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Why New York Magazine's Terry Richardson 'Interview' Is Not OK

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New York Magazine just published a 7,500-word essay -- "Is Terry Richardson an Artist or a Predator?" -- which delves into Richardson's notorious and increasingly sullied career as sexual harassment accusations stack up faster than used condoms on a porn shoot. Our answer to NYMag's quandary? 



Yes. Richardson is both an artist and a predator; the two monikers are not mutually exclusive. Over the past decade Richardson has come under fire for a bevy of sexual allegations, which have become increasingly difficult for heavyweight brands like W, T and Vogue to overlook. 



While author Benjamin Wallace goes to great lengths to lay out Richardson's backstory, which admittedly is a depressing, dogged one chock full of drug use and degenerate parents (interestingly enough, Richardson's father Bob was also a fashion photographer and taught him the ropes before collapsing beneath his own irresponsibility and twisted sense of importance). Terry did his first solo shoot for Vibe -- gritty black and white shots of kids in downtown New York -- in the late 80s, and launched himself slowly but surely into the stratosphere, penetrating the glossy fashion world with a dose of debauch the world had never seen.



I'm all for pushing boundaries -- everything from violence to renegade pubes, awkwardness and unstylized sexuality has its place in provocative art, and Richardson served as chief provocateur. He gave the world what we all seemingly wanted: Porn as art. Nudity as humor. Bodily fluids as bliss. If someone wants to write "slut" on their forehead and fellate Richardson while he snaps his shutter, hurray for them I suppose. People manifest their liberation in all sorts of ways, and even if that's not the way I want to spend my Sunday, I'm not interested in passing judgment either.



What I deeply object to -- and what New York magazine seems to be pussy-footing around -- is when power (be it physical, monetary, influential or otherwise) is leveraged for sexual acts that, without fear of ostracization, failure or never feeling the red-hot spotlight, would never have transpired. If Richardson was balling every woman on his set, but nobody ever came forward to complain, it would leave a bad taste in my mouth, but it wouldn't be wrong.



Tales of Abuse

But this is not the case. Many women have come forward to describe Richardson's sexual depravity, most recently -- and arguably most harrowingly -- in the case of Charlotte Waters, who chronicled a photoshoot with Richardson this past March on Vocativ. The story goes that Waters - -already a longtime nude model who worked with the likes of Richard Kern -- emailed her photo to Richardson, who promptly responded that he'd love to shoot her. 



She says he asked for her I.D. and upon confirming she was indeed 18, thrust his thumb into her mouth before asking her to disrobe. As Waters' clothes were shed, both Richardson and his assistant praised her lavishly, urging her on. Waters was then asked to take down his pants; Richardson then whipped out his dick and photographed her clutching his member before bringing her over to the sofa.



He started aggressively kissing me. I don't even really remember what specific things were happening at that point, but he was directing everything. Like, "OK squeeze my balls," "OK, put my dick in your mouth," "OK, now kiss me." It wasn't intimate. He also straddled me and started jerking off on my face.



He told me to keep my eyes open super wide. His assistant was standing right there too, and his cum got in my eyes. This was actually his favorite moment. He got so excited. He kept telling me to keep my eyes open, and he grabbed his camera, and his assistant had her little point-and-shoot, and they were just taking all these pictures of it. Then they finally backed off and one of them got me a towel and told me to wipe myself off. -- Charlotte Waters, Vocativ



And while it's easy to say, "psh, I would have gotten the hell out of there the minute he touched my body (no less came on my face!)" you weren't there and aren't her. An inability to react properly to sexual trauma as it's happening is disturbingly common;



I felt like I was already in it to the point that I couldn't get out, which sounds kind of crazy, but I had the mentality of 19-year-old. Even just talking about it makes me start to feel the way I felt then, which was just completely paralyzed and freaked out.



