With all of the press around the Princess of Wales?s 43rd birthday last week, we were told emphatically that no one should expect to see Kate in public very often this year. Basically, Kate can be expected to attend a handful of daytime events like Trooping the Colour and Wimbledon, but I believe they?ll be able to keep her away from ?tiara events? for a while. It?s also clear that Kate has refused to do even a bare minimum of charitable visits for the time being. So only ?big events? and nothing where she could wear a tiara. It would be extremely funny if, with these new rules around Kate?s public appearances and lack of work, her first outing of the year would be a trip to the BAFTAs. It would be a particular kind of admission about Kate?s priorities. Of course, it would also be sort of funny if she didn?t turn up and William once again went solo. His solo trip to the BAFTAs last year was widely criticized, for good reason. Well, there?s a rumor going around the Daily Mail that Kate will make a triumphant return to work this year at the BAFTAs.

The Princess of Wales is set to make her biggest comeback to royal working life with a show- stopping appearance at next month?s Bafta film awards. Insiders at the awards say they are ?pulling out all the stops? to ensure the ceremony marks Kate?s triumphant return to the red carpet after her cancer ordeal. Bafta film committee chairman Anna Higgs says she is ?very hopeful? Kate will accompany husband William, the academy?s president, at London?s Royal Festival Hall on February 16.

An insider adds Bafta is ?throwing everything at securing? Kate?s presence, aware of the worldwide fanfare her arrival will herald.

Kate finished chemotherapy in September and said that she would focus on staying ?cancer-free?. Since then she has met families of the girls killed in the Southport knife attack, marked Remembrance Sunday and led her annual carol service at Westminster Abbey. But she has yet to return to the glamour of the red carpet.

The well-placed insider said: ?Bafta has close ties with William and Kate and is pulling out all the stops to try to secure Kate?s presence at this year?s awards. It sent her warmest wishes when she revealed her cancer diagnosis and hopes she will appear alongside William in what will be her big showbiz return since she?s been in recovery. Anything Bafta can do to work around Kate, it will do. William and Kate love to watch the nominated films beforehand and we know Kate enjoys meeting those working in the film industry. We have been told that she wouldn?t want to miss it, so she?s hoping to be there with William.?

[From The Daily Mail]

?William and Kate love to watch the nominated films beforehand.? He didn?t last year, which caused some issues as he suggested that a film about rape would have been ?fun? to act in. It?s not that I or anyone else expect the BAFTA president to watch every single film, but it?s bizarre that he couldn?t read a summary of the nominated films, right? As for Kate?s possible attendance, I love that everyone?s like, yeah, we?ve got to bribe her to do this kind of stuff now. We have to beg and pull strings and promise all kinds of sh-t to get her to put on a dress. I actually wonder if William even wants her to come to the BAFTAs?

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, will turn 60 years old on January 20th. You would think that all of the big birthday-keenery articles would have been saved for next weekend, closer to Sophie?s birthday. You would be wrong, especially since the Duchess of Sussex?s Netflix show was originally scheduled to come out on Wednesday (it has since been delayed). The timing here is important because the Sunday Times? birthday article on Sophie reads like one gigantic subtweet of the Sussexes. It?s less than remarkable at this point, how the Windsors rush to coordinate everything for an audience of one (Harry) and every story is somehow about the Sussexes. Some highlights from the Sunday Times:

Sophie?s birthday will be different than Meghan?s Netflix show! As the Duchess of Sussex returns to Netflix this week, cooking and entertaining in a new series, With Love, Meghan, another duchess is planning a low-key approach to a milestone in the less glossy surrounds of Surrey. The Duchess of Edinburgh will be 60 on January 20, a birthday she will spend ?privately? at Bagshot Park, the home she shares with Prince Edward, her husband of more than 25 years, and their three dogs: a cocker spaniel called Mole, and two black labradors, Teal and Teasel. Their children, Lady Louise Windsor, 21, and James, Earl of Wessex, 17, will send birthday wishes ? she from St Andrews University, where she is in her third year studying English, and he from boarding school in Oxfordshire, where he is studying for A-levels next summer.

