The BBC reported on the BBC today, citing a story from the Sun…what? No wonder people need information hygiene. Because how does this makes sense? This is how the article posted by the BBC reads: “The BBC has received 100,000 complaints from members of the public over its coverage of the Duke of Edi…

Personally, I don’t look to Gwyneth Paltrow for advice about anything really, but I especially don’t want her advice about skincare or haircare. Her skin is fine, whatever, she’s a ‘90s girl, which means she came of age in an era when grunge/no-makeup looks were popular, when all you were supposed to do was a red lip and some mascara for a red carpet. We really weren’t into skincare as this major thing back then either. Sure, people moisturized and wore sunscreen, but that was the extent of it (and frankly, few people even did that). My point is that Gwyneth had to learn along the way throughout her 30s and 40s and I don’t think she’s the poster girl for skincare-inspo. All that being said, I do enjoy these Vogue videos where women talk-to-camera and share their skincare routines. Here’s Gwyneth’s, complete with her makeup-free face, sun-damaged chest skin and limp straw hair.

Page Six pointed out that the products Gwyneth uses in this video cost about $900 total. Which is a lot for a daily skincare routine, but it’s not *that* crazy. If I had money to blow, I would buy some of those crazy expensive products too, especially the hydrating eye masks from Jillian Dempsey (Patrick Dempsey’s wife). Those cost $75! She also uses a Goop-branded wood-handled brush ($20), Vintner’s Daughter Active Botanical Serum ($185) and Jillian Dempsey’s vibrating Gold Sculpting Bar ($195), which is made from 24-karat gold.

Gwyneth makes it sound like Apple Martin knows a lot more about makeup and skincare, which I totally believe. Kids today pay more attention to all of that, much more than teenagers did in the ‘90s. Gwyneth says: “I mean, she knows how to contour — that girl is just on fire with her routine. I don’t know where she got it from. She definitely did not get it from me.” You can read more about Goop’s skin routine here at Vogue.

Screencaps from Vogue video.

I’ve seen some young commenters claim that because there was no solid proof that Prince Philip was a serial adulterer, then it never happened. Yeah, that’s not the way it worked. Philip was from a generation where discretion was paramount. Just because he didn’t flaunt his affairs doesn’t mean he didn’t have mistresses all over the place. And hell, he wasn’t even *that* discreet, it’s just that most of his torrid affairs happened during a time when the British press thought it was their duty to avoid covering it. In later life, Philip had several younger companions, and many of those companions were friendly with the Queen as well, because that’s how these people operate. No one was closer to Philip in his later years than Penelope “Penny” Knatchbull, Countess Mountbatten of Burma. She practically moved into Wood Farm to spend time with Philip in his final years, although I do not know if she was allowed anywhere near Windsor Castle during the pandemic, which is where Philip had to stay. The Mail had a piece about Penny’s private mourning:

As the Queen mourns her beloved husband, one of Prince Philip’s closest friends and confidantes, Penny Brabourne, Countess Mountbatten of Burma, is also grieving. The Countess was a regular visitor at Wood Farm, the cottage on the edge of the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk where the Prince spent much of his time after retiring from public life in August 2017.

The pair were firm friends for decades and shared a love for the exhilarating equestrian sport of carriage-driving. Indeed, the 67-year-old Countess enjoyed such a close bond with the Queen and Philip that Palace staff reportedly nicknamed her ‘and also’, because no guest list was considered complete without her.

The only daughter of butcher-turned-businessman Reginald Eastwood, she was propelled into the Royal Family through her marriage to Norton Knatchbull, 3rd Earl Mountbatten of Burma. The Earl was a close friend of Prince Charles – the pair attended Gordonstoun together and Charles was Norton’s best man when he married Penny in 1979. The wedding was delayed for eight weeks because five months earlier, IRA bombers blew up a small boat in the sea off Mullaghmore, County Sligo, killing Norton’s grandfather, Lord Mountbatten. Norton’s 14-year-old younger brother, Nicholas, his paternal grandmother the Dowager Lady Brabourne, and a local boy who was with the family, also died in the terror attack.

Penny is understood to have formed a close friendship with the Queen and Prince Philip after her daughter Leonora contracted liver cancer and died aged five in 1991. Philip taught the Countess carriage-driving in 1994 and she became his regular companion for the sport. Royal insiders say her enthusiasm for carriage-driving is one of the reasons he continued to take the reins into his late 90s. He was pictured carriage-driving in the grounds of Windsor Castle as recently as 2019.

