Not only have we been gifted with tales from the life of Cher to enjoy this holiday season from her memoir, but in a bit of fortuitous timing, there’s also a new documentary on her longtime fashion collaborator Bob Mackie! Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion is playing in select theaters and will hopefully be available to stream soon, because two hours of sequins and beading and feathers is exactly what the doctor ordered. Costume designer Mackie dreamt up iconic looks for Cher, Carol Burnett, Diana Ross, and many more, including relative youngins Pink and Miley Cyrus. If he could turn back time, though, Mackie would firmly say no to Cher’s request for a V-printed sheer bodystocking to wear for her 1989 music video for “If I Could Turn Back Time.” As opposed to what he actually did, which was sheepishly make what he called a “vulgar” outfit, and politely ask Cher never to tell anyone that it was one of his creations.

In the new documentary Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion, Mackie reflected on designing Cher’s controversial look for her 1989 “If I Could Turn Back Time” video. In the film, out now, Mackie called the “seat belt” outfit — which was a sheer bodystocking other than two fabric strips forming a V on the front and a small back strip over her tattooed buttocks — “vulgar.”

“We put a lot of wild, sexy clothes on her at different times,” Mackie told Yahoo Entertainment. “Sometimes I’d say, ‘Well, you can’t wear that for this,” … an award show or whatever, and she would [disappointingly reply], ‘OK.’ But she wanted to wear that. Bicycle pants were in, but see-through bicycle pants are really scary.”

Mackie, who had outfitted the singer for more than a decade at that point, including for the Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour and the Cher show, said he agreed to design it — with Cher’s agreed-upon silence.

“I said, ‘Please don’t tell anyone that I designed this,’” he said with a laugh. “‘Don’t let anyone know this. I’m embarrassed,’ and she was fine about it. Now she admits that, no, it wasn’t so good.”

…While the “naked dress” has had a huge resurgence in Hollywood over the last several years, Cher wearing a feathered and sequined naked illusion dress, created by Mackie and Ray Aghayan, on the cover of Time magazine in 1975 also caused a kerfuffle.

Cher first wore the dress — made of souffle, a sheer fabric that is no longer in use because it is highly flammable — for a Vogue photo shoot with Richard Avedon and to her first Met Gala in late 1974.

“It was a fabric that actually was against the law in this country, but Marlene Dietrich had brought it in for her gowns and we had the same dress people working for us as Dietrich,” Mackie explained.

As for his creation for Cher, “It’s just one of those crazy, crazy things, but it got a lot of attention.”

In 1975, one of Avedon’s photos was used for a Time cover — “Cher Glad Rags to Riches” — and it received even more attention.

“It was banned in the South,” Mackie said of the cover. “Some people thought [the dress] was just shocking. You couldn’t see anything, but you thought you could. You make them think they’re seeing everything, but they don’t see anything.”

[From Yahoo! Entertainment]

I would just like to have a moment of appreciation for the statement, “Bicycle pants were in, but see-through bicycle pants are really scary.” Those words have and will continue to stand the test of time. Because Mackie was absolutely right in 1989 — it was a vulgar, embarrassing outfit! Only I think the embarrassment is Cher’s, for a) wanting to wear that, and b) not trusting her friend when he clearly thought it was a bad idea. I mean, once someone says, “I’ll do this, but don’t tell anyone, ever, that it was me,” isn’t that a big clue? On the other hand, Cher sticking to her vision and then laughing about it years later also checks out. Clearly their relationship has endured, and they are better friends for it.

As I said earlier, I am so ready for this documentary! A lot of good friends, including Cher and Carol Burnett, showed up for Mackie by appearing in it. I’m glad he’s being honored this way, because my gosh what a sparkling body of work he has! (Pun intended.) Plus I’m hoping for more anecdotes like “Marlene Dietrich smuggled an illegal, highly-flammable fabric into the US just because she liked it.” In the meantime, you can ogle a collection of his pieces that are up for auction at Julien’s. I’m salivating over the sketches alone.

