Brad Pitt was in China yesterday to promote Allied. Which is interesting, because a few weeks ago, we were wondering if he was going to do any promotion at all. I sort of half-admire the way the studio has worked it out just to appease Brad: the trip to China didn’t involve any interviews. It was a “fan event” and Brad took selfies with happy fans and posed for photos and no one got him to say one word. So, all of the heavy lifting for actual WORDS has gone to Marion Cotillard, who was rumored to be Brad’s lover at one point (although she’s sort of denied it). Marion told Entertainment Tonight that Brad “is such a good man… Of course he’s an amazing actor. He’s such a good person that it’s really not difficult to get along with him.” She also said she didn’t expect to get along with him and she was pleasantly surprised that they had chemistry together. And check out what she said about their sex scenes:

At one point in the movie, the onscreen lovebirds get busy in the back of a car in the middle of a sandstorm. It may look steamy, but Cotillard said it took a lot of practice to make the scene look natural.

“We rehearse and had a very determined choreography, and then it allows you freedom. When you know exactly what your body will do, then you can act and you can be free to give the emotions and give the feelings because you won’t think, ‘What am I going to do next? Am I going to go on top of him?’ It’s an awkward situation,” she told reporters during an L.A. press conference Sunday, November 13. “We laughed because you need to get it out because this is so weird. And so you get this time of looking at each other and saying, ‘OK, this is so weird.’ And then we go into this and then I’m going on top of you and then we are going to kiss.”

The French actress, 41, helped her costar, 52, learn her native tongue since he speaks a bit of French in the film. “He had this commitment to do the best he could, which was really, really impressive, so I helped him by being very tough,” she said. “I was very honest with him. But at the same time, I really wanted to support him in this process that I went through, and I know how hard it is.”

[From Us Weekly]

As an old-school Brangeloonie (and now merely an Angeloonie), this made me uncomfortable. It feels like an awkward dance for Marion – who is probably five or six months pregnant – to describe her robotic sex scenes with a then-married Brad Pitt, all the while trying to convince people that they have an enormous amount of chemistry, but not too much chemistry because the baby is totally Guillaume Canet’s, right? I don’t know. Ugh.

Meanwhile, several days ago, The Sun dropped a story about how Brad totally has “dynamite tapes” of Angelina Jolie being a bad mother or something. I was surprised by how many outlets picked up this story, mostly because it sounds like the fever dreams of some crazy Angelina-hater.

Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet.

Cute pair!

The Ranch star Ashton Kutcher stepped out with daughter Wyatt, 2, in Studio City, Calif. on Monday (November 14). While heading into preschool, the adorable toddler carried her Peppa Pig lunch bag into class.

While returning to the car, the Jobs actor, 38, stopped to talk to a police officer before taking his card.

On Sunday, we spotted Ashton and wife, Bad Moms star Mila Kunis, enjoying breakfast with their daughter in Beverly Hills. Ready to welcome their second child any day now, Kunis, 33, looked lovely in maternity jeans and a striped top.

Last week, we spotted the expectant mama also chatting with a police officer in L.A.

On Halloween night, we saw Mila and Wyatt trick-or-treating in their L.A. neighborhood.

And last month, we spotted Mila and Ashton at the Dodgers game in L.A.

The couple expect their second child – a son – any day now.

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Every single day brings some kind of fresh hell with America’s first fascist president. We’re now coming up on one week exactly since Donald Trump surprised every pollster, political reporter and establishment figure by winning the electoral college. Incidentally, as the final vote tallies come in, it’s looking more and more like Hillary Clinton won the popular vote decisively by something like 800,000 votes. She also just won New Hampshire. Ugh. God, this is so depressing. Anyway, what’s on today’s spreadsheet of misery, corruption, nepotism and bigotry? Some assorted stories:

Donald Trump’s kids to get security clearances? Trump’s adult children – mostly Eric, Don Jr. and Ivanka – have all been added as advisers to Trump’s transition team, along with Ivanka’s husband Jared Kushner. What’s weird is that Trump is also trying to put all of his businesses in his kids’ hands too, which is absolutely unethical and a conflict of interest. Now, to top it all off, Trump’s people have been asking if it would be possible for his kids to get high-level security clearances. There’s also the belief that Trump would use some or all of his kids as advisors in his administration, but he just wouldn’t pay them (a loophole to federal law). Baron Trump for Treasury! Ivanka for Homeland Security!

