Every time abortion is on the ballot, there is a historic turnout for people wanting to protect reproductive rights and abortion rights. This week, Ohio Republicans learned that lesson. I honestly do not believe that Republicans understand the anger women feel about the Dobbs decision. [Jezebel]
Sean Penn took his new girlfriend to Giorgio Baldi. [Just Jared]
Just Bill Nighy, sitting in a cafe, reading Joan Didion’s Miami. [Go Fug Yourself]
The WGA & SAG-AFTRA strikes won’t end anytime soon. [LaineyGossip]
Noah Schnapp talks about coming out. [OMG Blog]
LOL, Dustin is right – And Just Like That is going to have Carrie Bradshaw break Aidan Shaw’s heart again. So dumb. [Pajiba]
Chris Noth speaks and no one is listening. [Socialite Life]
Heidi Klum’s tomatoes look amazing. [Seriously OMG]
Millie Bobby Brown reads her own book. [Egotastic]
Stories about mean and nice celebrities. Where does Aston Kutcher fall? [Buzzfeed]
I can’t imagine the kind of delusional hatred this woman spreads in every aspect of her life. This is disgusting. [Towleroad]
Florence Pugh is doing a Tiffany & Co campaign. [RCFA]

Supporters of abortion rights in Ohio are claiming victory after voters rejected a measure that would have made it more difficult to amend the state constitution.

Republicans had wanted to change the law ahead of a scheduled vote on abortion rights in November. pic.twitter.com/pLXxEbPzjc

— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) August 9, 2023

WATCH: @chrislhayes on the defeat of Issue 1 in the Ohio special election:

“Voters have shown…they will crawl over broken glass, coast to coast, state to state to repudiate the Dobbs decision and the banning of abortion, the taking away of that right. It keeps happening.” pic.twitter.com/HeN544xGi9

— All In with Chris Hayes (@allinwithchris) August 9, 2023

The only time I’ve checked on Royal.uk is when we covered all of the stories about the British royal family making a point of snubbing a baby. That was in 2021 through this year – the royal webmasters decided that Lilibet Diana shouldn’t be added to the royal family’s official website for more than seven weeks after her birth, then following QEII’s death last September, those same racist webmasters didn’t update Lili and Archie’s titles when they were updating everyone else’s. It wasn’t until March of this year that the line of succession included “Princess Lilibet” and “Prince Archie.” Anyway, long story short, there’s more bullsh-t on Royal.uk.

Prince Harry’s page on the royal family’s website was just updated to remove references to his “His Royal Highness” title.

After Express reported on Friday that the Duke of Sussex was still being called “His Royal Highness” in his bio, the outlet noticed on Tuesday that the page had been updated to remove the two references to the title.

Both references were tied to Harry’s work to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS in 2016. The title is now replaced with “the Duke or the Duke of Sussex” — although he did not receive his dukedom from his grandmother Queen Elizabeth until his May 2018 wedding to Meghan Markle.

The royal family’s website has not been completely updated following the death of Queen Elizabeth. As Express pointed out last week, Queen Elizabeth was still referred to as the current monarch, King Charles was called “the Prince of Wales” and Queen Camilla was still being styled as “the Duchess of Cornwall.”

Buckingham Palace said in a statement reported by Express: “The Royal Family website contains over five thousand pages of information about the life and work of the Royal Family. Following the death of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, content has been revisited and updated periodically. Some content may be out of date until this process is complete.”

[From People]

The thing is… this didn’t need to be updated whatsoever. Harry’s HRH was not removed, neither was Meghan’s. They voluntarily agreed to NOT USE their HRH styles when they stepped down/were forced out as working royals. The HRHs are still there, because King Charles doesn’t have the stones to actually remove them formally. So this is his weaksauce way of giving some red meat to the people braying for him to “punish” Harry. Speaking of, we still don’t know for sure if Charles intentionally snubbed the Sussexes for some kind of private ceremony for QEII’s death-anniversary, but Page Six claims that Harry and Meghan will “pay respects” to QEII in their own way next month.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle plan on honoring the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s death “in their own way” after not making the invitation list for the royal family’s forthcoming Balmoral Castle gathering.