Despite a conscious mantle of feminism and self-love, we can all fall prey to insidious gender roles:



...women learn to diminish or ignore their own judgment, especially when it contradicts with that of another -- especially when that other is a male. They learn (far more than men) the importance of pleasing others, attending to the needs of others even to their own detriment, not hurting or embarrassing others, avoiding conflict, and not "making a scene" or embarrassing themselves...What is important, and not controversial, is the fact that many women have cognitive and behavioral tendencies or patterns that make it harder for them to conclude that they are in danger, and harder to act decisively to save themselves, and harder to cast blame, without ambivalence and guilt, on the person who sexually assaulted them. -- Rachel Efron, Psychological Damage of Sexual Assault



While women are more than capable of sexual assault and rape (of men and otherwise), the presence of Richardson's female personal assistant as he defiled Waters again and again is perhaps the most troubling element for me. Silence is not consent.



We went down and got a cab, and [the assistant] said she had to go somewhere in the same direction I was going and that she would pay for it. When we got in, she started trying to comfort me. She kept telling me that I was a really strong girl, and that I'm really cool, and that it's so good that I can handle that sort of thing. 



Power Dynamics and the Moral Vacuum

The crux of this whole situation, however, lies in Richardson's ascertain (and Waters) that she never uttered the word "no" -- is it his fault that she was unable to advocate for her own safety and comfort? If you tell someone to touch you and they do it, is that a transgression? As New York Magazine points out in a rare moment of criticism: "[Richardson] seems either unaware of or unwilling to acknowledge the ways in which coercion can be unspoken and situational."



More complicated still, but equally fucked up is the blithe announcement that Richardson's alleged sexual coercion "hinges on a judgment of the power dynamic in any given photo shoot and of the agency of young models in the moral vacuum of the fashion world."



I mean, I think we can all agree that the fashion world is a generally misogynistic, eating-disorder-riddled world... but that's a far cry from a "moral vacuum," a place where right and wrong cease to exist. Are you kidding me? That's how we describe genocide, not the latest H&M ad. The male gaze on a female body at a photoshoot is a lengthy and yes, charged discussion, but to make the leap from the "male gaze" to sanctioned sexual manipulation is erroneous and offensive.



There's a reason Richardson is being slowly crucified, and it's not because he's participating in your everyday, ho-hum nude shots. It's because he's allegedly using his fame and "I'm not like everybody else" euphemism to get blow jobs by intimidated women looking for a slice of fame pie.



Richardson maintains, rather nebulously, that he's a victim of "revisionist history" and the on-going quest for controversy-generated page views, sloppy journalism fueled by sensationalized, malicious and manipulative recountings of this work.



He maintains that his collaborations were always consensual, were accompanied by signed releases and he's never coerced anyone into anything.



I don't have any regrets about the work at all, obviously I don't ever want someone to feel like that. It was never my intention. But also, people do things, and then they have regrets, and that's also nothing to do with me. Then don't do pictures like that again ... I'm OK with myself about everything, and that to me is the most important thing. -- Richardson, NYMag, The Cut



These words get at the crux of what makes Terry's story so disturbing: in his view, everything's fine so long as he's happy. And as for the women he's harassed and humiliated? Well, they're just another pretty picture.



Love what you read? Check out more at ravishly.com, an alternative news+culture site for women.

Cameron Diaz Wows In White Dress On The Red Carpet

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Cameron Diaz looked radiant on the red carpet in a single-shouldered white and silver dress while promoting "Sex Tape" in Barcelona on Wednesday, June 18.

Diaz appeared at the event alongside co-stars Jason Segel and Rob Lowe. She stars with Segel in the Jake Kasdan-directed comedy as Annie and Jay, a married couple who find out the sex tape they made was accidentally shared via iCloud to their family and friends. The film hits theaters July 18 and audiences might be influenced by the sexy plot-line.

"We’re saying, basically, to save your marriage, you must make a sex tape," she joked during an interview with The New York Times. "There’s plenty of marriages out there that will find that out."

cameron diaz

cameron diaz

Judge Tosses Copyright Lawsuit Against Lady Gaga

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CHICAGO (AP) — A federal judge has dismissed a copyright lawsuit against Lady Gaga filed by a Chicago songwriter who accused her of stealing parts of one of her songs.

