Prince Harry’s trial against News Group Newspapers will happen in early 2025. The trial will not be a brief affair – there will likely be weeks of testimony and legal-bickering, and I’m a little bit worried that the trial will still be happening when Harry and Meghan arrive in Vancouver and Whistler for the Invictus Games on February 8. Obviously, Harry doesn’t have to physically be in court for the entire thing, but he will have to testify, and he will likely have to/want to testify in person rather than via Zoom or whatever. Well, NGN’s lawyers are trying to intimidate Harry, I think, and they’re saying that Harry will be under a microscopic cross-examination for days. Don’t threaten him with a good time!

The Duke of Sussex could face four days of “extensive” questioning in the High Court in his upcoming trial against the publisher of The Sun over allegations of unlawful information gathering. The Duke, 40, and former Labour deputy leader Lord Tom Watson are bringing legal action against News Group Newspapers (NGN), which is set to head to trial in January 2025.

The Duke was also accused of trying to turn his legal battle into a public inquiry after he said last week he would never settle the case to achieve closure for the hundreds of thousands who had settled.

Anthony Hudson KC, for NGN, said 30 articles will be included in the trial in the Duke’s case and he would need to be questioned on each one. The barrister said Harry will be questioned about whether or not his claim should be dismissed because it was brought too late, adding: “That is going to require an extensive cross-examination of the Duke on actual and constructed knowledge.”

Mr Hudson continued: “If we said anything less than up to four days, we would be at risk of running out of time.”

David Sherborne, representing the Duke and Lord Watson, said the Duke had been questioned for only a day-and-a-half in his claim against Mirror Group Newspapers. He continued: “The idea that Mr Hudson could allow himself four days because he doesn’t want to feel rushed, that could apply to every witness.”

Mr Hudson KC also told the court the Duke’s comments in a New York Times interview last week proved he was trying to turn the case into a public inquiry. “It shows what’s really going on,” he said. “This is not about the trial of these individual claims, certainly not about the Duke’s. It’s about something very different. What it’s clearly about… it’s almost by definition a public inquiry.”

[From The Telegraph]

I genuinely wonder if the average British person understands what Harry is doing here and what he’s going up against, and how NGN and the British tabloids have run a high-level extortion scheme on hundreds of celebrities, royals and politicians. After all of this, after years of motions and hearings and threats and intimidation tactics, Prince Harry is still marching these f–kers to trial. I think he will be more than happy to be cross-examined for four days about all of this horses-t, if it comes to that.

Some NGN/Sun covers from the years where this case has been slow-walked to trial.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, The Sun.

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For months now, the deranged royalist storyline about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has been “professional SEPARATION!” They think if they continue to scream “separation,” that will somehow encourage Harry and Meghan to split up. Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan have just continued to do whatever they want, going to some events separately while they ignore the narrative. Well, here’s more evidence that Harry and Meghan are not joined at the hip: Meghan went to a baby shower without Harry! Baby shower separation!!

Meghan Markle will dress on theme to celebrate her friends! On Dec. 11, the Duchess of Sussex, 43, was photographed alongside friends Kelly McKee Zajfen and Markus Anderson to celebrate their friend Samantha Stone’s baby shower. Zajfen, the cofounder of Alliance of Moms, posted a sweet Instagram photo alongside Meghan, Stone and Anderson — each in baby pink attire.

Meghan wore a light pink Posse Alice linen midi dress to the celebration. She was photographed candidly smiling beside Zajfen, Anderson and Stone, the Soho House & Co. Chief Membership Officer.

Stone wore a pink halterneck gown with ruffles on the neckline, while Zajfen wore a tweed babydoll dress. Anderson, the Soho House director, wore a pink polo with a pink sweater draped across his shoulders and tan trousers.

[From People]

For years, the tabloids have tried to find out everything they can about Meghan and her friends, but I’ve yet to hear how Meghan became so tight with literally everyone behind-the-scenes at Soho House & Co. Long before she met Harry, she was tight with Marcus Anderson and Samantha Stone and all of the Soho House people. How did those friendships even start? Anyway, it’s cute to see Meghan out and about with friends. I think some – not all, but some – of the “professional separation” angst is because those people are mad that Meghan has a close circle of friends who never sell her out. The tabloids are mad that Meghan has friends and that she’s able to move around and live her life, basically. Anyway, Meghan looks cute in the photo and she looks great in pink.

Photos courtesy of Instagram, Avalon Red, Cover Images.

