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2023 has been a banner year for Stevie Nicks to see herself interpreted in pop culture. Back in March Riley Keough played the titular character in Daisy Jones and The Six, and while Daisy Jones wasn’t a literal telling of Stevie’s time in Fleetwood Mac, Stevie said she felt like “a ghost watching her own story” when she saw the series. And now in the month of Halloween (coincidence? I think not), Stevie Nicks has been immortalized with her very own witchy-chic Barbie, and she is not too cool to freak out over it. After debuting the doll at Madison Square Garden in New York on Sunday, Stevie chatted with People Mag about getting her own Barbie, and her comments are just as mystic and ethereal as you’d hope:

Barbie is a big deal at any age: “When I got her, it’s like my whole world changed,” the hitmaker recalls, adding that she “just so fell in love with her. She is really her own little feminist person at not even a foot tall,” she says. “She’s strong and she’s fierce and she’s solid.” To Nicks, the tambourine-carrying doll is more than just a mini-me — she’s a reflection of herself that holds all of the experiences she’s “either forgotten or just put away. I see everything in her,” she says. “When I look at her, it’s like she’s my whole life from beginning to now. When I look at her, all the memories are all there. She’s a dream catcher,” Nicks adds. “She catches all the memories and dreams, holds them in her hands and shows them to you.”

Nicks lent Mattel clothing from her archives: Absent from the Barbie are some of Nicks’ most recognizable accessories: intricate ponchos, towering top hats and — perhaps most iconic of all — her shawls. Instead, the doll’s all-black ensemble was lifted right from the cover of Fleetwood Mac’s masterwork, Rumours. The singer says she sent Mattel the original outfit — a dreamy velvet and silk chiffon frock with angel sleeves and a shredded hemline — straight from her “vault.” And, rather than the Rumours ballet shoes, she sent along a pair of boots made by famed shoemaker Pasquale di Fabrizio. “I said, ‘If you can copy those boots, Mattel, and copy this outfit, we are home free,’” Nicks recalls.

Mattel nailed the Stevie uniform: With the final touches of her billowy bangs and iconic crescent moon pendant, the doll’s look quickly crystallized — and it’s about as Stevie as can be. It is so Stevie, in fact, that it actually resembles the original stick figure the singer sketched of her now-iconic “uniform” for stylist Margi Kent ahead of her first Fleetwood Mac tour. “I drew a stick girl in this little outfit. It was a little handkerchief skirt, little platform boots, sleeves that dropped almost to the ground and that was it,” Nicks says, adding that she knew from the first try-on the outfit was “never going to go out of style. It’s never going to get old,” she recalls thinking. “It’s just going to get more beautiful and sophisticated … it’s basically what I still wear now.”

[From People]

Is she way over the top with comments like “When I got her, it’s like my whole world changed,” and “it’s like she’s my whole life from beginning to now”? Oh yes, for sure. But I give full pardons to anyone for waxing extra poetic when they’ve been made into their own FREAKIN’ BARBIE. I would be a hot sobbing mess if I got the B treatment. So go ahead Stevie, tell us how this Barbie is the crystal ball through which all your past, current, and future lives have coalesced into a one-foot talisman of joy. I judge you not.

I love that Stevie lent Mattel pieces from her own archives, or the “vault” as she called it. Can you imagine what the Barbie designers were like opening those packages?! And I also love the shout-out Stevie gave to stylist Margi Kent. Many times a look we think of as iconic to a single person is really a collaboration among many artists, but it doesn’t make the look any less ‘Stevie Nicks’ for her to give credit where it is due. If you’d like to get your very own Stevie Nicks Barbie… good luck!! Seriously, she’s already sold out online, with some very animated would-be buyers complaining to Mattel that the doll is already going for over $100 by resellers on eBay. Update: some are even up to $250 as of this writing. At least Mattel has given us moody, high production value photos we can enjoy for free.

