Can’t wait to see how the Washington Post deals with this update! Prince Harry is now only one of two litigants suing The Sun (News Group Newspapers) for hacking and unlawfully obtained information. Harry was originally part of a larger class-action lawsuit with 40 other litigants, and it was set to go to trial next year. Now NGN has settled with every litigant except for Harry and Tom Watson, a former Labour leader. NGN loves to settle these claims after years of dragging their victims into court and making their lives hell – they did the same with Hugh Grant earlier this year as well, and I imagine NGN had to pay out in a really big way to get 38 people to settle like this.

Prince Harry is continuing his lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers (NGN) over alleged unlawful activities by journalists and private investigators despite dozens of others settling their cases, his lawyer said on Friday.

Harry, 40, the younger son of King Charles, is suing the publisher of the Sun and the now-defunct News of the World at the High Court in London, alleging NGN unlawfully obtained private information about him from 1996 until 2011.

The royal’s case was one of about 40 lawsuits against NGN, but all but one other litigant – Tom Watson, the former deputy leader of Britain’s now-governing Labour Party – have now settled, Harry’s lawyer David Sherborne told the court.

Those who have agreed to settle include Spice Girl Melanie Brown, former BBC executive Alan Yentob, “Game of Thrones” actor Alfie Allen and Ted Beckham, the father of former England soccer captain David Beckham.

The trial is due to begin in January, though Sherborne has previously said it was likely claimants could be forced to settle because they could be left with huge legal bills if they rejected a settlement offer, even if they won at trial. He made the remarks after British actor Hugh Grant reluctantly settled his case in April.

NGN has paid out hundreds of millions of pounds to victims of phone hacking and other unlawful information gathering by the News of the World and settled claims brought by more than 1,300 celebrities, politicians, well-known sports figures and ordinary people who were connected to them or major events.

Harry’s legal team previously said that his older brother Prince William, the heir to the throne, settled a case against NGN, the British newspaper arm of News Corp, in 2020. The publisher has always rejected allegations of any wrongdoing by staff at the Sun, though it has paid damages to settle cases involving claims levelled against the tabloid’s journalists.

[From US News & World Report]

David Sherborne, Harry’s lawyer in the UK, told the media: “The Duke of Sussex is one of two claimants whose claims are still live in this matter. The reduction of the live claims to just two is a pretty recent development.” Sherborne admitted in April that Harry is taking a huge risk by continuing with this litigation and refusing the settlement offers from NGN, because if Harry loses, he could be on the hook for millions in legal fees and more. There’s been a really high-level pressure campaign to “convince” Harry to drop this lawsuit in particular and/or to settle out of court. I think it’s remarkable that he’s still going.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

King Charles turned 76 yesterday. He spent several hours at an event at a foodbank, in which the slumlord king graciously donated new refrigerators and we weren’t supposed to remember that the man bills the NHS £11 million to rent a warehouse for ambulances. Some outlets made Charles’s birthday all about Prince Harry, because of course. GB News declared that Harry “has fumbled a public olive branch he received from members of the Royal Family” because he “opted not to send a public birthday message to King Charles on Thursday.” Why would Harry PUBLICLY wish his father a happy birthday when Harry could just call his father and speak to him? Oh, wait, Charles refuses to take his son’s calls. Oh well. Good luck with Peggington then! I don’t think William even saw his father on his birthday. It also sounds like Charles planned a small party for himself last night and didn’t invite his sons. Sounds about right. From Katie Nicholl’s latest in Vanity Fair:

Birthday plans: According to aides, the king is treating his birthday like any other day, but it is expected that there will be a small, low-key gathering attended by some family and close friends to mark the king’s birthday on Thursday evening. “There will be more to the birthday than going to the Coronation Food Project, but it will be a private celebration,” reveals a source close to the king.

Happier than he’s ever been?? Sources close to Charles tell VF that he is “happier than he has ever been” and is grateful to be able to carry out his work. “What’s happened since the King’s last birthday is incredible. No one had any idea of the challenges that would lie ahead on a personal and a family level. It’s been a year of highs and lows,” notes a royal source.

