One of the things which has bugged me the most about the Sussex saga is the arrogance and ignorance with which the British media regards America, American media and American celebrity. We were happy that “an American girl” married into the British royal family, because Americans are fascinated by royalty. We don’t have royalty, we have dynasties and celebrities, which is all the Windsors are: a dynastic line of celebrities, all within the same massively dysfunctional family. Americans see that and we’re like “oh, I get it, that’s cool.” The British media thinks it works both ways though – that Americans treat our celebrities and our dynasties the same way they treat royalty. And that’s not the case, at all. I suspect most Americans like the Sussexes and wish them well and that’s about it. We don’t need to “approve” of them. Harry and Meghan are not politicians. They’re not running for Prom King and Queen of America. They’re just celebrities and humanitarians now and we’ll consume what products they give us (podcasts, Netflix docu-series, books) and gossip about them like celebrities and that’s it.

I bring this up because Salt Island has no chill. Camilla Tominey at the Telegraph wrote a new piece for the Telegraph: “How Meghan lost America: The Duchess is giving increasingly outspoken interviews, but is that because the people of the US and its media have lost interest?” Oh, they’re really worried. Tominey’s piece is all about how a Murdoch-owned paper (the NY Post) ran a negative cover about Meghan, thus the Sussexes are unpopular in America, thus everyone in America loves William and Kate. It’s both pathetic and hilarious. Some highlights:

Meghan is just giving interviews to get noticed! With a podcast to promote amid talk of her star “waning” in the US, there is a growing sense that the only way the Duchess can get noticed these days is by continuing to wage war against the Windsors. From her unsubstantiated claim that the British media called her children the “n-word”, to her suggestion that the couple’s mere “existence” upset the Royal hierarchy, as with Oprah Winfrey, the outbursts appear designed to generate maximum publicity in the UK. That way, the story is guaranteed to get picked up by the all-important US breakfast shows – even if there is little to say about the interview beyond Meghan’s criticisms of The Firm.

Tabloid fodder: As one US TV insider explained: “Meghan is sort of regarded as tabloid fodder these days. I wouldn’t say her popularity has waned but her star draw has. She was riding on the cusp of being the Duchess, but a lot of their projects have failed and some of the lustre has gone. It would be unfair to say she’s not popular but we are doing less on her. We are more likely to do something on William and Kate now.”

Americans are obsessed with the Queen, not Meghan: Others say that taking aim at the Queen and the Royal family was always a risky move. According to another source who works for one of the big American networks: “People get the US wrong. They think they are obsessed with Meghan and Diana but it’s the Queen they are really obsessed with. When it touches on criticising the monarchy – that has been quite damaging. People here have sort of been asking themselves: ‘Would you do that to your in-laws?’”

British polling on Americans? There are increasing signs of fatigue over stories about the Sussexes’ time in Britain. In July, another survey found that just a quarter (25 per cent) of Americans were “very or fairly interested” in reading Harry’s forthcoming autobiography, compared to 14 per cent of Britons who said the same. The poll found that more than half of Americans (51 per cent) had no interest at all, compared to two thirds of Brits.

Snobbery about Meghan? “There’s actually a bit of snobbery about Meghan now in the US because she’s become a celebrity story rather than a news one,” said one journalist who works for an American media company. She recalls the Duchess’s campaign for paid parental leave, where she wrote letters to senior US politicians, prompting speculation she was pursuing a career in politics. “We rang (US Speaker) Nancy Pelosi’s office to see if they wanted to respond and they just laughed. “She’s not being taken seriously by Washington at all. She’s not Michelle Obama – she doesn’t have that pedigree so where does she fit in?”

Keen Kate, Queen of America: Commentators stress that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are still hugely admired in the US. The couple recently appointed Lee Thompson, who climbed the ranks at US mass media empire NBC, as their new PR chief, proving their interest in maintaining strong relations with the American public. “Kate is flying in America in the same way she’s flying in Britain, because she’s modelling herself on the Queen,” says the journalist.

Peggington’s trip to America: Next month, just a few weeks after Harry and Meghan’s visit to England, Prince William will be visiting New York for a summit for his Earthshot Prize – followed in December by a trip to Boston to present it. It is yet to be confirmed whether he will be accompanied by Kate or their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. But such a Stateside outing is likely to pose a significant challenge to Harry and Meghan’s faltering status as the self-styled King and Queen of America.

