I know these posts don’t get many comments, but I think this is an important conversation and I like to talk about it. Cobie Smulders is doing the press circuit for Friends from College, a Netflix series that is getting mixed reviews. She’s good at selling it though and I’m enjoying her interviews. Cobie, 36, had ovarian cancer at the age of 25. She first talked about it in 2015, which was several years post recovery. She gave some more interviews about it last fall when she got a pharmaceutical endorsement deal for a prohibitively expensive treatment drug. (I have mixed feelings about that and talked about it here.) The good news is that she’s been cancer free for 10 years and met her goal of having kids. She and her husband, SNL’s Taran Killam, have two daughters aged 9 and 3.

Cobie was on Busy Tonight, where she talked about the fact that she’s been cancer free for 10 years along with how she was diagnosed. She had insisted that she get an ultrasound after doctors were dismissive of her concerns. If she hadn’t done that, things could have turned out much differently for her.

What I will say to women is to know your body as well as you can. It is a hard disease to diagnose. The symptoms are like bloating, pressure. I was 25 when I got diagnosed. I was like ‘something’s not right.’ I went to doctor and demanded an ultrasound. There’s no way to screen for ovarian cancer. Then they found it. ‘No, no, you’re fine. You’re 25, you’re fine.’

After that she talked about the PSA she did with Tesaro, the company she’s working with. It’s excellent advice to ask for screening and to be your own advocate. Sadly that’s not accessible to everyone, particularly Americans. Last year an urgent care facility sent me to the ER as they suspected I had a kidney infection. I didn’t, I just had a bad reaction to the antibiotic I was on. The final cost, including a follow-up visit to a urologist and additional screening, was almost $3,000. I have silver level health insurance under Obamacare and it’s over $500 a month. Healthcare is irreparably broken in the US. Screening and treatment are often luxuries that people can’t afford.

Here’s Cobie’s interview:

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@cobiesmulders isn’t my friend from college, even though I feel like we would have been friends in college but she is ON @friendsfromcollege AND she’s on @busytonighttv TONIGHT! 11pm on @eentertainment!

A post shared by Busy Philipps (@busyphilipps) on Jan 23, 2019 at 6:17pm PST

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I really like this lady can you tell??? Tune in Tonight at 11|10c #BusyTonight @BusyTonightTV @eentertainment

A post shared by Cobie Smulders (@cobiesmulders) on Jan 23, 2019 at 9:31pm PST

Photos via Instagram and YouTube

Jennifer Lopez covers the February issue of Harper’s Bazaar to promote Second Act, the film which came out just before Christmas. Yeah, I’m not sure about that timing either, but here you go. (Also: she’s promoting her reality show, World of Dance, which makes more sense.)
Jennifer has seemed super-content lately, especially over the past year. While I think Alex Rodriguez is a probably a d-bag, you can’t deny the fact that he makes Jennifer really happy, and that she seems very settled-down right now. This Bazaar piece is full of Jennifer’s positivity and good vibes, and there’s nothing scandalous at all. Some highlights:

Her image versus the reality. “You’re trying to do your best and people are putting you down, or trying to make believe you’re not a nice person, or you’re a diva. I’m always like, ‘Who are you talking about?’”

Implicit bias & believing in yourself: “From early on in my career, I felt like people wanted to put me in a box. You will play these sorts of roles, do this type of thing. Or you will only act. You cannot sing and act at the same time. I felt very confined by that because I knew I was going to do different things. I was at least going to try! I feel very proud that I’ve survived as long as I have in this business. At this point in my life, I’m trying to give myself more credit. It’s hard when people are always telling you that you’re not good at things or saying, ‘Why is she successful?’ You get a lot of that when you’re a successful woman. You don’t get that as much when you’re a man. The thing about people, women especially, is that you can have 12 people telling you you’re amazing, but that one person kind of putting you down, that’s the voice that sticks in your head.”

Imposter syndrome: “I think sometimes people try to make you feel like you’re a fraud. And maybe you’re afraid you’re one too. Then finally you go, ‘Wait, I’m not lying. I’ve been doing this a long time. This is not a mistake. I worked hard to be here.’ And you know what? Congratulations to myself. Not in an arrogant way, by any means. It’s like, ‘You’re doing good, baby. Give yourself a break.’”

