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Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Hip-hop star Erica Banks under fierce fire from fans over VERY controversial career move: 'This is embarrassing'
Rapper Erica Banks is facing fierce backlash from her longtime fans after announcing that she's going on a strip club tour. The 26-year-old, who is currently starring on VH1's Love & Hip-Hop: Atlanta, is also offering 'private dances' for as low as $1,000. Banks will kick off the tour in Miami at Klub24, before hitting Houston, Atlanta, Dallas, and St Louis. While some fans are excited for the X-rated tour, others have accused the rapper of wasting her talent. 'Girl this is why you can't be taken seriously as a rapper. You are supposed to stay on brand. What is this,' asked one. 'Noooooooo sis don't do this. WHO is managing you?' added another, while a third write, 'You have a platinum song. What happened?' 'This is embarrassing. We need to bring shame back,' wrote another. A fifth commented, 'If she's a rapper, why is she stripping for money instead of making music?' Banks addressed the backlash in a since-deleted post, writing, 'My strip tour got y'all in a frenzy. Are y'all okay?' She continued, 'You don't have to be a hater babe. Your boyfriend won't. So let's just have a ball and enjoy this.' Banks shot to fame back in 2021 thanks to her viral hit Buss It. The song became a sensation on TikTok and eventually reached No. 47 on the Hot 100 before being certified platinum. Buss It's success led to Banks landing a major record deal before being added to the cast of VH1's long-running Love & Hip-Hop franchise. Banks is still working on new music, with the rapper recently telling fans that she has three new singles in the pipeline. Fans have been outraged over the talented rapper's raunchy career move Despite her success in the music world, Banks is currently a creator on OnlyFans. Last year, the star opened up about undergoing major surgery, including a BBL, after finding fame. 'I've done two rounds of Brazilian butt lifts and I can say I'm very satisfied with it. I love it,' she told DJ Smallz Eyes. 'I'm really happy with it, so I wouldn't go back and get a reduction.' In another video, she described the healing process from her BBL as 'hell'. 'It was probably the worst pain I've ever experienced in my whole life,' she told B High ATL. 'The pain is just excruciating. Because the inside of your body is brutalized.' Banks has often faced criticism from trolls that she sounds too similar to a number of other chart-topping female rappers, specifically GloRilla and Megan Thee Stallion. Addressing the claims last month, a defiant Banks wrote on X (formerly Twitter), 'I don't sound like anyone.' She continued, 'I hate when y'all say that. If you've been listening to my music since 2020, you know I've always had my own sound. 'Please just love on your favorite artist without forcing the thought of me sounding like them or anyone else.' Banks also hit back at her critics in an interview with the Dallas Observer last year. 'It is necessary to be confident in this industry because everybody's not going to like how you look, how you talk, how you sound, how you rap — and that's OK,' she said. 'So yeah, when it comes to people just having a strong opinion about what you look like because of your skin color or what you look like, because of what you did to your body, it's just like, at the end of the day, it is my s**t. I'm going to bed with it. I'm waking up with it.' She added, 'It is what it is. What can I do? All I can do is wake up and continue to be myself.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Janet Jackson Takes Victory Lap On Network That Tried To Destroy Her Career
The legendary Janet Jackson started her acceptance speech at the 2025 American Music Awards with an implausibly modest statement. 'I am so, so honored — I'm so grateful. I mean no disrespect in any way, but I don't consider myself an icon,' she said while holding the ICON Award onstage at the ceremony on Monday. 'My family, myself, our dream was to … it wasn't ever to be famous. We weren't raised like that. We always had a special love for music, dancing and singing — and fame came with the result of hard work and dedication.' Unsurprisingly, Katherine Jackson's youngest child offered us her trademark humility in her sweet whisper. But for her fans, including myself, I couldn't believe she made this statement as if she is not the Janet Damita Jo Jackson, our dancing diva who is the lady of the 'Butterfly' and the '8-Count.' She's the visionary behind some of the greatest music videos, tours and performances in pop music. She is the template of success for the generations of artists who have followed her. 