Entertainment
Kelly Clarkson reveals ‘lying’ ‘American Idol’ stiffed her on $1 million prize, new car

Kelly Clarkson accused “American Idol” of “lying” about the $1 million check that she was supposed to receive after becoming the singing competition’s very first winner.
The 43-year-old “Since U Been Gone” songstress made the bombshell claim during Tuesday’s episode of “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” where she was joined by “Harry Potter” actor Daniel Radcliffe and reality star Rob Rausch.
Clarkson brought up the topic while discussing Rausch’s $220,800 winnings from Season 4 of “The Traitors” — which he revealed he still hasn’t received.
“You know what, I relate to this!” Clarkson said. “I relate to this so hardcore. You probably weren’t alive when I was on ‘American Idol,’ but I was literally on the show.”
The “Breakaway” singer claimed the show’s promises didn’t match what she actually got.
“They were like, ‘Oh, you win a million dollars,’ or whatever,” Clarkson said. “No, you didn’t. They lied. It was like a million dollars’ worth of investment in you.”
Radcliffe looked stunned and cut in: “Wait, what?”
“Yes!” Clarkson insisted, adding that she also never received another major prize she thought she had won.
“They said you get a car,” she explained. “And I needed it because my car was bashed in, and I couldn’t afford the deductible. And then — no! I did not get a car.”
Clarkson then claimed that Clay Aiken, who finished runner-up on the show’s second season, did end up getting a car.
“Clay Aiken, who didn’t win the second season, got a car — and [so did] his mom!” she told the audience as the crowd erupted in disbelief.
“I was like, ‘What the f–k!’” Clarkson added, recalling a conversation with the singer at the time. “He’s like, ‘Yeah, they gave my mom one.’ I was like, ‘I’m gonna actually kick your ass right now.’”
Radcliffe joked that early winners of a show should receive upgraded prizes if the rewards improve later.
“There should be some system where if you win something on the first season of something, whatever the prize has become, you should retroactively get that,” he said.
Clarkson pushed back, insisting the rewards had already been promised at the time.
“No, it was supposed to be the prize then, OK? It was supposed to be the prize then!” she said.
She then jokingly warned Rausch he might also be waiting a while for his payout.
“That’s why I’m saying — you might not see it,” Clarkson quipped. “But, you know, I hope you got enough TV time.”
Clarkson famously won the inaugural season of “American Idol” in 2002, launching a chart-topping career with hits including “A Moment Like This,” “Behind These Hazel Eyes,” and “Because of You.”
In September, the singer reflected on the 23rd anniversary of her win, thanking fans who voted for her during the show’s early days.
“Winning ‘American Idol’ changed my life and I will be forever grateful for all of you that have supported me for so many years,” she wrote on social media.
She added, “It is a gift to find your purpose and passion, and to be able to make a living doing it is the cherry on top. Thank you, always.”
The candid comments come shortly after Clarkson announced she would be stepping away from her NBC daytime talk show after seven seasons to spend more time with her children, River, 11, and Remington, 9.
Her decision followed a difficult year after the death of her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock, who died in August following a battle with cancer.
Entertainment
Jennifer Lopez, 56, shows off washboard abs following early morning gym session

Jennifer Lopez is flaunting her impressive abs with sultry selfies.
The 56-year-old entertainer posted pics of herself during an early morning workout Sunday, wearing a cropped long-sleeved top, glittery black leggings that she rolled down to show her hips, and white sneakers.
Lopez struck a pose in the mirror to show off her washboard abs, which her outfit highlighted to perfection.
She captioned the pics with a flexed biceps emoji, and also wrote on her Instagram Stories of the pics, “Rise and grind.”
The “Let’s Get Loud” singer got plenty of support in the comments section, including from celeb fitness expert Tracy Anderson, who wrote, “Those abs!!! 💕💕💕.”
Another comment reads, “Pure discipline. Timeless inspiration. ❤️.”
Last month, Lopez said she was “happy” and “free” following her divorce from Ben Affleck, 53.
“I’m in my happy era,” Lopez said in an interview with “Nightline.” “I think, for the first time in my life, I feel like I’m free; I’m on my own. And it feels really good.”
She noted that she’s also learned to stop putting so much pressure on herself.
“I’ve gotten to the point where I really trust myself and appreciate myself a little bit more, instead of being so hard on myself and always trying to prove myself,” she shared.
Lopez admitted that she “had to stop everything” and take “a year off from work” to properly heal from her fourth divorce.
“I canceled tours and just decided to be home and sit in what had happened without running away from it through work, through another person, through anything – just sit,” she recalled.
Lopez certainly appears to currently be living her best life. She made her surprise Coachella debut earlier this month, when she shocked the crowd by coming out during David Guetta’s set to perform her new song, “Save Me Tonight,” which he produced.
She showed off her super-fit physique in a plunging silver high-cut bodysuit and over-the-knee boots.
Her and Affleck’s divorce also appears friendly. The Oscar winner shockingly gifted Lopez his entire share of their $60 million mansion in Beverly Hills, California, that they bought when they were married.
The two tied the knot on July 16, 2022, and were married for two years before she filed for divorce in August 2024.
Entertainment
Why Golden Globe-winning actress Ann Jillian quit Hollywood at her career peak

