Here are some photos of Prince William, the honorary president of BAFTA, attending last night’s BAFTA ceremony. Up until a few days ago, everyone was convinced that William would skip this year’s ceremony, which would have been the eighth time William had skipped in 14 years. But I guess the Sussexes’ trip to Canada really shook up Kensington Palace, because by mid-week, William was throwing a tantrum about how he needed to be seen too. So here we are. His wife is still in the wind, she hasn’t been seen or photographed since Christmas day. In general, William didn’t look completely plastered at the BAFTAs, like he did at the daytime investiture ceremony on February 7th.

William tried to glad-hand and they seated him next to someone named Catherine, I guess the thought process was “maybe people won’t notice this is the wrong Catherine.” This Catherine is Cate Blanchett, who currently lives in England and also serves as some kind of celebrity ambassador for Earthshot. Cate has been cozying up to the Windsors for several years now and I don’t know why. She’s married to an Englishman, but I wonder. William also took several photos with David Beckham, and I’m sure that the British media will launch another lunatic fan-fic series wherein we hear that William forced Goldenballs to choose between him and Harry and Goldenballs chose WILLIAM, take that Harry!

Note: I’m going to cover some other (crazy) photos of William in a separate post. For now, just enjoy the look on Michael Sheen’s face. Also enjoy the fact that William’s combover has gotten CRAZY.

pic.twitter.com/rKToa7jHYw

— Kaiser@Celebitchy (@KaiseratCB) February 18, 2024

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Margot Robbie went with Barbiecore for her BAFTA look, doing a black-and-pink custom Armani Privé gown with black gloves. People are really doing gloves a lot these days and you can tell the ladies are out of practice. No, honestly, Margot’s gloves look fine and I think Margot assumes that we want or expect her to wear Barbiecore throughout the entire awards season. Maybe that’s true? I don’t know. But it’s going to be quite an adjustment once this whole ride is over!

If Claire Foy is going to do one thing in this world, it’s wear something fringed. She has been wearing fringed ensembles for MONTHS. I guess it’s a minor trend, but also: she’s seeking it out. It’s pretty easy to avoid wearing this much fringe. This dress is also Armani Privé – it would be lovely without the boob fringe, I’m sure.

Embed from Getty Images

Carey Mulligan wore vintage Christian Dior and posed on the carpet with Bradley Cooper. The dress is gorgeous, but I might have chosen a different necklace?

Rosamund Pike in Christian Dior. She’s really trying to beat the “Rosamund only wears severe black dresses” allegation. While she looks pretty, this is the wrong look for the BAFTAs. It’s more “BAFTA Tea Party” than BAFTAs.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Getty and Cover Images.

Guess who’s knocked up again?? Rooney Mara appeared at the Berlin Film Festival to promote her latest film, La Cocina, and she revealed her bump at the premiere. Rooney is still with Joaquin Phoenix and they might even be married (he’s referred to Rooney as his wife in a couple of interviews). They welcomed their son River in 2020, which surprised me because I thought that was just last year or something. But no, they have a three-and-a-half year old running around the house and now a second one on the way. By the way, Rooney’s maternity sack dress is amazing. I love maternity sack dresses, they always look so comfortable.

As for her film, La Cocina is based on Arnold Wesker’s play The Kitchen. The film is directed by Alonso Ruizpalacios and Variety called it “an anti-food-p-rn movie.” Alonso said: “I wanted to show the other side of the food industry where expediency is more important than the quality of the food. It’s a metaphor for corporate capitalism.” At Rooney’s festival press conference, she spoke about how she chooses projects nowadays, which is to choose by directors only.

I used to sort of worry about Rooney & Joaquin’s relationship and wonder if they drove each other crazy with their weirdness and idiosyncrasies but over the course of their eight-year-long relationship, I think Rooney has stabilized him completely. They live quietly in the Hollywood Hills, they make vegan food together, they watch Netflix and mind their business. And now they’ll soon have two kids!

Photos courtesy of Cover Images and Avalon Red.

For years now, Prince Harry has exhibited a very strong I’m Never Going Back energy. He loves California, he loves being able to protect his wife and children, he loves that he’s not part of the 24-7 toxicity in the UK. During his Good Morning America interview, which aired on Friday, Harry said some interesting things like “I love every single day” in America, and “I have my own family” when asked about the Windsors. It has been abundantly clear for a long time that Harry is happy where he is, but with his father’s cancer treatment, Harry would like to see more of King Charles these days. Which is why he also told GMA: “I’ve got other trips planned that would take me through the UK or back to the UK so I’ll stop in and see my family as much as I can.” I took that to mean that Harry will continue to make the effort to have some kind of personal reconciliation with the neglectful father he clearly adores. Unfortunately, the neglectful father is also a giant a–hole who needs to keep feeding the rabid British media machine, which probably goes a long way to explaining this mess:

The Duke of Sussex is willing to return to a temporary royal role in support of his father during his illness, sources have revealed. In an attempt to help heal the rift in the family, the King and Prince Harry are said to have had several “warm ­exchanges” since Charles ­received his cancer diagnosis. The duke is now understood to have told friends that he would step into a royal role while his father is unwell.

