Sam Neill passed away yesterday in Sydney, Australia.  He was 78.  The cause is unclear at this time, but more details will be shared later. An official statement says, quote, “Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterized his whole life.  The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free.  “They would like to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at St. Vincent’s Private Hospital for their incredible care.” Sam battled blood cancer in 2022, and announced in 2023 that it was in remission. He is best known as Dr. Alan Grant in the “Jurassic Park” franchise.  He also played the Anti-Christ Damien Thorn in “Omen III: The Final Conflict”.  And he’s the guy who bought a robotic Robin Williams in “Bicentennial Man”. One of his final roles will be in the upcoming “Godzilla x Kong: Supernova”, which comes out next year. Steven Spielberg said, quote, “Sam was exceptionally collaborative . . . I adored making all the ‘Jurassic’ movies with him.” Laura Dern said, quote, “Sam was my beloved lifetime friend.  He showed me the depths of loyalty, protectiveness and love always with the driest of wit.  He was a true and noble gentleman, wrapped up in my dream leading man.” (You can see more tributes here.)

Check out the poster for the new “Spaceballs”, plus a plot synopsis.

Shark Tank is getting a serious celebrity upgrade! If you’ve ever wondered what happens when Hollywood, football, and social media collide… you’re about to find out!  Mindy Kaling, YouTube superstar MrBeast, and NFL legend J.J. Watt are among the guest sharks for Season 18. Plus, Kendra Scott and Rashaun Williams have been promoted to permanent Sharks. Season 18 of Shark Tank will premiere this fall and will air Wednesday nights on ABC.

The Rock is trading action for emotion by doing another “serious” movie.  He’s set to star in Free Byrd, playing a legendary Las Vegas motorcycle stuntman who’s secretly battling dementia. The film promises plenty of heart, family drama, and a whole new side of The Rock. Looks like his next big stunt… is making us reach for the tissues! The synopsis says the film examines and confronts the mind’s vast mysteries and the beauty and power of asking for help before it’s too late.

Page Six says Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce recently arrived in Palm Beach, Florida with their new mystery dog. The all-white, fluffy pup was seen walking down the stairs of Taylor’s lavish aircraft. No word on what type of dog it is.

Gizmodo says Paramount is developing a new Nightmare on Elm Street film. No word yet on who will write or direct.

Thomas Rhett and One Direction’s Niall Horan recently had a co-headlining show in Nashville.  They did a co-encore set together, which included a cover of Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas”. Speaking of Ella’s hit, “Choosin’ Texas” just logged a 13th week at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.  She had two other songs in the Top 4.  “Be Her” came in at #3 and “I Can’t Love You Anymore” with Morgan Wallen is at #4.

Kane Brown tells Country Rebel magazine that his 7-year-old wants tattoos like him. “My oldest is about to be 7. She just started talking about them. She’s like, ‘I love your tattoos, dad. I can’t wait to get some.’ And I’m like, ‘You’re not getting any.’”

Mandatory magazine says Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce raffled off Chanel handbags, Cartier watches and a vintage 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle at their wedding.  A source tells the magazine, “It was really bizarre. Straight after the ceremony, Taylor and Travis did a raffle and gave out expensive gifts for an hour. Everyone was weirded out. It killed the vibe.”

Mandatory magazine says Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce raffled off Chanel handbags, Cartier watches and a vintage 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle at their wedding.  A source tells the magazine, “It was really bizarre. Straight after the ceremony, Taylor and Travis did a raffle and gave out expensive gifts for an hour. Everyone was weirded out. It killed the vibe.”

Fox News says Ella Langley is starring in a new ad campaign for American Eagle. She is showing off their new denim jeans.  Ella’s photo shoot took place in a barn

Country Now says a dancing fan in Moline, Illinois was invited onstage by Luke Bryan recently.  Luke Bryan rewarded him with lifetime concert tickets.

Lionel Richie tells Whiskey Riff that Luke Bryan asked if he was drinking onstage when he fell ill several weeks ago. “Luke asked one question: ‘Lionel, was you drinking?’ I said, ‘I wasn’t drinking.’ He said, ‘Well then that was the problem, you should have been drinking, that would have cleared everything up.'”

The NY Post says Jennifer Lopez recently found a buyer for her failed marital home. The L.A. home was on the market for two years and had three price cuts. The asking price was about $50 million, well below the original $68 million asking price. The buyer is in tech and finance. The mansion has 12 bedrooms, 14 bathrooms, a giant dining room, a Chef’s Kitchen, a home theater, a pool, a gym, and spa like bathrooms

The Daily Mail says Brad Pitt’s kids, Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt and Maddox Jolie-Pitt, have filed petitions to drop Pitt from their last names. Zahara filed a petition to change her name to Zahara Marley Jolie. Maddox filed a petition to change his name to Maddox Jolie.  The kids are allegedly mad at the way Brad treated their mother Angelina.

Naughty But Nice says Travis Kelce is Hollywood’s hottest invite as iInvitations are pouring  in for  Fashion Week, movie premieres, and charity galas. People hope Taylor Swift will show up with him. A source says, “The second Travis says yes, everyone asks, ‘Is Taylor coming?’ She’s the real jackpot. Landing Travis means there’s at least a chance you’ll land the biggest star in the world. Having Travis in the front row is great,” says one industry insider. “Having Taylor sitting beside him? That’s the kind of moment money can’t buy. Every camera in the room instantly points in their direction. Having Travis in the front row is great, but having Taylor beside him would be a game changer.”

Naughty But Nice says Timothée Chalamet’s Hollywood heat is cooling because Tom Holland is stealing his spotlight.  A source says, “No one stays red hot forever, but Timothée cooled off faster than anyone expected. Just a couple of years ago, every major script landed on his desk first. That’s simply not happening anymore. The feeling around town is that Timothée has become more focused on being a celebrity than protecting the mystique that made audiences fall in love with him in the first place. Tom has a reputation for being collaborative, dependable, and easy to work with. When you’re investing $100 million in a movie, those qualities carry enormous weight.”

Shia LaBeouf tells People magazine that his father’s behavior on movie sets was inappropriate. “My dad was fresh out of prison, so we were on this set, and here’s all these pretty girls walking around; Bad news. My dad was hitting on all three of those women all the time. Lucy Liu couldn’t stand my dad. She couldn’t stand him; but he wasn’t going anywhere, he’s my dad; so we were just hanging out all the time, and Lucy Liu would always do these big circles around my trailer; he hit on Sigourney Weaver one time; she slapped him on the Holes set.”

Radar Online says Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau are allegedly planning a wedding and a baby. A source says, “They fell hard and fast right away and even they’ve privately admitted it’s pretty remarkable how quickly things fell into place for them. He was truly ready for something meaningful by the time Katy came along. They just feel so lucky and blessed to have found each other. It’s all come together seamlessly and keeps getting better and better. Katy loves how interested Justin is in the success of his kids. Seeing what a wonderful father he is has really endeared him to her. She wants the whole fairytale, including more kids, absolutely.”