In 2020, Cardi B filed for divorce from Offset. They reconciled soon after, because her heart was not into it and she admitted that she mostly filed for divorce to “teach him a lesson.” The lesson being that she would always go back to him, no matter what he did or how many times he fooled around. Four years later (almost to the day), Cardi filed for divorce again. To be fair, Cardi and Offset have seemingly been on-and-off for more than a year. She was squirrelly about the state of their marriage in her Rolling Stone interview back in May, but in that piece, she mostly seemed beyond stressed-out over her personal and professional life.

TMZ says that Cardi and Offset have been “growing apart for a long time” and “they’re just disconnected from each other.” Sources maintain that the divorce has nothing to do with cheating (lol), and that they’ve been trying to work on their marriage earlier this year, but Cardi decided to pull the ripcord although it was “not an overnight decision.” She’s already hired a divorce attorney and she’s asking for primary custody of Kulture and Wave.

Speaking of children, on the same day that Cardi announced her divorce, she announced her pregnancy. She’s expecting a third child. If you’ve been following her paparazzi shots, you know that she’s been wearing a lot of baggy clothes recently and the pregnancy was widely rumored. That’s also why the divorce news came as a surprise – people thought Offset baby-trapped her yet again. She escaped the man but not the baby. Oh well – I predict that Cardi and Offset will be back together by Election Day (if not a lot sooner).

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Last week, ITV’s Tabloids on Trial documentary aired, and it included an exclusive interview with Prince Harry. He spoke of how his tabloid lawsuits are connected to his fight for security in the UK, which is all connected to his relationship to his father and the institution of the monarchy. As in, the Windsors hate Harry’s crusade against the tabloids, because the Windsors feel that they need the tabloids on their side and the Windsors and the tabloids see each other as partners most of the time. Meaning, Harry’s lawsuits disturb the “delicate balance” of shenanigans and cooperation between the monarchy and media, and that is one of the biggest reasons why the Windsors AND the British media have spent years targeting the Sussexes. It goes even further than that – Byline’s reporting on this situation was very accurate, especially in regards to Christian Jones, the leaks to Dan Wootton and the nervousness within Charles’s camp.

What’s been interesting to watch this week is that the Sussex camp is really pushing back on the palace’s attempted “woe is me, Harry won’t bring his kids to the UK” narrative. Camp Sussex is driving this point home: Charles is a dogsh-t father and a liar. They’ve even got Tom Sykes at the Daily Beast writing exclusives with lots of Sussex-Camp-sourcing. Some highlights:

Harry’s holding pattern with RAVEC: Currently, to obtain security, Harry is required, like any other high-profile visitor seeking police protection, to give 28 days notice to the British security forces of his intention to visit the U.K., list locations he intends to visit, and present a detailed itinerary of his plans. He can use private security but private guards cannot be armed. He has offered to pay for the cost of police protection, but the offer was rebuffed by the British government, which said the police are not available for private hire. He took the matter to court and has repeatedly lost his cases, costing him in excess of a million dollars, but he has been granted one final appeal which will be heard later this year.

Charles is gaslighting the public: A royal source this week told The Daily Beast the current set-up suited the royals “down to the ground” as it prevented Harry from making regular visits—and setting up a rival royal court in the U.K. Harry’s camp accuse Charles’ team of gaslighting the public by saying on one hand that the king loves his son and wants to see more of him and his children, while at the same time denying him the police protection that would make such visits possible on a regular basis.

The Frogmore eviction: The source said: “The evidence is there, clearly, for everyone to see. He has been kicked out of the home that would have made it possible for him to come back on a regular basis.”

But America’s gun violence!! However, a source in Charles’ camp, apparently referring to the recent assassination attempt on Donald Trump, questioned “how the U.K. presents more of a threat to the duke’s security than the U.S., where even the best-protected individual in the land can still find themselves subject to attack from individuals using weapons that can be acquired over the counter.” But Harry’s ally told The Daily Beast: “The threat is very real. He needs protection. The idea that the security forces wouldn’t allow anything to happen is a very glib dismissal of the reality of the threat the family faces.”

