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Earlier this week, actress Trina McGee announced that she’s pregnant at 54 years old. Tracy has three adult children, Ramia, 31, Langston, 29, and Ezra, 25. Her Instagram announcement was worded, “At the tender age of 54, I have found myself pregnant.” I, and I think many others, read it with an inflection that made it sound like it was a surprise pregnancy. Turns out, Trina and her husband of 16 years, Marcello Thedford, have been trying to conceive a child together for quite some time, but to no avail. After considering but ultimately deciding against doing IVF, Trina and Marcus decided to try a “more holistic and organic approach” towards conceiving. Despite Trina already starting menopause, they headed to Belize, where she tried “natural remedies” – medicinal herbs recommended by shamans – that she feels helped her get pregnant naturally.

She feels happy and blessed: ”Just sheer joy, sheer joy, and I don’t partake in any of the negativity anybody has to say about it. I am so happy. I have been blessed, and that’s it,” the actress — best known for playing Angela Moore on the ABC sitcom — told ET. “And all I’m concerned about — I only have one job now – is to have this baby, and that’s what I’m about.

They’ve “long hoped” for a child: The actress says that she and Thedford had long hoped to welcome a child of their own — he is also dad to a son, Elijah, from another relationship — but that things had never worked for them until they took a more holistic and organic approach to the fertility process, she shares, even as she claims she was a year into menopause.

What led them to seek help in Belize: “I have been saying I wanted to have a baby with my current husband of 16 years for quite a while,” she said, adding that they even “tried” at one point to conceive without any kind of intervention to no avail. They also considered IVF but she shared that she was hesitant to go through that. Ultimately, they decided to seek out help in Belize where Thedford has a “cultural background.”

Shamans gave her medicinal herbs: There, they worked with the Garifuna people on natural remedies which she says have assisted her greatly in reversing menopause and helping them to conceive a child together. McGee admits that she is not a doctor by any means but that for her, the advice of “shamans” in Belize to take medicinal herbs — partnered with her already incredibly healthy lifestyle — helped her and her husband to achieve their long-time goal to become parents together.

A “low-stress” environment also played a part: She also credits a low-stress environment for helping to reverse menopausal signs and to assist in their efforts to grow their family. “The number one thing for me is to not partake in any stress and stay away from negativity as much as I can, and that pertains to what I put on TV, what I — what I look at on my phone, you know, there’s so much drama and violence and negativity out there as soon as you turn on the screen,” McGee said. “I really want to be pointed when I turn on the screen — what I’m watching. Because stress, for me, is the biggest factor.”

On taking a social media break: Part of that includes a step away from social media as she continues throughout the pregnancy. During her announcement, she shared that while they are very excited by the baby news, she would be taking a break from Instagram to focus on what matters — her family.

[From ET Online]

I’m happy for Trina and Marcelo for getting to fulfill their wish to have a child together. This must be a very long-awaited dream come true. Congrats to them. While I cannot imagine having a newborn at 54 – I’m 40 and exhausted, and my kids are six and 10, lol – if they’re up for it, then power to them. I’m sure they also have the resources to help support them during their journey and new parenthood, which probably makes it easier. Trina also mentions in the interview that she told her former Boy Meets World coworkers before she made her public announcement and they were all very happy for her.

As for her claims about medicinal herbs helping her get pregnant, I have no idea how much the natural remedies helped her. The most herbal thing I’ve ever taken was echinacea (although my mom keeps telling me to tell to try ashwagandha; she swears it helps with her anxiety). If they tried for years without any luck and coincidentally finally got pregnant after the trip, then who am I to get all skeptical about it? Women try a lot of different things when they’re trying to get pregnant, both scientific and anecdotal. I remember being told to take cough medicine when I was trying to get pregnant with my first because it supposedly helps if you produce mucus or something. When it comes to the recommendations, who knows what works and doesn’t. Congrats to Trina and Marcelo. May Trina have a smooth pregnancy and easy birth.

