The Entertainment Edit: Court cases, Scientology and Sam Neill - everything you missed in entertainment this week

Tom Cruise, Gwyneth Paltrow and Sam Neill all made news this week. Photo / Getty Images

Welcome to The Entertainment Edit, a weekly recap keeping you up to date with the best, worst and most shocking entertainment stories of the week.

New Zealand might be on the freezing cold spiral into winter with our celebs ready to hibernate, but it’s a different story on the other side of the world and the celebs are coming out to play.

Succession star Sarah Snook walked the carpet for the show’s premiere this week - the first time she’s walked a carpet in over a year - and the actress made sure it was a memorable moment. Wearing a sleek black dress and sparkly silver jacket, the star proudly cradled her baby bump as she posed alongside her husband. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, she said. “It’s exciting. I feel great!”

Sir Rod Stewart caused panic this week after cancelling a Melbourne show last minute due to a viral infection in his throat that meant he was unable to sing. Thankfully, the 78-year-old rocker took to Instagram on Tuesday easing ticketholders’ nerves. He is okay and has every intention of finishing his tour - including three New Zealand concert dates next month.

Elsewhere, Bruce Willis celebrated his 68th birthday and even spoke on camera for the first time since his frontotemporal dementia diagnosis. Bruce Willis’ current wife, Emma Heming, and his daughters Rumer, Scout and Tallulah could be seen at the birthday party as well as a few of the actor’s nearest and dearest and his ex-wife Demi Moore.

And the body-positive, joyful Grammy winner Lizzo made a huge announcement ... she’s coming to New Zealand on July 26 for one massive show at Auckland’s Spark Arena.

Here’s what you might have missed this week:

Sam Neill revelations

Kiwi acting icon Sam Neill. Photo / Art Streiber for Universal / Amblin

Although it technically happened last Saturday, it’s been a huge week for the Kiwi actor who revealed in his memoir, Did I Ever Tell You This? that he had been battling Stage Three blood cancer. Now in remission, the star has given multiple interviews and one of them included a “cruel” moment. Speaking to Australia’s Today show, the star was asked about his James Bond audition tape from back in the day and he did not like it one bit.

Burying his head in his hands with embarrassment as the clip played, he jokingly wagged his finger at the talk show hosts telling them: “Oh, my God, no – That is so cruel to play that, so cruel.”

Another interview with UK TV show Lorraine saw the actor make a bold political statement. Admitting that he is still “mourning the loss” of Jacinda Ardern - who stepped down as Prime Minister in January after almost six years in office - he said: “I’d like to see a woman running most countries. I suspect there wouldn’t be a Ukraine problem at the moment if we had a woman running Russia.”

Ed Sheeran unveils emotional new project:

The series will show both the highs and lows Ed Sheeran has experienced in recent years. Photo / Disney+

He’s one of New Zealand’s favourite international artists and now fans will get a glimpse at what happened behind his incredible music and entertaining shows. Taking to Instagram earlier this week, the Photograph singer revealed he is releasing a four-part documentary series with Disney+.

Titled, Ed Sheeran: The Sum Of It All, the series - which will be available globally from May 3 - will feature interviews with his wife Cherry Seaborn and other loved ones, performance footage and even the 32-year-old star’s previously-unseen personal archive clips.

The series announcement revealed it will follow Sheeran “after he learns of life-changing news and reveals his hardships and triumphs during the most challenging period of his life”.

The Chase stars big transformation:

Mark Labbett posed alongside fellow "Chaser" Shaun Wallace in the snap. Photo / Instagram

Receiving praise for his weight loss probably wasn’t the intention behind Mark Labbett’s Instagram post this week but that’s exactly what he got.

Taking to the social media platform he shared a behind-the-scenes photo of himself and co-star Shaun “The Dark Destroyer” Wallace from the ITV show and warned fans there is a fake account impersonating him doing the rounds right now. However, it was his slimmed-down image that caught the attention of fans. One said, “you look incredible huge congratulations on your weight loss.”

Another said, “you look great Mark!” A third person added, “you look so much different and you look so much better you do.”

Labbett has been vocal about his recent weight loss, telling fans in December that he had lost a massive 63.5kg, crediting his diabetes medication which helps him eat less, and he drinks “a lot more fluids”.

Gwyneth Paltrow’s court case begins:

Gwyneth Paltrow is accused in a lawsuit of crashing into a skier during a 2016 family sky vacation. Photo: Court TV / YouTube

In a case that has lasted since 2016, retired optometrist Terry Sanderson is suing Paltrow for US$300,000 ($484,327) — claiming the actress-turned-lifestyle influencer violently crashed into him in 2016 while skiing in Utah at one of the most upscale ski resorts in the United States, leaving him with injuries and emotional distress.

Sanderson, 76, said Paltrow was cruising down the slopes so recklessly that they collided, leaving him on the ground as she and her entourage continued their descent down Deer Valley Resort, a skiers-only mountain known for its groomed runs, apres-ski champagne yurts and posh clientele.

However, her lawyer called the story of a retired optometrist “utter BS” on Tuesday during the trial’s opening day in Utah and questioned the 76-year-old’s credibility, noting his age and documented, pre-collision brain injuries.

Tom Cruise estranged from Suri

Suri Cruise and Tom Cruise visit Charles River Basin on October 10, 2009 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Photo / Getty Images

Earlier this week an insider revealed to Page Six that Cruise remains estranged from his 16-year-old daughter Suri whom he shares with his ex-girlfriend Katie Holmes. However, he still pays a large child-support sum of US$400,000, which he will pay until she is 18.

He is also required to pay for Suri’s expenses, including medical, dental, insurance, education, and other extra-curricular costs.

The news doesn’t come as a complete surprise as Tom himself has previously revealed in his 2012 defamation case against Bauer Media that his links to Scientology had played a large part in his estrangement from Suri.

When asked if Holmes had left the actor “in part to protect Suri from Scientology”, Tom replied, “That was one of the assertions, yes”.