I didn’t realize until very recently that Keira Knightley has several films out this fall and winter, not just Colette. Colette is the one getting a lot of attention, and truly, I would not be surprised at all if Keira got another Oscar nomination for it. The Academy loves beautiful British actresses in corsets, almost as much as they love British actors playing historical figures. Keira also has a role in Disney’s The Nutcracker (hard pass) and then in the spring, she’s in Ridley Scott’s The Aftermath, another period drama. So obviously, Keira got one of the covers for Elle Magazine’s Women In Hollywood issue – you can read the full cover story here. She sounds… matured. She’s been this way for several years now – you can tell that her 20s were complete garbage, but she’s loving her 30s. Some highlights:

On asking about her pay in relation to her male costars: “It didn’t even occur to me. It felt like something you couldn’t question. But I do ask now, and I can safely say that in my last two films, I have not made less than the men I’ve been working with.”

Becoming famous at 18, understanding the double-standards: “The double standards that women face are so extreme, particularly at that age. Men are meant to be getting drunk and falling out of clubs. Then [people] go, “Yeah, you’re cool!” But if I’d been seen as a party girl, it could’ve been the end of my career. We also live in a society that gives unbelievably difficult messages to young women. You’re meant to be thin, but not that thin. You’re supposed to go out and have sex, then people say, “No, you’re a slut.” You’re always too much of something. What’s so interesting about Colette is that she was breaking all those rules. She felt that she had the right to live her life in the way that she saw fit.

The difference between male & female directors: “Of course men can direct women brilliantly, but I think that often women storytellers are subtler than men. And I think that often their work gets devalued because of the subtlety, and that’s ridiculous. There is also ageism with directors: You want the young, sexy female directors, but you don’t necessarily want the middle-aged female directors. We need all those voices. We need to be talking about how difficult it is for women to work with small children, too. We’re losing loads of women because with the way the industry is set up, they can’t direct and have kids at the same time.

Her biggest mistake when she was young: “I think my biggest mistake, actually, was trying to be perfect. I was so convinced there was a way to make everybody happy. But there’s joy in knowing that’s impossible. A lot of the time, trying to figure out how the f–k you get off the floor again is the most interesting part of your life.

[From Elle]

I really agree with what she says about women directors versus male directors – there are so many male directors who do brilliant work with women. BUT female directors just see the work and the story differently, they see the subtleties differently, and different doesn’t mean better or worse. But Keira’s right about the work of female directors being devalued. It’s the same with so-called “chick flicks” or “women’s films,” like the kind of corseted dramas Keira makes. They are seen as less-than because they’re made by women or made for women or made WITH women.

Photos courtesy of David Bailey for Elle Magazine, sent from Elle’s promotional email.

Elle Magazine’s November issue is their annual Women In Hollywood issue, which means multiple covers and multiple cover stories. Interestingly, three of the women from Black Panther are one of the covers: Lupita Nyong’o, Angela Bassett and Danai Gurira. Black Panther came out months ago, so why are they still promoting it? I’ll give you a hint: magazines usually devote their November and December covers to Oscar hopefuls. That’s right, the cast of Black Panther truly believes that their film should be a Best Picture contender. And they’re not wrong either. It *should* be a contender. But will it be? I don’t know. You can see Elle’s cover package for these ladies here. Some highlights:

Angela Bassett on the importance of women in Black Panther: “The women were integral to the storytelling and the wisdom that the main character possessed. It was really important in terms of the representation of black feminine strength.”

Angela Bassett on the impact of Black Panther: “We all felt the anticipation but had no idea how it would mushroom, or that it would be so global and smash whatever preconceived notions we’ve heard for decades—that stories like this about these people won’t travel as well or won’t generate financially on such a huge scale.”

Lupita Nyong’o on relating to her character, Nakia: “Nakia was a departure from the character you see in the comic books. She is an independent woman and a bit of a rebel but also a loyalist to her country. I am also someone who depends on my family and friends and feels a connection to my people, and maybe has a sense of responsibility to make them proud. So I really related to that balancing act within oneself.”

Danai Gurira on Wakanda as a society: “[It] was celebratory of everyone equally [regardless of gender]. You see that in my character. She’s able to excel.”

