There’s a rumor going around that George & Amal Clooney are expecting again
George and Amal Clooney decamped to Como, Italy early in the summer, when it became
Don Cheadle & George Clooney co-found film school for underserved students
Embed from Getty Images Kerry Washington, Don Cheadle, George Clooney, Mindy Kaling, and Eva Longoria
People Mag writer calls out celebrities & publicists in a hilarious resignation letter
Sara Hammel may be my new hero. Hammel was, up until recently, an award-winning entertainment journalist working for People Magazine. Hammel had been working for People Mag for 14 years as a freelance writer, and she had covered some really big entertainment stories, like Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’ Rome wedding. Well, after 14 years, she had enough. Enough of the celebrities, enough of their bats—t crazy publicists, and enough of the not-so-subtle changes with how People Magazine functions as an entertainment news source. So when Hammel resigned, she did so in a letter which is being called “bridge-burning” and “scorched earth.” And not only that, she made the letter public, so anyone can read it. Here you go: Dear People Magazine, I quit. It’s not me, it’s you. It’s been a wildly dysfunctional 14 years, and you’re an entirely different magazine than when we first got together. I swear half the current staff doesn’t know my name, despite my contribution to something like fifteen hundred stories in your celebrity annals, so here’s a refresher: I worked inside your London, Los Angeles and New York bureaus, covered breaking news in nine countries, and dealt with too many celebrities to remember (I know this because I was cruising through your archives recently and found my name on files I had no recollection of writing, and interviews with people I have no memory of meeting, like Ellen and Portia together, plus both leads in Nip/Tuck and that guy from Burn Notice). My first celebrity assignment for you was Spice Girl Geri Halliwell in 2002. My last was Robert De Niro in April 2016. In between, there were memorable encounters galore, including making the gorgeous and empathic Mariska Hargitay ugly-cry (turns out she cries at like every charity-related event, phew), enduring an Oscar winner’s public bullying over an intimate dinner, facing a personal crisis at Tom Cruise’s wedding in Rome, getting basically, kind of spat on by a snotty J. Lo (okay, it was like a very wet pffttt in my general direction, really obnoxious), having fun with endless lower-key celebs like Rosario Dawson and Kyle MacLachlan and Michael Douglas, observing just how stiff and awkward George Clooney is around kids, insulting Sheryl Crow’s baby, and getting groped/harrassed by an A-list [omitted] performer in New York and Paris (that’s not to be flip—it was violating as hell. I’m still pissed I didn’t jab him in the balls with my pen). This is just what the entitled stars and their bat—t crazy publicists put me and many other talented, hard-working reporters through. You people, as it turns out, are worse. Stupidly, we expect loyalty and support from you after years of service. We are naïve. Despite your nicey nice, glossy and chirpy veneer, some of us think of you more as the Leo DiCaprio of magazines, using up every beautiful model that crosses your path (“beautiful model”= “award-winning journalist” in this scenario), discarding them, and pretending you leave no wake behind you. I’m oddly surprised my tenure here is ending not with explosive hatred stoked by a cold dismissal from an insensate behemoth (i.e. you)—a fate I watched ashen-faced friends and colleagues endure before my eyes during the Los Angeles bureau’s 2008 culling—but with a slow fade-out and a final venting of my gossip-weary spleen. Then again, that’s why I’m happy being freelance. I’ve survived something like eight rounds of layoffs where talented colleagues were bitch-slapped into oblivion and, I hope, will never give their nights, weekends, relationships and sanity again to keep up with an email chain about whether Jennifer Aniston is pregnant at 47 because of those tummy photos and what kind of mom will she be, when really she just had an extra burrito at lunch; but oh, wait, the rep says it’s just a rumor so there’s no story this week after all. Read the rest in my mini-memoir. I will say, what happens after that is that my debut teen mystery, the one I spent my adult life making into a reality, but which, despite the schlock regularly featured in its pages and online, People decided to ignore—more to the point, they ignored me entirely—even after I toiled away for them for 14 years. They wouldn’t even give me a digital post that I wrote, sourced, and agreed to remove the name of my book from (LOL). That book is called The Underdogs. I’ll leave you with the kicker: As I was crafting this letter, a Tweet came through from one of your top editors, Kate Coyne, crowing about her full-page People feature promoting her brand-new book, accompanied by a colorful screenshot. “Don’t ask how, but I got in touch with someone at @people—now I’m in the new issue. So grateful!” You should be, Kate. Enjoy it while it lasts. Sincerely, Sara Hammel [Letter via the NY Post] That’s some good dirt! I want to know the identities of those two blind items: who is A) the Oscar winner who publicly bullied Hammel over an intimate dinner and B) the A-lister who groped and harassed her? I love all of the named shade too – while I love J.Lo, I have no doubt that she’s spat/phlegm’d on reporters. And I think the whole idea of Clooney being really awkward around children is HILARIOUS. Granted, I’m awkward with kids too, but I’m not George Clooney! As for the email chains about Jennifer Aniston’s burrito baby… that’s a very “how the sausage is made” story about editorial decisions, isn’t it? That People Mag reporters are email-chaining about Aniston possibly being pregnant at 47 is… sad, I think. Covers courtesy of People Magazine.
