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Naomi Watts is one of my favorites on the red carpets and at this year’s Globes she did not disappoint. She walked the carpet with her new husband, Billy Crudup, and I am rooting for them. She was in a phenomenal one shoulder sequin metallic Fendi gown. Naomi was a presenter this year and Billy was nominated for Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Series for his work on The Morning Show, which went to Matthew Macfadyen.

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Look how cute these two are together.
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Christina Ricci was also in Fendi, in a netted nude gown with smattered sequins. I think this washes her out and that she would look so much better in a darker jewel tone. Christina was nominated for Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Series, for her work in Yellowjackets, which went to Elizabeth Debicki for The Crown. I’m all caught up on Yellowjackets and Christina really embodies that character. She can act! I am kind of mad the last season though and I don’t think I’ll keep watching when it comes back later this year.

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Presenter Amanda Seyfried was in a black Armani gown with a purple sequin bow across the bustline. This dress is fine and very holiday adjacent, but I noticed during the ceremony that her makeup was pretty bad. At least it photographs better than it looks on camera. How do you take a beautiful woman and do this to her makeup? It’s like they tried to match it too much to her outfit and need to tone it down. Some of the best makeup looks last night were understated. Sometimes I wonder whether I would have the nerve, as a celebrity, to tell makeup artists and stylists “no, this looks awful” or if I would just make the best of it.

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Dior dressed several of their favorite ladies at last night’s Golden Globes, and weirdly… I liked all of these looks. Usually there’s at least one big “miss” with Dior, but not at this awards show. Rosamund Pike was there as a nominee for Saltburn, and she wore this old-school vintage Dior, complete with a headpiece. The dress itself is a gorgeous archival piece, but the headpiece takes it to the next level. Rosamund also wants to cover her face a little bit because she had a skiing accident over the Christmas holiday and she was apparently quite banged up, although she looked healed in time for the Globes.

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Natalie Portman’s Dior was absolutely gorgeous. The beading was next-level. I wish her hair & makeup were less severe.

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Jennifer Lawrence wore a simple velvet gown which reads as black but I think it was a midnight blue. Her hair is crazy long right now! Anyway, she looked good – like a nominee who knew she wasn’t winning. She seemed happy that Emma Stone won.

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Elizabeth Debicki also wore Dior and she picked up a Globe for The Crown. I’m glad she finally won something for her work as Princess Diana – she really was acting her ass off in the role. The construction on her dress was gorgeous too.

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Photos courtesy of Getty, Instagram.

Jodie Foster is 61 years old and she’s spent more than fifty years in the industry. She’s won two Oscars and she’s raised two sons. She’s currently promoting True Detective: Night Country, where she plays an Alaska cop. People who have gotten early screeners of this True Detective season say that it’s brilliant and Jodie is great in it. She’s also promoting Nyad a little bit – that’s the Netflix movie where she plays the coach of Diana Nyad. I’ve always liked Jodie and it feels like she’s more relaxed these days, less guarded and chattier in general. She recently spoke to the Guardian about True Detective, motherhood, working with so many young artists and her informal mentorship of young actors. Some highlights:

What it was like to work with so many younger people on ‘True Detective’: “Well, I’m pretty fun. I mean – I don’t take anything seriously. I make jokes all the time. And, you know, I’m not an expert… I just know me, I don’t really know anybody else, and even as a director – I’m not really an actor’s director, interestingly.”

Working with ‘True Detective’ director Issa Lopez: “She has directed four movies, and I’ve been in so many films, and I think that part is sometimes daunting. But we bonded immediately and laughed through everything. I like it when directors tell me what they want and say things like faster, slower. I’m not interested in directors who are like” – she puts on a whispery, luvvie-ish voice – “‘Here, let me shake you!’ She might have to do that with other people, because they’re young or they’ve never acted before. And I would watch her do that with them and … You’d better not do that with me.”

Her advice to younger people in the industry: “They need to learn how to relax, how to not think about it so much, how to come up with something that’s theirs. I can help them find that, which is so much more fun than being, with all the pressure behind it, the protagonist of the story.”

She’s trying to mentor Bella Ramsey & other young actors: “I do a lot of reaching out to young actresses. I’m compelled. Because it was hard growing up.” When she looks at Ramsey, who told British Vogue earlier this year that “I’m not 100% straight”, does she feel a pang of sympathy for her younger self? “Yes.” It was so bleak. “But I had my mom, you know.”