Lupita on how women get to save the day: “In our story, the emphasis is on many different women holding their own space,” says Nyong’o, describing the film as “a Marvel universe that is unapologetically black.”

[From Elle]

I remember, years ago, reading an explanation for why the phrase “unapologetically black” needs to be retired, and it’s interesting to see Lupita use it here. The explanation was basically that by saying anyone or anything is “unapologetically” black, there’s the implicit assumption that blackness is something for which an apology is normally needed. I know that’s not how Lupita is using it, but still. As for the importance of the women’s stories within Black Panther… I agree for the most part, although I do think that the women were used too much “in service” of the male characters, but that’s more of a superhero-film problem rather than a Black Panther-specific problem.

Photos courtesy of Katja Rahlwes for Elle Magazine, sent from promotional Elle email.

Two more days to go. As you know, by all accounts, the Sussexes’ first overseas tour has been a smash hit. Exactly two weeks ago, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrived in Australia and announced that they’re expecting their first child. From there it’s been an ambitious schedule of events taking th…

Two more days to go. As you know, by all accounts, the Sussexes’ first overseas tour has been a smash hit. Exactly two weeks ago, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrived in Australia and announced that they’re expecting their first child. From there it’s been an ambitious schedule of events taking th…

It came out in late 2011 that Demi Moore’s then-husband, Ashton Kutcher, was cheating on her. One of his hookups went to the tabloids, which must have been devastating to Demi. Their marriage dissolved quickly after that. In January of 2012, Demi had a medical crisis/overdose, thought to be from synthetic marijuana, for which the paramedics were called. She went to rehab in early 2012. There were stories and photos of her into 2013 suggesting she was not yet sober. Demi achieved sobriety in 2014 I think, when she started showing up at events looking fabulous. She did this without much fanfare and without talking about it. I mention all this as background and am not trying to shame her. We all have our own journey and she never put herself out there as an example.

Anyway, Demi was honored over the weekend as Woman of The Year by the Peggy Albrecht Friendly House, which is “the first residential program in the country for women recovering from alcohol and drug abuse.” In her acceptance speech she talked about her sobriety journey in general terms. She also alluded to an intervention, but she said it happened early in her career. I read these headlines thinking she was talking about that time following her split with Ashton but don’t think that’s the case. Here’s what she said.

“I feel like there’s a defining moments in our lives that shape who we are and the direction we go and early in my career, I was spiraling down a path of real self-destruction and no matter what successes I had, I just never felt good enough… I had absolutely no value for myself and this self-destructive path, it very quickly brought me to a real crisis point and it wasn’t clear at the time the reason. Maybe it was divine intervention.”

Moore noted two unnamed people who she “barely knew” who stood up for her. As the actress joked, it was more like an “ultimatum.” “Unless I was dead, I better show up,” she quipped.

Without getting too specific, the G.I. Jane star said she was given “a chance to redirect the course of my life before I destroyed everything.”

“Clearly they saw more of me than I saw of myself,” Moore noted. “And I’m so grateful because without that opportunity, without their believing me, I wouldn’t be standing here today.”

“Life is certainly not a straight line and I think everyone here has dealt with not feeling good enough at some point in their lives,” she said. “I know in a moment of great struggle for me, I’ve reached out to a wise teacher and expressed my fear that I wasn’t good enough and she said, ‘You will never be good enough, but you can know the value of your worth. Put down the measuring stick.’”

As she finished, “So today, I put down the measuring stick and I thank you for this beautiful acknowledgment and the opportunity to know the value of my worth.”

[From E! Online]

It’s kind of impressive that Demi just got sober and didn’t say anything about it for years. At first this reminded me of Simon Pegg opening up about his sobriety a full seven years later, when he knew he was able to maintain it. Demi didn’t get into details here, which is her prerogative, and she phrases it like it happened decades ago. Plus I guess I can’t assume that’s what happened, because she didn’t even specify. This is probably the most she’ll say, that it was hard and she felt “less than.”

