Historically, the White House chief of staff position is one of the most powerful positions in the country. The chief of staff controls the president’s schedule, controls access to the president from staffers and outsiders, and has a huge say in the short-term and long-term agenda of a presidency. But in the Trump White House, the COS position is little more than a babysitter and fall guy, and the position would put any person in instant legal jeopardy. At least two men – Nick Ayers and Mark Meadows – have already turned down the job. Trump says he has other candidates. But what if he doesn’t? Why if he keeps it in-family?

Having run through his first choices for his chief of staff vacancy without any luck, President Donald Trump is considering his own son-in-law for the job. Jared Kushner, the husband of Trump’s daughter Ivanka and already an official White House adviser, met with Trump Wednesday about the job, a top Republican close to the White House told HuffPost. He and two others close to Trump or the White House who confirmed Kushner’s interest in the position did so on condition of anonymity to discuss the president’s staffing considerations freely.

Kushner has been pushing his own candidacy with Trump, citing his work on a criminal justice reform package and a claimed ability to work with Democrats, one person said. “I don’t know why he thinks that, when the Democrats are mainly going to be coming after Trump,” the source said. The White House did not respond to HuffPost’s queries about Kushner’s prospects for the job.

Trump told reporters Thursday that he is down to five finalists. “We are interviewing people now for chief of staff,” he said at a photo opportunity with newly elected governors who were visiting the White House.

[From HuffPo]

Let’s do this. Having Jared as COS will actually make some kind of idiotic sense – Jared and Ivanka are reportedly the ones “vetting” COS candidates, because it’s important to THEM that any COS keep them around as Daddy’s babysitter. Plus, Jared and Ivanka are still looting the system and profiting from their positions, so why not just eliminate any internal watchdogs by making Jared COS? The reason why people are like “hey, let’s do that” is because it will be so much easier to connect Jared to a million crimes if he’s COS. We also want Jared as COS because he’s an idiot with terrible political instincts, and giving him more power will speed up this whole “burn it all down” process.

Speaking of Kushner’s terrible political instincts, did you hear that 2019 might be all about Robert Mueller indicting people because of all the Trump shenanigans in the Middle East? That’s about Jared too.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Dear Gossips,

Let’s open today with Zendaya, because it’s been a minute. She’s kept a pretty low profile the second half of the year, spending most of it working on Spider-Man: Far From Home. Last night she attended the worldwide launch of new jewelry brand, Âme in LA and… well… she made it wor…

Dear Gossips,

Let’s open today with Zendaya, because it’s been a minute. She’s kept a pretty low profile the second half of the year, spending most of it working on Spider-Man: Far From Home. Last night she attended a jewellery launch in LA and… well… she made it worth the wait. Law Roach made…

In our first post with Amazon products, some of you were asking about skincare. I’m cheap with mine apart from a few gadgets, so this contains some products recommended on that post. (Thank you to OriginalLala for mentioning that!) There are also products I found which are reasonably priced and have good reviews. I’m going to try some of these after I read your comments and suggestions. This contains affiliate links, but again please search for alternatives and cheaper sources. Also I love doing these posts! It’s fun to look up products on Amazon and I’m learning a lot from your comments.

A hydrating moisturizer and serum to help erase fine lines

This three piece kit by Boots No 7 is expensive for my tastes, but it’s actually not that pricey compared to other, higher end skincare if you’re in the market for that. (This was recommended by Snowflake and Clare, thanks!) Boots has hundreds of glowing reviews across their product lines. Older women and women with dry skin say it’s wonderful, that you can see a difference in fine lines and wrinkles and that it’s very hydrating without being greasy. Some reviewers on their Protect & Perfect Intense line say it’s too perfumey if that’s an issue for you.

An affordable microneedling kit for dermatological treatments at home

Speaking of gadgets, I treated myself to this microneedling kit by Dermaroll, currently under $27, and it’s coming today. I’m going to wait until Sunday to use it as I’m worried about my skin being red afterwards. Reviewers praise the hypoallergenic packaging and say that this helps shrink pores and reduce fine lines. Some women say they put on a serum afterwards to protect and treat their skin. Positive comments include “My complexion looked bright and glowing” and “my skin is more even, hydrated, and healthy looking.” Others say that they broke out in tiny dots after using it, so I’m going to test a small section of my face first and not press too hard.

A foaming facial wash with thousands of positive reviews

The CeraVe products were recommended by Liz version 700 on our first Amazon post. She writes “I have a skin disorder (mild) that makes it essential that I use really good skin products. My dermatologist recommended Cereve face wash, body wash, and lotions. I use their entire line now. Their spf face cream is awesome and I love their face and body washes.” This is such a bargain at just $12 for 16 ounces! It also comes in a hydrating version for dry skin.

