The Duchess of Sussex was photographed on Friday in Montecito and the Daily Mail paid for the exclusive photos. They ran the pics as their top story throughout the day on Saturday, the same day as Trooping the Colour in the UK. As in, as the British press was being inundated with new photos of the all-white Buckingham Palace balcony, the Mail’s top story was Meghan “looking glum” in an ensemble by La Ligne. The jeans and the sweater are both from La Ligne. And I don’t think she looked glum as much as she just looked like a pretty woman going through her day.

Make-up free Meghan Markle looks glum as she is spotted in public for first time since her $20million Spotify deal ended https://t.co/lHw5YuRHZt pic.twitter.com/VEmfmmorjy

— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) June 18, 2023

Meanwhile, Page Six had particularly nasty coverage of the Sussexes’ Spotify deal coming to an end, with the added bonus (to Page Six) of Bill Simmons calling the Sussexes “grifters.” According to Page Six’s sources, the Sussexes are “not broke” but they will need to find new revenue streams in a hurry.

The Sussexes’ lifestyle: The collapse of the Spotify deal piles financial pressure on the Sussexes as exorbitant bills for their Montecito, Calif. lifestyle mount. Their sprawling Tuscan-style estate, bought for $14.7 million in June 2020, has a hefty mortgage. Annual property taxes alone cost $144,427 and there is staffing and maintenance on top. The bill for the couple’s private security detail is believed to be about $2 million a year, there are legal fees from Harry’s unending battles with the British press — and they have to keep their Archewell company afloat without Spotify’s cash. “They’re not broke,” stressed a source. “But they’re going to have to keep spending their money, instead of banking it.”

The Sussexes should have done more for their Spotify contract: Sources pointedly contrasted the Sussexes’ failed deal with the Obamas’ similar deal, which ended last year. “Although ‘Archetypes’ did well and got a couple of awards, when you go into a deal like this, to have just one series over that course of time is not great,” a source close to the Sussexes’ deal said. “To put that into context, the Obamas and their production company, Higher Ground, delivered multiple new series.”

Lazy & difficult? Another industry insider added, “Spotify wants to focus on people who drive strong audiences, like Alex Cooper, Dax Shepard and Emma Chamberlain. There are a lot of great creators who are very eager. Meghan and Harry are the outlier on all of this, I think they have come off as being lazy and difficult.”

Their Netflix deal: So far, the only other show the couple has coming out is “Heart of Invictus,” which was filmed while they were at the Invictus Games, for wounded service personnel, in The Hague last year. Page Six has been told it’s still slated to stream in August, a month before Harry and Markle fly to Germany for this year’s Invictus Games. It is unclear if this time they will be accompanied by documentary crews. A Netflix source said they remain “very valued” partners with the company, and the decision is “business as usual.”

Meghan’s plans: Despite the collapse of the Spotify deal, Markle — who sees herself as an entrepreneur — is making plans to launch her own business, akin to Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop. She also would love to be the face of a luxury brand, something like Cartier, according to friends. “Meghan is super quiet at the moment,” said someone who knows her. “And she always does that just before she makes a big announcement.”

The Sussexes are turning down work: As for cash, the Sussexes are still working with Hollywood money man Adam Lilling and Markle’s longtime business manager Andrew Meyer. Their relationship dates back to when she starred in the TV show “Suits.” Harry is also earning from online therapy start-up Better Up, where he has the title of Chief Impact Officer. He’s not paid as an employee, Page Six is told, but is on a larger deal. The Sussexes have, however, turned down work, including being guest speakers to a group of CEOs at a closed-door “summit” in California.

[From Page Six]

“Piles financial pressure on the Sussexes as exorbitant bills for their Montecito, Calif. lifestyle mount” – they have a mortgage on their one home, they’re still making plenty of money, and they pay a lot for their private security because they need it. That’s it. They make it sound like the Sussexes have spent the past three years living way beyond their means. They have not. I’ve always been impressed with how the Sussexes have managed their money post-Sussexit. They made two big deals, with Netflix and Spotify, and Harry is clearly getting some kind of backend from the super-successful BetterUp, plus the money he’s made from his massively successful memoir. Meghan already had money from her years as a working actress, and Harry had the trust his mother left him. They made good business choices out of necessity in 2020, and Meghan signing on with WME shows that she’s ready to grow her business beyond the choices they made in 2020.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.