The Countess’s loss of her daughter was not the only turmoil she endured. In 2010, Lord Brabourne abandoned her and started a new life with another woman in the Bahamas. The affair fizzled out, however, and he returned in 2014 to Broadlands, the home he shares with the Countess. The 60-room Palladian mansion in Hampshire is where the Queen and Philip spent part of their honeymoon. Members of the Royal Family, the Queen in particular, were reportedly full of admiration for the way the Countess insisted that life on the historic estate must go on as normal after her husband’s affair.

[From The Daily Mail]

Even though Penny and Philip were not related, there is an incestuous vibe to all of this with the Mountbatten connections and I’m not going to bother to untangle it. All I know is that Penny and Philip were very close for decades and the Queen knew and she was fine with it. It would not surprise me at all if Penelope was one of the first people to know about Philip’s passing, nor would it surprise me to learn that someone might have arranged for Penelope to say goodbye to him in person. I wonder if she’ll be invited to the funeral. Whew.

PS… This Mail story was a prime example of the British media’s flair for euphemisms and coded language.

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Photos courtesy of Getty, Avalon Red and WENN.

In shocking news, the FDA and CDC are calling for an immediate temporary halt in use of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine as they investigate the occurrence of a rare type of blood clot. In 6.8 million doses administered in the US, only 6 cases have occurred, all in women from 18 to 48. The treatment is different for this rare type of blood clot, and they want to get the word out that the typical treatment of heparin is contraindicated. Representatives from the US agencies will be meeting on Wednesday to examine the cases and make a more permanent recommendation about the vaccine. So far Ohio, NY and Connecticut have halted doses and it is expected that the government will temporarily stop using the J&J vaccine at federal vaccination sites.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the US Food and Drug Administration are recommending that the United States pause the use of Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine over six reported US cases of a “rare and severe” type of blood clot.

The six reported cases were among more than 6.8 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine administered in the United States.

All six cases occurred among women between the ages of 18 and 48, and symptoms occurred 6 to 13 days after vaccination, according to a joint statement on Tuesday from Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the CDC and Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

“CDC will convene a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on Wednesday to further review these cases and assess their potential significance,” the statement said. “FDA will review that analysis as it also investigates these cases. Until that process is complete, we are recommending a pause in the use of this vaccine out of an abundance of caution. This is important, in part, to ensure that the health care provider community is aware of the potential for these adverse events and can plan for proper recognition and management due to the unique treatment required with this type of blood clot.”

The statement also noted that these adverse events “appear to be extremely rare.”

“It’s a very rare event. You’re talking about 1 per million, and when you give millions of doses of vaccines, you will see events like this that you couldn’t see in the clinical trial just because you didn’t have millions of people enrolled,” Dr. Carlos del Rio, executive associate dean of the Emory University School of Medicine at Grady Health System, told CNN’s John Berman and Poppy Harlow on Tuesday morning.

“But I want to congratulate the CDC and the FDA for very quickly jumping on it, halting the vaccinations until we know more, and really trying to understand what’s going on,” del Rio said. “I think vaccine safety has always been a priority — and I think this is exactly the right move until we understand what’s going on and what’s the way forward.”

[From CNN]

I feel so bad for people who had J&J vaccines scheduled and now have to wait. While over a quarter of US adults have been fully vaccinated and 40% have received at least one dose, there are still so many people waiting to get their shot. Incidentally my ex husband got his first shot in Germany with the AstraZeneca vaccine, which requires two doses. Due to incidents of rare blood clots, they stopped giving the AstraZeneca vaccine in Germany to anyone under 60. They’re now recommending that people under 60 get their second shot from Moderna or Pfizer.

It makes sense that the FDA and CDC would investigate these rare side effects from the J&J vaccine. From a layperson’s perspective a 1 in a million severe side effect doesn’t seem to outweigh the benefits of getting more people vaccinated against a deadly virus. I’m sure they know what they’re doing though.

photos credit: CDC and Alex Mecl on Unsplash

Celebrity friends, Australian edition. Chris Hemsworth and Isla Fisher met up for coffee in Sydney today. They’ve known each other a long time as both were on the Australian long-running soap opera Home and Away. Home and Away, I’ve just learned, has kicked off the careers of many stars: Russell Cro…

I would like to appreciate Lizzo today. Because while there are certainly celebrities, many of them, who can’t stand the paparazzi, and they have valid reasons for it, there are other celebrities who aren’t bothered by the paps. And don’t bother pretending they don’t like the attention. Here’s Lizzo…

Even before the pandemic, Queen Elizabeth had begun to lighten her load of public/royal work. She had already begun handing things off to the Prince of Wales, who is clearly Regent in everything but name, and her other children and grandchildren. The pandemic really heightened the fact that the bulk of the Queen’s work, from now on, will be private meetings and the odd speech. She’s just shy of 95, and it would be insane to expect anything more than that. Now Becky English at the Daily Mail claims that the Magnificent Seven will take pains to accompany Liz wherever she goes following the Duke of Edinburgh’s passing. I should say so?