Sophie is so unflashy: Beyond the customary acknowledgements on the royal social media channels, the advent of Sophie?s seventh decade will be marked with little fanfare, which is just how she likes it. Sophie has long been considered one of the monarchy?s ?safest pair of hands?. Doted on by the late Queen for her loyalty and unflashy approach to royal life, the fourth-hardest-working member of the family ? after, in order, Princess Anne, the King and Edward ? she clocked up 257 official engagements at home and abroad last year.

Family feuds: She has come to embody the ?keep calm and carry on? mantra that the monarchy desperately needs after being shaken by family feuds, Charles and the Princess of Wales?s cancer diagnoses and the continuing scandal around the Duke of York. William and Kate are big fans of Sophie and Edward, and vice versa. ?They get on very well,? said a Palace source. Palace insiders believe that under the next reign, William V will be eager for his aunt and uncle to play a more prominent role in public life. Their commitment is essential. Their children are unlikely to sign up to royal duties and the number of working royals will inevitably diminish as older members of the family ? such as the Duke of Kent, 89, the Duke of Gloucester, 80, and the Duchess of Gloucester, 78 ? hang up their boots.

Sophie is so humble! Ingrid Seward, the editor of Majesty magazine and Edward?s biographer, said: ?With Sophie, it?s not all about her. She was one of the first ?outsiders? who came into the royal family and realised it?s about all of ?them? working together as a team. She really gets that and doesn?t want praise heaped on her.?

Sophie asks questions! A former Palace aide who knows Sophie well said: ?She?s tough, she knows her own mind and will argue her corner. There was always a danger people underestimated her but she stood up for herself, for Edward, for them as a couple.? Recalling their diary meetings when engagements for the year ahead were planned, the aide said: ?Edward would say OK to most things, but she would ask, ?What are we doing that for? What?s the value in it?? She wanted to know what they were doing was actually useful.?

QEII thought Sophie was boring: Seward says: ?Sophie wasn?t from that world. She?d never encountered anything like the royal family and was very nervous, shy and tongue-tied when she first met the Queen, who as a result thought she was a bit dull and told a friend: ?You wouldn?t notice her in a crowd.? But the more she saw of her, the more she liked her, especially as she made a big effort with Prince Philip, learning to ride, taking up carriage driving. The Queen always liked people who could deal with her husband. Sophie might be low-key but she?s a lot smarter than people give her credit for.?

Sophie & Edward were overshadowed: A source who has known the royal family for years said: ?Sophie and Edward were overshadowed because bigger stars in the family came along, and I think at times she did mind that. But she was always pragmatic about their place in the hierarchy, unlike some others in the family. The King and Queen are much more understanding and aware of the role they have been playing, and as they?ve come more into the spotlight, the rest of the family have appreciated that more. The [late] Queen always knew it. Sophie is a proper asset.?

[From The Times]

There?s something so hilariously performative about the way Sophie and the rest of the Windsors organize these kinds of stories about how they?re all so humble and hard-working. ?But she was always pragmatic about their place in the hierarchy, unlike some others in the family.? Who are ?some others,? huh? One of the headlines, for me, is that Sophie feels like she?s done enough to suck up to Prince William and Kate, so much so that her future within the Firm is secure (because no one else will be left for William?s reign). Sophie is one of the last ones standing and she makes it sound like she?s winning some huge prize.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

Robbie Williams isn?t really a thing here in America. I?m sure he has some fans here, but there?s something about him which simply didn?t translate from the UK to America. He?s a HUGE pop star in the UK and throughout Europe, and I believe he?s big in Asia and Australia as well. I could see how some people would have believed that Robbie is big enough to do a general bio-pic, but I?m flabbergasted at the series of bad decisions which led people to convince themselves that Robbie needed a high-concept pseudo bio-pic in which he plays himself, except he?s a chimpanzee. Bonkers concept, and of course absolutely no one wanted to see it.

Another newcomer, Paramount?s musical biopic ?Better Man,? in which a CGI monkey portrays the British singer Robbie Williams, hit all the wrong notes with a paltry $1 million from 1,291 venues, albeit a smaller screen count than the average nationwide release. The film, directed by ?The Greatest Showman?s? Michael Gracey, captures the rise of the best-selling local artist through the lens of a chimp because, as Williams puts it, he always felt ?less evolved than other people.? Even across the pond, where Williams is more well known than he is in the States, ?Better Man? faltered with $1.9 million to start and $4.7 million to date. Those ticket sales aren?t a good sign for commercial prospects, although ?Better Man? has been well reviewed.