I didn’t pay any attention to Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, at Trooping the Colour, so here’s a post about her appearance. She’s now one of the most senior women in the Windsor clan, just below Queen Camilla, the Princess Royal and the Princess of Wales. Sophie flashes her working royal credentials constantly, and we know that she considers herself to be the monarchy’s secret weapon. So she was included on the anemic all-white balcony for Trooping, off to the other side of King Charles and Queen Camilla.

Fashion notes: Sophie wore an unflattering cream dress from Beulah London, a dress which retails for £695, with a Jane Taylor hat. Is it just me or is this whole ensemble just… Sophie cosplaying Kate? That style of dress, with the pleating at the neck, looks so much like the McQueen dresses Kate has customized. The hat is also very Kate. Kate must love it that FINALLY, someone is cosplaying her. While I didn’t think Sophie looked good, compared to Camilla and Kate, Sophie was fine.

Before the balcony wave, Sophie was watching the parade from a separate building and I guess she was looking after the Wales children. Sidenote: Sophie and Edward’s kids were not invited or welcome on the balcony, which… people were complaining about. I agree, Lady Louise and James should have been on the balcony, but Charles is awful, so here we go. Anyway, Sophie was seen with Princess Charlotte, and royal fans think Sophie told Charlotte to “sit down” quite sharply. You decide! I’m no “lip reader,” but Sophie did look like she spoke sharply to Charlotte.

Princess Charlotte & Duchess Sophie viewing the parade.
pic.twitter.com/3fj1oiTWQV

— Gert’s Royals (@Gertsroyals) June 17, 2023

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Prince William gave his first interview as Prince of Wales to Roya Nikkhah at the Sunday Times. The Times of London is part of Rupert Murdoch’s press empire (through News Group Newspapers). Nikkhah has become one of William’s go-to people, she’s always writing stories which are well-sourced from “William’s camp” and “royal sources in Kensington Palace.” This relationship between prince and royal reporter really flourished following NGN handing William a secret, seven-figure settlement in 2020, a settlement which was only revealed this year by Prince Harry. Rupert Murdoch has seemingly bought and compromised a prince and future king. What’s funny is that William doesn’t even seem to realize how compromised he is. Anyway, the exclusive interview with Nikkhah isn’t just William reading off some talking points (surprisingly). The purpose of this whole thing is for William to hype his big new project about homelessness.

A really big project: This month, the prince will launch “a really big project” from his and the Princess of Wales’s Royal Foundation, his first significant intervention as heir to the throne. “It’s nerve-racking,” he says. “But I’m really excited. I’ve been waiting for the right time to do this.”

Political Peg: There is genuine passion and optimism as William, who turns 41 on Wednesday, repeatedly mentions the name of his new five-year project, details of which are under wraps until the end of the month. He is frustrated that government, councils and charities have for too long been “managing” homelessness instead of “preventing” it. “We can do it,” he says. “It’s not insurmountable, this challenge. If anyone does become homeless [we can say], ‘OK, here’s the way back, here’s the pathway’. We can visualise that and we can show people that there is a way to do it.”

Changing the narrative about homelessness: “There’s a lot of preconceived ideas around homelessness. There’s still stigma, when actually a lot of people don’t understand the fundamental basics. We just see the individual on the streets and go, ‘Oh’. Loads of judgments as to why that person is there. You see more elderly people homeless because that’s what we see on the street. What we don’t see is the youth homelessness — sofa-surfing, people sleeping in their cars or on a mate’s bed. A lot of youth homelessness is very hidden. If you actually sit down and hear from young people why they’re in their situation, it’s like a jigsaw. There are so many pieces that have had to come together or fall apart, that meant they’ve ended up where they are.

But he’s above politics: William recently met Michael Gove, the housing secretary, and Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, to brief them on his plans. Some might wonder why it is the heir to the throne, rather than the government, launching a big homelessness project. “I’m not here to talk about government policy,” he says diplomatically, conscious that the royal family must remain “above politics”. “My plan is an additive to what is already being done.”

