There?s no shortage of commentary about the Duchess of Sussex?s latest Netflix show, With Love, Meghan. I think most British networks had special coverage of WLM, and of course British outlets are flooding the zone with bad reviews. I haven?t finished WLM, but I?m enjoying it, and my favorite episode thus far was the one with Roy Choi, an LA restauranter. That showed Meghan learning from a chef she admired, and acting as sous chef, helping to make Korean food and sauces. The pacing on that episode was a lot different and they made so much food? and Meghan gave almost all of it to the crew!!

Anyway, what?s remarkable is just how many people have already watched every episode? just to scream about how ?boring? it is or how Meghan is [insert insult here]. It?s also sadly notable that the bad reviews aren?t just coming from British outlets. It looks like there was an international effort to disparage a little cooking and entertaining show:

Meghan Markle probably only ever expected her new show, With Love, Meghan, to get terrible reviews in the U.K. press, which has a longstanding animus against the duchess, who is tremendously unpopular in Britain due to her and Harry?s perceived sell out of the British royal family. However, she can hardly have predicted the scorching nature of the potentially career-ending reviews she is receiving in America, led by Hollywood industry bible Variety, which compared watching her show to a ?forced march.?

In a brutal takedown of the new show, Variety paints the duchess as a narcissist for whom ?no amount of praise seems enough? and questions why a show purportedly about Meghan?s life would be shot at a stand-in home up the road. It mocks the struggle ?to fill eight long episodes with only a certain number of new ideas? and notes that ?Meghan?s quirks come to seem like affectations, from the multiple times she remarks on the beauty of an egg yolk to her dedication to placing ?edible flowers? on just about any comestible.?

The review then says, ?The show plays out like a forced march, one in which Meghan?s guests must, as the price of getting to share an afternoon in a made-for-TV kitchen with her, praise her first.? It concludes with another dig at Meghan?s self-absorption, saying: ?With Love, Meghan is made with a great deal of love ? in the sense that the greatest love of all is the one that a person has for herself.?

Another U.S. publication, Time Magazine, found the show and its star wanting, saying of Meghan: ?With each glossy new program, podcast, and lifestyle brand, the promise of authenticity has given way to an impersonal performance of perfection. With Love, Meghan might be the most performative example to date.? Later, the review declares itself baffled by the blandness of the whole affair, saying: ?There has to be something remarkable, besides her jam-making skills, about a woman with the strength of will to extricate herself, her children, and a husband who?d spent his whole life within the institution from the notoriously controlling British royal family.?

Another savage review from an outlet with no axe to grind on behalf of the British royal family appeared in Tuesday?s Irish Times which declares, ?a black hole of beige throughout.? It adds: ?The big conceit is that we, the impoverished viewers, can hang with Meghan for a few precious hours. And yet the velvet rope is always in sight. Filming takes place not in Meghan?s actual house but in some sort of guest mansion adjoining her property, and if there are passing references to her husband and children, we never see them on screen. With Love, Meghan is trying to sell us on Meghan?s lifestyle without actually showing us any of it?the ?banter? between host and guests has all the spark of a dead battery on a frosty morning.?

[From The Daily Beast]

Again, I expected the negativity from the Mail, the Telegraph, the Mirror. I guess I didn?t expect it from the Guardian, Variety, Time Magazine, etc. That?s the good thing about Meghan?s promotional blitz this week though ? she?s doing her own ?flood the zone? campaign with positivity. One way or the other, people are going to have opinions about her and they?re definitely going to watch WLM. I?m getting a similar vibe to Archetypes too ? as in, there?s a learning curve and Meghan is still figuring out what works within the show. Archetypes had a steep improvement the further people got within the pod, and I suspect that if Netflix greenlights a second WLM season ? which they should do ? Meghan will make some adjustments here and there, as she did on Archetypes.

Photos courtesy of Netflix.

Ione Skye was one of the original Cool Girls. Beautiful, the daughter of a ?60s icon, an underrated actress, star of the cult favorite Say Anything, and ended up married to a Beastie Boy. She?s lived a huge life with tons of famous friends, and she?s written a memoir which is out this week. It?s called Say Everything, and she details why her marriage to Adam Horovitz ended, how she had an intense teenage relationship with Anthony Kiedis (omg) and how she and John Cusack slept together years after they filmed Say Anything. OMG. Some highlights from her People Mag interview:

Her famous friends: ?I?m a little nervous,? Skye tells PEOPLE of name-checking so many celebs in the book. But she also says that at her age, she?s found peace with telling the truth about her life and career. ?I think as you get older, you feel freer just taking chances creatively and not worrying so much about everybody being happy. Or worrying about looking like a fool. I definitely don?t want to hurt anyone. But some people I named in the book have read it, and luckily everyone has loved it.?

