Dolly Parton is a national treasure, an international icon, a woman without peer, a humanitarian, a brilliant businesswoman, and just a lovely person. All Dolly does is win. She befriends a local doctor and out of that friendship, Dolly ends up funding the creation of a Covid vaccine. Dolly wanted kids born in poverty to have access to books, and somehow she ended up sending out millions of books to children all over America over the course of decades. Dolly told RuPaul that she’s pretty sure she’s a bigger drag queen and RuPaul didn’t say sh-t because he knew she was right!! Dolly defies demographics. Dolly is forever. Recently, Tennessee lawmakers introduced a bill to erect a Dolly Parton statue in Nashville. The statue had broad support among Republicans and Democrats. But it does not have Dolly’s support.

It was something that Democrats and Republicans in Nashville could agree on: a statue of the country music legend Dolly Parton on the grounds of the State Capitol. The only problem? It doesn’t have Parton’s vote.

The singer released a statement on Thursday asking the Tennessee General Assembly to pull a bill that would have started the process for commissioning a statue of her.

“Given all that is going on in the world, I don’t think putting me on a pedestal is appropriate at this time,” Parton said in the statement, which was posted on Twitter and Instagram.

A monument to Parton gained support during a debate over whether to remove the bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest, a former Confederate general, slave trader and leader of the Ku Klux Klan, from the Tennessee State Capitol. In 2019, a Republican House leader, Representative Jeremy Faison, suggested Parton as a potential replacement for the Forrest bronze; in January, a Democratic legislator, Representative John Mark Windle, introduced a bill to initiate plans for the statue on Capitol grounds. According to the bill, the statue would be positioned to face Ryman Auditorium, a storied country music venue.

In her statement, Parton, 75, left the option open for a statue to be erected in the future, writing, “I hope, though, that somewhere down the road several years from now or perhaps after I’m gone if you still feel I deserve it, then I’m certain I will stand proud in our great State Capitol as a grateful Tennessean.”

The singer was being considered for her role in country music history, her philanthropy and her strong Tennessee roots. (She was born in Sevierville, Tenn., or as she likes to say, “the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains.”) It helped that Parton has long kept her political opinions to herself, saying in the 2019 podcast series “Dolly Parton’s America” that she avoided the subject because “I have too many fans on both sides of the fence.”

Representative Windle’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether he planned to remove the bill from consideration. The bill was scheduled to be considered by a House committee on Tuesday.

[From The NY Times]

I’m including Dolly’s full statement below. She’s a treasure and truly a good human. I understand her point completely about how this is a weird moment to talk about a statue. That being said, I wouldn’t mind at all if the state legislature just went ahead and voted on it and began to take action on commissioning the statue. By the time everything is completed, maybe Dolly will be ready for it. And by saying she doesn’t want the statue right now, just proves the point of why she should have the statue. Let’s replace all of the Confederate statues with Dolly Parton. And Harriet Tubman. And, f–k it, Beyonce.

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— Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) February 18, 2021

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Avalon Red.

What a week it’s been for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle headlines. On Sunday they announced that they’re expecting their second child. On Monday CBS announced that they’re doing an interview with Oprah for a 90-minute special. All week there’s been speculation about the end of the one-year interim …

The Sunday Times had an interesting (paywalled) article about the Duchess of Sussex’s summary judgment victory last week, just about one full week ago. Justice Warby handed down his judgment that the Mail absolutely violated Meghan’s copyright and they did so without good reason. Not only that, they wildly misrepresented the actual text and context of Meghan’s letter to her father. While the Mail has made some noise about appealing the judgment, there’s definitely a strange vibe around all of this since the summary judgment went Meghan’s way. Personally, I believe Buckingham Palace leaned on some powerful people to ensure that the lawsuit would just go away, because they see the whole thing as embarrassing. Plus, Prince Charles and Prince William’s staff were getting dragged into it and we can’t have that! Which is what makes this Sunday Times story so bizarre. According to their unnamed sources, “royal insiders” are “shocked” by the judgment and there were people in the palace looking forward to testifying… or something. It’s very odd.

