The thing about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce is that they can be two things at once: a real relationship in its early days AND an incredibly convenient duel-marketing event at the highest level. There are layers to the cross-promotional aspect of Traylor, but I also believe that Travis and Taylor are genuinely happening and they’re into each other. Still, it’s amazing to watch Taylor’s PR go into overdrive this week, following a weekend full of Traylor photo-ops. Travis came to New York this past weekend, and they went to SNL, they partied with the SNL cast, and they went out to dinner on Sunday too. People’s “sources” had all kinds of details about Traylor’s Saturday outing:

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce were “so happy” on their PDA-filled date night at the Saturday Night Live afterparty, a source tells PEOPLE. The pop superstar, 33, and the Kansas City Chiefs tight end, 34, enjoyed their time together at the afterparty at Catch Steak following the season 49 premiere of SNL on Saturday in New York City.

“Taylor and Travis were there all night and they were so smiley, they were so happy,” the source says. “They were so talkative. They were really fun. They talked to every single person in the room that talked to them. They were super cool. Super nice, super happy,” the insider adds, noting that Swift and Kelce stayed at the party “until after 4 a.m.”

The source also says the pair was definitely not shy with each other. At one point in the night, Kelce “takes both her hands and puts them on his shoulder, so they’re face to face, and then he takes both his hands and grabs her waist. They’re leaning in, they’re kissing each other,” the insider says. “They’re whispering. They’re talking, going back and forth about what to order, like, ‘Should we get a steak? Should we get espresso martinis?’ And then they lean in and they’re kissing again. They’re touching each other the whole time.”

Although Swift and Kelce “mingled separately,” the pro athlete “kept going over to her and checking in on her every little while, like, ‘Are you good?’ ” the source says. According to the source, Kelce was “going over and touching her, putting his hand on her lower back or putting his hands on her waist and then they would do a little kiss and then they would go back to talking to whoever they were talking to. He kept checking in with her, but gave her space to talk to other people in the room, both male and female, and he talked to a ton of people in the room too,” the insider adds.

“They were always connected throughout the night,” the source notes of the pair. “They were super comfortable with each other. They were very cuddly; they weren’t awkward. She was really comfortable with him, and he was a total gentleman.”

[From People]

Please, this came directly from Taylor and I LOVE IT. She’s telling us that she appreciates Travis’s whole deal, that she loves that he checks in with her while they’re at a party, that he was being demonstrative in public. This is Taylor’s love language – someone she can be with publicly, someone she can talk about and get pap’d with. “They were very cuddly; they weren’t awkward.” LOL. Meanwhile, People’s “sources” also dished on how Travis thinks this is the real deal.

Dating the biggest superstar in the world may come with a unique set of challenges, but a source tells PEOPLE that Travis Kelce is ready for it as his romance with Taylor Swift continues.

“Taylor’s unlike anyone Travis has dated before,” the source shares as the 34-year-old NFL star hit the town with the “Bejeweled” singer, 33, in New York City over the weekend. “It was very unexpected for his friends, but he’s so into her and very, very happy. Some people thought he was just joking around about the bracelet and having a crush on her earlier this summer, but he was serious about it,” referring to Kelce’s attempt to give Swift his phone number on a friendship bracelet when he attended her Eras tour at Arrowhead Stadium.

According to the insider, Swift and Kelce are “having a great time getting to know one another” and “have introduced some of their friends to each other” in recent weeks. The source adds, “Everyone’s getting along and seeing how much fun they have together. They make a very cute couple.”

[From People]

You know what I think? I think Taylor forgot what it’s like to date an American guy. She got so used to those British guys with all of their hangups and neuroses. To be fair, Travis seems like one of the better versions of an “American guy.” He’s smart, he’s self-assured, he’s chatty and cool. God, I hope they can figure out a way to make it last.

Note by CB: Get the Top 8 stories about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s new relationship when you sign up for our mailing list! I only send one email a day on weekdays.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.

