Vv Magazine’s industry insiders and undercover scenesters fill you in on the best first-hand gossip from Hollywood, the media, and everything in between. A column that will make you lust for more… who are we talking about? We don’t tell – but we see and hear things and like you, we gossip about it. Check in every Wednesday for the latest from Scene & Heard!
Putting the ‘ex’ in ‘sex’? Exes Drake & Rihanna spark new romance rumours
Juice factor: 9/10
If you thought former flames Drake and Rihanna had managed to find love in a hopeless place, aka on the set of a music video–thanks to their steamy shared scenes in Rihanna’s just released music video her new single “Work”–perhaps you were right. RiRi may have cancelled her Grammys performance for health reasons that threatened her vocal chords, but she still arrived on the other side of the Atlantic in fighting form on Monday evening, two days before her scheduled performance on the BRITs. And it’s not like Rihanna’s known for being super-duper punctual. She was clearly early on British soil for a little Rn’R time. The “Bitch Better Have My Money” singer met up with Drizzy again, this time to co-host a private party at Libertine night club, which drew the likes of Kendall Jenner and had the former lovers partying together well into the night.
Scarborough’s The Weeknd engaged to Gigi’s hotter younger sister, Bella Hadid?
Juice factor: 8/10
Drake wasn’t the only Canadian sexing up the gossip-sphere with an overseas romantic scandal of his own. Hot off his impressive Grammy wins, Scarborough’s The Weeknd also touched down in the UK on Monday night in plenty of time for the Brits and a little time-out in Londontown. The musician-of-the-moment brought along his hot young girlfriend, 19-year-old Bella Hadid, who was also his much talked-about eye-catching and sexily-clad date to the Grammys. The younger sister of supermodel Gigi Hadid, Bella might be finally coming out of her sister’s shadow as a style icon and pop culture figure in ways Kylie Jenner could only dream. This time it was the shiny jewel she was sporting on her ring finger that had all the gossip mills churning as she flashed her bling casually while dining with her beau at China Tang restaurant in London’s Dorchester Hotel. Although the young couple sparked breakup rumours in late 2015, Bella made it clear she was only feeling love for her man last week, posting a pic of The Weeknd sipping champagne on his 26th birthday: ‘Happy birthday to the most humble, kind, hard working man I’ve ever known! 1 year and you’re still my favorite person on the planet. You deserve everything great in life.’
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Blind item: Toronto socialite dropping the G-bomb
Juice factor: 10/10
This Toronto socialite enjoys being the source of gossip just about as much as she likes spreading the things she’s in-the-know about regarding her so-called friends, acquaintances, as well as high-society inner circle shenanigans. Her close relationship to the press has made her ability to make herself into an “it” girl of TO rather easy, especially given how small the industry is in the 6ix, and especially without a Page 6 of our own. That said, her rather scandalous behind-the-scenes gossip-mongering has gone rather under the radar despite how deep rooted it is. Sure, this would be just standard behaviour for any party girl worth her tequila salt in cities like New York and Los Angeles, but Toronto’s still getting its feet wet on the “published gossip” scene. The emergence of a “Mean Girl” demographic is about to hit hard this year, and this “it” sh*t disturber will be at the centre of the ring. All that to say, if you don’t know who we’re talking about and you don’t trust your friends, watch your back.
Kesha’s high-profile legal battle takes over Twitter & the music industry
Juice factor: 9/10
Cameras were on site to capture Kesha breaking down in court on Friday after hearing the ruling that she could not immediately end her contract with Sony Records. The pop starlet has been in a highly publicized legal battle with producer Dr. Luke for quite some time, but nothing could have prepared the “Tik Tok” singer for the worldwide and star-powered spotlight shining down on her personal and professional life, as well as her legal woes, this past week. For those not in the know, Dr. Luke is suing Kesha for defamation of character, while Kesha claims Dr. Luke assaulted her, which is why she was devastated after her request to have a temporary break from recording with her label–so she could continue making music without the producer–was denied. Dr. Luke may have produced some of the biggest hits in recent pop music history, but that hasn’t stopped some of the performers sending their support to Kesha, from Lady Gaga, Lorde, and Taylor Swift, to Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, and Kelly Clarkson. No celebrity has expressed as much support–at least in written word–as Girls creator Lena Dunham who penned an essay for yesterday’s edition of Lenny Letter (a newsletter she co-founded and co-operates) entitled “Why Kesha’s Case Is About More Than Kesha”. The poignant article salutes Kesha’s fellow musicians, especially the women, who have expressed support for the singer without worry of potential professional life setbacks from standing in opposition to a major producer, and also explains why it’s important for everyone to take a stand: “To be clear, Kesha’s case is about more than a pop star fighting for her freedom, or a $60m investment in a shiny commercial career. It’s about more than whether Kesha can strap on her cool leotards and make another album, free from a man who she says terrifies her. What’s happening to Kesha highlights the way that the American legal system continues to hurt women by failing to protect them from the men they identify as their abusers… It wasn’t long ago that women in the public eye didn’t have a loose-enough leash to reach out and support one another, for fear of losing all they had worked so hard to create. Instead they quietly watched on their televisions, hoping they wouldn’t be next,” she wrote. “Those days are over. They are fucking done.”