Charles’s “woe is me” campaign: The source dismissed allegations made by friends of the king to The Daily Beast this week that Harry was using his kids to “emotionally blackmail” the king into intervening with RAVEC. The source said, “Why would he bring his wife and children back to the U.K. if they are not going to be protected? The duke needs protection, they need protection. The threat level hasn’t changed since he stepped back from the royal family, if anything it has got worse because of the tabloid campaign against him and his wife.” Asked why they thought Harry was being denied protection, which has the effect of restricting his ability to visit the UK, the source said: “It’s about control.”

Whether Charles could conceivably intervene: The Sussex source said: “The fact that there is even any debate around (Harry’s) security is unbelievable when you look at the situation. The late queen made it really clear [at the Sandringham summit] that she wanted him and his family protected. She intervened to allow Andrew to keep his protection. Why is it impossible for his dad not to do the same for Harry? If the king wanted, he could do this for his son.”

[From The Daily Beast]

Not only did QEII intervene with RAVEC to ensure that Andrew kept his security, she picked up the costs herself. Guess what happened when QEII died? Charles assumed the same arrangement with Andrew, and since 2022, Andrew has received royal protection, the costs of which are assumed by the Duchy of Lancaster (the monarch’s “private funds”). And the Sussex source is 100% correct – this is about control. This is Charles and Camilla doing all they can to stop Harry from coming and going from the UK whenever he wants. This is about controlling Harry’s movements in and out of the country, but also controlling his movements within the country, and always having the option of leaking his location and itinerary to put Harry in mortal danger.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

On August 1, Colombia’s Vice President Francia Márquez announced that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had accepted her invitation to visit/tour the South American country. They will travel to Bogata, Cartagena and Cali. VP Marquez said that she was “pleased” that the tour could be arranged, and she’s clearly planning to use Harry and Meghan to highlight the positive stories within Colombia and bring international attention to the country. That’s exactly what Nigeria did too – the Nigerian tour was coordinated through the government and military, with a focus on Invictus, veterans, education, women’s rights and a celebration of Nigerian culture.

Well, much like the Nigerian tour, the British media is currently melting down because “why would Harry go to such a dangerous country and he won’t come to the UK??” The sad British people get twisted up in their own (racist) arguments so easily too – Harry and Meghan only travel to countries where they’re treated as high-value VIPs and given government security at that level. Nigeria’s cost-benefit analysis was pretty easy: a huge amount of positive domestic and international media attention came with the Sussexes’ visit, and the government got to highlight their own (amazing) veterans programs as well. Thus, it was “worth” it to ensure the Sussexes’ safety and give them the kind of security Nigeria would have given a visiting dignitary or VIP. I assume it will be exactly the same in Colombia.

Meanwhile, the UK seems to believe that the Sussexes should not receive any security… unless authorized by Charles and Camilla, and even then, there’s a good chance that “the palace” will leak the Sussexes’ whereabouts and go out of their way to put them in danger. Here’s the hissy fit from the Mail:

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will visit Colombia for a tour later this year despite both the UK and US governments issuing travel alerts for the crime-ridden country. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will head to South America on an undisclosed date after accepting an invitation from the country’s vice president Francia Márquez.

But the UK and US governments have both issued security alerts over travelling to Colombia amid fears over crime, terrorism, civil unrest and kidnapping – and Harry’s decision to visit comes amid his ongoing battle for his security when in Britain.

The UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office ‘advises against all but essential travel to parts of Colombia’. And the US Department of State issued a travel advisory for Colombia stating: ‘Reconsider travel due to crime and terrorism. Exercise increased caution due to civil unrest and kidnapping. Some areas have increased risk.’

One British former royal protection officer, who served Harry’s family for several years, told MailOnline: ‘They have chosen to visit one, if not the most, dangerous countries in the world. But nothing amazes me [with Harry and Meghan] these days. It’s just him digging his heels in with the UK authorities. But it does add weight to why he’s not getting protection – he keeps going to dangerous places’.

