We rarely use NewsNation as a source because I haven’t really been able to gauge if their “exclusives” are real, or just sort of conservative-biased nonsense. But they’re running this new royal gossip piece and I thought, well, we might as well discuss it because it’s something different. This is from NewsNation’s The Scoop column by Paula Froelich, who formerly worked for Page Six. She claims to have gossip from royal “inside sources.”

My inside sources who speak with the Palace regularly say, both Catherine and Charles are, despite the bucolic picture painted in the video, not doing very well at all.

“(Kate) is not in remission and not cancer-free,” my insider said. “She’s not in good shape at all… it’s going to be a tough road ahead for both her and Charles. I had thought Charles was more treatable but both of them are not well.”

The concern is “one of them won’t live very long” and “plans need to be in place.”

Kensington Palace didn’t return emails.

…My sources point to the fact that anyone undergoing treatment for cancer must lead as stress-free of a life as possible — and that Harry with his constant complaining and whining about security is the opposite of stress-free.

“He’s very self-centered,” my source added. “He wants what he wants and has rarely been told no. Until now. When he left the Firm, that was it. They bent over backwards to make sure he understood what would happen — especially with security — but he keeps thinking he can (browbeat) his dad. It’s not good for (Charles’) health at all.”

And of course, there’s the fact that anything the Palace does, the Sussexes will try to outshine or piggyback on to. The most recent example: The day Catherine’s announcement was made, Netflix tweeted out a promotion and stills for Harry’s new documentary on Polo, saying: “POLO is a new documentary series that follows elite global players and offers an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the fast-paced world of the sport. From Archewell Productions and Boardwalk Pictures. Premiering this December.”

“It’s just so… tacky,” my insider sighed.

[From NewsNation]

Here’s the thing: I honestly believe that palace sources or royalist sources are venting to an American outlet about Netflix posting photos from Archewell’s Polo series. Those were probably the same people screaming about how some dog biscuits stole Kate’s thunder at Trooping the Colour. They are consumed with the Sussexes and everything they do or say, and none of that is actually about Harry and Meghan. Anyway, the stuff about Charles and Kate’s health crises is interesting. Given Kate’s video and the contradictory, nonsensical palace messaging after the video, my conspiracy is that Kate is actually doing a lot better, health-wise, than we’ve been led to believe. I believe the opposite is true of Charles – I think he’s been doing significantly worse than anyone will admit. I also think that’s why William seems to be in IDGAF-mode in recent months.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Will Warr/KP.

Tessa Dunlop is one of the few royal historians/commentators who refuses to adhere to the strict royal propaganda line. Dunlop has been, at times, critical of King Charles and Prince William, and the Sussexes as well. She’s one of only a handful of historians who actually understands that the current royal estrangements are horrible for the Windsors and for Britain. On Prince Harry’s birthday, Dunlop wrote this piece for the Independent: “Harry at 40 might miss Britain, but the uncomfortable truth is we may miss him more.” As in… the Windsors’ and British media’s obsession with Harry is pretty obviously about how everything fell apart for that family when the charismatic ginger prince left. Some highlights from Dunlop’s piece:

The first Invictus Games in 2014: In front of a 2 million-strong television audience, alchemist Harry had successfully melded the disarming qualities of his late mother with royalty’s powerful service platform. The effect was electric. The closing ceremony of those first Games coincided with his thirtieth birthday, when he “danced, sang and celebrated being alive.” Proof, if any were needed, that Harry was born to serve.

The Sussexes’ royal tours: It’s the duke’s aptitude for service that’s the main stumbling block for those who remain on the other side of the Atlantic. Royal stalwarts huff and puff about Harry’s hypocrisy; how dare the duke steer his ship into the rocky waters of Nigeria and Columbia, when he complains Britain, minus security, is unsafe for his young family. (Alongside the service gene comes a heft of entitlement, another hallmark of royalty.) But Harry’s princely expectations should not detract from his achievements: whether people like it or not, together with his savvy duchess, the Sussexes cut a dash in countries long resistant to Britain’s privileged royal brand. The then Cambridge’s 2022 Caribbean tour doesn’t bear comparison. The bitter note in Britain’s coverage of the Sussexes’ ‘DIY royal tours’ speaks for itself. Long may we wonder if Harry misses Britain, anything rather than invert the question and admit Britain misses Harry.

