Carey Mulligan was nominated for an Oscar over a decade ago for her performance in An Education, still a movie I adore, like a beloved book. She was an underdog back then, as that the year Sandra Bullock won for The Blind Side, but she’s definitely not an underdog now with Promising Young Woman. Not…

Liam Payne created quite the buzz for his holographic performance at the BAFTAs last night. This means we’re in the future right?  Before he took the BAFTA stage, an augmented reality experience was broadcast to fans through a mobile app called The Round where Liam’s movements were transformed into …

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jennifer Lopez (@jlo)

Jennifer Lopez still isn’t back to wearing her engagement ring from Alex Rodriguez in Instagram photos from the weekend. [Dlisted]
Hugh Jackman & Deborra Lee Furness have been together 25 years! [Just Jared]
Recap: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s “The Whole World is Watching.” [Pajiba]
Addison Rae must have gotten a publicist or something. [Egotastic]
Michelle Yeoh is so amazing. [Go Fug Yourself]
Shailene Woodley & Aaron Rodgers really want to be seen. [LaineyGossip]
Bowen Yang was a great hire for SNL. [Jezebel]
Minneapolis police murdered another Black man, Duante Wright. [Buzzfeed]
Tom Holland will star in The Crowded Room. [Towleroad]
Sister Wives in a pandemic? Lord. [Starcasm]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jennifer Lopez (@jlo)

We will soon be three months into the Biden administration, which means we’ve had close to three months away from the Trump family. It definitely feels like there are a lot of politicians and a lot of political reporters who have had to de-program themselves and completely readjust their entire personalities post-Trump. I would prefer to just treat the whole fascist family as a distant memory, but I guess people still want to talk about them. Which is why I clicked on this story about Melania Trump over at People Mag. There was a theory that Melania would file for divorce the second her husband left office in disgrace. That hasn’t happened. Instead, Melania has just disappeared into the cocoon of Mar-a-Lago and she’s made zero moves to change her marriage status. People Mag spoke to Melania’s biographers and associates about what she’s up to and how to understand Mel’s time in the White House and beyond. Some highlights:

Life in Florida: Now returned to the insularity of her husband’s private Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida — where the family made their permanent residence, rather than New York City, after leaving the White House — Mrs. Trump, 50, has been enjoying spa treatments and focusing on her son, Barron, as well as spending time with her parents, sources say. As one Palm Beach insider recently put it to PEOPLE: “It is safe to say she plays the game for personal gain. Around here, that is not a bad thing.”

She wanted to be famous: “I think a lot of people thought she just wanted to be rich,” says Mary Jordan, author of The Art of Her Deal and a Washington Post correspondent. “And she wanted not just to be rich — I heard that several times from key people: ‘You don’t understand, she wanted to be known.’”

Not part of the former First Ladies club: In the White House and since, Mrs. Trump has not readily embraced — or been welcomed — into the loose club of former first couples. For example, she notably did not appear alongside Laura Bush and Michelle Obama in a TV special in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. A source said then that she hadn’t been invited.

What happened after the ‘grab em by the p–sy’ tape: The Trump team hoped Mrs. Trump, 50, would also show her support by going on air. But she wasn’t having it, Jordan writes: “When Melania eventually joined the strategy session, she had a one-word reply: ‘No.’ She said she would decide on her own what to do. And right now she was not going on television with her husband.” She had other things on her mind, according to Jordan’s sources. “They told me over and over again,” the author remembers, “‘There was more in it for her to stay than to go.’ ” In Jordan’s book, she reports how Mrs. Trump renegotiated her prenup agreement with her husband after his election victory, with her delayed move to D.C. as part of her leverage.

Melania’s five-day silence following the insurrection: By the end of the administration, however, Mrs. Trump became “extremely detached,” Bennett says. She was “very, very quiet, unaffected, sort of more aloof and more aligned with the president and the narrative,” Bennett continues. It culminated with the Jan. 6 Capitol riots. Mrs. Trump didn’t publicly respond until five days later even as aides fled, including her longtime spokeswoman. Bennett says her response to the insurrection was a turning point. “For a first lady, who for the past four years really didn’t have a problem speaking out if her opinion was different from that of her husband, who was very vocal saying, ‘I don’t always agree with him, and I tell him so,’ ” says Bennett. “[For her to] chose those moments in American history and America’s democracy to remain completely silent — I think that that will change the course of her legacy, to be quite honest. History will remember her silence.”

