Photos from the LA premiere event for Emily In Paris’s fourth season. Everyone looks amazing and I love Lily Collins’ bob! Lily’s dress is Armani. [JustJared]
Rest in peace, Gena Rowlands. [Hollywood Life]
Lainey on Brad Pitt & George Clooney’s GQ cover story. [LaineyGossip]
“Environmentalists” convened… on Jeff Bezos’ yacht?? [Jezebel]
Who is JoJo Siwa’s best friend? [Pajiba]
Stephen Colbert analyzed Donald Trump’s bizarre “beautiful” compliment to Kamala Harris, or was it a diss to Melania Trump? [Buzzfeed]
LMAO at Heidi Klum’s jeans. [Socialite Life]
Nathalie Emmanuel is blonde now! She looks amazing. [RCFA]
Why are there so many photos of Republicans in drag? [OMG Blog]

Picture it: the year was 2016. Blake Lively was pregnant with her second child, Inez, after giving birth to daughter James in 2014. She was promoting Cafe Society, a Woody Allen film, which got a splashy premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, much to the chagrin of Woody’s estranged family. Blake was completely unable to speak about any of it without sounding like a huge a–hole, but we were one year away from Blake throwing a hissy fit when she was asked about the hideous jumpsuit she wore at a Variety event. This is all connected, I promise, because an entertainment journalist who interviewed Blake during that era wants to call people’s attention to something that happened in 2016.

During the promotion for Woody Allen’s Cafe Society, they put Blake and Parker Posey together at the junket. Meaning, a cattle call of five-minute interviews, all of which are supposed to be light and help promote the film. One entertainment journalist, Kjersti Flaa, sat down to interview Parker and Blake. Flaa started out by congratulating Blake on her “little bump.” Blake then snapped, “congrats on your little bump.” Parker tried to diffuse it and Flaa tried to ask her first question, about the costumes in Woody Allen’s Cafe Society. Blake then complains bitterly, “Everyone wants to talk about the clothes, but I wonder if they would ask the men about the clothes.” Flaa tries to say “I would” but Blake and Parker start ignoring her and talking between themselves and Blake says: “It’s not just the women that have the clothes, but I feel like the women get the conversation.”

I’m just getting flashbacks to how this was white women’s cause du jour in the pre-MeToo days – “how dare you ask me anything about fashion.” They were really on a f–king tear about that, and they were always wearing designer freebies and borrowed jewelry and carrying comped purses. White celebrity women were ready to go to war over their new cause: Don’t Ask Me What I’m Wearing! Don’t Talk About Fashion! And the fact that she was doing this as she was promoting a WOODY ALLEN film always kills me.

Anyway, yes, Blake has always been this rude, dumb and unpleasant. That’s why this current backlash against Blake is landing so well – she has a long history of this sh-t. The only silver lining is that Ms. Allure of Antebellum never publicized photos of her plantation wedding – TikTok would be having a f–cking field day with that.

Norwegian interviewer Kjersti Flaa shares her “nightmare” interview with Blake Lively, conducted in 2016 while Lively was promoting Woody Allen’s ‘Café Society’:

“Sitting down with Blake Lively and her co star Parker Posey for Cafe Society (2016) is the most uncomfortable… pic.twitter.com/E6hWzTcYYp

— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) August 15, 2024

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

I wondered if and when we would get one of these pieces, and I thought it would come later in the summer, like at the end of August or early September. I wonder if the timeline was moved up for some reason (ah, I just got it – the Sussexes’ trip to Colombia, that’s why). Traditionally, Kensington Palace offers these “what the future will bring for Princess Kate” briefings a few times a year. In years past, the briefings are often “she’s keen to do more but you should not expect her to do anything, it’s not like she’s queen!” This season’s briefing is more fraught – obviously, it’s been a crazy year for Kate conspiracies and obviously, something fundamental has changed and shifted with Kate’s position in the family. The palace has made it perfectly clear that no one should expect Kate to do anything anytime soon, so this new Rebecca English piece is just filling out all of that. Plus, English says that Kate’s health was suffering last year too, that she has been sick for a lot longer than people realize. Some highlights from this new Mail exclusive:

Kate’s treatment: Her preventative chemotherapy treatment continues over the summer – and possibly even beyond – while her recovery will be ongoing for many months to come once even this is concluded, I understand. She will continue to work privately, and engage publicly as and when she can. Kensington Palace hope to provide guidance at some point in the future about what a return to ‘a more regular workload’ might look like. But it is important to stress that they are absolutely ‘not at that stage yet’, according to one royal insider.

