Respectfully, the Academy’s statement doesn’t make any sense. I *was* singled out. There were other Office writer-performer-producers who were NOT cut from the list. Just me. The most junior person, and woman of color. Easiest to dismiss. Just sayin’. https://t.co/frT2pQUfLF
Kaling played Kelly in the sitcom, and wrote and directed a number of episodes. She also found success with The Mindy Project, and recently starred in and wrote Late Night with Dame Emma Thompson, and wrote the Four Weddings and a Funeral TV reboot.
Her dispute with the Television Academy dates back a decade, when the organisation was trying to cut the number of producers credited on the Emmy nomination for each show.
The 40-year-old told Elle magazine the Academy forced her to go through a "humiliating" process to prove her contribution.
"They made me, not any of the other producers, fill out a whole form and write an essay about all my contributions as a writer and a producer," she said. "I had to get letters from all the other male, white producers saying that I had contributed, when my actual record stood for itself."
'No-one was singled out'
The TV Academy denied the process was personal and said "every performer producer and writer producer was asked to justify their producer credits".
Kaling then took to Twitter to say their response "doesn't make any sense".
"There were other Office writer-performer-producers who were NOT cut from the list. Just me," she wrote.
"I worked so hard and it was humiliating. I had written so many episodes, put in so much time in the editing room, just to have the Academy discard it because they couldn't fathom I was capable of doing it all. Thankfully I was rescued by my friends, the other producers."
Kaling was listed in the nominations as a producer in the outstanding comedy series category in 2007 and 2008, and as a co-executive producer from 2009-11.
She noted the incident happened around 10 years ago and "maybe it wouldn't happen now" - however "it happened to me". Kaling has also asked the Academy to apologise.
Hey, @TelevisionAcad! I have been a proud member for years. I was the 1st woman of color nominated for writing a comedy script. Why not say “years ago we prevented a deserving woman of color from getting credit for her accomplishments. We’re sorry and it would never happen now.”?
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle followed up their successful tour of Africa with a startling revelation: The couple is suing the Mail on Sunday.
The publication is a UK-based newspaper that featured a letter ostensibly written by the Duchess of Sussex and sent to her estranged father, Thomas Markle. In accompaniment to the lawsuit, Prince Harry wrote a heartfelt letter that gave the public some insight as to how he views the media’s relentless attacks on Duchess Meghan and why he takes them very personally.
What did Prince Harry’s letter detail?
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle | Chris Jackson/Getty Images
While the lawsuit against the Mail on Sunday originated from both Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the letter released on October 1st was directly from Prince Harry. In his letter, Prince Harry details how the media attacks have a “human cost” and have increased during the past year, while Markle was pregnant, and even now that their son has arrived.
Prince Harry calls the stories printed about the duchess “knowingly false and malicious” and stated that watching the stories unfold and the effect that they have had on Markle “painful.” Ultimately, Prince Harry’s letter claims that he is no longer able to sit idly by and watch while the world’s media destroys his wife.
Prince Harry goes so far as to comparing media treatment of the Duchess of Sussex to that of his late mother: Princess Diana. He stated that his deepest fear is “history repeating itself,” and went on to detail how he lost his mother, Princess Diana, to the same “powerful forces” that now threaten Markle. He ended his letter by thanking the public for their heartfelt support, saying “we really need it.”
Prince Harry’s letter was shocking on several counts. While this isn’t the first time that he has spoken out in defense of Markle — he notoriously defended her against racism in the media in 2016 — but it is the most emotionally-charged.
As everyone knows, Princess Diana died in 1997 as the result of a tragic car crash. Princess Diana was hounded by the paparazzi and some believe that her death was a direct result of her trying to elude the aggressive cameras.
His comparison of Markle to Princess Diana immediately drew fire from royal fans and critics alike. After all, Princess Diana might have been followed by paparazzi but it is well known that Princess Diana was beloved by people all over the world. She was even known as the “People’s Princess” because of how much people loved her and the unique, special relationship that she shared with her fans.
Markle has definitely not reached that elevated level of respect and love by royal watchers, although she does have a faction of fans who support her. From the very beginning of her relationship with Prince Harry, the former Suits actress has been a target for negative press coverage. And while much of it might be an exaggeration or simply rumors, the fact remains that people haven’t gravitated to Markle as they did to Princess Diana.
