Antonio Stallings | Showbiz Cheat Sheet Writer

Jennifer Lopez’s Mom Asked ‘What Are You Doing’ When She Was Dating This Ex

Antonio Stallings — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 02:43:00 +0000

Jennifer Lopez has dated boyfriends of various types over the years. However, Lopez’s mom, Guadalupe Rodriguez, was very vocal when her daughter started dating this surprising ex.

Jennifer Lopez’s mom couldn’t believe she was dating this ex-boyfriend

Guadalupe Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez | VALERIE MACON/ Getty Images

As different as Lopez’s boyfriends could be, they all shared one similarity. Most of them were very close in age to the actor, with her men just being a couple of years older than her and vice-versa. However, Lopez’s ex Casper Smart didn’t fit her dating history’s usual pattern. The former background dancer was 25 years old when he dated Lopez, who was 43 at the time. The pairing received a lot of attention because of the 18-year age difference. Initially, even Lopez was apprehensive about their relationship due to the age gap.

“I didn’t feel okay with it for a minute,” Lopez once told CBS News. “At first, I just loved it. And then I go, ‘What am I doing?’ You go through all the emotions. I’ve always looked at relationships like, for the future, where is it going, are we getting there, are we doing this? And now, I’m just like, ‘Maybe it’s okay to just be in the moment. Maybe it’s okay to just enjoy this for right now. Who knows where it’s going? There’s love here. Just relax.”

Even Lopez’s mom, however, had reservations about Lopez dating someone so much younger than her. She couldn’t help but question her daughter’s choice.

“When she found out we were seeing each other, she was like, ‘What are you doing?’ And I told her, ‘I don’t know what I’m doing. Just ride with me,’” Lopez remembered.

But Lopez’s mom came around after seeing how happy she was with the dancer.

“She’s my mom; she wants me to be happy,” she said. “But here’s the thing. If anything goes wrong, and if anything goes right, she’s gonna be there, I know that.”

Jennifer Lopez’s mom had two separate reactions to her daughter’s two most popular relationships

Out of all her relationships, Lopez’s romances with exes Ben Affleck and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs may be the most high-profile. But Lopez’s mom had vastly different reactions to the idea of her daughter getting back with either of them. In an interview on The Wendy Williams Show (via Us Weekly), the controversial host Wendy Williams asked Lopez about potentially reuniting with Diddy. However, Rodriguez, who was in the show’s audience, shook her head.

“It’s done,” Rodriguez seemed to mouth back then.

Lopez agreed with her mom, declaring there was no chance she’d ever be back with Diddy.

“No Puffy,” Lopez said.

But when it came to reuniting with Affleck, Rodriguez sang a different tune. Rodriguez especially took a liking to Lopez’s ex-husband. So much so that she secretly hoped that the two would reunite after their first break-up in the 2000s.

“I knew that you would always get back together because I prayed for 20 years,” Rodríguez once told Today.

The statement caught Lopez off guard, as it was the first time Rodriguez ever admitted that to her daughter publicly.

“It’s so funny, she never said that to me,” Lopez said in an interview with ET. “We never spoke about it.”

Rodriguez’s comments about Affleck shouldn’t have come as a surprise, according to a source. The insider asserted that Affleck and Rodriguez developed a nice and enduring bond when he first dated Lopez.

“In the past, Jennifer’s mom and Ben were very close. Guadalupe loved Ben. She was sad when they couldn’t work things out years ago,” the insider told People. “She is thrilled that they are back together now.”

“Jennifer is very close with her mom. It’s very important to her that the person she is with gets along with her mom,” the source added. “Jennifer loves that Ben and Guadalupe hung out in Las Vegas. They both love gambling and had fun together at the Wynn hotel.”

Mariah Carey Might’ve Helped Clarify the Dig She Reportedly Made at Jennifer Lopez Years Ago

Antonio Stallings — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 04:36:00 +0000

Mariah Carey accidentally came up with an iconic and meme-able line when she was asked about her contemporary Jennifer Lopez. Years later, however, she might’ve explained what the line in question really meant.

Mariah Carey shared she might’ve just been honest when it came to her Jennifer Lopez comments

Jennifer Lopez | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

In 2003, Carey delivered a response regarding Lopez that took on a life of its own on the internet. When an interviewer asked the artist what she thought about Lopez, she responded by shaking her head at him.