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Photos of Cher and Bob Mackie are from December, 2018 and credit: Joseph Marzullo/Wenn/Avalon and Robin Platzer/Twin Images/Avalon. Turn Back Time photos are from 1989 and credit Getty. Recent photos of Cher with A.E. Edwards are from October and credit: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Avalon. Here’s a link to the Cher Glad Rags to Riches Time Magazine cover!

You know how hard Angelina Jolie is hustling for Maria? She appeared on a late-night talk show for the first time in a decade! Jolie went on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on Thursday, and she could not have been more nervous. I think her last talk-show appearance was probably The Daily Show in, like, 2013? Jimmy Fallon was really gentle with her last night and he made a point of not even saying Brad Pitt’s name or asking her anything about divorce or exes or any of that. She did talk a little bit about her kids, but emphasized that Shiloh is the one kid who really craves privacy. Here’s the video:

She broke her toe! She was barefoot on the show. While I’m not the biggest fan of Jimmy Fallon, he was so lovely to her in this interview. He seemed so jazzed that this elusive movie star came on the show. Fallon played a little true-or-false game with Jolie and said of course it was true that she studied to be a funeral director and that’s still sort of her backup plan. She also talked about how she’s a licensed pilot and Maddox is too. She said it was false that she was ever interested in stand-up comedy.

Here’s another little interview Jolie did at the Gotham Awards – she doesn’t display her awards, apparently. I wonder if she even knows where her two Oscars are?

Photos of Jolie outside her Atelier Jolie this week, courtesy of Backgrid.

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It’s the most giftiest time of the year! But one person you can cross off your list is Shaquille O’Neal. Shaq does not want your gifts, nor any from his friends and family. If you get him something, it will be relocated — unopened — to a storage room he has kept for 30 years. Like his own take on the island of misfit toys, he has a locker of forgotten presents. So what gives with his anti-gift stance? Well, Shaq prefers to play offensive by being a bestower of gifts, rather than a wide receiver of them himself (yes, I know I’m mixing sportsball metaphors). He recently talked with People Mag about his present preferences, while also promoting a new vile heinous special holiday product:

Shaquille O’Neal takes his role as Santa Claus seriously.

The former NBA star tells PEOPLE that he doesn’t accept gifts from anyone when chatting about his new commercial for Pepsi Zero Sugar Gingerbread Mini Cans. “I always tell my family, ‘Show me a movie where Santa receives a gift and I’ll let you buy me a gift,’” the basketball legend explains. … “I don’t accept gifts,” the NBA Hall of Famer continues, noting that the selfless act started in 1992 “when [he] became the breadwinner of the family.”

“As long as everybody else is happy, I’m happy,” he adds.

When his children (or anyone!) give O’Neal a present, he doesn’t even open the gift. “I take it, I got a storage room with 30 years worth of gifts, I’ll open it up one day,” he says.

Choosing the right gifts comes easier now that his children are older, O’Neal explains. “It’s easy because all they want is cash,” he laughs. “But when they were young, it was much harder. I would have to go into Toys R Us [at] like 11:58, right before they closed and then just wipe them out. A lot of times, they didn’t want me to come in Toys R Us early because they didn’t want me to buy all the toys so I’d have to come in late, right before closing. Thye let me take the leftovers.”

O’Neal’s latest partnership is helping him get his head in the Christmas game even further. On Wednesday, Dec. 4, a commercial for Pepsi’s latest limited-time product, Pepsi Zero Sugar Gingerbread Mini Cans, dropped and the basketball icon was at the center of it.

…You won’t find Pepsi Zero Sugar Gingerbread Mini Cans in your oven — or grocery store. Fans can get the seasonal flavor on Pepsi’s official TikTok Shop — but there’s still a little catch. TikTokers will only score a free Pepsi Zero Sugar Gingerbread Mini Can (while supplies last) by purchasing two 10-packs of Pepsi Mini Cans in another flavor.

Soda lovers can also visit Pepsi’s official site to enter for a chance to score Pepsi Zero Sugar Gingerbread Mini Cans now through Dec. 11.