Meghan Markle has been the subject of heavy criticism
Markle has certainly paid tribute to Princess Diana in several ways since she stepped into the royal spotlight, but she has a long way to go before she becomes as beloved as Princess Diana. Some claim that Markle’s “lack of self-awareness” is only serving to distance herself from those who follow the royal family, and certainly she seems to invite controversy.
From the Wimbledon scandal, where her security told onlookers not to take photographs of the Duchess of Sussex, to her extravagant and decidedly non-royal baby shower, Markle has definitely been making her own rules within the royal family. And she’s been at the receiving end of disproportionate criticism. The problem is, she is reportedly causing a rift between the royals and the public whose support they need.
It will be interesting to see how this lawsuit ultimately ends up unfolding, and whether or not the public’s perception of Markle changes as it progresses.
The latest accusation against Matt Lauer is making huge headlines, but an equally big shocker is how NBC handled the Harvey Weinstein story.
A new book by former NBC staffer Ronan Farrow is packed with news, in part about how his former network caved to pressure from Weinstein to spike his expose of the Hollywood mogul’s horrifying sexual assaults. And there’s even a Hillary Clinton angle.
The Weinstein and Lauer sagas are, bizarrely, connected, according to the forthcoming book “Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators.”
NBC drew substantial criticism for refusing to publish Farrow’s allegations against Weinstein — the network claimed the story lacked sufficient proof — before he took the story to the New Yorker and, with more reporting, won a Pulitzer for his work.
Lauer was fired, in late 2017, during the #MeToo movement triggered by Weinstein.
Farrow writes, according to the Hollywood Reporter: “Weinstein made it known to the network that he was aware of Lauer’s behavior and capable of revealing it.” Citing unnamed sources at NBC and tabloid company American Media, Farrow says Weinstein was using dirt unearthed by the National Enquirer on the “Today” co-host to pressure NBC executives to kill the Farrow expose.
According to Farrow, NBC News Chairman Andy Lack told Weinstein lawyer David Boies: “‘We’ve told Harvey we’re not doing a story. If we decide to do a story, we’ll tell him.’ Weinstein was ecstatic, boasting in his offices that he would also quash the rumored [New York] Times piece: ‘If I can get a network to kill a story, how hard can a newspaper be?’”
Later, Weinstein emailed NBC News President Noah Oppenheim, who responded: ‘Thanks Harvey, appreciate the well-wishes!’ Weinstein then sent Oppenheim a bottle of Grey Goose vodka.”
And there’s this fascinating tidbit, with the backdrop that Weinstein was a big donor to Hillary and other Democrats. Farrow, who had worked for Clinton at the State Department, was also trying to land an interview with her for a foreign policy book.
Clinton’s spokesman, Nick Merrill, called him to say that the “big story” Farrow was working on was “a concern for us,” the book explains. That is, to say the least, disturbing.
Weinstein, meanwhile, emailed another NBC executive, Deborah Turness, to propose a Hillary documentary for NBC. “Your Hillary doc sounds absolutely stunning,” she replied.
(Not so cooperative was Farrow’s estranged father. When Weinstein called Woody Allen for advice on dealing with his son, the director declined: “Jeez. I’m so sorry. Good luck.”
Now to the Lauer mess.
A previously anonymous accuser, Brooke Nevils, goes public with Farrow, alleging that Lauer raped her in his hotel room at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, after she’d had six shots.
In passages quoted by Variety, Nevils says Lauer “pushed her against the door and kissed her. He then pushed her onto the bed, ‘flipping her over, asking if she liked anal sex.’ “She said that she declined several times,” and “wept silently into a pillow” as he did it.
Nevils says: “It was nonconsensual in the sense that I was too drunk to consent,” she says. “It was nonconsensual in that I said, multiple times, that I didn’t want to have anal sex.”
Lauer, who I’ve interviewed many times over the years, is vehemently disputing Nevils’ account:
“It is categorically false, ignores the facts, and defies common sense.”
He says the extramarital affair that began in Sochi was “the first of many sexual encounters between us over the next several months.”
“There was absolutely nothing aggressive about that encounter. Brooke did not do or say anything to object. She certainly did not cry. She was a fully enthusiastic and willing partner,” Lauer wrote. “At no time did she behave in a way that made it appear she was incapable of consent. She seemed to know exactly what she wanted to do. The only concern she expressed was that someone might see her leaving my room. She embraced me at the door as she left.”
Finally, Lauer alleges that Nevils once shopped a book deal and is now “making outrageous and false accusations to help sell a different book and stepping into the spotlight to cause as much damage as she can.”
