The daily gossip: Tom Cruise is reportedly interested in pursuing Shakira, Natalie Portman admits Léon: The Professional is 'cringey' now, and more

1. Tom Cruise reportedly sends Shakira flowers after being 'so taken' by her

Tom Cruise may have just done his first relatable thing in years: develop a crush on Shakira. The Top Gun: Maverick star and the "Hips Don't Lie" singer were recently spotted together at the Formula 1 Grand Prix, and a source now claims to Page Six, "He is extremely interested in pursuing her. There is chemistry." The source continued that the singer "needs a soft pillow to fall on, and that could be Tom." The actor was "so taken" by her that he sent her flowers, a source also told the outlet. Shakira, of course, split from soccer star Gerard Piqué last year amid rumors he cheated on her, and since then, she has brutally slammed him in her new music. Cruise, meanwhile, is said to be single — unless you count his committed relationship to The Movies.

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2. Natalie Portman admits 'Léon: The Professional' is 'cringey' now

Natalie Portman is looking back on the film from her career that makes her cringe today, and believe it or not, it isn't any of the Star Wars prequels. The actress admitted to The Hollywood Reporter that Luc Besson's Léon: The Professional, the first movie she ever starred in, hasn't aged too well. "When you watch it now, it definitely has some cringey, to say the least, aspects to it," Portman said. In the 1994 film, whose director has since been accused of sexual misconduct, Portman plays a 12-year-old girl who says she's falling in love with an adult hitman, and she at one point seductively sings "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" to him while doing an impression of Marilyn Monroe. Portman told the Reporter she has "complicated" feelings about the film, as although it might be cringey now, it's also a "movie that's still beloved," and it "gave me my career." Plus, at least Jar Jar Binks wasn't in it.

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The Hollywood Reporter

3. Mindy Kaling hikes or runs 20 miles a week

Mindy's latest project is fitness oriented. Mindy Kaling told People she's "feeling really confident in my body these days, which is not something that I've been able to say for my whole life," as she has been spending "so much time and energy trying to be healthy." The Office alum, who has noticeably lost weight and who People declared is in her "Hot Mindy Era," shared that her secret is running and hiking. "I just tell myself I have to do basically 20 miles a week of either hiking or running," she explained, adding that she "basically" lives in her workout clothes and has also been lifting weights and eating in moderation. But Kaling said she had to let go of the idea of "losing weight for vanity reasons" rather than just focusing on being healthy, and she noted she tries not to "tune into" all the online chatter about her body, as even when it's "flattering," it can be "just a little much."

People

4. Lea Michele already has her next Broadway show lined up

Lea Michele is exiting stage right and promptly entering stage left. As the Glee star prepares to end her acclaimed run on Funny Girl, she's wasting no time lining up her next Broadway gig. "I already know what it is," she teased to Variety, adding that it's "very different musically." Michele famously replaced Beanie Feldstein in Funny Girl's lead role of Fanny Brice last year. Feldstein had received some brutal reviews for her singing, sparking rumors that Michele, who had openly discussed wanting the role, was waiting in the wings. That turned out to be accurate, but Michele will belt out her final notes as Fanny Brice on Sept. 3 after about a year on stage. Though she wouldn't reveal what her next show is, she told Variety that "you know it," suggesting it's likely a revival or otherwise a property we'd recognize. For the sake of Feldstein's sanity, let's hope it's not a musical based on Booksmart.

Variety

5. Doja Cat calls her last 2 albums 'cash-grabs,' mocks fans who 'fell for it'

Cat got your money? Doja Cat is teasing her next album while simultaneously declaring she suckered fans into listening to her last two. The rapper's most recent albums were 2019's Hot Pink followed by 2021's Planet Her. But she has now tweeted that "planet her and hot pink were cash-grabs and yall fell for it," adding that "now i can go disappear somewhere and touch grass with my loved ones on an island while yall weep for mediocre pop." This comment, which would suggest that only one of her studio albums isn't a cash grab, seemed to be in response to someone tweeting that her upcoming fourth album is going to flop. Moments later, the rapper, who claimed about a year ago she would be quitting music entirely, announced her forthcoming album is titled First of All. What is it they say about fooling me three consecutive times?

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