Rebecca Francescatti filed the suit in U.S. District Court in Chicago in 2011, alleging that Lady Gaga had copied music and the title lyric from her 1998 song "Juda." Gaga's 2011 song is called "Judas."

Judge Marvin Aspen ruled this week that the songs do not have common lyrics, have different themes and sound nothing alike musically.

The judge also concluded there wasn't enough evidence that Gaga could have heard or known about Francescatti's song before publishing "Judas."

Aspen writes that the songs "are so utterly dissimilar that reasonable minds could not differ as to a lack of substantial similarity between them."

Olivia Wilde Has Mixed Feelings About Her Nude Scene In 'Third Person'

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Olivia Wilde's feelings are split when it comes to her nude scene in the upcoming movie "Third Person."

The 30-year-old actress plays Anna in the Paul Haggis-directed film about three overlapping love stories that take place in New York, Paris and Rome. In the movie -- which was shot before she gave birth to son Otis in April -- Wilde appears naked.

"Well, it's great now that I've had a baby 'cause I can look at it now and be like, 'Yep, that was once the way it was,'" Wilde told David Letterman during an interview on "The Late Show" Tuesday, June 17. "But, you know, it's funny because we shot it in Italy so, for them being naked [is] no big deal ... They're way less conservative."

However, like Jerry Seinfeld once said: there's good naked and there's bad naked. One part in particular that Wilde did not enjoy about the scene was the fact that she had to run down a flight of stairs while in the buff.

"Not only did I have to do it again and again and again, but this was a scene in which I was running down stairs naked, which no one should ever do on camera," she said. "And I noticed that had been strategically removed from the film, which I approve of. That's great ... It's not great dressed, now that I think about it, but naked it's bad. There's things that no one should see. The body does things that it's not supposed to ... and it's jiggling. Moving."

"Third Person" debuted in the U.S. at the Tribeca Film Festival in April and hits theaters June 20 in limited release.

Kim Kardashian's Rope Dress Was Made For A Cannes Lions Yacht Party

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Kim Kardashian has figured out the perfect attire for a party with a nautical theme: a rope dress.

Kardashian wore a white Balmain gown designed entirely of rope and gold studs for the MailOnline's VIP party aboard a luxury yacht at Cannes Lions on Wednesday, June 18. Although the dress featured a high neckline and floor-length hem, it managed to hug the reality star's hourglass figure.

The 33-year-old is currently in France with pal Jonathan Cheban. Kanye West flew out of town just as his wife arrived on Wednesday, JustJared noted. The rapper appeared at Translation's seminar, "Technology, Culture, and Consumer Adoption: Learning to Read the Cultural Landscape," where he revealed it took him "like four days" to edit their now-famous wedding photo before Kardashian could post it to Instagram.

kim kardashian

kim

Kid President Gushes About Kissing Beyonce, Making Jay Z Jealous

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The adorable Robby Novak has made a name for himself as Kid President, the joyful, pint-sized politician who made it all the way to the Oval Office for a meeting with President Obama himself. Among Kid President's favorite accomplishments is something not even the real president can get -- a kiss from Beyonce.

When Kid President spoke with HuffPost Live's Caitlyn Becker on Wednesday, he gushed about meeting Queen Bey and getting a smooch from the world's hottest pop star.

Did Kid President worry about what Beyonce's husband Jay Z would say? Not one bit. "He should be totally jealous," he said with a smirk.

Check out the video above to hear about his kiss with Beyonce, and click here to see the full HuffPost Live conversation with Kid President.

'Pretty Little Liars' Star Ashley Benson Gets Restraining Order Against Security Guard

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An ex-security guard wanted a sexual relationship with Ashley Benson because that's just the way God wanted it ... according to court docs Benson filed to keep the guy away from her.

The "Pretty Little Liars" star got a temporary restraining order Wednesday against James Gorton Jr. -- a married, 49-year-old who was recently fired from his job as a guard on the Warner Bros. lot where PLL is filmed.

OITNB's Diane Guerrero Opens Up About Her Parents' Deportation

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Diane Guerrero is the snappy Martiza Ramos in “Orange Is The New Black” -- a character the actress recently said she can relate to in an unexpected way.

