Table of contents for August 17, 2020 in Globe

TALK host Ellen DeGeneres is in hot water — her media company bosses have launched an investigation into charges her show’s staff was abused and bullied. The probe by WarnerMedia “will interview current and former staffers about their experiences on set” with the gal who’s been branded TV’s Queen of Mean. Charges under investigation include claims of racism, bullying, abuse, massive pay cuts and hiring non-union workers to produce the show from Ellen’s home during the current pandemic, sources say. GLOBE previously reported sources who claim Ellen is rude and mean and so touchy she has workers walking on eggshells. She was also slammed for keeping workers in the dark for a month about getting paid after she canceled her show in March due to the coronavirus. As yet, Ellen…

GWYNETH PALTROW, 47, has spilled how ROB LOWE’s makeup artist wife, SHERYL BERKOFF, 59, schooled her on way more than how to line lips — the stunning blonde taught her oral sex tricks when she was a wide-eyed teenager! Now, more than 30 years later, the bigmouth Oscar winner went blabbing about the secret lessons during a jaw-dropping spill session on Literally with Rob Lowe, the 56-year-old actor’s podcast. “I met Sheryl when I was 15 or 16,” Gwyneth told Rob, who wed the makeup maven in 1991. “She was doing my mom’s makeup on this TV movie, and I went down to visit. It was in Florida,” recalls the Goop site founder. “… I was like immediately obsessed with her … she was dating KEANU REEVES, who was my…

AFTER dropping her new album, bighearted Taylor Swift sent a special gift to a huge fan — the late Kobe Bryant’s 17-year-old, Natalia. The present was a cardigan, which is the title of the first single from her newest album, Folklore. Natalia’s mom, Vanessa Bryant, shared a photo on social media of the excited teen posing with the gift — and a thrilled Natalia wrote on her Instagram story: “Thank you SO much @taylorswift! I am OBSESSED with folklore.”…

CABBAGE could be a key to defeating coronavirus! A French study has found foods containing raw and fermented cabbage may reduce levels of a compound that helps the virus infect the body. Cabbage — whether it’s raw, pickled in sauerkraut, mixed into coleslaw or in the Korean delicacy kimchi — could help build resistance to the virus, according to researchers. Antioxidants in the leafy veggie could explain why countries where cabbage is a key part of the national diet, like Germany and South Korea, had lower COVID-19 fatality rates than hard-hit countries. “Nutrition may play a role in the immune defense against COVID-19,” says Dr. Jean Bousquet, professor of pulmonary medicine at the University of Montpellier in France. “Fermented foods have potent antioxidant activity and can protect against severe COVID-19.”…

YOUNG entrepreneurs feeling the squeeze after the coronavirus pandemic soured their summertime lemonade stand plans may get their own stimulus checks! Drink mix company Country Time announced their Littlest Bailout program will dole out $100 payments to select kids under age 14 who were forced out of business due to COVID-19. Those applying for the sweet deal were asked to submit an essay about how they’d spend the cash — along with a photo of their scuttled stand’s sign.…

TROUBLED singer Aaron Carter can hardly take care of himself — and now the internet posts claim he’s been accused of neglecting his adorable pug, Nala! Several people reportedly called animal control to say the 10-month-old dog was locked in a crate in 100-degree heat outside the punk’s home in Lancaster, Calif. Nala was shut up in bathrooms for many hours, according to the complaints. Plus, folks were concerned Aaron’s two new German shepherds would hurt the pug. The singer, 32, denies abuse allegations but confirms Lancaster Animal Control visited him, insisting they left after he explained Nala was only in the crate for 15 minutes to separate her from the German shepherds. The hashtag #SaveNala began trending, prompting an Instagram post from Izabella St. James, begging Aaron to surrender…

DEMI LOVATO’s on a high note — the pop singer got engaged to her boyfriend of five months, Young and Restless star MAX EHRICH, 29. “I’m ecstatic to start a family and life with you,” gushes the songbird. NFL player RUSSELL WILSON, 31, and wife CIARA, 34, have welcomed their second child together, a son named WIN HARRISON. Orville actress ADRIANNE PALICKI, 37, has filed for divorce — for a second time! — from co-star SCOTT GRIMES, 49. MIRANDA LAMBERT croons that quarantining with her hubby, former NYC cop BRENDAN McLOUGHLIN, is ”a good test” of her one-and-a-half-year marriage. “If newlyweds can survive a pandemic then I think we’re good,” she says. Flipping 101 star TAREK EL MOUSSA, 38, proposed to his girlfriend, Selling Sunset reality star HEATHER RAE YOUNG,…

