Emmett accused of abuses
Producer Randall Emmett forced a young woman to trade sexual favors for movie roles, the woman’s attorney said.
The accusations were included in a far-reaching Los Angeles Times expose published Thursday that detailed numerous alleged misdeeds by the 51-yearold movie producer.
Emmett denied the vast majority of the allegations and downplayed the others. His producing credits include “The Irishman” and “Lone Survivor.”
High-profile women’s rights attorney Gloria Allred said that Emmett explicitly told the 23-yearold aspiring actress “that to receive acting work” under his company “she would have to perform sexual favors.”
Allred said the woman asked Emmett if she had landed a role and he responded by writing: “Yes. one day of work and u need to f--- me hun.”
The young woman appeared in two different Emmett-produced films over three years, the L.A. Times reported. She gave Emmett oral sex and massages, allowed him to digitally penetrate her and stood naked in his office while he masturbated, Allred said.
The woman began seeing a therapist in 2016 and stopped working for Emmett, according to the Times. Allred sent a letter to Emmett on the woman’s behalf on Oct. 5, 2021, and it led to a $200,000 payout in January 2022.
An Emmett spokesperson told People magazine that the producer “staunchly denies the allegations” and said they dated to 2012.
Emmett’s team blamed the allegations on his exfiance, “Vanderpump Rules” star Lala Kent.
“Lala Kent has lied and manipulated others in her desperate attempt to win full custody of their daughter, keep her name in the press and remain relevant in reality television,” Emmett rep Sallie Hofmeister told People.
— New York Daily News
Chnoweth: Migraines almost ended career
Wicked migraines nearly cost Kristin Chenoweth her career.
The 53-year-old “Wicked” alum — who in the beloved show, originated the role of Glinda — told People in a new interview that due to her chronic migraines being “really bad” when she was in her 20s and 30s, she learned she’d need to stick up for herself.
“What I began to understand is, as we do when time goes on, I need to be my own advocate,” Chenoweth, who has both Tony and Emmy awards to her name, told the magazine. “So I started trying everything I knew. Everything any doctor would tell me, I tried it.”
When that proved fruitless the Broadway star recalled thinking, “Honestly, I’m going to have to retire.”
Though she pushed forward, it wasn’t without difficulty.
“It really affected my life,” Chenoweth shared with the outlet. “It prevented me from enjoying some great moments in my career, too.”
That includes celebrating her 2009 Emmys win for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series (“Pushing Daisies”) en route to the hospital, thanks to a “pounding” migraine.
But Botox in her 40s provided “a vast difference,” said Chenoweth.
“I have not had to retire and I still get to do what I love to do,” she said, noting that Botox isn’t the only measure she has to take when it comes to trying to ward off migraines. “Meditation, prayer, breathing exercises, being in a dark room. These are things that I have to do. I don’t drink a lot of alcohol . ... I do everything I can to prevent it.”
That’s how Chenoweth said she ensures that she’ll “be here to run my Broadway bootcamp in my home state of Oklahoma. I want to be there for the role that’s going to challenge me. I want to mentor Ariana Grande playing Glinda in the film adaption of ‘Wicked.’”
— New York Daily News
Diaz back acting thanks to husband
There’s something about Benji Madden.
The Good Charlotte musician, 43, was the one Cameron Diaz fans can thank for getting the “There’s Something About Mary” and “Shrek” star, 49, back on-screen, a family source told People.
Madden “encouraged her to unretire,” the insider said of Diaz’s decision to end her eightyear acting hiatus and reunite with “Annie” co-star Jamie Foxx in Netflix’s forthcoming action-comedy, “Back in Action.”
Madden “is very excited for” Diaz, to whom he’s been married since 2015, according to the source.
Foxx, 54, took to Twitter earlier this week to announce that Diaz, who last appeared in the 2014 “Annie” remake, would be returning to acting. The Oscar-winner shared a clip of a phone call he had with Diaz in which he got Tom Brady to help coax her out of retirement.
“I’m relatively successful at un-retiring,” said the former Patriots — and current Buccaneers — QB, 44.
In the years since stepping away from Hollywood, Diaz has taken on a new role — as mom to her and Madden’s daughter, 2-year-old Raddix.