Here's the Scoop...

Terrible news for 'Cake Boss' star Buddy Valastro. The master-baker's mother has dead at the age of 69 following her battle with ALS.

"It's with an extremely heavy heart that I must share the news of my mother's passing," Valastro wrote on Instagram Thursday alongside a black and white photo of himself giving his mother a kiss on the cheek.

"She left for heaven this morning, surrounded by the family. This is a difficult time for all of us and I do ask for your patience and respect while we let this sink in," he continued.

"Her battle with ALS has ended, she is no longer suffering and I hope she's dancing to "I Will Survive" with my dad right now."

ALS, a neurodegenerative disease, affects nerves in the brain and spinal cord.

Valastro launched the Momma Mary Foundation after his mother was diagnosed with ALS in order to spread awareness and help find a cure.

Be Well,
Steve

Comments? Questions? Nooz? Email Steve



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Steve Irwin, Mark Hamill and more to receive star on Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame class of 2018 has been announced and includes the late Steve Irwin, Mark Hamill, Jennifer Lawrence and more television, film and music stars.

Joining Irwin on the television front is Anthony Anderson, Gillian Anderson, Lynda Carter, Simon Cowell, RuPaul, Taraji P. Henson, Eric McCormack, Ryan Murphy, Niecy Nash, Mandy Patinkin and Shonda Rhimes.

"I am beyond excited to share with you all that we have just received the news that Dad will be honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame," Irwin's daughter Bindi shared on Instagram alongside a throwback photo of herself alongside her dad giving a thumbs up.

"Dad changed the world by reaching out to people through their television screens to bring them on the adventure of a lifetime. To have his name on a Hollywood Star means the world as we carry on his important work," she continued.

For film, Jack Black, Kirsten Dunst, Jeff Goldblum, F. Gary Gray, Gina Lollobrigida, Minnie Mouse, Nick Nolte and Zoe Saldana were selected alongside Hamill and Lawrence.

On the music side, Mary J. Blige, Sir Richard Branson, Petula Clark, Harry Connick Jr., Ice T, Snoop Dogg, Carrie Underwood and Weird Al Yankovic will be honored along with Steve Jones for radio and Charles Aznavour, Lin-Manuel Miranda and the late Bernie Mac for theater.

Recipients of the stars have two years to schedule their star ceremonies with the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.


David Oyelowo to voice villain Scar in 'The Lion Guard'
British actor David Oyelowo is lending his voice to Scar, the villainous younger brother of Mufasa in Disney Junior's The Lion Guard.

Season 2 of the animated, The Lion King sequel series is to premiere July 7. Scar will first be seen on the show in an extended episode titled The Rise of Scar July 29.

"Scar will appear in the flames of a volcano after Simba and Nala's young son, Kion, unwittingly summons him by using the Roar of the Elders in anger," said a press release from Disney Junior.

Scar -- who was voiced by Jeremy Irons in The Lion King -- died at the end of the 1994 film.

Rob Lowe plays Simba, Gabrielle Union plays Nala, Max Charles plays Kion, Khary Payton plays Rafiki, Kevin Schon plays Chungu and Timon, Gary Anthony Williams plays Mufasa and Ernie Sabella plays Pumbaa on the TV show, which also has a recurring guest voice cast that includes Blair Underwood as Makuu, Christian Slater as Ushari, Ana Gasteyer as Reirei and Maia Mitchell as Jasiri.

Among the additional guest stars for Season 2 will be Renée Elise Goldsberry, Common, Kristofer Hivju, A.J. Mclean, Carla Hall, Christopher Jackson, CCH Pounder, Rico Rodriguez and Raini Rodriguez.


LOOSE LIPS:
"Suddenly I am dating, like, 100 people."
--Halle Berry, on romance rumors fueled by social media, at the Cannes Lions festival



??? Guess Who ???
Which actress has joined the cast of the CBS drama 'Instinct'?


Sophie Turner named new face of Wella hair products
British actress Sophie Turner was named the new face of Wella hair products this week.

The 21-year-old Game of Thrones star will serve as a global brand ambassador and "muse" for the beauty brand, the company announced in a press release Wednesday.

"I'm honored to be named the face of Wella Professionals, an iconic beauty brand that encourages women like me to be bold in their choices," Turner said in a statement.

"Working with them is a great creative collaboration because it gives life to my on-screen characters and allows me to express my personality off-screen as well," she added.

Turner will make her debut in Wella's summer/fall ads, and appear in subsequent marketing, advertising and social media campaigns. She shared the news Wednesday with her 5 million Instagram followers.

"Oh my gawsh big news. I'm the new Wella Brand Ambassador and so so excited to join the #WellaFamily," she captioned a photo of herself on set.

Turner is a natural blonde who dyes her hair red to play Sansa Stark on Game of Thrones. She returned to blonde in the fall, prompting fans to speculate her character will be killed off on the HBO series.

"People seemed to think it was a spoiler for Game of Thrones," the star acknowledged in an interview with Vogue. "I think hair is so important [in role development] -- it ignites a connection that people feel with the character."

Game of Thrones will return for a seventh season in July. The show released a new trailer this week featuring Sansa, played by Turner; Daenerys Targaryen, who Emilia Clarke portrays and Jon Snow, played by Kit Harington.


Alexis Bledel to be series regular in 'Handmaiden's Tale' Season 2
Alexis Bledel will be a series regular in Season 2 of popular new drama The Handmaiden's Tale.

The 35-year-old actress will reprise Ofglen/Emily on the Hulu series, the show confirmed on its official Twitter page Thursday.

"@alexisbledel will walk with us as Emily for a second season," the series wrote. "#HandmaidensTale."

Bledel's character was last seen being taken away in Season 1, Episode 5 after running over a guard. The actress told The Hollywood Reporter in April that Emily was a welcome change from her Gilmore Girls role.

"She's such a rich character so it's a real opportunity for me to dig in a bit deeper," she said. "It's endlessly interesting to play a character who had this former life and a family and an identity that was stripped from her."

"It's great to play really different characters," the star added. "It's funny because [Emily] actually has certain elements of other characters I've placed. The rebellious streak and the fighter and at times she has a holier-than-thou quality."

The Handmaiden's Tale completed a first season June 14 after being renewed for a second in May. The series is based on the Margaret Atwood novel of the same name, and co-stars Elisabeth Moss and Joseph Fiennes.


??? Guess Who ???
Which actress has joined the cast of the CBS drama 'Instinct'?

Dreamgirls and Why Did I Get Married? alum Sharon Leal has joined the cast of CBS' drama series Instinct.

Set to premiere during the 2017-2018 television season, the show is based on a soon-to-be-published James Patterson book. It co-stars Alan Cumming and Bojana Novakovic.

Instinct follows "Dr. Dylan Reinhart, a former CIA operative who is lured back to his old life by tenacious New York Police Department detective Lizzie Needham when she needs his help to stop a serial killer," a press release explained.

Leal will play Lizzie's friend, who was recently promoted to be her boss at the NYPD.

Leal's other credits include Supergirl, Boston Public and Hellcats.