EXCLUSIVE: HODA KOTB PASSES ON KELLY CLARKSON’S TALK SHOW — SHE’S LAUNCHING A LIFESTYLE EMPIRE INSTEAD!
PLUS: LAUREN SÁNCHEZ PLANS HER SEXIEST WEDDING LOOK YET - AND RYAN REYNOLDS WAS THE REAL BOSS BEHIND BLAKE LIVELY’S LIFESTYLE FLOP
EXCLUSIVE: HODA KOTB WALKS AWAY FROM KELLY CLARKSON SHOW TALK TAKEOVER
Don’t expect to see Hoda Kotb sipping coffee in Kelly Clarkson’s studio chair anytime soon — because sources tell #ShuterScoop the beloved Today co-host has officially passed on replacing Clarkson in daytime.
“Hoda was approached about taking over Kelly’s slot, but she said no,” spills one NBC insider. “She’s flattered, but that chapter isn’t for her. She’s got bigger plans — and they don’t involve a traditional talk show.”
Those plans? A full-blown lifestyle brand that insiders describe as “Oprah meets Goop, with heart.”
“Hoda’s building something that’s totally hers,” reveals another source close to the star.
“It’s going to include a podcast, product lines, and maybe even a magazine down the line. She wants to empower women, moms, and people going through tough times — and she wants to do it on her terms.”
The brand, expected to launch later this year, will tap into Kotb’s signature warmth and relatability. “Hoda has that magic mix of comfort and inspiration,” says a source at NBC Universal. “She knows her audience — and they trust her.”
Meanwhile, the hunt for Kelly’s official replacement continues, with producers scrambling behind the scenes.
“Hoda was the dream choice,” admits the NBC source. “But she’s already living her dream — and now she wants to help others live theirs too.”
#ShuterScoop
EXCLUSIVE: RYAN REYNOLDS SECRETLY RAN BLAKE LIVELY’S FAILED LIFESTYLE BRAND
“We Worked for Him — Not Her,” Say Former Staffers of Star’s Toxic Lifestyle Brand.
Blake Lively may have been the face of Preserve, her short-lived lifestyle company, but multiple former staffers are now coming forward to reveal the real power player behind the scenes: Ryan Reynolds — and they say he’s the one who made it unbearable.
“Blake barely showed up,” one ex-employee told #ShuterScoop. “But Ryan? He was everywhere. He acted like the creative director, CFO, and king of the castle. And God help you if you disagreed with him.”
Preserve, launched in 2014 as Lively’s passion project to promote artisanal goods and rustic living, shut down within a year. At the time, Blake chalked it up to growing pains and creative missteps. But according to four former employees, the real story was far darker — involving unpaid labor, emotional manipulation, and a leading man who ran the company like an audition for his next villain role.
“Ryan would breeze in, criticize everyone’s work, then disappear,” a staffer recalled. “He’d mock people, rewrite everything, then blame us for delays. And the worst part? Blake would let him.”
Sources say Ryan, who wasn’t listed on the company’s org chart, still managed to hold enormous influence — especially over hiring decisions, branding, and even who got paid.
“There were times people didn’t get paid for weeks,” one insider revealed. “But Ryan always made sure his people got what they needed. Everyone else? Disposable.”
Blake’s brother, Eric Lively, was installed as Preserve’s creative director — a move many believe was pushed through by Ryan himself.
“Eric was an actor playing a businessman,” one former employee said. “Completely unqualified. But Ryan insisted he could grow into it.”
The company’s Manhattan studio didn’t even have chairs or desks for months. Staffers say they sat on the floor while trying to launch a brand selling high-end luxury items.
“We were marketing $400 hand-blown glassware while sitting cross-legged on the floor. The irony was unreal.”
And while Blake is now positioning herself as a victim of workplace toxicity in her legal battle against It Ends With Us director Justin Baldoni, insiders say she and Ryan ran their own dysfunctional empire — and used money to make it all disappear.
“People were paid off,” one source claimed. “I know someone who got $300,000 just to sign an NDA and never speak about what happened. It was that bad.”
Baldoni has since countersued Blake, Ryan, and their longtime publicist Leslie Sloane for defamation and extortion. The case is set to go to trial in March 2026.
“They sold the world this fairy tale marriage and wholesome business image,” a former employee said. “But behind the scenes, it was all smoke and mirrors — and Ryan was holding the match.”
To date, neither Ryan Reynolds nor Blake Lively has publicly responded to the new claims about Preserve — but sources close to the situation say the couple is “panicking behind the scenes.”
“Ryan always plays the nice guy. But the truth is, he ran Preserve like a tyrant,” said one source. “And everyone who worked there knows it.”
#ShuterScoop
EXCLUSIVE: LAUREN SÁNCHEZ’S WEDDING DRESS WILL BE HER MOST REVEALING LOOK YET — AND THAT’S EXACTLY HOW JEFF WANTS IT
Lauren Sánchez isn’t walking down the aisle — she’s strutting.
Sources tell #ShuterScoop that the media maven and helicopter pilot plans to wear her sexiest, most jaw-dropping look ever when she marries Amazon founder Jeff Bezos later this year.
“Lauren’s dress is going to leave very little to the imagination,” spills one insider close to the couple. “Think high slit, plunging neckline, sheer panels — it’s less royal wedding and more red carpet afterparty in Cannes.”
The revealing gown, being custom designed, is “1000% Lauren,” says another source.
“She’s not shy, and Jeff loves that about her. He thinks she looks incredible and wants all eyes on her — especially his.”
And while some traditionalists might raise eyebrows, the couple couldn’t care less. “Jeff thinks she looks like a goddess,” adds the insider. “He told her, ‘Why hide what the world already knows is beautiful?’”
The sexy nuptials are expected to take place later this year aboard the couple’s $500 million superyacht, Koru, with VIPs flown in from around the globe. “It’s going to be sensual, over-the-top, and 100% them,” teases one guest. “The dress is just the beginning.”
Stay tuned — we hear the veil is optional.
#ShuterScoop
EXCLUSIVE: CBS IN CHAOS AS GAYLE KING EYES EXIT — NETWORK SCRAMBLES TO FIND A REPLACEMENT
CBS is in full panic mode as whispers grow louder that Gayle King will not renew her contract — and insiders say the network is scrambling behind the scenes to find her replacement.
“There’s a mad dash happening right now,” a senior CBS source tells #ShuterScoop.
King, 69, has been the crown jewel of CBS Mornings, bringing credibility, warmth, and star power. But sources say she’s “tired of the grind” and increasingly pulled toward her other gig opportunities that do not involve getting up at 3:30am.
“She’s not saying it outright,” the source explains, “but she’s done it for over a decade. She wants her life back.”
CBS has quietly begun floating trial replacements — but the search hasn’t been easy.
“They want someone with authority, likability, and the ability to go viral — that’s not an easy mix,” another insider dishes. “They’ve looked at everyone from political anchors to lifestyle hosts, even names from outside the network.”
Among the names quietly discussed? Jericka Duncan, Natalie Morales, and even a possible style steal from rival networks.
“There’s no obvious heir,” says the CBS source. “And that’s what’s freaking them out.”
As Gayle weighs her options — and keeps CBS guessing — the clock is ticking.
#ShuterScoop