Angelina Jolie covers the LA Times? Envelope Magazine (their in-house entertainment mag), all to promote Pablo Larrain?s Maria. The Maria team was included in the profile, and they adore Jolie and she loves them right back. There?s not a lot of new information here ? Jolie has given herself talking points and she?s been good at adhering to them ? but I just love how much she?s been hustling this fall and winter. She?s already gotten a Critics Choice and Golden Globe nomination, and she?s picked up several special recognition awards at the Gotham Awards and various film festivals. Some highlights:

Whether she harbors any desires to perform opera on stage: ?My God,? she answers, as if she?d been asked to sample a cup of sour milk. ?That would be my nightmare. That would be terrifying.?

Her kinship with Maria Callas: ?We?re both very emotional women who probably are seen as quite strong but are quite vulnerable, emotional artists who are alone a lot.?

A big swing: ?I admire people that take a big swing, even if they fall. When I see people who are careful ? too careful ? I?m more uncomfortable for them.? But ?if I see somebody being emotionally brave or creatively brave, I root for them. I don?t judge them.?

Callas? line, ?I took liberties all my life, and the world took liberties with me.? Did the actor, herself a constant target of media scrutiny and speculation, feel any connection to Callas in that way? Jolie simply turns the question back at me: ?I think journalists of the world watch this film a little differently. When they see the film, they?re very conscious of maybe how their work affected both of us.?

Jolie does not share Callas? professional angst as an aging woman: ?My motherhood is the only thing that I couldn?t live without. Truly, you could take everything else. I?d be fine.?

She loves telling stories with ?slightly broken? and ?sensitive? people. ?I?ve been one my whole life. Sensitive people feel a lot, and they worry a lot. They also create a lot, and they connect in beautiful ways. One of the most beautiful things about being on a film set is you?re with hundreds of others. You?ve all found each other. You?re all sensitive, you?re all creative, and you?re all a little ? you know, unusual. And not necessarily the most stable.?

[From The LA Times]

?You?ve all found each other. You?re all sensitive, you?re all creative, and you?re all a little ? you know, unusual. And not necessarily the most stable.? There?s that old goth girl. Honestly, Angelina?s instability used to be front and center back in the day, and then motherhood changed her and she became a grown-up. But she still has that sensitive-artist side to her which is ?unusual? and ?not necessarily the most stable.? This feels like a comeback for her in that regard, even though she?s had acting roles in the past decade. This is a comeback for Angelina really pouring herself into a character and playing a role which she relates to so much.

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Photos courtesy of Backgrid, LAT?s Instagram.

Guy Pearce has had an up-and-down career for many reasons. Back in the ?90s, he could have been a leading man, the next big thing. But nowadays, he?s something more interesting ? a character actor who pops in and out of TV projects and films, and is consistently one of the most underrated actors out there. Currently, he has a supporting role in The Brutalist, and he?s already picking up supporting-actor nominations for his performance. He recently chatted with Vanity Fair about the film and about his career. Some highlights:

He didn?t do any research on 20th century American industrialists for The Brutalist: ?No. Maybe I copped out? But I just didn?t need to. I read the character and I could see who this guy is?.I felt there was a voice I?d used before on Mildred Pierce that I could tap back into, mixed with the lovely voice of my friend Danny Huston, plus some gravel to give him some age. It was intuitive, but also an intellectual process??

Working with Adrien Brody: ?He is a very serious person, in the best possible way. He?s all business, but warm and engaging and considerate. He wants to know you are as serious as him with the work, as I am, and when the time was right we could natter about other stuff. I was aware he was carrying the film, so I didn?t want to get in his way. He was the one with all the work to do, but he?s lovely and really good at what he does. One of the best things about being an actor is working with better actors, and when you?ve got someone three feet in front of you offering a performance, you?re just going ?wow, wow, look at him go. Oh sh-t, I have a line of dialogue now.?

His attitude towards the awards season hype: ?My attitude is mixed. You are dealing with your ego and just doing good work. If I watch a finished film and think ?f?king ?ell that?s great,? that?s the be-all and end-all. I?ve seen some things win over others and think, ?I don?t get that, am I missing something?? So I can?t be objective. It also makes me awkward and uncomfortable. I?ve been nominated for things, and when I don?t win I?m relieved I don?t have to make a speech. Then later I think ?it might have been nice!?