[From The Telegraph]

A few things. Meghan spoke to The Cut because she’s promoting her podcast. I genuinely hope she does more promotion and more interviews! And the reason she’s talking about the Windsors is because she’s being asked. The Sussexit was one of the biggest gossip/royal/news stories of the past twenty years, and the fact that Harry and Meghan got out alive and they’re able to speak about their experiences is incredible and newsworthy.

The fact that the Today Show sent Hoda Kotb to cover the Invictus Games and interview Harry should tell you a lot about the American interest in all things Sussex. The fact that Harry inked a book deal and he’s gotten millions of dollars worth of free promotion via the British media should tell you a lot. In fact, the whole reason why the British media is currently trying to convince the British public that America is over the Sussexes is because they’re all terrified that the Sussexes have way more credibility than the media. That people will want to read Harry’s book and not some rabid royal reporter’s book. As for Meghan specifically… she understands American celebrity (considering she is one) and she understands how to promote her projects. The American audience understands what she’s doing too.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.

This week we learned that Leonardo DiCaprio dumped Camila Morrone around her 25th birthday. There’s actually some debate about whether the breakup happened just before her June birthday or just after. She attended his Fourth of July party, but I think that was the last we saw of her. It’s giving a Kelly Rohrbach vibe – he waited until after Kelly’s 25th birthday to officially dump her too. He CAN date a 25-year-old, but only for a month or two. Anyway, Leo was actually telegraphing his single-ness for weeks. He’s been seen out and about in New York and Malibu, headed to clubs and parties with his bros, looking extremely single. Leo is on the prowl. Since Leo is a creature of habit and past is prologue, my guess is that he’ll be single and mingling for the next six months before carefully selecting a special 20-year-old to date next February-March. That’s how he usually does it.

When the going gets tough, the tough get bro’ing! Sources tell Page Six that Leonardo DiCaprio has been partying with his pals while his now-ex-girlfriend Camilla Morrone has been on vacation in St. Tropez with her mom.

A scenester source told us, “Leo has been out every night partying … he’s been hanging with his old crew and some girls.”

The insider said before DiCaprio’s breakup became public this week: “I thought that was a little weird when [Camilla] was in St. Tropez.”

DiCaprio was also photographed in Malibu by day looking more svelte, heading to a party at a pal’s house in the beach town.

[From Page Six]

Page Six also did a history of all of the ladies who have gone through The Leo D Dating Experience, and one source close to Leo told Page Six:

“By the time girls reach 25, they’re looking for more — they’re looking to get married and settle down. That is not what Leo wants. He does not want a family and does not want to be around women who may press him for that,” the DiCaprio source, told The Post. “The minute a girl meets him, the clock is ticking. If she gets too old, in a couple of years, she is gone. If she gets too close, in a couple of years, she is gone. He’s gotten older but his taste has not gotten any older.”

[From Page Six]

A lot of people are like “wow, that’s gross, he’s so disgusting!” But I do kind of wonder if he’s pretty upfront about everything? I’m not saying I’m on his side or acting as some kind of Leo Apologist, but I’ve always thought that with the models especially, they know it’s a quid pro quo. They spend a year or two with Leo, their profile gets significantly raised, they get more money, more modeling contracts, etc. I feel like he radiates “I’m not getting super-serious” to every woman too. Now, is he still a trainwreck? Yes. He is.

Leonardo DiCaprio once his girlfriend’s brain finishes development pic.twitter.com/IdpkZFE3uk

— mrs knightley (@sotrulybeloved) August 30, 2022

Leonardo DiCaprio on his next date like pic.twitter.com/p30mkofEaP

— Sadie Sink’s Oscar (@Jaqssssss) August 30, 2022

leonardo dicaprio is actually dating all the under-25s he possibly can to spread the word about climate change to those who will be the most impacted

— flamin nora (@katierpacker) August 31, 2022

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgird.

