The Framing Britney Spears docuseries has introduced/reintroduced so many people to what happened to Britney over the years, and how many people mistreated her or stole from her or failed to protect her. It’s been happening for more than two decades, although Brit’s conservatorship only began following her breakdown in 2007-08. That’s the part which is still screwing her over – the legal and financial web of her conservatorship and wanting to wrest control away from her father, Jamie Spears. According to sources, Britney is happy that all of this dirty laundry is being aired on the docuseries, and she “feels like there is light at the end of a very long, dark tunnel” and hopes that because of all of the support, “she will be finally be freed from the vice-like grip of her father.” Britney also made some kind of reference to what’s happening on Twitter last night:

Each person has their story and their take on other people’s stories !!!! We all have so many different bright beautiful lives ????!!! Remember, no matter what we think we know about a person’s life it is nothing compared to the actual person living behind the lens ?? !!!!

— Britney Spears (@britneyspears) February 9, 2021

Meanwhile, the men in Britney’s life are also speaking. Brit’s boyfriend Sam Asghari told People Mag: “I have always wanted nothing but the best for my better half, and will continue to support her following her dreams and creating the future she wants and deserves. I am thankful for all of the love and support she is receiving from her fans all over the world, and I am looking forward to a normal, amazing future together.” Sam also said some sh-t on Instagram, saying that Jamie Spears was always trying to control Sam and Britney’s relationship, that Sam has “zero respect” for Jamie and that Jamie is “a total d–k.”

And finally, Kevin Federline’s lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan, is talking about what’s happening from the perspective of Kevin and Britney trying to coparent – you can read that piece here, there’s nothing really shady or interesting happening there. I know K-Fed gets a lot of sh-t for being a mooch or a leech or whatever. But honestly, I’ve had a lot of respect for Kevin for years now. He’s been a good father to their sons (and his other kids with his current wife), he’s used his position to challenge Jamie Spears’ authority, and when Jamie abused Jaden and Sean, Kevin once again used his position to get Jamie away from the kids. There have been so many moments when Kevin could have used Britney’s situation or her mental health against her, to screw her over on custody/visitation, but he’s always tried to have her best interests at heart too, especially as the mother of their boys.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Instagram.

Remember this ridiculous story last week about how rapper Lil Uzi Vert spent the last four years paying off a $24 million pink diamond that he subsequently had embedded into his forehead? Now besides being accused of cultural appropriation culture by putting a pink stone where Hindus traditionally place their bindis to represent the ajna chakra (3rd eye), Lil Squert’s diamond has been accused of being fake and cubic zirconia by some on social media. Not to let the accusations stand, Simon Babaev, a spokesman from Uzi’s jeweler Eliantte & Co , spoke with Rolling Stone. He confirmed that the diamond did actually cost $24 million and that it is indeed real. Simon, a New York-based jewelry, said that Lil Uzi approached them in 2017 and fell in love with the pink diamond. Simon also said that Eliantte & Co did not initially take Lil Uzi seriously when he said he wanted to implant the diamond into his forehead. Don’t take my word for it, here’s what Simon had to say to Rolling Stone:

On how Lil Uzi approached them
Everything started back in 2017. Once he saw the stone, he really fell in love with it and said he’d think about what he wanted to do with it.

We didn’t think he was serious about it, but as he started making payments on the specific stone, he made it clear that he was very serious.

On if they’ve been asked for forehead implants
In the forehead? No, that’s a bit extreme. But just on the face, we’ve done. In 2016, Young Thug had a diamond implanted on his face. He had a pear shape, like a teardrop, I believe. He had it on his face for a while, but then I think he lost it.

It’s as safe as any other piercing. As long as you maintain it well and have good upkeep, it’s perfectly fine. We made sure that prior to getting anything done that Uzi brought someone in to consult on everything. We didn’t just do this randomly.

On if this was their most extravagant request and if it will inspire a trend
Yeah, this was definitely pretty extravagant. This would definitely be top-tier by far. People have gotten crazy custom pieces done, but something that’s done as a body modification, to have something popped onto your forehead? This is definitely the first time.