She slept with John Cusack. Skye had always maintained that while they had crushes on each other during filming, they never hooked up on set. In the book, she divulges that they eventually did sleep together, albeit years later. ?I had to get it out of my system,? she writes in the book, of getting together with him after her divorce from her first husband, Adam Horovitz. She says she allowed Cusack to read a draft of her memoir, and afterward, he texted her: ?You made the experience sound so meh! It wasn?t ?meh? for me,? he told her. ?I was like, I?m telling a story, and it was more about how all of our chemistry was in our working together and stimulating each other?s minds, not sleeping together!? Skye says, adding with a laugh, ?I felt a little bad, but, oh well.?

Her friend River Phoenix: ?River ended up being a brother to me, but I remember at the time thinking, ?Oh I?m in love with him!? I couldn?t wait to do my kissing scene with him. He was just delicious.’?

Her relationship with Anthony Kiedis: She also goes into her tumultuous relationship with rocker Anthony Kiedis, who she dated when she was 16 and he was 24 and struggling with a heroin addiction. Skye also had an abortion after getting pregnant by him in her late teens. ?I?m not in touch with him,? she admits, admitting that she?s a little nervous over what he?ll think of the book.

Falling for Adam Horovitz: Skye also opens up about meeting and falling for Horovitz when she was 20, and what it was like being part of the ?It Couple? of the early ?90s. The duo got married in 1992, but during their union, Skye discovered her bisexuality and entered into a series of affairs, including one with model Jenny Shimizu, the author reveals. They eventually divorced in 2000, and Horovitz later married Bikini Kill singer Kathleen Hanna. ?I wrote to Adam,? Skye says, of letting him know he?d be in the book. ?He?s private, but also such a big part of my story so he couldn?t not be in it.?

Her husband of 15 years, Aussie rocker Ben Lee. ?My husband, yeah, he knew everything,? Skye says of Lee, 46. ?I mean, he?s kind of amazing. I don?t think anything ruffled his feathers except that I spent so much time ruminating on a lot of the early chapters, and then by the time I got to the end and his chapters, I was sort of rushing through it. And he was like, wait a minute, wait a minute. I?ve been by your side this whole time and you can?t rush through my part!?

[From People]

I?m trying to figure out the timeline ? it?s likely that Ione and John Cusask slept together in the early ?00s? She said it was after her divorce from Horovitz, which happened in 2000. I?m just trying to figure out if Cusack was still hot, and he probably was. Because for more than a decade, John Cusack was a pretty major crush for many women. We lost something as a country when Cusack stopped playing the romantic lead in films. He and Ione had so much chemistry, but?he always had chemistry with all of his leading ladies. I also didn?t know the Anthony Kiedis stuff? that?s gross, and as the years go by, we?ll find out more and more about Kiedis and his love of teenagers.

Photos courtesy of kpa Publicity/Avalon/Avalon, Cover Images. Book cover courtesy of Simon & Schuster.

On Monday, Donald Trump once again announced a series of massive tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China. I say ?once again? because we already went through this a month ago, and Trump backed down like an idiot drama queen. This week?s tariff announcement immediately tanked the stock market, with the Dow dropping 700 points on Tuesday, sending global markets into a tailspin. Hours before Trump?s State of the Union address, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed the international media and the American public:

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday called American tariffs ?very dumb? and said that U.S. President Donald Trump is appeasing Russia while launching a trade war against Canada. In a blunt news conference during his final days in office, Trudeau said that Canada would plaster retaliatory tariffs on more than $100 billion of American goods in response to Trump?s 25% tariffs.

?Today the United States launched a trade war against Canada, their closest partner and ally, their closest friend. At the same time, they are talking about working positively with Russia, appeasing Vladimir Putin, a lying, murderous dictator. Make that make sense,? a visibly angry Trudeau said.

Trump imposed tariffs against Washington?s three biggest trading partners, drawing immediate retaliation from Mexico, Canada and China and sending financial markets into a tailspin. Just after midnight, Trump put 25% taxes, or tariffs, on Mexican and Canadian imports, though he limited the levy to 10% on Canadian energy.