His many homes: With homes at Kensington Palace, Adelaide Cottage in Windsor and Anmer Hall on the King’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk, as well as the run of many other royal residences, William is — by his own admission — “one of the most unlikely advocates for this cause”. In his new role as Prince of Wales, he also controls the Duchy of Cornwall, a 130,000-acre property empire stretching from Cornwall to Kent. That is a lot of spare bedrooms, and many wonder why he does not give some of them over to the homeless. An eloquent non-answer ensues. I ask again: “So there are no duchy plans yet for affordable housing?” A pause. “There is,” says William. “Absolutely. Social housing. You’ll see that when it’s ready. I’m no policy expert, but I push it where I can.” It is a curveball from William that aides were not expecting him to reveal, but it is thought he will “start small” with social housing on his land. If he can demonstrate it is viable, he will scale it up.

What’s the point of the royal family? The monarchy has had a bumpy few years. The death of Queen Elizabeth, the fallout from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s departure to America, and the Duke of York’s antics have dealt hammer blows to the institution. The public may want a few more “big gestures” from its royal family, and William knows this project is a chance to refocus minds on what the monarchy is for. The feud with his brother has taken up far more airtime than he would wish, and he concedes that not everybody sees the point of the royal family. “We’re all very busy and I think it’s hard sometimes to see what the family bring and what we do. But the amount of causes, the interests, the dinners, the meetings, the visits, whatever it is, that we do day in, day out, throughout the year, we’ve always been involved in that. It’s part of what we do. It’s trying to spotlight other causes, other people, other interests, and help people where we can. We’ll continue to do that.”

Whether he gives cash to homeless people he encounters: “I don’t tend to give money. I tend to buy them a drink, food, something like that. I find that when I’m walking around or driving past and see other people do it [give money], people don’t even look at them. How many people stop and talk to somebody who is homeless? Very few of us. In my job, I get to meet these people, I get to hear the stories, I get to feel it, I get to see it. That for me — and I’ve heard from them themselves — matters an awful lot. They’ve become invisible. It’s really important that society acknowledges that there is somebody there and they’re having a tough time. It shouldn’t happen but it’s right there. You can’t ignore it.”

He doesn’t want anyone to know that he’s helping homeless people: “I try and do these things subtly, when there’s no media and no one else knows about it.” He tried — and failed — to go under the radar in London last year, selling copies of The Big Issue. He was wearing jeans, trainers, a baseball cap and a red tabard, with no media in tow, but was soon recognised by passers-by. “It’s very hard to make it not about me — [that’s] what I don’t want to do. That was about promoting homelessness. If you’re doing to go and do genuine gestures, you do them privately, you don’t do them with an audience.”

[From The Sunday Times]

When he sold The Big Issue, he was posing for selfies and he literally brought a camera crew. Mr. You Don’t Do Them With An Audience, GMAFB. I don’t even agree that charity should be done in silence or away from the cameras, like that’s not the f–king goal, especially for a public figure like William – his “power” should be the attention he can bring to causes and charities he cares about. And I guarantee that people who are struggling would prefer to have money rather than a prince with five homes telling them patronizingly that they are seen and here’s a power bar. It will be interesting to see if he follows through with using Duchy properties to house homeless people (I suspect he will not) and I’ll admit, I’m curious to see what this big new project is. Ten bucks says it will just be William’s version of Kate’s Early Years busywork, like it will be some new study about homelessness or some new scheme to divert funds away from homeless charities and put those funds into the Royal Foundation (which is what happened with Heads Together).

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images and social media, cover courtesy of The Big Issue.

Kensington Palace released two photos of Prince William with his three children for Father’s Day. These photos were not taken by Kate, they were taken by photographer Millie Pilkington, the same photographer who did a second set of “birthday photos” for Princess Charlotte. I suspect that much like last year’s weird denim-ad photoshoot in Norfolk, William and Kate recently organized a family photoshoot day and they will continue to parcel out those photos at random moments this year. Just wait, their Christmas card photo will be from this same photoshoot. Now, that being said, these photos are actually kind of nice. I saw some critics say that they were setting up a “Single Dad William” narrative, but the Waleses always release photos of William solo with the kids for Father’s Day. At least these pics are flattering of the kids (unlike that screaming one from Jordan, iykyk)

The issue with the photos is not that William is solo with the kids, it’s that Kensington Palace timed the release of the photos specifically to make the front pages of all of the Sunday papers. KP could have held the photos until mid-day Sunday and they would have gotten the Monday front pages, and allowed King Charles’s first Trooping the Colour as sovereign to get the front pages on Sunday. You can tell it’s an issue because even royal reporters are talking about how curious it is that William (and not Charles) covers all of the major Sunday papers. Buckingham Palace’s people must have been screaming down the phone at various editors and reporters.