She admires the way Bella Ramsey exists in the world: “We weren’t free. Because we didn’t have freedom. And hopefully that’s what the vector of authenticity that’s happening offers – the possibility of real freedom. We had other things that were good. And I would say: I did the best I could for my generation. I was very busy understanding where I fitted in and where I wanted to be in terms of feminism. But my lens wasn’t wide enough. I lived in an incredibly segregated world.”

For all her cheerleading of Gen Z, Foster isn’t above being irritated by them. “They’re really annoying, especially in the workplace. They’re like, ‘Nah, I’m not feeling it today, I’m gonna come in at 10.30am.’ Or, like, in emails, I’ll tell them this is all grammatically incorrect, did you not check your spelling? And they’re like, ‘Why would I do that, isn’t that kind of limiting?’”

Her two sons, who were raised by three women: “My two don’t like sports. They like to watch movies and sit at home, and they’re really into their female friends. They’re super feminist. And there was a moment with my older one when he was in high school, when, because he was raised by two women – three women – it was like he was trying to figure out what it was to be a boy. And he watched television and came to the conclusion, oh, I just need to be an a–hole. I understand! I need to be sh-tty to women, and act like I’m a f–ker. And I was like, no! That’s not what it is to be a man! That’s what our culture has been selling you for all this time.” The phase went on for six months, she says. Did she let it play out? “Yes, and no. I was like, you won’t be talking to me like that.”

[From The Guardian]

I like this answer: “I did the best I could for my generation.” I think that’s very true – there was a time when the LGBTQ community wanted Jodie to be more public, more vocal about her sexuality and her life and she just refused. It was a generational thing but it was also just about Jodie needing to keep things a certain way to feel safe, which is partly generational and partly about her own experiences. As for what she says about Gen Z… lmao. That’s going to upset some people. She’s not wrong though, just my opinion!

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Hannah Waddingham’s career has been going gangbusters since Ted Lasso, and she has her pick of projects and offers. It feels like she’s saying “yes” to almost everything. Which is fine with me – she’s not an ingénue, she’s a 49 year old working actress who got her biggest break three years ago. All of which to say, she has a small role in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two, which comes out in May. She apparently enjoyed her time working with Tom Cruise (I imagine she towered over him).

Hannah Waddingham appeared on the Christmas episode of ITV’s “James Martin’s Saturday Morning” (via The Independent) and revealed she’s ready to defend Tom Cruise against his critics after working with the Oscar nominee on the upcoming “Mission: Impossible 8.” It was announced in March that the “Ted Lasso” Emmy winner was joining Cruise and the “Mission: Impossible” gang in the eighth installment, which was originally designed as the second part to “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.”

Waddingham’s “Mission: Impossible 8” character has not yet been revealed, but she said she spent five intense days with Cruise filming the action tentpole on the USS George H.W. Bush fighter carrier. She revealed she still has “another kind of main scene” to shoot with Cruise once production restarts.

“I have to say, I have a real problem with anybody that goes at [Tom Cruise] now,” Waddingham said. “Having met him and having spent five days intensely…He is without doubt one of the loveliest and encouraging, positive and inspiring human beings I have ever met. Isn’t he gorgeous? I have no time for anyone saying anything about him.”

Waddingham told SiriusXM earlier this month that she grew up on boats because her father was in the river police her entire life, so she was more than eager to film her “Mission: Impossible 8” scenes while on an actual fighter carrier. “I know this world so much,” she remembered saying to Cruise and the film’s director, Christopher McQuarrie. “I’ve got this down. Don’t worry. I’m used to brushing my teeth in a tiny little cabin.”

[From Variety]

People are mad that she’s defending a guy in a cult, and I get that. But let me also say that while Tom Cruise is absolutely in a cult (and he’s an important, privileged person in that cult), he’s also super-respected within the industry because of his professionalism and generosity towards his fellow actors. Like, Emily Blunt adores Tom. Timothee Chalamet adores Tom. Kirstin Dunst adores Tom. SAG-AFTRA adores Tom too, they used him as an intermediary with the studios during the strike. Plus, I always get the feeling that British people just don’t “get” why Scientology is so f–king weird and how it’s such a big thing in LA.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

Back in the day, the Art of Elysium gala used to be a much bigger deal. They used to get more Young Hollywood people at the gala than the Golden Globes the following day. These days, not so much. This year’s gala was a tribute to Neil Gaiman and it was sparsely attended. Christina Hendricks was one of the biggest-name “fashion girls” there and her corseted look was… yikes. It looks like a bad costume – the shades of red don’t match and her hair & makeup are appalling.

