Well, it’s official. Queen Elizabeth of House Petty has demanded that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex return their royal patronages. This was the punishment literally everyone knew was coming. The British media hyped the f–k out of this week following the twin reveals of the second Sussex pregnancy and the Sussexes’ upcoming Oprah interview. From the Windsors’ communications office:

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have confirmed to Her Majesty The Queen that they will not be returning as working members of The Royal Family.

Following conversations with The Duke, The Queen has written confirming that in stepping away from the work of The Royal Family it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service. The honorary military appointments and Royal patronages held by The Duke and Duchess will therefore be returned to Her Majesty, before being redistributed among working members of The Royal Family.

While all are saddened by their decision, The Duke and Duchess remain much loved members of the family.

Notes to editors: Following The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s decision to step away last year as working members of The Royal Family, a 12-month review was agreed. A decision has now been made after conversations between The Duke of Sussex and Members of The Royal Family.

The military, Commonwealth and Charitable associations which will revert to The Queen are:

The Royal Marines, RAF Honington, Royal Navy Small Ships and Diving.
The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, The Rugby Football Union, The Rugby Football League, The Royal National Theatre and The Association of Commonwealth Universities.

[From Royal.uk]

So there you go. It was up in the air as to whether the Queen would take away the Commonwealth patronages, and she did. That must have been one hell of a phone conversation between the Queen and Harry too. I hope he told her exactly what he thinks about everything, and I hope he said it with his whole chest. He must have, to get this reaction. As for Buckingham Palace putting the onus on the Sussexes – “they will not be returning as working members of The Royal Family” – the Sussexes were literally bullied, abused, slandered and then they were supposed to sit silently as William worked to exile them. There was no “returning to working royals,” William would have made sure of that. What was supposed to happen? Harry and Meghan would return to the UK and resign themselves to being pawns in the Windsor psychodrama? No. They got out and they outplayed the palace. Now the Windsors’ sadism, racism, colonialism and vindictiveness is plain for all to see.

The Sussexes have issued a statement as well. A spokesman for the couple said Friday: “As evidenced by their work over the past year, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex remain committed to their duty and service to the UK and around the world and have offered their continued support to the organisations they have represented regardless of official role. We can all live a life of service. Service is universal.” Take your nasty royal gatekeeping and shove it.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.

Dear Reader, since Bridgerton was released in December, over 82 million households have watched the steamy courtship of Daphne Bridgerton by the Duke of Hastings. Bridgerton has captured the imagination of people around the world with candy colored costumes, a diverse cast, sexy love scenes and romance. Bridgerton’s fans have been captivated by the chemistry between costars Rege-Jean Page and Phoebe Dynevor. Many have been shipping the two in real life. Then recently Rege got papped on the streets of London with his live-in girlfriend, Emily Brown. Phoebe is also setting the record straight in her new interview with You Magazine. Phoebe swears that her relationship with Rege-Jean “the god” Page is simply professional. She also says that she’d “love to say there was more between them” but alas Bridgerbitches, there isn’t. Here are a few excerpts from You:

Are they in love in real life? That’s all anyone wants to know if they’ve seen the Regency romp Bridgerton and the sizzling scenes between Phoebe Dynevor as Daphne and Regé-Jean Page as the rakish Duke of Hastings. ‘I’d love to say there was really something between us,’ Phoebe smiles in a way that suggests she means it. ‘But no, it has always been strictly professional. There was so much pressure on us to get it right that it was all about the work. We have a really professional working relationship. I’m glad for that, actually. It would be very complicated if it went further.’

On-set romances are fine while everything is good, but hellish if you fall out. ‘I always hear about people falling in love with their co-stars. It’s yet to happen to me, but I’m intrigued.’

I’m grateful for the honesty of her answer, because there’s been a huge amount of interest in this beautiful young pair. Rumours suggest there is more to their chemistry than acting, but each has been enigmatic about this until now. ‘People really root for us. We have to say we’re actors, we’re doing a job, there is something to be said for not spoiling the magic… but at a certain point you have to say “no”.’