Steve Bannon is a divisive hire, who would have thought. When GLENN BECK is saying the Bannon is a racist nutjob, maybe that’s a sign. Progressives can complain all day long about Bannon being named a chief strategist to President-elect Trump, but it might be conservatives who get Bannon out of there. Even Glenn Beck thinks Bannon’s “ties to white nationalists” are frightening and out-there. In fact, the only people who are actually pleased with Bannon’s position are… white supremacists. Like, the KKK is jazzed about it. No one else.

Rudy Giuliani is the next divisive hire. Forget Steve Bannon (no, don’t forget about him). Rudy Giuliani is the new WTF-hire. Sources think Giuliani is going to end up as Trump’s Secretary of State. Oh, good. A silver lining here is that apparently the tensions within the Trump transition team are so roiling that sources compared the atmosphere to a “knife fight.” Maybe someone should actually give them knives and let them figure it out?

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Photos courtesy of Getty, Fame/Flynet.

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Well, well. Just so you know, I’m not one of those people hoping for a Tiddles reconciliation. Tom Hiddleston may or may not have dumped Taylor Swift in September – I believe he did, in fact, do the dumping – but I feel strongly that there will be no Tiddles 2.0. HER fans might want it, but his fans? The fans that didn’t abandon him following the super-embarrassing Tiddlebanging World Tour don’t want a Tiddles reunion. I think Tom knows it would be a disaster of epic proportions. Which is perhaps why he’s trying to let people know that he enjoys the company of other women. Tom was spotted out with a mystery blonde in Hampstead yesterday:

EXCLUSIVE: Tom Hiddleston steps out with Taylor Swift lookalike https://t.co/2bq1SUH6rC pic.twitter.com/uuN5uLG0zS

— Daily Mail Celebrity (@DailyMailCeleb) November 14, 2016

To me, this young woman does not look like Taylor Swift whatsoever, no matter what the Daily Mail believes. She also looks… young. Not jailbait, but early 20s. Taylor turns 27 years old in December. So it begins… Taylor has already reached an age when her exes move on with someone younger. I’ll say something nice to Taylor: if Tom is dating someone in her early 20s, he’s the one who looks foolish. Almost as foolish as he looked dating you. (Whoops, that wasn’t so nice after all.)

Meanwhile, I keep forgetting that we’re going to get another major Hiddlesblitz in the new year. Kong: Skull Island comes out on March 10, and everyone is really hoping that this is hit. Which means the Dancing, Prancing Tommy Hiddles is going to be out in full force on the promotional trail. I’m just spitballing, but does anyone else think that Taylor will be releasing her album around the same time? LOL. Also: my guess is that he’ll even be given a prime presenting slot at the Oscars. And you know how Taylor Swift loves the Vanity Fair Oscar party. So… some gossip to look forward to. The studio released two more teasers ahead of the second trailer:

He’s King around here. Three days. #kongskullisland pic.twitter.com/c6fbP3vsDm

— Kong: Skull Island (@kongskullisland) November 13, 2016

There’s nowhere to hide. Two days. #kongskullisland pic.twitter.com/6EvdWTn1a8

— Kong: Skull Island (@kongskullisland) November 14, 2016

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Photos courtesy of Getty.

Gossip Cop has a long history of having insider confirmation on the Sexiest Man Alive pick at least a couple of days before People makes the announcement. So when they say that Dwayne Johnson, whom we know as The Rock, is the new Sexiest Man Alive then I have confidence that they’re right. Even if they’re not correct, and chances are low, I think The Rock is already Sexiest Man Alive to so many of us. This is great news, and it comes at a time when we need a SMA who could crush our enemies into dust with a smile. (I’m fantasizing, you can tell where my mind is.) The Rock has been promoting Moana, his animated movie with songs written by Lin Manuel Miranda which is out November 23rd.

Lainey has been covering the odds on SMAs and she actually predicted that The Rock would take home the title, with Idris Elba a close second. Other contenders included Prince Harry, Micheal Phelps and Justin Timberlake, ewww.

As Lainey mentions, the Sexiest Men Alive are almost always white. The only other man of color we’ve had for SMA was Denzel Washington way back in 1996 and that’s in the entire 30 year history of the title. So it’s way past time that People recognized a more diverse actor. Plus everyone likes The Rock and he was just named the highest paid actor of 2016. I will admit to seeing Central Intelligence primarily for him, and it was cheesy and stupid but I don’t regret it. That’s what The Rock does, he makes even cheesy movies fun and worth watching. He also gives us tingly feelings. The Rock has a ton of movies in the works including sequels to San Andreas and Journey to The Center of The Earth along with the Jumanji remake and Fast 8. Plus Ballers was renewed for a third season.

