Here are some additional photos from Amal Clooney’s pap-friendly walk in NYC earlier this week. I found out that the skirt and blouse are both Gucci. I still don’t like the ensemble – I think it’s “off” for her coloring. Unfortunately, we don’t have any photos of Amal and George out last night – according to Page Six, they had dinner with Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Amal and Justice Sotomayor are seemingly old friends/colleagues – Amal worked as a student law clerk for Sotomayor for a semester while she was at NYU.

Yesterday, The New York Times published a puff piece called “How Amal Clooney Took New York”. Much of it reads like a fever dream of George Clooney’s publicist, but I was shocked to find there was actual information in the article! Like, they got quotes from designers, there was shade thrown at George Clooney’s ex-girlfriends, and they had a very interesting story about Amal meeting the cast of Mad Men. You can read the NYT piece here. Some highlights:

Teaching at Columbia. Apparently, all of Amal’s students are “under strict orders not to discuss her or anything about her class,” said a student who declined to give her name. Amal did a slideshow for her students too.

Meeting New York tastemakers. Amal had a private lunch with Anna Wintour, plus Amal and George had dinner with Tina Brown at Brown’s home. Brown told the NYT: “I think she has a natural charm. She talked about her cases. She is serious about her work. She is not into being a socialite.”

The Politician’s Wife: “There is perennial talk, too, that Mr. Clooney, 53, will seek political office. And in New York his wife has perfected the camera-ready pose of a political spouse: head tilted to the left as she strokes her luxurious tresses and parts her lips just so while slipping quietly into the back of a black sedan.”

Peggy Siegel, “the doyenne of New York publicists,” has an opinion: “All of a sudden George has this new stature of being married to a glamorous woman who is intelligent.”

Bonnie Fuller, the editor in chief of HollywoodLife.com: “People wonder what did she have that his other long-term girlfriends did not.”

Amal enjoys Manhattan: Amal lived in NYC through the early 2000s and she’s been telling people how much she enjoys being back in Manhattan.

Giambattista Valli loves her: Amal has been wearing a lot of the designer’s clothes, and Valli says he met Amal through Anna Wintour. Valli tells the NYT that Amal does not have a stylist, that she shops for herself and has come to his showroom to try on clothes in private. He also said: “She is not a reality-show girl. Finally there is someone with a mind and legs. She is very spontaneous. She is not the kind of woman who programs.”

Amal shops vintage: She stopped by What Goes Around Comes Around and picked up a “Chanel knit dress and a mink fur baseball cap.”

[From The NYT]

A mink baseball cap? Amal shops for herself? She has brains AND legs? And for someone not interested in being a socialite, she sure does love to go out to dinner with all of the important people of New York, right? But maybe they mean she doesn’t want to “entertain” and be a “hostess.” Darling, she doesn’t cook. She’s not a hostess. She’s not planning your party. If you’re lucky, she will ATTEND your party.

And the Mad Men story… Amal and George happened upon the cast of Mad Men and George went over to the table and asked the actors if he could introduce them to Amal. Amal was apparently very “excited” to meet the cast because she loves Mad Men. The NYT makes the point that John Slattery was in the group. Um… you guys know who John Slattery is married to, right? Slattery’s married to Talia Balsam, otherwise known as the first Mrs. Clooney (Balsam also plays Slattery’s on-screen ex-wife on Mad Men). I would LOVE it if Talia and Amal met. Wouldn’t that be amazing?

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.

I really enjoyed True Detective Season 1, although I think there were three stages of “Watching True Detective” that pretty much everyone felt. Stage 1: What’s up with pacing? It doesn’t matter because the acting is so great. Stage 2: This is the best show ever!! Stage 3: Okay, I’m still into this even though they didn’t really wrap up the story and I don’t think the emotional epitaph of the season should be “Oh, but at least Rust found God in the end.” A lot of people held fast to Stage 2 and some people transitioned to Stage 3 and began wondering how Season 2 would flow, story-wise and character-development-wise.