The Daily Beast’s Royalist column did some special coverage for the 25th anniversary of the death of Princess Diana. Some of that special coverage was noting that no one in the royal family marked the sad occasion publicly. Another part of the coverage was an in-depth conversation with Tina Brown, who wrote one good royal book (The Diana Chronicles) and one ridiculous royal book (The Palace Papers). Personally, I think interns wrote different parts of The Palace Papers, that’s how weird the tonal shifts were. Brown came across as blind to her own white privilege, anti-Americanism and pro-Middleton agenda. No one really came across well in The Palace Papers, which was not Brown’s goal at all – she set out, clearly, to embiggen the Cambridges as the last white hope of the Establishment. It fell flat because the Cambridges are clowns. Anyway, Brown has a lot to say about “fragile” Prince Harry and how Diana would not have liked Meghan. Some highlights:

Having lunch with Diana in July 1997: “Diana was really on top form and in many ways in her stride in a pale green suit with those amazing supermodel legs and incredibly limpid blue eyes. She was absolutely stunning in real life, and so much taller than you thought. She talked about two things. She was really excited about starting to do documentaries about her causes, and for that to fund her humanitarian work. In some ways, it was a foreshadow of Harry and Meghan’s plan 25 years ago, with the one major difference that Diana didn’t see any profit in it. She was doing it as a charitable venture.”

Diana would be “very unhappy” that her two sons remain estranged. “She never questioned that William would be king. It was her most ardent desire he would become king. She was never anti-monarchy in that regard. She had differences with the royal family—her biggest difference was that her husband wasn’t in love with her, he was in love with someone else. But she never thought for one minute that William would not be the future king, and that Harry would always be there to support him. She would not be happy with how things are… Diana would not have been pleased how Harry had been cut off from the family.”

How would Diana have felt about Meghan Markle? “Diana was very protective of her boys. She would have been very, very protective of Harry and I believe very anxious about this direction they’ve taken. I think she would have felt Meghan was steering Harry in a direction that was not good for Harry. I don’t think Diana would have been the great fan of Meghan that Meghan herself might perhaps imagine.” However, Brown thinks Diana would have been “thrilled” when Harry met Meghan, “and that her son was happy. She would have been delighted, supportive and thrilled someone of mixed race was joining the royal family because Diana was so inclusive.

Harry’s Spencer blood: “It’s very difficult to know how fragile Harry would have been if his mother hadn’t died. He was obviously utterly traumatized by her death. But the Spencers are a fairly turbulent family. Other members of that family, including Diana herself, have not been without their fragilities and neuroses. Harry may have inherited that Spencer turbulence. It’s always about drama in the Spencer family. With Harry, it could just be the genes speaking.”

A base at Kensington Palace: “She kept Kensington Palace as her base. Unlike Harry and Meghan she understood having the power base of monarchy was enormously important. Today, I believe she would have had billions of followers on Instagram, and used that to the max. By now, her charitable foundation would have been as big as Bill Gates’. She began that global humanitarian celebrity outreach that we went on to see with the Clooneys and Bono. She’s a real forerunner of that. It’s very tragic to know that didn’t happen.”

Diana’s scorched earth: “The scorched earth left by Diana still smolders. For the first ten years after her death, the royals were still destabilized by the catastrophes surrounding Diana—from her divorce, the damage to Charles, the car crash, the effect on the boys. The rise of Kate (Middleton) and William have done a great deal to reduce that dark dust, and decrease the Diana decibel. But with what Harry and Meghan have said and done, the next season of The Crown (which will focus on events leading up to and after Diana’s death) and Harry’s memoir will resurface a particular agony for Charles. The queen was re-stabilized after the death of Diana, whereas Charles has continually battled to end those ghosts. The rehabilitation of Camilla’s image has been utterly successful, but she lives in dread of Harry’s book. In some ways, Diana’s ghost still rattles at the gate.”

[From The Daily Beast]

It’s so weird that in all of these pieces about how Diana would have felt about Meghan and Harry, no one ever asks “what would Diana say about the Middletons?” Or “what would Diana have said about William cheating on his wife with his Norfolk neighbors?” Like, maybe Diana would not have liked Meghan – we don’t know and it’s a thought-exercise with no solution. But it’s bonkers to play these what-if games and never acknowledge that Diana probably would have seen through the Middletons immediately, especially Carole and Kate. Diana would have strong feelings about William turning into his father, complete with side-chicks and tabloid games. For all the talk of Harry’s fiery, turbulent Spencer genes, let’s be clear – William has those same genes. William channels that turbulence into being a screaming rage-monster.