[From People]

I can appreciate someone of Shaquille O’Neal’s wealth and success deciding not to accept gifts, and there is a wonderful gift in itself when you know you’ve given someone a thing they truly cherish. That being said, I have several logistical questions, the most obvious first one being: what about perishables? Do people in Shaq’s orbit know not to give him food that will rot? Has anyone ever learned of his storage room years after giving him home-baked goods, and followed up to tell him he needs to sniff out and toss a package? But of course the key question is, why save all of them unopened in a storage unit for decades? Why is he doing that, instead of opening the boxes to see what’s inside, and redistributing/donating them to where they will be used and enjoyed? Say someone got him the very first iPod — it’s woefully out of date now, but if he had given it away in 2001 to someone who could not have afforded it themselves, it would at least have had a useful life. Also, how does he write his thank you notes?!

As for the project Shaq is currently promoting… I’m a Coca Cola girl myself, but I have enjoyed a Pepsi now and then. I also enjoy the taste of gingerbread. But in the name of all that is good and right and holy, I do not, ever, want to experience those flavors blended together in a soda! (Let alone a zero sugar one!) So if anyone tries springing that sh-t on me, I’ll be investing in my own storage room for unopened beverages.

Please soda responsibly this holiday season.

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Nicholas Hoult wore all-black Dior for the Berlin premiere of Nosferatu. I’m also including beauty shots of Hoult at last night’s London premiere! [RCFA]
Donatella Versace’s plastic surgeon is very good. [OMG Blog]
Selena Gomez & Zoe Saldana are still promoting Emilia Perez. [LaineyGossip]
Justin Baldoni had a “near breakdown” while filming It Ends With Us. [Socialite Life]
Trans-panic has come to the Supreme Court. [Jezebel]
Agree – Dune: Prophecy should be wilder & weirder. [Pajiba]
Meryl Streep almost turned down The Devil Wears Prada. [Buzzfeed]
Jared Leto found his missing Oscar. [JustJared]
Garth Brooks & Trisha Yearwood: still together. [Hollywood Life]
Bob Dylan’s thoughts on Timothee Chalamet. [Seriously OMG]

At yesterday’s DealBook Summit, Prince Harry had some very special messages for the deranger contingent online and in the British media. He was asked directly about the latest storyline of “Harry and Meghan’s professional SEPARATION” and he said, in part: “Apparently we’ve bought or moved house 10, 12 times. We’ve apparently divorced maybe 10, 12 times as well. So it’s just like, what?’ It’s hard to keep up with, but that’s why you just sort of ignore it. The people I feel most sorry about are the trolls. Their hopes are just built and built, and it’s like, ‘Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes,’ and then it doesn’t happen. So I feel sorry for them. Genuinely, I do.” He also said, with his whole chest, that he enjoys living in America and raising his children here, and that he feels like his mother would have wanted him to live this life. Well, one of the trolls is still trying to make fetch happen. Richard Eden at the Mail wrote a column based on some quotes from an unnamed courtier, a courtier who pays way too much attention to what the Sussexes are doing:

Catherine’s appearance by Prince William’s side was a reassuring display for monarchists alarmed by the health problems that have beset the Royal Family this year. Queen Camilla’s disclosure that she had not fully recovered from pneumonia was not what they wanted to hear after King Charles’s ongoing treatment for cancer. The Waleses’ joint display offered a stark contrast to Prince Harry’s latest solo appearance across the Atlantic.

When the Sussexes moved to California in 2020 they were expected to become a ‘power couple’ with their own ‘court’ of admiring celebrities desperate to share their limelight. Instead – as was evident last night when Meghan did not join Prince Harry on his visit to New York – they are pursuing increasingly separate working lives.

He was in the city – his second solo visit in little more than two months – for a party to celebrate the opening of an art exhibition, called Friend, at the Ki Smith Gallery, to raise money for Sentebale, the African charity he founded with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho. Meghan’s absence was notable because Sentebale – which helps children come to terms with having HIV or AIDS – is a cause close to Harry’s heart. Nor did she accompany him when he visited Lesotho with the charity in October. Last night, the prince’s wife was more than 2,000 miles away, attending the Paley Honors Fall Gala in Los Angeles in support of her friend, filmmaker Tyler Perry.