People always want something that no one else has. And especially because we specialize in custom fabrication, we’ll make a link for somebody and it’ll become so popular that other people will request it, or they’ll try to customize it to make it their own. Uzi himself is a trendsetter, so I wouldn’t be surprised if people out there requested this. It’s crazy. Uzi is definitely a trendsetter.

[From RollingStone]

Like I said last week, this story is ridiculous and spending $24 million dollars on a pink diamond that you insert into your forehead is extremely extravagant and silly. It would have been smarter for Lil Uzi to not paint a target on his back by one, broadcasting how much the diamond cost and two, placing the damned thing in his forehead. The smartest thing that Lil Uzi has done was put insurance on the stone, however, I stand by my original statement that he should have invested that money for his future. With that being said, it isn’t my business how these rappers spend their money. If they wish to throw it away on frivolous things then that’s their business.

I am “glad” that Eliantte & Co sent a representative to dispel the rumors that the diamond was fake and also reassure people that the procedure of inserting a diamond into one’s forehead is safe. I agree with Simon that as ridiculous as it may be, Lil Uzi Vert may have started a trend. At some point if this does become a trend, the cultural appropriation part will definitely need to be addressed. As a yogi, I sometimes wear a bindi but it is done within the context of a ritual, namely a puja. So my wearing a bindi is usually couched in its cultural context. Unfortunately, I do not believe getting a permastone in one’s forehead is the same. With that being said, I do hope that this will not become a trend. There is enough weird sh*t happening in the world, what I don’t need on Beyonce’s internet is a whole bunch of Millennials and Gen-Z babies running around with diamonds and other precious stones seared into their forehead. If that happens, I think I may log off the interwebs entirely and go live in the woods, near a river with my 100 cats and lover where wifi or cell towers are not available.

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Yes, it is very interesting to see British media outlets running some very critical stories about the monarchy this year. What’s even more interesting is that when a legitimate news outlet like the Guardian runs a story exposing a royal figure, it’s getting picked up by the tabloids. Historically, that hasn’t always happened. Earlier this week, we discussed the Guardian story about Queen Elizabeth using an arcane procedure to hide the extent of her personal wealth by lobbying Parliament (secretly). As it turns out, Prince Charles has also used the same arcane procedures to protect the extensive property holdings of the Duchy of Cornwall. The Duchy is the largest landholder in the UK, and the income derived from the rental properties and farms makes upwards of $20-30 million a year for the Duchy. Prince Charles – who is the guardian of the Duchy – used his position to stop his renters from ever buying those properties.

The royal family has used a secretive procedure to vet three parliamentary acts that have prevented residents on Prince Charles’ estate from buying their own homes for decades, the Guardian can reveal. His £1bn Duchy of Cornwall estate was later given special exemptions in the acts that denied residents the legal right to buy their own homes outright.

Under the opaque procedure, the Queen and Prince of Wales were allowed to vet the contents of the bills by government ministers and approve them before they were passed by parliament. The exemptions have left residents living in homes that have diminishing or no financial value. The residents say they cannot borrow against their homes to pay, for example, for social care fees for themselves and loved ones.

Jane Giddins, who lives in one of the prince’s houses in a Somerset village, said a “feudal and anachronistic” system had unfairly favoured Charles, to her family’s detriment. “When we die, our kids will be left with a property that is very difficult to sell,” she said.

The exemptions enable the prince to preserve the financial value of his estate and brings in income as the tenants have to pay rent to him each year. The residents say they have been unable to find out why and how the heir to the throne was able to secure preferential treatment from the government. The prince declined to comment when asked whether he or his family had lobbied the government for the exemptions in the three acts.