It’s the Chelsea Flower Show all over, right? That was supposed to be Charles and Camilla’s first Chelsea Flower Show and they scheduled their appearance for Media Day, only Kate made a surprise visit before the king and queen arrived, AND she had “prop children” bused into the event. Kate stole Charles and Camilla’s thunder and they’ve been punishing her for weeks. I wonder what will happen with this Father’s Day snafu? LMAO. I can’t wait, honestly. Charles is such a bitter, hateful old man, I love it when he drags Peg & Buttons.

Curious decision by Kensington Palace officials to release sweet picture of #PrinceWilliam and his children in time to knock #KingCharles off the front pages on his first #TroopingtheColour. #royal pic.twitter.com/hWGLLVzEha

— Richard Eden (@richardaeden) June 17, 2023

Interesting how many papers have used the Father’s Day photo of Prince William & not a picture from #TroopingtheColour Can’t imagine it’ll go down well in certain parts of the palace especially with the homelessness story getting more front page coverage than the Kings big day pic.twitter.com/jkMEiykwy8

— Rhiannon Mills (@SkyRhiannon) June 17, 2023

Sunday’s Mail: Proof Boris Accuser DID Go To Party
In Lockdown #TomorrowsPapersToday #MailOnSunday #Mail pic.twitter.com/R8KAFx3S4I

— Tomorrows Papers Today (@TmorrowsPapers) June 17, 2023

Photos courtesy of Millie Pilkington for Kensington Palace.

Did you know there are only 401 Imax theaters in the US? By that I mean, theaters dedicated solely to showing Imax-formatted films. Imax theaters don’t have to follow the same rules of simply showing the latest release and/or whichever film will sell the most tickets. Imax theater owners can make side-deals with studios to exclusively show a certain film and block out dates for weeks at a time to give one film Imax-exclusivity. That’s what will happen this summer with Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer – Universal asked for and received a total three-week exclusive deal for Oppenheimer. Meaning that the big-budget film opening one week before Oppenheimer, Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, will only be shown in Imax theaters for one week. We heard several weeks ago that Tom Cruise was personally calling Imax theaters and trying to create his own side-deals to encourage the theaters to keep MI7 on Imax for as long as possible. Cruise didn’t get his way.

Paramount’s “Mission: Impossible 7” is only playing on Imax screens for one week, as first reported by Puck, a newsletter that covers the media business, before it has to relinquish all of its showtimes to “Oppenheimer.” That’s despite Cruise making a few calls around town to remind everyone that not even a year ago, “Maverick” earned more than $100 million from Imax alone. By shorting the Imax run of “Dead Reckoning,” he suggests, all involved parties risk losing out on serious coinage.

But long before the oft-delayed “MI” sequel moved to mid-July, Universal had already ironed out a rare agreement for “Oppenehimer” to control Imax’s entire North American footprint for three full weeks. (Directors like Nolan, who use Imax cameras to film their movies, are typically granted a two-week exclusive window.) Greta Gerwig’s star-studded “Barbie,” which also opens on July 21, isn’t playing in Imax at all as a result.

“I feel sad in a way we can’t accommodate all of them. I know ‘Mission: Impossible’ is going to be a really big movie,” Imax CEO Rich Gelfond tells Variety. “Nolan has a special place in Imax’s heart because he uses our cameras and promotes us. It’s not a matter of us saying which we can make more money on. I would hope after ‘Oppenheimer’s’ run, we can bring back ‘Mission.’”

There may be more of these fights brewing in the future. Here’s why: Attendance hasn’t rebounded in pandemic times, but the demand to watch certain movies on the biggest and brightest screens, known in the industry as premium large formats (PLF), has grown exponentially. Lest that sound like spin from PLF operators, there are stats to back up the idea that audiences are buying what they’re selling. Moviegoing is down 33% from 2019, but the market share for Imax, one of the art’s more recognizable forms, is up 50% without adding any new screens, according to the company. On a big-budget tentpole, those enhanced viewing experiences can account for as much as 30-40% of overall box office returns even though there are only about 900 PLF screens in the country. As a result, studios have more at stake in the battle for access to the finite number of screens that can generate outsized ticket sales.