I still can’t get over the story, this weekend, about a “malicious poster campaign” in Bucklebury. Carole and Michael Middleton’s business, Party Pieces, went bankrupt earlier this year, and the dying shell of PP was sold off for pennies on the dollar. The Middletons stiffed creditors for over £2.5 million, including government loans, bank loans and tons of small businesses which had extended credit to Carole specifically because she is the “future queen’s mother.” Carole left a lot of anger and debt in the wake of her financial mismanagement. Now someone is putting posters up all around Bucklebury, demanding that the Middletons pay their creditors. The Middletons own a £5 million manor home in Bucklebury as well as commercial real estate in the area. Well, I just wanted to follow up with the Sun’s exclusive coverage, which had a couple of other quotes and an interesting aside:

Kate Middleton’s parents are the target of a cruel poster campaign — after the collapse of the family party business. Malicious messages have been put up on lampposts and trees around the couple’s home village, with Kate’s brother James seen tearing some down. Angry suppliers are still owed money after the closure of Party Pieces, which was sold by Kate’s mum Carole, 68, and dad Michael, 74, shortly before it went bust earlier this year. Some want the couple — also parents to Pippa, 40 — to pay debts out of their own pockets.

However locals have been appalled by the posters, plastered around Bucklebury, where the family have lived for several decades, and the neighbouring West Berks village of Yattendon.

A source said: “Carole and Michael are incredibly popular. Everyone is horrified by these posters. It’s unfair to do this in their home village, just yards from where they live. Their son James lives nearby and so does Pippa who has moved around there recently with her family so they all have to be confronted by this. They are doing their best to make things right and don’t deserve this kind of abuse.”

Carole, a former British Airways stewardess, was said by a friend to be “desperately sad” to see the company flounder under “a new management team”. Pals claimed she was trying to make sure creditors were paid. Kate’s parents are believed to have stepped away from the day-to-day running of the firm several years ago.

However suppliers have criticised the couple for the “galling” way invoices were left unpaid before the firm went bust, and have called on them to pay outstanding debts. The administrator’s report made it clear that creditors — including small companies supplying balloons, toys and party bags — were unlikely to be repaid cash owed.

[From The Sun]

Here’s my thing – in all of the analysis and ass-covering after Party Pieces crashed, it was clear that Carole was desperately trying to say that she handed the management of PP over to other people years ago. That was directly contradicted by vendors and creditors, who said Carole was personally contacting them in recent years, promising them that they would be paid eventually. “Suppliers have criticised the couple for the ‘galling’ way invoices were left unpaid before the firm went bust” – in fact, the Middletons continued to rack up even more and more debt because Carole was making personal promises to small businesses, vendors and banks. “Carole and Michael are incredibly popular. Everyone is horrified by these posters.” The Middletons fancy themselves the king and queen of Bucklebury and their house of cards collapsed. There are businesses within Bucklebury affected by PP’s collapse as well, so no, I don’t think the Middletons are really “incredibly popular.” I would imagine the village has been highly amused, actually. I still think it’s interesting that the coronation was the last time anyone saw Carole – she’s been in hiding for months now. She’s humiliated and she deserves it.

Note by CB: Get the Top 10 stories about the Middletons’ shady finances when you sign up for our mailing list! I only send one email a day on weekdays after lunch.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

As many have noticed, we’re not covering the ongoing catastrophe in Israel and Palestine. Last week, we discussed the statements made by King Charles, the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and that was basically one of the few lenses with which I am comfortable writing about the situation. I don’t want to add to the noise, nor do I want to spread misinformation, nor do I want to speak out of turn. That being said, I’ve been surprised to see just how many celebrities, brands, teams, businesses and groups have chimed in. Last week, I even wrote “Or better yet for celebrities, say nothing – there’s absolutely no reason why the world needs to know what Kylie Jenner thinks about Israel and Palestine.” And yet, celebrities kept commenting and kept issuing statements.

