One of the stories I’ve ignored recently is all of the hoopla about the Duchess of Sussex renewing all of her trademarks for The Tig. She’s always done that, over the years, even after she shut down her successful lifestyle blog. Every time she renews her trademarks, the British media goes into a tizzy about how she’s going to blog again. That’s been happening yet again in recent weeks, as the royal reporters have convinced themselves that The Tig 2.0 is upon us, and thus, Meghan deserves to be mocked and smeared. I would love nothing more for her to revive The Tig, but until I see a blog post, I feel like she’s just keeping her trademark so Piers Morgan doesn’t buy it, you know? I bring this up because in all of the coverage of Meghan “vanishing” because she’s not going to the fakakta coronation, they keep saying that Meghan is too busy plotting her next move (which includes The Tig). Page Six has a lengthy exclusive about what’s really going down between the Sussexes and the Windsors, and some of the quotes and asides are somewhat interesting/notable. Highlights:

Archie’s birthday: Meghan Markle is planning an “intimate” birthday bash for Prince Archie’s 4th birthday on May 6. Alongside her and Prince Harry’s flock of rescue chickens and three dogs, her mom Doria Ragland, Archie’s school chums, and some mommy friends, there may be a few recognizable faces at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Montecito, California, estate — after all, they “do have celebrities in their life,” one source familiar with the family told Page Six.

Harry’s travels to and from England: Page Six is told that Harry will be flying commercial, not private, and may even jump on a flight back to California following the 11 a.m. ceremony — meaning he could arrive home in the early evening, thanks to the eight-hour time difference. “Harry’s going to make every effort to get back in time for Archie’s birthday,” said the source. “It’s going to be an intimate party, it’s not going to be like ‘My Super Sweet 16’ or Portia de Rossi’s 50th!”

Harry’s relationships with William & Kate: As one highly placed royal insider told Page Six of Harry and his family: “Even though Meghan is not going, it’s still going to be extremely awkward.” For one thing, Harry is still not talking to his older brother Prince William, multiple royal insiders confirmed. However, claims that William’s wife, Princess Kate, made the decision to uninvite Markle from the coronation are completely false, according to senior palace officials.

Seating arrangements: Harry’s appearance also comes after months of tense wrangling between the palace and the Sussexes, as Harry had questions about where he would sit in the abbey — after having been relegated to the second row for his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth’s funeral in September — and what security he would be provided amid his ongoing legal fight with the British government over safety measures. The family members he remains close to are his cousins Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice. They will be by his side as he watches his father’s onetime mistress, Queen Consort Camilla, be crowned queen, the title once promised to his beloved mother.

“Intense scrutiny”: Markle, meanwhile, has come under intense scrutiny for her decision to stay home with the children, particularly as Archie could have celebrated his birthday at the couple’s UK home, Frogmore Cottage, where his sister, Princess Lilibet, enjoyed her 1st birthday party last June. However, a palace insider told Page Six that Charles has been kept abreast of Archie and Lilibet’s lives. Insiders say there is definite thawing between Charles and Harry, with one source adding: “There is now, more than ever, a willingness to try and have a relationship.”

Meghan wants peace: And while Markle has been accused over the years of stirring up drama, the source familiar with the Sussexes said that’s not the case: “Meghan doesn’t want any more rifts. She wants her children to know their grandfather, Charles, particularly when they are not going to know their other grandfather [Markle’s long-estranged father, Thomas Markle]. She does hope they will meet and hopes her decision will be seen as an unselfish one, as it was best to keep the attention on His Majesty.”

Why she’s really skipping the Chubbly: The Sussex source added that Markle made the decision to skip the coronation in the hopes of not stirring up more drama. “She just really doesn’t want a song and dance and everything being lived out in the public eye,” the source said.

Meghan’s next moves: As for her own future, Markle has been keeping a low profile and concentrating on the children lately, although she is believed to be bringing back her “Archetypes” podcast for a second season. And a source told Page Six that Harry’s attendance at the coronation is important to remind everyone that he is indeed, a royal — and to help keep the Sussexes’ brand bright and shiny. Last month, meanwhile, a patent application to revive Markle’s Tig website was given preliminary approval by US authorities, meaning she will be able to reboot the blog as soon as June.

