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Janet Jackson $800 Set of Auction Catalogs For Sale, for Charity with GIGANTIC Salaries, $167 Million Total

Roger Friedman
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Janet Jackson $800 Set of Auction Catalogs For Sale, for Charity with GIGANTIC Salaries, $167 Million Total

I never heard of a 501 c3 called Compassion International until today.

Janet Jackson’s selling an $800 boxed set for them on Julien’s Auctions. “All proceeds go to Compassion International.” It’s for Jesus, of course!

Well, on their most recent Form 900 tax filing, they’re claiming $167 million in salaries. Yes, that’s right. About $4 million of that goes to their top execs, each of whom makes over $200,000.

I’d have a lot of compassion if I made that much money tax free. Hallelujah!

What have you done for me lately? would be a good song for Compassion International. This a big deal money group. They claim to give away over $635 million a year. Of course, not a penny is specified on their Form 990. It’s all vague, big amounts like $19 million to “Sub Saharan Africa.”

None of it makes any sense because their fundraising activities are very pokey. They say they grossed $20 million from 5 events. But their net income from the events is $0.

I don’t know. Unless Janet herself is in the box, I’d think twice about all of this!

The money from the rest of the auction goes to Miss Jackson. No touring this year, you know.

Items include:

a Helen Storey designed floor-length metallic silver coat worn by Jackson in the 1995 “Scream” music video with brother Michael Jackson… costing $7 million at the time, the music video was listed in the Guinness World Records as the most expensive music video ever made and received 11 MTV Video Music Award nominations that year;
a Richard Tyler black coat with velvet lapels, worn by Jackson on her 1990 Rhythm Nation Tour while performing her hit singles “Control” and “Nasty”;
Jackson’s 17th century ensemble worn while performing “If” on her 1993-1995 Janet World Tour;
Jackson’s outfit worn while performing “Scream” during the MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York City in 2009;
her stage costume worn on “MTV Icon: Janet Jackson” show in Los Angeles on March 10, 2001 while performing “All for You”;
a yellow two-piece suit with a red and yellow polka dotted scarf worn by Jackson while performing “Alright” on The Jackson Family Honors TV special that aired on February 22, 1994 and janet. tour;
Janet Jackson’s 2001 “All for You” music video ensemble; her 2001 All For You Tour costume; her 2008 Rock Witchu Tour Atelier Versace red chiffon sequined gown with Versace metallic red platform stilettos; a tan long-sleeve bodysuit with floor-length black fur coat worn by the pop/R&B diva while performing at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans on July 2, 2010 and more.

Paulina Porizkova’s Ex Boyfriend Screenwriter Ed Solomon Isn’t Happy He’s Been Excised from Her Sunday NY Times Profile

Roger Friedman
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Paulina Porizkova’s Ex Boyfriend Screenwriter Ed Solomon Isn’t Happy He’s Been Excised from Her Sunday NY Times Profile

Paulina Porizkova, former model, recent Vogue cover girl, is living it up now that her husband, Ric Ocasek, is dead.

The leader and founder of the Cars died cutting Paulina out of his will. He wrote in that she had “abandoned” him.

Since then she’s been on a campaign to whitewash the story, paint herself as a victim in whose mouth butter wouldn’t melt. She’s suing the estate and dating screenwriter Aaron Sorkin.

She likes screenwriters. She dated one at least in 2019, if not sooner. His name is Ed Solomon, he wrote the “Bill and Ted” movies with Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter. He also wrote “Men in Black.” In the latter movie, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones have a little device that wipes out peoples’ memories. Hmmmm….

Solomon was evidently surprised this morning when a profile of Paulina appeared in the NY Times Style section in which he was excised from her story. Solomon wrote on Twitter: “Sure, *now* all my friends – now that we’ve broken up – are all coming out telling me what they wouldn’t say the whole time we were dating: my girlfriend was imaginary”

Well, she wasn’t. The Daily Mail, always reliable on these subjects, covered their unveiling as a couple exactly two years ago.

Estranged husband and new boyfriend shared more than just a girlfriend, too. Ric died on Ed’s birthday. There’s no end of weirdness there.

I’ve never understood how writers listening to Paulina’s story make sense of her timeline when Ocasek died. He was very ill, suffering from cancer and was post-op from heart surgery but she and her sons left him alone in his townhouse. There was no aide, no nurse, no family member. He was left overnight. In the morning, Porizkova says, she brought him coffee– what you do for a person in such health peril– and found him dead.

A month before Ric died in September 2019, Paulina was flirting with Solomon on Twitter. That was several months after their coming out party.

Maybe I’ve been watching too much late night Perry Mason, but I know Paul Drake would have some questions after hearing that story.

Yet the Times’s Katie Rosman paddled right along with it, as did Vogue and a lot of other people. Paulina tells this story of woe on her Instagram account daily.

