Celebrity gossip, sightings in and around Connecticut in May – CT Insider

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“Breaking Bad” stars Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston sign bottles of Dos Hombres and take selfies with their fans at Fortina in Stamford on May 18. 
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Dr. Nichols, husband and friends with “Below Deck: Sailing Yacht” crew.
Siniša Mačković and actress Chloë Sevigny attend Balenciaga Spring 2023 at the New York Stock Exchange on May 22, 2022.
Mike Tyson, center, with Al and Sal Lobalbo last week at Lobalabo Brother’s Auto Body in Stamford.
Connecticut was a hotbed for celebrity sightings in May, with everyone from the main cast of “Breaking Bad” bartending to some of the “Real Housewives” spilling gossip for their fans. 
Here are some of the Hollywood sightings and murmurings that happened in and around Connecticut in May:
 
 
“Breaking Bad” stars Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston sign bottles of Dos Hombres and take selfies with their fans at Fortina in Stamford on May 18. 
Known for playing drug lords on “Breaking Bad,” Cranston and Paul stopped by Fortina in Stamford as part of a tour around the country to promote their mezcal brand, Dos Hombres. 
During their stop, Cranston and Paul acted as guest bartenders, serving their fans to shots of Dos Hombres as well as Fortina’s special drink “Up in Smoke,” which includes mezcal, white tequila, lime and chili honey.
 
Mike Tyson, center, with Al and Sal Lobalbo last week at Lobalabo Brother’s Auto Body in Stamford.
Former heavyweight champion “Iron Mike” Tyson stopped by Lobalbo Brothers Auto Body in Stamford in May to say hello to his friends Sal and Al Lobalbo.
Actor Noah Schnapp attends the 52nd annual CMA Awards at the Bridgestone Arena on November 14, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee.
The actor and Scarsdale native was seen at Gofer Ice Cream in Greenwich in early May.  
The 17-year-old star of the Netflix horror series “Stranger Things” was recently accepted to the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. 
Former “Real Housewives” stars Vicki Gunvalson, Jill Zarin and Caroline Manzo came to the stage of the Ridgefield Playhouse in May for “An Evening with the Celebrity Housewives.”
Though none of the women are currently on their franchises anymore, they spilled gossip and caught up with their loyal fans during the event. 
 
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – MAY 14: Gaten Matarazzo attends Netflix’s “Stranger Things” Season 4 New York Premiere at Netflix Brooklyn on May 14, 2022 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)
Gaten Matarazzo, who plays Dustin Henderson in Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” hails from Connecticut and had one of his first big breaks in the state. 
That big break came in 2011 when he returned to Connecticut for the Starpower Talent Competition Nationals at Mohegan Sun. At the competition, he earned third place in the vocal category for a solo entitled, “Ben.” That same year, Matarazzo went on to make his Broadway debut in “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.”
Matarazzo and the Emmy award-winning “Stranger Things” recently returned to Netflix after a three-year break for the first part of its fourth season. 
Billy Joel performs during the annual Greenwich Town Party at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park in Greenwich, Conn., on Saturday May 28, 2022.
Billy Joel was the main act during the annual Greenwich Town Party at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park at the end of May.
Singer and Connecticut native Michael Bolton is this year’s DVCC recipient of the Voices of Courage Award. 
The Grammy-winning singer and Connecticut native has done charity work throughout his career to raise awareness for domestic violence.
On May 19, he and journalist Jeff Benedict were honored for their work at the Domestic Violence Crisis Center’s 20th Annual Voices of Courage Spring Luncheon in Darien. 
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 02: (L-R) Caroline Wozniacki and David Lee attend The 2022 Met Gala Celebrating “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 02, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
According to the fashion designer’s Instagram, the Westport resident designed dresses for singer Normani, designer and influencer Alexa Chung and tennis player Caroline Wozniacki for this year’s Met Gala.
Dr. Nichols, husband and friends with “Below Deck: Sailing Yacht” crew.
Greenwich resident and celebrity dermatologist Dr. Kim Nichols made an appearance during an episode of Bravo’s “Below Deck Sailing Yacht.”
Nichols was accompanied by her husband Chris and some friends as they sailed around Menorca, Spain for three days. 
 
 
 
