Kevin Costner has his epic Horizon film series in his field of dreams and he’s gonna beat that wagon-pulling dead horse if it’s the last thing he does. Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1 got bad reviews and bombed at the box office in July. Then Chapter 2 had its August release date pulled, at which point Kevin spun it as what he wanted all along anyway, so that it could have a world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. And so it did last Saturday, out of competition. While there, Kevin reassured the film’s dozens of fans that he’s still dead set on coming out with the as-yet unfilmed Horizon: An American Saga — Chapters 3 and 4. I’ll give him this: it really does feel like a saga.

Thoughts from Sherlock: Kevin Costner spoke on the scrapped theatrical release of his second “Horizon” film on Saturday during its Venice Film Festival press conference, saying that “it probably was a reaction” to the underperformance of the first movie at the box office. “It didn’t have overwhelming success,” Costner said of the first film. “I’ve had a lot of movies that way, that have stood the test of time.”

His desire to continue is only increased: “Sometimes when things don’t come to us easily, we want to just step away. But there’s something in me that only increases my desire when something is not working,” Costner said. “It’s a story, it’s a piece of entertainment that I think can stand the test of time. When I feel rejection, unlike anybody else, when I open my eyes from my disappointment, my desire is only increased.”

Horizon is historical, not political: When asked if “Horizon” contains a lesson for the current state of America as it heads into a presidential election, Costner said “it’s not a message politically to anyone. ‘Horizon’ is not a message to my country, it’s a reminder to my country of how difficult it was that people made this journey,” he said. … The film continues the events of the first chapter in the epic, which is described as a “multi-faceted depiction of the Civil War expansion and settlement of the American West.” In addition to directing and starring, Costner served as a co-writer with Jon Baird (“The Explorers Guild”) and produced through his Territory Pictures.

Thoughts from Sisyphus: “Horizon” is intended as a four-part series, meaning that two more films are in development. Principal photography on “Chapter 3” began in May and is expected to wrap next year. As the press conference wrapped, Costner said all of the “Horizon” films have been written and teased “Chapter 3” as “devastating.” “You get to know all these people, and life keeps coming at them and you will see that,” he said. Of making the third film, Costner said he has to “hurry and not let the rock fall back downhill, I gotta go put my hands on it again and start to push it up.” However, the path ahead for “Horizon” still seems to be uncertain. “I don’t know how I’m going to make ‘Three’ right now,” he said. “But I’m going to make it.”

[From Variety]

Kevin Costner has a dream and it will not be trampled on! All he wants is to give us 12 hours of slow-paced storytelling about Civil War-era westward expansion divided into four films to be screened in theaters instead of comfortably streamed at home! So sure, he had to spend $38 million of his own money to make the first installment, and put up the mortgage on his Southern California mansion as collateral. And sure, the movie-going public rendered their verdict by handing the first movie a disappointing $11 million opening weekend (compared to its $100 million budget), prompting the August release of the next movie to be nixed. But does that mean he should read the room, cut his losses and stop? YES NO! Look, it’s always a good message not to let the naysayers deter you. But how much of his own wealth does he plan on throwing at this endeavor? Will he at least budge and let go of the theatrical releases? Because the first film’s numbers improved once it went to VOD. To quote a great film that’s stood the test of time: if you put it right in people’s living rooms, they will come.

Photos credit: Ottavia Da Re / Agenzia Sintesi / Avalon, Maria Laura Antonelli / AGF Foto / Avalon, IPA/INSTARimages

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice opened in theaters last weekend. Mr. Rosie and I saw it on Sunday. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll give my quick thoughts on it below, keeping them as vague as possible.

To celebrate the movie’s opening, several movie theater chains did one of those promotions where they sell tie-in merch in their concessions stands. For instance, Regal had popcorn containers in the shape of the Handbook for the Recently Deceased and Cinemark had drink containers shaped like Bob’s shrunken head. AMC took it one step further and sold a crazy 24 oz cocktail called the “Sandworm Slayer.” The Sandworm Slayer is blue and black raspberry juice mixed with vodka and topped with gummy worms. That may sound crazy, but that’s not the kicker here. The drink went viral because, depending on where you live, it costs somewhere between $21 and $31. Yes, $31! For that kind of cost, it better be Belvedere or Gray Goose in that drink, my goodness.