Harry always had more rizz than William: Always the more charismatic of the two, a new-age Harry, comfortable in his own skin, joshing with the kids in Colombia, is jarring for William. Even now, when a Cold War keeps the two siblings apart, the Prince of Wales finds himself inadvertently playing catch-up with little brother Harry. It was the duke who first defied royal rules to sport a stubbly beard, and long before Kate’s sumptuous, scripted recovery film, it was Harry and Meghan who produced heavily curated versions of their healing journeys.

The Sussexes understand the zeitgeist: The couple’s infuriating knack of identifying the zeitgeist and running with it, has kept Sussexes in the headlines, that’s why we tune into their effortless overseas spectacles and pour over the minutiae of their lives. When it comes to being royal – a toxic cocktail of privilege, service and celebrity – the Sussexes have nailed it. Back in Britain that hurts.

Charles must take the lead on reconciliation: Charles knows his reign is not for the long term and must now take the lead when it comes to mending father-son fences. It is one thing to feel threatened by a sibling, quite another by a child. That Charles does not like to be upstaged is yet another reason for him to make the first move. Wearing the mantle of kingship, as England’s Defender of the Faith, Charles can’t busk his reputation on man-hugs with rugby players and simultaneously leave a gaping wound at home. Time is of the essence…[In] Harry’s relationship with Charles, he’ll always be the child, and in his forties will continue to behave like one. In this royal equation, the King, as a parent, bears the brunt of responsibility. Ten years ago, Charles was proud of his ‘darling boy’. Today, he may wish him well, but he must dig deeper and find a vestige of that pride once more.

They need Harry’s fairy dust: Redemption and forgiveness are powerful forces in our fractious world, likewise the embrace of difference. The King sits on the British throne, there is no greater stage in the United Kingdom. To reach out and reconnect with Harry, who has forged a different path with his birthright, would inadvertently win back some of the Duke’s fairy dust for Britain. But the King must make the first move. Harry has another forty years in front of him, and even William may be glad of the day when his brother is not constantly cast in opposition to the royal family.

[From The Independent]

I just appreciate it when, after all of the ink spilled about “Harry must apologize” and “why isn’t Harry coming back” and “Harry must be so jealous of William and Kate’s awful video,” there’s at least one British person stating the obvious. That Charles and William are sick with jealousy over Harry’s life and success, that they’re mad that he took his star power far away from them, that Harry makes his father and brother look like charisma-vacuums. Britain does miss Harry. The Windsors were also slow to realize that Harry was the one keeping the whole sorry thing relevant.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images.

As we discussed, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck were out in Beverly Hills on Saturday with their children. They went to the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel for lunch, and they got pap’d going into and out of the hotel. In front of the cameras, their body language seemed weird, not loved up. At one point, it looked like Ben was getting in Jennifer’s face about something. Jennifer also seems close to his kids – one of them gave Jen a big hug as they said goodbye, while Max and Emme were seemingly giving Ben the stinkeye. Having watched the way everything has gone down in the past four weeks, I’m getting the vibe that people in Ben’s life are actually disappointed in him and sad that he sabotaged this marriage. Those people include his kids.

While the photos have a weird energy, Page Six was the only outlet claiming that Jennifer and Ben were actually kissing and affectionate while having lunch at the Polo Lounge. Now a new Page Six story claims that Ben couldn’t keep his hands off of Jen, and it was also his idea to do the pap stroll outside the hotel.

Ben Affleck “could not keep his hands off” Jennifer Lopez at their brunch on Saturday, a source exclusively told Page Six. The “Argo” director wanted to meet his estranged wife at the Beverly Hills Hotel to show that they’re “friends,” and get their pics taken. But he wound up not being able to keep his hands off his ex, sources exclusively told us.

The estranged couple was having brunch with their children at the famed Polo Lounge in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Saturday — and the stars were seen “holding hands and kissing.”

A source tells us it was the “Justice League” star’s idea for the former pair to meet at the high-profile spot in hopes of getting their pic snapped. But Affleck apparently wasn’t counting on finding the “On The Floor” singer so irresistible in person, says our source.

“Once they were together, he could not keep his hands off,” our source said.

The insider added, “They have always had a lot of sexual chemistry. That was not planned. They are still attracted to one another.”

“It was Ben Affleck’s idea to meet there,” the insider said. “He wanted to show that they are friendly exes. He wanted those photos. You go there when you want to be seen. Paparazzi hang out there.”

