My amazing sister @venuswilliams covers New York Times magazine. I look up to her so much. She’s my rock and a huge reason for my career. I love you Vee.

A post shared by Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) on Aug 24, 2019 at 3:00pm PDT

Venus Williams’ NYT Magazine cover is gorgeous, isn’t it? [Go Fug Yourself]
Lori Loughlin showed up to court and she didn’t sign autographs this time. [Dlisted]
Dakota Johnson & Chris Martin had a date night. [Just Jared]
Eddie Murphy will host SNL, and he’ll likely have a big Oscar campaign. [LaineyGossip]
Joe Biden just has problems overall. [Pajiba]
I hope Susan Collins loses her re-election bid in a landslide. [Jezebel]
New Zealand seems like such a cool, chill place to live. [Towleroad]
Teen Mom Lexi Tatman had a secret pregnancy? [Starcasm]
Vintage Kate McKinnon was so cute! [Seriously OMG]

Venus Williams was never just a player. Her job was never simply to swing a racket and win sets, though that was required. Her job was to change the game, writes @lizweil for @nytmag.https://t.co/zKwvSUdGag

— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 22, 2019

Gigi and Bella Hadid presented at the MTV VMAs the other night. Then they hit up the after-party with Taylor Swift. Gigi and Taylor have been close for years. Taylor hung out with Gigi and Zayn Malik when they were still together. Taylor recorded a duet with Zayn. And now that Gigi is with Tyler Cam…

Gigi and Bella Hadid presented at the MTV VMAs the other night. Then they hit up the after-party with Taylor Swift. Gigi and Taylor have been close for years. Taylor hung out with Gigi and Zayn Malik when they were still together. Taylor recorded a duet with Zayn. And now that Gigi is with Tyler Cam…

Rami Malek seems like a nice guy who tries very hard to never make the wrong move or say anything controversial. But that also makes him kind of… boring? That’s how I felt as I read Rami’s cover profile in the September issue of GQ: kind of bored. I mean, he’s not yammering on and on about his actor’s process, but he’s also not a quote machine or interested in giving any kind of soundbyte.

So, there’s a chunk of the profile devoted to how he’s sort of clumsy and he’s always falling down or running into walls whenever he has to do any kind of action on-screen. There’s a chunk of the profile devoted to his crazy preparedness for each and every role, to the point where I kind of wonder if Rami is on the spectrum, or perhaps has some kind of obsessive-compulsive disorder which has been undiagnosed. And there’s a chunk of the profile devoted to Rami popping into a Goop store out of the blue to pick up some thinking-of-you gifts for his girlfriend Lucy Boynton (he chooses fancy deodorant and a delicate necklace). You can read the full piece here. Some highlights:

His parents moved from Cairo to LA: “I mean, my parents weren’t exactly—they didn’t love the idea of me being an actor. They came to this country from Egypt so we could have a very successful life. They put every dollar they had into our education, and to see it being thrown into this game of risk and chance that, for many, seemed destined for failure.… It was not the best ending to the really trying aspect of them moving their entire lives, that upheaval from Cairo to Los Angeles to start anew.”

He loves how orderly film sets are: “If the world collectively worked in a similar fashion to the way a film set operates, we would be much more efficient and much more considerate of one another.”

He’s very observant: “I remember always feeling like I could see people’s agendas a mile away, even at five or six years old. Do you think that’s a common thing with children? Isn’t that how we define who our friends are?”

When he lived at home with his parents, he kept his scripts hidden away from other eyes. “I never wrote in them. I wanted them to have this religious quality to them. If I could put them in a special box, I would.”

He hasn’t changed since winning an Oscar: “People’s perception might be altered, but when you sit down and talk to me, there’s nothing that’s mystifying. I’m not f-king covered in gold.”

[From GQ]

He seems like a hard worker with a particular kind of (first-generation American, son of immigrants) mentality. He toiled away in thankless acting gigs for years before getting Mr. Robot and then Bohemian Rhapsody. And now he’s the new Bond villain too. I mean… at the end of the day, I like him and wish him well. But I’m struggling to stay awake while reading and writing about him too! It wouldn’t hurt for Rami to take his extreme-preparedness to a place where he could prepare some funny stories to tell in interviews, maybe? Or maybe GQ could have actually done the thing and asked him directly about Bryan Singer AGAIN because Rami managed to win an Oscar for a performance largely directed by Singer and Rami barely had to speak about him.