'I'm excited to see Janet. I haven't seen her in years, and I'm glad that she's being celebrated, too,' said Jennifer Lopez, who hosted the show and once danced for Jackson. As much fuss has rightfully been made about Jackson's American Music Awards moment being her first TV performance in seven years, not nearly enough has been said about this being the first time she blessed CBS with a performance since her 2004 Super Bowl halftime show, which included the infamous 'Nipplegate' incident. (You can watch her American Music Awards performance here.) Jackson's fans always felt that the controversy was overblown, and more importantly, that she disproportionally received more backlash than Justin Timberlake, the other participant in that situation. It wasn't until 2018 that there was real evidence of an effort to blacklist the groundbreaking pop star. That year, Yashar Ali reported for HuffPost that Les Moonves, the former CEO and chairman of CBS, became obsessed with Jackson's career for years afterward. Moonves ordered CBS' sister properties VH1 and MTV, along with all Viacom-owned radio stations, to stop playing Jackson's songs and music videos. This incident derailed the sales of 'Damita Jo,' released in March 2004, one month after the Super Bowl. That album had some bops, particularly 'I Want You,' 'All Nite (Don't Stop)' and 'Strawberry Bounce,' which I recommend playing during a hike or while trying to finish the rest of your time on the stairmaster if you're into the sort of thing. In that same piece, Ali noted that upon realizing that Jackson was able to publish a book under a publisher then owned by Viacom, Moonves said, 'How the fuck did she slip through?' If not for Tyler Perry casting her in films, record producer Jermaine Dupri's hits, her most dedicated fans and the legacy of the artist who has twice secured the largest recording contract in history, her fame might have completely faded. Jackson never received a public apology from CBS for any of it. (In 2021, Timberlake apologized in an Instagram post.) In 2023, she came close when the Grammys wanted to give her their Global Impact Award before bowing out. Part of the problem was a scheduling conflict for a pre-Grammys event, but the real snag was that CBS and its parent company had not acknowledged or apologized for the Nipplegate response. 'Our sources say Janet's team and Grammy organizers began talking about ways CBS could either apologize or figure out a way to acknowledge how she was treated by the network, but things just got too complicated and talks ended,' TMZ reported at the time. Now that we have reestablished how nasty CBS was to Jackson and how lucky they are that she even showed up at the American Music Awards, I'll finish stanning a bit and acknowledge that Jackson is still stellar more than 40 years into her career. She is 59 years old and still putting on incredible performances. I recently turned 41 and have been exhausted by millennials who complain about how old they are and how much everything hurts. Look at Janet Jackson, shut up, stretch and believe in yourself. While I hate to be superficial (not really), look at her face and hair. None of us can go back in time, but whatever Jackson is doing has gotten her as close to her 1993 self as possible. The styling is also top-notch, and, whew, I'm so glad she's out of her covered-all-up-in-black era. Lastly, I loved that she chose to perform 'Someone To Call My Lover,' which has been surging in streams and sales after going viral on TikTok, and 'All For You,' her biggest hit of the 2000s. It's no coincidence that those are songs from the album released before the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show and its aftermath. It's a testament to the mainstream appeal of her music when not met with interference. Ultimately, it's also a testament to her legacy; no matter what gets in her way, she will continue to thrive. Actor Lauren Weedman Was Diagnosed With Bell's Palsy. Then, Hollywood Showed Up In The Most Unexpected Way. Mara Brock Akil Continues Her Black Love Legacy With 'Forever' Toxic Famous Men Deserve What's Coming To Them
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mob Wives' Renee Graziano Flaunts 52-Pound Weight Loss, Credits Mounjaro: ‘My Body Has Transformed'
Mob Wives alum Renee Graziano is celebrating her body transformation! The former VH1 reality star, 57, gave an update on her weight-loss journey on Monday, May 5, revealing she has lost 52 pounds with help from weight-loss drug Mounjaro. 'OH BABY 😍 IM DOWN 52lbs … I love sharing my weight-loss journey with y'all because truthfully, I've been so hard on myself behind the scenes,' Graziano wrote alongside before-and-after photos showing off her incredible transformation via Instagram. Graziano credited weekly Mounjaro shots for five months, as well as taking the "right supplements' and 'doing all the work behind my insecurity' with her therapist for her weight loss. 'I've battled self-criticism in the past! Ripped myself down to the ground!!' Graziano shared with her 685,000 followers. 'I truly was so sick and tired of my life and my inability to lose weight so I thought I'd eat until I felt better THAT NEVER HAPPENED, I felt like I was constantly falling short—of how I 'should' look, feel, and keep up with what society tells us is acceptable.' 