The Colombian-American actress appeared on Fusion’s “Alicia Menendez Tonight” last week to talk about the newest season of Netflix’s hit series. During the interview, Guerrero opened up about the personal experience she channels to bring Maritza to life.

After chatting about her role in the series and how “awkward” it felt to have that intimate scene with her co-star Jackie Cruz, Menendez asked the actress about her own “life experience of loss.”

When Guerrero was 14, both of her parents and her older brother were deported to Colombia -- an event that, as Menendez pointed out, likely left the star with the same feeling of loneliness that her character deals with on OITNB.
“It’s something that happened where I just felt so alone and sort of abandoned,” Guerrero said. “Obviously you go through different stages of being angry at your folks, being angry at yourself, being angry at America, at your country. You go through different things and then you learn to accept it.”

The actress also admitted that while things ended up going quite well for herself, she could’ve potentially ended up having more in common with her incarcerated character.

“And I think those are all things that I look at when I’m playing something, Martiza especially, because she’s a young Latin girl and a lot of us experience this -- not just me, but a lot of us do,” the star continued. “I have a lot of friends who have gone through the same things. And, you know, it’s tragic. And then when you do go through this, sometimes you make bad choices. You have no supervision, you’re kind of doing it on your own and you’re forced to just make all of these decision on your own. I mean, for me, picking a college was really difficult. I wish I had had my parents there kind of supervising me. But I chose well, I did ok.”

Before the season two premiere in early June, Guerrero also spoke to The Huffington Post about her struggles as a Latina in Hollywood.

“You know, it’s hard. I think it’s getting better,” the actress said during the Cosmo’s ‘Fun, Fearless’ Latina Awards. “At first I thought it was really, really hard because I thought well I’m only going for these parts that are just Latinas and I always kind of wanted to say, ‘well I’m an American too’ or ‘I’m just like everybody else.’ But you know, I’m embracing it a lot more, it’s getting a little easier but I think it’s all progress and it’s all getting better.”

Watch Guerrero’s full interview on “Alicia Menendez Tonight” above and more from her interview with HuffPost here.

H/T Latina

Jennifer Lopez And Marc Anthony Finalize Divorce

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony's divorce has been finalized nearly three years after the singers separated.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge John Sandoz finalized the couple's breakup Monday, awarding the former couple joint legal custody of their 6-year-old twin children, court records show. The pair agreed that Lopez will have their son and daughter most of time, with Anthony caring for them for seven days a month. The singers also agreed that no child or spousal support was necessary.

The singers also agreed to do whatever they can to shield their children from paparazzi and reporters. The judgment states both Lopez and Anthony recognize "that exposing the children to public spectacle and failing to shield the children from aggressive news organizations, photographers, etc. is not the children's best interest."

The judgment was first reported Wednesday by celebrity website TMZ.

Anthony filed for divorce in April 2012 but the pair separated in July 2011.

Anthony's latest Spanish album "3.0" has been a hit, and he announced earlier this year that he's working an English-language pop album. Lopez released her latest album "A.K.A." this week.

A judge hearing a dispute between Anthony and his ex-wife Dayanara Torres issued a proposed ruling June 11 that if finalized would require the Latin crooner to increase his child support to their two sons, ages 10 and 13, to nearly $27,000 a month. Anthony is also required to pay $12,000 a year for Torres' and their sons' vacation expenses, plus medical expenses and tuition costs.

The proposed order will become official in early July unless attorneys raise new valid legal issues.

Kim Kardashian Was A Pretty Adorable 9-Year-Old

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Long before her days of extravagant weddings and wearing dresses made out of rope, Kim Kardashian was just your average 9-year-old kid.

RumorFix obtained this adorable photo of Kardashian and her childhood BFF, fashion designer Nikki Lund:

kim k nikki lund
The pair have been friends since they attended grade school at El Rodeo in Beverly Hills, Lund told Rumorfix. “We had too many best memories together growing up over the years."

“When we had to swear what we were saying was truth, we’d say ‘bible!'" Lund added.