Heidi Klum walked the carpet with her daughter Leni, who is very cute. I’m getting a Cindy Crawford-Kaia Gerber vibe, as in Heidi is trying to nepotize her daughter into the modeling industry.

Joseph Gordon Levitt barely shows up on any red carpets these days, but look! He looks great.

Patricia Arquette looks like she raided a ‘70s thrift shop.

Here’s Kumail Nanjiani and his wife Emily V. Gordon. He’s maintained his chiseled look!

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And finally, here’s Joe Manganiello with his new girlfriend Caitlyn O’Connor. They began dating several months after he split with Sofia Vergara. I bet they get married.

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Photos courtesy of Getty, Backgrid, Avalon Red.

Ben Affleck’s brand ambassadorship with Dunkin Donuts continues to be one of his strongest career moves, in all honesty. [LaineyGossip]
James Haven made some rare comments about his sister. [Socialite Life]
The Stanley Cup phenomenon is so bizarre & stupid. [Pajiba]
Whoopi Goldberg did not hang out with Jeffrey Epstein. [Hollywood Life]
What does America do better than Europe? The number of people saying “ice” and “air conditioning” is amazing. [Buzzfeed]
It feels like things are lining up for Da’Vine Joy Randolph to win the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for The Holdovers. [JustJared]
What was the best book you read in 2023? [GFY]
Chance Pitt is out of jail. [Starcasm]
Demi Moore was on General Hospital. [Seriously OMG]
Kirsten Dunst wore Valentino in Palm Springs. [RCFA]

The American Kennel Club has officially recognized a 201st breed: the Lancashire heeler. Thought to have derived from Welsh Corgis crossbred with Manchester Terriers in the 1600s, they were later bred over generations in West Lancashire. The wee fellas are known for their drive to work, signature brown and black coats, and frequent appearance of a smile. This new recognition by the AKC means that Lancashire heelers can now partake in coveted dog shows like Westminster Kennel Club. Given their feisty, determined natures, methinks Lancashire heelers will be fierce competitors. NPR spoke with heeler breeders and provided some background on AKC’s method for adding breeds:

Say hello to the Lancashire heeler, the latest breed recognized by the American Kennel Club. The organization announced Wednesday that the rare herding breed is now eligible for thousands of U.S. dog shows, including the prominent Westminster Kennel Club show.

With long bodies and short coats that are often black and tan, the solidly built dogs are shaped a bit like a downsized corgi, standing around 1 foot (30 centimeters) at the shoulder and weighing up to about 17 pounds (7.7 kilograms). Historically, they were farm helpers that could both drive cattle and rout rats, and today they participate in an array of canine sports and pursuits.

“They’re gritty little dogs, and they’re very intelligent little dogs,” says Patricia Blankenship of Flora, Mississippi, who has bred them for over a decade. “It’s an enjoyable little breed to be around.”

Their official description — or breed standard, in dog-world parlance — calls for them to be “courageous, happy, affectionate to owner,” and owners say contented heelers sometimes pull back their lips in a “smile.”

They’re “extremely versatile,” participating in everything from scent work to dock diving contests, says United States Lancashire Heeler Club President Sheryl Bradbury. But she advises that a Lancashire heeler “has to have a job,” whether it’s an organized dog sport or simply walks and fetch with its owners.

The dogs benefit from meeting various different people and canines, added Bradbury, who breeds them in Plattsmouth, Nebraska.

Lancashire heelers go back centuries in the United Kingdom, where they’re now deemed a “vulnerable native breed” at risk of dying out in their homeland. Britain’s Kennel Club has added an average of just 121 Lancashire heelers annually to its registry in recent years, and the American Kennel Club says only about 5,000 exist worldwide.

Founded in 1884, the AKC is the United States’ oldest purebred dog registry and functions like a league for many canine competitions, including sports open to mixed-breeds and purebreds. But only the 201 recognized breeds vie for the traditional “best in show” trophies at Westminster and elsewhere.

To get recognized, a breed must count at least 300 pedigreed dogs, distributed through at least 20 states, and fanciers must agree on a breed standard. Recognition is voluntary, and some breeds’ aficionados approach other kennel clubs or none at all.

Adding breeds, or even perpetuating them, bothers animal rights activists. They argue that dog breeding powers puppy mills, reduces pet adoptions and accentuates canine health problems by compressing genetic diversity.