However, the Guardian has established that Prince Charles and his mother were allowed to approve the contents of the three acts under an arcane parliamentary process known as Queen’s consent. Through this mechanism, the monarch has vetted more than 1,000 parliamentary bills during her reign to check whether any of them affect the crown or her private interests. Previously secret documents have disclosed that the Queen used the procedure to secretly lobby for some laws to be altered to benefit her private interests or reflect her opinions on government policy. The same procedure allows Charles to screen proposed laws in case they damage his property estate, the Duchy of Cornwall, which gives him a private income of around £22m a year.

In total, at least 275 draft laws have been vetted by the prince between 1970 and 2020 under this procedure. They include a wide range of laws from the ban on foxhunting to changes in inheritance laws. The prince declined to say how often he had asked for changes in proposed bills through the mechanism.

[From The Guardian]

This is insane and, yes, feudalistic. Property ownership is one of the most important pathways to a thriving middle class, but Charles has always operated as a feudal lord, ordering Duchy farmers what to grow and how, and now we know that he’s also used the Crown’s arcane powers to screw over his long-term renters and residents. This is a huge economic issue and it’s bonkers that people are only finding out the extent to which Charles has screwed over his tenants for decades.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Avalon Red.

Where did most people come down on North West’s alleged painting? Kim Kardashian posted a shot of 7-year-old North’s painting on her Instagram Stories on Monday. By Tuesday, the incident was trending on Twitter and people were arguing about whether a 7-year-old could create a Bob Ross-looking masterpiece of a snow-covered mountain. Well, Kim heard the debate and she’s here to tell y’all to STFU. Kim might lie, she might culturally appropriate, she might post a lot of stupid sh-t on social media, but she definitely, 100% did not lie about North’s painting.

We wish our moms had defended our childhood artwork like this. Kim Kardashian is going head to head with Instagram critics claiming her daughter, North West, did not actually create the artwork Kardashian showed off on Tuesday.

“DON’T PLAY WITH ME WHEN IT COMES TO MY CHILDREN!!!” the Skims founder said in her Instagram story. “My daughter and her best friend have been taking a serious oil painting class where their talents and creativity are being encouraged and nurtured. North worked incredibly hard on her painting, which took several weeks to complete. As a proud mom, I wanted to share her work with everyone. I’m seeing op-ed pieces in the media and social media from grown adults breaking down whether or not my child actually painted this,” she continued, alluding to the popular theory that the piece was in fact a Bob Ross painting. “How dare you see children doing awesome things and then try to accuse them of NOT being awesome!?!?!”

She concluded, “NORTH WEST PAINTED THAT PERDIOTDDDABCDEFGZFDT!!!!”

Kardashian, 40, didn’t stop there, though, and shared North’s friend’s Ryan’s painting as well as artwork that Kanye West created as a child. Kardashian’s BFF Tracy Romulus — whose daughter Ryan is also talented with a paintbrush — defended the girls on social media earlier in the day. “Both girls are in art class together and learning oil painting techniques from an instructor,” she told fans. “They spend weeks at a time on a single painting and are incredibly proud of themselves once they complete a project.” Romulus added that North, 7, and Ryan follow a curriculum that encourages their own interpretation of the artwork at hand.

[From Page Six]

Yeah, I don’t know, I think we should just believe Kim. I think a five year old might struggle with this kind of painting, but I feel like a child who turns 8 years old in a few months probably has the skills to do this kind of thing, especially if she’s in a special kids’ art class with her friends. I bet North really enjoys it.

.@KimKardashian setting the record straight on North West’s painting: pic.twitter.com/XnZXV6qoC0

— Photos Of KimYe (@PhotosOfKanye) February 9, 2021

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, IG.

Prince William is keen about racism. Or should I say, he’s keen about saying words about racism. This after he sat silently as his sister-in-law faced some of the most vile, hateful racist abuse for years. This is after he actively and gleefully participated in the racist bullying campaign against the Duchess of Sussex, including the plot to exile Meghan and Harry “to Africa.” But here we are. Prince William, perpetually bored of racism, has found his new issue. Less than two weeks ago, William went on a lil’ Twitter tirade about how racist abuse in football is bad and how he wants to make the internet safe… for footballers. He’s keeping it that narrow. And now the Future Future King is vowing to make personal pleas (or something equally vague) to stop all of this racist online abuse… again, solely about footballers.

