Drake Von & Jeffree Star Collab Gets Major Backlash (Seriously, Why?)

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In the world of sex workers, "collabs" are part of how people grow audiences and gain fans.

This time, however, it's shaping up to do the opposite.

A couple of years ago, Drake Von was the breakout star of the porn world.

What in the world is he doing with disgraced makeup influencer (turned MAGA yak rancher) Jeffree Star?

In an alarming video jumpscare, adult performer Drake Von allowed disgraced former beauty YouTuber to jump onto his back. (Image Credit: YouTube)

Drake Von should be better than this

In 2023 and 2024, Drake Von — real name Dawson Bacon, which would frankly also work well as a porn star pseudonym — skyrocketed to the top of a lot of adult streaming sites.

(He should not be confused with his identical twin, Silas Brooks, who is also in the industry. They are rumored to dislike each other. A conspiracy theory claims that they are secretly the same person)

Von has taken home awards, some of which have NFSW titles. He is known for filming gay, bisexual, and straight scenes, appealing to a wide audience.

Prior to this, his biggest controversy was arguably occasionally using zooming software to arguably distort the size of his genitals in some photos and videos. (To be clear, he doesn't need the digital help)

Which is what makes his recent revelation so deeply unsettling to his millions of his fans.

Drake Von inexplicably collaborating with racist & alleged predator Jeffree Star? hate that

[image or embed]

— fanana hammock (@fananahammock.bsky.social) February 13, 2026 at 1:40 PM

Just after midnight on Friday, February 13, Drake Von shared this stomach-turning Instagram video.

He appears alone at first, before a second person joins him, hopping onto his back for a piggy back ride.

Multiple commenters characterized it as a "jumpscare." They're not wrong.

Others shared their condemnation, unfollowing Von. Some even pleaded with him to make better choices.

That is because the other man in the video is Jeffree Star.

Many Instagram commenters shared their distress over Drake Von's cozy video with Jeffree Star. This one gets to the heart of the matter. (Image Credit: Instagram)

At this point, Jeffree Star is better known for being a bad person than for makeup or yak meat or whatever

Cataloguing the many reasons for which people not only dislike but actively and passionately hate Jeffree Star is a worthy but lengthy endeavor. We'll stick to the highlights.

Years ago, Star was an aspiring musician. He was a MySpace user. And he made a name for himself in the early years of YouTube for his makeup reviews.

The first bad thing that most of us heard about him was allegations of racism. As you can imagine, videos of him using the n-word didn't help his case.

(Kim Kardashian apologized for mistakenly defending him, and cut professional ties with him shortly after her own ill-advised collab with Star back in 2017)

A detailed 2020 report by journalist Kat Tenbarge contained multiple allegations of sexual assault and hush-money payoffs by Star. Star has denied wrongdoing, despite records of 5-figure payoffs from his cosmetics company.

This is who you're promoting 🤮🤮🤮🤮🖕🏼🤮🖕🏼🤮🖕🏼🤮🖕🏼🤮🖕🏼🖕🏼🤮🖕🏼🖕🏼🤮🖕🏼🤮🤮🖕🏼🤮 fucking disgusting 🤢 pic.twitter.com/WlSiH4m90I

— Jacob (@opalmorningstar) February 13, 2026

In more recent years, Star has relocated to Wyoming. There, he appears to be using his wealth to ingratiate himself with local businesses.

He owns a yak farm. And, unfortunately, he has not simply gone into quiet retirement.

Instead, Star has gone on alarming rants defending Charlie Kirk and bashing trans people, particularly the nonbinary community.

Star went on a podcast to call for both "T" and "Q" to be removed from the LGBTQ acronym. He is also saying that he does not identify with the label "gay," despite his history of dating men more or less exclusively.

We can't really say that his alt-right shift is a surprise. It also doesn't seem like a grift concocted to deflect allegations of sexual misconduct. Based upon his history, all of this bigotry seems like Star's authentic self.