.@magicmolly talked to @ItsRamiMalek for the September issue of GQ: https://t.co/INbNzDJnbB pic.twitter.com/KTKHz7vaut

— GQ Magazine (@GQMagazine) August 19, 2019

Photos courtesy of GQ.

It appears that Viola Davis intends to keep her crown as the Queen of TV, and her latest venture will do so with an assist from former First Lady, Michelle Obama. Showtime just announced a new series called First Ladies that “will look at American history presidencies through a female lens,” specifically the first ladies. Viola, who is serving as executive producer, will portray Michelle during series one. It’s just been picked up and Viola is the only cast announced of yet. The other two chapters will revolve around Eleanor Roosevelt and Betty Ford.

Viola Davis is set to portray Michelle Obama in First Ladies, a one-hour White House drama that has been put on fast-track development at Showtime with a three-script commitment. Davis will executive produce the project, which hails from writer Aaron Cooley (novels Four Seats: A Thriller of the Supreme Court, The Guns of Ridgewood), Davis and Julius Tennon’s JuVee Productions, Cathy Schulman’s Welle Entertainment (Otherhood), Jeff Gaspin’s Gaspin Media (LA’s Finest) and Brad Kaplan (The Intruder). Showtime and Lionsgate TV co-produce.

Written by Cooley, First Ladies is set in the East Wing of the White House, where many of history’s most impactful and world-changing decisions have been hidden from view, made by America’s charismatic, complex and dynamic first ladies. The series will peel back the curtain on the personal and political lives of our most enigmatic heroes, with Season 1 focusing on Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford and Michelle Obama.

[From Deadline]

Uh – yes, please! I absolutely adore behind-the-scenes historical drama (see: The Crown). And I particularly like White House drama (the kind on the screen, not the real bs we’re forced to endure these days). I’m particularly intrigued by the description that this series is actually an examination of the presidencies viewed through the First Ladies eyes. So these aren’t mini biopics, it’s political historical fiction (which appeals to me because it’s what I did my college thesis on). And the first three subjects are so rich for storylines, especially considering what they overcame in their time in the White House. In addition to all the causes they championed, many to the dismay of their own parties (my gawd, I could write so much about each), these particular women polled as high and sometimes higher than their husbands during their presidencies. Plus their history isn’t so far in the past that those watching won’t be able to connect. These are such smart choices to kick off the series. The article said this was inspired by a spec script Cooley had written about Lady Bird Johnson, so I’m sure we’ll see her in series two if this sticks.

As for Viola’s casting, she’ll be brilliant – when is she not? I wonder if any part of the script will be sent to the Obamas for consultation? Even better, Viola will probably need to hang out with Michelle to get a true feel on how to portray her. They’ll have an extended stay at some beautiful lake cabin, talking about the Obama White House and the impact they’ve both made to their respective worlds. Then they’ll watch movies and prank call their husbands. You know what – they could just film that series and I would watch.

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Photo credit: WENN Photos and Getty Images

Brad Pitt is now in Venice in support of Ad Astra which will have its world premiere at the festival this week. Brad’s had a good summer so far. Once Upon a Time …in Hollywood was a success. He was, to me, the best part of the film. And he is considered to be a strong contender for a Best Supporti…

Brad Pitt is now in Venice in support of Ad Adstra which will have its world premiere at the festival this week. Brad’s had a good summer so far. Once Upon a Time …in Hollywood was a success. He was, to me, the best part of the film. And he is considered to be a strong contender for a Best Support…

First of all, this is not a very good cover for Jennifer Lopez in the sense that… they just cropped the image too close, and her head is in a weird angle. Her nose looks weird and she looks pissed off. And yet, this IS a good cover because of that awesome manicure and the clear shot of her engagement ring, given to her by Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod is good for something – choosing beautiful engagement rings. Jennifer covers the latest issue of Variety to promote Hustlers, which I really, really want to see (Jennifer not only stars, but produced the film too, and she had a hand in choosing the female director). The bulk of the profile is “J.Lo is awesome and still slaying” but there are some good quotes here and there. You can read the piece here. Some highlights:

She’s working with LA Reid again, even after he was ousted from Capital Records following sexual harassment allegations in 2017. “Benny and L.A. have a very long relationship. And I don’t know of a perfect person out there. Nobody wants to be judged by their worst moment when they’ve lived a life when they’ve done a lot of great things. And that doesn’t excuse any behavior, because I don’t. It’s about going, ‘Oh, that was wrong, and I need to be better.’”