[From NPR]

A downsized corgi is pretty darn small! I’m not usually a fan of brown and black together, sartorially speaking, but golly they are cute little munchkins. And yeah, you can totally see they’re proud, boss dogs. When AKC starts getting particular on the recognition process, though, I admit I lose focus. I know we’re talking about dogs, but all the language sounds so icky to me. “Purebreds” and “mixed-breeds” and “pedigree” and “fanciers.” Again, I realize these are technical terms and that I’m coming at this as a layman, as well as an unshakable supporter of adopt don’t shop. Whether or not Fido is a true this breed or that breed is not the draw for me. I’m here for any and all dogs, whatever their makeup. I don’t give a woof over how strictly they model their selected group. Give me your quirky, your mutt, your unique multi-ethnic pups yearning to trot free!

Photos credit: David Dalton/ImageBROKER/Avalon, Karolina Grabowska on Pexels

Prince Andrew supposedly “stepped down” from being a working royal in late 2019, days after his BBC Newsnight interview aired and all hell broke loose. I remember it well – Queen Elizabeth did nothing about Andrew for days as the British media did wall-to-wall coverage of just how badly Andrew’s interview had landed with the public. It wasn’t until then-Prince Charles called his mother days later that anything happened – Andrew was allowed to “step down” from being a working royal, but he didn’t actually step down from any patronage or charity. Then several years passed and it was clear that Andrewwas convinced that he could launch a comeback with his mother’s help. He still kept his patronages, he was still invited to events, and his mother did everything she could to coddle him and protect him. Crash cut to 2022, with Virginia Giuffre suing Andrew for rape and abuse. Andrew was about to be dragged into court in America just before his mother’s Jubbly. Andrew “borrowed” money from his mother and settled with Giuffre out of court, and once again we were told that this was the end, that Andrew was now fully out of royal life.

In the nearly two years since Andrew “for real this time” stepped down yet again, he continues to be included in family events and state occasions like the coronation. He continues to be embraced by his family. He gets to go on car rides with William and Kate in Scotland. He gets to keep his mansion in Windsor. He gets to keep his security too, paid by his brother. Now that Andrew’s name appears all over the newly released Epstein files, we’re in for another round of “Andrew will never be able to come back!” You guys, there’s no need for a comeback when he was never even pushed out.

Royal expert Phil Dampier told MailOnline today that the Epstein files are ‘the final nail in the coffin’ for Prince Andrew’s reputation – and Prince William in particular will make sure his uncle does not return to the royal fold.

Mr Dampier said: ‘The big danger for him is that another woman could make specific allegations against him and want a day in court or a pay off as well’.

Royal biographer Tom Bower said the the Royal Family need to ‘bury and forget’ Prince Andrew as he’s in ‘self-denial’ about his association with Jeffrey Epstein. ‘It’s a danger for the Palace, they don’t know what more bombs will be dropped. He’s not telling them’, he said. Commentator Richard Fitzwilliams says any rehabilitation of Andrew’s image is an ‘impossible task’.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment today because they only speak for working royals. The duke stepped down from duties in 2019 over his links to convicted paedophile Epstein. In 2022 his mother the Queen stripped him of his royal patronages and military titles before he settled the multi-million dollar case with Ms Giuffre.

The Duke of York was with his family at Sandringham for Christmas, but only because Charles felt ‘sorry’ for him, Phil Dampier has said. Mr Dampier claimed William would never let his uncle return to royal duties, with this now even more unlikely after the Epstein files came out in NYC last night.

He said: ‘These latest revelations will do nothing to help Prince Andrew’s hopes for a return to royal duties. That was always very unlikely anyway but this could be then final nail in the coffin of his reputation. It’s important to remember he has never been found guilty of any crimes and denies them. But I can’t ever see him setting foot in the USA again. Indeed, for someone who used to travel the world he has only been abroad once or twice since the scandal erupted. There is seemingly no end in sight for him and therefore I can’t see him making a comeback.

‘I think the King feels sorry for him and has made it clear he is still very much part of the family, as we saw at Christmas. But Prince William would certainly be against any attempt by him to take up any sort of public duties’.

[From The Daily Mail]

So, that’s where the Windsors are at this point – their version of punishment for Andrew is insisting that he cannot make a comeback, but don’t worry, he’ll still be invited to Easter, Christmas, coronations, Order of the Garter ceremonies, funerals, state occasions and shooting parties. The continued insistence that this is the “final nail in his coffin” is unsettling as well – like, all of them were fine with Andrew being credibly accused of rape? They were fine with his years-long friendship with two known human traffickers? None of that was the “final nail”?