Her relationship with A-Rod: “For me, the relationship journey has been very up and down. But it didn’t have to do with anybody else but me—it was about me figuring out me. Until you learn to love yourself, you can’t completely love [someone else] in a way that is pure and true. Once you do that, you can have relationships that are based on love and respect, that are supportive and nourishing. There’s an evolution there that had to happen for me. I feel like I’m in a better place now. I’ve got two amazing kids and a great boyfriend. I don’t have everything figured out, and everything isn’t perfect. But I feel very proud that with all the things I’ve gone through in my personal life, I’m still optimistic and hopeful.”

She does get tired: “Sometimes I get tired. I get tired a lot. But I never think, ‘I don’t want to do this.’ I just think I need a break. I really feel like I have a lot left that I want to do. I don’t know if I’ll ever get to a point where I’ll be satisfied and go, ‘I did it. All of it. I’m done. I got nothing else to say.’ I hope that day never comes.”

[From Harper’s Bazaar]

I think that sort of “congratulations to myself” is healthy, and more women *should* give themselves a break and acknowledge that they’ve survived and thrived in environments which were rarely built for them. Jennifer Lopez isn’t the best singer/dancer/actress, but she worked hard and hustled and she deserves to be where she is because she figured it out, and she should congratulate herself. And it’s notable because everything she says is right, and that we don’t ask WHY men are successful, we just take their success at face value.

Covers courtesy of Harper’s Bazaar.

Deadline reported yesterday that Angelina Jolie is “finalising a deal to star” in Those Who Wish Me Dead, Taylor Sheridan’s next film. He also wrote the screenplay adapted from Michael Koryta’s novel. This is newsworthy not just because it’s Angelina but the combination of her fame and this particul…

As you’ve probably guessed by now, I prefer to ignore Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna’s drama. I know there are always melodramatic headlines about their “custody war” for Dream Kardashian, and I’m sure those headlines generate a lot of clicks for TMZ. But my sense is that most people really don’t care? Maybe I’m wrong. Which is why I periodically check in on Rob and Chyna whenever they seem to be particularly EXTRA. That’s been happening for more than a week – two weekends ago, somebody called the cops on Chyna and claimed she was drunk and neglecting Dream. Then Rob got really mad this weekend (mad enough to call TMZ) when he was supposed to drop off Dream, per their custody schedule, only to find that Chyna had flown off to Hawaii with her boyfriend. Chyna claims the nannies could have taken care of Dream and that Rob is just mad because she has a new boyfriend. Well, Chyna and the new boyfriend were in Hawaii… and they got into it. And the cops were called.

It’s trouble in paradise for Blac Chyna. PEOPLE confirms that officers and paramedics responded to the Ritz-Carlton Residences in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Monday morning after police were called following a fight between Chyna, 30, and artist Kid Buu in a hotel suite.

“Someone from their group called 911. Hotel security escorted police officers and paramedics to a suite, where Blac Chyna was with a group of people,” the source says. “It was more of a ‘he said, she said’ situation. They both had complaints to the police, but in the end no one was arrested or taken to the hospital.” According to the source, Chyna and Kid Buu, 30, “were both intoxicated.”

“Again, this is not a typical incident at the hotel,” says the source. “In fact, this behavior is 100% unacceptable.”

The Honolulu Police Department confirmed that an incident is currently under investigation.

“Shortly before 9 a.m. today, a female visitor staying in Waikiki reported being assaulted by a male acquaintance. The victim reported that she and the suspect had been involved in an argument several hours earlier, and the argument had escalated to a physical confrontation,” a media liaison officer said in a statement to PEOPLE. “The male left the area after the confrontation and has not been located. This incident has been classified as abuse of a household member.The investigation is continuing, and no further information is being released at this time.”

