Uh Oh, Another Big Burglary Happened at Cannes

AP

Does Cannes have a serial thief in their midst? A powerful Chinese film executive had all of his luggage stolen out of his rented apartment this week just days after $1 million worth of Chopard jewelry went missing from a hotel on the city's main strip. 

By Esther Zuckerman

May 2, 2013

The Daily Beast Has Parted Ways with Howard Kurtz After Jason Collins Error

Responding to an intense media firestorm surrounding the media critic, the Daily Beast retracted Kurtz's blog post about Collins, then parted ways with its Washington bureau chief.

Comments | 6,107 Views

By Richard Lawson

May 2, 2013

What We Watched

'American Idol': Harry Connick Attacks!

Well, here we are again in the Final Four. It feels like we were just here. Oh, that's right, because we were. Because last week's dumdum elimination episode wasn't an elimination episode at all

Comments | 2,174 Views

By Richard Lawson

May 2, 2013

The Smart Set

Reese Says Sorry Again

Today in celebrity news: Reese Witherspoon makes a chipper apology for her recent drunk driving arrest, Keira Knightley is getting hitched, and Lindsay Lohan might have broken her rehab rules already.

Comments | 3,162 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

May 2, 2013

Anna Wintour's Met Gala 'Fantasy' Is a Punk-Celebrity Headache

The fashion world is in a bit of a pickle: How do the most glamorously dressed people in the world dress up for next week's Metropolitan Museum of Art gala honoring the museum's new "Punk Fashion" exhibit without looking like total poseurs?

Comments | 2,965 Views

By Adam Clark Estes

May 1, 2013

Chris Kelly of Kris Kross Fame Has Died

On Wednesday evening, Chris Kelly, the rapper who won international fame as one half of the young duo Kriss Kross, was found unresponsive by his family and later pronounced dead.

Comments | 12,450 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 1, 2013

Howard Kurtz Is Too Bad at His Job to Effectively Shame Jason Collins

The media critic who finds enough time to criticize all media and still write puff pieces about Matt Lauer for The Daily Beast, just didn't have enough time to read eight paragraphs of one of the most important articles in the media this week.

Comments | 4,150 Views

By Richard Lawson

May 1, 2013

The Call Sheet

Hooray for More 'Veep'

Today in show business news: HBO has made a wise decision, so has the Sundance channel, and Natalie Portman is going Shakespearean.

Comments | 1,186 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

May 1, 2013

The Summer Blockbuster Geeks Embrace 'Downton Abbey'

It's easy to label the men behind the Star Trek and Iron Man franchises as geeks. They clearly have affection for sci-fi and comic book culture. But they are also, apparently, big Downton Abbey fans, as recent developments would have you believe.

Comments | 1,383 Views

By Connor Simpson

May 1, 2013

Feds Refuse to Satisfy Beyoncé Lip-Sync Truthers

Bloomberg's attempt to FOIA the inauguration performance emails was met for the most part with despair and mockery — despair because the relevant information wasn't turned over, and mockery because, really, this is all a little silly.

Comments | 982 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

May 1, 2013

Masha Gessen Is Writing a Book on the Tsarnaev Brothers

Putin biographer Masha Gessen will apply her long history reporting on Russia and its surroundings and her own experiences emigrating to America in a book on the Tsarnaev brothers, which Riverhead Books announced today. 

Comments | 198 Views

By Richard Lawson

May 1, 2013

The Smart Set

Angelina Jolie Ruins Jennifer Aniston's Happiness Once Again

Today in celebrity gossip: Jennifer Aniston delays her wedding because of Angelina, J.Law and N.Hoult might be back together, and Naomi Campbell doesn't have a Russian billionaire anymore.

Comments | 22,529 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

May 1, 2013

Jake Gyllenhaal and Lindsay Lohan Almost Starred in 'The Hangover'

Consider, from a new oral history of the franchise, actors passed on the film: Paul Rudd and Jack Black. Consider this even more shocking revelation: The role of Alan, ultimately played with breakout distinction by Zach Galifinakis, had Gyllenhaal, Jonah Hill, and Thomas Haden Church in consideration. Also: LiLo as the stripper with the heart of gold, but she was too young.

