Movies

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are giving it another shot -- the pair are engaged -- nearly 20 years after Ben first asked Jen for her hand in marriage.

J Lo shared the news with her fans via a video message on her newsletter Friday, she's teary-eyed and simply says, "You're perfect" before you can catch a glimpse of her beautiful green diamond ring.

Of course, we noticed Ben may have popped the question already when J Lo was spotted out furniture shopping with her daughter and was wearing a massive diamond on THAT finger. Interestingly enough, she tried to flip the diamond into her palm when she saw a cam.

The engagement comes on the heels of another very significant step for the couple -- they recently plunked down around $55 million on a massive Bel-Air estate together.

The home has plenty of room to blend their families with 20,000 sq ft. 10 bedrooms and 17 bathrooms ... not to mention a pool with stunning views.

Will Smith finally got his punishment for slapping Chris Rock at The Oscars -- the Academy of Motion Pictures has made him persona non grata for a decade for that slap.

The Academy's Board of Governors met Friday and after the vote, the Academy President and CEO said, "The Board [of Governors] has decided, for a period of 10 years, from April 8, 2022, Mr. Smith shall not be permitted to attend any Academy events or programs, in person or virtually, including but not limited to the Academy Awards."

He continues with an Academy mea culpa  ... "During our telecast, we did not adequately address the situation in the room. For this we are sorry. This was an opportunity for us to set an example for our guests, viewers, and our Academy family around the world, and we fell short -- unprepared for the unprecedented."

The Prez went on to thank Chris Rock ... "We want to express our deep gratitude to Mr. Rock for maintaining his composure under extraordinary circumstances."

A statement allegedly from Smith after the announcement read, "I accept and respect the Academy's decision."

TMZ broke the story ... our sources told us the Academy lied about asking Will to leave the Dolby Theater after the slap. Turns out it was the exact opposite ... as the show's producer Will Packer told Will he could stay.

The Academy was slammed for getting caught in a lie, so this disciplinary hearing also served as its best way to make good for an, at best, fumbled response.

Will had also been dealing with the fallout -- a bunch of his projects are now on ice and he already resigned from the Academy.

Fat Joe says Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars has serious consequences for all POCs when it comes to demanding respect ... especially because it was Will who got violent in public.

We got Joey Crack Thursday in New York City, and asked for his take on the fallout from Will's actions, and the impact on minorities.

You can tell it pains him to say it, but Joe says Will being the culprit makes it much worse for the culture than, for instance, Fat Joe and 50 Cent beefing.

Watch the clip, he really did take that shot at himself -- but his point is people expect more from Will, because as he put it ... the Oscar winner is "the best we got."

What's more, Joe says the slap looks bad from the outside because it comes at a time when Black and brown people are demanding more respect in society.

Before this cute 5-year-old girl was bringing in award-worthy nominations as an actress, she was just another happy girl with a bright future growing up in Santa Monica, California.

Even though this girl decked out in ruffly stripes no longer rocks the pigtail look, she still serves us an edgy look with her cropped bangs, which she sometimes clips back or pushes to the side.

Her star-worthy smile has clearly paid off, as she starred in "The Addams Family" in the early 90s and would go on to land other notable roles such as her iconic character in "Sleepy Hollow."

The first comic book ever to feature Captain America just sold at auction for a near-record price.

The winning bid for "Captain America Comics No. 1" came in Thursday at a whopping $3.1 million ... which is not far off from the $3.6 million someone shelled out in 2014 for the first comic with Spider-Man.

The comic book, which introduced fans to Captain America and his trusty sidekick, Bucky, was published way back in 1941 ... and this one was in near mint condition.

The issue, sold through Heritage Auctions, is 45 pages and the cover features imagery of Captain America punching Adolf Hitler and fighting the Nazis.

Here's the top prices for other superhero comics ... the first appearance of Superman went for $3.2 million in 2014, while the first comic with Batman fetched $2.2 million in January 2021.

The $3.1 million sale price for "Captain America Comics" puts it in the top 5 most expensive comics ever sold.

This same issue has grown in value over the years ... it was previously sold at auction twice before, fetching over $25,000 in 2010 and $915k in 2019.

