As I’ve been saying for weeks now, I found Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas’ engagement and multiple weddings to be tacky as hell. All of it was so over-the-top and so heavily sponsored that it’s hard to believe or even remember that there are two people in love at the center of it. It was too showy, too corporate, too overhyped. The coverage became oversaturated so quickly because Priyanka and Nick sold exclusives to no fewer than THREE media outlets.

So I can say all that, and I can also say that I have no idea what is at the root of it. Are Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas truly in love? Was this all based on real feelings and real desire to be married and build a life together? I don’t know, but I can understand why certain outlets asked the question “was all of this a scam?” The Cut asked that question, and they had to take it back:

An earlier story about Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas did not meet our standards. We’ve removed it and apologize https://t.co/DkcOatMV2z

— The Cut (@TheCut) December 5, 2018

The Cut only took the article down after Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas criticized the outlet on Twitter:

This is disgusting. @TheCut should be ashamed to have someone write such evil words. What Nick & Pri have is Beautiful Love. Thank u, Next. https://t.co/G3hvXmhm9O

— J O E J O N A S (@joejonas) December 5, 2018

This is wildly inappropriate and totally disgusting. Very disappointed that The Cut would give anyone a platform to spew such bullshit. https://t.co/iYKaifKJP6

— Sophie Turner (@SophieT) December 5, 2018

I’ll admit, I didn’t even get the chance to read the story, but I read some of the worst parts on Twitter. Yes, they crossed a line, and those lines were mostly about Hinduism and Indian weddings and referring to Priyanka as a “scam artist.” But what didn’t cross a line was simply asking the question “was all of this a huge scam?” Because I have had similar thoughts about Priyanka and Nick’s tacky-ass spon-con wedding extravaganza.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, cover courtesy of People.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle did not attend the Queen’s Diplomatic Corps reception last night but instead were at St Luke’s Church in London for a carol service in support of the Henry van Straubenzee Memorial Fund, named after one of Harry’s friends who died when they were in school. The memorial…

Last Friday, Angelina Jolie’s lawyer Samantha Bley DeJean issued a statement about her client’s custodial battle with Brad Pitt. DeJean said that Pitt and Jolie had come to an out-of-court agreement, but the specific terms of the custody agreement were confidential. The fact that it was not a joint statement was… interesting. It also sounded like both Angelina and Brad had given up some things just so they wouldn’t have to go through an exhaustive custody hearing/trial.

I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop – what would Team Pitt leak about Angelina, or what would they leak about the deal? For days, nothing much happened. Well, Us Weekly has an exclusive story, which boils down to this: Brad Pitt “got what he wanted” in his custody battle with Angelina Jolie. That’s according to a “source,” who also says “Angelina agreed to a deal that gives Brad joint physical and legal custody of the children.” Again, no one has any information on the specifics of the deal. But The Blast is trying too:

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie officially filed their temporary custody agreement with the court on Tuesday and we’re told the arrangement will see Pitt gain more and more custody over time. The specifics of the deal are confidential but according to our sources, Pitt gets less than 50% custody of the couple’s six children. We’re told Pitt will see an increase in his custodial time with the kids but it will come in stages.

Our sources say Pitt is angling for a 50/50 split when things are all said and done but that requires an agreement on the financial details as well. The documents filed on Tuesday specifically says the court is “reserving jurisdiction over termination of marital or domestic partnership status and financial issues.”

There are hundreds of millions of dollars in money and property that must be combed through to hash out a complete settlement and finalize the divorce. Jolie recently handed over her financial information to Pitt’s legal team as the stars continue to negotiate.

[From The Blast]

Less than 50% custody… with only the five youngest kids, although I seriously doubt Pax is all about spending time with Brad either – reportedly, Pax is on Team Maddox, and Maddox has no interest in seeing his dad, and Maddox is old enough to not be included in the custody stuff. So, Brad and Angelina’s deal is mostly about the four youngest kids, and Brad isn’t getting 50-50 custody until he and Angelina make a deal on alimony, child support and their full financial and real estate holdings. Is that what Brad wanted? *shrug*

I do think the lack of leaks is pretty interesting though – it feels like Angelina’s lawyer put the fear of God into Brad’s legal team with all of their leaking.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Avalon Red.

