MUMBAI: Read on to know more about the news and fresh happenings from the world of Hollywood

Tessa Thompson's special connect with Michael Jordan

 Actress Tessa Thompson says she is glad to share a special bond with Michael Jordan.

Thompson has worked with Jordon in "Creed II".

"Michael and I love playing these characters and really had a rapport with each other the first time around. Since then, we've stayed in touch and maintained a friendship and seen each other through different milestones," Thompson said in a statement to leading publication. 

"It doesn't feel like time has passed. It sort of feels like we're growing up together," she added. 

She continued: "And a lot has happened to Mike and to me in the years since we made 'Creed'. He and I are also in this new space of navigating public personas and personal lives, finding that balance. It's interesting for that to also be reflected in our film."

To this, Jordan added: "Tessa and I say that all the time: Adonis and Bianca are ‘adult-ing' now. Obviously, we were adults in the first film, but three years later, it feels more mature. We're looking at ourselves as people with adult responsibilities." 

"Creed II" is a sequel to "Creed" and the eighth instalment in the "Rocky" film series. It also stars Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Dolph Lundgren, Phylicia Rashad, Andre Ward, Wood Harris, Brigitte Nielsen and Milo Ventimiglia. 

Stallone and Lundgren are reprising their roles of Rocky and Drago from the film "Rocky IV". Ryan Coogler, who directed the first franchise of "Creed", returns as an executive producer on "Creed II". 

The film, brought to India by Warner Bros Pictures, follows Adonis Creed training in order to defeat the son of Ivan Drago, the powerful athlete who killed his father in the ring more than 30 years earlier. 

It released in India on November 29.

'Scarface' casting director Alixe Gordin dead

Award-winning casting director Alixe Gordin is dead. She was 96.

Gordin died at her home in Massachusetts on November 28. Additional details about her death were not revealed, reports of media.

Born Alixe Glas on April 10, 1922 in Dayton, Ohio, she took her stage name Gordin when she started performing as a musician and an actor. She got into casting in the 1960s with Studio One and The Defenders.

Gordin is known for her casting work on some of the most iconic films in history. She served as casting director for Brian De Palma's classic "Scarface" which earned Al Pacino and Steven Bauer a Golden Globe nomination in 1984. 

She worked on Alan J. Pakula's "Klute" which won Jane Fonda an Academy Award in 1971. 

On the TV side, Gordin won a Primetime Emmy for the mini-series "Separate But Equal". It also won Outstanding Drama/Comedy Special and mini-series.

Mel B's ex husband hits backs at her

Filmmaker Stephen Belafonte has denied his former wife Mel B's claim that he was abusive during their marriage. He has advised people not to believe anything the singer says.

"Don't believe a word I say. Don't believe a word Melanie (Mel's original name) says. All I want you to believe is the evidence," Belafonte was quoted as saying by media.

Regarding Mel's allegation that Belafonte was the reason why she was hospitalised in 2014, he said she was on drugs which damaged her body.

"She was partying, doing tons of coke in London and she damaged her body. She was doing pills, coke, and she was on a bender for like three/four days straight," he added.

The couple, who married in 2007 and stayed together for 10 years, haven't been on talking terms since filing for divorce in 2017. They share a seven-year-old daughter named Madison Brown Belafonte.

Egyptian actress could be jailed for revealing legs

Egyptian actress Rania Youssef is facing public obscenity charges after walking the red carpet at the Cairo International Film Festival in a dress that revealed her legs. She has apologized.

Egypt is a conservative country with a large Muslim population. Even though it was only her legs that were revealed, it was considered obscene, reports of leading publication. 

Photographs of her dress were posted on social media and immediately invited backlash. She is set to go on trial on January 12 after a group of lawyers complained about her dress to the chief prosecutor.

She has since taken to social media to apologize. 

She wrote: "I probably miscalculated when I chose to wear this dress. It was the first time that I wore it and I did not realise it would spark so much anger... I reaffirm my commitment to the values upon which we were raised in Egyptian society."

If Youssef is convicted, she can face up to five years in prison.