Also, I don’t mind the oversize 80s jacket trend and I will admit to owning a couple, but this suit is messy and looks too big. You can wear a giant jacket, but maybe have a fitted shirt underneath and don’t pair it with pants that are also loose. She looks great though otherwise.

photos credit: WENN

Will Ferrell was canvassing door to door for @staceyabrams in Georgia -awesome pic.twitter.com/nW9S1NLOzH

— laney (@misslaneym) October 28, 2018

The midterm elections – on November 6th – will determine control of the House and Senate, and they’ll determine the future of American democracy. There are also some really great, interesting and important governors’ races and local elections too. One of those gubernatorial races is Stacey Abrams’ candidacy for governor of Georgia. Considering the Black Renaissance happening in Atlanta, and more celebrities living full time in Georgia, there’s been a lot of star-power and “heat” around this governor’s race. But I guess I didn’t expect this – Will Ferrell decided to go out and personally canvas door-to-door for Stacey Abrams in Georgia! He had the t-shirt and the clipboard and everything. Can you even imagine what you would do if Will Ferrell suddenly turned up at your door? It’s crazy.

Will recorded a message too:

Will Ferrell has arrived in Atlanta to fire up young #GaDems! ?

We’ve got just 11 days to #GetItDone for @staceyabrams, @SarahRiggsAmico and Dems across the state.

Sign up for a volunteer shift, and together WE will #TurnGaBlue??https://t.co/ncHl5WVslH pic.twitter.com/62JO9Perqk

— Georgia Democrat (@GeorgiaDemocrat) October 26, 2018

I love when celebrities do this. I mean, it’s good that so many wealthy celebrities donate so heavily to Democratic candidates and to the party as a whole. Dems need money, so of course that’s always welcome. But I love it when celebrities actually put their narcissism and transactional-politics aside to actually work on the ground for a candidate. I remember during Barack Obama’s first and second presidential elections, celebrities were canvassing in Iowa and New Hampshire and phone-banking in Texas and such. It’s just another reminder: the election this year is CRAZY IMPORTANT AND YOU NEED TO VOTE.

Will Ferrell spent yesterday in Plains encouraging voters to vote early for @staceyabrams, @SarahRiggsAmico, and all #GADems.

Find your early vote location here: https://t.co/aTVXrxPO8E

After you vote early, sign up to volunteer: https://t.co/jGIScpYhl8 pic.twitter.com/df7g6gvrOO

— Georgia Democrat (@GeorgiaDemocrat) October 26, 2018

Photos and video courtesy of Twitter.

As I continue to say, Donald Trump, the Republican party and the right-wing media outlets have radicalized these domestic terrorists. Trump is the main one, using the language of dog-whistle anti-Semitism and white supremacy and outright Nazism. Robert Bowers, the terrorist who murdered Jewish people in a Pittsburgh synagogue, was like so many Trump-era terrorists: he left large breadcrumbs on social media, detailing his hatred and his violent viewpoint. He was obsessed with the “migrant caravan” story which Trump has been promoting as a racist scare tactic for the midterms.

Bowers frequently posted about the “migrant caravan,” a group of several thousand refugees walking to the U.S.-Mexico border from Honduras to seek asylum. Preventing refugees in the caravan from entering the United States has been a major talking point among right-wing commentators and President Donald Trump, who has spoken about it in recent pre-midterm election stump speeches.

Bowers’ anti-Semitic posts and his apparent disdain for the caravan are tied to a viral image that appears to show refugees hopping onto the bed of a truck with a Star of David on the side. The image has been widely shared on far-right forums like 4chan and the Russian propaganda operation USA Really. He reposted a screenshot of a video of the caravan that had aired on Fox News, as well as other networks, that does not mention the symbol.

[From NBC News]

That link is crystal clear: Trump, in conjunction with Fox News and right-wing propaganda sites, spread these conspiracies about the caravan to rile up their racist base. And the racist base listened, and decided to send pipe bombs and load their AR-15 and shoot up houses of worship. But to Trump’s senior advisor Kellyanne Conway, the real culprit is… comedians who make jokes about religion. Yes, she’s trying that. She’s also claiming that the people in the Trump administration are the REAL victims.

CONWAY argues the real victims are White House staffers like her: “The kind of rhetoric that is said day in and day out about this WH, the people who work here, the president, the VP, their families – it’s got to stop… In this case the president is leading the country to heal.” pic.twitter.com/oUuDfgdPUn

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 29, 2018

Conway tries to frame Pittsburgh shooting as really being about “anti-religiosity” writ large.

