In many ways, I have an enormous amount of sympathy for Kim Kardashian. She honestly tried to make it work with Kanye West and she stayed with him a lot longer than she should have. She took care of him and intervened on his behalf during his manic episodes and breakdowns. She defended him constantly and publicly. When it was clear that nothing was going to get better – and it was clear she was basically enabling him – she made an exit plan to protect herself, her kids and her money. She filed for divorce in 2021 and they’ve been in a long-running divorce battle ever since, mostly because Kanye keeps hiring and firing his lawyers and trying to slow down the proceedings. During Kim’s relationship with Pete Davidson, Kanye’s creepy, stalker behavior escalated and I was genuinely concerned for her safety and Pete’s safety. Kanye thinks nothing of trying to hurt Kim through the kids too, and she’s already paying for additional private security at her kids’ school. Over the past week, Kim has let it be known that she’s sick of Kanye’s crap right now, but unlike all of Kanye’s manic episodes during their marriage, Kim isn’t stepping in this time:

Kim Kardashian has been through the ups and downs of Kanye West’s mental health episodes over the years, and while she’s stepped in to help in the past … this time is different.

Sources familiar with the situation tell us Kim has totally removed herself from the situation with Kanye … and hasn’t spoken directly to him in weeks. We’re told in times past, even when Kim and her family were the targets of his attacks — she’d be there to help him until he was mentally sound again.

We’ve spoken to sources close to Kanye who tell us they wish Kim was still in the picture to step in, but it just ain’t happening. Our sources say there’s concern Kanye could lose a lot of money while everything seems to fall around him, but there’s no safety net.

Sources connected to the estranged couple tell us Kanye has made attempts to reach out, but Kim won’t answer … instead focusing her attention on their kids.

As we reported, Kanye showed up to North’s basketball game last week wearing a ‘White Lives Matter’ shirt. Eyewitnesses tell us not only did Kim not speak to Kanye, she refused to look in his direction, and had her car moved in the parking lot in order to avoid any communication.

[From TMZ]

“Sources close to Kanye… tell us they wish Kim was still in the picture to step in…” Meaning, he’s not listening to his entourage so they want Kim to step in and do their job. Reportedly, he’s fired a bunch of people too. Again, what is Kim really supposed to do here? During their marriage, she was ride-or-die for him, she protected him and she got him help and got him out of the spotlight in his worst moments. Reportedly, Kim feels like Kanye doesn’t *want* her help or anyone’s help. So what is she even supposed to do? Pretend like they’re still married, so he terrorize her again? In my view, Kim is doing the right thing – she’s looking after herself and the kids and letting him bottom out.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Instagram, Fox News.

Netflix released new photos from Season 5 of The Crown! We’ve got some good looks at Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana, Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret, Imelda Staunton as QEII, Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip, Jonny Lee Miller as John Major and Olivia Williams as Camilla. Oh, and Dominic West as Charles. There are some people who are possibly miscast, namely Imelda and Dominic, but I can safely say that Debicki is basically the only actress of her generation who can pull off Diana-in-the-90s. Maybe Joely Richardson could have played Diana at some point, years ago, but I really think Debicki is going to nail this.

I’m also in love with Jonny Lee Miller as John Major. I love JLM anyway – a very underrated actor and an underrated hottie. I’m shocked at how good he looks in John Major drag. It’s a rare thing for The Crown’s hair-and-makeup people to get a wig that looks that good. Olivia Williams is really bringing out her horsey best as Camilla too, and I love that they released a photo where it looks like both Camilla and Charles are neighing.

The Daily Mail’s Jan Moir was latest columnist tasked with writing a screed against the “gross intrusion” of The Crown, an intrusion specifically for Prince William and Prince Harry. Of course Moir takes the obvious turn of “Harry spoke about how emotionally damaging it was to walk behind his mother’s coffin” into “how dare Harry not single-handedly shut down The Crown to save his mother’s reputation!” I don’t know how to break it to you guys, but absolutely none of these people – not Moir, not Dan Wootton, not Richard Kay, none of them – actually care about whether another dramatization of the royal family will be hurtful or harmful to Harry. They’re using Harry’s Netflix contract as a feint because King Charles is incandescent with rage about The Crown. It’s as simple as that. Again, if Charles doesn’t want people to be reminded of all of the sh-t he did and said against Diana, he probably shouldn’t have done it in the first place.

The Crown season 5 premieres on November 9th. YAY!

Photos courtesy of Netflix/The Crown.