Also: Brown seems to think she can use Diana as some kind of cudgel against the Sussexes. Diana would have done documentaries but not profited from it! Diana would have kept a base in London! Diana would have wanted Harry to “support” William! That’s the company line, the Windsor line, through and through. That’s how the Windsors have tried to claim ownership of Diana’s memory without ever recognizing Diana’s fundamentally iconoclastic nature.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

What’s very interesting about the Don’t Worry Darling shambles is that once Shia LaBeouf dropped his receipts, everybody shut up in a hurry. Florence Pugh has only given one magazine interview and said nothing else, not even online. She didn’t take a “I told you so” victory lap after LaBeouf dropped the receipts. She’s just staying silent, and she’ll drop into Venice for the premiere and then she’ll leave, and basically do zero press. Meanwhile, Olivia Wilde is walking into an entirely self-made sh-tstorm when she arrives in Venice. She thought she could make herself into the heroine and victim of every story, and when Shia called her out (with evidence), she had no defense. The video Olivia sent Shia about “Miss Flo” was particularly damning. And so now everyone knows that there really is a beef between Olivia and Florence. Not only that, people are on Florence’s side completely. Here are two somewhat minor stories which sort of explain some backstory:

Beef behind the scenes. Olivia Wilde hasn’t been getting along with Florence Pugh, the star of her film Don’t Worry Darling, which premieres on September 23.

“Florence and Olivia have had several disagreements personally and professionally, that’s why Florence isn’t doing any press for the movie,” a source exclusively reveals in the new issue of Us Weekly. According to a report by The Wrap, the 26-year-old Little Women star’s press engagements for the film will be limited to the Venice Film Festival premiere and red carpet event.

Apparently, Florence Pugh was mad director Olivia Wilde kept “disappearing” to canoodle with her boyfriend, Harry Styles, on set.

Puck News reported tensions came to a head at one point, in which Florence expressed her displeasure with Olivia’s behavior during filming. “Pugh, in particular, was angered by the absences, according to these sources, and one source personally witnessed a tense conversation about this issue between the two,” the site’s reporter Matthew Belloni contended in an article published on August 27.

[From Yahoo and Us Weekly]

I really want to know is when the relationship fell apart professionally, because I suspect that it was very early in the production. In fact, I suspect that Florence and Olivia fell out over the mess with Shia LaBeouf and Harry Styles. It’s clear that something went down between Shia and Florence, and instead of genuinely having Florence’s back and making sure Florence was protected, Olivia went behind Florence’s back and condescendingly bad-mouthed Florence to Shia. I also think Florence realized very early on in the production that Olivia was doing the most to throw herself at Harry, and the whole thing was so sordid and unprofessional. Anyway… the Venice Film Festival premiere (on September 5) is going to be a DISASTER!

After Olivia Wilde claimed Shia LaBeouf was fired from her movie ‘Don’t Worry Darling,’ a video of her asking the actor to reconsider his decision to leave the film has leaked.

He was originally set to play Harry Styles’ role alongside Florence Pugh.
pic.twitter.com/zGSfm8N0Wj

— Pop Base (@PopBase) August 26, 2022

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Warner Bros, cover courtesy of Variety.

From CB: I bought this wheelbarrow to pick up sticks and weeds around my new house. It is so light and easy to maneuver and it was easy to put together. I also repurchased this Sawyer bug spray with picaridin, which is the best buy spray I’ve found. Here are some more things Hecate and I are looking at on Amazon.

A clarifying moisturizer with prebiotics

From CB: Clear Collective moisturizer by trusted brand Mighty Patch is fragrance free, suitable for all skin types and is formulated with Hyaluronic Acid, Glycolic Acid and fruit extracts. It has over 1,100 ratings, 4.4 stars and a B on Fakespot. Reviewers say it’s lightweight but hydrating and doesn’t make them break out like other moisturizers. It’s also said to be safe for sensitive skin. “I used this moisturizer before bed and the next day my skin was glowing! I consider my skin to be normal but I break out pretty easily with certain moisturizers but this one is perfect for my skin! It’s a very silky wet texture but it absorbs perfectly and leaves the skin feeling so moisturized.” “One of the best moisturizers i’ve used! It has a nice texture, its fragrance free, and very light weight after a few minutes.”

