Y’all know that I’m not a Lena Dunham fan, nor am I a Lena Dunham apologist. I think she’s a navel-gazing narcissist, a terrible example of millennial feminism and a high-level attention-seeking troll masquerading as a pop-culture icon. She does, says and writes countless problematic things. But this week’s Lena Dunham story has left me feeling… a little bit sorry for her. Just a little bit. Don’t get me wrong, she absolutely said the wrong thing in the wrong way. But if you read her full comments, I totally understand the point she was trying to make, which makes the “outcry” and “backlash” against her comments all the more ridiculous. Lena was chatting on her podcast about a trip she made to a Planned Parenthood in Texas several years back, and how one woman asked her to share her experience with abortion:

“I sort of jumped. ‘I haven’t had an abortion,’ I told her. I wanted to make it really clear to her that, as much as I was going out and fighting for other women’s options, I myself had never had an abortion. And I realized then that even I was carrying within myself stigma around this issue. Even I, the woman who cares as much as anybody about a woman’s right to choose, felt that it was important that people know that I was unblemished in this department.”

She commended her loved ones, who have had to have abortions, for their “bravery” and “self-knowledge,” adding that she has realized her need to put her own stigma surrounding the issue “in the garbage.” She concluded, “Now I can say that I still haven’t had an abortion, but I wish I had.”

[From People]

As I said, she said the wrong thing in the wrong way. Her point was about how even she, a full-throated defender of women’s reproductive choices, still has internalized the perceived stigma of women seeking abortion. That she might even be offended that someone thought she had an abortion at some point. That’s how we, as women, internalize society’s misogyny. That’s how men get us to vote against our own interests. That’s the point I think Lena was trying to make. But instead she started trending on Twitter with self-righteous anti-choicers telling her that she should be ashamed of saying that she wished she had an abortion story to tell. Basically, a bunch of people are telling her that having an abortion is awful and no one should want one and that’s why abortion-seekers should be stigmatized, right? In any case, Lena offered this long-winded apology on Instagram:

My latest podcast episode was meant to tell a multifaceted story about reproductive choice in America, to explain the many reasons women do or don’t choose to have children and what bodily autonomy really means. I’m so proud of the medley of voices in the episode. I truly hope a distasteful joke on my part won’t diminish the amazing work of all the women who participated. My words were spoken from a sort of “delusional girl” persona I often inhabit, a girl who careens between wisdom and ignorance (that’s what my TV show is too) and it didn’t translate. That’s my fault. I would never, ever intentionally trivialize the emotional and physical challenges of terminating a pregnancy. My only goal is to increase awareness and decrease stigma. I take reproductive choice in America more seriously than I take literally anything else, and therefore own full responsibility for any words I speak that don’t convey this truth clearly. I know plenty of people will never like a thing that leaves my lips, mea culpas or no, but this apology is for the women who have placed their trust in me. You mean everything to me. My life is and always will be devoted to reproductive justice and freedom. You know how in some households you curse and have to put money in a jar? Well in mine, if you mess up your pro-choice messaging you have to give a sizable donation to abortion funds (https://abortionfunds.org/need-abortion) in New York, Texas and Ohio ?I look forward to fighting with you all for the next four years and beyond.

[From Lena’s Instagram]

Okay. I don’t think she should have called it a distasteful joke? That’s sort of offensive.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

It’s a boy! Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott are having a blue Christmas this year: https://t.co/mhf6u9dv5t pic.twitter.com/X69Rz8su14

— E! News (@enews) December 20, 2016

Tori Spelling is currently pregnant with her fifth child at 43. Nevermind the fact that she’s been crying poor for years, has ostensibly downsized her home, and is in arrears on her taxes and credit card payments. Her bread and butter is selling her family life and she knows babies are the most valuable. So she’s pregnant again, her husband Dean is surprised because at one point he wanted a vasectomy (but obviously didn’t get it) and their last kid just got out of diapers. Tori and Dean have reportedly sold a reality show about her pregnancy and their first months at home with the new baby, so what better way to prepare for that than a traditional baby gender rollout complete with a Christmas theme? Tori did the exclusive gender reveal with E!, which was the first time her children, who range in age from nine to four, found out as well. Spoiler: it’s a boy, although the blue Christmas tree in the background probably gave it away. Here are some brief quotes Tori gave and E! has a video but it’s oddly anticlimactic. It’s more about the pictures, which you can see at E!