[From People]

I really hate it when cops think that they either have to arrest everybody or nobody. If someone called the police (in a Hawaiian paradise, on vacation!) and said that there was some kind of physical assault on a woman, the cops should have taken it more seriously than “oh well, it’s just he-said, she-said.” Sorry, that just pisses me off. But yeah, I think Chyna is going through something – two incidents within nine days where the cops were called. Drunk, violent and disorderly to the point where someone in her own entourage was worried? I know some of this is just for attention and to shove it in Rob’s face. But another part of me is like “damn, Chyna, you might need some help.”

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.

Kelly! Congratulations on your early Oscar with love from Ciaran who requested Steve Carell for you and told me not to ask. Girl, I don’t even want to know but people are thirsting for him now so, if that’s you, you’re not alone.

The midwest, mid-Atlantic and pretty much the entire East Coast is going to be painfully cold this week. For the past few years, we’ve had to deal with a reoccurring “polar vortex” which give us below-freezing temperatures for days and sometimes weeks on end. This week isn’t a polar vortex from the North though, it’s just our new normal of much, much colder winters than we’ve had in years previously. This is very simple, elementary-school-level of global warming: weather is more extreme on both ends. Summers are hotter, winters are colder, and hurricanes and tornadoes are much more deadly and destructive.

Unfortunately, Emperor Dinosaur Butt doesn’t understand that elementary-school-level science. He honestly thinks that because it gets cold in winter, global warming doesn’t exist. Snow = no global warming, in Bigly’s mind. Or should I say “global waming.”

That tweet has already been up for more than 12 hours. No one quickly took it down and replaced it with the word “warming” spelled correctly. This is our government, peeps. The president/emperor is an idiot who can’t spell “warming” and doesn’t has a first-grader’s grasp of science.

Speaking of lack of fundamental education, Trump also tweeted this yesterday.

Numerous states introducing Bible Literacy classes, giving students the option of studying the Bible. Starting to make a turn back? Great!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 28, 2019

If you want to send your kids to private, religious schools, go ahead. Go crazy with your Bible study and what have you. But if your state tries to introduce Bible Literacy classes in public schools, you better f–king riot and call the ACLU. Stop this mess. Also: the fact that the Evangelicals still have f–k all to say about a thrice-married adulterer, cheater, con man and hate-filled bigot just shows you how much all of modern evangelical Christianity is just a f–king scam.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Avalon Red.

Embed from Getty Images

Of all the people to perfectly articulate Super Bowl logic, Harry Potter was not one I would have bet on. What is Super Bowl logic, you ask? Super Bowl logic is when football fans whose teams are not in the game pick one to root for. Even many of us who sit out the season have the impulse to pick a side and for this we must employ Super Bowl logic. I, a lifelong 49er, am rooting for our arch rivals, The Los Angeles Rams. 1) I live in LA now 2) Their quarterback, Jared Goff, is a fellow Marinite (person who grew up in Marin County, California) and 3) They’re playing Tom Brady and his New England Patriots. It was that third reason that Daniel Radcliffe used while promoting his latest project, Miracle Workers, at Sundance. When asked why he was taking the Rams over the Patriots, Daniel said it was simple – the Pats need to stop winning. And then he (proverbially) snatched Brady’s MAGA hat:

Daniel Radcliffe says he’s rooting for the Rams in the #SuperBowl and has a message for Tom Brady: “Take that MAGA hat out your locker” | #Sundance #VarietyStudio presented by @ATT pic.twitter.com/uGI608bP3b

— Variety (@Variety) January 26, 2019

Variety: Who are you routing for in the Super Bowl:

Daniel Radcliffe: Rams. Because, like, the whole world is routing against the Patriots. Like, sorry.

V: Should Tom Brady retire?

DR: No. But he should stop winning things. Take that MAGA hat outta your locker. I feel like that was the moment when we, as a country, were all, ‘Come on, dude! We all want you… you’re awesome and behind you, don’t put that in there.’

[From Variety via Dlisted]

Being out of the Harry Potter loop, is Daniel ours now? “We, as a country,” is planting a foot in the States, yes? Yay for us. But back to Super Bowl logic – one rule is that any team that is not your team only get to win so many times. After their win quota is met, they become public enemy number one. As a country, to borrow Daniel’s phrase, we lost our collective minds when the Pats triumphed in Super Bowl XXXVI (they beat the St. Louis Rams, btw). Since then, all the spectacular victories and made-for-the-movies comebacks were nothing but annoying to anyone outside of the New England sphere. It isn’t Patriot hate, it’s football 101. I don’t actually mean the terrible insults I hurl at Brady regularly, he’s just not allowed to win anymore… unless he becomes a Niner, then he can win all he wants.