Gigi and Bella Hadid are two of the most famous people of Palestinian descent – their father, Mohamed Hadid, is Palestinian, born in Nazareth in 1948, the same year David Ben-Gurion established the state of Israel. Bella and Gigi have spoken for years about Palestinian rights. In the days following the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israeli citizens, Bella has remained silent on everything. On October 10, Gigi made what I thought was an extremely measured statement, which she posted on IG and turned off the comments (the right thing to do). She specifically says that none of her dreams for Palestinians include harming any Jewish person, and she states clearly that she has Jewish friends, and she does not believe that being for Palestinian rights equals antisemitism. Here’s her post:

As I said, measured and completely above-board. I’ve seen public statements made by Jewish people and Israeli citizens which go a lot further and more political than Gigi. But whoever is running the Israeli government’s social media accounts decided to brazenly attack Gigi for her statement. This is one of the most unhinged things I’ve ever seen from a government social media account.

The official government account of the state of Israel calls out Gigi Hadid for sharing post about condemning the Israeli government:

“Have you been sleeping the past week? Or are you just fine turning a blind eye to Jewish babies being butchered in their homes? Your silence has… pic.twitter.com/tEELtcIbHK

— Pop Base (@PopBase) October 16, 2023

Again, this was from a government’s account. This is from the state of Israel’s Instagram account. Again, Gigi has been completely measured in all of her public statements. It’s bonkers.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Instagram.

Carole Middleton is in a full-blown panic. The British media is openly reporting on the “malicious poster campaign” happening in Bucklebury, all tied to the collapse of the Middleton family’s business, Party Pieces. In May, Party Pieces went bankrupt and it was sold to millionaire James Sinclair for £180,000. Because of the way the bankruptcy was structured, Sinclair is not on the hook to pay off Party Pieces’ extensive debt. PP defrauded banks, vendors, creditors and the government for over £2.6 million. Those people – many of them small businesses – are justifiably angry and they want to be paid, especially given that many of them extended credit to Carole personally because she is the mother of “the future queen.” This is what the poster campaign is about – someone has put posters up all around Bucklebury, saying that Carole needs to pay her debts. Conveniently, the Telegraph spoke to James Sinclair and he’s trying to provide a huge amount of cover for Carole. Some highlights:

Sinclair was approached by Carole six months ago: Before going any further, he was asked to sign an NDA – not unusual in the world of acquisitions, but a sign, perhaps, of who he was about to meet. Fifteen minutes later, he found himself on a Zoom call with Carole Middleton. “Because of my own background I instinctively understood her mindset,” he says. “There was a genuine connection.” An indefatigable 38-year-old known as Mr Partyman, Sinclair seemed the perfect person to take on Party Pieces, the business Carole started at her kitchen table, which after 30 years was on the brink of falling into administration. She had stepped away in April, reportedly selling her 49 per cent stake, ready to retire and focus on being a grandmother.

Carole really doesn’t want to take responsibility: “Carole had reached her mid-60s and quite rightly wanted to spend more time with her family,” says Sinclair. “When she handed Party Pieces over to investors and shareholders, it was in textbook condition; a really nice company that was regularly making a profit of £1m a year from a £3-£5m turnover.” Carole and her husband Michael felt they had secured the future of the firm that they had worked hard to create. But things started to go downhill. “Unfortunately the investors put into place the wrong team with the wrong strategy,” says Sinclair. “Frugality and getting a tangible return on every single cost is a big part of the entrepreneurial mindset, because it’s hard; only five per cent of businesses get past the first 10 years. Mistakes were made.”

The catalogue: “Party Pieces used to publish a catalogue three or four times a year and that gave it a legacy feel – the new owners axed it, which was short-sighted. It’s an old-school concept but because it was so unusual it made the company stand out – and it worked. We will definitely start printing it again, with our new additions.”

The international rollout: The pandemic had hit the company hard. Then came an international rollout in the US, the Middle East and Europe, which stretched budgets further. By late 2022 Carole realised something was going badly wrong and tried to salvage what she could. Despite her best efforts it wasn’t enough. “We were trying to do a solvent sale but it wasn’t possible. We bought it out of administration and as a result, creditors won’t get paid although Carole was desperately trying to avoid that happening,” Sinclair says.