'That's why, when I see photos that show the real, visible change, my clear eyes and genuine smile, I have to share,' she continued. "I want everyone to know if I can do it, you can do it! It's all possible!!' Since undergoing her weight-loss journey, Graziano said she hasn't 'felt the need for a plastic surgery shortcut,' noting, 'I do do a little Botox and a touch of lip filler.' However, she wrote, 'The substantial amount of weight that I have lost really has made me feel and look younger than I have in a long time. My mind is clear and my body has transformed, and more importantly, so has my confidence.' Other celebrities who have used Mounjaro to aid their weight loss include Meghan Trainor, Whoopi Goldberg and Amy Schumer. Chelsea Handler, Kyle Richards and More Celebrities Who've Spoken About the Ozempic Weight Loss Trend During a May 2024 appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Goldberg, 69, said Mounjaro had helped her lose the weight of 'almost two people.' In November 2024, comedian Jim Gaffigan opened up about his experience with the weight-loss drug. 'I was so paranoid that I was going to be nauseous that I kind of put it off, but then it kind of worked,' Gaffigan, 58, exclusively told Us Weekly. 'It's weird because we live in this society where people who eat too much are told that they just don't have any self-control. … There are people that just have no 'off' button to eat, right?' Every Real Housewife Who Has Addressed Ozempic Speculation: From Kyle Richards to Dolores Catania The stand-up comedian went on to explain that it's 'really fascinating' how people have 'empathy' for those struggling with other addictions, but there's 'less sympathy' for somebody who battles with 'too much eating.' 'I would eat when I was hungry and I would eat when I was happy and eat when I was sad, and I would just eat. It was my reward,' he shared with Us, noting that it's 'odd' that there's a 'negative stigma' surrounding the decision to use weight loss drugs. 'It's obviously personal, but I don't think there's anything wrong with it. But then again, anonymity is a thing surrounding a lot of struggles like that.'
Black America Web
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
Iconic Hip-Hop Journalist Sacha Jenkins Passes Away
Source: John Lamparski / Getty Sacha Jenkins, a writer, director, producer and co-founder of the beloved Hip-Hop magazine ego trip , has passed away. For Generation X and Millennial-aged Hip-Hop fans—and particularly Hip-Hop journalists—Jenkins was a titan. Born in Philadelphia, but raised in Queens, he was a co-founder of ego trip magazine along with fellow rap journalist Elliott Wilson in 1994. Although it only published 13 issues in four years, it spawned an influential brand that would feature books, ego trip's Book of Rap Lists, and even a TV show, ego trip's The White Rapper Show, on VH1. As a journalist, his byline hit all the magazines of importance ( XXL , The Source , Rolling Stone , Spin , et. al), interviewing a who's who of subjects (he co-wrote Eminem's biography, The Way I Am (2009)). Jenkins would go on to hold down a plethora of gigs that included Music Editor of Vibe magazine and creative director of Mass Appeal . A former graffiti writer, he launched the Piecebook series of titles that highlight graf from worldwide. If you've watched many Hip-Hop documentaries, you inevitably would see his name pop up in the credits. He directed the doc series Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men , (2019) which ran on Showtime (as did his Biz Markie doc All Up in the Biz ), as well as Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues (2022) and Fresh Dressed (2015). And that's only a small sampling of an indelible, culturally important body of work that Jenkins managed to leave behind before his untimely death. Jenkins is survived by his wife, Raquel Cepeda, and their two children. A cause of death has not been shared at this time and the family asks for privacy. As soon as word of Jenkins' passing became public, many Hip-Hop figures (including some iconic graf artists) took to social media to pay homage to the legend. We've compiled some below. Hip-Hop Wired sends its deepest condolences to Sascha Jenkins' family and friends. Rest powerfully in peace. This story is developing. Iconic Hip-Hop Journalist Sacha Jenkins Passes Away was originally published on Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
Buzz Feed
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Actors Who Allegedly Tried To Get Costars Fired
