Sources claim that RICHARD GERE’s wife Alejandra Silva is pregnant. She’s 35, but Richard will turn 69 on the 31st of this month. They got married back in April. Gere’s reps refused to confirm or deny the pregnancy. He has an 18-year-old son named Homer with his ex-wife. He was also married to Cindy Crawford, but they didn’t have any kids. Silva has a 5-year-old son with her ex-husband.
The Oscars are too long, too boring, and people just aren’t watching them anymore. But the Academy is taking steps to change all that. First, they’re introducing a new award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Film. The point is to bring movies into the mix that people have actually seen. If it goes into effect for the upcoming show, nominees will probably include “Black Panther”, “Avengers: Infinity War”, and “Mission: Impossible – Fallout”. And a movie could be nominated for both this AND Best Picture. The Academy is also committed to keeping the show to THREE HOURS. And to do that, they’re going to present Oscars in some of the lesser categories during COMMERCIAL BREAKS. They’ll still air them later in the show, but after they’ve been EDITED.
It can be tough to get your kids to sleep after a long day of summer fun. Disney is here to help. The company announced the launch of the Disney store’s “Sleep Shop Hotline” in a press release Monday. “Beginning today, families and fans can add a little Disney magic into the bedtime routine,” by calling the “toll-free number, 1-877-7-MICKEY”. Parents or kids who call the number will be greeted by one of 5 pre-recorded messages from their favorite characters: Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck and Goofy. The company hopes the messages will “give kids something to look forward to at bedtime.” The hotline will be live until August 31, when most kids have gone back to school. Disney also announced the launch of their “Sleep Shop,” a collection of sleep items for kids.
DAVID SCHWIMMER will play a recurring character on Season 2 of “Will & Grace”.
We now know how former Lois Lane MARGOT KIDDER died. According to the coroner, she committed suicide by intentionally overdosing on drugs and alcohol. She died back in May, at the age of 69.
CARRIE UNDERWOOD announced that she is pregnant. She and Mike Fisher already have a three-year-old son named Isiah. The Instagram announcement was actually about her upcoming album, and how she’ll be going on tour to promote it . . . next year. “You might be wondering or asking, ‘Carrie, why is your tour starting in May?'” Then the camera zoomed out and revealed shiny pink balloons that spelled out “baby” behind her. And she was wearing a pink jacket in front of a pink backdrop.
There’s a photo where JESSIE JAMES DECKER is breastfeeding with a glass of wine? She’s getting some backlash, so here’s her response, “Having a small glass of champagne to toast my husband’s signing to the New England Patriots was just fine. And according to my doctor, it was just fine as well.”
THOMAS RHETT and KELSEA BALLERINI hosted CMA Fest last night and say they have great chemistry because they’re actually friends which helps when you’re hosting a four-day concert. And they wanted to make it seem like they were just hanging out with a stadium full of fans.
CHRIS LANE has a simple pre-show ritual. He gathers the whole team for a quick prayer. (John Berry)
The real star of BRETT ELDREDGE’S video for “Love Someone” is . . . his dog Edgar.
This BRAD PITT / ANGELINA JOLIE situation is getting uglier by the minute. After Angelina accused Brad of not paying child support, Brad filed papers of his own, saying he’s given her plenty including $1.3 million in support, and an $8 million loan so she could buy the house she currently lives in. He also accused her of trying to “increase conflict” between them, and manipulate media coverage. Angelina’s team issued a statement of their own, saying that a loan is a LOAN, not support, and Brad’s got Angelina paying him back WITH INTEREST. More importantly, he’s simply NOT paying half the kids’ expenses, as he should. Their statement says, “Typically a father of means would pay these expenses voluntarily without the need for a request or court order. We are hopeful that this can be resolved without further delay or posturing.”
If you’ve noticed how many country songs mention smartphones, it’s not just you . . . it’s a thing. At least four songs in the current Country Airplay top 20 do . . . “Simple” by Florida Georgia Line, “Hotel Key” by Old Dominion, “Break Up in the End” by Cole Swindell, and “Kinda Don’t Care” by Justin Moore. There was also Luke Bryan’s “Light It Up”, “One Number Away” by Luke Combs, and Rascal Flatts’ “I Like the Sound of That”. You get the picture. And the phone call has always been a ‘thing’ in country. It’s just that you’re going to hear it a lot more. Country songwriters are all about everyday living, and lyrics that have a ‘slice of life’ feel. And nothing’s more universal than our addiction to our phones. Brad Tursi of Old Dominion says you write about what you know, so obviously it’s a timely thing to write about. And Rhett Akins . . . a.k.a. Thomas Rhett’s dad . . . says, quote, “The problem with the phone thing is it’s not going away. The phone is a part of your body at this point. It’s going to be a lyric in a lot of songs.” Not just that . . . it’s also how songwriters jot down titles and lyrics, record ideas, and send demos. So THEY’RE addicted more than anyone. The flip side is the message in “Simple”. Tyler Hubbard says, quote, “Being present in the moment with your friends or with your family, I found that’s a large struggle for a lot of people in this day and age, myself included. “It is just a reminder to live in the moment. Be present, and don’t miss what God has right in front of you.”
Anna Kendrick is 33.
Hoda Kotb is 54.
