Viola Davis Says A Director Once Called Her By His Maid’s Name

Viola Davis recalled a microaggression she experienced decades ago as she discussed how race has impacted her Hollywood career.

Speaking at the Cannes Film Festival for a powerful Women In Motion conversation on Thursday, the Oscar-winning actor said an unnamed director once referred to her by his maid’s name. “And I’d known him for like, 10 years,” she said. “And he called me Louise, and I found out it was because his maid’s name was Louise.”

“I was maybe around 30 at the time, so it was a while ago. But what you have to realise is that those microaggressions happen all the time,” she explained.

The actor also spoke about times she’d been told she wasn’t “pretty enough” for certain roles. “It breaks my heart, and it makes me angry,” she said. “For many reasons. A lot of it is based in race. It really is. Because let’s be honest; if I had my same features and I were five shades lighter, it would just be a little bit different.”

Viola recently starred as Michelle Obama in The First Lady, which wraps up its 10-episode season in June, and also recently released her memoir, Finding Me.

She’ll also star in The Woman King, a historical epic inspired by true events in the Dahomey kingdom, a former West African state in what is now Benin.

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Jake Daniels Receives Wave Of Support From Footballers And LGBTQ+ Stars After Coming Out As Gay

Blackpool FC player Jake Daniels has received a wave of support since coming out as gay.

On Monday afternoon, the 17-year-old spoke his truth in a statement published on his club’s official website.

He said: “I’ve hated lying my whole life and feeling the need to change to fit in. I want to be a role model myself by doing this.

“There are people out there in the same space as me that may not feel comfortable revealing their sexuality. I just want to tell them that you don’t have to change who you are, or how you should be, just to fit in. You being you, and being happy, is what matters most.”

Since speaking out, Jake has received countless positive messages, including from his peers in the football world.

Former footballer Ian Wright also retweeted a message sending “move love” to Jake and saying his coming out “will also mean so much to so many and help to normalise something that should absolutely be normal”.

The Football Association issued a statement saying: “Football is a game for all, with diversity at its heart, and this is a hugely positive step as we strive to build an inclusive game that we can all be proud of.

“We are with you and hope your story will help to give people across the game the strength and encouragement to be their true self.”

Meanwhile, a host of public figures from the LGBTQ+ community have also voiced their support for Jake.

Jake is the only current openly gay male professional player in the UK, and the first male professional footballer to come out publicly since the late Justin Fashanu 32 years ago.

Speaking to Sky News, he said: “I have been thinking for a long time about how I want to do it, when I want to do it. I know now is the time. I am ready to be myself, be free and be confident with it all.

“I feel like I am ready to tell people my story. I want people to know the real me.”

Jake praised his team for being “absolutely amazing” after he came out to them, saying his teammates have “all been so supportive and everyone has had my back”, adding that his captain had told him he was “so proud” of him.

“Their reaction has been brilliant. It’s the best thing I could have asked for,” he added.

Blackpool Football Club went on to say they had worked closely with the LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall and “the relevant footballing organisations to support Jake” in his coming out.

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Piers Morgan Uncensored Guest Brands Host A ‘C***’ Live On Air

Piers Morgan Uncensored more than lived up to its name during Monday night’s episode, when a guest dropped a C-bomb live on air.

During the latest instalment of Piers’ topical Talk TV show, he spoke with “Jame” a protester at a trans rights demonstration organised by the activist group Trans Rise Up.

Jame wore a wig, sunglasses and face mask to obscure their true identity, with the former daytime star beginning the conversation by insisting he had “always supported trans rights to fairness and equality and I mean that sincerely”.

“That’s bullshit, bro,” his guest then suggested, with Piers responding: “You can say ‘bullshit, bro’ and you’re entitled to. It’s an uncensored show and you’ve just proven it.”

Jame then reminded the host that after a previous discussion about gender identity, the host had mockingly changed his Twitter profile picture to what Piers described at the time as a “two-spirit penguin”.

As the conversation continued, Piers apologised to viewers for Jame’s language, before stating his “issue” with trans women being allowed to compete alongside cisgender athletes in women’s sport.

“I think it’s very unfair that trans women should be competing against women born to female biological bodies,” he said, before Jame urged him to “shut up, bro”.

“Do you understand that a majority of women athletes do not give a shit about trans women in sports?” Jame asked.

Piers then said: “You can’t just call everyone who disagrees with you transphobic. If you keep swearing I’ll have to cut you off.”

The interview then culminated in Piers asking Jame what their issue was with his position, with the guest beginning to take off their mic, saying: “I don’t really know. I’m going to leave the interview, now. I kind of only came on here because I thought it would be kind of funny. But I wanted to say, ‘you’re a c***’.”

Jame ended the exchange by telling Piers they thought he was a "c***"
Jame ended the exchange by telling Piers they thought he was a “c***”

Responding to the jibe, Piers branded Jame a “complete idiot” and “very unpleasant piece of work”.

After apologising to viewers again later in the show, Piers added: “It’s a shame. I wanted to have a rational, sensible debate. They didn’t, so that’s it. They won’t be back on and we move on.”

Piers Morgan Uncensored launched last month with a much-publicised interview with former US president Donald Trump.

However, since then, reports have claimed that viewing figures for Piers’ show have taken a nosedive since its debut, with other programmes on Talk TV reportedly recording no audience at all at some points.

