Dear Gossips, History was made last night on TSN in Canada during the Toronto Raptors game as the broadcast featured an all-female crew: Kayla Grey, Meghan McPeak, Kia Nurse, Kate Beirness, and Amy Audibert.  And the Raptors ended a nine-game losing streak. It was a joy to watch, obviously for its s…

Note from CB: We’re moving to just one Amazon post a week for a while. I’m getting burnt out working so much and have been buying too much stuff online in an effort to feel something. It’s easy for me to justify because it’s “part of my job.” So we’ll continue to have posts on Thursdays from Hecate and me, but will be discontinuing the Tuesday posts for now, I’m not sure how long. Thanks for understanding!

Updates from Hecate: I got these silicone food covers a while back and they are one of my favorite kitchen items. This combo pack fits everything I need them to. I did put my thumb nail through one, though, so they do require some TLC (or maybe I’m just too aggressive when I clean up at night). I am also very happy with my Fur-Zoff pet hair remover stone. It does a better job getting my dogs’ fur off my furniture than my vacuum and it reinvigorates the pile of my velvet pieces when I use it. My couch looks amazing when I’m done. The only downside is it takes much longer than a vacuum. I use my Legend Planner every day. I’m only halfway through it but because you write the dates in yourself, I’m going to order another one just in case to make sure it’s not discontinued or sold out when I need it. Lastly, I got the temporary tattoo pens and they are fun, but they don’t last at all. Not even a full day. So they would be fun for a party, but not if you expect something to stick around a couple of days. The colors are really pretty though. My kids keep drawing eyebrows on the dogs with them.

A small rice cooker for portion control

From Hecate: I’ve been entertaining the idea of a rice cooker for a long time. My Instant Pot has a rice maker function but just between us, I’m still scared of my Instant Pot so I make my rice in a pot on the stove with a lid that doesn’t fit it. But I am intrigued by the idea of this small Dash model that makes up to two cups. I have the mini Dash waffle maker and I love it so I am convinced I work better in small batches. Plus I never need as much rice as I make. This little guy comes in five colors, each for about $20, and got 4.5 stars from over 15,500 reviews that ReviewMeta adjusted to 4.1 stars. You can make rice, soup, quinoa and pasta in it. Most of the reviewers talked about the consistent quality of the cooked rice, which is something I need. Plus it cleans up easily, “I wondered if the warming feature that takes over after cooking is done would make the rice over cook, but I’ve gotten perfect sticky rice the way I like it every time. The rice cooker takes up very little room, cleans up easy and is so much easier than stove cooking.” “The rice tastes perfect and it’s super easy to clean. Great for cooking rice for a family of 3.” If you lose track of time, this little guy has your back, “I used to avoid making rice because it was a hassle, requiring vigilance, timing and temperature control, not to mention the cleanup of the sticky mess left behind. This cute little non-stick gizmo makes PERFECT rice while you IGNORE it, sometimes for hours.” One thing, you do have to unplug it to turn it off, it doesn’t have an auto-off. Bonus, it comes with a recipe book.

An over the door organizer for at-hand bathroom storage

From Hecate: I saw this small over the door rack on Buzzfeed this weekend and thought it was a great way to maximize bathroom space. It fits over the cupboard door and holds three styling appliances like hair dryers, flatners, curlers or hot brushes with a little extra space for clips and accessories. It’s a nice looking piece, with eight different finishes so it’ll match most decor. In the photos, one customer took the arms off and screwed it directly to the wall and it looked really nice as well. It’s usually $25 but is currently on sale for $19. Customers gave it 4.5 stars with over 2,600 reviews and Fakespot gave it an A. Customers were happy with how much it held. “It fits my hair dryer, curling wand, and straightener perfectly with extra space at the bottom I imagine will easily hold any attachments you might have. I am very pleased with the versatility and functionality of this, and it looks great too.” “Before all my items were in a drawer and the cords were a pain, but with this metal basket it minimized clutter, kept things organized and separate, and it also looks nice.” They also said it’s adjustable so you don’t have to worry about it working with your cabinets.