[From Page Six]

I don’t think Meghan has ever “wanted” a rift – they treated her like sh-t and she left, that’s not Meghan wanting a rift, that’s Meghan walking away from an abusive situation. One of the things I admire about Meghan – as seen in the Netflix series and in Harry’s memoir – is that she actually tries to stay out of Harry’s many dramas with his family. She’s not getting in Harry’s face about “your father should do this or that.” She’s just there to support Harry and his choices. His family is obsessed with blaming her for everything. Besides, it was absolutely clear from all of the palace briefings that Charles and the rest of the family didn’t want her or her children there. Charles didn’t even invite Archie and Lili.

This talking point continues to drive me crazy: “after having been relegated to the second row for his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth’s funeral…” Yeah, Harry and Meghan were in the second row… right behind Charles and Camilla. Harry looked like the heir, while William was “relegated” to a position further away from the king. I still believe that Harry’s qualms about the seating arrangement for the coronation were mostly about not wanting to sit near William or Andrew. If he’s seated with his cousins, that’s probably what he worked out with the courtiers. Anyway, I hope Archie has a lovely birthday.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Avalon Red, Netflix.

Other than the church walk on Easter Sunday, the Princess of Wales has not done a public event since March 21st. Prince William hasn’t done a public event (other than Easter) since March 23, his trip to Poland. Their kids are on a school break, and per usual, William and Kate seem to believe that they deserve a mandatory month-long holiday as well. Again, I’m not saying that they shouldn’t have family time, but I’ve always been shocked by William and Kate’s commitment to never scheduling one single day of work during their annual five-to-six week Easter break. In this post, I’m including photos of King Charles last Friday, where he inspected the 200th Sovereign’s Parade at Sandhurst, which is like the graduation event for cadets. There was some talk about how William – a Sandhurst graduate – should have joined his father. William did not. Because, again, Peg is committed to being lazy. It’s starting to be a real problem, the fact that the “working royals” are either in their 80s OR they’re two lazy-ass 40-somethings.

The Royal Family is in danger of “abolishing itself by stealth” by spending less time engaging with the people of Britain, a shock report reveals. King Charles has been warned the monarchy is at risk of becoming “too distant” from the nation it seeks to serve after a dramatic slump in the number of public engagements.

Death, scandal and resignation are blamed for a 40 percent drop in ribbon-cutting and hand-shaking duties over the past decade, says a study by an influential think tank. And it predicts that if missing junior royals don’t do more to support the new King the monarchy could easily “collapse”.

The tally of UK-based engagements has slumped from 3,338 in 2014 to just 2,079 last year, according to analysis by Civitas. And last night royal author Margaret Holder backed the report, warning a lack of a public presence could “herald the demise of the institution”. Queen Elizabeth II famously believed she had to be “seen to be believed”. But the think tank is concerned the Royal Family could “disappear from public view”.

It has been rocked by the death of the Queen and Prince Philip, the departure of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to the US, and the Duke of York stepping back from royal duties amid scandal. Now the King is being urged to appoint more “working royals” who will meet people across the country.

Frank Young, the Civitas report’s author, said: “The Royal family as we know it is on the brink of collapse and risks abolishing itself by stealth if the King doesn’t take steps to boost visits that have fallen radically over the last decade. Through death, scandal and resignation the Royal family is increasingly reliant on a few hard-working members, with Charles, Anne and Edward, doing almost half the work. We now need new working royals or will have to accept a Royal Family that is more distant from the people than at any time in the past 100 years.”

Civitas claims family members over the age of 70 are responsible for the greatest share of engagements and warns of a potential “shortage of royals”. The Duke of Kent is 87, Princess Alexandra is 86, the Duke of Gloucester is 78 and the Duchess of Gloucester is 76. It fears that the number of royal engagements could “shrink to barely 1,000 a year” over the next decade.

Civitas suggests Princess Beatrice should be considered as a potential “full-time working royal” and adds the Princess Royal’s daughter Zara Tindall would be a “popular addition” as she is “steeped in the school of Princess Anne”.

