Jennifer Lawrence is currently promoting Causeway, which streams on AppleTV. She produced the film and shot half of it before the pandemic and half of it during the pandemic. She was also pregnant during the second part of filming. She plays a veteran dealing with a traumatic brain injury. She’s incredibly proud of the film, and she hopes this marks a new era of her career, where she’s doing smaller, more character-driven films. To promote Causeway, she chatted with the New York Times about the shift she’s made in the past three years. She stepped away from the limelight, met Cooke Maroney, married him and gave birth to their son Cy Maroney. She’s spent a lot of time just… existing as a normal person without all of the celebrity rigmarole. Some highlights from the NYT:

Why she left CAA: Some of her representatives had steered her away from smaller material like “Causeway,” warning that her audience wouldn’t understand. “I found out that a lot of filmmakers that I really loved and admired had scripts that weren’t even reaching me,” she said… in August 2018, as she wrapped reshoots for the “X-Men” film “Dark Phoenix,” she left CAA, the agency that represented her for 10 years. “I had let myself be hijacked,” she said.

The film that changed her career in a negative way: “‘Passengers,’ I guess. Adele told me not to do it! She was like, ‘I feel like space movies are the new vampire movies.’ I should have listened to her.”

Some celebrities grow so isolated by their celebrity that you can no longer detect anything real in their screen performances. “That can happen. And that was going to happen to me.”

On Causeway: “I obviously cannot relate to risking my life for my country but I can understand, reading ‘Causeway,’ why I’m getting so emotional about somebody who doesn’t feel like they belong anywhere unless they’re on a schedule.”

Fear of commitment: “When you don’t fully know yourself, you have no idea where to put yourself. And then I met my husband, and he was like, ‘Put yourself here.’ I was like, ‘That feels right, but what if it’s not?’” In retrospect, Lawrence realized she was having commitment anxiety, “and it was coming out of my performance in all these different creative ways, but I wasn’t conscious of it. Then I went back, and when I’m home with my husband making this family, I’m so happy I stayed. I’m so happy I didn’t freak out and cancel the wedding and run away and go, ‘I’ll never be taken down!’”

Changing her name to “Jenna Maroney” (like the 30 Rock character): “I thought I was the only one who noticed that! God, I had such a feminist meltdown about changing my name because it’s my identity, it’s the first thing I’m given. I was born with the name Jennifer Lawrence, but that got taken from me when I was 21 and I never got it back. So it didn’t feel like I was giving up anything. That name already belongs to them.”

She’s not the ingénue anymore: “Let’s be real, I’m only getting closer to 40,” she said, insisting that the pressure she used to feel “just doesn’t exist for an actress in her 30s…” She’s currently working with a young actor and she says “working with a 20-year-old is so depressing. I’m like, ‘Well, when YouTube was first invented, you were born.’”

She’s not scared to go out & live in the real world: “I’m not scared of 13-year-olds anymore. They have no idea who I am. I can tell things are different by my interactions in the real world, just by the way that I can move about life. There’s an occasional article about me walking out in Ugg boots, but other than that, the interest has lessened, God bless it.”

[From The NYT]

I always wondered if she changed her name to Maroney and there’s my answer. Apparently, she gets her monogram put on her phone and other things: JLM, Jennifer Lawrence Maroney. She’s truly Jenna Maroney! As for the rest of it… yes, she was overexposed and ubiquitous as a celebrity. When she stepped away from the grind, it was a good thing for her and for Hollywood. As for all of the age stuff…she’s only 32! She talks as if she’s already in her 40s. That being said, there is legitimately a world of difference between a 20-year-old and a 32-year-old.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid and Cover Images.

Daniel Radcliffe was one of the first HP actors to speak out against JK Rowling’s transphobia. A lot of people were angry at him for it. They made ridiculous arguments about him biting the hand that fed him. They believed he owed J.K. too much to throw his support behind the people she was actively harming. Daniel never walked back on his comments or waivered in his support, nor did he mud wrestle online with those coming for him. IndieWire asked Daniel why Harry Potter himself would speak out for trans people when it was seen as ‘going against’ J.K. Daniel said because he was Harry Potter, with whom so many LGBTQ+ kids have identified, he owed them not her.

