The Great Taylor Swift-Katy Perry War has been happening for about nine or ten months. I’m sure it’s been happening for longer than that, actually, but Swifty only went public with her Katy feud last fall as she promoted her album. Since then, Swifty’s actions have been that of a bullying Mean Girl, obsessively collecting high-profile friends and trying to make Katy look… I don’t know? Friendless? Like Katy only has her cupcake boobs for company. Swifty even amassed an insane (and inane) collection of friends for her “Bad Blood” video, which should have just been called “Katy Perry is Such a Loser, I Hate Her So Much.”

Why bring all of this up? Because Swifty might have her sights set on another victim. Star Magazine says she’s got plans to Mean Girl the hell out of Kendall Jenner!

Taylor Swift has amassed an army of BFFs but there’s one It Girl who’s been conspicuously absent from Taylor’s crew: Kendall Jenner. Sources say Taylor has declared war on Kendall, all because Kendall has cozied up to Selena Gomez’s ex-boyfriend, Justin Bieber.

“Kendall has been seeing Bieber and Selena is livid,” informs a spy. “She wants to hurt Kendall by stealing all her friends and has enlisted Taylor to help her.”

Now Taylor has been working overtime to turn Kendall’s bestie Cara Delevingne against her.

“Cara is a social climber and knows that Taylor will do a lot for her reputation, so she’s switched cliques,” reveals the source. “Kendall thinks Taylor is as fake as they come and that Selena is pathetic for still being hung up on Justin.”

[From Star Magazine, print edition]

If Tay-Tay is trying to turn Cara against Kendall, she’s doing a really bad job with it because Kendall is still all over Cara’s social media. Cara is tight with Rihanna too, and Rihanna has never participated in Taylor and Katy’s war. My guess is that Kendall’s absence from all of Swifty’s gatherings is on purpose, and Kendall probably isn’t someone Tay-Tay feels she needs to “collect.” But Katy Perry is still the #1 Enemy. Because Taylor is in middle school. Seriously.

Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet.

May the force be with you!

Hart of Dixie star Rachel Bilson joined Instagram on Wednesday and has given us a glimpse inside her life as a new mom.

On Thursday (June 11), The O.C. alum, 33, shared a sweet shot of matching mommy-and-me Star Wars-themed Vans sneakers.

The actress – who welcomed daughter Briar Rose with Star Wars actor Hayden Christensen in Nov. 2014 – did not caption the image.

Last month, the CW announced that Bilson’s show, Hart of Dixie, was being canceled after four seasons.

A photo posted by @rachelbilson on Jun 11, 2015 at 3:37pm PDT

I was one of those dumb f-cking c-nts. I was a believer. I kept believing, right up to the very, very end. Right up until USADA charged him in October 2012. I’ve written about it before. How much I wanted to hang on to the idea that Lance Armstrong was possible. I read all the books. Then, afterw…      

The lovely Laverne Cox covers the new Entertainment Weekly, just in time for the release of the third season of Orange is the New Black. Season three of OITNB was posted to Netflix last night, a full six hours ahead of a schedule. There are surely people who are at least halfway through the 14 episodes already. Laverne tells us we’re supposed to call it a “marathon,” not a “binge”. It’s as if sitting down watching a season’s worth of television at a stretch becomes an epic accomplishment instead of something we should be ashamed of. “I marathoned the hell out of that pint of Ben and Jerry’s last night.” (Bedhead will cover OITNB over the coming weeks, when more of you have had a chance to watch it.)

EW got a lot of quotes from Laverne on Caitlyn Jenner. Laverne thinks that it must be difficult to transition in the public eye, which is basically what she said when I saw her on her “Ain’t I a Woman” college tour. She also told us not to focus on the surgical or physical aspects of transgender people, as the media has done to Caitlyn nee Bruce. Here’s the teaser article from EW, with more in the print edition:

Cox wrote an thoughtful article on Tumblr, praising Jenner for being so open, but pleading with the media to stop focusing on Jenner’s good looks—and especially to stop focusing on whether or not she was going to have gender-reassignement surgery.