?Better Man? was produced independently for roughly $110 million and acquired by Paramount for $25 million. Musical biopics have been on the upswing, with films about Amy Winehouse, Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Whitney Houston and Bob Dylan in theaters in just the past three years, but some (?Back to Black? was another misfire) are destined to sing off key at the box office.

?Robbie Williams played by a digitally animated chimpanzee [is] an outlandish choice. For anyone complaining that the industry plays it too safe, this is your movie,? says Gross. ?The risk-taking is excellent, but $110 million is not realistic for the genre and for this musical artist. $25 to $30 million would have made more sense.?

?Better Man? opened in 14th place, way behind specialty releases that were playing in far fewer locations. A24?s ?The Brutalist.?

[From Variety]

They lost me at ?produced independently for roughly $110 million.? These people are lunatics!! WTF?? I could actually understand (maybe) doing an animated film about a pop star who is beloved outside of America. I could also understand doing a straight bio-pic or maybe even just a documentary or docuseries ? I would actually watch a docuseries about Robbie Williams? life and career. But blowing through $110 million on a fruity bio-pic where ?Robbie? is played by an animated monkey?? Come on. What the hell were these people thinking?

Photos courtesy of Better Man?s IG and Cover Images.

There have been several moments over the past six years or so where I find myself agog by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex?s unlucky timing. Some examples: QEII?s death just a few months before their Netflix docuseries was released and Spare was supposed to be released (Spare ended up being slightly delayed, with some rewrites); the Sussexes sitting down with Oprah just as Prince Philip?s health was circling the drain; and right now, just days away from Netflix?s release date for With Love, Meghan, and Southern California has been devastated with widespread wildfires. It sucks ? these are acts of god, and it just feels like seriously bad luck every time the Sussexes have something happening.

Over the weekend, the rumors began in the Daily Mail and Daily Beast that Meghan or Netflix would delay With Love, Meghan?s release because of the Southern California fires. The Daily Beast even said that Meghan?s show was filmed ?just up the road? from the fires ? meaning 90 miles away. I understood how the optics were not great, but I also believed that WLM was always intended as light, uncomplicated escapism, which is always needed at any given moment. Netflix didn?t see it that way and neither did Meghan. WLM has been delayed until March:

Meghan Markle has decided to postpone the release date of her new Netflix series With Love, Meghan, as wildfires continue to devastate her hometown of Los Angeles.

At the request of Meghan, and with the full support of Netflix, the release of the series ? a heartfelt tribute to the beauty of Southern California ? has been moved from its previously announced Jan. 15 premiere date to March 4, due to the ongoing devastation caused by the Los Angeles wildfires.

?I?m thankful to my partners at Netflix for supporting me in delaying the launch, as we focus on the needs of those impacted by the wildfires in my home state of California,? Meghan said in a statement on Sunday, Jan. 12.

California is especially meaningful to the Duchess of Sussex, 43. She now resides in Montecito with her husband, Prince Harry and their children, Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3, but she was also born and raised in Los Angeles. Her new series, With Love, Meghan, includes thoughtful nods to her home state and her strong connection to it.

The couple welcomed friends and loved ones who were forced to evacuate into their Montecito, Calif., home, PEOPLE previously confirmed. Through their Archewell Foundation, they are working to identify the most effective ways to support the community during this crisis.

[From People]

If this is what she thinks she needs to do, then sure, I support it. I would have found a way to support it if she still wanted to release the series this week as well. I just hate that those motherf?kers at the Mail and the Daily Beast were right when they suggested a delay would be in the cards. A silver lining might be that Meghan now has more time to promote the series and possibly get American Riviera Orchard up and running.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, screencaps courtesy of Fox affiliate.