“With Liam and Stella we found out at the doctor’s office. Hattie and Finn, we didn’t find out, we didn’t know until they were born,” Spelling explained. “So this is the first reveal. We really wanted to do it with the kids because they were so excited, and we wanted to do it as a family!”

[From E! Online]

Tori wanted to capitalize on the gender reveal so she did that. This makes me wonder which network picked up her upcoming reality show. Page Six reported on that last month and I can’t find any follow-up, but I doubt E! is working with Tori. She and Dean had a couple of specials on the Cooking Channel earlier this year but that’s it. Is this E! gender reveal a test to see how much interest there still is in Tori and her family? I guess we just played into that by reporting on it, but it is the week before Christmas after all. It’s not like there’s a whole lot else going on.

photos credit: WENN and FameFlynet

There are a bunch of new Jennifer Lawrence stories and very few of them are actually interesting to me. The only one I really like is her Good Morning America interview this week, where she discussed why she felt the need to write that Vice essay immediately following the election. Jennifer’s essay wasn’t bad at all – she was basically telling her fans “don’t feel defeated, we still have work to do.” It wasn’t about seeking conciliation with an orange fascist or curling up and ignoring the world. Her argument was: we’re still fighting. Here’s the interview:

Jennifer told GMA:

“I didn’t mean to speak to only people who voted for Hillary, I meant to just speak to the divide … for any presidential candidate, being very extreme is scary, left or right. For me, I was the star of the Hunger Games. So I had a lot of 12-year-olds and 11-year-olds and I know that they look up to me. I know that they’re listening to me and watching me. When the election happened, I couldn’t help but think of those girls who are 18. I completely understand when people say, ‘Just shut up and act.’ But for me there are times where I feel a real need to speak to those girls.”

While I have so many issues with J-Law these days, I’m totally fine with what she says here. Her thoughts were with her young fans, just as Hillary Clinton’s concession speech included a message to those girls and young women: you are valuable, you have worth, and your voice is vital, despite what you hear from President Deplorable.

As for the other Jennifer Lawrence stories… she appeared on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen on Monday night. J-Law is a huge fan of the Real Housewife franchises, and she gets very involved in all of the manufactured drama, etc. Here are some clips. I would love to know who “The Lady” is, and who in the world is “Pickle”??

Photos courtesy of WENN.

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Celebrity relationships are kind of a dime a dozen, aren’t they? Once you get used to these celebrity couples, they break up. Solid celebrity friendships, however, seemingly last a lifetime, as evidenced by Michelle Williams and her BFF, Busy Philipps. The two have been each others’ dates for loads of red carpet events, most recently at the screening of Michelle’s critically-acclaimed movie, Manchester by the Sea. Michelle told reporters at the Sunday screening at New York’s Crosby Street Hotel that. “I’m here with my best friend. I’m so in love with her. She’s proof that the love of your life does not have to be a man! That’s the love of my life right there.”

Michelle, 36, and Busy, 37, have been friends since their days working together on Dawson’s Creek. As a testament of their long-standing friendship, Busy posted a side-by-side picture of the two of them from 2001 and today. She notes in the caption for the photo, “I love that we almost always stand on the same side of each other.” Helping you show off your best side is what friends are really for. Side note: they look amazing, but Busy’s throwback pic makes me miss Freaks and Geeks. Kim Kelly, 4-eva.

2001/2016 I love that we almost always stand on the same side of each other. Also, can I just say-we aren’t at a costume party in 2001. That’s legit how we were dressed for a regular night out. I guess I really was my character from Cougartown? And thank God my eyebrows grew back.