An eyebrow gel for tamer, natural-looking brows

From CB: If you’re like me you probably fill your brows but leave out the last step of applying eyebrow gel for a finishing touch. Control Freak eyebrow gel by NYX is so affordable at just $5.69. It sets your eyebrows in place without being flaky or crusty. You can use it on filled brows or on natural brows for a fuller look. This has over 31,000 ratings, 4.3 stars and a B on Fakespot. Reviewers like how well it holds and say it’s comparable to more expensive brands. “As I was getting ready to order a few Anastasia brow gels during the Sephora sale I somehow came across this product and read the reviews. I was highly doubtful it could compare in any way… I ordered anyway just to try it. I’m so glad I did as it will save hundreds of dollars long term.” “This holds my brows up even in the summer heat and sweat. It doesn’t flake or give white residue either.”

A lovely two tone cotton rope storage basket in colors to match your decor

From CB: This cotton rope storage basket comes in five different two tone color options. There’s a large version that is 14.2 inches high by 15 inches wide for $26 or you can get two 11 inch baskets for $33. These are great for storing blankets, toys, pet items and more. They have over 5,600 ratings, 4.8 stars and a B on Fakespot. Reviewers say they hold their shape and are so pretty in their homes. “Loved the sturdiness of this basket and the color. I used it to store all my swimsuits and cover ups in it for the summer . It is cute and added to my decor in my bedroom and freed up space in my dresser.” “Super cute basket! Stands up well and very sturdy. I have one for dog toys and our big pups knock it over at least once a day to grab toys and it shows no signs of coming apart yet. Great quality especially for the price!”

The most popular vitamin C serum for clearer, smoother skin

From Hecate: We mentioned TruSkin Tea Tree Oil before. This is their vitamin C serum with hydraulic acid and it’s highly recommended. And by highly, I mean with over 110,000 reviews on Amazon. TruSkin is one of their small shop businesses and the formula is plant-based with no added fragrances, parabens, phthalates, sulfates, PEGs, or GMOs. Plus it’s cruelty free, guaranteed by the manufacturer and only $19 a bottle. All of that has earned it 4.3 stars from ReviewMeta. Customers say it works on all types of skin, “I have really sensitive skin and acne prone. This has NOT caused any acne or irritation.” And that it does what it says it’s going to do, “I was really hopeful that it would help get rid of some of my redness and under eye bags, and in a weeks time it’s almost resolved both!”

Car seat protectors with pockets for storage

From Hecate: When my kids were little, they destroyed car seats. It was like they had a mission or something. And they aren’t worlds better now, if I’m being honest. Add them with the dogs and seat protectors seem like a good investment. These ones actually look nice, too. They have pockets at the bottom that come in handy, especially if you have younger kids. They don’t make enough pockets for toddlers. These PVC leather protectors have rubber backs and hooks to keep the seat from slipping. And they come with a lifetime guarantee. They’re available in five color options and are compatible with car seats and boosters. Plus, Lusso Gear is another small business. They have 4.8 stars from over 21,000 reviews and an A on Fakespot. People who bought them noted the difference they made, “I went for my first backseat cleaning after installing this cover and not only found dirt and crumbs, but a could fruit purée spills the cover had caught from the youngster.” And how well they work with car seating, “The design is perfect for a captain’s chair, which is where I have it now. I imagine it would work perfectly in any bench seat as well.”

Folders to help organize important papers

From Hecate: I’m amazed every year how hard it is to find school supplies. We wait until we get the lists from the teachers and the stores are out of supplies by the time we shop them. I went to three trying to find spiral notebooks. I ended up ordering them but made a few substitutes using folders and loose leaf papers ito hold them over. It occurred to me that these were reusable. So I found these folders with writable tabs on them. They have pockets that the notebooks don’t and a clear pocket for notes and index cards. And you can put only as much paper as you need. Outside of school, I have several uses for these to clean my office up. As much as I’ve tried to go paperless, there’s always some kind of paper and this fits all of them, especially for my tax stuff. They come five to a pack for $12 (or $18 if you want the designer colors). Over 2,800 customers gave them 4.8 stars and they got an A on Fakespot. Customers agree they are less wasteful, “Very, very, very satisfied in the quality of this product. Reduces waste with multi-use feature of this product.” And they hold up well, to, which is important because I’m pretty hard on office supplies, “They have been using them for almost 2 months and they still look brand new.”

