Do you guys remember when Prince William won the “sexiest bald man” survey? It happened in 2021 AND 2023. Two separate “surveys” rigged to declare an incandescent dumbass the sexiest bald man. In the same world where Jason Statham, LL Cool J, Stanley Tucci and Boris Kodjoe exist. I don’t think so. Well, there’s another survey, this one for the “sexiest man in the UK.” The poll was conducted by IllicitEncounters, a dating site for married cheaters in the UK. Well, you would think this would be William’s wheelhouse, right?? He only made it to #3. Two places down from the #1 sexiest British man, Jeremy Clarkson. GROSS.

Jeremy Clarkson has secured the title of the UK’s sexiest man for the second consecutive year. The 64-year-old presenter surpassed notable contenders such as Prince William, Idris Elba, and Cillian Murphy in the annual poll conducted by IllicitEncounters, that brands itself “the best online dating site for married people”. The Clarkson’s Farm star achieved an impressive score of nine out of 10 points in the survey.

Meanwhile, Spider-Man actor Tom Holland secured the second spot in the UK’s sexiest man list, which coincides with his return to the West End. The 27-year-old Hollywood star, who is in a relationship with actress Zendaya, earned an impressive eight points in the poll while Prince William completed the top three.

The annual Sexiest Man poll from the married dating site is voted by 2,000 of its female members.

Other notable entries include England manager Gareth Southgate who secured fourth place, while I’m A Celebrity winner Sam Thompson, 31, claimed eighth place and Russ Cook, 27, known as “the Hardest Geezer”, landed in ninth. Irish actor Cillian Murphy, 47, secured fifth place, joining regulars Idris Elba and Dermot O’Leary in the top 10.

[From The Evening Standard]

Like… even if they’re not my taste, how are British guys like Robert Pattinson, Dev Patel, Henry Cavill, David Beckham, Regé-Jean Page, Tom Hardy, Daniel Craig, Nicholas Hoult… not top ten? Jeremy Clarkson at #1?? HUEVO AT #3?? It’s insanity. The one good thing about it is that everyone on the internet was clowning on William’s lack of sexiness. That man has the sexual charisma of a puddle of warm vomit. (Also: Cillian Murphy isn’t British.)

Are British people ok https://t.co/rdH6AMgX0f

— Amber Sparks (@ambernoelle) May 17, 2024

https://t.co/kwgd6BNfR9 pic.twitter.com/qDCApkafNw

— Aidan (@aidanthereup) May 17, 2024

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

Trigger warning: DV, SA

Last November, Cassie Ventura filed a federal lawsuit against Sean Combs/Puffy/Diddy for his years of physical and emotional abuse. He was regularly drugging her, assaulting her, raping her and trafficking her to other men. Combs immediately came out and suggested that Cassie was lying about everything. In less than 24 hours, he settled with her, lest the dominos begin the fall. Well, the dominos started to fall anyway. More lawsuits with other victims followed, and it started to get to the point where the federal authorities could no longer sit on the sidelines and hope that the civil courts would handle it. In March, the FBI raided Combs’ homes in LA and Florida and there’s reporting that the feds are building their case based on what they found.

What Cassie did was incredibly brave, and I remember the coverage of her 35-page federal lawsuit. Cassie had enough evidence to scare the sh-t out of Combs, evidence which he never wanted to come out. Speaking of, CNN got their hands of 2016 hotel surveillance footage which shows Combs physically assaulting Cassie as she attempts to leave him.

A 2016 surveillance video obtained exclusively by CNN shows Sean “Diddy” Combs grab, shove, drag and kick his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura during an altercation that matches allegations in a now-settled federal lawsuit filed by Ventura in November.

The footage, compiled from multiple camera angles dated March 5, 2016, appears to show the rapper, producer and business mogul during an incident that, according to Ventura’s complaint, occurred at the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles. CNN verified the location based on publicly available photos of the former hotel’s interior.

In the video, Ventura exits a hotel room and walks to a bank of elevators. Combs, holding a towel around his waist, runs down a hall after Ventura. He grabs her by the back of the neck and throws her to the floor. Still holding his towel closed with one hand, he then turns to kick her, the video shows.

