Entertainment News

Sheryl Lee Ralph reveals she was sexually assaulted in public by a "famous TV judge"

ABC/Gilles Mingasson

(NOTE LANGUAGE) In a wide-ranging interview with the Wake Up with Angela Yee podcast, Abbott Elementary Emmy winner Sheryl Lee Ralph discussed an accusation she made in her new book, DIVA 2.0: 12 Life Lessons From Me For You, in which a "famous" person sexually assaulted her at a public event.

"There was one incident — it was like the third time something like this happened to me. I thought to myself, 'What did I do to deserve that?'"

She expressed, "This was a famous TV judge. Not Judge Mathis, I love him. He's a great man."

Ralph recalled, "I'm at a very public place. I was suited. I had my suit on. I was handling my business for the television show I was on at that time. He and I were on the same network. This man walked in, grabbed me by the back of my neck, turned me around and rammed his nasty-a** tongue down my throat."

She added, "And everybody at the network saw it."

Sheryl explained that the former mayor of New Orleans, Marc Morial, offered to "send the police there right now" and "fix his you-know-what right now." However, she was dissuaded from doing anything by someone from the network.

"They saw what happened," Ralph said, before quoting the executives: "'It wasn't that bad. We don't need the bad press.'" Sheryl exclaimed, "That's the kind of stuff that ... makes it hard for women to speak up about these things!"

She advised women, "Speak up. Do not carry the burden of that pain." She said experiences like that "drive some people crazy," noting, "They get changed forever."

Ralph also said she was shocked Harvey Weinstein was "taken down" because many famous abusers aren't.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Robert Downey Jr. could star in big-screen remake of Hitchock's 'Vertigo'

ABC/Randy Holmes

Robert Downey Jr. might just star in a remake of one of Alfred Hitchcock's most beloved thrillers.

Deadline reports Downey is interested in starring in and producing a big-screen remake of Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, with Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight — who will reportedly be writing the next Star Wars film — adapting the screenplay.

Downey would be playing the role made famous by famed Hitchcock collaborator Jimmy Stewart: a detective who retires after developing the titular symptom when a colleague falls from a rooftop during a chase. The former gumshoe is subsequently tasked with minding a friend's wife, but the simple case turns out to be anything but.

There's no word yet on who will fill the considerable shoes of the legendary filmmaker, but the trade reports the Hitchcock Estate is having a say in the project and was leaning toward Paramount — the studio that released the original.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Go Go! Trailer drops for super-powered reunion: 'Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always'

L-R: Cardenas, Yost, Sutherland -- Netflix/Geoffrey H. Short

Netflix has reunited most of the original cast for a 30th anniversary nostalgia blow-out, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always, and a brand-new trailer is more than enough to get fans pumped.

The special stars Walter E. Jones, reprising as the Black Ranger Zack Taylor; Catherine Sutherland as the Pink Ranger Kat Hillard; David Yost's Blue Ranger Billy Cranston; Steve Cardenas' Red Ranger Rocky DeSantos; Karan Ashley as Aisha Campbell, the second Yellow Ranger; and the second Black Ranger Adam Park, again played by Johnny Yong Bosch.

The star who played the original Yellow Ranger, Thuy Trang, died in a car accident in 2001. The trailer sees Charlie Kersh as Minh Kwan, the daughter of Trang's Trini Kwan, explaining her mother was killed by Rita Repulsa, the villainess again played by Barbara Goodson.

Richard Steven Horvitz is even back as the voice of the manic, friendly robot Alpha 5.

It is not known how or if the series will address the loss of another original Rangers star, the Green Ranger Jason David Frank, who died by suicide at 49 last November.

According to Netflix, "Thirty years after the wise and powerful Zordon formed the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the team comes face to face with a familiar threat from the past. In the midst of a global crisis, they are called on once again to be the heroes the world needs."

The movie debuts April 19.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Mindy Kaling saluted at the White House with 'The Office' theme

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

While visiting the White House this week, Mindy Kaling was made to feel little bit more at home — or at work, technically — thanks to the Marine Corps Band.

The actress, author and producer was on hand to receive a National Medal of Arts award from President Joe Biden on Wednesday, along with Seinfeld alum/Marvel movie star Julia Louis-Dreyfus, musicians Bruce Springsteen and Gladys Knight, and author Amy Tan.

On Thursday, Kaling posted to Instagram her greeting when she arrived at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue: the uniformed band playing the theme to The Office.

Kaling played flighty customer service rep Kelly Kapoor on the show, which she also co-produced during its run.

Her former co-star Jenna Fischer, who played Pam Beesly, was quick to comment of the honor, "That would destroy me. Omg."

