Prince Harry stunned the British and international media this morning when he showed up at a High Court in London. No one knew he had flown into London, and there were zero leaks from Montecito, nor were there any leaks from Buckingham Palace. It’s especially notable that there were no palace leaks, because… the palace is now briefing the Telegraph that Harry did contact his father, King Charles, and tell him that he was flying in for this. There’s no word on when Harry called his father or informed the palace of his plans. Also, I have a hard time believing that the palace sat on that information and didn’t leak it to their media friends. Something tells me their media friends will be quite upset about it too.

The Duke of Sussex has arrived at the High Court in London for a hearing in his claim against Daily Mail publisher Associated Newspapers over allegations of unlawful information-gathering. The publisher is bringing a bid to end High Court claims brought by people including Harry, Sir Elton John and Baroness Doreen Lawrence over alleged unlawful activity at its titles.

The Duke has flown from California to London especially for the hearing, the Telegraph understands. Arriving at court this morning, the Duke smiled at the press and bumped into a photographer as he walked into the building.

The hearing was due to coincide with the King’s state visit to France before the trip was cancelled on Friday due to ongoing civil unrest and violence over President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reforms.

The Duke’s presence in court will undoubtedly draw attention to the case and may have overshadowed the visit, had it gone ahead. The King will begin a three-day state visit to Germany on Wednesday.

The Duke is not expected to see his father while he is in the UK. Although he did inform the King that he would be in London he was told his father was “busy”.

The Prince and Princess of Wales and their children are not in London as it is half term.

[From The Telegraph]

LMAOoooo “The Prince and Princess of Wales and their children are not in London as it is half term.” The Sussexes did this last year too – they made a surprise appearance in Windsor to see QEII while Peg and Buttons were on vacation. Charles was surprised by their visit last year too, and he rushed over to see them. Now, all that being said, this was not Harry’s timing choice, this was a High Court hearing determined by the judge and the lawyers. It’s magnificent though – imagine how amazing it would have been if we had images of Harry arriving at the High Court alongside of Charles in Paris, surrounded by protesters and fire.

Which brings me to another question… why is Charles too busy to see his son? President Macron suddenly canceled King Charles’s France visit last Friday, so Charles has nothing but time between now and Wednesday. He truly has an empty schedule! So, the palace briefing the Telegraph about Charles being “too busy” to see Harry means that Harry already told his dad that he (Harry) is too busy, right?

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

Selena Gomez recently joked that she was still out here looking for her crush, and maybe she found one in Zayn Malik. This news first came out via TikTok, when someone shared a text from a friend who works at a New York City restaurant. Sounds like hearsay, but someone did confirm the same to ET Online. Apparently, Selena and Zayn went on a late dinner date and they were holding hands and kissing in the restaurant.

There might be a new romance on the horizon! Zayn Malik and Selena Gomez are sparking rumors of a relationship after the two were spotted out to dinner together in New York City.

An eyewitness tells ET, “Selena and Zayn went out in SoHo in New York City last night at around 10:30 pm. They walked in holding hands and were kissing. Most restaurant staff and restaurantgoers didn’t notice them. It seemed like they were comfortable together and it was clear that it was a date.”

ET has reached out to both Gomez and Malik’s reps for further comment.

Speculation about the two began when TikTok user @klarissa.mpeg shared a text exchange with a friend of hers who claimed she was the pair’s hostess at an unnamed restaurant in the city.

The TikTok user explained that she and her friend work at hot spots frequented by celebs, before sharing a screenshot of their conversation in which the friend wrote: “Tell me how Selena Gomez and Zayn just walked into [restaurant] hand in hand making out and I seated them.”

Gomez’s romantic life has been a hot-button topic in headlines lately, after reports and rumors began to surface earlier this year that she and The Chainsmokers’ Drew Taggart were an item.

Meanwhile, Malik, who welcomed a daughter, Khai, with ex-girlfriend Gigi Hadid in 2020, has mainly kept out of the spotlight as he works on various projects, including speaking out on behalf of causes he’s passionate about.

