The daily gossip: George Clooney and more stars are trying to help end the actors strike, J.K. Rowling would 'happily do two years' in jail over her anti-trans beliefs, and more

1. George Clooney and more stars are trying to help end the actors strike

Danny Ocean is putting together a team to end the Hollywood actors strike once and for all. George Clooney, Ben Affleck, Scarlett Johansson, Emma Stone and more A-list stars reportedly met with SAG-AFTRA leaders to see if they can help wrap up the actors strike after negotiations with the studios broke down. Clooney told Deadline he and his fellow actors pitched a proposal to remove a $1 million cap on membership dues, meaning these A-listers would "pay more into the union." This would raise "well over $150 million" over three years, he said, adding, "A lot of the top earners want to be part of the solution." Clooney also told Deadline the actors proposed a "bottom-up residual structure," in which "the top of the call sheet would be the last to collect residuals, not the first." Still, Variety reports these stars were left "dejected" when their plan "found no traction" with the union. That leaves only one option left: an "Imagine" video sequel. Deadline, Variety

2. J.K. Rowling would 'happily do two years' in jail over her anti-trans beliefs

J.K. Rowling will never log off. The "Harry Potter" author has stirred up controversy once again by continuing to espouse anti-trans beliefs on social media. This time, Rowling shared an image of the words "trans women are women" projected on a wall, responding, "No." When a follower suggested this could eventually land her in jail, Rowling said she'd be fine with that. "I'll happily do two years if the alternative is compelled speech and forced denial of the reality and importance of sex," she posted on X, formerly Twitter. She went on to say "the court case" would be "more fun than I've ever had on a red carpet." This comes after the Mail on Sunday reported that deliberately calling someone by the wrong pronouns "could become a hate crime punishable by imprisonment under a Labour government." Rowling has repeatedly made transphobic statements, but Warner Bros. has defended its relationship with the author, who will be involved in its "Harry Potter" Max reboot. X

3. Jason Aldean: 'I'm not saying anything that's not true' in 'Try That in a Small Town'

Jason Aldean is doubling down on defending his most controversial song. On the "Coop's Rockin’ Country Saturday Night" podcast, the country singer argued he isn't "saying anything that's not true" in his track "Try That in a Small Town" and accompanying music video, which was accused of being racist and pro-lynching. In the song, Aldean sings about behavior that would not "fly" in a small town as he warns he has a gun. The music video used footage from actual protests, and it was filmed at the site of a real 1927 lynching. "To me, what I was seeing was wrong, and nobody would say anything, especially in the music industry and the entertainment industry," Aldean said on the podcast. He also argued many people with "common sense" were confused by claims that his video is racist, and the controversy simply "brought a lot of attention" to the song. Amid the backlash, Aldean’s track reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart. Coop’s Rockin’ Country Saturday Night 

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

4. Jussie Smollett is in rehab after 'extremely difficult past few years'

Jussie Smollett is seeking help in rehab as he continues to appeal his conviction in connection with a 2019 hate crime hoax, his rep confirmed to TMZ. "Jussie has had an extremely difficult past few years," the rep said. "He has quietly been working very hard for some time now and we are proud of him for taking these necessary steps." The "Empire" star is in an outpatient program, TMZ reported, though it wasn't clear what he is receiving treatment for. Smollett was found guilty in 2021 of lying to police about being the victim of a hate crime that he allegedly staged himself, and he was sentenced to five months in jail. But he was released after less than a week pending his appeal, which is still ongoing. An Illinois appellate court heard arguments in the case last month. Smollett has repeatedly denied staging the attack. TMZ

5. 'Kingsman' director Matthew Vaughn wants to reboot 'Star Wars'

Matthew Vaughn wants to give the galaxy far, far away a fresh coat of paint. On the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast, the "Kingsman: The Secret Service" director argued "Star Wars" has "gone wrong" by losing focus on the Skywalker family. "They've done brilliantly in TV, but it needs an epic new film," he said. So what would that epic film look like if Vaughn directed it? He surprisingly pitched a true reboot, which would involve recasting characters like Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. "[The appeal of] doing a 'Star Wars' movie is to play with the characters that I loved," he said. So Vaughn would be excited to "reboot 'Star Wars' and actually have Luke Skywalker, [Han] Solo, and [Darth] Vader" in his own "version" of the story — even though people would call him an "idiot" for attempting it. "Why are these characters so hallowed that, from ‘77, you can't redo it for a new audience?" he asked, going on to add, "Everyone's gonna go batshit crazy, but bring it on." Happy Sad Confused