Piers previously tweeted: “Linear TV [is] increasingly irrelevant [compared] to total eyeball potential for a global show like this, especially with younger viewers who don’t really watch TV any more.”

This somewhat contradicts what the divisive broadcaster repeatedly used to say during his tenure on Good Morning Britain, when he would often goad BBC rival Dan Walker over their respective ratings.

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Harry Styles’ CBeebies Bedtime Story Announcement Sparks A Big Reaction From Fans

Harry Styles has become the latest star confirmed to be reading a story as part of CBeebies’ bedtime broadcast.

The singer, actor and all-round heartthrob announced on Monday morning that he’ll be helping send young viewers off to sleep on 23 May, when he dons his pyjamas to read In Every House, On Every Street by Jess Hitchman aloud.

And, from the sounds of it, there’ll be a fair few grown-up viewers tuning in too…

The As It Was singer previously lent his voice to the Calm app, gently speaking words of encouragement to try and help listeners get some sleep.

Harry’s choice of bedtime story ties in with the release of his third album, Harry’s House, which comes out on Friday.

Announcing his CBeebies appearance, the former One Direction star said: “Tonight’s bedtime story is about a house full of love and laughter.”

Harry Styles
Harry Styles

Lillie Eiger

The chart-topping musician follows in the footsteps of celebrities like Tom Hardy, Regé-Jean Page, Dolly Parton and Kate Middleton by appearing in the CBeebies story corner.

Earlier this month, Strictly Come Dancing champion Rose Ayling-Ellis became the first star to tell a bedtime story on the show using British Sign Language, to mark the end of Deaf Awareness Week.

Last week, Harry celebrated his sixth consecutive week at number one with the lead single from Harry’s House, As It Was.

He’s also gearing up for the release of two new films, the thriller Don’t Worry Darling and the historical romance My Policeman.

Harry Styles’ CBeebies Bedtime Story will air on Monday 23 May at 6.50pm BBC One. It will also be available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

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Selena Gomez Clears Things Up After Fans Accuse Her Of Making Fun Of Hailey Bieber

Selena Gomez is shutting down rumours that she threw shade at Hailey Bieber.

After Selena posted a look at her skin care routine on TikTok earlier this week, some fans accused her of subtly mocking a video that Hailey had posted just hours earlier.

Hailey, who married Selena’s ex Justin Bieber in 2018, shared a “get ready with me” video to TikTok showing fans her beauty routine. Later, Selena posted a video of her own, showcasing her skin care routine to Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams.

Selena – whose 2019 song Lose You To Love Me was widely thought to be about Justin Bieber – took to her comments section to clear the air about the misunderstanding.

“This is why I believe in taking care of your mental health. Guys no idea what I did but I really am sorry. Zero bad intention. Deleting soon,” Selena commented on her video, as seen in a screenshot from a fan.

Still, some fans continued to speculate about possible tension between Selena and Hailey, given the timing of Selena’s video.

“LOL I know who she’s referring to,” one commenter wrote on Selena’s TikTok video. “Wait … is she tryna make fun of you know who,” another commenter wrote.

The Wizards of Waverly Place leading lady later turned off comments on the video.

Selena said goodbye to her on-and-off relationship with Justin months before he wedded Hailey. The couple have been married since 2018.

Over the years, fans have theorised that Selena and Hailey Bieber hold resentment toward each other, but the two women have always denied the rumours.

Last month, Hailey addressed the issue in a TikTok, pleading with trolls to finally let the drama end.

“Leave me alone at this point,” she said. “I’m minding my business. I don’t do anything, I don’t say anything. Leave me alone, please. Enough time has gone by where it’s valid to leave me alone. I beg of you, truly. That’s my only request.”

“Be miserable somewhere else, please,” she added.

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Blake Lively Tried And Failed To Impress Her Kids With This Iconic Met Gala Look

Blake Lively may have played Serena van der Woodsen, hung out with Karl Lagerfeld, graced the cover of Vogue and co-chaired the 2022 Met Gala — but her kids couldn’t care less.

The Gossip Girl star participated in Vogue’s Life in Looks video series Monday, in which stars take a walk down fashion-memory lane by reminiscing about some of the most stylish looks they’ve worn throughout their careers.

During the video, Blake got especially excited while discussing the Versace gown and Lorraine Schwartz crown she wore to the 2018 Met Gala, and describes it to the magazine as “without a doubt my favourite look of all time.”

Blake Lively at the 2018 Met Gala, which had the theme Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & the Catholic Imagination.
Blake Lively at the 2018 Met Gala, which had the theme Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & the Catholic Imagination.

Taylor Hill via Getty Images

But she was also quick to point out that her three young daughters — James, 7, Inez, 5, and Betty, 2 — that she shares with Ryan Reynolds don’t exactly share the same opinion.

“It’s something that when my kids are giving me attitude, I’m like, ‘This is your mom,’ I mean, come on!” Blake said, gesturing to a photo of herself in the stunning dress.

“I try to tell them that I’m real-life royalty and that they’re lucky that I’m raising them.”

Blake then began laughing, and self-deprecatingly added, “They don’t buy it. They don’t believe it.”

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Maybe her kids need a stronger visual representation of how their mum tends to wear jaw-dropping pieces. May we suggest she show her kids the transformative gown she wore to the 2022 Met Gala — ya know, the one that made her husband react like this?

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