[from You.co.uk]

A romantic entanglement between the leads would be juicy gossip, but unfortunately we’re not going to get those stories. There is good news for the Bridgerclan in new roles coming for its stars. Many were calling for Rege to be the next Bond. Since the Bond gig has not yet materialized, the Duke, has recently been cast in a leading role alongside Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez and Justice Smith. He will be in the upcoming Dungeon and Dragons movie from Paramount Pictures. Here are a few more details:

Page has closed a deal for a leading role in Paramount’s Dungeons & Dragons feature, joining a cast that includes Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez and Justice Smith.

Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley — the duo behind New Line’s sleeper hit Game Night — are set to direct the feature based on the popular fantasy role-playing game from Wizards of the Coast. Goldstein and Daley also wrote the latest version of the script based on a previous draft by Michael Gilio.

The game of Dungeons & Dragons is known for its war games, treasure hunts, campaigns, camaraderie and reversals of fortune, all in a setting that combines humans, elves, orcs and hundreds of other creatures. The game famously uses multisided dice in gameplay and is overseen by a host known as the Dungeon Master. It is not known whether the movie adaptation will be a straight-up fantasy film, set in the world of the game, or incorporate the storytelling and game-playing aspects.

[From The Hollywood Reporter]

As a fan of both Rege and Phoebe, I am happy for their honesty. I personally am not shipping them IRL but they were fun to watch on my small screen. I am sure Rege’s girlfriend, Emily, is happy that this mess has been cleared up. I wish Rege and Phoebe luck in their love lives and hope to see more of them in other projects. To be fair, I’d also so like to see more of Adjoah Andoh, Goldie Rushevel and Nicola Sturgeon. Now that Simone Ashley has been tapped for the role of Kate for season two’s romantic entanglement with Anthony Bridgerton, I am excitedly anticipating moving on from Daphne and Simon to Kate and Anthony.

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Alleged Zodiac Killer and Confirmed Trump Fart-Sniffer Ted Cruz got in “trouble” this week. He was seen at a Texas airport with his wife and children – his two daughters are 12 and 10 years old – and boarding a plane for Cancun, Mexico. Ordinarily, I suppose a trip to Cancun would be noteworthy but not widely reported. The dual problems with this particular story is that Cruz has widely condemned Democrats for traveling and doing *anything* during the pandemic, AND this week Texas, the state Cruz nominally represents as a senator, is facing its own “Katrina.” The GOP-led state has left millions of residents without water, food and electricity following an extreme winter storm. People were left without heat for days. People died. The roads were so bad, supplies couldn’t get dropped off. And all the while, the governor was on Fox News blaming Democrats, and Ted Cruz was jetting off to Cancun.

The Cruz-Cancun story became THE major headline throughout the day Thursday. First, no one could get in touch with Cruz or his Senate staff. Then finally there was a confirmation that he did got to Cancun with his wife and daughters, and then Cruz issued a statement claiming: “With school canceled for the week, our girls asked to take a trip with friends. Wanting to be a good dad, I flew down with them last night and am flying back this afternoon.” He also claimed that his daughters wanted to go to Cancun because their family was without power as well.

What kind of spineless pencild-ck coward throws his CHILDREN under the bus when immersed in a political scandal? “My 10 year old daughter wanted to go to Cancun, and we let her make all of our vacation plans, even in natural disasters!” Now he’s burned his daughter’s political bridges for when she wants to run for office. “Catherine Cruz? Weren’t you the one who wanted to go to Cancun when Texans were freezing to death in their own homes?”

But then the stories kept changing. As Cruz left Cancun – he was greeted by paparazzi, lmao – he said the same thing, that he was just dropping off his wife and kids. The thing is, at the same time, it was being widely confirmed that Ted Cruz didn’t originally have a return flight until Saturday, and he only changed his return flight to Thursday that morning. Then it got even better:

Like millions of his constituents across Texas, Senator Ted Cruz had a frigid home without electricity this week amid the state’s power crisis. But unlike most, Mr. Cruz got out, fleeing Houston and hopping a Wednesday afternoon flight to Cancún with his family for a respite at a luxury resort.

