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Tag: variety

  • The Valley, the South Bay and beyond: These are L.A.’s newest million-dollar neighborhoods

    In 2021, during the peak of the pandemic housing market that saw L.A. home prices skyrocket, The Times compiled a list of the newest neighborhoods to join the proverbial “million-dollar club,” where the typical single-family home value is above $1 million.

    Five years later, plenty more have made the cut.

    Whereas the previous group featured trendy L.A. neighborhoods (Echo Park, Highland Park), South L.A. enclaves (Crenshaw, Leimert Park) and slices of the San Fernando Valley (Porter Ranch, Woodland Hills), the latest batch is a bit more outlying.

    Now, million-dollar homes are flung farther north into the Valley, farther south into the South Bay, and farther east into the foothills of the Verdugo and San Gabriel mountains.

    Home values across the region haven’t spiked in the same way they did during the pandemic. Instead, they steadily rose month after month, turning once-semi-affordable communities into seven-figure spots, according to Zillow’s Home Value Index.

    The data suggest single-family homes across the outskirts of L.A. County are more valuable than you might think.

    Here are 12 of the newest million-dollar neighborhoods around L.A., in alphabetical order.

    Adams Hill (Glendale)

    2021 value: $983,515
    2025 value: $1.12 million

    Once tied to the now-defunct city of Tropico, Adams Hill was annexed to Glendale in 1918. The hilly neighborhood is tucked on the southeast tip of the city near Glassell Park and Atwater Village and features a vibrant mix of 1920s bungalows and Spanish Colonial-style retreats. Smaller homes can be found in the $800,000 range, but anything with a view fetches well over $1 million. There are also plenty of buildable lots, if you’re feeling ambitious.

    Chatsworth

    2021 value: $925,501
    2025 value: $1.02 million

    Once a hot spot for western film sets, Chatsworth now serves as a suburban retreat for those seeking space, with relatively low population density compared with other San Fernando Valley neighborhoods. There’s a variety of price points here: new construction on the west side sells for millions, but manufactured homes on leased lots are listed for less than $200,000. The plethora of tract houses built from the ‘50s to the ‘70s go for around $1 million.

    El Dorado South / El Dorado Park / Los Altos

    2021 value: $906,912
    2025 value: $1.04 million

    The million-dollar typical home has made its way to the working and middle class flats of east Long Beach, where a trio of neighborhoods eclipsed the mark in 2023 and 2024. The three enclaves circle El Dorado Regional Park, the city’s largest park, and feature classic California ranches that typically sell for $800,000 to $1.2 million.

    Granada Hills

    2021 value: $894,428
    2025 value: $1.02 million

    Another suburban staple of the San Fernando Valley, Granada Hills became a million-dollar neighborhood in 2024. The deals are found on the south side, where four-and five-bedroom homes still list in the $900,000 range. The luxury properties are tucked on the north end, including the historic Balboa Highlands tract — a pristine collection of 108 Midcentury gems designed by Joseph Eichler. Those typically sell for $1.7 million or more.

    Historic Quarter (Agoura Hills)

    2021 value: $974,384
    2025 value: $1.1 million

    Million-dollar homes are nothing new for Agoura Hills, the slow-growth bedroom community between L.A. and Thousand Oaks, but the city’s Historic Quarter section hit the mark in 2022. It’s been tough to find a home for less than $1 million ever since. The neighborhood, a small sliver at the city’s southeast corner, features sizable 1980s houses that fetch anywhere from $1 million to $2 million.

    Mid-Central (Pasadena)

    2021 value: $993,704
    2025 value: $1.11 million

    Seven-figure typical home values are slowly creeping east in Pasadena, and the Mid-Central neighborhood hit the million mark in 2022. Homes here don’t quite command the prices of neighborhoods to the west, such as Oak Knoll or Madison Heights, but smaller bungalows typically start at $700,000, while bidding wars for century-old Craftsmans or well-preserved Tudors drive prices to $1.5 million or more.

    Montrose-Verdugo City

    2021 value: $990,002
    2025 value: $1.09 million

    Technically in Glendale, Montrose-Verdugo City sits just south of La-Crescenta Montrose, the scenic community set beneath the Angeles National Forest. There’s a small-town feel here, with a walkable district and charming homes looking up at the mountains. Fixer-uppers sell in the $900,000 range, but most homes these days go for $1.1 million or more.