As Ventura is on the ground, Combs retrieves a purse and suitcase from the floor near the elevators. He turns around and kicks Ventura again as she lies motionless on the floor. About four seconds transpire between the two kicks, according to the video. He then briefly drags Ventura by her sweatshirt toward a room before walking away.

Ventura is then seen slowly standing up. She gathers items from the floor and moves to pick up a phone on the hallway wall near the elevators. Combs, still in a towel and socks, returns. A mirror directly across from the security camera shows Combs appearing to shove Ventura.

Seconds later, he sits down on a chair, grabs an object off a table and forcefully throws it toward Ventura. Combs is seen walking away, then turns toward Ventura once again when an elevator door opens and someone appears to exit.

Ventura, who reached an undisclosed settlement with Combs, declined to comment on the video obtained by CNN. Ventura’s attorney, Douglas H. Wigdor, said: “The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs. Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms. Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light.”

[From CNN]

I believed Cassie before the video and I hate the fact that too many people only believe her now that the video has been released. I also hate that people are finding photos of Combs with other celebrities and trying to say “everyone knew.” While there was knowledge, especially in recent years, of Combs’ violence and predatory behavior towards women, a lot of people are underestimating how society ignores violence against women. Apparently, this 2016 incident – with the hotel footage – was one of the big reasons why Combs settled with Cassie so quickly too.

Here’s the video. Trigger warning.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

Jennifer Lopez was photographed out and about a few times on Friday, May 17. She was seen entering and exiting a Burbank dance studio, where she’s presumably prepping her tour. Later in the day, she was photographed going over to a school function for one of Ben’s kids. She had her arms full of sunflowers. Ben came over to talk to her and they did not hug or kiss in greeting. After the play, they walked out together and seemed like they were deep in conversation. All of those Ben-and-Jen photos are super-exclusive, but I’ll include some tweets at the end of the post. The important thing is that they were photographed together for the first time in 47 days. The important thing is that Jennifer still shows up to events for her stepkids. But it does look like all of the reports of significant marriage problems are true. Even People Magazine reported this:

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are living separately while both are in Los Angeles, according to multiple sources.

The couple were seen together in public on Thursday, May 16 for the first time since March 30, but a source close to Lopez, 54, tells PEOPLE that Affleck, 51, has not been staying at the couple’s Los Angeles home. He is instead staying at one of their other properties while filming his movie The Accountant 2.

Reps for Affleck or Lopez did not respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment.

Lopez was spending time in New York in recent months to film her movie Kiss of the Spider Woman, promote the Netflix film Atlas and serve as a co-chair for the 2024 Met Gala, which she took part in without Affleck by her side. He recently attended the May 5 live Roast of Tom Brady solo between filming.

[From People]

Yeah, whatever is happening, Benny Medina is letting this story come out. Maybe this is even the story J.Lo wants out there, since Benny doesn’t even seem to be doing any damage control. That’s important, because I think the default for a lot of people will be to solely blame J.Lo, when really, her behavior seems to indicate that she’s pissed off at Ben, like HE did something and she told him to move out. Speaking of, Us Weekly’s sources also noted that Ben “moved out” of the home he shared with J.Lo “several weeks ago.” Meanwhile, Page Six’s sources say that both Ben and Jen have been house-hunting separately in recent weeks.

So… yeah, my vibe is that they’re having significant problems but I’m hesitant to say it’s ALL Jennifer or ALL Ben. They’re two massively dysfunctional people, which is sort of why I’ve always loved them together – their dysfunctions fit together pretty well and I thought they really did love each other. We’ll see though – Jennifer has a big premiere on Monday night. Will Ben come out for her?

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck were photographed for the first time together in over a month as Jen made it to a show for Ben’s children, where Jennifer Garner was also in attendance.

More details: https://t.co/j0avmLOvwq pic.twitter.com/aVMaESa91O

— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) May 17, 2024

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez in Los Angeles https://t.co/yKNLY6LrWH

— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) May 17, 2024

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Backgrid.