After saying virtually nothing for nearly two years, Lauer now says “my silence has been a mistake.”
NBC, for its part, said in a statement that Lauer’s conduct was “appalling, horrific and reprehensible,” and that’s why he was fired 24 hours after Nevils’ accusation. “Our hearts break again for our colleague.”
In a memo to colleagues, Lack also said that Farrow paints "a fundamentally untrue picture" of NBC's handling of his Weinstein reporting.
"After seven months, without one victim or witness on the record, he simply didn't have a story that met our standard for broadcast nor that of any other major news organization," Lack wrote, adding that Farrow's New Yorker piece "bore little resemblance" to what he had at NBC.
On “Today,” Savannah Guthrie called the accusations “shocking” and added: “I honestly don’t even know what to say about it.”
As serious as these allegations are, the Lauer battle is largely over, as he’s gone from network television. But NBC is gearing up for a major battle as Farrow prepares the make the rounds on his book, which portrays the network as caving to pressure from a man now regarded as a monster.
It was the final phase of the first round of competition on "The Masked Singer," introducing us to the last batch of masked celebrities we had to try and identify.
And right away, we were treated to two seasoned professionals and two ... not. But the other two both gave us serious comedy vibes, cracking us up with their antics throughout their performances.
At the same time, these new celebs proved just as elusive as the first dozen we've met, though we're starting to feel like we have some good guesses on three of them.
As for the fourth, who also was the one eliminated on the night, we had absolutely no clue. And neither did TV's worst panel, so we don't feel quite as bad. Believe us, when they know and we don't, we feel awful!
Tonight, it was the weakest performer who got the boot, but we're going to make you power through the terrible (and occasionally good) guesses made by our illustrious panel of Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy, Ken Jeong and Nicole Scherzinger first. We do this because we love ... to torture you.
FLOWER vs EAGLE
Flower may have been slow to hit the stage, but once she started to perform, she dominated it. Without much movement, like a Mariah Carey, she nevertheless had total control from top to bottom, as well as a very distinctive and raspy voice. Could this be the show's first legend?
Guesses: Based on the clue package, there were direct allusions to Mariah and Tina Turner, though the voice was definitely closer to the Tina school of thought. Nicole went to one of last year's favorite guesses, Patti LaBelle, which isn't a bad thought, either.
Jenny latched onto the word "empire" in the clue package and came up with Taraji P. Henson, but we're not sure she'd call herself a legend. She also said she's been in every field, from baking to clothing to crafts ... and always wears makeup (even to the grocery store), so there's a diva aspect as well.
Robin didn't seem to have a guess, instead throwing out modern singers with that kind of range, while Ken threw all his chips into the very wrong Bjork basket. The internet seemed to back the Patti theory, though we did see an interesting guess for Macy Grey, who has a similar rasp to what we heard.
Just like Gladys Knight last year, I think the judges just guess the legends wrong on purpose🤷🏾♂️. They know damn well that flower is Patti Labelle 😂 #MaskedSinger
Eagle was doing a very karaoke version of Meat Loaf, so clearly this wasn't a professional singer by any means. But he has a certain charm about him, and a natural sense of humor that comes through in body language. He's not ... good, per se, but he's entertaining.
Guesses: Robin had a great guess off the top with Howard Stern, as Eagle dropped lots of hints about doing interviews, listening to other people's stories and hanging out with rock stars. Also in the preview episode, he dropped a hint about 105.8 (Eagle's body temp) that could easily be a radio station.
Eagle also spoke about losing a parent recently and suffering a health scare. That put Robin into Pauly Shore, who recently lost his mother, while Jenny juggled Howard Stern and Adam Carrola (and later Jeff Goldblum). Ken Jeong, however, went with Craig Ferguson.
I think the Eagle is Brett Michaels a) his dad died in August b) he has had a health scare c) he wears red bandanas pic.twitter.com/pffKDCWJHc
Penguin did not come across as a professional singer, and actually seemed nervous to be doing this at all. A diminutive presence, she was clearly out of her comfort zone, but she stayed in tune and had a pleasant quality and tone to her voice.
Guesses: Jenny came out with a strong guess after Penguin's package noted that she had been told she wasn't pretty, smart or funny enough with Kathy Griffin. After her performance, she said she didn't feel any judgment at all, which still fit.
She also had a hit list that included comedy club owners, casting directors, the press and herself and talked about her career being on ice, which happened to Kathy after her infamous Donald Trump beheading photo.