Royal insiders were “shocked” by Meghan Markle’s court win, it is claimed – with four key palace aides prevented from “shedding light” on the case. The Duchess of Sussex found out on Thursday that her court action against the publishers of The Mail on Sunday had been successful, and would not proceed to a trial. It meant key aides to Harry and Meghan, known as the “palace four” were denied their day in court.

The newspaper published extracts from a letter she sent to her dad Thomas, with Lord Justice Warby ruling it was a breach of her privacy and copyright. If a trial had gone ahead, Meghan could have been cross-examined and might have had to face off with her estranged dad, who has not met Harry or son Archie. Associated Newspapers had been set to argue that the Duchess knew her letter would end up in the public domain – but this will not be tested in court.

Jason Knauf, Harry and Meghan’s former communications secretary, who reportedly “contributed” to a draft of her letter to Thomas, 76, was among those likely to have testified. The couple’s former private secretary Samantha Cohen, their ex-communications secretary Sara Latham and Christian Jones, who was their deputy communications secretary, were also poised to shed light on the case.

After Thursday’s ruling, an insider told the Sunday Times : “It’s like the judge decided the evidence was irrelevant.” The source said the four aides were not “duty-bound to sit here and be silent”.

Another said they were “shocked” by the ruling as a letter from the palace four’s legal team described them as “credible” and said they could “shed some light” on the creation of the letter. It is claimed they could give insight into whether Meghan expected the letter to become public, and whether she helped the authors of biography Finding Freedom, which gave a favourable impression of the Sussexes.

An Associated Newspapers source said: “We are astonished that the judge doesn’t want to hear evidence from the palace four when they say they are willing to give evidence and can shed light on the creation of the letter and whether she anticipated it would become public.” The newspaper group is reportedly “carefully considering” an appeal.

[From The Daily Mirror]

The wording is so curious, right? This sh-t originated in the Sunday Times, a legit news outlet which breaks stories about the royals all the time, but the wording in the original story was bizarre too. The basic claim is that “royal sources” think the Palace Four are mad that they don’t get to testify AGAINST Meghan and “shed some light” on the writing of the letter and whether or not Meghan… knew her father would eventually sell the letter to the Mail. From where I sit, none of the Palace Four wanted to testify at all. It was the Mail and their lawyers who were eager to draw this out. So why are “royal sources” taking the position of the Mail? Also: as Justice Warby wrote in his decision, if there are still questions about who owns the copyright for the letter, there’s still room to adjudicate that in March. It will be up to Jason Knauf and the rest of the Palace Four to testify if they want to claim that the copyright belongs to them as well.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, WENN and Backgrid.

I don’t watch Southern Charm, but Naomie Olindo, 28, was on up until last season. My friend Briana told me that Naomi “seemed a little too try hard to stay interesting” and that “her relationship with Craig was SO toxic and annoying,” but that was just how Craig is. I’m covering Naomi because she shared before and after photos on her Instagram stories of getting Botox and fillers in her jawline and cheeks. We actually covered her in 2018 when she got a nose job and was open about that too. This woman is 28 years old and looked lovely before, so I don’t get it. This was probably comped and/or sponsored by the esthetician. Naomi posted this on her Instagram stories but it’s no longer available so I’m using People’s writeup. Naomie’s current stories are sponcon posts from Mexico, where she’s on vacation with friends. Of course she is. She did make the point that people shouldn’t be ashamed about Botox and fillers and that it’s a personal choice. I agree with that.

Sharing a series of posts on her Instagram Story, according to Bravo, Olindo opened up about the changes she underwent, writing, “Y’all know I hate it when people try to judge about Botox/fillers.”

“It is absolutely okay to do exactly what you want to do and not be ashamed about it,” she added, also including before and after shots of her side profile after a visit to aesthetic medicine physician assistant, Cameron Moskos.

