Another plot twist!:
— Ink Blot (@inkblotio) September 26, 2021
#MeToo
The big news of the week is that after decades of abusing women and children, R. Kelly was found guilty in federal court of one count of racketeering and eight counts of violating an anti-sex trafficking law. He now potentially faces spending the rest of his life in prison.
He won’t actually be sentenced until May — which seems ridiculous — but in the meantime, he faces similar charges in at least two other states.
Thank you for the headline, @tylerfoggatt @newyorker. It brought me to tears.https://t.co/2RSSz3ZSPg
— Jim DeRogatis (@JimDeRogatis) September 27, 2021
Grateful to the survivors. The ones who talked and the ones who didn't. #RKelly
— dream hampton (@dreamhampton) September 27, 2021
One in five black women are survivors of sexual assault. Today, black women were believed. R Kelly has been found guilty on all nine counts. #MeToo #ibelieveher #justice
— Mueller, She Wrote (@MuellerSheWrote) September 27, 2021
Breaking: R. Kelly found GUILTY!
Now do Matt Gaetz.
— Jack Cocchiarella (@JDCocchiarella) September 27, 2021
Chris Cuomo is an admittedly gropey creep just like his big brother. Why am I not surprised?
Tomorrow, Britney Spears returns to court to demand that her father be removed from her conservatorship once and for fucking all. Ahead of this, FX on Hulu and The New York Times released another chapter in their documentary series about the Spears saga, Controlling Britney Spears, in which they reveal that Jamie Spears was recording Britney’s private conversations both on her phone and in her bedroom.
Mr. Vlasov said that Ms. Spears’s phone had been monitored using a clever tech setup: The iCloud account on her phone was mirrored on an iPad and later on an iPod. Mr. Yemini would have Mr. Vlasov encrypt Ms. Spears’s digital communications captured on the iPad and the iPod to send to Mr. Spears and Robin Greenhill, an employee of Tri Star Sports & Entertainment Group, the former business manager for the singer’s estate.
This arrangement allowed them to monitor all text messages, FaceTime calls, notes, browser history and photographs.
“Her own phone and her own private conversations were used so often to control her,” Mr. Vlasov said.
In response to questions about the surveillance operation, a lawyer for Tri Star Sports & Entertainment Group said: “These allegations are not true. Ms. Greenhill was only involved in Ms. Spears’ security to the extent Ms. Spears requested her involvement, as well as Tri Star’s role of issuing the payments to the security company.” The lawyer did not respond to follow-up questions specifically asking whether Ms. Greenhill had ever received copies of or reports on the contents of Ms. Spears’s text communications.
Mr. Vlasov said the reason Mr. Yemini had given for monitoring Ms. Spears’s phone was to protect her from harm and bad influences. But Mr. Spears monitored his daughter’s text-message conversations with her mother, her boyfriend, her close friends and even her court-appointed lawyer, according to screenshots of messages provided to The Times.
And one of the most appalling parts of all of this is that Britney herself was paying for all this surveillance under this conservatorship. According to Deadline, the federal authorities are investigating Mr. Spears.
Oh, and Britney and her boyfriend are not fond of all these documentaries about her life.
Stephanie Grisham, former White House press secretary and Melania’s chief of staff, has written a tell-all. She reveals a lot about President Kompromat’s sucking up to Putin, the culture of lying in the White House, the “I Don’t Care, Do U?” jacket, and more. But here’s a bit that is relevant to this section:
“Grisham alleges that Trump became obsessed with a young, female press aide who isn’t named in the book. The president constantly asked where the aide was during press events, Grisham wrote, and allegedly once requested that she be brought to his cabin on Air Force One so he could “look at her [behind].”
Trump behaved inappropriately with Grisham, too, she wrote — once calling her from Air Force One to assure her that his penis was not small or toadstool-shaped, as the porn star Stormy Daniels had alleged in an interview.
Grisham wrote that Trump once asked her then-boyfriend, a fellow Trump aide, if she was good in bed.”
This, of course, is not surprising, and it will change nothing in his cult member’s eyes.
