The daily gossip: Toni Collette announces divorce as husband is spotted kissing another woman, Nick Carter sued for sexual battery, and more

1. Toni Collette announces divorce as husband is spotted kissing another woman

Toni Collette's husband is seceding from the United States of Tara. The actress has confirmed she's splitting from her spouse of almost 20 years, an announcement that came as photos showed him making out with another woman. Dave Galafassi, a drummer who Collette married in 2003, was seen "passionately kissing" a woman at the beach in Sydney on Wednesday in photos published by the Daily Mail. The tabloid said that just hours after contacting Collette's management about the pictures, she confirmed that "after a substantial period of separation, it is with grace and gratitude that we announce we are divorcing," seemingly suggesting they were separated when the photos were taken. They have two children, and Collette said they'll "continue to thrive as a family, albeit a different shape." It's the most tragic separation since her character's daughter was separated from her head in Hereditary.

Daily Mail

2. Nick Carter sued for sexual battery over alleged incident with a minor

A woman is taking Nick Carter to court with some disturbing new sexual misconduct allegations. According to TMZ, Shannon Ruth in a lawsuit alleges the Backstreet Boys singer invited her back to his tour bus after a 2001 concert, when she was 17, while she was in line for an autograph. Ruth, who has autism and cerebral palsy, claims she requested apple juice when asked if she wanted anything to drink, but Carter gave her a "red-colored drink" that she believes contained alcohol. Carter then allegedly ordered Ruth to perform oral sex on him while she cried and then took her to a bed, where he sexually assaulted her, the lawsuit says. She alleges she contracted HPV, and she's seeking damages. A source close to Carter told TMZ the "accusation is categorically false" and that he "is focusing on his family and mourning the death of his brother." Singer Melissa Schuman previously accused Carter of rape, but he was never charged.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

TMZ

3. Reese Witherspoon returning for a sequel to 'Election'

It's official: Reese Witherspoon is running for re-Election. A sequel to Witherspoon's classic 1999 comedy Election is in the works, and she's set to star and produce. The original film starred Witherspoon as ambitious young student Tracy Flick, who runs for president of the student government. In June, the author of the book published a sequel, Tracy Flick Can't Win, so this movie will be an adaptation of that. In the sequel book, Flick has now become the assistant principal at a high school in New Jersey. The film is in the works at Paramount+, though the rest of the cast hasn't been announced. But Alexander Payne, director of the original Election, is returning. The news comes as Witherspoon is also set to return for a third Legally Blonde, though for some reason, we've yet to receive any takers on our pitch for How Do You Know 2.

The Hollywood Reporter

4. Taylor Swift invited to participate in prestigious director's interview

Who knew the "Dr." in "Dr. Taylor Swift" was short for "director"? Variety has revealed the lineup for its annual Directors on Directors series, "conversations between directors of the biggest films of the year." It includes James Cameron, Ryan Coogler, Rian Johnson, and … Taylor Swift. No, Swift has never directed a movie let alone one of the year's biggest, but she has directed numerous music videos including her "All Too Well" short film. She'll sit down with The Banshees of Inisherin's Martin McDonagh, who will presumably spend the entire conversation asking her to hook him up with Eras tickets. Meanwhile, Swift also released a behind-the-scenes video showing off her directing work on "All Too Well." The short is eligible for an Oscar, and it appears Swift is thirsty for that nomination. She has said she'd be interested in eventually directing a feature film, but unfortunately, tickets for that non-existent movie have already sold out.

Variety

5. Wait, is Henry Cavill's Superman return already dead?

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's … over before it even began. The Hollywood Reporter has dropped a bombshell report revealing a third Wonder Woman film has been canceled. But the report also insinuates the entire DC film universe might be reset under new bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran — and Henry Cavill's Superman could be on the chopping block. The article refers to several "rumors and possible scenarios" about DC's future, one in which plans for a Man of Steel sequel starring Cavill are canceled, and although Cavill apparently shot a cameo for next year's The Flash, there's reportedly talk of removing it. This is despite the fact that Cavill just returned as Superman in Black Adam via a cameo that The Rock hyped for weeks — and after the movie's debut, Cavill explicitly proclaimed on Instagram, "I am back as Superman." Hopefully everyone savored that 15 second appearance, as Cavill may be headed right back to the Phantom Zone.

The Hollywood Reporter