A Beetlejuice Beetlejuice promotional drink at AMC Theatres‘ is getting attention on social media for its seemingly exorbitant price. The concoction is the Sandworm Slayer, a specialty drink topped with some gummy worms.

“Naw Beetlejuice would’ve had to show up and bring me my drink for that price,” replied one commenter, while another snarked, “You could have bought 6 shares of AMC Theatres stock with that $31, not sure which one would have been worth the price.”

There is some context to this, however, which takes at least some of the fun out of it.

First, this is a 24-ounce cocktail made with blue and black raspberry juice and “premium vodka” (we’re skeptical about the “premium” part, but that’s what the press release says). So this is not just some blue soda.

Second, the usual price for the Sandworm Slayer is a hefty-but-more-reasonable $21. According to AMC’s internal research — yes, they researched this question! — the price at 92 percent of AMC locations is $21 plus tax. AMC notes the drink was apparently purchased in Illinois, which has some unique liquor pricing laws that we won’t bore you with, which bumped the drink’s price to $28.25, plus tax.

Thus, if you’re going to one of the 8 percent of AMC theaters that are located in Illinois and opt for the 24-ounce version of Sandworm Slayer, you can also get a vibrant drink in an ice-filled plastic cup for an all-in cost of around $31. (Given these are sold at AMC’s MacGuffins bar, one wonders if you can also add a generous tip — c’mon, let’s get this blue juice up to $40!)

Still, the resulting drink does look a bit less exciting than the promotional photo for the drink, but you can say that about everything:

AMC adds that the drink, “like so many of our movie-tie-in drinks, is wildly popular across the AMC circuit and sold very well during the weekend.” Indeed, chug a couple of these and you’ll forget how many times you said “Beetlejuice.”

Update: The viral $31 Sandworm Slayer was apparently purchased in California, not Illinois, so the plot thickens.

[From The Hollywood Reporter]

That is crazy! We’ve bought a few of the specialty merch things before, like a Slimer popcorn bowl for Ghostbusters: Afterlife and that cool Infinity Rings drink holder when Avengers: Endgame came out, but I would never pay that much money for an adult beverage at a movie theater, or, to be fair, anywhere else if I could avoid it. The drink also doesn’t look very appealing. That said, putting together some sort of drink like this one would be a cool little offering for a Halloween house party, like a punch with gummy worms in it or something spooky/creative like that.

As for the movie itself, it is absolutely batsh-t bonkers in the best way possible and you can tell that everyone in the cast was having an absolute blast filming it. Jenna Ortega fit right in and I really liked the more mature relationship between Lydia and Delia. While watching, I had made mental notes of certain clues that foreshadowed the plot twist, but assumed that it would culminate in a different way, so I completely didn’t see it coming. I also died laughing during the dream sequence in the church. There was one storyline that they could have cut out and saved for a third movie, but otherwise, we thought that it was a really fun, off-the-walls movie. It is more graphic than the first one, though, and not for kids under age 12 or 13.

This is what was in this fucked up thing pic.twitter.com/6cA4VgRMA8

— Andrew Woods (@JimJarmuschHair) September 8, 2024

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Photos credit: Phil Lewis / Wenn / Avalon, Cat Morley / Avalon, James Warren / Bang Showbiz / Avalon

Rachel Zoe & Rodger Berman are divorcing after 26 years of marriage. If you watched The Rachel Zoe Project, you know that it’s surprising that they even made it last as long as they did. Their sons are 13 and 10 years old, just FYI. [JustJared]
Angelina Jolie is extremely popular in Toronto. [LaineyGossip]
Photos of the late James Earl Jones. [Hollywood Life]
Women are receiving substandard medical care after Dobbs. [Jezebel]
Ralph Fiennes stars in Conclave, about the Vatican. [Pajiba]
Nicole Kidman checked in with Naomi Watts before working with Naomi’s ex. [Buzzfeed]
What’s going on with this Emily Armstrong situation? [Socialite Life]
Flavor Flav on the floor of the NYSE [Seriously OMG]
This is such a Barbie look on Brie Larson! [RCFA]
Trailer for Anora (which looks interesting). [OMG Blog]

