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Steve Martin seemingly confirms Martin Short, Meryl Streep romance

PEOPLE
Steve Martin

NEW YORK — Martin Short and Meryl Streep’s rumored romance may have just been confirmed by none other than their “Only Murders in the Building” co-star Steve Martin.

The beloved comedian, 79, kicked off the weekend with an Instagram post that only added fuel to the fire regarding Short and Streep’s suspected relationship.

Martin on Friday shared a screenshot of a Glamour article about the timeline of the relationship rumors, which opens with an image of the trio posing with Streep in the middle. Martin edited the photo to cover his face with the prohibited emoji.

Fans flocked to the comments, asking if Martin was indeed confirming the relationship. “Glad Steve got to be the one to confirm it,” one user wrote.

Streep, 75, and Short, 74, who play love interests Loretta and Oliver in the Hulu series, have been at the center of relationship speculation since January.

At the time, their co-star Selena Gomez made headlines for whispering to best pal Taylor Swift at the Golden Globes. Gomez eventually revealed she was telling the superstar about “two of my friends who hooked up” — which many came to believe was in reference to Streep and Short.

In late January, Short addressed the rumors, saying they were “not a couple” but “very close friends.”

However, by late August, the stars were spotted holding hands at the Season 4 premiere of “Only Murders in the Building.”

Last October, a representative for Streep revealed the Oscar winner and Don Gummer, her husband of 45 years, had been” separated for more than six years.

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Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood reportedly ‘struggling’ after daughter’s arrest, girlfriend’s death

SAN JOSE, Calif. — At age 94, Clint Eastwood is about to release the 40th movie he’s directed in his seven-decade Hollywood career. The courtroom thriller, “Juror #2,” is due in theaters Nov. 1.

But the seemingly indomitable actor/director/screen legend is “having a hard time,” after suffering two significant blows in his personal life, a source close to the Oscar winner has told the Daily Mail.

First, Eastwood’s girlfriend, Christina Sandera, died in July at age 61. Then, his beloved 31-year-old daughter, Francesca Eastwood, was arrested last weekend on suspicion of felony domestic violence.

“Clint is having a hard time dealing with all the recent lows in his life,” the source said about the Bay Area native and long-time resident of Carmel-by-the-Sea.

“Francesca’s arrest could not have come at a worse time in his life because he is feeling pretty sad about losing his girlfriend three months ago,” the source added. “To say he is feeling down is a gross understatement.”

Last weekend’s arrest of Francesca Eastwood, an actor, model and socialite, has made the father of eight feel “that things are out of control in a way that they were not before,” especially because being a good father is “extremely important” to him, the source continued. While Eastwood wants to “be there for his daughter as she sorts through this mess,” he also needs to take care of himself, the source added.

Complicating matters is the fact that Francesca Eastwood has a major supporting role in “Juror #2,” which could become an issue during promotional efforts for the film. Eastwood might have to avoid answering reporters’ questions about his daughter if he attends the Oct. 27 premiere or joins stars Nicholas Hoult and Toni Collette in interviews. It’s likely that studio executives at Warner Bros would prefer that Francesca Eastwood stay away from the press tour or the movie’s premiere at the AFI Fest.

Francesca Eastwood was arrested Saturday, Oct. 12 by the Beverly Hills police after a verbal argument with her boyfriend turned physical, TMZ reported. The gossip site said that she and her boyfriend were driving around in Beverly Hills when they began arguing. Once things got physical, the boyfriend called the police, who advised that he drive them to the Beverly Hills Police Department to meet with officers.

When Francesca Eastwood and her boyfriend showed up, they each spoke to police, who saw physical injuries on the boyfriend, TMZ reported. She was booked on suspicion of felony domestic violence and was released from custody on $50,000 bail.

In its initial report, TMZ didn’t identify the boyfriend, but Francesca Eastwood’s Instagram account has shared images and comments from a personal trainer and actor named Alexander Wraith, with whom she had a baby son in 2018, according to People magazine. The Daily Mail said that Wraith was the alleged victim in the incident.

Francesca Eastwood is one Eastwood’s eight children. She also is the daughter of actor Frances Fisher, whom the actor/director dated from the early to mid-1990s. Fisher had a role in Eastwood’s 1992 Western film, “Unforgiven,” which won best picture and best director.

Per family tradition, Francesca Eastwood also has been cast in roles in her father’s film projects. As a child, she had a role in his 1999 film, “True Crime.” She also was Miss Golden Globe in 2013, after she appeared in the 2012 reality TV series, “Mrs. Eastwood and Company,” led by her former stepmother Dina Eastwood and her half-sister Morgan Eastwood.

But now, Francesca Eastwood has become embroiled in the sort of “drama” that her father would prefer not to deal with at his age, the source said. “When cops get involved it is big drama,” the source said. Francesca’s crisis is especially upsetting for Eastwood because the two are “close” and “speak fairly often.”

Meanwhile, Eastwood is still in mourning for Sandera, his girlfriend of 10 years, who died July 18 of a heart attack, as People reported. In a statement released after her death, Eastwood wrote: “Christina was a lovely, caring woman, and I will miss her very much.”

Eastwood kept his relationship with Sandera relatively private after being involved in several high-profile romances over the decades, including with Francesca’s mother, People said.

Eastwood and Sandera reportedly met when she was working as a hostess at Eastwood’s property, the Mission Ranch Hotel in Carmel-by-the-Sea. The two made their red carpet debut at the 2015 Academy Awards, when Eastwood’s film, “American Sniper” was nominated for six Oscars, including best picture.

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‘Obsessed’ Diddy kept inviting Princes William and Harry to parties, says former rep

NEW YORK — Sean “Diddy” Combs was reportedly at one point” obsessed” with Princes William and Harry, who repeatedly turned down the mogul’s invites to his A-list parties that are now a centerpiece of Combs’ federal sex trafficking case.

Rob Shuter, who worked as a publicist for the Bad Boy Records founder from 2002 to 2004, told BBC News that Combs at the time was realizing “he could get the most attention” by becoming the “party king of New York.”

“He thought of himself as a king so it makes perfect sense that he would like to have two princes in his entourage,” Shuter said, adding the rapper even kept framed photos of the British royals in his New York City apartment.

As part of Diddy’s preoccupation with fame, power and interest in the royal family, Shuter recalled being tasked with inviting the princes to the parties more than 10 times.

But William and Harry, now 42 and 40 respectively, made the oh-so-rare decision to say no to Combs. Shuter said they never accepted the invites, despite Diddy’s offers to foot the bill for their travel, accommodations and security.

Feds arrested and charged Combs last month with a multitude of crimes, including sexual abuse, sex trafficking, arson, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution.

Last November, Combs’ ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, filed a bombshell lawsuit in which she accused him of rape, sex trafficking and abuse. They settled the suit the following day but similarly harrowing allegations in other lawsuits have only mounted since, particularly in the wake of Combs’ arrest.

The lawsuits bookend Homeland Security’s raids on Combs’ properties in March and the May publication of 2016 security footage that shows Combs beating Ventura, now 38, in a hotel hallway.

Combs has pleaded not guilty to the federal charges against him and has denied the allegations in the civil suits — though he did admit to beating Ventura.

He’s been denied bail three times and remains in custody at Brooklyn’s notorious Metropolitan Detention Center. His trial in the sex trafficking case is set to begin May 5 and feds said he could face more charges in the meantime.

From combined wire services

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