Julia Roberts laughed at ‘image-obsessed’ Amal Clooney: ‘She’s so absurd’
As previewed yesterday, this week’s tabloids are full of interesting/funny/untrue speculation about George and Amal Clooney’s marriage, based solely on their appearance at the Cannes Film Festival last week. For the record (since we’re on the record!), I kind of think George and Amal are fine. Their first year of marriage was a whirlwind of craziness, but they seem to have “settled down” quite a bit in 2016. Still, I always enjoy some good Amal gossip. In Touch Weekly had the longer story full of deliciously bitchy details. Some highlights: Amal’s posing. An insider says: “Cannes has strict rules about a non-movie member posing for obligatory cast photos – it’s a big deal and very rare for a spouse to join. But Amal, with George’s blessing of course, barged right in. Amal wore a look-at-me bright yellow gown amid the cast’s sea of black, she had trouble adjusting her long train in the wind so she also held up the entire process, which meant all eyes were on her.” Julia was pissed. “Julia was stunned that Amal tried to steal her show and her thunder, and that George actually let her.” So in retaliation, Julia flirted with George, and the source says, “Amal felt like Julia was flirting with George and she was seething!” Amal hates Julia. Amal hated how friendly George and Julia were on the set of Money Monster and “Amal can’t stand how Julia monopolizes her husband’s time.” After the Cannes red carpet, Amal pulled George aside and told him that Julia was being “disrespectful.” Julia “was so mad that she had a mini-meltdown about it and was overheard complaining about Amal’s rude move and George should have known better.” Julia hates Amal too. After spending some time with Amal and George in Como, Italy last summer, “Julia left with a very bad taste in her mouth.” Julia would “mock image-obsessed Amal behind her back after seeing how Amal constantly had her hair and makeup touched up and wore glamorous gowns during a casual weekend.” A source says: “Julia laughed at her because she thinks she’s so absurd.” [From In Touch Weekly, print edition] While I think this whole thing is being overblown, I do believe that there’s some shade and gossip going on at the core. Like, Julia was pissed that Amal was being so showy and look-at-me. And Amal was pissed because Julia was goose-honking all over George. I also sort of believe that Amal is severely image-obsessed? That’s just my gut-level reaction to seeing her pap strolls and red carpet posing. Meanwhile, Star Magazine claims that Amal and George looked like they were having serious problems at Cannes. A Cannes tipster reveals that after George and Amal walked the Cannes carpet together, they stopped pretending to be all lovey-dovey. “Once inside, it was obvious to everyone there that George and Amal had been fighting all day. I don’t think either one of them wanted to be there.” Arms crossed and scowl fixed, it was clear the human rights lawyer wasn’t happy with her husband. In fact, eyewitnesses say the two barely said a word to each other during dinner that night at Le Michelangelo in Antibes and cast a frosty chill over the afterparty at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc. “It looked like George truly regretted bringing Amal out. Just imagine what it must have been like when they got home!” [From Star Magazine, print edition] Sure, but WHY were they fighting? Was it because of Julia? Or something else? Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet.
