Entertainment

Clay Aiken says Kelly Ripa feud sparked ‘most catastrophic week’ of his life

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Clay Aiken spoke out about the moment he contentiously placed his hand over Kelly Ripa’s mouth more than two decades after their intense on-air clash on “Live with Regis and Kelly” in 2006.

The “American Idol” alum, 47, recalled stepping in as a co-host on the daytime show and attempting to stop Ripa from talking so he could ask their guests questions.

When asked if they had spoken since, he responded on Wednesday’s podcast episode of “Hollywood Raw,” “No. I didn’t have the problem.”

Aiken, who has been active in the New York City Broadway scene and society, explained he’s seen Ripa, 55, at some events.

“Maybe I should feel bad that I have not gone up and said something myself, but she hasn’t either,” he said. “We’re talking about something that happened — 20 years ago — which became this huge blowup.”

“That was the most catastrophic week of my life,” the musician added. “No one would remember but me because I was the one with the scars.”

“I’m on the show because I wanted to show them I could handle this myself; I could host something and I wasn’t getting to talk,” he said.

“Like, there were cue cards. They had my name on them. So I tried to be funny, and I did what I did, which was incredibly innocent. And then it got a little cold in the room.”

Aiken admitted that he felt bad and was “worried” that he had upset Ripa after seeing the audience “frozen.”

“Is that a no-no?” Aiken asked Ripa at the time, to which she responded, “Oh, that’s a no, no, no. Don’t know where that hand’s been, honey.”

The TV personality shared on the podcast that he didn’t remember how he and Ripa parted ways, but it wasn’t until the following week, when the latter’s co-host, Regis Philbin, had returned, that the situation escalated.

At the time, Philbin, who died in 2020, and Ripa discussed Aiken’s “hostility.”

“There was a lack of respect, and when you’re a certain person, you’re in the public eye, you have to be respectful of other people,” Ripa told her co-host.

“And I don’t think that he was respectful in any way. If that upsets his fans, I’m sorry to hear that, but you don’t put your hands over somebody’s face and mouth when they’re conducting an interview, even if it’s for a laugh. And that’s all I’m gonna say.”

Then the following day, Rosie O’Donnell addressed the incident on “The View” and referred to Ripa as “homophobic” despite Aiken not having been out yet.

Ripa responded to the actress by calling into the talk show to defend herself, stating, “I have three kids. He’s shaking hands with everybody in the audience.”

“I mean, it’s cold and flu season. That’s what I meant. To imply that it’s anything homophobic is outrageous, Rosie, and you know better. You should be more responsible,” the TV personality told O’Donnell.

Recalling the “blow up,” Aiken said, “I was not out at the time. I was to Rosie … I was out to people who I knew, but I wasn’t publicly out about it.”

“I was not out to my grandparents and the people in my family. And not only does Rosie call it a homophobic remark — which I think she accidentally said, and then she tried to walk it back a little bit — but then Kelly calls in live to ‘The View’ that day and they get in an argument over it.”

The actor added, “Not only did she out me, but they had a big argument about whether I was gay and who talked about me being gay.”

That same week, Aiken reflected on how his “wonderful publicist” and interns did “great work” on finding videos of Ripa placing her hand over Philbin’s mouth throughout the years and sending the clips to the media.

“The tides sort of turned,” Aiken said, explaining that he then sent Ripa flowers, which she thanked him for and allegedly apologized for “blowing” the situation out of proportion.

Per Aiken, Ripa extended an olive branch to him and an offer to return to the show. However, the Broadway star alleged that he’s “tried” to appear on the show but has been unable to return.

A rep for Ripa wasn’t immediately available to Page Six for comment.

Entertainment

Singer Jewel reveals shoplifting addiction while homeless nearly destroyed her

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Jewel was once homeless and suffering from debilitating mental health issues before transforming her life and becoming a successful singer and songwriter.

The “Foolish Games” singer shared some of the traumas from her upbringing, including when her mother left their family when she was 8 years old, while chatting on the “No Magic Pill” podcast.

Her father became “physically abusive” once they moved back to his hometown, which is where Jewel’s “whole world really turned upside down.”

“I made a promise really young not to do drugs or drink,” she said. “Again, I think just cuz I had such an extreme front row seat to seeing what it did. It didn’t look glamorous, you know, it didn’t look sexy.

“And some deep, deep part of me knew to be deadly terrified of it.”

By 15, Jewel was living on her own, and a few years later moved to San Diego to take care of her ailing mother. Paychecks fell through and bills mounted by the time she decided to live in her car while her mom went back to Alaska.

At first, Jewel tried to be optimistic about the situation, but her mental health began to suffer.