Costars don't always get along, but sometimes, a behind-the-scenes feud escalates to the point where they can't stand working together a second longer. Here are 17 times actors allgedly tried to get their costars fired: LisaRaye McCoy reportedly admitted to getting Stacey Dash fired from Single Ladies. In a promotional clip for Being, LisaRaye said, "In Hollywood, I've learned to be a boss. I had to say to Stacey Dash, 'If you don't get your motherfucking finger out of my face…' So for our second season of Single Ladies, there was a replacement for Stacey Dash." On the set of The Notebook, Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams argued a lot. Director Nick Cassavetes told VH1, "Maybe I'm not supposed to tell this story, but they were really not getting along one day on set. Really not. And Ryan came to me, and there's 150 people standing in this big scene, and he says, 'Nick, come here.' And he's doing a scene with Rachel, and he says, 'Would you take her out of here and bring in another actress to read off camera with me?' I said, 'What?' He says, 'I can't. I can't do it with her. I'm just not getting anything from this.'" Nick continued, "We went into a room with a producer; they started screaming and yelling at each other. I walked out. At that point, I was smoking cigarettes. I smoked a cigarette, and everybody came out like, 'All right, let's do this.' And it got better after that, you know? They had it out...I think Ryan respected her for standing up for her character, and Rachel was happy to get that out in the open. The rest of the film wasn't smooth sailing, but it was smoother sailing." Ryan and Rachel famously experienced an "enemies to lovers" romance, and they dated for two years after the movie's release. On Celebrity Lie Detector, Tori Spelling admitted that, on the Beverly Hills, 90210 set, tensions between Shannen Doherty and the rest of the cast were high. Describing the incident that was the last straw, Tori said, "Shannen runs in and sits down to get hair done, and you could just feel everyone was turning and looking. I knew someone was gonna say something." Shannen got into a "heated fight" with Ian Ziering, who allegedly told her, "You are a C-U-N-T: Can't Understand Normal Thinking." Afterwards, the cast banded together to get Shannen fired, so Tori brought the issue to her dad, series creator Aaron Spelling. Tori said, "I felt like I was a part of something, a movement, that cost someone their livelihood... Was she a horrible person? No. She was one of the best friends I ever had." However, she felt she made the right decision "in the workplace, as a coworker." Shannen Doherty was allegedly fired from Charmed because of an ultimatum Alyssa Milano gave producers. On Shannen's podcast Let's Be Clear, costar Holly Marie Combs said, "[Producer Jonathan Levin] said, you know, 'We're basically in a position where it's one or the other. We were told [by Alyssa] that it's [Shannen] or me, and Alyssa has threatened to sue us for a hostile workplace environment.'" She also said Alyssa allegedly "built a case for herself," bringing a mediator in to document all the instances she felt uncomfortable. During a MegaCon panel, Alyssa denied her costars' allegations. She said, "I'm the most sad that a show that has meant so much to so many people has been tarnished by a toxicity that is still to this day, almost a quarter of a century later, still happening. And I'm sad that people can't move past it. And I'm sad that we all can't just celebrate the success of a show that meant so much to all of us." Later, on Instagram, Alyssa added, "This was so long ago that any retelling of these stories from anyone is just revisionist history. I will add, though, with absolute certainty—everything was documented. There was a professional mediator (I was told Holly and Shannen would not participate in any mediation) and an on-set producer/babysitter who were both brought in to investigate all claims. It was then recommended by this mediator, after collecting testimony from cast AND crew — what changes should be made if the show was going to continue. The studio, Aaron Spelling, and network made the decision to protect the international hit that was Charmed. I did not have the power to get anyone fired. Once Shannen left we had five more successful seasons and I am forever grateful." Heidi Swedberg's Seinfeld character, Susan, was killed off because the rest of the cast didn't like acting alongside her. On the Howard Stern Show, Jason Alexander said, "I couldn't figure out how to play off of her. Her instincts for doing a scene, where the comedy was, and mine were always misfiring. And she would do something, and I would go, 'OK, I see what she's going to do — I'm going to adjust to her.' And I'd adjust, and then it would change." He said that, later on, after Jerry Seinfeld and Julia Louis-Dreyfus shared scenes with Heidi, "They go, 'You know what? It's fucking impossible. It's Julia actually said, 'Don't you want to just kill her?' And Larry [David] went, 'Ka-bang!'" However, Jason later apologized for how he told that story, tweeting, "OK, folks, I feel officially awful. The impetus for telling this story was that Howard said, 'Julia Louis-Dreyfus told me you all wanted to kill her.' So I told the story to try and clarify that no one wanted to kill Heidi... [She] was generous and gracious, and I am so mad at myself for retelling this story in any way that would diminish her. If I had had more maturity or more security in my own work, I surely would have taken her query and possibly tried to adjust the scenes with her. She surely offered. But, I didn't have that maturity or