Whether he had a good experience working with Kevin Spacey: ?No.?

Working on ?Memento?: ?[Carrie-Anne Moss] was good fun. I?ve lost touch with her, unfortunately. She had a good sense of humor, but it?s hard to compete with Chris Nolan. He?s such a towering intellect. When my friend Piper Perabo was working on The Prestige, I called her to see how it as going, and she said ?oh, Chris Nolan, he?s this towering intellectual, a total cinephile, and Christian Bale is all internal and actor-y and method, and then Hugh Jackman is hosting a dinner party.? But me and Carrie-Anne and Joey Pants [Joe Pantoliano] were having a lovely, fun time together. [Pantoliano] taught me so much about film acting, just by riffing. I?m not an improviser, but he is. So I had to learn to deal with it, and it was a great experience. A good teacher.

He hasn?t spoken to Nolan much over the years: ?Not really, but he spoke to me about roles a few times over the years. The first Batman and The Prestige. But there was an executive at Warner Bros. who quite openly said to my agent, ?I don?t get Guy Pearce. I?m never going to get Guy Pearce. I?m never going to employ Guy Pearce.? So, in a way, that?s good to know. I mean, fair enough; there are some actors I don?t get. But it meant I could never work with Chris. [Warner Bros. has not responded to a request for comment.] I think he just didn?t believe in me as an actor.

Which roles he was up for in Nolan?s films: ?They flew me to London, to discuss the Liam Neeson role for Batman, and I think it was decided on my flight that I wasn?t going to be in the movie. So I get there and Chris is like ?hey, you want to see the Batmobile and get dinner??

[From Vanity Fair]

Unpopular opinion, but I actually don?t think Nolan is great at casting. He?s made some good choices (especially for lead roles), but sometimes his films are full of actors in supporting roles and it?s like he picked their names out of a hat. This is like a glimpse of what Nolan was dealing with at Warner Bros though ? executives who used their power to shut down Nolan?s original casting choices. Now, that being said, Pearce in the Liam Neeson role in Batman Begins would have been weird. I could have seen Pearce in The Prestige though. As for the other people Pearce worked with? he had lovely things to say about everyone other than Kevin Spacey, who he clearly loathes. It?s funny. Imagine that?s your big introduction to American films, working with Kevin Spacey. Ugh. Poor Guy.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Mikey Madison declined the offer of an intimacy coordinator on Anora, which is really bonkers if you?ve seen the movie. [Just Jared]
Keanu Reeves has some comedies coming out next year! [LaineyGossip]
Nicole Kidman?s Babygirl tour continues (now with t-shirts). [Go Fug Yourself]
Bill Skarsgard in a puffer jacket! [Socialite Life]
I watched most of this VF video with Hugh Grant & Nicholas Hoult and they are both so charming and weird/lovely. It?s a rizz-off. [Pajiba]
Harris Dickinson & Drew Starkey on Variety?s Actors on Actors. [OMG Blog]
I love & support Elle Fanning?s fashion choices. [RCFA]
Will you guys try Taco Bell?s chicken nuggets? [Seriously OMG]
A Love During Lockup woman stabbed her husband. [Starcasm]
Happy birthday, Billie Eilish! [Hollywood Life]
A Jewish woman tried to navigate her boyfriend?s Greek Orthodox family. [Buzzfeed]

Mikey Madison reveals why she decided not to have an intimacy coordinator while shooting #Anora. #ActorsOnActors https://t.co/0VAXCVmN3R pic.twitter.com/Bi3Z9JQq12

? Variety (@Variety) December 17, 2024

Tory Lanez shot Megan Thee Stallion on July 12, 2020. He shot her feet while telling her to ?dance, bitch.? In 2022, Lanez was finally convicted of the felony shooting, and in 2023, he was sentenced to ten years in prison. In the months and years following the shooting, Tory waged one of the worst gaslighting campaigns I?ve ever seen. Tory and his allies spread rumors about Megan, they called her a liar, they attacked her friends and family, they paid off people to lie about Megan. It was insane, and it?s still f-king happening, even though Tory has been locked up for more than a year. Well, Megan has had enough. She?s just filed a restraining order against Tory because he and his family are still defaming her.

