The Biggest Celebrity News Stories Of November 2018

November 2018 has been a doozy in the celeb-o-sphere. Beyoncé was blamed for election results in Texas; pop star Demi Lovato left rehab and was spotted getting cozy with a mystery man; and starlet Ariana Grande penned an ode to her infamous exes — and that's just the tip of the tabloid iceberg. Singer Nick Jonas and actress Priyanka Chopra's wedding plans are moving ahead at lightning speed, and former first lady Michelle Obama blew the lid off her private struggles in a new book. 

While some of the month's top stories have made for juicy water-cooler chatter, other news headlines were terribly sad. The rich and famous are not immune to tragedy, and a horrific shooting and disastrous wildfires have deeply affected some well-known entertainers and their families. Let's take a closer look at the biggest celeb news stories of November 2018. 

Ariana Grande dropped a new track entitled "thank u, next" on Nov. 3, 2018. The tune is reportedly dedicated to some of her high-profile exes, including soccer player Ricky Alvarez, Saturday Night Live's Pete Davidson, rapper Big Sean, and the late Mac Miller, who died from an accidental overdose in September 2018. 

From the jump, the song dives into the hitmaker's failed relationships, while also expressing gratitude for the lessons she learned from her former flames. "Thought I'd end up with Sean / But it wasn't a match / Wrote some songs about Ricky / Now I listen and laugh," she sings. "Even almost got married / And for Pete, I'm so thankful / Wish I could say, 'Thank you' to Malcolm / 'Cause he was an angel." The starlet also makes it clear that she's single like a dollar bill after ending her engagement to Davidson in mid-October 2018, and it seems like she's ready to take some time for herself, singing: "Plus, I met someone else ... But this one gon' last / 'Cause her name is Ari / And I'm so good with that."

With hours left until the polls closed on midterm election night in Texas, Beyoncé posted a series of photos on her Instagram account, sporting a hat in support of her home state's Democrat hopeful in the Senate race, Robert "Beto" O'Rourke. She had remained relatively mum during the feverish lead-up to the Nov. 6, 2018 election night, but the superstar finally broke her silence in a caption that read, in part: "I'm feeling grateful for everyone before me who fought so hard to give us all the right to have a voice. We can't voice our frustrations and complain about what's wrong without voting and exercising our power to make it right. We need you."

While her intentions seemed pure, after O'Rourke lost to Republic incumbent Ted Cruz, fans blamed the "Single Ladies" artist for O'Rourke's failure, claiming her last-minute endorsement was too little too late. "You have such a huge, influential voice and you wait until Election Day to post this?!" one fan wrote (via Page Six). "Beto needed you sooner. Maybe you could've actually made a difference."

Either way, O'Rourke was grateful for the support, even if it arrived at the 11th hour. He even retweeted one of Bey's photos with a simple, "Thank you, Beyoncé!" 

As Michelle Obama discussed her memoir, Becoming, with ABC News, the former first lady revealed that she and former President Barack Obama endured heartache while starting a family. Michelle revealed that she suffered a miscarriage prior to giving birth to daughters Malia and Sasha. "I felt lost and alone and I felt like I failed because I didn't know how common miscarriages were because we don't talk about them," she said. Malia and Sasha were conceived through in-vitro fertilization. "That's one of the reasons why I think it's important to talk to young mothers about the fact that miscarriages happen and the biological clock is real because egg production is limited and I realized that as I was 34 and 35. We had to do IVF," she said.

Michelle also revealed that while her marriage may look picture-perfect on the outside, it hasn't been easy. When conflicting schedules took a toll on the Obamas' relationship, they sought outside help. "Marriage counseling for us was one of those ways where we learned how to talk out our differences," she said.

Danielle "Bhad Bhabie" Bregoli and Iggy Azalea were both in attendance at Cardi B's Fashion Nova event on Nov. 14, 2018, when things quickly got out of hand. As soon as the viral sensation laid eyes on Azalea, she threw a drink at her! TMZ shared footage of the drink-tossing antics and the aftermath, which included Azalea looking completely bewildered but rather unbothered by the attack. The Aussie rapper later took to her social media account to share her thoughts in a video, which she captioned: "So the Dr. Phil girl is really upset about me apparently and thought I'd fight a child?! LOL Anyway! The fashion nova party is LIT!" In that same video, Azalea laughs off the encounter. "What kind of Jerry Springer... What kind of whose baby is this, Dr. Phil, Oz s**t? Oh my god. I am a grown up. I cannot," she joked. 

According to XXL, this beef supposedly stems from an online altercation earlier in the month. After an Instagram user asked if people were going to see Bhad Bhabie on tour, Azalea reportedly responded in the comments section: "Are you?" Azalea's response was apparently a little too shady mcgrady, prompting Bhad Bhabie to reportedly reply: "u should come. would be a good memory for u of what a sold out show looks like."

Actress Heather Locklear reportedly got into a fight with her boyfriend, Chris Heisser, on Nov. 17, 2018. The former Melrose Place star threw him out of the house and then "alerted her attorney and her doctors" about the incident, a family friend told People. The following day, someone called 911 from Locklear's residence, according to TMZ, and the actress was put on an involuntary psychiatric hold.

News of Locklear's condition comes at a point when the actress is trying to make some much-needed changes. "Heather had been in rehab for three months and got out in early October, the day before her daughter's 21st birthday," the insider told People. "And for the last month, she has been living privately and low-key." The actress' ex-husband, Richie Sambora, reportedly stepped in to be a "rock" for their daughter, Ava Sambora, while Locklear gets the help she needs. According to a family friend, "Everyone wants her to get better. She is unstable and she's had a lot of issues, drug use, and alcohol over the years. No one wants to see her go through something like this."

If you or someone you know is facing mental and/or substance use disorders, please call the SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.

Oprah Winfrey's mom, Vernita Lee, passed away on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 22, 2018, at the age of 83. The news was revealed by Winfrey's niece, Alisha Hayes, according to TMZ. 

Winfrey has detailed her strained relationship with her mother and her troubled childhood in various interviews. While her mom went to work as a housemaid in Wisconsin, Winfrey was sent to live with her maternal grandmother, Hattie Mae Lee, in rural Mississippi. At the age of 6, as her grandmother's health failed, Winfrey moved back to Wisconsin to live with her mother, who, at that point, was a virtual stranger. "I suddenly land in a place that's completely foreign to me. I don't know anybody. I don't really even know my mother," Winfrey told the Huffington Post. During an interview with Now to Love, Winfrey shared that she didn't experience any feelings of joy or love when she and her mother were reunited. "And so for years, I was asking the question... what is a mother? What are you supposed to feel about your mother?" she said.

Their reunion would be brief and reoccurring throughout the talk show host's life, as she was bounced around between her mom's home and the man she presumed to be her dad, Vernon Lee, who lived in Tennessee. Winfrey and Vernita reportedly repaired their relationship in later years, with Vernita even making an appearance on Winfrey's talk show in 1990 to receive a stylish makeover.