In another post, Olindo thanked Moskos for the work she did, noting, “Such a subtle and natural difference on my jawline.”

Noting that the pair “discussed her aesthetic goals and decided on a plan that included using dermal filler to enhance her cheeks, chin, and jawline,” Moskos added, “Oh, and of course a little Botox sprinkle!”

[From People]

Again, she looked great before. Many women who get Botox and fillers at a young age end up looking older because they get that homogenous look. However she made a good case that this is something we chose for ourselves. Plus it sounds like she’s happy with it. We’re all hopefully about to get vaccinated, although judging by her vacation to Mexico I doubt she’s taking covid seriously. The Moderna vaccine can cause facial swelling in people with fillers. Is she just going to wait until she can get Pfizer or one of the other vaccines that are hopefully approved soon? It just surprises me when women get this done so young, but we have a lot of options now to change our looks. Many people can get paid to do it too.

Look she went to the DNC but she doesn’t affiliate with any particularly party, ok? At least she picked the right one to be photographed at.

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It looks like she’s been traveling quite a bit.

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I don’t know about you, but I remember the Taylor Swift-Harry Styles breakup vividly. Their relationship only lasted a couple of months – long enough for several pretty pap strolls – and they reportedly broke up on or right around New Year’s Eve 2012/New Year’s Day 2013. While Taylor tried to play it like she dumped him and that he was broken up about it, I still remember Harry’s vibe of “whew, I’m so glad that’s over.” He went back to England post-breakup and Taylor literally flew out there to try to see him!! God, I still remember all of that. I’ve been thinking about that brief Swift-Styles relationship because, honestly, I’m getting a similar vibe from Olivia Wilde. Way too extra, way too fast. And like Swifty’s publicist back then, Olivia’s publicist is doing too much to promote this relationship, complete with careful updates to People Magazine.

Olivia Wilde and Harry Styles are heading across the pond. The pair, who were first seen holding hands at a friend’s wedding early last month, have been staying together at Styles’ Los Angeles home “for a while” and will soon be heading to England, a source tells PEOPLE.

Wilde will also be bringing her kids, son Otis, 6, and daughter Daisy, 4, to reunite with their dad Jason Sudeikis. The actor is currently filming the second season of Ted Lasso in London. Wilde, 36, and Styles, 27, had been working together on the upcoming film, Don’t Worry Darling, in L.A. The film is Wilde’s highly-anticipated sophomore directorial project which she also stars in.

[From People]

First of all, I’m super-excited that we’re getting a new season of Ted Lasso!! The first season was so good! Second of all, Olivia has had the kids this whole time, while she’s been directing a movie and banging one of the actors? Hm. Third of all, yeah… too much too fast. I suspect the main reason why Olivia is going to England is to drop off the kids and all that. But there are definitely some old-school Swifty vibes all around.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.

As I said this week, I enjoy the moments when American media outlets decide to run positive, light stories about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, especially when it happens in the midst of yet another British media meltdown. People Magazine has a series of small, upbeat stories celebrating Meghan, with sources providing simple, sugary quotes about her pregnancy. Reportedly, Meghan is overjoyed with her second pregnancy and she and Harry were slightly surprised that they got pregnant so quickly after the miscarriage. Now a source says that Meghan and Harry’s intention was always to be a “family of four.”

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are “over the moon” to be expecting a new addition to their family. The couple announced on Sunday that their son Archie, who will turn 2 in May, “is going to be a big brother” with a stunning black-and-white photo that shows Meghan cradling her baby bump as she rests outside in Harry’s lap.

“They are absolutely over the moon,” a friend of Meghan, 39, and Harry, 36, tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “They’ve always imagined their family of four and are so happy to finally be one.” A source close to the couple adds, “They always wanted for Archie to have a sibling close in age.”

