The Oscars

Paul Haggis -- famous for writing/directing 2006's Best Picture, "Crash" -- has been arrested in Italy for sexual assault ... this according to multiple reports.

Local media say the Oscar-winning filmmaker -- who also wrote "Million Dollar Baby," among other hit films over the years -- was busted Sunday in the city of Ostuni, where he's been accused of forcing an unidentified young woman to have sex with him over the course of 2 days. He's in town for a new film festival happening this week, called Allora Fest.

The woman, who's not of Italian descent, was taken to an airport by Haggis after the alleged assault and left in a state of confusion ... per law enforcement quoted by Italian reports.

The alleged victim is said to have been attended to by airport staff, who took her to a hospital ... where she eventually pressed charges against Haggis, naming him as the alleged culprit. He remains in custody, and his events have been nixed from the AF lineup.

Allora Fest honchos say, "The themes chosen for the festival are, among others, those of equality, gender equality, and solidarity. As professionals and women, they are dismayed and hope that the festival will help foster more information and awareness on such a topical and increasingly pressing issue." The authorities are investigating the incident further.

We've reached out to Haggis' reps, no word back yet. He's been accused of sexual misconduct by several other women over the past few years ... all of which he's denied.

Jennifer Hudson is in rare company today after winning a Tony award, she's joined some huge celebs who've won 4 major entertainment awards ... aka the EGOT.

The Jennifer-produced musical "A Strange Loop" took home the trophy for Best Musical during Sunday night's 75th Annual Tony Awards ... giving her the final piece of the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony pie.

Jennifer had previously nabbed 2 Grammy Awards, one for Best R&B Album in 2009 album and another in 2017 for Best Musical Theater Album for The Color Purple.

She won her Oscar in 2006 for Best Supporting Actress in "Dreamgirls" ... and a Daytime Emmy for producing the VR-animated film "Baby Yaga."

Jennifer is going down in history as the 17th person to get all 4 awards ... and she's the 3rd youngest ever to get it done, behind John Legend and composer Robert Lopez.

The former "American Idol" star's musical "A Strange Loop" follows a black, queer writer writing a musical about a black, queer writer writing a musical about a black, queer writer. Ya get the title now, right?

The meta-musical's been getting rave reviews since it launched off-Broadway in 2019.

Jada Pinkett Smith is finally addressing the infamous Oscars slap, but rather than apologizing ... she's saying Chris Rock and Will Smith both have to set aside their differences.

She opened the latest episode of "Red Table Talk" by saying, "My deepest hope is that these two intelligent, capable men have an opportunity to heal, talk this out and reconcile."

Jada only had one more remark about the incident ... which was that she believes both her husband and Chris are needed now more than ever.

Her take is kinda shocking, because most people feel it's Will who really owes Chris a face-to-face -- or at the very least a personal convo -- where he apologizes for getting physical.

As you know, Will has been banned from the next 10 years of Oscars ceremonies after slapping Chris over a joke about Jada's bald head -- she's been open over the years about her struggles with alopecia.

In fact, if not for alopecia she might not have even addressed the slap -- the 'RTT' episode is about the challenges Jada and others face with the condition.

Amy Schumer is opening her comedy vault -- she just laid out another joke that Oscars honchos apparently said no to ... and this one's on video.

The comedian revealed her latest axed bit during a set for the 'Netflix Is a Joke' festival going on right now -- and at one point in her performance, she laid out what exactly it was that showrunners weren't really feeling from AS's pitched material.

Watch ... it's a gag that incorporates a bunch of the nominated films to make a sex joke about her husband. You can watch it for yourself -- we'll just say, it ends in pregnancy.

Whether it was funny or not ... well, that sorta depends on who you're asking, it seems. The joke seemed to land well for the live audience that received it -- they were laughing it up when she delivered it -- but if you go peep how folks online are taking it ... it ain't good.

This harkens back to last month when Amy revealed yet another joke she claims was scrapped ... which was about Alec Baldwin, something most folks didn't see much humor in.