No return to royal duties: Asked if the Princess’ fourth public appearance (in person and on video) of the year signalled a return to royal duties, a source said firmly: ‘We are not there yet. When we last heard from her ahead of Trooping the Colour, she said her treatment was going on into the summer and that’s what’s happening. It’s been a rough, rough time, a really difficult year for the entire family. And as she herself said, she is not out of the woods yet. The direction is positive [but] there will not be great change [in terms of her public profile] after Sunday night and no one is giving a timescale for her return.’

Internet trolls: In the fetid depths of social media, you will always find someone with an unkind opinion on the matter, despite Catherine’s quite unprecedented levels of openness about her condition. Within hours of her appearance at Wimbledon in July, for example, trolls were already disgracefully picking apart her rosy-cheeked appearance, even casting aspersions on how ill she has really been. While we mustn’t give these individuals the oxygen of publicity they clearly crave, it is important to highlight just how rancid the internet has been this year when it comes to the Royal Family – William and Catherine in particular. While the couple try to ignore such conjecture, the sad truth is that it has added an unbearable layer of strain to their lives, one that has proved to be downright distressing at times.

Kate was sick last year: What most will not appreciate is that Catherine had actually been unwell for some time in the run up to her initial abdominal surgery in January (further details of which have not been made public yet by Kensington Palace). It was only after that ‘planned’ operation, of course, which left her in hospital for two weeks, that her cancer was discovered. As always she hid her suffering well, but those who know her are keen to emphasise just what a tough time it has been. ‘I don’t think people realise how much she has gone through behind the scenes and for how long, far longer than anyone actually appreciates,’ says one. ‘She’s an incredibly strong woman, but she really has been through the wars. Her treatment and recovery is still a priority and will be ongoing for some time to come.’

A slow-build for Kate’s schedule: This means that far from hitting the ground running in the autumn, as some might have hoped after her glowing appearance at the weekend, it will continue to be a ‘slow build’ for the princess, taking on things as and when she feels physically – and, no doubt, mentally – strong enough. She is likely to continue to attend keynote national events, such as Remembrance Sunday.

A fabulous summer vacation: However, I am told things are finally ‘moving in the right direction‘ and the couple and their young family have enjoyed a ‘fabulous’ summer so far in Norfolk, living at Anmer Hall, their home and sanctuary on the monarch’s Sandringham estate. Spending time outdoors – cycling, sailing, and hanging out with family and friends – has put colour back in all their cheeks. ‘They made a clear and conscious decision to take time out as a family this summer. Seeing them both looking so happy and relaxed with each other and so comfortable in each other’s company tells you a lot about where they are,’ one insider remarks, suggesting that old adage ‘what doesn’t break you, makes you stronger’ is as true for the royals as it is for the rest of us.

Bearded Huevo: William has even cut loose and grown some stubble – his summer ‘dad beard’ – which has gone down so well on social media that some in his circle are jokingly advising him to keep it come the autumn. ‘It’s his “Hot Dad Summer”, laughs one, a play on the “Hot Girl Summer” trend so loved by Gen Z. Not that William, 42, planned to take the internet by storm. ‘We thought that having [the notorious rapper] Snoop Dogg in the video [to congratulate Great Britain’s Olympic team] would be what caught everyone’s eye. Instead all people are talking about is the beard! Everyone finds it very funny,’ I’m told.