Well, we’re getting our first real glimpse of everything. HBO dropped the teaser trailer for Season 2 yesterday. This has an all-new cast and an all-new major, season-encompassing crime. Rachel McAdams plays a Ventura County sheriff’s deputy. A ‘stached Colin Farrell channels his Miami Vice sleaze to play a “compromised” detective. Taylor Kitsch plays a pair of cheekbones with a badge. And Vince Vaughn plays a very tall mobster type. Oh, we also see a glimpse of Kelly Reilly as Vince’s character’s wife. Here’s the teaser. No dialogue.

Rachel looks good in a vest. Colin looks like… he’s recycling Sonny Crockett. Taylor sort of looks like the weak link, but maybe that’s just because I’m not crazy about Taylor Kitsch. Vince looks… well, if he’s trying to sell a gangster with some ethical thread, I’d probably buy it. We don’t really know much about the plot, but yes, I’ll watch. True Detective starts June 21.

Photos courtesy of HBO’s Twitter.

#Sunday #Selfie #Love #Light

A photo posted by Alyssa Milano (@milano_alyssa) on Mar 29, 2015 at 5:13pm PDT

Alyssa Milano welcomed her second child, a daughter named Elizabella Dylan, last September with husband David Bugliari. Since then, Alyssa’s advocated for more acceptance of public breastfeeding and no shaming of moms who do so. It’s been a long time since I dealt with this issue firsthand. I remember trying to pump milk at work, which was exhausting but necessary to keep up milk supply and fill bottles for the next day. On rare days, a relative would bring my daughter to me so I could feed her on lunch break. That eliminated some of the pumping, which was nice. Every ounce of pumping feels like it takes forever.

Alyssa dealt with a sucky situation yesterday regarding her own pumped milk. The security agents at Heathrow airport made her throw away a bottle of her supply. She did what any upset mom would do — she tweeted the airport to express her dismay:

(1 of 2) @HeathrowAirport just took my pumped breast milk away. 10 ounces. Gone. Not okay.

— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) April 9, 2015

(2 of 2) They said they would let the pumped milk through if I had the baby with me. Why would I need to pump if I had the baby with me????

— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) April 9, 2015

.@HeathrowAirport Why can you test my toiletries to make sure they are safe but you have to throw away my breast milk?

— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) April 9, 2015

Heathrow responded to Alyssa in a tweet that explained how they were bound by their 100ml rule. That’s the blanket rule for all liquids. I’ve been told that Heathrow is strict and doesn’t allow exceptions. The rule is a pain in the butt, but it exists for serious reasons.

Due credit goes out to Alyssa for not pulling any sort of “do you know who I am?” card. She took the discussion to Twitter, not for attention purposes but to start a conversation. Alyssa also issued a statement to People that places her feelings into perspective:

“I realize there are much larger issues going on in the world. And I don’t want to turn this into a bigger issue than it is but I will say this … breastfeeding my children has been one of the greatest joys of my life. Every ounce of milk I’m able to produce for my child is nothing short of a miracle and to watch that milk be thrown away without any regard for my baby, was heartbreaking. It’s not the fault of the security in the airport; they’re following orders to keep us all safe. But I do I feel it is a policy that needs thoughtful reconsideration. I’m glad this has started a dialogue. My only hope is to make things easier for moms, breastfeeding and formula feeding moms, everywhere.”

[From People]

Alyssa’s statement is a good one. She explains why she was so upset. She also made sure to say she didn’t blame the airport’s security staff. Alyssa only wants to open a dialogue. I’m not sure if this incident will change anything. It doesn’t sound like Heathrow was discriminating against breast milk. They simply don’t have the means to efficiently test milk in the security line. The rules apply to all liquids, but I can see why Alyssa was frustrated over losing her milk. The loss felt very personal to her.