Tory Lanez being in prison isn?t stopping his harassment of Megan Thee Stallion ? at least according to her, so, now she?s back in court to battle him once again. Megan filed a request for a restraining order Tuesday, detailing for the judge several months of abuse she?s endured from Tory ? who, of course, is serving a 10-year sentence in California for shooting at Megan?s feet back in 2020.

According to the docs, Megan says Tory?s got an army of bloggers who he employs to spread defamatory statements about her ? including a woman named Elizabeth Milagro Cooper, who Meg actually sued a couple months ago.

In her new filing, Meg says prison phone call logs prove a ?conspiratorial relationship? between Tory and Elizabeth. She says the calls include a convo between Tory and his father, who asked about payments to Cooper for harassing Megan.

Megan says Tory?s continued ?psychological warfare? against her has ruined her life and thrown her into a deep depression ? one that?s left her estranged from friends. While she doesn?t say she?s suicidal, Megan does say she sometimes wishes Tory ?would have shot and killed me, if I would have known I was going to go through this torture.?

Tory is appealing his conviction, and Meg says he continues to make false claims about her as part of his efforts to get out of prison. She?s asking the court to issue a restraining order that would force Tory to stop contacting, harassing, or intimidating her ? whether directly or through third parties.

Updated by TMZ: Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ? Megan Thee Stallion?s legal team has more proof connecting Tory and the blogger who?s been bashing MTS. We?re told they?ve obtained financial records of a handful of payments Tory?s father allegedly made to Elizabeth Milagro Cooper between October 2020 and March 2022, and totaling $3,000. We?re told Megan?s attorneys will bringing receipts to court ? for the restraining order case, and also for the lawsuit she filed against Cooper.

[From TMZ]

Lanez has been doing this the whole time, working with/paying bloggers to spread defamatory lies about Megan. Although I?ll just say, from what I?ve seen for years, there was a real willingness by many men in the music industry to take Tory?s side and defend him. There were so few people standing up for Megan or protecting her in any way. She?s spoken about how alone she?s felt as she?s tried to get justice. I feel so sorry for her. There are a few women who have made a point of having her back (Cardi, GloRilla, Beyonce), but she?s lost a lot of friends in the past five years.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

There have been many moments in the past five years which I know will be ?controversial? within the British media. Like, you can set your watch to it ? Prince Harry and Meghan will confirm something or do something or say something, and we all brace ourselves for the howling tantrum from the Mail, Mirror, Sun and Telegraph. But can I just say? There are so many moments where the tantrum actually surprises me and amuses me. For example, I was not expecting the weeks-long ?controversy? over Meghan wearing a red dress to a children?s hospital gala. And while I knew that the Sussexes? Christmas card would make news, I did not expect the Mail to turn into Deranger Forensic Files. Anyway, as everyone can read on the card, it says ?On behalf of the office of Prince Harry & Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.? As in, this is the Christmas card from their office, which they?ve sent to their business associates and which they?re happy to release publicly. This has shocked the Daily Mail.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle caused a storm with the release of their ?holiday? card this week ? but it appears the couple have a second, private card too. The season?s greetings from the Archewell Foundation featured a photograph of the couple?s rarely seen children Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three, for the first time in years. It also showcased the highlights of the Sussexes? year, including pictures from their four-day visit to Colombia in August.

Despite the intimate pictures, the card struck a formal tone, simply reading: ?On behalf of the office of Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Archewell Productions and Archewell Foundation, we wish you a very happy Holiday Season and a Happy New Year.?

This is because the card is only intended for professional use, and the Sussexes in fact have a second, private card which they have sent only to close friends and family, and members of their inner circle, according to People Magazine.

The card will not be shared publicly, but will likely share more sweet insights into family life ? more similar to the personal cards Meghan and Harry shared in previous years.

Despite stepping down as working royals in 2020, the couple have continued the tradition of releasing a Christmas card each year. This year?s version confirmed Harry and Meghan?s desire to keep their children out of the spotlight, with both Archie and Lili facing away from the camera at a distance.