At this point, “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling’s transphobia is widely known, so vehemently has she used her international notoriety to spew hateful views against the most vulnerable segment of the LGBTQ+ community. Fans of her popular books and films have been blindsided, shocked, and left scratching their heads as to why the author of a seemingly positive fantasy tale about acceptance of differences would become so radicalized against a single marginalized group.

But Daniel Radcliffe, who rose to international fame playing “the boy who lived” onscreen, is most concerned about the young trans fans who have felt betrayed and hurt deeply by Rowling’s dangerous comments.

“The reason I was felt very, very much as though I needed to say something when I did was because, particularly since finishing ‘Potter,’ I’ve met so many queer and trans kids and young people who had a huge amount of identification with Potter on that. And so seeing them hurt on that day I was like, I wanted them to know that not everybody in the franchise felt that way. And that was really important,” Radcliffe told IndieWire during a recent interview.

“It was really important as I’ve worked with the Trevor Project for more than 10 years, and so I don’t think I would’ve been able to look myself in the mirror had I not said anything,” he told IndieWire. “But it’s not mine to guess what’s going on in someone else’s head.”

[From IndieWire via Pajiba]

“Seeing them hurt on that day I was like, I wanted them to know that not everybody in the franchise felt that way.” One of the great things about Daniel is how plainly he conveys his message. He’s not centering himself in this argument, nor is he positioning himself as the hero. He watched an entire section of the fandom feel cutoff from the HP world and Daniel’s reaction was to preserve a safe space. It’s important to note that J.K. doubling down on her hatred came from a place of fear and ignorance, without listening to what the community tried to educate her on. Daniel’s comments came from working with the community, hearing their challenges, knowing their issues, and understanding the representation they need. Of course people are still claiming that Daniel is ungrateful and an opportunist now that the franchise is over. Fortunately Daniel’s character is stronger than the incels and their silly little insults.

And I can’t wait for Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. That premieres this Friday on the Roku Channel.

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Photo credit: Cover Images, Cat Morley/Avalon and Getty Images

The Prince and Princess of Wales currently “have” at least five homes, by my count. Kensington Palace Apartment 1 (a mansion within a palace), Anmer Hall (a 10-bedroom mansion in Sandringham), Adelaide Cottage (a family home on the Windsor estate), Windsor Castle (where they will eventually move full-time) and Tam-Na-Ghar (the Scottish cottage near Birkhall). Plus, William now has all of the Duchy of Cornwall real estate at his disposal. My point is that this family of five lives large and they are making zero effort to downsize at all. It’s going to look worse and worse in the months to come, as Britain and Europe experience a huge energy crisis and skyrocketing heating costs over the winter. There’s also global inflation issues, which are affecting European markets and cost of living. So… William and Kate are briefing the media that they are aware of the cost of living crisis and they’re working on it! They’re very keen about the issue.

The Prince and Princess of Wales are focusing on the cost of living crisis as they look to revamp royal visits to create a “lasting impact and legacy”. Sky News has been told the rising economic pressure faced by many people has become a key focus for William, Kate, and the team at their Royal Foundation, with a source saying: “The cost of living crisis is a lens through which they’re now looking at their work.”

A visit to Scarborough later will see the Royal Foundation pilot a “Community Impact Day”, showing how it can use its profile to help organisations in deprived areas secure long-term funding. The move has been prompted by the royal couple’s desire to have more of a long-term impact on the places they visit, with an intention to follow the progress made in helping some of the most vulnerable in society.

While it is understood William and Kate are mindful of their own privileged position, Sky News was told that “they are not shying away from the issue” of the rising cost of living and are keen to “support the hard-pressed” in “parts of the country that need a light shone on them”.

During their engagements in North Yorkshire they will hear how the Royal Foundation has been working with local organisations to increase funding for groups supporting young people’s mental health. Mental health, homelessness and supporting families have been the cornerstones of their work for some time.

