Last November, Cassie sued Sean Combs in federal court, accusing him of a host of crimes and abuses, up to and including human trafficking, forced drugging, physical abuse, emotional abuse and more. Combs made a big deal about calling Cassie crazy and saying he would fight the case… only to settle swiftly and quietly. Then, in February, a male producer sued Combs, again in federal court, alleging much the same as Cassie. The wheels have been coming off for months. Perhaps that’s why Combs has so many AKAs – Puff Daddy, Puffy, P. Diddy, Brother Love, and now a new one, gifted by the internet: The Diddler. On Monday, federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security raided the Diddler’s Los Angeles and Miami homes. The sh-t has hit the fan.

Search warrant activity at homes belonging to musician and producer Sean “Diddy” Combs on Monday is related to an ongoing sex trafficking investigation, a law enforcement source told CNN. The source would not specify whether Combs himself was the specific target, citing the sensitive nature of the investigation.

Responding to reports of raids at homes belonging to Combs, the Department of Homeland Security Investigations New York confirmed it had “executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation.” Law enforcement could be seen Monday at two of Combs’ homes – one in the Miami area and one in Los Angeles, according to CNN journalists on site.

HSI New York said it acted with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and local law enforcement. “We will provide further information as it becomes available,” the law enforcement department told CNN.

HSI is the lead investigative arm of the US Department of Homeland Security and is responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, including human trafficking.

An HSI Miami representative told CNN’s Carlos Suarez the law enforcement action was a “search warrant execution.”

It is not yet clear if Combs or other residents are the target of the law enforcement actions. CNN has reached out to representatives for Combs for comment.

[From CNN]

In the aerial footage, it appears as if Combs’ sons were handcuffed, although I haven’t heard anything about their arrests. Combs was seen at the Miami Airport, pacing back and forth in the wake of the raid on his home there. There were widespread rumors that Combs had flown his private plane to Antigua in the midst of the raids, but the Miami photos have put a pin in that. It does not appear that he’s fled the country… yet. But I would assume that he’s keeping his options open. Anyway, it sounds like the feds got his ass, just as Katt Williams foretold in January. Also: you think anyone will reopen Kim Porter’s case?

Feds looking for Diddy… ever since Katt Williams said this, 2024 never been the same pic.twitter.com/NOaWGgvVdd

— SOUND (@itsavibe) March 25, 2024

#TMZ has the first video of #Diddy after his homes were raided by the feds Monday — he was caught pacing around Miami airport. https://t.co/F84js7uo79 pic.twitter.com/vGSlxBrtNX

— TMZ (@TMZ) March 26, 2024

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

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Yellowstone is ending when the second half of season 5 airs this fall, and it seems it’s coming not a moment too soon for the makers of the hit show. Grumblings first started over a year ago that star Kevin Costner reportedly wanted out. Meanwhile creator Taylor Sheridan sued another Yellowstone star, Cole Hauser, last December over trademark issues, saying their coffee company logos looked too much alike. And now this: cast member Forrie J. Smith was just “throwed off” a plane for refusing to sit next to a passenger who was wearing a mask. Yes he was drinking, but he wasn’t drunk! Smith lamented his treatment in an Instagram video he recorded while still at the airport. Strangely, most of the commenters had a different takeaway from Smith’s story:

Yellowstone’s Forrie J. Smith is stirring up some controversy with fans after his recent video during an Instagram Live.

The 65-year-old actor, who plays ranch hand Lloyd Pierce on the hit Paramount series, took to Instagram on Saturday after allegedly being kicked off a flight.

“I just got kicked off a plane in — where the hell am I at? — Houston, Texas, because I told them I didn’t feel comfortable sitting next to somebody with a mask on,” Smith claimed in the video, which was later shared to his main profile.

He then admitted to having been drinking, saying, “Yeah, I’ve been drinking. I’ve been sitting in the airport for three hours, yeah, I’m drinking. But I ain’t drunk. But they throwed me off the plane ‘cause I’m drunk ‘cause you people won’t stand up and tell everybody what bulls**t this is.”

He added of his decision not to sit next to a fellow passenger with a mask on, “I just told them I didn’t feel comfortable about sitting next to somebody that had to wear a mask. And I’m off the plane.”

