Janet Charlton's

HOLLYWOOD

Without a doubt the biggest story of the week was the death of the one and only Dolly Parton, so much of this week’s recap will focus on what we know.  Dolly’s unexpected death prompted President Donald Trump into action and we know why.  Donald can be a loose cannon at times and mercurial to say the least , and he was miffed that Dolly turned him down twice when he offered her the Presidential Medal of Freedom ( for the record she also turned down then President Joe Biden when he wanted to honor her).  As soon as word broke of Dolly’s death, First Lady Melania Trump called her hubby and told him EXACTLY what he needed to do.  She instructed him to avoid sly comments and not make any of this about himself. For once he took her advice , and chose the high road in honoring Dolly by having the nation’s flag lowered at half mast for an unprecedented week.

In other Trump/Dolly news we can tell you this.  Not only did Trump lower the flags, he also plans to put Dolly on a US stamp as soon as the law allows.  My source tells me this isn’t completely altruistic on Trump’s part as he knows the vast majority of the world loved Dolly – regardless of their political or religious beliefs . He feels aligning himself with her legacy will help improve not only HIS legacy , but perhaps also influence the upcoming midterm elections.

Our source connected to the Academy tells us that although the Oscars are many months away, the powers that be are already brainstorming ways to properly memorialize Dolly.  The Academy has already bestowed her with an honorary Oscar,  but the current idea floating around is to have her 9 To 5 costars, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin appear together and talk about Dolly . This would be followed by her goddaughter Miley Cyrus singing a medley of Dolly’s most famous songs.

Finally, the last Dolly tidbit.  Keep in mind this one is pure speculation on the part of a source but we are hearing that the reason Dolly’s death seemed so shocking is that she kept releasing video statements updating people on her health when she canceled her Las Vegas residency , and she looked GREAT in those videos.  Again this isn’t fact , just speculation, but we are hearing that those videos were either created entirely by AI or highly enhanced with the help of artificial intelligence. THAT’S why Dolly looked like the picture of perfect health.

(We cannot resist pointing out that Donald Trump said he admired Dolly and considered her a “national treasure” and he insists  that she liked HIM also. However it appears that  they have NEVER been photographed together. )

In other Hollywood news, Blake Lively was all but humiliated when a judge shot down her request for nearly $8 million in legal fees against Justin Baldoni, and awarded her only around $400k instead.  Here’s what we know.  The entire lawsuit cost Blake dearly, because her career is in near shambles, and she lost her friendship with her former best friend Taylor Swift.  Behind closed doors , she has been speaking with a crisis management team and her first step will likely be to donate the entire amount of her settlement to a charity that works with abused women.  My source says Blake is eager to change the narrative and she fears her career is never going to be where it was unless she does a complete pivot  – so that’s why she’s called in the public relations professionals.

Olympic gold medalist skater Alysa Liu also made headlines when she announced she was taking a year off from competing to focus on “improving her skills” – including fine tuning her spins and jumps.  Here’s what we know.  Alysa is considered the best figure skater in the world , having won both the gold medal and the world championship, so the REAL reason she’s pausing from competing is that Hollywood and the rest of the world is calling!  She’s been swamped with offers for everything from movie appearances to lucrative sponsorship deals.  She wants to strike while the iron is hot  – and that’s the reason we hear she’s taking the self-imposed hiatus from the ice.

Kim and Kayne’s 13-year-old daughter, North West , made headlines when she appeared in a long blue wig with piercings on the cover of Dazed magazine.  In the interview she revealed she wants to get a normal job at Starbucks when she turns 14.  Here’s what we know.  North already HAS a secret deal in place collaborating with Starbucks in hopes of attracting a younger crowd to the chain!  She already had the connection to the coffee giant because her aunt, Khloe Kardashian,  sells her popcorn, Khloud at the chain.  My source says North is working on a signature blue drink that will likely be released in the spring,  and of course she will get a part-time job at one of her local Starbucks to generate TONS of press.