Photos courtesy of WENN

Kendall Jenner covers the subscriber’s edition of Harper Bazaar’s May issue. She didn’t score the newsstand cover (which went to German model Anna Ewers), but this is still noteworthy. A member of the Kardashian Klan has infiltrated Bazaar. I’m glad it was Kendall since she’s a model by trade, although the shoot isn’t the greatest. She was photographed by Karl Lagerfeld, and the whole editorial is Chanel couture. Kendall’s vibe is very young and hip. That’s why she’s best suited to her Calvin Klein and beauty contracts. In couture, she looks like she’s playing dress up. Journo Laura Brown describes the shoot as “quite the metaphor” because Kendall is “coming out of a box.” Like a doll.

The interview is a bit vapid, but I don’t expect substance from the Kardashians. Kendall talks about her hope for fashion longevity and how she’s moving to a no-carb diet. Is that possible? She probably means “low-carb,” especially since Kendall admits to loving pasta. She idolizes her most famous sister, Kim, and truly admires Kim’s fashion sense:

Lagerfeld calls her “girl of the moment”: “I started this hoping that it would have longevity. I didn’t come into this thinking it’s going to be a fun thing that I’m going to do on the side. It’s something I want to do my whole life. It’s a career, so I needed to be really gentle with it. We had to pick and choose things very specifically.”

Her favorite food: “If I’m being honest, pasta. But I’m working to stay away from it because I’m trying to get on a no-carb diet. I’m trying to cut out bread, or just cut down on it. I eat too much bread.”

Her ambition: “I’m definitely ambitious. This past year has changed my life in so many ways. I’ve met so many people, I’ve been so many places. When you look back at it, it’s pretty crazy. I’d love just continuing that, continuing to grow.”

Her dream style: “I really admire Kim’s style. It’s insane. She really knows how to work her style with her body. I think she could be a major fashion icon. It’s so fun to be in Paris with her, but I’ll walk out and be like, ‘Oh, my God, I love my outfit,’ and then I’ll see Kim and I’ll be like, ‘My outfit sucks compared to yours!’”

[From Harper’s Bazaar]

I think Kendall has some cool street style and have no idea why she’d admire Kim’s delusional fashion. Actually, we’re mostly talking about Kanye’s fashion sense at this point, which is equally delusional. Both Kendall and Kylie look up to Kim. That only proves to me how divorced from reality the entire family really is (despite starring in a reality show). No way does Kim know how to work her style with her bod. Exhibit A, y’all.

Photos courtesy of Karl Lagerfeld/Harper’s Bazaar & WENN

I honestly didn’t realize that professional gossip Liz Smith was so old! She’s 94 years old and she’s still pretty sharp. I’ve had issues with Liz’s gossip and point of view in the past, but there’s no denying that she carved out a really interesting career for herself as an interviewer, writer, gossip columnist and more. She’s literally seen it all. And she sat down with The Hollywood Reporter for a wide-ranging interview about the good old days of Hollywood and New York, all of the actors and entertainers she’s loved and much, much more. You can read the full piece here. Some highlights:

Marlon Brando story: “I was living in the Village in a tiny apartment with all sorts of people coming in and out. Marlon was dating my friend Elaine Stritch at the time. One night, he called me at home and he said, “Liz, Elaine just keeps letting me kiss her but she won’t go any further.” I said, “Put her on the phone.” I said, “Elaine, you don’t understand about men. They aren’t satisfied with just kissing. So you have to stop being a prude or just end it.”

Elizabeth Taylor & Richard Burton: “I met Elizabeth just as her career as a beautiful movie star was tapering off and she had escaped to Europe with Richard Burton because she didn’t dare leave him alone. In the ’60s, she became completely distant from what was happening in Hollywood; she made all these crazy European movies and avoided the American press. But they trusted me and eventually I became the only journalist who could get to them… I loved her. She was just snarky and funny and crazy. Selfish and tremendously generous at the same time. But Burton liked me better than she did. She was threatened by any woman, but he knew better. He liked that I could talk to him about Dylan Thomas and not sound like a total idiot. It got boring for them, hiding in Europe. When I was working at Cosmo, I did five or six stories on the Burtons. I practically lived with them in Rome and Paris. My ticket would always be paid for by Liz, or by 20th Century Fox. That was in the studio era, when sticky ethics still prevailed.

