Khloe Kardashian has had a relatively quiet year. She?s still part of her family?s reality show and she?s still doing various businesses, but overall, she hasn?t been making much news in 2024. She?s just raising her kids and enjoying being single. 2025 is going to be bigger for Khloe though. She?s launching her new perfume, XO Khloe, and a new podcast. She?s a pod-gal. This is why she agreed to a Bustle cover interview, to take stock of her life now that she?s 40 years old. Some highlights from Bustle:

She doesn?t want to just get paid for wearing anything: ?When I first started in this industry, people would be like, ?Here?s X amount of money if you wear this sweater.? And I was like, ?You get paid to wear a sweater?!? It was such a foreign concept to me and I was so excited. But I don?t just want to promote something that I really don?t stand behind. I could be doing cash grabs all day long if I didn?t have a conscience. I could be on OnlyFans, I could be doing crazy things ? but that?s not my thing.?

Turning 40 this year: ?When you?re young, you think 40 is so old, and now I?m like, ?Wait ? I feel so good!? I am in the best shape of my life. I?m doing new career stuff. I?ve only been 40 for about six months, but it?s the absolute best. You don?t give a sh*t about some of the stuff you once did. Intentionally, at 39, I tried to close a lot of chapters. I called it shedding ? shedding this decade of my 30s and this energy I wanted to leave behind. There are so many new things that I?m doing in my first year of 40 that I know for a fact my 40s and on are going to be f*cking incredible.

Her new podcast: ?The podcast is about my curiosities ? all the things I wonder about ? but overall I want people to get a positive message. It?s not going to be salacious. I am not going to be gossiping about other people. It?s more the things that I?m into. I love talking about religion or grief or the afterlife or healing and trauma, dating, relationships. It?s all over the place. I?ve recorded two episodes so far ? one with Jay Shetty, so it?s so funny you said that ? and I recorded one with Scott Disick, my brother-in-law.

Her weight-loss journey: ?It is a journey and it is a constant struggle, at least for me?.looking back, when I was bigger, I thought I was the hottest thing in the world. I had so much more confidence the bigger I was, which is what?s crazy. And then the more in shape I am, the more insecure I can get because I?m so hard on myself. It?s a vicious cycle that you don?t get out of. But when I started losing weight, I got the same thing. I was fat-shamed every day when I was bigger, and then when I lost weight, people were like, How dare you, you are so insecure, you?re following society. And I?m like, ?OK, you guys are so confusing!? I realized you?ll never make everyone happy. I have to do what?s best for me.

A therapist disclosed information about her to a tabloid: ?My weight loss journey started because I was getting a divorce. I remember I was going to therapy and the next thing I knew, something private I told my therapist was on a tabloid. And I knew that my therapist disclosed this information to a tabloid because there?s no way this could have gotten out there. So I stopped going to therapy and started going to the gym. I needed a release, but I did not trust anybody else anymore. And the place that I felt the safest was the gym.?

Ten years of workouts: ?My body started changing. I loved the way I felt. I loved testing myself and challenging myself. And I?ve been doing it for 10-plus years now, and I love it. Over the past three years, people are like, ?You must have gotten surgery because you just lost weight.? I?m like, ?It?s been a 10-year journey! What are you talking about?? But even if people get surgery or [get on] the Ozempic craze, I?m like, ?Who cares!? As long as people feel good about themselves, who am I to judge? I think it?s ridiculous, the judgment on that. I?m just mad [Ozempic] wasn?t around 10 years ago.

Now she goes to Kim?s therapist: ?I do go to therapy now. I started when I was 39. She?s really lovely and I really like her. It?s actually Kim?s therapist. Kim was really adamant. I was like, ?I?ll do this for you.? I dragged my feet, and then I was like, ?Wow, OK, this is good. I needed this.? And my therapist was like, ?I think you should come three days a week.? [Laughs.] She was like, ?You really need to be here.? It all worked out.

She?s been single for three years: ?Dating has not been a focus for me, and I?ve been single for about three years and love it. I really, really do. But I?m not single and dating. I?m just single. I have such power and strength in that. I?m not lonely. There would be a difference if I was single and lonely: ?I really need my partner.? I am single and thriving. I feel like I?m working on myself so much and am getting to such a good place that I just don?t want something to disrupt it. Also, I don?t know if it?s just me, but dating today is very scary. I?m not going to meet someone on social media. I?m not checking my DMs. I?m not!?It?s awful anywhere. I just can?t imagine I would bring a man that I?m dating around my kids. So then where do I go to date you? I?m not going to a restaurant where there?s paparazzi and everyone?s going to say we?re getting married next week. I?m not going to your home because what if you kill me? You?re not coming to my home ? I have kids! And I?m not going to a hotel ? that?s presumptuous. So I?m like, ?What do you do??