Ocasek is painted as a bad guy because he omitted the two sons from his first marriage from his will. He had six sons, a pair from each of three marriages. Paulina has the youngest pair. They’re in the will. Who knows why Ocasek made those decisions, but he did.

As far as Rosman’s Times story, she didn’t really ask why Ocasek thought he was “abandoned.” The word just sits there, begging for an explanation.

Porizkova claimed to be homeless after Ocasek’s death. But the townhouse she owned with him sold for $10 million, half of which was hers. So “homeless” might be an exaggeration. The pictures of her new apartment look pretty swell, I’ll say that. It’s good to know $5 million can still get you something these days.

Porizkova is very talented. She wrote a novel. She was a good actress in the movie, “Anna,” from 25 years ago. It was the story of a beautiful girl from Czechoslovakia who couldn’t catch a break in New York. She was very convincing. And still is.

PS Here’s a picture of Paulina on the set of “Bill & Ted” summer 2019 a few months before Ric Ocasek died.

 

UPDATE Don Lemon Changing the Name of His Show, Causes an Uproar But He’s Not Going Anywhere

Roger Friedman
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UPDATE Don Lemon Changing the Name of His Show, Causes an Uproar But He’s Not Going Anywhere

SATURDAY NOON UPDATE

Is it the end of “CNN Tonight with Don Lemon”?

Seems so. Don Lemon surprised his audience tonight by signing off saying as much. It was a quick goodbye, and it seemed like Lemon was leaving CNN.

I guess a lot of people thought so. Lemon immediately posted a video to Twitter insisting he’s not leaving the news network, and that everyone had to tune in Monday at 10pm to see what’s going on.

Is the show getting a new title? A new format? Will it feature songs? Lemon produced a wonderful tribute to Marvin Gaye’s 1971 album classic “What’s Going On?”

So what is going on? I guess we’ll have to wait and find out!

Good News for “Conners” Fans: Katey Sagal Will Have More Time for Show as “Rebel” is Cancelled

Roger Friedman
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Good News for “Conners” Fans: Katey Sagal Will Have More Time for Show as “Rebel” is Cancelled

It’s a good thing Katey Sagal didn’t quit her “day job.” Her series, “Rebel,” has been cancelled by ABC.

Luckily Katey is a semi-regular on “The Conners.” She could be bumped up now to full time if everyone agrees. It’s funny that Peg Bundy came to replace Roseanne Conner, but that’s life.

“Rebel” was a valiant try at having an Erin Brokovich type legal zealot fighting underdog cases. It even co-starred Andy Garcia and John Corbett. But the writers were hamstrung by the premise and couldn’t make it work.

Also, for some reason they made Mary McDonnell, a great actress, play a very old lady when she’s the same age as Katey! It was very weird. Why McDonnell agreed to do it is beyond me.  The heavens may be punishing the producers for that infraction.

ABC cancelled five shows including “Mixed-ish,” which was very charming. The mothership show “Black-ish,” was renewed for its 8th and final season.

Three other shows that no one watched or thought about, “American Housewife,” “Call Your Mother,” and “For Life,” are gone as well.

The best news is that there’s a Black version of “The Wonder Years” coming, produced by Lee Daniels, and starring as the parents two really, really great actors, Dule Hill and Saycon Sengbloh. You probably know Hill from “Psych,” but he’s got a big theater background, and so does Saycon, who is featured this summer in the Aretha Franklin film, “Respect.” I will watch it just for them, and they better get some awards love!

Aretha Franklin “Respect” Movie Soundtrack Includes Title Track But Omits Key Hits Written by Legend Herself

Roger Friedman
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Aretha Franklin “Respect” Movie Soundtrack Includes Title Track But Omits Key Hits Written by Legend Herself

Every fan of Aretha Franklin and Jennifer Hudson is chomping at the bit to see the bio pic, “Respect.” We’ve had a few clips in which JHud sounds amazing, but no one knows too much else about Liesl Tommy’s film set for release in August.

Today the tracklist for the soundtrack CD came out, and it tells us a little of what to expect at least musically.

Eleven of the fourteen tracks are Aretha hits including “Respect,” “Natural Woman,” “I Say a Little Prayer,” “Ain’t No Way,” “Think,” and “Spanish Harlem.” There are are also three gospel numbers.

But missing from the list are two major hit songs Aretha herself wrote, “Rock Steady” and “Daydreaming.” I was a little surprised about those. Aretha was very proud of those songs, and they have remained classics.

There’s also no version of “Until You Come Back to Me.” Or “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” I knew “Don’t Play That Song for Me” and “Call Me” wouldn’t be here. They were used in the Aretha mini series with Cynthia Erivo.