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Kayla Nicole, who dated Travis Kelce for five years, unfollowed Brittany Mahomes after Brittany spent time with Taylor Swift this past weekend. [Buzzfeed]
The House Republicans are such drama queens. [Pajiba]
Sia got a facelift & she showed her face for the first time in five years. [Socialite Life]
What’s going on with Brandi Glanville? [Starcasm]
Andrew Garfield & Florence Pugh were friendly at PFW. [LaineyGossip]
SCOTUS will hear two abortion cases this term. [Jezebel]
LOL people were actually confused about this? [JustJared]
Loewe is leaning into “knitwear with no arm holes.” [GFY]
Paulina Gretzky plays tennis? [Egotastic]
Billy Porter has survivor’s guilt over living with HIV. [Towleroad]

Forgot this was happening today! As announced last week, Prince William and the Princess of Wales stepped out today in Wales to mark Black History Month in the UK. These two racists, who smeared and bullied a Black woman until she was suicidal, believe that they can simply photo-op their way into forcing people to believe that they’re not white supremacists. They arrived together in what will be an increasingly rare joint appearance. This appearance also marked the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush to the UK. They were thrilled to do a photo-op with Black people!

Fashion notes: Kate repeated the £549 Holland Cooper pinstriped blazer and matching suit pants. This suit is so bad! While I’m glad that Kate is finally in her grown-up pantsuit era, can someone convince her to either buy suits that fit, or somehow invest in a tailor so that she doesn’t look like a hobo? She just wore this stupid suit too – this is the suit she wore last Thursday, for her big Early Years meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook. It was actually less about Early Years and more about Tim Cook giving them free iPhones in exchange for a quick photo-op. That wig looks like the Kensington Palace gopher has been chewing on it with some regularity.

They played ping-pong too and I have no idea why. These photos are infuriating!

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

For months, Kensington Palace has been soft-launching “Bachelor Prince William hates being around his wife and loves attention from the ladies.” Royal sources have been emphasizing that we will see less of William and Kate together, and that William sees Kate as the mother of his children and little more. The latest plotline is that after months of assuring everyone that Kate would join William in Singapore, she’s now refusing to go because she has to support George as he takes some test. Instead of openly reporting on the increasingly visible fissures in the Wales marriage, the royal reporters with access are being tasked with merely talking up the “solo William” and “solo Kate” stories. Enter Robert Jobson, someone with a lot of access to King Charles’s court. Some highlights from his new piece in the Express:

Solo Kate: News that the Princess of Wales is not accompanying her husband to be at his side at his Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony in Singapore next month has caused some disquiet. She has decided instead to stay home to look after their three children during an important week as Prince George, 10, has school exams and his mother believes she should be at home in Windsor to support him. Increasingly, I am told, she will step out solo. The King sees his daughter-in-law as a great asset to the monarchy and with fewer working royals her public profile will receive a boost… She will focus more and more on her role as a “children’s champion” and her early years projects.

William doesn’t want to be overshadowed by Kate’s wigs: But it means William too will spread his wings. So often when he is accompanied by his wife the press focus on her and not on the issues he wants to raise, “It can be all about what the princess wears as far as the media is concerned, which means some of the big issues get ignored,” said a source. “When he is on his own, the coverage tends to be about the issues he is trying to highlight.” This may or may not be the reason for Kate not going to Singapore – but it is part of it.

William’s American ambitions: For William, his visit to America was hugely important. Being in the Big Apple for the week of the United Nations General Assembly during Climate Week to announce the finalists of this year’s Earthshot Prize for him was essential. Now in its third year Earthshot is gaining momentum. William has big global ambitions for the prize, I am told, that has already been dubbed by some this week as the “Nobel prize for the environment.” Those close to him said he loved being in New York, and his highlight was his run around Central Park, without anyone noticing him. The love and affection shown by the American people last September at the time of the Queen’s death meant a lot to him. “It will stay with him forever,” a senior source said.

