These are photos of Renee Zellweger at the German premiere of Bridget Jones’ Baby on Wednesday. She’s wearing a bizarre black Monse one-arm dress with a high leg slit, ruching on the side which leads to a giant bow, a folded flap at the neckline, and even more unnecessary details like a bubble arm with a cutout across the top. It’s like a bad 80s prom dress made in home ec class.

Renee has a new interview with The Advocate and I’m struck by how much she sounds like Ashley Judd here. In fact she’s been sounding like Ashley Judd for a while in that she uses a lot of big words but doesn’t say much. Everyone is focusing on her comments about whether Kenny Chesney was gay. She said that the story is made up and it makes her sad, but there’s a lot of word salad to get through.

Do you have a similar gay confidant?
I’m lucky to have handfuls. The majority of my closest friends are gay, and I have my pearl. I went to Miami for New Year’s Eve some years back with him and his boyfriend, and we got paparazzied on the beach. We had a very Bridget Jones moment: He had no desire to be photographed in his trunks, so he told me, “You need to get out of here and go for a run right now!” Some tabloid ran the photos and wrote, “Has Renée finally found her pearl?” I was like, “Aww, he’s my pearl!” He’s family to me. We dated for a minute, actually.

After citing “fraud” as the reason for annulling your marriage to Kenny Chesney in 2005, many media outlets alleged that he must be gay.
I forgot about that. It’s a pretty big thing to forget, isn’t it? That made me sad. It made me sad that somehow people were using that as a way to be cruel and calling someone gay as a pejorative, which has fateful consequences. Of course, there’s the bigger-picture problem of why anyone had to make up a story at all.

Were you tempted to publicly jump to his defense?
Well, I’d said all I needed to say on that subject. I’m an old-fashioned gal who doesn’t feel it’s appropriate to hang out your laundry on the lawn. I feel you devalue yourself as a human being when you share very personal things with a bajillion strangers who are making fun of you. I just don’t see that there’s any dignity in that. But sometimes it is difficult to just let something be what it is, especially when it’s unnecessary ugliness. Once you’ve said your piece, shouldn’t that be enough? And why is the ugliness that’s perpetuated in the media so attractive to people?

In Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason’s lesbian twist, Bridget got a surprise snog from a female admirer. Has a woman ever expressed her love for you?
Yes, thank goodness. But I loved her differently. We talked about it, we laughed, and I was happy she trusted me and that we have a relationship where we could have that conversation.

[From The Advocate]

I actually remember those photos Renee mentions where she was running at the beach after being spotted with a male friend because she had a portable CD player with her. Although it was many years ago (it was before smart phones) hardly anyone was still using portable CD players back then. I think I found those, that was in 2006 and people were speculating about Renee’s love life because she had recently split with Kenny Chesney. She eventually went on to date Bradley Cooper, and we know how that turned out. She seems happy now in her relationship of over three years with Doyle Bramhall II.

As for whether checking “fraud” on her divorce papers meant that Kenny Chesney was gay, Kenny has explained that it was a legal decision in order to obtain an annulment. He insists he has a “long line of girls who could testify that I am not gay.” Kenny went on to clarify that he’s slept with well over a hundred women. Renee’s comments here remind me so much of her other recent interviews in that it’s hard to tell what she’s saying other than the fact that the media notices and speculates about her life and she dislikes that. She has an issue with not speaking plainly. I did really like what she said about a female friend who expressed a romantic interest in her. That was sweet.

Photos credit: WENN and FameFlynet

On Thursday, I didn’t cover the news or gossip from Wednesday night’s Commander-in-Chief forum for two reasons. One, the news coming out of the forum was incredibly depressing and two, I didn’t watch it because Serena Williams was playing Simona Halep at the US Open and that was honestly my priority. As it turns out, I made a wise choice. Matt Lauer hosted the forum which featured back-to-back live interviews with Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Both candidates made news, but Matt Lauer made even more news than either of them because of the different ways he questioned them.

The think-pieces and analyses of Lauer’s performance dominated all of the news feeds on Thursday, and #LaueringTheBar trended on Twitter for a full 24 hours. NY Mag’s Frank Rich called Lauer’s performance a “gift to Donald Trump.” Jonathan Chait called Lauer’s grilling of Clinton “pathetic” and “the scariest thing I’ve seen in this campaign.” Lauer asked Clinton several times to “be brief” in her comments about national security (because who wants to hear from a woman, right?) while Lauer refused to fact-check Trump in real time, even when Trump was blatantly lying. The whole thing was such a giant debacle that now Matt Lauer is the biggest loser of the election cycle, which is a terrible insult to the dumpster fire known as Donald Trump’s campaign. CNN ran a story late Thursday afternoon about how even NBC executives know how badly they f—ked this up.