[From The Daily Mail]

A few more notes – English says that William will return to work when the kids go back to school, and his schedule will be fuller (fuller than Kate’s, in any case). English also indicated that the Wales family has not gone to Scotland yet, but they’ll try to go towards the end of August. The broad strokes… Kate won’t be seen much this fall. Her next appearance will probably be on Remembrance Day in November. She will not work at all for a very long time. I also find it curious that they’re now admitting that Kate – who looked completely awful last fall – was in poor health back then and no one had any idea. If only a princess could use her huge international platform to simply tell people that she was in poor health and educate people on her (still mysterious) condition? At some point, the palace and the press have to admit that William and Kate’s privacy obsession and general incompetence at maintaining that privacy is what led to so many of the issues they faced this year.

The stuff about internet trolls… like, even if you’re buying everything that the palace is putting out about Kate, it seems pretty rich to blast “the fetid depths of social media” when it came to people trying to figure out why Kensington Palace was lying and why William threw his sick wife under the bus over a manipulated photo. It’s also pretty rich to act snotty about “people speculating on the internet” when William and Kate were far from open and honest about WTF was going on for months and months. Not to mention that the Mail’s royal reporters never had that kind of smoke for all of the cruel, vile, hateful and racist sh-t being said about Meghan online and in the tabloids when the poor woman was pregnant.

Photos courtesy of KensingtonRoyal’s Twitter, Cover Images and Avalon Red.

Several weeks ago, the British papers previewed the Windsors’ summer plans. King Charles is already in Scotland, spending time at Castle Mey and he’s probably already at Balmoral and Birkhall. The other left-behind Windsors have already joined him or they soon will. Reportedly, Prince William and Kate will make the trek to Balmoral next week or the week after. But we can trust that the singular focus is, as always, on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. As I said, this was previewed weeks ago, the idea that the Charles is going to host a What Do We Do About The Sussexes summit in Scotland. Now the Daily Express says that there’s something big on the summit’s agenda: yanking Harry and Meghan’s titles.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s titles are up for discussion at Balmoral next week when the Royal Family meet for their annual summer holiday, Express.co.uk has learned. According to our extremely well-placed source, one point of discussion at what has been dubbed a “royal family summit” will be the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and how they will fit in with the Royal Family over the next decade.

“The Royal Family are meeting at Balmoral to discuss a number of different things, but one of them will be the Duke and Duchess of Sussex,” said the source. “What people don’t realise is that the Balmoral gathering isn’t just a summer holiday. The family also participates in pre-arranged meetings where they discuss the family’s current position and how they can best prepare for the future. Last year was very much about honouring the Queen as it was the King’s first time hosting the gathering since her death, but this will be about how the family can best move forward without the Sussexes.

“Not only will Harry and Meghan’s tours and upcoming trip to Canada be on the agenda, but also their titles and peerages will be up for discussion.”

[From The Daily Express]

Their titles are the last thing. That’s the only thing left which Charles hasn’t “taken away” as punishment. The Sussexes have believed for some time that the ducal title would not be removed. That’s why their new website is sussex.com, because they’re convinced that Charles can’t or won’t do anything about the Sussex title. It’s sort of confusing to figure out what could be done, honestly – while I think Charles could likely do *something* about the ducal title, Prince Harry is always going to be Prince Harry. If you take away Meghan’s Sussex title, she’s just going to be Princess Meghan. I mean, that’s what people will call her, because technically she’ll be Princess Henry in the UK, and she’s now Princess Meghan in Nigeria. Anyway, this is just the Windsors trying to get attention in the same week that the Sussexes arrive in Colombia.

Photos/screencaps courtesy of Save the Children, CBS, Archewell and Avalon Red.

Matt Bomer’s new show, Mid-Century Modern, was picked up by Hulu. [Just Jared]
Lainey’s take on the Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni stuff. [LaineyGossip]
Katy Perry is being investigated by Spanish authorities for filming her “Lifetimes” video without all of the proper clearances. [Hollywood Life]
I honestly didn’t know that Chris Hemsworth was caked up. [OMG Blog]
Miley Cyrus wore a McQueen suit to a Disney event. [RCFA]
I didn’t even recognize Julia Fox. [Socialite Life]
Warner Bros Discovery shot themselves in the d–k and now seems shocked that they’re hemorrhaging money. It’s FAFO, corporate-style. [Pajiba]
Vince Vaughn is besties with Mel Gibson. [Go Fug Yourself]
Halle Berry & Mariah Carey posed for a photo together. [Seriously OMG]
I’m really worried about Love After Lockup’s recidivism rate. [Starcasm]
A compilation of male celebrities who likely got hair plugs. [Buzzfeed]

First look at Matt Bomer, Nathan Lane, Nathan Lee Graham and Linda Lavin in Hulu comedy series ‘MID-CENTURY MODERN.’