?What he wants to see is a total collapse of the Canadian economy because that will make it easier to annex us,? Trudeau said. ?That is never going to happen. We will never be the 51st state. I want to speak directly to one specific American, Donald. It?s not in my habit to agree with the Wall Street Journal, but Donald, they point out that even though you?re a very smart guy, this is a very dumb thing to do.?

Later Tuesday, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the U.S. would likely meet Canada and Mexico ?in the middle,? with an announcement coming as soon as Wednesday.

Lutnick told Fox Business News that the tariffs would not be paused, but that Trump would reach a compromise. ?I think he?s going to figure out, you do more, and I?ll meet you in the middle in some way,? Lutnick said.

[From The AP]

It?s the immediate backtrack by Lutnick for me ? that?s exactly what happened a month ago. Trump announced tariffs, Trudeau and Mexico?s President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo reacted with anger and disgust, and Trump backed down. At the SOTU last night, Trump also promised to do it again next month, to add even more tariffs on April 2nd. Here?s the thing ? while it?s great to see average, everyday citizens to protest Trump and the Republicans, the Trump cultists are not going to stop this sh-t until they hear from the business class, their donors and the only political base they care about. Rupert Murdoch is trying to communicate with Trump through the Wall Street Journal, and I have to wonder when the Republican donor class will flat-out demand that Trump quit the theatrics. As for Trudeau? I feel so sorry for all of America?s allies, especially Canada. It?s like they?re just trying to exist and the crackheads who live in the basement keep breaking into their apartment to steal sh-t.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

On Tuesday, March 4, the Duchess of Sussex?s cooking/lifestyle show, With Love, Meghan, began streaming on Netflix. Something else happened too: Meghan?s As Ever site was updated with some products which will be available for order in the ?Spring.? So we have a list of what As Ever-branded products will be on offer: Raspberry Spread in Keepsake Packaging; Limited Edition Wildflower Honey; Flower Sprinkles; Herbal Hibiscus Tea; Herbal Peppermint Tea; Herbal Lemon Ginger Tea; Crepe Mix and Shortbread Cookie Mix.

As I?ve been watching With Love, Meghan, and I?m so into how she just throws things together and makes it look effortless. I was once again SHOOK by how quickly she put together a ginger-lemon tea for her makeup artist Daniel, and I clocked how often she adds ?flower sprinkles? to her food. It?s great cross-promotion. Now we need an As Ever cookbook, dishware, teapots and candles! Anyway, in addition to the photos of the new merch, Meghan also sent out the first As Ever newsletter:

On March 4, the Duchess of Sussex, 43, sent out the newsletter with the subject line ?Welcome to As ever,? sharing the message under the header ?Welcome to the Joy.? The note ? sent on the day her lifestyle show With Love, Meghan premiered on Netflix ? was topped by a new photo of Meghan wearing a white dress and holding a mug before a field of lavender. She began the newsletter with ?Dear friend.?

?I am so happy to have you join me on this adventure. Some of you will remember receiving newsletters similar to this one back in 2014, when I founded The Tig,? the Duchess of Sussex wrote, referring to the original lifestyle blog she ran from 2014 to 2017.

?Though much has changed since then, so much has stayed the same. I still dance in my kitchen, experiment with recipes, get my hands dirty in the garden, laugh with friends over too many glasses of wine, and pivot from going out in a date night worthy dress to being cozy at home in sweats and a baseball cap. And on that note ? it?s not lost on me that I?ve worn a lot of hats in my life (pun intended) but as with the ethos of this brand name, I know that in so many ways, I, like all of us, remain ?as we?ve always been,? ? she said.

?With As ever, I trust you?ll feel this in every beat of what we?ve created. It is a line of products designed to make your everyday moments memories, to turn a basic breakfast into a beautiful snapshot of your life and to be kind to yourself and create a space for grace when it doesn?t all go according to plan,? she said in the newsletter. ?For me, it all started with jars of preserves I was canning with fruit I picked from my garden. It began, quite literally, with something sweet ? and through every twist and turn as a founder, it has become something even sweeter.?

?They say you have to break a lot of eggs to make an omelette ? and that is true. Sometimes they fall, sometimes they crack, and sometimes you don?t have enough eggs at all ? but I will tell you this much: no matter how many eggs break in the process, you can still end up with a pretty great omelette,? she wrote. ?Sometimes even better than you expected. There is so much more coming, and I can?t wait to share it with you.?

