Elizabeth Wagmeister Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Elizabeth Wagmeister Chief Correspondent On the Season 4 premiere of “The Kardashians,” Kim Kardashian and Kourtney Kardashian Barker get into a heated argument. The storyline has been brewing since last season, but fans of the famous family know that the two sisters have been at it for years. But this time seems different.

Elizabeth Wagmeister is joining CNN as correspondent covering entertainment, based in Los Angeles.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Variety chief correspondent and rising star Elizabeth Wagmeister is heading to CNN, where she’ll cover the entertainment beat for the news cabler, based in Los Angeles. Wagmeister was a driving force who helped Variety reclaim its role as the most-read, No.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Chief Correspondent Britney Spears says she had an abortion during her relationship with Justin Timberlake. Spears makes the revelation in her upcoming book, “The Woman In Me.” This week, Spears appears on the cover of People magazine, which published the first excerpts from the book. “Justin definitely wasn’t happy about the pregnancy.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Chief Correspondent Dana Walden sent a staff-wide memo to all of Disney Entertainment on Friday, reflecting on the past week since Hamas struck Israel in a deadly and devastating war. “Tomorrow marks one week since the world changed forever with the worst attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust,” Walden wrote in a memo, exclusively obtained by Variety.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Chief Correspondent In a strong sign of support of Israel from Hollywood, more than 700 figures from the entertainment industry have signed an open letter to condemn Hamas and demand the safe return of hostages being held in Gaza. The letter is the first major move from the entertainment industry, as Israel has been under attack.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Chief Correspondent During an impassioned segment on MSNBC, Donny Deutsch slammed Hollywood and corporate America for their silence amid Hamas’ deadly attacks on Israel. “I don’t understand the silence from Hollywood. I don’t understand the silence from corporate America.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Chief Correspondent Six years after the #MeToo hashtag took off with the bombshell exposés against Harvey Weinstein, a new survey has found that a promising number of employees in the entertainment industry feel progress has been made in Hollywood. WIF, the nonprofit organization formerly known as Women In Film, conducted a survey last month where the majority of respondents said the culture in Hollywood has improved, with experiences of abuse and misconduct being reduced by 33.7% compared to the previous year. The survey results, obtained by Variety, show that 59% of respondents believe that the culture around abuse, harassment and misconduct in Hollywood has improved over the last year.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Chief Correspondent Last week, “The Golden Bachelor” premiered, launching a new twist on an old franchise that has everyone talking. The show premiered to strong ratings, with 7.7 million viewers watching on ABC, in delayed viewing and streaming on Hulu, delivering the strongest debut performance from a “Bachelor” series in three years.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Chief Correspondent Julia Ormond, the English actress best known for her roles in ’90s films such as “Legends of the Fall,” “First Knight” and “Smilla’s Sense of Snow,” is suing Harvey Weinstein for sexual battery. Ormond is additionally suing CAA, The Walt Disney Company and Miramax.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Chief Correspondent After a cross-country move from L.A. to NYC and surviving the writers strike, “The Kelly Clarkson Show” will return with its fifth season on Oct. 16.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Chief Correspondent “Did you see Gabby?” asks Colton Underwood. “I knew I wasn’t the only one!” Sitting on a deep couch sipping coffee and kombucha in the Los Angeles home he shares with his husband of four months and their dogs, Underwood is talking about Gabby Windey, a former star of “The Bachelorette.” On the day of this conversation in August, Windey had just come out on social media, revealing that she is dating a woman.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Chief Correspondent Less than 24 hours after the WGA reached a tentative deal to end the 146-day strike, Variety has learned that “Dancing With the Stars” is moving ahead with its planned premiere date, after all. ABC confirmed that “Dancing With the Stars” will premiere on Tuesday, Sept. 26, and will be simulcast live on Disney+.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Chief Correspondent As rehearsals for “Dancing With the Stars” are being picketed by the WGA, the other union currently on strike — SAG-AFTRA — is backing the “DWTS” cast members. In a firm statement to Variety, a spokesperson for SAG-AFTRA says that performers on the ABC competition series are not only not violating the strike rules by participating in the show, but that they are required to fulfill their contractual obligations with the show.