The merit of the week ...
... is due to Maggie Gyllenhaal. However, this is only indirectly related to her acting performance in the TV series "The Deuce", but more about how much money she got for being a sex worker: One day, she tells the radio station Sirius XM, she has one Call received from HBO. The broadcaster announced her accordingly a clear increase in fees.
However, Gyllenhaal was initially not happy about the fact that the salary gap between men and women, which was also widespread in the film industry, was at least closed in her case. "I somehow felt guilty," said the 41-year-old. She thought, "That's not fair." James Franco, who plays the male lead in the series, is much more likely to.
Only later did she realize that she, too, was subject to the prevailing system in which the man per se receives more money. It took her a full day to accept the extra money. She also made use of a gimmick: She said that the fee increase is a compensation for lower payments in the past.
Wrong feelings of guilt
Maggie Gyllenhaal has achieved something that many actresses in Hollywood have failed to do so far: she was able to close the salary gap for the HBO series "The Deuce" male lead role.
But instead of looking forward to it, Gyllenhaal felt something very different. "I somehow felt guilty," said the 41-year-old, who in the series in the role of a sex worker hatches.
When she received a call from HBO out of the blue and the broadcaster announced that her salary would increase significantly, she thought, "That's not fair."
She did not deserve that. James Franco, who plays the male lead in the series, is much more likely to.
It took her a full day to accept the extra money. She also made use of a gimmick: she said that the higher fees are a compensation for lower payments in the past.
The secret of the week ...
... revealed Brad Pitt. He spoke with the New York Times about his addiction problems - and how he defeated them after parting with Angelina Jolie. "It was really liberating to expose your own ugly sides," Pitt said of his one and a half years with Anonymous Alcoholics.
Through the interview, the actor may now have become the least anonymous people among all his former group members.
"It was really very liberating"
"Brangelina" at a premiere in New York 2011: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt were for many years the Hollywood dream couple. The separation of the two in autumn 2016 apparently also had at least a good side for Pitt.
The actor began to face his addiction problem: "I drank too much," he told The New York Times. But the days when he could not survive a day without alcohol or joint were over now.
The 55-year-old reported the newspaper from his time at the Alcoholics Anonymous. "There are all those men around you, open and honest in ways I've never heard of," Pitt said. One and a half years he had gone to the meetings.
The group was a safe place with little condemnation. Nor have any Pitts sold stories to the media.
In the fall of 2016, Angelina Jolie filed for divorce - two years after her wedding and eleven years after getting to know the set of the movie "Mr. and Mrs. Smith". For months, it had gone downhill with the relationship with Pitt, said Jolie then. The separation was the "hardest time". "And only now do we start to breathe again."
As a reason for the divorce, Jolie had stated that Pitt had drunk in the summer of 2016, a dispute with his adopted son Maddox had. Pitt and Jolie have three adopted and three biological children.
Pitt now said, "It has been very liberating to expose your own ugly sides, which is very valuable."
The schoolchild of the week ...
... is Princess Charlotte. The great-granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II spent her first day at the prestigious private school Thomas's Battersea. The four-year-old attends preschool there.
Prince William, Duchess Kate, and Charlotte's six-year-old brother, Prince George, accompanied the four-year-old on their first day of school. A teacher responsible for the younger students greeted Charlotte, who was wearing a dark blue school uniform.
"Kindness, courtesy, self-confidence"
Princess Charlotte, 4, is now a schoolchild.
Her mother Duchess Kate, brother Prince George and father Prince William accompanied her on her first day in preschool.
Charlotte shares the way to school with her brother George: Both visit the exclusive private school Thomas's Battersea in London.
Her two-year-old brother George was enrolled in 2017.
On their first day of school, Princess Charlotte accompanies almost all members of the family: Duchess Kate, Prince William and her older brother Prince George.