Donald Trump is Time Magazine’s Person of the Year. He beat out the Princess of Wales, Elon Musk, Kamala Harris and Joe Rogan for the title. It honestly would have been bizarre if Kate was POTY given everything else. I’m sure the fact that Kate would have refused an interview was a factor as well! As for the cover… it looks like Trump got a fresh wig, and it’s weird that they shot the photo from below, given Trump’s waddle and double chin (which were photoshopped on the cover). I have very little tolerance for any of this sh-t at this point, but if you want to read his POTY interview, you can see it here. Here’s a short excerpt:

Trump has a ready explanation for his improbable [political] resurrection. He even has a name for its climactic final act. “I called it 72 Days of Fury,” he says as the interview gets under way. “We hit the nerve of the country. The country was angry.” It wasn’t just the MAGA faithful. Trump harnessed deep national discontent about the economy, immigration, and cultural issues. His grievances resonated with suburban moms and retirees, Latino and Black men, young voters and tech edgelords. While Democrats estimated that most of the country wanted a President who would uphold the norms of liberal democracy, Trump saw a nation ready to smash them, tapping into a growing sense that the system was rigged.

If America was craving change, it is about to see how much Trump can deliver. He ran on a strongman vision, proposing to deport migrants by the millions, dismantle parts of the federal government, seek revenge against his political adversaries, and dismantle institutions that millions of people see as censorious and corrupt. “He understands the cultural zeitgeists,” says his 2016 campaign manager Kellyanne Conway, who remains a close adviser. “Donald Trump is a complicated person with simple ideas, and way too many politicians are the exact opposite.”

Trump also promises to attack the sources abroad that he blames for the country’s malaise: economic interdependence, transnational criminals, traditional allies he sees as free riders on America’s long-running global beneficence. He believes he has tools to fight back: punitive tariffs, bare-knuckle negotiations, and threats to withdraw U.S. military, humanitarian, and economic support. Willing to upend the nation’s postwar role as a bulwark against authoritarianism, he promises to usher in a foreign policy rooted in “America First” transactionalism.

[From Time]

Yeah, it’s going to be a real sh-tshow. The American Experiment is over, not with a bang but a whimper. I hope everyone who voted for the Leopards-Eating-Faces Party gets everything they voted for. Beyond that, I hope all of the sensible people out there can find ways to protect themselves and the people they love.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, cover courtesy of Time.

A few weeks ago, Buckingham Palace clearly gave extensive briefings as to the Windsors’ Christmas plans. There were confirmations that the Princess of Wales would join the family for Christmas, as would Prince Andrew. Someone also made sure to tell everyone that Prince Harry and Meghan did not “receive an invitation” to Sandringham this year, which means the Sussexes will spend their fifth Christmas in a row outside of England. The palace tried and failed to strike a balance between “the poor, cancer-stricken king wants to be surrounded by family for the holiday” and “obviously, the king still hates his younger son and Black daughter-in-law!” Anyway, I guess we need to be bashed over the head with that message, because Katie Nicholl had this Vanity Fair exclusive:

The Royal Family are preparing for a “bumper” Christmas at Sandringham after a year of personal challenges. King Charles will honor the late Queen’s tradition of hosting Christmas at Sandringham in Norfolk and it is expected that around 40 family members will attend this year in what sources are describing as “one of the biggest family Christmases ever.”

Sources tell Vanity Fair that Kate Middleton and Prince William will be joining the royals despite rumors that they could opt for a more low-key Christmas at Anmer Hall.

“Actually the plan is for them to all be at Sandringham for a very special big family Christmas. William and Catherine and the children will be there. The king and queen want their nearest and dearest with them to celebrate,” a royal source tells Vanity Fair. Tom Parker Bowles, Queen Camilla’s son, revealed in an interview with the Telegraph published Saturday that he has been invited to join the royals for Christmas for the first time and is looking forward to a “different” Christmas to usual.

King Charles is said to be keen for the royals to conduct a walkabout after church on Christmas Day in what will be seen as a show of unity and togetherness. The last time the royals were seen en masse was on Christmas Day last year. Just weeks later the palace revealed that the Princess of Wales and King Charles were to undergo surgery followed by the shocking news that they had both been diagnosed with cancer. Neither royal has disclosed the type of disease they have been battling.

“It has been a very difficult and challenging time but the feeling is they are over the shock and the worst of it, and everyone is feeling very optimistic about 2025,” adds the insider. “The king is having ongoing treatment, which he is tolerating very well. When I last saw him he was looking amazing and very excited about the family being together for the festive season.”