If this is true, good for People. They really need something to recover from their Donald Trump cover last week. The president elect (gag) sexually assaulted their journalist and they still ran a glossy story on him and his family as it all of this is normal and OK. It’s not, but the The Rock is here and he can kick ass, take names and serve us breakfast in the morning.

Oh and there’s a tribute concert coming up for the troops which he headlines called Rock The Troops. It airs on Spike TV on December 13th and here’s a preview.

Maybe Bob Hope is smilin’ right now at this. Countdown is on.. join us for the BIGGEST MILITARY EVENT EVER of its kind on American soil. 45,000+ troops and their families having one of the best nights and me and my buddies having the privilege to entertain them and say “THANK YOU”. Join us December 13th on @spiketv for a truly memorable night. Proud to bring you this one as we had so much fun and made history – TOGETHER. #RockTheTroops??

A video posted by therock (@therock) on Nov 14, 2016 at 7:59am PST

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Excellent day of press with this young lady @auliicravalho. 15yrs old and already so poised, humble, strong, determined and happy – all the things I was NOT when I was 15;). Luv this girl and can’t wait for the world to see her breathe life into her title role of the empowered heroine #MOANA. #GlobalPressJunket #OhanaMana

A photo posted by therock (@therock) on Nov 13, 2016 at 11:48pm PST

He’s a good man to point back but the point and praise goes to the musical master himself Lin Manuel Miranda. Lots of high marks from press today for my singing performance in #MOANA, which I so appreciate ’cause good Lord when you sing in a Disney movie that bar is set so freaking high! But THIS GUY.. this is the guy who I happily pass on the credit to. The lyrical genius and master composer/writer who helped guide and conduct me thru the music. Thank you my friend and will always point in your direction. ?? #Moana #YoureWelcome #GlobalPressJunket

A photo posted by therock (@therock) on Nov 12, 2016 at 10:59pm PST

photos credit: WENN, Fame, PRPhotos and Getty

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There was a Wall Street Journal story on Sunday in which “sources” claimed that President-elect Donald Trump was “surprised” when he learned what being president actually entails. He also didn’t know, as of last Thursday, that he needed to fill the White House with his own staffers. He thought he would just keep all of Pres. Obama’s staff. Apparently, Trump was extremely “subdued” after his first meeting with Obama because Obama basically gave him a laundry list of all of the sh-t that he would have to do. So, during the transition, Obama “plans to spend more time with his successor than presidents typically do” because Obama sees that Trump needs “guidance.” Part of me wonders if Obama is attempting some kind of Jedi mind trick on the obviously malleable Trump. I also wondered the same thing following Obama’s press conference yesterday. Obama answered a lot of Trump-related questions – here are some highlights:

Trump isn’t going to dismantle NATO: Trump, Obama said, had “expressed great interest in maintaining [the United States’] existing relationships,” which was a way of saying that he is committed to NATO and the Trans-Atlantic Alliance. For his part, Obama said he appreciates being able to communicate to world leaders this week that there will be “no weakening of resolve” on the part of the United States.

On Trump hiring white supremacist Steve Bannon: One reporter asked about former Breitbart News executive Steve Bannon, who is a white nationalist. “It would not be appropriate for me to comment on every appointment the president elect starts making,” Obama demurred. “The people have spoken. Donald Trump is going to be the next president… It is up to him to select a team.”

Obama is hopeful Trump will try to unify the country: “It’s important for us to let him make his decisions. The American people will judge over the next couple of years whether they like what they see,” Obama said. “I did say to him that because of the nature of the campaigns, and the bitterness and ferocity of the campaigns, that it’s really important to try to send some signals of unity, and reach out to minority groups or women or others that were concerned about the tenor of the campaign. I think that’s something that he will want to do but this is all happening real fast. He’s got commitments to his supporters that helped to get him here and he’ll have to balance those.”

Obama thinks Trump is in for a wake-up call: “Regardless of what experience or assumptions he brought to the office, this office has a way of waking you up. Reality has a way of asserting itself. There will be certain elements of his temperament that will not serve him well unless he recognizes them and corrects them. Campaigning is different from governing. I think he recognizes that. I think he’s sincere when he says he wants to be a successful president.”