Photos of Mr. Cruz and his wife, Heidi, boarding the flight ricocheted quickly across social media and left both his political allies and rivals aghast at a tropical trip as a disaster unfolded at home. The blowback only intensified after Mr. Cruz, a Republican, released a statement saying he had flown to Mexico “to be a good dad” and accompany his daughters and their friends; he noted he was flying back Thursday afternoon, though he did not disclose how long he had originally intended to stay.

Text messages sent from Ms. Cruz to friends and Houston neighbors on Wednesday revealed a hastily planned trip. Their house was “FREEZING,” as Ms. Cruz put it — and she proposed a getaway until Sunday. Ms. Cruz invited others to join them at the Ritz-Carlton in Cancún, where they had stayed “many times,” noting the room price this week ($309 per night) and its good security. The text messages were provided to The New York Times and confirmed by a second person on the thread, who declined to be identified because of the private nature of the texts.

For more than 12 hours after the airport departure photos first emerged, Mr. Cruz’s office declined to comment on his whereabouts. The Houston police confirmed that the senator’s office had sought their assistance for his airport trip on Wednesday, and eventually Mr. Cruz was spotted wheeling his suitcase in Mexico on Thursday as he returned to the state he represents in the Senate.

After landing back in the United States, Mr. Cruz offered a new statement with a different tone from earlier in the day, when he had tried to explain the vacation without regrets and left the impression that it might have always been a one-day trip for him. Speaking to reporters after his arrival home, he conceded that the trip was “obviously a mistake” and said he had begun having “second thoughts” as soon as he boarded the plane to Mexico intent on a few days of remote work in the sun.

“The plan had been to stay through the weekend with the family,” he said, framing the decision as a parent’s attempt to placate his two daughters, ages 10 and 12, after a “tough week.”

[From The NY Times]

Who in Heidi Cruz’s text chain gave the texts to the NY Times? I’m obsessed. Notice the neighbors/friends didn’t even go to a local Texas paper like the Houston Chronicle or anything – nope, straight to the Times. So, yeah, Ted Cruz is a liar and his friends hate him and he jetted off to Cancun because he was mildly inconvenienced and he left Texans to die. He also left his family poodle Snowflake inside the house?? WTF?

Just drove by Ted Cruz’s house in Houston. His lights are off but a neighbor told me the block got its power back last night. Also, Ted appears to have left behind the family poodle. pic.twitter.com/TmLyGQkASy

— Michael Hardy (@mkerrhardy) February 18, 2021

New Statement from @tedcruz: pic.twitter.com/0WMni5O9R1

— Vaughn Hillyard (@VaughnHillyard) February 18, 2021

Sen. Ted Cruz, back in Texas, says it was “obviously a mistake” to go to Cancun.

You can hear protestors chanting “Resign!” in the background. pic.twitter.com/FwA6Dsg4fv

— The Recount (@therecount) February 19, 2021

A lot of work for him to go through and a decent size bag simply for a night stay in another country https://t.co/uXPltHYBHD

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) February 18, 2021

BREAKING: Perseverance Rover claims it was just dropping off daughters on Mars

— Zack Bornstein (@ZackBornstein) February 18, 2021

Photos of Ted Cruz at Cancun Airport on 2/18/21, courtesy of Backgrid.

Most of the royal and royal-press hissy fits from the past year have been solely about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex outmaneuvering everyone. Harry and Meghan called a lot of bluffs, they moved to California, and they proceeded to WIN. One of the very few ways that the Windsors and the media could still “hurt” Harry was through his commitment to the military and veterans community. So that became the subject of so many increasingly hysterical stories and threats of punitive action: the Queen will force Harry out of his royal patronages and strip him of his military titles. Because the Queen is petty and horrible. Harry probably won’t even be able to wear his dress uniforms anymore. An extra layer to all of this was the feeling that Prince William was now going to step into Harry’s former military roles, because William has always wanted what Harry has, but William doesn’t want to work for any of it. Now the Sun reports that it’s actually sort of unlikely that the Queen will give those patronages to William though:

The Queen is set to make the final decision on who takes over Prince Harry’s honorary military titles and patronages. Royal insiders fear reigniting a brotherly row if William is handed Harry’s most treasured role of Captain General of the Royal Marines.