“I don’t know her,” she’d told him.

The comment added more layers to the competitive rivalry between Carey and Lopez back in the day. But Carey asserted that the comment might’ve been blown out of proportion. While speaking with The Cut in 2005, she might’ve referenced the popularity of her comment during the interview.

“Well, there was a very interesting shirt that a fan made with a quote that I said years ago that, when I said it, I really wasn’t trying to be funny,” she said. “I was just being honest and everybody’s kind of blowing it out of proportion but this guy had a shirt on and it was a picture of me that he made and the quote was underneath it — and I’m going to leave you hanging as to what it was.”

The publication determined Carey was referring to her “I don’t know her” remark. Carey would touch on the line again in an interview on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.

“That was so long ago I can’t believe people make a big deal out of it,” Carey said.

But at the time of the interview, it seems that Carey and Lopez haven’t gotten to know each other at all. When Cohen asked Carey what she thought about Lopez after all these years, she repeated her iconic line.

“I don’t know her,” she said.

What Jennifer Lopez feels about Mariah Carey’s alleged dig

Lopez has been well aware of some of the reported shade that Carey has thrown the singer’s way in the past. But in her more mature years, Lopez hasn’t let Carey’s prior comments and possible shade change her feelings towards her peer. When she visited Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (via E! News), she put any feud rumors between them to bed.

“I don’t have a feud against her at all,” Lopez said. “I know from back in the day, I’ve read things that she’s said about me that were not the greatest, but we have never met. Like, we don’t know each other. I think it’s kind of from word of mouth of things that have happened in the past that I’m not really aware of. But I don’t know.”

Although the two haven’t gotten any closer over the years, Lopez insisted that she hoped that would change eventually.

“I would love to meet her and I would love to be friends with her,” Lopez said. “I think she’s incredibly talented and I’ve always been a fan of hers. ‘My All’ is one of my favorite songs of all time. I just love her. It saddens me to hear anything that’s negative because I’m a fan of hers.”

How Jennifer Lopez felt about Mariah Carey replacing her on ‘American Idol’

Aside from being singers, Lopez and Carey share something else in common. They’ve both acted as judges for the hit reality series American Idol. Lopez first joined the show in season 10, then returned for season 11. But she took a break from guiding aspiring singers on the show’s 12^th season, and Carey would be cast to make up for Lopez’s absence. In an interview Lopez did with E! News, she was asked if she thought Carey would make a good choice.

“I think so, yeah! Why not? She’s a musician for a long time she has a lot of experience. And it’s that experience you offer them at the end of the day, the contestants just want to get better and grow through the process,” Lopez said.

She also took the time to offer Carey some advice on her American Idol gig.

“Just enjoy the journey,” Lopez offered. “There is pressure as far as the live shows, but you know what? Just remember you’re there at the end of the day to help those contestants grow and to get to the end and to get to that finale. And whenever I thought about that it always made my job a little less pressure-filled and a littler easier, because it’s not about you. It wasn’t about me, it was about them. It was about helping them and that always made it a lot of fun for me. I’m going to miss it a lot.”

John Miller Allegedly Wants to Give Jennifer Garner the Dream That Ben Affleck Never Did

Antonio Stallings — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 03:36:00 +0000

Jennifer Garner has been secretly dating her current boyfriend John Miller for quite some time now. According to some sources, Miller may be planning one major thing to impress Garner in a way that her ex-husband Ben Affleck didn’t.

Jennifer Garner hopes to finally live out her romantic fantasy with John Miller according to insiders

Jennifer Garner | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Garner didn’t seem too eager to walk down the aisle with anyone else after her divorce from Affleck. Although years had passed by since the two parted ways as a couple, it seemed marriage was a far-away concept for the Marvel star.

“I don’t know. I’m so far from it. And I don’t know that marriage would need to be a part… I mean I definitely don’t think that I’ll be single forever,” she once told People. “But this is not the time. I don’t need to complicate it; I’m good.”

But that didn’t mean Garner regretted marrying Affleck when she did. In a 2016 interview with Vanity Fair, she opened up about her emotional state a few years after her divorce announcement. The Peppermint star seemed to be in high spirits. Although her marriage with Affleck didn’t end well, she wouldn’t have changed a thing about it.