[From Bustle]

I honestly like what she says about being single? It reminds me of what a lot of women have been trying to tell men these days: men should worry that many women simply prefer being on their own rather than trying to deal with men these days. Men think they can bully and threaten women and call women ?childless cat ladies,? but women are increasingly like ?wow, the childless cat lady lifestyle is so much better than dealing with men.? I also agree with what she says about weight loss and how people responded to her weight loss. The one thing I?ll say is that while I do think she works out a lot, I think she and Kim are also getting surgery (lipo) and butt lifts and all of that.

Photos courtesy of Khloe?s IG and Bustle.

For the better part of fifteen years, Daniel Craig really only gave interviews to promote James Bond. He was a good Bond, although I thought Craig was poorly served by the writers and directors during his tenure as 007. But Bond took a lot out of him, and so Daniel Craig sort of became known as a permanent grump, always wishing he had one foot out the door of the franchise. Now that he?s three years past his last Bond film, he?s getting the best reviews of his life in Luca Guadagnino?s Queer. He?ll probably get an Oscar nomination for it. And so we?re getting a different version of Daniel Craig ? more grown up, wiser, less of a grump. He recently chatted with the Times about sex scenes, 007 and more. Since it was a British paper, there was A LOT about Bond. Some highlights:

His advice to himself as a young man was ?Don?t get bitter.? ?And look. I can be jealous. To this day I think, ?Oh, why has he got that part?? But you have to own failure because you can?t control what other people think. You just have to hope and get on with it because, clearly, I could not have planned for my life. This just happened ? and it is still happening? F***ing amazing!??

?Queer? has a lot of messy sex: ?Yes, because sex is messy?There are terrible sex scenes and I?ve probably been in a few. So it was important not to be coy.?

?Queer? has nothing to do with James Bond: ?I couldn?t have done this while doing Bond.? Why not? ?It would look reactionary, like I was showing my range. Early on with Bond I thought I had to do other work, but I didn?t. I was becoming a star, whatever that means, and people wanted me in their films. Incredible. Most actors are out of work for large chunks so you take your job offers ? but they left me empty. Then, bottom line, I got paid. I was so exhausted at the end of a Bond it would take me six months to recover emotionally. I always had the attitude that life must come first and, when work came first for a while, it strung me out.?

He?s 56 years old with a 6-year-old daughter Grace: ?I live a busy life and so does my wife. We have children. I think how work will impact my life. [Craig has a grown-up daughter from a previous relationship, while Weisz has a teenage son with the director Darren Aronofsky.]?

Whether Bond producers controlled his image: ?No, but the last thing I?d want is to screw with the brand. That?s shooting yourself in the foot. Again, people would ask, ?What conversation are you trying to raise?? I don?t have the energy.?

Whether he cares about his replacement as 007: ?But of course I care! I keep saying I don?t, because people ask me all the time and I?m an ornery, grumpy old man, so I say I don?t give a sh-t. But I care about it deeply ? deeply. I care what the franchise does, because I love Barbara [Broccoli] and Michael [G Wilson, the producers]. But it?s not my decision or problem. I wish them luck.?

Art is important: ?I know what people think of actors ? ?Oh, silly people.? Yet I?m proud of what I do and it?s important that people do what I do.? In what way? ?Because it is being eroded,? he says. He mentions Dahomey, this year?s documentary about art returned from France to Benin. ?It makes you think what our culture means and, without it, we are nothing. Any government that takes funding away from our cultural life is stripping us, so if I play a very small part in creating some culture, then I?m incredibly proud. Look, I grew up with subsidised theatre. Some was brilliant, some was sh-t. But it flooded money into this country and enriched it. Also, my family didn?t have any money. My mother was a teacher. It was pitiful the wage she was on. I don?t look at my upbringing as harsh ? just normal. But I went to drama school on a full ride. That doesn?t exist any more. Who can afford to go to drama school now??

Male vulnerability: ?Male vulnerability is really interesting because, as tough as men appear to be, they?re all vulnerable. We all hide ? from our kids, spouses, colleagues. The armour of masculinity is there for a reason and what is that reason? I?m always exploring it.?