Princess Anne is widely expected to become the first female head of the marines, adding to her 33 honorary military titles. However, Prince Edward is ruled out as he quit the elite force after only three weeks of commando training in 1987.

Finishing touches are being put in place for the couple’s future life outside the Royal Family after a 12-month review was ordered. Palace chiefs will make a public announcement several weeks before the March 31 deadline but their replacements will not be named until the summer.

A royal source said: “Ultimately, it’s the Queen’s decision. The posts are in her gift.”

William and Harry barely spoke after Megxit with the future king accusing his sibling of “betraying” the Queen.

Another source said: “Who takes over from Harry is a thorny issue in the family so giving the Queen the final say is the right thing to do.”

Harry is set to lose his Royal Marines title, as well as his roles as Honorary Air Commandant of RAF Honington near Bury St Edmunds and Commodore-in-Chief of Small Ships and Diving.

[From The Sun]

It occurs to me that some of those military branches have quietly informed the Palace that they actually have no interest in having Work-Shy Will as their patron. While it “looks good” on paper to have a “future king” as your royal patron, William is close to 40 years old and he has a long history of not wanting to do much with his patronages. I mean, sure, he’ll put in an appearance once every couple of years. But William only really wanted Harry’s military titles because they belonged to Harry. William would do f–k all with them once he got them. The Royal Marines will probably be pretty happy to have Princess Anne though?

Also, this just came out:

A statement says the couple have confirmed they will not be returning as working members of the Royal Family and adds: “While we are all saddened by their decision, the Duke and Duchess remain much loved members of the family.”

— Richard Palmer (@RoyalReporter) February 19, 2021

LOL, the Queen is trying to make it sound like she had no choice but to punish Harry and Meghan, what could she do, they refused to come back even when it was clear that they would continue to be bullied, harassed, marginalized, slandered and abused. What could the Queen do, people?!?

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, WENN and Backgrid.

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As I often say, I don’t know a lot about Marvel. I see the movies once in the theater, find them entertaining and then move on. The backstories and character details kind of wash over me. However my friends love Marvel movies and have so much knowledge about them that I have FOMO. WandaVision has been the perfect series to introduce me to the Marvel universe on a deeper level. It pulled me in with the nods to classic television and the storyline while offering so many Easter eggs and theories to unpack. I’ve heard several actresses say that they’re not completely aware of what’s happening and can’t give spoilers. That’s what they’re supposed to say as they’re sworn to secrecy. However they can talk about the parts of the plot which are known to audiences. In Wandavision that’s Wanda working through her grief by maybe creating an entire universe around her. (It’s unclear if she’s the one controlling everything although it’s heavily implied.) Monica Rambeau, played by Teyonah Parris, is an ally to Wanda in a way. Teyonah has a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter that goes deeper into her role in the series along with what’s next for her character. Her character is going to be in Captain Marvel II as well. We saw Monica as a child in the first film and on Wandavision she’s hinted that there’s no love lost between her and Captain Marvel. What did Carol do?! Here’s an excerpt from her THR interview. Please note that there are spoilers for past episodes of WandaVision along with vague spoilers for what’s next.

Since Monica returned via the blip, she’s… learned about Maria’s [her mom] passing, been sucked into — and then ejected from — Wanda’s hex. Do you think she’s going to have to address these traumas?
I think she is addressing them in the best way she knows how, which is through work. She’s very much a person who loves her job. While missing persons’ cases aren’t typically in her wheelhouse, this has turned into much more than that; it’s more like a missing-town case. And once Monica sees Wanda and realizes that she’s grieving, she recognizes their parallel experiences and that they’re both grieving loved ones. So I think that Monica is handling it in the best way she can. I’m not saying it’s the most effective and most therapeutic way, but I do feel like she is trying to reconcile with her own grief by helping Wanda with hers.