It's likely that Drake Von believed that his Jeffree Star association was just a cheeky reveal. Followers are disgusted and outraged. (Image Credit: YouTube)

It isn't guilt by association, but it IS very poor judgment

So, yes, a lot of people are extremely disappointed in Drake Von right now. Not just on Instagram, but even in tweets from people who didn't leave even after the platform stopped being called Twitter.

We don't know if they're filming actual content (that is, porn) together, hooking up, or merely trolling. (With an image that we absolutely cannot show you, it's clear that there has been at least some sexual contact, even if it was only for an incendiary photo)

It's probably no surprise to hear that a lot of people are telling Von that they're unfollowing him and unsubscribing. (It's not all talk; anecdotally, we know that people are unfollowing him as they see this, even if it's probably not the majority of his fans)

Von has a lot of fans who are trans, who are Black, or who aren't but still care about right and wrong.

We don't believe in guilt by association — bigotry is not an STI. But it says a lot about Von that he's willing to associate with Star in any capacity, let alone allow him to touch him.

Maybe he's only now finding out what sort of person he's working with. Maybe everyone should watch Matt Bernstein's Jeffree Star video to familiarize themselves with one of beauty YouTube's worst villains.

Drake Von & Jeffree Star Collab Gets Major Backlash (Seriously, Why?) was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

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Greg Gutfeld: Fox News Host Says Savannah Guthrie Should Take a Polygraph Test as …

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Greg Gutfeld has a long history of pushing the envelope with provocative comments.

But even some of his fans think the Fox News host went too far with his suggestion about how investigators should approach the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie.

As you've likely heard by now, the 84-year-old mother of Today show anchor Savannah Guthrie was taken from her home on Saturday, February 1.

Greg Gutfeld speaks during 2022 FOX Nation Patriot Awards at Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood on November 17, 2022 in Hollywood, Florida. (Photo by Jason Koerner/Getty Images)

Nearly two weeks later, police are not much closer to locating Nancy or arresting the people responsible for her abduction.

This week saw some breaks in the case — including video of a masked man standing at Nancy's door on the night of her disappearance — but police still have no suspect or person of interest.

And Gutfeld believes they might be looking in the wrong places.

Speaking with former NYPD detective Paul Mauro, Gutfeld suggested this week that investigators should ask Savannah to submit to a polygraph test.

"That would be having the least likely suspect, Savannah Guthrie, offer to do a polygraph, which will then put necessary pressure on others inside and outside the circle to do the same. Since no one has been ruled out, it's one step forward in ruling in," Gutfield said (via Radar Online).

Savannah and Nancy Guthrie during one of Nancy's many guest appearances on the 'Today' show. (YouTube)

"Anybody who says no or bristles looks unusual," he continued.

Mauro replied that his "understanding" was that police "haven't done anything relative to a polygraph."

"I'm not sure we necessarily would've heard, but I think we would with the way things happen going out here," Mauro added.

"And as we all know, it's not admissible in court, but it can be a pointer."

It seems that Gutfeld made the suggestion so that police could see which members of the family would be hesitant to take the test.

Nancy Guthrie is still missing, several days after being taken from her home. (YouTube)

But as many on social media pointed out, that's not really how police investigations work, and this family has already been through quite enough.

"Greg Gutfeld kept joking about the details surrounding the alleged abduction of Nancy Guthrie. He came across as a child jealous that someone else was getting attention. There's absolutely nothing funny about this horrific case," wrote one user on X (formerly Twitter), per Radar.

"It almost seemed like Greg Gutfeld went out of his way to be as inappropriate as possible while discussing the alleged kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie, an 84-year-old grandmother," the account continued.

"Fox News has made this story its number one focus now for two weeks."

But the most scathing comment may have come from the famously sharp-tongued literary legend Joyce Carol Oates, who pointed out that Gutfeld and his colleagues probably wouldn't be giddy at the prospect of taking a polygraph test.

"fun to ask Fox News people, including Gutfeld, to take polygraphs to determine if they're lying to Fox viewers."