[From Sky News]

What? “The royal couple’s desire to have more of a long-term impact on the places they visit, with an intention to follow the progress made in helping some of the most vulnerable in society…” They want to have a long-term impact on the places they visit, so they intend to… follow the progress made by other organizations? Instead of using the Royal Foundation to directly help people or creating a program which might have lasting positive effects, Will and Kate are going to chopper into poor communities, flash their jazz hands and buttons at local charities and say “keep up the good work” and then chopper out of there in less then an hour. That’s the gift they’re giving poor communities: Will and Kate will “shine a light” on them and then fly on their private helicopter back to one of their five homes.

Photos courtesy of Instar, Cover Images.

Megyn Kelly has always been awful, but in recent years, she’s gotten much, much worse. After “standing up” to Donald Trump damaged her career, she did what all of those suck-ass Republicans did: she adopted Trump’s positions and politics entirely. She regularly attacks, mocks and smears women of color just for existing or speaking. Megyn Kelly has also figured out that she garners more headlines by criticizing the Duchess of Sussex. Congrats to Kelly, she figured out the same thing YouTube haters figured out. That’s all Kelly is at this point – a troll with a platform. Well, Kelly listens to Duchess Meghan’s Archetypes podcast and Kelly thinks Meghan should stop referring to Prince Harry as “my husband.” This woman is not okay.

An exasperated Megyn Kelly wants “TV divorcee” Meghan Markle to stop referring to Prince Harry as “my husband” on her podcast. Kelly denigrated Markle as a “commoner” during her SiriusXM podcast on Tuesday and grew irritated at Markle’s frequent reminders on her own podcast that she married into the British royal family.

“There seems to be no limit on their appetite for ripping on the royals to whom they owe all of their fame and literally most of their fortune,” Kelly said of the couple.

She played several clips of their infamous interview with Oprah Winfrey, during which they described their experiences as working royals. Kelly noted that Markle has a “less than 22% approval rating” in the UK.

Kelly then noted that during a recent episode of Markle’s “Archetypes” podcast, she refers to Prince Harry as “my husband” when she was “talking about him helping her get the kids ready in the morning.”

“We get it. You bagged the gorilla,” Kelly said of Markle marrying the British royal. “Congratulations! You got the big bear,” Kelly continued. “You want us to know.”

[From The New York Post]

Of all the things a person could conceivably criticize Meghan about, you’re going to get your panties in a bunch about the fact that she refers to her husband as “my husband”? Meghan and Harry are so loved up – that’s their thing, they still act like newlyweds, and Harry loves saying “my wife” as much as Meghan loves saying “my husband.” It’s extremely sweet. A–holes like Megyn Kelly don’t like to be reminded of the fact that Meghan and Harry were always a love match and that, six years after they first met, they’re still enamored with each other. What would the youths say? Megyn Kelly is giving “bitter hag.”

Also: the imagery of “you bagged the gorilla” is purposeful, dehumanizing and racist.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images.

Some days, I halfway admire the Princess of Wales’s commitment to being as lazy as possible. I mean, it actually does take effort to simply refuse to do anything for weeks at a time, to reject every plea and proposal to do public events. Kate’s answer is always “no.” You would think that after so many years of doing nothing, she would find it easier to give in and get off her ass and do something. She’s made laziness her personal brand and she continues to maintain the low bar of expectations. Following eighteen days with zero public events, Kate “returned to work” on Tuesday. That work was a private meeting with the Royal Foundation’s CEO and one phone call. She absolutely counts those as two different events.

The Princess of Wales has officially returned to royal duties after spending half term with her husband Prince William and their three children.

On Tuesday, Princess Kate – who is one of the patrons of the Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales – received the Chief Executive, Amanda Berry, at Windsor Castle.

The royal, 40, then spoke with the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle, via telephone before holding an Early Years Meeting.

Kate has been absent from the royal scene for the past two weeks due to their children’s half-term. Her last known royal duty was on the 15th of October when, as patron of English rugby, she sent a letter of encouragement to the England Rugby League.