A royal source told me this week: ‘William and Catherine know that their strength is as a couple. It’s surprising that Harry and Meghan seem to believe that they are stronger apart when it comes to their engagements. Yes, the Prince and Princess of Wales will do things separately, but they will be together when it matters.’

[From The Daily Mail]

Keep in mind, before all of Kate’s health drama this year, royal sources regularly briefed the British papers in 2023 regarding William and Kate’s plans to step out solo more often, that Kate no longer wanted to travel and she especially didn’t want to undertake more than the bare minimum of “royal work.” Those stories were always presented as a good thing, a wise thing, a sign of maturity from William and Kate, who seem to feed on each other’s laziness. But now that Harry and Meghan are booked and busy, sometimes on different coasts, it’s all hushed tones and palace intrigue for a couple who left that dump five years ago. This all has the feel of Prince William’s obsessive nature too – more than anyone else, it feels like William has been trying to make a Sussex divorce happen. It’s creepy as hell. Also: note that Eden can’t even bring himself to admit that Harry was also in NYC because he had been invited to speak at the DealBook summit.

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Photos courtesy of Getty, Avalon Red, Backgrid.

Prince Harry and Prince William have both maintained their connections to the Diana Award, which honors young people who make a difference in their communities. In fact, I think the Diana Award remains the sole charity which retains both brothers as patrons. In the past five years, Harry and William coordinate separate appearances in association with the Diana Award, even when Harry is appearing virtually. Think of how deranged that is, that everyone walks on eggshells (huevoshells) around William because he is incapable to sitting there and watching Harry zoom into the event at the same time. This is how People Magazine reported this year’s separate Diana Award stuff:

On Dec. 4 and 5, the Prince of Wales, 42, and the Duke of Sussex, 40, will be sending support to the latest recipients of the Diana Award. The cohort will be honored at a virtual ceremony on Thursday, with the princes issuing separate congratulatory messages.

The split strategy avoids any overlap between the royal brothers, as a strain remains amid a rift in their relationship. Sources previously told PEOPLE that Harry’s attempts to connect with his brother — through texts, calls, and messages — are ignored.

The rift with Prince William is “very bad,” said a royal insider, but it’s not “irreparable.”

[From People]

Apparently, Harry sent in a prerecorded video – he previously tried to speak live via video conference – while William handed up letters to the winners yesterday. What isn’t being mentioned in any of the coverage is that Harry did an in-person event with Diana Award recipients back in September, when he visited New York. Interesting. Anyway, this is how Tom Sykes at the Daily Beast reported it:

Prince William and Prince Harry are engaging in yet another very public display showing how toxic their relationship has become by refusing, once again, to appear together at an award ceremony honoring their mother’s legacy. While Harry will appear via pre-recorded video at the Diana Awards tomorrow, William will not attend and instead handed out letters to the winners on Wednesday.

It’s arguably a slightly less absurd solution than that employed at another awards ceremony for the charity in March this year, which saw William speak live at the event with Harry’s speech delayed till after he had left. Adding to the sense of bitterness back then, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, announced the launch of her American Riviera Orchard brand on Instagram minutes before William took to the stage.

Prince William’s new letter seemed to adopt some Sussex buzzwords, with the future king writing: “I am so proud of the impact every one of you has had on your communities and beyond. You are driven by kindness and compassion and through this you are all changing the world for the better.”

[From The Daily Beast]

“You are driven by kindness and compassion” – surprised he didn’t mention his latest buzzword, “empathy.” William and Kate never spoke about “impact” in the before-times either. Anyway, William and Harry’s relationship is absolutely toxic and virtually non-existent, but it is what it is. As William rage-shrieked last year, the next time he’ll speak to his brother is at their father’s funeral.

Photos courtesy of Archewell, Diana Award and Avalon Red.