[From The Daily Express]

That was always the flaw in Charles’s design for a slimmed down monarchy – he believed that his heir would step up and work as much as Charles did when he was Prince of Wales. That’s not going to happen – William has been coddled, protected and shielded all his lazy life, and the family treats Kate like she’s the village idiot, someone too incompetent for substantive work. When Charles decided to side with William and sign off on the Sussexes’ exit – with no “half-in” option – he did so with the belief that William would step up with Harry gone. That has not happened, and it’s hilarious. Charles pushed out Harry and Meghan – two charismatic royals who would have been the future of the monarchy – because he and William were too petty and jealous of their popularity. So here we are. This dull-ass, uncharismatic, all-white royal family. Good luck.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Judy Blume is 85 years old. She’s generally considered to be a literary icon and very open-minded and liberal-minded. She writes kids’ books and young-adult books, and she’s currently promoting the film adaptation of her iconic book Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. She’s been doing a lot of press in America and Britain, which is why she sat down with the Times of London’s Hadley Freeman. A lot of these British outlets love to ask everyone about Britain’s two favorite “controversies” – the Sussexes or JK Rowling. Blume got the Rowling question and her answer was, within the Times piece, disappointing:

I tell Blume how strangely thrilling it is to see a movie about children where none of them are in possession of magical powers. “Yes, children are so used to superheroes now, aren’t they?” she says. Even in JK Rowling’s Harry Potter books the kids are magic, and I love those, I say.

“And I love her,” Blume immediately interjects. “I am behind her 100 per cent as I watch from afar.” Blume is referring to the abuse Rowling has received for speaking up in defence of women’s sex-based rights, and given that Blume has faced repeated attacks since the 1980s, for her books’ descriptions of adolescent sexuality and puberty, she knows what it’s like to be pilloried as an author.

Has she reached out to Rowling? “No, no. I met her very early on in her Harry Potter career, and she said to me, ‘Oh, my sister and I used to read all your books,’ and she talked about Deenie. I think once or twice we sent each other little notes. But I haven’t been in touch with her during this tough time. Probably I should.”

[From The Times]

As many have pointed out, unless you’ve been paying attention online for years, you might believe that Rowling is somehow a victim… of wokeness run amok, or some such nonsense. The truth is, Rowling is a transphobic bigot who uses her wealth, power and legal team to threaten, bully, target and harass trans people and their allies. Thankfully, we don’t have to cancel Judy Blume – it’s more than possible that Freeman removed certain context or even willfully misquoted Blume, because Blume posted a statement and she also spoke to Variety recently, where she got very specific about her allyship and what she thinks of governments banning books about trans rights.

“There’s a little picture book I love [by Jessica Love] called ‘Julián Is a Mermaid,’” Blume added. “He’s a little guy, he likes to dress up in fancy clothes, and he has a wonderful grandmother who has all kinds of beads and feathers. She’s supportive of him. If you go back to the ’80s, it was ‘Heather Has Two Mommies’ [by Lesléa Newman]. That picture book was banned everywhere. Well, there’s a lot of kids who have two mommies or two daddies, and that book is important! Today, they’re considered pornographic by some legislatures.”

“This is the real danger. That a governor can appoint someone to the legislature who’s thinking this way because he’s thinking this way, and getting laws about this,” she said. “We should have laws on the other side! That’s why organizations that work to protect the freedom to read widely and freely are so important.”

“I discovered ‘the little organization that could,’” Blume continued, referencing the National Coalition Against Censorship, which is the nonprofit she’s chosen to highlight as a Power of Women honoree. “NCAC is right there on the front lines. If a teacher, librarian, parent or student needs help as books are being challenged in their classrooms, NCAC is on the other end of the phone to help.”

Blume went on to say, “What are you protecting your children from? Protecting your children means educating them and arming them with knowledge, and reading and supporting what they want to read. No child is going to become transgender or gay or lesbian because they read a book. It’s not going to happen. They may say, ‘Oh, this is just like me. This is what I’m feeling and thinking about.’”

“Or, ‘I’m interested in this because I have friends who may be gay, bi, lesbian.’ They want to know!” Blume concluded. “I just read a book that was wonderfully enlightening to me. It’s called ‘Gender Queer’ [a memoir by Maia Kobabe]. It’s probably the No. 1 banned book in America right now. And I thought, ‘This young person is telling me how they came to be what they are today.’ And I learned a lot, and became even more empathetic. That’s what books are all about.”‘

[From Variety]

Yeah. I believe this version of Judy Blume – the open-minded ally and book-lover, the person who wants kids to be able to read every book they come across to broaden their minds and make them more empathetic people.