?Follow along @AsEverOfficial & @Meghan,? she wrote in close, linking to Instagram. ?As ever, Meghan.?

[From People]

I?m glad that As Ever is close to being launched and I hope she rides this all the way through with no stumbles from here. It?s a big help that Netflix has come on as her partner in As Ever, and I genuinely hope that a second season of WLM is being greenlighted as we speak. My minor note, if WLM does get a second season (it should, it is relatively cheap to produce and it?s got big buzz): focus more on cooking and baking? I love the lifestyle stuff, absolutely, but I?m amazed by how quickly she?s throwing together meals or tea or frittata, and she could spend a bit more time explaining what she?s doing and how.

Photos courtesy of Netflix, As Ever.

In this week?s People Magazine cover story, the Duchess of Sussex tells the magazine that the Sussex surname is very important to her because ?it?s our shared name as a family, and I guess I hadn?t recognized how meaningful that would be to me until we had children. I love that that is something that Archie, Lili, H and I all have together. It means a lot to me.? She also called ?Sussex? part of ?our love story.? I did not find this scandalous or notable at all ? the Sussex titles were given to Harry and Meghan by QEII, and King Charles either can?t remove them or doesn?t even want to try to remove the titles. The ?Sussex? title/name remains the only thing ?given? to Meghan which those people haven?t taken back, and it IS Meghan?s married name. Harry and Meghan bought the sussex.com domain name and they update everyone on their work there. They ARE the Sussexes and the Sussex family. But it?s become a thing this week, especially because Meghan emphasized her married name in the Mindy Kaling episode of With Love, Meghan:

Meghan Markle says she wants to be known from now on as Meghan Sussex. Meghan delivered the naming edict in the second episode of her otherwise studiously conflict-free show, With Love, Meghan, as she is talking to her guest, Mindy Kaling, the former star of The Office, about her childhood. Meghan is explaining how she was a ?latchkey? kid and ate a lot of microwaved food as a child, including Jack in the Box tacos. Kaling says: ?I don?t think anyone in the world knows that Meghan Markle has eaten Jack in the Box.?

The jolly upbeat music which accompanies almost every other second of the Netflix show actually stops and, in a split second, the atmosphere drops several degrees. A faux-amused Meghan stares very hard at the cucumber she is chopping and says, ?It?s so funny, too, that you keep calling me Meghan Markle. You know I?m Sussex now.?

Kaling looks genuinely worried, rather like, a Sussex staffer about to be ripped a new one by the boss, as Meghan, more in sorrow than in anger, talks Kaling through the concept of surnames, saying, ?When you have kids, you go, ?I share my name with my children and that feels so? I didn?t know how meaningful that would be to me, it just means so much, to go, ?This is our family name, our little family name.??

Kaling, who has three children, replies, ?Well, now I know?and I love it.?

The frosty incident occurs as Meghan and Kaling prepare cucumber sandwiches for a kids party with wedges of cucumber so thick they would have made the late Queen Elizabeth II blanch if they?d been served at Windsor Castle.

[From The Daily Beast]

This moment between Mindy and Meghan was also caught by various Daily Mail columnists too, as they all dished on how Meghan ?lost her temper? with Mindy or something. This reaction to that WLM moment is actually so revealing to me. I finally ?got? why Kensington Palace staffers are still weeping in closets over Meghan?s brief time in the UK. THIS is what freaks them out. Meghan gently correcting someone and/or stating a preference. That?s all it was ? Mindy used Meghan?s maiden name and Meghan was like, please use my married name, I?m Sussex now. This is what all of those ?bullying accusations? were about all along, this is why they?re still screaming about 5 am emails.

The whole ?our family name is Sussex? thing being turned into a controversy also reminds me of the drama with Archie?s birth certificate. Remember, initially Meghan was listed on her son?s birth certificate as ?Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.? Someone in Buckingham Palace or Kensington Palace went behind Meghan and Harry?s backs and removed ?Meghan? from the birth certificate and just left her title. It?s still mind-numbingly dehumanizing. Which is the whole goal of this ?Sussex surname? controversy ? to dehumanize Meghan and act as if she can?t or shouldn?t use her married name.

Photos courtesy of Netflix, Meghan?s IG.