It’s hard to believe that Emma Stone is now a two-time Best Actress Oscar winner. And yet, it’s not that hard to believe. Emma is widely considered to be one of the best actresses of her generation, and the fact that she’s leaned into making (and producing) weird, arty, offbeat films adds to her allure. Speaking of, Emma was in Cannes to promote Yorgos Lanthimos’ Kinds of Kindness. She’ll probably get another Oscar nom out of it, all things considered. Emma delivered at the Cannes premiere, wearing a rich-looking Louis Vuitton (she’s a brand ambassador). I honestly love the dress, which surprises me. I think this is a very good look overall for Emma, but I wish she would have “dressed it up” a little bit more. Bigger earrings or half an arm full of bracelets.

Emma’s costars were there as well – Hunter Schafer wore Armani Privé and Margaret Qualley wore Chanel. I love Hunter’s dress, it’s structural in a cool way.

Lily Gladstone sort of needed some structure – this Balenciaga was too much of a sack dress! She looks amazing in that saffron color though.

Look at Aishwarya Rai Bachchan wearing yet another completely bonkers Falguni Shane Peacock gown. I love this absolutely silly energy.

Demi Moore wore Armani Privé – really blah, right?

Eva Green – who is on the Cannes jury this year – wore Iris van Herpen. No, this is too much??

Uma Thurman wore Burberry to a different Cannes premiere (Oh, Canada). Satin is so difficult and the sheath dress could have fit a bit better.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

Daisy Ridley wore Prada to the premiere of Young Woman and the Sea. I actually like the dress a lot, but the whole look is way too matronly for her. [RCFA]
Rihanna & ASAP Rocky stepped out again in NYC. [Just Jared]
Kelly Osbourne & her mother talk about Ozempic. [OMG Blog]
Oh no I might have to try the new McFlurry flavor. [Seriously OMG]
Anya Taylor Joy at the Furiosa photocall in Cannes. [Socialite Life]
Nooooo Chris Pine shaved his beard!! [LaineyGossip]
Something is really broken in Aaron Rodgers’ brain. [Pajiba]
I love this floral on Mindy Kaling. [Go Fug Yourself]
It feels like every 90 Day Fiance star is doing crime. [Starcasm]
Fun facts about misogynist Harrison Butker. [Hollywood Life]
I stand with this guy too – it’s ridiculous to be asked to do a 90-minute Excel task in a job interview. He was right to question it. [Buzzfeed]

The Murdoch-owned British outlets have been trying new things for their royal coverage. The Sun has a YouTube “talk show” with a steady stream of royalists banging on about… the Sussexes. Meanwhile, the Times of London has a “Times Radio” show with Roya Nikkhah and Kate Mansey to sort of organize the royal gossip of the week. I totally understand if you guys don’t want to watch the whole thing (I skimmed it) but here’s the full video:

A few interesting parts, in no particular order. Kate Mansey trying to make Harry’s statement about not meeting his father sound whiny, only to admit just seconds later that Harry put Buckingham Palace “on the back foot.” Mansey also admits (around the 5:30 mark) that the king came out of the “no meeting” debacle looking pretty “shoddy” for not meeting with Harry AND ignoring the Invictus service. There’s also a discussion – a somewhat shady conversation – about Charles’s “convening power” as a king, yet he cannot convene his relationships with his sons.

Around the 14-minute mark they talk about how Prince William and Kate have all of these homes, and how there was pushback on their move to Windsor in 2022, when Kate got her little separation home, Adelaide Cottage. It’s interesting. They know more than they’re saying about the Waleses’ housing situation.

The most interesting part starts around the 24-minute mark where they talk about Charles and his sons and what’s in store for the years to come. Mansey points out something we noted last week, which was that the focus was all about Charles-and-Harry and whether they would meet and how Charles was mad about Harry’s statement, etc. There was no Kensington Palace briefing spree about how much William hates his brother or “William REFUSES to meet Harry.” Mansey says, “Now the rift is so deep, so widely accepted, that’s not even a story, no one assumes that William and Harry will ever meet.” Which is true. Then Nikkhah brings up the idea that William’s coronation will probably happen soonish and: “If, god forbid, we were to have another coronation in the next few years, would Harry be there? I don’t think William would invite him. And I don’t think Harry would come. That’s an extraordinary thing, isn’t it?” I… actually agree with Roya Nikkhah?

