Charlize Theron Hosts Malibu Food & Wine Festival Benefit

Charlize Theron brought star power to the second annual Malibu Food & Wine Festival, hosting a VIP event at Saddlerock Ranch to benefit her Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project. The festival featured wine tasting and auctions, with items like reserve magnums and a private sommelier experience.

Notable attendees included winemaker Baron Ziegler, who offered a prize for the highest bidder that included personal funding for airfare and a private sommelier. Chef Marcel Vigneron and Anthony Villegas of The Meat Cellar also contributed, offering a private dinner and premium steaks respectively. Ziegler expressed that Theron's mission, particularly her work addressing violence against women, deeply moved him.

In other celebrity news, Indian superstar singer Shreya Ghoshal finds a unique escape in New York City's Times Square. Ghoshal, currently on her "Unstoppable" tour, shared that the anonymity afforded by Times Square allows her to have personal time, a rarity in her native India. She has added 14 dates to her global tour.

A trendy Soho boutique, connected to the web-based reality TV show "Fishtank," has taken an unconventional approach to pest control. Instead of exterminating a mouse discovered in the store, producers of the show, including Sam Hyde, Jet Neptune, and Benjamin Taylor, have incorporated the rodent, nicknamed "Ratthew," into their content. A camera was set up to livestream the mouse, which is encouraged with food, providing "organic events that transpire into real-time content" for the show's storefront at 93 Canal St.

Grammy-winning singer Falu collaborated with her husband, Dr. Gaurav Shah, and their 15-year-old son, Nishaad, on their new album, "Offering: Ancient and Timeless Chants." Falu described the experience as a form of family therapy, noting the satisfaction of allowing her son creative freedom. She stated that while the musical roots come from her and her husband, Nishaad contributes his own distinct style.

Clay Aiken, a runner-up on "American Idol" in 2003, recently returned to the show and reflected on its evolution. He recalled that early sets were constructed with minimal materials, including "big structural metal pieces and papier-mâché between them," and that lighting was often managed with flashlights.

Filmmaker John Waters commented on what he perceives as an extreme form of political correctness, lamenting that certain common phrases are now considered unacceptable. He also mentioned his friendship with "American Horror Story" creator Ryan Murphy, noting their shared interest in current events and subjects that challenge understanding.

During a red carpet event for "American Horror Story: 13," actresses Leslie Grossman and Billie Lourd engaged in a playful debate about who possessed a larger gay fan base. Grossman referenced her past role as Mary Cherry in "Popular," while Lourd pointed to her lineage of gay icons, including her grandmother Debbie Reynolds and mother Carrie Fisher, and her father Bryan Lourd's marriage to Bruce Bozzi, suggesting her family background gives her a distinct connection to the LGBTQ+ community. Grossman conceded that having a gay father was a significant factor.