There’s also this bit of news from the book:
Paragraph I did not expect to read this morning: "Mr. Trump’s handlers designated an unnamed White House official known as the 'Music Man' to play him his favorite show tunes, including 'Memory' from 'Cats,' to pull him from the brink of rage." https://t.co/PnXOfNwtWB
— Michael Paulson (@MichaelPaulson) September 28, 2021
“Have you seen the Music Man. I want to hear the Meow Mix song.” pic.twitter.com/vWydfSWmQk
— Butternut Squash (@justabutternut) September 28, 2021
Matt Gaetz seems to think he’s about to need some legal representation soon and has hired a team of lawyers who have represented quite the Who’s Who of sexual predators, including Jeffrey Epstein, Keith Raniere, Robert Hadden who was a gynecologist who was accused by 200 patients of sexual assault, and, of course, the Trump Organization. Wonder what Matt’s worried about? OH RIGHT, THE WHOLE SEX-TRAFFICKING MINORS THING.
Uma Thurman has written a beautiful, thoughtful essay about having an abortion when she was 15 in response to the terrible law here in my state. It’s not a long read, it is worth your time.
UFC star Jon Jones has been arrested for domestic violence.
Chicago radio host Eric Ferguson has been accused of sexually coercing a co-worker.
Bill Gates sure is sorry for having dinner with Jeffrey Epstein.
Johnny Depp needs to sit down.
Rovier Carrington, a man who filed a lawsuit against Viacom and some of its executives for sexually abusing him, has been charged with perjury for falsifying emails in the case (which has been dismissed).
James Marsters recently opened up about his time on Buffy and Angel, and notes that Joss Whedon hated that Spike was so popular, because he was desperate to kill the character off. He also addressed working with John Barrowman who recently had to apologize for exposing himself on the sets of Doctor Who and Torchwood, saying that it didn’t make him personally uncomfortable, but that standards change.
Well, huh, Facebook isn’t going to move forward with Instagram for Kids for some reason. I wonder why.
All Other TV News
According to Netflix’s own numbers — whatever they are actually worth — people loved them some Bridgerton; Lupin; The Witcher; Sex/Life and Stranger Things. And while Extraction is the most-watched film, Bird Box continues to hang in there, which is interesting. All that said, apparently, the brand-new Korean series, Squid Game, has been so popular since its release on September 17, that it could soon overtake Bridgerton. I guess I’ll be binging that next?
Succession has released a series of character portraits for season three, and people have reactions:
— armie (@armieflower) September 27, 2021
Oh my god she's gonna be his campaign manager LOL
— Hershey Spritzer (@weinercasanova) September 27, 2021
— emma (@milfdredratched) September 27, 2021
— Max Rieper (@maxrieper) September 27, 2021
— Chris Taylor (@christaylor_nyc) September 27, 2021
— june (@sapphicshiv) September 27, 2021
A. POWER. COUPLE. AND THAT’S THAT ON THAT pic.twitter.com/8STdyPvkXe
— Prosecco Princess 🥂 (@Harlowrae) September 27, 2021
Also… Power Couple.
— CJ Johnson (@cjjohnsonjr) September 27, 2021
See, it’s funny because he’s a Jazz player:
A Salt Lake City news reporter didn't realize that she was interviewing Jordan Clarkson until later.
Her: 'Did you go to any Jazz games?'
Clarkson: 'Yeah, a lot.' 😂(📽️: @HayleyHolme)pic.twitter.com/WBxGqHIrb2
— theScore (@theScore) September 24, 2021
Welp, pretty sure @rlikness and I just interviewed @JordanClarksons off the street without realizing it was Jordan Clarkson 🤦♀️ I have some follow-up questions…
— Hayley Crombleholme (@HayleyHolme) September 24, 2021
Had him spell his name and everything 🤦♀️. I’m only mildly (okay highly) embarrassed pic.twitter.com/mWFO6eXOjp
— Hayley Crombleholme (@HayleyHolme) September 24, 2021
🤣 just happy i spelled my name right @HayleyHolme https://t.co/QndUL6EPEb
— Jordan Clarkson (@JordanClarksons) September 24, 2021
Love is dead, again, and for real this time.
Renewals
- The Mysterious Benedict Society has been renewed for a second season on Disney+.
In Development
- A YA spinoff of The Boys set in college has been greenlit at Amazon.
- A Babylon 5 reboot is in the works at The CW.
