JAMES HOLZHAUER’s reign as “Jeopardy!” champ FINALLY came to an end yesterday. After 32 straight wins and more than $2.4 million in winnings, James lost to a Chicago librarian named Emma Boettcher. And the tragedy is that James came into last night’s game only about $58,000 short of KEN JENNINGS’ all-time record of $2.52 million. He “earned” $2,000 last night for coming in SECOND. Final Jeopardy -both got the correct answer, but James had only bet $1,399, while she wagered $20,201. That gave her a grand total of $46,801. She beat James by $22,002. The crowd is already out there saying James lost ON PURPOSE. And maybe he did. But James knew that Emma would bet enough in Final Jeopardy to beat him even if he BET IT ALL, which she did. She ended up with $46,801, while James would have had $46,800 if he went all in. The THIRD player in last night’s game went into Final Jeopardy with $11,000. If HE doubled down and got the right answer, he would have had $22,000. James ran the odds and decided that the only way for him to win was for Emma to get the question wrong, and for him to not bet so much that if HE got it wrong too, the guy in third ended up winning.
If there’s one place everyone should expect privacy . . . celebrity or not . . . it’s ON THE CAN. But ALEX RODRIGUEZ didn’t get that privacy in his New York City apartment last month. Someone actually got a PICTURE of him on the throne, and posted it online. There is an office building with a clear view of his place. An investigation is in the works. Meanwhile, A-Rod said he’s not taking legal action, but he IS going to, “invest in some good blinds.” He also said he’s glad it was him, and not JENNIFER LOPEZ or any of their kids.
JAY-Z has become hip-hop’s FIRST billionaire rapper. A “Forbes” report says $1 billion is a conservative estimate. In addition to music, Jay-Z’s empire includes liquor, art, real estate, and stakes in companies like Uber. And he’s done it all in less than 25 years.
COLIN FARRELL was once so hungover on the set of “Minority Report” that it took him more than 50 takes to say one line. He says his sister was on the set that day, and she left after 56.
You have until midnight TONIGHT to cast your “CMT Music Awards” vote. If you do, you’ll make COLE SWINDELL happy. He loves that fans decide the winners -even if that means superstars have an advantage. Cole’s “Break Up In The End” is up for Video of the Year and Male Video of the Year. He’s counting on what he calls his “down-home crew” to give him a boost.
CMT.com has a list of presenters at tomorrow night’s “CMT Music Awards”. They include Brantley Gilbert, Lindsay Ell, Hunter Hayes, Carly Pearce, Midland, Jessie James Decker, Jimmie Allen, Trisha Yearwood, Maddie & Tae, Julia Michaels, and Michael Ray. From showbiz there’s Keifer Sutherland, Kate Bosworth, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Bones, CMT’s Katie Cook and Cody Alan, Sarah Hyland from “Modern Family”, MTV’s JWoww . . . and Chris Sullivan who plays Toby on “This is Us”.
Sources say BRADLEY COOPER and IRINA SHAYK are hanging by a thread . . . which of course means the LADY GAGA rumors are about to come roaring back.
CMA Fest kicks off Thursday. CHRIS STAPLETON says, “It’s a weird thing, you know, like I can’t think of any other word, other than that I live down the street, so just gonna drive down to the football stadium and play for 25 minutes.”
CASSADEE POPE is reminding you to drink water if you’re at a festival, or outdoor event. She tweeted: “Stopped my set twice today due to people passing out. Please hydrate at these festivals, guys. I love to party as much as the next person but please don’t forget to drink some good ole H2O. Just want you all safe and sound.”
Nicolas Cage submitted an application for annulment in late March – four days after tying the knot in Las Vegas. On Friday a judge in Nevada granted Cage’s request. Per court documents Cage claimed the two were intoxicated and he “lacked understanding of his actions in marrying to the extent that he was incapable of agreeing to the marriage.”
RANDY HOUSER will launch his “Magnolia Tour” in the fall. It’ll get going October 24th in Texas . . . and run into December.
Can you imagine KELSEA BALLERINI dancing on a bar and singing? Well, you don’t have to because she did just that at a gay bar in New York City called Flaming Saddles Saloon. She and some guy danced, and then she sang . . . and then she posted a clip. She wrote, “Getting in my CMA Fest Week mood with my friends.”
You may have seen “The Tonight Show’s” digital-only music series called “Cover Room.” It’s an actual room where artists perform a cover of one of their favorite songs. LUKE COMBS was on it and he did an awesome acoustic version of the Allman Brothers Band classic “Ramblin’ Man”.
MONTGOMERY GENTRY has released the lyric video to “Outskirts”. It’s the title song to their seven-track EP, which drops June 14th. It’s also the follow-up to “Here’s to You”, which came out last year. Both albums feature songs recorded before TROY GENTRY’s tragic helicopter crash in 2017. EDDIE MONTGOMERY says, Every time I listen to it or hear one of the songs, it takes me back to times that we had . . . back before we started growing up.”
A handwritten draft of Springsteen’s “Thunder Road” dating back to 1975 is going up for auction. The single sheet of ruled paper comes from a spiral notebook and includes a deleted line, “Maybe we were born to run.” The manuscript is expected to sell for $40,000 to $60,000 and is part of an online auction at Sotheby’s that runs from June 7 through June 21. Other items in the auction include a first edition of Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden,” a 1946 Nobel Peace Prize Medal, and sheet music written and autographed by George Gershwin.
That live “Jeffersons” and “All in the Family” special was such a success, ABC will probably do that sort of thing more often.
Billboard’s list of the Best Albums of the Year So Far includes ones by Ariana Grande, Backstreet Boys, and Maren Morris.
Angelina Jolie is 44.
Russell Brand is 44.
Noah Wyle is 48.
Michelle Phillips is 75.
