It was announced yesterday that Prince Harry now has a job – he’s the new Chief Impact Officer at BetterUp, and he’s apparently been in the position for a couple of months as CEO Alex Robichaud told SkyNews that Harry’s role with the company began in January and that after getting to know each other…

As we discussed last week, The Sun paid an American private investigator to look into then-Meghan Markle’s life in 2016, when the British tabloids first learned that Meghan and Prince Harry were dating. Everything came to a head in late September and early October that year, with the first stories about “Harry’s Girl is straight out of Compton” and other racist sh-t. That was also when Harry issued his first statement decrying the racism and nasty coverage he was already seeing from the British press. It was clear, at that moment, that the tabloids were already crawling all over Meghan’s past, but the hiring of a private investigator was perhaps not known until much later. And God knows when they learned that the private investigator had gotten his hands on Meghan’s Social Security number. Well, the whole reason why we know that now is because the private investigator has come forward and apologized. The Sun also clarified their request:

U.S. private investigator Daniel Hanks told the BBC that he illegally obtained personal information belonging to Meghan and her family members, including her social security number, address and phone number. Hanks said he decided to come forward about his work for The Sun “to clear my conscience.”

Asked what he would say to Meghan and Harry directly, the private investigator said: “I’m deeply sorry for what I did…and I’m available if your lawyers need to talk to me. I’m ready to give you what I know. Supply you with any information. I just wish this had never happened.”

Hanks said he found all his information through “legal means” with the exception of the social security numbers, which he called “the key to the kingdom.”

The publishers of The Sun, News Group Newspapers, released a statement admitting to hiring Hanks. However, they said he “was not tasked to do anything illegal or breach any privacy laws — indeed he was instructed clearly in writing to act lawfully and he signed a legal undertaking that he would do so.” They added that The Sun did not request Meghan’s social security number or use the information he provided “for any unlawful practice.”

[From People]

On one side, I do think the Sun’s editors realized that they didn’t actually need to crawl through every part of Meghan’s history. She was always pretty “clean” in that way – no scandals, just the one divorce, no lawsuits or whatever. The tabloids quickly realized that all they really needed to do was pay Meghan’s family to talk sh-t about her. That, and all of the racist dog-whistles and outright racism. I will be very curious to see if Meghan and Harry’s lawyers do contact Hanks.

Also, it’s worth noting that very few royal reporters covered this story or even tweeted about it. That’s also showing their hand and telling on themselves. If they admit that Meghan was targeted in a really inappropriate, illegal way, then they might have to admit that their coverage was never fair or above-board. The silence from the usual royal-reporter crew has been absolutely deafening in recent days. Peter Hunt – someone who has been increasingly critical of how the Windsors have handled everything – was one of the few people to even tweet about it.

This will reinforce Harry and Meghan’s jaundiced view of much of the British press and ensure Harry doubles down in his pursuit of alleged phone hacking . https://t.co/9mc1fYca1S

— Peter Hunt (@_PeterHunt) March 18, 2021

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, WENN.

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Demi Lovato has been giving a lot of interviews recently to promote her four-part documentary, Dancing With The Devil, which has already begun airing on YouTube. In those interviews, Demi has told some heartbreaking stories of being sexually assaulted and her struggles with drug addiction and her significant mental health issues. In those interviews, Demi has described her addiction to and recovery from hard drugs, and she says that she now uses alcohol and marijuana in moderation, because booze and pot were never her big issues. She called it “California Sober” in her CBS interview:

In the documentary, Lovato says that she still consumes alcohol and uses marijuana, saying she’s “been smoking weed and drinking in moderation.” On CBS, she termed it “California sober.”

“I think the term that I best identify with is ‘California sober’. I really don’t feel comfortable explaining the parameters of my recovery to people, because I don’t want anyone to look at my parameters of safety and think that’s what works for them, because it might not,” she added on CBS Sunday Morning. “I am cautious to say that, just like I feel the complete abstinent method isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for everybody, I don’t think that this journey of moderation is a one-size-fits-all solution for everybody, too.”