“Can we get past the surgery questions now?” Cox wonders. “I chose not to write about that because it’s really complicated. But what I do know is that, at this moment, Caitlyn’s narrative is about transitioning. And obviously she’s just at the beginning stages of her womanhood…the pickup it’s gotten and her visibility has been unprecedented.”

Cox praises Jenner for handling the constant scrutiny with such grace—and also admires how forthcoming Jenner is being. “Her authenticity, her vulnerability is beautiful. Her love of her family is so beautiful,” Cox says. “Caitlyn is dynamic, and has a sense of purpose and vision.” But she also adds she’s happy she didn’t have the same attention heaped on her during her own transition.

“This is why I’m so grateful that I had the luxury of transitioning in private,” Cox says. “Because when you transition in the public eye, the transition becomes the story. I’m always disturbed when I see conversations about trans people that focus on surgery. But I believe Caitlyn will transcend this moment.”

[From EW]

Caitlyn is transcending this moment, in part, with tons of publicity and cash. I’m not saying she shouldn’t go that route if that’s what she chooses, just that she’s marketing the hell out of this. For many transgender people, transitioning in public would be awful, but I get the impression that Caitlyn is enjoying it, which is how it should be.

Laverne also had the honor of being named the first transgender person to get a wax figure at Madame Tussauds. Her statue will premiere in San Francisco later this month as part of Pride Weekend. Laverne said, in part, “When I think about being who I am, a black trans woman from a working class background raised in Mobile, Alabama, this honor feels even more improbable and extraordinary.”

Laverne Cox and Selenis Leyva are shown at Orangecon on 6-11. Laverne is also shown at the GLAAD media awards on 5-10-15. Credit: WENN.com and EW

A generous donor has put up $100,000 in matching funds in support of Covenant House Vancouver. This means that every dollar you give will be DOUBLED. And that makes a huge difference in the lives of young women like Jennie. I worked with Jennie when I was a full-time development officer at Covena…      

Dear Gossips,

So about Jennifer Lawrence’s bodyguard…

My favourite email from yesterday came from “ExCop” who wrote:

“Yup, he’s a cutie but … a professional bodyguard does not carry your purse dog (or your purse, or shopping or anything else). He needs to keep his hands free. He’s s…      

Here are some photos of Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, at an event yesterday in London. She made an appearance to unveil two elephant sculptures which were made to raise awareness about saving Asian elephants. Camilla used this appearance to debut a subtly different new look. Do you see it? I really didn’t until the UK papers pointed it out – Camilla got a haircut! And I think her color is subtly different too. This is apparently her first big hair change-up in years. She was also wearing a lovely and expensive silk dress by Anna Valentine, the designer who did Camilla’s wedding gown. She also had a clutch purse that looked like a “tin of baked beans.” For laughs.

According to the Daily Mail, Camilla’s new look is all part of her “expensive makeover,” which, let’s be fair, has been happening since she married Charles. Suddenly her hair and clothes got a lot better and her jewelry is almost as amazing as the Queen’s. You can read the DM’s breakdown of Camilla’s “makeover” here. Some highlights:

Her haircut: It’s the work of hairstylist Hugh Green, who often accompanies Camilla on tours at a cost of £1,600 a day. The cut might have been the work of the Jo Hansford Salon in Mayfair though, which is where Camilla gets her blonde highlights for about £500 a highlight session.

She gets regular bee venom facials? “Her skin too looks noticeably fresher and plumper than usual, the result, say sources, of regular bee venom facials performed at home by top facialist Deborah Mitchell. Dubbed ‘nature’s botox’, apotoxins trick the complexion into thinking it has been slightly – with the result the body sends blood to the area, stimulating collagen production in the process…Maintaining her fresh-faced look doesn’t come cheap either thanks to the soaring cost of bee venom – £30,000 for a single ounce. No surprise then, that a 50ml pot of Mitchell’s Bee Venom mask comes in at £73.”