[From Page Six]

For what it’s worth, Jennifer’s team clearly went to People Magazine to dampen the speculation that the Bennifer Reunification is back on. Sources close to J.Lo maintain that this whole thing was just a “fun lunch so the kids could hang out” and that Jen is “trying to be friendly with Ben. They are still moving forward with the divorce though. They are working out financial details amicably.” The same source said: “A divorce is never easy, but Jennifer doesn’t want to be selfish about it. The kids always got along and have fun together. It makes her happy seeing the kids happy together. Happy kids are her priority.”

So what the hell is going on? My theory is that Jennifer actually believed that she was done with Ben and she made sure that she fought back and let everyone know that she’s not the reason why they’re divorcing, that Ben is moody and he shut down and ghosted her. But Ben loves nothing more than when she’s suddenly unavailable to him. All I know is that his side is suddenly very eager to make it sound like Ben is open to giving it another go. If that happens, it will break me, ISTG.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Backgrid.

It’s been almost a month since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dropped out of the presidential race and endorsed Donald Trump. It’s hard to believe that it’s been that long because sso many things have happened since that first debate in late June. At this point, basically everything feels like it simultaneously happened both months ago and just last week.

If you thought RFK Jr. was going to go away after he appeared on stage to endorse that orange menace, you were sadly mistaken. He’s just too bizarre to go away! First, there was the bear in Central Park story. Then, there was that picture of him with an (alleged) barbecued goat. Next, a story that his daughter Kick Kennedy once told circulated. If you haven’t heard that one, you can read in the quoted text below. For those of you with weak stomachs, it involved a whale, his family, and a minivan. That story was so gross and absurd that it caught the attention of authorities. Over the weekend, RFK Jr. announced that he was being investigated by the National Marine Fisheries Institute for “collecting a whale specimen 20 years ago.”

Former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Saturday he is being investigated for collecting a whale specimen.

“I received a letter from the National Marine Fisheries Institute saying that they were investigating me for collecting a whale specimen 20 years ago,” Kennedy said during a campaign event for former President Donald Trump in Glendale, Arizona, noting that he received the letter “this week.”

Kennedy said that he responded in a letter, baselessly linking the National Marine Fisheries Service with whale deaths and calling for the agency to investigate.

“This is all about the weaponization of our government against political opponents,” he said.

Kennedy did not go into details about the whale incident, but his daughter had previously described a situation involving a whale that took place 30 years ago.

His daughter Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy, 36, described in a 2012 article for Town & Country magazine how, when she was 6, her father used a chainsaw to cut the head off a dead whale that had washed ashore and bungee-corded it to the family’s car during their drive home.

“Every time we accelerated on the highway, whale juice would pour into the windows of the car, and it was the rankest thing on the planet,” she told the magazine at the time. “We all had plastic bags over our heads with mouth holes cut out, and people on the highway were giving us the finger, but that was just normal day-to-day stuff for us.”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s comments came during a campaign event alongside former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for Trump at Arizona Christian University. Kennedy endorsed Trump in August and has since been on the campaign trail urging supporters to back the former president.

Kennedy told NBC News after the program that he has never killed a whale. The National Marine Fisheries Service, which is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, did not immediately respond to a request for comment and confirmation Saturday night.

When asked by a reporter after the campaign event for details about the investigation, Kennedy said he was “not going to talk” about the incident, but would talk about “serious policy issues.” He criticized the media as wanting to discuss “gossipy nonsense,” adding, “I’m not interested in feeding that feature of mainstream media.”

After the 2012 story resurfaced last month, an environmental group urged federal officials to investigate the incident.

“Kennedy may think that his name and privilege mean the rules don’t apply to him, but if he had a shred of integrity left he’d surrender this whale skull and any other illegally collected wildlife parts to the authorities,” said Brett Hartl, political director for the Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund, in a news release. “If he doesn’t, NOAA law enforcement should open an investigation and potentially bring charges against him.”

[From NBC News]

Of course that weirdo would claim “weaponization of government” against him and then baselessly blame them for whale deaths. Heaven forbid his own actions have consequences. I bet he really doesn’t think he did anything wrong with or even remotely terrible to that whale. Just because he didn’t kill it, it doesn’t mean that he didn’t do something that was at best, extremely gross and weird, and at worst, illegal. Bah. I hope NMF seriously looks into it. Justice for the whale and for that minivan! There’s got to be so many stories about RFK Jr. out there, and I have a feeling that we’ve just barely scratched the surface, ugh. Well, at least Trump has always been consistent about only having “the best people” around him (/sarcasm).

