The daily gossip: Gilbert Gottfried dies after a 'long illness,' Warner Bros. cuts gay Dumbledore dialogue for China, and more

1. Comedian Gilbert Gottfried dies at 67 after a 'long illness'

The world is mourning yet another icon of comedy. Comedian Gilbert Gottfried has died at 67 after battling a "long illness," his family announced Tuesday. "In addition to being the most iconic voice in comedy, Gilbert was a wonderful husband, brother, friend and father to his two young children," his family said. "Although today is a sad day for all of us, please keep laughing as loud as possible in Gilbert's honor." Gottfried famously voiced Iago in Aladdin and performed stand-up for years. His death was another devastating blow in the comedy world after the loss of Norm Macdonald last September and Louie Anderson and Bob Saget in January. The news was initially shared by Seinfeld star Jason Alexander, who tweeted, "Gilbert Gottfried made me laugh at times when laughter did not come easily. What a gift."

Variety

2. 'Fantastic Beasts' sequel edited for China to remove references to Dumbledore's gay relationship

Believe it or not, yet another Fantastic Beasts controversy has emerged just before the film's U.S. debut. Warner Bros. has removed dialogue from the new Harry Potter prequel, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, for its Chinese release, omitting explicit references to Dumbledore's past gay relationship. Two lines that indicate Dumbledore was romantically involved with Gellert Grindelwald — "Because I was in love with you" and "the summer Gellert and I fell in love" — are nowhere to be found in the version released in China. It was the latest example of a studio self-censoring LGBTQ content to appeal to China, but Warner Bros. defended the move, insisting "the spirit of the film remains intact." ​​The movie, which has already been dealing with controversies related to J.K. Rowling, Johnny Depp, and Ezra Miller, hits U.S. theaters this Friday — meaning there's still time to squeeze in one last scandal within the next few days.

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3. Rihanna says there's 'no way' she'll wear maternity clothes

Don't expect to see Rihanna haunting the maternity aisle during her pregnancy. The singer showed off her pregnant belly on the cover of Vogue after announcing in January she's expecting her first child with A$AP Rocky. But while speaking about some of her fashion choices during the pregnancy, including what Vogue described as her "midriff-baring looks," she said, "When I found out I was pregnant, I thought to myself, There's no way I'm going to go shopping in no maternity aisle. I'm sorry — it's too much fun to get dressed up." Indeed, Rihanna rolled her eyes at the very concept of maternity jeans, declaring she won't wear anything she wouldn't before she was pregnant. She also told Vogue she hopes to "redefine what's considered 'decent' for pregnant women," adding, "My body is doing incredible things right now, and I'm not going to be ashamed of that."

Vogue Page Six

4. Maisie Williams admits she 'resented' Arya as she 'started becoming a woman'

Maisie Williams was feeling some resentment near the end of Game of Thrones' run, and not for the reasons disgruntled fans might think. The Game of Thrones star explained to GQ she began to dislike being seen as a tomboy like her character of Arya Stark as she grew older, reflecting, "I think that when I started becoming a woman, I resented Arya because I couldn't express who I was becoming. And then I also resented my body, because it wasn't aligned with the piece of me that the world celebrated." By the time the show ended, Williams was in her early 20s, and she described intentionally rejecting "my image that I'd been so well known for," such as by dying her hair pink. "I needed to express myself," she said. While she told GQ she "loved" making Thrones and looks back on the experience "so fondly," when asked what parts of it she misses, she replied, "Can I say none of it?"

GQ

5. Louis C.K. accuser slams his Grammy win: 'What is wrong with people?'

Despite admitting to sexual misconduct, Louis C.K. recently won a Grammy — and one of his accusers wants to know, "What is wrong with people?" C.K. won the award for Best Comedy Album at the 2022 Grammys over four years after he admitted to allegations of sexual misconduct published by The New York Times. On Tuesday, one of the women cited in the article, Julia Wolov, spoke out to Variety. "Nobody cares. That's the message this sends," she said. "It really does. That's the truth." Wolov, who alleged C.K. masturbated in front of her at a comedy festival, said she "took one for the team" by coming forward in 2017. But she said his Grammy win is "such bulls--t," asking, "Wouldn't it be nice if people would not be rewarded for bad behavior?" She added, "I don't believe in cancel culture, but obviously, Louis is not canceled. He seems fine to me."

Variety