For most of my life, I was not any kind of sports fan. I just didn’t care, I didn’t participate in the sports rituals and superstitions and fandoms. But I became a mid-life sports fan (mostly tennis, sometimes basketball & soccer) and now I sort of get it. I too have superstitions about my favorite athletes and I’m halfway convinced that my nail polish really does affect whether a player wins or loses a match. So, if your favorite team is on an epic losing streak, of course many people will change up their superstitions in case something is bringing about some kind of “curse.” So it is with the LA Kings. The LA Kings play at the Staples Center, where a Taylor Swift banner has been permanently on display since 2015, when she played to historically sold-out concerts at the venue. The LA Kings haven’t won the Stanley Cup since 2014. So… the LA Kings are covering the Taylor Swift banner.

The Los Angeles Kings are ready to shake off Taylor Swift from the Staples Center. The Kings have decided to cover the pop star’s “most sold-out performances” banner for their home games this season, amid speculation the tarp has cursed the organization, who last won the Stanley Cup in 2014.

“The connection to our fans is our highest priority and through our engagement they have made it clear that the banner shouldn’t be part of their Kings game experience,” Michael Altieri, senior vice president of marketing, communications, and content for the Kings and AEG Sports said, according to the Los Angeles Times. “We didn’t see an issue in covering it for our games and in fact see it as an opportunity to show our fans that we hear them.”

The Kings covered Swift’s banner, which was raised in 2015, on Saturday for their home opener against the Nashville Predators. Following the 7-4 win, Twitter decided to connect the dots.

“We are undefeated when the Taylor Swift banner is covered up!” the Kings’ mascot, Bailey, tweeted.

“@LAKings are 1-0 this season when the Taylor Swift banner has been covered,” another posted.

[From Page Six]

The Snake Fam is not happy about any of this, and I see their point. It’s blaming a woman for the failures of men. And it happens all too often in sports, where wives/girlfriends are seen as “the reason” for a “curse” or losing streak. This time, Taylor didn’t even have to date a hockey player to be seen as a curse. She just had to exist and do concerts at the Staples Center… four years ago. It’s bonkers. But also: if it works, it works!! The LA Kings will now be covering her banner during all of their home games. If I was an LA Kings fan, I would demand it! The superstitions are REAL.

The @LAKings will cover Taylor Swift’s banner at Staples Center for all home games. “The connection to our fans is our highest priority and through our engagement they have made it clear that the banner shouldn’t be part of their Kings game experience.” https://t.co/tR04KZRamy

— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) October 13, 2019

Photos courtesy of WENN.

As we discussed in Friday’s links, Liam Hemsworth has a new girlfriend, sort of. I’m saying Maddison Brown is his new girlfriend, but most “sources” say it’s just a lowkey thing and they’re not 100% official. Maddison is 22 years old and Australian. She’s currently on that Dynasty reboot on the CW. She’s pretty and young and she seems… uncomplicated. Or, less complicated than the soap opera between Liam and Miley Cyrus. Liam and Maddison were seen out in New York two days/nights in a row, and they were photographed having a street makeout session too:

EXCLUSIVE: Liam Hemsworth kisses new girlfriend Maddison Brown during romantic date https://t.co/V6iXY0eqgp

— Daily Mail Celebrity (@DailyMailCeleb) October 11, 2019

That was part of their New York love tour – they partied at The Flower Shop (a bar) and Alley Cat Amateaur Theatre (another bar). But regardless of the coupled-up kissy photo-ops, Liam maintains that this is all very new:

Liam Hemsworth is getting back into the dating game, but he’s making sure he’s not in over his head this time. Two months after announcing his split from Miley Cyrus, the Australian actor, 29, has started to mend his broken heart with a fellow Aussie: Dynasty actress Maddison Brown. On Thursday, Brown, 22, and Hemsworth were seen holding hands as they strolled the streets of New York City and enjoyed a meal at Sant Ambroeus in the West Village.