The Netherlands’ Princess Amalia headed off to college this fall. The Dutch royal family announced everything in June: Princess Catharina-Amalia’s plan to study the law at University of Amsterdam, and live in some kind of campus-housing situation with a few friends. Well, sad/awful news – Amalia is still going to college, but she is no longer living in student housing. There were apparently very real and specific security issues and threats, and Amalia had to return to the palace to live. The first headlines I saw about this made it seem like it was a situation where Amalia was homesick and she was choosing to live at home, perhaps temporarily. But no, it’s really bad.

The goal for Princess Amalia of the Netherlands as she went off to college last month at the University of Amsterdam was for her to live life like a regular student as much as possible, moving into a house with other students and studying politics and law.

The reality for the 18-year-old future queen turned out to be something altogether different. On Thursday, her parents, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima, said that she had moved back home and was largely confined to one of the royal family’s palaces in The Hague because of fears that she would be attacked or abducted.

“It has enormous consequences for her life,” Queen Maxima said at a news conference on Thursday during a state visit to Sweden. “It means that she’s not living in Amsterdam and that she can’t really go outside.”

Princess Amalia got a taste of life in the spotlight when her first day at the university caused a small press frenzy, with photographers snapping pictures of her walking into a building for her first class. The initial commotion after she arrived soon dissipated, but then came the threat to her security. “It’s not a student life like other students have,” Maxima said. “I’m very proud of how she is persevering through all of this.”

The University of Amsterdam declined to comment about any potential changes to its security. The Dutch Government Information service, which handles press relations for the royal family, declined to elaborate on the remarks.

It is not clear when Amalia might be able to leave the palace to roam more freely again. For now, she is allowed to attend classes, but that’s all, her mother said. “You can see it’s making me a bit emotional,” Maxima said. “It’s not nice to see your child like this.”

[From The NY Times]

Cryptic enough? Well, the Times then went on to suggest some of the security issues facing the Dutch royals these days. In September, Dutch security agencies ramped up protection for and around Amalia and there was a suggestion that she was under a specific threat of attack or kidnapping. Even more specifically, it could have something to do with organized crime and drug cartels in the Netherlands? There have been a number of particularly horrific “gangland murders” tied to the drug trade in the Netherlands, and in the summer of 2021, a crime journalist named Peter R. de Vries was assassinated.

I have to think that what was happening around Amalia was not some vague “heightened security issue” and that there were probably several big, specific threats to her safety. Countries like the Netherlands have the reputation of being so safe and free. I guess there’s just as big of a crime problem as everywhere else.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

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Ben Affleck & Jennifer Lopez came out for Ralph Lauren’s LA show. [Just Jared]
Why everyone has been obsessed with the drink “negroni sbagliato with prosecco in it.” (It’s because of Emma D’Arcy.) [Buzzfeed]
All of Tom Brady & Gisele’s friends are on her side. [Gawker]
Bette Midler breaks down 13 iconic looks. [OMG Blog]
Before this week, I didn’t know M.I.A. is an anti-vaxxer. [Dlisted]
Analyzing Brad Pitt’s financial situation. [LaineyGossip]
Julia Roberts wore Thom Browne on Jimmy Kimmel Live. [RCFA]
Chloe Grace Moretz’s good red carpet. [Go Fug Yourself]
What’s going with the USWNT? [Pajiba]
Vote for Raphael Warnock, please, I’m begging you. [Towleroad]
Would you dress up as Patrick Bateman for Halloween? [Egotastic]
The youths want to be dumb. It’s their fantasy. [Jezebel]

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Embed from Getty Images

In September 2018, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did an appearance to highlight the work of Coach Core. Meghan wore a navy blue Oscar de la Renta jacket and black Altuzarra trousers. It didn’t even occur to me to double-check the event, the date and the outfit, I just knew that the new Princess of Wales was copying Meghan yesterday. As it turns out, Kate decided to “copykeen” Meghan’s look down to the NECKLACE. I can’t even say “this is getting creepy.” It’s been creepy for a long time and it’s gotten much, much worse this year – remember all of this earlier in the year?

So, again, in 2018, Meghan paired an interesting navy blazer/top with black trousers and a very simple, small sapphire pendant. Kate went out of her way to wear a new-to-us vintage Chanel blazer in navy, black trousers with the exact same cut as Meghan’s, and paired the look with a small sapphire pendant necklace. Kate wore her hair down like Meghan too. I’ve said for years now that Kate truly has a Meghan Look Book. But to style-stalk Meghan so blatantly at an event for the same charity FOUR YEARS LATER? An unreal level of creepy style-stalking.