It’s worth remembering this Royalist story from last November, in which sources close to William claimed that the next time William will speak to Harry is “at their father’s funeral.” I think about that story too much. I think it’s true – William would “allow” Harry to come back for Charles’s funeral and that’s it. That would be the end of the brothers’ relationship. Just how Camilla wanted it.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

In late February, Thomas Kingston died by gunshot wound to the head. The coroner later said that it was almost certainly self-inflicted, and I cannot tell if there’s still any ongoing investigation, but I don’t think there is. Kingston’s widow, Lady Gabriella Windsor, is said to be really torn up about her husband’s death. She’s no longer living in the London home they shared, and she’s moved into her parents’ Kensington Palace apartment. There was already a small, private, royal funeral held for Kingston, but there are plans for a larger memorial service at some point in the near future. The Windsors are apparently rallying behind Gabriella, and according to Richard Eden at the Mail, the king wants Gabriella to come out for Trooping the Colour.

Of all the troubles to have afflicted the Royal Family this year, none has been more devastating than the tragic death of Thomas Kingston, the 45-year-old husband of Lady Gabriella Windsor. Handsome and popular, Tom died from what was described as a traumatic head wound in February. A gun was found near his body in an outbuilding at his parents’ home in the Cotswolds.

This weekend will be particularly poignant for Lady Gabriella, as Saturday is the fifth anniversary of her wedding at St George’s Chapel, Windsor – a joyful occasion with the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip among the guests.

Now, the Royal Family is rallying round once again, this time to help Lady Gabriella – daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent – to recover from the ordeal. I can reveal that their Majesties have invited Ella, as she is known by friends, to attend the King’s Birthday Parade next month. The parade is the formal name for Trooping the Colour and an appearance at the occasion would be the first time she has been seen in public since her husband’s death.

‘Everyone hopes that Ella will attend the celebrations, if she feels up to it,’ a royal source tells me. ‘It would be a powerful signal of the Family’s love and concern for her.’

It is not clear if Lady Gabriella will be invited to join the King and Queen on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch the traditional fly-past when the parade is over. Along with other junior royals, Ella had made regular appearances on the balcony until the arrival of Covid-19 in early 2020. When the pandemic was over and Trooping the Colour returned, Queen Elizabeth invited only ‘working royals’ to join her, so sparing the blushes of her son Prince Andrew, who had been stripped of public duties, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who had stepped back from royal duties with ‘The Firm’.

If Lady Gabriella does feel able to attend the King’s Birthday Parade and the private lunch that will follow, it would be useful preparation for an even more important date in her calendar the following weekend.

I can disclose that Tom’s family, in partnership with the royals, have organised a big memorial service for him. Some of his friends have already been invited. ‘It will be a wonderful chance to celebrate his life,’ one tells me. Most were not invited to his funeral in March. This was a small and, I’m told, ‘highly emotional’ gathering at the Chapel Royal within St James’s Palace – the setting for the marriage of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1840 and the Christening of Prince George in 2013.

[From The Daily Mail]

I know this isn’t the point of the story – or maybe it is, knowing Richard Eden – but it would be WILD if Gabriella was on the balcony for Trooping. Like, for years now, the Windsors have made such a BFD about “the balcony is only for WORKING ROYALS” and “Harry and Meghan are desperate to get on the balcony, but we’re snubbing them!” It must have dawned on the king’s courtiers that this year’s Trooping balcony is going to look pretty stale and musty, especially if the Princess of Wales and the Wales kids are not there. But allowing Gabriella on the balcony? It will be fascinating, if it happens. Anyway, all of the reporting around Kingston’s death has really emphasized that the Windsors are rallying behind her and throwing a protective shield around her. As they should, I’m glad that she’s being protected. I just wish the Windsors treated every female family member that way.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

