Celebrity gossip, sightings November in and around Connecticut
Luke Combs was inducted into the Mohegan Sun Walk of Fame.
Brandon Ukehaxhaj, Milanno Ukehaxhaj, Logan Paul, and Mike Majlak in Gaetano’s Deli in Westport.
Leyna Bloom wears a creation for the L’Oreal Spring-Summer 2022 ready-to-wear fashion show presented in Paris, Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)
November was jampacked with celebrity news, including influencer Logan Paul making multiple appearances in the state and singer Luke Combs being inducted into the Mohegan Sun Walk of Fame.
Here are some of the Hollywood sightings and murmurings that happened in and around Connecticut in November:
Celebrity Logan Paul, among the most famous social media influencers worldwide, attended the Foran-Law high school football game on Thanksgiving in Milford.
Celebrity Logan Paul and his podcast partner Mike Majlak stopped in Gaetano’s Deli in Westport the day before Thanksgiving.
On Thanksgiving day, Paul attended the Foran vs. Jonathan Law high school football game, drawing plenty of attention from students.
– Joseph Tucci and Dan Brechlin
UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 21: Michael Bolton attends the premiere of NBC’s “American Song Contest” at The Lot at Universal Studios Hollywood on March 21, 2022, in Universal City, California. (Photo by JC Olivera/WireImage)
Westport resident and Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Michael Bolton was seen dining at Gabriele’s of Westport in early November.
– Susie Costaregni
Actress Gwyneth Paltrow visited Sally’s Apizza in New Haven on Nov. 29 and took photos with employees.
Actress Gwyneth Paltrow visited Sally’s Apizza in New Haven in late November.
“We were of course so excited to have Gwyneth Paltrow at the New Haven location,” Sally’s marketing manager Kat Manning said in a message. “She was so nice and was kind enough to take a picture with a few of our team members and even signed a box.”
– Leeanne Griffin
Martha Stewart stopped by Furniture on Consignment’s Giant Tent Sale on Nov. 25, 2022.
Martha Stewart stopped by Furniture on Consignment II in Westport in late November for its Great Tent Sale.
Consignment II’s owner, Jim Klinko, has been friends with Martha Stewart for 30 years and appraised items for her “Great American Tag Sale” in May.
– Abby Weiss
Leyna Bloom wears a creation for the L’Oreal Spring-Summer 2022 ready-to-wear fashion show presented in Paris, Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)
Actress and model Leyna Bloom were seen shopping at The Marketplace by Fofie & Mia. At the thrift store on Mill Street in Greenwich, she purchased a vintage Remy leather jacket.
– Susie Costaregni
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry reacts after being fouled while scoring a basket during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic, Friday, Feb. 19, 2021.
NBA player Stephen Curry was seen wearing UConn’s Azzi Fudd jersey during a Golden State Warriors post-game interview in November.
Curry discussed his 40-point performance in a 106-101 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. He also spoke about supporting women’s basketball and mentioned Fudd.
“Can’t wait to head to a UConn game and watch Azzi play… basketball is basketball and we want to continue to do our part to shine a light and celebrate those women doing amazing things on the court,” he said.
– Jailene Cuevas
Luke Combs was inducted into the Mohegan Sun Walk of Fame.
Country singer Luke Combs was inducted into the Mohegan Sun Walk of Fame in early November right before his two sold-out shows in the venue.
Director of Sports and Entertainment for Mohegan Greg Romeyn, presented Combs with the honor in a private ceremony backstage during his “The Middle of Somewhere Tour.” Combs is the 38th inductee into the Mohegan Sun Walk of Fame.
– Jailene Cuevas
“Jeopardy!” contestant Matt Amodio during a taping of the game show. Amodio’s historic run on “Jeopardy!” left the Yale doctoral student with 38 wins and more than $1.5 million in prize money.
Matt Amodio appeared on “Jeopardy!’s” “Tournament of Champions” on Nov. 10, only to lose in the semifinals. During the contest, he even missed a question based on Norwalk native Charli D’Amelio.