K-Beauty collagen sheet masks for you and your friends

At $3-$4 a piece at the drug store, sheet masks can be expensive. Honestly I get sheet masks at Dollar Tree regularly. They have an off brand retinol mask that comes two to a pack and it’s so hydrating. These sheet masks are even cheaper than that! People say they’re surprisingly hydrating, that they don’t drip and that the scent is “amazing, light and refreshing.” They also say you can “feel it working” and that your skin is “glowy” afterwards. Also I’ve heard that if you keep them in the freezer they’re even better. (I follow a costume designer on Instagram who has a freaking mini fridge in her bathroom for her skincare products! Goals.) You can use some for yourself and keep them around as gifts. Throw them in a little gift bag with a few Lindt chocolates and a couple of mini candy canes and your friends will think you’re so thoughtful.

A brightening scrub that’s all natural and effective

I ordered this Acure Brilliantly Brightening Facial Scrub and it’s coming with the microneedling device today. (I had a credit from ordering a sample box through Amazon and that’s how I found this.) At less than $9 it’s very affordable. Reviewers say it cleared up their acne, that it lasts a long time and that it’s not as damaging to the skin as apricot scrubs. Some mention that the formula has changed and that they are not pleased with the new version, but the top reviewer claims it still works with an added “soothing/cleansing quality.”

A gentle cleanser that removes eye makeup too

This La Roche cleanser comes in two versions, this hydrating gentle cleanser for normal to dry skin and a foaming cleanser for oily skin. People say the hydrating formula is similar to Cetaphil and Cerave except it removes makeup better. This is fragrance free and sulfate free. While the majority of reviewers claim it’s great for sensitive skin there are some complaints that it can be drying around the eyes. One woman writes that her dermatologist recommended it along with the La Roche Posay Toleriane Double Moisturizer, that her “skin has never looked better” and that it cleared up her acne.

As an update on last week’s post, I’ve received the monitor riser for my desk and am very pleased with that purchase. It looks so professional, especially compared to the shoebox that was there before. The succulent plants came healthy and I’ve repotted them in little pots to give as gifts.

Thanks for reading our affiliate post!

Top photo credit Daniel Xavier via Pexels. Photo directly above credit Pixabay.

Us Weekly released another part of their cover story this week, about the smear campaign against the Duchess of Sussex, and how it’s affecting the Sussex marriage. Yesterday, we talked about how Prince Harry “feels powerless” and he’s “frustrated” by how little he can do to protect Meghan. Us Weekly now says that Meghan is feeling pretty frustrated too, especially as she’s truly understanding that the “royal way” doesn’t include dealing with this kind of sh-t directly and openly:

Fed up. Duchess Meghan has had enough of the rumors surrounding her and her family members.

“It’s just been frustrating and stressful to have no voice,” a royal insider explains in the new issue of Us Weekly. “She’s always relied on her own voice to stand up for others, and for herself. So not being able to say anything is a debilitating feeling. She’s always been so independent, her entire life, and that’s all been taken away from her. She’s always been able to clap back on social media and now she can’t.”

[From Us Weekly]

Did Actress Meg EVER “clap back” on social media? No. She didn’t. She wasn’t out there, getting in Twitter beefs with Kanye or Susan Sarandon. But she used her Instagram and her blog, The Tig, to portray herself a certain way, and to create a certain brand for herself as an actress and celebrity. That’s what she misses – being in charge of her own brand, being the captain of her destiny, being proactive in how she dealt with the press or haters or whatever. That being said, as we saw with Meghan’s handling of the White Markles, she’s perfectly capable of taking the longer view. She’s not going to freak out because the Daily Mail is racist, or because her dad is a douchebag, or whatever else is thrown at her. She’s calmly assessing this bulls–t and planning her future moves.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, WENN.

Us Weekly apparently has a lengthy story about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s custody arrangement. A few weeks ago, Brad and Angelina allegedly signed a permanent custody agreement which would give them joint custody – Team Brad claimed that he “got what he wanted,” but The Blast noted that Brad apparently gets less than 50% custody. We also know that Maddox isn’t included in the custody arrangement, because A) he’s old enough to make his own decisions and B) he had no interest in seeing Brad and no one was going to force it. I’ve been assuming that Pax is in a similar situation – Pax is 15 years old, and he follows Maddox’s lead on a lot of things, and reportedly Pax isn’t super-interested in spending time with Brad either. So, about this Us Weekly story… both Brad and Angelina look bad here.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s tumultuous custody battle has caused problems with their children. Pitt, 54, is not on good terms with sons Maddox, 17, and Pax, 15, but “has accepted that he’ll likely never be able to repair their relationship,” a source reveals in the new issue of Us Weekly. The actress is alleged to have told their 15-year-old son Pax that his father ‘never wanted to adopt him,’ according to an Us Weekly source. The 43-year-old also allegedly told the boy during the fallout that Brad ‘was angry’ she had proceeded with the adoption.

