The daily gossip: Larry David and David Letterman were uninvited from Obama's birthday bash, Bob Odenkirk had a 'It's a Wonderful Life' week, and more

1. Larry David and David Letterman were uninvited from Obama's birthday bash

Was it the MAGA hat? Former President Barack Obama held a 60th birthday bash over the weekend, which he ended up having to scale back due to COVID-19 concerns. This scaling back process apparently involved awkwardly uninviting people who were previously on the guest list, including, according to The New York Times, Larry David. David Letterman and Conan O'Brien also reportedly didn't make the slimmed down guest list, though Jay-Z and Beyoncé did because, well, obviously they did. Though one attendee would later describe the event as the "party of all parties," if we've learned anything about David from Curb Your Enthusiasm, having an excuse to stay home may have actually felt pretty, pretty, pretty good.

The New York Times Entertainment Weekly

2. Mike Richards insists he isn't giving himself the Jeopardy! hosting gig

When reports emerged that Jeopardy! producer Mike Richards might become the show's new host, fans quickly broke out the Dick Cheney comparisons, complaining that the guy leading the job search is just giving himself the job. In a memo to staff Monday, though, Richards insisted that's not how it went down. "The choice on this is not my decision and never has been," Richards said, while confirming he was asked to consider becoming the new host but saying no final decision has been made. Richards also denied saying "anything to disrespect anyone's pregnancy," as alleged in a discrimination lawsuit from when he was producer of The Price is Right. As the backlash continues, could Richards' frontrunner status be in jeopardy?

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

The Week Variety

3. Bob Odenkirk had a 'It's a Wonderful Life' week

Bob Odenkirk had all of us on edge for a good 24 hours recently following a health scare, but he's provided another reassuring update. The Better Call Saul star said on Twitter he's "doing great" after he had a "small heart attack" and was rushed to the hospital during production of the show last month. He received a massive outpouring of support from fans and co-stars after the news broke, and he described this experience as his "very own It's a Wonderful Life week of people insisting I make the world slightly better." Odenkirk added, "Wow! Thank you, I love everyone right now but let's keep expectations reasonable!" Great to hear s'all good, man.

Los Angeles Times

4. Quentin Tarantino really holds grudges

Quentin Tarantino's mom once dared to make a "sarcastic" comment about his writing decades ago, and he's clearly never let it go. The director revealed on Brian Koppelman's The Moment podcast that after his mom was once "b----ing at me" for writing screenplays when he was supposed to be doing school work as a kid, he vowed, "When I become a successful writer, you will never see penny one from my success." Apparently, he kept that promise. "I helped her out with a jam with the IRS," Tarantino said. "But no house! No Cadillac!" To all the parents out there, Tarantino warned, "As you deal with your children, remember, there are consequences for your sarcastic tone!"

Page Six

5. The Rock reassures us he showers often

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is assuring fans he does, in fact, bathe regularly, a thing celebrities have to actually clarify now. "I'm the opposite of a 'not washing themselves' celeb," Johnson declared, explaining he showers three times a day: once when he gets out of bed, once after a workout, and once when he gets home from work. For those just joining us in the bizarre celebrity bathing saga, this came after Jake Gyllenhaal revealed recently that he finds "bathing to be less necessary, at times," while Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis made a similar head-turning bathing admission. But The Rock, for one, wants to make sure he smells as good as whatever it is he's cooking.

Page Six