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Photos credit: MAGO/hoo-me.com/MediaPunch / Avalon, Getty and via Instagram

I turned 40 earlier this year and as I’ve noticed the changes in my body over the past few years, menopause has been on my mind a lot. I really appreciate the celebrities like Naomi Watts, Sofia Vergara, Halle Berry, and Brooke Burke who have spoken up about their experiences and how our bodies change as we age.

Kate Winslet, who turns 49 on October 5, was a guest on the September 10 episode of the podcast How to Fail with Elizabeth Day. During her appearance, a listener asked about ways to “rekindle her sex drive” with her boyfriend. Kate responded by talking about the how testosterone levels in a woman’s body depletes as they age. She also shared her experience with testosterone therapy, which she credited with making her feel sexy again.

Kate Winslet is getting candid about her sex drive. The Lee actress, 48, said during a Sept. 10 episode of the How to Fail with Elizabeth Day podcast that her libido got a major boost after undergoing testosterone replacement therapy. While answering a listener’s relationship question about how to rekindle her sex drive with her longtime boyfriend, Winslet gave advice and opened up about her health journey.

“Sometimes women have a real dip in libido because there might be stuff going on with their thyroid. There could also be stuff going on with your level of testosterone,” the Oscar winner said.

“A lot of people don’t know this, but women have testosterone in their body, when it runs out — like eggs — it’s gone,” Winslet added. “And once it’s gone you have to replace it, and that is something that can be done and you’ll feel sexy again … I know.”

Winslet also suggested that the listener should have her thyroid levels and testosterone levels checked: “Those things could have a direct impact on how you’re actually feeling. It’s not your fault, our bodies are weird and they behave in strange ways, especially as we get older.”

She continued: “So there could be a dip in those hormonal levels for you that is contributing much more than you think to how you’re feeling about having sex with your boyfriend, so I would definitely go ahead and do that.”

Winslet also noted that the listener should be easy on herself while navigating the situation.

The Titanic star also spoke about embracing body positivity during her podcast appearance, saying, “We have to own [our bodies], this is the thing.”

“We’re so conditioned, women, in our 40s to think, ‘Oh well I’m creeping closer to the end.’ You think you’re going into menopause and you’ll stop having sex, your boobs are going to sag and your skin’s going to go crepy,” she explained. “First of all, so what? And secondly, it’s just conditioning.”

“I think women as they get older get juicier and sexier and more embedded in their truth of who they are and more powerful, more able to walk through the world and care less and that is an empowering thing,” Winslet said. “I say to my friends all the time, ‘You look amazing.‘ ”

Winslet has been outspoken about aging and her physicality. She previously spoke about being “brave” when it came to on-screen nudity. “I know better than to waste precious energy on criticizing my physical self,” she told Vogue in a September 2023 interview.

“I think any woman is better off just saying: I believe in myself. It doesn’t matter what other people think; this is who I am — let’s get on with it,” Winslet said.

[From People]

Ignoring how she describes women’s bodies as getting “juicier” as they age (WTF does that even mean?!), I have always appreciated Kate’s honesty. How else are we going to find out about potential issues if they’re not actually talked about? This speaks to what I’ve always believed is why we need to destigmatize these topics. Otherwise, we suffer in silence and wonder what’s “wrong” with us when it doesn’t have to be like that. Has anyone had any experience with this? I’ve read up on hormone therapy during menopause but always thought that estrogen and progestin were the main focuses. Of course, as with everything, speak with your doctor and consider any potential side effects.

You can listen to Kate’s episode of How to Fail here.

photos credit: Aissaoui Nacer/Backgrid, Phil Lewis / Wenn / Avalon, Julie Edwards / Avalon

Last November, Cassie filed a federal lawsuit against Sean “Puffy” Combs. Her lawsuit was devastating – Combs violently abused Cassie for years, he trafficked her to other men, he exploited her, he medically and emotionally abused her. Combs settled out of court with her within 24 hours, but Cassie’s lawsuit got the ball rolling. Suddenly, multiple investigations popped up, and Combs’ other victims began speaking out and getting lawyers. In March of this year, federal authorities raided Combs’ properties in Florida and California. Months ago, we also heard that a federal grand jury was being impaneled. Well, the grand jury indicted, and Combs was arrested in Manhattan last night.