Whether he cares if he gets his first Oscar nomination: ?Of course! Don?t be stupid, I?d be over the moon to get a nomination.? This is refreshing ? few admit that awards matter. ?Well, it?s scary. Awards go the way of the wind, but I cannot say, ?I don?t give a sh-t!? Still, years ago I learnt how arbitrary this is. It was soul-destroying, rejection after rejection. Because you think, ?Can I act?? But there?s nothing you can do about it. It?s a coin toss in many ways, so you have to let it go. And it?s all gravy for me now.?

[From The Times]

The thing about drama school is interesting ? I remember this was a larger conversation more than a decade ago, when British people started wondering where all of the working-class actors had gone and why every British actor under the age of 35 was a posh private-school graduate. Are there really no more drama school scholarships for working class actors?? As for all of the Bond talk? three years and the producers still haven?t found the new Bond. They won?t ask for Daniel?s blessing, but sure, he does care who takes over. Anyway, I hope he and Rachel Weisz are happy. Sexiest couple, ISTG.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

Happy 29th birthday to Capricorn king Timothee Chalamet. [Hollywood Life]
Jay-Z?s accuser will remain unidentified publicly. [JustJared]
Young Ralph Fiennes! [GFY]
Matt Gaetz?s insane texts. [Jezebel]
A rave review of Babygirl. [Pajiba]
Men are awful, part eleventy billion. [Buzzfeed]
Amanda Bynes made a rare public appearance. [Socialite Life]
Jeopardy had a ?cinematic vampires? category. [Seriously OMG]
Jared Leto was cast as Skeletor?? [OMG Blog]

As I looked through the ?royal Christmas? photos of the Windsors? walk to church, I was slightly surprised to see the Snowdons and Chattos included. The current Earl of Snowdon, David Armstrong-Jones, went to Sandringham for Christmas, as did Samuel Chatto, the 28-year-old grandson of the late Princess Margaret. While King Charles is reportedly close to his first cousins (David Armstrong-Jones and Sarah Chatto), I didn?t realize that he was close enough to their children to extend invitations to Sandringham. Not only that, but Samuel Chatto was ?allowed? to bring his girlfriend, Eleanor Ekserdjian, to royal Christmas as well. It?s the first time a girlfriend/partner has been included since? Meghan Markle in 2017.

The Duchess of Sussex was missing from Sandringham, but there was one member of the Royal Family who benefited from a tradition that was broken for the American former actress. Princess Margaret?s grandson Samuel Chatto was allowed to invite his girlfriend, Eleanor Ekserdjian, to stay at the Norfolk retreat.

She was able to do so after King Charles followed the example of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth, who permitted Meghan Markle to join the festive gathering in 2017, five months before she exchanged vows with Prince Harry at St George?s Chapel, Windsor. Meghan was the first person to be allowed to spend Christmas at Sandringham before marrying into the Royal Family.

Kate Middleton, for example, had to wait until after she became the Duchess of Cambridge and Sophie Rhys-Jones did not stay before she married Prince Edward and received the Countess of Wessex title.

?This is a clear sign that there will be a royal wedding in the new year,? remarks an excited observer of the Windsors.

I disclosed in 2021 that Sam, 28, had started going out with Eleanor, who?s an artist and also 28.
Not only had Edinburgh University graduate Sam struck up a romance with the London-based painter, but he had also become her muse. Eleanor told me at the time: ?We are a couple.?

Inspired by her new love, the arts professor?s daughter had started depicting Sam in her work. Eton-educated ceramicist Sam comes from an arty family himself: his mother, the King?s cousin Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, often submits her artworks for the Royal Academy?s summer exhibition, and his father is the actor-turned-artist Daniel Chatto.

[From The Daily Mail]

It?s interesting that the extended Armstrong-Jones clan is so artsy! Tony Armstrong-Jones, the first Earl of Snowdon, was a famous and talented photographer. Princess Margaret was very musical too, and she had the dramatic flair of an actress. Their children got involved in the art world, and their children are artsy too. That being said, Samuel?s younger brother Arthur is in the Royal Marines. Maybe he paints or sculpts though, you never know. As for a potential engagement in the new year? it?s likely, given the girlfriend?s inclusion at Sandringham. The Windsors need those kinds of events too, family weddings and youth.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