Harry, who is the fifth in line to the throne, remains a counsellor of state, although as a non-working royal he is not expected to be called upon to stand in for the King. Yet to heal the rift, Harry is now said to be focused on reconciling himself with his family.

Similarly, Charles, 75, is believed to want to see more of his son and a source said there was a growing sense that a rapprochement would “benefit the ­institution”. A royal insider said: “On all practical levels it makes perfect sense for the family to come together to support the King while he’s sick. Much has been said on both sides in recent years, but that has never diminished the fundamental bond of blood, and there are now pragmatic aspects to consider, with the King and Kate’s wellbeing ­paramount in this. The details of the Clarence House meeting and subsequent conversations are private, but the feeling is that this arrangement could work.”

The meeting last week with his father at Clarence House, at which the Queen was also present, did not provide time for a detailed discussion but it is understood that Harry wants to make an offer to make a limited return to royal duties. A written plan would have to be drawn up and ­actioned by the King and his closest aides before Harry, 39, and Meghan, 42, could embark on any official duties on behalf of the monarch. Harry would not receive public funds.

Some within Buckingham Palace are not quite so amenable to the idea of a return, ­saying it would be “unlikely” and the late Queen had made clear that the Sussexes could not be “half in, half out”.

Regardless of whether any official role is granted, there appears to be hope in both the Palace and Montecito, the Sussexes’ Californian home, that a peacemaking operation could be successful in the coming months and years.

[From The Times]

It’s almost as if the half-in solution the Sussexes suggested in 2020 is now suddenly a good idea, four years later. Weird! In any case, this did not come from Harry or anyone close to him. The source is the same one who insisted to the Times: “The meeting last week with his father at Clarence House, at which the Queen was also present, did not provide time for a detailed discussion.” Now suddenly Camilla was in the room? Then why did she run to that crackhead Petronella Wyatt and neigh about Harry kicking her out of the room? My honest-to-god guess is that Charles was the one who said something like “we could really use you around these days” and Harry said something noncommittal like “we’ll see, Pa.”

The other candidate for “who was the source of this” is, of course, Prince William. The only reason I don’t think William is the one behind this particular story is because William would have centered himself and made sure that a source said something about “of course William despises his brother and will never forgive him!” The story isn’t centered enough on incandescent rage, is what I’m saying. Anyway, some really weird things are happening over there and, as always, I hope Harry stays far away.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

Here are some photos from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s final day in Canada, where they did events in Vancouver. The biggest photo event took place at the Vancouver Curling Club at Hillcrest Community Centre, where Harry tried out some adaptive ice-rink sports like curling. Meghan watched from the sidelines, looking very rich. Y’all know I adore Meghan and her wealthy style, but I am so tired of her love for beige and camel. Her camel coat in these photos is from Sentaler, one of her favorite brands. I associate this style with Meghan now, but I just wish it had been a different color. Please don’t give me “she didn’t want to stand out, it wasn’t about her.” First of all, you need to make your peace with the fact that she just loves Sad Beige and more than half of her wardrobe is Sad Beige. Second of all, the “not standing out” thing could have been achieved with cream, navy or black (and those colors would have looked much better on her).

At the Curling Club event, Meghan and Harry were joined by Michael Buble and his wife Luisana Lopilato. Buble is pretty much the prince of Canada, and it’s really cool that he and Luisana are big supporters of Invictus. Not only did Buble join Harry on the ice, Buble also performed at the Invictus dinner later, Friday evening. On Thursday evening, Michael and Luisana took Harry and Meghan out to dinner at Vij’s in Vancouver. Meghan apparently ordered her food extra spicy while Harry turned bright red when he looked at a pepper.

