The daily gossip: Kim Kardashian asked to please return an ancient Roman statue, a first look at the Game of Thrones sequel, and more

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1. The U.S. government is kindly requesting that Kim Kardashian repatriate a smuggled ancient Roman sculpture
2. HBO reveals 1st look at Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon
3. Sean Combs has changed his name again
4. Emily in Paris creator claims she might be more tolerable in season 2
5. John Mulaney sells out his 1st shows since checking out of rehab

published 5 May 2021

1. The U.S. government is kindly requesting that Kim Kardashian repatriate a smuggled ancient Roman sculpture

This is a case for the FBI: The government wants Kim Kardashian to forfeit an ancient Roman sculpture that was smuggled out of Italy, but she claims innocence. Fragment of Myron's Samian Athena, a limestone statue from the 1st or 2nd century, was purchased in Kardashian's name and detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in 2016, and is still in their custody. In 2018, Italy's Ministry of Cultural Heritage determined the statue was "looted, smuggled, and illegally exported from Italy." A civil forfeiture complaint was filed Friday, but a Kardashian rep told Page Six she did not purchase the sculpture and this is the first time she's heard of it (though it definitely matches her decor). It might be time for Kim to put her law school skills to the test.

Get ready for even more fire and blood on HBO. The network on Wednesday dropped the first look at its upcoming Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon. Three official images showed off the characters of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy), Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint), Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), and Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans). According to HBO's official character descriptions, Rhaenyra is a dragonrider and the king's first-born child, while Daemon is the king's younger brother and heir to the throne; the story is set to follow members of House Targaryen 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones took place. Meanwhile, fans will have to wait what will feel like 300 years to see the show, which won't debut until 2022.

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Just call him the Artist Formerly Known As Sean John Combs. The 51-year-old rapper — who's previously changed his name to Puffy, then to Puff Daddy, then to P. Diddy, then to Diddy, and then back to P. Diddy — confirmed this week that he's once again changed his name, having formally taken the middle name "Love" in place of "John." "IT'S OFFICIAL!!! WELCOME TO THE LOVE ERA," S.L.C. wrote, sharing a picture of his Florida driver's license on social media despite that probably not being an advisable move. Mr. Combs has previously teased changing his name — "I will not be answering to Puffy, Diddy, Puff Daddy, or any of my other monikers but Love or Brother Love, okay?" he said in 2017 — but he'd also dismissed those past comments as "only playing."

Your favorite pandemic hate watch is back for season two. The first time around, Emily in Paris was met with disdain for the titular character, confusion around the title itself, and a real-life scandal involving the Golden Globes and an alleged trip to Paris for Hollywood Foreign Press Association members. The show's creator, Darren Star, claims season one was not a faux pas, but the first step in character development. In season two, "Emily will embrace the city a little bit more," Star told Variety. "I think she will be more assimilated, in terms of living in Paris and stepping up to the challenges of learning the language," he said. Whether viewers are ready or not, Emily in Paris is back — filming began Monday in France. À bientôt!

What could be a better way to spend a post-vaccination night out than welcoming back everyone's favorite tall child? John Mulaney has scheduled his first stand-up shows since going to rehab, the tickets for which have already sold out. "John Mulaney: From Scratch" is set for City Winery in New York City beginning on May 10, with audiences required to either be fully vaccinated or test negative for COVID-19 to attend. In December, Mulaney received an outpouring of support after he checked into rehab to receive treatment for alcohol and cocaine addiction. "John has completed 60 days in rehab and now he's in outpatient sober care," Page Six conveyed in February. "He is doing well, although he is still not ready to return to work." Well it's good to have you back now, Kid Gorgeous.

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