Next to a photo with Biden, Kaling had written in part, "Yesterday, I went with my family to receive the medal at the White House. To hear the President speak about my parents, their journey to the United States, my late mother’s dreams for me, and the power of comedy to make people understand each other was almost too much to take in. It didn’t feel real!"

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


After redemptive appearance in 'The Mandalorian', Ahmed Best thanks fans

Lucasfilm

(SPOILERS) If anyone deserved a bit of redemption in the Star Wars universe, it's actor Ahmed Best. The actor, who played Jar Jar Binks in the prequel trilogy — and who has admitted the backlash from it nearly cost him his life by suicide — got possibly the biggest redemption of all in the eyes of fans in the latest episode of The Mandalorian.

Ending months of speculation, it was revealed that Best's Jedi character Kelleran Beq was the one who saved poor little Grogu from the great Jedi Purge in a flashback scene set during the events of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.

Beq was seen dispatching clone troopers left and right — literally, with a lightsaber in each hand at one point — as he escorts "Baby Yoda" from the burning Jedi temple.

The redemption wasn't lost on the actor, who took to social media Wednesday with a gym picture — wearing an Episode I hat and Jedi symbol T-shirt no less — showing his appreciation to fans.

"Gratitude! Good to be back," Best began. "There is so much to say and share. It's going to take a couple of days. But, for now, I'll just say thank you to all that have held me up and made me better."

Incidentally, the character is the same one he played in Jedi Temple Challenge, a kids game show that ran on Disney+.

While Jar Jar was pilloried when Episode I came out in 1999, younger fans who grew up watching the prequels on DVD have since softened on the klutzy gungan.

That said, the "hate and venom" at the time was hard on Best, who has since admitted he once contemplated suicide because of it.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Courteney Cox is such a Monica for cleaning her Hollywood Walk of Fame star

Leon Bennett/Getty Images

Courteney Cox is proving that fastidious Monica Geller isn't just a character she played on TV, it's a fundamental part of her personality.

The Friends alum, 58, shared a comedic video to Instagram on Wednesday in which she is seen cleaning her Hollywood Walk of Fame star — as well as the stars of some of her A-list pals.

"Someone's gotta do it," she captioned the clip, set to Dolly Parton's classic song "9 to 5," while channeling Monica, one of TV's most beloved clean freaks.

In the video, Cox watches a few people walk across her star before she steps out to give it a wipe and yell at the passersby, "You can go around!"

After taking care of her own star, she proceeds to clean the stars of Laura Dern, Friends co-star Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon.

"Thanks for keeping us clean, Court!!" Witherspoon wrote in the comments, while another of Cox's Friends co-stars, Lisa Kudrow, replied, "Only the best thing ever."

Cox received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in February. The Scream 6 actress was joined by her daughter Coco, partner Johnny McDaid and pals Aniston, Kudrow and Dern, among others, at the dedication ceremony.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


"Fight for me!" A queen will rise in trailer to 'Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story'

Netflix

Netflix dropped the first full-length trailer to its Bridgerton prequel series, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. In it, viewers see India Amarteifio playing a younger version of Golda Rosheuvel's monarch, who is about to step into the thorny world of royalty. 

The young Charlotte has a meet-cute with her husband-to-be, the young King George (Corey Mylchreest), as she apparently tries to flee the royal compound. She soon finds living like a queen isn't all it's cracked up to be. "It is time we are united as a society," George's mother, Princess Augusta (Michelle Fairley), informs Charlotte. "You will make lots of babies. As many babies as possible for my son."  

"Your marriage cannot go wrong!" she later admonishes the young royal-to-be.

After a rocky start, the young royals eventually hit it off, but George is hiding secrets from her. "Fight with me. Fight for me!" she urges him. 

Rosheuvel is also seen bookending the flashback story, which comes to Netflix on May 4.

 

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Director Christopher McQuarrie adds another original 'Mission: Impossible' movie character to 7th film

Paramount Pictures

If you've seen all of Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible movies, your attention to detail will apparently be rewarded by director and co-writer Christopher McQuarrie for the seventh installment: Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One.

Not only does Henry Czerny return as Eugene Kittridge, the secret agent who pursued Cruise's apparently rogue Ethan Hunt in the 1996 original film, but McQuarrie just added another familiar face — if you've got a pretty stout memory.

The filmmaker posted yet another Easter egg cast addition photo to his Instagram, showing Rolf Saxon, who played William Donloe in the first M:I film.

You'd be forgiven if neither name rings a bell, but Donloe was the poor CIA computer guy whose vault-like office Ethan Hunt dropped into from the ceiling in that memorable scene from the first film. After one of Hunt's team members dosed Donloe with something to make him puke — repeatedly — he was forced out of his computer vault so Hunt could steal an important file.

