Elizabeth Wagmeister-Senior: Last News

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentWhile the Kardashians are at the Met Gala, a jury reached a verdict in Blac Chyna’s $100 million defamation case against the famous family — and they won.The Kardashians came out victorious with no damages awarded to Chyna. The jury found that none of the Kardashians defamed Chyna and none interfered with her E! contract, AP reports.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentHollywood has seen some strange stories over the years, but what happened last week was incredibly bizarre, even by movie business standards. Nothing, it seems, could quite prepare people for the spectacle and social media fallout that followed after Olivia Wilde was mysteriously served custody paperwork onstage at CinemaCon.Wilde — who shares two children with Jason Sudeikis, to whom she was formerly engaged — was delivering remarks to present a trailer for her upcoming film, the psychological thriller “Don’t Worry Darling,” to theater owners.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentKim Kardashian scored a victory on Friday when a judge tossed Blac Chyna’s defamation claim against the reality star and business mogul, which was one of the claims in her lawsuit.Meanwhile, the jury is deliberating the remaining claims in the case where Chyna says the Kardashian-Jenner family ruined her reality TV career and cost her more than one hundred million dollars in damages and future earnings.Chyna, a model and influencer who is Rob Kardashian’s ex-fiancé and the mother to his 5-year-old daughter, co-starred with Rob Kardashian in E!’s “Rob & Chyna,” a reality show that aired for one season in 2016. The show is at the center of her lawsuit, which alleges that the series was canceled after one season because the Kardashian family falsely told producers and network executives that Chyna violently attacked Rob Kardashian in December 2016.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentAfter back-to-back programming for the past year, Bachelor Nation is getting a little breather, but that doesn’t mean the drama is slowing down.The next season from the mega franchise will be “The Bachelorette” Season 19,” which is currently in production and will premiere on July 11. But in the world of “The Bachelor,” news comes year-round.As part of Variety‘s story in this week’s magazine for the annual Reality Impact Report about “The Bachelor’s” 20-year anniversary, one of the franchise’s top executives is sharing exclusive details of what’s currently in the works behind-the-scenes at the dating shows.“Bachelor in Paradise” has been renewed for Season 8, but who will host? Is the long-teased senior citizens spinoff still happening? And is it possible that “Bachelor Pad” could ever make a comeback? Here, Walt Disney Television’s top unscripted executive, Rob Mills, spills all of that, and more:In 2020, a new spinoff began to percolate: A casting call for a senior citizens series was promoted on-air.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentThis past year, “The Bachelor” endured a heavy dose of controversy, the type of drama that even reality TV producers can’t make up — and certainly don’t want to deal with. And yet, the franchise has done what no other dating series has done, crossing its 20-year mark on the air.With 26 seasons of the flagship, 19 seasons of “The Bachelorette,” eight seasons of “Bachelor in Paradise” and numerous spinoffs to date, ABC’s dating franchise isn’t going anywhere.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentKim Kardashian owes Ben Winston a massage.In 2021, Winston was ready to take a vacation. His company, Fulwell 73, had just wrapped production on HBO Max’s highly anticipated “Friends” reunion and the Grammy Awards, not to mention James Corden’s “Late Late Show,” which has been airing on CBS since 2015 with five episodes per week.Earlier last year, Corden, one of Winston’s producing partners, had bumped into Kris Jenner in Palm Springs, where they both own second homes.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentKim Kardashian and Khloé Kardashian took the stand on Tuesday in the trial against their family, brought on by Blac Chyna, the ex-fiancé of their brother, Rob Kardashian.Chyna — who starred on E!’s “Rob & Chyna,” which aired for one season in 2016 — is suing the famous family for more than $140 million, claiming they ruined her reality TV career.“I will not go into a toxic work environment,” Kim Kardashian testified on Tuesday, commenting on her refusal to work with Chyna on “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” per AP. “On my own show, I have the power to do that,” she added.Chyna would sometimes appear on “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” which was the mega-hit flagship show that created the spinoff, “Rob & Chyna.” The spinoff didn’t make it back on-air after its first season when the couple split up, following a volatile fight where Chyna allegedly choked Rob Kardashian with a phone cord and held a gun to his head.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentThe trial is well underway, but the Kardashian-Jenners have requested a judge dismiss the ongoing case against them by Blac Chyna, the former ex-fiancé of Rob Kardashian who is suing the famous family for more than $140 million, claiming they ruined her reality TV career.In a motion seeking dismissal, filed this past week by the Kardashians’ attorney, Michael G. Rhodes, the family is asking the court to dismiss Chyna’s claims.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentKris Jenner took the stand for the second day in the $100M defamation trial brought on by Blac Chyna, the ex-fiancé of her son, Rob Kardashian. Chyna sued the Kardashian family in 2017, claiming they ruined her reality TV career.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentE! is no longer in business with the Kardashians, but the network is still leaning on the family as it launches its latest show.In an overtly self-aware moment, E! is readying to debut a new reality show about comedian Nikki Glaser, and in the promotion for her upcoming series, the network is in on the joke, giving a wink and a nod to the lucrative family franchise that they aired for 15 years.“Keeping up is so last year.”“We swapped 5 brunettes for one blonde (it was cheaper).”Those are just some of the taglines E! is using to promote Glaser’s new show, titled “Welcome Home Nikki Glaser?,” which premieres on May 1.Essentially, E! is recognizing that they’re no longer home to “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” (the family now has a new show at Hulu), and Glaser is leaning into her brand of self-deprecating and carefree comedy. “Welcome Home Nikki Glaser?” will follow the stand-up comic as she uproots her fast-paced Hollywood lifestyle to move back home to her small-town in St.