[From ET Online]

This is interesting. There really hasn’t been much news about Zayn since he and Gigi Hadid broke up and he’d largely been out of the limelight even before that due to anxiety around touring and stuff. Dating Selena is really not the way to stay out of the spotlight. Apparently, a source close to Gigi spoke to US Weekly and said “Gigi has no problem whatsoever with Zayn dating. As long as he is happy and stable and continues to be a good co-parent to Khai, she’s fine with whoever he goes out with.” Some people have pointed out that Gigi and Selena are friends, but I think they were “friends” the way all celebrities who are the same age and don’t have beef are friends, as opposed to actual friends. I know I complained a lot about the Chainsmoker fling and Zayn is better aesthetically, but this doesn’t seem like a great choice either. Zayn has obviously had his issues in the past and while people change and grow and he’s said to be a good co-parent, who knows what’s going on there these days. It just seems like it has the potential to be dramatic, but maybe that’s part of the appeal.

Photos credit: INSTARimages.com/Cover Images, Jeffrey Mayer/Avalon, Roka/Backgrid and via Instagram

Everyone knew that the celebrity and royal case against the Mail’s parent company, ANL, would have a significant four-day pre-trial hearing this week. It was widely reported… in the American media. The British media barely mentioned it, because Prince Harry is part of a high-profile group of people suing the Mail for phone-hacking, wiretapping, harassment and more. ANL is incredibly powerful, and the British media doesn’t want any more attention on what they’ve been doing for decades. Today is the first day of the four-day hearing, which includes ANL’s attempt to get the lawsuit thrown out. Guess who arrived for court???

Prince Harry stunned the entire British and American landscape here. There were zero leaks from Montecito, and no one in the British media got the heads up that Harry had flown into the UK. We don’t even know when he arrived – all of a sudden, he just appeared outside the High Court in London. He wore a dark suit and a dark expression. Good for him.

Harry’s co-plaintiffs include Sir Elton John, Liz Hurley, David Furnish, Sadie Frost, and Baroness Lawrence. They’ve all said that they “victims of abhorrent criminal activity and gross breaches of privacy”.

Will Harry be in London for the full four days? Will he have time to pack up the last of the Sussexes’ things at Frogmore Cottage? LMAO.

Daily Mail publisher ANL has worked hard to keep the full scale of the unlawful information gathering allegations from being made public, but Prince Harry and his 6 co-claimants are ready for their day in court. Clearly catching much of the UK media flat-footed. #PrinceHarryVsANL pic.twitter.com/fzWwcFNi1w

— R.S. Locke / Royal Suitor (@royal_suitor) March 27, 2023

Kay Burley “wasn’t expecting” Prince Harry to be in London. That’s because there are no leaks from Montecito; it’s almost as if all the other previous leaks were coming from people in Blighty… pic.twitter.com/0Ov2zLTBOm

— Lorna_TVeditor (@Lorna_TVeditor) March 27, 2023

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Last December, we learned that the Princess of Wales’s private secretary had “quit” months beforehand. That private secretary was Hannah Cockburn-Logie, and she was with Kate starting in May 2020. She oversaw a lot of Kate’s Early Years busy-work. Kate then went without a private secretary for months, because (big surprise) she does f–k all and her staffers get unbelievably bored. Then, in February, there was suddenly a big push – Kate hired someone named Alison Corfield, who was then described as “loud” and a “ballbuster.” Corfield never started work in Kensington Palace. She opted to keep her job with Jamie Oliver. Ouch. Interestingly enough, the Telegraph got the exclusive on this, only they changed the headline after (presumably) a bitching out from Kensington Palace. The headline went from “Princess of Wales’s new private secretary rejects job, opting to stay with Jamie Oliver” to “Princess of Wales’s new private secretary rejects job to ‘stay under the radar’.” Guess Kate didn’t want to sound like she came up short compared to Jamie Oliver? Or maybe Kate doesn’t want to sound like she also can’t keep staff longer than a minute.

The “straight talking” PR guru hired as the Princess of Wales’s new private secretary has opted to stay with chef Jamie Oliver rather than take up the role, The Telegraph can reveal.

Alison Corfield, 51, is understood to have been uncomfortable with the prospect of having such a high-profile position and decided instead to remain under the radar.