Julia Roberts on staying in shape: ‘Remain calm, drink your water & be joyful’
The Cannes Film Festival starts next week, and Team USA is going to be pretty well-represented on the red carpet. In addition to the premiere of Woody Allen’s new movie, Café Society, Jodie Foster will be premiering her new film, Money Monster. Which means we’ll see Julia Roberts, George Clooney and probably Amal Clooney on the carpet. I’m genuinely excited about that. Julia tells InStyle – she’s the cover girl for June – that she might be wearing Givenchy, in which case it’s going to be HUGE… a huge disaster, that is, because Riccardo Tisci can’t design to save his life. But it will be great to see what Amal wears. Anyway, here are some highlights from Julia’s InStyle interview. On Jodie Foster: “Well, in my mind, she’s so scary, but really she’s so sweet… she’s so talented, notoriously brilliant. And she’s such a great actor. And really, she is very no-nonsense. She doesn’t think that there has to be some incredible, painful struggle to accomplish your goals. I thought she was crazy to be helming me and George—it’s like trying to keep puppies in a box.” Whether she’ll ever be on social media: “I think it’s like—what’s a good analogy? Listen, I don’t have my head in the sand. I’m aware of the different outlets, however you label them. It’s like people talking about a TV show: I can be perfectly aware of the TV show and the story, but it doesn’t mean I watch it. I have other friends who watch it, and they tell me about it. I mean, we were talking about Instagram. Everyone has Instagram on their phone. And I just, yeah, [if I had it] I would be looking at it all the time.” What she learned from her mom: “One of the greatest things she ever did for me … I remember asking her—when I had three kids under 3 years old and just felt like I was running in a thousand directions at once—“How on earth did you raise all of us? You worked full-time, and you did all these things.” She could have said, “Well, you know, you just do your best.” But she said, “Darling, it’s called day care. I dropped you and your sisters off at 7:30 in the morning, and I would pick you up at 4 in the afternoon.” But it didn’t feel like that to me. I didn’t feel like I was a dropped-off person who didn’t see her mom all day. I just felt completely part of her life, and she was part of mine. And that’s the magic trick: to make people feel that they’re with you when they’re not.” Whether she ever just goes shopping: “I do from time to time. It just kind of strikes at moments. The thing I never understood about fashion is that you put something on and you look and feel great, and then you put it on again 10 days later and it’s terrible.” How she stays in shape: “I feel like if I knew all the things to do [in terms of exercise], I would probably look like I was put together with tape. I would just go crazy. So I think, better just to remain calm, drink your water, get your sleep and be joyful. We definitely try to eat mindfully. As I always say to my kids, ‘You have to eat the good stuff to get the good stuff.’” Her first time at Cannes: “I’ve kind of avoided it. I mean, the first time I ever went to Asia was for a movie, Eat, Pray, Love. I’m a late bloomer.” [From InStyle, People] I always think Julia Roberts and Jennifer Aniston have the same kind of reaction to the rise of social media: social media came after their heydays, and they don’t really want to bother engaging in it. Surprisingly, Gwyneth Paltrow was in the same kind of boat, but she embraced her online presence and now she’s built an entirely new career out of it. Now, unlike other social-media-shy celebrities, I don’t get the feeling that Julia looks down on it at all. Like, she’s not judging it. She’s just not engaging with it at all. Also: I like what she says about her mom dropping off the kids at day care. Photos courtesy of WENN, cover courtesy of InStyle.
Chris Evans isn’t ruling out running for political office: ‘I would never say never’
Captain America fans be damned, I’ve never really been a huge Chris Evans stan. I don’t have a problem with him, it’s just that he sometimes (SOMETIMES) seems like a neurotic whiner. But he’s not like that in his interview with the new issue of Esquire Middle East. He comes across well and almost sort-of Captain America-like. Before now, I had no idea that his uncle is currently serving in the House of Representatives. His uncle is Rep. Mike Capuano. Do they call him “Cap” too?! Anyway, Chris talks about politics and more. Some highlights: Whether he would run for political office: “I would never say never. I’ve always thought it would be nice one day to think about some sort of political pursuit. I’m so proud of my uncle and of anyone who dedicates themselves to helping the progression of society in exacting change for the betterment of mankind. Ultimately, there’s very few things that I consider to be noble and challenging. I know that Washington is a tough place. I have my opinions and maybe later on in life I might try and actually get up on a soap box.” Directing his first movie, Before We Go: “I’d wanted to direct for a long time. It’s just hard to find someone who’s willing to let you direct. I have no training. I’ve never been to any sort of school, so it’s a gamble. It was a situation where we found a script that felt manageable. This was a simple story; it’s two people. It just felt very contained and, not to sound awful, but I aimed a little low, just because I wanted to get my feet wet. I think there’s no shame in that. I didn’t want to bite off more than I could chew the first time out.” What happened as a director: “There were a lot of things I thought I was prepared for that never became a problem, and things I didn’t think would be an issue that ended up being one. So it was very eye opening. But I loved the experience and I want to do it again. I’m trying to aim a little higher in terms of the story and the scope. I feel a little more comfortable behind the camera, and it’s now just about finding the right script. Because the really great scripts are snatched up by the really great directors. So it’s about digging and