James Franco Was ‘Shopped Out of Vanity Fair’s Hollywood Cover at the Last Minute

In a statement given to The Hollywood Reporter, a spokesperson for Vanity Fair confirmed the magazine Photoshopped (or whatever software they use as a verb) James Franco out of their annual Hollywood cover “after learning of misconduct allegations against him.”

No reshoot was required, they add, because these yearly Leibovitzian monstrosities—excuse me, tableaus—are composites. Like, you know, Michael Shannon and Zendaya probably weren’t in the room when Reese and Nicole were draping themselves on Oprah. Michael B. Jordon probably never met Tom Hanks. And there’s a good chance Harrison Ford and Robert De Niro made Annie Leibovitz come to their respective homes for a quick snap. (Am I convinced those are even their bodies? Not fully!)

THR writes:

It’s unclear when the final decision was made but it likely was a sprint to the presses as the allegations surfaced only days after the Globes, in a Los Angeles Times report published Jan. 11.

Should’ve been all women again, but what do I know.

[THR]

---

And because it’s a day that ends in ‘y,’ we have a little more Matt Lauer news for you all. From Page Six, of course.

It was Nov. 23, 2017, the Macy’s Thankgiving Day Parade. Dressed in monochromatic black, a “gray and tired-looking” Matt Lauer was overheard telling a co-worker, “This is going to be my last parade.”

They continue:

[In mid-November] NBC President Noah Oppenheimer and Chairman Andy Lack, Lauer’s close friend, and others approached him “several times,” asking, “Is there anything we should know or be worried about?”

Lauer responded each time, “I am racking my brains, but I can’t think of anything.”

[Page Six]

---

Goop finds the worst way to articulate everything, doesn’t she?

[People]

---

• Now THIS is a headline. [Celebitchy]
• I’m really into Justin Bieber’s churchgoing outfit. [The Hollywood Life]
• Is anyone surprised that Suge Knight’s lawyers are probably criminals? [Page Six]
• Mila Kunis weighed on Harvard’s Hasty Pudding drama. [Page Six]
• It’s Katherine Heigl time!!!!!! [Those Heavenly Days]