If you have an even better memory, you might remember Kittridge keeping the breech quiet, saying of Donloe, "I want him manning a radar tower in Alaska by the end of the day. Just mail him his clothes."

Apparently, Donloe's clothes arrived safely.

Starring Cruise, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, Vanessa Kirby, Rebecca Ferguson and Esai Morales, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One opens July 14.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


After 'Star Wars' script shake-up, 'Peaky Blinders' creator throws his newsboy cap into the ring

Anthony Devlin/Getty Images

There is a disturbance in the Force. Just a day after Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof and Badlands writer Justin Britt-Gibson submitted a script for a Star Wars film, they've exited, Variety reports.

However, the trade says Steven Knight, the creator of the acclaimed crime drama Peaky Blinders, has stepped in and will be writing the Star Wars film project, slated to be directed by Ms. Marvel vet Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.

While content from that galaxy far, far away continues to drop on Disney+, where The Mandalorian's third season is currently unfolding, it hasn't been on the big screen since 2019, when the divisive "sequel trilogy" wrapped with Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker.

While Lucasfilm remains characteristically mum, Variety says the project Knight is writing is expected to be announced, along with a title, at April's Star Wars Celebration fan expo in London.

This purported shake-up is just the latest in recent weeks: The embattled Rogue Squadron, which was to be directed by Wonder Woman franchise filmmaker director Patty Jenkins, as well as an untitled work produced by Star Wars fan and Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige, were reportedly shelved by Lucasfilm.

Lucasfilm is owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC News.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Cheech & Chong cooking up their own biopic

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for MTV/Paramount Global

Stoner comedy kings Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong -- a.k.a. Cheech & Chong -- are teaming up for their first joint-screen collaboration in a decade, a biopic known for the time being as Untitled Cheech & Chong Project.

"We are excited to show the world how two dudes from completely different backgrounds got together, changed comedy, and made cannabis mainstream!" the duo said in a joint statement obtained by Entertainment Weekly.

Cheech & Chong rose to fame in the 1970s with their stand-up routines and Grammy-winning albums that centered on marijuana and counterculture before branching out into movies, starting with 1978's Up in Smoke, followed by Things Are Tough All Over in 1982, Still Smokin' in 1983 and The Corsican Brothers in 1984. They split up in 1985 but reunited sporadically projects like Cheech & Chong's Animated Movie in 2013.

Marin also pursued an acting career that included a regular role in the CBS series Nash Bridges and films including the 1996 Kevin Costner movie Tin Cup. Chong was arrested in 2003 for selling drug paraphernalia and spent almost a year in jail.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


In Brief: HBO Max working on Heidi Fleiss series, and more

Netflix has released the first-look trailer for its To All the Boys I've Loved Before spinoff, XO, KittyAnna Cathcart returns as Lara Jean's younger sister, Kitty Song Covey, in the 10-episode series, which finds the younger Covey sibling "jetting off on her very own adventure," per the streamer. "After making things happen for her sister...it’s time for Kitty to experience an epic story of her own. She’ll learn quickly that love is a lot harder when it’s your own heart on the line." John CorbettSarayu BlueAnthony KeyvanGia KimSang Heon LeePeter Turnwald and Regan Aliyah round out the main cast. XO, Kitty streams May 18th on Netflix...

Variety reports HBO Max is developing a drama series based on the life of Heidi Fleiss, the former madam who ran an upscale prostitution ring in Los Angeles that earned her the nickname "The Hollywood Madam." She was arrested in the early 1990s on multiple charges and ultimately served nearly two years in prison before appearing on reality TV shows like Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew and Celebrity Big Brother. Fleiss' story was previously depicted in the 2004 USA Network made-for-TV movie Call Me: The Rise and Fall of Heidi Fleiss, starring Jamie-Lynn Sigler...

Dick Van Dyke is reportedly recovering from minor injuries he suffered in possible weather-related car crash in Malibu, according to TMZ. Police responded to a call of a single-car accident last Wednesday morning, and when deputies arrived they found Van Dyke, 97, behind the wheel of a 2018 Lexus LS 500 that he'd crashed into a gate, sources tell the gossip website. The film and TV icon was reportedly bleeding from the nose and mouth and might have suffered a concussion, the sources tell TMZ, adding that he was treated at the scene by paramedics and returned to his home...

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Lindsay Lohan and others charged in crypto violation complaint

Hippolyte Petit/Getty Images

Mean Girls actress Lindsay Lohan, is among eight celebrities charged with cryptocurrency violations by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Lohan and the other celebrities were charged in connection with a broader investigation of crypto asset entrepreneur Justin Sun and three of his companies -- Tron Foundation Limited, BitTorrent Foundation Ltd. and Rainberry Inc. -- for the unregistered offer and sale of crypto asset securities, as well as spearheading a scheme to pay celebrities to tout such assets without disclosing their compensation.