But, according to a source close to the actor, Hemsworth is not about to jump into a new serious relationship just yet.

“It’s very new,” the source tells PEOPLE. “Liam is taking it slow but he’s definitely interested in her.”

[From People]

As I said, it seems… uncomplicated. Do I think that Liam is probably being a tad PUBLIC with this new romance as a way to get under Miley’s skin? Yes. Just as Miley tried to get under Liam’s skin with all of her Kaitlynn Carter-ing and Cody Simpson-ing. It’s all so juvenile. That being said, I think Liam and Maddison have a better shot at a real relationship, whereas Miley is going to cycle through Cody Simpson just as quickly as she cycled through Kaitlynn.

Embed from Getty Images

Photos courtesy of Getty, Backgrid and WENN.

Hillary Clinton is currently on a book tour with her daughter Chelsea. That’s why there are so many Clinton interviews these days. Because it’s a lighter book (The Book of Gutsy Women: Favorite Stories of Courage and Resilience), they’re being asked about stuff other than gloom and Trumpy doom. Which is how they were asked about the Duchess of Sussex’s treatment by the press, and Meghan and Harry’s lawsuits. Hillary has made pro-Meghan comments before, and she’s clearly a big fan of Meghan. Hillary and Chelsea had some new thoughts:

Hillary Clinton is speaking out in support of Meghan Markle. In a new interview published in U.K. newspaper The Sunday Times, the former first lady, 71, and her daughter Chelsea Clinton were asked about Meghan and husband Prince Harry’s decision to take legal action against the British media.

“I do want to say that the way she’s been treated is inexplicable,” the former Secretary of State said.

“If the explanation is that she’s biracial, then shame on everybody,” she added, noting that she personally believed the Duchess of Sussex’s race is “certainly part of it.”

Her daughter Chelsea went on to add that another explanation could have to do with Meghan’s advocacy — which she has continued throughout her time as a royal.

“She proudly had a career first and has a voice that she thankfully continues to use,” the mother of three, 39, said. “Anyone who has the temerity to break the mold of what has previously been established and expected often, unfortunately, receives criticism and bile that I don’t understand. We’ve seen this pattern repeatedly. I don’t know her, but as someone who respects her, I’m so grateful that she persists, and is unbowed, and is doing work she feels called to do. And isn’t willing to be bullied.”

[From People]

We’re basically three years into Harry and Meghan’s relationship – it was the fall of 2016 when we first learned about their relationship, and we’re coming up on the two-year anniversary of their engagement announcement. In that time, we’ve seen A LOT of racism. The racism blurs a lot of the other stuff, but that other stuff is still there: the misogyny and sexism, the anti-Americanism, the bias against “actresses” and a snottiness about Meghan being a self-made woman and a divorcee, and the utter disgust with Meghan being a well-connected, college-educated woman who knows her own mind. But yeah… it’s mostly racism, sexism and anti-Americanism, at least from the British tabloid press.

Incidentally, the Sussexes finally said goodbye to Samantha Cohen, their private secretary (basically their chief of staff). Cohen was always a temporary, transitional private secretary and Cohen stayed longer than she originally intended so she could help the Sussexes get set up on their own. The Sussexes already have their new private secretary (Fiona Mcilwham) in place.

Photos courtesy of WENN, Backgrid, Avalon Red.

I keep saying this because it’s true: I feel sorry for Princess Beatrice. I feel like Beatrice’s wedding isn’t going to be her “dream wedding” or even close to it. In 2018, Prince Harry married Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle and it was big and fancy. Then several months later, Princess Eugenie also married at Windsor, and it was also big and fancy and expensive. Beatrice is expected to marry at Windsor as well, only her sister and her cousin used up all the fanciness and money. Now Beatrice is expected to have a less expensive and much smaller wedding. I don’t think it’s her choice – she’s being forced to streamline and be lowkey. Perhaps in a bid to take control of the narrative, it was announced last week that Beatrice’s wedding will be “funded privately.”