“I also don’t want people to hear that and think that they can go out and try having a drink or smoking a joint, you know? I am cautious to say that, just like I feel the complete abstinent method isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for everybody, I don’t think that this journey of moderation is a one-size-fits-all solution for everybody. Because it isn’t for everybody. Recovery isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. You shouldn’t be forced to get sober if you’re not ready. You shouldn’t get sober for other people. You have to do it for yourself.”

“I’ve learned that it doesn’t work for me to say that I’m never going to do this again. I know I’m done with the stuff that’s going to kill me, right? Telling myself that I can never have a drink or smoke marijuana, I feel like that’s setting myself up for failure because I am such a black-and-white thinker. I had it drilled into my head for so many years that one drink was equivalent to a crack pipe.”

[From ET]

I think the “California sober” branding is perhaps throwing off some people. Most programs do encourage or force a total prohibition on all substances, regardless of what your specific addiction is for – if you’re addicted to Oxycontin, most rehabs will say that you should quit drinking and smoking pot as well. Sobriety is sobriety and all of that. On one hand, I understand what she’s saying and her perspective – alcohol was my issue, but I think if I smoked pot right now, I wouldn’t suddenly want or need alcohol and the “slippery slope” wouldn’t really exist. But sobriety experts disagree with all of what Demi’s saying:

Demi Lovato’s “California sober” lifestyle isn’t sobriety at all, according to Ken Seeley, an interventionist and trauma professional. After the 28-year-old singer revealed that she’s not completely sober following her 2018 overdose, she used the term “California sober” to describe her current lifestyle. For Seeley, though, who considers the term “California sober” to mean using drugs or alcohol “in moderation,” anything short of complete abstinence cannot and should not be considered sobriety.

“You might not do heroin, but you may smoke pot. But the reality here [is that there] is no moderation for people that suffer with addiction,” he told ET. “… You can’t just turn it off.”

Seeley, who’s been sober himself for 31 years, takes offense to the term itself, too. “I think the term ‘California sober’ is quite disrespectful to the sober community,” he said. “I know a lot of people that work really hard to hold their abstinence and fight for their lives in recovery and to bring up this new term, ‘California sober,’ is so inappropriate.”

Seeley thinks “making up” the term “California sober” is not only inappropriate, but also dangerous. “It could kill millions of people by letting them know that it’s OK to use in moderation… To tell people that they could be sober and use in moderation is almost criminal, because I guarantee you if that takes off, people will die thinking that they’re California sober when there is no such term. There is no such thing,” he said, adding that continued use of alcohol and marijuana is “nowhere near sober.”

[From ET]

I kind of understand Seeley’s perspective too, because for a narcotics addict in recovery, wouldn’t booze and pot be triggers? It’s not that you’ll suddenly “replace” your narcotics addiction with alcohol abuse, but when you’re drinking and high on pot, you would be more likely to backslide or use narcotics if you already have an addiction. I’m also seeing comments from addicts in recovery saying that “California sober” is demeaning to their standard of sobriety. Hm.

Photos courtesy of Demi’s IG.

It seems Real Housewives of Atlanta’s Kenya Moore has found herself in hot water after the latest episode, which centered around Falynn Guobadia’s Halloween party. Many of the ladies were dressed as big cats and Falynn was dressed as (I assume) Medusa. Kenya showed up in a costume that was obvious cultural appropriation. Specifically, she was dressed in full Native American headdress. Several of the other housewives called her out for wearing this inappropriate outfit. And there was a huge social media backlash. Kenya being Kenya of course doubled down and initially said that she wore the headdress because it was a part of her heritage. Besides all of the drama that went down on the show (Falynn trying to hit someone with a golf club for talking about her husband), Kenya was the biggest story. Kenya gave a prime example of what NOT to do when you are caught slipping. Below is more about the drama via People:

On Sunday’s episode of the Bravo series, Moore, 50, dressed in an ensemble that included a Native American headdress as she attended a Halloween party at the home of Falynn Guobadia.

Several costars (including Drew Sidora and Porsha Williams), as well as many on social media, spoke out about feeling uncomfortable with the costume.

“Kenya’s Native American costume is super problematic but I ain’t trying to ruffle no feathers for this girls trip,” said Sidora, 35, during a confessional, adding with a laugh, “It feels like I’m always the only one that sees the issues with Kenya Moore’s decisions.”