“They will of course acknowledge and pay their respects to Her Majesty in their own way,” a source with direct knowledge tells Page Six exclusively while confirming that the couple “haven’t received any information or invitation to plans marking the anniversary of her death.”

However, the insider notes that the memorial at the Scottish estate is not a formal royal event.

“I know the palace has said nothing official is happening,” the source shares, adding that honoring the late Queen is very “personal.”

[From Page Six]

Harry adored his grandmother and grandfather, but I doubt he cares about whatever soap opera storyline is playing out in Scotland right now. I believe that Charles didn’t invite the Sussexes or contact them at all – I think contact completely ceased immediately following the coronation.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

In the days following King Charles’s coronation, a sort of sad-sack ennui set in among royalists. They were sad because the coronation was the last “big event” for the Windsors for many years to come. There would be no more big funerals or big weddings until King Charles dies or William and Kate’s kids start getting married. Personally, I think the answer to the “when is the next big dramatic event” question is “maybe start reporting honestly about the state of William and Kate’s marriage and see what happens.” In any case, the Windsors are on vacation and they’re trying to make “QEII’s death anniversary” into this year’s big drama. There was already a five-act drama about whether or not Prince Harry and Meghan are “invited” to the anniversary party (or whatever it is). Now William and Kate want a cookie for what will probably be a remembrance tweet.

The Prince and Princess of Wales will lead the tributes to the late Queen on the first anniversary of her death. They are to deliver a public message honouring the life and legacy of the monarch, who died on September 8. William and Kate will also use the occasion to “look forward”, a source said. But the King will mark the anniversary “quietly and privately” at Balmoral in Scotland where she died aged 96.

While William and Kate are to reflect on the Queen’s long reign and life, they will also use the opportunity to “look forward”, sources said. Final plans are still being made over how their address will be delivered, whether in person or via their social media to millions of fans.

A royal source said: “Her Majesty’s passing was an event that truly ­signified the end of an era. The Royal Family has been in ­transition since then and following the Coronation and conclusion of the summer holidays, there will be an expectation to see what is next.”

[From The Daily Mirror]

As I said, it will probably be a tweet. We’ve gotten to the point where William and Kate are so lazy, their staff has to hype the fact that they’re going to TWEET on QEII’s death-anniversary. I imagine the staffers are furiously trying to coordinate William and Kate’s joint appearance for a taped, 60-second video. Or will they just use CGI to turn a pile of buttons into something Kate-shaped next to William as he pontificates about how QEII loved him more than Harry?

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Avalon Red.

Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater’s affair undoubtedly began when they were still married to Dalton Gomez and Lilly Jay respectively. Ariana and Dalton’s marriage was probably on its last leg, and Ari’s need to bang Ethan just expedited everything. Meanwhile, Ethan’s marriage to Lilly Jay seemed pretty healthy before Ariana showed some interest. Ariana really worked them both over – the foursome went on double-dates, Ari held Ethan and Lilly’s baby and she was even liking Lilly’s Instagrams. All of which contributed to Lilly not going away quietly. The whole affair blew up in a way Ariana’s team didn’t expect. Two weekends ago, Ari’s people leaked that she and Ethan were on different coasts so that he could deal with his divorce. Ari’s people are telling her to back off. She’s not listening, so her people keep running around, trying to give Ari and Ethan a cookie for dealing with the mess they created.

Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater are continuing their romance amid his divorce. A source tells ET that the Wicked co-stars’ “relationship is still progressing” after he filed for divorce from Lilly Jay.

“Ethan is trying to be as amicable as possible with Lilly as he navigates his next steps. He wants to be the best dad he can be, regardless of the current circumstances,” the source says of the Broadway star, who shares a son with his estranged wife. “He is taking things day by day and trying to keep his private life private, out of respect for everyone involved.”

As for Grande, the source says that she’s “trying to give Ethan some space as he figures everything out,” but notes that “their relationship is still progressing.”

Jay hasn’t been shy about her feelings regarding Slater’s new flame, previously telling Page Six that her “family is just collateral damage” in the scandal, and blasting Grande as “not a girl’s girl.”