The slang must have stuck for Kardashian, as she recently used the term "bible" in the trailer for her new Kim Kardashian game.

For more childhood photos of Kim, head over to RumorFix.

'Beyoncé: X10' On HBO Will Be A Ridiculous 40-Minute Beyoncé Concert

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HBO can't get enough Beyoncé. The network announced that it will air a 10-episode miniseries of four-minute Beyoncé concert performances starting June 29. Titled "Beyoncé: X10," the clips will air every Sunday night at 8:55 p.m. ET, right before the final season of "True Blood."

According to HBO's statement, all of the clips will be from the Mrs. Carter Show Would Tour. We can only assume this is a thing because "Life Is But A Dream," the Beyoncé-directed documentary about Beyoncé was the most viewed music-oriented special since 2003.

With an average of 11.4 million viewers a summer, it's not like "True Blood" needs a solid lead-in. But vamp fans can look at the specials as their very own pump-up speeches, intense performances of "Partition" or "Drunk In Love" -- yes, those will both be featured -- that get you in the spirit to watch Sookie and Alcide get it on. Queen Bey takes on Bon Temps.

Iggy Azalea Only Good Thing About T.I.'s 'No Mediocre'

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If there's one thing we can learn from Iggy Azalea's new collaboration with T.I, it's that she can improve basically anything with her touch.

The 24-year-old joins the seasoned artist on his track "No Mediocre," in which he raps about his quest to find a woman who meets his high physical standards. In case you were wondering, if you don't do your hair, wax specific parts of your anatomy, have a "pretty face" and "fat ass," you are not the girl for T.I.

Luckily, Iggy swoops in with her usual confident bad-assery, and adds at least one not wholly irredeemable verse to the song. While not exactly easing up on the impossible physical standards set by the media for women, Azalea at least tells T.I. to actually put a little work into achieving his wants and "stop running in place," if he's going to have such an intricate list of demands.

Azalea has already made history this summer by simultaneously snagging both the number one and two spots on The Billboard Top 100, making her the first artist to do so since since The Beatles in 1964. While we can't say we're huge fans of the eventual end product, we can see why T.I. would want to get in on all the Iggy Azalea fun.

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson Opens Up About Post-Divorce Depression

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At six-foot-five-inches and 252 pounds, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is the embodiment of strength, but even he was not immune to the crippling depression often caused by divorce -- a fact he opened up about recently in a new interview.

Speaking candidly to The Hollywood Reporter, Johnson says he fell into a deep depression following his 2008 divorce to college sweetheart Dany Garcia.

"Once I manned up and became accountable for the mess I was in, that's when it all hit me," he told the magazine. "What kind of dad does this make me? What kind of man will I now become? Failing at marriage and as a husband was a heavy thing, and divorce had that special way of knocking me on my ass."

However, the 42-year-old did not fall into the cliched trap of hating his ex -- in fact, they still work together. Garcia, who is also the mother of his 12-year old daughter, is his manager and runs every aspect of his business. Her brother is Johnson's producing partner and Garcia's husband is his conditioning coach.

As for the actor's current love life? He's dating writer-musician Lauren Hashian, telling THR, "She embraced and loved me at my very worst and lifted me up to be my very best."

Johnson's full interview with THR can be found here.

Keep in touch! Check out HuffPost Divorce on Facebook and Twitter. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Michael Douglas Opens Up About His Marriage To Catherine Zeta-Jones

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Michael Douglas is not taking love for granted this time around.

Douglas, who has quietly been working on rebuilding his relationship with Catherine Zeta-Jones, told People that their break -- and getting a little older -- have given him a new outlook on what married life is all about.

"A lot of it has to do with age," the 69-year-old actor told the magazine. "When you've accomplished a certain amount in your career, you're not so focused on your ambitions. It makes you appreciate -- and hopefully you do that sooner rather than later -- the value of your partner."

He added: "Like a lovely orchid, or anything else that's nurtured, marriage prospers and grows, but if it's ignored, it withers."