Comments | 988 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

May 1, 2013

'Downton Abbey' Finally Has Its First Black Character

Following criticism, Julian Fellowes and Co. are following through on a plan to add some needed diversity to the show's lily-white roster ahead of season four. Today comes news that Gary Carr has been cast in the role of Jack Ross, a "black and very handsome" jazz singer. 

Comments | 2,365 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

May 1, 2013

Jon Stewart Turns Obama into Dr. Seuss on Syria

Even though the administration has said that a "red line" would involve chemical weapons, there remain a lot of questions about the Assad regime. "For instance, did he use them in a boat? Did he use them with a goat? Did he use them in a house? Did he use them with a mouse?"

Comments | 2,168 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Apr 30, 2013

Can Hulu and Yahoo Make You Love the 'House of Cards' of Comedy?

In the high-stakes race to commoditize the new couch potato, other online networks-in-the-making are working overtime. Can Netflix keep you binging across both ends of the entertainment spectrum? Or is there a funny sleeper hit in the works from the Internet, where two-minute clips are true kings, and 22-minute series are usually, well, really bad?

Comments | 1,183 Views

By Richard Lawson

Apr 30, 2013

The Call Sheet

Allison Williams's Movie Career Begins

Today in show business news: Allison Williams is on her way to the big screen, Cinderella has its lead, and Chris Hardwick maes it to late night. 

Comments | 1,774 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Apr 30, 2013

Relax, 'Homeland' Season 3 Might Not Be All 'Global Manhunt' Madness

Despite a Showtime release about "the world's most wanted terrorist" in the new season, there may remain — beyond any assumptions that said "global manhunt" would consume all of season three — reasons to get all excited before September 29.

Comments | 3,890 Views

By Connor Simpson

Apr 30, 2013

This Is Jeff Zucker's CNN Morning Show, but What About His New Primetime?

Now that the morning show guru turned network executive has CNN's fresh-faced morning show ready for launch, Zucker can turn his attention to reviving his primetime lineup. The big question for the months ahead: Will he take CNN in reverse to pass ahead? And what does Crossfire have to do with any of this?

Comments | 788 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Apr 30, 2013

Nerdy Charlize Theron Beats Liberal Lena Dunham at the Webbys

They're not exactly the Oscars of online, but when this year's Webby nominations came out, we were convinced that Dunham was going to take home yet another award for making Republicans angry in that Obama ad. But lo, the winners were announced this morning, and Lena got beat. By Charlize Theron. 

Comments | 4,134 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Apr 30, 2013

'World War Z' Is Beginning to Look a Lot Like 'Ishtar'

This blockbuster had it all: popular source material (zombies!) and a massive star (Brad Pitt!)... but it seems to have gone so very wrong. At least that's how Vanity Fair chronicles World War Z in its new cover story, bringing to mind the ultimate Hollywood movie disaster.

Comments | 38,551 Views

By Richard Lawson

Apr 30, 2013

The Smart Set

Lindsay Lohan to Become a Blogger

Today in celebrity gossip: Lindsay Lohan might soon be writing for the Internet, Taylor Swift may have paid too much for her house, and Michael Jordan certainly paid a lot for his wedding.

Comments | 4,113 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Apr 30, 2013

Tony Nominations Snub Hollywood Star Power — Except for Tom Hanks

Movie stars be damned: The Tony Awards are all about a race between a magical little girl who likes to read and a drag queen who helps save a shoe factory.

Comments

By Esther Zuckerman

Apr 29, 2013

What Happens When Mel Brooks Joins Twitter? He Can't Tell Jokes

So what does being on Twitter mean to Brooks? "It is very close to thrilling," he told Judd Apatow, in the kickoff to Twitter and Comedy Central's all too obviously commercial #ComedyFest. But when Apatow asked him again about tweeting, Brooks said: "Explain what a tweet is."

Comments | 1,567 Views

By Connor Simpson

Apr 29, 2013

The NFL Gets Mike Wallace and Its Teams Ready for the Jason Collins Effect

As the sports world continues to react to news of America's first openly gay major pro athlete, the NFL has reinforced its discrimination policy in an internal memo, and an NFL official tells The Atlantic Wire that one outspoken player's social media response to the Collins announcement has already drawn an inquiry.