Over the weekend, Roya Nikkhah at the Times had an exclusive about the Princess of Wales’s fall and winter plans. Long story short, sources said Kate would only be seen publicly maybe two or three more times this year: Remembrance Day, her Christmas piano recital and possibly at the walk to church on Christmas morning. Then on Monday, Kensington Palace released a new statement by Kate, confirming that she completed chemotherapy but will likely not return to work any time soon. It was a rare palace strategy which stayed on message – the Times piece was the preview, and Kate’s statement and video did not contradict Roya’s sources. It looks like Kensington Palace is also doing post-video briefings to emphasis it too, the fact that we will be seeing much, much less of Kate from now on.

Kate Middleton is adjusting to life after completing chemotherapy for cancer. Although the Princess of Wales, 42, has finished chemotherapy, she is not expected to fully return to royal duties anytime soon.

“She had a lovely summer and is very focused on her wellbeing. She is definitely going to be doing less,” says a source in her circle.

She will take on a lighter schedule for the remainder of the year, including a few select public engagements as part of a gradual return to her royal responsibilities. Decisions regarding 2025 will depend on medical advice, PEOPLE understands.

While working from home at Adelaide Cottage, Princess Kate remains engaged in her causes, including her early childhood work. While she is likely to attend Remembrance Day alongside the royal family in November and is actively involved in planning her annual carol concert at Westminster Abbey for December, her focus remains on healing and spending quality time with William and their children.

As Kate said in her message, being cancer-free is her focus, and it will take time. However, she is looking forward to undertaking a handful of public engagements in the coming months when she can, PEOPLE understands.

[From People]

Considering the months of clownery from KP earlier this year, I guess we should give them a cookie for consistency this week. Of course, I think the whole KP-produced video was cringe, but the message has gotten through and everyone’s on the same page, the page being “Kate won’t do much from now on.” Of course we hope that Kate is doing better health-wise, but that didn’t seem like the purpose of the video or any of this messaging.

If there has been inconsistency, it’s with this part of Kate’s statement: “Doing what I can to stay cancer free is now my focus.” Some of the royal reporters went to KP and asked them if we’re now supposed to say that Kate is “cancer-free” and the message seems convoluted.

A mixed message and some confusing headlines tonight. On the one hand, Kate says: “Doing what I can to stay cancer free is now my focus.” Yet at the same time, we’ve been told it is incorrect to describe her as “cancer free” or in remission.

— Richard Palmer (@RoyalReporter) September 9, 2024

I think what Princess of Wales meant is that she is doing what she can to become and then stay cancer free.
As her office confirms, she is currently not classed as cancer free” nor “in remission”. https://t.co/J1DCYiLO61

— Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) September 9, 2024

Screencaps courtesy of Will Warr/Kensington Palace.

Just a few weeks ago, Brittany Mahomes began thoroughly exposing herself as a Donald Trump supporter online. While she’s not wearing MAGA hats to Kansas City Chiefs games, she seemingly has no problem with Donald Trump publicly thanking her for “defending” him. Trump has also posted AI images of Taylor Swift “supporting” him, images which Taylor has not shut down in any way. Taylor has also been silent as “Swifties for Harris” Zoom fundraisers pop up. Some people, myself included, gave Taylor the benefit of the doubt. I will admit, it could be a tricky situation between Taylor and Brittany because of Travis and Patrick Mahomes’ work relationship and friendship. But Taylor is definitely leaving the impression that her white privilege is more important than standing up for marginalized people. Taylor is definitely leaving the impression that it’s fun to hang out with people who will vote for an adjudicated rapist who sent an armed mob to assassinate Democrats and overthrow the government. This is no longer about vibes. Well, Variety published an interesting column on Monday, just a day after Taylor and Brittany chummed it up at the US Open men’s final. From “If Taylor Swift Doesn’t Endorse Kamala Harris, She’d Be Entering a New Era:”

Taylor Swift’s fans and detractors would likely agree on one thing about her: There is little-to-nothing that the world’s most famous performer does without intention and forethought. This extends to her forays into political activity. She endorsed a Democratic candidate for senate in Tennessee in the 2018 midterms; framed the promotion of her album “Lover” around well-meaning if muddled pro-LGBTQ sentiments in 2019; and then endorsed Joe Biden for President in 2020. The 2018 endorsement in particular marked a watershed for Swift — it was the first time she’d spoken directly about electoral politics. Netflix’s 2020 feature-length documentary about Swift, “Miss Americana,” hinges on this decision; in it, she tells her father, who’s opposed to her speaking out, “I need to be on the right side of history.”

