–Alicia Keys appears on the cover of Marie Claire and talks about struggling during the pandemic (“Everybody was like, ‘Are you just so creative because you have all this time in the house?’ I was like, ‘No, actually. I do not feel like that at all.’ I didn’t even know how to work. What was I supposed to work on? Where was I supposed to work? And when? It was so much of making sure everything was organized and the kids were good”), being an art collector (“Every room in this house has a beautiful Black face. When my kids walk in this house, they look on these walls they see their beautiful Blackness and it is normal. That does give you a certain sense of validation or belonging”), and creating a new beauty brand (“It’s about this idea of nurturing your soul and honoring yourself and starting to create rituals and opportunities for you to connect with yourself”).
–Aaron Sorkin is defending Being The Ricardos since its backlash over casting, and he’s comin’ in hot! He tells THR: “I want to tell you my opinion on this and I stand by it, which is this: Spanish and Cuban aren’t actable, OK? They’re not actable. By the way, neither are straight and gay. Because I know there’s a small movement underway that only gay actors should play gay characters. Gay and straight aren’t actable. You could act being attracted to someone, but most nouns aren’t actable.”
–Adele says she’s grateful that she became friends with her neighbors Nicole Richie and Jennifer Lawrence. “They humanized me because I had avoided talking to anyone that was ever famous in any capacity, because I was like, ‘Well, I’m not famous.’ I’m very British like that.”
–Matthew McConaughey is clarifying that he did not say he’s against vaccinating kids, posting on Instagram: “When asked my opinion on the subject of children and vaccination mandates I stated, ‘I couldn’t mandate it for kids just yet.’ What was not clear is that I was referring specifically to the 5-11 year old mandate. What is NOT true, and insinuated with the clickbait headlines since, is that I am against vaccinating children at all. This is false. In fact, our eldest 13-year-old son Levi is fully vaccinated for COVID-19.”
–Andrew Garfield says he suggested making Peter Parker bisexual, but Sony was all “nah.”
-While appearing on Colbert’s show, Aubrey Plaza dressed like a witch and offered her thoughts on her past costars. She said Kristen Stewart “smells like cinnamon and gasoline,” Molly Shannon is “one of the most legendary living con artists alive today” and credits herself for Michael Caine‘s retirement announcement “Once you experience the best you got to wrap it up.”
-Oh god. A ninth Astroworld victim, 22-year-old Bharti Shahani, has died.
-Meanwhile, there are reports that Travis Scott attended a Dave & Buster’s party immediately after Astroworld, and Drake went to a strip club the following night. There are also lots of questions being raised about Scott’s partnership with BetterHelp following the tragedy.
–Carrie Underwood doesn’t appreciate jokes about Aaron Rodgers‘ vaccination status. Shocker.
-I have no interest in paying for Twitter Blue, but if I did, it would only be because they used Meg Stalter to promote it.
–Lizzy Caplan needs to be a bigger star. I’m not sure if this Paramount+ remake of Fatal Attraction is going to do it, but I’m rooting for her.
-While promoting Licorice Pizza, director Paul Thomas Anderson reflected on the theatre industry and cemented my love for him. “I’m not going to lie — there’s been a couple of moments where I thought the sky was falling. The theatrical exhibition industry had a much-needed and long-coming kick in the pants, didn’t it? They built 25-plexes and 30-plexes and all that kind of stuff, and it got bigger and bigger and shittier, and you know what, you’re shocked that they’re empty? Well, what did you think was going to happen? They built these pyramids for their demise.” And when asked if minds if people stream his movies, he replied, “Not at all. I don’t mind if people discover my work that way. I’m counting on it long after I’m gone.”
–Meghan Markle responded to new claims that she knew her father would leak her personal letters.
–Tom Holland gushed over girlfriend Zendaya being honoured with the CFDA Fashion Icon Award.
-Modern Family’s Julie Bowen plays a grandma in Netflix’s Mixtape.
-I’m gonna watch the crap our of Single All The Way, Netflix’s new gay holiday romcom starring Michael Urie, Philemon Chambers, Kathy Najimy and Jennifer Coolidge.
