revelation, she's no stranger to the most outlandish bedroom moves. "I'm a dirty bird … but just in the corners of my mind where I never will tell and it's just for me," she said, according to Entertainment Tonight. "I can understand certain kinky things… Listen, I've tried everything. I've done everything … That's why I'm so boring now," she joked. For Drew, 47, it was all about experimentation. "I don't know if I was into it or not — I just wanted to try everything," she shared. "Those days are long gone…Back when I was younger, I had all the energy in the world, but now, no," Drew added. In October, the mother of two opened up on her blog about how she stopped prioritizing romance after her 2016 split from ex-husband, Will Kopelman.
Ellen Pompeo says goodbye to 'Grey's Anatomy,' promises to 'visit'
In the wake of news Ellen Pompeo was scaling back on her appearances on "Grey's Anatomy" for the show's current 19th season, the star shared what appears to be a goodbye note to fans, raising questions about the show's future. "I am eternally grateful and humbled by the love and support you have all shown me, Meredith GREY and the show for 19 seasons!" Ellen wrote, in part, in a lengthy Instagram post on Thursday (Nov. 17). "This isn't your first time on the rollercoaster… you know the show must go on and I'll definitely be back to visit." ABC previously confirmed Ellen's long-running Dr. Meredith Grey character would only appear in eight episodes. She's slated to stay on as an executive producer and continue delivering the voiceover, according to Entertainment Weekly, but how her reduced participation will affect the series remains to be seen. On "Grey's," Meredith's absence was attributed to her daughter's struggle with panic attacks. She gave notice at the hospital to accept a job in Boston in last month's fall finale, though her goodbye episode won't come until the show returns from its hiatus in February. Ellen's former co-star, Patrick Dempsey, aka Dr. Derek "McDreamy" Shepherd, recently denied rumors the two are working together on a new series. Asked about her apparent exit plans on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on Thursday — "she got caught stealing Band-Aids from the set," Jimmy quipped — Patrick played along. "Did she really? Finally, they caught her," he joked. "Can you imagine what she'd have in her house now from 19 seasons? A full hospital." "Grey's Anatomy" premiered in 2005. It remains the longest-running primetime medical drama in TV history.