‘It’s harmed his and Brad’s relationship, though Brad denied having said that specifically,’ the insider claimed. The source claimed that Brad was instead concerned about adopting a three-year-old who didn’t speak English less than a year after they welcomed Shiloh, in what was a ‘very difficult time for the couple’. Angelina allegedly told him at the time: ‘Pax needs me more than Shiloh.’

‘They almost ended the relationship, but Brad stayed,’ the source added.

Brad’s relationship with eldest Maddox was already strained, but now the actor ‘has accepted that he’ll likely never be able to repair their relationship. He’s always been headstrong and protective of his mother,’ the source said, adding Maddox was his mom’s ‘closest confidant’ during the fallout. Shiloh has ‘seemed the most eager and willing [of the four eldest] to work on things with Brad,’ the insider claimed. Zahara now has an ‘improved’ relationship with her dad, they added. Twins Knox and Vivienne meanwhile ‘have been sheltered from a lot of the issues’, the source said.

The source said that while Brad made huge strides ‘addressing his anger and psychological issues’, one social worker ‘felt he had trouble accepting personal responsibility and often blames others for his actions.’

Angelina meanwhile was allegedly chastised ‘for indulging the kids all the time and creating an unstable living environment.’ One case worker reportedly believed she was was currying favor with kids, and that it hurt Brad’s relationship with his kids; ‘but the worker didn’t think Angie was trying to actively sabotage the relationship.’

The insider also claimed that Brad and Angelina will never see eye to eye. It’s also unlikely that the Inglorious Bastards star will have a positive relationship with Jolie, 43, in the near future, but by her own choice.

“Angelina hasn’t offered any concessions about her actions that have contributed to the situation,” the insider adds. ‘Angelina has a lot of emotional baggage from her own unstable childhood,’ the source concluded, describing her as ‘extremely complex.’

[From The Daily Mail & Us Weekly]

I can see how the criticism of Angelina is probably true – she has a lot of baggage, she leans on her kids for support too much, she’s not making any concessions about her sh-t. But… that doesn’t change the fact that Angelina only left Brad when he physically abused Maddox, for the love of God. This isn’t “both sides are to blame.” It’s about Brad not owning his sh-t and smearing his estranged wife so he can stay the “Golden Boy” of Hollywood. As for Angelina telling Pax that Brad didn’t want to adopt him… I remember that period of time in the Jolie-Pitt relationship, and I thought – back then – that they were struggling. I think Angelina wanted to adopt Pax and Brad wasn’t into it, especially with Shiloh so young. That was also around the time when Angelina’s mother passed. It was just a really rough time for them. Angelina shouldn’t have told Pax about all of Brad’s sh-t, because that’s too much to dump on a teenage kid.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.

Just yesterday, I was watching that stupid Melania Trump interview and I thought to myself “I would actually find Melania’s accent charming if she wasn’t such a racist Deplorable.” We’re a nation of immigrants and that means a lot of people have accents, and a lot of people won’t speak perfect English. That’s an “issue” that a lot of people fight about here in America. But it takes a particular kind of Ugly American to GO TO ANOTHER COUNTRY and expect everyone you meet to speak English, and to mock them if they don’t. Which is what happened with the reigning Miss USA, Sarah Rose Summers. Summers is in Thailand for the Miss Universe pageant, and she ended up hanging out with Miss Colombia (Valeria Morales) and Miss Australia (Francesca Hung), and they all decided to go on Instagram Live to mock Miss Vietnam (H’Hen Nie) and Miss Cambodia (Rern Sinat) for their English language struggles.

Summers, 24, was captured on video discussing Miss Cambodia Rern Sinat and Miss Vietnam H’Hen Nie. In the footage, which was reportedly part of an Instagram Live video shared on Miss Colombia Valeria Morales’ account, Summers appears to mock Miss Vietnam’s English-speaking skills.

“She’s so cute and she pretends to know so much English and then you ask her a question after having a whole conversation with her and she goes — ” Summers says, nodding and smiling in a way that seemed to mimic H’Hen before laughing. “She’s adorable.”