[From The Daily Express]

“Increasingly, I am told, she will step out solo. The King sees his daughter-in-law as a great asset to the monarchy and with fewer working royals her public profile will receive a boost.” Interesting that the king sees Kate as a great asset but William does not. William is annoyed that Kate gets more attention, and he sees her as deeply unserious. It’s fascinating to watch Jobson talk around that too: “This may or may not be the reason for Kate not going to Singapore – but it is part of it.” Oh, so the “helping George take a test” excuse is just a cover story, huh? The real story is William simply does not want Kate there or anywhere around him. The invisible contract is getting so frayed, you guys. As for William’s American obsession… I’m starting to wonder if Kate even shares it. Like, William’s completely one-sided competition with Harry means that William is suddenly keen about all things American. But I wonder if Kate understands that her priorities should be local.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

It’s been months since Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh (aka the Countess of Wessex) told us that she is the real linchpin of the monarchy. I kind of hoped that storyline died with QEII – Sophie was apparently very close to her mother-in-law, and Sophie was seen as “a safe pair of hands” for royal work in general. While King Charles is not particularly close to Sophie and Edward, he does seem to view them the same way – as neutral, not particular good but not bad, simply a safe choice. Now that Sophie and Ed’s biggest protector and champion is gone, they’re trying to cozy up to the remaining royals. Thus, we’re getting Daily Mail stories about how Sophie is super-close to William and Kate now.

The Prince and Princess of Wales are said to have formed a strong bond with the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh over recent months, it has been claimed. The past year has been particularly challenging for William and Kate, both 41, who have mourned the loss of Queen Elizabeth II and taken on new duties within the Royal Family – while a rift remains between the Prince of Wales and his estranged brother Prince Harry. However, a royal expert has claimed the royal couple have helped to managed challenges over the last year by forming a close friendship with Duchess Sophie, 57, and Prince Edward, 59.

Jennie Bond, a former royal correspondent for the BBC, has said: ‘Sometimes it seems strange to realise that these are two different generations of royals as they seem much closer.’ She added the couples have formed a ‘tight bond’ during difficult times, with both Harry and Meghan’s departure to the US, Prince Andrew being stripped of royal titles and Queen Elizabeth’s death.

‘Sophie, in particular, is a wonderfully empathetic woman. The late Queen regarded her as another daughter,’ Ms Bond told OK! Magazine. She added the Duchess acts as a ‘brilliant bridge’ between generations.

Ms Bond explained the royal women were ‘key’ members of the royal family and that members of the public have welcomed Sophie into the royal fold with open arms, particularly after her outpouring of grief following the deaths of Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth.

William and Kate have reportedly ‘closed their minds’ to the possibility that a rift with Harry and Meghan can be fixed. Sophie, who has been married to Prince Edward, since 1999, has been known to step in to soothe tensions on a number of occasions. Following the funeral of Prince Philip, in 2021, she is said to have sought out Harry and spoken with him for some 30 minutes. Additionally, other reports say Sophie was the first royal to visit the Sussexes at Frogmore Cottage after the birth of their son Archie in 2019. Sophie also shared a car with Meghan at the Queen’s funeral, travelling behind members of the Royal Family walking on foot.

[From The Daily Mail]

This is the first I’m hearing about Sophie being Archie’s first royal visitor, and it’s the first time I’m hearing that Sophie spoke to Harry for 30 minutes after Philip’s funeral. The funeral story is particularly curious, given all of the storylines at the time were about how KATE sought out a conversation with Harry, that Kate was the great linchpin of the monarchy, that Kate was going the most to heal the rift. Now Sophie is taking credit for it? Fascinating. Besides, Harry corrected the record on his grandfather’s funeral in Spare – arrangements were made and he met his father and brother for a conversation outdoors in Windsor, where William lunged at him and grabbed at him violently. Anyway, Sophie is sly, she cozies up to whoever she thinks will help her.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Avalon Red, Cover Images.