A cute cotton swab holder to display on your counter

From Hecate: I saw this over the weekend and thought it was so cute, I bought one for myself and my friend. I’m constantly trying to find ways to “clean up” my bathroom counter. This little holder has a lotus blossom available in four different colors on top. I think it’s pretty. I got the green version to match my counters. Plus it comes with a clear dome to keep the swabs clean. The description says you can also store toothpicks in it. It earned 4.6 stars with 717 reviews and Fakespot gave it an A. One customer said it holds a lot plus it’s adjustable, “Holds a good amount of Q-tips. You can remove some of the petals to adjust the amount of Q-tips you want to have in it.” Another confirmed it freed up her counter space, “I’ve been using for about 1 month now and so far it’s awesome! Definitely saved me a lot of space on my tiny sink.” Most of the other reviews talked about how cute it is and how sturdy. Just one note, it comes unassembled in three pieces but is said to be easy to put together.

Long lasting liquid glitter eyeshadow will get noticed

From CB: This glitter liquid eyeshadow by trusted brand Stila comes in 12 different colors. It’s sparkly, long lasting, and would be a great way to celebrate. (You can tell I’m trying to come up with an excuse for buying it, right?) Women say these shadows are long lasting, quick drying, highly blendable and don’t have much fallout. These have >over 1,500 ratings, 4.6 stars and a B on Fakespot. Women call it the “best glitter eyeshadow on the market. Very pretty and awesome for a night out or a date.” “This product is amazing. It does not move once you put it on. This is great for those with hooded eyes, where your crease is closer to your lash line.”

A plant-derived tub and tile cleaner that actually works

From CB: This tea tree oil and eucalyptus cleaner by BetterLife cleans soap scum, mildew and the gunk that can build up in your tub and shower. It has over 10,500 ratings, 4.3 stars and a C on Fakespot. People say it really works to clean tubs quickly and effectively. “This literally took out and washed away soooo much black and grey mildew off my tubs…. I am truly amazed.” “When we moved into our house, the fiberglass shower was stained after years of hard water and grime. To the point none of us wanted to use it. On a whim (because I like this line of products so much) I decided to try the tub and tile cleaner. I’m so glad I did. My shower is totally spotless and the stains were gone after soaking it overnight.”

A gentle leave-in conditioning spray for silky soft hair

From CB: Farewell Frizz milk conditioning spray by Black-owned business Briogeo is made for all hair types. It’s vegan and cruelty free with essential oils including argan oil, coconut oil and rosehip. It has over 1,700 ratings, 4.6 stars and a B on Fakespot. Women say that it smells great and leaves their hair silky soft without weighing it down. It works for both fine and curly hair. “We’ve tried tons of other products claiming to tame frizz, none worked well or if they did it was only for a short time. This one works ALL day, smells amazing and leaves [my daughter’s] hair soft and silky even with her curls.” “Smells great, makes brushing my hair easier, leaves my hair feeling soft, definitely has helped with the frizz and my hair overall looks more shiny.”

A set of six Soft Soap pump hand soaps for under $6

From CB: You can get six Softsoap hand soap pumps for under $6. The versions which are at this price point are milk and golden honey, aloe vera, aquarium/clear and fresh breeze. We use the milk and golden honey, clear and aloe versions in my house. I know there are fancier hand soaps but I like how gentle the formula is on your hands and how subtle and nice the scents are. There is a coupon but it’s only for subscribe and save so don’t check that unless you want that option. There are some bad reviews from when these were price gouged but they’re back to the price you can find in stores now. You can also get the refills, but you have to order six at a time. I just get the refills at the store.

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One of the things which has been driven home repeatedly is that the Duchess of Sussex was pretty “clean” from a scandal and controversy standpoint. Yes, she was “political,” but that didn’t really stick to her because she was never a radical, and all people could find was some stuff about how she disliked Donald Trump. Yes, she had a starter marriage under her belt, but her ex-husband never spilled. Meghan managed to work in Hollywood for more than a decade and no one there had a bad word to say about her. So that’s why the British tabloid media had to go so far to pay her father and her half-sister to say all of that dumb sh-t about Meghan. That’s why they had to wholly invent this racist, dumbf–k “bullying” storyline. Apparently, old white bitter men in Britain still think there are stones left unturned in Meghan’s life. A dude named Tom Bower is going to write a “biography” of Meghan. Clout-chasing, mangy douche.

