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11:30 AM ET, January 23, 2025

WeSmirch

 Top News: 
Brent Lang / Variety:
Benedict Cumberbatch Tells All on Doctor Strange's Future, His New Sundance Film and Not Being Your Typical Movie Star: 'I'm Not Brad, I'm Not Leo'  —  Benedict Cumberbatch doesn't like to overshare, but sometimes he just can't help himself.  —  Take the two hours we spend …
RELATED:
Brian Gallagher / Daily Mail:
Benedict Cumberbatch reveals he was KIDNAPPED while on location in South Africa: ‘It made me impatient to live a life less ordinary’  —  Benedict Cumberbatch is opening up about a terrifying experience that helped shape his life in an unusual way over 20 years ago.
Discussion: People
Tommy McArdle / People:   Benedict Cumberbatch Says He Is Not Like Brad Pitt or Leonardo DiCaprio While Discussing Sex Symbol Status: ‘Weirdly Navel-Gazing’
Nelson George / The Nelson George Mixtape:
RIP BARRY MICHAEL COOPER  —  Barry Michael Cooper died today in Baltimore, according to his son Mathew.  It'll take me a minute to gather all my thoughts, but just wanted to thank him for recommending to Robert Christgau at the Village Voice when I was trying to write for the Riffs section back in 1981.
RELATED:
TMZ.com:
Barry Michael Cooper, ‘New Jack City’ Writer, Dead at 66
Discussion: Vibe and Daily Mail
Thomas Cooper / Stoke on Trent Live:
Choir ‘legend’ Lorna dies aged 98 after decades entertaining audiences  —  She founded the Lorna Spode Consult  —  A ‘strong’ woman well known for award-winning role in North Staffordshire's music scene has died at the age of 98.  Lorna Spode, of Hempstalls, was left too weak to stave off …
Discussion: The Mirror and The Sun
RELATED:
Daily Star:
Award-winning BBC star dies aged 98 after dementia battle as she's branded ‘strong lady’  —  Lorna Spode, who was known for founding the Lorna Spode Consort, passed away earlier this month after a battle with dementia.  She was described as a “strong lady”  —  dailystar
TMZ.com:
‘Mob Wives’ Star Natalie DiDonato Found Safe in Nevada, Mom Says  —  ‘MOB WIVES’ STAR NATALIE DIDONATO SAFE & SOUND IN NEVADA, MOM SAYS ... IDs Stolen, Not Injured  —  EXCLUSIVE … Natalie DiDonato — the “Mob Wives” star who went missing earlier this week — is safe and sound …
TMZ.com:
MARIANO RIVERA, WIFE CLARA ALLEGEDLY COVERED UP CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE  —  Mariano Rivera and his wife, Clara, allegedly covered up child sexual abuse that took place at their home and at one of their church's summer camps ... this according to a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports.
Nola Ojomu / Daily Mail:
Full list of Oscar nominations 2025: Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande land nods while Emilia Perez leads Academy Awards list  —  Wicked stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are among the big names who landed coveted Oscar nods at Thursday's Academy Award nominations event.
Alex Ross Perry / Vanity Fair:
Jeff Baena Is Gone, but the Creative Family He Nurtured Lives On  —  Fellow filmmaker Alex Ross Perry pays tribute to Aubrey Plaza's late husband, a discerning cineaste, Scrabble savant, and consummate master of ceremonies.  —  I could never put into words what Jeff Baena meant to those of us …
Discussion: Daily Mail and Us Weekly
RELATED:
Paige Strout / Us Weekly:
Jeff Baena's Friend Recalls His ‘Larger Than Any Other’ Personality
Discussion: RADAR
Tufayel Ahmed / Us Weekly:
Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards' Daughter Lola Details Baptism After Hitting ‘Rock Bottom’  —  Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards' daughter Lola Sheen is opening up about her spiritual journey.  —  Lola, 19, revealed Wednesday, January 22, that she recently got baptized after turning to Christ amid a difficult period in her life.
Kaitlin Simpson / Us Weekly:
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Files $50 Million Defamation Lawsuit Against Accuser, NewsNation and More  —  Sean “Diddy” Combs has filed a defamation lawsuit against one of his accusers, their attorney and NewsNation.  —  According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly, Diddy, 55 …
TMZ.com:
‘Selling Sunset’ Star Nicole Young on ‘Pause’ From Show Amid Chrishell Feud  —  ‘SELLING SUNSET’ STAR NICOLE YOUNG ON PAUSE AMID CHRISHELL FEUD … Nicole Young isn't currently “Selling Sunset” ... the real estate agent has been put on pause from the show ... TMZ has learned.
Ramla Jeylani / The Mirror:
Amy Schumer admits brutal comments about her ‘moon face’ led to health diagnosis  —  Trainwreck star Amy Schumer revealed that online comments about her ‘moon face’ led to her diagnosis of Cushing syndrome, a condition caused by excess cortisol in the body  —  Actress Amy Schumer revealed …
Discussion: The Sun, Daily Mail, FemaleFirst and People
Daily Mail:
Kardashians hairstylist Jen Atkin moving out of California after losing her $8million Malibu home in LA fires  —  Kim Kardashian's former hairstylist Jen Atkin has revealed that she and her family plan to move out of California after losing their Malibu mansion in the devastating LA fires.
Discussion: Just Jared
Carly Johnson / Daily Mail:
Oprah Winfrey reveals Ozempic made her realize the truth about ‘thin people’  —  Oprah Winfrey said taking weight-loss drugs, like Ozempic and Wegovy, helped her realize the truth about ‘thin people.’  —  In 2023, the media mogul, 70, finally admitted to using an undisclosed GLP-1 …
Dave Quinn / People:
Nneka Ihim's Bittersweet Baby News; RHOP Alum Reveals She's Pregnant but Lost Twin Sibling in Utero (Exclusive)  —  “There's trauma within the celebration,” the Bravo star tells PEOPLE in an emotional interview  —  Nneka Ihim is going to be a mom!  —  After over two years of trying …
Beatrice Verhoeven / The Hollywood Reporter:
Academy Says Oscars Will “Honor Los Angeles” Amid Wildfire Crisis  —  This year's ceremony will also “move away” from live performances and will instead focus on the songwriters. … “We will honor Los Angeles as the city of dreams, showcasing its beauty and resilience …
Natalia Penza / Daily Mail:
Influencer dies after going under general anaesthetic for a back tattoo  — Ricardo Godoi, 45, reportedly went into cardiac arrest at a private hospital  —  A Brazilian influencer has died after being given a general anaesthetic for a new full back tattoo.
GLAAD:
“Emilia Pérez” is Not Good Trans Representation  —  Now that “Emilia Pérez” is streaming on Netflix, more people are able to critique this profoundly retrograde portrayal of a trans woman.  —  While the film garnered rave reviews when it premiered at Cannes earlier this year …
Daniela Avila / People:
Country Singer Lauren Alaina Is Pregnant and Expecting First Baby with Husband Cam Arnold: ‘My Heart Grew’ (Exclusive)  —  “It's like I was the Grinch or something, and my heart grew,” Alaina tells PEOPLE of her pregnancy  —  Lauren Alaina is a mom-to-be!  —  PEOPLE can exclusively confirm …
Borys Kit / The Hollywood Reporter:
Robert Eggers Reteams with Focus Features for 13th Century Werewolf Thriller ‘Werwulf’ (Exclusive)  —  Eggers is coming off of ‘Nosferatu’ for the studio.  —  After tackling vampires with Nosferatu, filmmaker Robert Eggers is taking on another horror creature genre in his own inimitable style.
 