The poster campaign: Weeks later, the Middletons have become the targets of a vicious campaign in their village of Bucklebury, Berkshire, where they bought a Grade II-listed Georgian manor house in 2012. Posters have been put up on trees and lampposts around their home. The Princess of Wales’s younger brother, James, who lives nearby, is said to have been seen taking them down, with rumours that disgruntled suppliers who were left out of pocket after the Party Pieces sale could be behind them.

Sinclair defends Carole: Sinclair feels hugely for Carole, whom he is quick to point out “was not captain of the ship on its downfall – she was, though, the lifeboat trying to save it…I don’t think it’s Carole’s fault,” he says over the phone. “She sold half the business at 65 years old to an investment firm and in my view they ruined it. They got her in when things looked like curtains and for six months she tried to save it – she just wanted to sell her business and retire and I feel like she’s being blamed for [what is] other people’s fault. She ran that for three decades on her own. She’s obviously not a wally.”

Carole didn’t get a fat check: Sadly, Sinclair says, “lots of people have come off with some financial pain”. “But Carole didn’t get any of the administration proceeds. She’s not got a big fat cheque for selling her business.”

Sinclair loves the Windsors: “I love the Royal family; they are great for Britain. It gives us a USP and they work really hard,” he says. “On the whole they’re a great bunch of people, especially Wills. They might live in enormously grand, if draughty, houses, but let’s be honest, they don’t own their lives.”

[From The Telegraph]

So, the cover story is that 68-year-old Carole handed PP to “investors” three years ago (2020? The middle of the pandemic??), the investors crashed PP, Carole stepped back into management in late 2022, only for PP to collapse by May of this year. And the whole time, during this three-year “step-back” period, Carole was still the public face of the company, she was still on PP’s Instagram and being sent to New Jersey to promote PP. No, sorry, I’m not buying Sinclair’s cover story. I get why he’s caping for Carole, he’s protecting his investment and what is now part of HIS brand. But Carole’s dumbf–k cover story makes no sense, and the financials make zero sense. PP was never that profitable, and Carole has been lying for years, just like she lied to creditors, vendors and banks.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images, Party Pieces’ IG.

Last week we talked about Jerry Seinfeld hinting at a Seinfeld reunion during a standup show. Jerry seemed to suggest that some kind of show is in the works that will somehow address the 1998 series finale, which fans and critics were disappointed with. Setting the divisive finale aside, I suggested that the only viable path for this project was making it about Elaine Benes, because Julia Louis-Dreyfus is the classiest, most talented one of the bunch. Oh, and she also hasn’t made an ass of herself like her former costars in the intervening years. Well, Julia was at the London Film Festival this week to promote an indie film Tuesday (that’s the name of the film, not the date of the premiere, and don’t worry it’s all kosher — SAG-AFTRA gave the film a waiver) and of course she was asked about Jerry’s recent comments. She very succinctly responded: “I don’t know what the hell he’s talking about.” Nor do any of us, Julia.

Speaking on his standup tour in the US on Saturday, Jerry Seinfeld told a Boston audience he “has a little secret” about the show, whose 1998 finale was watched by 76 million viewers in the US when it first aired, but whose plot – the four friends go on trial for wisecracking when a man is mugged in front of them – proved divisive.

“Something is going to happen that has to do with that ending. It hasn’t happened yet,” Seinfeld said. “Just what you are thinking about, [co-creator] Larry [David] and I have also been thinking about. So, you’ll see.”

His words triggered heated speculation all week about what form such a show might take. Stars Jason Alexander and Michael Richards are yet to offer comment, but speaking to the Guardian on Wednesday, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who played Elaine Benes on the programme, which ran between 1989 and 1998, professed ignorance about any such endeavour.

“Yeah, I just saw [that news] last night,” she said. “And I don’t know what the hell he’s talking about.”