The question, which none of the contestants correctly answered, was, “This 18-year-old dancer has 145 million followers on TikTok.”
Amodio previously wrote himself into the quiz show’s record books with his 38-game winning streak and over $1.5 million in winnings.
– Nicole Funaro
U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal has called out deceptive ticketing practices by Ticketmaster during the recent Taylor Swift tour ticket sale.
In mid-November, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal responded to issues that plagued Ticketmaster’s sale for Taylor Swift’s upcoming tour dates on Twitter.
“Ticketmaster—I knew you were trouble way back in 2009 when I asked questions about your ticketing practices as AG. Long story short, your anti-competitive behavior has been no love story for Taylor Swift concertgoers,” said Blumenthal in a tweet. “Consumers deserve more options, better prices, and fewer barriers to the music and artists we know and love. DOJ would’ve, could’ve, should’ve done (and still can do) so much more to investigate the state of competition in the live entertainment/ticketing industry.”
– Andrew DaRosa
Dale DeGroff revived classic cocktail recipes in New York City hotspots and helped start a revolution in the way Americans drink.
Dale DeGroff was announced as a guest judge on the new Netflix series “Drink Masters.”
DeGroff, who was recently featured in Connecticut Magazine, is credited with creating a modern cocktail culture (including the Cosmo made popular in “Sex and the City”), reviving classic recipes in New York City and introducing them to a new generation of drinkers. He was partially raised in Westerly, R.I. before moving to New York City, and he moved to Pawcatuck with his wife during the pandemic.
– Leeanne Griffin
The Noel Diary. (L to R) Justin Hartley as Jake, Barrett Doss as Rachel in The Noel Diary.
More than a year after wrapping filming in Connecticut, “The Noel Diary” premiered on Netflix on Nov. 24.
The movie tells the story of a best-selling romance novelist (Justin Hartley) who returns to his hometown of Bridgeport, Conn., to clean out his mother’s estate. While there, he finds a diary that sends him on a collision course with someone from his past (Barrett Doss). What follows is a story that chronicles two characters each searching for belonging and reconciliation with their past.
“We hit Connecticut in the middle of summer and there was a huge heat wave, and we’re shooting this Christmas movie with snow,” director Charles Shyer (“Father of the Bride,” “The Parent Trap”) said. “I thought the experience was lovely. The people were great. The food was great.”
– Andrew DaRosa
In this image released on March 13, Charli D’Amelio attends Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards at Barker Hangar on March 13, 2021 in Santa Monica, California.
Norwalk native Charli D’Amelio and her “Dancing with the Stars” partner Mark Ballas won the season 31 Mirror Ball Trophy in mid-November after receiving perfect scores on their two dances.
“Thank you so much for the opportunity, thank you Mark for becoming my new best friend,” Charli said at the end of the finale.
– Abby Weiss
THE BACHELORETTE – Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia’s two-shot at Love takes flight! A whopping 32 men arrive to the mansion with the hopes of wooing the ladies with their charm, but they’ll soon realize it’s going to take more than dashing good looks and a memorable entrance to win the heart of one of these Bachelorettes. Rachel and Gabby have put their breakups in the rearview and are ready to find their person — even if that means breaking all the rules on night one.
Brookfield twin brothers Justin and Joey Young joined ABC’s “Bachelor in Paradise” in early November for their chance to find love and went on a double date.
The twins previously competed on season 19 of “The Bachelorette.”
– Jailene Cuevas
Christopher Guest and Chris Sarandon in “The Princess Bride.”
Connecticut fans of the “Princess Bride” film had a chance to see it on the big screen in late November at the Oakdale Theater. This screening was attended by one of the film’s main stars, Cary Elwes.
Elwes, who played Westley told stories of the film’s creation and answered questions from the audience.
Ahead of the film’s screening, Chris Sarandon — who played the evil Prince Humperdince in the film — spoke with Hearst Connecticut Media.