It follows 3 friends – gay gentlemen of a certain age – who spend their golden years living together in Palm Springs where the wealthiest one lives with his mom. pic.twitter.com/HAQr7Vn6T0

— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) August 13, 2024

Imane Khelif is a woman. She’s an Algerian boxer who has boxed on the international circuit for years. She qualified for the Olympics, and during one of her rounds, she sparred with an Italian named Angela Carini. Carini quit the fight in less than a minute and turned on the white-woman tears, claiming that Khelif punched her too hard (??). Then Carini told the international media that the IOC needed to investigate Khelif’s gender and that Khelif was not a cisgender woman. This became an Olympic culture war for the transvestigators and it was just as horrid and offensive as you would think. The IOC quickly came out in defense of Khelif and said that she is exactly who she says she is: a woman from Algeria, she was born a woman and she identifies as a woman. That didn’t stop JK Rowling, Megyn Kelly and a host of transphobic bigots from attacking Khelif online for days throughout the Olympic games. Khelif ended up winning the gold medal! To celebrate, she’s going to sue the f–k out of a lot of people.

J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk have both been named in a criminal complaint filed to French authorities over alleged “acts of aggravated cyber harassment” against Algerian boxer and newl crowned Olympic champion Imane Khelif.

Nabil Boudi, the Paris-based attorney of Khelif, confirmed to Variety that both figures were mentioned in the body of the complaint, posted to the anti-online hatred center of the Paris public prosecutor’s office on Friday.

The lawsuit was filed against X, which under French law means that it was filed against unknown persons. That “ensure[s] that the ‘prosecution has all the latitude to be able to investigate against all people,” including those who may have written hateful messages under pseudonyms, said Boudi. The complaint nevertheless mentions famously controversial figures.

[From Variety]

I hope this lady goes all-in. This is currently a criminal complaint, but I hope Khelif follows through internationally. Sue JK Rowling. Sue Megyn Kelly. Sue all of these disgusting people and get that money. Something nice: Algerians rallied behind Imane and she’s getting so much support and love back home.

Supporters of Algerian Olympic boxer Imane Khelif gathered in Algiers to celebrate after she won gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics. pic.twitter.com/eHfL4fJoN1

— DW News (@dwnews) August 12, 2024

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

We’ve linked to coverage of Tim Walz’s camouflage-heavy aesthetic before, but I’m pleased to see that Politico recently devoted a guest column to it. Derek Guy (also known as the menswear guy on Twitter) wrote the piece right after the Harris-Walz camouflage baseball caps sold out within minutes. Basically, Guy’s argument is that Walz’s average-Joe style is a huge plus for the Harris-Walz campaign and, even more than that, it works because this is just who he is authentically. He’s a hunter, he’s a fisherman, he knows his way around an engine and he probably keeps jumper cables in his trunk. He is a midwest dad archetype. Some highlights from Politico:

Vice President Kamala Harris’ announcement of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate has introduced an unexpected issue into our high-stakes political discourse: casual wear. Walz’s progressive governing record and successful deployment of the term “weird” against Republican opponents were both factors in Harris’ decision. But so was his potential appeal to working class voters in the “Blue Wall” states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

That’s where Walz has a fashionable — or perhaps helpfully unfashionable — advantage: With his flannel-lined LL Bean barn coats, scuffed work boots and woodsy camo caps, Walz is one of the few male politicians who looks normal in the kind of unpretentious clothing many voters prefer to wear themselves.

Walz’s remarkably unremarkable look displays a rare talent that few of his contemporaries share. Despite America’s long trend of dressing down, male politicians looking to earn everyman cred via casual clothing often fumble.