On Christmas Day, the Princess of Wales looked like she was feeding on the attention she got by being center stage on the church walk. Kate apparently lingered with the crowd, shaking hands and taking photos and accepting gifts. Prince William left her behind, taking the kids ahead and waiting a distance away. Kate was the last royal left on the ?walkabout.? I?m of two minds about that ? one, it?s telling that William and the kids weren?t also greeting people at the same time and the visual of William and the kids leaving her behind is pretty interesting. On the other side, it?s a sort of royal fan-service and more people in that family should chat longer with their fans. And the people who come out to see the Windsors on Christmas Day really are the biggest die-hard royalists out there. People Magazine had an exclusive with comments from some of the people who met Kate:

Her presence on Christmas Day, alongside Prince William and their children ? Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6 ? was both comforting and uplifting as she warmly interacted with well-wishers, receiving hugs, handshakes and heartfelt Christmas wishes. Kate?s connection with the public was palpable, as she engaged with each person. There was a clear sense of joy and relief in her demeanor ? her face lighting up as she smiled and chatted with the crowd.

?I think I?ve lost my family!? she quipped at one point to the crowd as she realized that she was the last royal family member left on the walkabout. William and their children were several yards away, waiting for Kate to finish so they could return to Sandringham for their Christmas lunch. It was a moment that harkened back to Kate?s signature style ? always happy to linger with the people who come out to see her, even when it means she?s the last to leave.

One of the many who benefitted from Kate?s personal touch on Christmas was Louis Beauchamp, a teacher from Paris who had traveled to Sandringham specifically to see Kate. Beauchamp had met Kate for the first time in May 2023 ahead of the King?s coronation, when she and Prince William visited a pub for a walkabout.

?I had an unforgettable interaction with Catherine,? Beauchamp tells PEOPLE. ?She told me she was trying to get her kids to speak more French and urged me to keep up the hard work with my students. Unfortunately, when she announced she was suffering from cancer, I knew we would not be seeing her in public for a very long time,? he continues. ?Sandringham was the best opportunity for me. So, I booked a trip and went there to show I was still there to support her and always will.?

Beauchamp, who teaches English in France and has been inspired by the princess?s Early Years work, had a special gift for Kate ? a scarf he had made for in Morocco, along with a heartfelt letter about the ?positive impact she has had on my life over the years,? he says. When he handed it to her, Kate thanked him for his kindness.

?She thanked me very much and said it was wonderful and so kind of me to have come again,? he shares. ?She was as genuine and close to people as I remembered. She seemed so happy to be with us again. You could tell she was truly touched.?

Another well-wisher, 73-year-old Karen Maclean, who has endured cancer for over 20 years, shared a heartfelt exchange with both Kate and King Charles.

?We just had a little talk about cancer,? she told Sky News, noting the warm connection she shared with the Princess of Wales. Kate gave Maclean a hug as she learned the woman had traveled all the way from North Lincolnshire for the occasion. She noted that both Kate and King Charles, who was also diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, appeared ?very well actually, considering what they?re going through.? As for her embrace from the princess, she added, ?What a privilege.?

[From People]

I honestly can?t imagine doing this much to see any royal. It?s very much a dedicated fanbase, like Taylor Swift?s Swifties or Beyonce?s Beyhive. Kate is their ?queen? and they?ll book their trip from France to Norfolk on Christmas Day just for a glimpse of Kate. Anyway, Kate?s appearance and demeanor in Sandringham this year sort of made me believe that the Windsors are actively benching her, as opposed to ?Kate doesn?t WANT to do anything, so she isn?t.? Kate probably wanted to go to those tiara-events but she was told to stay home. She was probably also told she could only go to Wimbledon for one day. And Buckingham Palace probably didn?t know anything about that fakakta ?cancer-free? video before it dropped.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

In a few weeks, Prince Harry?s lawsuit against News Group Newspapers moves to trial. NGN is the Murdoch family?s British media arm, which publishes the Times of London and The Sun, although the hacking claims against NGN put News of the World out of business more than a decade ago. While gossip blogs have been covering the ins and outs of Harry?s lawsuits for years, it?s worth remembering that pretty much all of the American and British media will be watching this trial closely. I didn?t know this, but it?s the first time someone has accused NGN of hacking and unlawful activity and taken it all the way to trial. Hundreds of hacking victims have sued NGN, and NGN has managed to settle with them before their cases have gone to trial. According to Puck News, the Murdochs have spent hundreds of millions of dollars/pounds settling these cases. Puck News spoke to a British lawyer, Mark Stephens, about what to expect from Harry?s trial, and I found all of this fascinating. You can read the full Puck piece here. Some highlights:

What is Harry?s legal claim? ?The claim is essentially that there was an unlawful acquisition of information by the newspaper?sometimes by hacking, but sometimes by deception. Given that in previous cases, judges have made findings about particular journalists being involved with particular private detectives who got information unlawfully, the question is: How did they get information [about Harry] which wasn?t in the public domain? And the inability to demonstrate where the information comes from creates an inference of hacking.?

