-Time’s 100 Influential People issue has arrived, and among those honoured are Prince Harry and Megan Markle. In his tribute to them, chef and activist José Andrés writes, “In a world where everyone has an opinion about people they don’t know, the duke and duchess have compassion for the people they don’t know. They don’t just opine. They run toward the struggle.”
–Angelina Jolievisited the White House today to meet with officials from the Justice Department to discuss reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act.
–Drew Barrymore hosted a Never Been Kiss cast reunion on her show, and it was all kinds of cute. Michael Vartan remembered getting a little too into their kissing scene.
–Octavia Spencer said she reached out to Britney Spears and Sam Asghari to apologizefor her “get a prenup” comment.
-It looks like Britney is taking her advice anyway and working on a prenup. Thank heavens.
–Britneydeleted her Instagram, but it’s all good. She tweeted, “Don’t worry folks … just taking a little break from social media to celebrate my engagement. I’ll be back soon”
–Chrissy Teigen says she got the fat sucked out of her cheeks. I thought people paid to put that in?
-I didn’t know that Tom Hiddleston was dating Zawe Ashton but I’ve like her since Misfits.
–Jurnee Smollett shared a lovely tribute on Instagram to he Lovecraft Country co-star Michael K. Williams.
–Wendy Williams has pushed back the season premiere of her show after testing positive for COVID-19.
–Brie Larson’s abs are making me wish I worked out more (and also could afford to spend all day working on my abs, like she clearly does).
–Jennifer Aniston covers the new issue of Instyle and talks about Jennifer Lopez’s posing talent on red carpets (“I want to know what gives her the look like she’s about to be seething. It’s amazing”), says the Friends cast promised each other to stay in touch after the reunion (“I had a couple of people over [that] Sunday, just with the kids and stuff. Schwimmer stopped by, so I got to meet his amazing little girl. But we really did make a commitment to each other. We were like, “That’s the last time we wait that long to see each other”), and says she cut people out of her life over their views on vaccines (“It’s a real shame. I’ve just lost a few people in my weekly routine who have refused or did not disclose [whether or not they had been vaccinated], and it was unfortunate. I feel it’s your moral and professional obligation to inform, since we’re not all podded up and being tested every single day. It’s tricky because everyone is entitled to their own opinion — but a lot of opinions don’t feel based in anything except fear or propaganda”).
-Me: “I’m not afraid of heights. “Also me seeing this photoshoot with Angelina Jolie: “Christ woman, get down from there!”
–Chris Meloni got his first Men’s Health cover at 60. (That one photo of him doing the splits should automatically get him into the Zaddy Hall of Fame.) In the interview, he opens up about why he suddenly left Law & Order: SVU at the end of season 12: “My thought was: Instead of 22 episodes, bring me back for nine episodes, or bring me back for 18 episodes. They literally came to me on a Thursday night and said, ‘This is the deal. We want the answer by tomorrow. It’s our way or no way.’ [I said] ‘I don’t want to f–k around with you guys. This is what I want. If you can’t do it, that’s fine. Let’s figure out my exit.'”
–Rihanna is officially a billionaire, according to Forbes. She is worth $1.7 billion — most from her inclusive Fenty Beauty brand.
–Meghan Markle released a video describing her 40 x 40 initiative to Melissa McCarthy over Zoom. She’s celebrating her 40th birthday by asking activists, athletes and celebrities from around the world to spend 40 minutes mentoring women re-entering the workforce.
–Jay-Z and Will Smith are among a list of investors involved in a startup that helps renters build credit until they can buy a home. This feels so much better than rich dudes going to space.
-With Bob Odenkirk being in the news lately for health reason, this clip of him talking about the ridiculously long hours on Better Call Saul resurfaced.
-One of the women Princess Eugenie’s husband Jack Brooksbank was photographed with apologized for those controversial, “misinterpreted” pictures. “I usually never go topless,” Erica Pelosini told The Daily Mail, “but my bikini got wet and I decided to take it off. I know it does not look right for Jack and his family. I felt very bad for them when I saw the images of him surrounded by three women because his wife was not there.” She added, “Jack is a very dear friend of mine and I have known him for a number of years. He’s also good friends with the other two women. It’s very upsetting for me that people could be thinking the wrong things.” Yeah, who among us hasn’t frolicked topless with our platonic male married friends?