At the school, they wanted to convey kindness, courtesy, self-confidence and modesty to the children. The great-granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II should, like the other children, above all follow a rule: "Be kind."
The most relaxed celebrity of the week ...
... gives Günther Jauch. He of all people, who attaches great importance to privacy for himself and his family, had no problems with obtrusive fans or other people who recognize him. "I've never had a bodyguard in my life," Jauch said.
"I move with the discounter as well as in the hardware store, I do that very much and I have no problems in public." There are never any problems with bullying. "People are friendly, I have zero reason to complain about anything," he said. "The casserole, which is supposed to always arise, is greatly overestimated."
"I have never had a bodyguard"
Günther Jauch on the side of ski jumper Dieter Thoma in January 2004 at the Four Hills Tournament: The meanwhile 63-year-old presenter is one of the most famous entertainers of the republic.
Jauch achieved fame especially with his quiz show "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" - Here he is in November 2000 to see the historian Eckhard Freise, who was then the first millionaire of the show.
Apparently the fame does not really bother Jauch. He has no problems with intrusive fans or other people who recognize him, Jauch now said: "I've never had a bodyguard in my life."
Even with bullying or obtrusive fans, there are never any problems. "People are friendly, I have zero reason to complain about anything," he said. "The casserole, which is supposed to always arise, is greatly overestimated."
Jauch is considered a celebrity who attaches great importance to privacy for himself and his family. This photo shows him in December 2017 in the show "2017! Menschen, Bilder, Emotions".
Jauch is not only successful as an entertainer - he also successfully markets wine.
The confession of the week ...
... put Justin Bieber off. The singer has again reported on the negative effects of his career - as a few months ago in the "Vogue". This time, the 25-year-old addressed his fans with an Instagram post and described what the early glory of his life had done to him. "Everyone did everything for me back then, and I've never learned to take on responsibility," the Canadian wrote.
The singer was discovered at age 13, signed and fast internationally successful. "My world has turned upside down," he said. "A 13-year-old schoolboy from the town who is suddenly praising millions of people and telling him that they love him and how great he is," Bieber described the situation. He believed all that at the time.
"I have distanced myself from all those who love me"
Money, cars, awards - but also many crises: Justin Bieber has once again reported on the negative effects of his career.
This time around, the 25-year-old addressed his fans with an Instagram post, describing what his early fame did with him.
"Everyone did everything for me back then, and I've never learned to take on responsibility," the Canadian wrote.
The singer was discovered at age 13, signed and fast internationally successful.
"My world has turned upside down, a 13-year-old schoolboy from the small town who is suddenly praising millions of people and telling him that they love him and how great he is," Bieber described the situation, believing it all back then ,
"At age 19, I started taking pretty hard drugs and harming all my relationships, I got irritable, disrespectful of women and angry, I distanced myself from all those who loved me," said Bieber.
"It took me years to recover from all those appalling decisions, rebuild broken relationships, and change my behavior." Even his wife, model Hailey Baldwin (pictured here), help him a lot.
The counter of the week ...
... came from Ariana Grande. A fan had put her on Instagram, she probably would not sing live and work with a pitch correction. The singer did not want to let that sit on her.
"With all due respect," wrote the 26-year-old. "I could do that in your living room." She does not need anyone to sing, who mixes the sound or otherwise helps.
In the living room, in the car, in the shower
Live or not live - that's the question: A fan told Ariana Grande that she would not perform live.
And promptly got an answer from the singer on Instagram.
"With all due respect," wrote Grande. "I could do that in your living room."
She does not need anyone to sing, who mixes the sound or otherwise helps.
Incidentally, she could sing live everywhere: on Broadway, in the shower or in the car.
The 26-year-old is considered one of the most successful musicians. At the end of last year, she was named Woman of the Year on the Billboard Women In Music event.
The living room was not the only place where she could sing live. Broadway is one of the shower and car. That's why I'm here, I sing more than 30 songs in one night, "wrote Grande.