This isn't the first time Douglas has hinted at a happy ending with Zeta-Jones, with whom he has two kids, son Dylan and daughter Carys. Back in May, the actor told CBS' Gayle King that the couple is "very close and everything is going great."

Keep in touch! Check out HuffPost Divorce on Facebook and Twitter. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Disney Star Kelli Berglund Talks 'Lab Rats,' Fans Asking Her To Prom And Celeb Crushes

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Kelli Berglund may not play your average teenager on "Lab Rats," but the Disney star proves that she's just like every other high school student when it comes to dressing up for prom, hanging at amusement parks with friends, celebrating graduation -- and having the occasional celeb crush.

The 18-year-old recently stopped by HuffPost Live to chat about her upcoming Disney Original Movie, "How to Build a Better Boy," her role as Bree Davenport on the new season of "Lab Rats" and her love of Harry Styles.

In a series of rapid fire questions, the actress also confessed what she thinks is the weirdest thing about herself: The eyebrows and eyelashes on the left side of her face are completely bleach blonde, while those on her right are brown.

"I've never met anyone with the same thing," said Berglund. "It's so weird. When I'm not wearing makeup and I wash my face and I go out, it looks so uneven."

Watch the full conversion with Kelli Berglund below:


Man Sends Death Threats To Kat Von D, Vows To 'Go Columbine' In L.A.: Report

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Police in California are searching for a man who allegedly sent death threats to Kat Von D and claimed he would "go Columbine in Los Angeles," TMZ reports.

The celebrity news site writes that the Los Angeles Police Department is searching for a man named Michael Nunn after he allegedly sent a series of threats to the tattoo artist. LAPD Public Information Officer Nuria Vanegas confirmed to The Huffington Post that an investigation is ongoing.

On June 4, Nunn allegedly tweeted: "You have to understand, Kat, my life is over because of you. Therefore, what would my only reason for living be? Revenge," per TMZ. He later warned her to "lose the game or watch people die."

Go to TMZ.com for the full story.

Nunn is believed to be the same man against whom Von D got a restraining order in 2012.

According to an E! News report at the time, the "L.A. Ink" star alleged that Nunn had exhibited "delusional and paranoid tendencies, including a belief the FBI is watching him and that certain celebrities want to harm him."

Meghan McCain Joins 'In Bed With Joan' For Candid Chat On LGBT Rights And 'The Normal Heart'

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Meghan McCain got candid with Joan Rivers for an installment of "In Bed With Joan," the style icon's web series.

McCain, who recently joined the board of directors for GLAAD, chatted with Rivers about a number of topics, including both of their identities as as "liberal" Republicans who support issues such as gay rights, women's rights, and abortion. This led to a discussion about HBO's "The Normal Heart," and the history of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in America.

"I just watched ['The Normal Heart'] this weekend," McCain tells Rivers. "I didn't even know some of the history behind the AIDS epidemic and how the government never helped and Ronald Reagan didn't say the word AIDS until...? I am embarrassed that I didn't know the history was quite that extreme and it's a dark part of our history."

Rivers also provides some background about her involvement in helping the fight to combat AIDS in the 1980s. Check out this episode of "In Bed With Joan" above.

(h/t Towleroad)

A 'Saved By The Bell' Behind-The-Scenes TV Movie Is Coming To Lifetime

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If it wasn't enough to read about the scandalous, real-life stories from the "Saved By the Bell" set in Dustin Diamond's a.k.a. Screech's 2009 autobiography, now you'll get to see them re-enacted onscreen.

A TV movie based on Diamond's book "Behind the Bell" is in the works at Lifetime with the title "The Unauthorized 'Saved By The Bell' Story," according to BuzzFeed. Dimaond's memoir recounted numerous controversial stories of his fellow cast members having sex and doing drugs with each other, however last year, the actor revealed that much of the book was fabricated. While talking to Oprah's "Where Are They Now" segment, Diamond said that the memoir was ghostwritten and many of the stories were exaggerated.

