Over the weekend, I watched Aftersun, the indie film which earned Paul Mescal his first Oscar nomination. He’s one of the youngest Best Actor Oscar nominees of all time, alongside Orson Welles, James Dean, Heath Ledger and Ryan Gosling. If he wins, he’ll be the youngest Best Actor Oscar winner by several years. That being said, I don’t think he’ll win? I didn’t dislike Aftersun, I just thought it felt more like an a student film. The location shoot in Turkey was beautiful and Mescal’s performance as a loving father dealing with mental health issues was moving, but I just wish there had been more of a plot. In any case, I do see (a little bit) of why the youths like Paul Mescal now. Anyway, Mescal covers the latest issue of the Hollywood Reporter, and this is a real movie star rollout. Some highlights from the cover story:

On his Oscar nomination: “It’s a world that I may be starting to understand slightly. And I love work. If I could work every day, every hour, I would. I get itchy when I’m not working. I know at some point I’ll get tired and probably burn out for a little bit, but I don’t feel that now.”

Whether the Oscar nom came as a surprise: “It’s very hard to avoid the forecasting. So I was kind of aware that I was maybe on the bubble — like on the outside of potentially getting a nomination. I was aware that films like Aftersun aren’t the go-to Oscar pick a lot of the time. So it was a big surprise. The surprise was real. Yeah.”

A very Irish Oscars this year. “I’m hoping that the Oscars afterparties are going to be fun — because I think the Irish can show up in that setting,” he says with a smile. I ask what it is about the Irish condition that produces so many of Hollywood’s most celebrated artists. “I don’t know… I feel like we’ve always overrepresented ourselves. Just in terms of population, we’re punching above our weight.”

On his role in ‘Normal People’: “I’m far from that person. There are similarities, of course, because we culturally come from the same place, we both play Gaelic football and we both suffer a little bit with depression — he more so than I do. But there are no complaints with that because the writing and direction of that show was beautiful. It was a portrayal of what it is to be a young person in today’s world. And of course a lot of things are easier, but it’s just f–king hard sometimes.”

He scored the lead in ‘Gladiator 2’: Mescal says he did not have to audition for the lead role of adult Lucius, depicted in the original as the young nephew of Commodus, the Roman Emperor played by Joaquin Phoenix. He simply took a meeting with the 85-year-old directing legend in which Scott “discussed the parameters of the story. Then, after the fact, I was given a script. And I’m so proud I get to make it. It’s an intimidating feat. It’s something I’m nervous about but something I feel like I can do.”

Whether he’ll transform his body to play a gladiator: “With films like this and superhero films, there is sometimes a focus on that, which I don’t find that interesting. Of course there’s a physical robustness required for the character, but past that, I’m not interested. This guy’s got to fight and got to be a beast. And whatever that looks and feels like is right for me, is what it’s going to be. Sometimes I see films and I’m like, ‘That person doesn’t look real.’ “

His breakup with Phoebe Bridgers: At the moment, he’d prefer to keep his thoughts on that topic to himself. “Maybe at some point. But just not now. It’s just difficult territory. Yeah.”

He loves LA: “I love L.A.. I feel like I was introduced to it in the right way through people outside of the acting community. I have a love for it that I wasn’t expecting to ever have. I’m looking forward to spending a bit of time there in the next couple of weeks.”

[From THR]

It’s so refreshing to hear a foreign actor talk about enjoying LA and looking forward to the Oscars and really enjoying the process. It feels like a lot of British, Irish and European actors are overwhelmed or turned off by the awards season and they spend months bad-mouthing everyone in LA. It helps that Mescal hasn’t been in LA for the awards season – he’s been in London, doing Streetcar Named Desire on stage, only getting a few days at a time to fly to LA to do big events. He just turned 27 and the world is his oyster – he’s booking projects back-to-back and he’ll be doing another big promotional tour in a few months to promote Carmen, the trailer for which just came out this week (I’m adding it below). You know what I love? No superhero movies or franchise work so far (Gladiator doesn’t count).