“My panic attacks were getting worse. My agoraphobia was getting worse,” she said. “I didn’t have food. I didn’t have water. I didn’t have … anything. I didn’t have gas for the car.”

Jewel recalled her lowest point when she began shoplifting.

“I started stealing food and stealing, like, herbs and things like that to try and … I had bad kidneys,” she said. “And then, it just kind of evolved into stealing things that weren’t food and things that I didn’t need.”

Host Blake Mycoskie noted a point in the singer’s memoir, “Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story,” where she described looking in the mirror at a dressed-down version of herself and realizing that stealing was about the fear that she would never be enough.

“I think, you know, stealing for me really became a real addiction,” she said. “It was compulsive. I couldn’t control it.”

While standing in a changing room and attempting to tuck a stolen dress into her pants, Jewel was hit with a difficult epiphany.

“I saw my reflection in the mirror and … I was a statistic,” she said. “I’m a homeless kid shoplifting, and I’m going to end up in jail or dead if this keeps going.”

The musician leaned on a quote she remembered: “Happiness doesn’t depend on who you are or what you have. It depends on what you think.”

From there, Jewel felt empowered to change her mind and change her ways to fully heal from her past. One unconventional step she took: writing everything down that she did with her hands over a two-week period.

“I haven’t had a panic attack in two weeks,” she realized. “What I stumbled on was being radically present. Journaling about my hands all day … I literally would watch my hands open a door. I’d watch my hands not shake a hand, or whatever it was.

“I’d watch my hand steal. I was so radically present that … I forgot to worry about a future that hadn’t happened yet. It was so liberating.”

She added, “I realized that fear is a thief, and it robs you of the only opportunity you have to change your life.”

Entertainment

Heartbreak behind the scenes at ‘Today’ for Savannah Guthrie

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“It was a sad day,” behind the scenes of the “Today” show on Tuesday, as Savannah Guthrie broke down in tears while discussing the ransom note her family received in February allegedly claiming her missing mom, Nancy Guthrie, had died.

“A lot of people at ‘Today’ are affected by it,” says a source. “There was a sense of sadness today. Everybody just feels so bad for her. There is a lot of uncertainty.”

We’re told Guthrie has been surrounded by support as she continues to navigate the unimaginable ordeal.

“There is a lot of admiration and praise for her that she is still able to do her job,” says our source. “People really support her and care about her, and people are heartbroken.”

During the show, Guthrie said she had “no comment” on the headlines and is “not involved in … coverage” of her mother’s abduction, but that she couldn’t “pretend” to not be present for the conversation.

“I just wanted to take the opportunity to really ask people and really beg people to come forward because somebody knows something,” Guthrie continued.

“This is a news story today that is on your radar, but this is the life my sister, [Annie Guthrie], lives, that I live, that my brother, [Camron Guthrie], lives, that our extended families live, that our children live every day,” she explained.

“We cannot be at peace,” the journalist said. “No matter how much I try to come out here every day and smile and find that joy — and I will, I promise I will — this is a moment to say we need your help. … I’m not gonna miss that opportunity.”

Guthrie ended her emotional plea with a promise: “We love our mom, and we’ll never stop looking for her. Ever.”

Gurthrie was surround by colleagues Craig Melvin, Al Roker, Carson Daly and Jenna Bush Hager.

“The bravery and courage with which you have done this job every day since that happened is nothing short of remarkable,” Melvin said.

Savannah took a brief hiatus from the show after her mother went missing from her Arizona home on Feb. 1. She returned in April.

Sources close to the investigation told Air Mail over the weekend that a ransom note, believed to be credible, referred to the 84-year-old as “safe but scared” hours after her disappearance — and demanded $6 million in Bitcoin.

The second, which came from the same IP address days later, indicated that Nancy had passed.

Savannah told Hoda Kotb in March that she “tend[s] to believe” the two notes that she and her siblings “responded to” in emotional social media pleas were, in fact, “real.”

There have been no arrests. Police did detain Derrick Callella for allegedly attempting to extort with fake ransom texts. The 42-year-old faces federal charges.

Entertainment

Cozy Earth, Apple and more

These deals have us saying “O”-MG.

Amazon’s earliest-ever summer Prime Day is here, running June 23 to 26 and bringing deals exclusively for Prime members on countless beauty buys, fashion finds and more.

And if you’re not sure where to start, why not look to the “Favorite Things” maven herself? We spotted a number of Oprah’s go-tos deeply discounted, from e-readers to the comfy loungewear brand that makes her list basically every year.

Find your own new favorite below (and don’t forget to check out our continuously updated guide to the best skin care ad makeup markdowns.)