“The queen is doing a lot better, she just needs to rest and take things a bit easier,” said the source. “She is very much looking forward to having some of her family at the Christmas table this year, it is going to feel extra special.”

[From Vanity Fair]

Nah, Queen Elizabeth used to host some huge family gatherings for Christmas, and this feels like Charles trying to copy that and failing miserably. It’s so funny how badly they’ve f–ked up the messaging on Christmas, one of the most important Christian holidays for the head of the Church of England, you know? Forgiveness, brotherhood, family, togetherness… but the king is too hateful and petty to invite his son. And the credibly accused rapist is invited, as is the king’s former-cokehead stepson.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

This week, we learned that Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly broke up again over the Thanksgiving holiday here in America. Apparently, she found something on his phone and she broke things off and they haven’t seen each other since. She’s also about six months pregnant with their rainbow baby, and this is not the first time they’ve broken up or broken off their engagement. Megan and MGK’s relationship has always been a giant ball of chaotic drama, and sources told People Mag that Megan and MGK will probably get back together at some point:

Megan Fox was caught off guard by the latest rift in her on-off relationship with Machine Gun Kelly. The Subservience actress and the musician broke up in late November, just weeks after announcing that they are expecting their first baby together.

A source close to Fox says the actress was “blind-sided” by the recent split, adding, “She’s been distraught.” Still, Fox is “trying to focus on” preparing for the baby on the way: “It’s her priority.”

Reps for both stars have not responded to PEOPLE’s requests for comment. Fox and Kelly, a.k.a. Colson Baker, met while making the movie Midnight in the Switchgrass together, and got engaged in January 2022. They’re both already parents: Fox has Noah, 12, Bodhi, 10, and Journey, 8, with ex-husband Brian Austin Green, while Kelly is dad to daughter Casie, 15.

Another source said Fox and Kelly’s romance “has always been bumpy” and there’s a possibility they’ll reconcile soon.

“They love each other but don’t have compatible personalities. They’re both hot-heads, dramatic and stubborn. When they’re good together, they’re great,” said that source, adding, “They will very likely get back together. They’ve split in the past and then worked things out.”

Still, they have “both been ecstatic about the baby,” said that source: “They really wanted this baby.”

[From People]

Some people mentioned Megan’s previous marriage with Brian Austin Green, and how she left BAG only to get pregnant with Journey and return to BAG for a few more years. Megan has trouble leaving relationships cold – it takes her years to finally cut things off for good, so I agree with this source that there’s a very high probability that Megan and MGK will get back together. Meanwhile, TMZ had this interesting report on how Megan bought herself a house even before the breakup:

Megan Fox is sold on taking time apart from former fiancé Machine Gun Kelly … we’ve learned the actress has just purchased her own home — without the rapper. Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ … Megan and MGK haven’t actually been living together for the past year. We’re told he bought a house a couple years ago and always had a lot of people over … which left the “Transformers” star concerned about safety and resolved to have her own space.

Sources say Megan has been bouncing from rental to rental this past year … but is ready to settle down in one place — and she’s since scooped up a large home, worth about $8 million, in a popular celeb-filled neighborhood in the Los Angeles area. We’re told she’ll be moving in soon. However, don’t expect MGK to join her … we’re told Megan purchased the house before she and her baby daddy broke up — and there was never a plan for him to move in. The new pad was always just for her.

Sources say Megan and MGK have never been a good match living together … so, they ultimately decided it was better to live apart.

[From TMZ]

I’m all for separate spaces, but it’s just like… girl, add it to the list of reasons why you should be done with this guy. It’s not worth all of this! Megan doesn’t want to live with him, she doesn’t trust him around her things, she doesn’t trust him to NOT invite complete randos over, and he’s probably been cheating on her this whole time? Throw out the whole man, for goodness sake.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.

Deranger math is “Prince Harry & Meghan got a $100 million Netflix contract in 2020, and if Netflix doesn’t renew the contract in 2025, the Sussexes will be broke!” That has been the raison d’etre of the British tabloids for five years: to somehow engineer “Harry & Meghan need lose all of their money!” They’re tried screaming about their money, they’ve tried shaming Harry for “writing a bestseller” and “selling out his horrible family.” They’ve mocked every single thing Harry and Meghan have done. And they still believe, in their tiny little peabrains, that the Sussexes are just one Daily Mail column away from being broke and having no other option than “crawling back to the UK and begging to do royal work.” Speaking of, did you know that the British papers published “bad reviews” of Polo, the Netflix series? Well, now the Mail is speaking to some guy who says, for sure, the bad reviews mean that Netflix won’t renew their contract with the Sussexes, and you know what that means!

