The daily gossip: Melanie Lynskey takes on body-shamers after The Last of Us debut, Britney Spears' loved ones reportedly planned an intervention, and more
Today's top entertainment and celebrity news
- 1. Melanie Lynskey takes on body-shamers after 'The Last of Us' debut
- 2. Britney Spears' loved ones reportedly planned an intervention
- 3. Rihanna went through 39 versions of her Super Bowl halftime show setlist
- 4. Jennifer Lopez apparently told Ben Affleck 'he was a meme' during the Grammys
- 5. Colin Mochrie alleges 'Whose Line' cast 'never received fair compensation'
1. Melanie Lynskey takes on body-shamers after 'The Last of Us' debut
When you're lost in the darkness surrounded by bad tweets, look for the light. Melanie Lynskey is hitting back against a body-shaming comment criticizing her casting in HBO's The Last of Us. The actress recently debuted in the post-apocalyptic drama as the leader of a revolutionary group that has overthrown the government in Kansas City. But America's Next Top Model winner Adrianne Curry criticized the casting on Twitter, claiming Lynskey's "body says life of luxury … not post apocolyptic [sic] warlord." Lynskey shot back that her character is "supposed to be SMART, ma'am" and doesn't "need to be muscly" because "that's what henchmen are for." Others have claimed they couldn't take Lynskey seriously as a fearsome leader because of her voice. But she noted she was excited that her casting suggests a "future in which people start listening to the person with the best ideas," not simply the "coolest or the toughest person." Even better, it's also a world where Twitter no longer exists.
2. Britney Spears' loved ones reportedly planned an intervention
Britney Spears' fans aren't the only ones who have been concerned about her lately, according to multiple reports. The singer has been "struggling with her mental health and substance abuse," and people close to her have been so concerned about her "erratic, volatile behavior" that they recently planned an intervention, TMZ reports. Spears' manager, in fact, reportedly rented a Los Angeles house, and the plan was to take her there on Tuesday, where her husband, doctors, and others would be present. After the intervention, she would then live at the house while receiving treatment and counseling for two months, but the idea was called off after Spears became "somewhat aware" of it, TMZ says. A report from People corroborated these details, with a source telling the outlet Spears has been "acting increasingly erratically" and is "often up all night, sleeps during [the] day and has a lot of anger." But Spears reportedly met with a doctor on Wednesday, and TMZ says it "went well."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
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.
3. Rihanna went through 39 versions of her Super Bowl halftime show setlist
Just a few days remain until the Rihanna concert that will apparently have some sort of football game attached to it. The "Umbrella" singer has shared some details about her Super Bowl halftime show performance in a press conference ahead of Sunday's big game. The "hardest part" of putting it together, she said, was deciding on the setlist and figuring out how to "cram 17 years of work into 13 minutes," and this involved quite a bit of trial and error. "There are probably about 39 versions of the setlist right now," she said. It will be a "jam-packed" performance, she teased, noting it's "important for representation" and "important for my son to see." Rihanna also teased new music, saying she's "open to exploring" and creating things that might not "make sense to my fans" and "are weird," so get ready to see her jam out on the accordion with Weird Al next.
4. Jennifer Lopez apparently told Ben Affleck 'he was a meme' during the Grammys
Can Ben Affleck go anywhere without sparking a new round of Sad Affleck memes? He may not have helped matters at Sunday's Grammys by looking very much like he didn't want to be there, prompting tons of jokes about how miserable he seemed. But there might have been a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy going on, with Affleck possibly being miserable in part because he was informed about the memes about him looking miserable. Influencer @almostannna, who attended the Grammys as a seat filler, claimed on TikTok she witnessed Affleck's wife, Jennifer Lopez, showing him her phone at one point and telling him, "Oh my god, honey, look at this meme circulating about you," leading Affleck to respond, "Oh god, this again." So Affleck "knew" during the show that he was going viral for looking miserable (again), the TikToker said, and he simply chose "not to change his expression." And he won't until someone gets this man some Dunkin'.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
5. Colin Mochrie alleges 'Whose Line' cast 'never received fair compensation'
Who wrote this contract, anyway? In a new Vulture interview, Whose Line Is It Anyway? star Colin Mochrie alleged the cast of the long-running improv show has never been fairly paid for their work. "There is a complicated relationship with the show," Mochrie said, claiming that while "the cast loves each other, and the actual shooting is always fun," they "never received fair compensation" for Whose Line's success. According to Mochrie, the performers aren't paid as writers, even though they come up with all the material, and they "never received residuals for a show that's been shown around the world since its inception." This may be part of the reason Mochrie says Whose Line is set to end, and if it does return, it "probably won't be with this cast." So here's a suggestion for the final game of "Scenes From a Hat": world's worst producers to work for.
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Why more and more adults are reaching for soft toys
Under The Radar Does the popularity of the Squishmallow show Gen Z are 'scared to grow up'?
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Magazine solutions - December 27, 2024 / January 3, 2025
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - December 27, 2024 / January 3, 2025
By The Week US Published
-
Magazine printables - December 27, 2024 / January 3, 2025
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - December 27, 2024 / January 3, 2025
By The Week US Published
-
The daily gossip: Chris Evans reportedly marries Alba Baptista, Drew Barrymore criticized for bringing show back amid writers strike, and more
feature Today's top entertainment and celebrity news
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
The daily gossip: Olivia Rodrigo's 'Guts' declared an 'instant classic,' Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis reportedly wrote letters of support for Danny Masterson, and more
feature Today's top entertainment and celebrity news
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
The daily gossip: Jimmy Fallon accused of erratic behavior at 'The Tonight Show,' Danny Masterson sentenced to 30 years to life in prison, and more
feature Today's top entertainment and celebrity news
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
The daily gossip: Rolling Stones reveal first album of original material in 18 years, Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas slam 'speculative narratives' about divorce, and more
feature Today's top entertainment and celebrity news
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
The daily gossip: Joe Jonas wears wedding ring after Sophie Turner divorce reports, Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner spotted kissing at Beyoncé show, and more
feature Today's top entertainment and celebrity news
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
The daily gossip: Taylor Swift's Eras Tour is coming to movie theaters, Adam Driver calls out Netflix and Amazon amid actors strike, and more
feature Today's top entertainment and celebrity news
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
The daily gossip: Ana de Armas fans' lawsuit over misleading 'Yesterday' trailer dismissed, Selena Gomez deletes post that may have broken actors' strike rules, and more
feature Today's top entertainment and celebrity news
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
The daily gossip: HBO cancels controversial show 'The Idol,' 'Bachelorette' contestant Josh Seiter is alive after statement announced his death, and more
feature Today's top entertainment and celebrity news
By Brendan Morrow Published