“I didn’t marry the big fat movie star; I married him,” she said. “And I would go back and remake that decision. I ran down the beach to him, and I would again. You can’t have these three babies and so much of what we had. He’s the love of my life.”

However, rumors have surfaced that she might be entertaining marriage again — this time with longtime boyfriend John Miller. A source for InTouch claimed Garner recently checked out wedding dresses in Paris, where she’s allegedly fantasized about a dream ceremony.

“Jen and John have taken a lot more trips to Europe than people realize,” the source claimed. “Paris is one of their favorite escapes, and they’ve decided getting married there this coming spring is something they want to do.”

Her hypothetical Paris wedding would also be different than the wedding she had with Affleck. Garner and Affleck had a private wedding ceremony on the exotic Turks and Caicos Islands with few guests. According to the insider, if she and Miller do wed in Paris, it’ll align more with what she envisioned a true wedding to be.

“This time around she wants a big wedding in a dream location, and John is all for it,” the source added. “He loves the idea of giving her something that Ben never did, so he’s totally encouraging her to go all out. He’s got plenty of money and wants to totally spoil her.”

Jennifer Garner likes that she and Ben Affleck aren’t a power couple

Garner remains tight-lipped regarding her relationship with Miller. So much so that the little information spilled out about them usually comes from third-party sources. The media has linked the pair together on and off since 2018, and their relationship is still under the radar. What’s known about Miller is that he isn’t in the same profession as the Elektra star.

Miller is currently the CEO of the tech company Cali Group, which he founded in 2011. This makes the two even more of a mystery. However, despite their different careers, they seem to be a perfect match for each other, as they’re reportedly still together to this day.

According to one source, a reason why Garner is so smitten by Miller is because he’s different from Affleck. Since Miller doesn’t have the level of fame as Affleck, he and Garner have successfully managed to keep their romance private. It’s been a nice change of pace for the actor.

“They’re not into the power couple trend,” another source confided to InTouch. “They’re homebodies but like to go out occasionally, and they both like movies, books, and cooking.”

Because Garner takes their privacy so seriously, they haven’t arrived at red carpet events together like she and Affleck have in the past. So far, they’ve gone out of their way to avoid being seen or photographed together if they could help it. But the secrecy they’ve maintained is allegedly an improvement from having a relationship surrounded by publicity. The source went on to say, that because of these factors, Garner is “relieved” Miller isn’t like Affleck in that sense.

“In Jen’s eyes, John’s a keeper,” the insider claimed.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Would Make This Lawyer Nervous if He Was Released From Jail: ‘I’d Beef Up Security’

Antonio Stallings — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 02:38:00 +0000

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has tried to bail out of jail three times unsuccessfully. He and his defense team haven’t been able to convince the judge overseeing the case that he could be trusted outside of his cell. Although this doesn’t mean Diddy will lose his case when he’s officially tried, it may call into question his chances of proving his innocence. There’s one lawyer, however, who hopes that Diddy will spend the rest of his years behind bars. If only because, she claims, it’ll help her feel a bit safer.

A witness’s lawyer is ready for potential retaliation from Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs

Sean Diddy Combs | Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Attorney Ariel Mitchell-Kidd has has been vigorously defending some of her clients against Diddy in the wake of his arrest. The attorney represents several alleged victims and witnesses of Diddy’s crimes, so Mitchell-Kidd has been providing even more details regarding his case. Especially from her clients’ perspective. She and her clients have been well aware of Diddy’s attempts to bail out of prison, for instance.

The attorney claimed that they all felt a bit threatened by the idea of Diddy being released after his most recent bond request. Diddy told the judge that he was willing to stay in a three-bedroom apartment under heavy surveillance if it meant not being in jail. This time, it looked like there was a higher chance for Diddy to be granted bail. At least after the judge told him and his team he’d deliberate over the music mogul’s offer over the weekend. However, Mitchell-Kidd was confident in the court’s judgment, even if her clients were concerned about Diddy getting his way.

“All of them are very apprehensive about their safety if he were to be granted bond,” Mitchell-Kidd said in an interview with NewsNation. “I am confident in the court. I am sure that the court will remain with their previous decision of no bond. I feel like the judge only gave this, ‘Oh, let me think about it,’ to not make it as obvious.”

It turned out Mitchell-Kidd was right, and Diddy was once again denied bail. Which was a relief for Mitchell-Kidd, too, as she admitted she’d also be apprehensive with Diddy walking around.

