Netflix’s $5 billion deal with WWE Raw… Monica Garcia departs… Priyanka Chopra posts double date… Kevin Hart seeks restraining order… and Oscars snubs & surprises

Listen to “Showbiz – Jan 24, 2024” on Spreaker.

 

Netflix is making some big money moves. They just inked a $5 BILLION deal to acquire the rights to WWE Raw. They’re paying it out over the next 10 years. Once the wrestling group’s contract with Comcast expires, they’ll stream exclusively on Netflix starting in January of next year. And speaking of the next 10 years, that’s how long TKO has to milk their trademark for “The Rock,” because Dwayne Johnson just made a deal to join the board of directors for the company — TKO owns both WWE and the UFC — and as part of the deal, he gets full ownership of his nickname. For the next decade, Dwayne can make licensing deals for “The Rock,” he just can’t license it to any businesses that compete with TKO. Dwayne said, “My grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia, and my dad, Rocky ‘Soulman’ Johnson, would’ve never thought this day would come. Which is why I’m very humbled to have a seat at the table that has decades of history and family legacy for me. A table that my family helped to build. Being on the TKO Board of Directors, and taking full ownership of my name, ‘The Rock’, is not only unprecedented, but incredibly inspiring as my crazy life is coming full circle.”

Before the third episode of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City reunion hit the air last night, news broke that Monica Garcia is one and done. The woman who breathed new life into this series has been fired because there is simply no way in H-E-Double Hockey Sticks that any of the other women will ever film with her again. Monica was one of the people behind the Reality Von Tease account that trolled the Housewives mercilessly. Monica said she was only part of the account to expose the sins of Jen Shah, who is now serving 6 years for defrauding the elderly. She said all that other stuff wasn’t her. But after the other women outed her for stalking Jen’s home and spying on her through a camera set up in Jen’s house – which is, like, illegal. But the final straw for Andy Cohen was Monica saying Bravo producers knew she was part of Reality Von Tease because she told them on Day One of her audition. Andy said there is no way they would’ve hired her if they’d known that. And after a bunch of screaming and caterwauling, and with zero apology from Monica, she is out. However! Bravo show runner Lori Gordon told Variety that fans should “never say never” about the possibility of Monica returning some time in the future. She said, “The women just need a cooling-off period, and I think it’s just too soon.”

Priyanka Chopra posted a photo of four hands raised in a toast on her Instagram Story. But people realized the tattoo on the back of one of those champagne-clinking hands belongs to Joe Jonas’ new girlfriend Stormi Bree, Priyanka deleted it. So was this an accident? Or was this Priyanka’s way of showing that she and Nick have welcomed Joe’s new girlfriend into the fold? Priyanka and Stormi now follow each other on Instagram. Priyanka and Joe’s ex-wife Sophie Turner do not…

From Hollywood Unlocked – Kevin Hart has filed for a temporary restraining order against YouTube blogger Tasha K. If that name sounds familiar it’s because Cardi B won a $4M judgement against Tasha K for the defamatory things she said about Cardi on her vlog. Tasha recently interviewed Kevin’s former personal assistant who has made some very serious accusations against her former boss. In his legal filing, Kevin said he asked Tasha K not to post the video and she said she wouldn’t…..for $250K. When Kevin refused to pay, he claims she ignored a cease and desist letter from his attorney and posted it anyway. Now he’s asking for a temporary restraining order so that a judge can force Tasha K to take the video down.

After the Oscar nominations were announced yesterday morning, there was a huge outcry over the snubs. The biggest uproar is over the lack of a Best Actress nomination for Margot Robbie in Barbie and a Best Director nomination for Barbie director Greta Gerwig. Ryan Gosling – who received a Supporting Actor nomination for playing Ken – released a statement saying, “…There is no Ken without Barbie, and there is no Barbie without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, the two people most responsible for this history-making, globally-celebrated film.” America Ferrera – who was nominated for her supporting role in Barbie – told Variety, “I was incredibly disappointed that they weren’t nominated. Greta has done just about everything that a director could do to deserve it…What Margot achieved as an actress is truly unbelievable. One of the things about Margot as an actress is how easy she makes everything look. And perhaps people got fooled into thinking that the work seems easy …” A lot of people are upset that Leonardo DiCaprio wasn’t nominated for Best Actor for Killers of the Flower Moon. Many are asking, where’s the Best Actress nominee for The Color Purple star Fantasia Barrino? Zac Efron was snubbed for his role in The Iron Claw…And many believe both Charles Melton and Julianne Moore should’ve gotten nominations for their supporting roles in May December. Will all this controversy boost the ratings for the Oscars telecast coming up on March 10? ABC certainly hopes so!

 

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