Here’s Blume’s statement – it’s as I suspected, she has sympathy for Rowling author-to-author, but Blume has no time for transphobic bullsh-t.

pic.twitter.com/jaRYqNPJv1

— Judy Blume (@judyblume) April 16, 2023

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

The British media’s outright seething and contempt for Joe Biden’s warm Irish embrace is very instructive. The British media has an intertwined political and royal system, in that the same unhinged people screaming about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are now focused on mocking and smearing Irish Joe Biden. Similar tantrums by the very same people, none of whom understand that Americans view their petty grievances quite differently. The billion-dollar hate industry against Meghan and Harry feeds on any kind of news or content about them. But normal people who don’t make their living on racist, jingoist and classist grievance aren’t living and dying on what the Sussexes do next. Americans are happy to let the Sussexes do their own thing in their own time, like every other celebrity. But not according to the Mail’s “Netflix source,” who sounds more like a British reporter with a grudge. This “Netflix insider” claims that everyone in Hollywood just adores King Charles, and that – within Hollywood, mind you – Harry’s decision to attend the coronation is “popular” because Harry is further attaching himself to the winning brand of monarchy. Next up, this Netflix insider will talk about how Biden’s decision to not attend the coronation is very unpopular in America, right?

Harry and Meghan’s commercial status is at a turning point in America, say Hollywood insiders – who warn that the couple’s celebrity status is starting to wilt. Prince Harry’s belated announcement that he is coming to his father’s Coronation next month was warmly welcomed in Los Angeles – not least because the Sussexes’ currency depends on him still being seen as an active member of the Royal Family.

‘Harry is going back for all the right reasons but there was a palpable sigh of relief among those of us involved in the business because Brand Sussex relies on Harry being seen with his family,’ a Netflix source said. ‘At the end of the day it is all about proximity to the King.’

Meanwhile, there is intense speculation in Hollywood about the couple’s next steps and how they will continue to generate the lucrative financial contracts required to fund their lifestyle.

A senior executive at Walt Disney Studios told The MoS: ‘What Harry and Meghan do next is the $64,000 question everyone in Hollywood is asking. They are at a turning point because they’ve done the Netflix series and Harry’s done his book. You could argue the bloom is starting to fade from the rose. What is their currency? Their main selling point is their link to the Royal Family. Harry has to be there [at the Coronation]. In America, this is all part of the narrative. Harry has to go back and he’s either embraced, which is wonderful, or he’s not – which will keep the narrative going. The story has to keep evolving because that is what builds the brand and brings the offers in.’

The executive added: ‘The danger Harry and Meghan face is becoming irrelevant. Americans care about the Royal Family. We’ve always been fascinated by the Royals. Harry is Diana’s son, nothing will ever change that. But the American public needs to see he’s still part of the family because his family and their drama is what we’re interested in.’

[From The Mail]

There’s been a real effort over the past few years to make it sound like everyone in Hollywood is obsessed with the British monarchy and everyone in Hollywood has strong opinions about the Sussexes. None of that is true. At all. While I think Meghan and Harry are well-liked by many celebrities, most people in the Hollywood machinery don’t care about the monarchy OR the Sussexes either way. The British media’s attempts to Britsplain American celebrity culture has always been hilariously off-putting and Brit-centered – they are convinced that the Windsors are the center of every universe (nope) and if the Sussexes aren’t being discussed constantly then “Hollywood hates them.” Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan have enormous cachet in America simply by not being everywhere, not being seen in LA constantly, by looking like they’re two private, family-oriented people. Also: this is a really gross attempt to make it seem like Harry is desperate to be seen with his trash family, when really, his trash family keeps inventing reasons for why Harry and Meghan must visit or “come back.”

Meanwhile, remember during QEII’s funeral, how much of the American news coverage was about how the family was going out of their way to snub the Sussexes and treat them like sh-t? When Americans do pay attention to the royals, it’s with stuff like that.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

