Wrestler Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart dead at 63
Former WWE wrestler Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart died at 63 after hitting his head during a fall at his home in Florida on Aug. 13.
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Ryan Phillippe action-drama "Shooter" canceled by USA Network
USA Network will not move forward with "Shooter," which is based on the 2007 film of the same name, after the conclusion of its third season in mid-September. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the action-drama, on which Ryan Phillippe has starred since late 2016, is the network's lowest rated drama.
Penn Jillette says damning Trump "Apprentice" tapes exist: "I was in the room"
Though Donald Trump has insisted there are no tapes of him using racial slurs on the set of "The Celebrity Apprentice," Penn Jillette, who competed on two seasons of the NBC reality show in 2012 and 2013, has backed Omarosa Manigault Newman's claims that the tapes do, in fact, exist. The Penn and Teller magician told Vulture as part of an interview that hit the Internet on Aug. 14 that he was "in the room" when the "Apprentice" franchise host "would say racially insensitive things that made me uncomfortable" — though he declined to state explicitly what was said.
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Pauley Perrette calls out "Family Feud" for "filthy" questions
Pauley Perrette took to Twitter on Aug. 13 to slam ABC's "Family Fued" for focusing on topics she doesn't deem family-friendly. "Dear @FamilyFeudABC I love @SteveHarveyFM and I love game shows. WHY DO YOU MAKE YOU PROGRAM SO FILTHY? Even with child players? No reason," she tweeted. "I'm a sociologist, love @FamilyFeudABC but WHY WHY are all the questions now filthy and sex questions? There's so much more to humans. Cmon," she wrote in a second tweet. It's unclear what exactly set off the "NCIS" alum.
"The Brady Bunch" house drama continues, neighbors complain about HGTV renovation
TMZ reported on Aug, 9 that neighbors are "fuming" over HGTV's plans to renovate and restore the "Brady Bunch" house — a property in North Hollywood that served as the exterior of the Brady family home on the iconic '70s sitcom — as part of a new show. According to TMZ, in addition to restoring the interior of the three-bedroom house to make it "1973 authentic," the network plans to expand the 2,400-square-foot house by an additional 4,000 square feet. "Neighbors are dreading the construction noise, street congestion, traffic, lookie-loos and HGTV production trucks as cameras chronicle the remodel," TMZ reports, adding that the last time a production crew visited the "Brady Bunch" house, they shut down the whole street, making it difficult for neighbors to get to and from their own homes.
"The 100" star Marie Avgeropoulos reportedly arrested for domestic violence
Police arrested and booked "The 100" star Marie Avgeropoulos for felony domestic violence after she allegedly hit her boyfriend during an argument in Los Angeles on Aug. 5. According to TMZ, the boyfriend called police in hopes that they would de-escalate the situation — not arrest the actress, who's portrayed Octavia Blake on "The 100" since 2014. But the responding officers took Avgeropoulos into custody after they observed marks on her boyfriend's body. According to the webloid, the couple are both Canadian citizens and the boyfriend — who does not plan to press charges — didn't realize the brunette beauty would be arrested if police found evidence that she had, in fact, attacked him. A source told TMZ that the whole drama went down because Avgeropoulos, who was released on a $50,000 bond, was on a new medication that reacted badly with the wine she had during dinner.
"America's Got Talent" standout faces backlash for previously appearing on the U.K.'s "The Voice Kids"
Courtney Hadwin advanced to the semi-finals on Season 13 of "America's Got Talent" after wowing the judges with her rendition of James Brown's "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" on Aug. 14. But "AGT" fans were soon outraged to learn that the 14 year old — who was introduced during auditions as a super-shy teenager from England and then went on to win Howie Mandel's golden buzzer — actually made it to the finals on the British series "The Voice Kids" in 2017. "@howiemandel Courtney Hadwin said she'd never performed B4 an audience that big & she & her dad acted like they didn't know if she could perform cuz she's so shy. But she was a finalist in The Voice UK! So act is fake! U shudnt B allowed 2 compete if Uve been on other shows!" tweeted one angry viewer. Courtney isn't technically breaking any rules, a spokesperson for the show told Good Housekeeping.
Ruby Rose leaves Twitter in wake of "Batwoman" casting backlash
Just days after The CW announced that Ruby Rose would star as Batwoman on an eponymous series — the first to center around an LGBT superhero — as part of the DC Comics Arrowverse, the openly gay actress, who identifies as gender fluid, deleted her Twitter account over intense fan backlash to her casting. "Where on earth did 'Ruby is not a lesbian therefore she can't be batwoman' come from — has to be the funniest most ridiculous thing I've ever read. I came out at 12? And have for the past 5 years had to deal with 'she's too gay' how do y'all flip it like that? I didn't change. I wish we would all support each other and our journeys," she tweeted. The "Orange Is the New Black" alum wrote in another tweet, "When women and when minorities join forces we are unstoppable… when we tear each other down it's much more hurtful than from any group. But hey/ love a challenge I just wish women and the LGBT community supported each other more, My wish was we were all a little kinder and more supportive of each other…Sending everyone my love and gratitude, it's been a rollercoaster of a year, this month especially." Continued the actress, "I am looking forward to getting more than 4 hours of sleep and to break from Twitter to focus all my energy on my next 2 projects. If you need me, I'll be on my Bat Phone."
"Designing Women" reboot in development with sitcom's original creator
TVLine reported on Aug. 14 that Sony is developing a reboot of "Designing Women," which aired on CBS from 1986 to 1993, with the original series' creator, Linda Bloodworth-Thomason. Annie Potts, Jean Smart, Dixie Carter and Delta Burke starred on the sitcom as the employees of Atlanta-based interior design firm Sugarbaker & Associates. It's unclear whether or not any of the original stars would return for the reboot.
Ethan Peck cast as Spock on "Star Trek: Discovery"
Gregory Peck's grandson, actor Ethan Peck, will portray Mr. Spock on the upcoming second season of the CBS All Access series "Star Trek: Discovery." Said showrunner Alex Kurtzman, "The great Leonard Nimoy, then the brilliant Zachary Quinto, brought incomparable humanity to a character forever torn between logic and emotion. We searched for months for an actor who would, like them, bring his own interpretation to the role. An actor who would, like them, effortlessly embody Spock's greatest qualities, beyond obvious logic: empathy, intuition, compassion, confusion, and yearning. Ethan Peck walked into the room inhabiting all of these qualities, aware of his daunting responsibility to Leonard, Zack, and the fans, and ready to confront the challenge in the service of protecting and expanding on Spock's legacy. In that spirit, we're thrilled to welcome him to the family." (On the CBS All Access show, Spock is the foster brother of Sonequa Martin-Green's Michael Burnham.)