[From Variety]

Can I say something controversial? This is so f–king stupid. I understand that everyone in Hollywood wants to get more people into movie theaters and they want to maximize the potential to price-gouge the audience with exorbitant Imax ticket prices, but ENOUGH. People will enjoy MI7 in regular theaters or even at home. Plenty of people will enjoy Oppenheimer in regular theaters too, and I’ll certainly rent it months from now and watch it at home, GASP. I’m sure Imax-affectionados swear by Imax theaters, and good for them – I’m glad they have the time, money and interest. But Jesus H., this is the dumbest, most privileged f–king fight.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Oppenheimer/Universal, Backgrid.

This year’s advance buzz on Trooping the Colour was pretty muted, likely because King Charles wanted all eyes on him. The bad news is that his struggle-reign is pretty much a flop and people really don’t care. The most interesting thing to happen at this year’s Trooping was the Princess of Wales making an ass out of herself in a bright green clown ensemble from Andrew Gn. Usually, Kate does a lot of “color story” coordination within her family, meaning she’ll coordinate the children’s clothes with her ensemble, and then let William stand out in his red uniform. This year, the children were coordinated with their father and Kate was the one to “stand out.” She clashed with everyone and she stuck out like a sore bunion on that all-white balcony. Her hat was by Philip Treacy and apparently she had one of those gaudy f–king buttons sewn into the hat too. Shall we talk about those gaudy buttons? They are way, way too much. She’s so incredibly tacky.

People Magazine made a big deal about how Kate was actually “supporting” William with her ensemble because Andrew Gn is from Singapore and Singapore will host the next Earthshot ceremony. She chose green because A) Earthshot and literal “green” dressing for environmentalism and B) she’s the new patron of the Irish Guards and “green” is for the Irish Guards and C) green appears in the Welsh flag, and this was her first Trooping as Princess of Wales. The thing is, I think most people associate Wales with the color red. It would have been very easy for her to wear red or white and say it was for Wales. Maybe she was asked not to be too matchy with Camilla.

Speaking of, Camilla decided to forgo the housedresses and the horse tarps and she wore a silk coat dress which was apparently customized to mimic the uniform of the Grenadier Guards. Camilla recently took over as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, a position she took from Prince Andrew. She paired the ensemble with a Philip Treacy hat. She looks dumb but I get what she was going for. Maybe next year, they’ll just let her wear a housedress and her orthopedic wedges.

Did Louis catch a whiff of Camilla or something?

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Avalon Red.

Last week, Kevin Costner went to court to try to evict his estranged wife, Christine Baumgartner, from their $145 million Carpinteria, California home. While the house is in Costner’s name only, Christine has been living in that home for two decades, she’s raising their three children in that home and she’s refusing to leave. She only filed for divorce in early May, and Costner apparently expected her to be moved out in less than six weeks. It’s clear that Christine is listening to her divorce lawyers, who must be telling her that they can get the strict prenup thrown out or altered in some way. Costner is also apparently pretty mad that Christine used one of HIS credit cards to pay for her divorce lawyer and a forensic accountant. I would assume that her lawyer thinks there’s a good chance that Costner will hide assets from Christine. Oh, and Costner is also demanding that the court evict Christine so HE will not be “homeless.” Despite the fact that he has several other properties in his name, including a neighboring house which he uses for business. All in all, Costner isn’t coming across well. Here’s the latest:

A lawyer for Kevin Costner’s estranged wife says the actor cannot legally force her to leave the home they have long shared as a family. According to court documents obtained by Insider on Thursday, Christine’s attorney John Rydell says the request for order (RFO) previously filed by Costner, 68, “seeks to kick Christine and their three children out of the house that the children have lived in for their entire lives.”

“Although the legal basis for Kevin’s request to kick his wife and children out of their home is all but nonexistent, this is still a matter of critical importance for Christine,” Rydell reportedly added in the court filing, per Insider. (The attorney did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment Friday morning.)

A Costner source tells PEOPLE, “It’s disingenuous to bring the kids into this. This has nothing to do with the kids. The kids’ foundation is solid. This is all about Christine. Kevin has gone above and beyond in providing Christine the necessary means to find a suitable place for her to move.”

