True story: I’ve never seen Last Tango in Paris. I haven’t seen many of those “iconic” movies, because I’ll start to watch one for like ten minutes and then I’ll give up. Last Tango was like that – I think I rented it once, many years ago, and I couldn’t even got through the first ten minutes so I gave up. The story, as I understand, is that Marlon Brando plays an American divorcee in Paris, and he begins an affair with a young woman, played by actress Maria Schneider. Schneider was only 19 years old when she filmed the movie, which was directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. The film is famous for its graphic and sometimes violent sex scenes, and there is apparently one sex scene involving… a stick of butter. Well, I say “sex scene.” It was a rape scene. Maria Schneider has always said that she felt raped by Brando and Bertolucci in that scene. And now it seems like Bertolucci once admitted that he conspired with Brando to rape her on screen.

It’s known as one of the most infamous rape scenes in Hollywood history—but Last Tango in Paris director Bernardo Bertolucci admitted in a recently surfaced video that star Maria Schneider never consented to it. Instead, Bertolucci confessed in the 2013 clip that he and Marlon Brando came up with the idea to shoot the assault scene in which Brando’s character uses a stick of butter to rape Schneider on screen. At the time, Brando was 48. Schneider was just 19.

“The sequence of the butter is an idea that I had with Marlon in the morning before shooting,” Bertulocci said in an event held at La Cinémathèque Française in Paris in 2013. He added that he felt horrible “in a way” for his treatment of Schneider but defended himself, explaining that he “wanted her reaction as a girl, not as an actress.”

“I wanted her to react humiliated,” he said. “I think she hated me and also Marlon because we didn’t tell her.” Even so, Bertolucci clarified that he didn’t “regret” how he decided to direct the scene. “To obtain something I think you have to be completely free,” he said. “I didn’t want Maria to act her humiliation her rage, I wanted her to Maria to feel…the rage and humiliation. Then she hated me for all of her life.”

After Last Tango in Paris, Schneider never shot another nude scene. She struggled with drug addiction and depression following the attention the movie brought her. In an exclusive to the Daily Mail in 2007, Schneider wrote that she had felt violated by the experience.

“I felt humiliated and to be honest, I felt a little raped, both by Marlon and by Bertolucci,” she said. “After the scene, Marlon didn’t console me or [apologize]. Thankfully, there was just one take.”

[From Elle]

What’s strange is that I remember that there has been a conversation about this for years, because Schneider has always said that her experience on the film was terrible, and that she was mistreated by Brando and Bertolucci. But because Elle published this story about Bertolucci’s 2013 comments (how have these comments never been published before??), there’s suddenly a huge new outcry. Even celebrities are commenting about it now.

To all the people that love this film- you’re watching a 19yr old get raped by a 48yr old man. The director planned her attack. I feel sick. https://t.co/qVDom2gYf6

— Jessica Chastain (@jes_chastain) December 3, 2016

Inexcusable. As a director, I can barely fathom this. As a woman, I am horrified, disgusted and enraged by it. https://t.co/voGRhafy9K

— Ava DuVernay (@ava) December 4, 2016

Wow. I will never look at this film, Bertolucci or Brando the same way again. This is beyond disgusting. I feel rage https://t.co/uvaLogvv7I

— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) December 3, 2016

Photos courtesy of WENN, MGM.

Proud mom alert!

Pop superstar Madonna posted a photo of daughter Mercy James, 10, who earned four medals during a recent gymnastics competition. “Mercy James takes home 4 Medals!” the Material Mom, 58, Instagrammed the image.

As well, the Papa Don’t Preach singer shared a snapshot of Mercy holding hands with several other competitors on a podium.

“Go Mercy James!!! It’s all about team Work!” wrote the proud mom.

Her daughter’s competition comes just days after the pop star said she was “still in love” with ex-husband Sean Penn onstage at a charity gala she hosted in Miami on Friday night.

“I’m still in love with you,” the Holiday hitmaker told Penn, as seen in video on Bethenny Frankel’s Snapchat.

The event raised more than $7.5 million for Malawi, the birthplace of Mercy and her 11-year-old brother David.

Mercy James takes home 4 Medals!

A photo posted by Madonna (@madonna) on Dec 4, 2016 at 1:11pm PST

Go Mercy James!!! It’s all about team Work! A photo posted by Madonna (@madonna) on Dec 4, 2016 at 1:17pm PST

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Lamaz class went……interesting. @petamurgatroyd was the worst student in class, but I don’t blame her cause it was a million hours long and we’ve been shown waaaaaaaay too much stuff! My hair is indicative of the ‘stuff’ we’ve witnessed. #traumatized #NothingToHashtag

A video posted by @maksimc on Dec 3, 2016 at 9:28am PST

Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Peta Murgatroyd of DWTS got engaged about a year ago and announced they were expecting this June. Peta had a visible baby bump at that time so, doing the math, she must be due soon. She’s due soon enough to take Lamaze birth preparation classes, only that didn’t work out so well because she and Maksim got kicked out of the first one. We know because Maksim recorded a video about it and posted it to Instagram. You can see that above and in case you can’t listen to it here’s what they said:

