THE HOTLIST - WEDNESDAY MAY 4TH

KIMMEL IS READY FOR RIPA:

 

Jimmy Kimmel will be the first guest host on Live! after Michael Strahan departs on Friday, May 13th. Jimmy will be sitting next to Kelly Ripa on May 16th.

RUMER WILLIS: BULLIED BY VANITY FAIR?

Rumer Willis blasted Vanity Fair for photoshopping an image the magazine took of her and sisters Tallulah and Scout.

Demi Moore's daughter says the photographers altered the pic to make her jaw smaller without her knowledge. She called the move a "form of bullying."

Rumer posted the photo on Instagram and wrote, "Any friends of fans of mine who posted this I would appreciate if you took it down... I find it really offensive for anyone to try and change the way you look so drastically." The pic wasn't published in the magazine or on its website.

The photography team responsible for the photo defended the retouching, saying it "was only done to resolve some distortion with using a wide angle lens for a group shot, and not to alter or modify anyone's face."

Rumer added, "I love the way I look and I won't support anyone who would feel a need to change the way I look to make me beautiful."

SEAN PENN: SETTLES $10 MILLION DOLLAR LAWSUIT:

Sean Penn has settled his defamation lawsuit against Lee Daniels.

In September the Empire creator accused Penn of domestic violence while defending Terrence Howard in an interview. Daniels said theEmpire star “ain’t done nothing different than Marlon Brando or Sean Penn, and all of a sudden he’s some...demon. That’s a sign of the time, of race, of where we are right now in America.”

Sean sued for $10 million, denying the allegations and getting Madonna to submit a sworn declaration saying her ex-husband never hit her.

As part of the settlement, Daniels has issued a public apology and agreed to donate an undisclosed amount to Penn’s J/P Haitian Relief Organization

The apology statement reads:

"I am so sorry that I have hurt you, Sean, and I apologize and retract my reckless statements about you. How thoughtless of me. You are someone I consider a friend, a brilliant actor and true Hollywood legend and humanitarian.

"I too have been the subject of false attacks by others, like those made here. My most important role is as a father, and it is important to me that my children learn that it is wrong to reference gossip as fact, as I did here. That can be very damaging and hurtful domestic violence is a very serious issue. My comments were cavalier; it was not my intention to diminish the severity of the issue, but rather to express a view regarding the disparate treatment of men of color in our national conversation. I apologize again for the distress that this has caused you and your family."
In a statement, Penn says, “I accept Lee’s heartfelt apology and appreciate the sincerity with which it was delivered. I also accept and appreciate his generous donation to J/P HRO, which will have a transformative effect on the lives of those we serve in Haiti.”

BERT AND ERNIE: USED IN STD AD

Sesame Street isn't happy with a company suggesting that Bert and Ernie are gay lovers.

Mately, which makes at-home HIV/STD testing kits, used the roommates in a new ad, with Bert saying, "See Ernie, you've got nothing to worry about, everything is positive!"

A spokesperson for the Sesame Workshop tells TMZ, "The Mately ad is an unauthorized, unlicensed use of our characters. We will be contacting Mately and the appropriate parties with a cease and desist letter instructing them to take this down."

Apparently they sent the letter, because Mately removed the Bert and Ernie images from its website and said there was no intent to "tarnish the Sesame Street brand."

A few years ago Sesame Street denied that Bert and Ernie are gay, explaining they're puppets that don't have a sexual orientation.

MELISSA MCCARTHY: DEFENDS GHOSTBUSTER REBOOT:

Melissa McCarthy is defending the new Ghostbusters movie after its trailer became the most disliked in YouTube history.

In a radio interview, the star explained that the movie has nothing to do with the original. “It’s a reboot, not a remake,” she said. “In the movie, it’s like the first one didn’t happen.” She admitted that the trailer was misleading by claiming the events of the new movie take place “30 years later,” which is not the case. Melissa said, “Believe me, the question was asked. I said, ‘I think it’s very confusing.’ But then everyone said, ‘We don’t care what you think.'”

Ghostbusters, which also stars Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones, hits theaters on July 15th.