Does she feel the same need today? While there is time to go before the Nov. 5 presidential election, Swift has remained silent thus far. Unusually protective of her likeness even by the standards of celebrity, Swift let Donald Trump’s use of A.I.-generated images falsely suggesting she endorsed him go by unremarked-upon; unusually willing to leverage high-profile friendships to show different sides of her, she’s chilling at the U.S. Open with Brittany Mahomes, whom Trump has thanked for her support.

Swift seems from one angle to have no more responsibility to speak out than any other high-profile person — perhaps she might argue she has a responsibility to remain silent. In her only public comments addressing the foiled plot to stage a terrorist attack on a planned concert in Vienna, Swift wrote on Instagram: “Let me be very clear: I am not going to speak about something publicly if I think doing so might provoke those who would want to harm the fans who come to my shows.” Her Eras Tour is to continue through December, after the election; it is not unreasonable to think that Swift speaking out on a highly contested race might come with some element of risk. (Indeed, that was one of the arguments put to her in favor of staying silent in her documentary.)

But one returns to the documentary, in fact, to see why the idea of Swift riding out the rest of the year in silence would feel, frankly, strange. Swift’s political action, in the past, came from what is evidently a place of deep passion; in “Miss Americana,” she weeps on camera describing the Republican Party’s agenda. But then — it’s happening on camera, in a film Swift agreed to appear in at an in-between moment in her career. Speaking out came with a risk — it was also, ultimately, good for the brand, at a moment that said brand was very much in flux. “Lover,” the album that contains the would-be gay-rights anthem “You Need to Calm Down,” was off of Swift’s creative peak as she sought to move beyond the pure pop extravaganzas of “1989” and “Reputation”; she has righted the ship, and then some, with more consistent material in recent years. Having gone from major artist to among the biggest acts in the history of recorded music, Swift simply has more at risk now.

And while it may yet happen — her 2020 endorsement was in early October — her signaling that silence is a preferable option, and her high-profile friendship with Mahomes, are at least suggestive, given how little Swift does by accident. Given, though, how much mileage Swift got in the past out of her decision to speak out on politics, the idea that she will remain silent would seem to make her past speaking out, at a more convenient moment, appear cynical. It’d be regrettable if her engagement with the world of politics were just another of her eras, and one from which she were willing to move on.

[From Variety]

Variety also mentions the very real terrorist plot to disrupt Taylor’s Vienna concert, and with that, the suggestion that Taylor likely believes it’s “safer” to stay politically neutral while she’s touring. But that’s just it – she’s not staying politically neutral. She’s choosing a side by being so visibly chummy with Brittany Mahomes.

I 100% agree with this: “The idea that she will remain silent would seem to make her past speaking out, at a more convenient moment, appear cynical.” That’s what gets me, the idea that Taylor had a two-year-long “political era” which she has now phased out because, what? Republicans buy her albums too? Because her boyfriend’s coworker’s wife is MAGA? To drop your political belief system in a few years – years in which Roe was overturned – does make your previous political statements appear cynical and contrived, like all of those political positions were a bit of convenient rebranding for the moment. We’re coming at this with the assumption that we know Taylor’s politics because she spoke out in 2018 and 2020. We’re coming at this with the assumption that she quietly and privately disagrees with Brittany Mahomes and Donald Trump. What if… she just doesn’t care? What if she’s done with her political era and now she’s in her MAGA football WAG era?