A photo posted by Busy Philipps (@busyphilipps) on Dec 19, 2016 at 6:58am PST

Michelle also took Busy as her date to the 2016 Critics’ Choice Awards (where she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for Manchester by the Sea), and couldn’t resist the chance to pose for a bathroom selfie (who couldn’t? I know more people have seen my bathroom than any other room in my house. There’s just something about that lighting…)

Michelle and I like this picture of ourselves in a porta potty better than any red carpet pics we saw. So here you go.

A photo posted by Busy Philipps (@busyphilipps) on Dec 11, 2016 at 7:38pm PST

Oh, and if that’s not enough, Michelle helped re-pierce Busy’s ear after the ceremony. I get squidgy when I lose the back of my ear hole when I’m putting earrings in myself, so I can totally appreciate this selfless act. The video of the two is just too cute, with Busy asking, “You guys, why are we like teenagers? This is so dumb!”

So, could Michelle and Busy be dates for the Oscars in 2017? We can assume Michelle is definitely going to be there, as Manchester by the Sea has been racking up the awards and nominations, including a Golden Globe nomination for Michelle. Displaying the humility that she always has, Michelle told PEOPLE she didn’t choose the project for accolades or money, stating, “You don’t make a movie like this because of any sort of clear benefit to your career or your finances. You do it because you can’t avoid doing the thing that you love.” I haven’t seen Manchester, but from what I’ve read from critics (the movie currently has a 97% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes,) Michelle may want to clear off some space on her mantle.

And, hey, I would think when you go to a big event like an awards ceremony with a friend and not a romantic partner it’s better, because I don’t know about you, but just seeing old Christmas party pictures with exes in my Timehop makes me a little melancholy. I love that these two are still the best of friends, and I think more celebs should tout the value of friendship. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go call my BFF. I think there’s a little something in my eye.

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Photo credit: Getty Images, WENN.com

Embed from Getty Images

Rogue One’s Diego Luna is obsessed with Jabba Desilijic Tiure or, as he is commonly known, Jabba the Hutt. For anyone unfamiliar with Jabba the Hutt from Star Wars episode VI: Return of the Jedi, let me give you a little refresher. This is Jabba:

No 6………… Jabba the Hutt. pic.twitter.com/egnX0IVJ1z

— tonynewquay (@tonynewquay) December 10, 2016

This is Diego Luna:

Happy birthday Diego! Feliz cumple Diego!

A photo posted by Diego Luna Loco Blog (@diegolunaloco) on Dec 29, 2014 at 5:09am PST

That ^^ beautiful man expressed a desire to French kiss Jabba the Hutt. Don’t believe me? I’ll let you hear it from him:

let diego luna touch jabba the hutt pic.twitter.com/Xjgwh67SsO

— stardust (@tolkienianjedi) December 19, 2016

I assume Diego is a pacifist because OHMYGAWD who wouldn’t take the opportunity to punch an ewok? I am trying to understand Diego’s obsession here. The skin texture, I get it – it’s interesting. But Jabba also looks like he has frog parts in his folds. Did Diego not see the film #RIPOola! And the whole point of that tongue was to horrify us, Diego. Please don’t ever defend it again.

I have Darth Vader obsession. I know it’s wrong, especially that I was bummed he *SPOILER* reformed in the end but come on – Vader’s cool. Like, I want to be Vader, not just touch him and have him breathe mechanical, heavy breaths into my ear for all eternity. A lingering attraction to Chewbacca – sure. Eight feet of hot, shaggy fur and that groan? Who wouldn’t want to spend a day in his shadow? Even Yoda appeals to the sapiosexuals but Jabba? I can’t… I just don’t see it. Actually, that may be the problem, I can never unsee that tongue slithering out of that slimy mouth.

However, in my effort to understand Diego’s attraction, I came across this guy’s interesting film about Jabba’s creation and operation. It put him in a new light for me. I’m not ready to put on a gold bikini and dance for him but at least now I see him as a creature-puppet that lost his way and not just a vile monster who lost his soul. Just kidding, that SOB is still a putrid ogre.

