Martin Short's Heartbreak, Eminem Ex's Booze Bust, Carrie Underwood Feud Chatter & More
Plus, Bonnie Tyler’s health battle and Jamie Foxx’s baby joy.
Hollywood’s rumor mill is in overdrive.
From Martin Short’s devastating family heartbreak and Eminem’s ex-wife’s booze-bust drama to Carrie Underwood scrambling to squash feud rumors and Billy Bob Thornton taking a swipe at celebrity activists, the stars are serving up plenty of headlines this week.
This is HOLLYWOOD 411 by KEEPING TABS — let’s get into it.
MARTIN BARES DEVASTATING PAIN
DEVASTATED comic MARTIN SHORT is speaking out for the first time about the heart-crushing death by suicide of his 42-year-old daughter, KATHERINE. “It’s been a nightmare,” says the 76-year-old, who’s still coping after Katherine ended her battle with mental misery by shooting herself Feb. 23. “My daughter fought for a long time with extreme mental health, borderline personality disorder other things, and did the best she could until she couldn’t.” He compared her battle with his late wife NANCY DOLMAN’s fight against ovarian cancer before dying a 58 in 2010 noting that “mental health struggles and cancer can be terminal.”
The Father of the Bride star’s life has been ripped by tragedy. His older brother was killed in a car crash when Martin was 12. Three years later, he lost his mom to cancer and his dad died a year after that. Meanwhile, Katherine’s biological mom, KRISTINE SANZ, 63, said she believes Katherine would be alive today if they’d been allowed to establish a relationship. Kristine, who placed her for adoption as a teen, claims a security firm working for Martin drove her into hiding in 2007 (the firm denied her story).
EMINEM'S EX IN BOOZE BUST
Rap icon EMINEM’s ex-wife, KIM SCOTT, reportedly admitted downing booze before crashing her Range Rover into a parked Dodge Ram pickup and then driving off. After police tracked her to her home, the 51-year-old is said to have confessed to downing two margaritas at Chili’s before ramming the truck and fleeing the scene. She reportedly claimed another vehicle forced her to swerve into the pickup. Inside her SUV were her teen son PARKER, whose dad is not Eminem, and three of his friends, say sources. Cops reported her as having “glossy eyes, slurred/ slowed speech,” and say a mini-bottle of booze was found inside the car. She’s pleaded no contest to driving while intoxicated and failure to stop after causing property damage and has a June 17 court date.
CARRIE'S NOT LAUGHING AT GLASER
American Idol judge CARRIE UNDERWOOD is denying fan buzz that there’s bad blood between her and acid-tongued comic NIKKI GLASER after the funny gal guested as a co-judge on the talent show. “Had a fun night with the beautiful and hilarious Nikki Glaser joining us as a guest judge tonight on American Idol,” the Jesus, “Take the Wheel” singer said. She later added, “There’s no beef - I have no beef.” But grumbling fans sensed tension between the goody-goody country gal and the often ferocious comic, with one posting: “Carrie didn’t look like she enjoyed Nikki sitting next to her. Rarely looked at her during the show.” Another blasted Carrie: “Why are you so fake?” The fan added that as Nikki was about to comment, Carrie “rolled [her] eyes” to co-judge LIONEL RICHIE - “it was so noticeable.”
BILLY BOB BLASTS CELEB POLITICS
Don’t expect to see BILLY BOB THORNTON out pushing his political views - the actor wants nothing to do with celebrity activism. The 70-year-old, who plays a wily oil company fixer on the Paramount+ series Landman, recently insisted he’s “not an expert” and doesn’t want to shove his viewpoint on others. “I don’t know anything about politics,” he says. “I have no idea. And the stuff that I do believe, I don’t want to force it down somebody else’s throat because I’m not an expert on that.” He also frowns on actors pushing politics at award shows. “There’s a time and place for [activism]” and “you should just stick to what it is” at a major ceremony. “Don’t go up there and talk about saving the badgers in Wisconsin or something.”
HEALTH WOES, DEATHS… AND MORE
“Total Eclipse of the Heart” singer BONNIE TYLER, 74, was listed as “seriously ill but stable” on May 11 following emergency intestinal Surgery in Faro, Portugal. The Welsh star fell ill at her Faro home May 6 and was taken to a hospital where she was placed in an induced coma following surgery. A spokesperson says “her doctors are still positive that she will make a full recovery.”
Outspoken, Texas-born film critic REX REED has died at 87 following a short illness. The wisecracking, sometimes mean critic was not only famed for his film reviews, but also as a character. He appeared on celebrity roasts, played himself in Superman, and took heat after complaining that deaf actress MARLEE MATLIN’s Oscar win for her role in Children of a Lesser God was a pity vote and cracking about MELISSA MCCARTHY’s weight in a review of her flick Identity Thief.
Congrats to star JAMIE FOXX, 58, and fitness model and current love ALYCE HUCKSTEPP, 31 - they’re having a baby. The Django Unchained star is also dad to CORINNE, 32, and ANELISE, 17, whose moms are two former galpals.