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

As I’ve noted in several posts already, Prince William and Kate came out of their summer holiday with a somewhat stable message: Kate is “cancer free” but not committed to going back to work, and the Wales marriage is fine, possibly even better than fine! After Kensington Palace dropped the Will Warr-directed video, KP minions then dutifully went on briefing sprees to reinforce the message with their most sycophantic rota reporters and commentators. Tom Sykes at the Daily Beast seemingly got the most ridiculous briefing of all, which makes sense. Sykes often gets the most hateful and deranged briefings. Some highlights from this Royalist piece:

The tonal shift of the video: So it’s fair to say there has never been a more massive and abrupt shift in the tone of royal messaging than the one signaled by Kate’s astonishingly intimate Instagram cancer recovery video, directed by Will Warr. If the medium really is the message, then the message here was unequivocal; forget everything you think you know about the monarchy, this is what the royal family is going to look like from now on.

The reset: The reign of King William and Queen Kate, we were put on notice Monday, will be shiny, professional and digital first, with a heavy focus on artfully configured cornfields, butterflies, positivity, flattering light, sunsets, picnics in the forest, card games and snogging Prince William on the beach. One friend of William and Kate told The Daily Beast: “It’s the reset to end all resets. This is Kate and William as they mean to go on. It’s family first and f**k the haters, f**k the press, f**k Harry and Meghan. It helps that they actually are like this. If you go to a kid’s birthday party at their house, they will be the ones organizing games for all the kids whereas the rest of us would happily get an entertainer in and be drinking wine in the kitchen.”

A declaration of war: This video was a declaration of war on the stiff upper lip, a forceful rebuttal to those who accuse her of being some kind of automaton, a blank screen or “a jointed doll on which certain rags are hung” in the stinging words of the late Hilary Mantel. The rejection of the strictures of royalty also meant there was no room in the video for an embrace with King Charles or Queen Camilla, despite the relentless messaging from the king’s office over the past nine months about how close he and Kate have become in their shared cancer journeys.

Kensington Palace thinks Meghan was seething over the video? Among the billions of people watching what could in another world be a two-minute ad for a dating site, there can be little doubt that among them was one particular resident of Montecito, California. And Meghan Markle might be forgiven for wondering what the world (and specifically the British media) would have said if it was she and Harry who had released a video vignette of such tooth-aching saccharinity. And she might also have been wondering how the hell this uptight Limey, who couldn’t even lend her a dab of lip gloss without rolling her eyes a few years ago, had managed to so comprehensively steal her clothes.

[From The Daily Beast]

“Who couldn’t even lend her a dab of lip gloss without rolling her eyes a few years ago, had managed to so comprehensively steal her clothes.” So we’re just admitting that Kate copies Meghan and steals her looks now? And it’s being spun as a positive for Kate? And this: “It’s family first and f**k the haters, f**k the press, f**k Harry and Meghan.” THAT was the message? Really? Because I did not get the message of “f–k the haters” from that video. I got the message of “look at us, we’re affectionate like Harry & Meghan, our marriage is fine!” Running around, insisting that they have nothing to prove shows that Will and Kate have been on the back foot for years, actually.

This is so strange: “despite the relentless messaging from the king’s office over the past nine months about how close he and Kate have become in their shared cancer journeys.” Yeah, Charles swooped in and saved William and Kate after months of incompetent clownery. Buckingham Palace stepped in to the rescue to save the monarchy, because Will and Kate’s frankenphoto antics and wall-to-wall lies were doing permanent damage. And this is the thanks Charles gets? Fascinating.

Photos courtesy of Will Warr/KP and Cover Images.

Real ones remember how the British press has spent the past seven years complaining about Prince Harry and Meghan’s affection towards one another. Harry and Meghan’s love language is touch and physical closeness. When they lived in the UK, they would hold hands during events. Meghan would rub Harry’s back in public, and Harry looked for any excuse to touch Meghan’s hair or grab her for a quick kiss. Remember the headlines? Remember how the British media hated all of that affection? Remember how Meghan was called tacky and a gauche, tactile American who didn’t understand the rules, the rules being: marry your cousin and never be affectionate. Well, if you would believe it, it seems like those rules don’t exist anymore. Especially now that Prince William and Kate produced a Will Warr-directed video in which they are touching each other in completely awkward ways, ways which we are being told is completely acceptable. From Camilla Tominey’s latest column in the Telegraph:

For a couple unaccustomed to PDAs (Public Displays of Affection), it is the most remarkable royal video, showing the Prince and Princess of Wales as we have never seen them before…The Princess was seemingly not content with expressing her love for her husband and their three children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six, in words alone. After everything she has gone through, the once guarded Catherine clearly decided to throw caution to the wind – and the candour caught on camera is as heartwarming as it is revealing.