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Today is the 80th anniversary of D-Day, when Allied troops rocked up Nazi-controlled Normandy. There are D-Day commemorations held in Normandy every year, but for the big anniversaries (50th, 60th, etc), there’s a real effort to bring together as many world leaders as possible on Omaha Beach, the site of the deadliest part of Operation Overlord for American troops. British and Canadian troops were obviously involved in D-Day, and there are special memorials and commemoration events held on other beaches and at other sites.

These photos are of President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron greeting King Charles and Queen Camilla at the British Normandy Memorial in Ver-sur-Mer. Apparently, Charles and Camilla will not join the world leaders on Omaha Beach today in a somewhat last-minute change. They were originally scheduled to do just that – go to Ver-sur-Mer AND Omaha – but now they’re saying it’s too much for Charles given the fact that the man still has cancer. At Ver-sur-Mer, Charles gave a moving speech in which he echoed his grandfather’s words:

Eighty years ago on D-day, the 6th of June 1944, our nation – and those which stood alongside it – faced what my grandfather, King George VI, described as the supreme test. How fortunate we were, and the entire free world, that a generation of men and women in the United Kingdom and other allied nations did not flinch when the moment came to face that test.

On the beaches of Normandy, on the seas beyond and in the skies overhead, our armed forces carried out their duty with a humbling sense of resolve and determination – qualities so characteristic of that remarkable wartime generation.

Very many of them never came home, they lost their lives on the D-day landing grounds or in the many battles that followed. It is with the most profound sense of gratitude that we remember them and all those who served at that critical time. We recall the lesson that comes to us again and again across the decades – free nations must stand together to oppose tyranny.

This vital start to the liberation of Europe was a vast allied effort. American, British, Canadian, French and Polish formations fought here in Normandy. Among the names inscribed on the walls and pillars of this memorial are men and women from more than 30 different nations and many faiths.

United, they fought together for what my grandfather, King George VI, described as ‘a world in which goodness and honour may be the foundation of the life of men in every land’.

[From The Guardian]

This actually made me a bit emotional, Charles echoing his grandfather’s words, thinking about Prince Philip’s service during the war (in the Pacific theater) and all of that. Also: Camilla’s hat is ridiculous. It didn’t have to be that big and cartoonish.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

It feels notable that Brad Pitt’s pushback only really started after Shiloh filed to remove “Pitt” from her legal name on her 18th birthday. Notice what’s not being said – absolutely no one is claiming that Brad reached out to Shiloh on her birthday or tried to see her or send her flowers or anything like that. Notice that Brad did not run around to People Magazine, Us Weekly and Entertainment Tonight with “his side” of things when Zahara started going by “Zahara Jolie” at Spelman. Notice that Brad didn’t even say anything when 15-year-old Vivienne erased “Pitt” from her name on The Outsiders’ playbill, for which she is a credited producer’s assistant. Shiloh’s decision to actually hire a lawyer and file for a name change on her 18th birthday was a bigger statement, granted. But it also feels like Brad has just realized that he can’t continue to play the same old “Angelina alienated the kids against me.” Any of the kids could speak up at any time. Dangerous days for Brad Pitt. That being said, he’s still an idiot and clearly some people will always believe that the Villainous Jolie made Poor Brad be a drunken psycho. Speaking of:

Brad Pitt remains hopeful about reconnecting with his kids.

“After years of legal battles, Brad still isn’t ready to give up on his children,” a source exclusively tells Us Weekly. “But knowing his children are dropping his last name is upsetting.”

The name changes come after Pitt’s security guard, Tony Webb, claimed that Jolie encouraged their children to ice out the actor during custody visits. Per court docs obtained by Us earlier this month, Webb alleged that a former employee, Ross Foster, told him “about statements he overheard that Ms. Jolie made to the children, encouraging them to avoid spending time with Mr. Pitt during custody visits.”

Pitt and Jolie were together for a decade before they exchanged vows in August 2014. Two years later, the pair called it quits and have been in a long-standing legal battle ever since. In 2019, Pitt and Jolie were declared legally single. They have yet to come to an agreement regarding their divorce or the custody of their minor children and ownership over their French winery, Chateau Miraval.

However, in March, an insider told Us that their legal battle could reach its end soon — with Jolie receiving primary custody of her and Pitt’s twins, their only underage children. Pitt, for his part, “isn’t thrilled” with the arrangement but agreed to it.

