Celebrity superlatives: Leslie Jones spreads love for Gabby Douglas at Rio
Paste BN’s Jaleesa Jones digs through the latest celebrity news for highlights ... and lowlights. Think high school yearbook superlatives — if Leslie Jones and Adele were classmates.
Sweetest celebrity advocate: Leslie Jones
Jones is paying it forward. After the Ghostbusters star was targeted in a racist, sexist Twitter harassment campaign, fans expressed solidarity with the entertainer, rallying under the banner #LoveForLeslieJ. After catching wind that 2012 Olympic darling and 2016 all-around gold medalist Gabby Douglas was also caught in a hailstorm of criticism, Jones promptly encouraged her followers to extend that same love to Douglas. "Yo I just heard Gabby getting attacked on her page," Jones tweeted early Monday. "Show her the same love you showed me #Love4GabbyUSA." Douglas has since been met with an outpouring of support. "For me, when you go through a lot, and you have so many difficulties and people against you sometimes, it kind of just determines your character," Douglas said. "Are you going to stand, or are you going to crumble? In the face of everything, still stand. I have no regrets coming back for a second Olympics. It’s been an amazing experience."
Best Kenny Baker remembrance: Mark Hamill
After the news broke Saturday that beloved Star Wars actor Kenny Baker had died at 81, the Star Wars community and its fans lit up Twitter with remembrances of Baker's spellbinding screen presence. But perhaps the most magical tribute came courtesy of Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in the first Star Wars film, Episode IV: A New Hope, released in 1977. "Goodbye Kenny Baker," Hamill wrote on Twitter in a final salute to his "lifelong loyal friend," who played R2-D2. "I loved his optimism and determination. He WAS the droid I was looking for!" Hamill continued, a reference to Obi Wan's famous Jedi mind trick from Episode IV.
Most gracious Shania Twain tribute: Drake
He may be the self-proclaimed "6 God," but even Drake can’t help but praise fellow Canadian artists. During the entertainment juggernaut’s Sunday tour stop in Tennessee, Drake was greeted by the Canadian country star — who has been working on new music in Nashville — backstage. The Views artist later shared a photograph of himself and Twain and dedicated part of his set to the singer/songwriter. "I grew up a fan," Drake told the audience. "I just want to say that, like, Shania Twain came to my show tonight, you know what I'm saying, Nashville? So this next set, right here, I'm doing this for Shania. This is my love set for Shania."
Most likely to crush Super Bowl fans' hopes: Adele
The singer won't be saying Hello to fans at the 2017 Super Bowl — at least not from the halftime stage. At her Saturday tour stop at Los Angeles' Staples Center, Adele said she declined an invitation to topline one of the biggest gigs in the industry, maintaining that the show did not align with who she is as an artist. "First of all, I’m not doing the Super Bowl," Adele said from the stage. "I mean, come on, that show is not about music. And I don’t really — I can’t dance or anything like that. They were very kind, they did ask me, but I did say no. I'm sorry, but maybe next time."
Latest actor to get political: Tim Matheson
Ronald Reagan may not be here to express his thoughts on GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, but the actor playing the 40th president and conservative icon in a forthcoming TV movie offered his frank opinion to Paste BN on Saturday. "I just think the man is a very troubled, emotional mess," says the actor, who will play Reagan in National Geographic's adaptation of Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard's best-seller Killing Reagan (airing Oct. 16 at 8 ET/PT). "I don’t think Ronald Reagan would have had any trouble dismissing him as a terrible candidate. ... The basis of Ronald Reagan was his humanity. I might not have agreed with his politics, but my research — all I read about him, and by him — was that he was revered because he had a big heart. He was very religious and sincere. He believed that one spoke truths because otherwise, people would know you were lying. None of that even applies to Trump. I don’t know if the man knows the difference between the truth or any of his voluminous lies. He’s a travesty."
Contributing: Erin Jensen, Bryan Alexander