When Princess Eugenie tied the knot with Jack Brooksbank in October 2018, the day cost the British taxpayer around £2million but according to reports, things are set to change at Princess Beatrice’s nuptials. The British public are reportedly not footing the bill for the upcoming wedding – a major break from royal tradition.

According to the Daily Express, Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi’s wedding will be funded privately, a palace spokesperson confirmed to the newspaper. British taxpayer’s money is traditionally used at royal weddings to help towards security costs. Before Princess Eugenie’s wedding, thousands of UK citizens signed a petition against public funds going towards the wedding with a total of 14,000 signatures which were addressed to the House of Commons.

[From Tatler]

I’m not a British taxpayer, but it would seem to me like royal weddings are actually some of the best use of taxpayer funding towards the royals. Royal weddings are joyful spectacles which boost local and national economies and draw international interest. Spend the money there, you know? But I get it. Eugenie and Harry used up all of that warmth and their weddings were “too big.” So now Beatrice needs to have a smaller wedding. Apparently, she’s not going to even get a carriage ride! Or a reception at Windsor Castle.

Princess Beatrice is planning a low-key wedding following criticism over the cost of her sister Eugenie’s lavish Windsor Castle ceremony. It is believed Prince Andrew’s elder daughter, 31, wants none of the pomp and ceremony typically associated with a royal wedding when she marries property tycoon Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.

While her father battles claims made by victims of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, Beatrice has reportedly opted not to have a carriage ride and castle reception. Instead she and her fiance are thought to be ready to hire a venue themselves rather than depend on one of the Royal Family’s residences. It has been reported that Beatrice is also considering holding the reception in a marquee at her parents’ home, the Royal Lodge at Windsor.

[From The Daily Mirror]

So does this mean that the wedding might not even go down at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor? Or is that a built-in assumption – Beatrice will marry in Windsor, but the reception won’t be at the castle, and they may rent out a space or just use Andrew’s home? I don’t know. On one hand, I’m glad that Beatrice won’t need to “copy” her sister and her cousin’s weddings. On the other hand, I feel like Beatrice is getting screwed over because Eugenie and Harry had their weddings last year.

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

Embed from Getty Images
I have to sometimes remind myself that Greta Thunberg is a teenager, given that she’s taken a year off school to focus on her climate activism, and is inspiring celebrities like Jane Fonda to fight climate change. Greta was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts and was named to the TIME 100 list in the spring. She has just been named one of People‘s 25 Women Changing the World 2019. But, she does things that typical teenagers do when she’s not out trying to protect the planet:

While Thunberg has become a powerhouse in the climate world (and criticized by the likes of President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin) she is, after all, just 16.

“I have many, many hobbies, and interests,” she tells PEOPLE. “But I have had to put them aside for now.”

Since August, she has been on sabbatical from school, traveling the world to raise awareness about the urgent need to take action against climate change.

While she’s traveling, she says, “I read and I go for walks. When I’m home, then I am with my dogs – Moses and Roxy.”

She misses them a lot – as well as “my sister, my family – everything at home.” . . .

“I have a lot of people listening to what I am saying, so I am using that platform to try to achieve a change,” she says.

“I think it’s very hopeful, all the young people who are a part of the climate change movement,” she says. “That keeps me going, to see that it actually has made a difference.”

She keeps going, she says, “Because there is no second option. I want to make sure that the people in power know that this is something they cannot continue to ignore.”

[From People]

I need to make it a point to follow Greta on social media. I enjoy reading her interviews because she’s incredibly blunt about what’s happening to the planet and why she’s doing the work that she’s doing. This is all common sense, and Greta is one of the people trying to explain why to others. She’s also not afraid to call out leaders who are shirking their responsibilities to their citizens by failing to take up this work themselves. And it is so refreshing that someone is holding leaders accountable for their nonsense.