One thing has been made abundantly clear this month: the war is not just between Prince William and the Sussexes. More than four years after the Sussexes left, King Charles and Camilla are still actively briefing against the Sussexes and working against them. It might sound obvious, but for much of the past year, Buckingham Palace has tried to position Charles as “above the fray” and “open to reconciliation.” That’s over. Charles and Camilla do not want reconciliation, they do not want to see the Sussexes whatsoever, and they’re absolutely furious that the Sussexes got such a positive reception in Nigeria. The Daily Beast’s Royalist column has been getting that message for weeks now, and here’s the latest:

Harry & Meghan look like they’re representing the family! One former royal staffer told The Daily Beast: “Overseas visits might look like jollies, but they are actually a matter of foreign policy. They are about promoting the U.K. and building diplomatic and trade alliances on behalf of the government. Harry and Meghan have different priorities because they are no longer working royals. But of course the vast majority of the world is ignorant of such distinctions, and regard Harry and Meghan as every bit as representative of the royal family as William and Charles, so if these rival foreign tours become a regular thing, it could muddy the waters. The reason they went to Nigeria was to promote Invictus (the Paralympic-style event Harry set up)—and themselves. That’s not what royal tours are about.”

The idea that more Sussex tours are coming: Of particular alarm in some quarters is the clear suggestion by the couple that the trip to Nigeria was not an isolated event and more such sorties are being planned. Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office was contacted for comment, but did not reply to The Daily Beast. Neither Harry nor Charles’ offices commented to The Daily Beast, but the former staffer said: “Be in no doubt, Harry and Meghan being freelance royals is the stuff of nightmares for the Palace. It’s exactly what the late Queen Elizabeth wanted to avoid.”

Relations between the Windsors & the Sussexes: A family friend of the royals told The Daily Beast: “Relations are as bad as they have ever been. Nothing has been resolved. But Charles does not spend a great deal of time dwelling on the matter because he is so busy.” Asked if they believed reports this week suggesting that William was “preventing” Charles and Harry reconciling, the friend said: “If William was prepared to reconcile with Harry it would certainly make things easier, but that’s not the whole story. The king was particularly hurt by what Harry said about Camilla.”

[From The Daily Beast]

“But of course the vast majority of the world is ignorant of such distinctions, and regard Harry and Meghan as every bit as representative of the royal family as William and Charles, so if these rival foreign tours become a regular thing, it could muddy the waters.” Yeah, people might think that the Windsors are desperately trying to appropriate some of the Sussexes’ beauty, charisma and international popularity. The problem is not that people see the Sussexes on tour and think that they’re still part of the Windsor clan – the problem is that the Sussexes’ overseas successes remind people that the Windsors were foolish, racist and short-sighted to exile these two rock stars out of jealousy.

“The reason they went to Nigeria was to promote Invictus —and themselves. That’s not what royal tours are about.” So we agree that this was not a royal tour? We agree that the Sussexes were there on Invictus and Archewell business and NOT Windsor business? You can’t have it both ways.

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Photos courtesy of Save the Children, Misan Harriman and Getty.

This summer will be the 25th anniversary of the deaths of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy. They died in a plane crash in August 1999. I was in college, I remember it well, and it happened less than two years after Princess Diana’s tragic death. Since their deaths, hundreds of books have been written about their marriage and lives, very few of them complimentary to Carolyn. Hopefully, this new book will be different. Elizabeth Beller has written Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. People Mag had exclusive excerpts – go here to read the full excerpts. Beller says that she’s trying to show a different side of Bessette, the side which wasn’t some harsh ice queen.

When JFK Jr & Carolyn met: In spring 1992, Calvin Klein was just getting back into menswear. None other than John F. Kennedy Jr. had an appointment for a fitting and [Calvin decided] Carolyn should show John the selection. He came out of the meeting smitten, with a few suits and Carolyn’s number. “John invited her to join his group at a gala dinner,” recalled [Calvin’s assistant.] “Sitting next to him was another woman that Carolyn either mistook as his date, or actually was his date.” It was unclear, and Carolyn wasn’t pleased. But when they met again at a May 18 fundraiser, they were spotted in deep conversation at the bar. John and Carolyn stayed there for over an hour, never looking away from each other. Lightning had struck.