[From People]

This People article is actually really long and since most of the quotes were from her biographers, it was more sympathetic towards Mel than I was expecting. At this point, I don’t think Mel is an enigma either. I think she’s just a vain, self-absorbed, lazy trophy wife who isn’t really interested in anyone other than her family. It’s that simple. They make the argument that Melania will probably be interested in her husband trying to make some kind of “comeback,” but I doubt she actually wants that. She would rather be in Mar-a-Lago, getting spa treatments and avoiding her husband. The fact that her husband doesn’t have a Twitter account anymore must be a vacation for her as well (Mel still has her Twitter though, she must guard the password like a hawk).

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.

Last October, we learned that Dominic West and Lily James were having an affair. They were working together on Pursuit of Love, and their affair flourished in a spectacularly indiscreet romantic jaunt to Rome, where they were photographed canoodling and looking very, um, close. We learned that they made out on the flight there, and they stayed at the same hotel, etc. This was all news to Dominic’s wife, Catherine FitzGerald, who was at home in England with their children. Dominic flew home quickly and he made his wife pose for awkward photos and it was pretty… weird. In the months since, there have been gossip updates and it seemed like Catherine and Dominic were working on their sh-tty marriage, even if he is a serial adulterer. And now everything’s fine, apparently.

She was humiliated when pictures of her actor husband Dominic West cavorting with Lily James were plastered all over the world’s media. Now Catherine FitzGerald has banned him from speaking to Lily as part of a peace deal struck between the couple during a lockdown escape to trendy island destination Lamu in Kenya. The actor, 51, finally won forgiveness for the infamous photographs that showed him flirting outrageously with 32-year-old Lily while on a secret trip to Rome. The Wests even discussed renewing their wedding vows to rebuild their ten-year marriage, The Mail on Sunday has learned.

‘The idea of remarrying was talked about,’ says a friend of the couple. ‘Nothing was decided, or has been yet, but Catherine brought up the idea and it was much discussed. It shows how far things have come since those photographs.’

Having dealt with the biting hurt caused by her husband’s frolicking with Downton Abbey star Lily last year, it seems that Catherine, 49, concluded that life was better with him than without. However, the MoS has been told there are some strict new rules to guide West’s future behaviour.

‘He has promised never to see, speak or work with Lily again,’ said a friend. Also, there are to be no joint promotional interviews for the forthcoming TV adaptation of Nancy Mitford’s novel The Pursuit Of Love, in which they both star. This, apparently, has caused surprise among BBC bosses who hope the series will be a ratings triumph, having scheduled it to be screened in the primetime Sunday 9pm slot currently occupied by Line Of Duty. It is thought that despite initial protestations, the BBC has agreed to the Wests’ request. Indeed, it is possible that West will not do any promotional work for the series, leaving it to co-stars Andrew Scott and Freddie Fox.

Inevitably, though, the first episode of The Pursuit Of Love, on May 9, will put the Wests’ marriage firmly back in the spotlight. ‘It was hard for Catherine to deal with all the publicity back then,’ says a friend. ‘Now it feels like Round Two.’

[From The Daily Mail]

I mean, they have kids, I understand why Catherine is trying to give the marriage another shot, and maybe she genuinely still loves Dominic. But sheesh, these kinds of “reconciliation rules” rarely work out. I mean, if Dominic needed Catherine to demand that he not see Lily James anymore, then they truly have bigger problems. And the promotion for the miniseries is going to be a mess no matter what, my God. Anyway, I thought they would divorce but I guess they aren’t. For now.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, WENN.

On Friday Paramount shuffled their release calendar (again), making continual adjustments to the schedule based on ever-evolving COVID situations around the world. Right now, it seems that by summer some places will be fairly well recovered and back to normal business while other places will remain …

I know it shouldn’t bother me, but these little acts of passive-aggression and copycatting really bug the hell out of me. So, as we know, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex don’t have any current or public social media accounts. No Facebook, no Twitter and they aren’t updating their old SussexRoyal Instagram account, nor do they have a new Archewell Instagram. The only thing they have to update is the actual Archewell site, which launched last year. They regularly update it with links to charities and they highlight issues and all of that. Shortly after Prince Philip’s passing was announced on Friday, the Archewell site was updated so that this is the home page and only page which can be accessed:

A simple tribute to Harry’s grandfather. There were some people (Nigel Farage) claiming that the message was cold or too brief, but again, Harry and Meghan knew well enough that they would be criticized no matter what they wrote, so there was no flowery language or over-emphasis on his titles or anything like that. They didn’t want to be accused of exploiting Philip’s death for their un-royal site.