Prince William is to spearhead a new movement to force social media giants to take urgent action on sickening racism and hate speech online. The Duke of Cambridge has vowed to personally broker a deal between big tech firms and campaigners after being “shocked and appalled” at the lack of action to tackle an “epidemic of abuse”.

As President of the Football Association, Wills will also back calls for a new regular working group between the social media companies, the FA and football leagues after a spate of abuse directed at top players. William, 38, has told campaigners he is committed to using his experience from lobbying the world’s leading social media companies on cyberbullying and has promised to help out “in any way I can”.

In a recent emergency meeting as part of his role with the FA, William said “enough was enough” after several high profile black footballers including Manchester United star Marcus Rashford revealed they were abused online.

The future king said: “It makes me so angry that people are allowed to act like this. I’ve had enough of the excuses, it has gone on for too long. This is on every one of us and we must come together to stamp it out.”

Sanjay Bhandari, chairman of the Kick It Out campaign, praised the Duke’s intervention, saying: “William is a powerful ally in the fight against racism and extremism and together we can make a difference to stop this epidemic of abuse. He is extremely passionate and I have really been encouraged by how he wants to use his experience by challenging the tech giants to get their house in order. He knows the effect this is having on the victims.”

The Mirror can also reveal that the FA is to widen its inquiry into hate speech online. A source said: “The Duke is not only committed to this course of action within his role at the FA, but also feels this is part of his wider duty and ongoing campaign to make the online world a safe place for everyone.”

[From The Daily Mirror]

I understand that the targeted racist abuse of footballers is a big deal, and I genuinely feel sorry for the footballers who are victimized by racist a–holes. But Jesus Christ, does William not understand how utterly tone-deaf he is to “embrace” this campaign? And his interests are so narrow, it’s actually really insulting. He’s not saying that “racist abuse of footballers” is a symptom of the larger problem, the rise of online hate speech, the rise of white supremacy, the rise in violent white nationalist movements around the world. William just thinks he can waltz into this one narrow issue, announce his keenness, stomp his feet, and that everything will be fixed and suddenly there will be no more racist abuse… towards footballers. Don’t go further than that!

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.

Yesterday was absolutely a dark day because of the start of Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial. But something else was happening simultaneously on the internet: Cat Lawyer. A judge in Texas posted a video of a Zoom mishap with a virtual hearing. One of the lawyers, Rod Ponton, was allegedly using a computer not his own – an unlikely story, but whatever – and the computer had a cat filter on it, rendering Ponton into a fluffy, sad-eyed kitten for a legal hearing.

Judge Roy B. Ferguson has the patience of a man who has seen it all, from cat filters to Photoshop disasters to Snapchats gone awry. The funniest parts are honestly when Cat Ponton’s eyes look downward to an “oh sh-t” and then the down right insistence of “I’m prepared to go forward with it. I’m here live. I’m not a cat.” The kitten was prepared to represent his client!!

Vice reached out to Ponton and his excuse was: “Oh, that was just a mistake by my secretary. I was using her computer and for some reason she had that filter on. I took it off and replaced it with my face. It was a case involving a man trying to exit the United States with contraband and contraband cash. All it was was a mistake. It was taken off and we had the hearing as normal.” Likely story, blaming the secretary.

And because we can’t just enjoy Cat Lawyer without finding out something horrible about him, here you go.

Funny story about Rod Ponton, the “Zoom cat lawyer” that everyone’s talking about today.

I reported on him in 2014, when he was a local prosecutor used the power of his office — and roped in federal law enforcement — to harass a former lover. https://t.co/fIuK4hbHfJ

— Anthony L. Fisher (@anthonyLfisher) February 10, 2021

Screencaps courtesy of video.

