The daily gossip: 'Euphoria' stars mourn Angus Cloud, Lizzo accused of sexual harassment by former dancers, and more

1. "Euphoria" stars and creator mourn Angus Cloud

The stars and creator of "Euphoria" are expressing their grief after the tragic passing of Angus Cloud, who played Fez on the show and died Monday at age 25. The actor's family said he "intensely struggled" with the loss of his father and "was open about his battle with mental health," adding that "we hope that his passing can be a reminder to others that they are not alone and should not fight this on their own in silence." On Instagram, "Euphoria" star Storm Reid called his death a "tremendous loss for so many of us," while Colman Domingo said the actor "couldn't be more real, original and sweet," and Zendaya remembered his "boundless light, love and joy." "Euphoria" creator Sam Levinson also said "there was no one quite like Angus," who was "too special, too talented and way too young to leave us so soon." Levinson added, "I hope he knew how many hearts he touched. I loved him. I always will."

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2. Lizzo accused of sexual harassment in lawsuit from former dancers

Lizzo has been accused of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment in a lawsuit brought by three of her former dancers. According to NBC News and Billboard, the lawsuit alleges the singer pressured dancers to come to a strip club, where she goaded one of them to touch a nude performer even as she repeatedly declined. "Plaintiffs were aghast with how little regard Lizzo showed for the bodily autonomy of her employees and those around her," the lawsuit stated. Additionally, Lizzo was accused of calling attention to a dancer's weight gain, subjecting dancers to an "excruciating re-audition" after falsely accusing them of drinking before shows, and yelling a slur after one of them resigned, among other claims. Attorney Ron Zambrano alleged, "The stunning nature of how Lizzo and her management team treated their performers seems to go against everything Lizzo stands for publicly, while privately she weight-shames her dancers and demeans them in ways that are not only illegal but absolutely demoralizing."

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3. Stephen Amell addresses backlash after saying he does "not support" actors strike

The arrows are coming out for Stephen Amell. The "Arrow" star has been facing significant backlash after saying he doesn't support the ongoing Hollywood actors strike. A video shared on social media showed Amell speaking about the strike during a Q&A. "I support my union," he said. "I do. And I stand with them. I do not support striking. I don't. I think that it is a reductive negotiating tactic, and I find the entire thing incredibly frustrating." He went on to describe the strike as "myopic." Fans were outraged by the remarks, as were some of Amell's fellow actors. By Tuesday afternoon, Amell tried to clarify his comments on Instagram, suggesting he was being misunderstood. "My off the cuff use of the word 'support' is clearly contradictory to my true feelings and my emphatic statement that I stand with my union," he claimed. "Of course I don't like striking. Nobody does. But we have to do what we have to do."

Instagram

4. Warner Bros. apologizes amid Barbenheimer backlash in Japan

Amid Barbenheimer mania, Warner Bros. is facing backlash in Japan — from Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Japan has slammed the U.S. "Barbie" Twitter account for engaging with Barbenheimer posts. This meme about the double feature of "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" has drawn backlash in Japan, as some feel it makes light of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the subject of the latter film. "We consider it extremely regrettable that the official account of the American headquarters for the movie 'Barbie' reacted to the social media postings of 'Barbenheimer' fans," Warner Bros. Japan tweeted, asking "the U.S. headquarters to take appropriate action." This was reportedly in response to a tweet from the American "Barbie" account responding to a fan-made Barbenheimer poster by saying, "It's going to be a summer to remember." In a statement to Variety, Warner Bros. Film Group said it "regrets its recent insensitive social media engagement" and "offers a sincere apology." Look what you've done, ​​Barbenheimer enthusiasts: pitted Warner Bros. against Warner Bros.

Variety

5. Vanessa Kirby told Joaquin Phoenix "you can slap me" during "Napoleon" filming

Working with Joaquin Phoenix was a real slap in the face for Vanessa Kirby, but that's just what she signed up for. A new Empire report describes how Phoenix and Kirby, who play Napoleon Bonaparte and Joséphine de Beauharnais in Ridley Scott's "Napoleon," "allowed each other to go to dark and unexpected places" for the film, which led to an unscripted moment where he slaps her. "She said, 'Look, whatever you feel, you can do,'" Phoenix recalled. "I said, 'Same thing with you.' She said, 'You can slap me, you can grab me, you can pull me, you can kiss me, whatever it is.'" Kirby also said it's the "greatest thing" to have a creative partner with whom she felt safe to go to "dark places together." Scott, meanwhile, told Empire about how Phoenix came to him and admitted he didn't "know what to do" with the character just two weeks before filming, providing representation to procrastinators everywhere.

Empire