Maksim: “Baby, what just happened? What did we do?”
Peta: “Our first Lamaze class.”
Maksim: “We got kicked out because Peta was misbehaving and not listening to anything. This baby is going to be a disaster”
[Peta laughs]

Is this cute or really rude? Part of me thinks it takes a special kind of a-hole to not only get kicked out of a birthing class but to be so unapologetic about it to post a video to Instagram. On the other hand, she’s pregnant and the material can be uncomfortable and a lot to deal with at once, as Maksim wrote. I get being uncomfortable in birthing class, I know I skipped the last three Bradley Method classes thinking it was too far to drive, too much work and I had it in the bag. I ended up instantly regretting that decision when it came time to push during labor and I had no clue how hard it would be. (I had the relaxation part down though.) At least have the common decency to respect the other parents who are there or, barring that, be sufficiently sorry and embarrassed that you behaved so badly in class you got booted. The fact that both Maksim and Peta thought this was funny and weren’t mortified by it speaks to the fact that they’re perfect for each other.

Embed from Getty Images

The first full trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 dropped over the weekend—thanks to a Comic Con event in Brazil—and jumping off that brag video from a couple months ago, it’s FANTASTIC. They’re still not giving us anything about the plot and we still haven’t seen the new characters playe…

‘Tis the season!

Saved by the Bell star Tiffani Thiessen was all smiles with her two children – daughter Harper, 6, and son Holt, 17 months – at the 6th Annual Santa’s Secret Workshop in West Hollywood, Calif., benefiting L.A. Family Housing.

After the fun family event, the Beverly Hills, 90210 alum, 42, Instagrammed a festive photo.

“Always a fun day celebrating the holidays w/ @scoutmasterson @thebillhorn for #ssw16,” she captioned the image of her kids playing in the fake snow.

The actress and husband Brady Smith recently shared shots during their Thanksgiving getaway in Hawaii.

The mom-of-two recently returned to the small screen in her special, Christmas at Tiffani’s, which premiered Dec. 4 on the Cooking Channel.

Always a fun day celebrating the holidays w/ @scoutmasterson @thebillhorn for #ssw16

A photo posted by Tiffani Thiessen (@tiffanithiessen) on Dec 3, 2016 at 7:08pm PST

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When we last checked in on Paris Hilton, she was proudly announcing that she voted for Donald Trump because, in her words, “I’ve known him since I’m a little girl.” That right there was pretty much Peak America, by the way. In any case, we’ve known exactly what Paris Hilton is for many, many years: an absolute idiot. She’s dumb like a fox in that she was the pioneer famewhore who was famous for nothing, but Paris’s heyday has long since passed and dumb is forever. But to hear Paris tell it, she’s secretly been brilliant this whole time and she was merely playing dumb many years ago and that image just stuck. Yeah. That excuse is older than “I just seem like a bitch because of the editing.”

Paris Hilton is a name that signifies glitz, money, blonde jokes and, now, a $2 billion empire. That’s right, Hilton reveals to Access Hollywood that she doesn’t want to be known as a ditz anymore. With 17 product lines and 70 overseas stores, she’s built a business empire and is ready for people to recognize it.

“I am a very hardworking businesswoman and entrepreneur, and that’s what I want to be known as now,” shares the hotel heiress. The 35-year-old credits the producers of her breakout reality show The Simple Life with her frivolous persona, explaining, “They said ‘Nicole you play the trouble maker, Paris you play the ditzy airhead.’ We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into or what a huge success it would be and that I’d have to continue playing this character for five years. You kind of just get trapped in that character when you have to continue doing it on a TV show,” she says. Despite Hilton’s honest musings around the dumb blond persona, she admits she’s benefited because she “was in on the joke.”

“I don’t mind because I feel like I really parlayed it into a huge business and it was a lot of fun,” she says. “I think if I was my serious self on the show it wouldn’t have been such a huge success.”

The show may be gone and she may be past her hard-partying socialite days, but Hilton is still still holds court in the style arena, with fashionistas like Kate Middleton spotted wearing the same dresses she’s donned.

Hilton rewards herself for her hard work with a sparkling rock on her figure, which she dubs her “good luck diamond.”

She says, “I feel like I’ve worked really hard so I like to treat myself.”

[From People]

I do feel like Paris is taking a page out of Donald Trump’s book of just throwing out a number and claiming that’s what she’s worth. In this case, are we just supposed to take her word for it that her “empire” is worth $2 billion? Because I don’t believe it. I’m sure there are places in the world where Paris’s perfume or whatever still sells, but $2 billion? Nah. As for Paris only playing dumb for her branding… I’ve seen her in interviews. She really is that mind-numbingly stupid. No joke.

Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet.

“Chère Meli, La dernière année a été très mouvementée avec la naissance des jumeaux (Loïc et Cléo) qui auront 1 an lundi le 5, la rentrée à la maternelle de Rafael et l’ouverture par Anthony de votre boutique Kids at home !!!… tu gères le tout si facilement … je t’admire et t’aime beaucoup! B…

Single mom Kimberly Stewart posted a festive photo of daughter Delilah, 5, via Instagram Sunday.