[From The Daily Mail]

These people are so stupid, it’s a wonder they can function in society without constantly falling into sewers. “But it does add weight to why he’s not getting protection – he keeps going to dangerous places.” You mean the British protection unit would deny someone security because… they traveled to Colombia before traveling to England?? And the “crime-ridden country” reference, they did that a lot with the Nigerian tour, they made it sound like Nigeria was a den of thieves and murderers. If anything, the Sussexes’ Nigeria trip probably boosted tourism to the country, because Nigeria seemed amazing and welcoming. Anyway, these meltdown – and there are many more – all boil down to “how dare other countries not take our word for it when we say that Harry doesn’t deserve protection!” It also boils down to: “If Harry needs such high-level security, why are other countries giving him that security when the British government isn’t???” They’re almost there. GB News even confirmed that the Sussexes “will be given a full security detail for the entirety of their visit alongside Colombia’s Vice President Márquez.” Could that be the reason why the Sussexes are not visiting the UK perchance?

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Photos courtesy of Save the Children Nigeria and Getty.

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The Biden administration is yet again trying to do a solid for consumers. From Ticketmaster to the travel industry, they’ve been trying to get big companies to eliminate junk fees and be transparent about hidden fees up front. Under Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the Department of Transportation has been coming hard for airlines and their greedy practices. They’ve fined them for keeping passengers on board too long during delays and held them accountable to give automatic refunds for long-delayed or canceled flights. Just last week, they announced that they’re investigating Delta as a result of how they handled the system outages that caused massive cancellations two weeks ago.

There are a lot of frustrating things about air travel in America, but one of the most infuriating practices is that you’re charged if you want to pick a seat. This is especially awful for families traveling together. If you’re a parent traveling with kids, you either have to bite the bullet and pay up front to ensure you sit together, or roll the dice and hope you and your kids are assigned seats together. Last year, Sec. Pete urged the bigwig airlines to abandon this cash grab and ban them from charging more for “family seating.” Some complied, while most didn’t. After nicely asking for everyone to do the right thing, Secretary Pete now means business. The DOT just proposed a rule banning airlines from charging parents fees to sit next to their children ages 13 and under.

Parents shouldn’t have to pay a fee to sit next to their children when flying, according to the White House, which is moving to ban airlines from charging families extra to be seated together. Under a rule proposed Thursday by the Department of Transportation, airlines would be required to seat parents and kids 13 and younger together free of charge when adjacent seating is available at booking.

The idea of seating adults with their younger children “is common sense and also seems like something that should be standard practice,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said at a news briefing on Wednesday. “As someone who has personally experienced flying with toddlers,” Buttigieg said he knew first-hand that families traveling with little ones do not need added difficulties.

The extra cost can be the difference in whether families can afford flights for vacations or to see friends and relatives, the administration argued, noting its proposal would save a family of four up to $200 roundtrip if seat fees are $25 each.

For children too young to fasten their own seatbelts or feed themselves, being seated next to a parent is crucial, yet those that don’t want to pay more often end up pleading with other passengers to switch seats. If passengers opt not to swap seats, they may end up next to an unsupervised child, stressing out the youngster, parent, flight attendants and travelers, DOT said.

President Biden called on Congress to ban family seating and other so-called “junk” fees early last year, with Buttigieg then urging the 10 largest airlines to voluntarily ban the fees. Four complied: Alaska, American, Frontier and JetBlue.

Congress gave the DOT explicit authority to propose its rule as part of the bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, the transportation secretary noted. “We are confident that we are well-founded in our authority, but it helps to get reassurances from Congress,” Buttigieg noted in answering a question about whether the proposal might be challenged in court.

In addition to banning airlines from charging fees to seat those 13 or under next to a parent or accompanying adult, the proposal would require that airlines seat parents next to their kids within 48 hours of booking when adjacent seats are available.

If adjacent seats are not available, carriers would be required to provide passengers with full refunds or the option of waiting to see if family seating frees up. If not, airlines would have to offer the option to rebook for free or stay on the flight in nonadjacent seats.