She’s the boss: “I think I’m used to being the boss, which is a weird thing to say out loud. Nobody in my family was really the boss of anything. We all had bosses. But I guess in the past few years, I’ve come into my own in believing in myself and giving myself credit, knowing that ‘OK, you’re running the ship.’ I can be tough. I’m firm. I’m not a yeller or a screamer. I think nobody likes to disappoint me, because I get very quiet. I’m also relentless. I don’t have hours.”

The focus on her love life: “If you go back to Barbra Streisand and Diana Ross, they had such a hard time in the press. It was just a double standard of being a woman. It’s not a mystery. It’s probably what kids deal with, with social media now, like ‘Everybody hates me.’ No, everybody doesn’t hate you. It’s just a few people writing a few things.”

Spending five years as a judge on American Idol: “It was a big turning point in my career. Everybody was like, ‘Don’t do this. Your career will be over, and they won’t offer you any movies. They’ll think you’re a joke as an artist.’ And I was like, ‘The truth is, I’m not getting offered a whole bunch of movies, so what are they not going to offer me?’”

On A-Rod: “He loves being at every show that he can be at. I go to all his baseball games. There were times in my life when my career was going great, and my personal life was going OK. And there were times my personal life was stable, but my career was not great. This is the first time where I have a really beautiful alignment between the two. I think Alex brought that for me. I love it. We have a beautiful life.”

Performing a dance in a G-string in Hustlers: “I was terrified. I felt exposed. I was like, ‘I’ve never done anything like this. I’m going to be up there in f—ing dental floss. What is this? Who is this person?’ And then you get up there, and you have to have a ‘f— you,’ empowered attitude. You have to take your power back. You have to be so bold. It’s almost like when you say you’re a rock star, you have to be arrogant to go up there in front of all those people or you crumble. You realize it’s the same type of balls that it takes to do something like that. And these women have that. They are tough, hard, vulnerable and damaged. It’s a great character to play.”

[From Variety]

There’s a larger section in the piece where she talks a bit about her career slump during her marriage to Marc Anthony, and I find it interesting what she leaves unsaid – she talks about how she was focused on motherhood, focused on Marc and not really paying attention to her career, but I remember that time – she did care about her career in those years. The problem was that Marc was a controlling jackass who tried to manage and micromanage his wife, and her career suffered because of his involvement. She doesn’t say that though, and she’s never said that. Which… is sort of classy, right? She’s never really bad-mouthed Marc, even though she could, about many different subjects. I think that’s part of the reason why she likes being with Alex now – Alex isn’t trying to manage her or control her. He actually loves that she has her own sh-t going on.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Variety (@variety) on Aug 26, 2019 at 8:35am PDT

Photos courtesy of Variety.

I’m not sure what the Queen could have done or should have done with Boris Johnson’s terrible scheme. As we discussed earlier, Boris Johnson wanted the Queen to shut down Parliament so he can ram through a “no deal Brexit” in October. The idea behind it – from what I understand – is that Johnson wants to limit/stifle debate among MPs. It’s his version of “my way or the highway.” Which is pretty undemocratic. There was some hope that the Queen would find some way to shut down Boris Johnson’s scheme. She did not.

The Queen has formally approved Boris Johnson’s request to suspend parliament from the second week of September until October 14.

The move drastically shortens the time available for MPs to pass legislation to prevent a no-deal Brexit, and means an attempt to remove the prime minister through a vote of no-confidence over the next fortnight much more likely.

Former chancellor Philip Hammond joined John Bercow, the Commons speaker, in branding Mr Johnson’s plan a “constitutional outrage” which would prevent parliament from holding the government to account.