Comments | 8,061 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Apr 29, 2013

'Pacific Rim' Is All Rock-'Em-Sock-'Em Robots — Now with a Gigantic Boat

This glimpse of the robots-versus-monsters movie was supposed to be for the eyes of a privileged few at WonderCon, but now there's an extended look for all to see, with a bit more about the plot. Not that there seems to be that much plot, but still: that boat!

Comments | 786 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Apr 29, 2013

A Pivotal 'Mad Men' Scene, as Written by the New York Times 45 Years Ago

The key historial moment in Sunday night's episode wasn't just some smart move concocted inside the Mad Men writers' room. No, this scene basically wrote itself — because it really happened.

Comments | 1,179 Views

By Connor Simpson

Apr 29, 2013

Is the Sports World Ready to Accept the New Reality of Jason Collins?

Perhaps the biggest worry about the future of gay rights on the biggest of stages for American role models was not if or when a gay pro athlete would come out. It was how the acceptance (or lack thereof) might follow. And based on the early reaction to the historic coming-out party of Jason Collins today, the NBA is ready for out sports, and so is (almost) everybody else.

Comments | 1,965 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Apr 29, 2013

'Iron Man 3' Is Coming for the 'Avengers' Box Office Records

It's already kicked off a big following, legally, across the globe — and, very illegally, on the Internet. Which begs the early question: Can Tony Stark leverage his team effort last summer in The Avengers to beat it at the box office?

Comments | 1,749 Views

By Connor Simpson

Apr 29, 2013

Jason Collins Is the First Openly Gay Major Professional Athlete

Before today, Jason Collins was known as a 34-year-old center on the NBA's Washington Wizards. But after an historic public admission sure to redefine sexuality in sports, Collins has now become the first openly gay athlete playing in one of the four major sports in North America. As Collins writes in his cover story for this week's Sports Illustrated: "Things can change in an instant, so why not live truthfully?"

Comments | 7,269 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Apr 29, 2013

The Finances of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Handwritten by Fitzgerald

In the 1926 page for F. Scott's Fitzgerald's handwritten ledger, now online, the famed writer lists that he sold the "Moving Picture" rights to The Great Gatsby for $16,666. Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of that book, due out next month, cost $104.5 million to make. 

Comments | 786 Views

By Connor Simpson

Apr 29, 2013

Tim Tebow's Tabloid Dreams Are Over

Perhaps fittingly for the city and the man, Tebow's time with the New York Jets will be remembered more for the unending media hype than anything he actually did under center. And it was a local tabloid story turned national, with seemingly every outlet from TMZ to the Newark Star-Ledger going full-on New York Post at one point or another.

Comments | 1,179 Views

By Jen Doll

Apr 29, 2013

Mad Women: 'It Feels Like Your Heart Is Going to Explode'

Last night's episode of Mad Men, "The Flood," brought our characters to a pivotal date in history: April 4, 1968, the day that Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated.

Comments | 2,161 Views

By Connor Simpson

Apr 28, 2013

The NFL Passed on Its Chance to Draft an Openly Gay Player

As the clock wound down during the final rounds of the NFL draft on Saturday, only two kickers were chosen — and 23-year-old openly gay former Middle Tennessee State placekicker Alan Gendreau was not one of them. 

Comments | 13,934 Views

By Connor Simpson

Apr 28, 2013

Box Office Report

Michael Bay and The Rock 'Gain' Just Enough to Win the Weekend

Welcome to the Box Office Report, where we're reluctant to live in a world where The Rock is a real movie star. 

Comments | 1,374 Views

By Connor Simpson

Apr 28, 2013

The Rolling Stones Played the Best Show You Didn't See Last Night

Last night the Rolling Stones played the ideal show that everyone wants but no one ever gets to see. They played a short set of their best hits and favorite covers at a small, "surprise" gig at the Echoplex, a 700-person Los Angeles club. Be jealous, because you weren't there.