Monica seems to have an issue with Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Brie Larson)… Will the remainder of WandaVision provide any clarity?
What I can say is that we have a couple more episodes to go, and we also know that Monica will be in Captain Marvel II. So there’s quite a bit of real estate left for us to explore that relationship. I don’t want to ruin it for anyone so I’ll just leave it at that.

When you found out you were going to play Monica again in Captain Marvel II, was Nia already attached as director?
No comment. I don’t know if I’m giving away anything by saying something. So I’m not going to say anything to that, but I’m really excited to join Nia and for us to come back together again. And to join Brie and Iman [Vellani]. It’s just going to be a wonderful experience, especially with Nia being the first black female to direct a Marvel Studios film. It’s gonna be exciting times.

Was there a celebratory call between [you and Nia]?
I call Nia all the time, so, yes, absolutely. I’m like, “Hey, girl! I’m just excited. OK, bye.” That’s the call. (Laughs.)

Can you spare a couple adjectives that best describe your reaction [to the last three episodes]?
Epic and incredibly sad. I mean, the whole show is incredibly sad to me, but I’m putting those words together.

[From The Hollywood Reporter]

I forgot that Nia DaCosta is directing Captain Marvel II! Honestly I wasn’t a huge fan of the first film, I found it a bit bloated. When Oya covered the story that Nia was hired, we included a video interview with her. I didn’t know about her before that and she was so good at explaining her process and interest in film that it got me excited for the second movie. It’s not out until November of next year unfortunately, but I’m looking forward to seeing that one in theaters. In the mean time we have three more episodes of WandaVision! I’m kind of bummed that Teyonah described them as “sad” but that’s the whole premise of this show.

There are so many layers to WandaVision and the one that sticks out to me is Wanda’s grief. I relate to her creating a sitcom bubble based on her childhood expectations and seeing the dirt seep in through the cracks. Maybe Monica will come help her deal with losing Vision. Episode seven is out now but I’m waiting until tonight to watch it. From the teaser, below, it looks like they’re borrowing from Modern Family. Also she makes a reference to lockdown!

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Thanks to Karen and Zakia for help with this story! Photos credit: Getty and Marvel and via Instagram

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At the start of the year, we heard that Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker were flirting on Instagram and might possibly be hanging out, as the kids say. It didn’t take long for a ‘source’ to out them to People when they vacationed at her mom’s place in Palm Springs. Well, the duo has decided they’re ready to go Instagram official. On Wednesday, Kourtney posted this to her IG account:

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In the comments, Travis added a black heart emoji so I don’t know how much more serious this can get, you guys. As far as their union goes, I think most of us agree it’s fine. They’re around the same age and seem to be in the same celebrity and family space so they’re pretty well matched.

It’s odd that Kourtney posted this the same day her sister Kendall Jenner announced her 818 Tequila. It’s not a huge conflict, but Kourt could have held off a day. Or at least made her announcement a tie in, like by having a bottle of Kendall’s tequila in the background. But I don’t think Kendall or the tequila were on Kourtney’s agenda. I think she was far more focused on her ex, Scott Disick. In 2019, Kourtney apparently rethought her situation with Scott after hearing that they were “soulmates” during a reading in Bali. Following that, the two kept posting photos in romantic situations with cryptically suggestive captions. Last week, some season 20 clips from KUWTK fed that fire, when the sisters discussed Kourt and Scott having a possible sleepover with no kids. Fanboards went nuts wondering if Kourtney had tried to get back with Scott. Days after those rumors took off, Kourtney and Travis were “caught” having dinner at a restaurant named Matsuhisa and indulged in a bunch of maskless PDA. Not to be outdone, after the Matsuhisa photos, Scott flew his 19 year-old girlfriend, Amelia Hamlin, to Miami – again, during the pandemic – for Valentine’s Day. While there, Scott made sure he and Amelia were first to become Instagram official.