You can call it a comeback: Canada’s Neve Campbell returns in House of Cards
Juice factor: 8/10
House of Cards Season 4 might only hit Netflix at exactly 12:01 a.m. on March 4, but guests on the red carpet premiere of the new season of the Netflix Original at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC got a sneak-peek of all the wild and crazy things to come for Frank and Claire Underwood–and one of those things just happens to be the addition of Guelph native and former Wild Things star Neve Campbell to the cast. Hey, we’re not saying a threesome is definitely in store for the Underwood oval office, but given Frank and Claire’s history, we can always hope. She may have been out of the limelight since the days of the Scream movies–despite an under-the-radar but not so monumental recent guest spot on Mad Men–but expect Neve to have Canadian publications vying to feature the Ontario-born starlet like it’s suddenly the late-90s all over again. After all, critics to the south are already talking about her high-profile performance as political strategist Leann Harvey who works closely with the Underwoods on season 4, and we all know how wet and wild Canadian press can get over something American press has already deemed cool. And considering that award-winning casting director Laray Mayfield could’ve had her pick of performers for the part but chose the 42-year-old Canadian actress anyway, Neve should definitely clear some space for photo shoots.
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Kanye West VS Rihanna, NYFW edition
Juice factor: 8/10
Sorry, Kanye–the Twitterverse has spoken and, according to official Twitter data, Rihanna garnered more tweets about her Puma x Fenty show than any other designer at New York Fashion Week, including Kanye West. Kanye may have partied with the fashion week hotties du jour, including sister-in-laws the Jenner sisters, and he might have scheduled a listening party for his Life of Pablo album launch to coincide perfectly, but Ri-Ri still hit harder… if we’re talkin’ tweets. It didn’t hurt that she had super-hot models Gigi Hadid and Joan Smalls walking in her show to add oomph to her trendsetting Twitter feed. Kanye may not have been that far behind, but we all know he’s the Donald Trump of the music industry when it comes to coming in second place. So how does Kanye really feel about Kylie Jenner just inking a million dollar deal with Puma in the aftermath? On second thought, we don’t want to know what Kanye thinks.
Lena Dunham’s boyfriend wants to help Kesha too
Juice factor: 7/10
Hey, he’s got the music awards to prove he’s worth his weight in Grammy gold. Lena Dunham’s boyfriend, guitarist Jack Antonoff, clearly feels as passionately about supporting Kesha as Lena does, offering via Twitter to produce new music for the pop starlet: “hey @kesharose — don’t know what the legal specifics are, but if you want to make something together & then leak it for everyone I’m around,” tweeted Jack, following it up with another tweet: “…or just make something and wait on it till that creep can’t block you anymore,” wrote Jack. “Standing offer from me and everyone I work with.”
Taylor Swift werks it as a maid of honour for childhood BFF’s wedding
Juice factor: A perfect Tay-Tay out of 10
After her triumph at the Grammys the week before and standing up in support of Kesha–not to mention sending the pop star $250,000 to help with any legal fees (and dealing with a little backlash about that from Demi Lovato before receiving a semi-public apology of sorts)–Taylor Swift proved she’s just the atypical girl next door yet again by heading back to her roots last weekend. On Saturday, she was in her home state of Pennsylvania to serve as the maid of honour in her childhood best friend Britany Maack’s wedding. “I met her when I was 10 days old, and him in kindergarten. Now they’re married and I’m the happiest maid of honor ever. Congratulations @britmaack and Ben!” posted Tay-Tay, along with a group shot of the wedding. The bestie bride and Taylor both wore Reem Acra dresses, thanks to the superstar’s fashion connections and seemingly bottomless generosity. Meanwhile, Taylor’s beau Calvin Harris was on the other side of the country–spotted hitting the gym in LA over the weekend–during his girlfriend’s BFF’s nuptials. While some gossip hounds are already whispering that that means there’s trouble in Taylordise, we’re going to make the educated guess Taylor went dateless by choice. Having one of the biggest stars in the world as maid of honour is a lot of celebrity for one wedding, and Taylor’s clearly the kind of gal who wouldn’t want to take away from her bestie’s big day.
Stars, they’re just like US–terrified of the Zika virus!
Juice factor: 7/10
If the Zika virus has kept you from making plans to head to South America this winter, you’re not the only one. Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood’s wife Sally Wood, who is pregnant with twin girls, isn’t joining her hubby during the band’s tour of Latin America. “Our twins come first and we decided the Zika virus & excessive flying was too dangerous for them,” tweeted the musician, before tweeting a personal drawing he did of his yet-to-be-born daughters.
RELATED LINK: Scene & Heard: Everyone is talking about the 6ix
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What had your blood boiling and your mouths gasping from this week’s Scene & Heard column? Leave us your thoughts in the comments below or tweet us at @ViewtheVibe.
