In this combination photo, Bill Cosby speaks to an audience on the campus of University of the District of Columbia in Washington on May 16, 2006 , left, and director Roman Polanski appears at the photo call for the film, "Based On A True Story," at the 70th international film festival, Cannes, southern France on May 27, 2017. (AP Photo)
LOS ANGELES (AP) --
The governing body of the film academy has voted to expel Bill Cosby and Roman Polanski from its membership.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Thursday that its board of governors met Tuesday night and voted on their status in accordance with their recently revised standards of conduct.
The organization that puts on the Oscars also expelled Harvey Weinstein from its ranks in October.
Only one person is thought to have been previously expelled from the academy: Carmine Caridi, a character actor who had his membership revoked in 2004 for lending DVD screeners of films in contention for Oscars that ended up online.
Polanski, who won a best director Oscar for 2002's "The Pianist," remains a fugitive after fleeing the United States in 1978 after pleading guilty to unlawful sex with a minor. Cosby was convicted last week of sexual assault in Pennsylvania.
This image released by Hallmark Media shows Hunter King, left, and Tyler Hynes in a scene from "Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story. (Joshua Haines/Hallmark Media via AP)
Two new Christmas TV movies have a Taylor Swift connection that her fans would have no problem decoding.
"Christmas in the Spotlight" debuts Saturday on Lifetime. It stars Jessica Lord as the world's biggest pop star and Laith Wallschleger as a pro football player, who meet and fall in love — not unlike Swift and her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
"It's clearly inspired by Taylor and Travis, but I don't know them and I don't know what is going on behind the scenes. I only know what's been put out there," said Eirene Tran Donohue, a longtime, devoted fan who jumped at the opportunity to write a script even loosely based on her favorite musician.
She was inspired by the couple's support of each other's accomplishments, particularly Kelce's ease with dating the star despite the glare of the spotlight, adding, "I love the way that he celebrates her."
Tran Donohue wants fellow Swift fans to know she wrote the script with them in mind.
"There are so many Easter eggs," she said of little details added that a Swift fan would pick up on. "I put in as many as I could."
Then, on Nov. 30, Hallmark will air "Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story." Instead of a nod to Swift, it's an ode to family traditions and bonding, like rooting for a sports team. Hallmark's headquarters is also in Kansas City, so it makes sense why the company chose the Chiefs to be highlighted.
In this story, written by Julie Sherman Wolfe, sparks fly when a new employee for the Chiefs organization (Tyler Hynes) meets a woman — played by Hunter King — whose family's dedication to the team goes back generations.
Sherman Wolfe, a San Francisco 49ers fan, said she got the call a week after Super Bowl LVIII, when the Chiefs... Read More