But the MAGA hat falls outside Super Bowl logic, and Daniel’s point hit the nail on the head. When that damnable red hat appeared in frame during Brady’s locker room interview and Brady gave a jovial nod in favor of #45?s candidacy, most of us threw the towel in. It wasn’t even that we didn’t know he was friendly with #45. The comment was one thing but the visible hat was a message. Knowing what we know now, I do think Brady should be held accountable. But I imagine he will now, in part, because even if his wife, Gisele, gave him hell for it before, you know his kids will after they catch wind of this: “Dad! You pissed off Harry Potter? MAKE IT RIGHT!”

As a footnote. Both Bay Area bred QBs, Brady and Goff, idolized the same football hero growing up: San Francisco 49er quarterback Joe Montana. So, using Super Bowl logic, no matter who wins on Sunday, I’m still counting it as a Niner victory.

Photo credit: Twitter, Getty Images and WENN Photos

Dear Gossips,

You know what movie came out 20 years ago today?

She’s All That. Laney Boggs and Zack Siler topped the box office on its first weekend, went on to make over $100 million, and became a 90s teen classic. Like so much of pop culture from the era, it doesn’t hold up all that well. …

I’ve been wondering about this for a while, and it seems like Page Six is the only outlet really putting it into context. The background: Bryan Singer was fired from Bohemian Rhapsody in the late fall of 2017. He directed the majority of the film, but the production was epically troubled, as Singer would go missing for days at a time. Rami Malek was one of the reasons why Singer was fired – Rami went to the studio and told them everything about Singer’s manic behavior. That’s why Singer was fired, not because of the many civil lawsuits and articles alleging that he was a serial rapist and sexual predator. Since Singer was fired from Bohemian Rhapsody, he’s only been attached to one film: Red Sonja. He was announced as the director for Red Sonja just a few months after the BR shenanigans and many people were like “typical Hollywood bullsh–t.” But in the past year, it’s interesting that Red Sonja is the only thing he’s gotten, right? And Page Six puts that in context:

Bryan Singer — the original director of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” one of the most successful and critically acclaimed movies of 2018 — will never work for a major Hollywood studio again, sources say. Although the Freddie Mercury biopic has grossed more than $800 million worldwide so far and garnered five Oscar nominations, including for its star Rami Malek, Singer — long accused of having sex with underage boys — is now as unemployed as Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey and Woody Allen.

The only producer willing to work with Singer, 53, is Avi Lerner, whose Millennium Films churns out such genre movies as “Texas Chainsaw 3D,” “The Legend of Hercules” and “The Expendables” and its two sequels. It was announced in September that Singer would direct “Red Sonja,” a “Conan the Barbarian” comic-book spinoff that Lerner had been trying to develop for 10 years with such actresses as Rose McGowan, Megan Fox and Amber Heard in the title role.

Lerner stood by Singer last week after the Atlantic published new accounts of four men who claimed they had sex with Singer when they were teenagers. Singer dismissed the story as “a homophobic smear piece.”

“I know the difference between agenda-driven fake news and reality, and I am very comfortable with this decision,” Lerner said, in a statement. “In America people are innocent until proven otherwise.” In 2017, an ex-employee accused Millennium Films of widespread sexual harassment.

But Singer is only “attached” to the movie and doesn’t have a contract yet. Sources said Lerner would be loath to pay Singer the full $10 million reported to be his fee.

“Avi is a bargain hunter,” one movie veteran said. “He sees an opportunity to hire a top director at less than a top salary. They may be able to reach a deal.”