I’m glad that Greta’s finding time for her hobbies while she’s traveling. I can’t imagine how exhausted she must get, even as she’s exhilarated by the growing climate activism movement that she started. I hope that she’s taking time for herself to rest and recharge!

Over 7,5 million people in over 180 countries joined the #climatestrike !We told world leaders to unite behind the science and take action now.
They didn’t listen.
So we go on, every Friday. The next global climate strike is Nov 29, and we need everyone to join!#fridaysforfuture pic.twitter.com/MDF8isDLhi

— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) October 13, 2019

photos credit: WENN, Avalon.red and Getty

Queen Elizabeth II opened Parliament today. It’s a thing that happens every damn year but every year, I guess people tune in to see the Queen look grumpy AF in a full state-ceremony gown (in the middle of the day!). For decades, the Queen wore the Imperial State Crown to the opening of Parliament, but in recent years, the crown is literally too heavy for her head, so she opts for the Diamond Diadem tiara. That’s what she wore today. But because people come to see the actual CROWN, the crown had to come along too. Did… the crown… travel in its own carriage? I think it did. And check out this fussy crown business:

The Imperial State Crown, seen only at coronations and state openings of Parliament, arrives at the Palace of Westminster ahead of the Queen’s Speech setting out the government’s agenda

Live updates: https://t.co/OBWG03YSmt pic.twitter.com/MqoVihLbx6

— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) October 14, 2019

The BBC commentary really sells this. The crown gets ANOTHER cushion when it’s inside. Bless it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure that all of this pomp and custom has a purpose. But from the outside looking in, my lord. British peeps, how can you stand it? Anyway, the Queen looked…small and tired. Charles looked fine. I spy Camilla off to the side too, looking bored.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

If you’re like me, you can go weeks without listening to Donald Trump speak. I actively avoid it and I change the channel when clips of Trump’s unhinged speeches begin to air. When you avoid listening to him for a week or two, his deeply unsettled, unwell mind comes into starker relief: this man is absolutely bonkers and he’s getting worse. He’s currently ignoring a genocide of our longstanding Kurdish allies at the hands of ISIS terrorists who he empowered. And he and his supporters are still making terrorist videos depicting Trump gunning down journalists/media outlets and Democrats.

A video depicting a macabre scene of a fake President Trump shooting, stabbing and brutally assaulting members of the news media and his political opponents was shown at a conference for his supporters at his Miami resort last week, according to footage obtained by The New York Times. Several of Mr. Trump’s top surrogates — including his son Donald Trump Jr., his former spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders and the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis — were scheduled to speak at the three-day conference, which was held by a pro-Trump group, American Priority, at Trump National Doral Miami. Ms. Sanders and a person close to Mr. Trump’s son said on Sunday that they did not see the video at the conference.

The video, which includes the logo for Mr. Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign, comprises a series of internet memes. The most violent clip shows Mr. Trump’s head superimposed on the body of a man opening fire inside the “Church of Fake News” on parishioners who have the faces of his critics or the logos of media organizations superimposed on their bodies. It appears to be an edited scene of a church massacre from the 2014 dark comedy film “Kingsman: The Secret Service.”

The disclosure that the video was played shows how Mr. Trump’s anti-media language has influenced his supporters and bled into their own propaganda. Mr. Trump has made attacks on the news media a mainstay of his presidency, and he tweeted a similar — but far less violent video — in 2017. In recent weeks as he has confronted impeachment proceedings, he has ramped up his attacks on the news media, repeatedly calling it the “enemy of the people.”

[From The New York Times]

I’m not including the video because CB and I have qualms about how this is truly propaganda for white supremacist terrorism. You can make the choice to watch it or avoid it – you can see it here if you want. it’s profoundly disturbing. The fact that Trump and all of his little Nazi supporters sit around and make videos like this is just… pathetic and disgusting.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.