Ending 2024 on a high: King Charles is continuing with his weekly treatment which he is “tolerating well,” according to well-placed sources. It has not stopped the monarch from maintaining his busy schedule, which includes a recent tour of Australia and Samoa. “As we come to the end of what has been a terribly hard year there’s a feeling that 2024 will end on a high,” adds the palace source. “That the king was able to visit Australia and CHOGM in Samoa showed just how well he is doing. He was at the Cenotaph last weekend, which was incredibly important, it’s what the royal family do best – leading the nation in moments of national importance.”

More on his treatment: “As he celebrates his birthday, I think the king is getting on with life and feeling deep gratitude for all that he is able to do,” says a source close to the monarch. “He had treatment this week – he’s on a weekly cycle and the symptoms and side effects are manageable. He’s determined to be seen going about his business and doing what he loves doing.”

Human contact: “I think the past year has shown the king to be very human,” adds the source. “The late queen was a quasi-deity in some ways. The king is very human, he has human strengths, frailties and engages in human contact. Nothing could be more reductively human than a critical illness that affects so many and I think most people think he has conducted himself with dignity and courage. People think he’s done well with climate change, youth opportunity and is making a difference and actually see that he’s a good king doing good things, and it would be sad if he wasn’t here. He recognizes that there’s a limit to what he can do, but I do think he’s happier this year than last year. There’s a levity about him and a sense of joy. You see him hugging people and laughing. He’s happy to be here doing what he loves and I think people are paying more attention to him and what he’s doing than ever before.”

[From Vanity Fair]

“People think he’s done well with climate change, youth opportunity and is making a difference and actually see that he’s a good king doing good things, and it would be sad if he wasn’t here.” I find it sad that Buckingham Palace’s communications team serves King Charles so poorly, that they lay it on so thick. He’s so human, he’s frail like the peasants, he’s managing without complaint, and you will miss him when he’s gone!! Aiming for sympathy, maybe even pity? Anyway, I do hope that Charles holds on. There’s definitely a growing sense of panic over William’s inability to take over.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

As I’ve said before, I like Sydney Sweeney. I think she’s a smart cookie, and I appreciate the fact that she’s not a nepo-baby, and that she’s gotten to the top because of her sheer hustle, drive, talent and work ethic. Sydney is featured on Vanity Fair’s Hollywood Issue cover, and VF did individual profiles of all of their cover stars. She’s now an in-demand producer because of the success of Anyone But You, plus Immaculate. She’s also got Ron Howard’s Eden coming up, and Echo Valley with Julianne Moore. Some highlights from her VF profile:

On her interviews: “We’re going to have a conversation, we’ll talk for 30 minutes, it’s condensed, then people don’t understand the context behind the conversation, and it’s all clickbait. Unfortunately I don’t get to control my image—my image is in your guys’ hands.”

Her work as a producer: “I love being able to have a seat at the table, have creative say over decisions that would help benefit the project, whether it be the character or budget or time frame, anything that I can do that can help the project succeed. I love to help brainstorm and problem solve because it’s a puzzle—you’re constantly trying to have all these moving pieces put together.

On the strategy to play up affair rumors with Glen Powell: “Once [Anyone But You] did become a success, a lot of the interviews were just questions about it, so I don’t know if we necessarily were planning on ever talking about the strategy behind any of it. We just had very specific questions and when you say no to a question, people think that you’re a bitch, so….We definitely are very supportive of each other’s careers. We watch and talk about each other’s projects all the time, or even if we’re both debating between projects, we’ll call each other up and ask for advice. I just saw him last week and we were talking through some projects, so we definitely have a really great working relationship. We would absolutely love to work on something else together.