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck may have officially cemented their future together -- cause she is wearing a diamond ring on THAT finger -- and something she did with the diamond is raising more suspicion.

J Lo and her daughter, Emme, were out furniture shopping Monday, possibly for their new $55 million home, and if you take a closer look, there's definitely a diamond on the singer's left ring finger.

Interestingly enough, J Lo seems to pick up on the fact there's a photog, because on her way out of the store, she appears to flip the ring, hiding the diamond side in her palm.

If it's legit, the engagement would come on the heels of another big step in Ben and Jen's relationship ... the $55 mil mansion they just went in on together.

As we've previously reported, the massive 10-bedroom, 17-bathroom estate sits in the ritzy Bel-Air area of Los Angeles ... and J Lo and Ben are gearing up to blend their families together and make it their home.

BTW, it wouldn't be the first time the two got engaged to each other, Ben popped the question 18 years ago ... but they called things off before any wedding.

A huge collection of Betty White's personal items are going up for auction, with pieces spanning over her 8-decade career.

The items are going on the block in September, courtesy of Julien's Auctions in Bev Hills, and the treasure trove includes signed scripts, wedding bands and her popular outfits.

The collection will be displayed in various countries around the world before ending up at Julien's ... countries like Chile and Ireland. The collection will also make its way aboard the Queen Mary 2's Transatlantic Voyage.

The auction house says, "We are honored to work with her Estate in this exclusive presentation of these precious artifacts and personal mementos from her storied life and career which will be offered for the first time at auction to the public, museum curators and her legions of fans worldwide."

Mark Wahlberg is getting out of Beverly Hills -- his massive estate there just hit the market ... and he is going to turn a HUGE profit considering what he first paid for it way back when.

The actor has listed his BH compound -- which includes a main mega-mansion with 12 bedrooms and 20 baths, plus a separate guest house -- for a whopping $87.5 million ... he first bought the land in 2009 for $8.25 mil and spent years building the home.

Overall, it's 30,500 square feet of living space ... covered in European limestone.

No matter what amount Mark settles for, he's obviously coming up big in the black ... we're talking tens of millions of dollars based on nothing but good old-fashioned real estate appreciation. Not bad!

As for the property itself ... it's literally Los Angeles luxury defined. It's got a full-blown library/study room, a waterfall pool, a grotto, tennis court, basketball court, a private spa, a 5,000-bottle wine cellar, a fully-equipped gym, a movie screening room -- and even separate quarters for any hired help, plus a media entry space!

There are other amenities that you should see for yourself ... seriously, this place rocks.

Like we said ... Mark's been soaking in this palace for well over a decade. Now, he seems ready to move -- because it's for sale and up for grabs. Whoever the new owner will be is someone that's gotta have deep pockets ... because this purchase is no walk in the park.

The house is listed by mega-realtor Kurt Rappaport.

Music legend Bobby Rydell, one of the first teen idols back in the 1960s, is dead.

Bobby, whose famous songs include "Volare" and "Wild One," died Tuesday. A person close to Bobby tells us he had some health issues over the last few months and was recently diagnosed with pneumonia ... which is believed to be the cause of death. We're told it was not COVID-related.

Bobby was a central part of the Philadelphia dynasty in music ... so big, streets were named after him. Paul McCartney famously said Bobby's hit, "Swinging School," served as the inspiration behind The Beatles' early mega-hit, "She Loves You."

Bobby toured as part of The Golden Boys stage production with Frankie Avalon and Fabian, and he was easily the most talented singer among the trio of teen idols.

While Bobby's mostly known for his music, he was also a talented actor ... starring on TV, stage and film, most notably a role in the movie version of "Bye Bye Birdie" with Ann-Margret and Dick Van Dyke.

There's even a nod to Bobby in the Broadway and film version of "Grease" ... the high school, "Rydell High," was named after him.

Bobby sold over 25 million records ... and his other hits include "Kissin' Time, "Sway," "I've Got Bonnie," "The Cha-Cha-Cha" and "Forget Him."

He was 79.

Shaun Weiss is back and better ... and now he'll be returning to the big screen ... 'cause the dude's just landed a role in a movie.