I just knew that man’s tastebud is yt as hell, and his ancestors colonized half the globe for spices??? Not Meghan asking for extra spicy when buddy can’t even handle a basic curry without turning bright red. I’ll sleep in peace knowing that the kids will grow up eating FLAVORS. pic.twitter.com/Qphz9u9eM5

— Pearl Kadupul (@PearlKadupul) February 17, 2024

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

Last June, Prince William couldn’t wait to step all over his father’s very first Trooping the Colour parade. William gave Roya Nikkhah an exclusive interview that weekend (Trooping weekend), all about his new groundbreaking, William-centered initiative in which he alone would “solve homelessness.” How would he solve it? By handing out £3 million in grants to various homeless organizations and adding at least three new layers of bureaucracy attached to the money. The whole thing might have been an okay story for William, if only he hadn’t run around, briefing every media outlet that he was going to “solve” everything and he is the savior of homeless people. The whole thing was dead on arrival – experts in the field blasted the program and blasted William. He’s barely mentioned Homewards since he turned up in Aberdeen to absolutely zero crowds. Well, I guess Homewards has been successfully buried (RIP) and now he’s got a new thing – Slumlord Peg, the affordable housing savior.

The Prince of Wales is to build and fund a £3 million social housing development on his land to tackle homelessness. William has overseen plans to construct the 24 homes in Cornwall to be ready next year. They will provide high-quality accommodation in an area with one of the most acute homelessness problems in the UK. The development in Nansledan, a suburb of Newquay, the Cornish seaside town famous for its surfing, will include a mix of four-bedroom houses and one-bedroom flats.

It will deliver on William’s pledge in an interview with The Sunday Times last year that he would put social housing on his Duchy of Cornwall land, the 130,000-acre property portfolio valued at £1 billion stretching from Cornwall to Kent, which he controls as the Duke of Cornwall.

The duchy, which provides the heir to the throne with an income, recorded profits of £24 million in 2022-23. It will supply the land for the project free of charge and cover all construction costs. It will also invest in local infrastructure, including a bus link and connections to electricity, water and superfast broadband.

The new low-carbon homes will feature slate roofs, granite lintels, solar panels, heat pumps and colourful timber windows. It will be built in a “traditional Cornish seaside” style, designed by Adam Architecture and local firm ALA Architects.

It is understood William wants the development to “look and feel as homely as possible” to combat the stigma of social housing. The site will also be re-landscaped and shrubs and wildflowers planted to encourage biodiversity.

Sources close to William, 41, said he wanted to “lead from the front” and encourage other landowners to build more social housing. He is said to be considering further projects on his land. The duchy is working on the project with the Cornish homelessness charity St Petrocs with the long-term aim of helping people move from temporary accommodation at Nansledan into permanent homes.

[From The Times]

The basic idea of this reminds me so much of Brad Pitt’s Make It Right NOLA, which ended in utter catastrophe because of shoddy materials, shoddy construction and a poorly-operated organization which left homeowners twisting in the wind. It took MIR NOLA’s victims 15-17 years to get justice and any kind of compensation for how badly they were screwed over. In this case, it sounds like the Duchy of Cornwall is making rental units, correct? So at least no one will take out a mortgage. Anyway… communities always need affordable rental housing, especially in urban areas and especially in the most high-traffic tourist areas (like Cornwall). I hope this goes well and I hope William has learned his lesson about proclaiming himself to be the homelessness savior. Funny that Roya Nikkhah got this briefing straight from William and Kensington Palace but no one will talk about Kate whatsoever.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

These are some photos of Donald Trump on the “campaign trail” in Nevada on January 27th. Is it just me or does Trump look especially unkempt and drawn? His wig is crooked and he even looks like he’s lost some weight? Many people are saying he’s on Ozempic. Anyway, this past week was a funny one for all things Bigly. First, Trump lost his motion to dismiss the Stormy Daniels & Karen McDougal hush money case. The trial will proceed and jury selection begins on March 25. That’s just one upcoming trial out of many, but by the end of the week, we got the ruling in Trump’s civil trial for his decades of fraud. That motherf–ker’s guilty and he’s probably going to sell off real estate to pay these enormous fines. LMAO.

A New York judge on Friday handed Donald J. Trump a crushing defeat in his civil fraud case, finding the former president liable for conspiring to manipulate his net worth and ordering him to pay a penalty of nearly $355 million plus interest that could wipe out his entire stockpile of cash.

The decision by Justice Arthur F. Engoron caps a chaotic, yearslong case in which New York’s attorney general put Mr. Trump’s fantastical claims of wealth on trial. With no jury, the power was in Justice Engoron’s hands alone, and he came down hard: The judge delivered a sweeping array of punishments that threatens the former president’s business empire as he simultaneously contends with four criminal prosecutions and seeks to regain the White House.