On a female producer publicly calling her talentless: “It’s very disheartening to see women tear other women down, especially when women who are successful in other avenues of their industry see younger talent working really hard—hoping to achieve whatever dreams that they may have—and then trying to bash and discredit any work that they’ve done. This entire industry, all people say is “Women empowering other women.” None of it’s happening. All of it is fake and a front for all the other sh-t that they say behind everyone’s back.”

More on women not supporting women: “I mean, there’s so many studies and different opinions on the reasoning behind it. I’ve read that our entire lives, we were raised—and it’s a generational problem—to believe only one woman can be at the top.
There’s one woman who can get the man. There’s one woman who can be, I don’t know, anything. So then all the others feel like they have to fight each other or take that one woman down instead of being like, Let’s all lift each other up. I’m still trying to figure it out. I’m just trying my best over here. Why am I getting attacked?

[From Vanity Fair]

She also talks about Euphoria and effortlessly walks the line of being happy about a show which made her a breakout star AND calling out the producers for not having their acts together. Which is true. As for what she says about what Hollywood is really like and all of the “women supporting women” stuff being bullsh-t… I believe it, but I also believe it’s particular to Sydney too. Like, I think there are pockets of Hollywood where, um, white women support other white women. But I think a lot of women are probably threatened by Sydney’s youth and beauty too.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

Months ago, the Duchess of Sussex revealed to the New York Times that she invested in Cesta Collective, a woven-purse company operated and owned by women. Meghan also revealed to the Times that she has now invested in five to ten other brands. It was a big, rich mystery, one which the British media only acknowledged to mock (this story is going to upset Camilla Tominey so much). Well, as it turns out, Meghan has invested in another female-owned company – Highbrow Hippie, which was founded by her good friend and colorist Kadi Lee. Kadi has been Meghan’s colorist (and colorist to celebrities like Julia Roberts) for years. Now Kadi has turned her successful hair salon (Highbrow Hippie) into a product line of the same name, a product line in which Meghan invested. From InStyle:

Kadi Lee on her mission: “I work with some of the most visible women in the world; keeping their hair healthy has always been at the top of my mind,” says Lee, who specializes in sun-kissed balayage that radiates warmth and makes skin glow. And while Lee insists that good hair health is holistic, she’s bottling some of the magic in her new Highbrow Hippie hair wellness line, developed alongside her salon co-founder and longtime friend Myka Harris. The pair, who first met as students and opened their hair atelier in 2019, designed their debut offerings—a supercharged scalp serum and wellbeing supplement—to optimize all the tenets of good hair health, from luster to density.

Why these products: Lee and Harris have seen their clients through many seasons of life, including postpartum and aging into their 40s and 50s, when hair loss often becomes more pronounced. The duo point to statistics that have motivated their work: 80 percent of women experience hair loss throughout their lifetime; it’s among the top issues affecting women’s self-esteem. Moreover, hair health is often an early indicator of various larger health issues, such as chronic stress or hormonal imbalance, but is not always taken seriously. So, they set out to formulate comprehensive, science-backed formulas that prevent and treat the root causes of hair loss. “We always knew we wanted to start a product line, and the conversations being had with clients made it clear that it needed to be about hair health,” the pair explain. “We knew that we needed to start there and provide them with a comprehensive system that treats the root causes of hair loss and damage while holistically supporting overall wellness and longevity.”

Meghan’s investment: The line’s potential has drawn attention from Markle not just as a client, but as an investor, as well. “Kadi has a mastery of hair health, and her Highbrow Hippie collection is a perfect reflection of that,” Markle tells InStyle. “I am so proud to invest in her as a friend and as a female founder.” In an increasingly crowded space where overnight solutions for hair loss are being pushed on us from every direction, Lee and Harris offer something with integrity. They are mindful of all textures, only use premium-grade ingredients backed by clinical trials, and, of course, offer unmatched experience tending to the world’s most famous heads of hair. As the pair put it, “Women of any age looking to have healthy hair that thrives even under the most stressful of circumstances now have a product they can trust.”