“He wishes their relationship was stronger and wants to work on that,” the source said, adding that Pitt is disappointed he “doesn’t see the kids” as often as he’d like to.

[From Us Weekly]

A guy heard from another guy that Angelina told her kids to avoid spending time with Brad when they were visiting him? Sounds legit. As soon as the kids aged out of court-ordered visitation, all of them avoided Brad. There was still a court-ordered monitor in place for YEARS during Brad’s rare visitation with the kids too. Besides which… all of this is just sound and fury from Team Pitt, signifying a whole lot of nothing. Notice that too – there’s no plan to actually reconcile with his kids, there’s no plan to show his kids that he’s made substantive changes, that he’s a better person now. He’s made no “amends.” It’s basically just Brad calling up his media buddies and crying about how “he isn’t ready to give up” and the whole thing is just a big bummer.

Also: Entertainment Tonight has a source who claims that Vivienne was the one to personally request that “Pitt” not be included in her name in The Outsiders’ playbill. Just aesthetically, “Vivienne Jolie” sounds prettier than “Vivienne Jolie-Pitt.”

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Backgrid.

Some of you have theorized that the American gossip media is once again applying pressure on the British media to figure out what the hell is going on with the Princess of Wales. We don’t need to go through the six-months-long history of shenanigans, suffice to say, some really weird sh-t is happening. I do find it notable that the two biggest “Kate won’t be seen for the rest of the year/she might never come back to the same role” pieces were published in the American media, the Daily Beast and Us Weekly respectively. Us Weekly’s cover story this week has been widely picked up by other American outlets too, all while the British media stays silent as the grave. Like, not even the Daily Mail did coverage of Us Weekly’s cover story. It’s just something to keep your eye on – the Windsors are soft-launching certain storylines in the American media, all while keeping the British media on a short leash. Meanwhile, Harper’s Bazaar ran this very odd pushback on Us Weekly’s piece:

Princess Kate’s cancer treatment and recovery will keep her away from returning to public duties for a little while longer. Kensington Palace recently provided an update on the Princess of Wales’s work status, once again reiterating that she is not expected to come back to work until her medical team advises her to do so.

“We have been really clear that [Kate] needs the space and the privacy to recover right now,” a palace spokesperson told Us Weekly. “She will return to work when she has had the green light from doctors.”

A source for the outlet alleged that Kate “may never come back in the role that people saw her in before,” but a royal insider tells Harper’s Bazaar that such a claim is “unfair and untrue.”

“There is no information about Kate’s ‘return’ because the focus at this moment in time is 100% on her health—to suggest she won’t return to her role is unfair and untrue,” the source explains. “Conversations of that nature are just not being had. When the time is right, she will resume her work.”

Of how Kate is currently doing, the source said she is “in good spirits,” adding, “She is focused on her health and family.”

[From Harper’s Bazaar]

“To suggest she won’t return to her role is unfair and untrue…Conversations of that nature are just not being had. When the time is right, she will resume her work.” “When the time is right” is doing the heavy lifting. Once again, I understand the “Kate is under medical advice” argument. But the messaging from the palace is schizophrenic: Kate can’t work and can’t do any public events about her health BUT we also insist that she’s out with her family regularly and running errands and stopping by the grocery store, but of course there are no photos! All they’ve done for the past four months is successfully kick the can down the road further and further.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Prince Harry’s long-running lawsuit against News Group Newspapers is still winding its way through the British courts. NGN is the British arm of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire – NGN publishes the Sun, the Times of London, the Sunday Times and it used to publish the now-shuttered News of the World. Harry has accused NGN publications of phone hacking, blagging and all kinds of criminal activity. Other celebrities have done the same, and NGN has paid out tens of millions of dollars/pounds in settlements so that these cases are never adjudicated in a courtroom. NGN has reportedly made some settlement offers/overtures to Harry, but he continues to pursue this through the courts.