Jennifer Garner has lived in and close to the Pacific Palisades for 25 years. She has a beautiful house there that she?s super proud of and is a big part of the community. Like the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Jen also volunteered at the World Food Kitchen?s relief center in the Palisades on Friday. Katy Tur, who also calls the area her ?hometown,? pulled Jen and Chef Jos? Andr?s aside for a pretty emotional interview. While Jen?s home was spared, she has friends who were not so lucky. She can name at least ?100 friends who lost their homes.? Sadly, another friend, whom she knew from church, didn?t make it out in time.

Jennifer Garner says she lost a friend as destruction tore through her Los Angeles neighborhood amid the Palisades and Eaton fires.

On Friday, Jan. 10, the actress, 52, spoke candidly on MSNBC alongside World Central Kitchen?s Chef Jos? Andr?s and anchor Katy Tur about the death of one of her friends from her church.

?I did lose a friend, and for our church, it?s really tender so I don?t feel like we should talk about it yet,? Garner said, her voice cracking. ?I did lose a friend. She didn?t get out in time.?

Garner was working alongside Andr?s as a volunteer at one of his several pop-up locations around Los Angeles County to feed evacuees who fled the fires.

?My heart bleeds for my friends,? Garner continued. ?I mean, I can think of 100 families, and there are 5,000 homes lost. I can ? without even [thinking] ? I could just write out a list of 100 friends who lost their homes.?

?I feel almost guilty walking through my house,? she continued. ?You know, what can I do? How can I help? What can I offer? What do I have to offer with these hands and these walls and the safety that I have??

The mom-of-three was photographed serving food to firefighters battling the blaze through World Central Kitchen.

Elsewhere in the interview, Garner praised Andr?s, 55, and his mission to help serve the community through World Central Kitchen amid the tragic fires.

?It is an incredible thing to watch,? Garner told Tur, 41. ?World Central Kitchen and Chef Jos? just come in and? ?We?ve got you. We?ve got this handled. Don?t worry.? ?

?I?ve lived in and around the Palisades for 25 years, so I just think all of us, we want to get our hands into working, somehow, to be helpful,? she added. ?And because of my work with Save The Children, we have a relationship with the chef, and I was able to just say, ?Can I be with you for the day? What can I do to help? Put me to work.? ?

[From People]

This is so devastating. All of the stories coming out of Los Angeles right now are just terrible. Like I said above, Jen?s interview with Katy is really emotional. At points, she struggles to get through it without crying, especially as she describes what a tight knit community her neighborhood was by comparing it to Sesame Street. My heart breaks for everyone in each of the areas and communities that have been destroyed.

Jen was also there with the charity Save the Children, of which she serves on the Board of Directors. They?re going to be visiting shelters and other locations to help parents and children with social/emotional support, which is going to be so, so important in the challenging days ahead. There are a lot of resources out there of places to donate to in order to help the victims. I think both ABC and CBS have good lists with a variety of different organizations. GoFundMe also has a section of verified fundraisers to help prevent scams.

photos credit: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Avalon

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex unexpectedly turned up in Pasadena, California on Friday, where they donated their time to volunteer at a relief center for victims of the horrific Southern California wildfires. The fires are being considered the most destructive in LA history, and it will take years for Californians to rebuild. Thousands of people have lost everything. Meghan and Harry already posted links to resources for the wildfires and they confirmed that they have opened their Montecito mansion to friends who evacuated the fires. The relief center was part of World Central Kitchen?s hub to support victims and get people hot meals. Harry and Meghan greeted Chef Jose Andres with hugs, and they also spent some time with Pasadena?s Mayor Victor Gordo, who sang their praises in interviews.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are doing their part to help those impacted by the deadly wildfires in Southern California. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who live about 90 miles north of the L.A. area, visited the World Central Kitchen in Pasadena, Calif., to help distribute food and supplies to victims of the Eaton Fire on Friday, Jan. 10.

PEOPLE understands that they focused on discreetly supporting wildfire relief efforts, witnessing both harrowing stories and strong community spirit. They donated essential supplies, served meals with World Central Kitchen and connected with affected families and elderly individuals.

Alongside Jennifer Siebel Newsom, California?s First Partner, and Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo, they thanked first responders, including L.A. County firefighters and police.

Later, they met with World Central Kitchen founder Jos? Andr?s at the food stations to praise relief teams. Through their Archewell Foundation, they?ve also contributed monetary donations and plan to continue supporting recovery and rebuilding efforts with future visits. In footage published by local news outlet FOX 11, the pair were joined by Andr?s and were seen with conversing with Gordo and fellow volunteers.