"How many do you think would say, 'Sure! Happy to take a polygraph.'"

She's got a point. Perhaps Gutfeld should leave this investigation up to the experts.

Greg Gutfeld: Fox News Host Says Savannah Guthrie Should Take a Polygraph Test as … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

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Nicole Curtis Apology Includes Lengthy ‘Explanation’ & Might Make Her …

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Apologies are great. They don't fix everything, but they're a good start.

When apologies turn into defenses, over-explanations, and worse … they can make things worse.

Disgraced former HGTV star Nicole Curtis should have stuck to her apology.

Unfortunately, her lengthy self-defense isn't reassuring people like she had hoped that it would.

Former HGTV star Nicole Curtis landed herself in hot water after spewing a slur. (Image Credit: HGTV)

Most of the time, an earnest apology does not need a lengthy explanation

She started off strong. Well, relatively speaking, considering the abhorrent thing for which she was apologizing.

"I want to be clear: the word in question is wrong and not part of my vocabulary and never has been, and I apologize to everyone," the former Rehab Addict star told TMZ.

According to Curtis, she did not receive a head's up from HGTV that her show was getting pulled — on the very same day on which it had been scheduled to return from hiatus.

As we reported, her initial statement was anodyne at worst, and arguably graceful.

My focus, at this moment is rightfully on my relationships, and my community," she affirmed. "The people who truly know my character and where my heart is."

Is Nicole Curtis sorry? Yes. She has a lot more to add that may or may not be helpful. (Image Credit: Instagram)

Unfortunately, Curtis decided to take to Instagram on the evening of Thursday, February 12 to post an extremely lengthy and ill-advised caption.

"There is anger, there is hate, there is pain. I'm here to take it," she wrote.

"I haven't been hiding, ignoring, waiting for this to pass," Curtis insisted. "I've just been playing this all over and over again."

She continued: "And watching the video and having this all out together to say the right thing, do the right thing after doing the wrongest of wrongs."

To her credit, Curtis did reiterate: "I am sorry. I am filled with remorse and regret, just as much as I was one second after that word was said 4 years ago in 2022."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nicole Curtis (@detroitdesign)

Some of this sounds so defensive that it distracts from the apology

"I show this, I say this and I realize you are getting a limited view as what has been circulating is a clip of MY footage that was stolen then manipulated, edited, and sold to a tabloid to coincide with my return to television," Curtis wrote.

She affirmed: "I make no excuse for this. I am not a victim. Nothing I say or do will take that moment 4 years ago away. I know it was wrong. This will never happen again."

Curtis wrote: "I'm not addressing this because I was 'caught.' I'm here because I am not okay with the fact that I said that."

She added: "I am and have been submerged in the African American community my entire adult life."

Curtis acknowledged: "I am the white, small blonde in the neighborhood who knows that's a word that represents evil, pain, torture, trauma when used by someone like me. And yet, it came from me."

As Nicole Curtis' caption continued, her listing of bad word euphemisms may have gotten her into more trouble, not less. "SOB" is three words, not four. (Image Credit: Instagram)

"You ask — how did that just easily come out," Curtis acknowledged. "I don't have an answer for that. It did and it shocked me as shown."

In a very strange turn, she began listing odd non-obscenities that she has used on television.

"I throw together words, this is documented on 15 years of tv, interviews, posts of these random words," Curtis described.

"The most famous 'son of s beehive digger' which took the place of SOB when I became a mommy and could not swear on TV," she continued.

Curtis bizarrely listed: "I'm recent years, I've added fart digger, fart knocker. It's documented."

On 'Rehab Addict,' Nicole Curtis repaired houses. Her career will require more than power tools and paint, however. (Image Credit: HGTV)

This is a painful situation, but HGTV made the right call

We cannot understand why Curtis would say a slur, let alone the literal worst slur of all.