Teri Hatcher is promoting her new Christmas movie, How to Fall in Love by Christmas, which premieres this week on Lifetime. She was on Sherri Shepherd’s show a little while ago when she talked about doing standup comedy, which I didn’t realize about her, about aging and about dating. A lot of women over 50 have opted out of dating due to the diminishing pool and general frustration, however we’re seeing more representation with shows like The Golden Bachelor/Bachelorette and Netflix’s The Later Dates. Teri made a joke about dating as an older woman that is relatable.

Teri Hatcher has offered her thoughts on dating now that she’s 59 years old, saying in a recent interview that it’s “just not that fun anymore.”

During a Tuesday appearance on the “Sherri” daytime talk show, the “Desperate Housewives” star shared how her dating experience has been.

Hatcher jokingly said, “I don’t date much anymore, because I used to date, and you’d look across the table at the guy and you’d think, ‘OK, I wonder if we’re going to end up in bed together,’ and now I look across the table and I just think, ‘When am I going to have to change this guy’s diapers?’”

In response, host Sherri Shepherd made a suggestion to spice things up for Hatcher: dating younger men.

“There are so many men on this set who have watched you throughout your career — and they have crushes on you,” Shepherd quipped.

Hatcher said she wouldn’t be open to it because she would have to worry about her appearance, adding, “I just don’t care.” After some back-and-forth, though, the actor agreed she would be open to giving it a try if she found the right guy.

“Girl, I’ve got about 10 of them I can introduce you to,” Shepherd replied.

Hatcher has been married twice: to Marcus Leithold from 1988-1989 and Jon Tenney from 1994-2003. She and Tenney share a daughter, Emerson Tenney.

Although Hatcher may be hesitant to date, a dating expert told HuffPost UK earlier this year that dating over 50 could be the most fun one has in their life.

According to relationship coach Dr. Marie Thouin, it’s a “common misconception that people are not likely to find meaningful love over 50.”

[From Huffpost]

On the topic of aging, Teri said that she’s “happy to still be here.” When Sherri asked her if there was a difference turning 60 vs. her thirties and forties, Terri said “there’s a lot of acceptance that comes with it. That is just grace. I feel like when we’re young we’re so hard on ourselves. The expectation of it to be something other than what it is, is lessened. For all the times that my shoulder hurts and I can’t party anymore… I just feel like it’s a lot of relief.” I can relate to that so much! Sh-t hurts more but I’m still here and I’m grateful.

Later in that segment with Sherri, Teri said that she has a cat who jumps on her when she’s learning French on Duolingo, probably because the cat likes the sounds of French. She called it “better than any date.” That’s adorable! Sherri also hilariously tried to convince Teri to date younger guys, emphasizing that you know what you like at this age and guys appreciate hearing it. Teri said she didn’t want to have to try to keep up with a younger guy, but that she was open to it. I checked Terri’s Instagram and I question whether she’s telling the truth about not having a boyfriend though. There’s a fit handsome dude in her pics from her latest vacation and a shadow photo of the two of them holding hands.

As for Teri’s reasons for not wanting to date, my mom told me her best friend said something similar – she didn’t want to divorce her sh-tty husband because if she was with another guy she would have just have his dirty underwear to wash and put away. Women are fed up and many womenno longer want that caretaker role. That’s part of reason we’re seeing a rise in “gay divorces.” That said, I think it’s possible to meet someone you can have fun and romance with at any age. I met a great guy I’m very happy with, but I’m not going to act like the process before I met him was easy. Also, the negative stories about dating and relationships always get magnified by social media because those are the stories that get attention. People sometimes ask me why we don’t run more positive stories and the answer is that no one will comment, like or share those. It’s the same with dating – the horror stories get elevated because of how shocking they are, but the happy endings just get a shrug. That said, it’s so cool that there are Christmas movies and dating shows about older people finding love.