Sean Combs, the music mogul whose career has been upended by sexual assault lawsuits and a federal investigation, was arrested at a Manhattan hotel on Monday evening after a grand jury indicted him.

The indictment is sealed and the charges were not announced but Marc Agnifilo, a lawyer for Mr. Combs, said he believed he was being charged with racketeering and sex trafficking.

A statement from Mr. Combs’s legal team said they were disappointed with the decision to prosecute him and noted that he had been cooperative with the investigation and had “voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges.”

“Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is a music icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man, and proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children, and working to uplift the Black community,” the statement said. “He is an imperfect person but he is not a criminal.”

Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement posted on social media late Monday that “we expect to move to unseal the indictment in the morning and will have more to say at that time.”

Mr. Agnifilo said Mr. Combs had been arrested by officers with Homeland Security Investigations at about 8:30 p.m. at the hotel where he was staying, the Park Hyatt New York on 57th Street. It is expected he will be held overnight and then arraigned on Tuesday.

[From The NY Times]

Arrested by Homeland Security, not FBI. Interesting. It feels like the indictment is very heavy on human trafficking and interstate sex crimes, although I’m sure the raids on Combs’ homes uncovered a wealth of crimes across the board. The arraignment should be interesting and I actually have some faith that Combs won’t be able to wriggle out of this. It feels like the feds did everything by the book and they built a strong case. But we’ll see. I hope Cassie is having a beautiful and peaceful day.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Avalon Red.

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Last Week Tonight continued its well-deserved Emmy domination on Sunday night. After sweeping the Outstanding Variety Talk Series for seven years in a row, they were shuffled off to the Scripted Variety Series category at last year’s awards (which were held in January), and now they’ve won against SNL in back-to-back years (or eight months apart). John Oliver and his merry band of mischiefs cannot be stopped! A great show is a great show, however you label it. And when you think about it, John Oliver winning an award in primetime is really a gift to us all, because we get to enjoy him stumbling through delivering another acceptance speech in his endearing, awkward grace. This year was no exception. Oliver landed the requisite barb against business daddy HBO, inadvertently renamed his son while thanking his family, and then dedicated the win to the most worthiest of floofs: his family’s recently departed dog. But it’s John Oliver, so the moment didn’t go off without a hitch, or an f— bomb.

Oliver’s Last Week Tonight won outstanding scripted variety series at the 76th annual Emmy awards on Sunday, Sept. 15. While accepting the win, Oliver gave a speech thanking his team and family — but one slip up brought extra laughs from the audience.

“Thank you so much,” he began. “Thank you to my staff — some of them are here, others are in Brooklyn — whether they’re watching this, I know they are in Brooklyn, I hope you’re having fun. I’d particularly like to thank Liz Stanton and Tim Carvell. I’d like to say thank you to HBO for not canceling us over the last decade, that was never a guarantee, I appreciate it, please carry on.”

He continued: “I’d like to thank my wife, Kate and our kids, husband — ‘husband’ — Hudson, his name is Hudson. Ouch. That’s gonna come back to haunt me.”

Laughing at himself, Oliver, 47, dedicated his award to another family member.

“I also want to thank, may be silly, our dog,” he said. “We had the most fantastic dog, and she was at our wedding and she got us through a pandemic. She was with us, two pregnancies.”

As he spoke, playoff music came on, making the moment resemble a sad dog commercial.

“Perfect choice of music,” he said. “We had to say goodbye to her.”

“F–k you,” he joked. “I feel like Sarah McLachlan right now.”

Singer Sarah McLachlan famously starred in a tear-jerking commercial for the ASPCA set to her hit song “Angel.”

“She was an amazing dog,” Oliver added, despite being ushered off the stage. “This is for her, this is for all dogs. All dogs, you’re all very good girls. You’re all very good boys. You all deserve a treat. Play me off now. Thanks so much.”

[From People]

Let’s start off with Husband Oliver. ‘Husband’ is not the craziest baby name to come out of Hollywood! I realize the faux pas was in not remembering his son’s actual name, but I thought I’d throw Father Oliver a bone there. Especially after hearing him tell ET reporters that he’d only had an airline-proffered parfait ahead of the ceremony?! Heaven knows what would come out of my mouth if I got up on stage during a live broadcast without having ingested any solid food, is alls I’m sayin’. (And for the record, Oliver does also thank his second son — I’ve listened to the clip over and over and the best I can make out is ‘Marzy?’ Please chime in if you have better ears!)