It is not comparable to merely saying obscenities, which can be awkward on TV (or as a parent), because "f–k" harms advertiser revenue, but slurs harm entire communities –a s she has acknowledged.

(Also … "son of a beehive" would suffice for SOB. We have to ask what role "digger" plays in this. It is, at best, an unfortunate rhyme)

Now, based upon further comments on Instagram, it sounds like Curtis is saying that a vengeful ex leaked this video of her to sabotage her. That's awful! It is not an excuse, and would not have been possible had she not used this slur.

We can understand the impulse to over-explain. A succinct and unwavering apology is better for yourself and, more importantly, for the afflicted community.

Nicole Curtis Apology Includes Lengthy 'Explanation' & Might Make Her … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

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Brandi Glanville: My Implants Ruptured & Grew Mold! That’s Why I’ve Been …

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Ever read an interview that has you saying "NOOOOO" aloud at your screen?

Brandi Glanville's disfigurement is no longer a medical mystery.

It turns out that her breast implants are decades old and also illegal to install these days.

They've ruptured. Brandi says that one of her implants appears to have become filled with black mold.

During an August 2025 interview, Brandi Glanville delivered an update about her facial disfigurement and the staggering cost of paying out of pocket for treatments. (Image Credit: Us Weekly)

What was the mystery ailment?

As Brandi spent an alarming amount of money searching for a diagnosis and actual treatment for her disfigurement, she ultimately decided to undergo a sonogram.

"The implants that I have in right now, that are almost 20 years old, are no longer made. They're illegal," Brandi told the Daily Enquirer in a new interview.

"You're supposed to change them every 10 years, they say," she acknowledged.

"But I'm also, I was like, if it's not broken, don't fix it," Brandi added.

Not unreasonably, she asked: "Who wants to have a surgery, let alone an extensive surgery?"

(The answer is, well, people who don't want to risk a medical nightmare like she's been suffering)

"She called me a few days later, the woman that did the sonogram," she recalled. "And she was like, 'Brandi? You need to get those out yesterday.'"

Brandi continued: "She's like, 'You have a slow leak in your left one and your right one's completely ruptured, and it's in all your lymph nodes under both arms.'"

The call continued: "'And that's probably why whatever's going on in your face.'"

Brandi recalled the caller explaining: "'It can't drain because your lymph nodes are clogged with silicone.'"

During an Entertainment Tonight segment on YouTube, Brandi Glanville highlights the regions of her face that have experienced odd disfigurement amidst her medical mystery in late 2024. (Image Credit: YouTube/Entertainment Tonight)

If that weren't bad enough, there's also the mold issue

According to Brandi, the technician said "that she thought she might have saw some mold on there, on one of the implants."

She expressed: "And that's scary because, you know, I've never felt back to normal since the black mold poisoning."

It's only been a few years since Brandi and her handsome sons, Mason and Jake, got black mold poisoning from a rental house. (Yes, just like Tori Spelling did)

"One of the houses we leased, we all got very sick," she explained.

Brandi added: "We did get a settlement from the landlord, but that's something that we all kind of will always fight."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Brandi Glanville (@brandiglanville)

"My kids were lucky enough to move, you know, out," Brandi acknowledged. "And I had to stay there and deal with it."

She clarified: "I mean, I moved out eventually, but it's life threatening. It is."

Brandi admitted: "And I never thought something like fun, like implants, like, to me."

In an illuminating comment, she added: "I don't know one person out of my friends that doesn't have them."

Ultimately, the rest didn't matter. Brandi reasoned: "So, I need them out."

On 'Ultimate Girls Trip,' Brandi Glanville throws a lifeline to a fellow Bravolebrity. (Image Credit: Peacock)

"I don't regret getting them," Brandi affirmed.

She added: "I regret not thinking they had anything to do with what was going on in my head and my neck."

From the start of Brandi's medical journey, the world has speculated about whether she was suffering some sort of parasitic infection or from cosmetic surgery gone wrong.

Old breast implants with a moldy growth in them is, arguably, both.