“She’s doing her best to get back on her feet. She’s incredibly smart and driven,” a source previously told ET of Jay. “She is truly the best mother.”

[From ET]

Yeah, Ariana wants everyone to know that she’s still with Ethan. Her people must be begging her to end it and she keeps refusing. This is still fun for her – it’s still dramatic and crazy. As for Spongebob Sidepiece, “He is taking things day by day and trying to keep his private life private, out of respect for everyone involved.” Oh, honey, you dumped your wife and child for Ariana Grande, who revealed that you were her new man to People Magazine!! And your wife called Page Six to tell them that Ariana is a homewrecker. Your private life is gone, sayonara.

Note by CB: Get the Top 8 stories about Ariana’s Grande’s messy affair when you sign up for our mailing list! I only send one email a day on weekdays.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Instagram.

VP Kamala Harris wore LaQuan Smith (a Black designer) to attend the Beyonce concert. I would love to know what Doug thought of the concert! I bet he loved it. [RCFA]
Mattel is now offering Weird Barbie, based on Kate McKinnon’s Barbie in the movie. Like… most kids do that to their Barbies anyway. [Tom & Lorenzo]
Andrew Scott & Paul Mescal made a movie together?!? [JustJared]
If The Rock wants to work out, The Rock is gonna work out. [LaineyGossip]
A review of Good Omens’ season 2. [Pajiba]
Kaitlyn Bristowe is taking a social media break. [Starcasm]
This was honestly my favorite Nicole Kidman Fashion Era. [GFY]
Most dudes have no idea when women are hitting on them. [Buzzfeed]
After conservatives attacked Barbie for being too “woke,” they’re changing tactics and trying to claim that Barbie is MAGA. [Towleroad]
Brandi Denise is bringing humor to OnlyFans. [Socialite Life]

Thanks for a fun date night, @Beyonce! pic.twitter.com/e6XfIEkB9n

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 6, 2023

Prince Harry will be in Japan and Singapore this week, and I could be wrong, but I doubt we’ll see Prince William and Kate desperately try to steal some headlines from him. That’s basically the only way anyone can get William and Kate to work these days – to send them out as counterprogramming whenever the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are in the headlines. Which means that come September, during the Invictus Games in Dusseldorf, I’m positive that they’ll bribe Kate to cut her vacation short and actually step out for some photo-op at a baby bank or something. Don’t expect to see Kate before then – Wimbledon finals weekend usually marks her final events before a two-month vacation, and that’s what’s happening now. She hasn’t been seen since mid-July. Still, royal biographers are eager to burnish Kate’s keen-linchpin credentials. Don’t you know that Kate is the only one holding the Windsors together??

Kate is reportedly “working behind the scenes” to get Prince William and Harry on speaking terms, helping the King and other stressed family members who are tired of the fighting. A royal biographer has revealed that the Princess of Wales is doing all she can do to mend the broken relationship between the two feuding brothers. Alongside her attempts to help the siblings bury the hatchet, Kate has also been helping organise visits from the King to see his grandchildren.

Robert Jobson, the author of ‘Our King Charles III: The Man and the Monarch Revealed’, commented that she was “doing a brilliant job” at trying to mend the divides within the family. Jobson said: “I’m not sure how much dialogue there is with William and Harry, at the moment, I think the only person that is helping the situation is Catherine, who is doing a brilliant job. First of all when the king wants to see his grandchildren, for example, it’s important to say that a lot of it has been through Catherine. But William and Harry, it’s a difficult one. I think as brothers they are more likely to get on the phone and have a conversation.”

However, despite her efforts, there is still a “lack of trust” between the feuding family members.

“It’s quite possible that one of them might pick up the phone to have a rant, but who’s gonna pick up the phone on the other end? Because that’s not gonna achieve anything,” Mr Jobson said. “There’s also a lot of lack of trust. At the moment between all the members of the family and Harry about where this information is going, because a lot of stuff has appeared in print by him.”

Jobson added that Harry’s claims in court about Buckingham Palace have stirred up even more fury. He said: “I think that the Royal Family are going to have a period of calm, where they actually can start to build some form of trust. I don’t believe it’ll ever come back to what it was before.”