There have been more than 160 reported measles so far cases in 2025. I say ?reported? because who knows how many infected people haven?t sought medical treatment. The disease, which the US declared eradicated in 2000, has been spreading quickly throughout the South Plains region of Texas and into New Mexico. As of Tuesday afternoon, Texas? infected rate is 159 and counting. It?s alarming, but not a surprise, considering Texas only has an 80% measles vaccination rate. According to the CDC, 95% of the 164 total measles cases in the US this year came from unvaccinated or unknown vaccine status individuals. (Note: The CDC updates everything Thursday, so those numbers are from February 27.)

Last week, we talked about who should get a measles booster. Healthcare professionals recommended that anyone who got their measles shot pre-1967 or who is unsure of the vaccination status get another MMR. I think the next question on everyone?s mind is whether or not you can get the measles even if you are vaccinated. According to infectious disease doctors, the answer is yes, you can, but it?s rare.

Can you still get measles after vaccination? Technically, yes, you can still get measles after vaccination. ?However, this is generally quite rare,? says Prathit Kulkarni, M.D., assistant professor of infectious diseases at Baylor College of Medicine. While the vaccine is considered effective, it?s not perfect. ?This is not 100%,? says Peter A. Zimmerman, Ph.D., professor of international health with the Case Western University Center for Global Health & Diseases.

Make sure you?ve gotten both MMR doses: Something else to consider: The MMR vaccine is given in two doses. ?If you just have one dose, it?s less effective than having both doses,? says John Sellick, D.O., an infectious disease expert and professor of medicine at the University at Buffalo.

What are the odds of getting measles if vaccinated? Every person?s immune response to the MMR vaccine is different, Dr. Sellick points out. ?There is always going to be someone who falls through,? he says. ?Why isn?t entirely clear.? But overall, one dose of the MMR vaccine is 93% effective against measles, while the recommended two doses are 97% effective at preventing the disease, per the CDC.

Even if you get the measles, it should be milder: ?If someone does get measles after vaccination, the disease is typically milder than if someone who is unvaccinated acquires the infection,? Dr. Kulkarni says. If you?re uncertain of your immune status, there is a blood test you can take. But Dr. Sellick points out that most people just rely on their vaccination history, given that it?s easier and faster.

Can adults catch measles from kids? Unfortunately, yes, adults can catch measles from kids. The measles virus can survive in the air and infected surfaces for up to two hours, making it easy to catch if you?re unvaccinated or don?t have immunity to the virus, Dr. Sellick says. Zimmerman agrees. ?The virus does not distinguish between adults and children,? he says. ?So, if an unvaccinated adult is exposed to a child with measles, they will likely get infected.?

About natural immunity: But adults don?t necessarily need to have been vaccinated to be immune to measles. Adults who were born before 1957 are presumed to be immune to the virus because nearly everyone was infected with measles during childhood before the MMR vaccine was available, Dr. Sellick explains. However, the CDC recommends that healthcare workers born before 1957 who don?t have laboratory evidence of immunity should consider getting two doses of the MMR vaccine. If you?ve been fully vaccinated against measles or know that you had it as a child, Dr. Sellick says you will likely be fine. ?I know I?m immune,? he says. ?I would have no problem taking care of a patient with measles.?

Who needs a measles booster? There are a few people who should consider a measles booster. People born between 1963 and 1967 may have received a less effective form of the measles vaccine, Zimmerman says. That?s why the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends getting re-vaccinated if this describes you. ?People who are uncertain about their vaccination status should get vaccinated,? Zimmerman says. But because the MMR vaccine is a live virus vaccine, people who are severely immunocompromised and those who are currently pregnant should not get it, Zimmerman says.

[From AOL]

This is all really great information to have. There are a seemingly infinite amount of things to be concerned about lately, so being reassured about the MMR vaccine?s efficiency is a huge relief and small comfort. And of course, those of us who can get vaccinated also do so to help protect people who aren?t able to. MMR protecting 97% from getting measles also explains why past outbreaks were able to be contained outside of communities with lower vaccination rates. It truly boggles the mind that some people would rather take their chances with cod liver oil, vitamins A and D, or even measles parties for ?natural immunity? than simply get a two-part shot that?s been proven to be safe and effective. I truly hope common sense prevails and we can get those vaccination rates back up to prevent these outbreaks from spreading in the future.

