Taylor Lautner back in sci-fi. Jessica Simpson returns to musicals, teases new music. Wendy Williams documentary. Listen for EVEN MORE!
5. Former Real Housewife of Beverly Hills star Teddi Mellencamp — John Mellencamp’s daughter — has become a huge advocate for skin cancer awareness. Just last week, Teddi shared a photo of this huge zig-zag scar across her back, explaining that the little sunspots she developed years ago turned into melanoma, leading to several surgeries. Yesterday, Teddi shared that after suffering debilitating headaches for the past few weeks, she finally went to the hospital. After a CT scan and an MRI, Teddi said doctors discovered multiple tumors on her brain. Yesterday, she had emergency brain surgery to remove the two biggest ones, but the smaller ones will be treated with radiation. Teddi and her husband Edwin Arroyave have been estranged since she was busted having an affair with her daughter’s horse trainer. But he has been by Teddi’s hospital bed, praying over her and asking God to heal her.
In casting news — Taylor Lautner played a werewolf in the Twilight movies, but now he’s joining the other team! Taylor will play a fictionalized version of himself in an Amazon series called Taylor Lautner: Werewolf Hunter. Here’s the premise: “After wrapping the final Twilight film, Taylor Lautner vanished from the spotlight. Fans speculated, tabloids theorized—but the truth is wilder than fiction. Taylor wasn’t just taking a mental health break. He was preparing for his real calling…Taylor Lautner: Werewolf Hunter. Playing himself, Taylor is drawn into a secret society of werewolf trackers who need his unique expertise. As he navigates his double life—Hollywood actor by day, supernatural warrior by night—Taylor must wrestle with the ultimate irony: fighting the very creatures that made him famous. Between saving the world, reviving his career, and falling in love, he faces the ultimate question—what happens when your biggest role becomes your greatest enemy?” In other casting news, Deadline is reporting that John Lithgow is in final negotiations to portray Professor Albus Dumbledore in HBO’s highly anticipated Harry Potter series. The show, described as a “faithful adaptation” of J.K. Rowling’s books, is set to begin filming soon at Warner Bros Studios Leavesden, where the original movies were shot. However, it won’t premiere until late 2026 or early 2027. If confirmed, John Lithgow will be the first official cast member. They’re still in the process of casting the lead trio — Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Approximately 32K children submitting audition tapes, and they are painstakingly going through all of them.
Her marriage is falling apart, but Jessica Simpson doesn’t have time to focus on that. She’s gearing up for her musical comeback, teasing us on Instagram with some behind-the-scenes video of her getting down with a big microphone while some of her collaborators tell us that this is a side of Jessica we’ve never seen before. We also hear a little snippet of her new single, Use My Heart Against Me, which will be released next Friday, Feb. 21. From the sounds of it, Jessica is going full-on country.
Just hours after TMZ‘s Wendy Williams documentary dropped on Tubi, the wheels started turning to end her guardianship. Wendy signed an affidavit yesterday asking the judge to set her free. According to the affidavit, Wendy says she was misdiagnosed with frontotemporal dementia — the same diagnosis given to Bruce Willis — because if she really had that, she would be progressively declining instead of getting better. Basically, Wendy is claiming alcohol led to her problems, and now that she’s sober, she’s able to care for herself again. Next Tuesday, Wendy will be re-evaluated by a doctor chosen by the attorney she’s hired to end the guardianship. The next day, Wendy’s lawyer will file an Emergency Order to Show Cause, a petition to force the issue with the judge who has the power to end the guardianship. If the judge refuses to end her guardianship, Wendy reportedly will demand a jury trial and let her peers decide whether she’s capable of running her own life.
SNL50: The Anniversary Special airs this Sunday. It’s a 3-hour special filled with celebrity guests like Paul McCartney, Kim Kardashian, and the Backstreet Boys. SNL released a list of former cast members who will take part in the special, with one surprising omission. Bill Hader was a Not Ready for Primetime Player from 2005-2013, and he’s made several guests appearances in the years since. But he’s not listed among the names of former cast members, so we’ll have to see if that’s an oopsie or not.
On a side note: If someone asked you to name the most-watched SNL sketch on YouTube, you’d probably say, “More Cowbell!” You would be wrong. In fact, that sketch didn’t even make the Top 10.
1. Porn Teacher featuring Amy Schumer. Season 41; 106M views. (That’s probably because the word “porn” is in the title.)
2. Black Jeopardy featuring Tom Hanks. Season 42; 83M views.
3. Harry Potter: Hermione Growth featuring Lindsay Lohan. Season 29; 77M views.
4. Spider-Man Kissfeaturing Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone. Season 39; 73M views.
5. Star Wars: Undercover Boss: Starkiller Base featuring Adam Driver. Season 41; 67M views.
6. Close Encounters featuring Ryan Gosling, Kate McKinnon, and Cecily Strong. Season 41; 63M views.
7. Celebrity Jeopardy! Kathie Lee, Tom Hanks, Sean Connery, Burt Reynolds, featuring the late Norm Macdonald as Burt and Tom Hanks as a clueless version of himself. Season 34; 47M views.
8. SNL40: Celebrity Jeopardy featuring Kate McKinnon as Justin Bieber, Jim Carrey as Matthew McConaughey, Alec Baldwin as Tony Bennett and Kenan Thompson as Bill Cosby. Season 40; 47M views.
9. New Disney Movie featuring Dwayne Johnson. Season 40; 43M views.
10. Sean Spicer Press Conference featuring Melissa McCarthy. Season 42; 41M views.