The mother of three, a branding and marketing expert, has worked with Oliver for eight years. A source said: “She loves the work and is an integral member of the campaigning team. She decided she just wanted to keep her head down and get on with the job she knows so well in the background. She didn’t want the publicity that comes with working at that level for such a well-known institution.”

The decision means that Kensington Palace aides have had to return to the drawing board in their search for the ideal candidate who will play a large part in shaping the Princess’s role.

[From The Telegraph]

The bar is in hell: “Kensington Palace aides have had to return to the drawing board in their search for the ideal candidate who will play a large part in shaping the Princess’s role.” She’s 41 years old and she’s been married to William for almost twelve years. Kate shouldn’t need a staffer to “play a large part” in SHAPING her role. It should have already been “shaped” years ago. We heard, endlessly, for years and years that Kate was preparing to be Princess of Wales and queen consort, that she was so keen to finally do and be something and… nothing ever came of it. She’s Princess of Wales and she’s still dependent on hiring some private secretary who will – through sheer force of will? – suddenly make all of the lazy, incompetent pieces fit together.

Speaking of, Kensington Palace’s editing elves couldn’t make Kate sound like an educated, competent woman in her 40s discussing her life’s work. This is Kate speaking to Iceland Foods’ Richard Walker about “the science” behind Early Years. Walker even says, directly, that people are really struggling financially and Kate just breezes past that, like it would never f–king occur to her to use her position and use this time and effort to… help out struggling families. It’s insane. I have to ask again, and I know I’m a broken record about this, but Jesus H., you guys: how is she not embarrassed? Are palace staffers embarrassed about this?? I guess they are, because Alison Corfield took one look at this sh-tshow and noped out of there in a hurry.

Photos courtesy of Kensington Palace, Cover Images.

Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth have announced their split, and it sounds like they’re likely already working out the terms of their divorce behind-the-scenes. Reese met Toth, a CAA agent, after she divorced Ryan Phillippe. Jim seemed like a very solid guy and a good stepfather to Reese’s kids Ava and Deacon. Jim and Reese went on to have a son together, Tennessee Toth, who is only 10 years old. While Jim was never front-and-center on red carpets with Reese, I was left with the impression that he was an important advisor for Reese as she began to build her own empire. Still, it’s been years since they even walked a carpet together, and it was like… she just phased him out or something. In 2021, she sold her production company Hello Sunshine for $900 million. And now a divorce? Oh, no.

Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth are breaking up. The Oscar winner, who turned 47 on Wednesday, and her talent-agent husband, 52, are ending their marriage, they announced in a joint statement on Friday, days before their 12-year wedding anniversary on Sunday.

“We have some personal news to share… It is with a great deal of care and consideration that we have made the difficult decision to divorce,” they said. “We have enjoyed so many wonderful years together and are moving forward with deep love, kindness and mutual respect for everything we have created together. Our biggest priority is our son and our entire family as we navigate this next chapter. These matters are never easy and are extremely personal. We truly appreciate everyone’s respect for our family’s privacy at this time.”

A source tells PEOPLE, “They really are the best of friends and this is such an amicable decision. They are so committed to co-parenting together. They are invested in their whole family and making this as smooth as possible for everyone.”

[From People]

There are already stories about how Reese is a workaholic, because society must punish women for prioritizing their work or something. I mean, I think Reese works a lot too, but I doubt that was the “reason” for this. Sources told Page Six: “There’s no big scandal or drama, just two people who essentially became co-parents and don’t really have any romantic feelings for each other anymore.” Sources also said that Reese loved Jim because he was “just a solid, dependable guy” after her “years of sh-t” with Ryan. Which I agree – Reese and Ryan were chaotic at the best of times and he clearly had a chip on his shoulder about how famous she became. Jim was happy to be supportive in the background. Anyway, while this news surprised me… it wasn’t a shock. It feels like they’ve been living separate lives for a while. I kind of wonder if there was any breaking point – does one of them have a jumpoff? Eh.

PS… Since I know everyone will mention it, Jim and Reese were already married when they were both arrested in Georgia in 2013. Toth was arrested for DUI, and Reese was arrested for disorderly conduct for her drunken “I’m an American Citizen” rant.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Cover Images.