–Seth Rogen would like everyone to know he has not been kidnapped, just in case that was a worry of yours.
-Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige is said to be very unhappywith the way Disney is handling the Scarlett Johansson lawsuit. Pissing him off seems like a very bad idea.
-After Dax Shepard‘s podcast interview with Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher sparked debate over their kids bathing habits, Shepard and Kristen Bell discussed their lax policy for their own kids. “I’m a big fan of waiting for the stink. Once you catch a whiff, that’s biology’s way of letting you know you need to clean it up.” What??
-Heels is getting good reviews. I didn’t think I’d be interested in a wrestling show (or watching anything involving Stephen Amell again) but the Friday Night Lights vibe from the trailer apparently holds strong throughout the first four eps screened for critics. Plus, the showrunner is Kurt’s dad from Glee!
–Soleil Moon Frye says that that three of her four children have contracted Covid.
–Hilarie Burton defended her former OTH co-star, Chad Michael Murray, when a fan tweeted that he was the reason she left the show. “I’m not sure where your info is coming from, but Chad had nothing to do with my leaving. We were both treated badly, and he defended me. I so appreciate your support, but I just wanted to clarify that Chad was my teammate. My bosses were the s–ts.”
-This is a good piece on how DaBaby’s vile remarks about gay sex and AIDS mixed with the furor over Lil Nas X’s “Industry Baby” have made for the eye of a perfect shitstorm.
–Justin Bieber apologized for plugging Morgan Wallen‘s album — saying he didn’t know about Morgan’s n-word scandal.
-Here’s the first trailer for Netflix’s Kate, in which Mary Elizabeth Winstead becoming a bonafide action hero as a ruthless assassin on a hunt for revenge in Tokyo. Between this, The Old Guard and Gunpowder Milkshake, I’m here for Netflix pumping out female-led action flicks (though the optics of Winstead’s character fighting only Japanese antagonists in this climate is…not great).
–Billie Eilish talked to Rolling Stone about planning to move out of her parent’s house, how she only watches TV on her phone (“I can’t go to the bathroom without watching something on my phone. I can’t brush my teeth. I can’t wash my face”) and getting over a fame-related traumatic experience (“I went through some crazy shit, and it really affected me and made me not want to go near anyone ever”). She also brought her dog to the photoshoot.
-Meanwhile, her rumoured boyfriend is apologizingfor old racist and homophobic social posts.
–Anthony Mackie is getting some heat on Twitter for his comments about people shipping his character with Sebastian Stan‘s in Falcon & The Winter Solider. “So many things are twisted and convoluted. There’s so many things that people latch on to with their own devices to make themselves relevant and rational…It used to be guys can be friends, we can hang out, and it was cool…You can’t do that anymore, because something as pure and beautiful as homosexuality has been exploited by people who are trying to rationalize themselves.” I agree with this thread that actors shouldn’t be required to speak on the writers’ queerbaiting — though having an answered prepared wouldn’t hurt. But I really agree with this thread about how queer audiences are desperate for representation because there’s so little of it in Hollywood, and it’s really not hard to just say “hey man, you do you.” Mark Hamill had it right when he was asked questions like this.
-Though full reviews for Black Widow are still embargoed, the first initial reactions are positive, with Florence Pughgetting lots of shout outsfor her performance.
-There’s talk that Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox are already considering marriage.
-I liked H.E.R.’s profile in Variety. “H.E.R. isn’t a persona; it’s not something that I think I have to turn on. It’s me: my true self.”
-It feels like Stephen Colbert is having a really busy week trying to throw his guests a life raft and stop them from saying more — and they just won’t.
-The Friends reunion is the gift that keeps on giving. On James Corden’s show last night, he aired a clip of a “carpool karaoke” segment he filmed with the cast at the time.
–Marc Maron was taking some hits on Twitter over an interview he did with William Zabka (in which he admitted he’s never seen the show, so the actor stepped in.
-This could become a problem with travel. Springsteen On Broadway and Jimmy Fallon’s show will not allow audience members who were vaccinated with AstraZeneca.
–Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom star in this dystopian-themed short to fight voter suppression.
-Um, Nicolas Cage is in a new movie about a truffle hunter who searches for his pig after she is kidnapped. It’s called Pig. I can’t believe this is real.
-Here’s the first trailer for Apple TV+ series The Shrink Next Door, starring Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Casey Wilson and Kathryn Hahn.
