Pulse Entertainment

NEW SHONDA RHIMES MURDER MYSTERY SLATED FOR NETFLIX: According to The Hollywood Reporter, a new Shonda Rhimes show titled The Residence, based on the book The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House by Kate Anderson Brower, was ordered straight to series at Netflix. The logline for the eight-episode drama reads, "132 rooms. 157 suspects. One dead body. One wildly eccentric detective. One disastrous State Dinner. The Residence is a screwball whodunnit set in the upstairs, downstairs, and backstairs of the White House, among the eclectic staff of the world's most famous mansion."

RUSSIAN DOLL SEASON TWO PREMIERE DATE ANNOUNCED: Entertainment Tonight reports that the highly anticipated second season of Netflix's Russian Doll is set to return on April 20th. The 30-second video announcement ends with Natasha Lyonne's character, Nadia, saying, "When the universe f**ks with you, let it."

TRAILER FOR DMZ IS RELEASED: According to Deadline, HBO Max released the first trailer for DMZ, starring Rosario Dawson. The logline reads, "DMZ leaps off the pages of the DC acclaimed graphic novel into the visual landscape of a dangerous and distorted Manhattan as one woman navigates a demilitarized zone in a harrowing quest to find her lost son."

ISLE OF THE DEAD, THE 5TH WALKING DEAD SPINOFF, IS ANNOUNCED: Entertainment Tonight reports that Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Lauren Cohan will star in the fifth Walking Dead spinoff, Isle of the Dead. Set in the same world as The Walking Dead, Morgan and Cohan will reprise their characters, Negan and Maggie. The first season is scheduled to be released on AMC and AMC+ in 2023.

Good Times actor Johnny Brown died on Wednesday (March 2nd) at the age of 84. His daughter, Sharon Catherine Brown, took to Instagram on Friday (March 4th) to share the news of his passing.

"Our family is devastated. Devastated. Devastated. Beyond heartbroken. Barely able to breathe. We respectfully ask for privacy at this time because we need a minute to process the unthinkable. To articulate the depths of profound sadness," she wrote.

"He was literally snatched out of our lives. It's not real for us yet. So there will be more to say but not now. Dad was the absolute best. We love him so very much," she added.

Sharon revealed that Johnny went into cardiac arrest and collapsed after getting his pacemaker checked out by his doctor in L.A. His official cause of death has not yet been reported. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, June Brown, and his two children, Sharon and John Jr.

In addition to Johnny's most famous role as Nathan Bookman in Good Times, he appeared on a number of shows including Laugh-In, The Jeffersons, Family Matters, Sister, Sister, Martin, and The Wayans Bros.

Johnny's former Good Times costar, Janet Jackson, honored him on Instagram Saturday (March 5th), writing, "Such loving memories of our time together. You were full of laughter and forever smiling. Always so sweet and so kind to me. I love you and will miss you."

At the Boulder International Film Festival on Saturday (March 5th), Alec Baldwin commented on the lawsuits filed regarding the fatal Rust shooting, saying that "deep-pocket litigants" are being targeted.

"What you have is a certain group of people, litigants and whatever, on whatever side, who their attitude is, 'well the people who likely seem negligent have no money and the people who have money are not negligent,'" he said.

Baldwin did not specify any lawsuit in particular, though he and other members of production are facing at least three lawsuits—one from the family of Halyna Hutchins and two from crew members.

Baldwin also commented on gun safety on Saturday (March 5th), saying, "All my career, without incident, I've relied on the safety experts there to declare the gun safe and never had a problem, and this happened … You're not allowed as an actor to declare the weapon ... I mean, the joke is, you don't want the actors doing the safety check. They can't even make coffee, they're so stupid."

On Saturday (March 5th), Rocketman actor Taron Egerton collapsed onstage during the first performance of Cock, his new play at the at the Ambassadors Theatre in London.

"As some of you may have heard, I passed out during the first performance of COCK last night. I am completely fine. Slightly sore neck and a bruised ego but I'm fine," Egerton said via his Instagram story on Sunday (March 6th).