Last month, a British court said that Harry could cite the names of many former and current NGN editors in his lawsuit. Among those names was Will Lewis, the current CEO of the Washington Post. Lewis moved from NGN’s British outlets to the Wall Street Journal, and from there, he was hired by Jeff Bezos to revamp WaPo. We heard last month, as Harry got a ruling on naming NGN editors, that Lewis attempted to bury the story and he was particularly prickly about the implication that he was up to his neck in criminal activity when he worked in the UK. Well, as it turns out, that Prince Harry story is one of several reasons why WaPo’s executive editor Sally Buzbee quit the Post on Sunday.

Weeks before the embattled executive editor of The Washington Post abruptly resigned on Sunday, her relationship with the company’s chief executive became increasingly tense. In mid-May, the two clashed over whether to publish an article about a British hacking scandal with some ties to The Post’s chief executive, Will Lewis, according to two people with knowledge of their interactions.

Sally Buzbee, the editor, informed Mr. Lewis that the newsroom planned to cover a judge’s scheduled ruling in a long-running British legal case brought by Prince Harry and others against some of Rupert Murdoch’s tabloids, the people said.

As part of the ruling, the judge was expected to say whether the plaintiffs could add Mr. Lewis’s name to a list of executives who they argued were involved in a plan to conceal evidence of hacking at the newspapers. Mr. Lewis told Ms. Buzbee the case involving him did not merit coverage, the people said. When Ms. Buzbee said The Post would publish an article anyway, he said her decision represented a lapse in judgment and abruptly ended the conversation.

The interaction rattled Ms. Buzbee, who then consulted with confidants outside The Post about how she should handle the situation. When the judge ruled several days later, on May 21, that Mr. Lewis could be added to the case, The Post published an article about the decision.

Mr. Lewis did not prevent the article from publishing. But the incident continued to weigh on Ms. Buzbee just as she was considering her future at the paper, according to the two people with knowledge of her decision-making process. Her eventual decision to resign has shaken one of the country’s top news organizations.

The interaction over the court ruling was not the primary reason for her resignation. Ms. Buzbee had already been mulling her future at The Post because of a plan by Mr. Lewis to reorganize the newsroom that he laid out to her in April, the people said. Mr. Lewis had offered Ms. Buzbee a job running a new division focused on social media and service journalism, according to the people. She considered that a demotion, since her job as executive editor included overseeing all parts of the news report.

Mr. Lewis declined to comment to The Post for its article about the ruling in the phone hacking case. But in numerous previous media interviews, he has strongly denied the allegations that he was involved in covering up phone hacking while he was a senior executive for Mr. Murdoch. The Post published an article in March about the lawsuit that also named Mr. Lewis.

[From The NY Times]

There’s been a lot of conversation about the pro-Trump or right-wing takeover of many mainstream American media outlets – and that’s a real thing – but it’s worth discussing the specifically British editorial takeover of so many American newspapers. All of these British hacks who cut their teeth in the glory days of British phone hacking, stalking and blackmail are all now being whitewashed by the Murdochs’ American media arm and filtered out to legitimate newspapers. Will Lewis was probably stunned that Buzbee wasn’t acting like this was an old boys’ club and he could make a backroom deal to bury the story. Which is exactly how it would have happened at The Sun or The Times or the News of the World. It’s also fascinating to watch as Prince Harry’s media lawsuits are revealing this insidious British-tabloid-mentality takeover of American media.

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Photos courtesy of Getty, Avalon Red.

From CB: I recently reordered the New Rhythm probiotics we first mentioned a couple of years ago. I’ve been using them this whole time. They definitely seem to reduce cravings and improve my mood. When I forget to take them I notice a difference. I also want to again recommend the African net bath sponges. My skin feels so soft and clean and these dry out faster with less bacteria buildup than typical mesh poufs, sea sponges or loofahs. Here are some sales and some more things Rosie and I are looking at on Amazon.