Fans quickly took to the comments section, expressing their disappointment at Smith’s comments.

“How do you know that person doesn’t have cancer and just is going through chemotherapy treatments or something else that warrants them wearing one?” one commenter wrote.

“For the life of me I cannot fathom why someone else wearing a mask is so threatening to some people!!! Many people live with a loved one who is immunocompromised (e.g. cancer, heart disease) or they themselves may be immunocompromised. OR maybe they’re not feeling well and are being considerate of others by wearing a mask to contain their germs,” another person wrote. “How fragile are some people that a simple mask sets them off to this degree? It’s absolutely ridiculous!! While I appreciate Mr Smith’s talent, this makes me no longer respect him as a human being. Unfollowing!”

One Yellowstone fan noted, “I wore a mask all the time when my mom was on hospice care and traveling back and forth to see her. This post makes me sad as a fan.”

As of Monday, the video was still up and Smith had not replied to the upset fans.

[From ET Online]

I mean, what else is there to say? You’re welcome, SNL writers? How someone could be so affronted or scared by a passenger wearing a mask, a measure that protects the wearer and everyone else around them, completely boggles the mind. Plus, you know, all Smith had to do was sit next to this passenger during the flight in exactly the same way he would sit next to someone not wearing a mask! I’d be laughing if it weren’t so infuriating and pervasive. One glimmer of hope was this comment I read on Smith’s Insta from a self-identified non-liberal fan: “Bro I love your acting, and I am not a liberal, and you were kicked off because you are drunk. Bottom line. This will come back to haunt you.” Yup. Also, Smith says in his rambling that he was drinking because he was stuck at the airport for three hours. Mr. Smith, may I introduce you to the pleasurable and delightful activity of reading?

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Today in “Sequels No One Asked For” news, we have Happy Gilmore! Christopher McDonald, who played Shooter McGavin, was on a Cleveland sports radio show last week. During his interview, he “let it slip” that a sequel to the 1996 movie is in the works. Apparently Adam Sandler, who co-wrote the first movie, showed him the first draft of a potential sequel, which he said was “awesome” and declared that the “fans demand it.” When the price is right (bitch), I guess everything old continues to be new again.

It sounds like Adam Sandler might be teeing up a sequel to his famed 1996 golf comedy “Happy Gilmore,” at least according to actor Christopher McDonald. McDonald, who played Shooter McGavin – the notorious arch nemesis of Sandler’s character Happy Gilmore – teased the possibility of a “Happy Gilmore 2” during an interview on Friday’s episode of “Audacy’s 92.3 The Fan” radio show.

“I saw Adam about two weeks ago… And he shows me the first draft of ‘Happy Gilmore 2,’” McDonald said, referring to a script he said that Sandler showed him.

He joked that the hosts he was speaking with may want to “cut that out” of the radio show because, he said, “I don’t wanna be a liar, but he did show me that, and I thought, ‘Well, that would be awesome.’ So, it’s in the works. Fans demand it, dammit!”

He later added that when he saw the script, he said he was “very, very pleased.” CNN had reached out to representatives for McDonald and Sandler for comment.

Sandler co-wrote “Happy Gilmore” and it became one of his most popular films. It follows Happy Gilmore (Sandler), a not-so-mild-mannered wannabe hockey player who discovers that he’s an exceptionally talented golfer with a slapshot-style swing.

He joins a golf tournament to try to win some money in an attempt to help save his grandmother’s house that she’s on the verge of losing. Gilmore goes on to become a golf legend, but his outrageous temperament and untraditional style catches the ire of golf pro Shooter McGavin (McDonald).

[From CNN]

Sigh. “We need a Happy Gilmore 2,” said no one ever. Look, I was in 6th grade when the original movie came out and sure, I loved the crap outta it at the time. That said, I haven’t seen it in 25ish years. I have no idea if it holds up, but I bet it doesn’t! Even if they did a version adjusted for 2024 social inflation, I still don’t know if I’d have any interest in seeing it. It’s kinda fun that McDonald may have spilled the beans without permission, though. I wonder if he actually did or if Sandler let him say something to put feelers out for some free publicity. Speaking of, Adam Sandler is a talented, funny person who was 2023’s highest paid actor. There’s no way he couldn’t come up with a totally “new” movie while still using his familiar old format and same cast of funny friends. But don’t mind me. I’m just a super nostalgic gal, screaming into the void, begging for new franchises. We’ve had enough, (bitch).