A doctor in the audience came to Egerton's aid after he fainted. 40 minutes later, the director of the play, Marianne Elliott, announced that Egerton was "absolutely fine," and that Joel Harper Jackson would take his place for the last 15 minutes of the show.

In his story update, Egerton wrote, "I would appreciate it if anyone who was in the theatre last night just said that I gave such a committed, electrifying performance that my body couldn't handle it and checked out."

"That being said, apparently you're meant to actually do the full show and not just three quarters of it. So I'll be back with a vengeance tomorrow night," he added.

In a recent interview with the Observer, The Batman actress Zoe Kravitz revealed that she was turned down for an audition for 2012's The Dark Night Rises because she was considered too "urban."

"I don't know if it came directly from Chris Nolan … I think it was probably a casting director of some kind, or a casting director's assistant," she told the outlet.

"Being a woman of color and being an actor and being told at that time that I wasn't able to read because of the color of my skin, and the word urban being thrown around like that, that was what was really hard about that moment," she continued.

The daughter of Lisa Bonet and Lenny Kravitz, who are both biracial as well, Kravitz added that her parents "both dealt with being artists who didn't act or dress or look or sound the way a Black person was supposed to act in terms of what white people specifically were comfortable with … They wanted to make sure I understood that despite the color of my skin I should be able to act or dress or do whatever it is I want to do."

PETA MURGATROYD SAYS SHE'S ‘SHAKING AND FOREVER GRATEFUL' FOLLOWING REUNION WITH MAKSIM CHMERKOVSKIY: Peta Murgatroyd is relieved to have her husband, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, back in the United States. On Saturday (March 5th), Murgatroyd posted photos of Chmerkovskiy embracing his family, writing, "I never thought our family would be directly affected by this in our lifetime, I never thought what we are seeing on our TV's was a reality in 2022. I have never hugged him so tight. Shaking and forever grateful. Now it's time to heal. We cannot go back to our normal. Our lives are forever changed. We have a new normal, and that's ok." She added that they have "big plans in store" and their "sole focus" will be on the war in Ukraine and "providing assistance to Ukrainian refugees."

ANGELINA JOLIE ARRIVES IN YEMEN TO SUPPORT REFUGEES: On Sunday (March 6th), Angelina Jolie posted to Instagram that she had landed in Aden, Yemen, to assist refugees for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. "As we continue to watch the horrors unfolding in Ukraine, and call for an immediate end to the conflict and humanitarian access, I'm here in Yemen to support people who also desperately need peace. The situation here is one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, with one civilian killed or injured every hour in 2022. An economy devastated by war, and over 20 million Yeminis depending on humanitarian assistance to survive," she wrote.

NICK OFFERMAN AND MEGAN MULLALLY GIVE PUTIN THE FINGER AT SPIRIT AWARDS: TMZ reports that Parks and Recreation stars Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally told Russian President Vladimir Putin to "f*** off" during the Independent Spirit Awards on Sunday (March 6th). Mullally said, "I think we speak for everyone here when we say we are hoping for a quick and peaceful resolution. Specifically, f*** off and go home Putin." Offerman added, "We hope Putin f**** off and goes home and to that end let's all join together with a Spirit Awards salute to Putin."

KRISTIN CAVALLARI RECEIVES LAP DANCE ONSTAGE AT MAGIC MIKE LIVE: According to Page Six, Kristin Cavallari had a sweet time at Magic Mike Live in Las Vegas over the weekend. The Hills star was pulled up onstage, where she received a whipped-cream-filled lap dance. "Good times … Thanks for having me!" she commented on a video of the performance, along with a laughing and crying emoji.

NETFLIX SUSPENDS SERVICE IN RUSSIA DUE TO WAR IN UKRAINE: Deadline reports that Netflix has halted its streaming service in Russia, citing the Russian invasion of Ukraine. They join a long list of companies who have discontinued business there amid the ongoing crisis.

WILL SMITH AND MICHAEL B. JORDAN TEAM UP FOR I AM LEGEND SEQUEL: Variety reports that Will Smith and Michael B. Jordan will both star in and produce the sequel to I Am Legend. Smith posted a teaser photo to Instagram on Friday (March 4th), tagging Jordan.