The Baldwin joke wasn't caught on tape -- she talked about it during a stand-up show of hers in Vegas, where people's phones were locked away ... but it was reported on nonetheless. Whether any of these jokes were actually on the table is also anyone's guess.

She could just be making these up now/working them into her current set ... who knows. Either way, what did end up making it into her monologue that night worked extremely well. You'll recall ... she roasted everybody under the sun and got a great response at the time.

Chris Rock's mom just made it clear ... when Will Smith slapped her son, it was personal.

Rose Rock made her displeasure with Smith obvious during an interview with WIS TV in South Carolina, saying, "When he slapped Chris, he slapped all of us. He really slapped me, because when you hurt my child, you hurt me."

Rose wasn't done ... "You reacted to your wife giving you the side-eye, and you went and made her day because she was mulled over laughing when it happened."

And she seems to feel Will got some payback, saying, "No one heard his [acceptance] speech. No one was able to just be in the moment because everyone was sitting there like, 'What just happened."

Rose, like most of us, initially thought the slap was staged, but she knew it was real when Will started hurling obscenities at her son.

Will Smith resurfaced after that slap, but far, far away from Hollywood.

Will touched down at a private airport in Mumbai, India, and it was clear the paparazzi in India knew he was coming. They shouted out his name as he arrived at his hotel, and he was more than happy to give the paps, along with some serious fans, a wave and a smile.

No idea why he's there -- whether it's business or pleasure, but he didn't look the worse for wear ... posing with someone who looks like the pilot at the hotel.

He even stopped for a few fans who desperately wanted a selfie with the actor.

Will hasn't said anything publicly since his apology after slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars ... a slap that earned him a 10-year suspension from Academy events, including the Oscars.

Several of his movie projects have been put on ice in the wake of the slap. It's unclear if they'll be canceled altogether or whether the movie companies are just waiting for all the hubbub to die down before things get reset.

Kris Jenner says she fully thought Blac Chyna was going to kill Rob Kardashian when she pointed a gun to his head ... and in no way did she think it was a joke.

Kris was back on the stand Friday for a second day of testimony in Chyna's trial, claiming she thought BC tried to murder her son back in December 2016. Rob's mom hurled the allegation almost right out of the gate, with Chyna's lawyer asking her if she believed Chyna attempted murder on her son. Kris responded, "I do."

Kris says she came to the conclusion after looking at everything going on back then between Rob and Chyna ... claiming Rob had marks on his body from the phone cord Chyna wrapped around his neck, in addition to his torn shirt.

What's more, Kris says she felt Chyna had animosity and hatred towards her family ... saying alcohol was involved when Chyna pointed the gun at Rob's head and wondered what it would be like to be in Rob's situation at that moment.

As we reported ... Chyna claimed she pointed the gun at Rob as a joke, and insisted the phone cord she put around his neck was also done in jest.

Kris was asked why she didn't call the police if she thought Chyna was going to kill her son. She said she thought BC had enough problems with cops and figured her own security, made up of former LAPD officers, could get the situation under control if necessary.

And, get this ... Kris was asked about a text she sent where she wrote, "He (Rob) is devastated, and he needs to ditch the bitch."

Kris told the jury she sent the text in anger when she was very upset, adding ... "I probably could've used a word that was nicer."

Chyna's lawyer asked Kris why she would want to use a nicer word to describe someone she believed tried to murder her son Kris said, "It's just really not the way I like to talk about people."

Kris was then shown another text message she sent to the showrunner behind Rob and Chyna's reality TV show, where Kris wrote, "Let's take her off the show and just make it Rob raising his daughter."

Asked why she sent the text, Kris explained ... "This is my son that has been traumatized and I was just trying to figure out what to do." She started crying on the stand as she compared Rob having a gun pointed to his head to Kim Kardashian being tied up in a bathtub in Paris.

Kris was also asked about another text, where she claimed Chyna beat the crap out of Rob's face, and the meaning behind it.

In her explanation, Kris drew a laugh from the courtroom crowd when she referenced the Will Smith and Chris Rock moment at the Oscars, saying ... "It's like if I was at the Academy Awards and got hit in the face, might say I got the s*** beat out of my face.”