Hilariously, Kate and William were trying to vibe-stalk Harry and Meghan too. Y’all know that Harry and Meghan always like to be physically connected, holding hands or putting a supportive hand on each other’s backs? Yeah, Kate tried to put her hand on William and he looked shocked and appalled.

Note by Celebitchy: Sign up for our mailing list and get the Top 8 Stories about Kate copying Meghan’s style! I only send one email on weekdays after lunch.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Backgrid.

Us Weekly’s royal stories frequently read like keen, sugary, royalist fan-fiction. I have no idea if anyone from any royal court is actually leaking sh-t to Us Weekly in the same way certain coverage is “organized” in a publication like People Magazine. One of the most bizarre narratives pushed by Us Weekly is that Kate, the new Princess of Wales, has been consistently “reaching out” to the Duchess of Sussex. Last year, sources even claimed that Kate called Meghan during her pregnancy with Lili, and that Kate sent a baby gift (which I assume was a box of buttons). From where I sit, in the cheap seats, any narrative about Meghan and Kate secretly reaching out or having some kind of reconciliation was dead the second Meghan and Harry arrived back in the UK in September. Kate’s irritation at having to share the same space with Meghan during several outings was visible to all. Kate’s body language even seemed aggressive towards Meghan at one point.

When you think about it, QEII’s passing actually would have been the moment to bury the hatchet and simply start a new page. But that didn’t happen, so I’m not sure how much anyone will believe this:

A fresh start. Princess Kate plans to work through her issues with Meghan Markle during her upcoming trip to Boston with Prince William.

“Once Kate and William’s Boston plans are set in stone, she’s planning to extend an olive branch to Meghan in a bid to reunite the brothers and heal the rift,” a source exclusively reveals in the new issue of Us Weekly about the Prince and Princess of Wales’ December visit to America.

The insider notes that Kate’s attempt to squash her feud with Meghan, 41, is inspired by what the late Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana “would’ve wanted” for them.

“[Prince] Harry and Meghan are knee deep with their hectic schedules, but Meghan is willing to put in the effort as long as dates don’t clash,” the source adds.

[From Us Weekly]

So you’re telling me that after Kate’s Mean Girl antics in person in the UK, suddenly Kate and Meghan are planning something in America? Yeah, no. I can only imagine that William and Kate are changing their plans given that Harry and Meghan will likely be in New York on December 6th for the RFK Ripple of Hope Award. The last thing Peggington and Buttons want is to compete with the Sussexes on the Sussexes’ “home turf” in America. It does bring up some thoughts we’ve had about what kinds of questions the American media will ask of William and Kate when they’re in Boston.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images, Backgrid.

Pretty much as soon as Queen Elizabeth II signed off, this year, on “Queen Consort Camilla,” royal sources began talking about how Camilla would wear the Queen Mother’s platinum and diamond consort crown, featuring 2,800 diamonds. One of those diamonds is the Koh-i-Noor, the 105-carat diamond stolen from India in the 19th century. India has wanted the Koh-i-Noor back for decades. The Indian government paid close attention to all of the stories this year about how Camilla would wear one of the most famous stolen (and cursed) diamonds in history. This week, a spokesperson for Indian PM Narendra Modi told British outlets:

“The coronation of Camilla and the use of the crown jewel Koh-i-noor brings back painful memories of the colonial past. Most Indians have very little memory of the oppressive past. Five to six generations of Indians suffered under multiple foreign rules for over five centuries. Recent occasions, like Queen Elizabeth II’s death, the coronation of the new Queen Camilla and the use of the Koh-i-noor does transport a few Indians back to the days of the British Empire in India.”

[From Sky News]

Yep. The Koh-i-Noor should be sent back to India, where it can be displayed in a museum. Send back all of the Indian treasure, the jewels and the art. Send back all of the looted antiquities, the gems, the spices and everything else. Hilariously, this discussion has become part of the backdrop of an ongoing trade negotiation between India and Britain. Even the Washington Post is calling out the Windsors’ bullsh-t.

The jewel in the British crown — literally — is coming under new scrutiny with the upcoming coronation of King Charles III and growing questions over what Camilla, Queen Consort, will wear on her head. The most famous jewel worn by British royalty on stately occasions, the spectacular 105-carat Koh-i-Noor diamond, is one that several countries, including India, say they would like back.

The British government on Thursday, responding to front-page stories claiming that Camilla may not wear the crown so as not to upset India, said that it was up to the palace to decide how the queen consort’s crown should be decorated. Buckingham Palace declined to comment.