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Last year, Sarah Ferguson mysteriously “purchased” a £4 million home in the Mayfair district of London. Fergie has lived with her ex-husband Prince Andrew for years, at Royal Lodge in Windsor. King Charles has always been perturbed by Fergie’s presence in Royal Lodge, but still, that’s been the Yorks’ living arrangement for years, mostly because they’re always “broke.” Too “broke” to buy their own home, too broke to pay off all of the loans and liens on their Swiss chalet (which they mysteriously bought, even though everyone thought they were broke). Fergie’s purchase of this Mayfair home did not go unnoticed, but there has been precious little follow-up on the initial reporting. No one knows how Fergie can afford it or why she hasn’t moved into the property or what the hell any of this means. Well, here’s a minor update:

Given Sarah, Duchess of York’s well-documented financial mishaps, it was something of a surprise that she was able to splash out on a £4 million home in London. Now the mystery over how she afforded the Belgravia property has deepened after it emerged she cannot sell it without written consent signed by her daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.

Official Land Registry documents obtained by The Mail on Sunday reveal the unusual ‘restriction’ was placed on the pretty mews terrace when Fergie, 63, bought it in June last year. The deeds also reveal she paid £4.25 million outright without need of a mortgage.

Last night, a top legal source told the MoS that the restriction placed on the property suggests that her daughters may have stumped up the funds. ‘That could be one explanation,’ they said, adding: ‘But it also could mean that whoever purchased the property wants to make sure that her daughters ultimately benefit from it. Usually a restriction like this one is needed to stop conmen taking advantage of vulnerable elderly relatives and selling their house from under them when they are in a care home, but I don’t think that applies in this case.’

A source close to the Duchess last night declined to discuss whether she had paid for the mews home herself, stating it was a ‘private matter’, however, they alluded to Fergie’s recent publishing success, adding: ‘She has bought it very much as a nest egg for the girls so it does not surprise me at all that she has put that kind of provision in.’

[From The Daily Mail]

Yeah, I have more questions than answers. She paid for the home upfront, without a mortgage? She had that kind of money? I actually doubt her daughters have that kind of money, and even if they did, would they spend it on buying Fergie a home (which she’s not even using)? And I doubt that Fergie has gotten that kind of advance from her latest publishing contract too. All in all, it’s bonkers. I would really appreciate someone, anyone doing a deep dive on the Yorks’ finances because every time we’re talking about money, Fergie and Andrew, it always sounds like they’re con artists knee-deep in like twelve different scams.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

In recent weeks, it’s felt like the British media’s central (if not sole) coronation concern is whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be invited and whether they’ll show up. To be fair, Buckingham Palace has been openly briefing the media on that issue for weeks. But the palace has also been trying to hype the Clowning in general, giving updates on their plans for this or that. The plans are quite excessive, and each week brings increasingly bonkers headlines. By late April, I’m sure we’ll get to the point of “King Charles demands human sacrifice volunteers, it’s tradition!” It definitely feels like people are tuning out instead of feeling the shivers of anticipation. Speaking of, the king wants Chubbly bell ringers only no one wants to ring his bells. *sad clown bell* For Whom The Bell Chubblies!!

An ambitious campaign to ring every church bell in the country on the day of King Charles III’s Coronation in May looks unlikely to succeed without a last-ditch flood of volunteers. Achieving the aim would require 8,000 new recruits – but so far the Ring for the King campaign has received only 300 enquiries through its official site.

Organisers remain upbeat and are confident that many other would-be ringers will have got involved through local churches or bell-ringing groups, but the campaign is urgently seeking new ringers to meet its aim of ringing every one of the nation’s 38,000 church bells on May 6. The Central Council of Church Bell Ringers (CCCBR) warned on Wednesday that time was of the essence, with new recruits needing around 15 hours of training to be able to manage a bell alone.

Vicki Chapman, of the CCCBR, told The Telegraph: “Time is running short now for new recruits to be fully trained up by the Coronation. However, they should be able to participate in some way over that Bank Holiday weekend. We hope that once they’ve experienced it, they’ll want to continue to grow their skills and friendships made through this journey of discovery.”

There are 6,000 sets of bells across Britain, containing almost 38,000 bells, which require one ringer per bell. However, there are only an estimated 30,000 bell-ringers across the country, with some teams working across several churches. On big national occasions, the CCCBR aims to ring as many bells as possible, but that has rarely been possible in recent times.