[From GB News]

Twelve-plus years of diligent promises to be keen, and all they’ve got is “Kate coordinates her children’s visits with the king” and “Kate swears that she’s working behind the scenes to make peace, all evidence to the contrary.” While it’s been clear for years that the main issue is between Harry and William, let’s also be clear: Kate was and is a major part in the campaign against Harry and Meghan. Kate is also jealous, short-sighted and mean, just like her husband. Kate isn’t cooing in William’s ear to encourage him to make peace. Please, she’s been exiled in Adelaide Cottage while William carries on like he’s already divorced, ready to mingle with all of the ladies.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Avalon Red, Cover Images.

Months ago, it felt like a new generation was suddenly exposed to Gwyneth Paltrow’s disordered eating habits. Those of us who are long-time Paltrow watchers know that Gwyneth basically started Goop as a way to rebrand her unhealthy relationship with food. The first years of the Goop newsletter were mostly focused on Gwyneth doing endless “cleanses” and trying whatever half-remembered fad diet she heard about at a party. Her disordered eating has taken on new dimensions over the years and basically, the youths understand that Gwyneth is an Almond Mom who is too rich to swallow vitamins.

Still, there is a bizarre fascination with Gwyneth and what she’s selling. I get sucked into it too, I’m only human. Which is how I came to watch Gwyneth’s “In My Fridge” video, which was posted on goop’s Instagram. As in, Goop’s IG, not Gwyneth’s personal IG. She used the video to shill for some skincare products and she claims to always put her skincare stuff in her refrigerator. I also think this is in her Hamptons house? It feels beachy. Anyway, my first thought was that the fridge seems very shallow? Or is that an optical illusion because she has everything pushed to the front? I’m watching it again… no, her fridge really is that shallow, it’s so weird!!

The actual products in her fridge… it’s mostly beverages, dressings, sauces and skincare products, honestly. There’s very little food beyond some very tiny containers of “leftovers” (zucchini fritters and butter chicken) and yogurt. It’s mostly just milks, juices, ice tea, bottles of Pelligrino, maybe some soda or spritzers or something. Olives and I saw some eggs too. Where are the takeout containers? Where is the FOOD?

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by goop (@goop)

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images.

I keep forgetting that Rupert Murdoch’s vast empire has tentacles everywhere. Murdoch’s NewsCorp owns HarperCollins, one of the biggest publishing houses in the world. Prince Harry’s Spare was published by Penguin Random House though, as was Carley Fortune’s Meet Me at the Lake. So while HarperCollins doesn’t have intimate knowledge of the deal, News Corp is such a major player in the publishing world, they get insider book and publishing tips, plus they have an ax to grind about deals they missed out on. All of which means that I sort of halfway figured out why The Sun and Page Six (both owned by News Corp) are writing so many exclusives about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex “buying the rights” to Fortune’s bestseller. That’s what The Sun claimed over the weekend, that the Sussexes bought the rights for $3 million. But Page Six’s sources claim that Netflix purchased the rights to Meet Me at the Lake specifically for the Sussexes. Page Six also has some almost positive things to say about the Sussexes’ business?

The ‘Meet Me at the Lake’ deal: The deal was signed in the past few weeks — and despite initial reports, the Sussexes didn’t buy the rights to the book, believed to be worth around $3 million. Instead, Netflix purchased it for them to produce under their Archewell Productions arm, we’re told. The book is “right up their alley,” said an insider. Plus, said the insider, “They love love stories and rom-coms.”

Archwell restructuring: The couple have been restructuring their team amid the departure of top producer Ben Browning, who was the head of internal content at Archewell Productions and oversaw the documentary. Page Six can also reveal they have parted ways with their talented senior vice-president of scripted television, Nishika Kumble. She lasted less than two years in the role.

Missing Hollywood? Asked whether Markle — whose show “Suits” is currently topping the charts on Netflix — has missed Hollywood, a friend said: “I’m not sure you can miss Hollywood when you’re one of the most famous women in the world!” Another Hollywood insider told us, “If you make money in Hollywood, you’re taken seriously.”

