This week Lainey wrote about George Clooney who is, in my opinion, the last movie star as we’ve known movie stars. This Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn profile in New York Times Arts is similar because they are so lovely and because they appreciate the amazing life their profession has afforded them. T…

An update on the judge situation in the Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie divorce case was filed on Monday: Judge Ouderkirk remains on the case. It was Angelina who was trying to have him disqualified for conflict of interest. Brad Pitt did not agree to it, alleging that it was just a delay tactic on Angelin…

An update on the judge situation in the Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie divorce case was filed on Monday: Judge Ouderkirk remains on the case. It was Angelina who was trying to have him disqualified for conflict of interest. Brad Pitt did not agree to it, alleging that it was just a delay tactic on Angelin…

Last month, I wrote about Normani covering the October issue of Teen Vogue where she told the magazine her debut solo album was “close” and how quarantine brought a welcomed halt to the hustle and bustle of the music industry. This time around, Normani’s on the December issue of Women’s Health, and …

Last month, I wrote about Normani covering the October issue of Teen Vogue where she told the magazine her debut solo album was “close” and how quarantine brought a welcomed halt to the hustle and bustle of the music industry. This time around, Normani’s on the December issue of Women’s Health, and …

A brief summary: Meghan Markle is suing the Mail on Sunday for publishing parts of a letter she wrote to her father, Thomas. The lawsuit is officially about whether or not the paper violated her privacy and if their publishing the letter was copyright infringement and a breach of data protection. Co…

It’s been widely known that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have spent the past eight months pulling together their foundation, Archewell, and making arrangements for what their new life in America will be. The pandemic has f–ked up a lot of plans, but it also seems like the pandemic has given Harry and Meghan a chance to really take the time they need to plot and strategize. Well, it looks like they’re hiring some new staff too. Page Six says they’ve hired someone for their media team:

A former director of communications for the New York City Department of Education has been hired by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as part of their press team as they prepare to unveil their new non-profit.

Toya Holness will help steer publicity as the couple announces their new foundation Archewell, according to industry newsletter PR Week. Holness is joined by Christine Schirmer, former head of communications for Pinterest, who will lead the press team.

Both women are already based in Los Angeles, where Harry, 36 and Markle, 39, decamped with their son one-year-old son Archie after stepping back from their royal duties in March.

As an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism, Holness spent nearly three years working at the DOE, leaving her director of communications job in September 2018, according to her LinkedIn profile.

[From Page Six]

I’m glad these women are LA-based! It would be awful if the Sussexes were trying to do everything by telecommuting. It also makes me believe that at some point, there actually will be some kind of real event, or a big announcement. Something substantive, you know? Think of how Meghan did things as a royal, compared to how everyone else in the Windsor clan does things. William and Kate prefer to do a big announcement about their plans, which often seem half-assed. Whereas Meghan always announced her sh-t when it was done and there was some kind of product to show everyone. Which makes me wonder what Meghan will have to show us when they formally launch Archewell.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Over the past few years, Angelina Jolie has been getting back to work in front of the camera. She did the second Maleficent movie. She did voice work for a Disney film. She signed on to The Eternals. She filmed Come Away with David Oyelowo. She filmed Those Who Wish Me Dead, and she’s in preproduction on Every Note Played. Considering she mostly stepped away from acting work in the last years of her relationship with/marriage to Brad Pitt, it felt like Angelina was making a point to show that she was still an in-demand actress. I also think that she probably wanted to put away some money and she was happy for the paychecks.

In those years that she stepped away from acting, she spoke a lot about how she was more focused on directing and producing. She hasn’t directed a film since First They Killed My Father, which was based on Loung Ung’s true story/memoir. Now Angelina is doing another bio-pic type film – she’s signed on to direct Unreasonable Behaviour.

Angelina Jolie (Unbroken) has signed on to direct Unreasonable Behaviour, a biopic of legendary British war photographer Don McCullin, based on his autobiography of the same title. The film is being produced by Tom Hardy and Dean Baker under their Hardy Son & Baker banner (Taboo) alongside Working Title Films’ Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner (Darkest Hour). McCullin and Mark George are exec producing. No word on casting yet.

BAFTA-nominated screenwriter Gregory Burke (’71) is writing the screenplay. The autobiography is an unflinching account of the celebrated British war photographer’s life, which took him from poverty-stricken, wartime London to some of the world’s most dangerous war zones. Best known for his often harrowing black and white images taken in Vietnam and Cambodia whilst working for The Observer and The Sunday Times Newspapers, McCullin risked his life to capture the images of war which continue to resonate to this day.

“I am humbled to have a chance to bring Don McCullin’s life to film,” said Jolie in a statement. “I was drawn to his unique combination of fearlessness and humanity – his absolute commitment to witnessing the truth of war, and his empathy and respect for those who suffer its consequences. We hope to make a film that is as uncompromising as Don’s photography, about the extraordinary people and events he witnessed, and the rise and fall of a unique era in journalism”.