Man, Diego looks like a young Paul McCartney circa: ‘McCartney’, doesn’t he?

Photo credit: Twitter, Instagram and WENN Photos

It’s the beautiful birthday girl!

The celebrations continue for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s daughter Jasmine, who just turned 1 on Friday.

“#TB to Friday when this joyful, loving, good hearted, playful little birthday girl turned 1 #WhereDoesTheTimeGo #TheMunchkin #CicaMica #JazzysMoanaBday,” Jasmine’s mother Lauren Hashian Instagrammed the image of their beautiful baby girl.

On Friday, the proud papa, 44, shared a cute clip with Jasmine.

“Teaching ’em young to start applauding the moment daddy starts singing. Smart girl.
Answering my egotistical questions is clearly a work in progress;). Happy 1st Birthday baby girl. Got you for life. #Aiga #PuaMana,” the Moana star captioned the video.

“The Sexiest Man Alive” and Hashian welcomed Jasmine on Dec. 16, 2015.

Johnson is also dad to 15-year-old daughter Simone with ex-wife Dany Garcia.

#TB to Friday when this joyful, loving, good hearted, playful little birthday girl turned 1 #WhereDoesTheTimeGo #TheMunchkin #CicaMica #JazzysMoanaBday

A photo posted by Lauren Hashian (@laurenhashianofficial) on Dec 20, 2016 at 8:38am PST

Sad news from Azealia Banks.

The 212 hitmaker, 25, recently suffered a miscarriage, she announced on Facebook. “This wouldn’t be an Azealia Banks page without loads of oversharing right? Anywho, I’ve just had a miscarriage and am pretty taken aback by it all,” the rapper shared.

She went on to say she feels “like a failure and very ashamed.”

She added: “Has anyone else had this same experience who cares to share some words of wisdom or words of anything regarding this topic? The self-loathing bit is a real struggle for me at the moment so share any words here. They will be greatly appreciated.”

After one Facebook fan suggested she should have kept the news private until she had some more “time to reflect,” Banks replied, “It’s life and we all live it together. Everyone farts, s–ts, f–ks , eats and sleeps. It’s bodily function 101. Why the need for secrecy.”

In another update, Banks wrote, “I feel really stupid because I think I’m so big and bad an in control and in this situation I’m so powerless.” [When I first saw] the embryo, I felt this full spirit around me and was looking down at this little bean in horror/amazement and now I just can’t NOT have an awareness of this person and won’t stop feeling like any and everything I’ve ever done in my life or want to do is pointless.”

She added: “I’m really over it and not with the s–ts right now.”

She went on to ask fans to be considerate with their opinions.

“I’ve had a real rough 2016,” she explained. “I honestly need a break from the public crucifixions. This is a women’s health issue that many others may or may not be able to relate to. Please don’t f–k UP an opportunity for clear, open and beneficial discourse between WOMEN!”

Later that evening, Banks removed many of her posts.

“*Trolls are coming in*,” the rapper wrote. “*delete delete*.”

Neil Patrick Harris’s 73 Questions for Vogue. He is kind of huffy, in a way that I love. Like when he sighs and says, slightly annoyed, “Do I have to rate them?” Or his reaction when Emma Stone and magic tricks are mentioned, and how he makes a point to say that bedtime story is not singular in h…

Neil Patrick Harris’s 73 Questions for Vogue. He is kind of huffy, in a way that I love. Like when he sighs and says, slightly annoyed, “Do I have to rate them?” Or his reaction when Emma Stone and magic tricks are mentioned, and how he makes a point to say that bedtime story is not singular in h…

Britney Spears has been single for over a year. Until now?

Britney went out a few weeks ago with Sam Asghari, the model from the Slumber Party video. Back in November, after they had dinner, Sam posted a photo to Instagram that he ended up deleting. Why bother at this point? What are the chan…