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

Prince William and Kate have built their royal brand on being “hands on parents” who cannot work a full schedule (or even a decent part-time schedule) because they’re both raising their children. While I believe that Kate is involved – school runs, supervising activities, keeping up with the kids’ schedules – it’s absurd to think that two people in their 40s are incapable of doing any work during their kids’ school holidays or any work while their children are in school. But whatever, Will and Kate are still going to be using the “hands on parents” excuse when Louis is in his 20s. Anyway, Hello Magazine had some exclusive info on just how Will and Kate are “down to earth” around the other parents at Lambrook, their kids’ school. Will and Kate go to school events and wait in line for raffles.

George, ten, Charlotte, eight, and Louis, five, are in Years Six, Four and One respectively at Lambrook, the Berkshire prep school. A source tells HELLO! that the royal children are popular and that Louis, who has kept the world entertained with his cheeky antics at big events, continues to keep the grown-ups on their toes.

“They’re lovely kids,” the source says. “Charlotte is so kind and friendly and the other children adore her. She’s kind to the kids in younger years and she’s very popular. George seems like a nice boy, too, and little Louis just has so much energy. If William and Kate ever can’t make a sports match, their nanny goes along and spends most of the time running around the edge of the pitch after Louis. He’s a typical little energetic five-year-old.”

William and Kate take part in all the important school activities, including ‘queueing for the tombola’ in a recent fundraising drive. Both parents are heavily involved with Lambrook events. The source claimed the future King and Queen tend to discreetly slip into events such as carol concerts and will almost always be in attendance, fitting occasions around their busy schedules.

‘The day after Kate’s carol service [at Westminster Abbey], it was the school Christmas fair and they were all there, as they were the previous year. I saw them queueing up for tombola tickets like everyone else. They really act like a normal mum and dad,’ the source said.

They added that the royal couple attended the school’s carol service at Eton College Chapel and sat alongside the headmaster – while joining in with all the songs.

[From Hello Mag & The Daily Mail]

“If William and Kate ever can’t make a sports match…” But I thought the whole point of their lazy schedule was that they must attend every single school function and sports activity? Poor Nanny Maria! Anyway, yeah, I believe that Will and Kate attend school events. What else have they got to do? It feels like those posh schools are probably so extra about wanting to “include” parents in every little thing too. I also had to look up “tombola” – here in America, we just call that a raffle. I wonder if Will and Kate have ever won anything at the Lambrook raffles? Do British schools raffle off goodies like homemade cakes and cookies? Also: there’s already a concerted effort to portray Charlotte as wise beyond her years and the center of the family. It’s… a lot.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

The annual Palm Springs International Film Festival officially began on Thursday. Celebrities convened in Palm Springs to pick up random awards and glad-hand with desert-dwelling Oscar voters. Seriously, the Palm Springs festival is just an event for Oscar-campaigners, which is why they schedule it at the start of the awards season. Even Cillian Murphy came out, because the studio made him fly out for the Golden Globes on Sunday. He looks like he’s being held against his will, which probably isn’t far from the truth.

I’m mostly including the fashion girls in this post, although a surprising number of potentially Oscar nominated men came out to Palm Springs as well, including Leo DiCaprio, Robert DeNiro, Robert Downey Jr, Mark Ruffalo and Willem Defoe. Sidenote: I really do think RDJ might be the frontrunner for Best Supporting Actor (for his role in Oppenheimer), but I’m also curious to see if anyone puts any money behind a late campaign for Milo Machado Graner, the kid in Anatomy of a Fall, because he was amazing.

Fashion notes: Emma Stone was predictably in Louis Vuitton, as she’s an LV brand ambassador. I’m not head over heels with this look, but it’s one of the more interesting LV ensembles for Emma. Margot Robbie wore a Barbie-inspired polka-dotted Balmain dress, which is very cute and on-theme, but I do wonder if she’s going to do Barbie-theme throughout the awards season? Carey Mulligan also wore Balmain (a terrible look, tbh) and she posed with Meryl Streep on the carpet. Lily Gladstone wore a custom Rodarte in a beautiful shade of green. She paired her dress with jewelry made by Native American designers. Taraji P. Henson wore Alexandre Vauthier – another great green, but the deep-V is not flattering (her girls look lopsided!). Billie Eilish wore a Gucci scarf and carried a Playboy purse, yuck. Last thing: I love that Da’Vine Joy Randolph is getting couture for all of her events.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.