Here’s the interview! Teri talks about dating around minute four and about aging around minute six. I know she’s not everyone’s favorite person but I like Terri.

photos credit: IMAGO/Frederic Kern/Avalon, Dave Starbuck/Future Image/Cover Images, PA Images/INSTARimages

Katy Perry is kind of over. Her 2024 album, 143, flopped hard. People are mad that she’s still working with Dr. Luke. People have outgrown her pseudo-feminist anthems. But! She’s still one of the most successful pop stars of the past 20 years. People still rock out to her old hits. Well, some interesting news. Katy is apparently the opening act for the Invictus Games next year. Katy and her husband Orlando Bloom are neighbors with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and Harry and Meghan even went to see Katy’s final show of her Las Vegas residency last year (a Sussex appearance which enraged Prince William).

Prince Harry has secured the services of his neighbour Katy Perry to sing at the opening night of his Invictus Games. The Grammy nominated star will headline the opening of the event for disabled military veterans in Vancouver, Canada, in February. The 40-year-old is by far the biggest star to appear at the bi-annual event attended by Harry and his wife Meghan.

Perry and her partner actor British actor Orlando Bloom are close neighbours of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in Montecito, California. The couple were among the guests invited to the third birthday party for Harry and Meghan’s daughter Lilibet at their £20m mansion in the swanky Californian enclave favoured by many A-list stars.

The friendship between the two power couples was highlighted last year when Harry and Meghan attended the ‘Fireworks’ concert in Las Vegas sitting in VIP seats alongside Celine Dion. While Meghan appeared to enjoy the concert body language experts who watched Harry noted that he appeared uncomfortable.

[From The Daily Mail]

I hope Katy sings some of her old hits at Invictus. “Firework” or “Roar” or “Part of Me.” Like, I just hope that she doesn’t get up there and try to sing her flop single from this year, “Woman’s World.” It’s really funny that Katy is now tight with the Sussexes, because she also made a point of performing at King Charles’s coronation concert (and she did the most to rizz him up). She was also very critical of Meghan’s wedding gown back in 2018.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

This week, Queen Camilla pulled out of the welcome ceremony for the Qatari state visit, but she ended up attending the palace luncheon and the state dinner on Tuesday. On that same day, she told people that her “chest infection” was actually pneumonia, and that’s why she had been canceling so many appearances and events in the past month. The royal reporters are taking pains to talk around it, but I strongly suspect that Camilla’s pneumonia started out as Covid. Which would make this like the third or fourth time she’s had Covid. In any case, “sources close to Camilla” are mad as hell that Cam is sick and that everyone expects her to do royal work now that she’s fulfilled her lifelong goal of being queen. She left bodies in the street in her quest to be queen, but now she just wants to be left alone.

Friends of Queen Camilla have told The Daily Beast that they are “extremely concerned” by the 77-year-old contracting pneumonia. Palace aides had attempted to play down the severity of her illness in recent weeks, saying that she was suffering from a “nasty bug” and a “lingering chest infection” but Camilla herself revealed Tuesday, during a state visit to the U.K. by the Emir of Qatar, that she had in fact contracted pneumonia.

Camilla’s revelation raised new question marks about the only partially transparent way in which the palace typically handles health news about its two most elderly principals. King Charles is being treated for cancer but the palace has declined to specify the type. The palace has form in this area; when the late Queen Elizabeth II was dying of bone cancer her aides consistently briefed she was suffering from nothing more than “episodic mobility problems.”

Three separate friends expressed their concerns about Camilla to The Daily Beast. While all made it clear they understood Camilla was indeed recovering well and not in danger, they variously said they believed she was finding the demands of being queen “exhausting” and that a “brutal” year spent worrying about her husband’s health had left her “run down and vulnerable.”

One friend said: “People forget that Camilla never set out to be queen. She never signed up for the hamster wheel. She just happened to fall in love with a prince. She has risen to the demands of the job but she finds it exhausting.”

She is suspected to have contracted the disease during the recent state visit to Australia and Samoa or shortly thereafter. The friend said: “At 77, to be shipped off to the other side of the world to shake hands with thousands of people when your husband has cancer is, quite frankly, too much to ask. Camilla would never complain, and of course she wanted to support her husband, but she never should have been put in that situation. And she got pneumonia as a result. I hope this makes the mandarins sit up and take notice.”