Ms Chapman said anyone from the age of eight and above could get involved in bell-ringing. She said it was “gentle exercise” and did not require a certain level of fitness, although ringers often have to climb a church’s spiral staircase to get to its belfry.

[From The Telegraph]

I wish Britain was real. The Central Council of Church Bell Ringers??? Y’all have a COUNCIL?? And there are already 30,000 certified bell ringers but that’s not enough for Charles and he’s demanding thousands of people to volunteer for this unpaid gig of… ringing a bell on his special day. People are literally trying not to starve, Chuck! They’re struggling to pay their heating bills and there’s no food in their grocery stores. And Charles is like: MOAR BELL RINGERS.

Charles made another visit to a food bank yesterday. He provided a new freezer for the Felix Project, because Charles is donating 800 refrigerators and freezers to food banks across the country. He’ll give the peasants freezers, now send him some bell-ringers, for the love of GOD.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

From CB: ReviewMeta has been down and so we’re trying out a new review analysis site called The Review Index. It seems to be accurate, but it’s hard to tell. I wanted to vouch for this Oontz speaker, which I bought in 2019. It still works great and holds a charge for a long time! Here are some more things Hecate and I are looking at on Amazon.

An all in one blush and lipstick for easy glamour

From CB: I’ve read that as we age we should use creamier blush that doesn’t settle into fine lines. This monochromatic multi stick from Elf is just $5 and comes in seven different colors. It’s suitable for cheeks, lips and eyes. This has over 33,000 ratings, 4.2 stars and a 7.9 out of 10 on The Review Index. People say it blends well as a blush especially and looks natural. “This actually meshes really well with liquid foundation and is easier to rub in with fingers than a powder blush.” “I loved that this was so quick and easy to apply. I go for a more natural look when doing my makeup and this blush helped me look sunkissed!”

A silicone mat for your microwave that protects from heat and makes it easier to clean

From CB: I have a cover for my microwave but what about a mat? This silicone mat goes on top of your turntable to protect it from spills. It stays cool so you can use it to remove your food and also doubles as a trivet and drying mat. This has over 8,000 ratings, 4.4 stars and a 9.4 out of 10 on The Review Index. People say it makes cleaning their microwave so much easier and like that it has multiple uses. “I have given these to friends for a little gift that they might not think to buy for themselves. I use one beside the sink as a drying mat or a hot mat. I use one on the turntable in the microwave to make it easy to clean spill-overs or to use to remove hot bowls or plates.” “I use it under food in the microwave if I think it may spill over because it’s easy to rinse clean. I’ve also used it on top of cups or bowls in the microwave because it keeps them from splattering. It’s also great on your countertop if you pull something out of the oven and you’re concerned about it being too hot and burning your counter.”

A long tank top that can be worn so many ways

From CB: Tank tops are great for covering up your midriff, for layering and for wearing on their own to the gym and on hot days. You can get two tanks from Amazon basics for around $11 to $14. These come in so many color combinations and in sizes x-small to xx-large. They have 4.6 stars, over 42,500 ratings and an 8.8 out of 10 on TheReviewIndex. People say they fit great and are comfortable and flattering. “I love the fit, the length is amazing! They’re super stretchy I got the smalls and haven’t washed them yet but they fit sooooo good and are so so soft on my chest.” “I’ve purchased so many of these because they are just the best basic staple tank top. They are long and flattering and very soft. The cost is an absolute bargain for the value.”

An organic edible baby lotion that you can use too

From Hecate: MissM asked for some baby suggestions last week, specifically some baby moisturizer. I found this Babyology Natural Baby Lotion. It’s 100% edible, which is great considering how much of their bodies babies shove in their mouths. The organic ingredients are also naturally sourced so you don’t have to worry about sensitive skin. It’s also fragrance free, non-toxic and from a small business. A 6.76 oz bottle costs $12 or a 27 oz bottle for $29. Over 400 people gave the lotion 4.2 stars and Fakespot rated it with an A. Parents who’ve used it said it’s not heavy, “I like how light this baby wash and lotion are. The smell is great, not an overpowering fragrance but it gives baby a simple, clean, and fresh scent and It smells very natural.” But it’s not so light that it’s not effective, “This one was rich and creamy and beautiful scent. I would definitely buy again!”