At a Harris rally held just a few days after Walz popularized the now viral “weird” charge against Republicans during a Morning Joe interview last month, the governor showed up in a pair of Carhartt work pants, rugged work shoes and a camouflage cap decorated with the U.S. Special Forces crest (“De Oppresso Liber,” or “To Free the Oppressed”). While touring Dutch Creek Farms in Northfield, Minnesota, with President Joe Biden, he wore a tan canvas, corduroy-collared LL Bean barn coat with blue jeans and a ball cap that read “Minnesota Grown.” At Democratic Party retreats, he sports quarter-neck zip fleeces under what appears to be a buffalo-plaid Filson Mackinaw Cruiser, a classic among Midwestern hunters and outdoorsmen.

When the Harris campaign rolled out a video shortly after the VP announcement — showing Harris and Walz engaged in an obviously orchestrated phone call — Harris was shown wearing a navy suit while Walz was dressed in a black t-shirt, tan chinos, camo cap and white sneakers. The choice to put Walz in casual wear, and introduce woodsman camo campaign merch shortly after the announcement, suggests the Harris team is keenly aware of how clothing impacts the governor’s blue-collar brand.

But beyond branding, Walz’s avuncular outfits are visually successful because they are culturally coherent — teaming workwear with workwear, rather than mixing suit jackets with jeans, as DeSantis was wont to do. They also rely on classics from American heritage labels, such as LL Bean’s barn coat, Carhartt’s utility pants, Filson’s Mackinaw and Red Wing’s work boots. But most of all, they possess a quality that style writers have spent generations trying to dissect: authenticity. Walz grew up in small town Nebraska, where his high school graduating class included about 25 students. He earned his bachelor’s degree from a small public state college before going on to serve in the Army National Guard and then working at Mankato West High School, where he taught geography and coached football. His hunting get-ups don’t look contrived because he’s an actual hunter.

[From Politico]

Yes, that’s exactly why it works – it is authentic and it comes across that way too. Walz’s clothes are clean but well-worn, as if he’s had most of those pieces for years (if not decades). His hats always look like he picked them up from the back of his pickup truck. Even the choice for VP Harris to call Walz “coach” in her speeches reflects an awareness of what it is that Walz brings to the ticket. She’s not saying “Governor Walz” or even “Tim.” She’s calling him “Coach Walz” and there’s already campaign placards with a “coach” theme. She’s going to send him to Wisconsin and Michigan in full camo with a whistle, I swear to God.

Photos courtesy of Walz’s IG.

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The 2024 Paris Olympics have shone a light on many random, fascinating things that I, for one, did not know before three weeks ago. For instance: an athlete can be sponsored by cheese; there’s a shocking lack of pagan education (or at the very least Greek mythology) in modern culture; you can get a year’s worth of medical exams for free in two weeks at the Olympic Village (but you have to be an athlete, le sigh); and the food of champions is double chocolate muffins. (Have I been paying attention to items on the periphery of what the Olympics are really about? Yes. Am I bothered by that? No.) Another odd tidbit that’s garnered a lot of attention throughout the games is that chic Paris opted to continue the trend set by Tokyo and host this year’s Olympians in… cardboard beds. Needless to say, the furnishing choice was not appreciated by the hard-working athletes. Or as bronze medal-winning British weightlifter Emily Campbell put it, “The cardboard beds are not a vibe.”

The accommodations for the more than 10,000 Olympians who traveled to Paris weren’t exactly five-star.

British bronze-medal weightlifter Emily Campbell delivered a scathing review of the sleeping arrangements that she endured in the Olympic Village.

“I can’t wait to sleep in my own bed,” Campbell told the BBC after the Olympics. “I know it sounds so… but honestly, the cardboard beds are not a vibe. I’m looking forward to going home and seeing my family because I haven’t been able to catch up with them.”

In Tokyo in 2021, Campbell put up a silver-medal performance in the women’s +87 kg event.

The beds were a central talking point going into Paris.