Personal pepper spray for added protection

From Hecate: So I actually had a little scare the other day during my walk and realized I needed something to protect myself. I have a spot right outside my garage I can hang a pepper spray so I can grab it before I go for my walk in the morning. I don’t need it all the time, but now that school is back, I go very early and it’s pretty dark. So I think I’m going to get this and get the training so I have that peace of mind. These compact canisters are maximum strength with safeties so they won’t go off accidentally. A two pack costs $19 and comes in seven different colors. They’re only 3.75 x 1.25 x 1.25, so they fit perfectly in your hand but they have a 12 range of spray. And almost 1,000 reviews gave them 4.7 stars that ReviewMeta confirmed. Customers said they love the safeties to keep it from spraying, “You slip your fingers under the top part that prevent accident spraying. Its easy carry too!” And professionals recommend it, “This is a perfect self defense asset.”

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Omid Scobie’s Yahoo UK column this week was timed perfectly for the anniversary of Princess Diana’s death. Scobie wasn’t a royal reporter during Diana’s tabloid reign (he’s 41?) but he is in a good position to examine the monarchy’s attempts to rebrand itself post-Diana, and remarkably, post-Sussexit. If you need proof that very little has changed in the House of Windsor, you need look no further than the entire Sussex saga, which was mismanaged by the palaces from the word go. Perhaps the root of it goes back even further, when the Windsors mishandled their reactions to Diana’s death and used her two sons as human deflection shields. Scobie brings some receipts, including Diana’s own words about how cruelly she was treated, and notes something very real but rarely acknowledged: the Windsors were doing the most to muzzle Diana post-divorce. Some highlights:

The monarchy dreads the anniversary of Diana’s death: Though Diana’s humanitarian work and public service are universally celebrated, it is her personal life that some within the palace still want to forget; an annual reminder of the institution’s indifference and out-of-touch practices during the most difficult and tortured days of her life. As Diana claimed after her separation from Prince Charles, it was members of the same Royal Household that attempted to curtail the very role we celebrate today. Charitable visits abroad were blocked, private letters intercepted and cruel attacks in the press were encouraged. She was the Royal Family’s biggest threat – one that needed to be muzzled.

The Windsors still profit from Diana: Of course, you wouldn’t catch a whiff of this stained history if you stepped into one of the many Diana-centred exhibitions held at royal palaces (or their official gift shops, which still carry memorabilia in her name for profit). Her pain may be ignored, but a slice of the love and adoration she still receives will always be nice (even better with a little revenue). After all, the late princess is why so many people around the world are interested in the Royal Family in the first place.

Sanitized history: In the royal bubble, the memory of Diana’s life has been edited and perfectly curated to suit the Firm. Any evidence of the grim reality of her royal existence or the mistakes made that lead to her tragic end are impossible to find. “Sanitised history, if you will,” a former aide tells me. “To the institution, Diana will always be remembered in a way that is safe for them – a safe distance kept from everything else. It’s why you never see Charles acknowledge the anniversary of her death. Quite simply, they can’t afford to remind people of his role in her pain.”

Netflix’s The Crown: When Netflix released The Crown’s fourth season, it prompted an orchestrated effort by palace aides and royal-adjacent media outlets to call into question the historical drama’s depiction of the past. A show once adored by family members (a “brilliant bit of PR” for the Firm, an aide remarked to me in 2015) had become the enemy after Diana’s narrative entered the storyline.

Clarence House has no chill about ‘The Crown’: In just over eight weeks, the series’ fifth instalment will be released, with episodes focusing heavily on Prince Charles’ affair with Camilla Parker Bowles and Diana’s suffering. To say that staff at Clarence House are concerned about its negative impact on the future king’s popularity is an understatement (things got so bad during the previous season that they had to temporarily shut down the ability to comment on their Instagram account).

Things haven’t changed that much for the Windsors post-Diana: The poor management of Prince Andrew’s sordid scandals and the Sussexes’ warnings of institutional cruelty and racism show that many post-Diana lessons have yet to be learned. In many ways, the House of Windsor has still yet to properly handle the crisis or the challenge of a modern woman within their quarters.