Compression cubes to streamline packing

From Hecate: alsf asked to discuss some compression cube options and I’ll be honest, I didn’t know what that was. But I’m so glad I know now! The idea is, you pack the cubes and then zip them down, compressing the air out, allowing you to pack much more than usual. Like some of you said on that post, I’ve used the bags, but never these cool cubes. I just tried to put my snow clothes away and I need something to make them fit in my RoughNeck. These BAGAIL sets have over 10,000 reviews and 4.6 stars that ReviewMeta confirmed. Plus they have sets of 4, 5 or 6 and several different colors. They range in price from $25-$44 depending on how many and what color you decide on. And there’s a 15% coupon this week. Reviewers say these were a real game-changer, “I had no idea how much space I was wasting in my carry-on! I generally fly for vacations 4-5 times a year and cannot stand waiting for the luggage carousel, so I try to pack all I can into my carry on suitcase.” People said these made packing easier in so many ways, “Different sizes allow you to pack by category: shirts in one, socks in another, underwear/undershirts in another, etc. Get to your destination, and transfer the compartmentalized garments to the dresser drawers.”

Compression leggings with just the right amount of support

From Hecate: I wrenched my leg cleaning the garage last week. It wasn’t bad enough that I couldn’t workout, but it was sore until the adrenaline got pumping. My friend told me to look into compression leggings for when my muscles are wonky. Many times ‘compression’ translates to ‘tummy control’ and I wanted something that actually protected my legs. I decided to give these CompressionZ leggings a try because they focus on the everyday support over the aesthetics of my waist. They are also highly rated with over 12,000 reviews and ReviewMeta gave them 4.4 stars. And they’re on sale this week for $30-$35 a pair. Plus the sizes range from XS to 6 XL. There are several colors and with or without side pocket options (I can’t live without side pockets now). Customers said the compression is good but not unsightly, “They have a snug compression fit but they arent unflattering or difficult to put on.” And they really work, “I am an older and I admit rather chubby individual. I also suffer with varicose veins… I LOVE THESE! They offer support to my legs helping them to fill less tired and achy.”

A natural hair wax stick for sleek styles

From Hecate: So I might’ve gotten bored with my hair and found a pair of scissors. I don’t hate the results, but it needs to be brought into submission to look ‘right’. I got a light gel that works, but I need something denser for a few areas. This wax stick would be great for spot management. And I love that it’s made from natural ingredients, that should be easier to wash out. I also love that it’s only $9. And it has over 14,000 reviews with 4.3 stars from ReviewMeta. This customer said it worked on her first try, “For my first time trying this I was a bit nervous because I never slicked my hair back before, but it turned out so cute! I love it and it works so well.” And once it’s in, you don’t have to worry about it, “It lasts forever as you don’t need much product.”

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Now here’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time: Da Brat is pregnant with her first child at age 48. She and her wife of one year, Judy Harris-Dupart, first joked they were adding to their family as part of some product marketing, but then decided they wanted to actually add a human baby. (Judy already has three children). After some health struggles for both women, Da Brat is 18 weeks pregnant and they revealed her bump with a pretty cool gangster-style photoshoot, complete with fedora, pinstripes, feathers, and a cool car.

Da Brat is ready to reveal Da Bump!

The hit “Funkdafied” rapper and wife Jesseca “Judy” Harris-Dupart are expecting a baby, the couple tells PEOPLE exclusively in this week’s issue.

“It’s been quite a journey,” says Da Brat, who admits that at 48, “there’s a lot of stuff we learned about women over the age of 40.”

“It started as a joke, we were like, ‘We’re extending our family!’ ” she says of the tongue-in-cheek marketing tagline for their collaboration. “But then we got a huge response. It was like, ‘Oh my God do we want to actually have kids, and if we do, girl, we better hurry up!’ ”

Harris-Dupart is already a mother of three prior to their relationship. For Da Brat, kids weren’t ever really a part of the plan. “I never thought I was going to have kids,” she says. “I just thought it wasn’t in the cards for me. I’ve had a great career, a full life. I felt like, because I didn’t get pregnant earlier on, then it just wasn’t going to happen for me.”