But of course the big heart-wrencher was Oliver thanking his dog. Being only 37 days out from saying goodbye to my own pup My Girl, I was right there with Oliver. I loved the way he honored his very good girl as a genuine family member, because that is who our pets are. And yes, I also enjoy laughing at messy situations playing out on my TV, so I got a kick out of the orchestra sad-violining during the speech at exactly the wrong moment, and in turn watching Oliver react to that fumble. And seeing as how I failed to win an Emmy yet again this year, I appreciate Oliver extending his dedication to all the dogs out there, who do indeed all deserve treats. Though I’m still imagining My Girl sassily flapping her angel wings thinking, “I want a Golden Globe win in my honor or you never really loved me, Lady.”

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More photos from the 2024 Emmy Awards and afterparties. Here’s Jon Hamm and his wife Anna at the Disney party. [Hollywood Life]
The men of the Emmys – so happy for Lamorne Morris! [LaineyGossip]
Emily In Paris has been renewed for a fifth season! [Just Jared]
Fantastic headline over at Socialite Life. [Socialite Life]
Review of Cate Blanchett’s new AppleTV series. [Pajiba]
Kate Hudson at TIFF. [Go Fug Yourself]
FKA Twigs has new music! [OMG Blog]
Taylor Zakhar Perez is such a cutie. [RCFA]
I’m glad Steve-O still listens to reason. [Seriously OMG]
Preview of Bravo’s fall reality line-up. [Starcasm]
The funniest tweets from the Emmys. [Buzzfeed]

On September 9th, Kensington Palace published a new statement from the Princess of Wales in which she announced that she was done with chemotherapy and the next stage of her life was about doing what she could to “stay cancer free.” With the statement came a three-minute video which was, in a word, cringe. It featured Kate, William and their kids rolling around on a beach and Kate playing with a butterfly in between groping various ferns. The message was complicated, and no one really knew what to make of it beyond “this is gruesome.” Kate and William are always doing these things which they believe will earn them widespread praise, and then even the most ardent royalist is like: YIKES. King Charles and Camilla apparently hated the video too, which we learned days later, and was likely one of the reasons why so many outlets felt comfortable expressing skepticism over all of it. Anyway, one of the still-unanswered questions is “what comes next” and/or “is Kate ever going to work again?” Given all of KP’s briefings, it seems like what comes next is a whole lotta nothing. From The Telegraph:

The video was ALL Kate: The film, one suspects, will become a treasured family memento to be watched fondly together in years and decades to come. This was not a video filmed by committee, workshopped by Kensington Palace aides and edited with the help of focus groups. It was, sources said, a “creative outlet” for the Princess, who has chosen to take control of her own message in a public life which has seen her cede so much. “This is her,” says a friend. The Princess is now, they say, working out what is right for her future, and that of her family.

Kate’s confidence: “This is a personal message from her,” says one source, who notes approvingly that her voice has grown in confidence since first setting out to speak directly to the public, when she revealed details of her illness in a video message released in March.

The future of Kate’s public role: What that will look like is uncertain. Save for two key appearances – Remembrance Sunday and her annual carol concert at Westminster Abbey, which will take place unless her health changes – the rest of her diary over the coming months is unconfirmed for obvious reasons, to allow for cancellations without causing alarm.

The Early Years work: The Princess’s work, including her many public appearances and a flagship project focused on improving the lives of young children, is the constant that has run through her public life, says one palace source, who describes the Wales’ approach to Royal life as an “unwavering commitment to duty and service”. “She’s said on many occasions that her work does bring her great joy,” adds one who knows the couple. “Whether it will be work in the same way now as it was in 2023, time will tell. For now, it’s going to have to be different.”

So many sources are kicking the can down the road: “Perhaps there will be a new approach and a different balance,” says a second source. “But the important thing is, she’ll be back.” Another source said: “The public understands the position she’s in, I think they get it. People want her to balance and not rush back.”

No support groups for Kate: Multiple charities offer specific help for the period of life after a patient’s treatment has ended, from support groups to “cancer coaches”. One, Life after Cancer, says 92 per cent of its users admit to finding life after cancer harder than cancer treatment. Its support system is designed to alleviate the “risk of serious mental distress” after treatment and help people “build a positive life after their cancer experience”. If the Princess cannot join a support group with such a high public profile, she appears to have absorbed their messages. In the case of the Prince and Princess of Wales, one source says: “As she says herself, this has changed their perspective on everything.”