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Chief Correspondent It’s 6:34 a.m., and the sun is rising as Gerry Turner hands out his final rose of the night. His bedtime came and went long ago. Giddy producers are watching him from a control room, 11 hours into an overnight shoot that’s not done yet.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Chief Correspondent The “Dancing With the Stars” premiere will more-than-likely be delayed next week as talent has begun dropping out of the show, amid rising pressures during the WGA strike. “Veep” actor Matt Walsh, who is part of the Season 32 cast, is “taking a pause” from the ABC dance competition show until an agreement is made with the WGA, and says he hopes to join the show again. Walsh is a member of WGA, SAG-AFTRA and the DGA.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Chief Correspondent “The Jennifer Hudson Show” has pushed back its previously-planned premiere date and paused production amid backlash during the writers strike, Variety has learned. Jennifer Hudson’s talk show was supposed to premiere its new season on Monday, Sept. 18.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Chief Correspondent “The Talk” has pushed back its return, following Drew Barrymore’s decision to pause her talk show, amid criticism during the writers strike. “’The Talk’ is pausing its season premiere scheduled for September 18.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Chief Correspondent As Drew Barrymore digs herself into a deeper hole regarding the return of her daytime talk show, lost in the debate is a conversation about the peculiar nature of syndicated TV. One week ago, Barrymore ignited a firestorm when she announced her talk show would be returning amid the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. In the week since, tensions worsened and Barrymore, normally well-liked for her good-natured personality, intensified that criticism when she doubled down with a second, now-deleted, video message.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Chief Correspondent Drew Barrymore is offering up an explanation as to why her daytime talk show is returning, amid fierce criticism during the writers strike. “I believe there’s nothing I can do or say in this moment to make it OK,” Barrymore said on Friday afternoon, in an emotional video she posted on her Instagram. “I wanted to own a decision, so that it wasn’t a PR-protected situation, and I would just take full responsibility for my actions.” A tearful Barrymore continued, “I know there is just nothing I can do that will make this OK to those that it is not OK with.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Chief Correspondent Danny Masterson has been sentenced to30 years in prison, after being convicted for rape earlier this year. Masterson, best known for starring on the hit Fox sitcom “That 70’s Show” and in Netflix’s “The Ranch,” was facing a potential sentence of 30 years to life in prison. The actor, who maintains his innocence, was convicted on two of three forcible rape charges this past May.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Chief Correspondent Ever since “The Golden Bachelor” was announced, fans (and critics) have been wondering if the female contestants would be well, age appropriate, for the show’s senior citizen star. Or, would executives cast women of a different generation to date 72-year-old leading man, Gerry Turner? Now, that question has been answered, and these ladies are indeed fabulously mature, showing that age is nothing but a number. Love knows no limits, and “The Golden Bachelor” will showcase love stories for the golden years in life — something that is rarely seen in Hollywood, a notoriously ageist town.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Chief Correspondent After multiple legal letters have been sent to NBCUniversal regarding the treatment of the company’s reality stars — a fight that was kickstarted by former “Real Housewives” star Bethenny Frankel — Bravo is firing back, by clarifying on the record that the network does not silence cast members through non-disclosure agreements. Frankel has been vocal that she wants reality TV stars get better working conditions, payment, protections and possibly unionize.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Chief Correspondent If you haven’t watched the finale of “The Bachelorette” Season 20 yet, you may not know that Charity Lawson and Dotun Olubeko are happily engaged. If you are part of Bachelor Nation, you absolutely know that the winning duo is one of the strongest couples to come out of the dating franchise in over two decades. On this week’s final episode of Lawson’s season, the star of “The Bachelorette” was torn between her two finalists: Olubeko and Joey Graziadei, who was announced as “The Bachelor” lead for its upcoming 28th season that will air in 2024.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Chief Correspondent SPOILER ALERT: Do not read ahead if you have not watched “The Bachelorette” Season 20 finale with Charity Lawson, which aired August 21 on ABC. When one door closes, another opens. That mantra is certainly the truth for Joey Graziadei, a contestant on “The Bachelorette” who got his heart broken on national TV, only to learn moments later that he’s been selected as ABC’s next star of “The Bachelor.” Graziadei was the runner-up on “The Bachelorette” Season 20, starring leading lady Charity Lawson.