The 'Mighty Ducks' star tells TMZ ... he'll be in the film, "Jesus Revolution," starring Kelsey Grammer -- based on the true story of Lonnie Frisbee and the hippies he baptized in the '70s -- and the role is reflective of his own life.

Shaun tells us, someone from Lionsgate actually saw his sobriety story and wanted to offer him the role. He did a read for a director via zoom, and voila!

We're told, he plays a strung-out Vietnam vet who gets saved and sobers up. And, he's really gotten into the role ... even asking his dentist if he could temporarily take out the implants he just got, to look the part.

Well, that wasn't possible but, either way, Shaun says the role has taken him back to his own life and being drugged out ... so much so, he says, playing the role is almost like experiencing a relapse.

As we previously reported, Shaun has struggled with drug addiction for many years ... even losing most of his teeth from drug abuse. He's since turned his life around, gotten a new set of pearly whites and has been sober for 2 years!

Talk about a comeback ...

Musician and American actress Fairuza Balk was just 23 years old when she played Vicki Vallencourt - the girlfriend who's a ride or die for her 'geek' of a boyfriend -- in the 1998 football film "The Waterboy."

Balk was cast alongside some of the greats including Adam Sandler as momma's boy and H20 enthusiast turned all-star player, Bobby Boucher, Kathy Bates as Bobby Boucher's overprotective mother, Mama Boucher, Rob Schneider as the annoying yet supportive "you can do it" character, Townie and Henry Winkler as the convincing coach, Coach Klein.

Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson's relationship continues to grow ... in fact, it's spreading to other parts of Pete's family now too!

Sources connected to Pete tell us Kim recently joined him on a trip to NYC. We're told Pete was there working on a movie -- so Kim came to check things out -- and the production happened to be close to Pete's grandparents' home on Staten Island.

After the shoot wrapped for the day, Kim and Pete dropped in to spend some time with his family ... and Kim got to officially meet his grandparents.

Of course, the meeting shouldn't be all that surprising -- the two have been together for several months now -- but bringing the family into the mix is always a big step.

We also know Pete's become more than familiar with Kim's family -- including her mom and sisters -- one of the first pics we saw of the pair together was snapped at Kris' home in SoCal with the Kardashian family matriarch and Flavor Flav.

Pete's also been openly accepted by Kim's closest circle of friends, who have all told us he's a great guy and a good addition to Kim's life.

Our sources say Pete has still not met Kim's kids, out of respect for Kanye, so it will be interesting to see if that changes down the line.

Estelle Harris, who brilliantly played George Costanza's mom, has died.

Estelle passed away Saturday at her home in Palm Desert, CA, just outside of Palm Springs.  Her son Glen says she died from natural causes, adding, "It is with the greatest remorse and sadness to announce that Estelle Harris has passed on this evening at 6:25."

Glen went on to say, "Her kindness, passion, sensitivity, humor, empathy, and love were practically unrivaled, and she will be terribly missed by all those who knew her."

Estelle played a loud, opinionated and confrontational mom who was quick to take on her hubby and George at the drop of a hat. Short story ... she was hysterical!

And, speaking of story ... Estelle played Mrs. Potato Head in the 3 most recent 'Toy Story' flicks. There's a lot more to her CV ... "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody," "Tarzan II," "The Pinocchio Shop," and tons of other voiceover work.

Estelle was a New Yorker by birth and got her big break on "Night Court."

She was married to Sy Harris from 1953 to 2021, when he died. She's survived by 3 kids -- Eric, Glen and Taryn, as well as 3 grandsons and a great-grandson.

Estelle was 93.

RIP

Actress Rosanna Arquette wrecked her car by crashing into the back of a UPS truck ... an accident that left her in real distress, according to law enforcement and witnesses.

We're told the 62-year-old was behind the wheel of her Tesla Tuesday at the Palisades Village shopping center in L.A. Witnesses say her car was parked about 10 feet behind the truck when it suddenly plowed into the back of the vehicle, causing her airbags to deploy.

Eyewitnesses say she got out of the car completely distraught, grabbing her hair while talking to passersby. We're told cops arrived on scene, but police declined to take a report and just helped the parties exchange info.