ARIEL WINTER REPLACES DEMI LOVATO IN HUNGRY: According to Deadline, Modern Family star Ariel Winter will play the lead in NBC's forthcoming comedy, Hungry. She takes the place of Demi Lovato, who had to step away due to scheduling reasons.

2022 INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED: On Sunday (March 6th), the 37th annual Independent Spirit Awards were held in Santa Monica, California, hosted by Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally. The big winners of the night include The Lost Daughter and Zola.

See the full list of winners here:

Best feature
The Lost Daughter

Best director
Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Lost Daughter

Best female lead
Taylour Paige, Zola

Best male lead
Simon Rex, Red Rocket

Best supporting female
Ruth Negga, Passing

Best supporting male
Troy Kotsur, CODA

Best screenplay
Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Lost Daughter

Best first screenplay
Michael Sarnoski, Vanessa Block, Pig

Best first feature
7 Days

Best cinematography
Edu Grau, Passing

Best editing
Joi McMillon, Zola

Robert Altman Award Mass Best documentary
Summer of Soul

Best international film
Drive My Car

Someone to Watch Award
Alex Camilleri, Luzzu

Truer Than Fiction Award
Jessica Beshir, Faya Dayi

John Cassavetes Award (for best feature made for under $500,000)
Shiva Baby

Producers Award
Lizzie Shapiro

Best new non-scripted or documentary series
Black and Missing

Best new scripted series
Reservation Dogs

Best female performance in a scripted series
Thuso Mbedu, The Underground Railroad

Best male performance in a scripted series
Lee Jung-jae, Squid Game

Best ensemble cast in a new scripted series
Reservation Dogs

Harvey Weinstein issued an apology to Thursday (March 3rd), after getting caught with contraband Milk Duds in prison last fall.

According to Variety, the disgraced movie producer was found to be in possession of the candy during a search of his prison cell on November 10th, 2021, following a meeting with one of his attorneys.

In a statement provided to E! News on March 3rd, the 69-year-old movie mogul said, "This was an innocent misunderstanding. It will not happen again. I have been a model inmate, following the rules and regulations and I am sincerely sorry."

Weinstein is currently being held at the medical wing of a Los Angeles jail while he awaits trial for rape and sexual assault.

Ukrainian-born actress Mila Kunis and her husband Ashton Kutcher have pledged to match up to $3 million worth of donations to Airbnb.org and Flexport.org through GoFundMe.org in an effort to raise $30 million for the refugees fleeing Ukraine.

Kunis wrote on the couple’s GoFundMe page, “While my family came to the United States in 1991, I was born in Chernivtsi, Ukraine in 1983. Ukrainians are proud and brave people who deserve our help in their time of need. This unjust attack on Ukraine and humanity at large is devastating and the Ukrainian people need our support.”

They had already raised $3,038,150 within 10 hours of creating their page Thursday (March 3rd).

Kourtney Kardashian abstained from sex with fiancé Travis Barker as a part of an Ayurvedic cleanse, which focuses on drawing toxins out of the body.

In an interview published on Thursday (March 3rd), the reality star told Bustle her sex fast “was crazy.”

She added, “But it actually made everything better. Like, if you can’t have caffeine when you have your first matcha, it’s so good.”

Meghan Markle’s half sister has filed a defamation suit against her for portraying a false “rags to royalty” narrative about herself.

According to documents obtained by TMZ, Samantha Markle claims Meghan is trashing her and spreading outright lies. Among her many claims, Samantha says Meghan fabricated tales of growing up in "virtual poverty" even though their father Thomas Markle paid for her to attend "elite and expensive private schools," and covered her tuition at Northwestern University.

Samantha claims Meghan’s lies have hurt sales of her autobiography, prevented her from getting jobs and caused emotional and mental distress.

Meghan's attorney Michael Kump calls the lawsuit "baseless and absurd.”