We always suspected that the Waleses, both 42, had a solid marriage, based on the fact they have never felt the need to fawn over each other in public or declare their undying love in the 23 years they have been together (13 as husband and wife). Even on their wedding day, they were reluctant to go overboard, only kissing on the Buckingham Palace balcony after the groom tentatively asked the bride: “Shall we?”

The touching scenes filmed last month by Will Warr in Norfolk, however, reflect a deliberate attempt to finally lay bare the love and affection at the heart of one of the most high profile – and well documented – relationships in the world. Viewers will be forgiven for pinching themselves as they see the typically shy and introverted pair holding hands, Kate’s head on William’s shoulder, smiling and laughing together, and even lying on the ground, smooching.

The sepia-esque nature of the footage is reminiscent of the royal home videos of yesteryear, showing the late Elizabeth II and her beloved husband the Duke of Edinburgh, larking about on holidays at Balmoral Castle in Scotland and on the Royal Yacht Britannia. Dressed in a £299 blue and white boho frock from US brand Veronica Beard, teamed with a pair of classic “mum” Veja trainers, this is behind-closed-doors Catherine, unbuttoned and unburdened by royal duty.

The video intended to symbolise the strength Catherine has drawn from her family and loved ones from spending time on the things which bring her joy such as family card games with her parents Carole and Michael Middleton to the sanctuary she has sought in the great outdoors.

But beyond the obvious signals of recovery and hope lies a deeper message for the public to absorb. The last four years have proved to be one of the most difficult periods in House of Windsor history, with “Megxit”, the deaths of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, the Duke of York saga and the cancer diagnoses of both King and future Queen. On more than one occasion over the past four years, the future existence of “The Firm” has been called into question as the Royal family has been forced to contend with one crisis after another.

Yes, those foundations may have been shaken in recent times, not least by the acrimonious departure of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex from royal life. But the future is finally beginning to look brighter. This extraordinary display of devotedness between the couple who will one day wear the crown suggests that it is built on something stronger than mere duty.

[From The Telegraph]

I can smell the Kensington Palace talking point memo from here. Or were these bullet points provided by Middleton Manor, with Carole Middleton suddenly finding her voice after more than a year of deeply ashamed silence following the collapse of her house of cards? The thing is, even if you were open to the positive side of this story – Kate is doing better, she and William are not getting a divorce – the way Tominey and other commentators are laying it on thick really shows the play. This reminds me of the bizarre photo and statement released the day before Trooping the Colour as well – what is the point of all of this extravagant look-at-me media? Yes, it’s proof of life, but that could have been achieved in other ways, less awkward ways, less expensive ways. Kate and William basically filmed a proof-of-life video for their MARRIAGE.

Screencaps courtesy of Kensington Palace video.

Historically, this is the time of the year where we traditionally received an update on the current Princess of Wales. The kids were back in school and Kate would newly commit herself to promising to be keen at some point. I thought that’s what this weekend’s Times story was all about – a replacement of “a promise to be keen” with “a promise to do one appearance in November.” Sources close to Prince William heavily indicated that we should only expect to see Kate once or twice more this year, and that she would absolutely not go to Cape Town for Earthshot with William. But I was not expecting this – yet another “personal statement” from Kate, with a specially-made video. Kate is announcing that she is cancer-free, but everything else still stands – her health remains fragile, too fragile to make many commitments. Kate’s statement:

As the summer comes to an end, I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment.

The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life as you know it can change in an instant and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown.

The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you. With humility, it also brings you face to face with your own vulnerabilities in a way you have never considered before, and with that, a new perspective on everything.

This time has above all reminded William and me to reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things in life, which so many of us often take for granted. Of simply loving and being loved.

Doing what I can to stay cancer free is now my focus. Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes. I am however looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months when I can.

Despite all that has gone before I enter this new phase of recovery with a renewed sense of hope and appreciation of life. William and I are so grateful for the support we have received and have drawn great strength from all those who are helping us at this time. Everyone’s kindness, empathy and compassion has been truly humbling.