Something I didn’t realize before this week is that Jodie Turner Smith really isn’t on Twitter anymore – she got chased off in March 2022, when she tweeted some sh-t about how Will Smith slapping Chris Rock gave her “second hand embarrassment for all involved.” She was accused of playing respectability politics, and Black Twitter dragged her for everything, including marrying a white man and enjoying Slave Play. She deleted her Twitter but kept her Instagram. Then there was a kerfuffle in September 2022 where Jodie and Joshua unfollowed each other, then eventually re-followed each other on Instagram. Now Entertainment Tonight has some added details about all of the “signs” Jodie and Joshua were headed for divorce.

Things have been rocky between Joshua Jackson and Jodie Turner-Smith, with a source now shedding light on the former couple’s “issues” leading up to their split.

“Jodie and Joshua have been having issues lately,” a source told ET on Monday. “They celebrated Jodie’s birthday on Sept. 9 at The Flower Shop in NYC, but arrived separately and left separately. It was a big party and they were distant throughout the night and barely around each other. Jodie spent majority of the evening downstairs.”

On Monday, Turner-Smith filed for divorce from the Dawson’s Creek alum after three years of marriage, citing “irreconcilable differences.” She listed the date of separation as Sept. 13 and is seeking joint custody of their three-year-old daughter, Juno Rose Diana Jackson. Jackson and Turner-Smith met in 2018 and officially married in December 2019. They welcomed their only child in April 2020.

Rumors of a rift between the 45-year-old Fatal Attraction star and the 37-year-old Murder Mystery 2 actress surfaced last September, when eagle-eyed fans reportedly noted that the stars had appeared to unfollow — and then re-follow — each other on Instagram. Just two months later, they were seen walking arm-in-arm at an after-party for The Fashion Awards in London, England.

Their body language appeared cooler during their last public outing together, as they attended the unveiling of the new fully electric Lotus Emeya on Sept. 7 in New York City. The event served as something of a birthday celebration for Turner-Smith, with Jackson presenting her with a cake as photographers looked on.

[From ET]

The Lotus event on September 7th really was their last outing together as a couple – soon after that, Jodie headed to Europe, where she flew solo at the Vogue World event in London, then attended Paris Fashion Week events. I wonder if the split was a slow-burn or if something suddenly happened in the past month or so. There did seem to be a lot of drama around Jodie in particular last year, as I noted in the opening – was that the beginning of the end, or was it a blip and they were totally fine for most of this year?

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Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Getty, Backgrid, Cover Images.

Last week, we heard about the Bidens’ dog Commander. Commander Biden, much like Major Biden before him, has been biting people in the White House. Commander and Major have a lot in common: both are rambunctious German Shepherds and both dogs only bite Secret Service agents. At least, that’s according to the Secret Service. The Secret Service literally erased large swaths of their records to protect Donald Trump, but their record-keeping about dog bites is suddenly beyond refute, at least according to the Washington press corps. In case you need me to spell it out, I don’t actually believe that Major and Commander are as bitey as the Secret Service claims, while I simultaneously believe that there’s a reason why dogs apparently do NOT trust certain SS agents. Well, Politico had an update on all of this:

White House staffers have seen all the headlines about President JOE BIDEN’s 2-year-old German shepherd COMMANDER. They’re aware of the behavioral issues. It just doesn’t compute to them. CNN reported last week that Commander recently bit yet another U.S. Secret Service agent, bringing the total number of known biting incidents to 11. Some of the attacks were bad enough that agents required medical attention, and at least one person had to go to the hospital.

While common sense might suggest that White House officials should avoid Commander at all costs, that’s not how staffers who work in the West Wing are approaching the situation. No one is moving about campus in fear of bumping into the dog. In fact, many get excited when they can sneak a few minutes away from their busy schedule to give him a quick scratch behind the ears.

“Everyone loves him,” said a White House staffer. “He’s always so friendly.”

Among staff, there is an emerging belief that, in the eyes of Commander, they are off limits; that the dog only has an appetite for the Secret Service.

“It’s shocking that he can be so aggressive,” said another White House staffer. “I’ve never seen him like that.”