The terse announcement came on Friday morning, and it came from Élysée Palace: President Macron and King Charles had spoken on the phone and Macron told Charles not to come to France, that the fiery protests would be a huge security risk and terrible optics. It’s a shame, because Charles really wanted to visit Paris, the city where his ex-wife died, as his first state visit of his reign. Originally, Charles was supposed to arrive today, Sunday, in Paris and spend several days doing big, public events. He was also supposed to have a big state dinner in Versailles. But the French people and French unions are staging massive protests and setting things on fire, so here we are.

What’s particularly “interesting” is watching the British media try to make it all about Macron and not King Charles. While Macron is historically unpopular, no doubt, and he’s the one raising the French retirement age, a big reason why Macron canceled Charles’s visit is because the French protesters were turning their ire on Charles.

The King’s state visit to France was postponed amid increasingly violent protests in Paris, with graffiti daubed on a wall reading: “Charles III do you know the guillotine?” The decision to abandon the tour at the eleventh hour was taken by the French and British governments “after a telephone exchange” between President Emmanuel Macron and the King on Friday morning.

Mr Macron asked for the visit to be postponed as the prospect of him dining alongside the royals at a lavish banquet while his country burned became increasingly untenable. The state banquet was due to take place at the Palace of Versailles but Élysée sources had concerns over its links to the revolt against Louis XVI, who was beheaded.

Mr Macron said “common sense and friendship” led to the “detestable” decision to postpone the King’s visit to France. He told a press conference in French: “I think it would not be responsible and would lack some common sense if we invited His Majesty the King and the Queen Consort for a state visit in the midst of the demonstrations. So, out of friendship, respect and esteem for His Majesty the King and Queen Consort, and for the British people, I took the initiative this morning to call and tell him what the situation was. Common sense and friendship led us to propose a postponement, which was detestable for the British people and for us.”

Mr Macron suggested that the new date for the King’s visit to France would be in the “early summer”. He said “We have proposed that, in early summer, depending on our respective agendas, we can together arrange a new state visit.” He said it should be under conditions that would allow the monarch to “enjoy France”.

[From The Telegraph]

Yeah – the guillotine references were enough to make Charles sh-t himself. Nevermind the fact that French union bosses were name-checking him and making very specific plans to demonstrate around his visit. Royal historian Tessa Dunlop said much the same thing – that this was canceled mostly due to “terrible optics”: “The last thing the French President needed was another security hazard, especially in the form of a 74-year-old working King from a country where the retirement age has already been raised to a hardcore 68 for future generations.” LOL. Dunlop also name-checked Prince Harry: “As for Charles, after a turbulent first few months as monarch thanks to Prince Harry’s verbal protests and a few frenzied egg throwers in Britain, he was not in the market for a French upgrade to tear gas, water cannon and cobblestones. But the trip’s postponement is a blow for the new King.” “Frenzied egg-throwers” – there were like three egg tossers and they all had a very rational explanation for their egg protests: they are republicans who hate the monarchy. Nothing frenzied about that.

What else… Richard Fitzwilliams said Macron had been “humiliated” by the protesters and that the Versailles dinner would have been MACRON’S “Marie Antoinette moment.” Like… it would have been a Marie Antoinette moment, for sure, but more for Charles and Camilla.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

Jonah Hill is a pretty chill guy these days. He lives by the beach, he surfs, he drinks juice, he spends time with his girlfriend, he goes to therapy. Meanwhile, we have no idea what Kanye West is doing these days. He had another breakdown last fall, and this one antisemitic. He was talking constantly about how much he loves Adolf Hitler and how Jewish people run Hollywood. Then he was fired from Adidas, fired from Balenciaga, fired from Vogue, fired from CAA, fired from every deal and every collaboration. Thoroughly and totally canceled. He went away, he got married (sort of) and apparently now that he’s unemployed and broke, he spends his time watching movies. Kanye just watched 21 Jump Street and Jonah Hill cured him of his antisemitism. Kanye wrote this on Instagram, alongside the movie’s poster:

Watching Jonah Hill in 21 Jump street made me like Jewish people again

No one should take anger against one or two individuals and transform that into hatred towards millions of innocent people

No Christian can be labeled antisemite knowing Jesus is Jew

Thank you Jonah Hill I love you

[From Kanye’s IG]

First of all, how did Kanye not see 21 Jump Street when it came out in 2012? That film started Jonah and Channing Tatum’s bromance, and taught us all that Channing is a really gifted comedic actor. Anyway, I know that Kanye is just saying dumb sh-t to be provocative – don’t fall for it. Today, Jonah Hill cured him of antisemitic bigotry. Tomorrow, he’ll watch Top Gun: Maverick and want to talk to Tom Cruise about Scientology.