security." Lawrence Tierney, who played Elaine's father on one episode of Seinfeld, was never brought back because the rest of the cast found him intimidating and scary. In a Season 2 DVD extra, Julia Louis-Dreyfus said, "It's too bad he was so cuckoo because I'm sure he would've been back otherwise." Jason Alexander said, "There was every reason in the world to have that be an ongoing character because there was just so much tension between him and every other character. It was brilliant." However, the cast went on to describe an alleged incident where Lawrence stole one of Jerry's knives from the set and hid it in his jacket. After Jerry Seinfeld called him out on it, Lawrence tried to make a joke then pulled the knife out, made the Psycho sound, and advanced on Jerry a bit. Jason added, "Lawrence Tierney, I think, scared the living crap out of all of us." Thirteen years after his Heroes character was killed off, Leonard Roberts alleged that he was written off the show because of tensions with Ali Larter, who played his onscreen wife. He told Variety, "The script suggested D.L. and Niki had a volatile relationship — and it wasn't long before art was imitating life, with me on the receiving end of pushback from my co-star regarding the playing of a particularly tense scene." He said he gifted Ali a bottle of wine and a note as an olive branch, but she allegedly never responded to either. He also said, "In a private rehearsal [of a bedroom scene], Greg Beeman, our director, asked if she was willing to lower the straps of the top she was wearing and expose her bare shoulders only above the sheet that covered her, in order to give the visual impression she was in the same state of undress as me, as I was shirtless. My costar refused Beeman's request, and I was instantly aware of the tension on the set. I remember instinctively checking to make sure both my hands were visible to everyone who was there, as not to have my intentions or actions misconstrued. Despite Beeman's clear description of what he was looking for visually, my co-star insisted she was, indeed, being asked to remove her top completely, and rehearsal was cut. She then demanded a meeting with Beeman and the producers who were on set and proceeded to have an intense and loud conversation in which she expressed she had never been so disrespected — as an actress, a woman or a human being." He claimed that she asked him to keep the "discussion" between them, and the scene was completed with her straps visible. He said that, after watching a scene where Ali's character seduced Adrian Pasdar's, "I asked Pasdar if there had been any concerns similar to what I witnessed during my episode. He replied to the contrary, and mentioned her openness to collaboration and even improvisation...I couldn't help wondering whether race was a factor." Leonard alleged that, after the upfronts, series creator Tim Kring informed him via voicemail that his character was going to be killed off off-screen before Season 2 because of "the Ali Larter situation." Leonard continued, "[In person] Kring began by reiterating that because of my co-star, he just couldn't make my remaining on the show work story-wise. I'm typically not one who refers to himself in the third person, but in that instance, I felt compelled to channel my inner Alexander O'Neal and pointed out he fired Leonard Roberts, but only mentioned Leonard Roberts's co-star as the reason for his firing, and that Leonard Roberts found that…curious. Kring said he felt my character had been painted into a corner, due to the fact that 'we' didn't have 'chemistry'...I replied that I found it interesting he had created a world where people flew, painted the future, bent time and space, read minds, erased minds; and were indestructible, yet somehow the potential story solution of my character getting divorced left him utterly confounded. I also questioned how a 'we' issue could be cited as justification for the firing of 'me.'" Leonard ended up being able to actually film his character's death scene, though "the shot ended not with [him], but with Niki's face alone in the frame, splattered with D.L.'s blood." Speaking to Variety, Greg Beeman denied hearing a "a loud argument or [Ali] saying anything about being disrespected." Tim Kring said, "I acknowledge that a lack of diversity at the upper levels of the staff may have contributed to Leonard experiencing the lack of sensitivity that he describes." Ali Larter told TV Line, "I am deeply saddened to hear about Leonard Roberts's experience on Heroes, and I am heartbroken reading his perception of our relationship, which absolutely doesn't match my memory nor experience on the show. I respect Leonard as an artist, and I applaud him or anyone using their voice and platform. I am truly sorry for any role I may have played in his painful experience during that time, and I wish him and his family the very best." At the Television Critics Association's 2015 press tour, John Stamos admitted that rumors he tried to get Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen fired