A deal with Prince William: ?The first question is whether this is time-barred, and here there is an additional layer of complexity because it?s asserted that [Murdoch?s company] did a deal with Buckingham Palace to give Prince William good publicity. And as a consequence of that, members of the royal family?William and Harry?[agreed they] wouldn?t sue. So there becomes the question of first, did Harry know about the claim, and second, did he know about the compromise of the claim?

An alleged secret deal: ?The trial is going to delve into some of the backroom deals that Harry says were done, and are probably more embarrassing, both for the newspaper and the palace. Was there a secret deal for the newspaper to give good publicity to the royal family, and in return, they undertook not to sue? The judge has to make that determination first. If the newspaper loses the time-bar issue, I think it?s almost certain that Harry will win at least some of the unlawful acquisition of information claims. The time-bar issue is really important, which is why the newspaper is bringing in a very eminent king?s counsel to cross-examine Harry.

Harry?s four-day cross-examination: ?They?re going to try and destroy him in cross-examination, because Harry?s case is pretty straightforward. Harry says, ?There may have been people in the palace who knew about this unlawful intrusion, but I didn?t know, and therefore I wasn?t able to exercise my rights.? The newspaper, on the other hand, says, ?Well, of course you knew, and you had every opportunity to bring your claim, and you just missed the time.?

What kind of damages Harry needs to win: ?I think the answer is that this is not an economic case. Harry has made it clear that he?s not in it to either cover or make his cost. He wants accountability. He feels that his life has been intruded upon, that it?s had an impact on his relationships with others. And then you layer on top of that, the way in which the media treated Princess Diana, his mother. And of course, you start to understand why this is such an issue of principle for Harry.

The Will Lewis issue: ?Here, it?s the position from claimants?not just Harry, but all of them?that Will Lewis oversaw the hiding of information, the deletion of emails. That?s part of the discomfort he?s been experiencing these last few months?.There?s basically three phases of what happened you can categorize. First, pretty much industrial-level unlawful newsgathering. Then, the stage when they decided to stop it. Finally, what they did about evidence of past wrongdoings. And that?s where Harry says they deleted internal emails in a way that was non-retrievable. Not only deleted them off the local servers, but also backup servers. And you?ll understand just how unusual that is. That is going to be an interesting area at this trial, because, of course, when you?re dealing with an inferential case where there?s no smoking gun, you?re having to piece information together. So the question becomes: Is that the action of an entirely innocent news organization that they delete all historic emails from particular mailboxes? The judge will have to make an assessment.

Whether Will Lewis will testify: ?I don?t think he will be testifying, but he will be mentioned in the dispatches, in the evidence. And the allegations made against him?that he oversaw a cover-up or a clean-up, whatever you call it?is something, whether the newspaper wins or loses, that?s going to raise more questions after the trial.

When a decision/verdict might come: ?I would think it?s going to take a while, because it?s an inferential case, so the judgment will be reserved. [Ed. note: The trial is scheduled to last two months, and the outcome won?t come immediately.] It?s going to be quite a long case, and so I would think it?ll take a month or so before the judge gives his judgment.?

[From Puck News]

The thing that struck me, as I read this, is that Harry and his lawyers have spent years getting their ducks in a row, and once they prove that there?s no statute of limitations on his claims, it?s pretty likely that he?ll win at least part of his case. The fact that Harry seemingly doesn?t care about the money is interesting too ? I mean, we knew that, and we knew that even if he wins, it?s likely he won?t even break even financially. He really is standing on principle, and even more than that, he wants to burn the whole thing down and expose the rot within Britain?s tabloid media and the compromised royal institution. The thing is, say he wins or has a partial win here, but the damages don?t even come close to ensuring that he breaks even. THAT is how it will be reported in the British media and probably the American media too ? they?ll be focused on the money, not necessarily the legal victory.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

This year, King Charles delivered his Christmas speech at Fitzrovia Chapel, a former London hospital chapel. Royal commentators theorized that Charles chose the location so that people wouldn?t analyze the family photos on display on one of his desks, because usually the Christmas speeches are staged in one of palaces or castles. Charles apparently chose the location because it was associated with a hospital, and because the Windsors have had a lot of medical and health crises in 2024. Charles said, in part: ?From a personal point of view, I offer special, heartfelt thanks to the selfless doctors and nurses who, this year, have supported me and other members of my family through the uncertainties and anxieties of illness, and have helped provide the strength, care and comfort we have needed.? I saw people talking about how it was notable that Charles didn?t mention Kate by name, but it?s possible that he wanted to be more general about it because of Princess Anne?s head injury and hospitalization. Meanwhile, all of the royal commentators are talking about how there was no mention of the Sussexes as well.