They were made from recycled materials and reportedly designed to help save resources for the environment, but many joked that they also stop any love-making dead in its tracks.

“I hope that Paris 2024’s efforts to reduce its impact will show that it is possible to do things differently,” said Georgina Grenon, director of environmental excellence for the organizing committee prior to the games.

[From NY Post]

Wow, looking at pictures of those cardboard bed frames took me right back to high school physics. Allow me to explain: there was one lesson on weight distribution where my teacher had us make “support beams” by rolling up pieces of flimsy printer paper, and then see how many heavy textbooks we could stack on them before the whole thing came tumbling down. It was a lot more than you’d think! So while your first thought may have been, “What is keeping those incredibly fit and muscular athletes from crashing right through the cardboard?” the answer is, science. And speaking of, bravo to Paris for being environmentally conscious with the beds, but were there really no other eco-friendly options available? I’m just trying to reckon how it can be feasible to provide extensive and gratis medical care, but not better beds. C’est un mystère.

When we were talking about hobbies a little while ago, I bragged about eating being the one I participate in with the most gusto. But I neglected to mention sleeping, which I’ve technically dedicated more hours of my life to. Though I can make do fairly well on a couch, to turn in a top notch performance I need to be on my extra-firm mattress, so I totally empathize with the athletes here. (What? Stop laughing.) I used to be a super fluffy mattress girl, but a few years ago when it was mandated by the state that I replace my ancient bed, I dutifully sampled the wares at the department store. And I was shocked I tell you, shocked to discover how good the extra-firm ones felt! It was like my back could finally relax. It was a transcendent level of support. Yes I realize that in Paris it was the frames and not the mattresses that were cardboard. But my point is that if even I need a certain standard of comfort in my physically low-intensity life, then by gosh our Olympians deserve better beds!

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Hoda Kotb turned 60 last Friday, August 9. To celebrate the big 6-0, her Today cohost, Jenna Bush Hager threw her an on-air birthday party on Monday. The celebration was really well-done, too. The audience was given shirts and party hats to set the mood. Jenna gifted Hoda a painting of her favorite photo of her and her daughters that she commissioned her dad, former President George W. Bush to paint (he signed it “43” lmao). Some of Hoda’s good friends showed up for a segment. Producers played a sequence that checked in on three different families who Hoda’s interviewed in the past that spoke about her much she’d change their lives. There were also special birthday wishes from Hoda’s mom, daughters, and none other than Sandra Bullock. Sandra, who herself turned 60 on July 26, had an inspirational and funny message for her friend. It was a really nice birthday tribute.

“I had so many brilliant and funny things prepared for you for this message that were just going to slay, but you know girl, I’m just too tired,” said Bullock, who turned 60 on Friday, July 26.

The Practical Magic star also thanked Kotb “for being so incredible to so many people.”

“What you do for a living and how you have to shape-shift every single day, how you navigate your kindness, even when that’s not what’s coming your way,” she said. “How you are to those you care about and how you keep them safe, and just who you are as a human being. We’re all pretty lucky to have you, especially your kids.”

Bullock ended the video with a personal message for Kotb.

“Happy birthday, my sweet friend. Thank you for allowing me to be in your circle,” said Bullock. “I feel very grateful. And I have your bar set up, up here, so we can look at the view. It’s pretty beautiful, but I need you up here. Happy birthday.”

Kotb, the parents of daughters Haley, 7, and Hope, 4, through adoption, got visibly emotional after watching the video message and expressed that she was inspired to become a mother after watching Bullock’s motherhood journey.

“The reason that I have Haley and Hope is because when I was looking for inspiration of somebody who was a mom at my age, Sanda Bullock popped up and I called her and I said, ‘Tell me about motherhood,’” recalled Kotb. “And she said, ‘It is the best decision I ever made.’ And from that moment forward, she led the way to these two girls.”

[From People]

That was a really sweet message from Sandra. She very rarely makes public appearances like this, which makes the whole video extra lovely. I had no idea that they were so close and had never heard that story before about Sandy being a supportive inspiration behind Hoda’s decision to adopt Haley and Hope. I must have missed it because Hoda did talk about it on-air back in 2018. How awesome is that?