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Photos credit: Universal Studios/Avalon, Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon, IMAGO/Clemens Niehaus / Avalon

This made me cry: Jimmy Kimmel’s compassion for Regina King and, in turn, her strength and compassion for him. This first part of the interview, with Kimmel’s voice breaking and Regina reaching out to him, is really beautiful. [Buzzfeed]
Another sexy look from Kristen Stewart. [RCFA]
Normani has new music! [Socialite Life]
I sort of want to see Late Night with the Devil. [LaineyGossip]
Paul Rudd is a big fan of Taylor Swift. [Pajiba]
The Roksanda collection was already hard-launched by Zendaya. [Go Fug Yourself]
Saltburn Funko-pops! [OMG Blog]
Henry Cavill & Natalie Viscuso were out in London. [Just Jared]
The Breakfast Club turns 40 years old (sob). [Seriously OMG]
Ah, the reality star to food blogger pipeline. [Starcasm]
Is Olivia Rodrigo still dating Louis Partridge? [Hollywood Life]

Buckingham Palace is currently doing the most to piggyback on the outpouring of sympathy for the Princess of Wales. Nevermind that they went radio silent during the past month of Kensington Palace’s clownery, although some of it (not all, but some) can be explained by the fact that I don’t think King Charles and Queen Camilla were informed about Kate’s cancer and chemotherapy for a while. If we’re going by the timeline being provided by Kensington Palace and Kate herself, she got the cancer diagnosis around February 20th or thereabouts. No one is saying when Kate and William informed Charles. They’re only overemphasizing Charles and Kate’s special connection now. The Sunday Sun’s cover was all about a private lunch Kate and Charles had on Friday, before KP released Kate’s video:

The Princess of Wales and the King had a heart-to-heart at Windsor Castle hours before she announced she had cancer. Charles, who also has the disease, travelled from London for a private lunch with his “beloved daughter-in-law” Kate on Thursday.

Kate was keen to speak to the 75-year-old King about his struggle and find out how he was coping. It is believed the pair also talked about Kate’s video announcement in which she said the discovery was a “huge shock” but vowed she was “going to be OK”.

A source said of the Windsor Castle get-together: “It is highly unusual for just the two of them to sit down together like this. The King had already been made aware that the woman he calls ‘my beloved daughter-in-law’ had cancer. They would have had lots to discuss and share because just weeks earlier the King had begun his course of treatment and dealt with announcing his diagnosis. The King left his lunch feeling very emotional. They are very close and he thinks of Catherine as his daughter. There is no doubt there is a lot they can share and can use each other for support during their own deeply personal cancer battles.”

It is understood Charles had been made aware of Kate’s cancer struggle before he travelled from London for the lunch. Queen Camilla is also said to be a pillar of support and in regular contact with Kate.

[From The Sun]

“It is understood Charles had been made aware of Kate’s cancer struggle before he travelled from London for the lunch.” Yeah, but when? They make it sound like Charles became aware just days beforehand. Or was he made aware around the same time that Buckingham Palace courtiers were gleefully watching Kensington Palace staffers throw Kate under the bus for a manipulated photo? It’s wild to me that William and Kate seemingly demanded total secrecy about Kate’s cancer diagnosis to the point where they might not have informed the literal KING for a month. There’s medical privacy and then there’s… telling your family and your “boss” what’s going on.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Cover Images, Instar. Cover courtesy of The Sun.

Following the Princess of Wales’s cancer & chemotherapy announcement on Friday, the weekend was full of stories about… Prince William. How William is doing, how William is coping, how William is the hero of this situation. Even though it’s clear, in retrospect, that William’s staffers were the ones throwing a woman with cancer under the bus to protect their clownish media strategies. That’s all been wiped clean, I suppose and we’re being introduced to Heroic William, the man who would stand by his wife through thick and thin. Interesting. From Rebecca English’s piece, “When I saw William this week, he looked like he’d the weight of the world on his shoulders. But he’s proving what a class act he is.”