Grande covers up Pete Davidson tattoo

 After their whirlwind engagement and subsequent break-up, singer Ariana Grande and comedian-actor Pete Davidson are both taking steps to cover up many of the matching tattoos they either got together or about the other person.

A few days after their split in October, Grande performed at "A Very Wicked Halloween" where she was seen covering her "Pete" tattoo with a Band-Aid, reports of media.

A few weeks later, the "Reborn" ink on her hand that she got with Davidson had been turned into some sort of feather or leaf. Both Grande and Davidson got a heart design over other tattoos, which almost made it look like they got matching break-up tattoos. 

Grande's most recent tattoo redo was a shout-out to Mac Miller, her former boyfriend who died in September.

The singer has been openly mourning Miller since his death, often posting old photographs and throwbacks of the two of them and reminiscing about their relationship. 

One fan went so far as to accuse Grande of "milking" Miller's death, but she clapped back with an appropriate response. "I pray you never have to deal with anything like this ever and I'm sending you peace and love," she said on Twitter.

She added in another tweet, "Some of the s--t I read on here makes me sick to my stomach. It scares me the way some people think and I don't like this world a lot of the time. If only we could be more compassionate and gentle with one another."

Bono describes friendship with George W. Bush as 'comedic relationship'

Rocker and activist Bono has described his friendship with former US President George W. Bush as "comedic".

They have worked together to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa.

The U2 frontman, known for his liberal views, famously paid a visit to the White House in 2002 to try and convince the Republican leader to join the global push for action, leading Bush to launch the groundbreaking programme PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) in 2003, reports by media.

The initiative has been credited with saving more than 16 million lives to date, and against all odds, Bono and Bush have formed a close bond.

Bono sat down with the Texan politician's daughter, TV co-host Jenna Bush Hager, to reminisce about their tense first meeting 16 years ago.

"He didn't wanna see me, which is fair enough, I mean, different political views and whatever," the Irish musician shared on breakfast show "Today".

"I was the guy who had to come... and get him to look up from his big oak table in the Oval Office to let his values tell him what to do. I don't know if it's a Texas thing, but your father felt the weight of responsibility presiding over this, the greatest health crisis in 600 years, (to take action)."

Bono has never shied away from heaping praise on Bush for establishing PEPFAR, declaring the period "one of the most heroic chapters in the history of America," and he wants world leaders and activists today to learn from their odd partnership.

"I think you got to cut through the shenanigans of political cartooning and see that some people can have different views and can still be principled people...," he said.

"I hope Americans this World AIDS Day remember what you can achieve when you work with people you don't agree with."

The pair has remained in touch over the years, and Bono is particularly enamoured by Bush's sense of humour.

"I have this kind of comedic relationship with your father," he smiled as he remembered one particular funny exchange, reported of media.

"We were riding in a motorcade. People were waving from the side of the road, and I said to him, 'Oh, pretty popular. Didn't think you were this popular, Mr. President!' He said, 'When I first came here, they used to wave at me with one finger!'"

"I've become very fond of him, and it's funny because underneath his armour, there's passion, compassion; he has it."

Beyonce pays tribute to Nelson Mandela

Singer Beyonce and rapper Jay Z paid tribute to the former South Africa President Nelson Mandela at the Global Citizen Festival.

The singers on Sunday honoured the life and legacy of Mandela with performances of "Holy grail", "Part II (On the run)" and "03 bonnie & clyde" here, reports of leading publication.

Beyonce also shared the stage with English singer Ed Sheeran for duets of "Drunk in love" and "Perfect".

Days before performing at the event, Beyonce penned an appreciative letter to the late Mandela. It was published in the South African newspaper Sowetan.

"Your kindness and gratitude for every experience and your ability to forgive are lessons I have learned and will pass on to my three children. My entire family holds you in high regard," she wrote.

Mandela, who led the fight against South Africa's apartheid regime - a system of racial segregation which oppressed the black majority - became the first black president of the country.

'Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100' is a campaign partnership between advocacy group Global Citizen and the House of Mandela with hopes of ending poverty by 2030.

(Source: IANS)