King Charles crucially left Prince Harry and Prince Andrew out of his Christmas Day speech. While his annual message featured snippets of Prince William and the wider Royal Family, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, and his disgraced brother Prince Andrew, were not mentioned at all. According to royal expert and historian Dr Tessa Dunlop, the omission was a sign that the King had ?clearly made up his mind?.

Analysing the King?s speech, Tessa told The Mirror: ?Lest we are in any doubt, the clever film that accompanied this speech, underscored the importance of the King?s royal A-Team, on hand to deliver what Charles considers to be an alternative to global killing: a listening and understanding mission that leads to actions for the good of all.?

?As well as a replay of the King?s famous hug with the New Zealand women?s rugby team, there was footage of Kate at Trooping the Colour, Camilla in Scotland and Australia, William serving food to the homeless and, of course, those royal stalwarts, Princess Anne and the Edinburghs.?

Tessa noted: ?Crucially, also-rans Princes Andrew and Harry were nowhere to be seen. The King has clearly made up his mind about how to ?act for the good of all?, choosing to focus on family strengths, not weaknesses, to shore up a nation (and a world) for a difficult year ahead.?

It has been years since Harry and Andrew featured in the royal monarch?s Christmas speech, with the late Queen Elizabeth notably missing the pair from her message in 2019. The King has since ditched the tradition altogether.

[From The Daily Mirror]

The thing is, I don?t really care if Charles failed to mention or reference his son or one of his brothers in a Christmas speech. I get the idea that this is always supposed to be a more general speech, rather than a laundry list of grievances or a roll call of family members. The thing that bugs me is that Charles publicly ignoring one of his sons (not to mention a daughter-in-law and two of his grandkids) reflects how Charles treats the Sussexes privately, with zero interest or care or warmth. It simply doesn?t reflect well on Charles as a king or a father that he?s allowed this estrangement to metastasize to this point. Which was also what Tom Sykes at the Daily Beast said about the Christmas morning walk in his piece, ?Royals? Walk to Christmas Service Reveals Deep Family Dysfunction.?

The annual walk to the Church of St, Mary Magdalene is supposed to exude an impression of unity, stability, and conventional family values. Despite a rapturous reception by a crowd estimated at over 1,000 at this year?s promenade, it exposed deep fractures within the family.

While Kate and William and their children George, Charlotte and Louis were the stars of the show, there was zero public acknowledgement of the king?s other son, Prince Harry, his wife Meghan Markle, or their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, who are in self-imposed exile in California.

[From The Daily Beast]

I?m not sure how there could have been an ?acknowledgement? of the Sussexes at the walk to church, but perhaps Charles and his courtiers could have NOT briefed the media that no invitations were extended to the Sussexes and that Charles does not give a sh-t about one of his sons and two of his grandkids?

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

For the past five months or so, Ben Affleck and his publicist give monthly updates on how well he?s doing. The updates always feel so utterly random too, they?re always variations of ?Ben Affleck is doing great these days, he?s looking forward to spending time with his kids for [insert holiday].? Well, People Magazine got another update just before Christmas ? Ben wants us to know that he is ?healthy, single and enjoying life,? according to a source, who also said that Ben ?is spending the holiday with his children and is excited to have Violet home for break.? Ben keeps insisting that he?s single and that he spends his free time with his kids, and I simply don?t believe it. I still wonder what went down with Kick Kennedy and whether they?re still dealing with each other, and whether that was one of the bigger reasons why Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce. Speaking of J.Lo, Ben apparently gave her a book for Christmas.

Ben Affleck put some thought into his Christmas gift for Jennifer Lopez this year despite their ongoing divorce. The ?Batman? star, 52, ?purchased an autographed Marlon Brando book? for the ?Let?s Get Loud? singer, 55, before the estranged couple exchanged presents Sunday, Page Six can exclusively reveal.