This is the cover for this weekend’s Sunday Times Magazine (the Times of London’s in-house weekend mag). Queen Camilla: How “the other woman” won the game of thrones. She “won” the game of thrones because she actively set out to destroy Charles and Diana’s marriage and paint Diana as too mentally imbalanced to be Charles’s wife. Then Diana died under still-mysterious circumstances, then Camilla spent decades carefully trying to rehabilitate her image at the expense of everyone and everything. If Roya Nikkhah is trying to remind everyone that Camilla is a ruthless operator, “toxic mistress” and immoral homewrecker who literally left bodies in the street, then congrats. The actual article is mostly quotes from people who know Camilla best – her staffers and one aristocratic senior, the Marchioness of Lansdowne, described as one of Camilla’s closest friends and someone who has never spoken on the record about Camilla. But truly, this piece was entirely spoon-fed to Nikkhah by Buckingham Palace as part of the ongoing Embiggening Camilla project ahead of Cam’s “victory lap” coronation. Some highlights:

Lady Lansdowne on how Camilla was “unprotected” after she destroyed two marriages: “She was out on her own without any protection. That was where we could help — she would come and stay with us with the children. I went and got her out of Middlewick one day, there were cameras up against all her windows. But she is resilient, she was brought up with this extraordinary sense of duty where you got on with it, don’t whinge, put your best face on and keep going, and it has stood her in very good stead. It was horrible at times, but her sense of humour and knowing she had her girlfriends around her got her through.”

Camilla was never pelted with bread, but she’d never correct that urban myth, except she’s doing just that: Camilla never sought to strike this urban myth from the record. Why? Because long before she “married into” the royal family, Camilla stuck fast to their mantra of “never complain, never explain”.

She’s still tight with her first husband: “Everybody loves Andrew, he’s a real charmer, but he’s always terribly misbehaving. Andrew will ring her up and tell her when she’s got something wrong and she’ll ring him up and say when he’s misbehaving. Through adversity they’ve kept a really good family ethic. It helps with their children and grandchildren.”

What a strange story: In 2007 Princes William and Harry invited Camilla to a memorial service for their mother at the Guards’ Chapel at Wellington Barracks in London marking the tenth anniversary of her death. Courtiers punched the air at the breakthrough — but Camilla pushed back. “It was the one time we really disagreed,” a former aide says. “I was thinking like a PR guy — ‘Wow, they invited her, big moment.’ But she stepped back and saw it in the bigger frame. Her instinct was not to go, she felt it would be a distraction. She would be part of the focus when it should all have been on the memory of the princess. She was right.”

When QEII said, last year, that Camilla should be Queen Consort: Camilla said she was “honoured” and “touched”, but a source who knows her well says, “I genuinely don’t think she was ever that bothered by the title.” Payne agrees: “Despite the many people who stated over the years that ‘Project Queen Camilla’ was a long-held goal within the household, there was never any great master plan. Whenever you mentioned the topic with the Queen Consort herself, she merely stared at you sphinx-like, giving you no real sense of what she thought. She never instructed me to do anything to advance the argument. It was never a role that she actively campaigned for.”

The Parker-Bowles coronation: Camilla had strong views on including her teenage grandchildren in the ceremony, who have previously stayed out of the spotlight. They will help carry her train, reflecting that the monarchy is a blended family. “It was a big decision, but it’s so much more fun to have them there by her side,” Lansdowne says, adding that the Queen has been firm on the guest list: “She is fiercely loyal to friends and that will be reflected in who goes to the big day. She wants to be loyal to the people who’ve stood by her.”

Smooth operator: Those who see Camilla in action behind closed doors concede that, underneath her cosy public image, she is an “operator” who navigates the royal court as if she was born to it. She is known by some in royal household circles as “the lady boss” and, as one source says, “She can be steely as f***. She would have made a brilliant 16th-century courtier, because she’s canny.”

Camilla’s approach to the press: “She’s been smart and set out to win them over, including her critics, and she achieved it, not with sly tricks, just by taking an interest in their lives and being at ease with them in a way other members of the family aren’t. She was always more like a politician, thinking, ‘How do I make this work for me?’”

How Camilla reacted to Prince Harry’s Spare: After Spare was published in January, there were reports that Charles felt a “red line” had been crossed by Harry attacking his “darling wife”. But how did these new slings and arrows land with the Queen? “It was not stamping of feet or gnashing of teeth, it was much more of an eye-roll response,” an aide says. “Of course it bothers her, of course it hurts,” Lansdowne says. “But she doesn’t let it get to her. Her philosophy is always, ‘Don’t make a thing of it and it will settle down — least said, soonest mended.’”