Sales and Deals
36% off SY Compact Travel Umbrella Windproof Automatic Umbrella
49% off TOZO A1 Mini Wireless Earbuds Bluetooth
25% off Thermacell Patio Shield Mosquito Repellent E-Series
34% off Cricut Joy Machine & Digital Content Library Bundle
22% off Miss Mouth’s Messy Eater Stain Treater Spray
50% off Fullstar Vegetable Chopper – Spiralizer Vegetable Slicer
42% off Dewalt 20V Cordless Drill and Impact Driver, Power Tool Combo Kit
51% off kelamayi Upgrade Broom and Dustpan Set
26% off Dyson V8 Extra Cordless Cleaner Vacuum
47% off neabot Neakasa P1 Pro Pet Grooming Kit & Vacuum Suction
24% off rabbitgoo Dog Harness
16% off Yosuda Indoor Cycling Bike/Magnetic Stationary Bike
30% off Tirtir Milk Skin Toner, 2% Niacinamide

An indoor flying insect trap that catches gnats and mosquitos

From CB: I have gnats this time of year and while it’s not a full blown infestation they’re annoying. This indoor fly trap by Safer Home works with a UV light and glue traps. It’s currently on sale for $15 and comes with 2 glue traps. This listing has over 26,000 ratings, 4.3 stars and the same score on ReviewMeta. People are surprised at how well it works. “Great product! I had a minor infestation of gnats in my kitchen last year. It is effective as well as reasonably priced. The number of gnats and small flies it has trapped has been alarming… I hardly have any flying around now and I am extremely happy.” “We had/have a problem with gnats (no matter how clean we make everything). So I got 2 of these and put them in the problem areas and let me tell you, ever since I plugged them in the problem has been clearing itself.”

A liquid plant fertilizer for healthier, lush plants

From CB: Some of my indoor plants are kind of sad and wilty. This liquid indoor plant fertilizer may be just what I need for healthier, better looking plants. It’s just $10 for 8 ounces and you only need a teaspoon for every two cups of water. This listing has over 4,700 ratings, 4.5 stars and a B on Fakespot. People say it really works to revive their plants and keep them happy and healthy. “I love this product! It has made my plants happy and greener! It’s easy and clean! Great price.” “Plants are always lush and full! There no smell at all and my plants are constantly healthy looking. I’ve seen quite a bit of growth in the few months since using it.”

An interior car cleaner that works on glass too

From CB: My German Shepherd rides in my car (love this car seat cover) and I definitely need an easy way to clean the interior. Chemical Guys Total Interior Car Cleaner and Protectant can clean all the surfaces in your car including glass. It’s formulated with a UV protectant and is even safe to use on your touchscreen and leather seats. This listing has almost 39,000 ratings, 4.6 stars and an A on Fakespot. Reviewers say it makes detailing their cars a breeze, that it has a nice finish and that it smells nice too. “I used this cleaner when deep cleaning my car. I used it everywhere, from my dash to my leather seats. It worked very well. My seats were super dirty and cracked so I used this cleaner paired with a drill brush attachment and they came clean fairly easily. I wasn’t sure I would like the scent, but it was pleasant and not overwhelming.” “This stuff is awesome. It’s not glossy or shiny, but it cleans everything – floor mats, touch screen, seats, dash, etc. It’s awesome. I plan to buy more.”

Organic jojoba oil you can use on your face, hair and body

From CB: Cliganic organic jojoba oil is a fragrance free oil that has so many uses. It’s great as a hair oil, makeup remover, cuticle oil and can be mixed with lotion. You can get four ounces for just $10 and this listing has over 74,000 ratings, 4.7 stars and a B on Fakespot. People say it makes their skin soft and is hydrating and light. “Okay, you must get this stuff! I bought it after seeing someone talk about it on social media. I wanted something to help moisturize my face and help with wrinkles, dry skin, etc. I love the mild smell of it, the consistency of the oil is very nice and it’s so easy to smooth onto your skin. My skin loves it…it absorbs instantly, yet gives a beautiful glow. It’s not too oily or greasy at all. “ “I love this product for my face and neck. I’ve been getting compliments on how my face seems brighter and younger. This is the only thing I’ve changed in my skincare routine. I love that it doesn’t have a scent and that it is natural. So I know what’s going on my face.”