from Full House were true — and he temporarily succeeded! He said, "It's sort of true that the Olsen twins cried a lot. It was very difficult to get the shot. So I [said], 'Get them out…!' That is actually 100 percent accurate. They brought in a couple of unattractive redheaded kids. We tried that for a while, and that didn't work. [Producers] were like, all right, get the Olsen twins back. And that's the story." In a since-deleted TikTok, Miss Benny alleged that Candace Cameron Bure tried to get her removed from Fuller House. She said, "One of the Tanner sisters is like very publicly, uh, not for the girls, if that makes sense. I remember I got sat down by the writers and the studio to basically warn me how this person allegedly was trying to get the character removed and not have a queer character on the show." "I was also sort of warned and prepared that this person's fanbase might be encouraged to target me, specifically. The fact that this teenage actor, who's coming in to make jokes about wearing a scarf, is suddenly a target from an adult is crazy to me. So, to this day, despite working on the show every day for two weeks straight, I have only had a conversation with one of the Tanner sisters. Positive is that I had a really fun time actually shooting the show with all of the other actors who were willing to talk to me," she said. However, Candace denied Miss Benny's claims, telling Entertainment Weekly, "I never asked Miss Benny's character to be removed from Fuller House and did not ask the writers, producers or studio executives to not have queer characters on the show. Fuller House has always welcomed a wide range of characters. I thought Miss Benny did a great job as 'Casey' on the show. We didn't share any scenes together, so we didn't get a chance to talk much while filming on set. I wish Miss Benny only the best." On How Rude, Tanneritos!, Christine Lakin alleged that she was fired from Fuller House before filming any scenes because of a video she made criticizing Candace Cameron Bure's brother's anti-gay remarks. She said, "About two days before the table read, I got a call from my manager saying, 'Yes, something happened.' They're pushing the table read. I think there's some stuff with the script they want to rewrite. The next day happened, and my manager calls and says, 'Hey, I don't know how to tell you this, but you've been let go.' And I was like, 'What do you mean?' And he said, 'Yeah, they just said they're rewriting the character, and they're not going to need you anymore.' And I was like, 'What did I do wrong?' I didn't even go to a table read." She said that she asked one of the show's writers about it, but they couldn't provide a reason. As she mulled over it, she speculated her firing may have had to do with Candace. Christine said, "I participated in a Funny or Die video that a friend of mine made, and at the time, Funny or Die had just come out. Kirk Cameron had said some public things about the LGBTQ community, and I thought those were very damaging...I've tried to use humor to sort of pop that bubble of discord or maybe call people out in a satirical way. So I participated in it, and it went viral, and [a] bunch of other people in it, and blah, blah, blah. And all I can think of is that it created some bad blood, and seven years later, my presence was not wanted. That's maybe what I think. It was a bummer for me. It really was." Candace and Netflix's reps didn't respond to People's request for comment. Mel Gibson was cast to play a tattoo artist in The Hangover Part II, but due to protests from some of the rest of the cast and crew, he was dropped. In a statement, director Todd Phillips told Variety, "I thought Mel would have been great in the movie, and I had the full backing of Jeff Robinov and his team. But I realize filmmaking is a collaborative effort, and this decision ultimately did not have the full support of my entire cast." The announcement came several months after a rant in which the actor allegedly made racial and threatening remarks towards Oksana Grigorieva, his ex-girlfriend, leaked and went viral. Previously, Mel's would-be costar Zach Galifianakis told the podcast Comedy Death Ray, "I'm in a deep protest right now with a movie I'm working on, up in arms about something. But I can't get the guys to [listen]…I'm not making any leeway." Richard Gere originally played Chico in The Lords of Flatbush, but he had a lot of tension with lead actor Sylvester Stallone. In a Q&A, Slyvester said, "We never hit it off. He would strut around in his oversized motorcycle jacket like he was the baddest knight at the round table. One day, during an improv, he grabbed me (we were simulating a fight scene) and got a little carried away. I told him in a gentle fashion to lighten up, but he was completely in character and impossible to deal with." "Then, we were rehearsing at Coney Island, and it was lunchtime, so we decided to take a break, and the only place that was warm was in the backseat of a Toyota. I was eating a hotdog, and he climbs in with a half a chicken covered in