[From The Daily Mail]

Imagine being this upset that the Sussexes have a second, private card they send to close friends and family. And can I just say? I actually doubt that Harry and Meghan?s second card is some kind of family photo with Lili and Archie?s faces. I just don?t see H&M sending out anything like that, even to the people they care about the most. It?s not a matter of trust, but all it takes is one card accidentally falling into the wrong hands, and suddenly the Mail or the Sun has paid seven-figures for the exclusive, you know? This Mail piece is actually a bounty on the card. Which is why their second card is probably just some artsy pic of a Christmas tree.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Archewell, Backgrid.

In 2019, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie?s divorce was bifurcated, meaning that they became legally single/divorced while the divorce negotiations were ongoing with regards to the settlement and child custody. It?s been over five years since the divorce was bifurcated, and they still have not come to any kind of financial settlement or custodial arrangement. While Team Pitt has always been eager to blame this eight-year divorce drama on Angelina, I think there?s more nuance to the situation. While Angelina is, by all appearances, dragging her feet on custodial issues (likely trying to slow-walk proceedings until Knox and Vivienne are 18 years old), I think Pitt has been dragging his feet on the financial situation this whole time. He?s the one who sued her the moment she took her equity out of Chateau Miraval (which Pitt was mismanaging). Angelina had to drag him to court to get child support. He?s spent the past four years bizarrely liquidating his assets, selling Plan B and a sh-tload of real estate. But to hear ?sources close to Brad Pitt? describe the situation, Angelina is desperately clinging to the remnants of the marriage because she wants to stop Brad from marrying Ines de Ramon. Lmao.

Brad Pitt believes Angelina Jolie is ?stalling? on their divorce being finalized to stop his hopes of a third marriage, according to sources who claim that the actress is using the situation as ?another tactic? to control her ex-husband. ?Brangelina? became a couple in 2006 and tied the knot in 2014 before their shock split in 2016, which triggered a bitter feud in the courts over child custody and their property. Brad, 60, has since moved on with 31-year-old jewelry executive Ines de Ramon, who has become his live-in girlfriend as their romance continues to flourish.

Now insiders have revealed that the Fight Club star is keen to get ?married again? but that his acrimonious legal battle with Angelina is stopping him from being to able to ?move forward,? as he wants to be fully divorced before he remarries.

?Brad does want to be married again but Angie is still standing in the way, and he just wants it to be over,? an insider close to Brad exclusively told DailyMail.com. ?She?s been dragging this out for almost a decade. Now she is stalling on their divorce being finalized.?

The insider claimed that Brad?s estranged relationship with his children could be a key reason for the actress? actions, as they suggested she is waiting for the twins to turn 18 before finalizing the divorce.

The insider added: ?She?s using this as another tactic to maintain control over him and Brad knows she is seething that he is happy.?

The insider then explained that Brad is determined to resolve all his legal issues with his ex-wife, and that Ines is ready to support him during the continued battle.

?This is going on eight years now and although he would like to move forward with Ines, they both know it isn?t possible, and this is infuriating to Brad,? the insider noted. ?He is so ready to tackle Miraval. Ines will wait as long as it takes.?

[From The Daily Mail]

It must be Opposite Day: ?She?s using this as another tactic to maintain control over him and Brad knows she is seething that he is happy.? More like Brad is still f?ked up over the fact that Angelina left him and their six kids hate him for what he did. Again, Brad is the one who decided to sue Angelina the second she escaped from him financially, the moment he no longer had financial control over her. He?s the one wasting the court?s time and everyone?s money on this ego-trip lawsuit designed to punish Angelina for leaving him. But sure, Angelina just wants ?control? over this loser.

Also: it?s important to note that Brad actually could marry Ines de Ramon? As I said, the divorce has been bifurcated, Brad and Angelina are both single in the eyes of the law, regardless of the sorry state of their divorce settlement negotiations. Brad could marry Ines today if he wanted to. I wonder if this is what he?s telling Ines ? ?we can?t get married yet, my divorce isn?t finalized.? Poor Ines, I guess.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.

In March, Kensington Palace published a ?Mother?s Day photo? of the Princess of Wales and her three kids. The photo was obviously manipulated, a frankenphoto pieced together from at least two separate pics, and edited in the most ham-fisted way. Over the course of Oscar Night, the outrage brewed over as several photo agencies issued kill orders on the Mother?s Day pic. It was one of the biggest debacles of the year, and the Wales-fans have been desperately trying to push the scandal onto other people, mostly Prince Harry and Meghan. They tried claiming that Misan Harriman manipulated his photos of Harry and Meghan. Harriman whipped out his original pics to show that he only changed a color photo to black-and-white.