[From Yahoo! News]

Speaking from personal experience, that extra cost *is* a lot. I generally don’t like flying on Southwest but at least they pretty much guarantee that you’ll end up sitting with your kids. (My issue with them is that they claim to be a budget airline when 95% of the time, they are much more expensive than other airlines.) This is another reason why everyone needs to get involved and vote Democrat in November! It’s so expensive to fly, and airlines want to unfairly charge you for having the audacity to travel as a family with children. Someone needs to get JD Vance involved, here. After all, that dude is all about giving preferential treatment to parents with children, no? I’ll say it louder for the CEOs in the back: Parents should not have to pay a fee to sit next to their children. Just because a company can charge someone extra for something doesn’t mean that they should.

Our new proposed rule would ban airlines from charging parents a fee just to sit next to their children. pic.twitter.com/r4qpNusrmp

— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) August 1, 2024

Families should be able to sit together on a flight without paying more.

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration continues our work to lower costs and fight price gouging by proposing a ban on airlines charging those fees — saving families as much as $200 for roundtrip flights.

— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) August 1, 2024

The law is clear: if your flight gets cancelled or significantly delayed, you get a refund.

We’re reminding U.S. airlines of their responsibilities, and the rules that we enforce. pic.twitter.com/uTl8ZwaQPp

— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) August 2, 2024

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Photos credit: POOL via CNP/INSTARimages.com, Getty and via Instagram and Twitter

Thursday was the Olympic Gymnastics women’s individual all-around. The Paris Olympics have been scheduling the biggest events/tickets for the evening sessions, which means all of the best gymnastics stuff has been happening in the afternoon here on the east coast. Which means I’ve been watching a lot of the gymnastics at the gym! I love it. I nearly screamed on my treadmill several times during the competition, especially when a handful of the ladies wiped out. It was awful. And yet… it turned out to be so competitive, as the top three ladies – Simone Biles, Rebeca Andrade and Sunisa Lee all had to nail their final event, their floor routines. First Suni, then Rebeca, then Simone. Each woman nailed their floor, so for a second, Suni was in the gold-medal position. Then Rebeca. Then Simone stepped out as the last one and she killed it – her degree of difficulty is INSANE and while she had a couple of jumpy landings, all of the technical stuff was amazing. That ended up being the descending order of the medals. Simone won gold, then Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade won silver, then Sunisa won Bronze.

Simone Biles and Suni Lee are taking home some new hardware! Biles, the most decorated U.S. gymnast in Olympic history, added another victory to her resumé with a gold medal in the women’s all-around final at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Thursday, Aug. 1. Her Team USA teammate Lee came in third with a bronze medal, just two days after the pair won gold in the team finals. The match-up was a highly anticipated one, as Lee, 21, was the reigning gold medalist in the event from Tokyo in 2021 (Biles, 27, won the gold in Rio in 2016).

Biles started off strong on the vault, scoring an impressive 15.766. Though she struggled on the uneven bars, falling to third place after she flubbed her transition from the upper bar to the lower, Biles returned to form with a solid performance on the balance beam, and excelled on the floor to lead her way to victory.

Rebeca Andrade of Brazil, Biles’ friend and close competitor, won the silver medal.

Stars like Kendall Jenner, Tony Hawk, Stephen Curry, Martha Stewart and Seth Rogen were all in attendance to cheer on the star gymnasts.

The victory comes two days after Biles, Lee and their teammates Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey and Hezly Rivera dominated for gold in the team final. Biles’ gold medal came with the support of her family, as husband Jonathan Owens and parents Nellie and Ronald Biles were in the crowd at Bercy Arena to cheer her on.

[From People]

Incredible, and they’re not joking about all of the stars who came out for gymnastics. They weren’t only there for Simone either – Suni and Rebeca had a lot of support from the crowd, and the three ladies were very supportive of each other. Rebeca and Simone are apparently good friends. Anyway, gymnastics isn’t over! Individual events are coming up next. Do you want the breakdown? Saturday is vault, Sunday is uneven bars, Monday is balance beam and floor. Simone is competing in all except uneven bars (Suni is the only American doing that).