Another friend of the couple told The Daily Beast, “We are all extremely concerned that this happened. Thank goodness she seems to have recovered. Camilla just needs to rest and recuperate now over Christmas and I only hope they drive her and the king to church on Christmas Day if it’s cold!”

A third friend of the queen’s told The Daily Beast: “Prince William said that his year had been ‘brutal’ and the ‘hardest’ of his life. I would humbly suggest that Camilla has had a brutal year too. To get pneumonia at her age is no small thing. She was run down and vulnerable and she needs to be cared for as well.”

[From The Daily Beast]

“People forget that Camilla never set out to be queen. She never signed up for the hamster wheel. She just happened to fall in love with a prince.” Camilla’s “friends” really shouldn’t go down this road. Camilla went out of her way to attach herself to the married heir to the throne, she went out of her way to destroy his marriage and gaslight his wife, and after Diana’s death, Camilla demanded to marry Charles and to have an official image makeover. She also demanded the title of queen – QEII never wanted this horse to be called “Queen Camilla” and they waited until QEII was close to death to force her into signing off on “queen consort Camilla.” Now that Camilla has gotten everything she ever wanted after decades of appalling behavior, Camilla has regrets! No, what this really is Camilla telling Charles that she’s not going to travel anymore. This has been the perfect excuse for her – no more international travel, she’s just going to stay in the UK from here. Preferably Ray Mill.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

While I’m not a Swiftie, I have a great deal of respect for many aspects of Taylor Swift. She has fundamentally changed the business of music, and she is one of the most important artists and businesswomen in the industry. She’s closing out her nearly two-year Eras Tour this coming weekend. It really is the end of an era – an epic concert tour which saw her criss-crossing the globe for 152 concerts which redefined arena-tours and altered local and national economies. Taylor has become a billionaire *just from the Eras Tour alone* separate from her incredible album sales and streams, separate from everything else she’s done in her career before this. So obviously, People Magazine gave Taylor their cover this week:

Taylor Swift has just three shows left on her record-shattering Eras Tour — and when she says goodbye it’ll mark the end of what the superstar has called “the most exhausting, all-encompassing, but most joyful, most rewarding, most wonderful thing that has ever happened” in her life.

Swift, 35, will play the last of her 152 tour dates in Vancouver on Dec. 8, and the impact of her tour has been nothing short of global phenomenon. From reintroducing the world to the joys of friendship bracelets to inspiring the highest-grossing concert film of all time, the Eras Tour certainly made its mark.

It also evolved with its star; since kicking things off in March 2023, Swift healed from heartbreak and settled into a new love with NFL star Travis Kelce, and even became a billionaire in August, the first musician ever to do so based solely on performing and songwriting, according to Forbes.

Journalist Rob Sheffield, whose book Heartbreak Is the National Anthem explores her massive influence, tells PEOPLE in this week’s cover story that the “Fortnight” singer’s magic lies in the fact that her songs are “so personal” to her, yet relatable to those consuming her art.

“The Beatles are the closest thing to a Taylor Swift that we have in history,” says Sheffield. “She’s so completely transformed pop music.”

Though Swift has certainly earned all of her accolades — which included a record-setting fourth album of the year win at the Grammy Awards in February, for Midnights — she hasn’t done it alone. The star’s family and A-list friends have been fixtures at her Eras Tour shows since the beginning, with mom Andrea, dad Scott and brother Austin mingling with fans and holding down the fort in the VIP tent. Kansas City Chiefs star Kelce also attended 14 shows, and his family members have shown up to cheer on Swift, too.

[From People]

The Eras Tour might go down as one of the most important or significant tours of all time and it certainly redefined Taylor’s career and legend. My question is… after this crazy high, after this two year global phenomenon, how can she top it? What’s next for the girl who has done everything? Is a semi-retirement in the cards, perhaps a wedding and a baby? Or will she decide to just go even bigger, if that’s even possible?

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, cover courtesy of People.