Here are some photos of Prince William down at the pub on Friday night. He stopped by the Prince Albert pub in London to watch the England vs. Czech Republic match. It’s “work” because William is the president of the Football Association, and because he was drinking beer with people (just men, by the looks of it) who have been supported by charities like Mind and CALM, which is all part of William’s mental-health advocacy work through football or whatever. I wonder if he was talking to those guys about how he’s “bored” of racism again.

Meanwhile, William took part in one of Prince Charles’ many documentaries. Charles agreed to an ITV documentary called Prince Charles: Inside The Duchy of Cornwall, which will highlight the amazing things Charles did with the duchy scheme he inherited on his 21st birthday. When Charles inherited the duchy back then, it was already a successful and profitable collection of property and farms. But Charles transformed the duchy into an absolute beast, with a dedication on organic and sustainable farming, his mega-successful Duchy Originals line, and a lot more. William took part in the documentary to talk about what he’ll do when he becomes Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall.

The Duke of Cambridge has said he’s “not going to rock the boat,” when he inherits the Duchy of Cornwall estate from his father in a new ITV documentary to mark Prince Charles’ 50th year in charge. In the first episode of the two-part series (airing at 9pm on Thursday 24 October) Prince Charles, 70, talks about tutoring his eldest son for his future role and said he has had time to prepare himself for his upcoming responsibilities.

“He’s quite lucky because I found myself there at 21. I had a bit of baptism of fire really,” Charles said. “He goes and visits different parts of the Duchy of Cornwall, and so he is learning, I hope, as time goes by.”

Prince William, 37, appears briefly in the episode and said he has started to think about how he will inherit the Duchy, saying: “I’ve started to think about how I will inherit the Duchy one day,” William told farmers in Prince Charles: Inside The Duchy of Cornwall. “Well, rest assured I’m not going to rock the boat; I’ll do much the same as what my father’s doing. I’m not so into the architecture — that’s the only thing.” In the past year, the Duke has attended a number of private meetings in relation to the Duchy, as well as visiting some of its properties in Somerset.

The documentary will offer a behind the scenes glimpse into the Duchy of Cornwall, which covers more than 130,00 acres across 23 counties. The Duchy estate was established by Edward III to provide a private income for his son and heir to the throne Edward, later known as the Black Prince, and its purpose remains the same today.

The 60 minute episode will also show Charles living up to his reputation as a hands on royal – pruning, hedgelaying and celebrating his 70th birthday with tenants. Clarence House recently announced that he and his wife the Duchess of Cornwall will undertake a tour of New Zealand between Sunday 17 and Saturday 23 November, just days after the Prince celebrates his 71st birthday on 14 November.

[From Hello]

I’m really looking forward to seeing this, I hope it ends up airing on PBS. Charles at 70 was honestly one of the best documentaries I’ve seen in years!! Charles is at times an old grump, an old flirt, and an ancient, eccentric hoot. He yelled at farm animals and flirted with the prettiest girls at the makeshift gym he set up in Scotland. He quietly allowed some over-excited youths to pray towards him. He was an absolute delight. And now we get to see hours of him talking about hedges and organic farming and community planning? My God. I’m here for it. As for William taking over… I mean, William can’t WAIT to get his hands on all of that duchy money. My guess is that William will not be very excited about the day-to-day operations of the duchy though. He’ll hire someone to take care of all of that.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Intro: Minutes 0 to 5
My skydive was canceled due to weather and Chandra doesn’t think I should reschedule it. I’m watching two sweet dogs and can’t go for a while anyway. Chandra talks about how much work two cats are compared to just one. Also people were in a bad mood this week. You can listen below!

Royals: Minutes 5 to 9:45
Harry is joining a lawsuit against the British tabloids for the hacking scandal. Not much is known about that. Kate made a couple of appearances and she looked really lovely, her style is improving. It’s unclear what she’s doing exactly other than attending meetings. Kate is hyping the Early Years program but the details are very vague. I make the point that attending meetings can be a lot of work in itself and she deserves some credit for that.