Jada Pinkett Smith's "Red Table Talk" is returning with all-new episodes, but their lineup is glaringly missing Will Smith as a guest ... or any mention of that slap.

Season 5 of Jada's Emmy-winning series will premiere weekly starting Wednesday ... it'll feature celebrities like Janelle Monáe and Kim Basinger, but Will seemed to be left off the guest list.

Many speculated he'd join his family on camera to address the viral Oscars moment ... he's used the platform to talk about their marital issues in the past, sitting down with Jada in 2020 to openly discuss his wife's entanglement with musician August Alsina.

The promos for this season highlight a variety of topics, but it looks like Will slapping Chris Rock isn't one of them.

Also on board ... the parents of Miss USA Cheslie Kryst ... as we reported, Cheslie tragically jumped from her high-rise apartment in New York back in January.

Chris Rock's younger brother wants to do more than slap Will Smith ... he wants to lace up the gloves and climb into the ring for a boxing match!!!

CR's brother, Kenny, just signed a deal with Celebrity Boxing founder Damon Feldman for a fight this summer down in Florida ... but he doesn't have an opponent yet, and he's calling out Will.

Kenny says the size difference wouldn't be an issue for him ... even though Will's taller and once played Muhammad Ali on the big screen ... he's confident he could score a victory over the Oscar-winner.

Remember ... Kenny slammed Will for slapping his brother at the Academy Awards, and now it sounds like he wants to take things to the next level and get physical.

The clock's ticking on Kenny to find an opponent, be it Will or some other celeb ... he's scheduled to fight June 11 at the Charles F. Dodge City Center in Pembroke Pines, FL.

Comedic legend Gilbert Gottfried defended his fellow comedians until the very end ... using his last social media post to back Chris Rock after the Oscars.

Gilbert posted a photo of him with Chris the day after Will Smith's on-camera slap, with the caption "Which is the worst crime? Chris Rock being physically assaulted or Chris Rock telling a joke?"

He also joked around about the "King Richard" star to The Associated Press, saying he used to worry about putting a mask on while performing ... but "now I have to worry about wearing a football helmet," hilariously begging Will to stay away from his shows.

As we reported, Gilbert passed away Tuesday from a heart abnormality called Ventricular Tachycardia due to Myotonic Dystrophy type II. His family asked his fans to keep laughing as loud as they can in his honor.

His career spans back to the '70s when he was a cast member on "Saturday Night Live," and quickly became a standout character on multiple shows and movies, including "Beverly Hills Cop II" and "The Cosby Show."

As we analyze how offensive Chris Rock's joke about Jada Pinkett Smith was -- one woman who's been a long alopecia advocate says ... it's more flattering than anything.

Swedish-born actress Jannica Olin -- who first started losing her hair to alopecia in 2013 -- dished her thoughts about the awkward Oscars moment to THR ... and she makes it clear, the 'G.I. Jane' dig wasn't nearly as big a deal in her eyes as it apparently was for Jada.

JO says as she watched back clips of the exchange after the fact, she was waiting for the hurtful part to come about -- but for her, it never really did.

Jannica adds, "I didn’t see what was offensive about it ... And I’m very aware we all have different experiences, and we’re all in different places. To me, personally, that ... joke was not offensive. I think that’s cool."

She goes on to explain that the 'G.I. Jane' character -- Jordan O'Neill, played by Demi Moore in the '90s -- is portrayed as a tough-as-nails badass, and a symbol of female empowerment ... and that to her, she would've taken Rock's joke as praise rather than a mean-spirited barb.

Jannica says, "I would have loved to have that said to me. But that’s me, right? I can’t speak for anyone else."

While Jannica acknowledges alopecia might affect people differently -- including Jada and by default, Will too -- she says he still should've restrained himself ... even if he was pissed off. She says, "We're all human. We're all going to get triggered by things. But you have to be an adult and sit with something and maybe not react that way, no matter what."

This has been a raging debate since the beginning -- namely, was Will's reaction simply a result of the hair crack itself, or was it deeper. Most seem to agree ... there might've been a lot of factors going into the smack, but that perhaps the bald joke was the last straw.