- Freeridge, a spinoff of On My Block, has been set at Netflix.
- The Fallen Angels Book Club is being adapted into a series of movies at Lifetime, produced by Toni Braxton.
- Madelyn Square Gardens, a musical set in New York, is being developed for Disney Television.
Casting News
- Cynthia Bailey is leaving The Real Housewives of Atlanta after 11 years.
- Eva Amurri is joining Monarch on Fox, playing the young version of her mother, Susan Sarandon’s character.
- Lori Loughlin is returning to When Calls the Heart on Hallmark Channel after her little run-in with the law.
- Russell Hornsby will be Don King in the upcoming Hulu series Iron Mike.
- Yazzmin Newell has joined the cast of Moonhaven on AMC.
- Lea Salonga, Sharon Leal, Elena Goode, Carly Pope, and Zakiya Youn have been added to the cast of Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin on HBO Max.
- Chosen Jacobs, John Harlan Kim, Anthony Ippolito, Kat Cunning, Sarah Rich, Scott Deckert, and Linden Ashby will star in Purple Hearts on Netflix.
- Danny Pino will return to guest star on Law & Order: SVU.
- Scott Galloway will host a show on CNN+.
Mark Your Calendars
- The Harder They Fall will debut on Netflix on November 3.
- The Girl in the Woods will premiere on Peacock on October 21.
- Axios returns on HBO on October 3.
- Convergence: Courage in a Crisis will premiere on Netflix on October 12.
- Welcome to Earth will premiere on Disney+ in December.
- City Confidential returns to A&E on October 28.
- Good Timing with Jo Firestone will debut on Peacock on October 15.
- The Time it Takes will debut on Netflix on October 29.
- Undercover will return on Netflix on November 21.
- Family Business will return on Netflix on October 8.
- Rafa Nadal Academy is coming to Amazon soon.
- The King’s Affection will premiere on Netflix on October 11.
- The Engineering That Built The World will debut on History on October 10.
- Secrets of the Dead will return on PBS on October 20.
- Howie Mandel & Friends: Don’t Sneeze On Me will air on The CW on October 18.
- DIY becomes Magnolia Network on January 5.
R.I.P.
Jean Hale Coleman, Actress who appeared in many TV shows, including Batman, Bonanza, Hawaii Five-O, McHale’s Navy, My Favorite Martian, The Perry Mason Show, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, Hogan’s Heroes, Cannon, The Wild Wild West
Jon Gregory, Film editor
Melissa Yandell Smith, Actress and American Conservatory Theatre executive
WATCH THIS
La Brea: A giant sinkhole opens up in the middle of Los Angeles, dropping hundreds of people into some sort of parallel world, and maybe there are dinosaurs? I don’t know. All I know is that you terrorists are making me watch it and write about it. (Still, it looks better than Ordinary Joe, which just … woof.) Series premiere. 8 p.m., NBC
Vanderpump Rules: These shiny ding dongs are back. Season premiere. 8 p.m., Bravo
Britney vs. Spears: If there is some corner of the Britney Spears saga that you think remains unexplored, here’s another documentary about it. Premiere. Netflix
Attack of the Hollywood Clichés!: Rob Lowe hosts this special that looks at well-worn Hollywood tropes. Premiere. Netflix
Bachelor in Paradise: WHY IS THIS ON FOR THREE HOURS. 7 p.m., ABC
Late Night:
- Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Jake Gyllenhaal; G-Eazy ft. Demi Lovato
- Late Night with Seth Meyers: Ray Liotta, Natasia Demetriou, Spencer Ackerman, Nick Baglio
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Drew Carey, Phoebe Robinson
- The Late Late Show with James Corden: Mayim Bialik
- Jimmy Kimmel Live: Gabrielle Union, Mark Duplass, Angels & Airwaves
- The Daily Show: TBD
TUES. | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 |
ABC | Bachelor in Paradise (new) |
CBS | FBI (new) |
FBI: International (new) |
FBI: Most Wanted (new) |
CW | Stargirl (new) |
Supergirl (new) |
Local |
FOX | The Resident (new) |
Our Kind of People (new) |
News/Local |
NBC | The Voice (new) |
La Brea (new) |
New Amsterdam (new) |