Diana’s own words: “I have been battered, bruised and abused mentally by a system for 15 years now, but I feel no resentment . . . I am strong inside and maybe that is a problem for my enemies,” Diana wrote in a letter 10 months before her death. “Thank you Charles for putting me through such hell and for giving me the opportunity to learn from the cruel things you have done to me.” No messenger to accuse of twisting her quotes, no BBC journalist to blame for her “paranoia”, this is just Diana in her own words. And it’s those words that, even today, the Royal Family can’t escape or truly erase.

She won’t go quietly: “She won’t go quietly, that’s the problem,” Diana once said of the palace’s problem with her. “I’ll fight to the end, because I believe that I have a role to fulfil.”

[From Yahoo UK]

“Charitable visits abroad were blocked, private letters intercepted and cruel attacks in the press were encouraged. She was the Royal Family’s biggest threat – one that needed to be muzzled.” When the royalists talk about Diana’s post-divorce life these days, they’re encouraged to talk about how she was so fulfilled with her charity work and how everything was going swimmingly and the monarchy embraced her. No – they saw her as an even bigger problem, and they were doing everything they could to take her down. It was still open tabloid warfare. The “sanitized history” thing is interesting because it absolutely feels like William has been spoon-fed Charles’s version of Diana and that’s that. Harry definitely seems like he’s in the middle of questioning nearly every part of the sanitized history he was spoon-fed.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

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I genuinely forgot that Sarah Palin was running for office this year? There was a special election in Alaska to fill the state’s one congressional seat, following the death of Rep. Don Young. Young, a Republican, had served as Alaska’s lone congressman for almost 50 years before he passed away in March. So the state held a special election and it came down to Democratic candidate Mary Peltola versus whackjob Sarah Palin. Peltola won.

In an upset with the potential to reverberate nationally, Mary Peltola has won a special House election in Alaska, according to The Associated Press, and will finish the remaining few months of the term of Representative Don Young.

Ms. Peltola, a Democratic former state lawmaker and Alaska Native, defeated two other candidates who survived the raucous special primary election in June: Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor and Republican vice-presidential nominee, and Nicholas Begich III, a Republican from the state’s most prominent Democratic political family. Voters participated in a new system, ranking the three in order of preference.

At 49, Ms. Peltola will become the first Alaska Native to serve in Congress and the first woman to hold the House seat, albeit only temporarily — unless she wins a full term in November.

[From The NY Times]

The Times notes that Palin and Peltola have actually known each other for years and they served in Alaska’s state house together. They’re apparently somewhat friendly, and Peltola ran a very positive campaign, especially compared to the array of batshittery from the state and national GOP. It does feel like… some stuff is happening and even current polling hasn’t reflected that. There will be so many new voters this year because of the Dobbs decision. Despite the GOP’s gloom and doom, Dark Brandon is getting sh-t done and making people’s lives better. Anyway, just another reminder… voting works. Vote.

A Serena win and a Sarah Palin loss. 2008 is back

— Chris McDaniel (@csmcdaniel) September 1, 2022

Dear @SarahPalinUSA can you see failure from your house

— WhyIsHatSoMean? (@Popehat) September 1, 2022

Mary Peltola, a Democratic former state lawmaker, beat Sarah Palin in Alaska’s special House election to fill the seat of the late Rep. Don Young. Peltola will become the first Alaska Native to serve in Congress and the first woman to hold the House seat. https://t.co/L6P0yHH99i pic.twitter.com/dCQgvupM62

— The New York Times (@nytimes) September 1, 2022

Photos courtesy of Instagram, Instar.

Real Housewives of Atlanta is nearing the end of its 14th season. The show is as dramatic and hilarious as always and the cast was recently filming the reunion episode, so that should be good. One of the show’s longest-running core cast members, singer-songwriter Kandi Burruss, has a recent exclusive with People about her daughter being bullied by viewers online. This comes after several Beverly Hills Housewives spoke about their children being harassed online and Bravo specifically condemned the racist harassment of Garcelle Beauvais’ teenaged soon.

Kandi Burruss is sharing her contempt for the recent online attacks directed at the children of several Real Housewives cast members.

The Real Housewives of Atlanta star, 46, tells PEOPLE exclusively that her daughter Riley, 20, has previously been bullied online by viewers of the show. Over the last week, several Real Housewives stars, as well as the show’s network, Bravo, have put out statements condemning the online hate against cast members’ kids.