Meghan Markle is to have a tell-all book written about her by Tom Bower, one of the planet’s most feared celebrity biographers. Tom Bower, the man behind Simon Cowell, Philip Green and Bernie Ecclestone’s revelatory tomes, has agreed a huge six figure advance. He will start writing the book next year, spending the next 12 months collating evidence and speaking to the star and husband Prince Harry’s friends, foes and associates.

Following several bids, renowned publishers Simon & Schuster, who also published his book on the X Factor mogul, are understood to have bought the rights.

A source said: “This is the book Meghan will be dreading. Tom doesn’t pull his punches, and is terrifyingly thorough in his research. No stone will be left unturned. Tom has previously worked with some of his subjects, and even spent time trailing them, but it has been made perfectly clear to him that this will not be an option with Meghan. She wants no part of it. Given the events of recent weeks and months, this book will be dynamite – he reckons this is just the tip of the iceberg, and more will emerge over the next 12 months.”

The award-winning author is likely to interview Meghan’s family, including dad Thomas. He will also approach friends of the various aides and disgruntled former Palace staff who no longer work for Meghan and Harry. Last night a spokesperson for Simon & Schuster declined to comment.

[From The Sun]

These old farts are just obsessed. They cannot handle the fact that Meghan arrived on Salty White Folk Isle, married Ginger Prince Charming, got a good look at their toxicity and dysfunction, and she got the hell out (and that Prince Charming was the one who wanted to GTFO more than her). They’re still trying to hold on to her and abuse her. And what in God’s name is Simon & Schuster thinking? It would be one thing if this was just a sad salty tome made by a repressed old guy for repressed British people, but it sounds like he’s going to try to make this an international thing.

Speaking of… Lifetime is going to do a THIRD movie about Meghan and Harry. Lifetime’s first H&M movie was about their courtship and engagement. The second movie was about the first year of their royal life. And now the third film will be Harry & Meghan: Escaping the Palace, and it will be about all of their moves in 2019/2020 to “escape” Bitter Island. I mean, clearly, Lifetime has the franchise on this (literally) and unlike the Tom Bowers of the world, this sh-t seems relatively harmless.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.

Jay Leno has never been funny. Even when he was host of the Tonight Show, his humor was “old school” in the sense of “a white guy with a mic, doing mid-range country club comedy, punching down on marginalized people or groups.” It’s not that Leno was even bold enough to be 100% racist though – most of the time he was just dreadfully unfunny in a really bland way. It was like his comedy was being filtered through focus groups in the 1950s. So, Leno has a new job on Fox called You Bet Your Life. It’s just a game show and he’s the host. Now that he’s getting attention again, Asian-American advocacy groups have drawn attention to Leno’s history of telling racist jokes about Asian people and Asian-American people. Leno “apologized.”

Late-night host and comedian Jay Leno has issued an apology for a series of jokes told over his career targeting Asian communities. The apology comes after a nearly 15-year campaign from the activist group Media Action Network for Asian Americans (MANAA) for remarks as recent as Variety‘s 2020 report that Leno cracked about Koreans eating dog meat — a complaint that offended numerous players on the set of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.”

“At the time I did those jokes, I genuinely thought them to be harmless,” Leno said in a joint press release with MANAA leader Guy Aoki. “I was making fun of our enemy North Korea, and like most jokes, there was a ring of truth to them. At the time, there was a prevailing attitude that some group is always complaining about something, so don’t worry about it. Whenever we received a complaint, there would be two sides to the discussion: Either ‘We need to deal with this’ or ‘Screw ‘em if they can’t take a joke.’ Too many times I sided with the latter even when in my heart I knew it was wrong.”

In light of that, Leno said, “I am issuing this apology. I do not consider this particular case to be another example of cancel culture but a legitimate wrong that was done on my part. MANAA has been very gracious in accepting my apology. I hope that the Asian American community will be able to accept it as well, and I hope I can live up to their expectations in the future.”