DEVILISHLY charismatic Tom Ellis starred in the BBC sitcom Miranda before landing the role of scene-stealing demon Lucifer Morningstar in the urban fantasy series Lucifer. After getting ditched by FOX, the show found new life on Netflix and has been renewed through season six. Here are ten things you don’t know about the 41-year-old Welsh actor. 1 Born in Cardiff, Wales, he has a twin sister named Lucy Hawkins. 2 In his younger years, he played the French horn in the City of Sheffield Youth Orchestra. 3 He studied drama at the Royal Scottish Academy in Glasgow, Scotland, alongside Outlander stars Laura Donnelly and Sam Heughan. 4 He divorced British EastEnders actress Tamzin Outhwaite in 2014 — and married American screenwriter Meaghan Oppenheimer last year. 5 He and Meaghan spent…

A SHREVEPORT shrew shot her estranged boyfriend in cold blood because “he refused to argue with her,” investigators say. Louisiana cops claim hot-headed hellcat Jenalisha Lawrence, 29, pumped a bullet into the chest of her 34-year-old lover — whose name was not released — because he wouldn’t bicker with her. Officials allege Lawrence then fled the scene, leaving her guy bleeding on the sidewalk. Law enforcement initially feared she may have hotfooted it to her hometown of Dallas, Texas — but she later surrendered to authorities. The suspected trigger-happy harpy was booked into Shreveport City Jail on a charge of attempted second-degree murder. She’s being held on $150,000 bond as she awaits trial. The victim was taken to Ochsner LSU Health hospital, where he’s been listed in critical condition.…

ROCK icon Rod Stewart has revealed the secret behind writing his hit tunes — boatloads of booze! The 75-year-old crooner, whose six No. 1 hits include Do Ya Think I’m Sexy and Maggie May, confesses back in the ’60s and ’70s, the members of his band The Faces “used to have to lock me up with a bottle of wine and say, ‘Get it finished in the next four or five hours.’” He’d hear them “in the corridor at the Holiday Inn, laughing, ‘Oh yeah, look at Stewart. He is there trying to finish the lyrics.’” It worked. Rod’s sold 250 million records and is worth $240 million. But he says it takes more than booze to write hits. “You’ve really got it or you haven’t,” he adds. Get busy…

ARIES March 21 - April 20 Summer heat could make you cranky on Monday, but exciting news that arrives Wednesday brightens your mood bigtime! Dating Rams should consider taking a break from their partner after an argument, but don’t be hasty! A heart-to-heart chat while Mercury meets Jupiter draws you closer than ever before. TAURUS April 21 - May 21 Squabbling with your partner, Bull? Maybe less talking to your friends and more hanging out with your neglected sweetie will restore harmony in your home! Friday’s cosmic meetup steers you to someone with financial insight to turn recent slow cash flow into a gusher of riches. Listen up! GEMINI May 22 - June 21 Although you’d rather be on the road on vacation, duties call and you’re stuck close to…

A STRAY billy goat seems to have appointed itself guardian of a shuttered church in Mississippi — leading one local to joke the animal might be a “Baaaptist!” Due to coronavirus, the congregation hasn’t been meeting at Rose Bower Missionary Baptist Church in McComb, says associate minister Larry Thomas. But the church on Highway 24 still has had one regular visitor — a goat that likes to hoof it to the front steps and stand stock-still before its door! Amused residents refer to the critter as the “holy goat,” and Thomas adds, “It’s not really bothering us … when people come, he leaves anyway.”…

BISEXUAL Brandi Glanville claims a sexy encounter with former reality show co-star Denise Richards left her feeling disgusted! Brandi, 47 — an alum of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills — recently appeared on the show insisting she locked lips with onetime castmate Denise, 49, during a boozy night out. Then the following night, she spills, “We kind of hooked up,” which Denise, who tied the knot with wellness guru Aaron Phypers, 47, in 2018, denies. Reality queens clashing over hookup claims However, Brandi, who admits having a taste for ladies, claims the next morning Denise told her, “No matter what you do, you can’t tell Aaron.’” Brandi — who was two-timed by ex-hubby Eddie Cibrian — gripes, “In the moment I was just like, ‘I’m everything that I have…

BRITNEY SPEARS is getting welcome support from exhubby Kevin Federline, who says he doesn’t think she’s too nutty to be around their kids. The Princess of Pop, 38, is currently battling to overturn a 2008 court order that put her dad, Jamie, in charge of her $250 million fortune due to her previous mental meltdowns. Britney had also lost custody of sons Sean, 14, and Jayden, 13, to her ex. But last year she won 30 percent custody and Kevin now feels the boys are “safe” with their mom, which could boost her bid to get control over her dough. “If Kevin ever felt any concern about Britney's state of mind, he would try to take legal steps to end — or at least reduce — her visitation with their…

DECKER’S GONE DAFFY FOR DIAPERS! Grace and Frankie beauty BROOKLYN DECKER’s leaking some personal info! The former model, who plays JANE FONDA’s daughter in the Netflix comedy, spills how she periodically needs to use incontinence undies since birthing her two tykes, son HANK, 4, and daughter STEVIE, 2. Sharing an online snap of the leak-proof undergarment peeking out of her pajama pants’ waistband, the 33-year-old actress confesses: “I don’t know why I’m putting this out there publicly, but wtf happens post-children that makes … well … let’s just say I am now in the Depends-wearing stage.” Brooklyn, who’s married to tennis ace ANDY RODDICK, got lots of support from social media followers. “It’s a war zone after 2,” lamented a fan. “Omg I need those with every sneeze and light…