UK brand and culture expert Nick Ede has revealed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Polo may be the ‘nail in the coffin’ for their £80million Netflix deal. Prince Harry, 40, who served as an executive producer alongside Meghan, 43, promised the series, released globally this week, would showcase the ‘true depth and spirit of the sport’ as well as the ‘intensity of its high-stakes moments’.

However, the five-part docuseries, which centres around the build-up to the polo World Cup in Florida and mainly focuses on players such as Adolfo and Poroto Cambiaso, Timmy Dutta, and Nacho Figueras, struggled to impress critics. It’s a reality that Ede considers threatening for the Sussex’s Netflix deal, he told MailOnline: ‘The new polo documentary hasn’t received good reviews, and this is another foray into producing from Meghan and Harry. All eyes will be on whether the show rates and makes the very important top ten. It could, like the Invictus documentary, start well due to the public’s fascination with the pair and with polo potentially. But it’s more than likely to [fare] badly when up against blockbusters like Black Dove and safe Lindsay Lohan Christmas films.’

‘This could potentially be a nail in the coffin for their deal with the streaming giant who now use algorithms to make sure their programming is perfect for their subscribers.’

The series hardly features Harry and Meghan and has been nicknamed ‘the Nacho show’ behind the scenes because it focuses primarily on the Argentinian player – another drawback for Ede. He said: ‘With very little airtime, we don’t get to see the pair much and also hardly any PR around the series, this looks like it’s Oh No! Rather than Polo!’

The brand expert concluded: ‘We are still waiting for the new food show from Meghan and with the hype around this new show simmering rather than boiling, TV bosses will be starting to get worried about their big investment.’

[From The Daily Mail]

I haven’t watched the entire series, but Nacho is just providing commentary and explaining the sport and the characters. It’s called color commentary and he’s good at it, but no, it’s not The Nacho Show. Despite the predictable “bad reviews” in the British outlets, I get the feeling that most haters have greeted Polo with disappointment – Harry & Meghan aren’t centered in the series, it’s built around interesting (but barely-known) professional polo players and it’s set up like a standard sports docuseries, meaning sports-centered soap operas and Real Housewife-esque family moments. I’m saying that as a compliment – it’s a slick, well-done series which is very watchable. Now, will it be another sports docuseries success like Full Swing, or will it bomb like Break Point? Possibly somewhere in-between – Break Point sucked because the people working on it didn’t give a sh-t about tennis or what was actually happening on the tour. Full Swing worked because of the drama, personalities and authentic relationships.

As for the Sussexes’ Netflix contract… I’ve seen some suggestions that Harry and Meghan actually want to move on to other things. I don’t know. Given Meghan’s cooking show and how American Riviera Orchard is being built around it, I suspect that Meghan actually wants to stay with Netflix. Whatever happens, I hope they learn how to promote their damn projects.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Netflix.

Just after Thanksgiving, President Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter Biden, much to the dismay of too many idiotic elected Democrats and podbros. Most of us understood why President Biden pardoned Hunter, and most of us understood that the pardon was mostly about the incoming administration next year. The only surprising part, to me, was that Biden didn’t wait until January to issue the pardon, which is traditionally when lame-duck presidents issue their most controversial pardons, right as they’re about to leave office. As it turns out, Pres. Biden is making December the month of pardons and commutations. One of the criticisms was “why does Hunter get special treatment?” So Joe was like “you know what, I’m gonna pardon and commute 1500 people in one day.”

President Biden is commuting the sentences of nearly 1,500 people and pardoning 39 convicted of nonviolent crimes, the largest grant of clemency by an American president in a single day, the White House announced in a statement on Thursday.

The commutations affect mostly those who had been released from prison and placed in home confinement during the coronavirus pandemic. The people who received pardons were convicted of nonviolent crimes, including possession of marijuana.

The announcement came two weeks after Mr. Biden issued a pardon for his son, Hunter, who had been convicted of gun possession and income tax evasion. That decision was harshly criticized by both Republicans and Democrats because Mr. Biden had long ruled out clemency for his son.

The White House said that the clemency announced on Thursday represented Mr. Biden’s commitment to “help reunite families, strengthen communities, and reintegrate individuals back into society.” Mr. Biden, the statement said, is the first president to issue categorical pardons to people convicted of simple use and possession of marijuana, as well as to former service members convicted of violating the military’s former laws against homosexual conduct.

