4:53 PM PT -- A rep for Gavin Newsom's political team tells TMZ ... "Governor Newsom did not do a "bulk buy" of $1.5M worth of books to boost sales. The book sales through his email list were individual sales done through a new, innovative approach that allows his list to receive copies of the book early. The campaign viewed the book offer as a major list-building and engagement opportunity – one of the largest of any campaign in the country."
The statement continues, "Supporters were invited to give whatever amount they could afford and still receive a copy of the book. The goal was participation and engagement, not fundraising. The campaign's list provided an opportunity for supporters to buy the book through a vendor consistently used by other authors. Each book was sold and sent out through the vendor, similar to buying from Amazon or Barnes and Noble. In total, more than 67,000 individual sales were made through the campaign's offers."
Want a copy of Gavin Newsom’s book? Turns out all it took was a donation -- and a PAC with deep pockets!
Here’s how it played out ... The New York Times reports Newsom’s political action committee shelled out more than $1.5M to scoop up copies of his memoir, "Young Man in a Hurry," and hand them out to supporters who chipped in -- any amount got you in the door.
And plenty of people took the bait. About 67,000 books were sent out through the donation deal -- accounting for roughly two-thirds of all print copies sold. Yeah … that bestseller run didn’t exactly happen the old-fashioned way.
Jennie Garth is opening up about a painful point in her life during her split from husband Dave Abrams ... she revealed she cut herself with glass while overcome with pain, and her daughter caught her in the act.
The "Beverly Hills, 90210" star writes about the low point in her life in her new memoir, "I Choose Me: Chasing Joy, Finding Purpose & Embracing Reinvention." She says she was so distraught when her marriage fell apart in 2017, she turned to drinking and self-harm to self-medicate.
Specifically, she remembered shattering framed photos of her and Dave and using the shards to attempt to slash herself. She concedes ... "I was certainly not in my right mind. It was almost an unconscious act, a form of punishment."
"The Housemaid" author Freida McFadden just ripped off her own mask ... saying she's done living a "Hannah Montana"-esque double life after concealing her true identity and using a pen name for years.
The popular author revealed to USA Today Wednesday her real name is Sara Cohen -- a doctor from New York who treats brain disorders when she's not cranking out her next thriller novel. Talk about a plot twist!
Freida hid her identity for years ... but, people began figuring her act out ... and she says it's time to come forward.
Savannah Guthrie is taking tips on the art of finding joy -- explaining joy and sadness aren't mutually exclusive -- in one of her first mornings back on the "Today" show.
The longtime NBC host chatted with author Kate Bowler, who wrote "Joyful, Anyway" ... a book all about finding joy when circumstances aren't perfect.
Check out the vid ... Guthrie says it's the exact book she needs right now -- more on that in a minute -- while making it clear being joyful doesn't mean embracing toxic positivity or forcing oneself to be happy.
In the foreword for his upcoming book "Take It Personal" -- which comes out April 14 -- the reality star-turned-businesswoman raved about her BFF.
She reflected on how her friendship with David influenced her journey as an entrepreneur, writing ... "When David Grutman has something to teach, you definitely want to listen."
Kim gushed about David's commitment to both personal and professional connections "in a time when so much of our interaction happens on our phones."
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"Real Housewives of Orange County" is the show that started it all, paving the way for the Bravo franchise to go global.
It's officially been 20 years since "RHOC" hit the airwaves ... which means it's time to celebrate the best way your favorite housewives know how -- with a little shopping!
We've rounded up the perfect picks for Bravoholics everywhere!
Liza Minnelli looked totally unbothered rolling out of an event plugging her new memoir ... in which she spills plenty of Hollywood tea.
The legend was wheeled out of her "Live In Conversation'' stop at the Million Dollar Theater in L.A. Tuesday night, where she promoted "Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!"
She was all smiles, waving at fans as she headed to her car -- and honestly, she looked like a weight had been lifted after unloading in the book. And she has a lot to say about her past movie costar and director ...
Zach Bryan just dropped some serious cash on a literary treasure ... shelling out a whopping $12 million for Jack Kerouac’s legendary "On The Road" scroll at the auction of Jim Irsay’s memorabilia collection this month.
The country star snagged the iconic manuscript during Christie’s New York sale ... which tracks, considering Zach bought the Saint Jean Baptiste Church in Lowell, Mass. last year ... with plans to turn it into a museum dedicated to the legendary American novelist and poet.