?It?s great people, great personalities and great heart for them to come out here and meet with the first responders, meet with the people who were affected,? Gordo told the news station. ?It?s very important.?

He added that Harry, 40, and Meghan, 43, ?really buoyed the spirits of the first responders,? during their visit. Meghan, who was born in raised in L.A., and Harry?s time in Pasadena included a stop at the command post at the Rose Bowl, where ?people were very happy to see them,? Gordo said.

?They want to be as helpful as they can be ? we visited with some of the affected families in some of the burned-out areas in Pasadena and Altadena. They took the time to meet the people that are affected and spent time. They?re just very caring people who are concerned for their friends and neighbors.?

He noted that Meghan and Harry, whose Archewell Foundation has longstanding ties with World Central Kitchen and Andr?s, visited the center ?anonymously? earlier Friday.

?No one knew they were serving food with masks,? said the mayor. Harry and Meghan?s appearance was not for ?publicity,? Gordo said, adding that they wanted to ?work.?

?We went to visit some of the families in the impacted area and view firsthand some of the impacted area and then they wanted to go visit the first responders and personally thank them for their efforts to help our families and their neighbors,? he added.

[From People]

Not that this is important in the grand scheme of things, but last year, Jose Andres joined the board of Earthshot, and sources close to Prince William wouldn?t shut up about how William poached one of the Sussexes? allies, and how Andres? ?defection? to William?s ?side? was ?humiliating? for the Sussexes. Andres went on to happily pose with Harry when they were both in New York for the Clinton Global Initiative, and the Sussexes are clearly still tight with Andres and WCK. Superficial note: I love Harry?s California bear hat, and I love that Meghan wore her LA cap. The LA Fox affiliate called Meghan ?Princess Markle? ? LMAO!!!!

Pasadena mayor Victor Gordo found Prince Harry sitting with an elderly evacuee at the Convention Center who requested a donut rather than the healthier snacks on hand. Harry raced off & 10 minutes later returned with a donut for him & the man never knew who he was. #ShowUpDoGood pic.twitter.com/ntZ18Hlwgj

? R.S. Locke / Royal Suitor (@royal_suitor) January 11, 2025

Screencaps courtesy of Fox affiliate, Sky News.

Last week, just hours after the Palisades fire began its rampage through thousands of acres of densely populated Los Angeles, Kim Kardashian?s Skims company ran a series of social media posts about the company?s winter sales. Given that Kim and most of her family live in LA County and given that Skims is mostly an LA-based company, you would think that the social media people would be more engaged in what?s going on in their area. So, mistakes were made and the company looked tone-deaf, as did Kim (even though she probably wasn?t sending out those sales alerts). To make up for it, Skims announced that they are donating clothing, underwear and necessities to victims of the wildfires.

Kim Kardashian?s SKIMS clothing brand is donating clothing and other necessities to families affected by the Los Angeles wildfires that have destroyed large portions of the area this week.

?We have donated to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation providing critical resources to the heroic first responders protecting our city,? the reality star and businesswoman wrote on her Instagram Story Friday. ?Additionally, we are making a sizable donation of underwear, clothing, and socks to Baby2Baby to help those displaced by the fires.?

Baby2Baby is a nonprofit organization that provides children in need with diapers, clothing and other basic necessities.

?As our community faces the devastation of the Los Angeles fires, our hearts are with all those impacted, and we are committed to helping during this challenging time,? Kardashian, 44, penned on another Story slide. She urged fans to donate to the cause as well.

?Together, we can bring hope and relief to those who need it most,? she noted.

Her announcement comes after she was slammed for being ?tone-deaf? while promoting her SKIMS winter sale this week.

Kardashian and her family were not immediately in danger when the original Palisades Fire erupted on Tuesday, as they live in the Calabasas and Hidden Hills area of Los Angeles, which is northwest of the Palisades.