[From InStyle]

I love that Meghan is investing in her friends and investing in female-owned brands which share her personal ethos. It’s really cool. While I’ve thought the makeup and skincare industries have been oversaturated with celebrity-run lines, there’s so much room in haircare to make a good product which could really catch on. Beyonce has that with Cécred! But it sounds like Highbrow Hippie’s products will be more of an industry/California thing for now. I’m sure Meghan would love to see her friends go national in a big way though.

A photo of Meghan from last night’s launch party, via Highbrow Hippie’s IG:

Top 8 stories about Duchess Meghan’s Clevr Blends investment

From a mail order latte business to an endorsement from Oprah and the shelves at Target, Duchess Meghan’s investment in Clevr Blends really paid off! Get the top 8 stories about Clevr Blends when you sign up for our mailing list!

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Photos courtesy of Highbrow Hippie’s IG Stories and Kadi Lee’s IG Stories. Additional photos courtesy of Cover Images.

As we discussed, Donald Trump has chosen Matt Gaetz as his nominee for Attorney General. Gaetz has long been on the national radar as a credibly accused statutory rapist and human trafficker who has been investigated by federal authorities, state authorities and the House Ethics Committee. In fact, it looks like Gaetz’s nomination to DOJ came at just the right moment, because the Ethics Committee was going to release their findings in their years-long investigation today, Friday. That was the plan before Gaetz’s nomination, and he’s already resigned his seat in the House. So, is the Ethics Committee still going to release their report? Because Republican Senators are actually interested in vetting Gaetz.

Republican senators are preparing for a robust vetting of Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Justice Department, with a keen interest in details from a House Ethics Committee investigation into the former congressman from Florida.

The ethics panel has been investigating Gaetz off and on since 2021, most recently focusing on alleged sexual misconduct, illicit drug use, accepting improper gifts, obstruction and other allegations. But the results of that probe may not become public because Gaetz resigned from the House at noon on Thursday. The Ethics Committee has jurisdiction only over sitting House members.

Trump’s choice of Gaetz was a surprise to nearly everyone, including members of his own party and officials at the Justice Department — in part because of the Ethics investigation, his past legal problems and his reputation as a rabble-rouser in Congress.

A source familiar with the process told NBC News that Gaetz had been consulting Trump on who would be best to run the Justice Department. Gaetz did not ask for the role, that person said, but Trump asked him to take on the job Wednesday morning, just hours before the decision was made public. Many Republican senators, including members of the GOP-led Judiciary Committee that will oversee Gaetz’s nomination for attorney general, said they’ll want to see the details of the House Ethics investigation into Gaetz.

“I think it would be helpful,” said Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa. Sen.-elect John Curtis, R-Utah, said he would “absolutely” like to see the findings of the House Ethics Committee investigation, saying, “I don’t know the technicalities, or whether or not we would see that, but I think that would be very relevant.”

[From NBC News]

The House Ethics Committee is meeting today, and it’s widely assumed that they’ll privately debate whether or not they’ll still release their report. Meanwhile, someone on the committee has already leaked some of the testimony The committee heard testimony from a woman, now in her 20s, who said that Matt Gaetz had sex with her when she was only 17 years old.

The woman who was at the center of a yearslong Justice Department investigation into sex trafficking allegations surrounding Rep. Matt Gaetz testified to the House Ethics Committee that the now-former Florida congressman had sex with her when she was 17 years old, sources familiar with the investigation told ABC News.

Over the summer, the House Ethics Committee subpoenaed the woman at the center of the probe — who is now in her 20s — and she sat for multiple days of testimony where she testified to the committee that Gaetz had sex with her when she was a minor in high school, sources close to the investigation said.

“These allegations are invented and would constitute false testimony to Congress,” Gaetz said in response to ABC News’ reporting. “This false smear following a three-year criminal investigation should be viewed with great skepticism.”

The Justice Department spent years probing the allegations against Gaetz, including allegations of obstruction of justice, before informing Gaetz last year that it would not bring charges. Gaetz has long denied any wrongdoing related to the Justice Department probe. In September, he released a detailed response to questions sent to him by the House Ethics Committee, which has been investigating allegations of alleged sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, reiterating his denial of the allegations.