“The anti-religiosity in this country that is somehow in vogue… making fun of people who express religion, the late night comedians,.. It’s always anti-religious.” pic.twitter.com/yw6ZvY1CIQ

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 29, 2018

Don’t let this a–hole get away with any of this. Jesus, I’m sorry this is such a downer, but I think it’s important to discuss this. Robert Bowers HATED Jewish people. He attacked a house of worship because he had been radicalized by Donald Trump and many others. Enough.

And since he can’t help himself, Kellyanne’s unhinged boss stepped all over her message on Twitter this morning:

There is great anger in our Country caused in part by inaccurate, and even fraudulent, reporting of the news. The Fake News Media, the true Enemy of the People, must stop the open & obvious hostility & report the news accurately & fairly. That will do much to put out the flame…

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 29, 2018

….of Anger and Outrage and we will then be able to bring all sides together in Peace and Harmony. Fake News Must End!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 29, 2018

I never fail to shiver and feel sick to my stomach whenever he calls the media the “true enemy of the people.” Hug a journalist today, because Trump is giving orders to all of his violent Deplorables to target journalists yet again.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

I live in a rural area where Postmates isn’t available yet. If you’re like me and have been ignoring it because it’s of no personal benefit to you, Postmates is a city-based delivery service for just about anything, but they mostly deliver food. They’re getting a ton of free publicity from celebrities who use it. We heard that Jessica Simpson uses it a lot, although the exact amount is probably not as high as reported. Chrissy Teigen once ordered 200 limes when she wanted just five and of course she tweeted about it because that’s her job.

Postmates published an article revealing that musician Post Malone is their number one customer, having spent around $40,000 the past year. He orders large amounts of food, like $8,000 worth biscuits from Popeyes. He’s on tour and he has a huge entourage so that’s how it adds up. Postmates revealed some of the other things he ordered and it sounds like standard musicians-on-tour drink supplies.

Whether it’s in the studio or on tour, Postmates has become Posty’s best friend. He ranks as our #1 most dedicated customer: having ordered nearly 3,000 total items, on more than 660 orders, in 52 different cities nationwide.

Of the 289 different merchants that he’s ordered from on Postmates, he goes “psycho” for Popeyes. Who else can proudly say that they’ve postmated $8,000 worth of biscuits to a Coachella party? Postmate Malone can.

This year, Post Malone threw a rager by supplying $850 worth of party supplies in minutes. How does Postmates Malone party?

He postmated:
3 packs of rolling papers
6 bottles of orange juice
2 bottles of cranberry cocktail juice
4 bottles of cabernet sauvignon
2 bags of ice
2 handles of Tito’s Vodka
40 solo cups.

Think that’s a big tab? It’s only a fraction compared to the $40,000+ Posty has spent on Postmates in the past year.

Everyone knows that in order to love others you must first love yourself. And we think Post Malone qualifies: He tipped one of his Postmates his unreleased CD. Kind of a win: win if you ask us.

You can tell a lot about a person from their Postmates order history. What would you do with calcium crickets, latex gloves, and $100 of buffalo sauce? We’ll let you ask him yourself at Posty Fest in Dallas on October 28th

[From Medium]

Does Postmates have a privacy policy that’s like “we can publish any of the stuff you order at any time?” Did they comp some of Malone’s orders after this? Malone hasn’t posted to social media about it, but Postmates did plug his tour, PostyFest. I read through the press releases for Postyfest and couldn’t find anything about a Postmates sponsorship. Also, so many people are tweeting about what a coincidence this is given the guy’s name. It’s definitely a cross-publicity opportunity. I’m hungry for biscuits and fried chicken now. Also I’m thinking about buying new foundation for some reason.