DANCING with the Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba wept when she learned show hosts Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews had been axed! “My heart breaks for Tom and Erin,” says Carrie Ann, 52. “It was just such sudden news.” Carrie Ann also thinks “a lot of our fans” also cried over the hosts’ dismissal. As for new host Tyra Banks, she adds: “She’s a strong, powerful woman … I think we’re in good hands.”…

CREEPY socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, sex monster Jeffrey Epstein’s mistress and accused recruiter of underage girls, secretly stashed away $20 million in 15 bank accounts — and could lose it all if convicted of sex trafficking, investigators say! The FBI, who’d been hunting the 58-year-old Briton since she vanished after Epstein was found hanging in his prison cell last Aug. 10, found at least $10 million of her fortune in a JPMorgan Chase portfolio and the rest in accounts under her name or others believed to be aliases, say sources. The social-climbing gadfly is now being held without bond in a Brooklyn, N.Y., slammer on charges of sex trafficking underage girls after being busted by FBI agents in her $1 million hideaway in Bradford, N.H., on July 2. If convicted, she…

A MAINE man REALLY took matters into his own hands in a property dispute — he used a power tool to slice his neighbor’s garage in half! That’s the claim of Gabriel Brawn, who says the structure was infringing on his land, claims he used a land surveyor’s demarcation between his plot and the one next door to justify chopping off the offending chunk of garage. According to Gabriel’s wife, Tracy, tensions boiled over in April when the Brawns put down a load of wood chips to allow a tractor to travel down a hill and clean up downed tree limbs. That’s when Tracy says their neighbor’s youngest son told them, “This is our property. Get your stuff off it.” But the Brawns say two land surveyors determined their property…

PLASTIC surgery junkie Wendy Williams is getting a top-to-toe tune-up for her TV return, GLOBE can reveal. The filler-filled talk titan, 56, will be back at work in late September after a four-month hiatus — and sources say she plans to bounce back with help from the surgeon’s office! “Wendy won’t be sparing any expense with a ton of nips and tucks!” snitches an insider. “She’ll have Botox, some collagen, a boob lift and other laser work done to smooth out wrinkles and freshen her face.” As GLOBE revealed, Wendy’s been on a downward spiral since her humiliating divorce from cheating hubby Kevin Hunter a year ago. She’d also confessed in September 2018 that she’d been battling Graves’ disease — a thyroid condition — for years and in May she…

MOB boss Meyer Lansky was one of the most ruthless gangsters ever, but his secret mistress claims the feared mastermind behind Murder Inc. and the Mafia’s National Crime Syndicate was a caring and gentle lover! In a bombshell revelation, Turkish-born beauty Zali de Toledo confesses having a dozen-year romance with Lansky, who plotted 1,000 murders and helped run the mob’s drug, prostitution, loan-sharking and gambling rackets for 40 years. “He was the love of my life,” she gushes. “Few knew him as I did: the gentle soul, funny and warm, who could be moved to tears by life’s injustices. He was loving and tender and caring. “Meyer would often rest his head on my shoulder, and we would sit silently, just holding each other, safe from the world, sheltered within…

THE Oscar-winning pairing of HUMPHREY BOGART as nightclub owner Rick Blaine and INGRID BERGMAN as galpal Ilsa Lund in the 1942 flick Casablanca almost didn’t happen — because Bergman was taller than her co-star! The movie was filmed almost entirely on a lot in Burbank, Calif., but managed to capture the atmosphere of wartime North Africa and featured considerable onscreen chemistry between the leads. It brought to life the intrigue of the German occupation of the French colony of Morocco and included such famous lines as “Here’s looking at you, kid,” “Round up the usual suspects” and “We’ll always have Paris.” However, the most quoted quip — “Play it again, Sam” — never happened. It was actually “Play it, Sam.”…

OF THE more than 2,500 National Historic Landmarks in the U.S., two can move — the St. Charles Streetcar line in New Orleans and San Francisco’s famed cable cars! The Frisco funiculars were designated in 1964 and the Crescent City’s trams in 2014. BEAM him up! Yup, the city of Riverside, Iowa, has declared itself the Future Birthplace of Star Trek’s Capt. James T. Kirk! The publicity stunt came in 1985 when the mini-municipality, population 1,022, was looking for a theme for its annual festival and an official remembered series creator Gene Roddenberry had written that Kirk was born in the Hawkeye State. The rest will be history. THAT’S a whole lotta whiskey! Turns out the bourbon barrel population of Kentucky outnumbers humans by almost two to one! And the…