Well, now that the Sussexes have released their Christmas card, those same Wales-fans are trying desperately to claim that the small, blurry photo of Archie, Lili and the dogs is somehow manipulated or edited. Nevermind that the Christmas card is nowhere near the same kind of thing as Kensington Palace releasing a heavily manipulated frankenphoto AS PROOF OF LIFE FOR A MISSING PRINCESS. The dregs of the internet were called upon to provide conspiracies, and the Daily Mail obviously published as many as they could. Perhaps the Mail knew they were playing with fire, because they describe the conspiracies in their headline as ?baseless? and they even noted in their story: ?One leading Photoshop expert told MailOnline today that it looked genuine, although the size and resolution of the picture makes it hard to know with complete certainty.? That?s all I?m going to cover about that mess. But I did enjoy this Mail column, written by Amanda Platell, about how the Christmas card is bad because something something California!

How utterly adorable is Harry and Meghan?s ?Happy Holidays? greeting card? The devoted parents? arms are outstretched towards their joyful children Archie, five, and Lilibet, three, while their three dogs frolic around them.

It was a rare sighting indeed of the Sussex family. Even so, due to their concerns about privacy, we don?t see the faces of their children.

The card ? which offers recipients ?a very happy holiday season and a joyful new year? from the couple?s private office, the Archewell Foundation and Archewell Productions ? reveals only the backs of Archie and Lilibet?s heads. But how lovely that both seem to have inherited their dad?s striking ginger hair.

Let?s just hope the personal Christmas cards they send to the children?s grandfather, King Charles ? who has privately revealed he longs to meet them ? actually shows their faces.

This intimate picture only reminds us of the terrible chasm that now exists between the Sussexes and the Royal Family, who will be celebrating Christmas oceans apart. It does nothing to disguise the fact that 2024 has been the Sussexes?s annus horribilis ? the year in which the world rumbled Meghan.

[From The Daily Mail]

The rest of the piece is just the latest drivel about how everyone in America hates Meghan and why did she even bother marrying Prince Harry, they should get a divorce, blah blah blah. I just found it funny that a Mail columnist was like ?oh, a Sussex Christmas card, they better send photos of the ginger children to KING CHARLES!? The same King Charles who has made zero effort to see his Sussex grandchildren in over two and a half years? The same Charles who evicted his grandchildren from their home in the UK? The same Charles who won?t even extend invitations to the Sussexes for any holiday? This is supposed to be a guilt trip ? how dare Harry and Meghan keep the children away! No one can admit that Charles is a dogsh-t father and dogsh-t grandfather who doesn?t want to know his grandkids.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Archewell, Cover Images.

I?ve made the effort to not go full conspiracist on Luigi Mangione, but one conspiracy I do believe (right now) is that Mangione?s arrest at a Pennsylvania McDonald?s probably didn?t happen the way we were told. As in, I?m not sure I believe that some McD?s worker recognized Mangione and called in a tip, and that tip was taken seriously enough for an arrest. The NYPD even said, following Mangione?s arrest, that he wasn?t really on their radar. Something fishy is going on with how they tracked him, and I do think ?the McDonald?s tip? was some kind of cover story. In any case, Luigi was arrested on December 9th, and he?s been in custody in Pennsylvania ever since. New York has not managed to extradite Luigi yet, but they did manage to get Luigi indicted on Tuesday. They?re throwing the book at him.

A New York grand jury has indicted Luigi Mangione on terrorism charges related to the Dec. 4 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

The grand jury voted to indict Mangione on second-degree murder charges as a ?crime of terrorism,? indicating the accused killer had intended to ?intimidate or coerce a civilian population, influence the policy of a unit of government by intimidation or coercion, and affect the conduct of a unit of government by murder, assassination or kidnapping,?

Mangione is also charged with first-degree murder, which in New York is reserved for specific acts like the murder of police officers, murder-for-hire, killing a witness, or acts of terrorism. He also faces charges for possessing weapons and forged instruments.

?We allege that Luigi Mangione carried out the brazen, targeted and fatal shooting of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan,? said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg in a statement issued on Dec. 17. ?This type of premeditated, targeted gun violence cannot and will not be tolerated, and my office has been working day in and day out to bring the defendant to justice.?