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

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I remember watching season 14 of Drag Race and thinking were it not for Willow Pill, Angeria Paris VanMichaels would be taking the crown. She has the grace and finesse of the pageant world she hails from, but also da-YUM is she funny. Well folks, here we are two years later and Ms. Angeria has finally snatched her crown on All Stars season 9. Condragulations, you’re a winner baby! This year’s season featured eight queens and no eliminations until the finale, which aired last Friday after a very special introduction by Madame VP Kamala Harris. This season also had a new twist in that the queens were playing for charities, so Angeria’s $200,000 prize will be going to her chosen organization, the National Black Justice Coalition. EW caught up with Angeria shortly after her crowning:

What do you want people watching at home to see in your victory and your journey to this point?

I want people to know that it doesn’t matter where you come from. This journey, it started all the way from Sparta, Ga. I grew up in a town where I was one of four gay people, openly. Getting on Drag Race was already a big thing, and now winning is crazy. This is something that I don’t think me or my family could’ve seen coming. It sends a message that it doesn’t matter where you come from or how big your surroundings are; your dreams are even bigger, and you should always chase them.

You cited Disney’s Beauty and the Beast as a reference for your finale look at a time that there’s a debate over which spaces drag is “acceptable” in. Can you elaborate on that?

I love Disney, and that’s always been one of my favorites. Growing up in the South, I feel like every little gay boy wanted to be a Disney princess. Every little queer kid that grows up with that Disney princess in their head. That’s what I felt like on the runway. I was living for every single moment in my life, and I wanted to be myself and accepted for what I always felt was in me. I felt like the prettiest little princess that there was, in my big ball gown.

People said that you were delusional, but you were killing the competition, at the same time. How do you respond to that?

If this is being delusional, obviously delusional wins you a crown, a scepter, and $200,000 for a cause you believe in. To everyone out there: If people around you are calling you delusional, keep being delusional, because obviously it will lead to success, okay? [Laughs]

On the note of acting, Ru said on the finale that he had high hopes for you as an actor. You booked high-profile gigs before the show, but now, what do you have lined up?

I will say: Stay tuned. Definitely stay tuned. In terms of things that I’m doing, you can find me on the All Stars 9 tour, starting very soon and you get to see not only me, but all of the girls from All Star 9. We’ll relive some of our best moments and runways throughout the season.

Is there a dream role or genre you’d like to do?

There’s so much that I want to do. I want to do more TV. I want to be on shows, sitcoms, reality TV, I want to be in movies. I’m a big drama, horror, thriller type of person. I’d also love to be in comedies, because we know she’s a funny girl. I foresee a lot of acting coming my way. I want it, and I’ll accept it with open arms.

[From EW]

I’m not crying hearing Angeria describe being the prettiest little Disney princess of her Southern gay boy’s dreams, you are! That finale ball gown was stunning. At first I didn’t pick up on a Beauty and the Beast reference, but looking at it now, yeah, I can buy it as the sartorial interpretation of, “If Lumière and Plumette had a bébé.” Oh, Miss Angie; she’s got a honey-warm Southern accent that immediately transports you to sipping sweet tea on a humid porch while you fan yourself by hand. And she’s not just a beauty queen — she’s a funny girl, as she put it. I particularly enjoyed her welcoming and volleying back each time RuPaul would say, “Angeria? You know there’s an ointment for that.” And how she’d play up her fabulous facial expressions and decadent Georgia twang. She’s self-aware, and uses it to maximum effect all to entertain us. If that’s delusional, keep being delusional!

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Photos credit: IMAGO/Dave Starbuck / Avalon, Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon, IMAGO/Zoonar.com/Lumeimages.com / Avalon

Blake Lively is launching a haircare line called Blake Brown. Will Blake get the September issue of Vogue to promote it? Eh. [LaineyGossip]
Carrie Underwood will replace Katy Perry on American Idol? [JustJared]
Floridians overwhelmingly support abortion rights AND Donald Trump. [Jezebel]
Blake Lively’s promotional tour for It Ends With Us has begun. [RCFA]
Review of Gasoline Rainbow. [Pajiba]
TikTok dude is exposing the common lies of men. [Buzzfeed]
Phaedra Parks is returning to RHOA. [Socialite Life]
Shawn Mendes has a new album. [Hollywood Life]
The new season of Squid Game comes out on December 26th. [Seriously OMG]
Charli XCX is brat. [OMG Blog]