    Northeast Torrance / Old Torrance

    2021 value: $906,287
    2025 value: $1.01 million

    A pair of east Torrance neighborhoods joined their western counterparts in the million-dollar club in recent years: Old Torrance in 2022 and Northeast Torrance in 2024. There’s plenty of variety here: Small project properties still sell in the $600,000 range, while larger remodels or well-kept Craftsmans can go for as much as $1.7 million.

    Northridge

    2021 value: $970,785
    2025 value: $1.1 million

    This San Fernando Valley neighborhood houses Cal State Northridge, so rentals make up the majority of the market here, but there’s always a healthy mix of homes up for sale, too. The larger 4,000-square-foot houses on the north end of Northridge typically command at least $1.4 million, while the smaller two- and three-bedroom homes scattered throughout the rest of the area fall in the $800,000 to $900,000 range.

    Riverside Rancho (Glendale)

    2021 value: $951,705
    2025 value: $1.08 million

    A hidden equestrian haven next to Griffith Park, Riverside Rancho has homes surrounded by riding trails and other horse amenities. Small ranches can occasionally be found for less than $1 million, but the handful of equestrian properties complete with stables and barns go for $2 million or more.

    Valley Glen

    2021 value: $952,921
    2025 value: $1.03 million

    The Valley Glen neighborhood broke off from Van Nuys and North Hollywood in 1998, and since then, its home values have outpaced both. While values linger in the $800,000 range in Van Nuys to the west and North Hollywood to the east, Valley Glen became a million-dollar neighborhood in 2023. These days, the majority of its single-family homes sell for over $1 million, but smaller ranches can be found for cheaper.

    West Hills

    2021 value: $951,441
    2025 value: $1.04 million

    Another million-dollar suburb of the San Fernando Valley, West Hills is pricier than eastern neighbors like Canoga Park and Winnetka, but much cheaper than the affluent communities to the south such as Hidden Hills and Calabasas. You won’t find many condos or apartment buildings here; the single-family homes range from $700,000 up to $1.5 million or so, while the Simi Hills and El Escorpion Peak offer a natural escape from the suburban sprawl.

    Jack Flemming

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  • 6-7 becomes word of the year. What does it mean?

    6-7 becomes word of the year. What does it mean?

    Today’s class is in session and we’re learning to speak fluent gin alpha. Our instructors, PE teacher Aidan Worzea. Be in the middle school, um, we got 900 kids here. Uh, we have over 50 in every PE class here, so I’m constantly around them. Hadley. He did get on that one. I’ll give you that one. Today’s lesson translating the ever evolving middle school dictionary. Do you agree with what’s on the board so far? He did like kind of *** good job. According to Mr. Worzea, the top tier terms are locked, rage bait, hu, and their ultimate favorite, 67. So I give the 67 there. 67 is the most. Um, I hear clock it now recently *** ton. I see clock it and before you can even instruct once you say 6, you know it’s 7 and they’re going to interrupt. What does it? Mean? I believe it came from *** basketball player, the Ball family, LeAngelo Ball, I think, came up with the song of it, um, and then I heard that it was, they asked how tall was he? and they’re like, I don’t know, maybe 6 or 7. I think it really like popped off when like *** kid, Mason said 67. Just when you thought you had those, the kids hit you with *** new 1, 41, the opposite hand motion, and then bop. That’s like someone who’s had multiple girlfriends or boyfriends. It’s like, you’re *** bop. Got it. Don’t be *** bop. And then there’s Italian brain rock. Characters. So if you look up, there’s like burper Bata bump, shore. Um, ballerina cappuccino and perhaps the strangest one, it’s just like something people like to say like they’ll just like go around and be like, stop digging in your *** twin, which means nothing. random stuff on the internet. Huzz is *** new one as well. I hear it. I got some mixed emotions, but what I think it means is like crush. Maybe next week I’ll be told *** new one from one of the students, but uh. Uh, I learned from them and, uh, right now this is the main ones that I’m hearing for sure. Translation, just smile, nod, and clock it. Any advice for parents? I would say just if you’re hearing some of these different words, let’s make sure we kind of ask the meeting, um, because we don’t want our kids to go around, uh, saying things that they don’t know the meaning of it, um, and also that the meeting is, you know, good, something we want to be sharing out for sure.