KIM KARDASHIAN DELETES THE WEST NAME FROM SOCIAL MEDIA: Now that Kim Kardashian is legally single, she has removed the West name from her social media accounts.  E! News reports that her Twitter and Instagram accounts were updated on Thursday (March 3rd) but her KKW Fragrance brand still bears her married initials.  

REBEL WILSON BECOMES U.S. RESIDENT: Rebel Wilson turned 42 on Wednesday (March 2nd) and celebrated with the “best birthday present.” The Australian-born actress announced in her Instagram Story that she had finally received her U.S. permanent resident card.  

PETE DAVIDSON MAY BE GOING TO SPACE: Pete Davidson is reportedly planning to join Jeff Bezos on a Blue Origin flight.  A source told Page Six, “Pete is excited. They haven’t signed a contract yet, but it looks like it’s going to happen.  The details are being finalized.”  The insider says that the trip into space would likely be later this year. 

AMY SCHUMER OPENS UP ABOUT LIPO: Amy Schumer discussed her decision to get liposuction during a recent appearance on Chelsea Handler’s Dear Chelsea podcast.  The Trainwreck star said she decided to have the procedure done after turning 40 and having a C-section. She shared the news about her surgery on Instagram in January and tells Handler that she just wanted to be honest about the change in her appearance. Schumer said, “I just wanted to say that, because if anybody sees me in pictures or anything and they're like, she looks thinner, and whatever: it's because I had a surgery. It's too hard, and I just want to be real about it."

ACADEMY ANNOUNCES FIRST ROUND OF OSCAR PRESENTERS: The producers of the 94th Oscars announced Thursday (March 3rd) that Kevin Costner, Zoë Kravitz, Lady Gaga, Rosie Perez, Chris Rock, and Youn Yuh-jung will be among the presenters on March 27’s telecast. They will join Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes who will be hosting the broadcast together. 

JOY BEHAR FALLS ON 'VIEW' SET: Joy Behar fell just before reaching her seat at the beginning of Thursday’s (March 3rd) episode of The View. The 79-year-old comedian was helped up by co-hosts Sarah Haines and Sunny Hostin while the show’s moderator, Whoopi Goldberg told her to “just stand.” Behar was uninjured and joked, “Twenty-five years, that has never happened — who do I sue?!”

JERRY SPRINGER SAYS HIS TALKSHOW WAS 'STUPID': Jerry Springer admitted to Page Six on Thursday (March 3rd) that he ‘always knew” his eponymous talk show was “stupid.” He said of The Jerry Springer Show, which aired for 27 seasons and nearly 5,000 episodes between 1991 and 2018, “I can’t think of anything more fun. I mean, I never took it seriously. I always knew it was a stupid show. But it’s fun, and people enjoyed it.”

SHERRI SHEPHERD WOULD WELCOME WENDY WILLIAMS ON HER SHOW: Sherri Shepherd would “of course” welcome Wendy Williams to be a guest on her forthcoming talk show, Sherri. The former View co-host told Deadline, “I’m so thankful to Wendy for letting me fill in for her and letting me fill the gap to support her as all the other co-hosts have also done. I’m thankful because if it wasn’t for Wendy, the eyes wouldn’t have been on me. I’m so thankful to her. We’re all praying for her.” Shepherd is currently the permanent guest host of The Wendy Williams Show while Williams has been absent due to health reasons.

Kim Kardashian is a free woman.

TMZ reports that during a bifurcation hearing on Tuesday (March 1st) a judge granted the reality star's request to be ruled legally single.

Sources tell People that Kardashian is "relieved" by the ruling and "wants everything about the divorce from Kanye West to be final."

In court documents filed on Feb. 23rd, Kardashian said, "I very much desire to be divorced. I have asked Kanye to keep our divorce private, but he has not done so. Kanye has been putting a lot of misinformation regarding our private family matters and co-parenting on social media which has created emotional distress. I believe that the court terminating our marital status will help Kanye to accept that our marital relationship is over and to move forward on a better path which will assist us in peacefully co-parenting our children."

She added, "While I wish our marriage would have succeeded, I have come to the realization that there is no way to repair our marriage. Kanye does not agree but at least it appears that he has come to the realization that I want to end our marriage, even if he does not. I ask that the Court restore me to the status of a single person so that I can begin the healing process and so that our family can begin the healing process and move forward in this new chapter in our lives."