[From The Independent]

Back in 2016, most people assumed – by reading obscure royal tea leaves – that the Queen was pro-Brexit. I remember reading and covering a story about how the Queen’s priority was always the British commonwealth, not the EU. As in, the Queen’s priority will always be the countries belonging to the British commonwealth, and those are the alliances which need strengthening, as opposed to working more closely with one’s European neighbors. Could Boris Johnson’s Brexit plan actually be what the Queen has wanted this whole time? And is she helping him? It certainly appears so.

I imagine she fit in this Privy Council meeting in between shooting parties and tea with the corgis. Lordy.

The Queen has approved the suspension of Parliament for around five weeks, severely hampering MPs’ efforts to stop Prime Minister Boris Johnson going ahead with a no-deal Brexit. pic.twitter.com/YPLZMisHvh

— Richard Palmer (@RoyalReporter) August 28, 2019

Photos courtesy of WENN, Avalon Red and Backgrid.

Rihanna has been widely applauded for creating Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty lingerie. Rihanna is a businesswoman, a creator, an empire and a boss. She’s also running a f–king scam on consumers, and it’s a familiar scam that too many female consumers fall for. DO NOT EVER buy from a site where you have to pay a membership fee. DO NOT. You shouldn’t have to PAY for the privilege of shopping at a particular shop or site. But that’s exactly what Rihanna’s done with her Savage X Fenty line – customers are paying $50 A MONTH just to get “VIP deals” and “VIP offers.” Even if you don’t buy something in a given month, you are still charged the $50 VIP membership fee. Vox explains the scam:

On the consumer review site Trust Pilot, Savage X Fenty has close to 1,300 reviews, 25 percent of which rate the store “average,” “poor, or “bad” — and many of those are about the membership fee. The review labeled by Trust Pilot as “Most helpful” reads in part, “I checked my account today and realized I was charged for three months, entered into an absurd contract without my knowledge and am being charged an absurd amount of money a month.”

So I retraced my steps. I went back to the Savage X website, which is absolutely covered with deals labeled “New VIP Offer,” and new arrivals that are VIP-only. A good chunk of the items in the store are only available if you’re a VIP, meaning you have to sign up for the membership before you can purchase them. But even if you limit your browsing to other items — often simpler, less flashy underwear and bras and nighties, framed less as something Rihanna herself had a hand in creating especially for you — clicking on any VIP promotions pushes you to become a member as well. For example, click on the “2 for $29” bralette deal and a Savage X Monthly Membership is automatically added to your cart to activate the discount. You don’t pay for the membership until it’s automatically charged to your card at a later time.

In fact, even if you don’t click on anything VIP at all, and simply add a product that initially appears full price, the site will still automatically add a Savage X Monthly Membership and a VIP discount. The membership program is explained in a lengthy sidebar next to the cart, and you can delete it from your cart as you would delete any item. But if you don’t stop to read what might be considered by shoppers to be an irrelevant wall of text, you’re likely to end up with a recurring monthly charge of $49.95 for as long as it takes you to notice. There’s also no guest checkout, which means everybody who buys anything has to set up some level of an account.

Even once you know you’re enrolled in a membership program, the system is somewhat strange. You can opt out of paying the fee at the start of any given month, but only if you don’t plan on buying anything. If you don’t opt out but also don’t buy anything, the fee rolls over as store credit. “The choice to shop is yours!” the information page explains. “Shop, or log into your account to ‘Skip the Month’ by the 5th of each month and you won’t be charged. If you don’t ‘Skip,’ your payment method will be charged $49.95 on the 6th of each month and you will receive one VIP Member Credit valued at $49.95.”

[From Vox]

“You don’t pay for the membership until it’s automatically charged to your card at a later time.” That’s how you know it’s a scam. If you were charged the $50 fee when you were trying to check out and pay for your purchases, then many people would backtrack their steps and read the fine print and figure out what that whole VIP membership deal is. Some shopping sites do this, and it’s not like Savage is the only one – Kate Hudson’s Fabletics is also a membership-shopping site. It’s a con. If you need new workout clothes every month, you’re doing it wrong. If you need new panties every month, you’re doing it wrong. And if you’re Rihanna and you’re scamming customers out of $50 a month, you’re doing it wrong too. I hope to God she fixes this sh-t because it’s not a good look.

Embed from Getty Images

Photos courtesy of Backgrid and Getty.