Scott’s friends, of course, claim Kourtney and Travis’ thing had nothing to do with Scott finally confirming his relationship with his nepotism model girlfriend, 18 years his junior. Just like I’m sure Scott and Amelia’s IG had absolutely no influence on why Kourtney chose to go official with Travis… the same day her sister launched her tequila brand she’s been working on for almost four years.

Photo credit: Instagram

For years, I’ve sort of enjoyed Miles Teller. To me, he’s something different than the usual Hollywood pretty boys. Personality-wise, he’s different too – very fratty, very bro-y, cocky, arrogant, etc. Maybe he secretly has an artist’s soul, but he spent most of his 20s being a d–k in interviews, you know? Well, 2020 was supposed to be another breakout year for Miles, because Top Gun: Maverick was supposed to hit theaters. It got pushed back to summer 2021, but there are still all of these interviews floating around, which is how Men’s Health came to publish this piece, which was basically done over the course of a year, pre-pandemic and pandemic-intensive. You can read the full piece here. Some highlights:

He’s still thinking about the time Esquire called him a d–k: “It was frustrating because my parents always told me the one thing you take to the grave is your reputation,” says the actor, who insists his attempts at humor were badly misinterpreted. There was also a 2017 arrest for public intoxication. (He was released after four hours.) He says that drama is all behind him.

He married Keleigh Sperry in 2019: He proposed in 2017 on a safari in South Africa, leaving a rose and a note in a tree out on the savanna. “She thought at first it was a marker where someone got killed or something. Then she read the note.” It had the day they started dating and that day’s date on it. “I said, ‘That was the first day I asked you to be my girlfriend, and today is the last day.’?” Afterward he dropped to his knees and popped the question. “I found my person. I feel really lucky.”

He wasn’t sure if he should sign on for Top Gun: “I don’t want this to come out the wrong way, but there was a part of me that didn’t know if I wanted to be a part of something that could bring that much attention and success to me. Everybody views success differently. For me, it didn’t necessarily mean being a part of the biggest movie.”

Why he likes playing military men: Teller comes from a family of soldiers. His grandfather was a Marine, and his uncle served in Vietnam. “He got MS toward the end of his life and he thought it was penance for what he did over there,” says Teller quietly about his uncle. Many of his boyhood friends have served, and one is deployed overseas. Based on his conversations with them and his experience filming Thank You for Your Service, Teller believes America is squandering some of what binds us all together. “You wanna give a voice to these guys. In the wars that we fight now, our military comes from very specific parts of the country and socioeconomic classes. We’re losing that connection between civilians and military and our veterans.”

Being a top pilot is more about being an aeronautical nerd genius these days: “There is none of that alpha bravado. Flying these jets is so hard. The difference between a squadron pilot and a Top Gun pilot is how well they understand the plane.”

He wants to be a specialized actor: “…I just think a lot of actors and styles of acting are getting very homogenized. It’s hard to stick out…. It was instilled in me at a young age by my mom just to be comfortable in your own skin, and don’t compare yourself to other people. And honestly, who gives a sh-t what other people think about you?”

Married life in lockdown: “We just hang out. She keeps me calm. It’s pretty great.” To pass the pandemic time, Teller and his wife did their Mike and Carol Brady thing, cooking steak and pasta and steering clear of the chaos that filled American cities this past summer. They did some home-improvement projects that would permanently remind them of the year the world stood still. “Keleigh and I both worked on our backyard and did some landscaping. We planted a lemon tree, hydrangeas, and a rose garden.” He gives a little laugh. “Since we were staring at our backyard a whole lot more than usual, we wanted to add color. I’m with her now from when I wake up to the moment I go to bed. We have a lot of friends whose relationships got put under a magnifying glass during these times, but we are really great. Once you get married and you make that ultimate commitment, life is just a lot less stressful. You just know that person is always going to be there.”

He’s not worried about being forgotten: “I’m not one of those people who worry about if people don’t see me every six months. I don’t feel like my career is dying. It’s going to happen when it happens and that’s fine.”