Entertainment and media has been increasingly vocal about and horrified by a wave of anti-Asian violence in the U.S., which many attributed to Trump era rhetoric and blaming China for the spread of the coronavirus. Last week, a lone gunman killed eight people at three spas in Atlanta. Six of the eight victims were Asian women, which has inspired rallies nationwide standing against hate crimes and supporting the AAPI community.

The majority of Leno’s old jokes perpetuated stereotypes about Asian communities consuming dog meat. Long outspoken about his routines, MANAA’s Aoki said he appealed to Leno’s new employers at Fox, where he hosts the game show “You Bet Your Life,” initially offering them an ultimatum of firing the host or MANAA would approach sponsors to boycott the project.

[From Variety]

Yeah, so the point is that Leno only offered this apology after MANAA contacted Fox and threatened to boycott and target the sponsors of Leno’s new game show. This wasn’t Leno coming to Jesus about all of his problematic comedy over the years. As for the actual apology… whew, where to start. “I was making fun of our enemy North Korea…” Oh, so he was making racist jokes about our political enemy, okay then! I’m sure his viewers would never be confused by that and attack all Asian people then. “I do not consider this particular case to be another example of cancel culture…” So he does think “cancel culture” exists and it’s a bad thing, but this isn’t an example of it. I’m sure that won’t be wildly misconstrued by Fox News either! I’m sure there will absolutely NOT be Fox News headlines reading “Jay Leno Victimized By Democrat Cancel Culture.”

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

In 2017, I covered a macabre and fascinating article about what exactly happens in the minutes, hours, days and weeks following Queen Elizabeth’s death. As I said, it’s macabre to think about it but the UK and Commonwealth countries have been preparing for it for decades. It even has an operational name: London Bridge. Operation London Bridge is activated the moment the Queen passes, from how the media reports it, to the moments of silence, to the funeral arrangement, to where King Charles goes and what he says. Back in 2015-17, it was looking like the Queen’s reign would probably end on a high note, in a prosperous, peaceful note, without a war or a series of self-imposed crises. But that’s changed because of a combination of Brexit, what looks like an impending Scottish independence, commonwealth countries plotting their exit routes and now, being outed as a bunch of racist neo-colonialists who refused to support or accept a woman of color in the family. So, People Magazine had an interesting little story:

As Queen Elizabeth marks 69 years on the throne this year, she is dealing with one of the biggest blows to the royal family in the wake of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s interview with Oprah Winfrey.

“What she won’t want is family conflict at this stage of her reign,” a royal insider tells PEOPLE.

Many in palace circles say Harry’s criticism of the “institution” can’t be separated from the Queen because she is head of the institution.

While the Queen recently reunited with her husband Prince Philip, 99, after his month-long hospital stay, she dealt with the immediate aftermath of Meghan and Harry’s interview solo. “She is always head of the country and Prince Philip was always head of the family,” the insider adds. “He is not there to be that—so everything is falling on to her shoulders. It must be an incredibly lonely place to be.”

[From People]

People have compared the Sussexit to the “War of the Wales” in the 1980s and 1990s. I think those comparisons are completely apt. Diana was the long-burning fuse and Harry was the bomb. When Harry said he felt like his mother knew this would eventually happen, he really felt that way and I think he’s right. The Queen doesn’t want this family conflict in the late stage of her reign, but let’s just think of it more like… chickens coming home to roost. Decades of dysfunction, racism, poor management and pettiness have led to this moment. As for everything falling on Liz’s shoulders… what’s also been clear is that Charles is in charge. And Other Brother keeps running his own show and he’s f–king it up completely.

Incidentally, Katie Nicholl spoke to Entertainment Tonight about that big plan to hire a “diversity tsar.” She mostly put her own spin on what’s already been reported, but she did add a few new details:

According to Nicholl, the possible new role of a diversity czar “will be someone possibly leading a team, maybe several members of staff, but essentially the diversity chief will be somebody who oversees the workforce at the palace and make sure that it is a modern and a progressive workforce that incorporates people with disabilities, people of color, ethnic minorities.”