Early courtship: After the benefit, John and Carolyn continued to see each other, in a haze of sultry dinners, dancing, and walks in Central Park. John even brought Carolyn to Sea Song, the Long Island, home he rented with his cousin, Anthony Radziwill. The week after that, Carolyn met John for dinner at El Teddy’s, where he presented Carolyn with a letter [from] a friend of his. The letter claimed Carolyn was a user, a partier, that she was out for fame and fortune [and] “dated guys around town.” John casually tossed the piece of paper at her, stood, and walked out the door. Carolyn stared in shock at John as he departed.

Carolyn wanted John to think she moved on: “John called all the time,” says [a] Carolyn friend, “[We recorded] an outgoing message on her answering machine.” Anyone who called would get Carolyn saying, “Hey, hon, I’ll be back by seven o’clock, can’t wait to see you!” The idea was that John would hear it and assume she’d moved on. John did—and he called even more. But behind closed doors, Carolyn and John were developing a real kind of intimacy.

The proposal: The weekend of July 4, 1995, he asked her to go fishing in Martha’s Vineyard—and proposed. He turned to Carolyn and said, “Fishing is so much better with a partner.” Then he put a platinum band of diamonds and sapphires on her finger. Carolyn told him, “I’ll think about it.” This was also the time when Carolyn lost weight, and plucked her eyebrows to small wisps. And so when Carolyn stepped into the [Municipal Art Society] gala on John’s arm [on Feb 27, 1996], she had metamorphosed to a platinum siren.

Princess Diana’s death: Almost a year later, Princess Diana was killed in a car accident as the result of her driver trying to outrun the paparazzi. Carolyn was terrified. [She] tried to get John to call Princes William and Harry to give his condolences when it came out that Diana had hoped for her sons to emulate John’s modesty in the face of media obsession. He demurred, as he didn’t know them and thought that their situations greatly differed.

Marriage counseling: They began marriage counseling in the spring of 1999. A week [after July 4], John had told several friends and colleagues that he and Carolyn were splitting up. Yet, others noted they seemed very happy together, even the weekend before. After initially refusing to attend his cousin Rory’s July 17 wedding, Carolyn agreed. John would also fly Carolyn’s sister Lauren from New York to Martha’s Vineyard on their way to Hyannis Port.

The pedicure story: Tabloids put forth an alleged timeline in which Carolyn lingered for hours getting a pedicure. Yet an eyewitness report has her leaving the pedicurist by 5 p.m. She went to Saks to buy a dress for the wedding and picked out a black Yves Saint Laurent evening dress. After the purchase, the salesgirl wished Carolyn good luck. “Thanks,” Carolyn replied. “I’m going to need it.” [John, Carolyn and Lauren] were stuck in traffic and didn’t make it to the airport until after 8 p.m. Before they took off, Carolyn called Carole Radziwill, and they talked about Sunday-night dinner. “The plan,” Carole wrote in What Remains, “was grilled steaks and peach pie.”

[From People]

The pedicure story was started years ago by a particularly brutal Vanity Fair article, in which it was heavily implied that Carolyn was so vain, she kept having her pedicure redone and redone to match her dress, and that she was the reason why they left in the plane so much later than people thought. But the marriage counseling story seems true, as was Carolyn’s general unhappiness in the marriage in the last year or so. Anyway, I’m totally going to read this book.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Avalon Red.

The David Copperfield-sexual misconduct rumors have been around for years, but now more of his victims are coming forward. [Pajiba]
Taylor Swift changed & updated the Eras Tour. [Buzzfeed]
Would you buy this fan art? LOL. [OMG Blog]
What the hell? Just… what the hell. [Jezebel]
Are people still into Charlie Hunnam or nah? [JustJared]
People are still freaking out about that King Charles portrait. [Socialite Life]
Andrew Scott in a tight henley? Yes. [LaineyGossip]
Updates on The Last of Us Season 2. [Hollywood Life]
South Park will tackle the Ozempic craze. [Seriously OMG]
More fashion from Cannes. [RCFA]