NBC News knows the “Commander-in-Chief Forum” was not Matt Lauer’s finest hour. One executive, speaking anonymously, was blunt about it: “Disaster.”

The day after Lauer’s back-to-back interviews of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, several high ranking sources at the network said they hear the criticism and agree with at least some of it. Even his internal defenders acknowledge flaws in the forum’s production. Lauer was widely criticized for failing to fact-check or follow up when Trump falsely claimed that he was opposed to the Iraq war when it started. Some viewers thought Lauer held Clinton to a higher standard than Trump. The Clinton campaign agreed — it blasted off a fund-raising email on Thursday afternoon titled “Matt Lauer.”

But this was not merely partisan warfare. Prominent journalists were sharply critical of NBC. And several people who were sitting in the audience told CNN that they were frustrated too.

New York Times TV critic James Poniewozik wrote Thursday that Lauer seemed “unprepared on specifics of military and foreign policy: “He performed like a soldier sent on a mission without ammunition, beginning with a disorganized offensive, ending in a humiliating retreat.”

NBC News and MSNBC chairman Andy Lack, a longtime friend of Lauer’s, was intimately involved in the forum planning and execution. “This should be a black eye for Lack,” one of the sources said. Others within NBC were considered as potential moderators. A source said Chuck Todd, Andrea Mitchell and Rachel Maddow all came up during the process. Lack went with Lauer, and both campaigns supported the choice. (The Trump campaign almost certainly would have objected to Maddow as moderator.)

[From CNN]

Lester Holt will be the moderator for the first presidential debate, which I actually think is a great choice. Out of all of the NBC talent (other than Holt) who could have or should have done this forum, I agree that Maddow would have been a no-go with Trump’s people (but Maddow would have done a good job overall), and that Andrea Mitchell would have been a bad choice too. So Chuck Todd should have been the choice. Why wasn’t he? Is it because Matt Lauer is oddly beloved around NBC News? I don’t know why. He’s awful. He’s always been awful, especially around women.

The NYT also did an assessment of Lauer’s performance – go here to read. While I appreciate the media backlash against Lauer, I do hope that all of these journalists and media outlets are prepared to start dealing with Donald Trump the exact same way they deal with Clinton.

Embed from Getty Images

Photos courtesy of WENN, Getty.

Ever since the Duchess of Cambridge popped out Princess Charlotte and stepped out for a post-delivery photo-op two seconds later like it was no biggie, people have been speculating about Kate’s desire to have a third child. And I’m saying that specifically, Kate’s desire. Not really William’s desire, if previous sources are correct. The tale was, last year, that Kate always wanted three kids and William was fine with two. Kate is one of three siblings, and she’s allegedly wanting to recreate her own family’s three-child dynamic. Now that Charlotte is more than a year old, the rumor mill is still churning out stories about how Kate really wants another baby – especially now that Kate and William have so many scheduled appearances for the fall! A perfect time to have baby (to avoid a bunch of boring royal tours, amirite?).

Anmer Hall may need another nursery. Kate Middleton and Prince William, parents of George, 3, and 16-month-old Charlotte, “want a third baby soon,” a family friend reveals exclusively in the new issue of Us Weekly. “It would not surprise me if they were pregnant by Christmas.”

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are prepared to arrange their calendars accordingly. Should Kate, 34, become pregnant, the source says she and William, 34, will curtail their royal tours in 2017. After all, Kate suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum (a.k.a. acute morning sickness) with the first two pregnancies. The source says the royals would also be cautious because of the spreading Zika virus, which causes birth defects in unborn babies. (Until she’s pregnant, it’s business as usual: They are due in Canada for an official visit from September 24 through October 1.)

The couple would be happy to remain home away from the spotlight. At the 10-bedroom mansion in Norfolk, “their kids are living as normal lives as possible,” says a Middleton family friend. There, George plays with Matchbox cars — “He’s obsessed with anything with an engine,” says a source — while Charlotte shadows Mom. “If Kate is in the study,” says the source, “Charlotte wants to be in the study.”

William and Kate are now eager to add to that idyllic family portrait. “I think they both would have been overwhelmed at the thought of a third child a year ago,” says the friend, “but now it sounds perfect. They’ve both always wanted a big family.”