Republicans are currently expressing a great deal of shock and surprise that a woman can be both Indian and Black. There are a lot of white people who have never heard of being biracial. Those same white people will obviously tell you all about their 23andMe results which show that they’re 17% Irish and 4% Italian. But that’s different! How can Kamala Harris have an Indian mother AND a Jamaican father? How can Kamala Harris be both Indian AND Black? Why hasn’t she embraced both sides fully at every single minute of every single day of her entire life, reminding everyone at all times that she’s both Indian and Black? How can she exist as BOTH? This is literally what those racist dumbf–ks sound like, and they’ve been at it since Donald Trump’s tantrum at the NABJ conference on Wednesday. In case you thought that Trump was just being Trump and going off-script, here’s what JD Vance said when asked about Trump’s racist bullsh-t:

Sen. JD Vance told reporters it’s “hysterical how much the media is overreacting” to his running mate Donald Trump’s comments questioning whether Vice President Kamala Harris is Black.

“The president doesn’t do scripted BS stuff,” Vance told a group of reporters aboard his plane during his campaign swing Wednesday night. “He actually goes into hostile audiences, he answers tough questions, he pushes back against them, but he actually answers them, and how nice it is to have an American leader who’s not afraid to go into hostile places and actually answer some tough questions.”

Trump questioned Harris’ racial identity during a panel interview at the National Association of Black Journalists’ conference in Chicago on Wednesday. “She was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage,” Trump said of Harris, who attended an HBCU and identifies as both Indian and Black. “I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black, and now she wants to be known as Black. I respect either one but she obviously doesn’t.”

Both Harris’ campaign and the White House quickly condemned Trump’s remarks, with second gentleman Doug Emhoff saying it showed “a worse version of an already horrible person.”

Vance told reporters it was overblown and suggested Harris is being slippery. “So what he said, I thought it was hysterical,” Vance said. “I think he pointed out the fundamental chameleon-like nature of Kamala Harris. And you guys saw yesterday, she was in Georgia, and she put on a southern accent for a Georgia audience. She grew up in Vancouver. What the hell is going on here? She is not who she pretends to be.”

When asked by a reporter explicitly if he questions whether Harris is Black, Vance said, “What I question is why she presents a different posture depending on which audience that she’s in front of.”

[From Notus]

“What I question is why she presents a different posture depending on which audience that she’s in front of.” Kind of like JD Vance growing up in suburban Ohio and pretending to be a hillbilly? Kind of like Donald Trump inheriting millions, losing it all and pretending to be a brilliant businessman? Vance’s comments say, to me, that this is the Trump campaign’s big strategy for dealing with Kamala Harris: lying about her racial identity, lying about her Blackness, lying about her accomplishments and achievements, denigrating her as a “DEI hire.”

This afternoon, Donald Trump spoke to the National Association of Black Journalists.

It was the same old show.

Let me just say: The American people deserve better than Donald Trump’s divisiveness and disrespect.

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 1, 2024

Pop Quiz for dumb MAGAs! Are JD Vance kids Caucasian, Indian, or both?

Apply the same logic to Kamala Harris. pic.twitter.com/xPqN3v4T6v

— Alex Cole (@acnewsitics) August 1, 2024

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

The Duchess of Sussex flew to the Hamptons late last week. She apparently hitched a ride on Jamie Kern Lima’s private plane, because Lima spoke at the event. The event? The G9 Ventures Summit, a sort of business/networking event hosted by “power broker” Amy Griffin at her Hamptons home. This is one of the things that kills me about the British media’s attempts to paint Meghan as friendless and shunned by A-listers. Meghan and Harry both show the world that they are very good at networking and making associations with powerful, well-connected and rich people. People are attracted to the Sussexes because of their personal narratives and because they’re charismatic and bright. They’re really good at this. Well, in case anyone thought that Meghan was just some random plus-one at this event, Page Six had some gossip about Meghan’s three-hour dinner with several powerful people:

After jetting into the Hamptons to attend the G9 Ventures Summer Summit — an event aimed at elite business women hosted by power broker Amy Griffin at her home — Meghan Markle took in the scene out East. Several spies saw the Duchess of Sussex at Zero Bond owner Scott Sartiano’s hip new spot at the Hedges Inn in East Hampton, Sartiano’s. Sources tell Page Six that the former “Suits,” star was with her BFF, fashion designer Misha Noonoo and her hubby, energy guru Mike Hess.