The intimacy of the video: If the public, including those who have followed the monarchy for decades, were taken aback by the intimacy of the Wales family video, those who have spent time with them recently are not. “I think this personal approach is something you will see going forward,” says a source. There is no change in policy on the Wales children’s privacy, a palace source emphasised. The Prince and Princess, like any parents, will continue to decide how much they are willing to share with the public – albeit on a worldwide scale.

How William feels about Kate’s journey: Prince William, who has this year come to terms with cancer diagnoses for his father and his wife, wants nothing more than to protect her, friends say, and give her peace as she recovers. “Like any husband, he wants to support his wife,” says a source. “And at this stage, a big part of that is supporting her to do the things that bring her joy while she is on this journey.”

Measured in decades: As aides have pointed out repeatedly over the years, the Princess’s work will be measured in decades – a lifelong dedication to duty unlike any other career. Now, this logic acts as a reminder that she must be allowed to heal fully – physically and emotionally – before she considers a wholesale return.

[From The Telegraph]

“It was, sources said, a ‘creative outlet’ for the Princess, who has chosen to take control of her own message in a public life.” The video announcing she is cancer-free was her creative outlet? Can she not paint or make a quilt? But really, one gets the sense that Kate is being thrown under the bus yet again. They’re going on and on about how the video was important to Kate, this was her message, this is all about her journey… William was in the video too, looking like he wanted to be anywhere else. Was it a creative outlet for William too? And calling it “creative” is an interesting choice, almost like they were creating a cringefest fictional work of art. As for Kate’s schedule… they’ve successfully kicked the can down the road for another four months. In January, we’ll hear a new story for why Kate is doing f–k all.

Photos courtesy of Will Warr/Kensington Palace.

Just like at this year’s Oscars, there was a major non-entertainment story breaking alongside an awards show last night. While many people were focused on the Emmys, an absolutely bonkers political story was unfolding. First of all, Sunday was an awful day for Republicans. JD Vance made an ass out of himself on the Sunday morning shows, then Donald Trump followed that up by declaring “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT” on Truth Social, his Nazi social media platform. Hours later, Secret Service agents detailed to Trump confronted a would-be assassin at Trump’s West Palm Beach golf club.

The F.B.I. said it was investigating “what appears to be an attempted assassination” of former President Donald J. Trump after the Secret Service fired on an armed man at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Sunday, just over two months after he was wounded during an attempt on his life.

Mr. Trump was on the course, a few hundred yards away, when Secret Service personnel spotted a person concealed in the bushes and opened fire, law enforcement officials said at a briefing. The suspect fled the scene in a vehicle and was taken into custody during a traffic stop, and a rifle with a scope was recovered from the bushes, along with a camera and two backpacks. It was not yet clear whether the suspect had fired any shots, according to the Secret Service.

A U.S. law enforcement official identified the suspect as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of Hawaii. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation is continuing. Mr. Routh was interviewed by The New York Times in 2023 for an article about Americans volunteering to aid the war effort in Ukraine. Mr. Routh, who had no military experience, said he had traveled there after Russia’s invasion in 2022 to recruit Afghan soldiers for the fight. He told The Times he once visited Washington to meet with politicians to strengthen support for Ukraine. “I’m just a U.S. citizen that’s helping out,” he said.

[From The NY Times]

People quickly found Routh’s social media and went through all of his old Twitter posts. It was a portrait of a former MAGA Republican – he supported Trump in 2016, then he switched his allegiance to Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy, and he seemingly did not want Trump to be the Republican nominee. Journalists were in the process of looking through his Twitter account when Twitter’s unhinged owner Elon Musk deleted the account. Not only that, Musk questioned why Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were not being similarly targeted. That’s the kind of question which SHOULD lead to the Secret Service crawling up Elon Musk’s ass for years. Musk ended up deleting the post… but only after millions of people saw it. Then he followed up with some “it was just jokes” tweets.

Who else here feels that Elon Musk should be stripped of his security clearance, and U.S. citizenship and then deported back to his home nation of South Africa? pic.twitter.com/wk16pG4y1g

— Lakota Man (@LakotaMan1) September 16, 2024

Pretty confident this post will get more swifties involved in the election than Taylor’s endorsement would. Sure they love to do whatever she says but more importantly, they love to ruin the lives of her enemies. pic.twitter.com/ukr48JiElN

— Travis Helwig (@travishelwig) September 15, 2024

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.