In addition to Lohan, The SEC announced charges against Soulja BoyAustin MahoneLil YachtyAkonNe-Yo and Kendra Lust for "illegally touting TRX and/or BTT without disclosing that they were compensated for doing so and the amount of their compensation," according to the SEC.

With the exception of Soulja Boy and Mahone -- the celebrities have settled with a collective of more than $400,000 without admittance or denial of wrongdoing, the SEC added.

A representative for Lohan said in a statement obtained by Variety that the actor was unaware of any disclosure obligations, adding, “Lindsay was contacted in March 2022 and was unaware of the disclosure requirement. She agreed to pay a fine to resolve the matter.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


"Justice": 'Rick and Morty' co-creator Justin Roiland cleared of domestic violence charges

Michael Kovac/Getty Images for IMDb

Justin Roiland, the co-creator and voice star of the hit animated series Rick and Morty, has been cleared of domestic violence charges.

Orange County District Attorney's Office spokesperson Kimberly Edds noted in a statement picked up by outlets, including Variety, "We dismissed the charges today as a result of having insufficient evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt."

Roiland's career took a major hit after he was charged with one felony count of domestic battery with corporal injury and one felony count of false imprisonment by menace, violence, fraud and/or deceit in an incident with a woman he was with back in January 2020.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges, but Adult Swim, which airs Rick and Morty; Hulu, which runs his show Solar Opposites; and 20th Animation, which produces his series Koala Man, all severed ties with him.

The 42-year-old made mention of that in a lengthy social media post he captioned "Justice."

Roiland said in part he was thankful the charges were dismissed, adding, "I'm still deeply shaken by the horrible lies that were reported about me during this process."

He expressed, "Most of all, I'm disappointed that so many people were so quick to judge without knowing the facts, based solely on the word of an embittered ex trying to bypass due process and have me 'canceled.'"

He concluded, "That it may have succeeded, even partially, is shameful. However, now that the legal case has ended, I'm determined to move forward and focus both on my creative projects and restoring my good name."

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Adam Sandler calls Jennifer Aniston "one of the funniest people," shares new Drew Barrymore movie idea

Good Morning America

Adam Sandler recently reunited with close friend and on-screen partner Jennifer Aniston ahead of the premiere of their third movie together, the action-packed Murder Mystery sequel Murder Mystery 2.

The comedic duo joined Good Morning America on Wednesday to chat about the movie, fresh off the heels of Sandler's latest achievement, winning the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

"We got emotional, I didn't know what was going to happen," Sandler said of the celebration at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., earlier this month. "It was all great friends of mine there making speeches, family members ... everybody got us teared up, but it was a lot of funniness, and a lot of people made fun of me and the way I look. I loved it."

Aniston was in attendance at that event alongside a slew of entertainment royalty, including fellow longtime Sandler co-star and close friend Drew Barrymore. So the two decided to do a bit about being Sandler's love interests.

"We thought we'd be funny cause there was a Twitter thing a couple years ago and they're always sort of comparing us, who's the better movie wife or movie love, so we just thought we'd do a little bit on that," Aniston explained on Wednesday, to which Sandler confirmed, "You guys were funny, everybody loved it."

The pair, who play husband and wife in the Murder Mystery films, confirmed on GMA that they've actually "been pitching the idea" for a film alongside Barrymore.

"We want to do all three of us together and just put an end to this competition," Aniston said with a laugh.

"There's no competition," Sandler added. "Just two great ladies." Adam also called Aniston "one of the funniest people I know."


Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Paramount launching pop-up 'Grease' diner to promote 'Rise of the Pink Ladies'

Paramount+/Eduardo Araquel

One of the locations made famous in the movie Grease is coming to real life, thanks to Paramount+. To promote its prequel series Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, the streaming service is opening the doors of the Frosty Palace, the favorite hangout of Rydell High's students.

First seen in the 1978 smash Grease with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, and of course a main location in Pink Ladies, the diner will be recreated for a two-day interactive event in Los Angeles, where fans "can expect to be completely immersed in nostalgia as they are transported back in time and surrounded by retro 1950s tunes and custom décor, all while enjoying twists on familiar diner fare and partaking in iconic social media-worthy photo moments."

There will also be merchandise and other giveaways during the event, which will run Thursday, April 6, and Friday, April 7.

Tickets and details for the event can be found here.

Incidentally, the pop-up is being held at another iconic retro movie location, Mel’s Drive-In Diner on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood: A Mel's eatery was a main location for George Lucas' classic American Graffiti, which was set in 1962.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


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