Indeed, the wild discrepancy in Commander’s behavior has left White House staffers past and present trying to come up with theories about it. “The White House is just a crazy environment for a dog,” said a former White House official. “There are enormous men with guns acting suspiciously hostile everywhere.” Another former staffer suggested that it could have a lot to do with facial expressions. Dogs are very reactive to humans and when staff greet Commander, it’s usually with a big smile. That’s not the case for Secret Service agents, who tend to be less warm and fuzzy while on the job.

When Biden’s brother, JAMES, gave Commander to the president for his birthday in 2021 after Major had been sent away — and as the first family was still grieving the loss of their longtime German shepherd, CHAMP — it caught the White House off guard. A person close to the Bidens said that the president and first lady initially weren’t thrilled to be introducing a new puppy into their chaotic White House life, but they felt like they couldn’t turn down a gift from a well-meaning family member.

Within months, the biting issues started, most of which were captured in 196 pages of internal communications obtained earlier this summer under the Freedom of Information Act by the conservative legal organization Judicial Watch. The internal documents paint a scary picture of an uncontrolled dog terrorizing the people tasked with protecting the president and the first lady.

But whatever additional training Commander is getting hasn’t seemed to do the trick yet. Some White House staffers and reporters have running bets among themselves about how much longer until the Bidens will be forced to send Commander away, too. Sometime before Thanksgiving seems to be a popular take among reporters. “We do wonder how much longer they can keep him around,” said the first White House staffer. “At a certain point, it becomes impossible.”

[From Politico]

I bet that Commander gets sent away as well – even if he’s dealing with trumped up charges, there’s really nothing the Bidens can do. I do appreciate the anecdotal stories about how Commander is a friendly, sweet dog around everyone else, and the poor dog is really just trying to protect his mom and dad. You know what happens next though – as soon as Commander gets sent away, suddenly there will be multiple Secret Service agents providing “documentation” about Willow Biden scratching and hissing at Secret Service agents. There’s an active conspiracy to deprive the Bidens of family pets.

Photos courtesy of The White House & Backgrid.

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Since 2021, more than a dozen women, including actresses Evan Rachel Wood and Esmé Bianco, have come forward to accuse Marilyn Manson (née Brian Warner) of rape, sexual assault and battery, human trafficking, abuse, exploitation, and more. Many of his accusers spoke to Rolling Stone in 2021 and several have filed legal actions against him. Wood spoke out about her abuse in the docuseries “Phoenix Rising” and became so afraid of retribution from Manson that she gave primary custody of her 10-year-old son to his dad, Jamie Bell.

Bianco, who also claimed that Manson violated California human trafficking laws, settled with him outside of court back in January 2023. One of the women that Manson allegedly abused was due to go to trial against him next week. But just like with Bianco, this lawsuit, filed by a Jane Doe, also settled before the trial started and will likely be dismissed within the next 45 days. She and another woman filed anonymously for fear of their own safety. Jane Doe #1 spoke out, saying that she feared losing her anonymity if it had gone to trial, citing the threats, harassment, and intimidation she’s received over the past few years.

Doe’s suit, filed in 2021, alleged that the singer, whose real name is Brian Warner, raped her and deprived her of food, sleep, and a sense of safety. She claimed he threatened to “bash her head in” if she reported the abuse, which she said occurred in 2011.

“I was fully prepared for trial and never in a million years thought I would ever settle, but over the past two-and-a-half years I have silently endured threats, bullying, harassment and various forms of intimidation that have intensified over the past few weeks,” Doe says in a statement to Rolling Stone. “Marilyn Manson attended my deposition, and I was forced to answer seven hours of aggressive questioning with him staring at me from across the table. I’ve been told that this almost never happens, as it’s cruel, and that a main reason for it would be to intimidate and inflict emotional distress on a victim.

“I never cared about money and only ever wanted justice, but if we had gone to trial, I could have lost my right to anonymity and been victim-blamed on a large and public scale,” she adds. “Most importantly I could have risked losing the freedom to tell my story, and that is worth more than anything in the world.”