[From Jezebel]

Part of this is simply Obama trying to be gracious in the face of lunacy. Of course Obama knows that Trump is unfit to be president (in like a thousand different ways), but Obama is an optimist who believes in democracy. Obama also thinks that he can use these two months to influence Trump. We all know Trump thrives on flattery and praise, so imagine how puffed up he’ll be when Obama helps him out through some war games and advises him on diplomacy. But the uncomfortable reality is that once these two months are over and Obama is no longer delivering Jedi mind tricks to Trump on the reg, Trump is just going to be listening to Reince Priebus and Steve Bannon and Rudy Giuliani. And it will be awful.

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Photos courtesy of Getty.

GQ has announced their men of the year, and the list is… alright. It’s like they were making a conscious choice to choose the most uncontroversial people though. Their three men of the year (or the men who got individual covers) are Ryan Reynolds, Usain Bolt and Warren Beatty. Ryan is being recognized for the huge gamble of putting together the Deadpool movie. It was a gamble that paid off with an enormous box office, and now Ryan finally has a franchise that really works for him. You can read the full GQ piece here. Some highlights:

Life after filming Deadpool: “When it finally ended, I had a little bit of a nervous breakdown. I literally had the shakes. I went to go see a doctor because I felt like I was suffering from a neurological problem or something. And every doctor I saw said, ‘You have anxiety.’”

The success of Deadpool: “I’ve been on the train for 11 years trying to get it made… Once the test footage leaked, that created a groundswell of support. And the studio responded to that groundswell by saying, ‘Okay, here’s the absolute bare minimum amount of money that we will give this character. Let us know when the movie’s done.’ We made our production budget back on Friday [after the Thursday midnight premiere]. There’s a certain vindication that comes with that, especially because the studio––granted, under different regimes––for years just kept telling us to go f–k ourselves sterile.”

Whether Fox will give them more money for the sequel: “Are you insane? That never happens, trust me. And the first time, it was almost like the more Fox took away from us, the stronger we got. There’s two moments in the movie where I forget my ammo bag. That’s not because Deadpool’s forgetful. That’s because we couldn’t afford the guns that we’re about to use in the scene.”

Dealing with his father’s death: “I had a rough ten-year patch with my father. So we were estranged… From my earliest memory of him, my father was that stereotypical tough guy. But it was just a veneer. The hardest part for me is that he was always kind of a mystery. I just don’t feel like I ever had a real conversation with him… But I actually that sort of epic moment that only happens in films, where I saw him before he died and closed the loop as much as I could. We’re all just hurtling through space in this green, spinning sh-t-wheel of devastation. At some point, you just kinda gotta live and let go.”

His family with Blake Lively: “I’m on the precipice of having a real American family. I mean, I always imagined that would happen, and then it happened. Every idiotic Hallmark-card cliché is true.”

When he knew Blake was the one: “Probably after the sex,” he says jokingly. “No, we were hanging out at this little restaurant in Tribeca that’s open really late, and this song came on and I was just like, ‘Want to dance?’ No one was in there, so it was just totally empty. And it was just one of those moments where halfway through the dance, it was like, ‘Oh, I think I just crossed a line.’ And then I walked her home. And, uh, you know, I don’t really need to go into what happened after that.”

He feels more comfortable in his own skin now: “I never wanted to reveal too much. I used to shut down, like, ‘Okay, only crack jokes and cover the subject at hand in a very kind of cursory way.’ But I’ve embraced the fact that I’m smart. I’ve embraced the fact that I’m an idiot. I’ve embraced the fact that I’m funny… It’s all human life. Take it or leave it.”

[From GQ]

I agree with Ryan that he seems more comfortable these days. Part of that is probably just his evolution as an actor, and getting the validation from Deadpool’s success. Another part of it is just growing up. When you’re in your 20s, you still give a sh-t about what people think of you. You let a lot of that go in your 30s. As for his stories about Blake and their family… that’s helped him chill out a lot too. He’s crazy in love with Blake and he’s obsessed with their babies. It’s really sweet.

Photos courtesy of Alasdair McLellan/GQ.

Last month, Bella Hadid was confirmed for this year’s Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. It will be her first time walking the VS runway, although Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid did last year’s show. I think Bella is an obvious choice for VS, much like Gigi – they have the VS look, and both young women have… how shall I say it? Great boobs. Yes, let’s say it that way. Both Hadid sisters have aspirational busts. To celebrate this new milestone in her modeling career, Bella gave an exclusive interview to People Magazine about how she accidentally lost a lot of weight this year and she totally wishes she had her old, pre-weight-loss bust and butt. Some quotes from the interview:

Weight fluctuations: “I have lost weight and gained weight. My weight fluctuates so much. I really didn’t mean to [lose weight]. Like I want boobs. I want my ass back. But it’s not my fault. My weight fluctuates and so does everybody’s and I think that if people are gonna judge, that’s the worst you can possibly do because everybody is different.”