“My palace sources have said that while this is a role that they were looking for before the Oprah interview, they have listened to what Meghan and Harry have said, they have listened to the allegations of institutionalized racism. They are taking some of this on board,” Nicholl adds. “But I think at the Palace, there is a realization that more could be done to make it a more diverse workplace. So there is great significance with them finding a chief of staff who’s going to look over specifically diversity at the palace.”

As for the Palace’s reported “listen and learn approach,” Nicholl says it’s a sign they’re “not brushing this under the carpet. The fact is, what Harry and Meghan have said has resonated. Whether or not the Palace agreed with everything they said, we know the recollections may vary, but I think that that message that Meghan clearly did not feel that this is an institution that supported her is something that they are listening and learning from,” she shares. “I think the feeling is that perhaps there have been some mistakes that have been made and certainly as the Palace is concerned, that they learn from those mistakes and move on from them.”

[From ET]

I understand the point Nicholl is *trying* to make and she obviously thinks she’s caping for the monarchy, but can I just point out something? All of these white folks had to do was BE NICE TO MEGHAN. From a technical standpoint, there was no need for a diversity tsar simply to ensure that Meghan had “support.” The white folks could have supported her. They chose not to. And no diversity tsar is going to change that. As I said, chickens coming home to roost.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Jennifer Garner is on the cover of this week’s People magazine. I like her styling in the shot but the interior shots, which you can see on their site, are much better. I guess the exclusive interview is to promote her new Netflix movie, Yes Day, which is currently streaming. I will not be promoting that movie, it made me see red. I don’t know if I’m more offended by the mother being seen as incapable of fun because she’s responsible or that her only desire is that her children recognize how much she does for them and love her in the clingy way a five-year-old does.

The excerpt People posted, however, talks about Jen as a creative pandemic mom. It also talked about how she’s faring as single parent and how she handles her busy life, which she compared to living inside a blender, in a very bizarre analogy about getting things done.

Leave it to Jennifer Garner to get creative.

Like many parents, the actress, 48, had to adjust to sheltering at home in L.A. with her three kids, Violet, 15, Seraphina, 12, and Sam, 9, with ex-husband Ben Affleck, 48, during the pandemic.

The time at home also taught Garner a little bit about herself.
“I’ve learned that I’m pretty sturdy,” she adds. “I’m okay when I’m in the house by myself. I’m okay when it’s just the kids and me. I’m okay when they fall apart. I mean I have my moments, but pretty much, I’m really okay.”

From balancing her busy acting career with her work for Save the Children and running her cold-pressed organic foods company, Once Upon a Farm, Garner has become a master of multi-tasking. “Like today, I saw an email from Once Upon a Farm’s sales director… I emailed her back, ‘Can we talk on the phone later? Because I need you to explain what this means,’ ” she says. “To me, it feels good to be learning something new. I learned this with Save the Children. Even if you feel stupid, and you’re asking the same questions over and over. It feels good to be challenging myself.”

As for the future, Garner hopes to continue acting as well and looks forward to traveling again for work. “I love being home with [my kids], and I’ve been so lucky to have the flexibility to be home a lot,” says the actress, who will next be seen in the film The Adam Project. “But I miss the days of going on location and will be excited to just be like, ‘Yeah, you want me in North Carolina? You want me in Budapest? You want me in Paris? Yes! I can do all those things.’ I feel like I’ll zip around a little.”

As for her kids, the actress insists they don’t even notice her life in Hollywood. “They’re so much more used to Mom on Zooms with [Save the Children] coordinators helping kids in different states or Once Upon a Farm,” Garner adds. “I do so many different things. Sometimes I feel like I work inside of a blender. I mean sometimes the lid of the blender flies off and you get a smoothie all over your kitchen. That happens too. It’s not always pretty. But we get it done.”