“I will say if he does get out, I’m grateful to hear that the judge won’t let him come back to Miami. So, to that extent I’m very grateful. If he were to come back to Miami, I probably would be a little nervous and probably beef up security. But other than that, I know I have God’s protection, so I’m not scared,” she said.

Ariel Mitchell-Kidd claimed she’s been contacted about one of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ alleged tapes

Like many lawyers involved in Diddy’s case, Mitchell-Kidd has asserted she has access to information that helps prove Diddy’s guilt. Including the sex tapes Diddy reportedly recorded starring certain high-profile celebrities, without their knowledge, to blackmail them. It was rumored that these tapes were some of the many items confiscated during the raids On Diddy’s LA and Miami homes earlier in the year. However, there have been other murmurs that a few of the sex tapes made their way into the public. And reportedly, one even fell on Mitchell-Kidd’s lap.

“There already have been tapes leaking around Hollywood being shopped around. But one particular person contacted me to shop a particular video,” she said. “I can tell the video was pornographic. This was in his Atlanta home, and it does seem like the person isn’t looking into the video. To me, it doesn’t seem like that person knows they’re being video-taped,” she once said according to her separate interview with NewsNation.

According to Mitchell-Kidd, she’s been trying to bring some degree of justice to Diddy since 2021. With the mountain of allegations against him, it seems that her persistence is finally paying off.

Wendy Williams Once Shared She Was Groped by Her Worst Guest on ‘The Wendy Williams Show’

Antonio Stallings — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 04:36:00 +0000

Wendy Williams has interviewed many guests on The Wendy Williams Show, from journalists to controversial figures like Diddy. But there was one guest she had on her talk show that she’d never forget for the wrong reasons.

Wendy Williams revealed she was groped by this guest live on air

Wendy Williams | Robin Marchant/Getty Images

Transitioning from radio to talk show host took some adjusting to for Williams. And although she made an almost seamless transfer, there was one thing she could’ve never prepared for as a television host. During her first couple of years doing The Wendy Williams Show, Williams recalled being unexpectedly groped by one of her famous guests. She didn’t name the celebrity, but she was certain her fans saw the incident in question happen as well. They just didn’t know it at the time.

“You all saw it and didn’t say a word,” Williams once told her audience according to Inside Edition. “And I felt it and I didn’t say a word. My staff saw it and that guest will never be here anymore. He’s not relevant anymore.”

Because Williams was so new to hosting her own network show back then, she wasn’t sure how to react. However, she admitted that she’d have a much different reaction now that she had more experience.

“I hug my guests; he hugged me but lays in my breasts inappropriately and I didn’t know what to do because I am brand new on TV, whereas now, I would definitely push somebody through a glass coffee table,” she added. “After the hug, he looked up at me, he goes, ‘Oh! You’re not Oprah!‘”

Wendy Williams described her favorite guests on the show

Williams’ controversial experience with her anonymous guest wasn’t a common occurrence. It seems she’s enjoyed far more guests than she’s disliked over the years. Speaking with Forbes, Williams gushed about the famous faces she’s interviewed, and what all of them usually had in common. The Wendy Williams Show even allowed her to meet with guests she didn’t have a chance to when she was doing radio.

“I love all of the guests that come to the show! I still consider my show to be a new show. A lot of celebrities have a great time and come back. I’ve enjoyed cultivating relationships with Donald Trump, Halle Berry, Mark McGrath, and Guy Fieri. I’m a fan of them all so therefore meeting them was awesome! All my years of radio I’ve never interviewed Alicia Keys. She came by the show for an interview, performed, and we had a great time,” she said. “Snoop Dogg isn’t a classic daytime television guest, but yet he’s still fabulous and he’s my kind of guest.”

However, out of all those guests, Williams ranked interviewing her own parents as her highest honor. Especially considering Williams exceeded their expectations.

“I love having them on the show. My mom and dad never thought I would turn out like this. Like super super super successful because they weren’t familiar with the business I wanted to get into,” Williams said. “My mom is 78 years old and my dad is 82. For them, they grew up in an era where I was supposed to be a lawyer or marry a lawyer, be a doctor or marry a doctor, or become a schoolteacher. So for my mom and dad to come to the Wendy show and walk out the double doors with me, sit with me and gossip about hot topics, is a dream come true! For them to be at the show, that’s probably the crown jewel of my career. For my parents to see their college tuition money used real well.”