[From Page Six]

At first, I honestly thought Kim was being slammed for donating underwear, but no, it was all about the sales alerts. People will think the worst of Kim and her family, but those Skims donations will help. People have lost everything, and having clean underwear and a fresh pair of sweatpants will make someone feel a little bit better, you know? Also: according to TMZ, most of the Kardashian clan had to evacuate from Hidden Hills, the gated community where many of them have homes.

Photos courtesy of Kim?s IG.

During the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, Mandy Moore was a prominent actor on the picket line. She was extremely vocal about how actors were being screwed over by streaming companies, specifically in regards to the residuals issue. It was an eye-opening moment for me ? Mandy Moore has been around for years, working as a singer and actress on some bigger projects. She?s worked on Disney films and she had a long-running, award-winning gig on a network drama for years. People thought she had millions in the bank, but the SAG strike showed that a lot of well-known actors have nowhere near the kind of money they should have.

Well, Mandy just lost much of her home in the Southern California wildfires. While her property hasn?t been reduced to ash and cinder, it is uninhabitable. Her brother-in-law and sister-in-law lost their home in the fires too, as did many of Mandy?s friends and former coworkers. Last week, she shared some information on her social media, including a GoFundMe to help her in-laws. She was criticized for being a ?rich actress? and asking for people to donate to her family, because people are ridiculous, cruel and stupid. She ended up clapping back on those critics:

Mandy Moore is one of the many celebrities who suffered extensive damage in the L.A. fires. Amid documenting the fire?s ravages on her Instagram page, she shared a GoFundMe page for her in-laws whose home burned down. The campaign initially sought to raise $60,000 but has since raised $176,000 and counting.

?Yesterday, my brother-in-law and sister-in-law Griff & Kit lost their home and everything they own in the Eaton Fire,? Moore wrote in the caption. ?With their first baby on the way in a matter of weeks, they need our support now more than ever. Griff is a touring musician and also lost his entire arsenal of drums/percussion he uses to make a living. It?s all so much. So many have asked how to help during this unimaginable and stressful time?Please consider donating and sharing to help them rebuild.?

Moore?s decision to share the GoFundMe campaign resulted in backlash from critics claiming the ?This Is Us? star should just donate her own money to support her in laws. Social media users began sharing a Celebrity Net Worth statistic claiming Moore?s net worth is $14 million as proof that she allegedly has more than enough money to help her in laws without asking for help. Moore addressed the backlash in her caption.

?People questioning whether we?re helping out our own family or attributing some arbitrary amount of money Google says someone has is NOT helpful or empathetic,? Moore wrote. ?Of course we are. Our buddy Matt started this GoFundMe and I?m sharing because people have asked how they can help them. We just lost most of our life in a fire too. Kindly F OFF. No one is forcing you to do anything.?

Moore shared that although the main part of her home was still standing, it wasn?t livable and the property?s studios, garage and guest house were lost. Billy Crystal, Miles Teller, Paris Hilton, Jeff Bridges and more lost their properties in the blazes, as did Moore?s longtime ?This Is Us? co-star Milo Ventimiglia.

[From Variety]

I brought up the issue at the heart of the SAG strike for a reason ? just because ?Celebrity Net Worth? says Mandy Moore is worth $14 million, doesn?t make it so. She made it clear during the strike that while she?s grateful to have had some good-paying jobs in her career, she?s just a jobbing actress, like most actors. Her biggest asset was probably her house, and it just went up in smoke. I wish people would stop trying to armchair-gatekeep a horrific tragedy like this, a tragedy which has affected a huge swath of people in many different tax brackets.

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A post shared by Mandy Moore (@mandymooremm)

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Instagram.

Why did Michelle Obama skip Jimmy Carter?s state funeral? Her office cited a ?scheduling conflict,? but she?s apparently still on vacation in Hawaii. I mean, it?s not some huge mystery ? she did not want to interact with the Trumps. [Buzzfeed]
Anne Hathaway for Oscar de la Renta to a Bulgari event. [RCFA]
Robert Pattinson was jazzed to meet Adrien Brody. [Socialite Life]
Jennifer Lopez was circulating on the awards circuit last weekend, and there was a Maid In Manhattan reunion with Ralph Fiennes. [LaineyGossip]
You could not pay me to reveal some of these things. [Pajiba]
Photos from the New York Critics Circle Awards. [Go Fug Yourself]
I could never live like this (in a Victorian). [OMG Blog]
Pamela Anderson reveals that she barely talks to Tommy Lee these days. [Just Jared]
Hollywood Squares has been delayed because of the fires. [Seriously OMG]
Happy birthday to Renee Rapp. [Hollywood Life]

