The daily gossip: Ben Affleck sent some 'loving' emails, Demi Lovato is going to prove aliens are real, and more

(Image credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

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1. Email is Ben Affleck's love language
2. Demi Lovato will try to prove aliens are real in a new show
3. Drake named Billboard Artist of the Decade
4. Tom Brady flirts with bitcoin
5. Leonardo DiCaprio was, in fact, recognizable in first photos of new Scorsese film

published 11 May 2021

1. Email is Ben Affleck's love language

How does one rekindle a romance after a 17-year hiatus? If you're Ben Affleck, it's with a series of "loving and longing" emails to ex-fiancé Jennifer Lopez. Affleck reportedly began emailing Lopez in February, and the correspondence continued through April. Cut to May and Lopez and fiance Alex Rodriguez are broken up, and she spent a week in Montana with Affleck, prompting everyone to wonder what the heck was in those emails. TMZ reports Affleck told Lopez she looked beautiful in photos and that he wished he could be with her in the Dominican Republic. It's not earth-shattering, but it seemed to work on Lopez, who wrote that Affleck could "own her heart" with his pen. The real question is did Affleck's email address match his finsta handle: PositiveAttitudeHunting@gmail.com, perhaps?

She's dancing with the devil and with the aliens. Demi Lovato is set to host a new four-part unscripted series from Peacock called Unidentified With Demi Lovato, which will follow her "quest" to prove that aliens exist. "Demi plans to learn enough about the extra-terrestrials through interviewing scientists, alien abductees, and her own experiments to initiate those close encounters and make peace with the aliens, and ultimately save ourselves," the streamer declared. The series will revolve around Lovato, her sister Dallas Lovato, and her "skeptical" best friend Matthew Scott Montgomery. Exploring alien life is nothing new for the singer, who "made contact" in October. If any aliens are reading this, know that Lovato comes in peace.

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If the whole candle thing doesn't work out, it looks like Drake will at least have a lasting career in the music industry. The rapper was named Billboard's Artist of the Decade, an award he'll receive at the Billboard Music Awards on May 23. The honor is based on chart performance from December 2009 through September 2019 — winners for the 1990s and 2000s were Mariah Carey and Eminem, respectively. Champagne Papi beat out Taylor Swift for the award, with Bruno Mars, Rihanna, and Adele rounding out the top five artists of the 2010s. But of course, Drake came out on top in accordance with God's Plan.

Tom Brady may or may not be "negotiating his salary to be paid in bitcoin," but he's certainly having fun playing up the rumors, according to The Hustle. On Monday, the reigning Super Bowl champion changed his Twitter profile picture to an image of him with red laser eyes, in a trend popular among crypto influencers and investors. When BlockWorks Group co-founder Jason Yanowitz shared Brady's profile pic change by claiming the Buccaneers quarterback "is loading up on bitcoin," Brady further fueled speculation by joking "Hmmmm should I change it??" Meanwhile, in case cryptocurrency didn't already feel inescapable, Elon Musk tweeted this weekend that SpaceX is launching a satellite called Doge-1 to make Dogecoin both the "1st crypto" and "1st meme in space."

People on the internet recognized Leonardo DiCaprio in the first photos of him from the new Martin Scorsese film, despite the New York Post claiming that "Leonardo DiCaprio [is] unrecognizable in first photos of new Scorsese film." The image shared clearly depicts a man who could be no one other than Leonardo DiCaprio, sitting beside the actress Lily Gladstone on the set of Killers of the Flower Moon — although the Post dubiously alleged that DiCaprio's "notably plain-looking" appearance might throw people off. It didn't: "I recognize him," The Daily Beast's Molly Jong-Fast replied. "That's literally what he looks like," said artist Adam Ellis.

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.