The Ivy League-educated scion of a prominent Maryland family is the prime suspect in the killing of Thompson, who was gunned down on Dec. 4 in Midtown Manhattan by a masked assailant who then fled the scene on a bicycle, evading authorities. A motive has not been definitively established, but police believe Mangione harbored an animus towards corporate America, particularly the healthcare industry. The words ?deny? and ?depose? were found on shell casings at the scene, while ?delay? was found on a bullet, per Bragg?s office ? similar to a phrase used to describe the health insurance industry?s practices for scuttling claims.

[From People]

Was the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson an act of terrorism? Eh. It was absolutely first-degree murder. It was absolutely premeditated murder with a social/political message. But ?violently hating healthcare executives? isn?t terrorism. It just isn?t. CB did some research on this too ? in the past decade, there were mass shooters motivated by a white-supremacist ideology (Buffalo shooter, Charleston church shooter) and they were never charged with terrorism, even though they were clearly trying to terrorize the Black community.

Something else I didn?t know before today: Luigi had completely cut off contact with his family in the six months prior to murdering Thompson? Luigi?s mom filed a missing-person report. People keep coming back to Luigi?s back problems, and his back surgery last year. Something about the surgery and his health problems, it seems to have radicalized him, if you consider it radical to despise healthcare executives.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, social media.

Last year, you could see the unease fall across Cillian Murphy?s face as soon as the Oppenheimer promotion began. He quickly developed a thousand-yard stare, a sort of forced blankness as he tried to promote his starring role in the biggest movie of his career. He eventually swept the awards season, winning the Golden Globe, BAFTA, SAG and Academy Awards. By Oscar night, his social battery was completely drained and it showed, but he still managed to get through it. In between filming Oppenheimer and promoting Oppenheimer, Cillian produced and worked on Small Things Like These, set in Ireland and filmed there too. It?s based on a bestseller by the same name, and the story is based on the real-life Magdalene Laundries, which continued well into the 1990s. To promote the film (which comes out in November), Cillian recently spoke to Vanity Fair, and he confirmed that the awards season was super-painful.

How Matt Damon came on a producer: ?I gave the script to Matt [Damon] when we were shooting, and he loved it,? the Irish native tells me. Murphy made a specific sell to his Oppenheimer costar that won Damon over: ?I remember saying that it?s a different film, but it would share some thematic crossover with Manchester by the Sea, which Matt also produced?. It was like I was pitching between Manchester by the Sea and Doubt.? From there, Murphy gave Damon the script, and swiftly, Damon signed on to produce the project via Artists Equity, the company he cofounded with Ben Affleck. ?They paid for the movie,? Murphy says bluntly. ?It was remarkably quick, the way it came together.?

The tragic history of Magdalene Laundries: ?It?s so seemingly simple, but it?s incredibly complex, actually, when you look at it. It?s massively intertwined with Irish people, our history and our culture and trauma and all of that stuff. I feel that sometimes art is a gentler way of addressing or confronting that than, perhaps, government reports or academic papers.?

How he felt after Oppenheimer: ?I was pretty broken after Oppenheimer. Just physically and mentally, I was a bit worn out. We shot that film so fast, and the prep for it had been very intense. Losing all that weight was hard to do?and it was hard to get back to normal.? It?s no wonder, then, that the actor took a long break, of well over six months total, once filming finished on the Christopher Nolan epic. Small Things Like These was his first time back on a movie set, months after wrapping Oppenheimer, and he needed that recharging period before delving into another intense character.

Shooting the film in Ireland: ?I was very happy to make a film at home.? But Murphy found the weight of Bill?s trauma difficult to carry at times, particularly after filming an especially emotionally draining scene in a barber shop. ?It does exact a bit of a cost,? Murphy says. ?Your psyche is trying to understand why you?re feeling what you?re making yourself feel.?

He hasn?t fully processed his awards season: ?It was a bit of a fever dream, and very overwhelming.?