That is, until she met and fell for Harris-Dupart. “I started looking at life so differently,” says Da Brat. “I was like, I want a little me with you. Something special from the both of us that we can share and raise and love unconditionally.”

Still, she wasn’t keen on the idea of carrying a child. “I was like, nothing’s gonna come out of me!” Harris-Dupart was able to convince her otherwise. “We had a little tug-o-war in the beginning…but I felt like she should have the experience,” says her wife. “She is so nurturing.”

The decision for Da Brat to carry worked out for the best, given Harris-Dupart suffered major health complications following her egg retrieval procedure. But the rapper faced difficult health issues of her own, including having to undergo surgery to remove fibroids and polyps prior to her embryo transfer procedure.

Then came a heartbreaking miscarriage. “I had never been so excited about something that I didn’t even know I wanted,” says Da Brat. “I fell in love with the idea and then it was all snatched away from me.”

“Luckily,” she says, “we still had quite a few of her eggs left.” The couple, who chose an anonymous donor described as “an eager entrepreneur” from their cryo bank, is now 18 weeks pregnant. Firmly into her second trimester, Da Brat says, “It’s just a blessing. I’m excited!” She’s also exhausted. “I don’t have any cravings or nausea,” she adds, “but I’m always sleepy. It’s crazy!”

Reflecting on her tough persona in hip hop coupled with her happy news and bump reveal, “I think people are going to be shocked,” she says with a laugh. That said, she chose to embrace the dichotomy with a gangster-inspired pregnancy photoshoot. “I loved it,” she says.

[From People]

It’s interesting that Da Brat talks about kids never being part of the plan until she met and fell for Judy. She doesn’t specifically say whether she wanted them or not, but does say she felt she had a career and full life and it just wasn’t in the cards, until she met Judy. It’s nice to hear another perspective because I think so often for female celebs a major interview talking point is how much they’ve always wanted to be a mom. And half the time it seems like they’re only saying that because that’s what’s expected. I did side-eye a bit the idea of Judy convincing Da Brat to carry the baby because Judy felt Da Brat should have the experience. It’s up to people to decide that for themselves! But it does sound like they both really wanted this and it’s wonderful that it’s working out for them after the health issues and miscarriage. From the article it sounds like it’s Judy’s egg and Da Brat is carrying the baby. Da Brat has a lot going on — she’s working on new music, cohosting a couple of shots, and the couple has a hair product line and a reality show. Anyway, congratulations to the soon-to-be parents!

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Here are more photos from the Princess of Wales’s Fat Tuesday (or “Shrove Tuesday”) visit to a nursing home in Slough. Kate stopped by the nursing home to chat with very elderly people and make some pancakes. The pancake photo-op… did not go smoothly. To Kate’s credit (I know!), she seemed to want to get the pancakes “right” but a combination of a bad batter with the wrong heat meant that her pancakes were a flop. The photo of Kate trying to toss her pancake in the air has already gone viral. I’m waiting for people to memeify it. Here you go:

In videos from the event, you can see how Kate was really focused on the pancakes and she even apologized at one point for not doing a great follow-up to the chef’s pancakes. The chef suggested that the batter was too thick. During the event, Kate talked about her children, and said that they’re learning how to make pancakes at home and that she would make pancakes with them on Tuesday evening. Kate also met a fellow Capricorn – a 109-year-old named Nora – and Kate tried to make conversation with her about their mutual love of “kidneys and brussels sprouts.”

I was wrong about her ensemble yesterday – I thought her trousers and turtleneck were black, but they’re navy. It looked nice without the coat, but yeah… very inspired by Meghan. I’m also going out on a limb and saying that none of the pancakes looked good, it wasn’t just Kate’s. There was something wrong with the batter, the pan or the little mini-stovetop thing.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Backgrid.

Several weeks ago, the Princess of Wales finally hired a new private secretary after spending months without anyone in that senior position on her staff. Her last few private secretaries have run screaming from Kensington Palace, and I think it’s interesting to note how quickly Kate’s staffers leave their positions for greener pastures. While it must be a very low-stress gig to work for Kate, it’s also probably infuriating for professionals to have so little to do, and to see the haphazard busy work up close. In any case, did you know that Kate is seeking revenge on the Duchess of Sussex by hiring Alison Cornfield? It’s true!