Well, there’s only so much time in a two hour movie, I guess. Maybe we’ll hear snippets of these records in the background. But it might have been nice to have songs Aretha herself wrote. Just sayin’…

We wait and we’ll see. If nothing else, I fully expect JHud to score an Oscar nomination from this film.

 

 

NBC Turns Over ALL of Wednesdays and Thursdays to Dick Wolf, Who Also Has a Chunk of CBS

Roger Friedman
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NBC Turns Over ALL of Wednesdays and Thursdays to Dick Wolf, Who Also Has a Chunk of CBS

Dick Wolf is pretty much running prime time TV.

A hundred years ago, he just had “Law & Order” on NBC. We used to run into him at Elaine’s celebrating his success.

Now with the new NBC schedule, the network has turned over ALL of Wednesday and Thursday to him.

On Wednesday he has three “Chicago” shows, albeit without Bob Fosse. They are Police, Fire, and Med.

On Thursday, Wolf has three “Law & Order” shows: SVU. Organized Crime, and For the Defense.

And that’s not all– on CBS Wolf has three “FBI” shows. Three. That’s NINE hours of prime time.

Are there more? I’m sure they’re coming. And the thing is, they are all entertaining and engaging. Wolf’s teams know how to do these shows, whether they’re police procedurals or set in a hospital.

But to own so much “real estate” in prime time. No one’s done it before, I don’t think, not even Quinn Martin (may he rest in peace). At this point, Wolf is the biggest employer in “Hollywood”– even though his shows aren’t shot there.

The Emmys should really take note of that this year and do something special for him.

NBC FALL 2021-22 SCHEDULE
(New programs in UPPER CASE; all times ET)

MONDAY
8-10 PM — The Voice
10-11 PM — ORDINARY JOE

TUESDAY
8-9 PM — The Voice
9-10 PM — LA BREA
10-11 PM — New Amsterdam

WEDNESDAY
8-9 PM — Chicago Med
9-10 PM — Chicago Fire
10-11 PM — Chicago P.D.

THURSDAY
8-9 PM — LAW & ORDER: FOR THE DEFENSE
9-10 PM — Law & Order: SVU
10-11 PM — Law & Order: Organized Crime

FRIDAY
8-9 PM – The Blacklist
9-11 PM — Dateline NBC

SATURDAY
8-9 PM — Drama Encores
9-10 PM — Dateline Weekend Mystery
10-11 PM – SNL Vintage

SUNDAY
7-8:20 PM — Football Night in America
8:20-11 PM — NBC Sunday Night Football

“American Idol” Reject Hunter Metts Gets Last Laugh, Drops Single And It’s Already on iTunes Top 100

Roger Friedman
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“American Idol” Reject Hunter Metts Gets Last Laugh, Drops Single And It’s Already on iTunes Top 100

Talk about making lemonade from lemons.

Pop singer Hutner Metts dropped a single today called “20,000 Kisses.” It’s already number 91 82 on iTunes and selling.

Ironically, Metts was dropped himself last Sunday from “American Idol.” He didn’t make the final 5 contestants. One singer who did make the top 5 has subsequently been dropped from the show.

“Idol” made a huge mistake. If this single really takes off, Metts could be on the radio as “Idol” is choosing its winner in two weeks. Good lord.

Also, Metts has put this out as an indie single. He can sign with anyone if he has a hit. I’ve no doubt he’s gotten the attention of few record labels already.

Christopher Meloni’s “Law & Order Organized Crime” Gets a Second Season Despite Soft Ratings

Roger Friedman
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Christopher Meloni’s “Law & Order Organized Crime” Gets a Second Season Despite Soft Ratings

Benson and Stabler will get to go another round.

NBC has renewed “Law & Order Organized Crime” as the companion show to “Law & Order SVU.”

Hardcore fans will be thrilled as the saga of Mariska Hargitay’s Olivia Benson and Chris Meloni’s Elliot Stabler will continue in cross overs galore, no doubt, and more fevered proclamations of love.

But “Organized Crime” has soft ratings. It’s really very much like “The Colbys” or “The Girl from UNCLE.” It’s not generating new fans or ideas. It’s completely dependent on “SVU.”

“OG” also suffers from structural issues. Instead of putting Stabler in situations with all kinds of organized crime, he’s just got Dylan McDermott to fight every single week. Even on “The Fugitive,” David Janssen had different adventures. He wasn’t always battling Lt. Gerard or the one armed man.

Dick Wolf says next season will be broken into three 8 episode arcs. I really hope the plotting fans out to just more of Stabler vs. (lol) Sinatra. Maybe they’ll have a Sinatra singalong.

UPDATE: Broadway Musical About Princess Diana Will Open a Month Early, On November 17th

Roger Friedman
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UPDATE: Broadway Musical About Princess Diana Will Open a Month Early, On November 17th

“Diana: The Musical” cannot be stopped!