Don McCullin added: “Having viewed Angelina’s last film on Cambodia (and having spent so much time during the war there) I was very impressed at how she made such a powerful and accurate representation of the place at that time. I feel as if I am in safe, capable and professional hands with her.“

“Don McCullin is someone that we’ve long held a deep and profound respect for,” commented HSB’s Hardy and Baker jointly. “His remarkable story is one of brutal honesty, unflinching courage, and unbound empathy. Angelina has carved a considered approach to the material that we’ve all been looking for – relevant and compelling, ethically sensitive and engaging. We are excited by her vision and look forward to supporting her depiction of a man who deserves to be remembered for his extraordinary contribution, service, and lifelong work to humanity.”

[From Deadline]

I’ll be sort of honest, if you asked me if I thought Tom Hardy would ever sign off on producing a bio-pic directed by a woman, I would have said, flatly, “no.” Hardy never seemed like the type to actively seek projects with women in front of or behind the camera. That was especially notable with his grumpypants routine all the way around Mad Max: Fury Road (a feminist masterpiece). Considering Hardy’s involvement on the producing side, I also think that he wants to star in the lead role. Let’s see what Director Jolie says about that. Anyway, I’m interested in this project and I hope it doesn’t turn into a slog. I love her, but Unbroken was brutal (well-directed, but brutal) and I hope she follows her strengths.

Meanwhile, here’s an update on the Jolie-Pitt divorce: Judge Ouderkirk really is staying on their case, even after Team Jolie’s attempt to have him removed. I truly have no idea what that means or how it will affect the divorce trial.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red and Backgrid.

Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi married Princess Beatrice of York in mid-July. They had a small, socially-distanced wedding in Windsor, with only a handful of people in attendance, including their parents, Bea’s sister Eugenie, the Queen and Prince Philip, and Edo’s young son. The vibe about Beatrice and Edo is still rather strange to me, especially given the weirdness of the start of their relationship. He was going to marry Dara, the mother of his young child, until he connected with Beatrice and then suddenly dumped Dara and got super-serious with Bea almost immediately. Edo and Dara still co-parent and work together in some ways. I guess I’ve just never gotten a read on Edo over the past few years. I can’t figure out his motives, because I don’t believe his motivation was “falling head over heels in love with Beatrice.”

So, I came into this interview thinking Edo is kind of a shady, secretive figure. What kind of person is he? Is he full-on posh? Is he an intellectual? Is he a con artist? I still don’t know. But I guess I have a better idea of him now, because he agreed to this Financial Times’ profile in The Aesthete column in the first place. The profile is all about where he eats, what art he enjoys, how well-traveled he is, and his work as some kind of top real estate guy. Hm. Some highlights:

His style: My personal style signifier is a blue suit. I buy both ready-to-wear and bespoke from different companies, but most recently from the new Hackett store at 14 Savile Row. I wear them with a white grandad collar shirt [from Officine Générale] and CQP trainers from Stockholm, which I own in multiple colours. It’s my work uniform. I don’t have to think about what to wear in the morning. I just put them on and off I go.

His family owns a place in Kenya? My favourite view in the world is the one from our eco lodge in Lamu, Kenya. There’s 12km of beach in front of the house that changes every day beyond recognition. Some days the tide can go out by a mile and on others there are huge waves. There are no lights at night but as you’re on the equator, there are billions and billions of stars in the sky and everything is lit by the moon. We say “no shoes, no news”. There’s no 3G and no electricity at the Lamu house, all our energy comes from solar and our water from our own well. I arrive there, sleep for two days and then my brain starts to get creative again.

The best advice: The best property advice I’ve ever been given is that there are no shortcuts and quality is everything. In short, do it once and do it well.

What he’s reading: The best book I’ve read in the past year is How to Raise Successful People by Esther Wojcicki. She has three accomplished daughters: one is the CEO of YouTube, the other is the co-founder and CEO of 23andMe, and the third is a top anthropologist and epidemiologist. There is nothing more important than raising and educating our kids and doing it well and she achieved this using the word TRICK: T for trust, R for respect, I for independence, C for collaboration and K for kindness. It’s great advice offered in an unpatronising way.

The best gift given: The best gift I’ve ever given is a bronze figurative sculpture, which I commissioned from my stepfather, the sculptor David Williams-Ellis, for my wife’s birthday last year. His studio is next to my mother’s house so we’d see him in there every day covered in clay. It’s so special for us to have a piece of his work in our home.

The best gift received: And the best one I’ve received was four cases of wine, which was a christening present from my godfathers when I was a baby. It started a love affair with wine, and I have been trading it ever since. From those four cases I am now sitting on a very interesting collection, predominantly Bordeaux (although I tend to drink Burgundy). But the joy for me is about understanding the vineyards and the process.