Mascara that looks natural and full yet doesn’t clump

From Rosie: Over the last few weeks, I’ve been trying out new makeup. I love the Elf blush from two weeks ago and finally got around to using the Maybelline Instant Rewind Eraser from back in March (which I love because it dab it on, blends really well, and does not feel “heavy” on my face). Next up, I bought Elf’s Lash ‘N Roll mascara. It packs a lot of punch for just $6! It separates my lashes nicely and makes them look fuller yet natural. You can get it in black, deep brown, and pitch black, and like all Elf products, it’s vegan and cruelty-free. It has a 4.3 star rating, more than 3,000 reviews, and an A on Fakespot. In reviews, people cannot believe the quality they’re getting at such a low price. “Love love love this mascara…My eyes are dry and tend to water at times causing me issues with mascara. I had no issues. Easy to apply, stays put and looks great. Highly recommend.” “Omg this bruch [sic] and mascara is great for combing and evening out your lashes! It separates beautifully. The mascara itself is thin, it def gives more “natural” look.” “This is by for [sic] the best mascara ever. It doesn’t clump and goes on as easy as ever. I love it and would highly recommend it over any big name brand mascara that you would be paying $25 or $30 for.”

An affordable hair treatment spray for shinier, silkier hair

From Rosie: L’Oreal Paris’ Wonder Water spray is designed to give you “silkier, shinier, healthier looking hair” using lamellar water technology that hydrates and repairs your hair in mere seconds. In fact, you just spray it on your hair 2-3 times a week after you shampoo it and leave it on for eight seconds before rinsing it out. It’s silicone- and paraben-free and safe for color-treated hair. It has a 4.4 star rating, more than 41,000 reviews, and an A on Fakespot. People rave about how incredible their results are. “I would say that it was well worth the $9 to just try it out. [I]t cut my day-off-from-work hair routine by more than half.” “I’m absolutely delighted with how quickly this product works its magic on my hair! As a busy mom with little ones, I don’t have the luxury of time to leave a product in my hair for long. But this one delivers rapid results…The scent is lovely, but what truly wins me over is the incredibly soft and silky texture of my hair after rinsing.” “People always compliment how healthy and shiny my hair is. I noticed a difference the 1st application but the total effects were by the 3 – 5th application in one week and then after that I now use it 1 – 2 times a week.”

A easy-to-use citrus squeezer that gets out every last drop of juice

From Rosie: This citrus squeezer is listed as the #1 seller in Amazon’s “Manual Juicers” category. It works with lemons, limes, and even smaller oranges, squeezing every last drop so you get all of the juice and none of the seeds and pulp. And, it’s dishwasher safe, making it easy to keep clean. There are 8 different colors to choose from, each normally in the $17 – $20 range. It has a 4.7 star rating, more than 44,000 reviews, and an A on Fakespot. Users love how well it works and say it’s a great purchase. “This is so nice to use for either lemons or limes. Cleans very easily and works well. Great purchase, great price” “I like to make key lime pie with freshly squeezed key limes. This kitchen gadget is great for the job. It makes quick easy juicing for the key limes. Also very easy on the hands.” “Just buy it. Lemons, limes smaller oranges! This thing is awesome. Beefy metal with a sturdy hinge. The handles are good in the hand. I use it almost everyday.”

Stylish blue light readers that you can also wear outside

From Rosie: I’ve been looking for reading glasses that I can also wear outside while reading my Kindle. These blue light blocking reading glasses have photochromic (transition) lenses so you can wear them both outside and inside. There are also stylish options for photochromic progressive multifocal lenses. Don’t need ones to wear outside? You can also select from several different pairs without the transition lenses. They have a 4.4 star rating, almost 2,400 reviews, and an A on Fakespot. People love their multi use function and say they get compliments on them all the time. “I get soooo many compliments on these glasses. I have them in several colors. They are beautiful & comfortable.” “I purchased the 3X magnification and the distance is 0X which allows me to use them to see distance to drive while still being able to read the car map and gauges.” “I have had these for a year and a half. I wear them to work, to drive, to do housework, everything. They don’t make me dizzy, or give me a headache. I noticed a difference in my sleeping immediately from the blue light blocking, especially if you work on a computer all day like me.”