Hot mayor of Minneapolis: Minutes 9:45 to 13:30
The mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, told Donald Trump he would have to prepay to hold one of his Nazi rallies there. Trump is known for making cities foot the bill and eat this cost. Trump tweeted at Frey and he handled it like a boss! Chandra and I talk about how gorgeous and woke mayor Frey is and she recommends that I creep his Instagram.

Angelina Jolie: Minutes 13:30 to 16:30
Angelina Jolie has been looking gorgeous at the many premieres and photocalls for Maleficent. She also gets along great with her costars Elle Fanning and Michelle Pfeiffer, who are also bringing the looks to the red carpet. Angelina has been opening up more about what she went through in her marriage and during her separation, and it sounds like she’s on the other side of that now. (Note: I was referring to Angelina’s look in Beverly Hills and Chandra was referring to her look in Rome! I was confused about that. She looked gorgeous at both appearances.)

Wag Fight: Minutes 16:30 to 19
Coleen Rooney is married to British footballer Wayne Rooney. She noticed that details from her life posted to her private Instagram were being published by The Sun. Colleen set up a sting and busted and named fellow wag Rebekah Vardy as the leaker. Rebekah acted all indignant and said it must have been her assistant who sold the stories, not her. We find this story hilarious!

Mindy Kaling: Minutes 19 to 22
Mindy Kaling told Elle that she felt targeted and marginalized by the Television Academy, which told her to provide letters and proof that she was a producer on The Office in order to be eligible for an Emmy. Instead of acknowledging her experience, the Television Academy said this was a common practice and acted like it was no big deal. This happens often to women and POC. I talk about Mindy’s recent Instagram post from inside her closet. Chandra mentions Mindy’s Architectural Digest spread, which you can see here.

User Questions: Minutes 22 to 26
Jessica left a voicemail asking us how we got into online gossip. I first made an entertainment-related site a few days after Princess Diana’s death and it got shown on MSNBC. We talk about what a global star she was. I mention the Instagram account Lady Di Revenge Looks. Chandra has always loved gossip and read People and Vanity Fair when she was in high school. She got into online gossip when Paris, Lindsay and Britney were hanging out together and flashing the paparazzi. That was around the time I started Celebitchy and I remember that era so well! I had to delete so many of those posts.

Comments of the Week: Minutes 26 to 31
My comment of the week is from Krakken on the post about Elizabeth Warren being a cougar. Chandra’s comments of the week are from Mtec and bros on the post about what Kate might do with her big initiative eventually.

Thanks for listening bitches! Please subscribe, review and rate us as it helps us out. We’re on all major platforms including iHeartRadio, Stitcher, iTunes, YouTube, Spotify, Google Play Music, Castbox and Google Podcasts. You can text me or leave a voicemail at 434-218-3219. Email us at info-at-celebitchy.com or leave a comment here.

View this post on Instagram

These faces! #dogsofinstagram #bordercollie #papillon

A post shared by Celebitchy (@celebitchyofficial) on Oct 9, 2019 at 2:38am PDT

Angelina Jolie & Michelle Pfeiffer Join ‘Maleficent’ Cast for Global Press Conference https://t.co/W8r9vxYloO di @JustJared

— La Casa Dei Sogni (@LaCasaDeiSogni6) October 1, 2019

photos credit: WENN, Avalon.red and via Instagram. Music via Premium Beat and credit AA Alto and Meydan

Jennifer Aniston got one of Variety’s Power of Women covers, and bless it, I love that sweater. I’m such a sucker for a baggy, nubby, soft-looking sweater. I would wear it with pants though! Jennifer is promoting The Morning Show, which begins streaming on Apple+ in November. We’re going to hear “we completely rewrote everything after Me Too happened” about a million times from Jennifer and Reese Witherspoon. That’s mostly what this Variety interview is about too – the story of The Morning Show, plus stuff about the changing entertainment business, streaming and Friends nostalgia. You can read the piece here. Some highlights:

To prepare for ‘The Morning Show’ she watched Matt Lauer’s last day on air: “Did he know? Did he not know? I was so devastated. It’s such a strange thing; it felt oddly like my dad did something terrible. I trusted him and had been interviewed by him. He was there for so many moments in my life. And when ‘Friends’ was ending, it was Katie [Couric] and Matt interviewing us… I went to the DVR that I had of “Today” before Matt Lauer was fired and then the day he was fired, because that was so fascinating to see. Mitch Kessler is not based on him at all. He’s just sort of the archetype of all of the men that he’s representing.