    A new internet slang meme taking over children’s vocabulary, 6-7, is now Dictionary.com’s 2025 Word of the Year.The meme is pronounced “six seven,” not “sixty seven,” like most would think, and has become a cultural phenomenon for Gen Alpha. Children have been saying the two numbers together with a hand gesture that someone would use to weigh two options. The phrase has gone viral on TikTok, with many people confused about its meaning. However, the meme itself has no real meaning and is said in a variety of ways. “It’s part inside joke, part social signal and part performance,” Steve Johnson, director of lexicography for the Dictionary Media Group at IXL Learning, said to USA Today. “When people say it, they’re not just repeating a meme; they’re shouting a feeling. It’s one of the first Words of the Year that works as an interjection – a burst of energy that spreads and connects people long before anyone agrees on what it actually means.”The meme started when Skrilla released his song “Doot Doot,” where he raps, “6-7, I just bipped right on the highway.”From there, people began using the lyrics “six seven” from the Skrilla song as background audio in videos. One video in particular that went viral said NBA player LaMelo Ball plays basketball like he’s 6 feet, 2 inches tall instead of his height of 6 feet, 7 inches.After that one video went viral, 6-7 became all the rage for the kids, and now it is being said everywhere.

    A new internet slang meme taking over children’s vocabulary, 6-7, is now Dictionary.com‘s 2025 Word of the Year.

    The meme is pronounced “six seven,” not “sixty seven,” like most would think, and has become a cultural phenomenon for Gen Alpha. Children have been saying the two numbers together with a hand gesture that someone would use to weigh two options.

    The phrase has gone viral on TikTok, with many people confused about its meaning.

    However, the meme itself has no real meaning and is said in a variety of ways.

    “It’s part inside joke, part social signal and part performance,” Steve Johnson, director of lexicography for the Dictionary Media Group at IXL Learning, said to USA Today. “When people say it, they’re not just repeating a meme; they’re shouting a feeling. It’s one of the first Words of the Year that works as an interjection – a burst of energy that spreads and connects people long before anyone agrees on what it actually means.”

    The meme started when Skrilla released his song “Doot Doot,” where he raps, “6-7, I just bipped right on the highway.”

    From there, people began using the lyrics “six seven” from the Skrilla song as background audio in videos. One video in particular that went viral said NBA player LaMelo Ball plays basketball like he’s 6 feet, 2 inches tall instead of his height of 6 feet, 7 inches.

    After that one video went viral, 6-7 became all the rage for the kids, and now it is being said everywhere.

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  • LA’s lost an iconic entertainment reporter, Sam Rubin dies at 64

    LA’s lost an iconic entertainment reporter, Sam Rubin dies at 64

    LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Tourism will join the 54th annual LA Pride festivities this June through its support of the organization and its annual lineup of events. LA Pride stands as one of the largest Pride celebrations in the United States and the world.

    Throughout LA Pride, local Angelenos and travelers can secure a nearby hotel with the best available rates and enjoy welcome amenities, discounts and more at select properties.

    “LA Pride beautifully captures the spirit of our City of Angels with its focus on unity, inclusivity, and self-expression,” said Adam Burke, President & CEO of the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board. “We are incredibly proud to invite both our fellow Angelenos as well as travelers from around the world to join us in celebrating our LGBTQ+ community.”

    LA Pride returns, promising an incredible lineup of events, including LA Pride in the Park headlined by Ricky Martin, the LA Pride Parade & Block Party on Hollywood Boulevard, LGBTQ+ Pride Night at Dodger Stadium and PRIDE is Universal

     

    LA Pride in the Park will take place on Saturday, June 8, 2024 across more than 20 acres of lush green space at LA State Historic Park. The event will feature dozens of local and LGBTQ+ vendors, a huge variety of food & beverage, beer gardens and a special lineup. The global icon Ricky Martin will headline LA Pride in the Park, with additional artists to be unveiled. As the first openly gay Latin artist to take center stage at LA Pride, this also marks Martin’s first-ever headliner Pride performance, anywhere.