Embed from Getty Images

photos credit: Backgrid, Cover Images, Avalon.red, Getty and via Instagram

Last week, convicted Fyre Festival fraudster/organizer Billy McFarland made a big announcement about the second iteration of the festival. (Or first, if you consider that nothing but disaster happened on the first go round.) Billy truly promised that he?d worked out all the problems this time, in a 50-page plan he drew up during a seven-month stint in solitary, as part of the four years he spent in prison from the fallout of the original festival. Patron confidence restored! Anyway, Billy gave critical updates last week, like confirming the dates (May 30 ? June 2), location (Mexico?s Isla Mujeres), and hotels partnering with Fyre for reduced rates on accommodations. Guess who all these updates were news to? The Mexican tourism board, and hotels mentioned by name on Fyre?s website. As someone from the tourism board bluntly put it: ?this is an event that does not exist.? I guess contacting those folks are the kind of details that would?ve been addressed on a 51st page of his remastered plan.

Fyre Festival 2 ?does not exist? according to an official statement from the tourist board in Mexico, despite the event claiming it is ?real? on social media.

This comes after the festival and its founder, Billy McFarland, announced last month that its ?real return? would take place from May 30 to June 2 at Isla Mujeres, a tropical island off Canc?n, Mexico. Tickets went on sale this week, and prices range from $1,400 to $25,000. Premium packages are being priced as high as $1.1 million.

However, the tourist board and local officials have since claimed that no festival exists. Speaking to The Guardian, Edgar Gasca, from the tourism directorate of Isla Mujeres, said, ?We have no knowledge of this event, nor contact with any person or company about it. For us, this is an event that does not exist.?

Gasca was in Bogot?, Colombia for a tourism fair when he heard the news. He confirmed he had spoken to the minister for tourism in the state of Quintana Roo and the hotels listed as part of Fyre Festival 2, and none had been approached by the event.

The Guardian reached out to Impression Isla Mujeres, one of the luxury hotels at which Fyre promised accommodation, which claimed it had not received ?any approach or enquiry with regards to the event? and that it was investigating it.

?The organisers didn?t even bother to approach the authorities,? said Gasca. ?It?s very strange, because any manager knows that if you?re going to hold an event, let alone a massive event, you need municipal authorisation.

?I think they thought they would just announce it and see if it got traction, then ask for the permits halfway down the path,? Gasca added. ?It?s a bit of a naive way to think.?

[From NME]

I hope Billy has kept his prison uniform clean! Dios m?o. You guys, it?s just so dumb. Like, it?s so obviously dumb, that you?d think it was actually too dumb to happen (yet again!), which in turn I guess makes me the dumb one, in the end, for doubting the depths of dumb we?re plumbing in this timeline. As I?ve said before when covering Billy McFarland, maybe I would do better in this world if I were a bit more delusional. Maybe doing the same thing twice and expecting a different outcome isn?t crazy, after all! Or maybe some lunatic libs hired actors to impersonate the contacts quoted from the tourism board and hotels, all in a malevolent deep state plot to besmirch a bright young conman who will be president one day of the United States of America and Greenland. I legitimately don?t know anymore! But even in this cockeyed world, I still think it?s a pretty safe bet that I have a better shot having a guaranteed great time on my upcoming bargain-priced Caribbean vacation, than any of the poor saps souls shelling out their hard-inherited thousands to millions for Fyre Festival 2: The (Non) Reckoning.

Note by CB: After Kismet wrote this, Billy posted a video doubling down. He says the hotels gave misleading statements, that the team has this, and that he has all this in hand, guys!

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Photo note by CB: This is Hot Slut of The Era Phoebe Price posing ?with fake cash during a photoshoot at a Fyre Festival set up with Billy McFarland and Bella Hadid? and dated 1/30/19. (The original Fyre Festival was in late April, 2017.) RIP DListed. MK wherever you are, we miss you.

Photos credit: RC/Backgrid

The Hollywood Reporter gave newly minted Oscar winner Mikey Madison their digital cover this week, and they?re making a big deal about how it was a ?surprise? that she won. While we?ll never know for sure, I suspect that both of the lead categories were very tight races, and that Mikey only edged out Demi Moore by a small margin. Same with Adrien Brody?s win, although it?s possible Brody benefited from people splitting their votes between Timothee Chalamet and Ralph Fiennes. You never know! Anyway, Mikey is only 25 years old and Anora was her first lead role. She knocked it out of the park, and I was always rooting for her, but I also don?t know much about her. Her full name is Mikaela Madison Rosberg and she grew up in LA, the daughter of psychologists. She?s not on social media and she was home-schooled past seventh grade. THR interviewed her the day after her Oscar win and after she partied with her parents and brothers all night. Some highlights:

Whether it?s sunk in that she?s an Oscar winner: ?Absolutely not, no. I don?t know when it will. I?m still kind of floating in a dreamlike state. It was a very, very surreal night ? very interesting and obviously, celebratory and wonderful. But I think that I need time to really digest the magnitude of it.