[From Us Weekly]

Considering the easy-seeming time Kate had with her second pregnancy, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if she did get pregnant sooner rather than later. It’s probably too late for them to suddenly cancel the Canadian tour – plus, they’ve already set it up as a taxpayer-funded vacation – but a sudden pregnancy will be just what the doctor ordered… to get out of work for the rest of the year, and most of 2017. They’ll probably try to get pregnant during the Canadian tour – that timing would work out well! The pregnancy will be announced early as a way to apologize for their very light schedule in November and December, then a quiet Middleton Christmas, and then maybe three brave, keen appearances before giving birth. BAM! I just scheduled the next 12 months of the Cambridges’ royal work.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.

This story is really upsetting. Australian actress Melissa George was taken to the hospital early Wednesday morning after allegedly being struck by her partner of four years, producer and buisnessman Jean-David Blanc. Blanc and Melissa, who live in Paris, have two sons together: Raphaël, two years and Solal, ten months. There are no reports confirming if the boys were with their parents at the time of the alleged attack. What is confirmed is that Melissa entered a police station about 3AM with her face swollen, complaining of nausea and dizziness and was later hospitalized. Although Melissa reported to the police that she sustained the injuries at the hand of Blanc, there is no confirmation that he was arrested for these allegations.

MELISSA George reportedly called the police and was taken to hospital with bruises on her face after allegedly being assaulted by her long-term partner.

French website Purepeople reports that the Australian actress, who lives in Paris with her French partner of four years Jean-David Blanc and their two sons, turned up at the police station at around 3am on Wednesday morning with facial injuries.

The 40-year-old star was reportedly also complaining of pain and feeling faint and was taken to Cochin Hospital in Paris.

“According to statements by the actress … she was assaulted by her companion, also father of their two children,” French news site M6info reports.

“The police were called last night to intervene in the centre of Paris. In shock, Melissa George, had a swelling of the face and complained of pain, nausea and dizziness,” the local news site reads.

Purepeople also reported that the Grey’s Anatomy actress said she had been physically abused by Blanc, 38, an entrepreneur and businessman who founded AlloCiné.

However, there are no reports of the French businessman being arrested or charged over the alleged incident.

Blanc and George met at a BAFTA after-party in 2011 and started dating in 2012. She was previously married to Chilean film director Caludio Dabed whom she divorced in 2011.

[From The Daily Telegraph]

The sites quoted in the article, Purepeople and M6info are both in French so I am wondering about some possible translation issues. It is widely reported that she showed up at the police station but the reports also say the police were called to intervene so I am not sure if they were called and she fled to the station or if the intervention was required once she turned up. The accounts also do not disclose if the alleged abuse took place in their home or somewhere else. Melissa got her start on the Australian soap opera Home and Away and has since had roles in Mulholland Drive, as Dr. Sadie Harris on Grey’s Anatomy and most recently starring in the lead role on the NBC series Heartbeat. Right after Solal’s birth, Melissa gushed over Blanc on social media saying, “Thank you to my love, Jean David, for giving me the best gift in my life. I love you.”

This is all we know at this point. As the daughter of a defense attorney, I am supposed to remain unbiased until I hear all the evidence. However, a woman is in the hospital after sustaining enough injuries to temporarily disfigure her face, that doesn’t sound like a misunderstanding. I cannot conceive of a reason to say this attack was perpetrated by her partner if it wasn’t. Perhaps some of our French readers can shed light on how this is being covered by the French press. Whatever surfaces from this awful event, I hope that Melissa and her boys are safe and take whatever precautions are necessary to remain that way. Our thoughts are with Melissa as she recovers.

Photo credit: WENN Photos

Natalie Portman walked the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival for the second night in a row on Thursday. And unlike Wednesday night’s premiere of Jackie, Natalie didn’t even try to hide her very obvious second-trimester bump. Yes, Natalie Portman is pregnant. There’s no hard-and-fast confirmation from Natalie’s rep or Natalie herself, but People Magazine is “confirming” that she is knocked up, in case you don’t believe your eyes. Shall I do a little “I told you so” dance? I knew she was knocked up a month ago. She actually hasn’t been hiding it at all.

Natalie’s gown here is Valentino. It’s very pretty, very regal, and very Jackie Kennedy! Too bad this premiere was for Planetarium, the film which is not about Jackie Kennedy. Planetarium costars Lily-Rose Depp, who looks sort of sullen that Natalie’s bump is soaking up all of the red carpet attention. Lily-Rose is wearing her own vintage Chanel dress. As in, she didn’t borrow this. It was already in her closet. She’s 17.