Of all the Seinfeld actors, Louis-Dreyfus is the one who appears to need such a return the least. As well as starring in subsequent hit TV shows such as Veep, the actor has won acclaim on the big screen, most notably for her roles in Nicole Holofcener’s cerebral and sensitive comedies Enough Said (2013) and You Hurt My Feelings (2023).

Her latest project further dramatically expands that range. Tuesday, a contemporary fairytale about grief, had its UK premiere at the Lonon film festival earlier this week, picking up considerable Oscar buzz for Louis-Dreyfus’s performance.

She plays a single mother in denial about the terminal illness of her teenage daughter, Tuesday played by Lola Petticrew. When the grim reaper arrives in the form of a massive, talking macaw, both women try to defer the inevitable by bargaining, battling – and vaping with – Death.

Critics praised Louis-Dreyfus as “a revelation” – particularly in sequences that see her unleashing a primordial energy unfamiliar to regular fans. “She’s a performer whose radiant ferocity has never been in doubt,” wrote the Hollywood Reporter, “but until now we haven’t [sic] seen all sides of the prism.”

[From The Guardian]

“Of all the Seinfeld actors, Louis-Dreyfus is the one who appears to need such a return the least.” This is such a quintessentially British, understated way of saying Julia has grown leaps and bounds past the rest of them. I stand by my earlier statement, if they don’t get Julia on board then it’s not worth watching. I’d rather see this new film next year, despite its grim premise, and experience the catharsis of Julia “unleashing a primordial energy.” Billed as a fantasy-drama, Tuesday kind of sounds like Yorgos Lanthimos – meets – Ingmar Bergman based on early reviews. Is it likely to make me howl with laughter like Veep? No (my notorious history of laughing at horror films notwithstanding). Will I still tune in to see Julia play chess against a tall, talking, macaw-embodied Death? Definitely.

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Embed from Getty Images

Photos credit: IMAGO/Steve Vas / Avalon and Getty

One image that lives rent free in my head is the famous picture of Megan Thee Stallion wearing a real pumpkin jack-o-lantern on her head, pretending to watch TV in bed. It’s so funny. She reprised the meme again this year on her Instagram, posing poolside with a latte and a giant pumpkin. Megan has had a difficult time over the past three years. Beyond what she endured with Tory Lanez, she is also in a legal battle with her record label–she wants out of her recording contract and they’re not letting her out. She also claims that they owe her a lot in royalties, which I believe. So she’s just bypassing them altogether and self-funding her next album. Studio time is expensive, so this is no mean feat. She talked about it on an Instagram live and is calling the venture: “Hot Girl Productions”. Now I kind of want her to start her own record label called Hot Girl Productions.

Megan is funding the album completely on her own: During an Instagram Live on Thursday (Oct. 12), the rapper revealed that she’s not signed to a label and will be funding her own music projects moving forward, as seen in screen recordings shared by fans on social media. “This part of my album is very much so funded by Megan Thee Stallion because we’re trying to get off… Y’all know what’s the tea. But I have no label right now,” she explained. “We’re doing everything funded straight out of Megan Thee Stallion’s pockets. So, the budget is coming from me. Motherf—ing Hot Girl Productions! The next s— y’all about to see is all straight from Megan Thee Stallion’s brain and Megan Thee Stallion’s wallet. We are in my pockets, hotties, so let’s do our big one.”

Her old record label is playing some underhanded games: The star rapper has been fighting with 1501 for more than two years, claiming the company duped a young artist into signing an “unconscionable” record deal in 2018 that was below industry standards. She filed the current case in February 2022, claiming 1501 had wrongly classified her Something For Thee Hotties less than an “album” — a significant distinction, as she owes a certain number of albums under her deal. Megan Thee Stallion filed a new complaint in August 2022 seeking more than $1 million in damages over claims that 1501 had “systematically failed” to pay enough royalties. 1501 then fired back with new accusations of its own, claiming it’s actually Megan Thee Stallion who owes “millions of dollars.”