She used to watch the Oscars: ?I did, yes, a bunch of times. When I was younger, it was just sort of a thing that we did every year.

She dreamt of winning an Oscar: ?I mean, of course. I?m such a big daydreamer. It kind of runs in my family; my dad is, too. So I?ve definitely gotten lost in random little pockets of dreams. I never thought that it would be a reality, but it was fun to think about.

Her whole family & team came to the Oscars: ?My twin brother, Miles, was sitting next to me. My little brother was there. One of my sisters, Natasha. My dad and my mom. And my team, of course.

Whether she genuinely believed she would win: ?Absolutely not. No, I didn?t. Absolutely not. Last-minute, I was like, ?I should just write down a bunch of names just in case ? even if only to just have a list of names for myself.? And I?m glad that I did, because I got to read them! But I would have wanted to be a little more studious and prepared.

She didn?t even practice a ?gracious loser? face: ?Oh, no. I mean, it?s just a celebration, you know? Even to get nominated is so unbelievable and amazing. And every performance that was recognized is worthy. To just be there in that room was spectacular. I was happy, you know? Obviously, I?m incredibly honored and deeply overjoyed and totally in shock and humbled. But no, it?s just a celebration.

Whether she?s processed the win: ?I didn?t process it, really. I was just sort floating five feet above the ground, really trying to be present. But in a moment like that, that is so spectacular, you?re just taking everything that comes at you at, like, 10-times speed ? but I also simultaneously felt like I was moving in slow motion. But it was such an honor to be given the award by her. I think her performance in Poor Things is one of the most incredible performances in history. She was very, very kind, yeah.

What she did after she won: ?There?s photos and things backstage, where I got to see the other acting honorees [Adrien Brody, Zoe Salda?a and Kieran Culkin], which was really fun; we?ve all been around the same places these last handful of months and become really friendly. And then you get the plaque for your Oscar [at the Governors Ball]. And then a couple of parties ? Vanity Fair, Neon and Guy Oseary ? and eating food, cutting a cake with my family. I was really concerned for [my parents]. They?re so sweet. I was like, ?I feel like it?s too loud for them here.? But they wanted to go wherever I went. I kept looking behind, like, ?Are you OK? Do you need anything? Do you need water?? Because I?ve never seen my parents up at like 3 a.m. before. (Laughs.) My brothers were fine, I was not worried about them.

Her fellow Best Actress nominees: ?Yes, I did [speak to them]. I saw Fernanda [Torres, of I?m Still Here] and we hugged. And I texted with Demi, who I adore. She?s one of the sweetest, kindest women I?ve ever met, and I?m so grateful that I was able to meet her and witness her brilliance and talent in person. I adore her and I can?t wait to see what she does next, what kind of characters she brings us. I think we?re all so ready and excited to see that.

[From THR]

That?s interesting, that she texted Demi. Demi and Mikey did the full awards circuit for months, to the point where they became friendly enough to exchange numbers. When Mikey won the Spirit Award (the weekend before the Oscars), she even went over to Demi and hugged her and kissed Demi?s dog Pilaf. So? Demi may or may not be heartbroken over the loss, but I believe that Demi and Mikey are probably fine with each other. At least I hope they are. Anyway, I like that Mikey is a bit withholding, a bit reluctant to share or overshare about her life ? she?s a rare 20-something actress who retains a bit of mystery and an unknowable quality. I hope big things happen for her.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Is Chelsea Handler dating Ralph Fiennes? I hope not. [JustJared]
Dolly Parton?s husband Carl Thomas Dean passed away. [Hollywood Life]
Maybe I?m alone here, but I bet Jeremy Strong was genuinely proud of his ?little brother? Kieran Culkin? It?s not always about Roy family dynamics. [LaineyGossip]
Maybe I?m alone here, but I thought the ?white women talk about politics? scene in The White Lotus was brilliantly written and acted. [Jezebel]
Maybe I?m alone here, but I do not think Bob Woodward framed Richard Nixon, which is apparently what Bill Murray believes. [Pajiba]
Dudes, never do this to a woman. [Buzzfeed]
I?m surprised that Madonna is still hosting her annual Oscar party. [Socialite Life]
Jon Stewart is banned from using ceramic at work. [Seriously OMG]
Sarah Paulson looked bonkers at the VF Oscar party. [RCFA]
Francis Ford Coppola did not appreciate his Razzie. [OMG Blog]