They busted out the tiaras last night at Buckingham Palace for the Diplomatic Corps reception as the Queen hosted foreign dignitaries at her annual party. Her Majesty, Duchess Camilla, and Princess Catherine all had tiaras on. Kate wore the Lovers Knot, the one she’s most often seen in, and a new Je…

Whenever we stop covering someone, know that it’s a choice. We stopped covering a handful of reality stars whose lives got messy and that’s because they’re too exhausting and not famous enough. (See Farrah Abraham, Jenelle Evans, Teresa Giudice, and of course the Gosselins.) So Jon Gosselin and Kate Gosselin have still been fighting through the press, years after their show wrapped, but it just didn’t seem newsworthy or notable. This does – somewhat. Kate Gosselin sent one of her sextuplet sons, Collin, now 14, to live in a long term care facility when he had problems. I believe he first got sent away in 2016. It’s unclear exactly what Collin’s issues were, but he did return to film a reunion of the show with his mom and siblings, only to go back into care. Well Jon Gosselin has been fighting for custody of Collin and he just won. Kate didn’t bother to show up for court, which you know was deliberate. That woman is so type A she would never forget a court date. Another one of Jon’s sextuplets, Hannah, 14, has also been living with him.

Jon Gosselin appeared in court on Tuesday, December 4, for a hearing regarding the custody of his 14-year-old son Collin. His ex-wife, Kate Gosselin, and her lawyer did not show up.

“Jon won sole physical and sole legal custody of Collin,” a source tells Us Weekly exclusively. “All other matters were moved to a future court date.”

Kate had asked a day earlier for the hearing to be postponed, but her request was not granted.

A source close to Jon told Us exclusively in November that the teenager was thriving at a new facility. “Collin is very intelligent. He was always questioning Kate and talking back. Kate doesn’t like that,” the source told Us. “They work closely with Jon and really do care about Collin.”

[From US Weekly]

I’m not team anyone in this because I witnessed what a cliche Tom Hardy-wearing womanizer Jon Gosselin was during his divorce. He works as a DJ now and he’s had the same girlfriend for a few years from what I can tell. He seems like he’s trying to step up as a dad, and he has spoken out against his children being on camera since his split. He’s been consistent about that. At least Collin can live with one of his parents now. He’s going to be released into Jon’s custody before the holidays, according to US. I hope Jon is able to give him a stable home.

I’m pretty sure these are the kids who are left with Kate, four of the sextuplets and her two older twins, Mady and Cara, now 18.

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This was yesterday! Feels like school never ended…and they’re already back! #SeniorYear ?? #EighthGrade #ProudMom ??

A post shared by Kate Gosselin (@kateplusmy8) on Aug 23, 2018 at 10:08am PDT

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So, here’s what 43 looks like…. sigh. My kids (and our friends) took me out to dinner AND ordered me a surprise dessert… and sang loudly to me! ?It was super fun! #BestBirthdayPresentEver ??#LoveMyFamilyAndFriends ??

A post shared by Kate Gosselin (@kateplusmy8) on Mar 28, 2018 at 7:02pm PDT

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A post shared by Jon Gosselin (@jongosselin1) on Oct 7, 2018 at 3:57pm PDT

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A post shared by Jon Gosselin (@jongosselin1) on Nov 15, 2018 at 5:42am PST

For various reasons, I’ve genuinely paid less attention to Donald Trump in the past month. I’m still keeping my eye on various political stories, obviously, but doesn’t it feel like we’ve all just started to ignore Trump? Even the Deplorables don’t want to pay attention to him anymore. Anyway, I’m just saying that as an explanation for why I haven’t given a crap about the day-to-day dramas Trump has been involved with, especially his “very legal and very cool” tweets, which seem like daily federal crimes of witness tampering and obstruction of justice.

