Congressman Elijah E. Cummings has died due to complications concerning longstanding health challenges. He passed away at Johns Hopkins Hospital at approximately 2:45 a.m. Cummings hadn’t returned to work after having a medical procedure that he said would only keep him away for about a week.
The “Hollywood Reporter” put out its annual list of the most powerful people in entertainment, and plenty of celebrities made the cut . . . but not until OPRAH at #15. Here are the names you’ll recognize:
#15. Oprah
#37. Reese Witherspoon
#38. Tyler Perry
#40. Steven Spielberg
#44. Ellen DeGeneres
#45. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson
#47. Leonardo DiCaprio
#50. Barack and Michelle Obama, who are now producers for Netflix
#54. Brad Pitt and his Plan B production company
#65. Scarlett Johansson
#81. Will Smith
#92. Jennifer Lopez
“Guinness World Records” says that JENNIFER ANISTON was the fastest to get one million followers on Instagram – did it in just five hours and 16 minutes. Last we checked, she was already up to 11.1 million.
There’s a trailer online for an upcoming indie movie called “The Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson” . . . and this story is a bit different because O.J. Simpson is NOT the killer. Instead they’re placing the blame on Glen Rogers, a serial killer who once claimed to have killed Nicole and Ron Goldman. His name has come up over the past decade as a suspicious character, and his story has been told on some true crime shows. Apparently, he was working for Nicole as a painter around the time of the murders. Glen has claimed that O.J. hired him to rob and potentially kill Nicole, but some say he may have become obsessed with her, and murdered her on his own. MENA SUVARI plays Nicole in the movie. There’s no word on a release date yet.
Someone on Reddit discovered a plot hole in the first season of “The Big Bang Theory”. In Episode Eight, Raj says, “Great . . . we’ll get married, [and] I won’t be able to talk to her, and we’ll spend the rest of our lives in total silence.” And Howard responds, “It worked for my parents.” BUT that’s not true, because in a later episode we find out that Howard’s dad left when he was a kid. So it didn’t “work” for his parents, because they didn’t stay together.
BLAKE SHELTON felt that his Friends and Heroes Tour was too brief, so he’s doing it again with the exact same lineup – Trace Adkins, Lauren Alaina, the Bellamy Brothers, and John Anderson. He says, “We were only able to do a handful of shows, so we’re going to take it to different areas so that fans will get a chance to see what we did. It was the best concert experience I’ve ever been involved in, and I’m ready to get fired up again.” It’ll pick up February 13th in Portland, Oregon and run through March 21st in Detroit, Michigan.
Seems like every time we hear about GRETCHEN WILSON it’s because of some bad behavior that made the news, but was “not” her fault. She and her crew were kicked out of a hotel early Sunday morning for being too loud. It was after she played a Country Music Festival. Employees knocked on her door several times asking her to keep it down, but no luck. So, they called 911. A local TV station got the audio, and you can hear the employee saying Gretchen tried to use the celebrity card, but it didn’t matter to him. She also told him, “I paid for the room, I could care less what people think.” The cops showed up with something called a “no trespass” card, but they never gave it to her because she left on her own. Gretchen hit up Twitter to call for a boycott of the place because she had to “wait two hours for breakfast,” and because “police kicked her out for no reason.”
HELEN HUNT was hospitalized after an SUV she was riding in got clipped and flipped onto its side. She didn’t suffer any major injuries and was released a few hours later.
The home of Ron Ely, who played Tarzan on TV, is a crime scene after his wife was murdered there … and police shot and killed the suspect, who might be related to the actor. Santa Barbara Sheriff’s deputies responded Tuesday night to a domestic disturbance at Ron’s Hope Ranch property, and found an elderly woman dead inside with stab wounds. TMZ has obtained police dispatch audio where a first responder describes an “elderly gentleman” on scene saying his son was somehow involved in the incident. Ron himself was unharmed, but responding deputies searched the premises and found the male suspect, who the Sheriff’s Dept. says “presented a threat.” Several deputies opened fire and killed him. The Sheriff isn’t confirming the suspect’s identity … or what his relationship was with Ron and his wife. He married Valerie (a former Miss Florida) in 1984. They had 3 children together.
The bat used by Babe Ruth to slug his 500th career home run in 1929 is going up for auction, nearly 75 years after he gave it to a friend whose family has kept it ever since. Ruth became the first player to reach the coveted plateau on Aug. 11, 1929, hitting a solo shot for the New York Yankees.
Kane Brown made perhaps the night’s most touching speech when he dedicated his CMT Artist of the Year award to his friend and drummer Kenny Dixon, who died Saturday in a car accident. He told the audience that Dixon had been a part of his life from the time he was still living in Chattanooga and singing on Facebook. “People didn’t think we would make it. He was with me the whole time,” Brown said, choking back tears. “He was so supportive of me — and I love you, man. I miss you, the band misses you. Chris Young, one of Brown’s musical heroes who has become one of his closest friends in country music, sang “Drowning” in Dixon’s honor.
KACEY MUSGRAVES has been known to perform the disco classic “I Will Survive” at her shows. During her concert on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden she got a little help from GLORIA GAYNOR, the legendary singer who made the song a monster hit back in the ’70s.
BRIAN KELLEY is one of the producers of a new musical being developed called “May We All”. It’s based around a “fledgling country singer” and it’s packed with music. It’ll feature songs from “no fewer than 26 well-known country acts.” They include Kenny Chesney, Little Big Town, Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash, Tim McGraw, Ashley McBryde, Shania Twain, the Dixie Chicks, Rascal Flatts, Carly Pearce, Brooks & Dunn, Jennifer Nettles, and, of course, Florida Georgia Line.
A new musical based on the 1993 film Mrs. Doubtfire which starred Robin Williams will premiere on Broadway in the spring of 2020. The plot of the musical will be similar to the original movie with Tony nominee Rob McCloure starring as Daniel/Mrs. Doubtfire. Prior to its Broadway run, the show will hold its world premiere at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle.
Rodrigo Alves, the Human Ken Doll, announced he had a gastric balloon fitted to help with weight loss. The 36-year-old Brazilian man has had 72 cosmetic procedures over the years costing more than $750,000. “My body is naturally overweight and I have always fought my genes with crazy diets such as drinking cockroach milk and 22 liposuction surgeries – and even a fake six pack.”
“Thursday Night Football” at 8:15 p.m. on Fox. The Denver Broncos host the Kansas City Chiefs.
Alan Jackson is 61.
George Wendt is 71.
Jim Seals is 78.