Camilla maintains a size 10 figure? She gets her wardrobe tailored to show off her waist.

Camilla has expensive fashion taste: she goes for £18,000 to £27,000 gowns from Burce Oldfield, Anna Valentine, etc.

Camilla’s jewelry: Charles apparently “lavishes” expensive pieces on Camilla, some of which are “heritage pieces” Charles has bought which once belonged to Camilla’s great-grandmother Alice Keppel. She apparently has a vast ruby collection. She also gets to wear the Greville necklace, a five-row diamond piece once owned by the Queen Mother. Camilla’s engagement ring was also the Queen Mother’s – it’s a 1920s piece with a square-cut diamond flanked by six diamond baguettes.

[From The Daily Mail]

God, if I ever got a chance to see everything in the royal jewel collection, I could die happy. I like the fact that Queen Elizabeth takes major pieces out of rotation for years before bringing them out again, but still… imagine you get a chance to go into the royal vault (or whatever) and look at EVERY piece. I would die!!!!

As for Camilla… she looks good. I don’t buy that she’s getting crazy-expensive skin treatments, but I do think she spends a lot of money on clothes, jewels and her hair.

Photos courtesy of Pacific Coast News.

Jill and Jessa Duggar’s Fox News interview did not go over too well one week ago. It’s not that the sisters were unsympathetic – they were and are victims of their brother’s criminal acts, regardless of how they describe those incidents. But Jessa and Jill did come across as somewhat brainwashed, feeding Megyn Kelly their obviously rehearsed talking points and outright lies. I’m fine with blaming Michelle and Jim-Bob for the entirety of this mess, but it’s also worth noting that Jill (especially) seems happy enough to shield her brother publicly. And she has help – People Magazine has been running oddly, disturbingly sympathetic stories about the Duggars all week. People spoke to “a source close to the family” who claimed that Jill was the one who wanted to do that Fox News interview. The source said:

“She, too, wanted to give an interview. Her parents were concerned because they felt she had been through enough, but she was clear – she never wanted this information public….Since [the information] was already out, [Jill] wanted to speak out because so many stories were full of false and sensationalized information. She wanted to tell the true story of what had happened to her, how she watched with admiration her parents’ thorough response, and how wrong it was for the records to be released to the public. Jessa immediately spoke up and said, ‘I won’t let you do this alone. I’ll speak out, also.’ ” The girls identified themselves “to avoid endless games of, ‘Which ones did Josh hurt?’ ” and are looking forward to getting back to “[sharing] their happiness with people,” to “reminding people how good they still know life to be.”

[From People]

God, that quote sounds like it was written Mike Huckabee in a fever dream. It’s so obviously a pro-Duggar PR plant, I have to wonder… is this how People Magazine is going to play the story from here on out? Yikes.

Meanwhile, if Jill and Jessa were hoping that the Fox News interview would save their reality show careers and perhaps ensure a spinoff show in the event that 19 Kids & Counting was eventually canceled, Radar says that’s a pipe dream.

Jill and Jessa Duggar’s children might get to enjoy an off-camera childhood! RadarOnline.com has learned that after TLC put 19 Kids & Counting on an indefinite hiatus, there are “no real plans” to offer the daughters their own spinoff. The future of 19 Kids and Counting has been in question since the news of Josh Duggar’s sex abuse scandal broke, with rumors that TLC was planning a spinoff show focusing on the two married daughters. But now, there are “no real plans for any spinoff at this point,” a network source told Radar about Jill and Derick Dillard and Jessa and Ben Seewald.

[From Radar]

I would certainly hope not. But I have my doubts about the wisdom of TLC’s management. I think there’s a reason why TLC hasn’t officially canceled 19 Kids and why they haven’t officially announced anything about a spinoff show. I really think TLC’s management might believe that there’s still a way to keep the Duggars on the air somehow.