An earlier guess was Raven-Symone, which Robin resurfaced after Penguin grabbed Nick's butt, and that's another solid guess. The internet was all over the place, with guesses from Tonya Harding to Lindsay Lohan and Amy Schumer, and even some more support for Raven-Symone. Honestly, they're as lost as we are.
Fox has a theatricality about him that permeated every moment of that performance, like this was a Broadway stage. He has a polished and professional sounding voice, like this is something he's been doing for a long time.
Guesses: Our first guess, out of nowhere, was "Hamilton" breakout star Leslie Odom Jr. based on his body language and presence, and Jenny McCarthy threw his name out, too. Nicole went with Anthony Mackie, as the clue package mentioned on-air superhero persona.
Fox also had a clue about dabbling in different genres from Doogie to Doubtfire, which could be "Doogie" co-star Max Casella, who has a Broadway background and appeared in a "Big Momma" film, which has a "Mrs. Doubtfire"-like premise.
— The Do Better, Sis Podcast (@DoBetterSis_pod) October 10, 2019
Ken continued his not streak by guessing Tyrese Gibson, before switching to Jamie Foxx after Fox spoke, but that's a little too on the nose. The internet, on the other hand, was feeling a very Wayne Brady vibe, which is another solid guess. Wayne appeared with Neil Patrick Harrison on "How I Met Your Mother" and Robin Williams dropped by "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"
Eagle laid down some smacktalk, but Penguin came back with a full-blown karate kick. Both were giving off a strong comedic vibe by this point, but we were definitely feeling Penguin more as an overall entertainer ... plus, her voice was stronger, if still not strong enough to win this show.
Winner: Look, this one was virtually a no-brainer. Penguin has the sweetest personality and she's a little spitfire to boot. Plus, as the stronger singer and bigger personality -- surprisingly -- she was a lock to win this round, sending Eagle to the unmasking.
UNMASKING
Eagle
Before the final unmasking, it was time for the final guesses. Jenny settled on Adam Carrola, while Robin argued himself into Howard Stern, which was our final guess as well (even though we think Howard is too tall).. Ken doubled down on Craig Ferguson, while Nicole switched it up after the Smackdown to go with Jeff Foxworthy.
But guess what, we were all wrong and way off, as it was Dr. Drew Pinsky from "Lovelines." Who knew he had a singer's desire inside of him? Oh, and it was again close to home for Ken, as he used to fill in for Dr. Drew on his show, while Jenny was close with her guess, as he's part of Adam Carolla's network of shows.
"The Masked Singer" airs Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.
Got a story or a tip for us? Email TooFab editors at tips@toofab.com.
Two years after Matt Lauer's fall from grace, a new report sheds light on more explosive details from sexual assault allegations against the former NBC News anchor and a cover-up accusation, reports CBS News correspondent Jericka Duncan. Variety magazine reveals that in an interview with journalist Ronan Farrow for his new book, "Catch and Kill," former NBC News employee Brooke Nevils says Lauer raped her in his hotel room at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
Farrow writes Lauer invited Nevils to his hotel room after a night of drinks.Once in the room, Nevils alleges Lauer pushed her against the door and kissed her. He then pushed her onto the bed, flipped her over and asked her if she "liked anal sex." Nevils said she declined several times. But she "was in the midst of telling him she wasn't interested again when he 'just did it.'" Nevils recalls the encounter was excruciatingly painful.
Nevils says there were more sexual encounters with Lauer when he returned to New York, telling Farrow, "This is what I blame myself most for. It was completely transactional. It was not a relationship." Farrow says Nevils told colleagues and superiors at NBC about the encounters.
In 2017, when the Me Too movement gained momentum with the downfall of Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, Farrow says Nevils confided in former "Today" show co-anchor Meredith Vieira about the alleged assault. Vieira urged Nevils to "file a formal complaint report with NBC's office of human resources," which Farrow says she did. According to Nevils, after Lauer was fired, she learned NBC News president Noah Oppenheim and chairman Andrew Lack were "emphasizing that the incident had not been 'criminal' or an 'assault.'"
Variety's Elizabeth Wagmeister and Ramin Setoodeh originally broke the story on the wave of sexual assault allegations against Lauer in 2017. At the time, they say NBC News executives knew about Lauer's alleged predatory behavior.