So, once they saw what Harry and Meghan had done, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge changed *their* foundation’s site too. The Cambridges’ staffers had already noted Philip’s passing on their social media accounts, but they just had to one-up Harry and Meghan on the Royal Foundation’s home page too. They used a photo of Philip as well:

For three days, this was the only real change the Cambridges made – they only reposted the Royal Family’s Instagram announcement and changed the Royal Foundation’s main page, and they only did the latter because they were copying the Sussexes. It’s… a very strange vibe. While William and Harry released separate statements today, it feels like those statements were only the product of intense negotiations behind-the-scenes about who goes first, etc. I also feel like Will and Kate are creepy in the way they’re stalking and copying everything Harry and Meghan do.

Here’s what Nigel Farage said about the Sussexes’ brevity. Does he have the same energy for the Keens or nah?

For a couple that do public emotion as a career, this third person and one sentence statement shows their contempt for this great man and the monarchy.

The British public will not welcome Harry and Meghan back, even for the funeral. https://t.co/nJ3uimRyW0

— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) April 9, 2021

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Photos courtesy of Getty, WENN, Avalon Red.

Prince Philip died at the age of 99 on Friday and for the last few days, the royal family has been preparing for his funeral which is happening on Saturday. Today Prince William and Prince Harry released statements honouring their grandfather. William’s was first:  Harry’s statement followed a short…

This story came out in People Magazine a couple of weeks ago, but I was thinking about it the other morning when I woke up at 3 with burning, watery eyes. I was being lazy and had worn the same clothes to bed that I’d worn the day before. I also hadn’t showered that day because I hadn’t worked out. I remembered this article and realized there were things I could do to prevent and treat my allergies before it got that bad. Some of the tips here are simple and may seem obvious, but they really helped me, specifically taking a shower and changing my clothes. There’s more here too about treating allergies before they get too painful.

“It’s going to be a pollen surge this year, because in the Northeast and throughout the country, we had lots and lots of winter precipitation, which primes the pump as far as the root systems on trees and pollinating plants. And on top of that now we have some warming weather,” [NY-based allergist Dr. Clifford Bassett] says. “So they’re ready to release their pollen.”

In most of the U.S. — but particularly the Northeast — springtime tree pollen is the first to hit, followed by grass pollen. “That goes right into the summer, and we are immediately stuck with weed pollen, mold spores during the summer as humidity heats up, and then finally towards the mid to the end of the season ragweed pollen, which takes you all the way through with some of the weeds and molds until the first frost,” Bassett says.

As the pollen count rises, Bassett says the first step is to prepare the nose with allergy medications. He advises working with an allergist to determine the best types for your specific triggers.

“Proactive care reduces needless symptoms, reduces the amount of medications, and many times in my patient population, more than a third of the time, I can actually prevent early symptoms before they even begin,” he says. Often, over-the-counter antihistamines will work well, as long as they are taken long before you step outside.

“If you wait until you have extreme nasal symptoms, such as severe congestion or swelling inside the nasal passages, people will think that they need to switch medications. And it fact, it’s really not that your antihistamine isn’t working, it’s that you didn’t start early enough with your allergy treatment.”

Along with medications, there are a few practices that can minimize allergy symptoms. Bassett recommends getting a HEPA air filter for your home, as well as not drying clothes outside, where they can pick up pollen.

And don’t forget your fashion accessories. “One of my tips is to be a star — oversized, wraparound sunglasses can block the airborne pollen from entering your eyes and eyelids and cause redness, watery eyes or puffiness,” he says. Bassett also suggests wearing a hat, as well as staying away from hair gels that can trap pollen.

“And when you go back home at night, wash your hair to try and remove some of the excess pollen, because otherwise it goes right on the pillowcase,” he says. “Some people even try not to change their clothing in the bedroom.”

Masks are also helping people keep out the pollen, along with keeping out COVID-19. “We’re finding that most masks actually prevent pollen from entering the nose,” he says.