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Prince William joined King Charles and Queen Camilla in Portsmouth on June 5th for the pre-D-Day anniversary events. British WWII veterans came out and William, Charles and Camilla spent some brief one-on-one time with some of those men, most of whom are either close to 100 years old or past the century-mark. One of the older gentlemen decided to do some investigating while he was in Portsmouth. As soon as William leaned over to talk, the older man said: “I was going to ask you if your wife is getting any better?” William quickly answered: “Yes, she’s getting better, yeah.” Then William added: “She’d love to be here today.”

I think the Telegraph misquotes William – he didn’t say “she would’ve loved to be here today,” he said “she’d love to be here today.” A distinction without a difference really, but I find it odd that so many people are misquoting it. So, there you go, an update on Kate’s condition. Kate is present tense. Kate IS getting better. Kate WOULD love to be in Portsmouth. Things might be going t-ts up behind the scenes, but they gave William some lines and he happily recited them. I’m a little bit surprised that any of the veterans asked about Kate. Although… I always said, Kate is good with older folks. Seniors find her cute, and she’s more natural with seniors than she is with kids.

In the video, you can also see Camilla greeting a veteran with a lot of warmth, to her credit. You can also see that British paratroopers staged a recreation of “jumping on Normandy.” Hilariously, because of Brexit, French customs officers were waiting on the ground to check the Brits’ papers.

A weird Brexit consequence – the British paratroopers who landed in France to recreate D-Day for today’s anniversary had to immediately go through customs after landing. https://t.co/00iJLvReXi

— Dave Keating (@DaveKeating) June 5, 2024

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Jake Gyllenhaal covers the latest issue of the Hollywood Reporter, mostly to promote Road House (on Prime) and the upcoming Presumed Innocent miniseries (on AppleTV+). If I’m being honest, I’ll f–k with Presumed Innocent. I know Jake is canceled for a lot of people and I’m not even any kind of Jake fan, but the series looks really good and I love sexy legal dramas like that. As for this interview, it feels like Jake is always in a constant state of trying to show people that he’s not an intense, workaholic a–hole, even when all of his costars quoted in this piece are like “no, he’s very intense and the man is consumed with work.” Some highlights from THR:

He’s legally blind?? Gyllenhaal, 43, has been wearing intensive corrective lenses since he was about 6. Born with a lazy eye that naturally resolved, he’s still legally blind. “I like to think it’s advantageous. I’ve never known anything else. When I can’t see in the morning, before I put on my glasses, it’s a place where I can be with myself.”

He had fun working on ‘Road House’: “There are movies I’ve made that people have said to me, ‘Man, intense. That was great. It was tough.’ And there have been many different times where I’m like, ‘Wait, what’s it like to make a movie and be like, ‘That was just fun?’ Road House was definitely that.”

He’s obsessed with 1991’s Point Break, which he has seen hundreds of times. To him, Patrick Swayze’s and Keanu Reeves’ performances in the surf-cop action movie reflect the joyful commitment of true artists. “To deliver a line that goes into a trailer, with the right gusto and belief, and even with the absurdity of it, it’s a mastery. There’s that thing, the camera’s pushing in and I’m always like, ‘Oh wow, this is when you see Bruce Willis do the line, the thing. And now I’m doing the thing. Like, oh God.’ ” In Road House, for instance, before his character’s first time knocking out a rowdy bar customer, he asks genially, “Before we start, do you have insurance? Like, your coverage good? Do you have dental?” It’s the kind of action-comedy moment Gyllenhaal grew up watching and only now truly appreciates as craft. “It requires this ease, but focus. I’m in awe of people who can do it.”

His relationship with his sister Maggie: “I worshiped her, and she was like, ‘Go away.’ My sister has always been brilliant. What it did was present something to me that I inevitably would always be chasing. She takes a step and does something and I’m like, ‘Whoa, holy s–t. All right, I’m going to try this.’ ”

Next up is Othello: “It is learning another language. I have a bit of dyslexia, too, particularly within the articles of things — like, I’ll reverse them. Many people say, ‘But you learn so fast.’ And I’m like, ‘I drill these things.’ “

He’s been with Jeanne Cadieu since 2018. Asked when they’re going to get married, Gyllenhaal says, playfully, “I’m supposed to tell The Hollywood Reporter that? I’m not going to give you timing,” but continues, “I think we all get into that space of work, work, work, and for a long time my career took precedence, but I’m at a point in my life where I realize that family really is the only thing that matters to me.”