The Queen will not be left to ‘walk alone’ following the death of her beloved husband of 73 years. Senior royals are coming together to ensure the monarch is accompanied by a member of the family on future public engagements. Those who will be seen at her side are the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Earl and Countess of Wessex and Princess Anne.

Sources stressed last night that the Queen, who says Prince Philip’s death on Friday has left a ‘huge void’ in her life, will fulfil as many commitments as possible once the two weeks of official mourning ends on April 22 – the day after her 95th birthday. They point out that she has always undertaken solo engagements, both before and after her husband officially retired in 2017. But it is understood there is a concerted effort under way to ensure she has more support in the future.

‘The Duke of Edinburgh is irreplaceable and the Queen’s dedication to duty is undiminished,’ one source said. ‘But senior officials and members of the family have long had an eye on ensuring she is more supported in the future and it seems sensible to start employing this now.’

Another added: ‘If one parent dies the children – and in this case, grandchildren – all step up and fill in in different ways. No single individual could ever take the place of the Duke of Edinburgh, but just maybe all of them coming together will fill some of the space he has left behind.’

Last night sources said there had always been a long-term plan – looking towards the monarch’s 2022 Platinum Jubilee and beyond – to ensure the Queen should have a member of her family with her on major public outings. She is already always accompanied by one of her private secretaries and ladies-in-waiting, who can often be seen hovering in the background, gently guiding the monarch or collecting flowers and gifts.

A source said: ‘The long-term planning has long been that she should have a member of the Royal Family with her as well whenever possible or appropriate. It’s a question now of bringing that forward slightly. If you look back at the pandemic, much of the work of the Royal Family has already been led by Prince Charles, Camilla, Prince William and Catherine. It is very practical way of supporting the Queen. Her Majesty really values that and doesn’t take it for granted. That will continue. But we will see senior family members take up more investitures and some of the more physically burdensome duties the Queen has, as well as going out and about with her when she leaves a royal residence.’

[From The Daily Mail]

“If you look back at the pandemic, much of the work of the Royal Family has already been led by Prince Charles, Camilla, Prince William and Catherine…” Gee, I wonder who the source is, you guys. Is the Other Brother making some kind of power play? While Charles is the de facto regent, is Baldingham insisting that he and “Catherine” accompany the Queen everywhere? I bet he is. And I would hope that Charles, Anne and Edward shut him down. The other concern is that because of Liz’s vulnerability following Philip’s death, Andrew will just insert himself back into public life “to support his mother” and there’s very little anyone can do about it.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.

Dear Gossips, A GoFundMe page for the family of Daunte Wright has been set up to help his family with funeral arrangements and to help his girlfriend and their baby. If you are able to make a donation, or if you’d like to leave a comment, please see below: Daunte Wright was shot and killed by a poli…

Of course royal commentators are giving a lot of energy towards Prince William and Prince Harry’s dueling statements on the Duke of Edinburgh. William released his statement first, then Harry followed up about 30 minutes later. My take is that the brothers did not coordinate on their statements in any way other than timing – William was allowed to go first, and Harry was fine with going second. William’s statement was bitter, cold and shady. Harry’s was warm and effusive. If William had read Harry’s before it was released, I’m sure William would have tried to copy his brother’s energy. As it was, the differences were laid bare, which is why people like Richard Kay have been working overtime to make Baldemort’s statement sound regal while Harry’s was apparently very “Californian” (eyeroll). Meanwhile, Robert Lacey pointed out that your eyes did not deceive you, the Other Brother was being a bitch:

Royal expert Robert Lacey analysed Prince William and Prince Harry’s statements after Prince Philip’s death. While speaking on the Australian show Sunrise, Mr Lacey claimed Prince William had snuck in a jab at his brother in his statement. He highlighted it reiterates the difficulties between the two brothers. Mr Lacey said: “If we are being honest about this, when I saw the statements the two brothers issued in commemoration of their grandfather, the fact that Prince William finished with the words ‘I know he would want us to get on with the job’ was a sting in the tail. Now it is only Prince William who is doing the job, rather William and Kate. Harry has stepped away from the job and that is one of the big issues between these two brothers.”