“How do you say no to the pink Christmas tree when she gives you that face?,” the model-actress, 37, captioned the cute snapshot.

In October, we spotted the granddaughter of legendary rocker Rod Stewart sitting amid a pile of pumpkins.

Stewart and Academy Award-winning actor Benicio del Toro welcomed their daughter on Aug. 21, 2011.

The actor, 49, is busy with at least two films in the works. He will be starring in a Cuban-American crime saga called The Corporation, and Star Wars: Episode VIII.

How do you say no to the pink Christmas tree when she gives you that face?

A photo posted by Kimberly Stewart (@thekimberlystewart) on Dec 4, 2016 at 12:32pm PST

For the most part, I could take or leave Jamie Oliver. I realize many people like him, but I’m mostly meh on him. I want to say that he’s “preachy,” but that’s not really the right word. He’s sort of in the archetype of the hipster dad who gives his kids twee names and is obsessed with everything being “natural,” and I’m just not into it. Different strokes, etc. Anyway, Jamie covers the new issue of Good Housekeeping UK, and I did find his interview pretty interesting. He talks openly about how Brexit is going to do serious damage to the British restaurant industry and how his older daughters watched their baby brother being born (because it was an all-natural home birth). Some highlights:

He’s now 41 years old: “I would like to be 30 forever, although I quite like being 41. Dare I say it, I don’t think I’m a vain person, but I quite like how I feel and look. I am fitter than I’ve been in recent years. I am back in the game now! I am aware of getting old, though, and a little bit aware of my cheese-grater forehead when I concentrate. I’m definitely thinking about my mortality, but it’s only bringing out positive things.”

He’s never touched Botox, but he did have his first manicure: “I thought it was just for girls, but I loved it. My hands were massaged and I felt like a cat.”

He knows women feel more pressure as they age: “It’s harder for women than it is for me. But if you Google Jamie Oliver images, it’s a comedy show. Those haircuts! I was 23 when I started The Naked Chef. I’m 41 now. I don’t feel the pressure, but I am constantly reminded that I have grown up on TV.”

His thoughts on Brexit: “If it affects me, it will affect every restaurant and every farm and everyone in the food industry, which is the biggest industry on the planet.” He says Brexit will make it even harder for restaurants to find workers. “We are constantly short-staffed. We haven’t got queues of people wanting jobs. We haven’t got enough chefs. It’s an impossibility that Britain can function without European staff. As far as I’m told by the Government, it is going to be law that every restaurant has to have apprenticeships, which is kind of cute and nice, but you can’t force it if there is no one who wants it.”

The home birth of son River Rocket three months ago: “As soon as the baby was out and safe, we got the nod – [my daughter Poppy Honey Rosie] cut the umbilical cord! To see my two teenagers watch their mum [Jools] was extraordinary. It was the right age for them, the right scenario for us, and I witnessed their initial raw emotion as the little one was handed to them. I know they respect their mum now even more than they already did. It was an amazing show of strength. It’s only controversial to really strange people! Most of the world has home births, and different countries have different habits. It was an idea from Mum and the kids, and we gave it lots of thought.”

[From Good Housekeeping UK, People Magazine]

I’m not going to wade into the home birth debate – it’s a choice every woman should make for herself, and it seems clear that Jamie’s wife was the one who decided to do a home birth, etc. I don’t even have a problem with the older daughters watching their mom give birth, mostly because I think that’s the kind of scarring experience which will keep them from having sex until they’re in their 20s. The real key to abstinence is brutal and full education about the mechanics of childbirth, I’ve always thought. That being said, having your teenage daughter cut the cord? That’s sort of a step too far, just my opinion.

As for what he says about Brexit and how it will affect the British restaurant industry… that’s interesting. I believe him. He owns an Italian restaurant chain in Britain, plus several restaurants in London, and he employs many EU workers, including foreign chefs. Apparently, Britain is facing a major drought of culinary talent when Brexit comes through, although it’s a mixed bag. Eater had an interesting story about it here. The whole thing sounds like a giant mess.

Cover courtesy of Good Housekeeping UK, additional photos courtesy of WENN.

Oscar and Grammy Award-winner Jennifer Hudson rocked the red carpet with son David, 7, at the Los Angeles premiere of Sing on Saturday (December 3).

The mom-of-one, 35, wowed in a white, floor-length dress featured a V-shaped neckline and a high front slit.

Meanwhile, David rocked stylish shades while walking the red carpet with his famous mama.

The singer-actress, who portrays Young Nana Noodleman in the animated film, shared a fashion photo from the red carpet.

“@jmendel for this amazing gown! @micaelaerlanger for styling me in it and @kiyahwright1 @shannonpezzetta my original glam squad for life !” she Instagrammed the image.

Sing is set to hit theaters on Dec. 21.

@jmendel for this amazing gown! @micaelaerlanger for styling me in it and @kiyahwright1 @shannonpezzetta my original glam squad for life !

A photo posted by Jennifer Hudson (@iamjhud) on Dec 4, 2016 at 11:46am PST

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