The Princess of Wales is getting her “revenge” on Meghan Markle by shaking up her staff, a royal expert has claimed. Kate is said to have hired brand management expert Alison Corfield, who has been described as a “straight-talking, ball breaker, as her new private secretary.

And according to royal biographer and expert Duncan Larcombe, Kate’s new appointment is very telling. Speaking on True Royalty TV’s The Royal Beat, he said: “The pressure on Kate’s shoulders to get it right, because she’s of an age where she’s that bridge between younger people and the elderly members of the [Royal] Family that are still at the forefront of the news and the pictures. You always get a little bit nervous when they recruit people from outside to come and get all brand-savvy and clever and it can go wrong. But I think personally for now, this is Kate’s revenge on Meghan isn’t it?”

[From The Daily Mirror]

There have been so many moments over the past three years where I have just wondered… is Kate not embarrassed? Is she not ashamed of the way her “defenders” speak about her and write about her? To constantly be compared to the American woman who left three years ago? To constantly try to copy everything Meghan is doing, wearing and saying but only in the most superficial and useless ways? How in God’s green earth is Kate’s senior staff hire a “revenge” move against Meghan? I would be so embarrassed of that framing, but it appears that Kate is really that shameless. She WANTS to be compared (favorably) to Meghan and she wants to be seen as seeking “revenge” on Meghan in her daily life. It’s sad.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Avalon Red.

For days now, the British media has been (almost exclusively) obsessed with one storyline: how did the Duke and Duchess of Sussex react to being parodied in last week’s South Park episode? Since British journalists don’t have ethics or sources within Camp Sussex, they’ve turned to their favorite resource: their asses. Story after story has been written about how Meghan is “upset and overwhelmed” about South Park, how this South Park episode is the end of the Sussexes’ American dream, how the Sussexes are so thin-skinned, they plan to SUE Matt Stone and Trey Parker. The absolute nonsense from Shutter Island got so bad that the Sussexes’ spokesperson actually went to People Magazine to clarify a few things.

A spokesperson for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry is shooting down reports that the couple is suing over a recent South Park episode. On whether Harry and Meghan are pursuing legal action against the show, a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex tells PEOPLE: “It’s all frankly nonsense. Totally baseless, boring reports.”

South Park’s episode that aired on Wednesday, titled “Worldwide Privacy Tour,” centered on a “prince of Canada” and his wife that settle in the fictional Colorado town. The characters’ similarities to Harry and Meghan were hard to miss, from the prince’s ginger hair and beard to the wife’s pink outfit and hat, a close match to Meghan’s ensemble at Trooping the Colour in 2018. The show saw the cartoon couple carrying “we want our privacy” and “stop looking at us” signs as they traveled to different locations around the world.

[From People]

People then published Meghan’s full quote about privacy, which she spoke about in the Oprah interview (it was televised as a bonus clip). Basically, the Sussexes were unbothered about the South Park episode, but the British media’s stupid fake-ass “reporting” got on their nerves. So they sent their spokesperson out to deny the “suing South Park” story. “Baseless, boring reports” – oof, Camilla Tominey will probably devote 10,000 words to that alone.

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I get occasional emails from this random medical center I don’t even remember visiting (maybe I got a covid test there once) and the other day I got one with a subheader that read “Answers to all your OZEMPIC questions.” And the email encouraged people to make appointments to discuss Ozempic and related drugs for weight loss. Ozempic is really everywhere if randos like me are getting email solicitations about it. Anyway, celebrity trainer Jillians Michaels is also chiming into the Ozempic conversation and warning against misusing it, citing the side effects and rebound weight gain.

Jillian Michaels is setting the record straight about why she’s not a fan of Ozempic.

The fitness trainer, 48, recently spoke to PEOPLE about how she convinced several loved ones to stop taking Ozempic, an FDA-approved prescription medication for people with type 2 diabetes. It’s one of the brand names for semaglutide, which works in the brain to impact satiety.