The SKIMS founder filed for divorce from West in February 2021 after nearly seven years of marriage.

Maksim Chmerkovskiy is back in the United States after spending a week trying to escape from Ukraine.

People reports that the former Dancing With the Stars pro was photographed reuniting with his wife Peta Murgatroyd at Los Angeles International Airport Wednesday (March 2nd).

On Monday (February 28th), Chmerkovskiy posted an update to Instagram, saying that he had been arrested in Ukraine. He didn't state the reason for his arrest, but shared that he was trying to leave the country.

The Ukrainian-born dancer was in Kyiv filming the country's World of Dance series when Russian troops invaded Ukraine.

Kelly Rizzo posted a series of Instagram stories Tuesday (March 1st), thanking everyone who has leant her "love and support" following Bob Saget's January death.

The Full House star's widow said, "I have had people who were strangers that now have become friends on Instagram. So many people have shared their stories with me of the loss that you've been through, and you've poured out your heart, and it's just really kind that you've tried to help me by sharing your stories."

She added, "I can assure you that the kindness you all have shown has been a little bright spot and has made this a bit easier. And the thing that has really helped is seeing how much you all loved Bob because this outpouring is something, like, I don't think anybody has ever seen."

Darren Criss revealed on Instagram Wednesday (March 2nd) that his older brother recently died by suicide.

The Glee alum wrote, "It breaks my heart beyond measure to say that my beloved brother Charles has left us. His loss leaves behind a debilitating fracture in the lives of his mother, his brother, his three small children, and their respective mothers."

According to Criss, his brother had "struggled to find stability during an unfortunate rough patch" that lasted for several years.

SCARLETT JOHANSSON NEVER WENT TO THE GYM BEFORE MARVEL CASTING: Scarlett Johansson admitted to Vanity Fair that she'd never been in a gym prior to being cast as Black Widow in 2010's Iron Man 2. She told the magazine, "I had never stepped foot in a gym, and I had five weeks to prepare myself for these huge stunt sequences." She wound up at a "massive, huge muscle meathead" gym in Los Angeles and did not have a great experience. She added, "I didn't know how to use any of the equipment. I mean, I was so intimidated." However, the role turned into a 11-year commitment and a "massive lifestyle change."

SARAH HYLAND DOESN'T REMEMBER SHOOTING 'MODERN FAMILY' EPISODES: Sarah Hyland was so tired from her kidney dysplasia that she doesn't remember shooting entire episodes of Modern Family. She opened up to her former co-star Julie Bowen on the Quitters podcast, saying, "There are some episodes of Modern Family where I do not remember filming because I was asleep. Dead a–– asleep. The episode where Haley asked Luke for money and he's like, ‘Don't worry, I've got it on ice.' It's in the freezer or something. The entire episode I was asleep." She added, "I was not able to be awake for eight hours at a time. I was so exhausted."

CHRIS PINE AND ANNABELLE WALLES SPLIT: Chris Pine and his girlfriend Annabelle Walles have reportedly gone their separate ways. A source told Entertainment Tonight that the couple of four years "have broken up and haven't been together for a few months." The pair first sparked romance rumors in March 2018 when they were spotted at London's Heathrow Airport together.

SOPHIE TURNER AND JOE JONAS ARE EXPECTING: Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas are expecting their second child together. Multiple sources confirmed the news to In Touch Weekly, with one saying that the Game of Thrones alum is already halfway through her pregnancy. The news comes nearly two years after they welcomed their first child, Willa, in 2020.

ZENDAYA IS THE MOST IN-DEMAND ACTOR: A new study has found that Zendaya is the most in-demand actor in the US and Worldwide. According to a report by Business Insider, Parrot Analytics analyzed audience demand, which accounts for engagement with and interest in, or overall popularity, of a series, movie, or celebrity. Researchers determined that her global demand is 38.5 times more than the average celebrity during the same period from October to February.