The typescript scroll of Jack Kerouac's "On the Road" was estimated to go for around $2.5 million ... but Zach ended up paying $12,135,000.
Nicki Minaj is going OFF on California Governor Gavin Newsom after a speaking engagement in Georgia ... she thinks he was telling black voters they're "probably stupid" to their faces.
In a tirade posted to X, the "Super Bass" rapper wrote, "His way of bonding with black ppl is to tell them how stupid he is & that he can't read."
His way of bonding with black ppl is to tell them how stupid he is & that he can’t read.
This means my first read on him was correct. He’s been handed so many things & put in high positions he never earned or deserved.
She continued ... "He's not just TELLING them that they're probably stupid & probably can't read, he's LITERALLY SLOW-ING-DOWN-HIS-SPEECH to make them understand the words that are coming out of his mouth!!!!"
David Archuleta is opening up about the emotional minefield that was his relationship with his father Jeff ... admitting for years he saw him as a threat to his peace while battling his sexuality within the strict confines of the Mormon Church.
Speaking on "GMA" Monday while promoting his new memoir "Devout: Losing My Faith to Find Myself," out Feb. 17, the 35-year-old said he’d been viewing everything through the lens of his terrified younger self ... until he reclaimed his voice by redirecting years of bottled-up anger toward his dad into something healthier.
David revealed ... the moment he came out to his dad, he stunned him with acceptance, telling him how proud he was -- a response he says brought him deep healing.
There are lots of celebs out there who get thrills from spooky chills ... can you guess who this horror-loving actor is?
We caught up with this actor in 2018 and asked him about being the narrator of a Stephen King audiobook ... he was pretty stoked about the whole thing!
We pointed out his voice was perfect for narrating the book ... and he wasn't shy about admitting how creepy his voice could get!
If you were getting all pumped about seeing Odessa A'zion in the upcoming romance drama flick "Deep Cuts," this might be a bummer -- she's dropped out of the movie's cast.
The actress explained her reasoning on her Instagram Story on Wednesday night ... and admitted she didn't realize the character she was set to play, Zoe, was of Mexican and Jewish heritage in the 2025 novel the upcoming A24 movie is based on.
Odessa's casting was announced Monday, and fans of the book started posting online about how her own background -- she's Jewish, but does not have Mexican roots -- doesn't fit with the character, according to Variety.
Spencer Pratt started working on his reputation as a villain long before he became one on reality TV ... he's admitted he once sold snaps of a teenage Mary-Kate Olsen partying with her then-boyfriend, Max Winkler, for a whopping $50,000!
Spencer spilled the deets in his brand new memoir "The Guy You Loved to Hate: Confessions from a Reality TV Villain" ... and he's saying he doesn't regret it a single bit.
Here's the deal ... he writes his pal Max -- the son of actor Henry Winkler -- had just gone through a split with Mary-Kate ... but still had a "shrine" of photos with her in his room. He describes the images as "young love documented in European hotels, Hollywood parties, stolen moments."
Nigella Lawson's days are about to get a bit sweeter ... because she's going to be the newest judge of "The Great British Bake Off"!
Nigella announced her casting on Instagram Monday and said she was "giddily grateful" for the opportunity to serve as a judge ... we're sure her fans are feeling the same way, too!
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She described "The Great British Bake Off" as a "national treasure" and said she is honored to have been trusted to judge future contestants' creations.
Celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton had a terrible cancer scare while writing his new book ... and when we caught him out in NYC Tuesday, he revealed his No. 1 client, Kim Kardashian, was a big source of strength.
Chris told us Kim knows a lot about dealing with the disease because her dad, Robert Kardashian, died from esophageal cancer in 2003. As Chris' mom -- often referred to on social media as Momma Appleton -- battled the same type of cancer, Chris was readily receptive to Kim's support.
Scott Adams -- the legendary cartoonist behind "Dilbert" -- is in hospice and likely has only days left to live ... TMZ has learned.
Scott's first ex-wife, Shelly Adams, tells TMZ he’s been receiving end-of-life care at home for the past week as his health rapidly declines.
Shelly says she, her sister, and Scott’s stepdaughter have been caring for him around the clock, with nurses coming in and out.
She adds Scott is beginning to get confused but recently pushed through to film what may be his final podcast episode, directly addressing the possibility it could be his last ever.