King Charles happily met Ukraine?s President Zelenskyy this weekend in Sandringham. Prime Minister Keir Starmer spearheaded a vivid show of solidarity with Ukraine, inviting European leaders and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to England over the weekend and doing photocalls and meetings around Ukraine. All of this was in response to the catastrophic meeting in the Oval Office last Friday between Zelenskyy, JD Vance and Donald Trump, a meeting in which Vance and Trump openly spouted Kremlin talking points as they lied and berated Zelenskyy. There are now widespread calls in the UK for King Charles to rescind his invitation to Donald Trump to make another state visit. I think people are missing the larger point? None of this is really Charles?s call, although he seems to be in lockstep with the Starmer government about how he and his ?royal soft power? should be deployed. The Times had this interesting piece about Charles?s moves, not only with Ukraine, but Canada as well:

Far from merely smoothing over the row between Trump and Zelensky, however, sources close to the King describe his current role as being three-fold: to show diplomacy in action by building bridges with America, by expressing continued European support for Ukraine and, last but not least, through his support for the Commonwealth realms.

The latter was seen in action when Charles met Justin Trudeau at Sandringham on Monday. The Canadian prime minister has had his own problems with the new US administration after Trump?s tariff threats. As King of Canada, Charles has an obligation to a country with which he has close ties. He visited 19 times before ascending the throne and has lifelong friends there. It was here, on a visit to Halifax in 2014, that the King, then Prince of Wales, shared his views on Putin, likening him to Hitler. The Kremlin was furious.

As monarch, Charles will need to be more subtle with his language. The palace knows that actions speak louder than words when they come from a monarch. Or rather, less is more.

The King has already deployed this method. Last month, a seemingly innocuous social media post on the official royal social media channels marked National Flag of Canada Day, not something the palace always commemorates. Coming during the height of Trump?s attack on Canada, however, those in the palace were aware of the power of such a message at such a time. In a signed, personal letter, Charles paid tribute to Canada as a ?proud, resilient and compassionate country?. The symbol of the maple leaf, he said, ?never fails to elicit a sense of pride and admiration as I recall with the deepest affection my many Canadian visits and friendships?.

A visit to Canada is surely overdue for a senior member of the royal family, so Trudeau will have been pleased to spend time discussing the issues of the day with the King. The meeting also showed that the King was determined to build transatlantic alliances of all kinds, not just with the US.

The King?s task is not an easy one. Aides not known for their hyperbole have noted privately that the past week has been an exceptional moment for royal diplomacy, and one not seen for years. Charles has been treading a diplomatic tightrope as he works to build alliances across countries while not breaching the political guardrails. The King is still undergoing treatment a year after his cancer diagnosis was announced. However, Charles is said to be determined to play a key diplomatic role at this crucial time.

A royal source said that the King was ?very conscious? of his global responsibility and unique diplomatic role and determined to put that to good use. The source said: ?It has been six days of royal diplomacy at its most delicate, deliberate and nuanced. His Majesty is very conscious of his responsibility globally, regionally and nationally ? and passionately engaged in all the detail.?

The source described the King?s audiences with Zelensky on Sunday and Trudeau on Monday as being ?routine but highly significant, given the global context?.

[From The Times]

While I obviously don?t know for sure, I would assume that the Starmer government brought these meetings and photocalls to Charles and asked him to do them, and Charles immediately said yes. It was probably Charles?s idea ? or his staff?s idea ? to bring Zelenskyy to Sandringham and to stage the intimate photo-op by the fire as well. It was probably Charles?s call to speak to Zelenskyy privately for several hours too. None of this is Charles acting independently though, that?s my larger point. Starmer is using Charles to pursue a larger strategy. To his credit, Charles has been doing this very well. Once again, it helps that Charles was the most well-traveled Prince of Wales in history and he has decades-long relationships across the world. All of this makes Prince William?s sad little storyline about ?Trump thinks Peggy is handsome, therefore Peggy is a global statesman? seem especially childish. Notice how they?re keeping William far away from these politically sensitive photo-ops and meetings too.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.