He is a man born into centuries of tradition and steeped in duty – but is a husband and father first. Time and time again over the years, Prince William has made clear that while he takes seriously the burden of his future role as king and his current responsibilities as heir to the throne, he will never put them before his wife and family. Those qualities will be needed now, more than ever before.

William has always made clear how proud he is of Kate, both personally and in the way she has embraced her role. Indeed not so long ago, while talking to me about his own work, he made a point of bringing her into the conversation, stressing how he would see her sitting in their lounge, night after night, poring over papers relating to her groundbreaking work on children’s early years. It was abundantly clear he wanted the world to know that she was his equal, and more. And he has always emphasised that it was Kate who was the brains behind their joint Heads Together campaign with Prince Harry to break the national stigma around mental health.

But more importantly, I would suggest, it is the princess’s grounded brilliance as a mother, and the joy and happiness that she and their family have brought him, that has irrevocably changed William’s life.

He is a child of a broken marriage and warring parents, and grew up in the white heat of the public limelight. Kate’s steadiness, diligence and discretion have been just what he needed as a man. I don’t think any of us can even begin to understand how difficult the past few months will have been for William. Just watching what his wife has been going through: The worry of major abdominal surgery, the joyous news that the surgery had been successful, and then the heart-stopping diagnosis that, in fact, cancer had been found. Add to that his father’s own surgery and subsequent cancer diagnosis… well, that’s a hard load for anyone to bear.

…It is also a sign of the solidity of their relationship that both they and their staff were at pains to stress yesterday that their children have been at the heart of everything they have done since January, in spite of the sometimes hideously unbearable provocation they have received, particularly on social media.

Indeed, as aides briefed a small group of journalists, including myself, about the cancer news that they were about to break to the world yesterday, there was not one attempt to finger-point at the gossip-mongers who have caused the prince and princess so much distress in recent weeks. The fact that the couple have not publicly lambasted the trolls, and instead focused on their children and those who have found themselves in the same, frightening position, shows what a class act they are. Several of us asked whether their statement had been issued now to counter those vultures. And while it was made clear that they hoped that speculation would now end, it was also stressed the announcement was very much being made around the children.

[From The Daily Mail]

Much is being done, right before our eyes, in real time, to pivot everything around Kate’s statement. Palace incompetence is being buried and forgotten, conversations about manipulated photos (blamed entirely on Kate) are being wiped clean, and William’s odd behavior this year is also being rewritten, clearly. Some of what we could see in the past few months can legitimately be explained by William and Kate focusing on their children and Kate’s recovery. But there is a lot being buried, whitewashed and covered up too. Also: why the f–k did Kensington Palace allow that Tatler cover story to go through? It’s insane in retrospect – there’s barely any mention of Kate, and it’s all about embiggening William alone.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images, cover courtesy of Tatler.

As we’ll see throughout the week, the British media clearly sees the Princess of Wales’s cancer confession as a greenlight to attack the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The British media is coming at the Sussexes from every angle – H&M should volunteer to come back and help out, except Kate and William should throw them out of the country, except Kate and Harry should go back to being friends, except Kate doesn’t need Harry’s support at all. Story after story, article after article, all with the same messages: the Sussexes better come back so we can throw them out and punish them again; how dare the Sussexes show their faces around here anymore, where are they, why aren’t they back? One of the most chaotic and vile pieces was published in the Daily Mail, unsurprisingly. Columnist A.N. Wilson openly discusses how fun it will be if Donald Trump is reelected and he deports Harry, because I guess that’s the only scenario in which Harry would be “forced” to come back to them.

The Sussexes’ message of support to Kate: This communication, which followed a public statement from Montecito wishing Kate ‘health and healing’, is said to have been the first in months between the warring Wales brothers. Let’s all hope that the truce, if there is one, lasts and that Meghan and Harry are eventually welcomed back into the Royal Family, and – one day, perhaps – into the hearts of the British nation. Lord knows the royals could do with it. With the King and Kate both temporarily out of action through illness, there’s a real need for others to pitch in, especially in the low-profile, less glamorous work of charities and patronages.