Rydell’s reported statements came one day after TMZ obtained court documentation stating Costner said that, per their prenuptial agreement, Christine, 49, had 30 days to leave the house owned by the Yellowstone actor after filing for divorce. Since she filed on May 1, that deadline has passed and she is still at the property. The documents filed by Costner further alleged, according to TMZ, that Christine has not budged in an effort to force Costner to agree to “various financial demands.” A source told PEOPLE on Tuesday that Costner has given his ex $1 million on top of what is required in their prenuptial agreement. “He has gone above and beyond what the prenup specified,” said the insider.

[From People]

The prenup stipulates that in the event of a divorce, Christine had to move out of their shared home in 30 days? Yiiikes. It sounds like it’s probably going to be pretty easy for her lawyer to get the prenup thrown out if the agreement contains clauses like that. Not only does it contain those kinds of clauses but Costner is demanding that those clauses be enforced! Ridiculous, I’m sorry. It’s insane to expect Christine to adhere to the bonkers terms of a prenup she signed 19 years and three kids ago BEFORE their lawyers have even begun to negotiate the divorce.

The Mail had more details about Kevin and Christine’s filings with the court – he’s totally opposed to sharing the same home with her when he returns to California from his film shoot, and his argument is that the children will remain in the home and he and Christine will share custody, once Christine moves into a much smaller property somewhere else. The Mail also did a separate story where “sources close to Christine” spoke about why she’s so adamant about remaining in the Carpinteria home:

Christine Baumgartner is digging in her heels and intends to stay put at the $145 million marital home she has shared with Kevin Costner – and it’s for the sake of the children, friends tell DailyMail.com exclusively.

‘Christine is the one who turned the house into a home,’ says a friend of the couple. ‘She’s the one who has been living in the house with the kids all these years, and the kids don’t think she should leave either.’ Kevin is rarely ever home, the source said, which was one of the main reasons their relationship went sour. ‘His priority has been his work, and now all of a sudden the property is so important to him. He’s bitter and lashing out because Christine pulled the plug on the marriage.’

‘Christine said she’s being made out to be some gold digger, but for her this isn’t about money. It’s about keeping some sort of normalcy for the kids. If anyone should find a new house, it should be Kevin. Christine is not about to budge, so Kevin should just give in and move on. Kevin should be thinking of the kids instead of himself. She also said Kevin has plenty of other houses he can choose from to make his primary home.’

[From The Daily Mail]

I have no idea if she’s a golddigger, but I completely understand why she filed for divorce so suddenly and why she’s standing her ground – she was married a petty, small man who left her to raise their children for months at a time and now he’s trying to punish her for leaving him.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

Not me being genuinely happy for a Kardashian! Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker are expecting their first child together, and I am thrilled for them! Kourt and Travis got married in Italy in May 2022. I think Travis and Kourtney were trying to get pregnant even before the wedding, and Kourtney has spoken openly about how she wanted another child – with Travis – and that they were doing IVF for a while. In fact, during the third season premiere of The Kardashians, Kourtney said that they were done with IVF because nothing was happening. Well, it looks like something happened. Kourtney “broke the news” to Travis during a Blink-182 concert. She held up a sign, which is actually from the “All the Small Things” music video.

Kourtney Kardashian is pregnant! The Kardashians star, 44, is expecting her first child with husband Travis Barker, 47, she revealed on Friday with a handwritten sign held up during her husband’s Los Angeles concert with band Blink-182.

The couple confirmed the news when they both posted a video of the moment to Instagram the same evening. In the clip, a black-clad Kardashian smiled and jumped up and down in the crowd at Los Angeles’ BMO Stadium as she held up a sign with large black letters that said: “Travis I’m Pregnant!”

The sweet video continued with Barker looking shocked on stage as one of his Blink-182 bandmates is heard saying, “Someone’s having a baby!” The surprised drummer then made his way into the audience to embrace his wife.

[From People]

It’s sweet. As I said, I’m genuinely happy for them. Personally, I don’t care that much about Kourtney, but I adore Travis and I want the world for him. I watched his reality show with Shanna Moakler and I always came away from it respecting him as a father and a husband. He clearly adores Kourtney and now they’re having a baby! Kourtney has three children with her ex, Scott Disick. Travis has two biological kids – Landon and Alabama – with Shanna, plus he’s still close to his stepdaughter Atiana de la Hoya from his marriage to Shanna.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kourtney Kardashian Barker (@kourtneykardash)

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.

