Month: December 2021

Two women have accused actor Chris Noth of sexually assaulting them, with the alleged incidents occurring in 2004 and 2015.

In a new report from The Hollywood Reporter, the first woman (using the pseudonym Zoe) told the publication that she met Noth shortly after moving to Los Angeles at age 22, while she was working at a “high-profile” firm that did business with celebrities in 2004. She claimed she was later invited to the pool at his West Hollywood apartment building, where she alleges she was sexually assaulted. The second woman, going by the pseudonym Lily, said she met Noth in 2015 at a New York City bar where she worked as a server. Lily, 25 at the time, said Noth invited her out to dinner and she accepted. After dinner they went to his apartment, when the alleged assault took place.

In a statement, Noth, 67, denied the allegations and claimed that “the encounters were consensual.”  Said Noth: “The accusations against me made by individuals I met years, even decades, ago are categorically false. These stories could’ve been from 30 years ago or 30 days ago — no always means no — that is a line I did not cross. It’s difficult not to question the timing of these stories coming out. I don’t know for certain why they are surfacing now, but I do know this: I did not assault these women.”

The news comes just one week after the return of Noth’s Sex and the City character John James Preston, AKA Mr. Big, in ‘And Just Like That… ‘  The show made headlines when in the first episode, Mr. Big died after taking a spin class on his Peloton at-home exercise bike.

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Actor Jeff Garlin has left the ABC sitcom ‘The Goldbergs’ amid allegation of on-set misconduct and an ongoing HR investigation. According to reports, Garlin’s departure, effective immediately, was reportedly a mutual decision between the show and himself. ‘The Goldbergs’ are in the middle of filming their ninth season; it’s unclear how the show will handle the departure of the actor who played the patriarch of the show’s titular family.

No formal allegations against Garlin have been made public; however, rumors about his workplace conduct have been circulating for some time, and three former ‘The Goldbergs’ employees recently told Vanity Fair that the actor allegedly engaged in a verbal and physical conduct that made people uncomfortable.

Garlin also spoke with Vanity Fair and denied rumors at the time that he’d been fired, but confirmed he’d been under HR investigations for three years. Garlin said that the issue was a “difference of opinion” between himself and Sony: “My opinion is, I have my process about how I’m funny, in terms of the scene and what I have to do. They feel that it makes for a quote ‘unsafe’ workspace. Now, mind you, my silliness making an unsafe workspace — I don’t understand how that is. And I’m on a comedy show. I am always a kind and thoughtful person. I make mistakes, sure. But my comedy is about easing people’s pain. Why would I ever want to cause pain in anybody for a laugh? That’s bullying. That’s just uncalled for.” Garlin was also asked about the allegations that he made people uncomfortable by touching and hugging them. “If I hug someone, and they feel uncomfortable from it, they have every right to even go to HR,” Garlin said. “But HR has never said a word to me about hugs. Just so we’re clear on that.”

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Two weeks after Dr. Oz (real name: Mehmet Oz) announced his bid for Pennsylvania’s open Senate seat, it’s been announced that his eponymous show will end in January 2022. The Dr. Oz Show is in its 13th season and had already been renewed for a 14th; its final airdate will be Jan. 14.  Oz announced he is running for the open Senate seat as a Republican.

Oz’s show will be replaced by a spin-off cooking show called The Good Dish, featuring his daughter Daphne Oz and co-hosts Gail Simmons (Top Chef) and Jamika Pessoa (Next Food Star). The new show started out as a weekly segment on The Dr. Oz Show.

Dr. Oz Show executive producer Amy Chiaro and co-executive producer Stacy Rader will be helming The Good Dish.  They said in a statement: “There is no better time for a show like The Good Dish. Daphne, Gail and Jamika know how to make food accessible with the ability to seamlessly deliver home, lifestyle and trending content. These incredible women will make you laugh, enjoy cooking again and make your life just a little easier. It’s the most fun you can have in the kitchen without having to do the dishes.”

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South Korean actress Park So Dam, who starred in the Oscar-winning movie “Parasite,” has been diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer.

The 30-year-old Park was diagnosed during a regular health check-up and has undergone surgery, her agency, ArtistCompany, said in a statement. Park’s illness has disrupted plans to promote her next movie, “Special Delivery,” leaving her “very disappointed,” according to ArtistCompany’s statement, which added: “The company would like to once again thank all the people for showing support for ‘Special Delivery’ and actress Park So Dam, as well as the actors and crew of ‘Special Delivery’ overcoming this difficult time together. Actor Park So Dam will focus on her recovery so that she can see you all healthy in the future, and ArtistCompany will also do our best to help the actor recover her health.”

Park appeared in a number of South Korean movies and TV series, including “The Priests” (2015) and “The Silenced” (2015), before her breakout performance in the 2019 global hit “Parasite.” Directed by Bong Joon Ho, the movie became both the first non-English-language film and the first South Korean film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards in February 2020. Park portrayed Kim Ki Jung, a young woman from a poor family who pretends to be an art therapist in order to get a job teaching the children of a wealthy family.

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Former “General Hospital” star Ingo Rademacher has sued ABC over their vaccine mandate, alleging they denied his applications for religious exemption.  Rademacher, 50, left the long-running daytime drama in November after refusing to comply with ABC’s mandate requiring General Hospital employees to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. Documents were filed by attorney John W. Howard on behalf of the actor stating that Rademacher applied for a religious exemption to the mandate but was denied. He is also being represented by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Per the lawsuit, the actor wrote in an email to Disney’s human resources team in October: “I am entitled to a religious exemption against mandatory vaccination for COVID-19 on the basis of my deeply and sincerely held moral belief that my body is endowed by my creator with natural processes to protect me and that its natural integrity cannot ethically be violated by the administration of artificially created copies of genetic material, foreign to nature and experimental.” Following the email, Rademacher said he had an interview with the HR department, which was “akin to cross-examination.”

Rademacher isn’t the only actor to depart the popular soap opera over the vaccine mandate. Longtime “General Hospital” star Steve Burton announced in November that he’d also exit the show after he refused to get vaccinated. Burton also claimed in a statement that he applied for “medical and religious exemptions” but was denied.

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Production on the 12th season of the hit Bravo reality series The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills has been temporarily suspended after several cast members tested positive for COVID-19. Erika Jayne, Garcelle Beauvais, and Lisa Rinna and at least one crew member have tested positive, forcing producers to temporarily shut down filming until the cast and crew have completed quarantine and recovered.

Beauvais revealed the news of her own diagnosis in a video she posted to Instagram, saying, “I found out that I tested positive for COVID. I feel okay, I’m sure I will continue to feel okay. My boys are being tested, so far they’ve tested negative. We’re going to continue testing them,” she added, referring to her 14-year-old twins, Jax and Jaid.

This is the second time production on the reality series had to come to a temporary halt due to COVID-19 concerns. The previous shutdown came just over a year ago in November 2020 when a crew member tested positive; and it was later revealed that Dorit Kemsley, Kyle Richards and Kathy Hilton had also contracted COVID-19 at the time of the halt.

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