When Morales asks her, “How?” Summers proceeds to repeat her imitation of H’Hen’s smile.

Summers, Morales and Miss Australia Francesca Hung also spoke about Miss Cambodia Rern Sinat in the video.

“Miss Cambodia is here and doesn’t speak any English,” Summers said, “and not a single person here speaks her language. Can you imagine? Francesca said that it would be very isolating and I think yes, and just confusing all the time.”

[From People]

I’m including the video below, because nothing ever gets deleted off the internet. Having watched it, I’ll say this… I would count this as a racist microaggression more than these women actively Mean Girling the hell out of Asian beauty queens. It’s obvious that Sarah Rose is really ignorant and parochial, and it’s like it never would have occurred to her that a Cambodian beauty queen or a Vietnamese beauty queen would even have a need to speak English. The fact that she’s sitting in Thailand – NOT SPEAKING THAI – and complaining about the women who don’t speak English just shows that she’s perfectly fits the stereotype of the ugly American abroad. Sarah Rose did post this apology on her Instagram:

@MissUniverse is an opportunity for women from around the world to learn about each other’s cultures, life experiences, and views. We all come from different backgrounds and can grow alongside one another.

In a moment where I intended to admire the courage of a few of my sisters, I said something that I now realize can be perceived as not respectful, and I apologize. My life, friendships, and career revolve around me being a compassionate and empathetic woman. I would never intend to hurt another. I am grateful for opportunities to speak with Nat, Miss Cambodia, and H’Hen, Miss Vietnam, directly about this experience. These are the moments that matter most to me.

[From Instagram]

“I said something that I now realize can be perceived as not respectful.” Try again, Becky. How about “Lordy, I sounded like an ignorant fool and I apologize for acting like the world should revolve around English-speaking blonde bitches?”

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How did this even happened, why ?? @valeriamoralesd @sarahrosesummers @francesca.hung @missuniverse #missuniverse #missusa #misscolombia #missaustralia

A post shared by Certified Queen? #GSBA (@grandslambeautyalliance) on Dec 12, 2018 at 7:51pm PST

Photos courtesy of WENN, Instagram.

I stopped writing about the Les Moonves-CBS issue because those stories got few comments, and the stories were incredibly depressing. Les Moonves created a culture of sexual harassment, sexual abuse, sexual assault which permeated throughout all levels of CBS. He was a violent misogynist who loathed programming for or about women. He sexually harassed and abused dozens of women over the years as chairman and CEO of CBS. He used his power and authority to proposition women and then “punish” them if they said no to him or raised any kind of issue.

As I said, Les Moonves’ actions and attitude permeated down to all levels of CBS. But even this surprised me – Michael Weatherly is best known, to me, for playing a beloved agent on NCIS. Several years ago, Weatherly left NCIS and CBS kept him in-house, and gave his the lead role on Bull. In 2017, Eliza Dushku was brought in for a guest-star arc on Bull, and the producers liked her so much, they wanted to expand the character so she could be a full-time cast member. Only that didn’t happen, because Weatherly was profoundly gross to Dushku, and when she complained, the permanent role never appeared.

Eliza Dushku was paid $9.5 million by CBS in a secret settlement after she accused Michael Weatherly of harassment and was subsequently written off of Bull. The actress, 37, first came forward with the claims against her former costar following his inappropriate remarks at the beginning of their professional relationship, the New York Times reported. The pair had been working together on CBS’s primetime drama — Dushku joining the show in March 2017, playing a character that had a major three-episode arc, with plans to be added as a series regular.

Not long after her start, however, Weatherly, 50, allegedly commented on Dushku’s appearance, brought up a threesome, and made a rape joke in front of other cast and crew members, according to the Times. Dushku’s accusations and the settlement came to light as part of an investigation which is examining the behavior of the company’s former chief executive Leslie Moonves and the culture as a whole at CBS.

One particular instance, Dushku told investigators she made a gesture with three fingers and, in response, Weatherly allegedly made a crude comment about having a threesome with him and another cast member from Bull, the report obtained by the Times says. She also alleged that Weatherly would make comments publicly about bending her over his leg and spanking her and that when filming a scene with a windowless van, Weatherly said he would take her to his “rape van.”

His behavior was enough to make Dushku extremely uncomfortable, causing her to bring it to his attention, the Times reports. But only a short time after their confrontation, Dushku was stunned to learn that her once-promising character had been suddenly written off the show. As a result, Dushku signed a confidential settlement, granting her $9.5 million — approximately the same amount she would have made as a Bull cast member for four seasons, the Times reported.

