My source tells me the cast members of “This Is Us” earn between $40,000 and $85,000 per episode, but that they have gotten together and are demanding a huge pay increase. Cast members of other successful shoes have done this; most famously the cast of “Friends”, “Modern Family” and most recently, I believe, “The Big Bang Theory”. They are one of the highest rated shows on TV, and according to my source, they are looking for something in the $1 million dollar range…each, of course.
A Taylor Swift mega-fan in the UK got the surprise of her life twice in the past week when her favorite pop star first joined her Instagram livestream, then visited her live-and-in-person at her home in England. The fan, named Lara, went nuts when she saw last week that Taylor had joined her livestream. “I have to say thank you for everything,” Lara told Taylor. “You’ve actually made my life so much better.” Lara then revealed in several posts on Wednesday that Taylor came and surprised her at her own house, gifting her with merchandise.
The mounting accusations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein have prompted actor James Van Der Beek to reveal that he, too, has been sexually harassed by powerful people in the industry. “I’ve had my a** grabbed by older, powerful men, I’ve had them corner me in inappropriate sexual conversations when I was much younger,’ James tweeted early Thursday. “I understand the unwarranted shame, powerlessness and inability to blow the whistle. There’s a power dynamic that feels impossible to overcome.” The actor also slammed those condemning women for not speaking out sooner, and said that what Weinstein “is being accused of is criminal. What he’s admitted to is unacceptable–in any industry. I applaud everybody speaking out.”
Kate Beckinsale has joined the growing pool of women accusing Harvey Weinstein of misconduct.
Yesterday, the Underworld star claimed her career suffered because she rejected Harvey’s advances when she was 17. In a statement released via Instagram, Kate related a story that has become all-too-familiar in recent days. She wrote, “I was called to meet Harvey Weinstein at the Savoy Hotel when I was 17. I assumed it would be in a conference room which was very common. When I arrived, reception told me to go to his room. He opened the door in his bathrobe,” she wrote. “I was incredibly naive and young and it did not cross my mind that this older, unattractive man would expect me to have any sexual interest in him. After declining alcohol and announcing that I had school in the morning I left, uneasy but unscathed.”
Years later, Harvey asked her if anything happened. “I realized he couldn’t remember if he had assaulted me or not,” she wrote. She says she rejected him on several occasions, resulting in profanity-laden outbursts. “I said no to him professionally many times over the years-some of which ended up with him screaming at me calling me a c— and making threats, some of which made him laughingly tell people oh ‘Kate lives to say no to me,’” she wrote.
She says she was left feeling unsupported by the industry, and claims her career never recovered.
She continued, writing, “It speaks to the status quo in this business that I was aware that standing up for myself and saying no to things,” she wrote. “While it did allow me to feel uncompromised in myself, undoubtedly harmed my career and was never something I felt supported by anyone other than my family.”
Meanwhile, Julia Roberts and Blake Lively have joined the other members of Hollywood’s A-List in denouncing Harvey.
Julia released a statement to People: “A corrupt, powerful man wields his influence to abuse and manipulate women. We’ve heard this infuriating, heartbreaking story countless times before. And now here we go again. I stand firm in the hope that we will finally come together as a society to stand up against this kind of predatory behavior, to help victims find their voices and their healing, and to stop it once and for all.”
Blake, who wore a Marchesa dress co-designed by Harvey’s estranged wife Georgina Chapman for her wedding to Ryan Reynolds told The Hollywood Reporter: “That was never my experience with Harvey in any way whatsoever, and I think that if people heard these stories…I do believe in humanity enough to think that this wouldn’t have just continued,” Lively says. “I never heard any stories like this — I never heard anything specific — but it’s devastating to hear.”
She continues, “The number one thing that can happen is that people who share their stories, people have to listen to them and trust them, and people have to take it seriously. As important as it is to remain furious about this, it’s important to also say that this exists everywhere so remember to look everywhere. This isn’t a single incident. This cannot happen, this should not happen, and it happens in every single industry.”
Paparazzi caught up with Harvey outside of his daughter’s home in L.A. Wednesday afternoon, and he admitted: “I gotta get help, guys.”
Katy Perry and John Mayer may not be together anymore, but that doesn’t mean she’s harboring hard feelings. In fact, Katy left a sweet birthday message for John’s dad on her ex’s Instagram page. John posted a pic of him and his dad with a birthday cake on Instagram Wednesday. He wrote, “Happy 90th Birthday, Dad! Leave doting comments about my dad below. He’ll love scrolling through it. Also, please stop this train. Thank you.” In the comments, Katy wrote, “Looking fantastic as ever! Happy birthday friend.”
Ben Affleck caught heat on Wednesday for groping Hilarie Burton’s breast on Total Request Live in 2003, and now another woman is coming forward claiming he grabbed her “a–.”
Makeup artists Annamarie Tendler, who is married to Saturday Night Live comedian John Mulaney, put Ben on blast for an incident in 2014. She Tweeted, “I would also love to get an apology from Ben Affleck who grabbed my ass at a Golden Globes party in 2014.” She continued, “He walked by me, cupped my butt and pressed his finger into my crack,” she added, “I guess he tried to play it like he was politely moving me out of the way and oops touched my butt instead of my lower back?”
Comedy writer Jen Statsky underlined her account, tweeting: “I was also at this party and *multiple* friends had this same exact experience.”
So how does Ben Affleck’s ex-wife Jennifer Garner feel about all this? My source tells me she is not happy. Mainly because it means more attention on her and the three children she shares with Ben. She tries her best to shield them from all of the publicity and scrutiny, but these latest allegations will have a sad ripple effect, especially for her children.
Regarding the allegations made against Harvey Weinstein, The NYPD is launching an investigation into an assault allegation filed against him 13 years ago. It is unclear if it relates to the forced oral sex he reportedly performed on Lucia Evans in 2004, as reported by the New Yorker. “I tried to get away, but maybe I didn’t try hard enough. I didn’t want to kick him or fight him,” she told the magazine. “He’s a big guy. He overpowered me.”
Harvey has denied the allegations. He was investigated in 2015 and one of his accusers was fitted with a wire, but the DA, Cyrus Vance, declined to press charges. He has been criticized after it was disclosed that he received a $10,000 donation from one of Harvey’s lawyers.
Police are reviewing that case and taking any new complaints.
Well if you have been holding your breath, waiting to find out who would host the annual New Year’s Eve broadcast with Anderson Cooper, you can exhale. In the wake of Kathy Griffin getting the boot, Andy Cohen has now been given the gig! So, you will have two silver foxes ringing in your New Year… you’d think they could have done a better job and striving for diversity there, but hey…