Her accidental weight loss: She’s been adhering to a strict diet and intense exercising regimen. “I worked out so hard and everybody is like, ‘Oh, she looks so skinny blah, blah, blah. But I think that if you just stick to something you can really achieve so much. I’ve been eating hard protein every day, and working out for three hours every day. It’s crazy but I think that you know if you set your mind to something I think you can succeed.”

She’s good at sticking to her diet: “I like to eat healthy and not eat crazy plane food. I like to still make sure my diet is good and I stay hydrated and stuff. That’s basically all I do.” But she still has cheat days, she admits. “I’m going to eat pasta right now. If you want to have a piece of bread, go have a piece of bread.”

Her trainer is Rob Piela at Gotham Gym: “He’s really the best. I literally can’t work out with anybody. It has to be me and him. If I am working with other people, I freak out.”

Insecurities: “I think every single person in the world has insecurities. It’s crazy because I think that when other people look at all of the VS models or all of the girls [who] are walking, they’re like, ‘They’re not human. They don’t have any insecurities.’ But I think every single girl [who’s] going to be walking probably has an insecurity.” As for hers? “I wish my ass was bigger.”

[From People]

I don’t think you can say you “accidentally” lost weight when you’re maintaining three-hour-a-day workouts and a strict high-protein diet. That’s not an accident! That’s a regiment. That’s a conscious choice. Anyway, this interview was conducted during Bella’s Victoria’s Secret fitting, and my guess is that she – and every other VS model – has been on a diet and hardcore workout schedule for weeks simply because of the show. So maybe after the show, Bella will eat more pasta and her butt will come back.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.

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They say good things come to those who wait, right? Somehow, I don’t think Jackie Chan ever thought he’d have the title of Oscar winner, but now all that has changed. The 62-year-old actor, who hasn’t really aged all that much, accepted an honorary Oscar at the 8th Annual Governors Awards at the Hollywood and Highland Center on Saturday night.

Tom Hanks, Michelle Yeoh, and Chris Tucker were on hand to honor their colleague. Tom was delighted to honor him for his work in martial arts and action-packed comedic films, two genres he said were “historically underrepresented” at the Oscars. That’s sweet to say, Tom, but somehow I fail to see Shanghai Noon grabbing any gold statuettes away from, say, American Beauty, the film that won Best Picture that year. But nice sentiment anyway.

Tom went on to compare Jackie to silent film comedian Buster Keaton and to John Wayne, making sure to add, “But Jackie does something that neither of those great screen legends were ever able to do: Neither one of those great artists ever, ever put the bloopers on during the closing credits.” He’s definitely right about that. The bloopers at the end of Rumble in the Bronx are pretty awesome, and the tune is so damn catchy. (It’s called “Kung Fu” and it’s by the band Ash. Thanks, Google.)

Jackie had a charming acceptance speech, as if he were capable of doing anything else. He told the audience that “Standing here is a dream. After 56 years in the film industry, making more than 200 films, breaking so many bones, finally this is mine.” He went on to say,

“My dad always said, ‘Son, you get so many movie awards in the world, when are you going to get one of these [Oscars]?’ Then I just look at my dad. ‘Ha, ha, ha. Dad, I only make comedy action movies.’”

“I want to thank you, Hong Kong, such an incredible city, my hometown, my hood, who make me,” Chan continued. “China, my country, I am proud to be Chinese. Thank you, Hollywood, for all of those years teaching me so many things, and also [for making] me a little bit famous. I’m just honored to be here.”

[From US Magazine]

The whole speech just proves what a beloved star Jackie Chan really is. And he’s just so sweet, despite molesting friend Sylvester Stallone’s Oscar when he saw it in his house. See the speech below. It’s well worth it.

I love that he loves his fans and promises to keep on “jumping through windows, kicking and punching,” and “breaking [his] bones” for us. Back in the late 80s/early 90s, I couldn’t get enough of Jackie Chan’s martial arts flicks. I loved Rumble in the Bronx and Super Cop. His combat choreography was always dazzling, so it’s nice that Hollywood has finally acknowledged his talents. Congrats, Jackie.

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Photo credit: Getty Images, Fame Flynet

Is Jay Z working on new music? Let’s hope it’s not some Suit & Tie sh-t again. That was awful. Remember when he rapped about “truffle season”? I can’t even blame JT for that.

Wonder what #Zaytoven and #JayZ have cookin up in the studio!

A photo posted by T…