We have to emphasize that it seems possible that the ailment goes beyond the implants. But they clearly weren't helping.

Brandi Glanville: My Implants Ruptured & Grew Mold! That's Why I've Been … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

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Bethenny Frankel Believes Savannah Guthrie’s Mom May Have Been Kidnapped By Rival …

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It's been nearly two weeks since Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her home in Tucson.

And in that time, we've heard countless theories about how and why someone might have abducted the 84-year-old mother of Today show anchor Savannah Guthrie.

But while most of the speculation has consisted of plausible theories, Bethenny Frankel has offered up an explanation straight out of a made-for-Netflix crime thriller.

Bethenny Frankel attends the iHeartRadio Z100’s Jingle Ball 2022 Presented by Capital One at Madison Square Garden on December 9, 2022 in New York, New York. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for iHeartRadio)

Yes, Frankel — who recently made headlines as one of several former Bravo stars to take offense at Bad Bunny's halftime show — is firing off yet another hot take. And this is one for the ages.

In a recent TikTok, Bethenny suggested that Nancy may have been abducted by a rival journalist who is jealous of Savannah's success.

"Can you guys share with me your theories in the horrific Nancy Guthrie kidnapping?" Frankel asked her followers.

"They say that the ransom note was written by someone extremely articulate, who has connections to TV stations in Arizona," she continued.

"And Savannah, years ago, worked at TV stations in Arizona. They said that if the ransom were given, [Nancy] would be returned within a matter of hours to Tucson."

@bethennyfrankel

Help me with the missing details please #nancyguthrie

♬ original sound – Bethenny Frankel

All of this led Bethenny to the conclusion that Nancy might have been abducted by a former colleague of Savannah's who has been seething with envy for years.

"So is it some competitive journalist that Savannah won, got the gig, broke out, and made all the big bucks, and that person has resentment and wants to get their payday that they deserve?" Frankel asked.

"I have not heard anything like that, and why does that type of thing sound logical to me?"

It's a bit of a far-fetched premise, but several of Bethenny's followers believe she's onto something.

"I don't think you're wrong. Any theory at this point is plausible," one user wrote.

"Oh I'm all over this one," another added.

Savannah and Nancy Guthrie during one of Nancy's many guest appearances on the 'Today' show. (YouTube)

"That's a good one, haven't heard that one yet. Hopefully FBI is investigating all that type of stuff. The poor woman," a third chimed in.

Investigators have used clues from the suspect's clothing to try and track him down, and video taken the same night shows a man with a similar backpack attempting to gain access to the backyard of a different home.

If it's the same man, then Bethenny's "rival journalist" theory grows even more implausible, and the abduction of Nancy was probably random.

Ransom notes have been sent, but police and the Guthrie family have been unable to determine if the author of the notes actually knows Nancy's whereabouts.

Police are desperate for leads, and just about any explanation is possible at this point — but Bethenny's take doesn't seem especially likely.

Bethenny Frankel Believes Savannah Guthrie's Mom May Have Been Kidnapped By Rival … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

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Allison Holker Engaged Over 3 Years After Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss’ Death

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Being Stephen "tWitch" Boss' widow has not been an easy road.

But now, years later, Allison Holker has found love again.

Not only did she build a new relationship, but they're now taking things to the next level.

She's engaged!

In a video interview, widow Allison Holker discussed her best hopes for her children. (Image Credit: People/YouTube)

She's engaged!

From 2013 until his tragic death in 2022, Holker was married to Stephen "tWitch" Boss.

They did not divorce. Boss died by suicide.

Everyone moves on — or doesn't — at their own pace.

Holker and tech executive Adam Edmunds didn't debut their relationship until September 2024.

Now, things have moved to the next level.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Allison Holker (@allisonholker)

On Thursday, February 12, Holker took to Instagram to share the exciting news.

"We're ENGAGED!" she shared in the post.

"It was the most romantic night of my life!" she gushed.

Sometimes, engagement announcements come within a few hours of a proposal.