Trump’s threat: Let’s also not forget Donald Trump’s veiled threat, if he is re-elected to the White House this November, that he might expel Harry from the United States for allegedly giving misleading accounts of his previous drug use in his visa application. ‘If he lied, they’ll have to take appropriate action,’ the ex-president said. Were this frankly hilarious development to take place, Meghan would presumably be asked to give up her Californian lifestyle – to say nothing of her hotly anticipated new luxury jam enterprise – and bring Archie and Lilibet to live in Windsor Great Park, and perhaps go to school with George, Charlotte and Louis. If you were writing the script of the royal soap opera, you could not hope for a more delicious twist in the plot.

How Harry must have felt: Yet still I ask myself: How must Harry have felt last Friday when he heard Kate’s sad news, so bravely expressed? It is he, after all, who averred in his tawdry Netflix show: ‘I think, for so many people in the family – especially obviously the men – there can be a temptation or an urge to marry someone who would fit the mould as opposed to somebody who you perhaps are destined to be with.’ His meaning was clear. He, Harry, had married for love: whereas William, and perhaps their father, had coldly married someone who merely looked the part, out of a misguided sense of duty.

How Harry treated Kate: Before Harry met Meghan, he and Kate had been true friends: by his own admission, she was ‘the sister I’ve never had and always wanted’. So if her brave video last week achieved anything, I hope it made Harry reflect on how he has had treated her. After all, it seems to me that a great many of the problems facing the Royal Family at the moment can be laid at his and Meghan’s door. It is they who lifted the lid on the rift between the two brothers. It is they who raised the inflammatory claim that some royals are secret racists. It is they who insulted Kate, knowing she could not respond. Their foolish decision to go public with their seething resentments against the House of Windsor has done far more damage to the royal image than any supposed intrusions into their privacy by the Press, let alone the delusional fantasies of social media trolls.

The Sussexes were the lazy ones, you see: The truth is, he and Meghan were too self-absorbed and ultimately too lazy to carry out the day-to-day slog of royal duty which Kate, Princess Anne and the King and Queen have so faithfully done for years. Their little strops, and their decision to flounce out in early 2020, were a sort of mini-abdication. And the malice with which they have derided and vilified the Royal Family is another way in which they seem to want to echo the bad behaviour of Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, aka the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. (The eerie thing is that as time goes by, Meghan has increasingly come to look like Wallis, her fellow American divorcee.)

[From The Daily Mail]

I doubt the Sussexes had any kind of conciliatory urges last Friday, but for arguments sake, let’s say they did. Wouldn’t those urges die swiftly the moment they read this vile bullsh-t peddled with implicit or explicit palace approval? The same British media which is now shaming everyone for merely wondering why Kensington Palace was lying about Kate for months is the same media pouring scorn, hatred, and deeply unsettling bullsh-t about the two people they’ve terrorized for years. The point of it is not that Harry should or should not come back – the hatred seems to be the point. Just churning evil, pain, damage and trauma throughout every media outlet.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.

Ryan Phillippe has entered the nepotism conversation. Over the last year or so, the term “nepo baby” has been thrown around to describe people in the entertainment industry who have benefitted from their parents’ success. Some celebs own it while others take great offense to the idea and either tie themselves into knots trying to prove why they’re the exception. Ryan, as you know, has two kids with Reese Witherspoon, Ava and Deacon. The Phillippe children are interested in following in their parents’ footsteps. While doing press for his new movie Prey, co-starring Mena Suvari, Ryan brought up the nepo baby discussion, and guess what? He finds the whole topic offensive!

When asked if Ava was pursuing acting, he answered, “She is. She’s sort of getting her feet wet, you know? She’s taking time to kind of figure out exactly what it is she wants to do.”

Ryan elaborated, “That’s what always annoys me about this whole nepotism talk with the industry. You know, so many people grow up and end up doing what their parents do, you know, to some degree or another… To me, I always get offended for the children of actors and entertainers when people bring that up because yeah, of course, that’s what they’ve grown up around. By the way, that familiarity makes them handle some of what is hard about this industry. You’ve gotta have a thick skin. There’s so much rejection and nasty things that can be said about you. It’s not all celebration.”

He emphasized, “These kids have grown up watching on set with Reese or with me. It seems natural, I think.”