“I despise it. It bothers me so much,” Burruss says of the harassment. “Everybody already knows that Riley dealt with her weight issues growing up in the public eye. People would make comments on her body and say things about her personal look and it really boils my blood.”

“You can deal with anything for yourself, but you don’t want your kids to be bullied online,” she says. “It’s just really terrible.”

Burruss, who is also mom to daughter Blaze, 2, and son Ace Wells, 6, notes that she’s reached out to RHOBH’s Garcelle Beauvais as Jax, one of her 14-year-old twins, has continued to face hateful online comments.

“The people who watch our show and who are on our show, sometimes they take things too far, and it’s not cool. It’s crazy,” Burruss continues. “This is a TV show at the end of the day.”

“Words definitely matter,” she says. “I’ve seen one of my kids definitely get bullied multiple times.”

Burruss says just last week “somebody was posting that [Riley] was pregnant and she was so upset about it.”

“She was like, ‘Where are they getting this information from? Here I was feeling good about myself and losing and getting my body where I want it to be, and now they’re posting that I’m pregnant?’ That’s crazy!” adds Burruss.

[From People]

Kandi’s daughter, Riley, was bullied online for her weight and appearance for quite a while. This isn’t even the first time Kandi has spoken about it — she posted a picture four years ago congratulating Riley on her 50 pound weight loss and mentioned then that Riley had been having a hard time with people criticizing her body. Riley was only around six years old when the show started and she’s only 20 now. Not that anyone should be body-shamed, but people were really commenting on her weight when she was a kid and teen, which is especially terrible. That’s the sort of thing that gives people complexes and lifelong struggles with food, exercise and their self-esteem. Most recently, people were speculating that she was pregnant based on one picture Riley posted, which is really rude at any age! You are not supposed to guess or ask if people are pregnant until they tell you so.

While what Riley went through sucks and Kandi is certainly within her rights to say so, it is a bit different than the situation with Garcelle’s teen son. The online bullying of Garcelle’s son started after  another Housewife got weird with him and one of his brothers on-air — she hit on an older one and then was really nasty to the teen referenced. And there are rumors that the online harassment of Garcelle’s son was a coordinated bot attack initiated by other Housewives. So two terrible, but different situations, both of which are no surprise on Bravo. With Kandi’s daughter, the criticism is coming from viewers; but with Garcelle’s son, the call is coming from inside the house.

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A post shared by Kandi Burruss (@kandi)

Photos credit: Avalon.red and via Instagram

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Camila Morrone turned 25 in June. A month before her 25th birthday, there were photos of Camila and Leonardo DiCaprio walking along the beach in Malibu. The walk-and-talk seemed emotional – Camila seemed to be crying and Leo was soothing her and he kissed her forehead. Some thought that perhaps he was dumping her ahead of her birthday. Then weeks after her birthday, she was at his Malibu Independence Day party with their two dogs. People were like “wow, maybe Leo will keep her around even though she aged out of the Leo D Girlfriend Experience.” Nope. They broke up this summer.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Camila Morrone have ended their relationship, sources tell PEOPLE.

The Oscar winner, 47, and the Never Goin’ Back actress/model, 25 — who kept their relationship mostly private — had been linked since January 2018 during an outing in Aspen, Colorado, and they made their debut as a couple when they sat together in the front row at the Oscars in February 2020. Reps for the stars declined to comment.

Back in July 2019, an insider told PEOPLE that DiCaprio and Morrone seemed “pretty serious” with each other. “It’s definitely not a casual relationship. Camila spends a lot of time at his house. Camila is long known as Leo’s girlfriend. And Leo introduced her to both of his parents long ago.”

DiCaprio and Morrone were photographed spending the Fourth of July weekend together earlier this summer at a beach in Malibu. In August, Morrone was spotted in St. Tropez with her mother. DiCaprio, meanwhile, has been spotted out to dinner with friends in Los Angeles as recently as last week.

[From People]

This relationship with Morrone was more serious than most of his relationships, you could just tell. It helped that they started up when she was 20 years old, so they had more than four years together. They basically lived together and were raising two dogs together. I think he genuinely cared about her. But he can’t help it – he absolutely refuses to be with a woman older than 25.2 years old. Don’t you understand that a witch cast a spell on him and his d–k would fall off if he dated a 26 year old? Do you want that on your conscience?

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Avalon Red.