India — with which Britain would very much like to conclude a trade agreement — has repeatedly demanded the return of the diamond, especially following Elizabeth’s funeral.

Rakesh Sinha, a lawmaker from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, told The Washington Post that the Koh-i-Noor symbolized the monarchy’s “unapologetic” link to a past that was “barbaric and exploitative,” adding that the jewel must be returned to India by way of recompense.

If Camilla wears the Koh-i-Noor in her crown, it “shows the British people and government are carrying the legacy of their colonialism,” he said. “It exhibits the loot plunder and exploitation of India by them. The most regretful is they are not ready to correct their past and showing off the stolen jewel as the part of their sovereign seat.”

“Every person in India has heard of this stone and wants it back. Clearly this is massive importance to India, but also Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Afghanistan,” said William Dalrymple, co-author of “Kohinoor: The History of the World’s Most Infamous Diamond.” Most British people, however, are barely aware of it, in part because teaching about the British Empire doesn’t feature prominently in school curriculums, said the author, who splits his time between Britain and India.

“They learn about the Roman empire, all sorts of empires, but not the British Empire,” Dalrymple said. “For them, the Koh-i-Noor is usually a local Indian restaurant or a brand of pencils or occasionally a trip to the Tower of London.”

The crown controversy comes at a time when Britain and India are engaged in trade talks, which are of great interest to post-Brexit Britain. Both sides in April said they wanted to conclude talks by the Indian holiday of Diwali on Oct. 24. But there have been reports that the talks have run into problems after British Home Secretary Suella Braverman — herself a child of immigrants — expressed concerns about what the deal would mean for migration, considering that “the largest group of people who overstay are Indian migrants.”

Dalrymple, the author, said that “the British, post-Brexit, are keen to make friends with India, at the same time India is getting more and more hyper sensitive about its colonial past.” He said it would be a “very well-received gesture not to wear” the diamond at the coronation and an “even better-received gesture to give it back.”

[From WaPo]

“The largest group of people who overstay are Indian migrants” – y’all know who overstayed in India throughout history? British colonizers. They overstayed for centuries. Anyway, I hope India demands that this trade deal be conditional on the Koh-i-Noor. I can already see that British people think they’re being slick, asking all pseudo-innocently, “but which country should we return it to?” You return it to India. It doesn’t belong to you, you don’t get to dictate who possesses it or exhibits it in museums.

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Photos courtesy of Getty, Avalon Red, Cover Images.

I mentioned this in this week’s Gossip With Celebitchy podcast, but since King Charles’s coronation date was set this week, there hasn’t been a lot of agita about whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be invited or whether they’ll decide to come. Yes, it’s being discussed among royal reporters, but there’s a real lack of briefing and counter-briefing from the palaces and Montecito. I suspect that the Sussexes are simply waiting to see IF Charles invites them. Just as I suspect that Charles hasn’t made up his mind either way. Well, the Daily Beast’s Royalist column has a lengthy, mean, angry piece about how Charles cannot wait to make a big show of snubbing the Sussexes and refusing to invite them to his big coronation party. Some highlights:

King Charles likely won’t invite Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to his coronation if Harry damagingly attacks wife Camilla, the Queen Consort, in his forthcoming book, a friend of the new queen has told The Daily Beast.

“Almost everything Charles has done over the past twenty years has, in one way or another, been about getting Camilla accepted by the public,” the friend said, “He loves her. He is incredibly protective of her and he couldn’t do it without her. Even the queen finally accepted that. It is one thing for Harry to attack Charles, he can take it on the chin, but if Harry forces him to choose, by laying into Camilla in his book, I have no doubt he will choose Camilla.”

The palace declined to comment to The Daily Beast for this story. Sources in the palace say simply that the question of the guest list is on the “tbc” pile, pointedly leaving the door open for Harry and Meghan to get the call up—or be excluded.

The Daily Beast understands that there is tremendous nervousness in Charles’ circle about what the book might reveal, not least because a full throated attack on Camilla’s character would be devastating to Charles.

Katie Nicholl, author of The New Royals and Vanity Fair’s royal correspondent told The Daily Beast: “There is no doubt that Charles would like Harry and Meghan to be at his coronation. And to be fair to Charles, he has been magnanimous in terms of extending, very publicly, olive branches to the Sussexes, not only in his televised accession address but also putting them front and center at the funeral events. But he does expect respect in return, and a problem is going to arise if, between now and then, Harry repays him by attacking him, Camilla or the institution. He is not going to put up with inaccurate and unfair attacks.