Princess Lee Radziwill: “Well, she did something terrible. She was always a close friend of Truman Capote’s. But then Capote got embroiled in that ridiculous libel suit with Gore Vidal over his claim that Vidal had been drunkenly kicked out of the White House. Lee is the one who told Capote the story, but when it ended up in court, she threw him to the wolves. All she had to do was tell the truth. But she refused, and Truman lost the lawsuit, which devastated him. During the trial, as a last-ditch effort, he asked me to call her and beg her to testify. And you know, Truman had done everything for her. He even tried to help her start an acting career. But when I called her and said, “Lee, you really must testify for Truman,” she said, “Oh, Liz, what do we care; they’re just a couple of f-gs! They’re disgusting.” I was so stunned, I just hung up. I’ve never spoken to her since.

The current state of celebrity: “Oh, I don’t even know who they are! Suddenly you have to remember a dozen Kardashians, and really, who has the time? The only reason I can do that is because I’ve written out their names on a piece of paper stuck on the wall. And still, I’m always having to check, is that Khloe or Kourtney or Kendall or Kim?

Celebrities are interchangeable: “They arrive full-blown from the head of Zeus with not a shred of talent. There are some I admire, like Taylor Swift. When you see her perform, it’s kind of old-fashioned, like if Lana Turner could dance and sing for one number. But I have no interest in hearing her whole catalog.”

[From THR]

There are tons of stories that I didn’t even get to – she knows Rupert Murdoch, she had dealings with Bette Midler, she used to really like Ivanka Trump. Barbara Walters is a fair-weather friend. Liz adored Ann Richards and Madonna. You know what surprised me a bit? Liz Smith has said in the past that she doesn’t care for the comparisons between Angelina Jolie and Elizabeth Taylor – I’m sort of surprised that THR didn’t ask Smith to talk more about Jolie and the Uncool Bermuda Triangle (I seem to recall Smith had some stuff to say about that situation back in the day, but now I can’t find those comments).

Photos courtesy of THR, WENN.

So thankful to God for this handsome little guy! 9lbs 10oz, 23 inches long! #IsraelDavidDillard #babydilly

A photo posted by Jill Dillard (@jillmdillard) on Apr 7, 2015 at 12:52pm PDT

Jill Duggar-Dillard really looked wiped out after she gave birth to baby Israel David. Perhaps that’s because Israel was a GIANT BABY. He was almost 10 pounds and 23 inches long. People Magazine says that Israel is officially the “longest baby” the hospital has had all year. You know why? Because Jill was two weeks overdue and Israel still didn’t want to come out. She had to be induced because Israel was all, “Nah, I’m just going to stay in here and get bigger and bigger.” People Mag also says that all of the newborn onesies and baby clothes they bought ahead of schedule were much too small for this giant baby. The Duggar family had to run out and get new baby clothes, size XXL.

Meanwhile, E! News has a theory about why Jill and Derick named their baby “Israel”. The theory doesn’t involve the current Evangelical belief that Israel must survive for the second coming of Jesus, the end of days or the apocalypse. Shocking, I know.

Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard’s baby name may not seem surprising to most, but there is more meaning behind it than you think. Israel also has a special meaning to Jill and Derick specifically—it’s where he bought her engagement ring!

You might recall that Jill and Derick’s relationship was long-distance at first, and the two quickly became globetrotters together. “Our story is so very unique,” Jill explained back in April 2014. “The first time we talked, he was in Japan, we met in Nepal, he spent time in India and Israel and then came back to Arkansas where he met my family. We have a very international story even though we live so close.”

And during his time in Israel, Dillard managed to snag the perfect ring for his bride-to-be.