[From The Times]

If you believe any part of this, I will sell you London Bridge for a good price. It’s not enough that Camilla is a sly media operator who regularly sells out everyone for just a whiff of good press for herself. It’s that she doesn’t want that to be her image!! The “oh, who me? I never wanted to be queen!” sh-t is getting on my last nerve. Camilla has fully participated at every step of this now thirty-year campaign to vanquish Diana, rehabilitate her image and win the game of thrones. As for the stuff about Harry… man, there must have been panic at the palace. That’s what all of this telegraphs – not so much a victory lap as a frantic PR pushback on Harry calling her out for being so manipulative.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.

While I’ve been paying attention to national and global politics for more than two decades, I’m struggling to remember a moment in time when the American president’s Irish ancestry was such a huge talking point here at home and abroad. Bill Clinton famously had Irish ancestry, as did Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan. All of those men famously visited Ireland while they were president, and all of them were very well received. Millions of Americans love and embrace their Irish ancestry, and there’s a special relationship between Ireland and the US. Meaning, President Biden’s political and personal journey is well-trod in every sense.

President Biden flew to Northern Ireland last week, where he briefly met with British prime minister Rishi Sunak ahead of the anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement anniversary. Then Biden flew to the Republic of Ireland, where his trip is (again) both personal and political. He made time for Ireland’s Prime Minister Leo Varadkar and President Michael Higgins. He made political speeches and did soft-diplomacy. But mostly the trip is just a celebration of Pres. Biden’s Irish ancestry, and he’s loved every minute of it – he’s stopped by churches, pubs, town halls, civic centers, markets, and Irish people seem to love him. He shook hands, hugged a lot of Irish peeps and kissed a lot of Irish babies. On Friday, he gave a big speech to a rapturous crowd in Ballina, where his people are originally from. He walked out to the Dropkick Murphys’ “I’m Shipping Up to Boston.”

Joe Biden’s 2024 campaign has a strong theme already pic.twitter.com/abL7MIpu5l

— Populism Updates (@PopulismUpdates) April 14, 2023

He’s already back in DC, where he will stay for the next month or so. Meaning, he’s making a point of NOT going to King Charles’s coronation. He’s sending the First Lady, as the White House confirmed weeks ago. Hilariously, the one-two punch of Biden refusing the coronation invitation AND then enjoying himself in Ireland is too much for the British media to take. We should have known something was amiss when Buckingham Palace was openly (and bizarrely) briefing the media about how Biden isn’t coming to the coronation because he’s “too old” to travel that much. In recent days, the British media has been absolutely unhinged about Biden’s Ireland visit, with columnists and political journalists acting like Biden slapped QEII’s corgis simply by… celebrating his Irish ancestry. Even Camilla Tominey wrote a nasty piece about how Britain doesn’t “need” Biden. They are SEETHING. It’s utterly bizarre.

Do British people understand how funny this stuff is? pic.twitter.com/R1uVuDXiT1

— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) April 14, 2023

Has there ever been a bigger collective sulk than the British press’ response to Joe Biden visiting Ireland? pic.twitter.com/UGMSacL4tb

— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) April 15, 2023

As you’re seeing the British political establishment and commentariat try to bully Joe Biden –one of the most powerful men in the world–for appreciating Irish roots, imagine what happens every day to UK residents with African, Asian, Caribbean roots. The same scorn and shaming.

— Heidi N. Moore (@moorehn) April 15, 2023

My cartoon Thursday @TheTimes. Where the emphasis of Blarney Biden’s visit lies. `#JoeBiden #Ireland pic.twitter.com/EP1YFP3w2W

— Peter Brookes (@BrookesTimes) April 13, 2023

Biden: I’ve had the best time of my life

Ireland: Ahh it’s nothing Joe,knock in any time..safe home now,here’s a packet of Tayto for your pocket

*Hugs all round
*The most powerful man on earth,adjusts his Mayo 4 Sam hat and away

British Media: pic.twitter.com/9yHaJZxPNo

— Andrew Maxwell (@andrewismaxwell) April 15, 2023

I’m shipping up to Ballina. pic.twitter.com/Mp4LpakSJV

— President Biden (@POTUS) April 15, 2023

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

This Kylie Jenner-Timothee Chalamet rollout is really something. I never would have thought that Chalamet would participate in a Kardashian operation, but here we are. Not for nothing, but I always respected the way Kylie Jenner operated in her romantic life too, in that she keeps things very quiet, she was able to hide a whole-ass pregnancy and people still have no idea what happened between her and Travis Scott. So, Kylie isn’t in-our-faces about who she’s seeing. Usually. But suddenly, she’s going on dates with Timothee out in public? They were spotted at a taco joint two Fridays ago:

Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet are giving us a lot to taco ’bout. The rumored couple was spotted on a secret date night last Friday outside Los Angeles hotspot Tito’s Tacos.