Mystery Pier Books owner Louis Jason tells us Affleck bought ?a few books? from his West Hollywood, Calif., store located on Sunset Blvd. The Oscar winner picked up the meaningful item before heading to meet the ?Hustlers? actress for lunch at the members-only Soho House.

?Ben gifted Jennifer with the book because she?s a fan, plus her Super Bowl bodysuit was inspired by Marlon Brando,? a source tells Page Six. ?The gifts were mostly for each other?s kids, but they did exchange a few small things for each other as well. It was nothing over the top, but more so a gesture to celebrate the holidays. Ben and Jennifer have remained amicable despite the ongoing divorce proceedings.?

As we previously reported, Affleck and Lopez have every intention of continuing to be in each other?s lives despite not being romantically involved.

?Ben and Jennifer are still connected, and they do communicate when it involves their kids,? a source recently shared with us.

[From Page Six]

I actually looked up the Marlon Brando-inspired costume for her Halftime performance, and it?s real. Jennifer really did base one of her Halftime costumes on a 1991 Vogue photoshoot with Brando. The more you know! Yeah, I didn?t realize that J.Lo enjoys Brando that much. It feels a bit weird to me that Ben and J.Lo met one-on-one to exchange gifts, but he didn?t personally give his gifts to Emme & Max? He was their stepfather, he spent a lot of time with them and now he didn?t even see them for the holidays? Hm. Also: J.Lo and her kids were in Aspen for Christmas (photos below), so that explains why she and Ben met days before Christmas.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.

Angelina Jolie finally did a Vanity Fair ?Awards Insider? interview. Every awards-season hopeful does these but she had been avoiding it for some reason. She ended up calling in from Paris, where she?s working on Alice Winocour?s film Stitches. She spoke about working on a French film, and she spoke a lot about Maria Callas and what this journey has been like, promoting Maria for months. VF also got her to talk about the 25th anniversary of Girl, Interrupted too. As a special treat. Some highlights:

Most of her dialogue in ?Stitches? is in French. ?I?m not fluent?I speak a bit, but?to mean every word and give a performance takes a different kind of understanding about what it is I?m saying, to be emotional and not think about the language. It?s a different challenge.?

Why ?Maria? felt like a homecoming for her as an actress & artist: ?I wasn?t myself for a while, so I wasn?t able to give as much to my work for a few years. To feel like I could work again and communicate and to be with nice people?so much of what I do is collaboration with other artists. When it goes well, you?re creating together. When you?re with nice people and creative people, you learn so much about yourself and about life. You?re in a safe place to play and stretch.?

It feels meaningful to be doing this kind of work again: ?It really does. Probably more than I can even express. If no one receives your piece, or if you don?t connect, then it?s like shouting in the dark. It means a lot that people have responded to Maria. I?ve always felt, ever since I was very young, that film has been a way to communicate with the world and not feel as alone. We?re all going through this human condition and this life. So it?s very, very healing to be able to be a part of these films and to talk to you about this and to live that way. And I missed it. I realized I did really miss it. I missed being an artist.

Going dark: ?I went very dark for reasons I?d rather not explain, but I didn?t have a lot of light and life within me. Your light?s dim. I also just needed to be home more, so I couldn?t commit large periods of time to pieces. The choice of what to work on and when was not a creative choice, often, the last few years, but sometimes the practical choice. Really, I think Maria was the beginning of starting to come alive again. I needed a lot of kind people around me to hold my hand. I know I say it too often, but our business can be a lot of things. At the end of the day, we?re very fortunate to do what we do, and we are spending a lot of time with big, deep, emotional feelings. If you don?t do that with people who you?re safe with, it can affect you in very bad ways.

Shooting ?Maria? was a heavy experience: ?It was heavy. Maria was a very full experience. I wasn?t able to leave her on set like you sometimes do. Part of that was because I was always doing training after [shooting] anyway; there was always a next aria. But it was all leading towards the death, and the death was the last thing we shot. I?m almost 50, and my mom had cancer when she was 48. You?re actually thinking about death, about things that cause you grief or that you have lost in your life.

25 years since Girl, Interrupted: ?I remember that I didn?t think of [Lisa] as crazy and that she was a real person. She needed to be loved, and she felt alone, and she wanted truth. I only saw it once?it?s hard for me to talk about it because I saw it once 25 years ago?but from my memory, she wanted someone to be honest with her and to connect, and somehow ended up feeling very, very alone in that way?not dissimilar to Maria. Not finding somebody who understood her enough, not finding a way forward where she was okay. Is this a theme? That I?m alone? What is this? [Laughs] There?s probably some very tragic thing that I don?t want to address right now, but?yeah.