[From ABC News]

Again, I seriously doubt anything will come from all of these reports of nervous Republicans, reluctant to confirm Gaetz. Gaetz will either be confirmed or Trump will push Congress into recess and he’ll get Gaetz as a recess appointment. Those are the only two options here – Matt Gaetz, a man widely known to have a penchant for drugs, Botox and teenagers, is absolutely going to be Attorney General.

Fox News contributor Ben Domenech weighs in on Matt Gaetz and commits a brutal murder. pic.twitter.com/ImGKUWKYs6

— i/o (@eyeslasho) November 14, 2024

Photos courtesy of YouTube thumbnails, Cover Images.

Every single day, we’re being terrorized by Donald Trump’s appointment announcements. From the white nationalist Fox News bro as Secretary of Defense to a credibly accused statutory rapist and trafficker for Attorney General, Donald Trump is truly going balls to the walls to find the worst people for his cabinet. Abraham Lincoln’s cabinet was famously “the team of rivals.” Trump’s cabinet is the Team of Degenerates. That being said, I expected it to be really bad. All of this has met my expectations thus far. There hasn’t been one name, one appointment, where I’ve been like “whoa, that’s shocking!” Trump literally told everyone what he was going to do and now he’s doing it. Speaking of, Trump will nominated Robert Kennedy Jr. for the head of Health and Human Services.

President-elect Donald Trump will nominate former presidential candidate and anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. The pick, which will roil many public health experts, comes after Trump promised to let Kennedy “go wild” with health and food policy in his administration after Kennedy dropped his own presidential bid to endorse the now-president-elect. It’s also a sign of the opening Trump sees after he scored a decisive electoral victory and Republicans won a comfortable majority in the Senate.

“For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health,” Trump posted on X. “The Safety and Health of all Americans is the most important role of any Administration, and HHS will play a big role in helping ensure that everybody will be protected from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, and food additives that have contributed to the overwhelming Health Crisis in this Country.”

Kennedy, 70, may still face a steep slope to confirmation after his years of touting debunked claims that vaccines cause autism, written a book accusing former National Institutes of Health official Anthony Fauci of conspiring with tech mogul Bill Gates and drugmakers to sell Covid-19 vaccines and said regulatory officials are industry puppets who should be removed.

[From Politico]

Since we’re in the darkest f–king timeline, I guess it’s okay to admit something: I actually thought it was a smart political move for Trump to publicly court Kennedy and ask for his endorsement when it was clear Kennedy was hurting Republicans and not Democrats. As a purely political move – I’m not talking about science, morality or ethics – the way Trump positioned his political alliance with Kennedy was one of the few smart decisions he made this year. A lot of absolutely batsh-t people were going to vote for Kennedy. Trump ensured that those batsh-tters voted for him, with the guarantee that he would put Kennedy in his cabinet and put him in charge of everything health-related. Anyway, yeah, the whole thing is predictably bonkers. I actually think Trump will get tired of Elon Musk and Matt Gaetz much sooner than he’ll get tired of Kennedy. Unless Kennedy starts decapitating animals in and around the White House (but I’m not sure that would be a dealbreaker for Trump). Brain Worm: 1, Science: 0.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

Prince William made a “surprise visit” to Belfast, Northern Ireland on Thursday. For a second, I wondered if this trip was something thrown together at the last minute because William has been loudly criticized in some quarters after his Cape Town trip bombed so badly. But then I remembered… royal visits to Northern Ireland are almost always a “surprise.” They’re rarely announced ahead of time, although some reporters were obviously given a heads up, and some rota people even traveled with William. It’s just the way it is and probably always will be – the Windsors have to take extra precautions whenever they’re in Northern Ireland.