“Whether we were in Sheffield out in the bores or the entrance to the Pit of Despair, chasing Buttercup and Westley through the beautiful countryside, the set itself was a happy place,” Sarandon said. “We were constantly in fits of laughter.”
– Daniel Figueroa IV
Emmy award-winning New York Mets PA announcer Colin Cosell, a Stamford native, was the announcer for the Stamford Downtown Parade Spectacular near the end of November.
– Amy Coval, Ignacio Laguarda and Verónica Del Valle
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 07: Lena Dunham attends Prime Video’s celebration of “Catherine Called Birdy” at The Grove on October 07, 2022, in Los Angeles, California.
Lena Dunham, the writer, and creator of the hit HBO show, “Girls,” told “Architectural Digest” that she lives in a house in the backyard of her parents’ Connecticut home.
Penning a personal essay for the magazine, Dunham wrote about how she and her parents went from moving back and forth between Brooklyn and Manhattan while she was growing up, to now coexisting on the same property in northwest Connecticut.
– Nicole Funaro
FILE – Former New York Rangers center Mark Messier appears at a ceremony retiring the number for New York Rangers Hall of Famer Jean Ratelle before an NHL hockey game in New York on Feb. 25, 2018. Messier’s memoir “No One Wins Alone†will be published in October, by Gallery Books, a Simon & Schuster imprint. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File)
Former New York Rangers center and hockey analyst Mark Messier, a Greenwich resident, was seen shopping at Stop & Shop in Greenwich in early November.
– Susie Costaregni
NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 26: Tyler Kepner introduces Jayson Stark during the 2019 Baseball Writers’ Association of America awards dinner on Saturday, January 26, 2019, at the New York Hilton Midtown Hotel in New York City. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB via Getty Images)
Christ Church Greenwich hosted a talk, titled “Baseball, Faith, and the Chase for World Series Glory,” and a book signing with New York Times national baseball writer Tyler Kepner in November.
– Susie Costaregni
Greenwich resident John J. Filippelli, president of the YES Network, after receiving the “Slugger Award” at Aaron Judge’s ALL RISE Foundation Gala at Cipriani on Nov. 18.
Greenwich resident John J. Filippelli, president of production and programming and executive producer of the YES Network, was awarded the “Slugger Award” for his work as a “heavy hitter” at Aaron Judge’s ALL RISE Foundation Gala at Cipriani in New York City in mid-November.
Judge attended with his parents, Wayne and Patty Judge, who serves as president/executive director of ALL RISE Foundation. Also in attendance, were Yankee teammates Giancarlo Stanton, DJ La Mahaiu, Anthony Rizzo and Nester Cortez, YES broadcaster and former Yankee star, Paul “The Warrior” O’Neill, and New York Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman. Meredith Marakovits, Yankees clubhouse, and sideline reporter for the Yes Network, co-hosted the event with Yankees broadcaster Suzyn Waldman, who was recently inducted into the Sports Radio Hall of Fame.
– Susie Costaregni
Dan Brechlin is the managing editor of CT Insider at Hearst Connecticut. He was hired in September 2020 as the managing editor of the Danbury News-Times and Sports. He previously worked at the Hartford Courant as the sports editor and the deputy managing editor. Prior to that, he worked as city editor of the Record-Journal and a reporter before that covering his hometown of Meriden. He is a graduate of Southern Connecticut State University.
Leeanne Griffin is the food and consumer reporter for Hearst Connecticut Media Group, handling coverage of restaurant openings and closings, trends, events, and general news about CT food and beverage businesses.
She’s been working in Connecticut News for more than 15 years, most recently as the food and dining reporter for the Hartford Courant. A native of Worcester, Mass., she holds a master’s degree in journalism from Quinnipiac University.
Andrew DaRosa is a web producer and reporter with Hearst Connecticut Media Group.
Andrew is an award-winning journalist and holds a degree in digital journalism from Fairfield University.
When he’s not writing, he is spending time with his dogs or going to see live music.