As for her message, I love that Sandra is out there letting women and anyone else who needs to hear it that 60 isn’t the scary number taboo that it’s been made out to be in the past. Sure, it may not always feel great as we’re forced to embrace the changes our bodies go through as we get older, but every additional day, month, and year is a blessing. And Sandy addressed those changes with her joke about being too tired to think of a clever message. I’m only 40 and I feel that way almost every single day, ha. Happy Birthday to Hoda! May 60 be her best year yet.

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I’ve briefly alluded to this before, but I do not like needles. I am pro-science and pro-vaxx; I just don’t enjoy the process. And by “don’t enjoy,” I mean I devolve to a sniveling level of cartoonish histrionics that has only somewhat improved in adulthood. You’re stabbing me with a pointy thing — of course my knee-jerk reaction is going to be to prevent it at all costs! So I’ve always considered myself lucky that (as yet) I don’t have any allergies severe enough that require the need of an EpiPen. Well, there’s good breaking news for us trypanophobes: the FDA has just approved a nasal spray for treating anaphylaxis. Though we don’t know when it will be available to consumers, the fluffy-named Neffy spray has been given Fast Track status to speed up the process. Thank you modern medicine!

The first-ever needle-free alternative to the EpiPen and similar epinephrine autoinjectors has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat anaphylaxis.

Neffy, a nasal spray that delivers a dose of epinephrine, is the first of its kind that isn’t delivered by injection. Until Neffy’s approval, the only way to stop the life-threatening response to an allergic reaction was with an injectable like the EpiPen, which comes pre-filled with a dose of the medication.

“Anaphylaxis is life-threatening and some people, particularly children, may delay or avoid treatment due to fear of injections,” Kelly Stone, MD, PhD, Associate Director of the Division of Pulmonology, Allergy and Critical Care in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a statement.

“The availability of epinephrine nasal spray may reduce barriers to rapid treatment of anaphylaxis. As a result, Neffy provides an important treatment option and addresses an unmet need.”

As the Mayo Clinic explains, “Anaphylaxis is a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction. It can happen seconds or minutes after you’ve been exposed to something you’re allergic to. Peanuts or bee stings are examples.”

Anaphylaxis “occurs in about one in 50 Americans,” the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America states, adding, “Many believe the rate is higher than that. It is probably closer to one in 20.”

The Mayo Clinic says symptoms include skin reactions (like hives), low blood pressure, nausea, fainting — and “constriction of the airways and a swollen tongue or throat, which can cause wheezing and trouble breathing.”

Food allergies are on the rise, according to Food Allergy Research and Education, with 33 million Americans citing at least one food allergy.

“Milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish and crustacean shellfish were identified as responsible for at least 90 percent of the serious food allergy reactions in the U.S.,” the organization says.

Peanut allergies, specifically, are rising — and as the Mayo Clinic points out, “Peanut allergy is the most common cause of food-induced anaphylaxis.”

“Even tiny amounts of peanuts can cause a serious reaction that can even be life-threatening.”
In January, a 25-year-old with a nut allergy died of anaphylactic shock after eating cookies that didn’t list peanuts on the label, and last year, a man from Texas died after eating a taco that didn’t list peanut butter as an ingredient.

Although no details have been released about when Neffy will be available, the FDA has granted the product Fast Track status, which expedites its release to the public.

[From People]

This is such great news! I’m so relieved for all the little kids afraid of needles (who sometimes grow up to be big adults afraid of needles; hi, that’s me!) that they’ll have this equally effective, much gentler option to the EpiPen. This is such a boon for anyone who gets queasy about shots, as the article points out. Surely this new epinephrine spray will help save lives. While People reports that there’s no word on when it will be available, the Allergy and Asthma Foundation estimates that it will be released around October of this year. And not for nothing, but “Neffy” already sounds like the name of one of the stuffed animals lining a toddler’s bed, which will make it even more friendly for the kids who’ll need it. In fact, wouldn’t it be great if they drew up an animated Neffy mascot character to help make the spray approachable to kids?

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