"He really used his power in these situations," Wagmeister said. "It wasn't just low-level employees that had knowledge of Matt Lauer's inappropriate conduct with women. There were also higher-level employees that were aware and openly speaking about Matt Lauer's conduct with other women at the 'Today' show," Setoodeh said.
According to Variety, Farrow writes Nevils left NBC in 2018. The network suggested she tell people she left to pursue other endeavors.
After a five-month internal investigation, NBC Universal reported in May 2018 that no one in leadership or authority positions at NBC News "received any complaints about Lauer's workplace behavior prior to November 27, 2017."
CBS News reached out overnight to representatives for Lauer, Oppenheim, and Lack, and have not heard back. NBC News said in a statement: "Matt Lauer's conduct was appalling, horrific and reprehensible, as we said at the time. That's why he was fired within 24 hours of us first learning of the complaint. Our hearts break again for our colleague."
A pedestrian walks past the NBC News studios, Nov. 29, 2017 in New York City.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Ronan Farrow’s new book Catch and Kill, which chronicles the reporter’s investigation into Harvey Weinstein’s sexual misconduct, also includes new details, including allegations of rape against former NBC host Matt Lauer, according to Variety, which got a sneak peak the forthcoming book. Farrow’s account includes a new interview with former NBC News employee Brooke Nevils, who alleges Lauer anally raped her in his hotel room while in Russia to cover the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.
It was Nevils’ complaint that led to Lauer’s 2017 firing from the Today show, but her identity—and some of the details of the allegation—were not previously known to the public. Farrow outlines Nevils’ account of the night in Sochi where she was assigned to work with former Today co-anchor Meredith Vieira. After a night of drinking at the hotel bar, Nevils says she went to Lauer’s hotel room to pick up her press credential, and then returned when Lauer invited her back shortly after. Nevils told Farrow she “had no reason to suspect Lauer would be anything but friendly based on prior experience.”
From Variety:
Once she was in his hotel room, Nevils alleges, Lauer — who was wearing a T-shirt and boxers — pushed her against the door and kissed her. He then pushed her onto the bed, “flipping her over, asking if she liked anal sex,” Farrow writes. “She said that she declined several times.”
According to Nevils, she “was in the midst of telling him she wasn’t interested again when he ‘just did it,’” Farrow writes. “Lauer, she said, didn’t use lubricant. The encounter was excruciatingly painful. ‘It hurt so bad. I remember thinking, Is this normal?’ She told me she stopped saying no, but wept silently into a pillow.” Lauer then asked her if she liked it. She tells him yes. She claims that “she bled for days,” Farrow writes.
Nevils tells Farrow: “It was nonconsensual in the sense that I was too drunk to consent,” she says. “It was nonconsensual in that I said, multiple times, that I didn’t want to have anal sex.”
After the incident, Nevils says she had other “transactional” sexual encounters with Lauer, who she said was terrified would end her career. Farrow writes that Nevils is not alone in continuing to have a sexual relationship with the former NBC star, even after enduring incidents of sexual assault. Nevils said she told “like a million people” about her encounters with Lauer, including colleagues and superiors at NBC. In the fall of 2017, at Viera’s urging, Nevils went to NBC Universal human resources with her complaint, which led to Lauer’s dismissal.
Farrow writes that NBC executives continued to downplay the allegations internally even after Lauer’s firing and were generally obstructive throughout the Weinstein reporting process, prompting him to take the explosive story to the New Yorker.
Nevils said she was in Sochi to work with “Today” co-anchor Meredith Vieira when the attack occurred, according to Variety, who obtained a copy of the book.
She allegedly ran into Lauer during a boozy night at their hotel bar and went back to his hotel room after he invited her.
Once in the room, Lauer pushed her onto the bed and asked if she likes anal sex, according to the report.
“She said that she declined several times,” Farrow wrote in the book, according to the report.
Lauer then “just did it,” Farrow wrote.
Nevils told Farrow the pain was excruciating and she spent the entire ordeal crying into a pillow.
“It was nonconsensual in the sense that I was too drunk to consent,” she told Farrow.
“It was nonconsensual in that I said, multiple times, that I didn’t want to have anal sex.”
Despite the alleged rape, Nevils said she had more sexual encounters with Lauer when they returned to New York.
“It was completely transactional. It was not a relationship,” she told Farrow, according to the report.
“The network proposed a script she would have to read, suggesting that she had left to pursue other endeavors, that she was treated well, and that NBC News was a positive example of sexual harassment,” Farrow wrote in the book, according to Variety.
NBC did not immediately return a request for comment.