[From Hello]

Hello Mag got this from the Court Circular. They started adding sh-t like “Kate did a private meeting” and “Kate took a phone call” to her event schedule years ago because everyone in the palace knows how lazy she is and how bad it looks that she will not get off her ass. Before the week of Queen Elizabeth’s passing, Kate had done one whole public appearance in two months. After a brief flurry of activity in September, she spent most of October doing nothing, and again, she went 18 days with absolutely jacksh-t on her public or private schedule.

I also think it’s interesting that Kate’s private meetings have been happening in Windsor Castle since QEII’s passing. William and Kate were obviously desperate to move into the castle, but they’re still insisting that they’re not “moving out of Adelaide Cottage yet.” While I think it’s a good argument that they’re getting the kids settled in Adelaide, I also think that Will and Kate have already made moves to claim space in the castle. I would guess that William has probably moved in already, and Kate seems happy to host one meeting a month in one of the castle’s drawing rooms or what have you.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Cover Images.

Lauren Graham’s fourth book, Have I Told You This Already? Stories I Don’t Want to Forget to Remember, is coming out later this month. She wrote it during the pandemic to stave off the dread of the virus and lack of work. It also helped her get over her breakup with Peter Krause. Lauren and Peter were together for almost 12 years before they spilt in the summer of 2021. Lauren worked hard not to let the breakup up “flatten” her, so she focused on the good things she had going in her life and writing the book. Now that she’s had a little time to process it, she realizes she’s in “a better place,” but she’s still sad about it ending.

Lauren Graham definitely has more to say.

The actress, producer and writer — whose charm and quick wit have resulted in three New York Times bestsellers — is releasing another collection of essays about her life and career, Have I Told You This Already? Stories I Don’t Want to Forget to Remember, available Nov. 15.

Writing also became a good distraction for Graham when her almost 12-year relationship with actor Peter Krause, whom she began datingafter the two costarred as siblings on Parenthood, ended during the summer of 2021.

“I knew I was resilient because I just always have been,” she says. “You take your knocks and don’t complain. That’s how I was always raised.”

“Somewhere in that is a year like this where I just was not going to let [the breakup] flatten me,” she continues. “I was like, ‘Okay, well, look at all the good stuff I have, and look at all the good times,’ and ‘I’m going to write this book.’ Thank goodness I have these outlets and these stories to tell.”

Though they lived together and Graham helped raise the actor’s now-20-year-old son Roman from a previous relationship, the two preferred to keep the romance out of the spotlight.

“I think part of all the positives of having known each other for a really long time were there,” she says. “And one of the negatives of that is we almost came into a relationship as people in their 40s without asking any of the questions people in their 40s should be asking. We had such a good time together that I didn’t maybe ask some fundamental questions about ‘What are your values and what do you envision?’ and those more grown-up things. And then they just caught up with us.”

After the split, Graham rented a beach home and then returned to L.A. to focus on her work.

“I’m less on the run,” says the actress, acknowledging that the passing of time has been the greatest gift. “Any pain still really has its moments. I was a contributor in the life of his child, and so we’re connected. And yes, I’m in a better place, but it’s still just a shame. It’s just sad to me.”

[From People]

I hate to say this but now the gossip in me is awakened. Like, what were the fundamental questions Lauren forgot to ask? I was bummed when Lauren and Peter broke up because I like both of them very much and they seemed well suited for each other. I loved their low-key vibe to the relationship – everyone knew they were together, but they kept it quiet. But prior, I just assumed they were a pandemic causality, especially when Peter got used to living without Lauren when she was stuck in Canada filming during Covid. And maybe they were, maybe that’s when they finally thought to ask these questions they’d ignored for so long. I can see what Lauren’s saying about people in their 40s or older just assuming they are all on the same page and forgetting they still have decades to consider how their partner factors in. And I agree, it is a shame. But I’m glad Lauren’s in a better place and can see that.

Lauren talked about what she’s looking for in her next relationship. She acknowledges she has everything she wants in life so she’s just looking for a good time, someone who is funny and kind. She must be in a better place if she’s open to what might be next. And if no guy comes along, it’s not an issue because Lauren’s already working on her fifth book, “a Bridget Jones-y thing set in Los Angeles.” I don’t mean to be a jerk, but I kind of hope the love of Lauren’s life takes his time because I want to read the LA B. Jones story.