[From People]

I like Jen, I really do. But I swear she speaks every thought she’s ever had out loud. It’s fine, but it’s a lot. I think her work with Save the Children is wonderful and they’ve done so much for families during the pandemic. Plus Jen seems involved in both StC and her Once Upon A Farm food line, not just lending her name. So I’m sure she is busy. But in one breath she talks about being eager to “zip around” for work the minute COVID is over and the next she’s talking about her life’s blender lid flying off and half her work ending up on the counter. It could be Jen is speaking more about the moment, however. In the first part of the article, Jen described all the ways she tried to keep lockdown fun for her kids, which included silly videos and themed-restaurant nights, including a drive-in, replete with car trays attached to the windows for the burgers. Maybe Jen feels like she’s in a blender much more so during the pandemic. I think we’ve all viewed our lives differently when every aspect of it happens under one roof. I don’t know, either Jen or her life is exhausting, I can’t figure out which.

I was interested in Jen’s first comments above about being with the kids alone. I applaud the revelations that have come to her during this time. But the way she said she’s learned she’s “sturdy” and okay by herself in the house, it sounded as if this is the first time she’s ever tested that.

Chrissy Teigen has “left Twitter.” Again. For what feels like the millionth time. I have a few things to say! First off, she’ll be back. Maybe this time it’s more serious, but she’s shown that she needs the outlet of Twitter and she needs that immediate gratification and validation of people engaging with her and paying attention to her. Two, the internet is still a terrible place for women. It’s true that Chrissy gets bullied, that people are really f–king mean to her sometimes, that she’s attacked in a way particular to many women on the internet. Three, Chrissy is incredibly thin-skinned for someone who made a name for herself by being extremely online. There are legitimate criticisms of her and she hates that. Like, I remember the reprehensible sh-t she tweeted about Quvenzhané Wallis, not to mention all of her history of punching down and starting completely random beefs, and coming across as completely tone-deaf and self-involved. So here’s what Chrissy tweeted before she deleted her account:

Chrissy Teigen is saying “goodbye” to Twitter. The cookbook author, 35, shared her decision to step away from the social media platform on Wednesday.

“Hey. For over 10 years, you guys have been my world. I honestly owe so much to this world we have created here. I truly consider so many of you my actual friends,” Teigen began a Twitter thread Wednesday evening. “But it’s time for me to say goodbye. This no longer serves me as positively as it serves me negatively, and I think that’s the right time to call something. My life goal is to make people happy. The pain I feel when I don’t is too much for me. I’ve always been portrayed as the strong clap back girl but I’m just not.”

“My desire to be liked and fear of pissing people off has made me somebody you didn’t sign up for, and a different human than I started out here as! Live well, tweeters,” she continued. “Please know all I ever cared about was you!!!”

Continuing her thread, Teigen said that she has been “deeply bruised” over the years and encouraged social media users “to know and never forget that your words matter.”

“I have made my mistakes, throughout years and in front of hundreds of thousands, and been held accountable for them. I’ve learned an incredible amount here,” she said, adding that she has “said f— up s— and killed myself over it as much as you killed me. But one thing I haven’t learned is how to block out the negativity. I’m just a sensitive s—, okay!? I don’t wanna be this way! I just am! But I love you guys and I cherish our time together, I truly do. I also hate you.”

Teigen didn’t say whether or not she’d be discontinuing use of her other social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, but both were still active Wednesday evening.

[From People]

I think this week, there was a new wave of hate/criticism against Chrissy for her new collaboration with Kris Jenner. They’re making eco-friendly cleaning supplies or something. And people were yelling at Chrissy for working with Kris Jenner. Which is completely weird because… working with Kris Jenner is completely on-brand for Chrissy. Anyway… it’s Chrissy’s right to step away from Twitter and I hope it lasts a while, but I bet she’ll be back within six months. My guess is that she’s going to be even more extra on Instagram now.

Chrissy Teigen on her alt checking out the response to her leaving pic.twitter.com/6rIorucd1j

— matt’s idea shop (@MattsIdeaShop) March 25, 2021

chrissy teigen quit twitter because everyone kept calling her rich lol

— cinnamon bun (@notsofiacoppola) March 25, 2021

So Chrissy Teigen deleted her account. So basically a woman of color who is grieving the loss of a child and simply wanted to share funny thoughts and yummy recipes was bullied to such an extreme that she had to leave in order to protect her mental health. Good job sucky people. pic.twitter.com/0opttM0Eke

— Meredith Lee (@meralee727) March 25, 2021

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.