[From People]

We already knew that Harry only wanted two kids max – he said as much to Jane Goodall, which sparked a meltdown in the press because how dare Harry suggest that William’s family of five was wrong?? I do think they’ll stop after this kid too, and they’ll be very happy with their heir and the spare. By my estimates, Lil’ Montecito will be born about a month or two after Archie’s second birthday. So… yeah, that is pretty close in age. It will be stressful for them for a few years but then it will be fun. Speaking of Meghan’s due date, Us Weekly had some thoughts:

“Harry and Meghan have always wanted a couple of kids — a little brother or sister for [their son], Archie, and they’re excitedly planning for the arrival of their bundle of joy,” a source exclusively tells Us Weekly. “It’s a dream come true. … Meghan fell pregnant again toward the end of last year. The baby is due at the end of spring.”

The insider notes that while “some couples feel overwhelmed by having two children so close in age,” the couple are “used to having a lot on their plate and multitasking.”

The pair “aren’t planning to hire a team of nannies” since the Suits alum’s mom, Doria Ragland, is “always willing” to help them out. “Doria loves being a grandma and looking after Archie,” the source explains. As for Harry, the former military pilot thinks that fatherhood “is the best feeling in the world … and can’t wait to do it all over again.”

[From Us Weekly]

I doubt they’ll have a “team of nannies” but I bet they have one nanny, or some part-time help or something. I doubt Doria is the permanent on-call babysitter, especially since it’s quite a drive from LA to Santa Barbara. As for Meghan possibly being due “at the end of Spring” – I guess that means early to mid-June? Perhaps late May. I’m not going to do the math on this, let’s just say Meghan got pregnant in August or September, because that’s basically what I was assuming anyway.

So… if Meghan is due in late May/early June, surely that means that Harry will stick around Montecito all that time, correct? Because the Windsor clan was absolutely trying to demand that he come back to the UK for a half-dozen events around then, including Trooping the Colour and Prince Philip’s 100th birthday (both in June). People Mag’s sources now say that Harry “is determined to at least make it back to the U.K. for the long-awaited unveiling of the statue to his mother, Princess Diana, that’s taking place at Kensington Palace in July. That is the event he is hoping to be able to return for, those close to him say. However, no travel arrangements have been solidified for the spring or summer.” Oh my gawd y’all, Harry really told the Queen to shove her dumb birthday parade up her petty royal bum.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.

Dear Gossips, Cody emailed me early this morning leading with “Happy Icy Park Day”, LOL. But also, that’s exactly what it is. In my time zone, the drop is happening at 4pm but on Twitter there are people who have gotten early access. This is Beyoncé’s third Ivy Park drop (fourth if you count the Dri…

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Has anyone watched Young Rock yet? I don’t understand the format, is it filmed like a mockuseries? It’s not fair to make you explain it to me, but the commercials and clips just don’t entice me. I know there are multiple versions of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in it and it chronicles his life from the 80s through the year 2032. And that DJ plays the last version of himself. That’s the part I want to talk about because that worries me. Apparently, in the series, Young Rock is running for president in 2032. And since the show revolves around DJ running for president, it has prompted outlets to ask the real DJ if this is something he is seriously considering. Hint: he is. He says he will only do it if we ask him to. But he really, really wants us to ask.

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In the new comedy series Young Rock, which is based on Johnson’s early life, the star makes appearances throughout as he runs for president in the year 2032. Speaking with USA Today this week, Johnson addressed the renewed rumors that he may make a real-life bid for commander-in-chief one day.

“I would consider a presidential run in the future if that’s what the people wanted. Truly I mean that, and I’m not flippant in any way with my answer,” he said. “That would be up to the people. … So I would wait, and I would listen. I would have my finger on the pulse, my ear to the ground.”