He declined to discuss Taylor Swift: It makes sense that Gyllenhaal is a little guarded about his personal life when you consider that the three-month relationship he had with Taylor Swift still triggers online fan screeds some 14 years later thanks to the signature breakup song “All Too Well” that the pop star wrote about him. Swift is one subject Gyllenhaal declines to discuss — in 2022, when she released a longer version of the 2012 song, he turned off his Instagram comments. “It has nothing to do with me,” he told Esquire at the time. “It’s about her relationship with her fans. It is her expression. Artists tap into personal experiences for inspiration, and I don’t begrudge anyone that.”

[From THR]

There’s also a lot of stuff about how much Jake loves to cook and bake and how he fan-boys over certain chefs and bakers, which I believe. I bet baking really appeals to his personality. I’m not saying that in a shady way, I’m just saying “that makes sense.” I also appreciate that he declined to discuss Taylor Swift – like, he really doesn’t need to give that issue any more air, and if he breathed one word about Taylor, the Swifties would climb up his ass. Also: I love the original Point Break too, and Swayze and Reeves’ performances are really underrated. I’ve also seen that hundreds of times. Lori Petty’s best role too, she’s so sexy in that (they all are).

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, cover courtesy of the Hollywood Reporter.

Kim Kardashian acted on American Horror Story: Delicate, which was the most recent season. I didn’t watch it, but I did see some clips and I saw people praising her performance. Like, she played a ballbuster publicist/witch/Satanist. Well, Kim was paired with Chloe Sevigny in Variety’s Actors on Actors series ahead of the Emmy nominations. While Chloe is a true artiste and a long-time indie girl, I sort of felt like she would be fine being paired with Kim. And it was fine – Kim is completely boring in these kinds of situations but she and Chloe had a decent conversation about acting, what kinds of films they gravitate towards, etc. I’m sure Chloe has never seen one episode of the Kardashians’ reality shows, but she has a general idea of who Kim is and they’re not that far apart in ages.

I find it interesting that Kim admits that when she watched old movies, she was more focused on the style, hair and makeup more than the performances of the actresses. Of course, it comes across as incredibly superficial, but hey, she found a way to monetize those interests and then some. It IS difficult to watch certain older films and not focus on the fashion and style of it all, like old Hitchcock movies or anything with Audrey Hepburn or Grace Kelly.

As some who enjoyed Feud: Capote vs. the Swans, I enjoyed what Chloe had to say about her character, CZ Guest, and the research she did. Kim was more interested in the costumes, of course, but in Kim’s defense – the costumes of that series were AMAZING.

What else? Kim confesses that she’s a big fan of buying historical fashion/jewelry in auctions. She told Chloe that she “actually bought a watch of Lee Radziwill — or Jackie’s, but Lee had it. I would always probably just take a moment and be like, ‘This is so f–king cool to have her pieces!’” Chloe asks her about the American Crime Story series about OJ Simpson and Kim praised the authenticity of the scripts and the costumes and sets. Chloe and Kim also talked about he Menendez bros (Chloe is playing Kitty Menendez) and Kim sort of knew the Menendez family.

Oh, Kim got Chloe to talk about the 1990s and being a style icon. When Chloe talked about Boys Don’t Cry, Kim’s question was: what did you wear to the Oscars? LOL. Chloe talked about that year, saying: “I wore Alber Elbaz for Yves Saint Laurent. And I went with my boyfriend at the time, Harmony Korine, and I lost. Angelina Jolie won for ‘Girl, Interrupted,’ which was not a supporting part, I would say. Not that I’m bitter! But it was a very competitive category that year. Catherine Keener, Samantha Morton, Toni Collette and me — it was just great actresses. My desire was to be more of a character actress, which I’m hoping people recognize in me more now than maybe they had in the past. But maybe a leading lady; I wouldn’t refuse.” Oh, Chloe is still mad about Angelina winning that year!

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