[From Billboard]

While I don’t love the circumstances that led to it, I love that Megan is carrying on and refusing to let the jokers at her record label stand in the way. She gets to make her album exactly how she wants, without interference from some bozo executives. Does it mean she’d own her masters, too? I hope so. Artists like Lana Del Rey and Beyonce own their masters (Beyonce owns the masters from her last four albums) and grants exclusive license to record labels. I think that’s the move, so that the artist ultimately owns their work. I don’t know how common of an arrangement that is, but hopefully it’s something Megan can do, so she can protect her work in the future even if she grants license to a different record label. I also feel bad that Megan is getting dragged down by this lawsuit. Unfair record deals are a tale as old as time (see also: Frank Sinatra and Tommy Dorsey!). But she’s a superstar and she deserves a label that will pay her accordingly. If she wanted to be signed to a major label, she would have options.

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Photos credit: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon, Getty and via Instagram

After Titanic, Leonardo DiCaprio rarely took roles where he would have much interaction with women. Sure, he’s made movies where he’s got a wife or girlfriend or love interest, but for an actor who has been a movie star for nearly 30 years, it’s weird that his CV is so light on romantic dramas or “acting opposite a woman for any length of time.” What’s even weirder is that… Leo is actually good at on-screen romance. He’s a good enough actor to pull off “chemistry” with anyone. I was reminded of that as I read British Vogue’s cover story with Leo and Lily Gladstone, the stars of Killers of the Flower Moon. They play a married couple and Lily is getting so much buzz, but so is Leo. They have a lot of scenes together and, as Vogue emphasizes, they have an easy chemistry. Vogue even notes, “The pair are relaxed together, sibling-like almost – he the older brother, protective and very, very proud.” Some highlights:

Leo on Lily: “Lily is absolutely astonishing in this movie. She carries the entire film and the story. There was no reading,” DiCaprio recalls of his and Scorsese’s first meeting with Gladstone over Zoom. “Marty just instinctively knew Lily was the one.” He turns to Gladstone. “There was a truthfulness in your eyes that he saw even over a computer screen. I’ve never known [Scorsese] meet somebody and then immediately afterwards have this gravitational pull and instinct to say, ‘Let’s not wait another minute.’”

Gladstone on getting cast: “I was living at home with my parents. I thought, I don’t want to move to LA, because I’m kind of an atypical actor. I think it’s going to be hard for me to find a place if I take that route.”

The Reign of Terror. “It’s a completely forgotten part of American history,” says DiCaprio. “And an open wound that still festers.” “It’s not that long ago that the Reign of Terror happened,” Gladstone agrees. “I don’t want to label this a western. I’m happy that it’s being labelled a tragedy.”

Gladstone’s background: The authenticity of Gladstone’s performance can be attributed in part, though not entirely, to her heritage. While she is Native, she is not Osage. On her mother’s side, she is descended from the first cousin of the British prime minister William Gladstone (whose family were so deeply involved in colonial projects, his descendants recently travelled to South America to apologise for their role in enslaving Africans); on her father’s side, she is the direct descendant of Blackfeet Chief Red Crow, one of the Great Plains leaders. It was this ancestor who in 1877 entered into a famous treaty with the British Crown. In 1977, Gladstone’s family received a surprising new honorary member, His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, then visiting Canada on behalf of the Crown. “When Prince Charles was given a Blood name, he was given my grandmother’s name,” Gladstone explains. “I have mixed feelings about that.”

On the Native pan-cultural experience: “My cultural understanding is more shaped by Blackfeet, because that’s the reservation I was raised on,” Gladstone says. “There’s a bit of a pan-cultural understanding that Native people hav. But there’s incredible diversity within Indian country.” After all, there are presently more than “560 federally recognised nations and another several hundred that are not federally recognised”.