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 More News: 
Simon Perry / People:
Kate Middleton and Prince William Are ‘More Open’ and ‘Talk About Their Relationship,’ Source Says (Exclusive)
 Earlier Picks: 
TMZ.com:
Blake Lively & Ryan Reynolds Ask Court to Silence Justin Baldoni's Lawyer
Kaitlin Simpson / Us Weekly:
Soccer Stars Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris Finalize Divorce Nearly 2 Years After Their Initial Split (Exclusive)
Discussion: Extra
Kaitlyn Greenidge / Harper's BAZAAR:
Zoe Saldaña Takes Center Stage
Perez Hilton:
Blake Lively Reacts To Unedited It Ends With Us Footage — Claims It Actually Proves Her Harassment Claims Are True!
People:
Prince Harry Receives 8-Figure Sum in Damages After Settling Legal Battle Against Rupert Murdoch-Owned The Sun
 

 
From Mediagazer:

Financial Times:
OpenAI hopes the Disney deal boosts Sora, which has high costs and limited traction; Sensor Tower: users average 13 minutes per day on Sora vs. 90 on TikTok

Sara Guaglione / Digiday:
The Washington Post's new Your Personal Podcast, which offers AI-generated customizable podcasts, was developed under a multiyear agreement with ElevenLabs

Benjamin Mullin / New York Times:
Arkansas PBS severs ties with the PBS network, the first state public TV system to do so since Congress cut CPB funds, citing the annual $2M+ membership cost

 
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