Aubrey Plaza covers Vanity Fair’s Awards Insider supplemental. This is basically supposed to be an Emmys preview, because Plaza got such great reviews for her turn in The White Lotus Season 2. I preferred Season 2 to Season 1, but it had little to do with Plaza and everything to do with those two magnificent Italian actresses, Simona Tobasco and Beatrice Grannò. Personally, I have never been an Aubrey Plaza “fan,” but I’m not a hater either – she’s fine, she has her monotone shtick and she does it well. Except that Plaza wants people to know that she’s more than just a monotone-voiced actress with a dark energy. That’s just acting, she claims. Some highlights from her VF interview:

Plaza hates streaming apps: “I get really angry. I was trying to watch Top Chef season 20. Couldn’t figure out how to f–king get Hulu + Live. I give up! I can’t. I just can’t. And so what I like to do is go on iTunes and buy movies that are old. Or I’ll go on iTunes and just, like, buy the whole Sopranos series, and then my husband will be like, ‘You literally can watch that for free on HBO Max.’”

The deadpan thing: “The deadpan thing wasn’t, like, my thing. I could do it, but it wasn’t like, ‘There goes the deadpan girl.’ I like to think that I’m such a good actor that people just thought that was literally me.”

Her deadpan persona is a defense mechanism: “You can see all the colors of my psychological state on display in any of these [late night] interviews. It’s a struggle for me every time. It’s a struggle to not quote-unquote ‘give people what they want,’ which is—I don’t even know what they want—and try to have fun for myself without coming off like an asshole. I think it all just stems from—I’m scared. I prefer to be a character. I mean, that’s literally what I am doing.”

Her parents: “They’re not in that billionaire world at all…but the idea of coming from nothing and, you know, working your way up—I think that’s why the [White Lotus] character felt very personal to me. I grew up navigating different worlds and different communities where I was like, Oh, now all of a sudden we’re living in a bigger house and a more fancy neighborhood.’ But I always felt like an outsider.”

Puerto Rican father, Irish-Scottish mom: “I feel very much like there’s some kind of ancestral, generational thing going on, just in my DNA. There are a lot of people in my family that are just so creative. It makes me wanna cry. And I got lucky. I have the means to somehow do it. It feels like a weight, almost. Not a bad weight, but like it was meant to be or something. I make so many of them so proud, and it feels personal, because they all had a hand in raising me. Nothing fazes me, I’m very malleable. I grew up around a lot of people pulling me in different directions, but there was an overarching theme of family on both sides. Doesn’t matter who f–ked up or what’s going on. So many crazy things were always happening, but we all have each other’s back at all times. And you know where you came from.”

New York comedy background: “All I was doing when I was living in Queens at that time was just scheming. I always wanted to do dramatic roles. Once I figured out, okay, I can do comedy, I’m funny, I was very calculated about my career. The people I admired most were people like Adam Sandler, who would do broad comedies and also go do Punch-Drunk Love.”

She’s introverted: “I’m way more socially, like, anxious and introverted than people would expect, I think. I’m just as insecure as anybody, and I’m probably way more shy than people think. But obviously the way I deal with that is, like, extreme behaviors… I try to maintain some authenticity, for better or for worse. That’s the goal. If all else fails, at least be authentic.”

When she & Jenna Ortega were called a “Moody, Deadpan Latinas.” “I loved that. That sh-t is important to me, because that’s my whole thing. Even with April Ludgate, it was like, Come on. Sofia Vergara is not the only Latina personality. There’s other ones! A lot of the characters I play, even with White Lotus—it’s important to normalize that there’s all kinds of different Latina people. I mean, all my Puerto Rican cousins are, like, morbid. Morbid sh-t is going on over there!”

[From Vanity Fair]

I think she’s good at the deadpan thing when she has a script, if that makes sense. When there’s purpose and she’s part of an ensemble. But when she’s solo, that persona just reads as someone who gets off on being awkward and unfunny, someone who makes people uncomfortable in the name of comedy. I think that’s why I was never really a fan. But it’s fine, people grow up and figure out different ways of existing and it sounds a lot like she went through a moody goth phase and now she’s looking to show people that she’s a well-adjusted, well-rounded woman.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid and cover courtesy of VF.

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