Cufflink collection: I have a collection of cufflinks that were left to me by my first stepfather [Christopher Shale] when he died and when I put them on in the morning, they make me smile. It’s so nice to be able to think of him every single day.

A little ad for Casamigos: In my fridge you’ll always find a bottle of tequila [Casamigos Reposado] and smoked salmon. Why the tequila? Well, that’s obvious, but I always have salmon from Secret Smokehouse because it’s easy when you’ve been working all day and you just want to grab something healthy.

His favorite room: My favourite room in my house is the kitchen. I’ve fallen in love with cooking again. It’s been the epicentre of our family life and we come together for every meal. We are lucky enough to have a small vegetable garden and we cook seasonally. Even my son has got involved.

[From The Financial Times]

So, let’s summarize… Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi is an Italian nobleman and real estate guy with million-dollar properties he’s selling or developing around Europe, his family owns a lot of property too, he’s well-traveled and well-connected, he reads parenting books, he shills for Casamigos, he’s a dandy, he was close to his deceased stepfather and he’s close to his current stepfather, he cooks and he enjoys the finer things in life. And then he dumped his baby-mama for a princess (and the daughter of a rapist/human trafficker) and now they’re going to live in a small cottage in the Kensington Palace complex and they’ll live happily ever after. I don’t know. Something just doesn’t add up here.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, social media, Buckingham Palace.

I had no idea how this pandemic would play out. I didn’t know lockdown would happen as swiftly as it did, that it would last as long as it has, and I sure as hell didn’t predict that nine months into it, we were going to start panicking again. With COVID numbers spiking and an incumbent administration that refuses to save their citizens, every sign points to statewide shutdowns. In anticipation of being asked to hole up for another few months, people are once again stocking up on what they consider essentials. Shelves are again bare of items like toilet paper and cleaning supplies.

In the spring, the coronavirus pandemic triggered a wave of panic buying that left store shelves empty. Toilet paper, bottled water and paper towels were out of stock around the country, while shortages of eggs, meat and produce sent some prices skyrocketing.

Some things, like disinfectants, are still out of stock, but food makers and retailers told NBC News investigative correspondent Vicky Nguyen that they’re prepared for increased demand as coronavirus cases continue to surge.

“We’re working directly with our manufacturers to ensure that we do have adequate supply,” said Chelsea Minor, the corporate director of public affairs for Raley’s, a West Coast-based grocery chain. “There is plenty of food to go around, you may not have the exact products that you’re looking for, but there will be options, so be flexible.”

Jeff Harmening, the CEO of General Mills, said that the company has spent “tens of millions of dollars” to shore up their supply chain and add production lines for everything from cereal to soup to pet food.

“The supply chain is better than it has ever been,” he told Nguyen. “We ramped up production on all the things that have sold out and we’re highly confident that there will be product on the shelf available for consumers.”

Despite reassurances, the majority of shoppers are still concerned. 57% of shoppers surveyed nationwide said they are stocking up, and another 54% plan on creating a permanent stockpile.

“There’s clearly shortages,” one shopper told Nguyen. “Things aren’t coming through, I see this with all types of things.”

Another shopper said that if other people are stockpiling, she might start doing the same to avoid “running out of things.”

[From Today]

We are not yet in shutdown in California again , but it’s coming, especially when our governor can’t adhere to his own public assembly guidelines. So our stores are starting to clear out like the ones mentioned above. Signs limiting quantities are already up, which will hopefully keep more items on the shelves, but things are thinning. It surprises me. Maybe we had to adjust brands or couldn’t wait until the last minute on some items, but I don’t get the panic. I feel like we’ve forgotten everything we’ve learned over the last year. The way to get through this is to socially distance, wear masks, wash our hands, maintain a safe bubble and plan rationally – not stockpile tissue and Clorox wipes.

Still, if you are concerned and maybe you live in a smaller area that has less access, the article does offer some suggestions to prepare. They say to make a list of the items you need, which most people likely already do with a weekly shopping list. They suggest to go to the store early, but you will probably be looking at lines. Also, check if your store has senior hours to see what time they let the general public in. The article suggests calling stores to see if they have items in stock and where that might benefit you. I pity those poor, already-overworked store personnel having to field all those calls on top of everything else. They also suggest signing up at the sites NowInStock.net, BrickSeek.com, or Zoolert.com which tell you when hard to find items are in stock. There are tips about getting canned goods and frozen food, which makes me laugh a little because I still have the top shelf of my cabinet stuffed with all the stuff I bought at the start of lockdown and we never touched. I guess it’s there in case of emergency, though. The article said to coordinate with friends to pick up things and to shop in a safe collective.

The last tip, and this is the one we should all consider even if we are not panicking – if you are able to, please pick up an essential item or two or donate to a food bank this winter. It will be a rough one.

Photos credit: Anna Shvets via Pexels, John Cameron and Jake Leonard via Unsplash