[From People]

The truth is DJ has been campaigning since 2016. He basically told us his intention to run in his 2017 GQ interview. And if you remember, he admitted he didn’t endorse a candidate in 2016 because he didn’t want to upset either side with his political views. So that’s where we’re starting with his candidacy. Fortunately, he understood the gravity of not speaking out against a feckless, power-hungry, narcissist like Trump for the last election and endorsed Biden. If we were discussing a 2032 presidential bid, I should sit back and wait to see if DJ gradually moves himself out of the private sector and into that of public servant. But who are we kidding, he’s already been dropping hints for years, he won’t wait much longer.

I think DJ is a very likeable guy. I’ll bet he is a blast to grab a beer with. But I do not think, with his wealth and privilege, that he has his finger anywhere near the pulse right now. I know he didn’t come from money and he brought himself up by his own bootstraps. I applaud that. But he’s a multi-millionaire in an industry that creates bubbles around their favorite sons. DJ hasn’t had his ear to the ground in some time. Plus, how many corporations/businesses is he tied to? He has a ton of private interests to protect on top of an overwhelming desire to be seen as the good guy. Then there is his lack of experience. Has he even held a position within SAG? This is truly no longer a joke. The people declared their interest when some fool created a Run the Rock campaign. And DJ himself stood on the stage at Comic Con and referred to himself as the People’s President. He wants this idea in our heads. Heck, he’s created an entire TV show to spell it out for us.

Photo credit: Instagram

Prince Philip – the Duke of Edinburgh – was admitted into a London hospital a few days ago. The Palace stressed that his ill health is not coronavirus-related, and that he checked into the hospital because he was feeling poorly in general, and he’s there for rest and observation. As I said, I would imagine that a 99-year-old man who has lived a very full and active life has many age-related health issues, but we really don’t know. I feel sorry for Philip, even knowing his problematic past. The man wanted to retire to Wood Farm and be left alone. Because of the pandemic, he’s been moved around several times and he’s had to navigate Windsor Castle and a “bubble” for months.

I kept waiting for the British media to explicitly blame the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for Philip’s hospitalization. While it’s been inferred in several articles, no one has actually come out and said “Philip is in the hospital because of Harry’s Oprah interview!” They still found another way to bring it around to Harry though:

Prince Harry is understood to be self-isolating in his LA mansion with Meghan Markle and baby Archie so he can race back to Britain if Prince Philip’s condition worsens, it’s reported. The Duke of Sussex, 36, is said to be sheltering from Covid at the couple’s California home while his grandfather is in hospital so he can fly home at short notice if Philip deteriorates.

Harry has made plans to fly back to the UK by private jet and is being kept “regularly informed” of Prince Philip’s health, the Mirror reports. Prince Philip, 99, fell ill at Windsor Castle on Tuesday and was rushed to London’s King Edward Hospital as a precaution. His condition is not Covid related.

Harry would be tested before leaving the US and once he returns, The Mirror understands. The US could be set to join England’s quarantine “red list” of countries, it was reported on Thursday. All travel between the countries would be banned, with Brits returning home forced to fork out up to £1,750 for a 10-night stay at a quarantine hotel. But members of the royal family enjoy special dispensation to travel so Harry wouldn’t have to self-isolate on arrival in Britain if he tested negative, it’s reported.

A source told The Mirror: “Harry is of course concerned for his grandfather’s welfare and is being kept regularly informed on his condition. He has chosen to stay in case he is required to return to the UK at short notice.”

[From The Sun]

I’ll be completely honest: I doubt Harry would fly to the UK if Philip merely remained hospitalized indefinitely. But… if Philip passed away, I do think that Harry would fly home. As he should, honestly? The Windsor clan is completely terrible, but Harry would absolutely try to make it back to attend a grandparent’s funeral. But no, Harry won’t fly back if his 100-year-old grandfather is merely getting tests done. I mean, Charles, William and the Queen aren’t even visiting Philip, and they all live a lot closer to the hospital.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, WENN.