It's also unclear how offended Jada herself actually was in the moment -- yes, she did roll her eyes and show disapproval ... but just days before the Oscars, she telegraphed confidence about her alopecia and baldness. So, seemingly mixed signals on that front.

Of course, there's a race element to this as well ... many in the African-American community have argued that hair is particularly important and meaningful to Black women -- so some might not accept Jannica's take here at face value, seeing how she's white.

Jada Pinkett Smith flew solo Saturday night ... her first public appearance since her husband whacked Chris Rock at the Oscars.

Jade showed up to support her pals, "Grey's Anatomy" creator and EP Shonda Rhimes and Debbie Allen for a gala celebrating the opening of the Rhimes Performing Arts Center in L.A.

Jada mingled with folks in the crowd, including Samuel L. Jackson and his wife LaTanya Richardson Jackson.

Jada and Will Smith have a connection to the venue ... there are several studios inside for the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, and one of them is named in honor of Will and Jada.

Jada has been mum over the slap. As you know, her husband is now banned from all Academy events for the next decade and he's resigned from the Academy.

'SNL' hilariously recapped the Will Smith slap, saying despite Jada and Will talking about just about everything in their lives, most people didn't know she had alopecia ... equating it to Kanye getting upset because people didn't know he had psoriasis. (FYI ... he doesn't!).

Colin Jost and Michael Che were hysterical during "Weekend Update." As for Will's 10-year banishment from Academy events, they noted Will can still get nominated and even win another Oscar. As Jost put it ... "He just doesn't have to attend the four-hour ceremony where someone is definitely going to make fun of his wife again."

Che told a super-funny joke about equivalency ... him going out in frigid weather and noting that it's cold out, triggering people who heard him become outraged ... well, watch why -- it's great!

Chris Rock has shed a smidge of light on how he feels about Will Smith slapping him at the Oscars -- but says he won't reveal more until he receives one thing ... cold, hard cash.

The comedian told a live audience Friday that he would not be talking about the Oscars until he was compensated, presumably meaning somebody ponying up for his exclusive account ... this according to a report from the Palm Springs Desert Sun, which detailed his set in Indio, CA and the material referenced as Chris continues his national comedy tour.

Here's what Chris reportedly said in full ... "I'm OK, I have a whole show, and I'm not talking about that until I get paid. Life is good. I got my hearing back."

The strange thing ... if Chris means he's waiting on a network of some sort to pay him for a sit-down, ya gotta imagine he and his team have already been approached by every broadcast company in the game at this point. Maybe they just haven't offered enough???

Of course, another, slightly more sinister way to interpret his remarks ... perhaps he's talking about a civil lawsuit against Will himself, where he could potentially get paid that way too.

Or, he might just be joshing altogether ... it's unclear how serious this comment is, but considering the context -- Chris seems to be in good spirits and carrying on well. In any case, the Desert Sun has more deets about what's in Chris' set -- and it's interesting.

They say he took a lot of shots at celebs and politicians, including Hillary Clinton, the Kardashians, Meghan Markle and others. He also reportedly made fun of corporations and their diversity initiatives -- while also invoking his family life, being single and cancel culture ... as it relates to offending people these days. The DS says he got a standing O in the end.

It does seem Chris is opening up more and more as his tour rolls on -- remember, in his initial shows out in the East Coast ... all he said was he's still processing the smack.

Now, it appears he's finding some humor in the whole thing -- that, or just masking how he really feels with his comedy chops. Time will tell if/when Chris speaks on this officially.

Will Smith won't be able to attend the Oscars for 10 years -- and while some think that's mega, David Spade is here to say, whoop-de-doo ... suggesting it's not a big deal at all.

We got the comedy legend -- and good pal of Chris Rock -- Friday at Avra in Bev Hills ... and of course, we had to get his take on Will's decade-long ban, which had just been handed down by the Academy hours earlier.

Check it out ... David actually seems to be okay with the punishment -- saying the movie honchos had to do something, and this seems fitting. But, when we pressed on whether it was too harsh ... he scoffed.