“Kenya is a Native American warrior. I thought we weren’t doing that no more,” said Williams, 39. “Like, I knew that this girl was crazy, but add lame to the list, add whack to the list.”

Moore defended her decision in a tweet on Sunday, writing in response to one piece of criticism about the costume, “Also part of my heritage #RHOA.”

During the RHOA After Show, Williams referred to Moore’s costume as “head-to-toe cultural appropriation,” while costar LaToya Ali said of a heated exchange between herself and Moore during the show, “I couldn’t take Kenya seriously as we were having the conversation because she was in an Indian-chief costume. … Isn’t that called cultural appropriation?”

But Kandi Burruss jumped to Moore’s defense, telling Ali, “To be honest with you, I didn’t think anything of it.”

“I don’t think she was wearing the costume to mock anyone, and I think she thought it was a beautiful costume because it’s the sign of a leader — a chief is someone to look up to, not to be made fun of,” added Burruss, 44. “And I don’t think she was doing it as a joke to be mean or anything like that.

[From People]

have never seen an episode from the Housewives franchise (I am not a fan of non-fashion and non-singing reality TV). I used to have enough drama in my own life and didn’t feel a need to watch other people create their own. I did watch part of this particular episode for context. Despite not ever watching the show, I do know who the women are from RHOA because of their previous work. Kenya can be hella messy and stubborn and rarely admits when she is wrong. However, Kenya has finally apologized for wearing the Native American headdress which should have been the first thing she did instead of making excuses for her ensemble. The thing that got me was how Kenya first used the excuse that the headdress was a part of her heritage. Listen, I am sure Kenya has a smidge of Native American heritage (like many of us), but I am certain she did not grow up with their customs. Therefore she has no idea of the purpose of wearing a headdress. Here is what Kenya commented on a post by Illuminatives:

“I want to sincerely apologize for inappropriately wearing the Native American headdress as a costume. I now realize that this was both disrespectful and insensitive and would never have done it if I had that knowledge and understanding beforehand. I regret it. When you know better, you do better. I am genuinely sorry.”

[From Instagram via USA Today]

We often think cultural appropriation is when the majority culture (read white) appropriates a previously oppressed culture’s clothing, style, or spiritual practices (usually there is a financial component to this as well). However, taking a piece of music or even language from its original purpose can be appropriation. Kenya said the headdress was a part of her heritage, but what Native American ethnic group is she connected to? Was the headdress from that same group? Despite not being completely aware of all the ways I could appropriate a culture, I always ask questions, and if I f*ck up I apologize immediately. I think this was all anyone was asking of Kenya. It was also funny that LaToya said she couldn’t even take Kenya seriously. I am sure Kenya didn’t mean to do any harm in her choice of “costume” but harm was done and Kenya needed to own it, apologize, then educate herself. I hope this situation of RHOA will open up conversations again about the difference between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation. We all need to understand the difference including myself.

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Prince Harry got another job, as we discussed yesterday. He has taken the position of Chief Impact Officer for Better Up, a billion-dollar Silicon Valley outfit focused on life-coaching and mental health, with a focus on corporate accessibility. Harry told the Wall Street Journal that he has the Better Up app and he’s used the services and found them helpful. Better Up’s CEO Alexi Robinchaux “wouldn’t reveal the specifics of what the royal will do for the company nor how much he’s being compensated” but the CEO said Harry will have “a meaningful and meaty role.” Harry is “expected to have a say on product strategy decisions and charitable contributions” and he plans to be on hand for meetings in San Francisco and “be a special guest at events,” which sounds like a natural fit for a charismatic people-person royal prince. Harry also wrote a blog post for Better Up’s site called “Why I’m Joining BetterUp.” Some highlights from the post:

First of all, I am really excited to be joining the BetterUp team and community! Thanks for having me. I firmly believe that focusing on and prioritising our mental fitness unlocks potential and opportunity that we never knew we had inside of us. As the Royal Marine Commandos say, ‘It’s a state of mind.’ We all have it in us.

