Taylor Swift to Lady Gaga: Hollywood newsmakers of the week

The glitzy world of Hollywood never sleeps, and this week has been no exception to the buzz surrounding the lives of our favourite stars. From unexpected controversies to sneak peeks into highly awaited movie sequels, here's a rundown of the week's top newsmakers.

Taylor Swift trolled
Taylor Swift, renowned for her musical prowess, found herself entangled in a web of speculation this week. As The Chiefs' performance faltered, social media erupted with the trending 'Taylor Swift curse' theory. Fans attributed the team's underperformance to Swift's presence at the games, even linking her to Travis Kelce's injury. Swifties fervently defended the pop sensation, asserting her role as a supportive girlfriend and distancing her from the team's struggles. Interestingly, parallels were drawn to Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma, who faces similar trolling when her husband, Virat Kohli, encounters challenges on the cricket field.


Lady Gaga embraces her dark side as Harley Quinn
Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga stole the spotlight as director Todd Phillips treated fans to sneak peeks from the highly anticipated sequel, 'Joker: Folie à Deux.' Released images showcased Phoenix reprising his role as Arthur Fleck and Gaga embodying the iconic Harley Quinn.

James Gunn debunks 'The Batman Part II' casting rumours
Following the triumph of 'The Batman' in 2022, the buzz around its sequel intensifies. Co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran, at the helm of 'The Batman Part II,' addressed swirling rumours regarding the ensemble cast. Gunn dismissed speculations on Threads, labelling claims of characters like Professor Pyg, Scarecrow, Clayface, Hush, and Dick Grayson as "totally made up." With production gearing up, Gunn set the record straight, ensuring fans clarity amidst the sea of conjectures.

Vin Diesel replaced as voice of Groot
Marvel Studios surprised fans with a notable change in the voice cast for the beloved character Groot in 'What If...?' Season 2. Breaking tradition, Vin Diesel, who has long voiced Groot since 'Guardians of the Galaxy,' was replaced by Fred Tatasciore. The alteration, revealed in the episode's credits, caught many off guard. Importantly, it was clarified that Diesel's absence was unrelated to recent allegations of sexual assault.



Paula Abdul files sexual assault lawsuit against Nigel Lythgoe
Singer-dancer Paula Abdul made headlines by filing a lawsuit against 'American Idol' executive producer Nigel Lythgoe, accusing him of sexual assault. Alleging an incident during an early season of the show, Abdul claimed that Lythgoe assaulted her in an elevator, leading to a harrowing encounter. The lawsuit further detailed an unwelcome advance by Lythgoe at a later date, cementing Paula's stand against inappropriate behaviour. The legal action also included Paula's account of witnessing Lythgoe sexually assaulting one of her assistants in April 2015.



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