Ann Jillian went from a Disney child star to a ’80s sitcom favorite, even portraying her own battle with cancer on screen.
Then, at the height of her career, she walked away from Hollywood.
The actress, who won a Golden Globe in 1989 for the TV movie “The Ann Jillian Story,” recently appeared on the podcast “Famous with Jacy Dawn Valeras” to discuss leaving showbiz at the peak of her career.
“I’ve been out of it for a while,” said the 76-year-old. “I’ve been out of it for a good reason. I gave birth to my one and only son when I was 42, and I took that seriously too.
“Now, maybe somebody out there can do this, and good for them,” she said, speaking about balancing both motherhood and fame.
“I love that they can. For me, I recognize that I cannot. Since I like to focus on what I do, I cannot do all things at the same time.
“I can, over the course of a lifetime — the life that the good Lord has given me — I can do everything that I want to do, but not all at the same time. Ultimately, if you try to do it all at the same time, something is going to suffer because your focus is going to go away from one thing.
“And I was determined at my age, at 42, that it was more likely going to be my only son,” Jillian added.
The actress got her start as a child star whose stage name was given to her by Walt Disney himself before she starred in 1961’s “Babes in Toyland.”
Just a year later, she appeared in 1962’s “Gypsy” alongside Natalie Wood and Rosalind Russell.
Jillian successfully grew up in the public eye and went on to star in the TV series “It’s a Living” from 1980 to 1986. In 1985, Jillian was diagnosed with cancer at age 35, which she fought — and won.
In 1992, Jillian gave birth to Andrew Joseph Murcia, the Los Angeles Times reported. Jillian said on the podcast that she had no regrets about her decision to prioritize motherhood.
“I felt that I had a great career,” she explained. “When I left the industry, so to speak, it was after my son was born … I had to be there to put him to bed. But then he had to grow roots. He had to go to school. And I thought about this.
“I thought, ‘I don’t want to be a thousand miles away if he gets a boo-boo. I don’t want to be a thousand miles away when he wants to talk about something just terrible that happened at school or just wonderful that happened at school.’
“I want to be there to see him get his first communion,” she said. “I don’t want to be in front of a camera somewhere when it’s time for him to have his first communion.
“So, basically, I hung up my dancing shoes, so to speak, and said, ‘Nope, nope, this is the most important role I have to play right now, and that’s being a mom.’
“I’m sure I made some mistakes along the way,” Jillian continued. “But I learned an awful lot, too. And I had the privilege with my husband and God of bringing life into the world and raising a young man who is now an international tax attorney.
“He’s handsome. He’s witty. He could have been an actor because he’s got a mind like a steel trap, his delivery is way better than mine ever was and he has a great voice. And I wouldn’t trade that for the world, for the time that I was gone.”
Over the years, Jillian has been selective in choosing gigs that won’t keep her far away from her family. Her last appearance was in a 2000 episode of “Walker, Texas Ranger.”
“I love my industry,” Jillian told the outlet. “I love what I did during the time that I was in that industry. I loved the job that I had and was thankful for it. I was really thankful … I find it remarkable when I look at it now.”
In 2021, Jillian spoke to Fox News Digital about how many people viewed her as a sex symbol during her time on “It’s a Living.”
“Well, it didn’t bother me,” Jillian said at the time. “I took it more as [the public] appreciated my looks. And that was fine with me. When you look good, you feel good. And that’s how I felt.
“I certainly don’t approve of some of the things that have happened over the years [in the industry],” she said.
“I support women standing up for themselves. But if you ask me specifically how I felt about that title back then, then I have to be very honest with you. And the truth is, I felt quite honored that people liked the way I looked, and I pleased their eyes. I was fine with that.”
Jillian also noted that faith kept her grounded in Hollywood.
“Some might say it’s not a normal childhood to go into a studio in front of cameras,” she said.
“That’s true. But from a young age, I was taught that it was just playing pretend. I just got paid for it. And playing pretend is very childlike, and it made me happy. I was never forced. I did it because I loved it. And I think that made the difference.”
Entertainment
Al Pacino and Beverly D’Angelo reunite for his 86th birthday

Al Pacino and Beverly D’Angelo may have split in 2004, but that didn’t stop them from celebrating the “Godfather” star’s 86th birthday together.
The former couple was spotted stepping out in Beverly Hills on Friday evening, the night before Pacino’s big day.
D’Angelo, 74, went casual in a pair of black pants and a beige blazer, accessorizing with a colorful scarf and gold sunglasses.
The “National Lampoon’s Vacation” star carried a tan leather handbag and finished the look with comfy sneakers for the outing.
The “Scarface” icon, meanwhile, wore a navy blue jacket with black pants and sneakers. He finished the ensemble with a pair of round sunglasses, a scarf and a beanie cap.
The former couple are parents to grown twins Anton and Olivia, 25, whom they welcomed in 2001 via IVF amid a relationship that lasted from 1996 to 2004.
“In 1997, he looked me in the eye and said ‘I want you to be the mother of my children,’ and although I’d avoided that role my whole life, I was deeply in love and I was 100 percent in,” D’Angelo said in a 2023 Instagram video.
While she admitted that their split was “complicated,” she also emphasized that their commitment to their children has triumphed.
“Yikes, it got complicated, and our split was finalized in 2004,” she shared, adding that “the power of our love for our children was the basis for resolving our conflicts and creating a new history as coparents.”
“As for me and Al, it is a unique and profound friendship between two artists that endures to this day, through thick and thin, 27 years now of doing it our way, and there you have it,” she told followers at the time.
The entire family was spotted enjoying an outing back in 2023, with Pacino and D’Angelo taking their twins — then 22 years old — to a Los Angeles escape room.
Since their split, D’Angelo appears to have remained single, while Pacino — who also shares daughter Julie Marie, 36, with ex-girlfriend Jan Tarrant — has welcomed son Roman, 2, with former partner Noor Alfallah.
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