What WME is doing: With Markle having signed with Ari Emanuel’s powerhouse talent agency WME in May, a source also told Page Six that she and Harry “have a lot of logs in the fire. Production is one piece of the pie. It’s not all entirely shaped by Ari — they’ve had the deal with Netflix for a while. Everyone has criticized them, but they now have the right team and vision in place and execution is happening,” continued the source. “Meghan’s not doing a Reese [Witherspoon] or making acquisitions for herself… She doesn’t want to direct or act.”

A little bit of Goop: Someone who knows the couple told Page Six that Markle wants to be like a combination of famous women: “A bit of Reese, a bit of Gwyneth [Paltrow, founder of Goop] a bit of Princess Kate, a bit of Gloria Steinem.”

[From Page Six]

I hope WME is putting together a lot of deals and that they have a magnificent autumn rollout, because there have been too many negative business-related headlines happening for months. They need some good news and prominent deals. I still believe that Meghan should get some brand-endorsement deals! As for Meghan wanting to be a combo of Gwyneth, Gwyneth, Kate and Gloria Steinem… eh. That rings false to me, mostly because of the inclusion of Kate? Like, one of these things is not like the other. Meghan is a content-creator now and a brand unto herself, so yeah… maybe a little bit of Reese and Gwyneth. I also find it entirely possible that Netflix purchased the rights for the Sussexes, rather than the Sussexes buying the rights themselves.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images.

Red, White and Royal Blue was a huge bestseller, and people have been looking forward to the film adaptation, which comes out on Amazon Prime this month. The book is one of the most popular LGBTQ romances in years, plus it peppers in the pop culture obsession with royalty, fake politics and the transatlantic culture clash. The core love story is about a British prince – named Prince Henry – falling in love with the son of the American president. As you can imagine, the British media is worked up about what this book and movie say about British royalty and how Americans see Britain and their royal family. Instead of just shrugging it off and saying “hey, it’s a charming work of fiction,” the usual suspects are lining up to make this about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and how America is laughing at Britain.

Fictional dramas that exploit a transatlantic obsession with the Royal family are a mini-industry in their own right, be it Channel 4’s Harry Enfield satirical soap opera The Windsors or E!’s primetime series The Royals, starring Elizabeth Hurley, which ran from 2015 to 2018. Not to mention, of course, Netflix’s ongoing juggernaut The Crown, which incurs more public wrath with each new season for its creative blurring of fact with fiction. There have been novels, too, mostly in the unashamedly commercial lowbrow romance genre, including Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan’s 2015 The Royal We – a giddy fairy tale about an American girl who finds love with a royal prince, and which McQuiston has cited as an influence on Red, White & Royal Blue. Forget the White House: evidently the real objective of the American dream is to gain entry to the British aristocracy.

Yet the novel’s success also raises ethical questions about the responsibility of fiction when it comes to playing fast and loose with the private life of a living person. Prince Harry is unlikely to complain about the novel’s gay storyline, not to mention its gushy depictions of Henry as extremely hot in bed. But he may admit to some private misgivings over the way the book exploits the very real loss of his mother, albeit in loosely fictionalised form: Henry – whose siblings are “Princess Beatrice” and “Prince Philip” – has been badly affected by the abrupt death of his father 14 months previously. What’s more, Harry’s publicly articulated real-life struggles with mental health and battles with duty, family and the paparazzi provide much of the novel’s fictional emotional capital. And forget accusations of unconscious racial bias: this Royal family are nakedly homophobic.

Of course, if Harry does have anxieties about his private unhappiness being cannibalised by novelists in the name of art, not to mention money, you could argue he has only himself to blame.

“The popularity of this book does seem to suggest what many in Britain have long feared, that the Royal family have become the Kardashians of popular culture,” says the veteran British royal correspondent Robert Jobson, who regularly contributes to NBC and who was a script editor on The Royals. “And that has partly come out of the whole Megxit affair and Netflix documentaries. Most of all, there was Harry’s book, Spare, which dealt with a lot of areas that wouldn’t normally come out in public. It’s interesting, because up to now, British publishers in particular haven’t been very interested in this sort of thing.”