Over the weekend, the Sunday Times Magazine made “The Other Brother” their cover story. The piece was pure propaganda from Prince William and Kensington Palace. It was incredibly obvious and very unsettling. I enjoyed the fact that people were comparing it to the now-infamous “Catherine the Great” Tatler cover story last year, which was also keen propaganda and also quite obvious. It’s a good comparison and one which I wish I’d made, but there were differences. For one, Kate and William’s propaganda operations have diverged over the years. As Tatler revealed, Kate’s whole thing these days is that she’s the Top CEO and “the kingmaker” and William couldn’t do any of this without her. The Sunday Times piece was more like “yeah Catherine is fine, she raises the children” but it was very much a portrait of a man who lives inside his own ass. William doesn’t actually want to sound like a man who needs his wife to soothe his incandescent rage. But Kate *wants* to sound like she does all of that for him and more. So, check out this new chapter in the Middleton PR push:

The resilient royal! Duchess Kate has been a shoulder to lean on for Prince William amid his rift with Prince Harry.

“Kate is a natural leader who has a magnificent ability to remain composed, even during the most challenging situations,” a source says exclusively in the new issue of Us Weekly.

A second insider adds, “Kate’s used to all eyes being on her. Being in a strong, solid marriage to William helps. They lean on each other for support during difficult times and will talk through their problems. She’s been her husband’s pillar of strength throughout this whole ordeal.”

[From Us Weekly]

I don’t think Kate is anyone’s pillar of strength? Being dull and vapid is not really a “strength,” but at least she’s consistent, and I’m sure that’s soothing to the Other Brother. Trying to paint Kate as a “natural leader” at this point in the game, when we’ve already had a good look at her actual (lazy af) energy, is a fool’s errand. But this is absolutely the PR push, and we should be talking more about how Kate and William’s PR is diverging and has been for a while. Kate’s whole persona is wrapped up in being William’s rock, the woman who ensures his ascent to the throne. But William doesn’t actually want to give Kate credit for anything like that.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

The year hasn’t gotten off to a good foot (no pun intended) for Brooke Shields. Brooke has been painfully recovering from a broken femur that almost cost her the ability to walk again. Brooke accidentally took a tumble at her gym while doing some work on a balance board. Brooke fell off the board and broke her right femur. She had to be rushed to the hospital where she received several blood transfusions and two metal rods (initially) to hold the bone together. Unfortunately, Brooke’s femur was still unstable so she had to endure a second surgery that required her getting five more rods and a plate. And if that wasn’t enough, after spending two weeks in the hospital, Brooke developed a staph infection when she returned home. Brooke had to be readmitted to undergo treatment for her bacterial infection. Brooke said she had to relearn how to walk and her normal attitude of powering through life did not apply for this situation. Below are a few more quotes which Brooke gave to People about what she went through:

“It felt like it was all in slow motion. And then I just started screaming,” says Brooke Shields of her accident at a downtown New York City gym in late January, when she fell off a balance board, flew up in the air and landed with such force that she broke her right femur.

“Sounds came out that I’ve never heard before,” she tells PEOPLE.

Shields, 55, says the injury left her wondering if she’d ever walk again. So when EMTs arrived to place her on a stretcher, “survival kicked in,” she says, “so I kept saying, ‘I can feel my toes’ because I was so afraid I was paralyzed.”

She needed surgery to insert two metal rods, “one from the top of my hip down, and another across into the hip socket,” she explains. But after the broken portion of her right femur popped out, she immediately underwent a second surgery to add five rods and a metal plate to anchor it all in place.

“I never considered myself Zen,” she says, “but I realized with a certain calm that the rest is up to me now.”

After two-and-a-half weeks in the hospital, she went home and developed a very serious staph infection which required her to return for emergency surgery on the IV site where she’d had three blood transfusions.

Rather than once-a-day physical therapy, Shields asked for twice-a-day workouts. But then she realized, “for the first time in my entire life, I thought, ‘I can’t power through this,’ ” she recalls. “I can’t even stand on my leg or go up a step. I need to relearn how to even walk. The feeling of helplessness is shocking.”