As for Jill’s future plans… apparently, her husband Derrick Dillard just left his corporate job at Walmart. He worked in Walmart’s tax department, which I imagine is a pretty a soul-crushing job. Derrick always praised Walmart extensively, which has led some people to wonder if Derrick was fired. When the Daily Mail tried to contact Dillard, they got this automated response: “I have recently accepted a position outside of Walmart and am no longer working for the company.” You know what I wonder? Whether the Dillards are going to move out of Arkansas, especially now that it seems Josh and his family are moving back.

Photos courtesy of Jill’s social media.

During a Thursday appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Avatar star Zoe Saldana opened up about family life with husband Marco Perego-Saldana and their 6-month-old twins Cy and Bowie.

“It’s great. It’s a blessing. We know because people keep telling us,” Saldana joked of having multiples. “No, we’re very, very happy. It’s just like whatever you do—if you change a diaper and you put one down, it’s like you have to do it all over again. That’s when they’re in a good mood. But if they’re having a tantrum and it’s at the same time.”

The actress went on to talk about the challenges of raising twins.

“Sleep training twins is no joke because you put one to sleep and you lay him down, and the other one has been asleep, but then that one wakes up and the other one wakes up so then everybody’s crying, then my husband and I are crying…You’re like, ‘Oh, my God,’” she shared.

She added: “It’s overwhelming because there are so many different methods. Just the other day, my sister, who has a 9-month-old, shared with us the method that she did. She brought the piece of paper and grabbed us both with a bottle of vodka. She goes, ‘What do you guys have?’ That’s how her and her husband did it. Because the moment you hear your child cry, it’s like it rips the guts out of you. And it’s like, we have two. It’s crazy. So there’s a bottle of Skinnygirl and we had the monitor with the volume all the way high. We have this little note thing, this log that you have to be logging in all the time. We put them down, say ‘mommy and daddy love you’ in Italian and Spanish—well get to that later—and then we walk out and they’re having a meltdown. So then you have to time it, then you go in. And my sister, I’m like, ‘Can we go in? Can we go in?’ ‘OK, go in now.’ And we go in and I’m like, ‘What do we do?’ No eye contact, just say ‘mommy and daddy love you’—in Italian and Spanish—and she would come pull us out. So by the third time, it had been 45 minutes already. We were kind of buzzed. It’s heart wrenching. My husband doesn’t drink and he’s like, ‘Gimme that bottle!’”

The Book of Life actress, 36, continued to talk about sleep training the twins.

“So then we go and we just finally abort. We abort mission,” the Guardians of the Galaxy actress said. “We take our kids. I take one, he takes the other, and we’re both crying. The boys’ bodies are, like, their bodies are weeping…and you go, ‘Oh, my God, he’s never going to forgive me for this.’ And then, Marco and I are talking in the room going, ‘It’s not for us. It’s too archaic. There has to be a more gentle method. They did it because they’re insensitive. They don’t care about their children.’ My sister’s outside with the monitor at full volume—and our best friend! They were just like, ‘We get it.’”

When Kimmel suggested having the twins sleep in separate rooms, Saldana said, “They wake each other up. I don’t know. They were born together. It’s unnatural to separate them,” she shared. “In my mind, it just makes sense.”

The mom-of-two went on to say her twins will be trilingual.

“I don’t know what they’re going to speak because right now we’re talking to them in English and Italian and Spanish,” Saldana said. “What’s most confusing is my mom would like to be called a certain way as a grandmother. In Spanish it’s mama. So I’m mommy. And then his mother is la nonna. I’m like, ‘How are they going to do this between la nonna, mama and mommy?’ I kind of have a feeling their first is going to be ‘English.’ Like, ‘Ugh, English! English! This is America!’”

Saldana recently made headlines for revealing that her husband took her surname.

“Nobody laughs!” she said. “Men don’t laugh in the room.”

She went on to say that he is Perego-Saldana and she goes by Saldana-Perego.

Kimmel then asked, “Did you make him do that?”