Still, I doubt many people in Belfast knew the heir would be in town on Thursday. So while there were few crowds, there were also no large-scale protests. And yet, there was one small-scale protest at Ulster University. William was booed entering and leaving a building on campus, and apparently the protest was made about of about thirty pro-Palestinian protesters. GB News claimed there were about 100 students waiting for a glimpse of him, but that he still got a “muted response” from them. Still, nothing beats the reception given to William whenever he’s in Aberdeen. I swear, the Scottish people in Aberdeen simply refuse to give him one iota of attention.

As for why William even went to Belfast… he visited some homelessness project or shelter and he visited the university, where he did a photo-op with a motorcycle. It was actually a staged thing at the Virtual Production Studio at Ulster- students basically learn how to greenscreen and such. The background was supposed to look like Arizona, and William was especially keen, because he loves motorcycles. He also loves hanging out with college coeds, doesn’t he?

The Prince of Wales, Prince William has arrived at @UlsterUni Belfast. @BelTel pic.twitter.com/q6Ksgwj77A

— Kurtis Reid (@kurtisreid_) November 14, 2024

A less than warm reaction to Prince William as he departs @UlsterUni in Belfast this afternoon. @BelTel pic.twitter.com/jTJ2cLmUri

— Kurtis Reid (@kurtisreid_) November 14, 2024

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

Lady Gaga joins the cast of Wednesday Season 2. Sigh… [JustJared]
Lupita Nyong’o has been cast in Christopher Nolan’s new film?? [LaineyGossip]
Angelina Jolie wore Saint Laurent in NYC. [RCFA]
Zendaya, Josh O’Connor & Mike Faist have a group chat. [Jezebel]
I am an Agatha Christie Autumn Girl. [Pajiba]
Jay-Z launched a financial literacy program for HBCUs. [Buzzfeed]
We’re also opting out of the icky Liam Payne reports. [Socialite Life]
Matt Gaetz met his wife at Mar-a-Lago. [Hollywood Life]
Whoopi Goldberg made a scandalous joke on The View. [Seriously OMG]
Dua Lipa teams up with… Pokemon. [OMG Blog]

Melania Trump formally declined Dr. Jill Biden’s invitation to the White House this week. Tradition dictated that Melania and Donald Trump would be invited together, then the outgoing and incoming First Ladies would have peeled off to speak and have tea in the East Wing. Melania said NOPE. While this can be and should be read as an insult to Dr. Biden, let’s be clear: this was mostly about how much Melania hates her husband and doesn’t want to be anywhere near him. When Mel declined Dr. Biden’s invitation, Mel’s office publicly declared: “Her husband’s return to the Oval Office to commence the transition process is encouraging, and she wishes him great success.” Sounds like Gisele Bundchen speaking about Tom Brady. All of which to say, Ol’ Mel is not coming back to the White House.

Melania Trump is unlikely to move to Washington full time in her second go-round as first lady, multiple sources told CNN, once more showing signs of her willingness to buck tradition as she returns to her high-profile but unelected role on the world stage. Discussions about how and where she’ll spend her time are ongoing, the sources said.

One of her first official decisions is to skip the traditional and symbolic meeting with outgoing first lady Jill Biden at the White House as President Joe Biden hosts the president-elect in the Oval Office on Wednesday. After Jill Biden extended the invitation, there was discussion about the incoming first lady’s attendance, with members of Donald Trump’s team making clear that it was important for her to go. Sources cited a prior scheduling conflict for Melania Trump related to her book, and the office of the incoming first lady confirmed on X Wednesday morning that she would not attend the meeting.

Trump is expected to spend a majority of her time over the next four years not at the White House, but between New York City and Palm Beach, Florida, sources familiar with the thinking told CNN. However, they insisted she would still be present for major events and would have her own platform and priorities as first lady. Melania Trump has developed a life and circle of friends in Florida over the past four years and is likely to continue to spend a lot of her time there, sources said.