Leo stayed in Tulsa while they filmed: DiCaprio stayed in nearby Tulsa, “back and forth” between the city and Osage County, he says. While he was there, he witnessed the centenary anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre. “It was a complete coincidence, to be there exactly 100 years after the start of the Osage Reign of Terror and 100 years after the first murder of the Black Wall Street massacre happened in Tulsa. There were news cameras everywhere, people on the streets talking about it. It was very important to me to realise these were two sides of the same coin… people of colour that were independently wealthy amid a massive population of incredibly racist white people who want to extract those resources at any cost. Look at Standing Rock. Look at what’s going on in Indonesia, in the Amazon. These places that are home to incredible resources are also places that are most drenched in blood.”

Gladstone on ‘Killers’ being directed by a white man. “Nobody is going to hand an Osage filmmaker $200 million. There’s a level of allyship that’s absolutely necessary.”

[From British Vogue]

I loved this piece, honestly. Lily had space to talk and it felt like Leo agreed to the cover just to hype Lily. I mean, I’m sure he has his own Oscar campaign strategy, of course, I’m not naive. But what I’m saying is that his strategy of using his fame and his name to hype Lily is a great one. That seems to be what Marty Scorsese wants too – while Marty and Leo are giving interviews to support the film, they’re also platforming Lily and Native American communities. It’s working, I can’t wait to see this.

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Covers & IG courtesy of British Vogue.

Chris Pine attended the Wags & Walks benefit gala this weekend and not enough people are talking about these photos!! [People]
What do we think of Troye Sivan’s new music video? [OMG Blog]
Trying to unpack all of the Cyrus family drama. [LaineyGossip]
Was Saturday Night Live really bad this weekend? I didn’t watch it. [Pajiba]
Shailene Woodley showed up to a premiere. [Go Fug Yourself]
Tom Hardy no longer does it for me, how about you? [Just Jared]
A reminder: submit your scary stories!! [Jezebel]
Sienna Miller wore a high-fashion poncho. [RCFA]
Gronk has some football analysis. [Egotastic]
America truly has a sign for everything. [Buzzfeed]
One NHL player is still going to use Pride tape. [Towleroad]
Madonna’s back, bitches. [Socialite Life]

People have successfully blocked this out of their memory banks, but for months in the fall of 2021, Will Smith was promoting his memoir and it felt like every single day for two solid months, there was some crazy headline about Will – like, having sex was triggering his gag reflex, or ridiculously personal stuff about his marriage. People forgot all about that when he slapped Chris Rock. Now, two years later, Jada has written her own memoir and we’re going through the same thing – every day is a new headline about Will, Chris Rock or Tupac. Well, we heard previously that Jada and Will had been separated for six years before the 2022 Oscars, and now Jada is saying that she was shocked that Will referred to Jada as “my wife” when he screamed at Rock on stage:

Will Smith shocked America when he slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars and uttered a now infamous sentence in defense of Jada Pinkett Smith: “Keep my wife’s name out of your f–king mouth.”

But Jada was surprised for a different reason, as Will had not called her his “wife” for a while before that.

“First of all, I’m really shocked, because mind you, I’m not there. We haven’t called each other husband and wife in a long time,” Jada told Hoda Kotb in an NBC News primetime special while promoting her upcoming memoir, “Worthy,” out Oct. 17. “I’m like, ‘What is going on right now? Keep my wife’s name out of your mouth?’ I’m really worried for Will because I don’t know what’s going on.”

At the 2022 Oscars, Will stormed the stage and struck Rock after the comedian made a joke about Jada’s bald head. Jada, who has alopecia, rolled her eyes after Rock jokingly referred to her as G.I. Jane.

“I did that eye roll not so much for me — and I think this is really important — but the fact that there could be a jab at alopecia,” Jada told Kotb in a new clip.

[From Variety]

I’m not with Jada on this one – even though they were separated, they were still “together” at public events and Will had literally been referring to Jada as his wife for months as he promoted his memoir and King Richard. Why would Jada suddenly be shocked by that? Besides, it’s also clear that Chris, Jada and Will have some incredibly complicated history, history which included Will and Chris having words years prior to that night, all about Will’s “wife.”

