The daily gossip: Padma Lakshmi is leaving 'Top Chef,' Elliot Page was verbally assaulted by an A-list actor, and more

Today's top entertainment and celebrity news

Padma Lakshmi
(Image credit: David Moir /Bravo / NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

1. Padma Lakshmi is leaving 'Top Chef' after 17 years

She's packing her knives and going. Padma Lakshmi has announced she's stepping down as host of "Top Chef" after 17 years, a "difficult decision" she reached after "much soul searching." Lakshmi has hosted the long-running competition show for nearly its entire run, joining the second season in 2006 to replace Katie Lee. "Having completed a glorious 20th season as host and executive producer, I am extremely proud to have been part of building such a successful show and of the impact it has had in the worlds of television and food," she said in a statement. Lakshmi added that while she will "dearly" miss working with the cast and crew, it's "time to move on" and "make space" for different projects, including her Hulu docuseries "Taste the Nation," as well as books and "other creative pursuits." Let her cook.

Twitter

2. Elliot Page was verbally assaulted by an A-list actor

Elliot Page's new memoir reportedly includes a disturbing anecdote about being verbally assaulted by an unnamed actor. According to People, in his book "Pageboy," the "Umbrella Academy" star described attending a birthday party in 2014, two months after coming out, where an "acquaintance" said, "You aren't gay. That doesn't exist. You are just afraid of men." This person added, "I'm going to f--k you to make you realize you aren't gay." Page said the two then ran into each other at the gym a few days later, where the A-lister insisted they "don't have a problem with gay people," to which Page replied, "I think you might." Other revelations from the memoir include that Page secretly had a relationship with Kate Mara, who wasn't "fully available" because she had a boyfriend, Max Minghella. But Page said Minghella was supportive of this and that Mara told him, "I never thought I could be in love with two people and now I know I can."

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3. Lily-Rose Depp would sometimes 'steer clear' of the Weeknd on set of 'The Idol'

Did the Weeknd graduate from the Jeremy Strong school of acting? Lily-Rose Depp told Entertainment Weekly she would sometimes avoid her "The Idol" co-star, the Weeknd (a.k.a. Abel Tesfaye), on the set of the HBO show. "I don't think anybody went full method — nobody lost their minds," Depp stressed. But she added, "Sometimes when Abel would get — I don't want to reveal too much about where Abel's character goes, but when he would be in full Tedros mode sometimes I would steer clear of him. I'd be like, 'He's in his zone right now.'" Tedros is Tesfaye's character in the show, a modern-day cult leader. Surely, this level of commitment must have paid off in the final product. Now to take a big sip of coffee and look up reviews.

Entertainment Weekly

4. Sabrina Carpenter is joining Taylor Swift on tour

Sabrina Carpenter is in her Eras tour era. Taylor Swift has announced she's bringing her ongoing Eras tour to Mexico, Argentina and Brazil, with shows scheduled for August through November. All of these shows will feature a special guest, Swift said: "Sweet angel princess" Sabrina Carpenter. In addition to music, the "Emails I Can't Send" singer is known for roles on shows like "Girl Meets World," as well as some messy drama with Swift superfan Olivia Rodrigo. Carpenter, who called the announcement "a dream come true," has also cited Swift as an inspiration in her music. In fact, the announcement led fans to resurface a video cover of Swift's "Picture to Burn" that a young Carpenter uploaded to YouTube in 2009. That's one for the manifesting hall of fame.

Twitter

5. Tom Cruise reportedly furious 'Oppenheimer' will take IMAX screens from 'Mission: Impossible'

If you thought the war between "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" was intense, you haven't seen anything yet. Tom Cruise is furious that his movie "Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One" will only play in IMAX theaters for one week this summer before being replaced with Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer," Puck reports. "Mission: Impossible" will open on July 12 and play in IMAX only until July 21, at which point "Oppenheimer" is getting those screens for three weeks. According to Puck, Cruise is "pretty pissed" about this. He has reportedly now made it his mission to at least get "Mission: Impossible" onto as many non-IMAX premium format screens as possible, "furiously showing the film to exhibitors in an effort to convince them to switch their plans from 'Oppenheimer' or 'Barbie'" and even asking rivals to "relinquish" the screens or delay the films. Throw a shirtless, blonde Ryan Gosling into "Mission: Impossible" and then maybe he'll have a case.

Puck

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan is a staff writer at The Week. A graduate of Hofstra University with a degree in journalism, he also writes about horror films for Bloody Disgusting and has previously contributed to The Cheat Sheet, Heavy, WhatCulture, and more. He lives in New York City surrounded by Star Wars posters.