mustard with grease nearly dripping out of the aluminum wrapper. I said, 'That thing is going to drip all over the place.' He said, 'Don't worry about it.' I said, 'If it gets on my pants, you're gonna know about it.' He proceeds to bite into the chicken, and a small, greasy river of mustard lands on my thigh. I elbowed him in the side of the head and basically pushed him out of the car. The director had to make a choice: one of us had to go, one of us had to stay. Richard was given his walking papers and to this day seriously dislikes me. He even thinks I'm the individual responsible for the gerbil rumor. Not true…but that's the rumor,' he said. Samantha Ware alleged that Leah Michele threatened to have her fired from Glee. Samantha told Variety, "When you're shooting a scene, sometimes the camera is on you and sometimes it's not, but you still have to be in the scene. The camera wasn't on us, so it's not like we had to give a full throttle performance, but apparently, I was goofing around when the camera wasn't on me, and she took that as me being disrespectful to waited until the scene was over, and she stopped in the middle of the stage and did a 'come here' gesture, like how a mother does to their child... [She said,] 'You need to come here right now.' I said, 'No,' and that's when she decided to threaten my job, and said she would call Ryan Murphy in to come and fire me." Samantha said that she didn't think Ryan was ever actually told about the incident, but it still terrified her. She said, "It's scary. For the full week, I was thinking I'm probably going to get an email, and I might not be able to do the last three episodes, or I might not be able to sing another song. When I tried to speak up for myself, she told me to shut my mouth. She said I don't deserve to have that job. She talked about how she has reign. And here's the thing: I completely understood that, and I was ready to be like, 'This is your show. I'm not here to be disrespectful.' But at that point, we were already past the respect, and she was just abusing her power." Representatives for Glee and Lea declined to comment on the Variety story. In since-deleted posts on Twitter, Elizabeth Aldrich, who was Lea Michele's understudy in Ragtime's original Broadway run, alleged, "[Lea] was absolutely awful to me and ensemble. She demeaned the crew and threatened to have people fired if she was in anyway displeased. I used to cry every night from the mean and manipulative things she would do. She was 12. She was terrifying." In 2013, Alec Baldwin and Shia LaBeouf were set to star in the Broadway play Orphans together, but "there was friction between [them] from the beginning." Shia learned all his lines before rehearsals started, but Alec doesn't learn his lines in advance, which caused them to argue. One day, after Alec felt Shia "attacked [him] in front of everyone," he asked for a break, called a meeting with the director and stage manager, and said it was either him or Shia. He volunteered to quit, but they decided to fire Shia instead. In an essay for Vulture, Alec wrote, "And I think [Shia] was shocked. He had that card, that card you get when you make films that make a lot of money that gives you a certain kind of entitlement. I think he was surprised that it didn't work in the theater." In 2013, lead actor/executive producer Charlie Sheen reportedly threatened to quit Anger Management if producers didn't fire Selma Blair, who allegedly doubted his work ethic. Less than 24 hours later, he reportedly fired her himself in an expletive-laden text. In response to her dismissal, Selma simply tweeted, "I thank you for support and love." Charlie later denied reports that he had her fired, telling The Tonight Show Starring Jay Leno, "One of our primary characters, Selma Blair, who played Kate, was written out because [the show] was not about our relationship, and the problem was too many people were still excited about the Two and a Half [Men] character and thought the Anger Management character was a little dull." And finally, after a horseback riding injury forced Sean Young to drop out of Batman, producer Jon Peters wanted Michelle Pfeiffer to replace her. However, Michael Keaton reportedly blocked her casting as his love interest because they were exes in real life. Costar Robert Wuhl told The Hollywood Reporter, "At the time, Michael told me he was trying to get back with his ex-wife. Keaton was firmly, and underline firmly, against that casting of Pfeiffer, and he and [producer Jon] Peters got into it." However, Michael changed his tune when Michelle was cast as Catwoman in Batman Returns. She told Entertainment Tonight, "It was great actually working with him, having had a history, because I was really out of my element. Also, the fact that he had done this kind of picture before, and I didn't know what to expect. I felt really comfortable with him. I felt really safe with him. I could go to him and say, 'Why am I feeling so awful? I don't know what's going on.' And he would explain it to me. 'I know. I went through it on the first one.'"