Marlon Wayans Once Shared How Tyler Perry Inspired the Wayans Family

Antonio Stallings — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 03:36:00 +0000

Comedian Marlon Wayans and his family have made a fortune off of their projects, many of which they’ve developed and produced themselves. But their form of self-sufficient entertainment is a hustle that business mogul Tyler Perry is more than familiar with. Like the Wayans family, Perry built his empire largely by creating his own creative works as well. Although Perry achieved his fame a bit later than the Wayans family, he’s someone Marlon and his loved ones can’t help but look up to.

Marlon Wayans considered Tyler Perry a pioneer

Marlon Wayans | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Marlon Wayans and his family didn’t just break through the entertainment industry; they managed to carve their own paths. Their older brother, Keenen Wayans, helped kickstart their legacy by creating projects like The Hollywood Shuffle and In Living Color. Like Keenen, his younger brothers Marlon and Shawn thrived in Hollywood by creating their own hit franchises. Their contemporary, Perry, followed a similar trajectory to success.

Perry started off writing stage plays in his earlier years before translating them into global franchises like Madea. Given their similarities, with both the Wayans and Perry specializing in comedy, it’s easy to see why they respect each other so much. According to an interview Marlon did with The Grio, he sees Perry as an innovator.

“I also feel like he’s opened a door for us,” Wayans said. “It’s good to have these different people of color, your peers, in some capacity outshining you because then you look and go — ‘Oh! That’s the way.’ Tyler has a great business model, and so he’s a pioneer in his own right. He’s actually inspired us.”

Marlon Wayans defended Tyler Perry from dress criticisms

Because Marlon has such glowing respect for Perry, he’s been both passionate and sensitive about the criticisms leveled against the mogul and their contemporaries. A common criticism Perry has faced over the years is his habit of putting on dresses to play his character Madea. Some have felt that Perry’s Madea costume perpetuates the stereotype of Black comedians putting on dresses and emasculating themselves to connect with mainstream audiences. Perry has responded to this kind of scrutiny in the past and doesn’t share the same opinion as his detractors.

“Nobody owned that dress but me,” he once told T.I.’s ExpediTIously podcast. “Nobody told me — a $2 billion franchise, nobody told me to put it on. Nobody makes me put it on. It was all on stage. Black man owned the whole show; it was my choice,” Perry once said according to Vibe.

“I’m not a man who enjoys wearing a dress,” the mogul added. “For me, as an actor, it’s a costume. It’s like if somebody goes to work at Walmart, they put on their uniform. For me, that’s putting on a uniform, going out, and making people laugh. Lifting them up. Encouraging them. The good that it does for so many people.”

The Wayans brothers have faced similar kinds of feedback for putting on dresses in projects like White Chicks. But like Perry, Marlon doesn’t find it offensive at all for comedians to wear dresses to entertain their audience.

“I don’t agree with if you put on a dress, that’s coon-ism or whatever,” Marlon said. “There’s no vanity in comedy. I put on a dress; I’ll shrink myself down to size; I don’t give a f***. If it’s funny, I don’t care. Don’t tell me what’s funny because you don’t dare to have the balls to go be funny. So, let me do what I need to do to evoke laughter.”

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ Freak-Off Guests Are Coming to His Defense According to Source

Antonio Stallings — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 02:37:00 +0000

Sean Diddy Combs has had an almost overwhelming amount of alleged witnesses and victims come forward before and after his arrest. So far, however, Diddy hasn’t received much support from anyone of note aside from his legal team and family. But recent reports asserted that might change the closer Diddy gets to his trial.

The women Sean Diddy Combs hired for his freak-offs might testify on his behalf

Sean Diddy Combs | Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

Diddy’s parties were always known for being raunchy, but it was usually assumed that everyone participating in these events were all consenting adults. His scandals, however, called into question just how consensual these parties were. Diddy’s ex-girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura, was the first to raise significant suspicion. In her lawsuit against Diddy, she accused the Bad Boys CEO of coercing her into having sex with several male prostitutes. From there, other parties have come forward, accusing Diddy of similar crimes.