Being attuned with your mind, and having a support structure around you, are critical to finding your own version of peak performance. What I’ve learned in my own life is the power of transforming pain into purpose. During my decade in the military, I learned that we don’t just need to build physical resilience, but also mental resilience. And in the years since, my understanding of what resilience means — and how we can build it — has been shaped by the thousands of people and experts I’ve been fortunate to meet and learn from.

I’ve personally found working with a BetterUp coach to be invaluable. I was matched with a truly awesome coach who has given me sound advice and a fresh perspective. And because we believe in strengthening our own mental fitness, our entire Archewell team also has access to BetterUp coaching. As BetterUp’s first Chief Impact Officer, my goal is to lift up critical dialogues around mental health, build supportive and compassionate communities, and foster an environment for honest and vulnerable conversations. And my hope is to help people develop their inner strength, resilience, and confidence.

[From Better Up blog]

The rest of the piece is Harry setting out his own goals for the company and it definitely feels a bit heavy on the self-help/self-actualization buzzwords, but so be it. That’s who Harry is and that’s who Meghan is too. I felt Harry leaning heavily into his military background as well, and it struck me that even without the royal title, many of these billion-dollar companies would probably love to have a charismatic veteran (who served in war) in their corporate ranks, plus Harry’s invaluable background as a public figure ensures that he will be very good at the glad-handing, customer-facing and investor-facing part of the job.

Meanwhile, Salty White Folk Isle’s favorite news outlet, the Daily Mail, made this story their top story online for many hours. Their headline: “Harry gets a real job: Duke to become ‘Chief Impact Officer’ for $1.73billion San Francisco-based mental health coaching start-up Better Up that works with US giants from Hilton to Chevron.” The Mail’s “PR guru” Mark Bukowski claims that Harry is likely being paid a six or seven-figure salary, probably with benefits and all kinds of bonus structures too. Bukowski got salty about all of it:

‘He’s got this woke job title of Chief Impact Officer and today’s announcement has done just that for the company, had a huge impact. This announcement is worth millions to this startup in free publicity and if he’s done a good deal with a salary as well as shares in the business, it will probably make millions for Harry too. He could never have done this deal if he was still a working member of the Royal Family. They’ve announced the job just after the Oprah interview, amid an outpouring of support for the couple in the US. They’re on a crest of a wave there. If the company is as good as Harry says, it is a smart move. But if it’s a pile of poop, he won’t have too many more chances to cash in. If people weren’t clear on Harry and Meghan’s business strategy, they should be now.’

[From The Daily Mail]

“But if it’s a pile of poop, he won’t have too many more chances to cash in.” Harry and Meghan are laughing as they sit atop a pile of money from Netflix, Spotify and now Better Up. They can literally go anywhere and do anything.

The use of the word ‘real’ may pain the royal relatives Harry’s left behind https://t.co/uHKlkLXYta

— Peter Hunt (@_PeterHunt) March 23, 2021

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, WENN.

Dolly Parton recently turned 75. It feels like we’ve been getting a lot of Dolly-themed retrospectives over the past year, but I don’t think it’s just about the big milestone birthday. I think Dolly has just been open to looking back on her decades-long career in film and music and she’s always looking to stay relevant with the next generation. That’s probably why she’s signed up for the Netflix deal a few years ago, and why she’s been more open lately. I mean, Dolly is a national/international treasure. Surely, she’s one of the few people everyone can agree on: Dolly is the best. Well, Dolly decided to sit down with Oprah for AppleTV’s The Oprah Conversation, which is just one long-form interview. They discussed being childfree and plastic surgery and a lot of other stuff:

Her freedom without kids: “Since I had no kids, and my husband was pretty independent, I had freedom. So I think a big part of my whole success is the fact that I was free to work. I didn’t have children because I believed that God didn’t mean for me to have kids so everybody’s kids could be mine, so I could do things like Imagination Library because if I hadn’t had the freedom to work, I wouldn’t have done all the things I’ve done. I wouldn’t be in a position to do all of the things I’m doing now.”

Whether she believes there were more sacrifices than rewards in her career: “I’ve made sacrifices, but I think, like I said, I believe what I know I’m supposed to do.”