Meanwhile, Jada also shared her feelings on Rock’s Netflix special, which aired earlier this year. That was where Rock called Jada a “bitch” a dozen times and blamed the slap on her, and claimed that Jada “started it.” This was Jada’s reaction:

“I remember my heart piercing, my heart cracking, and I remember my feelings being so hurt,” Jada told the outlet.

“And then I remember being able to smile and wish him well at the same time,” she continued.

[From People]

For someone who talks the language of healing, therapy, ownership and mindfulness, it’s surprising to hear Jada soften her language around Rock consistently. I get it, the last thing she wants to do is come across like “an Angry Black Woman,” but meeting each one of Rock’s escalating humiliations with forced grace is just a strange way to exist. Like, this is the moment (when she’s truly telling her side of things) to actually say “that was really awful, he hurt me and it’s not okay and I don’t have any interest in dealing with his sh-t anymore.” She’s overemphasizing that his humiliations are like water off a duck’s back.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Prince William has been “focused” on “winning” America for a few years now. He keeps showing up uninvited and uninspired, like he expects to get a rock star reception simply because of his title. This has led to some hilariously janky Britsplaining of American culture, as royal commentators struggle to explain why dull, ashy, awkward William would ever appeal to Americans. “Americans love that William is dutiful! They love Earthshot! They can’t get enough of eggplant emojis!” Now, following his New York trip, William has convinced himself that Americans truly want more of him, and his office is clearly telling royal reporters “William plans to be spending A LOT of time in America now.” Which is why we get sh-t like this:

Prince William is letting himself be more relaxed and “open” with the public when out and about on official duties, a royal commentator noted. The Prince of Wales has taken on an increasing number of duties since succeeding his father the King in the new role – and part of his strategy includes winning over the American public.

Mail on Sunday Assistant Editor Kate Mansey argued the new approach follows William’s realisation that “you have got to have America on side” in the aftermath of Prince Harry’s multiple blows to the Royal Family’s image over the past three years. Mansey suggested the Prince and Princess of Wales “will be maintaining that [aura] of ‘majesty’ – why they are separate and why they are different, whilst also being ‘of the people, for the people’,” as part of their new approach.

She added: “They know very well what they do well. This is the authentic couple that we have been waiting to see for years. Like William letting slip he went for a run in Central Park one morning. Obviously, people will draw that comparison with the paparazzi chase with Meghan and Harry in New York. This is really interesting to see, that William is allowing himself to be more open.”

Speaking to True Royalty’s The Royal Beat, Mansey also welcomed reports suggesting that William and Kate are now seeking to trademark their Royal Foundation in the United States. She noted philanthropy remains a key area where they could reap considerable approval and win over support across the Pond.

She added: “The issue of philanthropy is so developed in America… it’s more part of the setup of how American communities and businesses work. So you do have to have a foothold in America if you are starting a big global initiative. I think Prince William realises you have got to have America on side. He is very serious about the fact that his role is global. He is on the world stage, and he is going to make the most of it.”

And the King is expected to invest in William and Kate’s popularity by urging them to travel abroad more extensively, according to a source. They told OK! magazine: “The King is very aware of the role the younger members of the Royal Family play in spreading the word to a wider and younger audience. Media and audience tests demonstrate the success of William and Kate’s engagement with the younger generation through social media and public appearances. So it’s important that they continue this success into 2024 and beyond.”

[From The Daily Mail]

“I think Prince William realises you have got to have America on side” and “So you do have to have a foothold in America if you are starting a big global initiative.” So this man was in his 40s before he realized that the monarchy’s relevance is directly tied to American tourism money, American philanthropy and American media? They’re saying it like it’s a good thing, that William has finally gotten this key part of the British monarchy’s relevancy formula. Too bad William didn’t realize this when he was smearing his American sister-in-law as “too American” and “a soap opera actress” and “a sociopath.” Too bad William only developed an interest in all things American as soon as Harry and Meghan escaped. And it’s really too bad that William only gives a sh-t about America now, to the exclusion of Commonwealth countries and everywhere else.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images.