Weatherly told the Times he regrets what he said and how he made his costar feel.

“During the course of taping our show, I made some jokes mocking some lines in the script,” Weatherly said in the statement to the publication. “When Eliza told me that she wasn’t comfortable with my language and attempt at humor, I was mortified to have offended her and immediately apologized. After reflecting on this further, I better understand that what I said was both not funny and not appropriate and I am sorry and regret the pain this caused Eliza.”

[From People]

Michael Weatherly is disgusting. But honestly? The corporate culture allowed this to happen – Weatherly was clearly used to treating female coworkers that way with little to no repercussions. Because he had seen, time and time again, that CBS doesn’t give a sh-t about women, that women are interchangeable, that their stories and lives and agency aren’t important. Bull is still on the air, by the way. Michael Weatherly cost the network $9.5 million. And he makes $175,000 per episode of Bull. There’s zero evidence that the show or Weatherly’s career were hurt in any way because of Dushku’s settlement.

Photos courtesy of CBS.

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Singer Michelle Williams is back in the headlines but this time, it’s work related – mostly. Michelle has been in the news lately because she and her sketchy-as-all-hell fiancé, Chad Johnson broke up. Before their split, Michelle spoke candidly about her depression that had been bad enough to have her entering a treatment center. Michelle had been starring in Broadway in Once On This Island but has recently announced she will be stepping down from her role as Erzulie. In the announcement made by the theater, they said she was instructed to do so on doctor’s orders.

Michelle Williams is stepping away from Broadway spotlight as she continues her journey to wellness.

The singer, 38, will be taking a leave of absence from her role as the goddess Erzulie in the Broadway production of Once On This Island.

Williams only joined the cast two weeks ago but has been advised by her doctors to step away from the Tony Award-winning show beginning Wednesday, the show announced in a statement.

“Effective immediately, Michelle T. Williams has been advised by her doctors to take a leave of absence from performing,” the statement read.

Stepping in for the former Destiny’s Child singer will be her understudy Cassondra James, who will assume the role until Dec. 26. After that, Lea Salonga will take over until the Broadway production officially closes on Jan. 6.

[From People]

I don’t want to stick my nose too far into Michelle’s business and speculate why doctors ordered her to step down. But I will say I am concerned for her. She’s been through so much this past year and it’s likely taken a huge toll on her health. However, at least she is listening to her doctors and looking after herself.

The day she announced her split from Chad, Michelle also dropped her new single, Fearless, which is doing pretty well on Spotify. The day before she did either of those things, she was promoting her reality show with Chad, Chad loves Michelle. As of yet, OWN has not cancelled the show. Since her split from Chad, the only posts to her Instagram and Twitter accounts are about her single. I hope someone is helping her run the accounts so she doesn’t have to worry about the promotion while she’s under her doctor’s orders. Mostly I just hope she’s taking care of herself and that she has a solid support network. She needs to put her health first. And I know that’s not easy to do in her profession but at least it seems like she’s trying.

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A post shared by Michelle Williams (@michellewilliams) on Nov 16, 2016 at 9:16am PST

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Photo credit: WENN Photos and Getty Images

I wondered when the royals would release new portraits for Christmas. It’s a thing – each royal household generally releases a new image (or a never-before-seen image) for their Christmas/holiday card, and the images are also released on social media. Prince Charles and his sons seemed to coordinate their photo releases, because they all seemed to drop around the same time. If you’re asking me to declare a winner… the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge won. They gave us a completely new photo – take by Matt Porteous – with all three kids at Anmer Hall. The vibe is very autumnal and low-key, and I like the fact that the kids are super-posed. George looks like he just jumped into the frame at the last minute, and Charlotte looks like she’s about to jump out of the frame. As for Prince Lou… this baby has a FACE. I still think he looks more Middleton than Windsor/Wales.

Meanwhile, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex released the image they used for their Christmas card just moments after the Cambridges. They didn’t pose for anything new – this is just a never-before-seen picture from their wedding celebration. The photo was taken at Frogmore House, during the fireworks at the reception. You can see the back of Meghan’s Stella McCartney reception gown. The photo was taken by Chri Allerton.

And finally, here’s Prince Charles and Camilla’s card. I can tell from the clothes that it’s part of the photoshoot for Charles’ 70th birthday, the same shoot that was organized with the Cambridges and Sussexes. The photographer just posed Charles and Camilla together on that same bench. I love it.

Photos courtesy of Clarence House and Kensington Palace.