After attending an art show, the “Dune” actor — who tried to stay under the radar in a baseball hat and face mask — waited for a ride outside, only to be picked up by Jenner’s Lincoln Navigator. One of the “Kardashians” star’s security guards then hopped into Chalamet’s car, driving behind Jenner’s car motorcade-style until reaching the restaurant.

The stars, who hid behind tinted windows, went to extremes to keep their rendezvous on the down low, chowing down on tacos from the backseat of Jenner’s SUV. Not only did the pair want privacy from the public, but Jenner’s security also stepped out of the car for about 30 minutes to give the A-listers a little alone time.

Although the reality TV star was never photographed, her car was also spotted at the actor’s Beverly Hills mansion less than one week later.

[From Page Six]

This is so weird. Were paparazzi sitting on this info? Or did some paparazzo only put it together recently that Kylie’s SUV picked up Chalamet? And what a weird way to go on a date too – I don’t begrudge Kylie her top-of-the-line security, but I could think of much easier ways to have a taco date. Us Weekly did a little story about Kylie and Timmy too:

“Kylie has only hung out with Timothée a couple of times, so things aren’t that serious. However, she’s enjoying getting to know him better and is open to seeing where things go. Things are very new so it’s hard to tell, but so far she likes what she sees.”

“Timothée is a total gentleman and treats [Kylie] with respect. He’s very charming and he makes her laugh, and he’s easy to talk to,” the insider adds. “He’s not like any of the other guys she’s dated before and although he may not seem like her type, they have really good chemistry.”

[From Us Weekly]

HE might not seem like HER type? What I’m stuck on is that she does not seem like HIS type at all. I picture him with fine-boned, bird-like women, not someone with a BBL and a dozen other cosmetic procedures. All that being said… they’re both young, so whatever – maybe they’re just dating and having a good time and it’s nothing super-serious. But surely I’m not alone in finding this coupling to be crazy-random, right?

BTW, what’s their portmanteau? Kylothee? Timlie? Jennamet? Kymmy?

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Cover Images.

Matthew Rhys’s mustache is so bad, I can’t see anything else (I realize it’s probably for a role, but still, it’s terrible!) [Tom & Lorenzo]
Lainey’s take on the coronation stuff. [LaineyGossip]
Transphobia is not an “online” conversation and we really don’t need yet another Harry Potter series, for the love of God. [OMG Blog]
Lupita Nyong’o stepped out for a rare public appearance! [Go Fug Yourself]
John Mayer talks about “Paper Doll,” which is probably about T-Swift. [Dlisted]
Recap of Ted Lasso’s episode this week. [Pajiba]
Joshua Jackson talked about that vintage Dawson’s Creek basketball-to-the-face moment which went viral this week. [Just Jared]
Women are paying big money to reverse their BBLs. [Jezebel]
Nicole Scherzinger & Thom Evans were in Orlando. [Egotastic]
The latest Pentagon leaker was found swiftly. [Buzzfeed]
Drake Bell is no longer missing. [Seriously OMG]
Tennessee cops let violent Nazis off with a “warning.” [Towleroad]

Alexandra Daddario covered a recent issue of InStyle to promote her new series, Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches, which I’ve heard nothing about, good or bad. This is InStyle’s “Self Love Issue,” so it’s not all about work, it’s about her vibes. Daddario’s vibes are pretty good – she’s lived a charmed life and she recently got married in one of the coolest New Orleans weddings I’ve seen. Some highlights from InStyle:

Her career path and her lack of a plan: “I’m not super-strategic. For the majority of my twenties, no one was throwing offers at me. There’s stuff I’ve done that people don’t take super seriously, which is fine, but I’ve always taken my characters seriously, and so I’ve always found something in each project. I take it day by day. I think it’s hard to make plans because you have to adjust them so much. I’m feeling that if you make plans, then you get laughed at by God or whomever. Anything can happen.”