“Meghan arrived solo, and walked to the maitre’d herself through the crowded restaurant,” says a source. “They were there for three hours.”

Another spy tells us the former royal moved about the room without security and that she was seen chatting with NewsNation anchor Chris Cuomo and socialite Andrew Warren. The room was full of recognizable names including Sartiano himself, influencer Ruby Saracino, Greg Bello and publicist Alison Brod, says a spy.

Markle — who is launching lifestyle business American Riviera Orchard — was in town to powwow with other female founders. The one-day summit drew make-up icon Bobbi Brown, Missy Robbins, the chef behind Williamsburg hotspots Lillia and Misi, Weight Watchers CEO Sima Sistani, Spanx founder Sara Blakely and cosmetics entrepreneur Victoria Jackson. Goop gal Gwyneth Paltrow was also believed to have attended, along with Katie Couric and Laura Dern. The event was held at Griffin’s $13 million estate, which she shares with her husband, billionaire hedge funder John Griffin.

[From Page Six]

“Walked to the maitre’d herself through the crowded restaurant…” Why was the maitre’d on the other side of the restaurant? Why couldn’t Meghan speak to the hostess or whatever? And did people think that Meghan would demand to be carried through the restaurant like Cleopatra? These people are so weird. Anyway, I’m glad Meghan got a chance to catch up with her friend Misha Noonoo while simultaneously checking out a Hamptons hotspot. I bet a lot of eyes were following Meghan as she made her way through the room.

Photos courtesy of Jamie Kern Lima/Instagram and Bobbi Brown/Instagram.

OMG! Remember how the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s quasi-royal tour of Nigeria was a huge success? Remember how their Archewell team worked perfectly with the Nigerian government to highlight veterans’ issues and local charities, all while highlighting Nigeria’s investment in the Invictus community? Well, as we saw in real time, the Nigerian tour was the blueprint for the Sussexes and for other countries who want that Sussex sparkle. Now Colombia has made plans for the Sussexes to go on a tour! South American Sussex Tour!!

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are headed to Colombia! “As the Vice President of Colombia and Minister of Equality and Equity, I am pleased to announce that Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have kindly accepted my invitation to visit our beautiful country,” the Vice President of Colombia, Francia Márquez, said in a statement this morning.

During their time in Colombia, Harry and Meghan will visit Bogotá, Cartagena, and Cali with Márquez. “In these vibrant locations, they will have the exceptional opportunity to engage with leaders, youth, and women who embody the aspirations and voices of Colombians committed to progress,” she wrote. “In addition to these meaningful interactions, The Duke and Duchess will experience the rich heritage of Colombia.”

While no specific date has been shared yet, Prince Harry and Meghan’s visit will come before the first Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children, which will be held in Colombia this November. Therefore, their trip could take place anytime in the next three months.

Per Márquez, “The Archewell Foundation, founded by The Duke and Duchess, is renowned for its global leadership in fostering a safer online environment. The forthcoming conference will unveil a comprehensive framework for creating safer physical and digital spaces, tackling issues such as cyberbullying, online exploitation, and the mental health impacts of these threats. It will offer actionable solutions and commitments for countries around the world. During their visit, The Duke and Duchess, as well as The Archewell Foundation, will engage in several activities related to this important topic.”

She concluded, “We are confident that their visit will further illuminate Colombia’s role as a beacon of culture and innovation.”

[From Town & Country]

No, I love this so much. It’s not even specifically related to Invictus. Colombia just saw the Nigerian tour and said “we should invite them and get all of that international media coverage too.” I assume that Colombia will pick up the security costs, just as Nigeria did, and the government will largely set the agenda, with input from the Archewell team. I cannot wait!!!

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.