But whether Diddy truly pressured and forced his accusers into these situations will determine whether or not he’ll spend his remaining years behind bars. And if recent reports are to be believed, Diddy has been quietly gathering supporters outside of his attorneys and family to vouch for his innocence. Hot New Hip Hop claimed that Diddy will be relying on six female escorts who are very familiar with his freak-offs as witnesses. The publication shared that these women will claim everything that happened at Diddy’s parties were both consensual and legal. There’s also the possibility that they aren’t the only aces up the hitmaker’s sleeve.

“Six escorts are only the beginning,” an attorney assured.

Diddy and his team’s recent moves, if true, might not be surprising for others looking at the case closely from the outside. TMZ’s Harvey Levin predicted Diddy’s team would try to prove the freak-offs were always consensual, seeing the strategy as his best chance at freedom.

“But I think this is going to be ‘deny, deny deny’ defense. … The volume of this is going to be very difficult for him to overcome,” Levin theorized to News Nation.

Why Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs would refuse a potential plea deal

If offered by a prosecutor, a plea deal might shave off Diddy’s sentence by a significant amount, and perhaps reduce the stress of facing excessive jail time. But Diddy’s lawyer Marc Agnifilo doesn’t believe the music mogul would accept that kind of bargain for the sake of his innocence.

“It’s up to Mr. Combs, and I don’t see it happening because he believes he’s innocent. And what’s more, he believes that he needs to stand up not just for himself,” Agnifilo said on the TMZ documentary The Downfall of Diddy: The Indictment.

According to Agnifilo, Diddy also feels, by rejecting a plea bargain, he’d serve as inspiration for others falsely prosecuted by the justice system.

“He feels an obligation to those people to say, ‘You know what, maybe I can break the model. Maybe I can show the world that a Black man can win in federal court.’ And I think he probably is the only person I know of who might be able to actually accomplish that goal,” Agnifilo said.

How Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has already tried to silence potential witnesses

Due to the massive publicity of the case, Diddy and his defense team have been concerned about their upcoming trial’s ability to play fair. To try to preserve the trial’s legitimacy, he and his team asked the judge overseeing the case to ban witnesses from speaking about the trial. At least to the media and to the public at large. The decision came as a response to a key witness discussing details about the case with the media after already speaking with the grand jury. Diddy’s defense team argued these kinds of interviews set a dangerous precedent that could negatively influence the trial and the jury. Especially since some of these witnesses’ stories have yet to be fully corroborated.

“Over the past several days, a grand jury witness and his attorney have given multiple interviews – including outside the courthouse immediately following his apparent grand jury testimony – making false and outrageous claims, including that the witness possesses videos of Mr. Combs involved in the sexual assault of celebrities and minors,” Diddy’s legal team wrote in a letter according to USA Today.

But CNN reported that Judge Arun Subramanian rejected the gag order, asserting that the right to free speech superseded Diddy’s concerns.

“Not all alleged victims will be participants in this case, and a blanket restriction on their speech will silence individuals who may never have anything to do with the proceedings here. And in any event, less restrictive alternatives must be considered and rejected before imposing a restraint on speech,” Subramanian said.

Jennifer Garner Didn’t Know if Audiences Would Be Able to Get Over Her ‘Girl Next Door’ Look for ‘Peppermint’

Antonio Stallings — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 01:48:00 +0000

Jennifer Garner is no stranger to starring in action roles like Aliaswould be and Elektra. In 2018, she returned to the genre that made her a household name by starring in Peppermint. But the feature was even grittier than Garner’s prior action flicks. So much so that she was a bit unsure if audiences would’ve been able to buy her in the role.

Jennifer Garner wasn’t sure audiences would be able to look past her ‘Girl Next Door’ image for ‘Peppermint’

Jennifer Garner | ROBYN BECK/ Getty Images

Garner hadn’t dipped her toe in an action film for a while before doing Peppermint. She took a long hiatus from acting to raise her kids. Additionally, when she did work, she usually starred in smaller films like Dallas Buyer’s Club. But Peppermint saw Garner go back to her roots as an action hero. In the feature, she played self-trained vigilante Riley North, who would go on to avenge her husband and child after they were brutally murdered. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Garner revealed that she’d been offered similar movies before. But Peppermint was really the only script that spoke to her.

“I’d wanted to do something physical, but the roles that came my way didn’t have high enough stakes to make me believe in them,” she said. “The drama has to be real, and the reason for risk has to be the highest imaginable.”