How she related to Lisa: ?Even if they thought they were complimenting me playing Lisa, they were complimenting me playing a crazy person. That did make me sad because I didn?t think of her that way, and I didn?t like hearing I was referred to that way. But it was also a time where I was still trying to understand myself, and maybe there was something about me that I was not understanding?about what people consider crazy. I mean, that?s the honest truth. The honest truth was during that time when you?re trying to figure yourself out and you?re young and you?re a bit wild and strong and curious and emotional?and people say, ?No, that?s crazy. She?s crazy. You?re crazy.? It probably just isolated me more and made me think I must be different. Maybe I?m dark, or maybe I?m off, or maybe I?m not what people want me to be either.

Taking ?Maria? to Venice: ?It was a funny thing bringing her to Venice because she was in Venice?we even say it in the film; Onassis talks about seeing her in the Venice Film Festival. I was trying to figure out what to wear, and there were pictures of her in Venice wearing little fur; that?s why I wore a little fake fur. It was strange. And I sing in Italian and I?m in Italy; how?s that going to go? These are people that really know these arias, and this is an art form that is very respected and understood here. I was very excited for those reasons to bring it to Venice and very nervous. When it was received well, when you felt the room appreciated it, it was a huge relief. Then when you?re with people you love, you look around at the faces of the artists that you worked with, and it?s a beautiful moment.

She?d like to do a comedy! ?I just wrote to a friend of mine today, Eunice, who?s in Liverpool, and she said, ?Why aren?t you doing?you should do something funny.? I wrote back and I said, ?I?d like to find something funny,? but I?m not sure. I?m never sure how funny I am. I would love to do something fun and light. I think I?d have to be the straight man. I feel like that?s what I am. I get that. In Maleficent, it was like, Okay, I?ll be the straight person. There are so many wonderful directors I?d love to have a chance to work with. I?d like to just be allowed to play in this arena. I?d love for people to reach out and be willing to invite me to play with them and create with them. So we?ll see. Yeah, comedy, maybe.

[From Vanity Fair]

?Your light?s dim. I also just needed to be home more, so I couldn?t commit large periods of time to pieces. The choice of what to work on and when was not a creative choice, often, the last few years, but sometimes the practical choice.? I get that, and we knew it as it was happening, that she was taking work which would shoot quickly or smaller roles where she could do her part in a month or so. After she left Brad Pitt, she really just needed to be home with her kids and heal, but she also needed money and I?m glad that people were still giving her those roles and projects. I really hope that Maria represents the next era of her career, where she gets back to acting regularly and takes on bigger roles in bigger films. Also: crazy that she was nervous about going to Venice, because the Italians were obsessed with her. She was met with a rapturous response in Venice and elsewhere.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

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On December 23, Luigi Mangione appeared in person at the New York State Supreme Court for his arraignment. He pleaded not guilty to the first-degree murder charges for the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. He already has at least one heavy-hitter defense lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, who appeared in court with Luigi at his arraignment. She already put the NYPD on blast for the over-the-top perp walk last week, which looked more like some melodramatic scene from a copaganda movie. She name-checked NYC?s Mayor Eric Adams too, who is (like Luigi) under indictment.

I try not to spend too much time on social media during the holidays but even I am aware that Luigi?s arraignment caused a large-scale commotion. People were analyzing his clothes ? a burgundy sweater (from Nordstrom), button-down shirt and khakis ? and his overall styling and grooming. During his perp walk, people noticed that Luigi had seemingly gotten a fresh shave, a fade haircut and someone had groomed his eyebrows, all while he was in custody in a Pennsylvania prison. He looked similarly well-groomed in court this week. Some suggest that this is the way prisoners from Pennsylvania to New York are showing that Luigi is being protected and cared for while in custody. That being said, I don?t think they?re giving him facials. I think he just has great skin and he?s extremely photogenic.

Speaking of Luigi serving FACE, there is obviously a growing contingent of Luigi Mangione supporters. Per ABC News, at Luigi?s arraignment, ?about two dozen women, who waited in line in the frigid cold for public seats in the courtroom gallery, said they were there to support Mangione. Most of the women wore face masks and a few appeared visibly emotional as Mangione entered the courtroom.? I?ve mentioned this before, but I?m not sure I?ve seen anything like this in my lifetime ? like, the lionization of an accused murderer on a national scale. The babygirlification of a guy accused of murking a CEO.

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Photos courtesy of Getty.