Kanye after watching Jonah Hill’s performance in 21 Jump Street: pic.twitter.com/9cCWOswiWh

— Rick E Langston (@radvstheworld) March 25, 2023

if only hitler could have seen Jonah Hill in 21 Jump Street

— katie (@skatie420) March 25, 2023

Ye has taken to Instagram to reveal that Jonah Hill and his performance in the film 21 Jump Street has apparently single handedly ended his anti-Semitic arc pic.twitter.com/63SEJ6a8om

— The Serfs (@theserfstv) March 25, 2023

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.

Beyonce & Adidas are separating after five years together. It feels like Bey will still do Ivy Park, just as her own sportswear collection, not attached to Adidas. [Just Jared]
Photos which show there’s absolutely a glitch in the matrix. [Buzzfeed]
CeeLo Green fell off a horse. That poor horse. [Dlisted]
Jennifer Aniston’s style, consistent or boring? [LaineyGossip]
Peter Thiel’s “kept man” Jeff Thomas passed away, and Thomas’s death is being investigated as a suicide. This story is so tragic. [Jezebel]
Animal Control switched up their partners. [Seriously OMG]
Does anyone care about AppleTV’s Extrapolations? [Pajiba]
Givenchy’s latest collection is playing catch-up. [Go Fug Yourself]
Eddie Redmayne turned out for the Omega event. [RCFA]
SZA posed for SKIMS. [Egotastic]
A Below Deck ghosting! [Starcasm]
Lady Gaga & Michael Polansky are probably over? [Towleroad]

Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, became Duke of Edinburgh on his 59th birthday. King Charles finally did it, after much consternation. Edward and Sophie really campaigned for the titles and for a while, I was convinced that Charles would never give them the ducal title. But he did, with one catch: Edward only gets to be the DoE for his lifetime and the title will not be inherited by Edward’s son James, formerly Viscount Severn. Apparently, Edward and Sophie are quite irritated that James won’t get to be DoE at some point.

Prince Edward and the Duchess of Edinburgh ‘always assumed’ his new title would be passed down to their son James, the Mail on Sunday’s Kate Mansey has told PALACE CONFIDENTIAL.

Earlier this month, King Charles announced that he has conferred the title of the Duke of Edinburgh on his younger brother Prince Edward to mark his 59th birthday. As such, Prince Edward’s son James is now known as Earl of Wessex – his father’s previous title.

Discussing the move on the latest episode of the Palace Confidential series, the Mail on Sunday’s Assistant Editor Kate Mansey said the newly-appointed Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh were surprised to learn that James would not inherit his father’s new title.

She explained: ‘My sources say that they had assumed that they would get the Duke and Duchess title and it would go to James. Because why would you get a Dukedom and it not pass to your son?’

However, Kate said this is an example of King Charles ‘looking ahead’ to the future of his ‘slimmed down’ monarchy. She continued: ‘As James gets older has his children, they have children, you’re [left with] a Duke of Edinburgh title that is so far removed from the Crown. And it’s a really important title. You can’t have a situation where the Duke of Edinburgh is in several generations’ time so far removed so as not to be considered royal.’

However, Kate then went on to point out how James has been given the title of the Earl of Wessex as a type of ‘compensation’ from his uncle King Charles.

[From The Daily Mail]

Charles didn’t “give” James the Wessex title, that’s just what happened automatically when Edward became DoE. James became the Earl of Wessex because that’s his father’s lesser title. Same with the Viscount Severn title. Anyway, I suppose Edward and Sophie have to complain about *something* so this is what’s bothering them now. Honestly, I was sort of surprised by Charles’s solution – it was a smart compromise, to give Ed and Sophie the titles but ensure that DoE reverts back to the crown after Edward’s death.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Instar, Cover Images, Backgrid.