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Mariah Carey declares: it’s officially Christmas season. [Dlisted]
It appears as if Ben Affleck has jazzed up his casual wardrobe. [Go Fug Yourself]
Harry Styles looks like he’s wearing “Death Star Casual.” [Just Jared]
Ryan Gosling looks hot on set. [LaineyGossip]
Letitia Wright & Lupita Nyong’o suited up for a Wakanda Forever screening. [RCFA]
This story is heartbreaking. [Jezebel]
A 13-year-old Meghan Markle appeared on Married…with Children. [Seriously OMG]
Michelle Williams gave birth to her third child & set up a pap stroll. [Gawker]
Ignore the reporting and just get out and vote. [Pajiba]
Victoria Justice dressed up as Ms. Black Swan. [Egotastic]
Should I buy some Powerball tickets today? [Buzzfeed]
Greta Thunberg says kids have been betrayed by people in power. [Towleroad]

Here are some photos of Prince William at the tenth annual Tusk Conservation Awards. William has been patron of the Tusk Trust for years, back when Jecca Craig got him more involved in African conservation work. I’ve always believed that William’s association with Tusk Trust through Jecca Craig is the reason why William never invites his wife to any of these black-tie galas. Plus, he wants all of the attention – no need for Kate to dust off a party wiglet and her jazz hands when it’s Peggington’s night to shine.

Even People Magazine’s write-up for this appearance was understated – they actually took pains to note that William wore a red poppy pin because we’re now in November, a month of “remembrance.” People Mag also noted that William and Kate have not been seen or heard from in public in over two weeks. Their last public appearance was on October 13th, where Kate copykeened Meghan yet again. Yes, the Wales kids were “off” for their half-term break. But considering they’re now the Prince of Wales and Princess of Wales, one would expect them to deign to at least do one public event a week! Will and Kate act like if they have to work for a few hours during their kids’ school holidays, their kids will be warped beyond belief. It’s very strange.

One thing did happen this week – Kensington Palace confirmed that Kate will attend the Rugby World Cup quarterfinal match this Saturday. She took over as patron of the Rugby Football League from Prince Harry. People are already suggesting that she’ll bring George to the game. I don’t know. It will be funny if the rugby match is her only public event in more than three weeks though.

Did you take a holiday this half term? William & Kate did. They’ve had 18 consecutive days off with no public engagements. Kate took a phone call & recorded a 95-second video; William did nothing. But he’s on a salary, so he was paid over £1 MILLION. #workshywilly #notworthit

— Campaign to Abolish the Monarchy (@nomoremonarchs) November 1, 2022

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.

I don’t know about you, but I’m loving Tom Brady’s sad-sack meathead PR in the wake of his divorce. Gisele Bundchen clearly left Tom months ago, got her physical and emotional distance from him, hired a divorce lawyer quickly and insisted that they negotiate everything quietly and efficiently. Their divorce was finalized last Friday because Gisele had all of her ducks in a row. What’s also obvious is that Gisele had every reason to leave Tom, that he was putting no effort into their family, that he wasn’t going to fight to save their marriage and would always choose football over their family. Tom must have realized how bad he looks, thus his publicist is scrambling post-divorce. Tom is trying to convince us that he never wanted a divorce, he wanted to work it out, you guys.

Before Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen finalized their divorce on Friday, the superstar quarterback was prepared to do “whatever it took to make things work,” a source a close to Brady tells PEOPLE.

“This was not Tom’s idea,” says the insider of the couple’s decision to divorce. “This was never Tom’s idea.” Brady, 45, “wanted to do whatever he needed to do to fix things” with Bündchen, 42 because he “didn’t want the divorce and he didn’t want the marriage to end.”

The source says that Brady was “willing to go to therapy, marriage counseling — whatever it took to make things work.”

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback reportedly “didn’t want the kids to have divorced parents; he wanted to work this out.” The source says that “near the end” of their marriage, Brady “was trying to make things work, and to make things right.”