After the 2016 election, Trump delayed her move to Washington, opting to move into the White House months after the inauguration as son Barron, then 10, finished the school year. Barron Trump, now 18, is attending New York University. Sources suggested the incoming first lady would also spend a significant amount of time at Trump Tower in New York to be close to her son, Barron. She was seen in the city Sunday, returning with him from Florida aboard the president-elect’s private plane.

“I could not say I’m an empty nester. I don’t feel that way,” Melania Trump told Fox News’ Ainsley Earhardt last month. “It was his decision to come here, that he wants to be in New York, study in New York, and live in his home and I respect that. … He’s enjoying his college days. I hope he will have a great experience because his life is very different than any other 18-, 19-year-old child,” she said.

[From CNN]

In Trump’s first term, Ivanka often filled in as “First Lady” for various events, which was easier because Ivanka actually moved full time to DC with Jared Kushner and their kids. That’s not going to happen this time, and now Melania won’t be around either. That means there will be more unhinged right-wing women flocking to be this grotesque old man’s mistresses. Laura Loomer and her ilk. Oh well, this is what people wanted – not an aspirational or wholesome family dynamic, but a husband and wife who can’t stand to be in the same city.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, White House, Backgrid.

People Magazine’s 2024 Sexiest Man Alive is John Krasinski. No disrespect to John, but I’m not sure he was on most people’s radars for this “honor.” As I said yesterday, people were expecting someone like Glen Powell, Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal or Jonathan Bailey, the last three because they all have huge films coming out (Gladiator II and Wicked). Glen Powell has arguably had the biggest heat score in the past year, with successful films like Twisters and Anyone But You. Glen would have been the really obvious choice. So obvious, in fact, that there’s a rumor going around that People’s editors “begged” Glen to accept the SMA title but he refused.

Glen Powell and Pedro Pascal turned down People’s Sexiest Man Alive before John Krasinski, 45, was ultimately crowned the coveted title, according to an insider. A source told DailyMail.com that the magazine ‘begged both of them to accept,’ but were ‘continuously shut down.’

‘Every year the magazine has dreams of who to get, but the person they want doesn’t always agree to be a part of it. Do you really think that they wanted Patrick Dempsey last year?’ they said. ‘And for this year, just like Patrick, John is a great guy but in no way was he their number-one choice. This year, the magazine asked Glen Powell and Pedro Pascal on a handful of occasions to be the pick, but they continued to say no. They both had their reasons to turn it down, but People Magazine begged both of them to accept and they were continuously shot down.’

The source went on to say being Sexiest Man alive wasn’t ‘important’ to the Twisters actor, 36, or the Gladiator II star, 49, ‘at this point in their careers.’

‘Glen wants to make more of an impact in acting now that he is finally getting amazing roles and becoming more of a star and Pedro doesn’t feel like it was ever something he wanted to entertain,’ they added. ‘He sees the gimmick of it all and though there is a flattery to it, his ego doesn’t need it.’

[From The Daily Mail]

I have no idea if Pedro was really offered it, but I can completely understand why he would turn down something like this. His vibe is definitely more arty/serious actor, and he has shown time and time again that he’s not down with the babygirlification from fans. As for Glen… I don’t know. It’s completely believable that People wanted Glen. I just have a hard time believing that a guy as thirsty as Glen would turn it down?? Deuxmoi’s sources say the same thing though. Also – Glen does appear on the cover of Vanity Fair’s Hollywood Issue, which is a much bigger honor in general. You might even say that his VF photos are sexier than any People Mag SMA shoot.

Glen Powell photographed by Gordon von Steiner for Vanity Fair’s Hollywood Issue. pic.twitter.com/xstW7f3uKc

— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) November 13, 2024

Glen… GLEN… pic.twitter.com/5pJxLc7FNS

— sylvia (@newromantics02) November 13, 2024

People Magazine’s last 10 Sexiest Men Alive

People Magazine’s last 10 Sexiest Men Alive have ranged from popular choices like Idris Elba to baffling ones like Blake Shelton. Get stories and photos about the last 10 Sexiest Men Alive when you sign up for our mailing list!

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