The Broadway show that will premiere on Netflix first has moved up its Broadway opening date.

The new date is November 17th, with previews set to begin November 2nd. That’s a short preview window, but the show has played in La Jolla and was in previews before the pandemic shut it down.

First, however, we’ll get to see it on Netflix on October 1st. That has never been done before.

Originally “Diana” was going to bow in December. But I guess the producers felt that was too much lag time between Netflix and a live start.

In a joint statement, the “Diana” producers said “There is a huge groundswell of energy surrounding Broadway’s reopening news and we are looking forward to having many things to celebrate with our Broadway colleagues this Fall.  We are very happy to get our company back onstage a month earlier than we had anticipated and are eager to safely welcome audiences back to the Longacre Theatre.  We are also eager to move forward with our cast and company with a firm commitment to the list of actionable items we have created together  to help make both Diana and our industry a more inclusive, equitable and safe space in which to work.”

(I don’t know if ‘actionable’ is the word they meant. Are they suing the audience?)

“Diana: The Musical” stars Jeanna de Waal as Diana, Roe Hartrampf as Prince Charles, Erin Davie as Camilla Parker Bowles and Judy Kaye as Queen Elizabeth.

Exclusive: Norwegian Journalist Wants $1.6 Mil AND Membership to Settle Golden Globes Case That She Lost Twice

Roger Friedman
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Exclusive: Norwegian Journalist Wants $1.6 Mil AND Membership to Settle Golden Globes Case That She Lost Twice

EXCLUSIVE The Golden Globes are already in the middle of a lot of chaos. NBC has been cancelled their 2022 show and the Hollywood Foreign Press (HFPA) is under fire for not having any Black members and for its entire financial stand. Some of the 87 members are resisting changes even though the group voted last week for sweeping reforms that still haven’t been implemented.

So it’s eye opening to see the settlement demand from Kjersti Flaa, the Norwegian journalist who last year sued the HFPA after her membership application was denied. Flaa’s case was dismissed not once but twice, but she vowed to file an appeal.

This week, seizing on the moment of the HFPA being in trouble publicly, Flaa’s attorney, David Quinto, who once counted among his clients the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, sent an email to the HFPA’s lawyer this week demanding a settlement of $1.6 million and membership in the group.

This column has obtained the exchange of emails exclusively.

Quinto wrote to the HFPA’s lawyers at Latham & Watkins LLP on May 10th: “I’m writing to ask whether the HFPA is finally willing to discuss a potential settlement of my clients’ claims. One would think that the HFPA does not now want the distraction and expense of continuing to litigate.”

One of the HFPA’s lawyers, Marvin Putnam, shot back an email immediately in an effort to end a case they’d essentially already won, twice: “I am more than happy to convey to my clients any good faith proposal you might present.”

On May 11th, Quinto issued his settlement demand in a new email:

“Admission of both Kjersti Flaa and Rosa Gamazo Robbins this summer, payment of $1.6mm to Kjersti (payable in equal quarterly installments over three years with interest only to the extent that inflation exceeds 4% annually), payment of $700K to Rosa (again, payable in equal quarterly installments over three years with interest only to the extent that inflation exceeds 4% annually), and payment of $200K in attorney’s fees (also payable in equal quarterly amounts paid over three years with interest only to the extent that inflation exceeds 4% per annum), a mutual (including Magnus Sundholm*) waiver and dismissal of all claims, whether known, unknown, or fraudulently concealed, a mutual non-disparagement provision, and the HFPA’s agreement not to retaliate against anyone suspected either of providing assistance to me or to the L.A. Times.“

Robbins’ name had been added to an amended complaint from Quinto that was dismissed in March 2021. The first case was dismissed last November. After the second ruling by the judge to dismiss — leaving no room for further amendment–  Flaa said in a statement that she would appeal the rulings. She told Variety in an email: “It’s disappointing that the district judge didn’t see anything wrong with the HFPA’s conduct when the rest of America does,” she said. “We will of course appeal and are confident that the trial courts dismissal will be reversed and that we will finally get our day in court. In the meantime we fear that the HFPA will not make good on its recent promises to reform its bylaws and conduct to become more inclusive, transparent and representative of foreign entertainment reporters.” (*Sundholm, a photographer and member of the HFPA, is Flaa’s boyfriend. She is his lone featured follower on Instagram. He backed her in her efforts to gain membership.)

Flaa’s seemingly outrageous demand for $1.6 million certainly comes off as greedy and having nothing to do with inclusivity, transparency, or representation. She and Quinto don’t seem to get the current issues with the HFPA, the lack of Black journalists. She just wants money. When Flaa originally sued the HFPA, late president Lorenzo Soria responded that her lawsuit was merely a “shakedown.” This exchange of emails would seem to prove him right.

Copyright c2021 Showbiz411.

 

 

 

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