I have so much respect for FKA Twigs and what she’s doing right now. In December, she sued Shia LaBeouf for the months of physical and emotional abuse he put her through. The lawsuit was Twigs’ attempt to force Shia to change, but the lawsuit became a jumping off point for Twigs to speak to women affected by abusive relationships. She’s truly using her platform to educate and inform about intimate partner violence. She covers the latest issue of Elle to discuss her new music, but the bulk of the interview is devoted to abuse, violence, and how Shia love-bombed and groomed her as his victim. She talks in great detail about what he did and when, why she stayed and how she left. The entire piece is worth a read. Some excerpts:

Coming out of it alive: “It’s a miracle I came out alive. If you put a frog in a boiling pot of water, that frog is going to jump out straightaway,” she says, attempting to explain the incremental and insidious nature of the abuse. “Whereas if you put a frog in cool water and heat it up slowly, that frog is going to boil to death. That was my experience being with [LaBeouf].”

How did she survive? “I think it’s luck. I honestly wish I could say that I found some strength and I saw this light. I wish I could say, ‘[It is] a testament to my strong character,’ or ‘It’s the way my mother raised me.’ It’s none of that. It’s pure luck that I’m not in that situation anymore.”

It can happen to a woman with money & access: “People wouldn’t think that it would happen to a woman like me. The biggest misconception is, ‘Well, you’re smart. If it was that bad, why didn’t you leave?’?” Her response: “It can happen to anyone.” And when the lockdown began, and she realized how many women were potentially stuck inside with their abusers, she got very anxious. “It made me realize I need to come forward and talk about my experience.”

Shia is a textbook abuser: “When I look at what happened with [LaBeouf], I think now the most frustrating thing is…a lot of the tactics the abuser will use are things that if I would’ve known, I could have spotted in the first month of my relationship.”

The love-bombing charm-offensive: “He would send me between 10 and 20 bunches of flowers a day for 10 days. Every time I would sit down to work or watch something, the doorbell would ring, and it would be another three bunches of flowers. On the tag, each time, it would say, ‘More love,’ ‘More love,’ ‘More love.’?” In hindsight, she says, “It was a bit too much. It felt uncomfortable. I look back now, and it feels like really aggressive love.”

When the abuse escalated: “After I moved into his house, that’s when the abuse really escalated. I realized then I wasn’t just dealing with a tortured person who was going through a divorce. Or that outside factors in his life [were] making him act out on me. I was involved with an inherently abusive person…. I was very intimidated living with him. He had a gun by the side of the bed and was erratic. [I never knew what would] make him angry with me.”

Shia bragged about shooting dogs: LaBeouf would shamelessly brag about shooting stray dogs. He said it helped him “get into character” as a gun-toting henchman for his role in 2020’s The Tax Collector. Twigs was disturbed by this confession and questioned him. “I said to him, ‘That’s really bad. Why are you doing that?’ And he was like, ‘Because I take my art seriously. You’re not supporting me in my art. This is what I do. It’s different from singing. I don’t just get up on a stage and do a few moves. I’m in the character.’ He made me feel bad, like I didn’t understand what it was like to be an actor or to do this…Method [acting technique].”

He isolated her: “If you’re not talking to your friends or your family about what you’re going through, then there’s no one to regulate your emotions or affirm how you’re feeling. There’s no one to tell you that you’re in a dangerous situation.”.

People around Shia knew: “I’m not here to throw people under the bus, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that there [were] people who were very close to him who knew exactly what was going on…. There [were] people who have worked with Shia that I openly spoke to about the abuse that I was going through. The reaction that I got [from his team] was pretty much, ‘Okay. Well, it’s Sundance.’?”

[From Elle]

There’s obviously so much more in just the Elle story, and there are still parts to Twigs’ story which she has chosen not to tell (which is her right). Towards the end of the relationship, Twigs also realized that Shia had given her an STD, something he knew he had and yet never disclosed. She details the horrific daily violence, but so much of what she’s still recovering from is the fact that he terrorized her emotionally and psychologically. Poor Twigs, and she’s so brave for doing this.

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Cover & IG courtesy of Elle.