Justice Engoron barred Mr. Trump for three years from serving in top roles at any New York company, including portions of his own Trump Organization. He also imposed a two-year ban on the former president’s adult sons and ordered that they pay more than $4 million each. One of them, Eric Trump, is the company’s de facto chief executive, and the ruling throws into doubt whether any member of the family can run the business in the near term.

The judge also ordered that they pay substantial interest, pushing the penalty for the former president to $450 million, according to the attorney general, Letitia James.

In his unconventional style, Justice Engoron criticized Mr. Trump and the other defendants for refusing to admit wrongdoing for years. “Their complete lack of contrition and remorse borders on pathological,” he said. He noted that Mr. Trump had not committed violent crimes and also conceded that “Donald Trump is not Bernard Madoff.” Still, he wrote, “defendants are incapable of admitting the error of their ways.”

Mr. Trump will appeal the financial penalty but will have to either come up with the money or secure a bond within 30 days. The ruling will not render him bankrupt, because most of his wealth is in real estate, which altogether is worth far more than the penalty.

[From The NY Times]

$450 million, plus $4 million per failson? Please, this is too funny. I read somewhere that Trump can’t ask for donations to cover any of the fines, nor can seek donations for the money he owes E. Jean Carroll. He doesn’t have the money, so it really does seem like he’ll either have to mortgage his real estate or sell some stuff off? Which of Trump’s properties would he be willing to sell to pay for all of his business failures, frauds and sexual assaults? Trump Tower? Bedminster? The golf club in Virginia? Mar-a-Lago will probably be the last thing he sells. I would also love to know what all of his lawyers are going to do when they all realize that he’s never going to pay any of them.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.

Some people were criticizing Amy Schumer’s “puffy” face this week & she clapped back. Amy has had a lot of health issues in recent years, so I do not understand why that conversation even started. She wrote, on her IG, about having endometriosis. [Buzzfeed]
Kim Kardashian knows it will be difficult for her to find another husband with her big, chaotic life. I doubt she even wants another husband, tbh. [Hollywood Life]
Donald Trump wants people to believe that he looks like Elvis? [OMG Blog]
An interview with the queens behind Idol Worship. [Socialite Life]
IDK, I think this seems like an OK cast for the Fantastic Four reboot? [LaineyGossip]
They Called Him Mostly Harmless sounds so sad. [Pajiba]
Photos from Netflix’s Bridgerton hype event. [Go Fug Yourself]
I like how Gerard Butler just exclusively makes dad movies now. [Just Jared]
Greta Gerwig went to the Dune 2 premiere (she wore Jil Sander). [RCFA]
Joseph Gordon Levitt was in a Pop Tarts commercial. [Seriously OMG]
Seeking Sister Wife Season 5 cast. [Starcasm]

 

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Prince Harry gave an exclusive interview to Good Morning America’s Will Reeve (son of Christopher Reeve). GMA followed the Sussexes around Canada in their first two days in Vancouver and Whistler, all part of the “One Year To Go” events around the Invictus Games. In the first clip from the interview, Harry was asked about his father, King Charles, and his dad’s cancer diagnosis. Harry kept it very simple, especially when asked about his sudden trip to London last week: “Um, look, I love my family. The fact that I was able to get on a plane and go and see him and spend any time with him, I’m grateful for that.” Harry also said, after a leading question, that he was “sure” that his dad’s cancer could have a reunifying effect on the family: “Throughout all these families I see it on a day-to-day basis – the strength of the family unit coming together. Any illness, any sickness, brings families together.” As you can imagine, Tom Sykes at the Daily Beast immediately (within minutes!) got friends-of-the-Windsors to throw a tantrum about this:

Friends of the royals reacted with fury today after Prince Harry used an interview on ABC’s Good Morning America to discuss his father King Charles’ cancer diagnosis—and agreed with an interviewer’s suggestion that it could have a “reunifying” effect on the family. In comments bound to infuriate the palace, Harry, when asked about his recent dash to Britain to see his father, said: “Um, look, I love my family. The fact that I was able to get on a plane and go and see him and spend any time with him, I’m grateful for that.”

Harry was being interviewed by GMA presenter Will Reeve, son of the Superman actor Christopher Reeve, who went on to make an apparent reference to his late father’s paralysis, saying: “I’ve also found in my own life that sort of an illness in the family can have a galvanising or a sort of reunifying effect for a family. Is that possible in this case?”

In a clip aired Friday morning, Harry replied: “Absolutely. Yeah, I’m sure. Throughout all these families I see it on a day-to-day basis, again, the strength of the family unit coming together. I think any illness, any sickness brings families together.”