In his statement on Thursday, Mr. Biden said that many of those people would have received lower sentences if they had been charged under current laws.

“These commutation recipients, who were placed on home confinement during the Covid pandemic, have successfully reintegrated into their families and communities and have shown that they deserve a second chance,” he said.

Mr. Biden said that he would take more steps in the weeks ahead and would continue to review clemency petitions. His staff has been debating whether he should issue blanket pardons for a number of President-elect Donald J. Trump’s perceived enemies to protect them from the “retribution” Mr. Trump has threatened, people familiar with the discussion have said.

[From The NY Times]

Wait… there were still military people in jail from the don’t-ask-don’t-tell era?? They were still people in prison for homosexual acts? That’s f–king wild. And yes, someone has needed to commute the sentences of nonviolent drug offenders for a long-ass time. We had people in prison for smoking joints or carrying a dime bag. Enough. I’m so pleased that Biden did this, and I hope there are even more pardons and commutations to come. I’m not sure if Biden should do blanket pardons for everyone on Trump’s enemies list, but if he does that, I’ll defend him? One thing I will not defend is James Clyburn’s suggestion that Biden should pardon Donald Trump.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

I’ll admit it: I have not been a supporter of Selena Gomez’s relationship with Benny Blanco. I felt like there was another shoe to drop, or that he would turn out to be an idiotic man-child who was wasting her time. But Benny stuck around… for a year, and this is maybe the happiest Selena has been in a while. Benny just proposed, and Selena obviously said yes. She posted photos of her ring – a nice-sized marquise diamond – on her Instagram with the caption “forever begins now.”

Congratulations are in order for Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco! The singer-actress, 32, announced that she and the producer, 36, are engaged!

She shared the news via an Instagram carousel on Wednesday, Dec. 11, including an up-close snap of her engagement ring and a pic of her and Blanco celebrating their engagement with laughs and a hug.

“forever begins now..,” she captioned the post.

Blanco is ready to make their union official as he commented, “hey wait… that’s my wife.”

The bride-to-be also proudly posted a mirror selfie, showing off her new ring even more in her Instagram Stories. During a May appearance on The Howard Stern Show, Blanco told Stern that he could see marriage in his future with the Only Murders In The Building actress.

[From People]

I’m sort of examining my own feelings about why I was sure Benny would end up screwing her over. I think it’s because Selena has historically had a bad picker? But maybe she’s changed or maybe she accidentally found a good guy. Anyway, congrats to them. One great thing is that he seems fine with Selena being “the star” of the relationship. He doesn’t seem insecure about that at all, which is what she needs.

Photos courtesy of Selena’s Instagram.

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Sentebale is the first charity Prince Harry ever founded. He was only 21 years old when he and Prince Seeiso started it, and in nearly 20 years, Sentebale has done a lot of great work in Lesotho. It was started as a way to support children born with HIV. Over the years, Sentebale’s focus has expanded to more general support for the children of Lesotho, plus working on issues that face Lesotho across the board. Harry just visited Lesotho for the first time in like four or five years (the pandemic, remember) and it looks like he’s decided that Sentebale needs to adapt even more. As such, he’s bringing in some new people. This, of course, is being reported by Richard Eden at the Daily Mail as some kind of “people are always quitting on the Sussexes!”

Prince Harry was in ebullient form at an art gallery party in New York last week to celebrate the launch of a fundraising exhibition for his African children’s charity Sentebale. Behind the scenes, there have, I hear, been major changes going on at the organisation he co-founded with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in 2006.

This week, Richard Miller quit as chief executive of Sentabale after five years in the role. His departure follows that of Baroness Chalker, the overseas development minister, who stepped down as a director last month.

It was the latest blow for the Duke of Sussex’s organisation, which lost advertising king Johnny Hornby last year. He stood down after 11 years as a trustee, five of which he spent as chairman. Last month, The Mail on Sunday disclosed that Andrew Tucker, whom Harry affectionately calls ‘Tucks’, had stepped down from his senior position at Sentebale after almost a decade.

In another sign of Harry and his wife, Meghan, cutting links with Britain, Miller will be the last London-based chief executive of Sentebale, which means ‘forget me not’ in Sesotho. The charity says Miller, 62, will be replaced by an interim executive director, Carmel Gaillard. Based in Johannesburg, South Africa, she has been asked to deliver a ‘strategic transformation’ of the charity.

It has evolved from supporting children and young people affected by HIV/AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana to addressing broader issues of ‘youth health, wealth inequity and climate resilience’.