Her approach to aging. “I don’t think about my life in terms of numbers. First of all, I ain’t never gonna be old because I ain’t got time to be old. I can’t stop long enough to grow old,” she shared with a laugh. Parton went on to say that she’s going to be “the best I can be at whatever age. I bet you I won’t look much different when I’m 95, if I live that long, because I’m like the Gabor sisters. I’m gonna look like a cartoon. I’ll have on the makeup. I’ll look as young as my plastic surgeons will allow me and [with] all the makeup and lighting and all that. But I think more than anything, it’s about what comes from inside you. It’s an attitude, and you gotta shine from within. Sometimes, that can make you feel young and make you seem young to other people.”

[From People]

It’s interesting to me that Oprah would ask Dolly about being childfree, since Oprah is also childfree. Two of (arguably) the most famous, powerful and beloved women in the world, and both of them chose not to be mothers. I always wondered if Dolly always knew that she wouldn’t have kids though – I mean, consider her generation, consider the pressure to have a certain kind of life and branding within country music and all of that. She must have gotten the “are you going to have kids” questions for years and years.

As for all of the plastic surgery talk… Dolly gets away with so much because she’ll always be the first person to admit it, to talk about what she’s gotten done and now the plastic surgery is part of her brand too.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

A year ago, we started the blockbuster shuffle when No Time to Die vacated April 2020 due to the then-burgeoning pandemic. Now, one year on, we have potentially, probably, our last step in the blockbuster shuffle. Disney has pushed a group of seven films out of spring/early summer, including Black W…

As we learned last week, Angelina Jolie has filed documents in the ongoing divorce/custody legal case that she plans to provide evidence and testimony of Brad Pitt’s domestic violence. The testimony would likely be from her and (I would imagine) Maddox and maybe one or two of the other kids. We really don’t know who else could provide testimony, but there could be others, you never know. The response from Brad’s camp has been… difficult. Brad is “heartbroken” that “Angelina has gone that route,” the route being… providing evidence and testimony of his abuse? Brad’s people ran to Page Six to proclaim that they’ve never “attacked Angelina” (a complete lie) and they claimed Angelina “leaked” her filing to “sway opinion.” I’ve always thought that if Angelina wanted to go scorched earth, she could. Very easily. She hasn’t because of their kids. LaineyGossip also pointed out the weirdness around which sites (TMZ, People) were NOT covering these latest developments. Very curious, right?

Anyway, Brad’s team wasn’t content with merely leaking to Page Six. They also went to Vanity Fair and Entertainment Tonight with some shady quotes. These quotes are just variations on what Team Pitt already told Page Six, but it’s fascinating to see how quickly Brad’s moving to obfuscate the larger issue, which is that he’s an abuser. “A source familiar with the case” told Vanity Fair: “When they [initially filed for] divorce in the fall of 2016, [Jolie] made similar allegations (about what happened on their plane ride back to the U.S.)… [there] were reported to the authorities and thoroughly investigated before concluding no wrongdoing, and therefore, no action was taken. These have been the same attacks repeated for the past four and a half years.” Same “attacks” you say? And why not just describe the person quoted as “a source close to Pitt”? Meanwhile, this ET piece is a doozy.

Brad Pitt is struggling with the newest revelations from his ex, Angelina Jolie. In court documents that were filed under seal on March 12, the actress and director states that she is prepared during their upcoming divorce trial to offer “proof and authority” against Pitt regarding her claim of domestic violence. The claim is in reference to the previous 2016 abuse allegations against Pitt. As ET previously reported, Pitt was cleared of allegations of child abuse by both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Child and Family Services back in 2016. The DCFS investigation ended on Nov. 9, 2016, while the FBI closed their investigation on Nov. 22, 2016.

A source close to Pitt tells ET that the actor is “heartbroken” by Jolie’s claims going public.

“Brad is anxious to get custody worked out so that the family can finally move on,” the source says. “He just wants to spend time with his children and move in a positive direction. His priority has always been his relationship with his children.”

Pitt and Jolie share six children together — Maddox, 19, Pax, 17, Zahara, 16, Shiloh, 14, twins Knox and Vivienne, 12. According to court records, Jolie also filed another document under seal on the same day, regarding testimony of their minor children.