“The queen was ruthless when it came to protecting the institution, and Charles will be too, and we are possibly seeing that in the lack of urgency around naming Archie and Lilibet prince and princess. My understanding is that Charles is not averse to granting them titles, but he expects to see respect from the Sussexes in return. The ball is in the Sussexes’ court. The royals, just like the rest of us, are waiting to see what they will do next.”

[From The Daily Beast]

Tom Sykes – the “Royalist” – goes on to claim that Harry was “infuriated” with the snubs during QEII’s funeral and mourning period, and then Sykes quotes Duncan Lacombe as saying that it’s really about what Harry and Meghan do and say towards William and Kate? Like, the Sussexes should “wish them well” when the Waleses go to Boston. Lacombe also suggests that the excuse Charles could give about NOT inviting the Sussexes is:

“Just to say the coronation is an institutional event, not a family event, and so it is for working royals only. While it will be an extraordinary snub for Harry if he is not invited to support his father on the biggest day of his life, it is equally hard to see how the king can invite him if the backdrop to the coronation is Harry sticking machetes in the backs of Charles and Camilla while promoting in his book. Charles appears to be keeping his powder dry until he sees what they come out with. He has not yet made Harry and Meghan’s children prince and princess, although they are entitled to those titles as a matter of law and precedent. That’s a carrot that could be left out there for years to come. Charles is certainly not rushing to make a declaration one way or another, and he may be taking some comfort from the reports that Harry is desperately trying to rewrite the parts of the book that are most critical about his father.”

[From The Daily Beast]

Literally none of these people can come out and admit that the monarchy doesn’t have any way to control the Sussexes and the British media has no idea what they’re talking about because the Sussexes have so thoroughly cut them out. Again, considering the lack of briefing against the Sussexes right now about the coronation, Charles has just put off the decision indefinitely. What’s really funny is that… remember the Fakakta Jubbly? QEII always made it perfectly clear that the Sussexes were invited, and she even extended an invitation to them in person, requesting that they visit for a few days. Charles can’t be the bigger man here, he can’t just say “of course they’re invited” and let the chips fall where they may.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

Angela Lansbury filmed a cameo in The Glass Onion, omg!!! That was her last role, I love that it was for a murder mystery. [JustJared]
Trevor Noah’s last day of The Daily Show is Dec. 8th. [Seriously OMG]
I’m disappointed that Ryan Reynolds actually emailed TJ Miller after Miller ran his mouth about Reynolds in an interview. [Pajiba]
Kanye West’s episode of The Shop won’t air due to hate speech. [Dlisted]
Sydney Sweeney cast as the new Barbarella? [LaineyGossip]
Jamie Lee Curtis at the Halloween Ends premiere. [Tom & Lorenzo]
The new McQueen collection has an eye motif. [GFY]
The Kardashians had a storyline about Kim Kardashian’s arrogant Variety interview from months ago. [Buzzfeed]
Oh, good, the Saudis are trying to interfere in the American election. [Towleroad]
Tom Brady bought a pickleball team. [Egotastic]
Teen Mom’s Zach Davis got 120 days in jail for a DUI. [Starcasm]
Does Joe Alwyn have that “it factor”? [Gawker]

An hour ago, I was truly sitting here, thinking about how we hadn’t seen Prince William and Kate at any events this week and how their “we’re stepping up” narrative had died a swift death. But here they are, at their first public event of the week (it’s Thursday). William and Kate stepped out in London to visit the Copper Box Arena, which was part of London’s build-up for the 2012 Olympic Games. William and Kate were made some kind of Olympic ambassadors that year and they attended various Olympic events. The event today was for Coach Core, which was launched through the Royal Foundation. Coach Core basically has experienced coaches going into disadvantaged communities and mentoring kids to be coaches themselves.

As for fashion, Kate wore a vintage Chanel blazer which… is not really the vintage Chanel piece I would have chosen for Kate, but I get why she picked it. It does have a very “Kate” vibe and it’s blue, so it matches her sapphire jewelry. What’s most interesting to me is the length on Kate’s trousers. First of all, she’s been wearing a lot of pants as Princess of Wales, likely because (you guessed it) she’s still copykeening Meghan. Usually, Kate puts her own keen stink on Meghan’s style by going with a shorter, ankle-revealing inseam. But look at this, Kate is wearing too-long trousers which “puddle” at her feet… just like Meghan. I hope all of the Derangers who cried about Meghan’s pant-length are also very concern-trolly about Kate’s pants.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.