The daily gossip: Lea Michele responds to 'sad' rumor she can't read, Dominic Monaghan alleges Evangeline Lilly cheated on him, and more

1. Lea Michele responds to 'sad' rumor she can't read

The New York Times is out with a brand new Lea Michele interview, but she won't be able to read it, if some conspiracy theorists are to be believed. Speaking with the Times, the Glee star responded to the long-standing rumor claiming she's secretly illiterate. "I went to Glee every single day; I knew my lines every single day," Michele insisted. "And then there's a rumor online that I can't read or write? It's sad. It really is." The theory originated from podcasters Jaye Hunt and Robert Ackerman, though they were mostly kidding, and it's become more of a meme than an actual allegation. But Michele says she thinks "often if I were a man, a lot of this wouldn't be the case." Hm, we didn't exactly hear a "yes, I can read" there. This interview comes as Michele prepares to take over the titular role in Funny Girl from Beanie Feldstein — who, after those reviews came out, surely wished she was illiterate.

The New York Times

2. Dominic Monaghan alleges Evangeline Lilly cheated on him

What did Kate do? Allegedly, break Charlie's heart. On the Unqualified podcast, Dominic Monaghan opened up about his split with Lost co-star Evangeline Lilly, whom he dated from 2004 to 2007. The actor, who played Charlie, recalled this as the "first time in my life that I was all in" on a relationship, and it was apparently so serious, they were exploring getting married and having kids. But Monaghan thinks "she was kind of looking around to see what else was an option," likely due to his frequent heavy drinking, and he claims she started seeing someone else while they were together — something the entire Lost film crew seemingly knew before he did. "Unfortunately, there was a little bit of a crossover, which was pretty upsetting for me and it just kind of exploded in my face," he said, adding, "To say I was devastated is an understatement." You have to go back and apologize, Kate ... you have to go back!

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E! News

3. Nicole Kidman to star in an AMC ad sequel

A sequel to the most culturally relevant short film of our time is on the way — because we need that, all of us. AMC Theatres is working on a follow-up to its now iconic pre-show ad starring Nicole Kidman, according to the screenwriter who wrote it. "I'm very, very excited about it," writer Billy Ray told Vanity Fair. The original ad, which plays before every film at AMC, sees Kidman walk into a completely empty theater and expound on the Magic of the Movies in a hilariously over-the-top fashion. It's become a giant meme, especially thanks to Kidman's dramatic declaration that "heartbreak feels good in a place like this." Obviously, Kidman will be back for the sequel ad. As for what else we can expect, Ray told Vanity Fair the follow-up will take a "very, very different approach that is a little bit of a wink to the one we've already done." Your time is over, Regal roller coaster!

Vanity Fair

4. Olivia Wilde explains incels to Maggie Gyllenhaal

Olivia Wilde has cursed Maggie Gyllenhaal with more incel intel than she could ever care to know. Wilde and Gyllenhaal chatted for Interview magazine, and naturally, the topic of incels (or "involuntary celibates") came up. "You know the incels?" Wilde asked. "No," Gyllenhaal replied. Oh, to be so blissfully unaware. "They're basically disenfranchised, mostly white men, who believe they are entitled to sex from women," Wilde explained, adding, "They believe that society has now robbed them — that the idea of feminism is working against nature, and that we must be put back into the correct place." Brought up to speed, Gyllenhaal concluded, "Well, they must be psyched. Things are going really well for them." Incels came up after Wilde revealed Chris Pine's character in Don't Worry Darling is based on controversial psychologist and "pseudo-intellectual hero to the incel community" Jordan Peterson, whom she dubbed an "insane man" — setting the stage for incels and Harry Styles fans to form an unprecedented anti-Olivia alliance.

Interview

5. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II describes 'Aquaman' as 'clown work'

Send in the clowns ... to star in DC movies. In a new Vulture interview, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II made the bold claim that starring in films like Aquaman isn't exactly equivalent to performing Shakespeare. "Sometimes you got to know which movie or genre you're in," the actor said. "Something like Aquaman, that's clown work. Aquaman is not The Trial of the Chicago 7. You have got to get over yourself." Abdul-Mateen played Black Manta in the original Aquaman film, and he's back for the sequel, which he sounds just absolutely psyched about. As he started picking up some heat for his comments, Abdul-Mateen tweeted he was "tempted to clarify," but "that's no fun," so he instead shared a "pic of myself on the way to work on Trial of Chicago 7" with a red clown nose on his face, adding, "#justiceforclowns." It's a roundabout way of auditioning for Joker 2, but hey, it just might work.

Vulture IndieWire