Table of contents for September 20, 2021 in People

‘Terrence Howard has no idea how many roles that I was about to book, and they went with him because he’s the lighter-skinned Black man with the green eyes’—TYRESE GIBSON, claiming he lost out on parts to the Empire star because of colorism, on the radio show Leah’s Lemonade ‘Tomatoes, to me, just seem like a juicy, sexy fruit’—PADMA LAKSHMI, on writing a picture book about tomatoes, to Entertainment Weekly ‘As soon as I saw the posters for it, I knew that I’d made a mistake’—RACHAEL LEIGH COOK, on turning down a role in X-Men, to The New York Times ‘If you put our mid-40s selves together on a couch now, with our creaking backs, it might shock people’—JOSHUA JACKSON, on why he doesn’t want to do a Dawson’s…

How have you changed since “Old Town Road”? I’ve changed in the way that I handle situations. I can’t choose how I feel, but I can choose how to react. I’ve learned to let people’s comments roll off my back. The only person that really has to believe in me is myself. On your track “Sun Goes Down,” you reflect on coming to terms with your sexuality. Was it difficult to get so personal? I was scared to let people see my vulnerability, because I didn’t want them to use it against me. But when I released the song, I got messages from people telling me that it saved their life. It doesn’t feel real quite yet. You’ve said coming out to your dad before you came out to the…

CBS MORNINGS’ NATE BURLESON Nate Burleson spent 11 years in the NFL, but the former football star, 40, always aspired to a career beyond sports. “I started creating an exit strategy early,” he says. “When I first got in, I was told that the average career was two and a half, three years. So right around year two, I started thinking about the next chapter.” After playing for the Seattle Seahawks, Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions, Burleson retired in 2014 and landed a broadcasting job with the NFL Network. “In the words of LeBron [James], ‘I want to be more than an athlete,’” he says. Now the father of three is the latest cohost of the newly renamed CBS Mornings (formerly CBS This Morning), alongside Gayle King and Tony…

This Kitty Helps Kids See the Fun in Wearing Glasses MECHANICSBURG, PA. Getting glasses can be a scary thing for children—and that’s where Truffles, a 4-year-old Maine coon mix, comes in. “With younger kids, there’s a lot of apprehension,” says optician Danielle Crull, 50, whose family-run business, A Child’s Eyes, specializes in prescriptive eyewear for kids as young as 15 months. “I’ll say, ‘Truffles wears glasses. Do you want to see her glasses?’ You get a little nod—and suddenly they’re not afraid at all.” Truffles, whose eyewear is specially fitted to accommodate her whiskers, seems to enjoy the attention. “She comes running the minute you call her name,” says Crull. “Then she wants to put the glasses on and show the kids it’s okay.” And the love goes both ways:…

Selena Gomez isn’t one for splashy celebrations. Before her new Hulu show Only Murders in the Building premiered on Aug. 31—on its way to becoming the streamer’s most-watched comedy series debut ever—she decided to keep things low-key. “I’m having a little screening tonight with my friends. We’re just going to order pizza and be casual,” Gomez, 29, who executive-produced the show with her costars Steve Martin and Martin Short, told People on premiere day. “I get weird about that stuff!” Still, Gomez, who last acted on TV as a teen on Disney Channel’s Wizards of Waverly Place, understood the magnitude of the moment. “My friends sent me a picture that we got 100 percent on [aggregate reviews site] Rotten Tomatoes today, and I freaked out,” she says. “I’m just so…

Aboard a Qatar Airways jet chartered by the United States government, Bushra Farkish held her baby son Liam in her lap and wept. It was around 4 p.m. on Aug. 15, and the plane full of Afghans with Special Immigrant Visas (or SIVs) had just whisked Bushra and her husband, Qais Wared, away from Kabul, Afghanistan, stirring a jumble of emotion. “I heard rumors about the Taliban being at the city gates, and I was worried about our families,” Bushra, 26, recalls. “At the same time, I was excited. I wanted to go places. I didn’t want my son to go through what I went through in past years—poverty, suicide bombings and attacks. So there was relief.” But it was fleeting. After changing planes in Doha, Qatar, en route to…

Printed Skirt A small animal print acts like a neutral, so you can wear this skirt with a range of tops, like this ivory knit or something with more color. Just add loafers! Midi Dress If you have a special occasion or just want to get dressed up, try this shiny golden design. Cinch it with a brown leather belt and add coordinating strappy sandals. Sleeveless Top Pair a pretty jewel-tone shirt with high-rise jeans and of-the-moment accessories for a perfect wear-anywhere outfit.…

Across 1 Actress Ryan of Boston Public 5 Film studio with a roaring lion 8 Big Deal choice on Let’s Make a Deal 12 Burnett or Brockovich 13 Metal-bearing rock 14 Slight advantage 15 Creator and executive producer of the Law & Order franchise (continued at 17 Across) 16 Texter’s “That’s hilarious!” 17 See 15 Across 18 Series about Windy City first responders, executive-produced by 15/17 Across (2 wds.) 21 Neither’s partner 22 Pecan or acorn 23 Metal IDs flashed by agents in FBI 26 Law & Order: Criminal ___ 30 ___-T (actor who plays Fin on SVU) 31 Police surveillance vehicle, typically 32 Detective Briscoe played by Jerry Orbach 36 Hill ___ Blues (15/17 Across was a staff writer on it) 39 Jersey Shore ocean (abbr.) 40 Chinese “path” (backward, a…