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentJada Pinkett Smith’s talk show, “Red Table Talk,” returned on Wednesday, and though there was a brief message for viewers alluding to the topic on everyone’s mind, the series sidestepped the elephant in the room: Will Smith’s Oscars slap.The episode began with a silent black screen and an introductory message, signed from Pinkett Smith, who thanked viewers for joining.“Considering all that has happened in the last few weeks, the Smith family has been focusing on deep healing,” the message read. “Some of the discoveries around our healing will be shared at the table when the time calls.” The message continued, “Until then…The table will continue offering itself to powerful, inspiring and healing testimonies like that of our incredible impressive first guest.” The first guest was Janelle Monáe.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentHulu says “The Kardashians” — the new series from the Kardashians — is its biggest series premiere in U.S. history.Hulu did not provide specific viewing numbers, as the platform does not release ratings.The streaming service also claims the new show is the most-watched Star Originals series, (so not including Disney’s Marvel or “Star Wars” streaming titles) on Disney+ and Star+ across global markets.“‘The Kardashians’ is the most-watched series premiere on Hulu in the United States, and on Disney+ and Star+ among Star Originals, across all global markets to date,” a Hulu spokesperson tells Variety exclusively.Hulu’s record-breaking numbers for “The Kardashians” is based on the premiere episode hours watched in the first three days of its release, since the show launched on April 14.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentAs Britney Spears’ court battle continues, her lawyer is asking the judge to prohibit her father, Jamie Spears, from accessing files from a private investigator that was hired by the pop star’s legal team to help probe into his management of his daughter’s 13-year conservatorship, which he largely oversaw.Spears’ father has requested records from Kroll, the P.I. firm brought on by the singer’s attorneys.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentThe Kardashians appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom on Monday for Blac Chyna’s long-awaited trial against the famous family, which continues to set off fireworks with day two of jury selection, even before opening arguments have began.Blac Chyna, a model and influencer whose real name is Angela White, was previously engaged to Rob Kardashian with whom she shares a 5-year-old daughter. The pair starred in their own E! reality show together, “Rob & Chyna,” which aired for one season in 2016.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentJada Pinkett Smith’s Emmy-winning series “Red Table Talk” is returning with new episodes. But in the press release issued on Tuesday announcing the season’s upcoming lineup, no mention was made of Will Smith’s now-infamous Oscars slap and whether the matter will be addressed on the talk show, which is known for diving into personal matters surrounding the Smith family.“Red Table Talk” on Facebook Watch is hosted by Pinkett Smith, her daughter Willow Smith and her mother Adrienne Banfield Norris.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentNearly 40 years ago, Hugh Hefner’s former personal butler wrote a memoir about his time working at the Playboy Mansion. The book has remained unpublished — until now.“The Dark Secrets of Playboy,” from Around the Way Publishing, will tell the story of Stefan Tetenbaum’s experiences as Hefner’s butler in the late ’70s and early ’80s.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentWhen the Kardashians were ready to begin their new show, everything was kept top secret. Even the producers in discussions to be hired on the show didn’t know what series they were being interviewed for.“When we were interviewing showrunners, I wouldn’t ever say what it was for,” executive producer Ben Winston tells Variety.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentBy now, the entire world knows who Kim Kardashian kissed when she hosted “Saturday Night Live” — and it wasn’t her ex-husband Kanye West.However, even though the couple was in the midst of their divorce when Kardashian took the “SNL” stage in October 2021, it turns out that she actually considered having West as her musical guest that night.On the first episode of “The Kardashians” — the famous family’s new show that launched April 14 on Hulu — one of the major storylines focuses around Kardashian preparing for “Saturday Night Live.”“I’m kind of going back and forth, since Kanye’s album is out,” Kardashian says in the episode, after she tells her family that Lorne Michaels invited her to host the show. “That would be epic if he was my musical guest.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentJust over one week ago, disgraced comedian Louis C.K. won a Grammy. Well, perhaps before the Grammys, one could describe him as “disgraced.”In 2017, in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations by five women, C.K.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentBritney Spears is enjoying her newfound freedom with her 13-year conservatorship being terminated, and now, the pop star says she is pregnant.Spears shared the news with her fans Monday afternoon on her Instagram, posting in part: “I lost so much weight to go on my Maui trip only to gain it back … I thought ‘Geez … what happened to my stomach ???’ My husband said ‘No you’re food pregnant silly !!!’ So I got a pregnancy test … and uhhhhh well … I am having a baby.”Spears announced her engagement to actor Sam Asghari in September 2021. In recent posts, she has referred to Asghari as her “husband,” but has not officially said whether the couple is married yet.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentBritney Spears is objecting to her mother’s request to pay $663,202.84 in attorney’s fees, in conjunction with her conservatorship.The objection marks the latest move in the pop star’s ongoing and drawn-out legal battle. The singer’s attorney, Mathew Rosengart, filed new court documents ahead of a Wednesday hearing — where no decision was made — asking a judge to deny Lynne Spears’ petition for her famous daughter to foot her hefty legal bills.“Britney Spears has for decades been her family’s sole breadwinner, supporting her entire family,” Rosengart stated in a filing on Tuesday with the Los Angeles Superior Court.“Lynne Spears and her counsel seek payment of legal fees and costs — from Britney Spears — of more than $660,000,” Rosengart’s filing states, arguing that there is “no legal authority” supporting the singer’s mother’s request, since she was not an official party involved with the conservatorship.