Another example of Michelle Obama being the smartest person in American politics. She knew what her seat assignment would have been and said ? Jimmy Carter, of all people, would understand me sitting this one out. pic.twitter.com/XDt9qAIA9X

? Tim Smith (@tsmith32) January 9, 2025

Michelle Obama said ?not today? pic.twitter.com/B6H1Ji56va

? mistergeezy.bksy.social (@mistergeezy) January 9, 2025

As I?ve mentioned in some of the awards-nominations posts, I?m so happy that Russian actor Yura Borisov is being nominated for his wonderful performance in Anora. So far, he?s picked up Supporting Actor nominations at the Golden Globes, SAGs, Gothams, Spirit Awards, plus he?s won or been nominated for a bunch of critics? awards. Yura is a well-known and acclaimed actor in Russia, and Anora is his first American film. Most of his work in Anora is so subtle ? a half-smirk here, a longing stare there. While he doesn?t look super-appetizing in photos, he?s incredible in motion. Yura has been around for the whole awards season, and People Magazine did an exclusive interview with him. His English is great, and he seems to be enjoying himself. Some highlights from People:

Yura had no idea who director Sean Baker was: ?I didn?t know Sean [Baker] before our first meeting, and I didn?t know his films, because ? my bad,? Borisov tells PEOPLE, before adding that he?s glad to have now met him. ?It is better than some awards for me, because now I have this person in my life, and I?m happy about this.? During the encounter, the actor recalls asking Baker where he could find his previous movies. ?Sean is very open person and he just answered, ?Okay, I?ll send you links to my films and we will discuss it next time,? ? he shares. ?Another director could say, ?Oh, you don?t know my films?? ?

Born & raised in Russia: Borisov may be taking over the American film scene, but his roots go back to Russia. The actor was born on Dec. 8, 1992 in the town of Reutov, which is located in Moscow Oblast, on the outskirts of Moscow. Speaking about the reaction from his hometown, the actor says his family is ?crazy proud? of him. ?They are so proud of me,? the actor shares, ?and it?s most important for me that I don?t need to show them some results for [them to be] proud.?

?Anora? is a big moment in Russia: ?For a lot of people in Russia who work in art, it is a very important moment of our life ? all these awards and nominations. A lot of people are very proud. They write me about this and call. I meet someone on the street and every time [they share] how important it is for them. I feel that it?s not mine. Of course it?s happening with me, and with Mark [Eydelshteyn], Maria Tichinskaya and Aleksei [Serebryakov]. Russian actors.?

Whether he thinks Anora and Igor end up together. ?It?s not important,? Borisov says when asked if he thinks his character Igor and sex worker Anora end up together after the movie?s ambiguous ending. ?It is impossible. We could do a big film about only one day, one day after this day, for example, and it could be a great film too.? Ultimately, his decision to not share his own interpretation is out of respect for the audience, as he wants to ?give them this ground of thinking about what?s possible?No, they are not going together. No, of course they?re going together,? he imagines people saying, before adding that he?d probably ?kill? all these potential conversations if he gave a straightforward answer.

He told Mikey Madison to really hit him hard in one scene: ?It?s funny because you could see on screen that it?s real, and you could feel that moment. Why we like video from internet, and some reels or shorts, is because it?s a reality. You see it, you feel it, and in one second, you are inside the screen, inside the situation. And I liked when she punched me. I can stand the pain.? Speaking with PEOPLE, Borisov praises Madison as a ?brilliant actress and person.?

[From People]

If you?ve seen Anora, there are two scenes which basically solidified several awards campaigns ? the setpiece altercation in the living room, and the last scene in the car. Those scenes are why Yura and Mikey are getting so much recognition. Anyway, as I was going through the photos, I was so pleased to see that Yura has been doing so much promotion and he?s been showing up for all of the Hollywood events. While he?s not a neophyte to the actor?s life, doing all of this in America must be so wild for him.

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Getty.