In Dave's eyes ... not being able to attend the ceremony or vote for future flicks doesn't really come off as a major consequence -- and he says himself, "Who cares?"

DS also reveals if he's spoken to Chris yet ... and indeed, he certainly has. He refuses to dish on what his buddy thinks, though, respecting the guy's confidence and privacy. As for what he thinks the Academy can do to make it up to CR -- he's got a hilarious response.

BTW, just to give you a sense of how close David is with Chris ... check out this podcast appearance the latter made on Spade's "Fly on the Wall" back in January, which he hosts with Dana Carvey. Chris told an interesting story about being bullied in childhood.

There've been other reactions to the 10-year ban as well ... including from 'Dodgeball' star Chris Williams, who says it's a stiff sentence -- but one that makes sense considering the conduct.

Just like David, CW also thinks Will is going to land on his feet in the long run ... and that he can get past this with some time and healing -- and the forgetfulness of society as the next big thing captures our attention.

We also asked if Williams thinks Smith's got another Oscar in him amid this 10-year ban -- and the guy says, hell yeah ... predicting he may actually win one after his final year.

Will Smith's 10-year ban from the Oscars has left many in the Academy with mixed feelings -- some think too harsh, others think too lenient ... and some think it's just right.

THR published several reactions from a handful of members -- none of whom are on the Board of Governors -- with many going on the record with how they feel about the decision doled out this week ... namely, making WS persona non grata at the ceremony for a decade.

A good amount of these folks actually stuck up for Will, saying the punishment doesn't fit the crime -- including Stephen Potter of the Sound branch, Harry Shearer of the Actors branch and Beverly Walker of the Marketing/PR branch ... who all felt this was punitive.

Harry (famous from "The Simpsons") says, in part ... "If Will Smith, or any other A-list actor, had run on stage and simply pulled down his pants and defecated, I seriously doubt he'd/she'd be back on that stage in 10 years, or ever ... A decade-long ban seems oddly parental, as in, he'll have outgrown his slappin' phase by then."

Beverly was firmly in Will's corner, or rather ... very much so NOT in Chris's -- or any other comedian the Academy might hire as a host/presenter to roast the crowd.

She takes issue with "the Academy's longstanding habit of hiring comedian/hosts to march out and insult or make fun of the very people being celebrated," adding, "there have undoubtedly been some who would've liked to make some sort of protest" ... and finishing by saying, "What Rock said was egregious and he had to know it would not be appreciated."

Others took aim at Academy leadership itself -- especially Prez David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson ... whom many felt had screwed the pooch by failing to respond in the moment.

Mitchell Block -- a doc-maker -- put it well ... "The board of governors should have reviewed why David Rubin and/or Dawn Hudson failed to have Will Smith immediately removed from the theater after he physically attacked one of the hosts." He adds, "Their poor judgment demonstrated an inability to lead and be proactive under pressure and respond to this behavior. I am deeply disappointed that the governors did not censure them."

And yet, even more came out swinging ... saying Will deserved more severe consequences, like criminal charges and maybe outright disqualification from all things Oscars, forever.

Steven Scott summed it up like this ... "I also am disappointed that Chris Rock and The Academy decided not to press charges for Will's attack. What message are we sending -- that when we're assaulted, it's best to just keep our 'composure' and not complain?"

He also addressed the whataboutism that has bubbled up -- with many drawing comparisons over what happened to Will with others who they feel have perhaps done worse.

To that, Scott says ... "Before someone tells me that other Hollywood A-listers have done awful things, yet kept their Oscars, none of them did their crimes live, on air, from the Academy home stage on our special night, in front of all the world to see."

He adds, "There is no precedent for Will's horrific physical and verbal assault, and the punishment should have been unprecedented as well. I am disgusted by my Academy's appallingly weak, amoral, kowtowing-to-an-A-lister response."

As you know ... Will is OK with the Academy's decision. And, while he can't attend Academy Awards ceremonies or official events for 10 years -- he can still be nominated for Oscars and even win Oscars ... they'll just have to mail him any would-be statuettes if that occurs.

He also gets to keep his Oscar -- so all things considered, really not all that bad.