Philosophy Hope in a Jar smooth-glow multi-tasking moisturizer with pro-vitamin P, glycolic, and hyaluronic acids. — Philosophy

While hundreds of items have been deemed “favorites” over the years, only a select few made the cut for Oprah’s “Ultimate Favorite Things” list in 2010 — including the original version of this face cream.

“Hands down the best moisturizer I’ve ever used,” Oprah raved at the time, saying she’d already been using it for a decade.

Cozy Earth just might be one of Winfrey’s favorite bedding brands on earth. She’s included its products on her coveted list a whopping seven times to date, calling this bamboo sheet set the “softest ever” in 2018.

Kris Jenner also said she sleeps on Cozy Earth sheets “every single night” in a video with the brand. (Not to mention, our editors are seriously impressed with the luxe-feeling, cooling bamboo fabric.)

A pair of Apple AirPods Pro 3 earbuds. — Apple

Listening up for a deal on AirPods? Oprah featured an earlier version of Apple’s Bluetooth buds back in 2018. For a limited time, the latest Pro version is deeply discounted on Amazon.

A model in a white shirt and NYDJ Marilyn Straight Leg Jeans — NYDJ

Oprah declared NYDJ her “favorite denim brand” in 2018 — and right now, several of its best-selling styles are on sale for Prime Day.

A set of three fuzzy socks — Barefoot Dreams

Oprah loves a cozy find. She regularly includes a lengthy section of comfy gifts on her list, including these socks made from the same fabric as the blankets stars love.

Kindle Paperwhite showing a book page. — Amazon

Reading up on Amazon’s e-reader deals? The Kindle’s another now-ubiquitous tech item Oprah was among the first to name a “favorite” years ago. Now, you can score the latest version for under $125.

JW PEI Harlee Shoulder Bag in maroon. — JW Pei

While everyone from Anne Hathaway to Selena Gomez owns JW Pei’s surprisingly affordable bags, this crescent-shaped style is Oprah’s “favorite.”

A person wearing a black cropped puffer jacket, black turtleneck, and blue jeans. — Orolay

Remember the “Amazon coat”? Just think of this as the latest iteration. Long after helping the Orolay Thickened Down Jacket go viral in 2019, Oprah declared this cropped version a new favorite in 2025.

Beats Studio3 Wireless headphones in brown. — Beats

Music to our ears: a deal on Oprah’s go-to over-the-ear headphones, which have appeared on multiple “Favorite Things” lists.

White Nori steam iron with a brown leather cord wrap. — Nori

Deals are heating up on this easy-to-use portable iron. Oprah shouted it out in 2022, saying it “quickly presses both sides of a shirt, dress, or pair of pants and reaches its highest temperature in three minutes.”

Black and white marble square frame glasses. — Peepers

Peepers’ blue light-blocking glasses have appeared on Oprah’s “Favorite Things” list a whopping nine times. In 2022, she selected this “terrific” design, which she likes to coordinate with her outfits.

Woman modeling a soft white crewneck sweatshirt and matching pants. — Softies

Oprah’s also clearly got a soft spot for Softies, another “Favorite Things” regular. While the exact set from her 2025 list isn’t on sale, this comfy crewneck set is just as cute and cozy.

Prime Day FAQs, answered

When is Prime Day?

This year, Amazon Prime Day runs across four days, from Tuesday, June 23 at 3 a.m. ET through Saturday, June 27 at 3 a.m. ET.

Do you have to be a Prime member to shop?

Prime Day is Amazon’s premiere sale event, meaning it’s a member-exclusive. You can get a 30-day free trial to enjoy Prime Day savings (plus all the benefits of the subscription) with no strings attached.

What’s new for Prime Day 2026?

Unlike previous years, this year Prime Day is pushed up to June. With that change, Amazon is also introducing several new incentives sweepstakes, opportunities to win gift cards, exclusive travel deals and even more, even bigger Prime Day deals.

What deals are actually worth shopping?

From deal-hunting on Amazon sales for years, we know the sale is the perfect time to save on top-rated tech like Apple AirPods, restock your favorite beauty and skincare, peruse accessories like jewelry and handbags, and comb through all of Amazon’s best-sellers for steep discounts.

When is Amazon’s next Prime Day?

For those already wondering about the next sale, we’re expecting Amazon to run back its October Prime Big Deal Days sale in fall of 2026. Page Six Style will have all the latest news here.

Why Trust Page Six Style Shopping

This article was written by Hannah Southwick, Commerce Associate Editor for Page Six. Hannah spies deals on actually affordable celebrity-worn styles, puts celebrities’ brands to the test and finds the beauty products that keep stars red carpet-ready. She consults stylists and industry pros — including celebs themselves — for firsthand product recommendations, trend predictions and more. In addition to writing for Page Six since 2020, her work has been featured in USA Today and Parade.