The terms of the settlement are not public. “Brian is pleased that, just as previous lawsuits were abandoned without payment or settled for pennies on the dollar, this plaintiff has now agreed to drop her suit in exchange for an insurance payment representing a fraction of her demands and far less than the cost to Brian of proceeding to trial,” Warner’s attorney, Howard King, says in a statement.

“If any other victims are reading this,” Doe says, “please know that you are loved and supported even if it doesn’t feel that way, and that in spite of everything I’ve been through I don’t for one second regret speaking up.”

“I am honored to have supported Ms. Doe,” Doe‘s lawyer, Wolf, says. “My law firm stands with those who bravely push back against misconduct in all forms, especially by high-profile, powerful men. We are dedicated to fighting for justice, no matter how long it takes. You are not alone.”

Another lawsuit by another Jane Doe, alleging years of grooming and abuse that began when she was a minor, is ongoing and remains the only outstanding legal action against Warner. The other Doe claims she first met Warner 1995 when she was 16 years old. She alleged that members of Warner’s band watched him sexually assault her. He maintained contact with her, according to her suit, over many years, and when she was 19, he “perpetuated his grooming, manipulation, exploitation and sexual assault of Plaintiff” and allegedly coerced her into sex. Through his attorney, Warner denied the allegations.

[From Yahoo]

I think it’s very brave for Wood, Bianco, the Jane Does, and every other woman to speak out about what happened to them. Reading some of the things he allegedly did to them is absolutely horrific. It’s so infuriating that after all that these women went through, they’re still being harassed and intimidated. I don’t blame them for settling to preserve their anonymity and help ensure their safety. All it takes is one charismatic abuser with a fan base and a huge PR budget and suddenly, the lines of victimhood are blurred. I hope Jane Doe and the other women who suffered by Manson’s hands find peace and recovery.

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Photos credit: JPI Studios/Avalon and Getty

Kevin McCarthy is screwed and it’s hilarious & awful. [Pajiba]
The trailer for Saw X answers all of your Saw questions, maybe. [OMG Blog]
Britney Spears keeps playing with (fake) knives. [Egotastic]
It’s my favorite time of the year: scaring myself sh-tless reading all of the horror stories people submit to Jezebel. [Jezebel]
I didn’t even make it through the trailer for Matthew Vaughn’s Argylle. [LaineyGossip]
Issa Rae went to Paris Fashion Week. [Go Fug Yourself]
More photos of Taylor Swift at the football game. [Just Jared]
Timothee Chalamet looks so good in this pic. [RCFA]
ABC canceled Home Economics. [Seriously OMG]
No one does patterns & beading like Etro. [Tom & Lorenzo]
Whenever I see payphones in movies, I always get wistful. [Buzzfeed]

This is shocking, yet once you think about it, there was some foreshadowing. Jodie Turner Smith has filed for divorce from Joshua Jackson. They started dating in 2018, got married in 2019 and welcomed their daughter Juno in 2020. They seemed really solid… until they didn’t. Jodie has been attending events and red carpets solo for months, and there were definitely rumors of Joshua perhaps cheating on her.

Jodie Turner-Smith is pulling the plug on her marriage to Joshua Jackson … TMZ has learned she just filed for divorce. The British actress/model cites the boilerplate “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the divorce. According to the docs, filed by disso queen Laura Wasser, Jodie is asking for joint custody of their 3-year-old daughter, Juno.

Jodie wants to take spousal support off the table for both her and Joshua. There’s no prenup in place.

[From TMZ]

Well, it was a wild and fun ride while it lasted. I really did think they were solid, despite those rumors. I thought that they would have another baby too, because they both seemed so pleased to become parents. Well… it didn’t turn out that way. It’s sad! The good news here is that it sounds like every other celebrity will get a divorce this year, so these two smokeshows will be back on a thriving dating market.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images, Backgrid.