“It’s just a white gold band with a solitaire diamond: a round stone, .63 carats,” Derick told ABC News at the time. “Jill really likes Israel and I’d always wanted to go to the holy land. [When I was there] I had it in my head that I wanted to get an engagement ring pretty soon but I had no idea it would work out [this] perfectly!”

[From E! News]

What do you think? I actually didn’t realize that Derick was so well-traveled (I’m assuming it was missionary work), and yes, it’s sort of cool that he bought the ring in Israel and now they named the baby “Israel.” But I doubt that’s the main reason they gave the giant baby that particular name. I bet it has more to do with the second coming, y’all.

He’s a beautiful baby boy! Israel David Dillard, born last night at 11:49pm! ??

A photo posted by Jill Dillard (@jillmdillard) on Apr 7, 2015 at 12:47pm PDT

Photos courtesy of Jill’s Instagram.

Doesn’t it seem like Scott Eastwood is a few fries short of a Happy Meal? No disrespect, but he has more in common with Kellan Lutz than Clint Eastwood. But Scott gets plugging away, trying to be the next big thing. He’s hustled his way into the lead role in the Nicholas Sparks’ adaptation The Longest Ride. The critics are not being kind but most people admit that Scott has a nice body. So at least he’s got that going for him. To promote the film, Scott gave an interview to Star Magazine (seriously), in which he drops some of his hard-earned bro-wisdom.

Star: Was it easier for you to break into Hollywood because of your dad?
SE: There’s no “get successful quick” miracle plan in this business. There are perks to being the son of a famous father, but you have to work twice as hard.

Do Casting people compare you to Clint Eastwood?
SE: People have been trying to get me to remake ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’ with me in my father’s role, but it has always felt so cheap. So I’m cautious.

Would you consider going ugly for a role?
SE: Heck yeah! I’d happily shave my head or pack on the pounds. I don’t know about losing weight, though. I talked to Matt Damon and a bunch of other people about that and they got really sick. My health is important to me. There are going to be roles that I’m not going to get because I look a certain way and roles that I’m going to get because of the way I look.

Are you a Nicholas Sparks fan?
SE: I cried every time I saw ‘The Notebook’ and I saw it more than once! I’m a sucker for movies that make you think about life and how short it is. Sometimes we get caught up in this rat race and we forget to pick up the phone, call the people we love and tell them we love him. Sparks’ movies always make me want to walk out of the theater and call my mom.

What type of woman turns you off?
SE: I was casually dating this chick, and when she came to my house all she could talk about was money. It was so unattractive, and I remember thinking, “I don’t want you here anymore.” All that material sh-t is so bogus. You have all this stuff, and then what? You die and people get your car and your jeans, and what does it all mean?

[From Star Magazine, print edition]

So much profundity in such little time, brah. Even though he’s Clint Eastwood’s son, he still has to work twice as hard, and by that he means he has to name-drop twice as hard, like he was just saying to Matt Damon. As for “I was casually dating this chick, and when she came to my house all she could talk about was money. It was so unattractive, and I remember thinking, ‘I don’t want you here anymore.’” Dude… we’re Americans!! We love to talk about money. That’s how Americans make small talk. Not wanting to be with a “chick” just because she talks about money is downright un-American.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.

JK Rowling was in New York today lighting up the Empire State Building to mark the launch of Lumos, her children’s charity, raising awareness for kids living in orphanages around the world. Lumos, if you know your Potter, is the spell that lights up your wand. She’s been the light for a lot of pe…      

JK Rowling was in New York today lighting up the Empire State Building to mark the launch of Lumos, her children’s charity, raising awareness for kids living in orphanages around the world. Lumos, if you know your Potter, is the spell that lights up your wand. She’s been the light for a lot of pe…      

JK Rowling was in New York today lighting up the Empire State Building to mark the launch of Lumos, her children’s charity, raising awareness for kids living in orphanages around the world. Lumos, if you know your Potter, is the spell that lights up your wand. She’s been the light for a lot of pe…