Last Moment of Self-care I had a day off in Dublin filming Disenchanted recently. And I spent it all day in bed [in her hotel]. I binge-watched television and the “Do not disturb” sign was on. I would just put my mask on to answer for room service. Last Thing I Do Before I Go Onstage I pee. I’m always nervous. Usually the thing that calms me down is I focus on my son [Walker, 12] and singing that particular song to him instead of worrying about outside noise. Last Time My Son Made Me Laugh I was asking him about new words I learned recently that the young people say. And he forbid me to say them. I’m not allowed to say, “That’s fire” or “That’s drippy.” Drip?…

After a quiet, romantic summer, Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde are back at work and still setting relationship goals. On Sept. 4 the Booksmart director—who shares two children, Otis, 7, and Daisy, 4, with ex Jason Sudeikis—stepped out to support the “Watermelon Sugar” singer at the launch of his Love On Tour in Las Vegas, where she danced and took pictures of him onstage. “Olivia will join him when she can,” a source says of Wilde, 37, who is filming the drama Babylon with Brad Pitt while Styles, 27, is on the road. In January People confirmed the pair had begun dating after sparks flew on the set of their upcoming thriller Don’t Worry Darling. They’ve since grown close, attending a pal’s wedding in the winter and vacationing in…

‘I’VE BEEN REALLY GOOD, AND I’VE GOT SOME REALLY LOVELY PEOPLE IN MY LIFE’—ANT ANSTEAD His 2020 was full of change and heartbreak, but Ant Anstead is grateful for the arrival of brighter days. In June the British Wheeler Dealers host, 42, finalized his divorce from HGTV’s Flip or Flop star Christina Haack, with whom he shares 2-year-old son Hudson. That same month, he unexpectedly found romance while filming his new series Celebrity IOU: Joyride (streaming now on Discovery+), on which he teams up with stars like Octavia Spencer and James Marsden to restore vintage cars as a surprise for his big-name guests’ friends and family. Anstead began dating Renée Zellweger after the Oscar-winning actress joined him for the first episode. “It’s really early in our relationship, and I don’t…

After 10 years together and two pandemic-related wedding date changes, actor Garrett Clayton—known for the 2013 hit Teen Beach Movie—said “I do” to Blake Knight at a private home owned by the Disney family in L.A. on Sept. 4. “It was full of joy,” Clayton, 30, says of the garden-party-themed affair. While exchanging vows with screenwriter Knight, 34, “I was bawling!” the star says. Guests—including actors Jonathan Bennett and Darren Criss—enjoyed a picnic-style meal from Grub Gals Catering and played lawn games. “This is the first time both of our whole families were able to come together,” says Clayton. “The blending of our worlds was my favorite part.” Click here to watch People Weddings: Garrett Clayton and Blake Knight on PeopleTV. ALL THE DETAILS!…

If you had told a 22-year-old Monica Lewinsky that one day her affair with the 42nd President of the United States and the ensuing scandal would become a television drama—one that she would help produce—she would have thought it impossible. She’d once believed she needed to run away “for everybody to forget that Monica Lewinsky,” she says. The world didn’t forget, but it did evolve—slowly—and brought with it a reexamination of the power dynamics between Bill Clinton and the then White House intern. “We didn’t talk about things the same way then,” she says. “I regret a lot of decisions from my past, but I’m not ashamed of who I am in any way.” Now 48, Lewinsky is reclaiming her story in the new FX series Impeachment: American Crime Story.…

After jurors found her husband guilty of fraud, Tammy Faye Bakker stood on the courthouse steps and sang, “on Christ the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand.” The hymn, as news cameras rolled outside the North Carolina court on that October day in 1989, perfectly summed up Tammy Faye and her husband Jim’s turbulent life: filled with faith but soiled by scandal, drugs and infidelity. The rise and fall of the famous televangelist couple gets a fresh look in the biopic The Eyes of Tammy Faye (in theaters Sept. 17), which stars Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield. Along with the heavy mascara and dramatic tears, the film sets out to portray another side of Tammy Faye—one of a feminist, LGBTQ supporter and AIDS activist. “People…

½ cup sliced red Fresno chiles, unseeded (about 4 chiles)½ cup water¼ cup white wine vinegar3 Tbsp. granulated sugar¼ tsp. coriander seeds, toasted and crushed¼ tsp. crushed red pepper1¾ tsp. kosher salt, divided3 cups coarsely chopped broccoli rabe (from a small 9-oz. bunch)¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil1 medium garlic clove, minced 5 oz. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (about 1¼ cups), divided1 (16-oz.) pkg. fettuccine pasta¾ cup (6 oz.) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces 1. Place chiles and their seeds in a small airtight container with a tight-fitting lid. Bring water, vinegar, sugar, coriander, crushed red pepper and ¾ teaspoon salt to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Pour vinegar mixture over chiles; secure lid. Let cool to room temperature. Chill in refrigerator 8…