trying to find the diamond in the rough.” He’ll take more of a break from acting when he has kids: “I would never stop acting completely, because I do love it, but if I was to get married and have kids, I could see myself wanting to be less of a famous actor. The fame thing is the tricky part, especially when you have children, and there is a nice element to the investment in directing. Even the amount of time and passion required for pre- and post-production; you’re with a project intimately for a year. As an actor you’ve got a few months and then you completely forget about it. So I like that connection, and I like that you can be a little more in the shadows but still be part of a profession that you’re in love with.” On ambition: “My big ambition is to not have a big ambition. I know it’s kind of strange but mu goal in life is to practice trying to be present on a daily basis. I think, as people, our consciousness is spread out. We analyze the past, we worry about the future, and it’s all fueled by fear and pain and all these negative things. Even when its good it’s going to be not good in a minute. Then you’re chasing it again. It’s all rooted in time and I think my big ambition is to really practice the ability to quiet my brain a little and just learn how to enjoy the moment.” [From E! News] I didn’t see Before We Go, but I remember that the reviews weren’t bad or anything. He didn’t embarrass himself and he’ll probably be given another opportunity to direct, because Hollywood loves rewarding white guys. I’m just saying… if a black, Asian or Hispanic actor had made the jump to directing and made so little impact with their first film, would they be given another opportunity? As for what he says about possibly running for political office… I actually like that idea. He doesn’t carry around the kind of personal baggage that many “political” actors have – as in, I know less about Chris’s personal life than George Clooney, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, etc. And I think it’s cute that he’s already planning ahead for when he’s married and has kids. PS… Chris debuted this new clip from Captain America: Civil War at the MTV Movie Awards. Thanks, @ChrisEvans for debuting this EXCLUSIVE clip from #CaptainAmericaCivilWar at the #MovieAwards! https://t.co/pMOcII0hl6 — MTV (@MTV) April 11, 2016 HD outtake of Chris Evans for Esquire Middle East April 2016 Issue. #ChrisEvans #Chris #Evans #EsquireMagazine #Cevans #TeamCevans A photo posted by Chris Evans (@teamcevans) on Apr 2, 2016 at 4:06pm PDT Photos courtesy of Esquire.
Bernie Sanders calls George Clooney’s ritzy Clinton fundraisers ‘obscene’
George Clooney spoke about his support for Hillary Clinton several months ago, when he was promoting Hail Caesar. Clooney has always been a big Hollywood Democrat, and he supported John Kerry and Barack Obama in past presidential election cycles. Clooney has made no secret of his support for Clinton this time around, but he also hasn’t said anything negative about Bernie Sanders. The only person Clooney has criticized is Donald Trump. Anyway, George and Amal Clooney are cohosting two major California fundraisers for Clinton’s campaign and the DNC. The fundraiser tickets cost $33,400, and the Clooneys have co-hosts like Jeffrey Katzenberg, Steven Spielberg and more. This usually happens, by the way – the Hollywood Democrats and Silicon Valley Democrats will throw several big (and big-money) fundraisers in LA and San Francisco every presidential election cycle. But Hillary Clinton’s competition, Bernie Sanders, doesn’t like it. He thinks the Clooneys represent “big money people.” “It is obscene that Secretary Clinton keeps going to big-money people to fund her campaign,” Bernie Sanders said in an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday. Clinton is asking donors for $353,400 for two seats at the head table with herself, Clooney and his wife, Amal, at the April 15 event in San Francisco. The next night, the Clooneys will host a $33,400 per person fundraiser for Clinton at the couple’s Los Angeles home. “I have a lot of respect for George Clooney. He’s a great actor. I like him,” Sanders said. “But this is the problem with American politics … Big money is dominating our political system. And [my supporters and I] are trying to move as far away from that as we can.” Sanders, whose campaign has been largely funded by small donations, says his events usually cost “$15 or $50” to get into. “So it’s not a criticism of Clooney,” he said. “It’s a criticism of a corrupt campaign finance system, where big money interests — and it’s not Clooney, it’s the people coming to this event — have undue influence on the political process.” Throughout the Democratic primary, the self-described democratic socialist has attacked Clinton’s ties to Wall Street. He did so again Sunday. “It’s not only this Clooney event,” Sanders said. “It is the fact she has now raised well over $15 million from Wall Street for her super-PAC, and millions more from the fossil fuel industry, and from the drug companies.” Clinton’s Clooney swing comes less than two months before the crucial Democratic primary on June 7 in California, where 475 delegates are at stake. [From Yahoo] CB and I were debating this between ourselves – she’s a Bernie fan, and she agrees with what he’s saying. Meanwhile I voted for Clinton in the Virginia primary, and I did so because I honestly think Clinton is a better Democratic candidate for office. I understand Sanders’ point about getting the “big money” out of politics, and I agree with it as a moral and ethical stance. But in practice, I find it difficult to understand why Clinton (or any Democratic candidate) should be held to a different standard than the GOP candidates. Plus, I just have a fundamental disagreement with calling George Clooney a “big money” donor who will use his fundraising skills to push some agenda with Hillary Clinton. If you want to talk about the hedge fund people pushing candidates for tax cuts for billionaires, sure, let’s talk about that. But what’s on Clooney’s political agenda that isn’t already on Clinton’s agenda? Photos courtesy of WENN.