[From Vanity Fair]

It sounds like working on Oppenheimer was harder than promoting it, although Cillian lucked out (inadvertently) with the actors? strike and writers? strike. I?m glad he had time to decompress after he shot Oppenheimer, and I would assume he did the same after the awards season too. It?s so funny to watch a full-grown introverted adult man deal with all of the craziness that comes with a huge box office success and winning a lot of awards. Props to Cillian though ? he did it without whining or throwing tantrums. As for Small Things Like These, I?m really interested in seeing it, although I know it?s going to make me mad. All of that Catholicism and Church abuses, all of it in plain sight. More art pieces need to be made about this awful chapter of Irish history.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Back in September when Lady Gaga was just beginning the Joker 2 promo tour (What tour? The world tour), she covered Vogue, and the profile was a hard launch for her and fiance Michael Polansky as a couple. Rumors had been floating ever since Gaga was spotted by the papa-paparazzi in April sporting a diamond ring on that finger. And then in the summer the couple were outed by the French Prime Minister at the Olympics when he posted a TikTok of Gaga introducing Polansky as her fiance. But the Vogue article was the first time Gaga and her man were speaking about their engagement, themselves. In that piece, the author described the rock in Gaga?s ring as ?Wilma Flintstone-size,? and I was besotted. Reported to be eight carats, the diamond is apparently quite something in person. And on video, too, as it turns out. Gaga just appeared on a special Christmas edition of Carpool Karaoke (with Zane Lowe filling in for James Corden) and holy carats, Batman ? the diamond looked huuuuuuge!! And I wasn?t the only one struck dumb with awe, gazing into the brilliance of all those facets:

Lady Gaga showed up on carpool Karaoke?s surprise holiday special to bless us with her first performance of ?Christmas Tree? in 16 years, which, if you missed it, please fix immediately. While she was at it, Gaga flashed her engagement ring from Michael Polansky several times, and though this isn?t our first time seeing it, this is definitely our first time seeing it so up close and sparkly.

?Apparently they made it official in March ? before Gaga?s 38th birthday. ?The couple shared the happy news with family and close friends right away but wanted to keep the engagement private otherwise,? a source explained to People. ?Everyone?s excited about them getting married.? They added that Michael is private but fully supports the public nature of Gaga?s job, saying ?He can?t stand being in the spotlight but lets her shine. He has his own business priorities that she?s supportive of.?

Meanwhile, an Entertainment Tonight insider said that Gaga and Michael are thinking of exchanging vows somewhere in Europe: ?Gaga and Michael are the happiest they?ve ever been. Michael has always known Gaga was the one. They had an engagement party at her home in Malibu with their loved ones and everyone is thrilled for them. They are already thinking about wedding plans and talking about possibly having a destination wedding in Europe. They?d love to get married sooner than later and both want to start a family.?

[From Cosmopolitan]

Oy, Cosmo! The People Mag article they reference about the engagement happening before Gaga?s b-day in March is way outdated. People put that info/speculation out in July, right after the TikTok video, but in September Gaga told Graham Norton that the proposal came on April Fool?s Day, thus making her doubt the veracity of Michael?s intentions at the moment. Also, going back to that Vogue interview, Gaga talked about how she was expecting it on her birthday and was disappointed, but then only had to wait four days. (What? I?m not obsessed with Gaga?s every move? I just care about FACTS!)

But getting back to what really matters: that ginormous diamond ring! I know I?m a smart cookie. But I don?t care what high intellectual pursuit or nuanced conversation I?m engaged in, if someone waves a diamond in front of me I instantly turn into Marilyn Monroe?s character from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and am hypnotized by the stone. Without fail. There?s sorcery involved in those baubles, I swear. (Don?t tell One Million Moms!) And you know what, I don?t feel bad for being so easily possessed by them. Not ever since I saw Ang Lee?s 2007 film adaptation of Lust, Caution, where **spoiler alert!** a long-in-the-making assassination plot is bungled after the target gifts the spy a knockout diamond ring (I tried cueing it up, but just in case the scene starts at the 3:30 mark and the diamond is shown at 5:00). If even Ang Lee, master of cinematic sweeping romance, understands the profound impact of a diamond, then surely its magical powers are legit.

Wishing the happy couple a lifetime of happiness, and Gaga a lifetime of good physical therapy for the extra weight-lifting her left hand is doing.

Photos are screenshots from Apple TV?s A Carpool Karaoke Christmas and credit: Jeffrey Mayer/Avalon