[From People]

I was completely miserable the morning I couldn’t sleep, which was Friday. I slogged through work and then realized I could just take a shower and change. I also washed my sheets. During allergy season I take sudafed as it doesn’t make me drowsy, but I switched to Zyrtec. Some of my friends are recommending Flonase as well. I just ordered this HEPA air filter we featured on an Amazon post in January. Plus, and this is going to sound obvious, but I also changed the duct filters in my house. Last night I was horrified to look up at my bedroom ceiling and realize that there was a huge vent up there with a filter I hadn’t noticed before. I lived in this house for a year and can’t believe I didn’t see it before! Oh and I clean my nose with a squirt bottle thing, from NeilMed, but a neti pot would work also. I always use distilled water as I don’t want to get an amoeba in my brain. For everyone who suffers from allergies, I hope you get some relief this season!

Photos credit: Andrea Piacquadio and Gustavo Fring on Pexels, Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

It doesn’t surprise me that the British media has now claimed that the Duke of Edinburgh had strong feelings about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the Sussexit. It does surprise me to hear that Philip was even told anything about their Oprah interview – considering how unwell he was, the story at the time was that no one was even bringing up the Oprah interview with Philip. But yes, he was a man of strong opinions and he wasn’t shy about telling people those opinions. What’s remarkable is how little energy there is (at the moment) to talking about Philip’s opinions on Prince William’s work-shy ways; the Queen’s insistence on traveling to Balmoral in the middle of a pandemic; Andrew’s friendship with the dead pedophile Jeffrey Epstein; literally any other royal scandal. No, we’re supposed to believe that Philip’s only concern in his last years was the Sussex drama.

Prince Philip thought Harry and Meghan’s interview with Oprah Winfrey was ‘madness’ and ‘no good would come of it’, it has emerged. He also regretted his grandson’s decision to quit royal duties and move to the US and said it was ‘not the right thing, either for the country or for themselves’. Ultimately, however, he accepted it and said: ‘It’s his life.’ Insights into Philip’s thoughts on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s decision and the deeply acrimonious fall-out as a result of it have been aired by his impeccably connected biographer, Gyles Brandreth in today’s Daily Mail. His account comes as royal sources reacted angrily to the suggestion the Duke of Edinburgh would have been ‘unbothered’ by recent events.

In his account, Mr Brandreth described Harry and Meghan’s plan to divide their time between the UK and North America in search of financial independence, while hoping to continue serving the Queen and the Commonwealth on their own terms, as ‘naive’. Mr Brandreth added: ‘The Duke of Edinburgh was equally sorry ‘that it should come to this’. Harry had only succeeded his grandfather as Captain General of the Royal Marines in 2017. Philip had done the job for 64 years. Harry had barely managed 30 months. The Duke of Edinburgh was not pleased, nor did he believe that Harry and Meghan were doing the right thing either for the country or for themselves.’

But Philip was sympathetic to Harry’s distrust of the media and supportive of his desire to ‘do his own thing in his own way’. ‘He said to me: ‘People have got to lead their lives as they think best’,’ Mr Brandreth said. ‘I know from someone close to him that he thought Meghan and Harry’s interview with Oprah Winfrey was ‘madness’ and ‘no good would come of it’. I was not surprised because that is exactly how he described to me the personal TV interviews given by Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, back in the 1990s.’

There has been much criticism that the Sussexes insisted on their explosive interview going ahead last month despite Philip lying seriously ill in hospital. But Mr Brandreth said of this: ‘The fact that the Meghan and Harry interview was aired while Philip was in hospital did not trouble him. What did worry him was the couple’s preoccupation with their own problems and their willingness to talk about them in public. ‘Give TV interviews by all means,’ he said, ‘but don’t talk about yourself’. That was one of his rules. I know he shared it with his children. I imagine he shared it with his grandchildren, too.’

Ultimately, Philip loved Harry, admired him for his service career and thought him ‘a good man’.

While many hope that the death of Philip may serve to build bridges between Harry and his family, others are more pessimistic. One senior royal source said the situation might take ‘decades’ to resolve.

[From The Daily Mail]

The way they talk about it, these sad people really believed Harry should stay in the UK just to work an honorary military patronage… one which he could have come back to do in the half-in half-out scenario Harry and Meghan suggested. Lord, these people. Anyway, I actually believe that Philip was fine with Harry pursuing his own life in America, but Phil was probably sad about how everything went down. The media needs to stop exploiting Philip’s death to criticize Harry though, especially since they’re not devoting any energy to Philip’s thoughts on the rest of the fam.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.