Getting back to Natalie’s second pregnancy… I think it’s interesting that she got knocked up just months after Benjamin Millepied was pushed out of his position at the Paris de Opera. Reportedly, Benjamin and Natalie have been having problems for the better part of a year, or maybe that was just random tabloid gossip. They genuinely seemed strained though. My thought is that Natalie was so happy to move back to America that she got knocked up as quickly as possible. Is that a weird theory? Whatever.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.

Grey’s Anatomy alum Katherine Heigl is expecting her third child, a boy, with her hubby, singer Josh Kelley, in January. The child will be joining adopted daughters Naleigh, 7, and Adalaide, 4, in the Heigl/Kelley clan.

Although the 37-year-old actress cleared the air with her Knocked Up co-star Seth Rogen a few weeks ago, she is still ranked #24 on Star Magazine’s “Most Hated Celebrities” list. Katherine is making a return to the small screen on the new CBS legal drama, Doubt, co-starring the amazing Laverne Cox (whom I still love despite her participation in FOX’s new Rocky Horror abomination). Katherine recently talked to InTouch about her pregnancy and while she didn’t offer any earth-shattering revelations about the miracle of birth, she did spill the beans about why her hubby is “relieved” that they’re having a boy.

On pregnancy: “I’m just tired and hungry. I’m hungry for doughnuts every day. And if you put a cinnamon roll in front of me, it’s going to get ugly.”

On the best advice she’s received: “the thing that I’m taking to heart is to get as much rest as I can.”

On family life during pregnancy: “The weekends are like, ‘Okay, where are we going for brunch?’ and then it’s, ‘Where are we going for dinner?’ The other day I came home to a bouquet of flowers and a really sweet note from the kids that I’m sure [Josh] made them write.”

Hubby Josh on having a boy: “His brother had a boy last February, and they’re already talking about their golf foursome.”

[From InTouch]

I’ve not had kids of my own, but I can only assume pregnancy would make anyone tired and hungry, right? It seems like Katherine is trying to overhaul her public image, so good on you, girl, I guess. She did recently confess on her lifestyle/crafting blog, Those Heavenly Days, that before she knew she was pregnant, she converted her daughters’ former nursery into a craft room. She reposted the image of her new (now temporary) crafting room to Instagram with the caption, “So I turned the nursery into my craft room before I realized I was expecting a new family member. Bad timing, awesome new craft room!” Okay, that’s kind of endearing.

So I turned the nursery into my craft room before I realized I was expecting a new family member. Bad timing, awesome new craft room! Go to thoseheavenlydays.com to read my latest post and hopefully get craft room inspired! #thoseheavenlydays #badlandsranch #alittlespacetocallmyown

A photo posted by Katherine Heigl (@katherineheigl) on Aug 18, 2016 at 1:26pm PDT

Katherine told Howard Stern back in April (when she was hopefully not yet pregnant) that she was still smoking, but that she was trying meditation and vaping in an attempt to quit. I certainly hope she has quit and can stay away from the ciggies after having her son. Second-hand smoke is no joke.

Miley Cyrus has a girls’ night out, so how long before a low-tier tabloid uses this photo as a “Liam Fed up over Miley’s Partying!” headline?

Girlzzzz Nightttttt @katyweaver @sarahbarthel @phantogram ??????

A photo posted by Miley Cyrus (@mileycyrus) on
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Miley Cyrus has a girls’ night out, so how long before a low-tier tabloid uses this photo as a “Liam Fed up over Miley’s Partying!” headline?

Girlzzzz Nightttttt @katyweaver @sarahbarthel @phantogram ??????

A photo posted by Miley Cyrus (@mileycyrus) on
…

Miley Cyrus has a girls’ night out, so how long before a low-tier tabloid uses this photo as a “Liam Fed up over Miley’s Partying!” headline?

Girlzzzz Nightttttt @katyweaver @sarahbarthel @phantogram ??????

A photo posted by Miley Cyrus (@mileycyrus) on
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Brad Pitt on the cover of T, The New York Times style magazine, interviewed by reigning Man Booker Prize winner Marlon James. The last time we talked about an acclaimed author interviewing a movie star for T, it was Jonathan Safran Foer and Natalie Portman exchanging super-try emails. Since Marlo…