“No! Oh, my God!,” she replied. “Why does it mean a woman has to like hold a gun, like, ‘You’re gonna be Saldana!’ I took his. Why doesn’t that make it in the news? We hyphened.”

She went on to joke: “I was a gentleman and I allowed the boys to Perego-Saldana.”

We still don’t really know for sure that Benedict Cumberbatch will be receiving a CBE (Commander of the British Empire, one rung lower than a knighthood in the British honors system) this month. The original source for the story was The Sun, which makes up gossip at a regular clip. But the way the British press has reacted to the rumor is… interesting. They’re running it like it’s going to happen. And hell, it might. So bring on the Cumberbacklash!

He has never won a major acting award and is yet to reach his 40th birthday, but it emerged yesterday that Benedict Cumberbatch is to be recognised with a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours. After reports that the Sherlock star, 38, is to receive the accolade, which is just one rung below a knighthood, critics claimed the decision to do so turned the honours system into an ‘alternative Oscars’. Cumberbatch is decades younger than other stars when they received the same accolade, leading some to speculate the announcement is more to do with his celebrity than his achievements. Sir Anthony Hopkins and Kevin Spacey were both in their 50s before receiving their CBEs, while Sir Michael Caine and Sir John Hurt were both in their 60s.

MP Nigel Evans, a member of the Public Administration Select Committee when it published a report criticising the rise of celebrity honours, said the trend is undermining the whole system. He said: ‘It does seem to be that as long as your 15 minutes of fame stretches into 16 minutes you get a gong. We shouldn’t treat the honours system like the Tony Awards or an Oscar. This is something which should be seen as for lifetime achievements, not an award because someone’s last movie was good. That’s what the Oscars are there for and the Tonys and the Grammys, I do think we run the risk of the honours system being turned into an alternative Oscars or Grammys when it was never intended for that.’

He added that this trend means the people who deserve honours, ‘the people who have worked selflessly for charities for decades, the lollypop lady who has done her work for 40 years or the dinner lady who has been there for her lifetime’, are missing out.

On Cumberbatch’s young age, Mr Evans continued: ‘We do run the risk of dolling things out to people too early, perhaps in anticipation of some greatness they might achieve later on. He might have had a good burst in film or on the TV, it seems like he’s been a big name only for a couple of years, whereas someone has put themselves out for 30 or 40 years, just because people don’t know their name, they don’t recognised’.

Showbusiness agent Tony Fitzpatrick believes the award is a ‘political’ decision to cash in on celebrity status. He said: ‘In the old days of showbiz, you had to be in the business for decades before you got honoured, now it’s to do with the size of your audience. It’s about making money. Benedict Cumberbatch is flavour of the month so it’s a political coup for whoever awards him the honour. It’s not fair, I have people like Anne Diamond who led the cot-death campaign and has saved 150,000 babies lives but because it was a political issue at the time, she will never be recognised for that. There are lots of people out there who are doing lots of good things but because they don’t make OK magazine they are not honoured. It’s a bit like Blair’s Britain, they are saying “Let’s be cool and associate ourselves with fandom”. The honours system has changed, it’s less about rewarding long term good work and more about getting the headline. It’s certainly been devalued in the way a lot of traditions like that are.’

[From The Daily Mail]

I wonder if critics would be wringing their hands if Bendy was just receiving an MBE or an OBE. Probably not, because those lower-rung honors are usually given to people in the middle of their careers, right? And you know what I was thinking of – how does Bendy get a CBE for LOSING the Oscar while Eddie Redmayne gets nothing for WINNING the Oscar, the BAFTA, etc? It’s weird. Colin Firth got a CBE… in 2011, after he WON the Oscar for The King’s Speech. And he was 50 years old at the time.

Meanwhile, it was just announced yesterday that Chiwetel Ejiofor will be joining Bendy and probably Tilda Swinton in Doctor Strange. Chiwetel will be playing Baron Mordo, possibly the villain? You can read more about it here.

View image | gettyimages.com

Photos courtesy of Getty, WENN.