Certainly, Red, White & Royal Blue wasn’t originally published in this country, although a new edition, tied to the film, was published last month. An industry insider, who didn’t want to be named, points out there are currently sponsored posts about the book on the UK Amazon site, which suggests the publisher is now putting serious money behind it. The book is also climbing up the Kindle and Apple charts.

“I do think the author has been very clever,” says Jobson. “It’s an LGBT project by a writer who knows the market and is utilising a genre to create a bestseller. If it had been written 20 years ago, there would have been more of an uproar about it. There’s a general apathy now among the younger generation, who don’t have the same connection to the monarchy. And I think certainly in America, among the general public, there is a greater frivolity in the way the monarchy is perceived.”

[From The Telegraph]

“The popularity of this book does seem to suggest what many in Britain have long feared, that the Royal family have become the Kardashians of popular culture…” In truth, the Windsors wish they were as exciting and popular as the Kardashians. At least the Kardashians have true soap opera storylines, whereas the Windsors just have old farts being racist, clueless and lazy. And why would Prince Harry worry about this book or movie in any way? It’s clear that some real-life stuff has been mined for this work of fiction, but that’s fine, and in fact, that’s probably contributed to the popularity of the story – there’s something familiar about it, but skewed for a LGBTQ romance. “It’s interesting, because up to now, British publishers in particular haven’t been very interested in this sort of thing…” Like… Jobson’s books never sell. Most of those royal biographies don’t sell. The only royal books, in recent years, to make a huge impact are Spare and Finding Freedom.

Posters courtesy of Amazon Prime.

As we discussed, both Australia and Canada have pulled out of hosting the Commonwealth Games. The games are for athletes from British commonwealth countries exclusively, and they’re meant to be a Commonwealth version of the Olympics, only much smaller. The thing is, even a smaller version of the Olympic games will still cost a sh-tload of money to host, which is why Canada and Australia both dropped their “winning bids” to host the Commonwealth Games in 2026 and 2030. While I used photos of Prince William and Kate in the previous post – they went to the games in Birmingham last year for one solitary day – it’s King Charles who is getting the blame for the lack of enthusiasm for anything related to the British Commonwealth.

The King cannot evoke the same enthusiasm for the Commonwealth Games as the late Queen, a former Australian diplomat has warned after a second potential host nation pulled out. Alexander Downer, who served as his country’s high commissioner to the UK, said the Canadian province of Alberta’s withdrawal plans for a 2030 Games bid was disastrous coming just weeks after Australian state Victoria withdrew as confirmed host for 2026.

He told The Telegraph: “The Commonwealth revolved very much around the [late] Queen and I used to argue that if it hadn’t been for [her], it’s hard to believe the Commonwealth would have held together. And it’s not that anybody has a problem with the King… but he doesn’t have the same aura that the [late] Queen had about her, yet.”

Mr Downer added that it has become “hard to generate any enthusiasm” for the Commonwealth Games after the “perfect storm” of factors, including the death of the late Queen last year and escalating costs of putting on the event.

“It’s an incredibly serious time for the Commonwealth,” Mr Downer told The Telegraph, adding that the Games, the most high-profile Commonwealth event, “has now entered a period where its future is uncertain”.

“It’s another huge blow, and the Games brand is taking a major hit to its reputation,” said the executive, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Immediate and radical action is needed from the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) at this point to save the event.” One of the solutions that has been suggested is a financial restructuring of the event to make it “much more modest” and “not on the lines of the Olympic Games”.

[From The Telegraph]

Maybe it’s because Americans can’t participate, but I’m left feeling like… why all the drama to save the games? Why not just take the L and say that the games have outlived their usefulness? Within the Telegraph’s report, various people suggest that the games should be reimagined so that they’re smaller and less expensive, and could perhaps be hosted by cities which already have existing infrastructure. All of which are good ideas, but will anyone follow through on it? Will they actually put people in charge who are willing to make deep cuts in the program and make smart decisions about the cost? Or will they just blame everything on King Charles? Like, I know there are a lot of factors and God knows, I think Charles is dogsh-t, but the Commonwealth Games have much bigger problems than “Charles is not popular in Commonwealth countries.” If that’s the excuse they want to use though, who am I to stand in their way.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.