“I have taken at least eight family friends’ parents off of this drug,” Michaels tells PEOPLE, noting the side effects that they’ve experienced while on the medication. “They’re getting heart palpitations, they’re nauseous, they feel like s—. They feel so awful that it’s motivated them to reverse their type 2 diabetes.”

Michaels also explained that she doesn’t like the Ozempic trend because of the rebound weight gain that can occur if the medication is stopped.

“Once they get off of the drug, it does the rebound effect,” she says. “So you’re not gaining anything. You get off the drug in a year and go all the way back. You’ve not learned anything. You’ve not built any physical strength or endurance. You haven’t learned how to eat healthy.”

Michaels urges people to do their research on Ozempic and avoid misusing the medication. She explained that after convincing her family friends to stop taking it, she guided them toward making other lifestyle changes, including walking 10,000 steps each day and removing processed flour and sugar from their diets.

“The truth of the matter is, Ozempic has some pretty significant side effects. Do your homework on it. The results are not lasting, in very large part,” Michaels adds.

[From People]

From what Jillian says about family friends’ parents, it sounds like she is talking about older people who actually do have type 2 diabetes, who are also experiencing these terrible side effects. So the medication was making them feel bad enough that they stopped taking it despite needing it for diabetes. What Jillian says is very simple, but apparently needed to be said: the results aren’t lasting the same way the results of building a healthy eating and exercise routine would be. She put some really clear and accessible recommendations into comments, down to a specific step count and encouragement toward building strength and endurance. But I think the most important of her comments, which probably a lot of celebrities need to hear, is do your own research on it and see if the perceived benefits outweigh the side effects.

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If you own a dog, I’m pretty sure you’ve heard about canine influenza. If you’re like me, you’ve owned dogs your whole life and never heard about it until the last couple of years, though. And now your vet tries to push the vaccine on you every time you go in. Apparently, it’s a real thing and it’s currently surging. And like the human flu, it’s highly contagious so your pup can pass it to all his dog buddies. But, good news, there is the afore mentioned vaccine out and it’s helping stymy the spread.

Canine influenza, commonly known as dog flu, is on the rise in some areas of the United States.

This winter, veterinarians have reported a surge in cases in Philadelphia, Minneapolis and North Texas, according to CBS News, and many are urging pet owners to have their dogs vaccinated against the contagious respiratory disease.

Dr. Lori Teller, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association(AVMA), previously told PEOPLE that, unlike human influenza flaring up in the winter, dog flu spreads year-round. “Outbreaks of canine influenza flare up from time to time,” she said.

“The good news now is that there is more awareness and knowledge of the virus, and there are vaccinations available to help protect your dogs,” Dr. Teller added.

Although vaccination may not entirely prevent the infection, it can “reduce the severity and duration of the illness,” according to Teller. Pet owners can discuss the vaccination with their veterinarians to decide if it’s appropriate for their dogs.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, canine influenza is not life-threatening and there have been no reported cases of the virus spreading to humans.

Symptoms of the milder form of dog flu include a soft, moist, persistent cough, lethargy, sneezing and loss of appetite. More severe forms of dog flu may cause canines to develop high fevers and signs of pneumonia. Dog owners are advised to contact their veterinarian immediately if their pet stops eating or has difficulty breathing.

[From People]

So the pros are that this is finally one respiratory infection we humans can’t get. And that the vaccine will alleviate some of the worse symptoms. The bad news is that you can’t explain to a dog why they aren’t allowed to play with their friends or why they’re sick, so the heartbreak will be worse than the human flu for you.

By all accounts, the canine flu acts like the human flu in symptoms and treatment. Fido needs water, food and rest if they have it. Apparently, it’ll take about two or three weeks for them to get over it. Dogs are usually better about staying down when they feel poorly. I was resistant to getting the vaccines because it just seemed like every time I went to the vet there was something new to inject in them. But my friend who is up on this stuff said the canine flu vaccine is very important if you take your dog to dog parks, beaches or other communal areas. I don’t live in a surge state, but it’ll be here soon enough.

The biggest difference will be that when I get sick, I like a nice warm bath. I can promise you my dogs are not going to want anything to do with the tub if they get sick.

Photo credit: Matthew Henry, Conner Baker, Dominika Roseclay, Pixabay and Valeria Boltneva of Pexels