    The series of events during LA Pride includes the iconic LA Pride Parade which will be held on Sunday, June 9, 2024, in Hollywood Boulevard Area. Over 150 contingents will march this year, using the theme “Power in Pride.” The route will be along Hollywood Blvd, and surrounding streets. Those who can’t make it in person are able to watch a live broadcast on ABC7.

    “LA Pride radiates a vibrant tapestry of acceptance, unity, and celebration year-round,” shared Gerald Garth, Board President, LA Pride/Christopher Street West. “It’s a testament to our city’s unwavering commitment to embrace diversity and foster an inclusive spirit that transcends boundaries.”

    Additional top events during LA Pride include LA Pride in The Park, Parade Block Party, LGBTQ+ Night at Dodger Stadium and Pride is Universal. Read on for details on top events and hotel deals throughout Pride.

    For more information about how to celebrate Pride in Los Angeles, visit DiscoverLosAngeles.com/GayLA.

    LA PRIDE: EVENTS

    LA Pride in The Park – June 8th

    Returning to LA State Historic Park for a talented music line-up, dozens of food trucks, sponsor giveaways and activities and much more. LA Pride in The Park takes place on Saturday, June 8th. It’s all happening on over 20 acres of lush green space with a view of the DTLA skyline. Ricky Martin will headline LA Pride in the Park, with additional artists to be unveiled. Tickets can be purchased here.

    Parade Block Party – June 9th

    Don’t forget the fun Parade Block Party on June 9th, a free Block Party adjacent to the Parade, open from mid-day and going into the evening. With a performance stage, large vendor village, food, pop-up bars, and more. Last year, 35,000 people enjoyed this free Parade “after-party,” don’t miss it! Talent and other announcements coming soon!

    LGBTQ+ Pride Night at Dodger Stadium – June 14th

    Come watch the Dodgers take on the Kansas City Royals with LA Pride pre-game festivities featuring DJ party, and Pride merch for special ticket holders, only available at dodgers.com/lapride

    Pride is Universal – June 15th

    Our exclusive after-hours theme park takeover is a fan favorite. Pride is Universal will feature live DJs, Universal character meet-and-greets, photo ops, and more, with musical guests, drag performers and all new elements for this year.  Hours, details, and new features to be announced. Tickets go on sale soon.

    LA PRIDE: STAY & SLAY

    Visitors coming to Los Angeles to celebrate Pride from June 8-11 can “Stay and Slay” with a collection of hotel offers specially curated by Los Angeles Tourism to welcome revelers from around the world. Highlighted hotel offers are listed out below.

    Dream Hollywood Hotel

    Tucked among the scenic Hollywood Hills, Dream Hollywood boasts 178 playfully sophisticated guest rooms with subtle nods to the mid-century modern aesthetic iconic to LA. Featuring accommodations with unparalleled views, Tao, Beauty & Essex, and The Highlight Room, one of the LA’s swankiest rooftop pools. Book the best available rate here.

    The Godfrey Hotel Hollywood

    Exuding the energy of old Hollywood and walking distance to Sunset Blvd, the new Godfrey Hotel features one of the largest rooftops in Los Angeles, four on-site bars, various indoor-outdoor event spaces and About Last Knife, an energetic, chef-driven gastropub-meets-steakhouse. LA Pride Staycation: Celebrate love with The Godfrey and receive 15% off the best available rate here.

    Hollywood Hotel – The Hotel of Hollywood

    Contemporary accommodations meet quintessential Hollywood glamour at Hollywood Hotel. From a sparkling pool to the Route 66 Bistro Bar & Lounge, the historic Hollywood Hotel reflects classic movie star style in every sense. Visit hotel site for best available rate here.

    The Hollywood Roosevelt

    The Hollywood Roosevelt is a complete lifestyle destination, fusing entertainment, art, culture, design and music all around the property while providing a glimpse at its storied past. Visit hotel site for best available rate here.

    Kimpton Everly Hollywood

    Kimpton Everly Hollywood is a breath of fresh air in the midst of one of the world’s most storied neighborhoods. The sophisticated Hollywood Hills-infused residential vibe invites lingering and intimate interaction in the café, living room and skyline pool area. Book the hotel’s best available rate here.