[From Page Six]

That’s interesting, isn’t it? Singer makes profitable movies and he’s made a lot of people a lot of money, and I thought that the money would mean that Singer would be able to still have a Hollywood career for years to come. But it sounds like Avi Lerner is the only person in Hollywood willing to hire Singer, and even then, Lerner is just looking to pay Singer a fraction of his asking price. And they don’t have a contract. And I doubt many people will want to work with Singer on Red Sonja. So… look at that. An alleged predator might not get a “second chance.”

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Winter sucks where I live at this time of year and it’s really cold and gray most of the time. Plus it gets dark so early. Last night I went to a tanning booth, just for 10 minutes and with all my clothes on, to improve my mood. I do that a handful off times in the winter. Another thing that makes me feel good is wearing clothes that are cozy while looking somewhat put together. I like to wear comfortable sweaters with nice jeans, leggings that look presentable and pullover tops that you can accessorize to wear out. If you do your hair and makeup you can look fashionable without having to go to much effort. This is an Amazon post so please feel free to research alternatives. (Also I know my recommended stuff is basic! I love solid colors and versatile separates. I do like a nice bold print but high rated products with prints and stripes are actually harder to find on Amazon.)

Comfortable jeggings you can probably sleep in

A reviewer called these $20 jeggings “Pajama jeans work edition” which is clever and reminds me of my daily wardrobe. She writes that you “can wear them to work because they have pretend pockets and belt loops!” and that she might buy more. Other people love them because they’re “comfortable,” “thick” and “soft.” Women who are sized small, medium, large and xx-large give them positive reviews although some write that they run a little big. They come in five colors including black and light wash.

A turtleneck to layer under sweaters and dresses

I love turtlenecks so much that I had to check and make sure I didn’t link this $16 turtleneck before. I didn’t! I included a cashmere turtleneck in our holiday fashion post and a turtleneck tunic in another. Turtlenecks are great layering pieces, especially under knit dresses and sweaters. You can make a summer dress more versatile with a turtleneck underneath and tights. This great slouchy turtleneck comes in gray, black and navy. Reviewers write that “it’s extremely soft, not too warm, not too thin,” however some say that the navy color is so dark it looks almost black. Here’s a really cute plus-sized option in more colors.

A long cardigan that can be dressed up or down

This lightweight long cardigan would make a great transition piece to spring while being a cozy sweater to lounge in at home. It’s just $25 and comes in five colors and sizes from x-small to xx-large. A reviewer writes that the “fit is perfect,” and that it “looks classy, not boxy.” It’s also said to “wash and wear wonderfully.” Here’s another long cardigan from Lark & Ro.

A chunky sweater you’ll want to wear all winter

Chunky sweaters are another one of my go-to pieces in the winter. They just feel cozy and warm. This sweater is priced different depending on size and color, with the most popular colors and sizes running less than $34. Women write that “it looks great tucked into jeans or with leggings,” that it’s acrylic so it doesn’t shrink and that it’s “very comfortable” and “actually keeps you warm.” Some people warn that you need to order a size up if you’re going for the oversize look like in the photo.

A bright long sleeve t-shirt that’s anything but basic

I have a lot of clothes but my go-to pieces are always solid color basics like this long sleeve t-shirt from Amazon. It’s a bargain at just $11 and comes in so many colors you’ll want several. Sizes range from x-small to xx-large. You could easily wear this on top of a t-shirt to the gym, to bed or out with a sweater or accessories over it.

A cute pair of ankle boots that make you look put together

Nice shoes can tie an outfit together and in the winter that’s boots. These best selling >Sam Edelman ankle boots retail around $100 and come in a lot of colors and prints depending on your size. Reviewers say they hold up for a long time, that they’re versatile, and that they fit nice and are comfortable. However some reviewers say the sizing is off and you should order half a size up.

A comfy sweatshirt with stripes to brighten your day

I’ve been watching The Good Place and wanting to copy Eleanor’s style. She has a few rainbow-print tops that I’d love to steal. I spent a lot time looking through Amazon and apart from a rainbow sweater with four reviews I couldn’t find anything rainbow print that I would recommend! So here’s a cute sweatshirt with a bright stripe print. Reviewers call it a “perfect retro looking top” that’s comfortable, cute and stylish. Some women write that the arms are too short though.

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Some photos credit: FreeStocks.org via Pexels