In this case, they waited nearly a week to share the happy update. The proposal came at the celebration for her February 6 birthday.

In a lengthy caption, Allison Holker announced her engagement to Adam Edmunds. (Image Credit: Instagram)

'The whole night was magic'

"I am so in love with you Adam," she raved in her lengthy Instagram caption.

"Baby, I am forever grateful for you and the impact you have had in my life and my kids' lives," she expressed.

"I am a better person because of you," Holker affirmed. "You helped me find me again and showed me how to love."

She wrote: "Every morning I wake up I feel safe knowing you are my person at my side."

Holker added: "You and your kids coming into our lives has been the biggest blessing."

"You surprised me with a surprise birthday party and then surprised me and all our guests at the party with a surprise proposal party," Holker revealed.

"The whole night was magic," she gushed, "and you had every detail thought out to make it even more special."

Holker gushed: "Thank you for bringing all the people we love together to celebrate our love. Thank you for bringing in Clinton Kane to sing our song I guess I'm in love. Thank you to Troy, April, and Kat who helped bring your vision to life."

She continued: "I love you all and appreciate you so much. Thank you for seeing me for all of me and loving me for it!"

Holker concluded: "Adam, I will always support you, hold you and love you! You are my everything Adam."

Allison Holker Engaged Over 3 Years After Stephen 'tWitch' Boss' Death was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

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James Van Der Beek Received ‘Almost Nothing’ From ‘Dawson’s …

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Shortly after news got out that James Van Der Beek had passed away, many of his famous friends contributed to his GoFundMe page and encouraged their followers to do the same.

Fans and friends have now raised more than $2 million for James' family.

While it's nice to see folks rallying behind such a worthy cause, many have been left wondering how James — who first gained fame in his early 20s — could wind up in such dire financial straits in his final years.

James Van Der Beek arrives at the premiere of Prime Video Series "Overcompensating" at Hollywood Palladium on May 14, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Well, for starters, healthcare costs remain astronomical in the US, and James had been battling colorectal cancer since 2024.

But it seems that the Van Der Beeks' financial situation may have been somewhat uncertain even before James behan his treatments.

In addition to being a father to six children, James says he signed a "bad contract" after being cast on Dawson's Creek at the age of 20.

"There was no residual money," he told Today.com in 2012. "It was a bad contract," he explained. "I saw almost nothing from that."

James went on to note that he signed on to costar in the short-lived ABC sitcom Don't Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 in, "when the [Dawson's Creek] money ran out."

James Van Der Beek (R) and Kimberly Van Der Beek attend HFC’s Brain Health Dinner on September 30, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images for Hilarity for Charity)

On the show, James played a fictionalized version of himself who was desperate to revive his flagging acting career.

"It is very easy if you have all the money in the world to just sit back and coast," he said in the 2012 interview.

"But if you realized that you are going to have to start providing for yourself and for your family, it really forces you to buckle down."

Actress Rachel True elaborated on the financial realities of modern television in a recent Instagram post:

James Van Der Beek attends the "Overcompensating" Screening And After-Party at Hollywood Palladium on May 14, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Prime Video)

"TV shows not on ABC, CBS, or NBC are considered already 'syndicated' & all that means they don't have to pay proper residuals to actors," she wrote on Wednesday.

"It F's actors like James out of their deserved financial security & proper legacy ~I did 2 eps of Dawson's Creek He was a delight."

Yes, stars of hit TV shows are initially paid well, but Dawson's Creek wrapped its six-season run way back in 2003, and the days of endless residual checks for syndicated reruns are over.

James went on to wow critics with his work in acclaimed films like 2002's The Rules of Attraction, but unfortunately, strong reviews don't equal big paychecks.

Celebrity contributors to James' GoFundMe include Steven Spielberg, Zoe Saldaña, Dancing With the Stars personality Derek Hough.

You can contribute to the fundraiser here.

James Van Der Beek Received 'Almost Nothing' From 'Dawson's … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

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