    Loews Hollywood Hotel

    Loews Hollywood Hotel rises 20 floors above the famed intersection of Hollywood and Highland. Spectacular views of the iconic Hollywood sign and Los Angeles cityscape set the stage for 628 rooms including 113 spacious suites, as well as the rooftop pool. *Use CODE: PRIDE to receive 2 comp cocktails at H2 Kitchen & Bar and complimentary upgrade to a suite. Website here.

    Mama Shelter

    Designed by Thierry Gaugain to honor the beauty of the SoCal landscape, Mama Shelter LA features five floors of uniquely decorated rooms, each a cozy haven in itself. 70 rooms have king-size beds decked out in 5* linen – fit for a movie star! The hotel boasts one of LA’s best rooftop bars, while dining options will appeal to carnivores and vegans alike. View hotel site for best available rate here.

    Sheraton Universal

    Nestled below the Hollywood Hills, the Sheraton Universal Hotel is just steps away from Universal Studios Hollywood and CityWalk. Unwind at the poolside lounge or be dazzled with a 270-degree view of Hollywood from the 20-foot windows of the rooftop Starview Room. Book the hotel’s best available rate here.

    Thompson Hollywood

    Thompson Hollywood is a luxurious new hotel that brings elevated service, and laidback California cool to the heart of Hollywood. The hotel features 190 sophisticated guest rooms and 16 suites, a rooftop pool with sweeping views of Los Angeles, and a state-of-the-art fitness center. The world-class culinary and nightlife destinations include the rooftop lounge Bar Lis, chef Lincoln Carson’s French-inspired Mes Amis, and The Terrace, which pairs European fare with Californian views. Use CODE: STAYPROUD to receive best available rate + bottle of wine + 10% donation to Hollywood LGBT Center. Website here.

    Tommie Hollywood

    Get comfy in a California way, at Tommie Hollywood. There’s a stylish rooftop pool, fitness center, and a terrace bar in the heart of Los Angeles. This 4-star hotel includes the latest restaurant by award winning chef, Wes Avila, Ka’teen. Use code: STAYPROUD to book the best available rate and receive a welcome amenity and bottle of wine, plus a 10% donation to Hollywood LGBT Center here.

    W Hollywood Hotel & Residences

    Welcome to the new Hollywood. W Hollywood brings together the magnetic spirit of the Golden Era, infused with epic innovation, elegance and excitement. Welcome backstage, where W guests are insiders in the vivacity of the spotlight. Receive 10% off hotel stay plus welcome amenity. Website here.

    When you’re not celebrating LA pride at the parade or many events around the city, celebrate by visiting one of the many LGBTQ+ owned restaurants around Los Angeles. Start off in Casita Del Campo in Silverlake for Mexican dishes, make a stop Liberation Coffee House for a latte and end the night at n/naka which was featured in Season 1 of Netflix’s Chef’s Table. n/naka is your ultimate destination for fine Japanese cuisine. View the full guide to LGBTQ owned restaurants in LA here.

    For more information, visit discoverlosangeles.com, follow at facebook.com/DiscoverLosAngeles, or @discoverLA on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.

    Brody Levesque

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  • Dune: Part Two is Still a Hit, Passes First Dune’s Box Office

    Dune: Part Two is Still a Hit, Passes First Dune’s Box Office

    Image: Warner Bros.

    Two weeks ago, Dune: Part Two came out in theaters, and became the first big hit of 2024. Even with Kung Fu Panda 4 releasing last weekend, that hasn’t really changed—if anything, it’s looking like Part Two is going to have some hefty legs throughout the rest of its theatrical run.

    Denis Villeneuve on Ending Dune: Part Two That Way

    Per Variety, the sci-fi film is more than likely going to make over $500 million by Monday. At time of writing, its global take is $494.7 million, putting it slightly over the $434.8 million of the original movie. While the 2021 film had a simultaneous HBO Max release to contend with , Part Two was touted as being exclusively in theaters, and has the word of mouth to keep it going. (If you have Twitter, you’ve probably heard of the guy who’s seen it nearly 20 times by this point.) Currently, i’s the highest-grossing movie in all of 2024 both domestically and worldwide. Going past $500M would make it one of the few movies to do so in our (not entirely) post-pandemic times, and analysts have speculated the movie will do around $600M when all is said and done.