Donald Trump’s impeachment trial began in the Senate yesterday. It really is conducted as a trial, with the House’s “impeachment manager” coming into the Senate to read and explain the impeachment charge(s), all of which is the equivalent of a prosecutor explaining why the grand jury charged the alleged criminal. That’s the prosecution’s opening statement, then the defendant’s lawyers get to make their opening statement, meaning Donald Trump’s lawyers got up in front of the Senate and made complete asses out of themselves. We’ll talk about them in a second. First, I wanted to post the very emotional statement from Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD), the impeachment manager. Raskin buried his son the day before the January 6th insurrection, and his family was with him in the Capitol on the day of the terrorist attack. Raskin also introduced a video of exactly what went down on January 6th.

It’s completely damning and heart-wrenching and awful. There’s such a stark and terrible simplicity to this impeachment trial, with the single charge of inciting an insurrection, and clearly, the evidence is there. It was always there. But Trump’s lawyers, Bruce Castor and David Schoen’s opening statements were an odd hodge-podge of veiled threats, whining, nonsense about the Federalist Papers, and nonsensical legal arguments. Castor didn’t even seem prepared for his opening statement, and at one point, he confessed that he had to throw out his original opening because Raskin’s opener was so good. Schoen was more prepared, which made him that much more contemptible. Castor seemed like a f–king idiot. Schoen seemed actively evil.

I mean… I’m not going to summarize everything wrong with the “Trump defense,” especially since the point of all this is that there really is no coherent defense, and no compelling strategy. Castor and Schoen argued, at various points, that there was no need to impeach Trump because Biden won the election (even though Trump incited a terrorist attack because Trump couldn’t admit that he lost the election); that they should have impeached Trump while he was in office; that the House moved too fast on the impeachment; that if Trump was impeached, there would be another Civil War; and that impeachment is in and of itself unconstitutional.

Castor was so incoherent and ridiculous, even Trump sycophants couldn’t defend his performance. Trump was reportedly “almost screaming as Castor made meandering arguments that struggled to get at the heart of his defense team’s argument.” But those same sources note that this is the team which was hired just over a week ago, so it’s not like they had much time to prepare. Nor does Trump have a particularly good defense??

Trump lawyer Bruce Castor had a day. pic.twitter.com/9v7l0uGJn8

— The Recount (@therecount) February 9, 2021

As video of Capitol riot played, some GOP senators turned away:

Rand Paul looked down at the pad in his lap, where he had already begun doodling. Rick Scott studied papers in his lap. Tom Cotton focused on papers in front of him. Marco Rubio did the same. https://t.co/RmfZQ7vbCF

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) February 9, 2021

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.

Princess Eugenie has given birth! I don’t think she was overdue at all? I’m pretty sure we knew she was due in early February. Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank welcomed a baby boy, name unknown at this point. Baby Boy Brooksbank is Queen Elizabeth’s ninth grandchild and this child is the first grandchild for Prince Andrew and Fergie. Eugenie is 30 years old, Jack is 35 years old, just FYI. Baby Boy Brooksbank is also 11th in line to the throne. You would think that would mean that Eugenie and Jack could announce the birth any way they wanted, but look, the Daily Mail noted that E&J “broke tradition” with the announcement on Instagram.

Princess Eugenie has given birth to her first child, a baby boy born this morning. The Queen’s granddaughter, 30, had husband Jack Brooksbank at her side at The Portland Hospital in central London where their son – the Queen’s ninth great grandchild – was delivered at 8.55am.

The new arrival, who is 11th in line to the throne, weighs 8lbs 1oz and the couple broke with tradition by immediately sharing a black and white photo to Eugenie’s Instagram of their baby boy, showing them holding his tiny hand. Proud new mother Eugenie followed the post with three blue hearts after welcoming her son at the luxury private hospital where Meghan Markle also gave birth to her son, Archie.

The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Duke of York, Sarah, Duchess of York, and Mr and Mrs George Brooksbank have been informed and are delighted with the news, Buckingham Palace has announced, adding that ‘Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well’.