‘This shift reflects our continued commitment to being guided by voices from within the region we serve,’ say Princes Harry and Seeiso in a joint statement. ‘We sincerely thank Richard for his pivotal role in steering our organisation toward this important evolution.’

Miller says: ‘It is the logical next step for Sentebale, and the time is right for this shift to local leadership. Carmel is an incredible asset to position Sentebale further as a leader in the region.’

[From The Daily Mail]

What it sounds like is that Harry is really withdrawing as much as he can from the UK, and he no longer wants so many British folks involved with Sentebale. If the switch to Carmel Gaillard is any indication, Harry probably wants executives and board members who are actually from Lesotho or South Africa or the broader region. My guess is that this is all part of a shift where Sentebale will not even have an office in England – perhaps it will be registered as a charity in the US. Anyway, the real story is the evolution of a small, local charity in Lesotho growing into an internationally-recognized charity with a much broader agenda.

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Photos courtesy of Getty, Avalon Red, Instagram.

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Happy Birthday Rita Moreno! The triple-threat EGOT winner celebrated turning 93 years young yesterday, but the party got started over the weekend when lovely Rita hosted a Mardi Gras-themed bash in Berkeley, California, where she lives. In true New Orleans style, she hired a brass band to fill the venue with music, and there were masks and beads everywhere. The birthday girl herself was decked out in head-to-toe sequins: a jacket in the signature Mardi Gras colors of purple, green, and gold, paired with a brown (perhaps mocha mousse?!) skirt, capped off with a miniature, shimmery purple top hat. What a lovely, joyous way to treat yourself and 60 of your nearest and dearest family, colleagues, and friends made at the supermarket. People Mag got exclusive coverage of the party:

Rita Moreno brought a bit of New Orleans to Northern California as she celebrated her 93rd birthday.

The West Side Story icon was the guest of honor at a Mardi Gras-themed birthday party in the Berkeley area on Dec. 7, four days before her actual birthday.

Moreno dubbed the day — complete with purple, green and gold color scheme — “Fat Saturday,” a play on “Fat Tuesday,” the final day of Carnival and the Christian feasting period before the start of Lent.

“How remarkable it is to be 93 and still enjoy all the good things in life!” Moreno tells PEOPLE. “I am particularly grateful for my family and friends who have filled my life with love and laughter.”

Those 60 friends and family members who helped mark the occasion included her daughter Fernanda, former One Day at a Time costar Justina Machado and the Netflix comedy’s executive producers Brent Miller and Mike Royce.

During the lively evening, a brass band played several songs, including a special rendition of “Happy Birthday,” and a handful of guests offered sweet toasts to the EGOT winner, who wore a purple sequin jacket emblazoned with Queen of Mardi Gras on the back.

In lieu of a cake, Moreno had a chocolate fountain with strawberries, pretzels and other items for dipping.

At one point, Moreno, spurred on by others, yelled out her catchphrase from the 1970s educational program The Electric Company, “Hey you guys!”

Moreno also celebrated — and showed off — her Barbie tribute doll from Mattel, which launched Nov. 20.

“I was a girl who decided to go for it, and despite the challenges I faced, I never gave up on my dreams. That’s what I hope this doll inspires in each and every girl today: to live their life with courage and resilience so that they can make their dreams a reality,” she said in a statement in November.

[From People]

She posed with her Barbie, I love it! Hell, I’d be carrying mine around with me everywhere I went if they made a Kismet Barbie (hint hint, Mattel — I had a birthday this month, too!). Everything about this party sounds delightful. Well, except for the lack of cake, which definitely should’ve been done in addition to the chocolate fountain. Why hold back for your 93rd?? And speaking of food, I wish People Mag had reported more on what was served. This is a Mardi Gras theme, after all, and Nola is famous for their food. I grew up in San Francisco (near Rita in Berkeley), and my family used to go to a (since-closed) restaurant called Cajun Pacific, that married the cuisines of Louisiana with Northern California. They were usually only open on the weekends, but would obviously do a special service for Mardi Gras. One year we attended for the holiday, and my sweet, dearly-departed, professor of a father was lamenting the timing falling in the middle of the week when he was teaching. So he said — and this man reportedly took French in high school — “Why do they always have Mardi Gras on a Tuesday?!” My mother and I never let him live it down, but I think he secretly loved how much it made us laugh.

Happy Birthday again to Rita, my fellow December babies, and all the marvelous nonagenarians out there! Laissez les bons temps rouler.

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