Rosanna was eventually driven away by estranged husband Todd Morgan, who arrived shortly after the crash. Witnesses say her Tesla was towed away and the UPS employee was able to continue their route with the truck.

As we reported, Morgan filed for divorce from Rosanna last month after 9 years of marriage. Todd, an investment banker, cited "irreconcilable differences.". Looks like he's still got her back though ... especially in times of stress.

Will Smith tried cleaning up his Oscars moment, but it may not be enough for some studios who've got projects planned with him ... as his career seems to be getting halted, for now.

THR reports that at least a couple films of his (as an actor) that were supposed to be in the works are, for the time being, getting kicked to the back burner at both Netflix and Sony -- with the former quietly pivoting away from firing up production on "Fast and Loose," and the latter hitting pause on getting things going for "Bad Boys 4," per sources cited by the outlet.

For "Fast and Loose," Will is set to play the head of a criminal organization who suffers memory loss and has to put the pieces of his empire back together. Director David Leitch was originally attached, but he stepped away a week before the Oscars last week ... and Netflix was reportedly scrambling to find a replacement -- that is, until Will hit Chris Rock.

THR says other projects of Will's may also be put on ice, which presumably means other Netflix movies he's been attached to as well -- including "The Council" and "Bright 2."

On the Sony side of things, they've reportedly put production of his next 'Bad Boys' sequel on hold indefinitely too -- this after Will had apparently received 40 pages of the script recently, with the movie chugging along full steam ahead pre-Oscars.

There are other Sony-tied films of his (either as a producer or actor) that might see the same fate -- including a 'Hancock' sequel and a 'Karate Kid' sequel. He's got a production company now ... so beyond just starring in films, he's heavily involved in making them lately.

One film of Will's that's got movie watchers anxiously waiting on is his forthcoming Apple offering "Emancipation" -- which is in the can at this point, and due to be released this year. Apple has yet announce an official release date -- so it's unclear what they're going to do.

The movie has gotten a lot of buzz, and was expected to possibly earn Smith yet another Oscar -- as he plays a runaway slave from a Louisiana plantation, portraying the man who infamously posed for a photo in which he shows off the many scars on his back.

As the Will Smith-Chris Rock feud simmers down, so too has another long-standing beef in Hollywood -- namely, the one between Mo'Nique and Lee Daniels ... which is awesome.

The two stars officially buried the hatchet Friday night at the Mo'Nique's comedy show in Staten Island, where she brought out Daniels as a surprise guest ... and even more surprising tender moment between them, where they put their problems to bed, at long last.

Somebody filmed a portion of their reconciliation on stage, and LD uttered moving words ... "I am so sorry for hurting you in any way that I did," which made Mo'Nique tear up.

Daniels went on to say that they were best friends before their very public falling out -- and that them working on "Precious" together, for which Mo'Nique won an Oscar, was God working through them ... while also saying they were going to do it again, before embracing.

BTW, he's not kidding there -- Mo'Nique was cast to replace Octavia Spencer in Daniels' new Netflix film "Demon House" ... so it would seem her problems with them are also resolved.

Both Lee and Mo'Nique also posted the same photo of them hugging and kissing backstage, with each of them saying that no caption was needed -- and that it was all love now.

Unclear what exactly precipitated this come-to-Jesus moment, but all we can say is ... thank goodness, because their fight has been one of the ugliest back and forths in Hollywood in a very long time -- and it's absolutely fantastic to see they've set their differences aside.

A refresher ... this started in the aftermath of "Precious" winning big at the Oscars in 2010, with Mo'Nique claiming Lee, Oprah and Tyler Perry bad-mouthed her, allegedly saying she was difficult ... this after she refused to do extra press for the flick without more compensation.

In light of that, Mo'Nique firmly believed it got her blackballed from the biz. Now, we've spoken to Mo'Nique at length about this throughout the years, and she not only doubled down ... but tripled down time and again about what she thought had happened.

Lee himself refuted her characterization in very strong terms -- saying it was she who blackballed herself for the nonstop finger-pointing. Even Steve Harvey echoed that.

Like we said ... really venomous stuff. Which is why it's so great to see they've mended fences and are now teaming up again for what sounds like an awesome movie.