“Brad is heartbroken it has come to this,” the source adds. “Those around him feel Angelina’s claims are to sway the court in her favor. Brad has never attacked her.”

Another source previously told ET, “This is just another case of Angelina changing the narrative when it suits her. Aside from the one accusation that she made in 2016 that was investigated and dismissed, there have never been any other records, police reports or even accusations until it suited her case.”

[From ET]

Again, for the people in the back, just because Brad wasn’t charged with a crime doesn’t mean that he didn’t commit a crime. It just means that there were concerns about whether crimes could be proven, or the dreaded “he said/she said” or that Angelina was able to work something out with Brad so he could get help without being charged with anything. The fact that Angelina got Brad to agree to a court-mandated limited visitation schedule, with monitors in place for YEARS, speaks to a deal being hammered out in which Brad wouldn’t be charged but he would agree to rehab, limits on visitation, etc. And the fact that he continues to gloss over the fact that no one trusted him with the kids for years… it’s telling, isn’t it?

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.

Dear Gossips, Did you see those shots of Lizzo in Malibu living her best life and joined by “mystery man” on the balcony? Photo Assumption suggests that there’s definitely some familiarity between them, to put it delicately, but before we go running away with it, Lizzo let us know that she’s… Or may…

I think I first learned about the Aspen Institute way back in 2002-03. The think-tank was name-checked constantly as a breeding ground for neo-conservative galaxy-brains who were like “lol let’s invade Iraq, what’s the worst that could happen.” Those vile douchebags gave the Aspen Institute a bad name, I think? Because the think-tank really does try to deal with big issues on all sides, and the Aspen Institute-sponsored programs and summits are very much akin to Davos. Anyway, guess who is joining the Aspen Institute’s latest commission? Prince Harry, that’s who.

Voicing concern about an “avalanche of misinformation” in the digital world, Prince Harry is joining the Aspen Institute’s new Commission on Information Disorder as a commissioner. Harry, 14 other commissioners and three co-chairs will conduct a six-month study on the state of American misinformation and disinformation. Journalist Katie Couric, Color of Change president Rashad Robinson and Chris Krebs, the former director of the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, are the co-chairs.

The institute announced its Commission on Information Disorder in January with a mandate to develop “actionable public-private responses.” The commission will begin to meet in April and will hold a series of briefings with outside experts. Aspen’s plan calls for an interim report after about 60 days “that surveys and frames the information disorder problem, and prioritizes the most critical and urgent issues,” according to the institute, and then a list of actionable solutions and recommendations in the fall.

The list of commissioners, released Wednesday morning, includes prominent figures like former Texas congressman Will Hurd; Sue Gordon, the former principal deputy director of national intelligence; and Kathryn Murdoch, the co-founder and president of Quadrivium and daughter-in-law of Rupert. But surely the most notable name is Prince Harry, who has been in the public eye in recent weeks thanks to his interview with Oprah Winfrey.

“As I’ve said, the experience of today’s digital world has us inundated with an avalanche of misinformation, affecting our ability as individuals as well as societies to think clearly and truly understand the world we live in,” the Duke of Sussex said in a statement. “It’s my belief that this is a humanitarian issue, and as such, it demands a multi-stakeholder response from advocacy voices, members of the media, academic researchers, and both government and civil society leaders. I’m eager to join this new Aspen commission and look forward to working on a solution-oriented approach to the information disorder crisis.”

The institute’s press release on Wednesday identified Prince Harry as one of three philanthropic leaders that will be a part of the project. The other two are Murdoch — who is married to Rupert Murdoch’s son James — and Marla Blow, incoming president of the Skoll Foundation.

[From CNN]

I think it’s interesting that the focus is narrowly on American media. Harry’s had a lot of experience with both American and British media and from where I sit, American media is much more accountable to their consumers and to their media companies. But the American media is still being influenced by disinformation campaigns and blatant propaganda as well. Harry will be able to speak to that, because he’s been the victim of similar disinformation campaigns for years. Plus, there’s a lot of overlap between far-right-wing propaganda and racist hate speech against the Sussexes. That VENN diagram is practically a circle. I’m really excited for Harry. Making deals, making power plays, making change.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.