'SYTYCD' TO RETURN THIS SUMMER: Fox announced Wednesday (March 2nd) that Season 17 of So You Think You Can Dance will air this summer. The upcoming season will feature highly skilled dancers between the ages of 18 and 30, showcasing their talents in various dance styles, including contemporary, tap, hip-hop, ballroom, animation, breaking and more. SYTYCD auditions will be held in New York City, Los Angeles, and New Orleans this month.

'SALUTE YOUR SHORTS' STAR KIRK BAILY DEAD AT 59: Nickelodeon star Kirk Baily died on Feb. 28th at the age of 59, after battling lung cancer. The Salute Your Shorts alum's family confirmed the news to TMZ on Wednesday (March 2nd), saying that he was only diagnosed with the disease six months ago.

JENNIFER HUDSON IS GETTING HER OWN TALK SHOW: Jennifer Hudson is getting her own talk show on Fox. E! News reports that the one-hour daytime show, The Jennifer Hudson Show, is set to premiere this fall.

PAM ANDERSON DOCUMENTARY IN THE WORKS AT NETFLIX: Pamela Anderson will get the chance to tell her own story on Netflix in a new documentary. The streamer tweeted Wednesday (March 2nd), "The film, which has been in the making for several years, will feature the pop culture icon setting the record straight as she looks back on her professional path and her personal journey." Alongside the announcement, the Baywatch alum shared a handwritten note that said, "My life. A thousand imperfections. A million misperceptions. Wicked, wild & lost. Nothing to live up to – I can only surprise you. Not a victim, but a survivor & alive to tell the real story."

In an interview with Marc Maron released on Monday (February 28th), Sam Elliott went off on Jane Campion's The Power of the Dog, calling it a "piece of s--t." He seemed particularly bothered by the film's homosexual themes.

The 1883 actor said the stars in the film looked more like Chippendales dancers than cowboys. "That's what all these f--king cowboys in that movie looked like. They're running around in chaps and no shirts. There's all these allusions of homosexuality throughout the f--king movie," he said.

Maron responded, "I think that's what the movie is about."

Elliott then took jabs at Campion, who is from New Zealand, saying, "What the f--k does this woman from down there know about the American West? And why in the f--k did she shoot this movie in New Zealand and call it Montana? And say this is the way it was? That f--king rubbed me the wrong way, pal."

Suffice to say Elliott's words are going to rub a lot of people the wrong way as well.

Harry Hamlin has made it clear that he doesn't have "that condition." In an interview with Andy Cohen for Interview released on Tuesday (March 1st), Hamlin said he and Lisa Rinna are still having "great sex."

Considering the fact that Hamlin and Rinna have been married for almost 25 years, Cohen asked the 70-year-old Clash of the Titans actor, "I've talked to many other married couples who've been married for 10-plus years, 15-plus years, 20-plus years, who can't say that the sex is still great. What do you attribute it to?"

Hamlin replied, "I'm sorry about that. A lack of ED erectile dysfunction, perhaps? … I don't have that condition."

"Do you take a special pill? Or you're just Harry Hamlin?" asked Cohen.

Hamlin responded, "I am Harry Hamlin. I've never had the blue pill. Is it blue or purple?"

"I believe it's blue," Cohen said.

Following the news that Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor had gotten back together, People exclusively reported on Tuesday (March 1st) that Taylor was by Stiller's side even while they were separated.

In May 2017, the couple announced they were splitting after 17 years of marriage. Three years later, Stiller's father, Jerry Stiller, passed away at the age of 92.

A source told the publication, "When the pandemic hit, they decided to live together with their kids. They were always very close with their kids. Both are amazing parents. When Ben's dad Jerry passed away, Christine was there to support Ben."

"It was all the special family time that made them realize they still very much love each other. Ben feels very lucky that Christine stuck around. She is incredibly special," the source said.

Stiller recently told Esquire that he and Taylor revived their marriage, after they decided to move back in together during the early days of the pandemic, so that Stiller could see the kids.

"Then, over the course of time, it evolved," Stiller said. "We were separated and got back together and we're happy about that. It's been really wonderful for all of us. Unexpected, and one of the things that came out of the pandemic."