[From Men’s Health]

Regarding that last part… it’s sort of true, it feels like we haven’t talked about Miles in years, although really it just feels that way because 2020 lasted forever. I always really like it when an actor or performer has the self-possession to “go away” and really go dark for a year or more and not worry about being forgotten. It’s good to take a break from celebrities. As for his married life… I didn’t think he would settle down so quickly, honestly. He seemed like the kind of bro who would date a string of underwear models and then settle down in his 40s. He’s also right about the loss on connection between civilians and soldiers/veterans.

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It was announced yesterday that the hit sitcom Mom will end after its eighth season. Just last summer, the show’s original co-star, Anna Faris, said she would not be returning for season eight. Anna’s announcement seemed to take many folks by surprise, although it didn’t seem to be acrimonious. Whether it was Anna’s leaving or simply a matter of the story running its course, CBS decided that its number 4 comedy needed to sign off.

Mom will end after eight seasons on CBS, it was announced Wednesday.

The Chuck Lorre comedy followed Christy (Anna Faris) and Bonnie Plunkett (Allison Janney), a dysfunctional mother and daughter battling addiction who find common ground as they navigate sobriety. Farris announced her departure from the series after seven seasons to “pursue new opportunities.”

“For the past eight years, we’ve had the great honor to bring these wonderful characters to life, sharing their struggles and triumphs with millions of viewers every week,” said executive producers Lorre, Gemma Baker, and Nick Bakay.

“From the beginning, we set out to tell stories about recovery from alcoholism and addiction that are rarely portrayed in a network comedy series,” they continued. “Whether it was the emotional reactions of the live audience on tape night inside Stage 20, or discussions at The White House regarding the opioid crisis, or the personal stories we continue to receive on social media, we take great pride in knowing Mom has positively impacted so many lives. We are forever grateful to our brilliant cast and guest stars, wonderful writers, and amazing crew for going on this journey with us.”

[From Entertainment Weekly via Seriously? OMG!]

I watch Mom and I haven’t missed Anna. Not that I didn’t like her character. I just thought they managed well without her. However, I’m not totally surprised by this decision. Many of the characters have had a full arc and the cast would need fresh blood to keep the show from becoming stale. Seriously OMG speculates the decision was likely financially motivated. The show’s been a little hard to find online, too. I was so thrilled to finally be able to watch it without having to get CBS All Access. But they kept taking random weeks off. I saw Allison Janney on Twitter telling fans not to worry, they’d be back next week, as if their break wasn’t scheduled. Last week, I went to see if there was new a episode and I couldn’t find Mom in the lineup, not even when I went to search. Again, this is their 4th highest rated comedy and it wasn’t coming up online. I have no idea if this has anything to do with CBS All Access switching to Paramount Plus next month because I can’t keep all that straight.

Anyway, I think ending Mom might be the right choice for the show. It did some good work, but I think the timing is right. This is good news for Demi Lovato’s food support group show, Hungry, on NBC.

Superstore also suffered Mom’s fate. Lead America Ferrera left last season. Although they wrote in a logical exit, the show will end after this season. It’s also not a bad decision. Brooklyn Nine Nine will end as well after its eighth season and as much as I think that show is still at the top of its game, it’s a good choice. I’m trying out a few other shows, but nothing is doing it for me. Except The Unicorn, which I do like (although I am not sold on Shannon yet – thoughts?). CBS has not announced whether it will return for season three yet.

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I don’t think I saw this skirt the first time around – because I totally would have remembered it. I mean I love the idea of it, all those pieces of denim stitched together to create wearable art. My question is how practical it is. Denim isn’t typically that flexible. And I’m wondering how easy it …

Did Lainey already talk about Bebe Rexha writing a demo for BTS? Bebe talked about it on Instagram live. Happy Gilmore is a big deal in my house, the height of golf comedy. I have a question now about Adam Sandler’s comedies (not including his more serious work, like Uncut Gems or Funny People): do …