So, I don’t really give a sh-t that Trump is making nice with the Bush clan now that HW Bush has passed away. “Being nice” is literally the LEAST Trump could do. And he’s committed to doing the least, especially when it comes to exerting himself physically. The fat fascist couldn’t even walk 250 yards to meet George W. Bush at Blair House – Trump had to take the motorcade. Seriously.

President Trump traversed a wide political chasm Tuesday evening when he personally welcomed George W. Bush, his occasional foil, to Blair House, the presidential guest quarters across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House. But the actual distance was just 250 yards — a route Trump and his wife Melania traveled in the presidential parade limousine, with a motorcade of at least seven other vehicles.

The Trumps spent 23 minutes visiting with Bush and his wife, Laura, by all accounts a cordial meeting in which the former president exchanged kisses on the cheek with the current first lady at the curb. It was the latest in a series of magnanimous gestures that President Trump has made this week to honor the legacy of former president George H.W. Bush, whose state funeral will take place at Washington National Cathedral on Wednesday.

The need for the motorcade, however, prompted questions, and a healthy dose of speculation, about why the Trumps were unable — or unwilling — to simply walk across the street.

“Presidents, including the last one, have made the walk before,” observed Edward Price, who served as National Security Council spokesman in the Obama administration.

“Bone spurs?” asked Sam Vinograd, a CNN political analyst and also a former Obama national security veteran, joking on Twitter about Trump’s explanation about his deferment from the Vietnam War draft.

[From The Washington Post]

WaPo noted all the times that Barack Obama walked the short journey from the White House to Blair House throughout his presidency too – it really is very common, especially since that short journey isn’t full of civilians or tons of foot traffic. The Secret Service have that area well-patrolled, and it’s not a massive security issue if the president wants to walk the short distance. But Trump is lazy, fat and terrified of weather. So here we are.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Yesterday morning The Hollywood Reporter called hosting the Oscars the “least wanted job in Hollywood”. Less than three months from the 2019 telecast, the Oscars had no host, and, apparently, no hope of a host. My suggestion was either Nick Kroll and John Mulaney, or a pack a wolves. Picture it! Lin…

I’ve actually thought of Jennifer Aniston and her mother Nancy Dow several times as I’ve covered various stories about the Duchess of Sussex. Hear me out: Meghan’s strained relationships with the White Markles just reminded me so much of Aniston’s estrangement from her mother. The estrangements, for both Meg and Jen, came after their family members sold them out publicly, sold lies about them to the press, and simply refused to recognize certain boundaries (of decency and respect, mostly). In Jennifer’s case, her mother had so warped Jen’s sense of self that it took decades of therapy for Jen to really work through it. Jen has talked about it many times, how her mother was always vocally disappointed in Jen for not being pretty enough. Jennifer’s estrangement from her mother lasted for years and years, and I’m not even sure that Jennifer saw Nancy before Nancy death a few years back.

Jennifer is currently promoting Dumplin’, where she plays a former beauty queen raising a plus-sized teenage daughter. Obviously, this film raised a lot of old issues for Jennifer about motherhood and beauty and body image:

In Dumplin’, Jennifer Aniston plays a former pageant queen whose plus-size daughter enters her competition to make a point about beauty standards. Aniston, 49, told The Sunday Telegraph about the parallels between her experiences with Dow and her role in the movie. When the reporter asked Aniston if her relationship and the one in Dumplin’ are alike, Aniston reportedly replied, “Where do we start? One of the reasons I really loved the mother-daughter aspect of it was because it was very similar in a way to what my mother, and our relationship, was,” Aniston said, according to the publication.

“She was a model and she was all about presentation and what she looked like and what I looked like,” Aniston continued. “I did not come out the model child she’d hoped for and it was something that really resonated with me, this little girl just wanting to be seen and wanting to be loved by a mum who was too occupied with things that didn’t quite matter.”