[From The Daily Mail]

Breaking tradition huh? Not… breaking protocol? Weird that Eugenie, a friggin’ blood princess, was allowed to have a quiet delivery and announce the birth on her own terms, about 10-12 hours after it happened. Remember how the British press had a complete and utter meltdown when Meghan tried to do the same? Weird. I’m not saying that Eugenie did anything wrong – she did not. But a lot of people need to apologize to Meghan.

Also: this child will not have a title. That’s because Jack is untitled. He’s not even a “Sir Jack.” Although as Camilla Tominey noted, Casamigos Tequila PR sent a note around, clarifying Jack’s position in the company for media outlets writing about the baby:

Just in from a PR firm: “Due to the recent news surrounding the arrival of the Royal Baby from HRH Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, we wanted to drop you a note to ask that you use his official title: European Brand Director of Casamigos Tequila”. #shameless

— Camilla Tominey (@CamillaTominey) February 9, 2021

I honestly didn’t know that Jack’s title is European Brand Director for Casamigos. Oh well! Congrats to Eugenie, Jack and the baby. I hope all is well!

Bucky for short x https://t.co/w0Kozn2eqI

— Mollie Goodfellow (@hansmollman) February 9, 2021

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A post shared by Princess Eugenie (@princesseugenie)

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, IG and WENN.

My father said the name Kim Novak so many times when I was growing up, I began to think she was related to us. Kim made movies throughout the 50s and 60s. When I say she made movies, I mean movies. Films like Picnic, Pal Joey, Bell Book and Candle, Of Human Bondage and, of course, Vertigo. She continued to work into the 90s, but by the 1970s, the shiny veneer of Hollywood had already begun to flake off for Kim and she planned her exit strategy. Kim is mesmerizing on screen. In addition to her talent, she possessed a breath-taking beauty. And she was a powerhouse both on and off the screen. Not only did she strike to protest her salary in 1957, she famously stood up to powerful studio head Harry Cohn twice. The first time was when she refused to change Novak to Marlowe. She also told him to stuff it when he told her she couldn’t date Sammy Davis, Jr.

Tired of being told to “be seen not heard” in Hollywood, Kim returned her original loves: art and animals. Successfully living outside Hollywood for decades, Kim still paints, lives with her animals and thrives on the Oregon Coast. She has just released an art book, Kim Novak: Her Art and Life. Recently widowed, her second husband, Robert Malloy, passed last November, Kim’s looking back on her extraordinary life.

On putting out an art book: I’ve never done one of those tell-all books that they wanted me to do for so long, and I thought this is the kind of book I’d like to do. Actually, I had written my autobiography and it was almost complete but I had a house fire and the house burned down and I made no copies. I just couldn’t go through it again because I had spent so much time. But it was okay because it was a catharsis just to do it

On Hollywood: In Hollywood a lot of people assume who you are, because of the character you play, but also just because of who they expect you to be, how they expect you to dress. It influences you because if you’re in some gorgeous sequined gown, you can’t run along the ocean and run on the beaches.

I kept feeling like I was going deeper and deeper, lost in almost like a quicksand, where it’s swallowing you up, your own personality, and I’d started to wonder who I am. I realized needed to save myself.

On leaving Hollywood: I needed the Pacific Ocean to inspire me, the animals, the beauty. I wanted to live a normal life and a life with animals.

On returning to what she loved: My teachers were the animals, not just dogs and cats, but other animals, horses and llamas, whom you have to meet half way, because they’re not ready to accept humans. I had to learn to win them over. They understand a person who’s genuine so I had to become more real and that made me rely on my inner self — and that also encouraged me to paint. Everything seemed to flow from that

On age: I don’t feel 87. I don’t keep tract of the time. If I did, I’d be an old lady and I’m not an old lady. I’m still riding my horse. I stay as healthy as I can.

[From People]

Kim is a lot more Zen than I would be if I wrote an entire book and lost my one and only copy to a house fire. I can see her angle of it being cathartic to have written it out. And then it was burned, which many cultures believe is the way to release those memories. But Kim holds so many fond memories, I would want to share them. She actually liked working with Alfred Hitchcock, not many women did. She remained friends with many of her exes, including Sammy, whom she visited right before he died. She also remained friends with her first husband for his entire life, even though they were only married a year. She and Jimmy Stewart remained lifelong friends as well. Kim sounds so grounded and if you look through the art on her website, it’s amazing. Maybe she’s on to something, letting the animals teach us how to be better people. It certainly worked for her.

