* I don’t want to admit this, as I’ve very much enjoyed the DomLil fling, but I think we might have to reconcile the fact that this once simmering affair has been put on ice. Should it be revived, you can trust that you’ll read all about it in Celebricate. But for now, we bid Dominick West, Lily James, and Catherine’s castle a fond farewell!
* Dionne Warwick made waves on Twitter earlier this week for being freaking adorable, questioning, among other things: Chance the Rapper, why Millennials feel the need to “scream” everything, and why the Weeknd can’t spell his name correctly. (True tears when her son scolded her for being too sassy on her feed and she replied with, “Good luck getting into my house with a working key.”) The national treasure turns 80 tomorrow, December 12th, and we should all raise a glass (or tweet) in her honor! Keep ‘em coming, Ms. Warwick!
* In addition to getting (and staying) salty about The Crown, the future (future) king and queen also went on a maskless tour throughout England, Scotland, and Wales onboard the Royal Train this past week. The purpose of said tour, ironically, was to thank those working on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. If William and Kate really wanted to thank those on the front lines, they would set an example and STAY THE FUCK HOME. Also, if you’re going to wantonly defy shelter-in-place orders and travel unnecessarily to places that did not want or ask you to visit, the very, very least you can do is WEAR A MASK while you’re there! But sure, Netflix is the problem.
* Speaking of entitled people who learn nothing from their actions, Olivia Jade is back! The disgraced daughter of Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli, both serving (luxury) jail time for their roles in the infamous Varsity Blues Scandal, sought out an audience on Jada Pinkett Smith’s Red Table Talk in a bid to begin her redemption tour. Let me repeat: Olivia, a white woman, asked for help to repair her reputation from three (extremely gracious) black women. Where Olivia also had the nerve to say she feels like she “deserves” a second chance and does not want to be “punished or shamed.” The best part of this is Jada’s mom, Adrienne Banfield-Jones, who unabashedly said she fought Giannulli’s appearance on RTT “tooth and nail.” Here’s my challenge to Olivia – eek your way back into the world of Instagram influencers, because that’s all but a given, and spend the rest of your time there highlighting and donating all of your proceeds to uplifting black voices. Do you really want that “second chance”? Then use your platform for good and earn a seat at that table.
* There is a sexy new movie out about… Colonel Sanders?! It’s taken me all week to process this and I’m still not convinced that Lifetime isn’t trolling us. But it is real. Yes, friends, you can watch a “mini-movie” called Recipe for Seduction, a Lifetime/KFC collaboration this weekend. Honestly, I’m here for it, especially the line, “The secret is out, Chicken Man.” At this point, I believe this to be the perfect topping to 2020. Stream this directly into my veins!
* In other food news, a man on Twitter had a dream about a cookie shaped like a hand filled with Greek Salad, and, instead of sitting on his ass trying to interpret the meaning, he went ahead and made that shit a reality. I haven't been able to stop thinking about this because I respect the grind! While some people have spent the pandemic bemoaning all the extra time on their... uh, hands - this man made something happen. Sure, it looks and sounds disgusting, but damn it - it's a goal made real. Sometimes dreams really do come true!
* I can’t even begin to do the unraveling of Johnny Depp justice right now, so do yourself a favor and read a (double) deep dive of this insane story that’s only poised to get crazier. Earlier this week, The Hollywood Reporter dropped a bombshell, calling former box office heavyweight Depp “radioactive.” The significance of this cannot be underestimated, for THR is not a gossip rag – it’s a respected trade magazine. This is the gauntlet, finally thrown at the feet of the industry after decades of bad behavior. Who picks it up remains to be seen… (Read Lainey Gossip’s summary here and THR article here.)
* Let's wrap up with some seriously kick-ass news! Patty Jenkins has been named to helm the next Disney+ Star Wars installment, making her the first female to direct any part of the mega franchise. And her upcoming film, Wonder Woman 1984, will also be debuting on HBO Max on Christmas Day! That’s a lot to celebrate. (In other news, I know what I’ll be doing on Xmas! I'm sad not to get to see this on the big screen, but thrilled with the gift of new content.) Speaking of ladies in the industry: don’t forget to check out The CherryPicks, a wonderful website highlighting all things female in films. Like tomatoes, only sweeter!
Stay safe, my friends! Come back soon! xo