    Even with Dune’s new milestone, Kung Fu Panda 4 managed to secure the top spot in the domestic box office. Dreamworks’ animated sequel netted another $30 million in North America and $39.6 million internationally. At $176.5 million worldwide, it still has a ways to go before it touches the box office of the first three films, which each made $500-600M during their individual runs.

    Next week, both movies will have some mighty competition in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, which has been getting heavy promo in recent weeks. (That, and folks love them some Ghostbusters.) On March 29, the kaiju will go to war in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, though that one may be hurt (or helped) by the recent success of Godzilla Minus One. Given how well it’s doing so far, WB might keep Dune around in theaters for longer than normal—but if not, there’s always streaming.

    Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

    Justin Carter

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  • British actress Julia Ormond sues Harvey Weinstein, Disney and Miramax over sexual assault

    British actress Julia Ormond sues Harvey Weinstein, Disney and Miramax over sexual assault

    Emmy Award winner Julia Ormond has added herself to the long list of women who have legally accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault and is now suing the disgraced producer.

    The “Walking Dead: World Beyond” star also filed suit against The Walt Disney Company, Miramax — the production company Weinstein founded — and CAA talent agency for enabling the imprisoned the 71-year-old rapist, according to Variety.

    Ormond’s suit was reportedly filed in New York City on Wednesday. It alleges the former movie mogul lured the 58-year-old British star into giving him a massage in her apartment, then masturbated and forced her to perform oral sex after a 1995 business dinner.

    Brian Niemietz

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  • Variety’s “Battle Over CNN” Feature Has Set Off a Full-on Media Brawl

    Variety’s “Battle Over CNN” Feature Has Set Off a Full-on Media Brawl

    It’s been 48 hours and the media world is still abuzz over a Variety feature about CNN that is purportedly ridden with inaccuracies and has prompted outcry from several of its subjects. The Tuesday story—written by Tatiana Siegel—casts Jeff Zucker, the former CNN president who was ousted last year, as being on a desperate and bitter “quest to recapture the CNN throne,” with anecdotes about him traveling the world in pursuit of an international network of investors, including Jeff Bezos, Alex Soros, and Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich.

    Fast forward and Siegel’s attempt to expose the mess seems to have set off a full-on media brawl. Zucker’s spokesperson, Risa Heller, denied that Zucker had ever discussed buying CNN with Bezos—or anyone—and said that Zucker has “never met or spoken to” Soros or Abramovich. “It is stunning to read a piece that is so patently and aggressively false,” Heller said in a statement to Vanity Fair. “On numerous occasions, we made it clear to the reporter and her editors that they were planning to publish countless anecdotes and alleged incidents that never happened. They did so anyway.” (Asked for comment on the response to the story, including calls for retractions, a Variety spokesperson told Vanity Fair, “Variety stands by our investigative story about CNN written by one of the best journalists in the business.”)

    Apart from Zucker’s alleged takeover bid, Siegel is also getting flack for what she described as the “climate of betrayal” left in Zucker’s wake at CNN, as well as Zucker’s “behind-the-scenes attempts to undermine” both Chris Licht, his successor, and David Zaslav, the Warner Bros. Discovery CEO. Zaslav fired Licht in June, following a blistering 15,000-word profile—written by The Atlantic’s Tim Alberta—of Licht’s disastrous year atop the cable news network.

    However, the Variety piece suggests Licht fell victim to cheap reporting, and questioned the journalistic “liberties” that Alberta took, such as “key off-the-record details and quotes [that] were used on the record.” Siegel also took aim at Puck’s Dylan Byers, who relentlessly chronicled the Licht era (and worked at CNN under Zucker), which made him a character in Alberta’s piece. She specifically alleged that “Byers’ conflict of interest runs much deeper than a kinship with a former boss,” pointing out that Zucker and Puck are both represented by Heller and asserting that Byers failed to disclose that Zucker had spoken to Puck about a potential investment in the startup—a detail reported by the New York Times last month.