I love Kim’s comments on age. I know a few octogenarians who feel the same way, they aren’t old people, the people in the mirror are old people. Just reading what she says here, it’s clear Kim has so much life left in her. You can buy copies of Kim’s book at The Butler Institute.

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Photo credit: Butler Institute of American Art and Getty Images

Most of us will not soon forget the slayage we were presented with when Michelle O graced the Inauguration on January 20th. Michelle was sporting a black face mask and a plum Sergio Hudson monochrome pants suit and she had her hair styled in soft flipped waves ala 1980s Farrah Fawcett. In fact, I couldn’t quite put my finger on who Michelle reminded me of that day. Kaiser said she looked like a plum Avenger and I agree. But then it finally hit me, Michelle looked just like Regina King in HBOs Watchmen. Basically, Michelle showed up looking like a damn superheroine. Folks have been diving into what Michelle was wearing that day and creating faux looks for their daughters. Other than the details of Michelle’s outfit, many Black women wanted to also know who was behind Michelle’s iconic hairdo. In an interview with Access Hollywood, Michelle’s hair stylist, Yene Damtew, shared her secret to Michelle’s Inauguration blowout and explained how she became Michelle’s primary hair stylist in 2017. Below are a few excerpts and you can watch the video below.

On her approach to Michelle’s inauguration look
I like to understand the complete look. The factor for me was ‘this needs to last the whole day.’ The weather was questionable.

She did a curl set using vertical sections
You curl the hair and immediately before the curl falls or drops you pin it. After we took the curl set down [I did a blow out].

I am overwhelmed [and] overjoyed at the positive response.

On her family’s reaction to her career
It’s definitely hard growing up as a child of Ethiopian American immigrants. Being a creative isn’t really a respected field. Everyone has their own journey. For me it was to complete cosmetology school, start a business and then go back and get my bachelor’s degree.

In 2009 I started working with Mrs. Obama through my mentor, Johnny Wright, who was my mentor at the time. In 2017 I took over as her primary hairstylist.

Her favorite hair looks
The ones that were special were the looks on the book tour. And I was extremely proud of her second term in office, I colored her hair for the DNC.

[Another favorite was the] Essence Magazine cover when she first wore her hair curly. Another favorite was the book cover because it was the everyday look that we all could relate to.

[From Access Hollywood on YouTube]

I love Yene’s story about being the daughter of Ethiopian immigrants and how being a hair stylist is not respected in her community. I guess Yene showed them. Now she is known for laying the first Black First Lady of the USA’s hair. Yene is definitely an example of what happens when you block out the noise of society and family and follow your own dreams. I have a feeling that Michelle Obama will not be Yene’s only high profile client after the great job she did at the Inauguration and continues to do. My favorite style she has done so far is Michelle’s curly hair because it was so fitting on her. And who doesn’t love Mrs. Obama with her natural hair out? Yene is also a prime example of the importance of having trained Black hair stylists and makeup artists available for Black talent.

I look forward to seeing what else is next for Michelle and Yene. Especially now that Michelle will be starring in her own educational kids show, Waffles and Mochi for Netflix, which will share food from around the world while encouraging kids to eat healthy food. Waffles and Mochi will be released March 16. I am sure this series will give us many opportunities to see Yene’s magic because I know Michelle is gonna look fire alongside these puppets!

Watch the full interview here:

Again, thank you for the love & kind words today. Here’s a video to show how I achieve my signature, bouncy curls on a client at my salon. To book an appointment, please visit https://t.co/Lel9a80t7Y ?? pic.twitter.com/QOCLifNkRy

— Yene Damtew (@yenedamtew) January 20, 2021

Photos credit: Avalon.red and Adam Rose/Netflix