Entertainment Roundup: What Happened In July

This summer has seen its fair share of the heat: weather, fashion, and of course, stories in the world of entertainment.

This July, we saw a multitude of headlines come out of Hollywood, from Angelina’s latest interview, and the latest verdict for O.J. Welcome back to another month of Entertainment Roundup!

Jolie’s on the Mend

Actress Angelina Jolie in this month’s Vanity Fair. Source: Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott/Vanity Fair

After more than 10 years together, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are going their separate ways. But this month, Jolie opened up in a very personal interview with Vanity Fair, and people have plenty to say about it. Not only did Jolie reveal her Bell’s Palsy diagnosis, the actress went shared the “difficult” relationship she and Pitt had towards the end of their marriage. She also noted they are both devoted parents saying, “We care for each other and care about our family, and we are both working towards the same goal.” Jolie also received some backlash for discussing the way in which the audition process treated children for her latest Netflix film, First They Killed My Father.

She talked about the director giving the children scenarios in which they take money from a table, “get caught,” and have to lie to explain why they took it, before taking the money away. The public response has been increasingly negative, saying this type of treatment is abuse towards these child actors. Jolie has since released a statement on the matter: “Every measure was taken to ensure the safety, comfort and well-being of the children on the film starting from the auditions through production to the present…I am upset that a pretend exercise in an improvisation, from an actual scene in the film, has been written about as if it was a real scenario. The suggestion that real money was taken from a child during an audition is false and upsetting. I would be outraged myself if this had happened.”

Linkin Park’s Loss

Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington. Source: Getty

Earlier this month, Linkin Park’s lead singer, Chester Bennington, was found dead in his Palos Verdes Estate. The cause of death was an apparent suicide by hanging on the birthday of Bennington’s good friend, Chris Cornell. Cornell had committed suicide by hanging just months prior.

Authorities found a note that appeared to be written by Bennington at the scene, thanking Cornell for his inspiration and friendship. The note said, “Your talent was pure and unrivaled. Your voice was joy and pain, anger and forgiveness, love and heartache all wrapped into one. I suppose that’s what we all are.” He also wrote he hoped he would find peace “in the next life.” Bennington’s band members, fans, and fellow entertainers have rallied behind the singer, offering their condolences such as Hayley Williams, Rihanna, Ryan Adams, Jimmy Kimmel, Chance the Rapper, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Bennington is survived by six children. We wish his family the best in this difficult time.

O.J. Gets Parole

O.J. Simpson gets parole. Source: The Associated Press

This month, O.J. Simpson was once again on television screens across America when he sat down for his parole hearing in Nevada. Simpson was arrested and charged in 2007 with armed robbery after breaking into the Las Vegas hotel suite of a sports memorabilia salesman to steal various pieces at gunpoint.

He told the judge, “I’ve done my time. I’ve done it as well and as respectfully as I think anyone can.” Four parole board members voted to grant Simpson parole, citing him a low risk to “reoffend.” Simpson has found himself in headlines in the past year after ESPN”s Emmy-winning documentary O.J.: Made in America, and FX’s Emmy-winning and nominated series American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson.

Things Get ‘Stranger’

The kids of ‘Stranger Things’ return to Netflix this fall. Source: Netflix/’Stranger Things 2′

Finally, this month television fans across the world were elated to see the first full-length trailer for Netflix’s series Stranger Things 2. The new season will take place within the span of a week in Hawkins, IN.

This season will take place during Halloween, with all of your favorite stars returning, including Millie Bobby Brown as everyone’s beloved “Eleven.” One character you won’t see on the small screen when the show returns is fan-favorite Barb. The actress told The Hollywood Reporter she would not be returning for season 2. Although, showrunners insist there will be justice for Barb. Season 2 of Stranger Things comes to Netflix in its entirety Oct. 27.

And there we have it! These were the biggest moments you may have missed in Hollywood, this July. Be sure to stop back next month for the latest tweet-inducing headlines. Follow us on Twitter, and “like” us on Facebook for more stories just like this!

Photo credit: Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott/Vanity Fair