One friend of Charles and Camilla, when told of Harry’s comments by The Daily Beast, responded: “It seems Harry has taken it on himself to use the diagnosis to publicise his own agenda. If it wasn’t so sickening it would be funny. What really would have helped the family come together would have been if Harry had said he wouldn’t be taking questions about his father.”

Another friend of the family said: “It’s hard to believe that Harry can keep finding ways to make things worse. He just needs to pipe down.”

[From The Daily Beast]

Just so we’re clear, Harry did not say anything that the royals themselves weren’t briefing to the British media last week. If anything, Harry kept it more general: lots of families come together when someone has cancer, I love my family, I’m grateful I got a chance to visit my father. Imagine being “sickened” by that, or telling a son to “pipe down” when he says “I love my family.” Unhinged.

Here’s the GMA interview – Harry said “that stays between me and him” when asked about his outlook on his father’s health. He also says he has other planned trips to the UK coming up, so he’s definitely going to see his father again. He says Archie and Lilibet are really funny and keep him and Meg “grounded.” On his life in America, he says “I love every single day.” Whether he feels American, he says: “Aaaaah, do I feel American? No, I don’t know how I feel.” Oh, he’s asked if he’s considered becoming an American citizen and he says yes, he has considered it and he really wanted to get out of that conversation. Methinks he’s already in the middle of his years-long naturalization process.

EXCLUSIVE: Prince Harry to @ReeveWill on visiting King Charles after cancer diagnosis: “I love my family. The fact that I was able to get on a plane and go see and spend anytime with him, I’m grateful for that.” https://t.co/yDp82WU7Bk pic.twitter.com/lO0cebeO9i

— Good Morning America (@GMA) February 16, 2024

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have always been very tactile with each other. It’s their love language, to be physically connected, to hold hands or put their hands on each other’s backs. It’s always been that way, from the very start of their relationship. Big Red truly looks for any reason to stay physically connected to his wife and he’s always reaching out his hand to Meghan, or touching her hair or looking heartbroken and lovesick when she’s speaking to another man. The only “bad” thing about their hand-holding is that Meghan is a lot shorter than him and she really has to scurry to keep up with his pace when they’re walking together and holding hands. Of course, that’s not the complaint of this new and absolutely unhinged Telegraph column which has gone minorly viral. Telegraph columnist Judith Woods wrote: “Sorry, Harry and Meghan, but your performative hand-holding fools no one.” The kicker is the subhead: “These two clearly want it to be known that they are inseparable – and nothing like William and Kate.” Oh, that’s an unintentional confession, huh.

Right. That’s it. Does anyone have a pair of bolt cutters? Or maybe a water cannon? Because frankly, I think that’s the only way we can stop Harry and Meghan from holding hands. Like so many other things about them, it is fingernails-down-the-blackboard grating. Annoying. And so g-ddamn performative.

The whole “young and so very much in love, not like frosty and uptight William and Kate” routine has worn thinner than a cigarette paper. Harry is 39; Meghan is 42. They have two offspring, aged four and two. Nobody has free hands at that age and stage; they are either full of squirming children or their ridiculously bulky paraphernalia. Any free hand is for patting down your partner’s body to find the car keys. Fact.

“Every time I see those two holding hands, it triggers me,” confesses a colleague who also has a brace of little ones. “It’s inauthentic, it’s unbelievable, it makes me want to scream because it bears no resemblance to the realities of parenthood.”

We know Meghan is (whisper it) “a hugger” as well as being “one of the most influential women in the world” according to the couple’s new website, which means it must be true. Doesn’t she grasp that clinging on to her husband’s arms all the time isn’t feminist? Quite the opposite: it projects a bizarre image of childishness and codependence.

The irony is that Harry, formerly known as Prince, is a man who knows exactly what to do with empty hands. He was born into it. It was bred into him. It’s pretty much the USP of Windsor man 1.0; slip one hand into the jacket pocket, occasionally open a button, close the button, hands behind the back, pause and repeat.

[From The Telegraph]

Again, they’re painting Meghan as aggressively forcing Harry to hold her hand – they’ve “blamed” Meghan for the hand-holding for years, as if she alone is doing it. Please, Harry is the one reaching out for her 90% of the time. Meghan is his security blanket – he feels more confident when he’s physically connected to her. Anyway, this whole column is giving Bitter Karen. Imagine having such strong negative opinions about a married couple holding hands? Imagine setting up William and Kate like that too. I guess that’s what these people really want to talk about – why do Harry and Meghan have to look so loved up, why can’t they look at each other with spite and disgust like Will and Kate? Why can’t Harry wince when Meghan touches him, like William winces whenever Kate tries to grope his ass in public?

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images.