THE STARS DAZZLE IN VENICE HAPPY HEMSWORTHS Chris Hemsworth wished his lookalike dad Craig a happy Father’s Day (in Australia) with a Sept. 5 Instagram tribute. A FIFTY SHADES REUNION Telluride, Colo., Sept. 4 Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson—who previously starred in the Fifty Shades of Grey series, inset—got back together at the Telluride Film Festival, where they each promoted new movies: Johnson’s The Lost Daughter and Dornan’s Belfast. AHOY, CHRIS! Italy, Sept. 2 Chris Pine soaked up the sun aboard a yacht during a vacation off the Amalfi Coast. FILMING A ROYAL FAMILY VACATION Surrey, England, Aug. 19 In new photos from the set of Netflix’s The Crown, Elizabeth Debicki (as Princess Diana) and Dominic West (who plays Prince Charles; not pictured) shot a vacation scene with young actors…

Split Skylar Astin & Lisa Stelly The Pitch Perfect actor and the entrepreneur, both 33, have called it quits. “They’re both so busy, but there is no drama between them at all,” says a source close to the former couple, who confirmed their relationship in July 2020. Happy Anniversary! Sarah Michelle Gellar & Freddie Prinze Jr. On Sept. 1 the actress, 44, and actor, 45, celebrated 19 years of marriage. “I honestly thought it was tomorrow,” Gellar—who shares two kids with Prinze—quipped on Instagram. Stepping Out Regé-Jean Page & Emily Brown The Bridgerton star, 31, made his public debut with girlfriend Brown, a freelance copywriter and soccer player, at the British GQ Men of the Year Awards in London on Sept. 1. The pair were first linked in February.…

Cardi B & Offset The “Up” rapper, 28, and her 29-year-old husband (of the hip-hop trio Migos) welcomed their second child, a son, on Sept. 4, she revealed on Instagram two days later. The couple—who wed in September 2017—are already parents to daughter Kulture, 3. Elle King & Dan Tooker On Sept. 1, “we welcomed 8 lbs 1 oz of absolute joy and love earthside,” the “Ex’s & Oh’s” rocker, 32, wrote on Instagram, announcing the birth of her and her tattoo artist fiancé’s son Lucky Levi. “We are all healthy and feeling so blessed!”…

Lucifer has had a bumpy history—Fox dropped it after season 3—but fans rallied to keep it alive. It’s extraordinarily moving that the fans really connect with the show. It’s been a godsend—no pun intended. What off-camera moments do you cherish? Getting to bring my kids [Henry, 5, and Otto, 3] to the set and having Tom the Devil hold them when they were babies. You’ve done so many shows and films. Do you have a favorite? I’d be a liar if I didn’t say I absolutely loved playing [Ed Helms’s girlfriend] Melissa in The Hangover.…

Among the thousands of cases of people reported missing each year in the U.S., some of the most heartbreaking are those involving mothers. “There’s nothing like a mother’s love, to nurture and protect their children and prepare them for life,” says Derrica Wilson, a former Virginia police officer who in 2008 cofounded the Black and Missing Foundation, a nonprofit that has helped close more than 400 missing-persons cases in connection with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and law enforcement. “Family members try to fill that void, but it’s very difficult.” Although the FBI does not track how many of the thousands of adults who go missing each year are women with children, those who work in the field say the count is sobering. “A vast number of…

Although Alicia Vikander originally planned to be a professional ballerina, her backup plan, acting, has worked out pretty well. The Swedish-born star, 32, won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar five years ago for The Danish Girl and showed off her action chops in 2016’s Jason Bourne and 2018’s Tomb Raider. She now costars in the emotional drama Blue Bayou as the wife of a Korean adoptee (played by Justin Chon, who wrote and directed the film) trying to keep his family together while facing deportation. “I wasn’t aware that adopted adults can be forced out of their homes and away from their families,” says Vikander. “I wanted to bring that story to light.” It’s also been an exciting time for Vikander offscreen: The fiercely private star and her husband, German-Irish…

3 ripe Hass avocados, halved2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)½ tsp. kosher salt½ tsp. ground cumin½ tsp. cayenne pepper2 plum tomatoes (5 oz. total), seeded and chopped½ cup chopped sweet onion (from 1 small onion)1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro2 tsp. seeded and finely chopped serrano chile (from 1 small chile)1 medium garlic clove, finely choppedWhite corn or yellow corn tortilla chips, for serving Toss together avocados and lime juice in a large bowl. Add salt, cumin and cayenne pepper, and mash with a potato masher or fork to desired consistency. Gently fold in tomatoes, onion, cilantro, serrano chile and garlic. Serve with tortilla chips. Serves: 4 Active time: 20 minutes Total time: 20 minutes Keep Guacamole Green! You can’t stop avocados from browning, but these three steps slow…