To all those who are continuing their own cancer journey – I remain with you, side by side, hand in hand. Out of darkness, can come light, so let that light shine bright.

[From Kensington Royal]

At some point, I hope we’ll learn what really happened over the past year. That being said, I don’t doubt that Kate was and perhaps is physically depleted and that she had some significant health struggles. I also genuinely hope she’s feeling better and that she gets to raise her children. All of this does feel like a phase-out though.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

Real talk: I do not care about the Country Music Association Awards (the CMAs) nor do I care about the CMTs or any other country-music awards show. There are too many music award shows already without siloing country-music. But! The CMAs are arguably the most prestigious country-music awards in the country. And the CMA nominations just came out and they snubbed the f–k out of Beyonce. Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter was one of her best and most musically innovative albums of the past decade. Personally, I would put Cowboy Carter just below Lemonade and way ahead of Renaissance. Beyonce showcased her country roots, her Texas roots and claimed space for Black artists within the country-music arena. And white people hated that and they made sure to snub her for it.

The 2024 CMA Awards have showered Morgan Wallen and Post Malone with multiple nominations but heavily snubbed Beyoncé, though she had one of the year’s biggest country albums with Cowboy Carter and biggest country songs with “Texas Hold ‘Em.”

Wallen leads the way at the CMAs with seven nominations. He’s followed by Chris Stapleton and Cody Johnson, who each earned five nods, while Malone and Lainey Wilson picked up four apiece. Wilson, last year’s entertainer of the year winner, will defend her title against Wallen, Stapleton, Luke Combs and Jelly Roll at the Nov. 20 show, airing live on ABC from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.

Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter made history this year when it spent four weeks on top of Billboard’s Top country albums chart — making her the first Black woman to achieve the feat. She also became the first Black woman to hit the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Hot country songs chart with “Texas Hold ‘Em,” which held the top position for a whopping 10 weeks. Both her single and album also led Billboard’s all-genre Hot 100 and 200 albums charts, while seven other Cowboy Carter tracks hit the Top 10 of the Billboard country chart. The 27-track project, featuring Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Linda Martell, Miley Cyrus and Malone, drove cultural conversations about Black artists reclaiming the genres they started, including country music.

[From THR]

Yeah, “Texas Hold ‘Em” was great, and I feel like “II Most Wanted” should have been a major single, same with “Daughter” and “Levii’s Jeans.” It should not escape anyone’s notice that instead of recognizing an innovative, popular, brilliant country album by a Black woman from Texas, the CMAs instead lavished nominations on a violent drunk redneck who loves shouting the n-word. Choices were made and white supremacy was upheld.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Beyonce’s IG.

Karen Elson was married to Jack White from 2005 through 2013. She remarried, and her new husband is Lee Foster, who is also in the music industry. Foster owns the Electric Lady Studios, which is where Taylor Swift has recorded several albums. The Electric Lady is one of her New York hotspots, and back when she dated Matt Healy, she was constantly hosting group hangouts and recording. Well, Taylor and Travis Kelce were obviously invited to Karen and Lee Foster’s wedding, which was held at the Electric Lady. These are photos of TNT entering and exiting the wedding.

Taylor wore a floral dress by Zimmermann for the wedding. Vogue is mad about it! That’s because it’s way too pale for a wedding guest, especially someone as high-profile as Taylor. Yes, it’s more of an off-white/ecru, and yes, the floral sort of saves it. But I do think it’s iffy to wear this to a wedding, right? Her purse is Vivienne Westwood and her heels are Louboutins.

As for Travis, there have been a lot of hilarious comments about his latest look, especially with the mustache. The photos of Travis at the Chiefs game last week definitely gave a vibe of “a cop who just got suspended for excessive use of force.” But in these photos, with his hair cleaned up, I have to admit that he looks pretty good? Like… the man has an aura. He looks like he knows how to lay some pipe.

It feels like a big deal that Travis made a point of being Taylor’s date to this wedding. Sources told Us Weekly recently that their friends “hope an engagement is a sure thing in the future” and that Taylor wants to complete her Eras tour and then focus more on her future and her personal life. She’s got some time off right now and she apparently plans to spend most of it with Travis.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.