The daily gossip: Britney Spears reveals she had an abortion while she was with Justin Timberlake, Timothée Chalamet calls Armie Hammer allegations 'disorienting,' and more
Today's top entertainment and celebrity news
1. Britney Spears reveals she had an abortion while she was dating Justin Timberlake
Britney Spears' memoir doesn't drop until next week, but we already have our first bombshell. In her book "The Woman in Me," the pop star reveals she got pregnant while she was dating Justin Timberlake. "I always expected us to have a family together one day," Spears writes in an excerpt published by People. "This would just be much earlier than I'd anticipated." She continued, though, that Timberlake "wasn't happy about the pregnancy," as he felt they weren’t "ready to have a baby in our lives," and he was "so sure that he didn't want to be a father." Spears, who dated Timberlake from 1999 to 2002, ultimately had an abortion. "If it had been left up to me alone, I never would have done it," she writes of the abortion, calling it "one of the most agonizing things I have ever experienced in my life." Spears later had two kids with Kevin Federline, while Timberlake shares two children with Jessica Biel. People
2. Timothée Chalamet calls Armie Hammer allegations 'disorienting'
Timothée Chalamet is weighing in on allegations against his former co-star that were hard to stomach. The actor starred opposite Armie Hammer in the 2017 romance "Call Me By Your Name." But since then, Hammer has faced disturbing allegations of sexual abuse, which he denies. DMs seemed to show Hammer engaging in cannibalistic fantasies, including by allegedly messaging a woman, "I am 100% a cannibal. I want to eat you." Weirdly, Chalamet subsequently played a cannibal in "Bones and All," a movie from the same director as "Call Me By Your Name," sparking speculation that the Hammer scandal inspired the film. Chalamet, though, told GQ it was a coincidence. "I mean, what were the chances that we're developing this thing?" he asked, stressing the movie was "actually based on a book." When asked about the Hammer allegations, Chalamet's "face went stiff," GQ wrote. "I don't know," he said. "These things end up getting clickbaited so intensely. Disorienting is a good word." GQ
3. Michelle Yeoh is now a member of the International Olympic Committee
She really is everywhere all at once. Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh and seven others have been elected as members of the International Olympic Committee. She joined the group that organizes the Olympics following a meeting in Mumbai, India. Yeoh told reporters she "never dreamt of being an actress, but as a child I always dreamt of being an Olympian," according to Reuters. "Sports was very much part of my life growing up. I was very much involved with squash, athletics, swimming and diving." The IOC proposed Yeoh as a new member in September, noting she has experience practicing track and field, swimming, diving, squash, tennis and golf. This comes after Yeoh made history at the 2023 Oscars as the first Asian woman to win Best Actress for "Everything Everywhere All at Once." If the Summer Olympics suddenly decide to add fanny-pack-fighting as a new sport, we'll have a good idea why. IOC
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4. Sam Neill plans to remain in remission 'for years to come' amid cancer battle
Sam Neill would like to clarify recent headlines about his cancer battle. The actor spoke about being treated for blood cancer in an interview with Australian Story, declaring that while “I know I’ve got it,” he’s “not really interested in it.” Neill noted he has been in remission for 12 months thanks to a rare anti-cancer drug. The “Jurassic Park” star said, though, that his doctors have told him this drug will eventually stop working. “I’m prepared for that,” he said, adding that he is not “remotely afraid” of death, and it’s retirement that really “fills me with horror.” After the interview made the rounds, though, Neill clarified on Instagram that “all is well” and argued his comments were taken out of context. “Please be assured that I am firmly in remission, and plan to remain so for years to come,” he added. Neill previously told The Guardian that while he’s not afraid to die, it “would annoy me.” Instagram
5. Olivia Wilde 'meant no harm' with controversial post about Taylor Swift
Don’t blame her. Olivia Wilde has responded to the backlash she sparked with a controversial post about Taylor Swift. On her Instagram story, the “Don’t Worry Darling” director recently shared a post on X by Katja Herbers, star of “Evil,” who quipped, “I wish Taylor Swift was in love with a climate scientist.” This came amid the ongoing media obsession over Swift’s relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. But Swifties didn’t take the post all too well, accusing Wilde of throwing shade at the singer for the romance. Wilde, though, told the Daily Mail she “meant no harm,” adding that it was “obviously a comment on how much attention gets paid to stupid things.” Meanwhile, Herbers seemed kind of psyched that her joke got so much attention, posting on X, “Really digging that the climate crises managed to get into celebrity gossip news.” The Daily Mail
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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.
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