    A torrent of backlash among top media brass has ensued: Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg told CNN on Tuesday that “Siegel was informed by The Atlantic that the charges were completely false, but she nevertheless decided to smear Alberta.” According to Byers, Puck co-founder and editor-in-chief Jon Kelly also “sent an email to the author and the editors of the Variety piece on Tuesday outlining demonstrably false claims.” And on Wednesday, TheWrap reported that “Penske Media Corporation, the owner of Variety, has been contacted by Zucker’s team with a request to issue a retraction of the article.”

    Meanwhile, Byers and Alberta have themselves taken to Twitter to refute various aspects of the story. Alberta in a series of tweets went point by point, from the number meetings Siegel said Alberta had with Licht, to her allegation that Licht’s now-infamous quote at the gym—that “Zucker couldn’t do this shit”—was actually something that Alberta said and Licht repeated. “If @Variety had real editorial standards this piece never, ever would have published,” Alberta wrote. Likewise, Byers on Wednesday claimed that the opening scene in Siegel’s piece—a run-in between a teary-eyed Zucker and Zaslav at a Miami Beach hotel—was riddled with factual errors. He also addressed Siegel’s conflict-of-interest allegations, acknowledging that Heller represents Puck but claiming that he was “wholly unaware” of Zucker’s conversations with his employer about a potential investment “until it was reported in the press. (Siegel was told that, too, but did not include it.)”

    Variety is, as of now, sitting tight. Despite the public appeals to correct the record, CNN’s Oliver Darcy reported Wednesday that the outlet has “resisted taking any such action, outside quietly removing the widely panned Tatiana Siegel-written feature from its online homepage.” But the apparent errors, as Darcy writes, “raise serious questions about the editorial process at Variety that allowed Siegel’s feature to be published.”

    Charlotte Klein

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  • Katherine Heigl Says She Feels ‘Comfortable’ Being The Villain

    Katherine Heigl Says She Feels ‘Comfortable’ Being The Villain

    Katherine Heigl is opening up about being comfortable as the “villain” following comments in multiple interviews in the early 2000s that led to her being labeled “difficult.”

    “I’m always the bad guy. People like me to be the bad guy,” she said during a sit-down with her former “Grey’s Anatomy” co-star, Ellen Pompeo, for Variety’s “Actors on Actors” series.

    Heigl gained notoriety for famously speaking out against her role in “Knocked Up,” and for pulling her name from consideration from the Emmys and rallying against tough working conditions during her time on “Grey’s.”

    “I got on my soapbox and I had some things to say, and I felt really passionate about this stuff. I felt really strongly,” Heigl told Pompeo. “I felt so strongly that I also got a megaphone out on my soapbox. There was no part of me that imagined a bad reaction. I felt really justified in how I felt about it and where I was coming from.”

    Pompeo and Heigl pictured in a scene from “Grey’s,” in a photo released on Aug. 8, 2008.

    Eric McCandless via Getty Images

    Heigl, who said she has spent most of her years in “people-pleasing mode,” said she found it “really disconcerting when you feel like you have really displeased everybody.”

    “It was not my intention to do so, but I had some things to say, and I didn’t think I was going to get such a strong reaction,” she added. “I was in my late 20s.”

    Heigl said her success on the hit ABC show gave her a “false sense of confidence” to speak out.

    “So then I started getting real mouthy, because I did have a lot to say, and there were certain boundaries and things that I was not OK with being crossed,” she explained. “I didn’t know how to fight that.”

    After questioning the reactions and labels she was faced with after speaking out about certain projects and roles, Heigl realized that only a few people’s opinions truly mattered to her, and that she needed to tune out the other noise.

    “That’s when I got comfortable with my role as the villain and really enjoyed it.” Heigl said, jokingly rubbing her hands together in a villain-like way, as Pompeo giggled.

    Heigl has experienced something of a 180 in terms of public opinion over the years, as people have reexamined the backlash she faced at the time for speaking the truth.

    Just last year, Pompeo spoke out in support of the “ballsy” comments Heigl made about their workplace, and said her co-star “was telling the truth.”

    “I remember Heigl said something on a talk show about the insane hours we were working, but she was 100% right — and had she said that today she’d be a complete hero, but she was ahead of her time,” Pompeo said on her “Tell Me” podcast last August.

    “Of course, let’s slam a woman and call her ungrateful when the truth is she’s 100% honest, and it’s absolutely correct what she said,” she added.

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