[From People]

I used to be a surgical technologist and assisted on many IM Nail (intermedullary rod insertion surgery) and internal fixation surgeries, especially when I lived in NYC. So many women specifically over a certain age (usually over 55-60) would break their femur when they would slip on the icy sidewalks in the winter. Often because of their age their bones were more brittle. What Brooke went through during a pandemic must have been traumatizing and I can definitely understand her fear of being paralyzed. From Brooke’s account it seems she landed hard on her back as well. Hopefully she is receiving the therapy she needs to heal (both emotionally and physically).

I am very happy to hear that Brooke did not develop a MRSA infection because that would have been so dangerous. It is so sad, too, that Brooke had to go through her earlier recovery alone due to COVID protocols. I can’t imagine being afraid that I won’t be able to walk again, going through several surgeries and having the fear of contracting COVID or a MRSA infection without seeing family. It all sounds quite painful but I am happy that she is able to walk. I am also sure that her recovery will be aided by the fact that she is healthy and fit. Watching Brooke struggle to walk up a few stairs in one of her Instagram videos (I added it below) was heartbreaking. However I can see the fighter in her. I like that Brooke said she had to learn not to power through but give herself the space to heal which is a very important distinction. Brooke is a national treasure to us 80s kids and she will always be the girl who wouldn’t let anything get between her and her Calvin’s. I wish Brooke a speedy and full recovery.

Here’s the full interview:

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A post shared by Brooke Shields (@brookeshields)

Event photos are from 2019 and credit: Avalon.red. Other photos via Instagram

Serena Williams and the Duchess of Sussex have been friends for years. Serena was one of the reasons why Meghan was in England in 2016, when she was set up with Prince Harry. Meghan was in town because she was watching her friend Serena play at Wimbledon that year. Meghan and Serena’s friendship obviously predates royalty, and I’ve long believed (there’s evidence for this as well) that Serena was one of the “five friends” who went to People Magazine in early 2019 for that cover story which was massively sympathetic to Meghan. During the awful, painful royal years, Serena mostly supported Meghan behind-the-scenes, but following the Sussexes’ interview with Oprah, Serena has been talking more about her friend. Serena spoke about Meghan again in a YouTube series on behalf of her Stuart Weitzman contract.

Serena Williams is reflecting on the “strength, confidence and selflessness” of her longtime friend Meghan Markle. In the debut episode of Stuart Weitzman’s Shine Series, which features virtual conversations with inspiring figures about “letting your strength shine through,” the global spokeswoman for the brand, 39, opened up about why she chose to publicly support the Duchess of Sussex after her bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey.

“Meghan is a great person and I think the epitome of strength, the epitome of confidence, the epitome of just selflessness, and the epitome of everything is just her and everything that she’s gone through,” the tennis pro told Stuart Weitzman Chief Marketing Officer Behnaz Ghahramani. “And I know it’s not easy, and you can see from the interview that it wasn’t easy. But she had so much poise and she still had so much class.”

Right after the special aired, Williams took to social media to defend her friend’s character, a sentiment she continued to echo in the new interview series with Stuart Weitzman.

“I just think that she is the strongest person I know. I don’t know anyone else that could handle anything on such a global scale the way that she’s had to handle things that are just untrue – minute after minute. Not even day after day. Just minute after minute, another untrue allegation being thrown at her,” Williams said. “I think it was important for me to say something because I’m tired of sitting back and seeing all this negativity that’s just not true.”

The wife and mom also talked about supporting her competitors, despite being brought up in a world that pits women against each other. “I compete against women all the time…we can go tooth and nails, but it doesn’t mean we have that we have anything against each other. I actually support you and I want the best for you.”

[From People]

There’s a narrative out there, on Salty White Folk Isle, that Meghan and Harry’s reputations may have suffered because they spilled tea with Oprah. What actually happened pre- and post-interview is that Meghan’s friends came out and spoke up for her with their whole chests, in a way they were never allowed to do while she was part of that dysfunctional, toxic family.

Serena talks about Meghan at the 20-minute mark of this video, but the entire video is worth the watch if you love Serena and/or tennis.

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— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) March 8, 2021

Embed from Getty Images

Photos courtesy of Getty, WENN and Avalon Red.