Lacey also told the Times of London: “I feel quite sure that William’s final words carried a message for his brother — I am only surprised that the message should have been so strong and obvious. It is very much the sting in the tail – and it suggests to me that the differences between the brothers will not be easily resolved by a single encounter at the wake.”

[From The Express & The Times]

I appreciate that at least someone acknowledges that William is the problem, that William has the grudge, that William is engorged with rage towards Harry, and that Harry was simply memorializing his grandfather. Tom Sykes at the Daily Beast also pointed out “that the brothers were unable or unwilling to co-ordinate a joint statement does not bode well for hopes of fraternal reconciliation in the coming days.” Yeah, that’s a good point – in the old days, Harry and William probably would have issued a joint statement. Meanwhile, Omid Scobie says it’s all much ado about nothing:

Prince William’s tribute to his grandfather Prince Philip was not ‘a dig’ at his younger brother and the siblings are ‘unified’ despite what it might look like to the outside world, Harry and Meghan’s friend Omid Scobie claimed today. Mr Scobie, a journalist and friend of the Sussexes who wrote their biography Finding Freedom, told Good Morning Britain that he believes William was not attacking his younger brother, and their statements were just an expression of their ‘different personalities’.

He said: ‘I think for us on the outside it might look like that but I think we have to remember that that is William’s role, he is the future head of state and so he is really thinking about getting back to work. I don’t think it was anything aimed at his brother. In fact I think across the board in the royal family right now everyone is really looking at putting differences aside to focus on what matters and that’s focusing on Prince Philip’s life and legacy but also rallying around the Queen during her time of need.

He added: ‘I think if there’s anything that’s sort of beautiful about this week and in the days leading up to the funeral it’s about seeing a family unified in a way that we haven’t seen in so many years’.

[From The Daily Mail]

I wonder if Scobie is trying to tell people to dial down the drama between the brothers? It could work both ways – William and Harry are not fighting right now, but… they’re not reconciling either. I have no idea. I do believe William was being purposefully shady and nasty to Harry though.

Photos courtesy of WENN, Avalon Red and Backgrid.

Oh, hello!!! You know what the post-pandemic world needs? Tom Hiddleston and a redux of Hiddlesmania. Tom Hiddleston’s star was on the rise for several years, I would say 2013-2016. Then he was suddenly doing way too much, and in the summer of 2016, all hell broke loose. He began dating Taylor Swift, they went on the Worldwide Tiddles Tour, and she promptly dumped him in the late summer/early fall. His reputation took a hit and he’s never really recovered. There were some movies, some theater work, and a quiet relationship with Zawe Ashton, although we haven’t heard anything about them in a while and I don’t even know if they’re still together.

Hopefully, this year will be the start of the Hiddles Revival, because despite the 2016 drama, I enjoy Tom and I want the world for him. I would love it if this twee dancing man actually became a huge star and not a piece of mid-2010s gossip nostalgia. Tom is currently beginning his big promotional push for the Disney Plus Loki series, called, obviously, Loki. I wouldn’t even try to explain the plot (because I don’t understand it) but Disney definitely threw money at this series and they must have thrown a lot of cash at Tom to get him to do this. The series premieres on June 11. Empire Magazine gave Tom two covers to celebrate, and here are the first excerpts from the cover profile:

Why he took a step away from movies: “A few things crossed my path and I thought carefully about them, but they didn’t feel quite right, so I didn’t do them.”

Spending time focusing on his personal life: “I’d been playing so many different people in so many different parts of the world, and it’s very important to distinguish what’s real in one’s own life, and look after those things. Because if you don’t look after them, they can be lost, or they can be marginalised, and then you come home one day and they’re not there anymore.”

His philosophy is like that of Tilda Swinton’s character, Eve in Only Lovers Left Alive. “She says life is about surviving things, appreciating nature, nurturing kindness and friendship, and dancing. So perhaps, in the moment, I needed to come back and do it. I don’t know, to be honest, that I danced a lot. I should have danced more. But I’m sure there are some people who’d say I’ve danced far too much.”

[From Empire]

He did dance far too much but I feel sorry for him! He loved to dance and we loved to watch this gangly ginger god dance his ass off. Poor guy is still feeling quite bruised by the Tiddle mess and the overeager puppy-ness of the promotional trail for the Thor films.

Here are the two Loki trailers:

Covers courtesy of Empire.