While Ava is exploring acting, Deacon is an aspiring musician. Ryan said he is “insanely” proud of his son. “He makes me proud every single day of his life just in regards to the young man he’s become, to how he operates in the world,” Ryan remarked. “He’s just such a source of light and love, and he’s very solid and spiritual. He’s got an incredible work ethic.”

He added, “Deacon and I are particularly close because we have so much in common. We like all the same things, same music, same sense of humor.”

Ryan also revealing, “He may be joining me on this series and playing my character’s brother in the flashbacks, so I’m kind of excited about that possibly happening.”

Talking about Deacon’s music, Ryan raved, “He’s really evolving as a musician. He’s put out a lot of really good stuff at a young age, and I’m excited to see what the future holds for him, and I just feel the world is lucky to have him.”

Ryan says his own future is one about “spiritual growth.” He reflected, “I’m sort of segueing into other sort of business realms, really into the restaurant thing. I’m working on opening a hotel in the next year. I will always be open to working as an actor, but it’s becoming less and less a solitary focus.”

[From Extra]

I cannot roll my eyes hard enough here. He tried to take the Tom Hanks talking point! Of course it’s perfectly normal for a kid to want to follow in their parents’ footsteps and continue on in the family business. No one is even saying that a nepo baby can’t be talented! But, it’s a little disingenuous to pretend like they’re not starting on 3rd base, especially in a super competitive industry where tons of incredibly talented people don’t make it. I mean, he’s literally getting his son cast in a role on the series he’s currently filming. It’s so silly to pretend that this isn’t a case of nepotism. Ryan knows it is and that’s why he’s uncomfortable with the conversation. It’s okay to admit that nepo babies are a thing. I find it offensive when people like Ryan poo poo or get all huffy about it.

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In the Princess of Wales’s public statement announcing her cancer, she didn’t get into the nitty-gritty of the timeline of when she learned her diagnosis and when she began the chemotherapy treatments. She said: “In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous. The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment.” The palace’s initial statement about the abdominal surgery in January did not include anything about cancer or even concerns that her condition might be cancerous. The palace also briefed reporters at the time that Kate’s condition was “not cancer.”

Kate’s statement also creates a timeline in which she apparently learned of the cancer weeks, perhaps even a month or longer, after the initial abdominal surgery. Kensington Palace then leaned into that new timeline. On the heels of Kate’s video, KP briefed reporters that Kate’s cancer diagnosis and chemotherapy were the reasons why Prince William suddenly pulled out of his scheduled appearance at King Constantine’s memorial on February 27th, 40-odd days after Kate’s surgery. William’s withdrawal really started the four weeks of “Where is Kate” speculation, and KP once again insisted (at the time) to the British media that William’s withdrawal was a “personal matter” but “Kate is doing well.”

When the Prince of Wales unexpectedly pulled out of attending a memorial service for his godfather King Constantine of Greece last month, there was widespread speculation it was connected to the death of Thomas Kingston, the husband of Lady Gabriella Windsor.

It has now emerged that the unspecified “personal reason” given for his absence from St George’s Chapel in Windsor on Feb 27 was that his wife, the Princess of Wales, had recently received a cancer diagnosis. Having undergone major abdominal surgery at the London Clinic in January, which was deemed a success, post-operative tests discovered that cancer had been present, contrary to all pre-operative tests – and a statement from Kensington Palace – that had suggested her condition was not cancer.

The news of the Princess’s cancer – which comes on top of the King’s cancer diagnosis in January – comes at a difficult time for the Royal family but also explains much of the mystery that has prompted wild speculation about the Princess’s health in recent weeks, including, perhaps, the now infamous doctored Mothering Sunday picture of her. The fury in royal circles over the controversy the picture generated is more understandable in the light of what we now know. The Prince of Wales was trying to protect his wife at a time when she was at her most vulnerable, and together they were trying to find a way of telling their children about their mother’s medical diagnosis.

Whether or not the photograph was altered by the Princess to hide any tell-tale signs of her treatment we may never find out, but what was driving the anger at the international response to the touched-up image of the Princess and her three children now becomes clear.