Comments | 11,370 Views

By Connor Simpson

Apr 28, 2013

The Best of the White House Correspondents' Dinner After Party Gossip

So everyone in D.C. is likely still in bed, or throwing back two Tylenol and heading out for brunch right now. Our main concern is what happened at the White House Correspondents' Dinner after parties, where the drinks flowed and some of the most and least powerful people in the world rubbed shoulders (among other things) late into the night.

Comments | 3,924 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Apr 27, 2013

Here's the Nerd Prom 'House of Cards' Spoof Everyone is Talking About

One of the highlights of this year's White House Correspondents' Dinner was the House of Cards spoof that opened the evening, which brought the popular fictional D.C. to real life D.C., and now you can watch it too.

Comments | 5,295 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Apr 27, 2013

Obama and O'Brien Cast D.C. at the White House Correspondents' Dinner

Both President Barack Obama and Conan O'Brien decided to cast Hollywood versions of D.C. at the White House Correspondents' Dinner this year. Obama's version was directed by Steven Spielberg, O'Brien's starred "Tan Mom" as John Boehner. Watch their full speeches here. 

Comments | 7,256 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Apr 27, 2013

Fashion and Fun from the White House Correspondents' Dinner

Ah, the White House Correspondents' Dinner. The place where political reporters get to ask questions that would make Us Weekly proud and the pretty people of Hollywood get to mingle with the, well, people of the Beltway. Read our full updates from the night.

Comments | 4,510 Views

By Connor Simpson

Apr 27, 2013

Zach Braff Will Get His Dirty Kickstarter Money

The very rich Zach Braff's Kickstarter-funded Garden State sequel will see the light of a movie projector. His project reached its fundraising goal Saturday afternoon and has another 24 days to rack up as much money as possible. 

Comments | 12,179 Views

By Connor Simpson

Apr 27, 2013

Politico's Leaked Celebrity Tip Sheet Is as Bad as You Expect

Everyone knows that Poltico's coverage of the White House Corespondents' Dinner is sickening in its shallowness and shamelessness, but you wouldn't believe how lazy their tip sheets for reporters are. Seriously, they are this bad. 

Comments | 6,078 Views

By Richard Lawson

Apr 26, 2013

The Call Sheet

Johnny Depp Mustn't Sing Again

Today in show business news: Johnny Depp might be appearing in Into the Woods, The CW spins off more vampires, and Kristen Wiig returns to SNL.

Comments | 5,232 Views

By Jen Doll

Apr 26, 2013

The Penguin Random House Book Powerhouse Is Coming Very Soon

The merger between the two huge publishers is on schedule, and may even happen more quickly than anticipated, according to an internal memo that went out Friday morning.

Comments | 1,370 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Apr 26, 2013

Are You Ready for a New Adele Album? Because She Is

You might want to start setting out some time around "mid-2014" to weep: that's when Adele is apparently set to release a new album, according to a mysterious report in the U.K.'s The Mirror picked up widely on Friday.

Comments | 5,086 Views

By Richard Lawson

Apr 26, 2013

What We Watched

'American Idol' Becomes a Ridiculous Nothingness

As far as useless episodes of American Idol go, and there is at least one a week, an elimination episode in which no one is eliminated ranks pretty high at the top of the list. Let's re-live the utter waste of everyone's time, shall we?

Comments | 4,108 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Apr 26, 2013

Rick Pitino Will Not Regret His New Back Tattoo

Tattoos can often symbolize bad decision making, but the Louisville basketball coach got his new ink because his team won the national championship.

Comments | 2,152 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Apr 26, 2013

George Jones, 'the Second Greatest Singer in America,' Has Died

The plaintive country singer, who won praise outside his genre and was dubbed "The Possum," died at the age of 81 in Nashville following a hospitalization for fever and irregular blood pressure.

Comments | 1,369 Views

By Richard Lawson

Apr 26, 2013

The Smart Set

The Royals Admire Each Other's Big Wands

Today in celebrity news: Harry and Kate and William have a grand day out with Harry Potter, Gwyneth's crazy dress created some problems, and Amanda Bynes has done something again.

Comments | 4,499 Views

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