 
Nancy Armstrong, the producer of “The Disruptors.”
Emmy-nominated Greenwich producer Nancy Armstrong released the film “The Disruptors,” which follows around five families living with ADHD.
Some celebrities included in the film are Paris Hilton, Steve Madden, will.i.am, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Mandel and Jillian Michaels.  
Siniša Mačković and actress Chloë Sevigny attend Balenciaga Spring 2023 at the New York Stock Exchange on May 22, 2022.
Two years after her New York courthouse wedding to art gallery director Siniša Mačković, actress Chloë Sevigny returned to her hometown of Darien for a second wedding ceremony.
Wedding guests included “Russian Doll” co-star Natasha Lyonne, former Sonic Youth bassist Kim Gordon and YouTube’s head of fashion and beauty Derek Blasberg.  
Singer-songwriter Carly Simon photographed in June 1971. (Photo by Jack Mitchell/Getty Images)
In May, Carly Simon, the folk singer-songwriter who spent her childhood in Stamford, was named as an inductee to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Simon joins Dolly Parton, Eminem, Lionel Ritchie, Eurythmics, Duran Duran and Pat Benatar, as the inductees for 2022.
Simon is known for her string of folk and pop-rock hits of the 1970s, including “You’re So Vain” and “Nobody Does It Better,” which became the theme song for the James Bond movie, “The Spy Who Loved Me.” 
Broadcast Journalist, author and breast cancer survivor Joan Lunden and Sky Mercede of Forever Sweet Bakery in Norwalk at the American Cancer Society’s 8th annual “Woman Leading the Way to Wellness’ Luncheon at the Stamford Marriott Hotel & Spa on May 25, 2022.
The broadcast journalist, author and breast cancer survivor spoke at the American Cancer Society’s eighth annual “Woman Leading the Way to Wellness” luncheon at the Stamford Marriott Hotel & Spa in May. 
Lunden also signed copies of her best-selling book, “Why Did I Come Into This Room: A Candid Conversation about Aging?” 
Event honoree, actress LaChanze attends the 2022 ADAPT Leadership Awards gala at Cipriani 42nd Street on March 10, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images)
Bridgeport-raised actress LaChanze has been nominated for a Tony Award for her performance as Wiletta Mayer in the Broadway production of “Trouble in Mind,” according to the nomination announcement.
Prior to “Trouble in Mind,” LaChanze has starred in Broadway musicals such as “A Christmas Carol,” “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical” and “The Color Purple.”
She has also starred in films like “The Help” and Disney’s “Hercules.”
Richard Gere attends IFC Films With The Cinema Society And Monkey 47 Host A Special Screening Of “Three Christs” at Regal Essex Crossing on January 9, 2020 in New York City.
 “Pretty Woman” actor Richard Gere sold his estate in Pound Ridge, NY on May 5. The house was listed for $28 million, but it is unknown how much it sold for. 
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki speaks during the daily press briefing at the White House on February 16, 2021 in Washington, DC.
The Stamford-born press secretary left her role at the White House on May 13. She is set to become a host on MSNBC in the fall.
She also joined Jimmy Fallon on “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” towards the end of the month.
“I want to say thank you to Jen for raising the bar, communicating directly and truthfully to the American people, and keeping her sense of humor while doing so. I thank Jen for her service to the country, and wish her the very best as she moves forward,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. 
 Host Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is seen during the 2022 Billboard Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 15, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. 
Musician Sean “Diddy” Combs celebrated the students of Capital Preparatory Schools during his hosting of the Billboard Music Awards.
Before he presented Ed Sheeran, the rapper invited ten students from the three campuses — Harlem, Bronx and Bridgeport — with him onstage. 
Julie Benko, who debuted as Fanny Brice on Broadway’s Funny Girl on April 29, has also starred in Broadway productions of Fiddle on the Roof, Les Miserbles and Spring Awakening. 
From the local theaters of Fairfield County to performing on Broadway, actress Julie Benko represented Connecticut in the new production of “Funny Girl.”
Benko, who is Beanie Feldstein’s standby, made her debut on April 29 and continued starring in the role until May 1. 
“I was a little nervous but I was more comfortable once I got on stage because that’s where I feel at home, so it was very freeing for me to be on stage,” said Benko.  
Martha Stewart attends the 2022 White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at Washington Hilton on April 30, 2022 in Washington, DC. “The Great American Tag Sale with Martha Stewart,” which took place last month at her 150-acre farm in Katonah, N.Y., was broadcast on ABC on Wednesday night.
“The Great American Tag Sale with Martha Stewart,” took place last month at her 150-acre farm in Katonah, N.Y. A special about the tag sale was broadcast on ABC toward the end of May. The special features some famous faces who attended the event last month, including actress Blake Lively, TV host Lara Spencer and co-hosts of “The View,” Sunny Hostin and Joy Behar.
Maren Morris arrives at the 2022 iHeartCountry Festival presented by Capital One at the new state-of-the-art venue Moody Center on May 7, 2022 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Dave Pedley/Getty Images for iHeartRadio)
The Grammy award-winning country-pop star spoke with Hearst Connecticut Media to discuss her latest album “Humble Quest,” as well as her tour, which includes a stop at Bridgeport’s Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater on July 7. 
“It was definitely a title that felt like it summed up particularly the past two years of my life — becoming a mom for the first time at the beginning of the pandemic and then having touring stripped away for so long, and feeling like I had this new purpose as a parent but purposeless as an artist for that moment in time,” Morris said.
John Oliver did a segment on Connecticut-based Subway this month. He said it seems like the company is “in the news pretty often and it is rarely for anything good.” He later played video clips from television news programs covering a variety of accusations against Subway and claims that portray the company in a negative light. 
A spokesman for the chain said in a statement sent to Hearst Connecticut Media that the show “inaccurately characterized Subway and the support we provide our franchisees.”
Director Ron Howard attends the premiere of “We Feed People” at the SVA Theatre on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, in New York.
Director Ron Howard and his wife, author Cheryl Howard, were seen dining at Eastend on Greenwich Avenue in the middle of May.
The pair was celebrating the wedding ceremony of their daughter Paige Howard to actor and musician Tim Abou-Nasr.
Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten attends the Dinner with Jean-Georges Vongerichten as part of Food Network & Cooking Channel New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by Capital One at Perry Street Restaurant on October 14, 2021 in New York City.
Michelin-starred chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten announced he is joining the restaurant lineup on Greenwich Avenue in late spring with his new Latin-influenced eatery, Happy Monkey.
“From a sophisticated evening out to a relaxed family dinner, Happy Monkey’s elevated yet approachable feel makes it a go-to destination for any occasion,” he said. 
Andrew DaRosa works for the digital team at Hearst Connecticut Media, both producing online content as well as maintaining homepages.
Andrew is an award-winning journalist and holds a degree in digital journalism from Fairfield University.
When he’s not writing, he is spending time with his dogs or going to see live music.
Leeanne is the food and consumer reporter for Hearst Connecticut, handling coverage of restaurant openings and closings, trends, events and general news about CT food and beverage businesses.
She’s been working in Connecticut news for more than 15 years, most recently as the food and dining reporter for the Hartford Courant. A native of Worcester, Mass., she holds a master’s degree in journalism from Quinnipiac University.

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