But Bündchen felt that “it was a little bit too little, too late,” the source says. “She gave him a lot of opportunities to fix things, and he didn’t.” Brady was “busy following his passion” during their 13-year marriage, which the source says “is good” for him, but it ultimately left the model feeling that “he wasn’t hearing what she was saying.”

[From People]

I wonder how many ultimatums Gisele gave him in the past few years, how often she tried to talk to him about her concerns about CTE, about what he was doing to his body and how he was missing out on a big chunk of their kids’ childhoods. And he still decided to un-retire and play another season. Then when Gisele began making all of her divorce moves, suddenly he wanted to go through marriage counseling? It feels like he was and is trying to lay this at her feet, and paint her as the one who “left.” He’s saying: she’s the “bitch” who abandoned me and gave up on our marriage. And that’s just not it, bruh. We saw for years how much Gisele supported him and put her career on hold for him and for their kids.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Instagram.

A few days ago, Netflix announced that Henry Cavill’s role in The Witcher would be recast with Liam Hemsworth in season four. Henry and Liam both released gracious PR statements, singing one another’s praises and signifying their enthusiasm for the character and role. Not so enthused? Die-hard Witcher fans, apparently. Some are calling for a boycott of the show until Henry is brought back.

Fans of hit Netflix television show The Witcher have been reacting to news of a major new casting change that was announced yesterday (October 29).

Netflix released a statement saying that while series lead Henry Cavill would continue to play Geralt of Rivia in season three of the show, he would be stepping down for season four.

Netflix went on to reveal that Liam Hemsworth would be taking over from Cavill.

In a statement issued by Netflix, Cavill said: “My journey as Geralt of Rivia has been filled with both monsters and adventures, and alas, I will be laying down my medallion and my swords for Season four.

“In my stead, the fantastic Mr. Liam Hemsworth will be taking up the mantle of the White Wolf. As with the greatest of literary characters, I pass the torch with reverence for the time spent embodying Geralt and enthusiasm to see Liam’s take on this most fascinating and nuanced of men.

“Liam, good sir, this character has such a wonderful depth to him, enjoy diving in and seeing what you can find,” he concluded.

Hemsworth also responded to the news in a statement, saying he was “over the moon” at the news.

“Henry Cavill has been an incredible Geralt, and I’m honoured that he’s handing me the reins and allowing me to take up the White Wolf’s blades for the next chapter of his adventure”, Hemsworth said.

“Henry, I’ve been a fan of yours for years and was inspired by what you brought to this beloved character. I may have some big boots to fill, but I’m truly excited to be stepping into The Witcher world.”

Fans of the show have been reacting to the news online, with many unhappy at the casting change.

“Boycott The Witcher [someone] bring Henry back,” one fan wrote, while another said: “Alright we boycott The Witcher…Actually so livid.”

A third fan said: “[DON’T] REPLACE HIIM WITH LIAM HEMSWORTH. THIS IS RIDICULOUS! I will so boycott The Witcher if they really replace him. How can you replace him?”

[From NME]

Netflix is probably changing their mind as we speak! No, but seriously, as if the boycott is going to do anything. I think the fans know that too. And they’re being a little dramatic, honestly. Someone tweeted: “Liam Hemsworth replacing Henry Cavil in the Witcher has to be the biggest fail in tv history.” That is hyperbole. I can think of many, much bigger, fails. Just suck it up like the rest of us did when our faves had their fails. It’s unclear whether this proposed boycott would start with season three, which has yet to air and will still feature Henry, or with Liam’s season four. Did Netflix announce this news too early? Maybe. If there are fans that don’t want to watch without Henry, it’s possible they won’t tune in for his last season in the role since they know he won’t continue. But the reverse is also possible as well, and perhaps that’s what Netflix is banking on. But it’s also possible the timing of the announcement simply worked out best this way with Henry’s confirmation that he would be returning as Superman. Whatever the reason, “I’m coming back as Superman; sorry, I don’t have time for Witcher anymore” makes a lot of sense.

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photos credit: Netflix, Getty and Backgrid