The film’s director, Pierre Morel, actually felt Garner’s natural image and personally favored her role.

“Jen gives you exactly what you want from the role,” Morel said. “She’s America’s most loved mom, so she sells the part as the relatable, sweet mother at the beginning, and then allows you to embrace her journey as she becomes a woman who knows there’s no happily-ever-after for her and takes things into her own hands to get revenge.”

Much like her character, Garner went through the kind of training she did with characters like Sydney Burnett from Alias and Elektra. Despite her preparation for the role, however, Garner still wasn’t sure if audiences would see her as a ruthless vigilante. Especially when Peppermint was so much more violent and darker than a lot of other films in her filmography.

“I’ll be interested to see if people can separate their idea of me as the girl next door to accept me in this heightened reality,” she said. “Obviously we’re not condoning this kind of action in real life, but if it were a man doing it, would it be an issue? We’ll have to see.”

Why Jennifer Garner was inspired by her ‘Peppermint’ character

There isn’t much of a career overlap that Garner has with her character Riley North. However, Garner did find something in common with her more tormented and brutal counterpart. Garner hadn’t experienced a tragedy that was anything like what happened in Peppermint. But she related to Riley’s sense of duty when it came to her family.

“She immediately takes matters into her own had to make sure those people are brought to justice,” Garner told People. “The fact that she just says I’m a mom, I’m taking care of this and I’m going to do what I need to do. That, I’m inspired by. I’ve never gotten the chance to play that kind of visceral need to defend, or protect, or take care of someone in your family.”

Garner also asserted that the type of training she endured only helped her bond even more with her character.

“I’ve been training for a while on this. I did MMMA skills, gun skills, knife skills. It was the connection to the physical that made me kind of understand her fight for her daughter,” Garner said.

“The action is smart and the fights are smart and they’re all me,” she added. “What would you fight for more than your family?”

The Marvel Star That Robert Downey Jr. Wanted to Do All of His Movies With

Antonio Stallings — Sun, 01 Dec 2024 03:23:05 +0000

Robert Downey Jr. has worked with plenty of actors both within and outside the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But there was one actor he got to know so well that he couldn’t imagine ever working without.

Robert Downey Jr. and this Marvel star never crossed paths in the superhero franchise

Robert Downey Jr | Kevin Winter/Getty Images

It seems one of Downey’s favorite acting experiences was alongside a fellow Marvel actor who he never interacted with. In 2014, Downey starred in the drama The Judge, where he played an attorney who defends his father after a brutal crime. The movie saw him work alongside Vincent D’Onofrio for the first time, who’d go on to play Kingpin in Daredevil. Downey credited the casting in The Judge for bringing him and D’Onofrio together, especially with how much Downey admired his co-star.

“I guess there’s part of that, but I’m sure you know this as well as anyone, the casting process is the most ludicrous thing where the DNA comes together,” Downey once told Deadline. “You think of a person to play a role, someone else becomes available, or somebody surprises you. I always think that rather than back into an idea because you are thinking about who you want to work with, you’re better off telling cool stories and then watch casting fall into place. But I will tell you officially that as of now, I would rather not do a movie without Vincent D’Onofrio, ever again.”

Downey further asserted that he admired D’Onofrio far too much to only work with him once.

“He literally is like the big brother I never had, and he is just so talented,” he said. “He is nothing like his character, Glen. There is not a moment of Vincent D’Onofrio in that character. There are aspects of him in it but he is a masterful guy. So honestly almost every project that I think about moving forward I think, what’s Vince going to do in it?”

Vincent D’Onofrio felt Robert Downey Jr. showed these Marvel movies can work

D’Onofrio felt Downey’s casting as Iron Man benefitted the Marvel universe in more ways than one. It not only jumpstarted the superhero franchise, but showed the kind of performances real actors could do in those roles on a mainstream scale. In a resurfaced interview with Screencrush (via MTR Network), D’Onofrio reflected on just how inspired he was by Downey’s Iron Man performance.

“The thing about Marvel is that they’re not – they’re into real acting. They’re looking for artists that are willing to take chances and are willing to create characters, even if that character has been around for years and years in comic books, they still are depending on us to create something and take it somewhere else,” D’Onofrio said. “Robert Downey [Jr.] is the perfect example of that. Who knew that Iron Man was going to be who Robert made him?”

