The daily gossip: June 12, 2020

(Image credit: ABC/Twitter)

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1. The Bachelor names its first black male lead
2. Meghan Markle's BFF, Jessica Mulroney, gets called out for 'white privilege'
3. Don Lemon calls it 'healthy' that comedian Dave Chappelle mocked him
4. Alex Rodriguez wants help naming his family's new puppy
5. Sharon Stone says it's 'really intense' to get struck by lightning

published 12 June 2020

1. The Bachelor names its first black male lead

After former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay pointed out that a black person is practically more likely to become president of the United States than the lead of a Bachelor franchise, ABC's hit reality TV series moved to announce its first black Bachelor in its 40-season history. Matt James, a 28-year-old real estate broker who was originally cast for Clare Crawley's upcoming season, will look for love on the show's 25th season, expected to premiere in 2021. "When filming [Clare's season] couldn't move forward as planned, we were given the benefit of time to get to know Matt and all agreed he would make a perfect Bachelor," ABC said in a statement. Prior to James, Lindsay was Bachelor Nation's only black lead in its 18-year history.

Meghan Markle's BFF, stylist Jessica Mulroney, is apologizing after being called out for her "white privilege" by lifestyle blogger Sasha Exeter. On Instagram, Exeter alleged that Mulroney had taken "offense" to a call she posted on her website, SoSasha, asking other bloggers to use their platforms to boost the Black Lives Matter movement. "I am by no means calling Jess a racist," Exeter said, but alleged Mulroney's "perceived power and privilege" led her to "come for my livelihood in writing" with a threatening letter. Mulroney has since publicly apologized, agreeing "I need to do better" and that "I did not intend in any way to jeopardize [Exeter's] livelihood. We had a disagreement and it got out of hand. For that I am sorry."

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Dave Chappelle dropped a new Netflix special late Thursday, which even non-subscribers can stream on YouTube. The 27-minute routine, "8:46," isn't without Chappelle's characteristically searing commentary, including some targeting CNN anchor Don Lemon, who had urged celebrities to use their platforms to speak out about George Floyd and police brutality. As Chappelle put it: "Answer me: Do you want to see a celebrity right now? Do we give a f--k what Ja Rule thinks?" Lemon saw the routine, but he wasn't mad. On Friday morning, the anchor responded. "Dave Chappelle is my favorite comedian, and I do care what Dave Chappelle says," he said, adding: "I'm not beyond reproach or criticism, I actually welcome it." Lemon confirmed that Chappelle is welcome on his show "any time."

If you adopt a pet, and you don't immediately make it an Instagram account, have you adopted a pet at all? Well there's no confusion about the newest four-legged addition to Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez's family, who already has almost 10,000 followers. "We surprised [Lopez's 12-year-old son] Max yesterday with a new puppy, a Goldendoodle," Rodriguez wrote on his own account, explaining that "there's one thing left to decide … his name!" The family is apparently going back and forth between "Tyson" and "Yankee Doodle," with A-Rod soliciting votes in an Instagram poll. If you want a dose of joy, though, click here to see Max rolling around with the puppy shouting "I love him, I love him!"

In case you're wondering, being struck by lighting is "really intense," according to Sharon Stone, who has some experience with it. The 62-year-old actress told comedian Brett Goldstein this week about the time she was refilling an iron when lightning struck her home's well and came up through the water. "I got picked up and thrown across the kitchen, and I hit the refrigerator," she said. "I was like, 'Whoa!'" Stone was knocked unconscious and her mother, who was home at the time, helped revive her. "I had to go get EKGs every single day for 10 days," Stone recalled. She added that she's also nearly died after having a stroke in 2016, and being clotheslined while riding a horse as a child. "It's crazy," Stone said.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.