Post Malone spent over $40,000 on Postmates in the past year and it’s obviously because his name is in the title pic.twitter.com/PCrUgTB2Bi

— Chicks in the Office (@ChicksInTheOff) October 24, 2018

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by @adamdegross

A post shared by Posty (@postmalone) on Oct 24, 2018 at 4:15pm PDT

Photos credit: WENN and via Instagram

I’m always prepared for the worst whenever Brad Pitt and his team of PR minions go dark for a few weeks. What’s funny is how many different angles they’ve tried in the past two years, and how often they jettison some new Pitt persona that isn’t working or isn’t being “bought” by people in general. Just think, about six months ago, we were hearing about Neri Oxman constantly and how she was the only woman who could truly stimulate him and she was prettier and more accomplished than Angelina, etc. Then that Pitt persona was jettisoned and it became all about how Brad Is Sad And Angry about the kids and he’s father of the year and Angelina is a terrible person. So what’s the new persona? I don’t know – Team Pitt seems especially eager to milk the potential for Brad getting remarried eventually, but this time he’s not going to be with someone famous. Really though, this Page Six piece is just another undercover hit piece on Angelina and how she’s made everything a “nightmare” for Brad. Some highlights:

Brad’s friends think he’ll eventually remarry: Brad Pitt’s marriages to two of the world’s most famous women, Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie, may have ended in divorce — but friends still expect he’ll marry again. “He’s not a monk!” said one pal. The 54-year-old star has been dating quietly amid a turbulent and ongoing divorce from Jolie. “To say these two years have been a nightmare is an understatement,” a source close to Pitt told The Post.

He was never dating Neri Oxman: “Brad was never dating Neri — they are friends and their relationship is ­totally professional,” the pal said.

But is he dating Sat Hari Khalsa? On Oct. 1, Pitt was pictured enjoying the company of spiritual healer and jewelry designer Sat Hari Khalsa, 49. Pitt insiders aren’t convinced Khalsa’s the one for him, although she does fit his new MO.

Brad won’t end up with a famous woman: “I can’t see Brad dating someone super famous again, I can definitely see him dating someone with a lower profile,” said someone who has worked closely with the actor. Insiders say Pitt… has been “hanging out” with a few women over the past few months. But he’s working to keep things private after having had so many very public relationships over the years. The spotlight can be a “challenge” for people who aren’t used to it, said the source who has worked with Pitt. “There’s all this gossip and suddenly this person ­becomes a public character.”

He’s not going to end up dating a Playmate, like Ben Affleck has: “He just likes hanging out with his friends and anyone he meets will have to be from a place of trust… He’s focused on his children, his work and wanting to have some sense of normalcy. He’s dating casually but, for the foreseeable future, everything is about the kids.” That said, insiders tell The Post that Pitt is not looking to have more children.

Brad “rarely” speaks to Angelina: “The divorce is still an ongoing process. It’s not easy.” Insiders add that two years of public scrutiny have left the actor “wary” of launching into a serious romance anytime soon.

He believes in marriage, even through rough times: “He’s never been ‘woe is me’ — he’s very grateful for everything he has — but the public obsession with everything he does is just hard. He wants to be with someone nice, it’s just going to take a while before a long-term relationship can happen.” Asked if one could envisage a Mrs. Pitt Number 3 in the future, the pal replied, “Brad comes from a very traditional family, he’s very close to his parents, Jane and Bill, and his brother and sister are both married with families. I could see him marrying again, but it will be a much more low-key relationship.”

[From Page Six]

I think it’s sort of funny that sources are like “hey, he’s not going to go Full Midlife Crisis like Ben Affleck,” like that’s something deserving of a cookie. Affleck is a total mess, and of course Brad is more image-conscious and controlled than that. As for the repeated insistence that Pitt’s next wife won’t be super-famous… well, I have some thoughts. One, the failure of his second marriage wasn’t about fame, it was about his drinking and his abuse of Maddox. Team Pitt is making the argument that perhaps the Jolie-Pitt union failed because they were both mega-famous, like Brad was the one who wanted to leave Angelina. Again, she left HIM. And it didn’t have anything to do with fame. Secondly, I’m getting the feeling that he probably is seeing some non-celebrity already and we’ll find out about her soon enough. Maybe an assistant or publicist or makeup artist, someone within the industry but not a “celebrity.”

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.

Diddy and Cassie have been broken up publicly for over a week. When their split was announced, Cassie’s rep confirmed that they hadn’t been together for months. While the rumours were that Diddy left Cassie heartbroken without a ring and moved on with a model, I wrote that we shouldn’t be so quick t…