MariahCarey,Bill Clinton: Connecticut's latest celebrity gossip and sightings, July 2023

Aug. 2—Katy Perry asks Danbury activist to dance on Las Vegas stage

Danbury

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On July 29, Danbury's Emanuela Palmares joined pop singer Katy Perry on stage in Las Vegas. Palmares was celebrating her 40th birthday at Perry's "Play" concert and donated to Perry's charity, which helps undeserved middle school kids access the arts. She was entered into a contest to join Perry on stage after the show and was chosen.

Perry interviewed Palmares about her family's New American Dream Foundation, a foundation that helps immigrants. — Rob Ryser

Former president Bill Clinton visits Papa Al's

Newtown

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Former president Bill Clinton was seen visiting Papa Al's in Newtown on July 30, according to an Instagram post. In the post, Clinton was seen smiling with a staff member and ordering food. In 2016, Clinton ate a slice of pizza at Frank Pepe's in New Haven.

The former president graduated from Yale Law School in 1973, according to the White House. — Jailene Cuevas

Mariah Carey dines at MOLI

Greenwich

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Grammy Award winner Mariah Carey was seen having dinner at MOLI in Greenwich in July. According to past reporting, Carey was "amicable and kind." — Susie Costaregni

Martha Stewart films at Arethusa Farm

Bantam

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Martha Stewart paid a visit to Arethusa Farm in Bantam, according to a July 19 Instagram and Facebook post from the dairy. Arethusa's social media coordinator, Adam Hall, said the star was there filming her show, "Martha Cooks."

Hall said that Stewart wanted to learn about Arethusa's process for making its dairy products. She was also interested in talking about "how important it is that we, you know, stay local and support local farms," he said. — Layla Schlack

Charli D'Amelio and Landon Barker spotted at Eco Evolution

Norwalk

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TikTok star and Norwalk native Charli D'Amelio was spotted with boyfriend Landon Barker — son of Blink-182 drummer and Kourtney Kardashian's husband, Travis Barker — at Eco Evolution in Norwalk on July 6.

According to Eco Evolution's owner, Brad Kerner, D'Amelio spent 35 minutes at the store and was with "three or four friends." D'Amelio rose to fame doing dance routines on TikTok in 2019. She currently has 151.2 million followers on the app. — Layla Schlack

Donovan Mitchell dines at Tony's at the J House

Greenwich

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Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell and Welsh international lawn and indoor bowler Jess Sims were seen dining at Tony's at the J House in Greenwich on July 2. — Susie Costaregni

CT native competes on 'Love Island USA'

West Hartford

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West Hartford native Leonardo Dionicio made his television debut on "Love Island USA" on July 18. Couples compete in challenges like popping balloons filled with paint in a wrestling ring for the chance to stay on the show until the end and be voted the best couple. The winning pair will be awarded $100,000.

Dionicio comes from a family of athletes. His twin sister plays soccer at Yale University in New Haven, and his older brother plays basketball at UMass-Amherst. Dionicio played for the Dayton Flyers, a college baseball team for the University of Dayton in Ohio. — Jailene Cuevas

CT actor stars in upcoming Hallmark film

Avon

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Avon's Olivia Nicole Hoffman stars as the protagonist's comedic sidekick, Lydia, in the film "Aloha Heart," which debuted on July 28 on the Hallmark Channel. This was Hoffman's second Hallmark movie after the 2022 film "Two Tickets to Paradise."

Hoffman has performed at regional theaters across Connecticut, like Playhouse on Park in West Hartford, Hartford's TheaterWorks and Torrington's Warner Theatre. — Abby Weiss

Jason Aldean suffered from heat exhaustion at Xfinity Theatre concert

Hartford

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Country singer Jason Aldean ended his Hartford concert early on July 15 after experiencing heat exhaustion on stage. According to a statement provided by Hartford's Xfinity Theatre on July 16, Aldean experienced heat stroke, which caused him to end the show early.

Aldean posted a video on Facebook the following day saying he was "doing fine" and that he had suffered from a combination of heat exhaustion and dehydration. He rescheduled the show and returned to Connecticut on July 30.

The singer is currently embroiled in controversy with his song "Try That In A Small Town" due to some thinking it has inflammatory language and racist imagery. Kamora's Cultural Corner, an activist organization that aims to facilitate "difficult conversations," hosted a community engagement event at the Restaurant Depot parking lot in Hartford the day of the rescheduled concert. — Abby Weiss, Jailene Cuevas and Joseph Tucci

Emmy nominees with Connecticut ties

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The nominations for the 2023 Emmy Awards were released on July 12, and there were three Connecticut connections within the top six award categories.

"Saturday Night Live" writers Alison Gates and Streeter Seidell have been nominated for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series. Gates is a graduate of Yale University, and this is her fourth Emmy nomination as a "Saturday Night Live" writer. Seidell was born in New Haven, and this is his seventh Emmy nomination as a writer on "Saturday Night Live."

Henry Winkler is nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his role in the HBO series "Barry." In the series, he plays Gene Cousineau, an acting teacher in Los Angeles who mentors Barry Berkman (Bill Hader). Winkler completed his MFA at the Yale School of Drama in 1970.

Kathryn Hahn is nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie for "Tiny Beautiful Things." She takes on the role of a blogger who rekindles hope in the lives of her followers while her own life is falling apart. Hahn earned her Masters of Fine Arts in drama from Yale University. — Amy Coval and Andrew DaRosa

Jenna Bush Hager seen taking a stroll with family

Greenwich

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"Today with Hoda & Jenna" co-host Jenna Bush Hager, husband Henry Hager and son Hal were seen walking in north Greenwich on July 9. Hager's grandfather, President George H. W. Bush, grew up in Greenwich and serves on the board of the Greenwich International Film Festival. — Susie Costaregni

Laura Linney honored by Westport Library

Westport

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Actor Laura Linney, from "Ozark" and "The Truman Show," joined the pantheon of notable entertainers honored by the Westport Library as part of its "BOOKED fundraiser on July 14. The award recognizes individuals who "nurture a love of learning and enhance our understanding of the world."

The actor discussed the differences between acting on stage versus on camera, saying that comparing the two is like comparing tennis and swimming; they are both sports but require different technical abilities. Linney also discussed how she "let the script tell her what to do." — Andrew DaRosa

'American Pickers' looking for locations in Connecticut to film

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In July, History Channel's "American Pickers" announced that the show was planning to film in Connecticut throughout August. The show follows Mike Wolfe and Danielle Colby as they hunt for valuable antiques in America that they can restore to "their former glory," according to the show's description on History.com.

Cineflix Productions, the company that produces the show, is looking for individuals in the state who want to share stories of "historically significant or rare" items they possess and are willing to sell. It is not willing to select items from establishments open to the public, like stores, flea markets, malls, auction businesses and museums, according to a release. — Jailene Cuevas

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Creative festival returns to Torrington Aug. 19

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