Aniston is proud of the movie’s message. “This movie is so special because it is about stripping away those preconceived notions of beauty, trying to become individuals and not feeling that we have to live up to some unrealistic ideal that society is feeding up to us,” she explained. “My idea of beauty is, is what makes you feel beautiful and what makes me feel beautiful is the people around me, the life that I have. And maybe a good hair day.”

[From People]

Much like Dumplin’ resonated with Aniston, this interview really resonated with me. My mom wasn’t and isn’t sh-tty like Nancy Dow was, but it really is amazing and universal how our mom’s words stick with us. I can still remember every negative thing my mom has ever said about my appearance, and if I’m being honest, a lot of still affects the way I see myself today. Poor Jennifer – she was always going to be sort of screwed up because of her sh-tty mom.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Dear Gossips,

Priyanka Chopra was not messing around when she told Vogue that people would need a vacation after their wedding. Yesterday she and Nick Jonas hosted another wedding reception in Delhi at the Taj Palace Hotel. She was also trending for much of the day on Tuesday as the photos from …

Jenna Dewan is covering the January, 2019 issue of Cosmopolitan. I’m guessing she’s their choice for January because her body is goals and many of us will be trying to get in shape in the new year. Jenna loves dancing, which I can relate to. Zumba changed my life. (If you’d like to get an idea of Jenna’s workouts, her trainer, JJ Dancer, has 30 minute aerobic and toning options on PopSugar Fitness. It took me a couple months before I could do one of her workouts without taking a break, they’re so intense.) Jenna’s interview isn’t super interesting. We’ve heard that she’s a spiritual person before and we’ve also heard her enthuse about dancing. I like how true to herself she is, and how vulnerable. She admits that it was hard to divorce Channing, and that her public persona is caught up in being his wife. She sounds ok with that. I admit that I’ve been impressed by how both of them have handled themselves in the press since their breakup. They easily could have slung mud or leaked sniping stories about each other, but they’ve been incredibly gracious. Anyway here’s some of what Jenna told Cosmo.

On getting over Channing
“I didn’t run away from my feelings. I let myself cry. I let myself grieve. This is one of those situations where I will see the light. The dawn is coming.”

She knows she’s known as Channing’s wife
“I’m obviously super aware that people know me, they know Channing, they know us together. We’d been a beloved couple for a long time. I was in Berlin and people were like, ‘We love your Lip Sync Battle!’ I was like, oh my god. You mean the time when I humped my husband-at-the-time’s face? I’m so glad that’s my calling card.”

She still believes in love
“I do believe in love still, but I also believe it begins with really digging deep and learning how to love yourself. And then I think you sort of transmute that out to attract the right partner. I think that people who are meant to be sort of find each other.”

“I’ve always been a little hippie, spiritual. I am very sensitive – what you would call an empath. I know what it feels like to overextend and to overgive in life. I give out so much energy constantly.”

How she gets in touch with herself
“When I’m feeling out of touch with myself, especially with my sexuality, I dance. I immediately drop back into my body, and I feel it’s where my sensuality lives. It’s kind of a carnal feeling when I dance.”

[From Cosmopolitan]

Jenna has that hot new boyfriend, Steve Kazee, whom I know from Shameless. I wish she would dish about him a little, but she’s playing that sort-of close to the vest in that she’s just doing kissy pap walks with him. As for dancing being sensual, it feels more athletic for me and I like it because it’s fun, but dudes see it differently. Whenever we do Zumba demonstrations at festivals there are always a couple of guys with their mouths hanging open. Also I don’t believe in “transmuting out your essence” to find a partner or whatever, but you usually end up with someone who is about as happy or as pessimistic as you are. I don’t think there’s anything supernatural about that.

Photos are credit Dennis Leupold for Cosmopolitan and received via email from Hearst publicists