BuzzFeed reports that the Bayside High gang has already been cast in the TV movie, including actors from "Shameless," "Supernatural" and "Degrassi: The Next Generation." Check out the photo of the new cast below, courtesy of BuzzFeed.

saved by the bell lifetime

"The Unauthorized 'Saved By The Bell' Story" will premiere on Sept. 1 at 9 p.m. EDT on Lifetime.

[via BuzzFeed]

Why Aren't People Interested In Robert Pattinson Anymore?

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In the year 2008, Robert Pattinson struck mega-fame when he landed the role of vampire Edward Cullen in the then indie-adaptation of "Twilight." Well, that little film -- with a reported budget of $37 million -- ended up taking over the box office and driving teenage girls, and their mothers, insane.

"I thought at the time, with [director] Catherine Hardwicke and Kristen Stewart, it was going to be an indie movie. It seemed really interesting: a teen vampire movie that was going to be like 'Thirteen' and really serious," Pattinson told Empire magazine in 2011. "I had no idea it was going to be this big thing you'd get on Burger King hats."

Memorabilia aside, since the "Twilight" franchise came to a close after 2012's "Breaking Dawn: Part 2," interest in the 28-year-old and his career has dropped. Were Twihards seriously just interested in the fact that Pattinson (nicknamed RPatz by the film's devotees) played Edward Cullen, or did they actually care about him as an actor? The former seems to tell the story.

According to Google Trends, Pattinson catapulted into stardom in December 2008, shortly after "Twilight" hit theaters that November. He, as well as the movie adaptations of Stephenie Meyer's books, became much more popular after the first film debuted. It's not a total surprise: the worldwide box office gross for "Twilight" was about $385 million, while the gross for the second installment "New Moon" was around $710 million. ("New Moon" was the second highest grossing "Twilight" film, behind only "Breaking Dawn: Part 2," which grossed just under $833 million.)






But let's be honest here: The real reason people were so taken by the handsome and charming British star was his onscreen and offscreen relationship with Stewart, who played Bella Swan in the "Twilight" movies. Speculation about a real-life romance started in May 2009 after Stewart (or KStew, as the nicknames go) ended things with her longtime beau, Michael Angarano. Although Pattinson and Stewart always posed side-by-side on the red carpet, the pair stayed mum about their dating status throughout press tours, but were captured holding hands and kissing on multiple occasions over the course of three years. In October 2011, Stewart called Pattinson her "boyfriend" for the first time in an interview with British GQ. After that, everything seemed to be going smoothly ... until Stewart's cheating scandal exploded in Hollywood tabloids.

Stewart was photographed kissing her much-older and married "Snow White and the Huntsman" director, Rupert Sanders, in July 2012. Us Weekly released the pictures and outrage ensued. Stewart released a statement shortly after. "I'm deeply sorry for the hurt and embarrassment I've caused to those close to me and everyone this has affected," she said. "This momentary indiscretion has jeopardized the most important thing in my life, the person I love and respect the most, Rob. I love him, I love him, I'm so sorry."

That "momentary indiscretion" sadly marked the height of interest in Stewart's career thus far. Since then, her celebrity, as well as Pattinson's, has faltered. Aside from a little jolt they received following the release of "Breaking Dawn: Part 2" -- and all those rumors of rekindled romance -- both Pattinson and Stewart's films thereafter have yet to gain any traction with the audiences that spent all that money on "Twilight." Stewart's only film, "On the Road," earned less than $750,000 in its box-office lifetime; Pattinson's latest film, "The Rover," is his first since "Breaking Dawn: Part 2," and it will likely have a difficult time cracking $10 million in ticket sales. Not that either star seems to mind: both have eschewed franchises in lieu of personal projects and smaller indie fare.

"In a lot of ways, those are the only big movies that are made anymore," Pattinson told The Daily Beast when asked if he would ever do another franchise like "Twilight." "So unless you just never want to do studio movies, you have to realize that you've got to do 'The Fault in Our Stars 2.'" Pattinson was joking about that role, but at least there would be a Burger King hat in it for him.

Through The Years: A Look Back At Brad Pitt's Career Evolution

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Brad Pitt got his big start in the industry when he was just 25-years-old, playing different roles in several TV series.
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