She’s never felt she “made it”: “I never was like, ‘I’ve made it,’ even now I don’t feel like, this is it, I’m good for life now. I’m very, very proud of what I’ve accomplished, and I’m grateful, but it’s a ladder. You’re always sort of trying to figure it out. When you reach a certain age, and you’re still doing it, you go, ‘Well, I’m not going back to Marymount now to get my degree and figure out what to do; this is my job.’”

Her YouTube channel: “I wouldn’t film myself sobbing about a breakup and be like, ‘I can’t handle it anymore. I’m so upset. Why did he do this to me?’ I think there was part of it, not even consciously, but part of it that was like, come on, all this other stuff you see isn’t real. And being ridiculous and weird and strange or a little bit less polished about things, that’s life. We’re all a little weird, so why hide it?”

Her thoughts on intimacy coordinators on sets: “While some people might say that it went from zero to 60 really quickly, I think it was such a long time coming that these things had to happen. And even if some people feel like it’s sort of an overcorrection, I think it’s much better than not doing anything about it. I love having intimacy coordinators and people paying attention to these types of things. And I love seeing more women in front and behind the camera.”

She didn’t expect her Danielle Frankel wedding dress to be a huge hit on TikTok. “I’m not the type of girl who’s dreamed of her wedding, I had no idea what I wanted to wear, but I knew I didn’t want it to be super traditional. I guess I was kind of thinking Meghan Markle.” She said once she found Frankel, she knew something would work. “That was just the one that felt right, and I didn’t overthink it, and I just went with my gut.”

Dressing for herself: “I think as you get older, you get out of your head a bit more, and you get more confident with your decisions, and not dressing for other people; you’re doing it for yourself. And that’s been really freeing.”

[From InStyle]

Her wedding gown deserved to be beloved by TikTokers, it was an awesome dress and it wasn’t cookie-cutter. The whole vibe of her NOLA wedding was gothic-spooky-retro, and her pleated, loose slipdress was a whole mood. I love how much she references her style icon, Meghan Markle. She mentioned Meghan in her Vogue Wedding profile too, it feels like Daddario really has a Meghan moodboard, only it’s not creepy like Kate’s. I understand why she doesn’t feel like she’s made it too – while she has gotten progressively more famous, there isn’t one big role or one big movie where we can say “wow, she arrived!” Maybe White Lotus, but even then… it wasn’t exactly a showcase for her? She’s basically just a jobbing character actress. But that’s cool – that means she’ll always have work.

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Cover & IG courtesy of Emma Anderson for InStyle.

Something I enjoy about Zendaya and Tom Holland’s relationship is the feeling that they both make each other a priority. They don’t take each other for granted, and they prioritize spending time together and going on dates and traveling to see each other. They’re only 26 and they both work a lot (her more than him), and imagine how easy it would be for one of them to say “no, my career is the most important thing right now, I don’t have time for this.” But they stick with it. They’re so cute. Well, Zendaya was recently interviewed in the Sun and she was asked about Tom’s British accent and whether she has trouble understanding British accents in general.

In an exclusive chat with The Sun on Sunday, she said: “I love the ­British accent, but as much as Tom tries to explain it to me, I will never understand rhyming slang. Like I understand the concept — but what do apples and pears have to do with stairs? It’s cute when he tells me all the different phrases — but I really don’t get it!”

Despite their combined Instagram following of 241million fans, Zendaya and Tom proved they were just like any other couple when they were snapped pushing their Waitrose trolley in South West London last month. It comes after they were reported to have picked up the keys to a £3million, six-bed pad in Richmond last year — four miles from Kingston upon Thames, where Tom grew up.

Settling into life in London, Zendaya said: “He is really good in the kitchen, which is fortunate as I am really accident-prone. We learnt early on that only one of us could be in the kitchen at a time, we are both control freaks so we can’t be in there together.”

[From The Sun]

God, I love the American girlfriend + British boyfriend combo. They’re just the cutest – I can imagine Tom thoughtfully and diligently cooking for Zendaya and telling her she’s not allowed in the kitchen or else they’ll fight. As for rhyming slang… I don’t get it either? But then I have trouble with some British accents too, especially Cockney. Like, I don’t know what those people are saying half the time. Regional British slang is bonkers too.

Tom is such a short king.

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Photos courtesy of Getty, Backgrid.