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Chief Correspondent SPOILER ALERT: Do not read ahead if you have not watched “The Bachelorette” Season 20 finale with Charity Lawson, which aired August 21 on ABC. Leading lady Charity Lawson is now an engaged woman. After a shocking twist that saw Lawson breaking up with contestant, Xavier Bonner, during a one-on-one date where he confessed his past infidelity, “The Bachelorette” star surprised her remaining men by welcoming back Aaron Bryant, one of her suitors who was previously sent home. With that, Lawson’s final rose ceremony — before the proposal rose ceremony — ended up including three finalists: Bryant, Dotun Olubeko and Joey Graziadei.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Chief Correspondent “The Bachelor” franchise is moving to Thursdays this fall, and that includes a new season of “Bachelor In Paradise.” And if the first trailer for Season 9 is any indication, Thursday nights will be more dramatic than ever. In true “Bachelor In Paradise” form, the trailer starts with a couple making out on the sand — only to be totally wiped out by a wave.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Chief Correspondent Britney Spears has spoken out for the first time to address news of her divorce, which broke earlier this week. Posting on Instagram, along with a video of her dancing, Spears confirmed that she and her husband of 14 months, Sam Asghari — whose birth name is Hesam Asghari — have split. “As everyone knows, Hesam and I are no longer together,” Spears wrote in her caption.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Chief Correspondent The last time filmmaker Lana Wilson chronicled the life of a global superstar, she followed Taylor Swift in “Miss Americana,” which opened Sundance in 2020. Three years later, Wilson was back at the Park City festival with another documentary that debuted to a packed theater and rave reviews: “Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields.” Wilson — who was nominated for an Emmy for directing the Hulu and ABC News documentary about Brooke Shields — has showcased her ability to tap into great emotional depths, rarely publicly seen, of two of the most famous women on the planet.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Chief Correspondent Britney Spears and her husband Sam Asghari have separated after 14 months of marriage, and Variety has learned the pop star is being represented by a dream team of Hollywood lawyers as she prepares for a divorce. Spears has retained top divorce lawyer to the stars, Laura Wasser, and will continue to work with her powerhouse attorney, Mathew Rosengart, a former federal prosecutor who famously got her out of her conservatorship and out of the hands of her father’s control, Variety hears.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Chief Correspondent The first project that Netflix greenlit after inking a mega-deal with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, is finally coming. More than two years after the streamer gave the go to “Heart of Invictus,” the docuseries will debut Aug.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Chief Correspondent Filmmaker Emma Cooper had to turn her notifications off. The director of Netflix’s “Depp v. Heard” knew that by diving back into the trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, her latest project would attract a lot of commentary online.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Chief Correspondent “The View” will welcome back all of its co-hosts next season, keeping moderator Whoopi Goldberg at the table alongside fellow returnees Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, Alyssa Farah Griffin and Ana Navarro for Season 27, Variety has learned exclusively. The co-hosts’ return for another season comes as “The View” ended the 2022-2023 TV season on a high note, ranking No. 1 among all daytime talk shows among both households and total viewers.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Chief Correspondent After years in development, ABC’s senior citizen spinoff of “The Bachelor” is finally underway — and Variety has the first interview with the leading man himself since production has begun. Still weeks away from “The Golden Bachelor” premiere this fall, Gerry Turner, a 71-year-old grandpa from Indiana, is currently filming his season at “The Bachelor” mansion in Los Angeles, Calif., in hopes of finding love later in life.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Chief Correspondent For years, Keltie Knight has been interviewing Hollywood’s biggest stars. A longtime entertainment correspondent, the on-air personality has rubbed shoulders with A-listers on red carpets, at premieres and award shows. Now, she’s recruiting those stars to appear on her own show, “Superfan,” which premieres Wednesday night on CBS.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Chief Correspondent The biggest YouTube star in the world — Jimmy Donaldson, aka MrBeast — is being sued by Virtual Dining Concepts, the ghost kitchen company that operates his virtual restaurant chain, MrBeast Burger. Virtual Dining Concepts and Celebrity Virtual Dining (VDC) are suing the YouTuber and his Beast Investments for failing to honor his contractual obligations, as well as intentional tortious interference.