D’Onfrio believed that he and other actors were already benefitting from the groundwork Downey laid with these superhero properties.

“I would have never guessed Iron Man was going to be that kind of Tony Stark. Not in a million years, and, you know, that’s because of Jon and especially Robert. So, everybody is following suit with that. Personally, I felt Downey kind of led the way in that, and he’s kind of said to the studios and to the public, ‘It can work. These Marvel things can work,’” he added.

Ironically, D’Onofrio would mean as much to Kingpin, as Downey meant to Iron Man for some fans. According to The Direct, Daredevil showrunner Steven DeKnight told fans that he wouldn’t ever think about recasting Kingpin.

“Recasting Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk would be like trying to recast Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark or Chris Evans as Steve Rogers. Impossible,” DeKnight said.

Wendy Williams Once Shared the Job She Would’ve Taken if Her Dream Radio Career Was Crushed

Antonio Stallings — Sat, 30 Nov 2024 20:41:00 +0000

Wendy Williams made millions off of her career as a radio personality and later as a talkshow host. But she also had a very distant plan B if her plan A didn’t work out. However, she admitted that her plan B wasn’t a career she would’ve liked to pursue.

What Wendy Williams would’ve done if it wasn’t for radio

Wendy Williams | Johnny Nunez/WireImage

Williams had her sights set on being a radio personality since she was a kid. Speaking with Refinery29, the talk show host once revisited her humble beginnings, touching on what it took for her to succeed growing up.

“Being a newscaster or radio personality was something I had wanted since sixth grade. I grew up in Jersey with New York media, and I was very influenced by the radio and people doing the news. And, as far as my parents, I knew they weren’t going to be able to help me at all. We didn’t know newscasters or DJs; there were no telephone calls to make or nepotism that was going to happen to me. So, I had to block out their voices and just go for it,” she said.

Williams would hone her radio personality and build up experience being a disc jockey at her Boston college Northeastern University. She earned a job doing radio just two weeks after graduating from the university, and had been a constant voice in media for years. Because of her backstory and accomplishments, Williams has served as inspiration for women everywhere. Her advice to her admirers was simply to be as resilient as she was when pursuing her dream. But at the same time, Williams also gave her fans a sobering reminder that not everyone could be like her. In that case, having a backup plan was crucial.

“You can’t listen to what your friends or your siblings say; you have to listen to yourself. But, always have a plan B. I’m not a dream killer; I’m a realist. Everybody can’t be a pop star. The church is filled with girls who can sing better than Mariah Carey, but Mariah is the one who grabbed the brass ring,” she said.

However, Williams also admitted that her own advice wouldn’t have necessarily worked on her. Williams’ plan B would’ve been a far cry away from her lucrative television and radio career.

“The advice I give now is different from the advice I took myself. If my dream of being on the radio had been crushed, I would have just been so crushed that I would have been a schoolteacher or something — just to pay my bills. But, the advice I give now is to find something that, even if it’s your second choice, it’s not going to suck for you to wake up and go to work every day,” she said. “But, I didn’t even have a chance to get a plan B. There was never a time in my life where I said, ‘God, this isn’t working out. What am I going to do?’ I was only unemployed in my career for two weeks in my life. Over 20 years, just two weeks.”

Wendy Williams reassured that she didn’t change when she jumped from radio to television

Williams not only achieved her dream, but exceeded them. For several years, she hosted her own radio show, The Wendy Williams Experience, from 2001 to 2009. Afterward, she transitioned into doing her own talkshow, which was a megahit that aired on Fox from 2008 to 2022. During that time, Williams successfully transitioned her radio personality to an on-air format. After the show’s monumental success, however, Williams asserted that she hadn’t changed all that much from her radio hosting days. She even felt she influenced other radio personalities.

“I haven’t changed. I consider myself the original. I’ve been doing this for years and been vilified. Now everybody’s doing it,” she once told The New York Times.

However, although Williams stood by her controversial behavior on her old radio show, she did eventually note she was gentler than she used to be.

“All I can say is that I regret nothing,” she said. “Some of the things that I’ve said might have stung. I sleep comfortably at night. I wasn’t coming from a bad place. I am a kinder Wendy now because I’m on TV. If I were on the radio I would still be just as reckless. I’m on main TV, not cable. I have a staff. I’m responsible for over 100 people. And David, believe it or not, they actually like me. Regret, I can’t.”