While internet trolls were speculating that the Princess had faked the picture because she was not well enough to pose for one, or even that she was dead, the couple and their staff were having to bite their tongues, primarily for the sake of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

The fact that the Princess has only released details of her cancer diagnosis on the day her children have broken up from school for Easter is no coincidence. Royal aides said the couple wanted to be able to tell their children at a time that was right for them and to “understand and process” the news before it became public. Only after the children had finished school for Easter did they feel that it was “the right time to share this update”. Aides have made it clear that the decision to go public about the cancer diagnosis, and the timing of it, had nothing to do with the ongoing speculation about Catherine’s health.

[From The Telegraph]

So… William abruptly pulled out of the memorial (just an hour before it began), and told everyone it wasn’t about Kate and Kate was fine, and now they’re saying oh, it was all about Kate and he was trying to protect her because he just learned about her diagnosis? The moment he pulled out of the memorial, all hell broke loose within the British AND international press and it put a huge spotlight on Kate’s health at a time where (as they’re saying now) they were trying to keep everything as normal as possible for their kids. As I said at the time, it felt like William thought it was just going to be a local story which he could control but that was a huge misjudgment across the board. The stuff about the Mother’s Day photo makes no sense either – “The Prince of Wales was trying to protect his wife at a time when she was at her most vulnerable.” William and his office tossed a cancer-stricken Kate under the bus for that fiasco! They blamed her repeatedly and in print!

Not for nothing, but the photos in this post are from March 1st, two days after William pulled out of the memorial service. He traveled to Wrexham and took shots with Rob McElhenney.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

The first weekend after the Princess of Wales’s “Mother’s Day frankenphoto fiasco” was March 16-17. Magically, Roya Nikkhah at the Times got a big exclusive from the Kensington Palace team in which they attempted to do damage control on the frankenphoto and began to introduce plans for when the public would see Princess Kate. There were several follow-up exclusives in the Mirror and the Daily Beast, with sources insisting that staffers were working round the clock to plan for Kate’s big return, whether it would be a “big bang” on Easter Sunday or sometime after her kids’ Easter holiday (which ends around April 17th). It’s extremely odd that KP was pushing the “we promise Kate will get back to work soon” angle when the truth was so much more sympathetic – Kate is receiving adjuvant chemotherapy and she will be out of public view for a while. That’s what we know now, after Kate’s public statement on Friday, March 22. So why all of the stories just days earlier about her return to work? Now KP sources are telling outlets that Kate will only return to public duties when she’s cleared by her medical team:

The Waleses will not join other royals for the traditional Easter service in Windsor as the young family seek time and space to come to terms with Kate’s cancer treatment. Kate, 42, had been out of the public eye for most of the year, having undergone abdominal surgery in January, leading to widespread speculation about her health and wellbeing. In a video message yesterday, she revealed she has been undergoing preventative chemotherapy, after tests after her operation found that cancer had been present.

“The statement was a great shock to so many people because the feeling was that the Princess of Wales was over the worst and on the road to recovery,” said Joe Little, editor of Majesty magazine. “I don’t think anybody expected her to tell us in such a direct personal way that she has cancer. It’s a remarkable situation and a significant moment for the monarchy and the institution so early in the King’s reign that two senior figures should be out of action.”

The royal expert said it was “inevitable” that the number of royal engagements would have to be reduced, adding “the royal diaries will have been revised anyway because of these health considerations”.

In her statement, Kate said her work has always brought her a “deep sense of joy”, adding: “I look forward to being back when I am able, but for now I must focus on making a full recovery.”

A Kensington Palace spokesman said: “The Princess will return to official duties when she is cleared to do so by her medical team. She is in good spirits and is focused on making a full recovery.”

The Prince of Wales is due to return to public duties after his children return to school following the Easter break, but the family will not appear at Windsor Castle’s St George’s Chapel for the Easter Sunday service.

[From ITV]

So, no Easter church appearance, and I would consider it doubtful for all of April too. This is why Kensington Palace was so squirrelly about Trooping the Colour in June as well, although no one has said that yet – KP didn’t know if Kate would be ready by June (and she might not be and that’s understandable). But magically, they thought she would be ready by mid-April? Again, there was and is a perfectly reasonable explanation for why Kate needs to take it easy and everyone understands that now. Why then were her staffers applying public pressure on Kate to do this or that in the next month? Why did the staffers create a situation in which Kate’s absence on Easter Sunday would be global news, if not for her public statement?

Screencaps courtesy of Kensington Palace’s video.