The archetype of the charming predator: “[The characters are] All fictional, but also kind of highlighting aspects of the archetype of a charming narcissist, of a generation of men that didn’t think that was bad behavior. ‘That’s just the way it works. And men are flirts and women are coy and find it flattering.’ And thankfully, with the sacrifices of these women who have come forward, this isn’t going to happen anymore. It’s wonderful that you’re accountable and you have to check yourself.

The one time she worked with Harvey Weinstein: “I did one movie, “Derailed,” with Clive Owen. I had to [spend time with Weinstein]. There was the premiere dinner. I remember I was sitting at the dinner table with Clive, and our producers and a friend of mine was sitting with me. And he literally came to the table and said to my friend: “Get up!” And I was like, “Oh my gosh.” And so my friend got up and moved and Harvey sat down. It was just such a level of gross entitlement and piggish behavior.

Weinstein bullied her about wearing Marchesa: “He knew better. I remember, right when [his ex-wife] Georgina’s clothing line Marchesa was starting. That’s when he came to visit me in London while we were shooting. He’d be like, “Ok, so I’d like you to wear one of these to the premiere.” And I went through the book, and at the time, it wasn’t what it is today. It was not for me. He was like, “You have to wear the dress.” That was my only bullying. And I was like, “No, I will not wear the dress.” What was he going to do? Come over here and make me wear it?!

Deciding to make a TV/streaming show: “It wasn’t until the last couple of years when these streaming services were just sort of exploding with this amount of quality that I actually started to think, “Wow, that’s better than what I just did.” And then you’re seeing what’s available out there and it’s just diminishing and diminishing in terms of, it’s big Marvel movies. Or things that I’m not just asked to do or really that interested in living in a green screen. It’s changed so much. I think we would so love to have the era of Meg Ryan come back. I just think it would be nice to go into a movie theater, sit cozy. I think we should have a resurgence. Let’s get the “Terms of Endearment” back out there. You know, “Heaven Can Wait,” “Young Frankenstein,” “Blazing Saddles,” “Goodbye Girl.”

On Friends nostalgia and social media: “I want to know what people love so much about it, because there wasn’t any of this. Now most people’s consumption is the screen, which I’m very conflicted about. If you can’t drive until you’re 16 and you can’t drink until you’re 21, why should you be allowed to have social media? Like to have a distraction that prevents you from learning to connect with people? I don’t know. I don’t have kids. I just know that I’m watching my girlfriends’ children and they’re all struggling because of social media. Do you know that mental health has gone through the roof? And primarily what they’ve discovered, it’s because of social media. It’s compare and despair, over and over again. Do they like me? Do they not like me? Am I good enough? It’s hard enough as it is being a kid without the damn “likes” or “not likes.” I wish they would remove the “like.” Why do they need them? Why do we need a comments section, where these trolls with no lives try to be hurtful?”

[From Variety]

I’ve never really thought about whether the “like” button should be abolished. Probably because I am An Old and I barely use Instagram for anything other than light stalking (friendly creeping!). And on Instagram, you can shut down the comments, which I think is smart. I think maybe that would be a good move for parents: you can have an Instagram at this age but you have to disable the comments. As for her nostalgia about the mid-budget comedy… I too have that nostalgia. But it feels like streaming services are filling that gap too? Also: her Weinstein story is very interesting – that would have been 2005, when he tried to pressure her to wear Marchesa. What a mess.

Cover courtesy of Variety, additional photo courtesy of WENN.