When this first came out, I saw the big headline from Idris Elba’s Esquire interview and I was like “ugh, do I even want to cover this?” It took me a while to sit down and read the whole thing and remember why I like Idris so much. Everything he says in this piece has a particular context- he’s the only child of African immigrants, he’s experienced profound racism in the UK, he found better work in America, but he still returned to the UK to raise his kids. That’s the context for Idris saying that he doesn’t consider himself to be a “Black actor.” I get it, but I also get why people want to talk about it and argue about it. Some highlights from Esquire UK (he’s promoting Luther: The Fallen Sun, just FYI).

Turning 50: “Every day is my birthday. I didn’t make a big deal out of it. Physically I feel fine. Things move slower. You definitely feel those aches and bumps. But then, I always have. I live an extreme lifestyle, I guess.”

The only child: “I’m the same person I always was. Only child. And I’m still an only child, even though I’ve got a lot more people around me. Introspection has always been a part of me, since I was conscious. That introspection is still very alive now. And I feel very connected to that young guy, who was very ambitious in his thoughts. Curious, always curious.

African culture, British culture: “Although I was born in England, the first culture I experienced was Sierra Leonean. The food, the environment, the music, the clothes, the attitude to the weather. All my experiences were West African first, then UK culture. I love being English, I love the culture here, I grew up here, I became a man in England, I’m very attached to it. But at the same time, I’ve also got another culture, which is African, Sierra Leonean specifically. I’m really thankful for it.

Race and racism: “I’m always curious why this is fascinating to people. It’s a question I get asked a lot. I don’t go to my Black friends, in conversation, and ask them to tell me about racism. Have I ever faced racism? Yeah. I’m not any more Black because I’m in a white area, or more Black because I’m in a Black area. I’m Black. And that skin stays with me no matter where I go, every day, through Black areas with white people in it, or white areas with Black people in it. I’m the same Black.

He no longer calls himself a Black actor: If we spent half the time not talking about the differences but the similarities between us, the entire planet would have a shift in the way we deal with each other. As humans, we are obsessed with race. And that obsession can really hinder people’s aspirations, hinder people’s growth. Racism should be a topic for discussion, sure. Racism is very real. But from my perspective, it’s only as powerful as you allow it to be. I stopped describing myself as a Black actor when I realised it put me in a box. We’ve got to grow. We’ve got to. Our skin is no more than that: it’s just skin. Rant over.

He’s still a member of the Black community: “Of course, I’m a member of the Black community. You say a prominent one. But when I go to America, I’m a prominent member of the British community. “Oh, UK’s in the house!”

Living & working in America for years: “New York was a pilgrimage. America was this shiny dream-state. Look at the scale of it! Look at the music, look at the culture! Look at the TV, film, magazines! I was 17, 18. You just felt the opportunities. You could start off with a dollar, in New York, and rise. That was real. That’s why I went. Is that the same America we’re looking at today? Perhaps not. Things have changed. But I’m looking at it through 50-year-old eyes now.

He loves working in America: “America gave me technical understanding of my craft. It was an enhancement. I learnt a lot. American actors have always been great. The works of Shakespeare live in a world of wonderment, poetry, fairytale, the language of beauty and eloquence. The performer uses a skillset that amplifies that. There is an air and a grace to it that a good English actor has to understand. In America, in an Arthur Miller play, you might get a guy who’s just a guy. Guy from Pennsylvania, guy from New York. Just a guy. A human. American actors had this connection with real life. The accent and the cadence of the words in America allows for a really interesting flow of thoughts.

[From Esquire]

What I found interesting was how much he talked about living a particular kind of American dream and how much he loves America… while speaking to a British publication. British actors often get punished in the British press for being too pro-America, even if those actors are getting much better opportunities in America. Still, I guess Idris gets points for moving back to the UK. As for what he says about “I stopped describing myself as a Black actor when I realised it put me in a box. We’ve got to grow” – I get it. He’s not denying his race or what have you, he’s saying that his language changed in how he describes himself and thinks of his career. It’s the whole idea behind “colorblind casting,” I guess – it’s not that Idris will stop playing Black characters, it’s that he doesn’t want to ONLY get scripts which are exclusively written for Black actors.

Covers courtesy of Esquire.