What’s Up Archives

Kensington Palace announced that The Duchess of Sussex has been bestowed with a coat of arms, days after her royal wedding to Prince Harry. The coat of arms was designed by the College of Arms and approved by Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, and is emblazoned with personal touches like the golden poppies from her home state, California, and wintersweet, which grows at her new residence, Kensington Palace. The blue background of the shield itself signifies the Pacific Ocean off the California coast, while the two golden rays across the shield are symbolic of the Golden State. In a statement, Kensington Palace said: “It is customary for Supporters of the shield to be assigned to Members of the Royal Family, and for wives of Members of the Royal Family to have one of their husband’s Supporters and one relating to themselves. The Supporter relating to The Duchess of Sussex is a songbird with wings elevated as if flying and an open beak, which with the quill represents the power of communication.”

On Thursday, CNN published an investigation into a number of allegations of sexual harassment and “inappropriate behavior” against Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman. The 80-year-old actor has had a long career that includes films like Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption, Million Dollar Baby, and the Dark Knight trilogy, and is also the co-founder of Revelations Entertainment, a production company that the report alleges fostered a “toxic work environment” for female staffers. According to CNN, neither Freeman nor his spokesperson has yet responded to multiple requests for comment. The report presents a long and detailed account of a pattern of alleged harassment and inappropriate behavior by Freeman. You can read the full report at: CNN.com.

Idris Elba will star, direct and produce a modern retelling of The Hunchback of Notre Dame for the streaming service Netflix, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Based on a script by Michael Mitnick, the film is being described as “sonic and musical experience” and will feature an original score. Victor Hugo’s classic French novel has seen many screen adaptations, including Disney’s 1996 animated film.  Elba has worked with Netflix before, earning critical acclaim and a Golden Globe nomination for his role in “Beasts of No Nation.” He’s also set to star and executive produce the upcoming comedy “Turn Up Charlie” about a struggling DJ.

“Veep” star Julia Louis-Dreyfus is set to receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center this fall. Louis-Dreyfus is the 2018 recipient of the prestigious award. Last year, David Letterman received the award, and comedy luminaries such as Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Tina Fey have won the award in past years. Louis-Dreyfus wrote on Twitter that the honor is “insanely exciting.” The President of the Kennedy Center, Deborah F. Rutter, said in a statement, “Like Mark Twain, Julia has enriched American culture with her iconic, unforgettable, and outright hilarious brand of humor. Over four decades, her wildly original characters and her gift for physical comedy have left us in stitches.”

The New York Police Department is investigating allegations of sexual misconduct leveled against celebrity chef Mario Batali, confirming a 60 Minutes television report that aired this weekend. Batali “vehemently” denied the new allegations in a statement to CBS, which airs the program. An NYPD public information officer said in an email on Monday the department was investigating the allegations, however they did not respond to a question about whether the 2005 incident was too old to face prosecution. Batali, who owns numerous restaurants, is accused of drugging and sexually assaulting an employee at one of his restaurants in 2005 in the new criminal investigation, according to the report. Batali was fired in December 2017 by ABC as co-host of The Chew, a daytime food and talk show, and also stepped away from his restaurant company after the accusations by the four women first surfaced.