Newsletter Monday, September 25, 2017

[LaineyGossip.com - Calling all smuthounds!] Monday, September 25, 2017 [Intro for September 25, 2017]( [Journalist Lillian Ross and actress Anjelica Huston of 'Choke' during the closing night reception at the 2008 CineVegas film festival held at Brenden Theatres inside the Palms Casino Resort on June 21, 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada]( Dear Gossips, A year ago for my birthday, my friend, [Jessica Allen]( gave me a hardcopy of Lillian Ross’s Reporting Always, a collection of some of Lillian’s most memorable writings from The New Yorker where she was on staff during the tenure of both founding editor Harold Ross and current editor David Remnick. Lillian Ross died last week at the age of 99 and I spent the weekend re-reading Reporting Always and some of the beautiful obituaries published in her honour. She is a legend in journalism, respected not only for her integrity but also for her innovation. Lillian Ross helped shape literary journalism. And, for our purposes, she was one of the pioneers of what we now know to be the “celebrity profile”. One of her most famous pieces was [her profile on Ernest Hemingway](, a friend of hers, who said later that parts of it horrified him, [because]( “the image of Hemingway that Ross crafted never dissipated: the coarseness of his conversation, his drinking and his bullying contributed to the sharp decline of his reputation”. And still, he acknowledged that it was her “right” to write and observe. Even he couldn’t challenge her observations. The best reporters observe in the moment, but in their account of the present, somehow they’re also able to give us a sense of what the future might be. This is particularly true of Lillian’s Talk of the Town pieces, one of the most famous being [The Sh-tkickers Of Madison Avenue]( in 1995. First of all, the story is HILARIOUS. But you can also see clearly who they might be now, these girls who became women, and how they would shape the current culture: Manhattan Power Moms and mommy bloggers, right? [Click here]( for a selection of some of Lillian Ross’s most memorable essays. Yours in gossip, Lainey [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 12:59 PM [Smutty Social Media, September 25, 2017]( [Fergie out in New York with her son Axl, September 25, 2017]( [Gal Gadot](S(dxsqo055eb3s1155v45qk255))/Gal-Gadot/Celebrity/21635) is hosting SNL October 7. Ben Affleck will definitely show up, right? He’s going to be all over that set this year, wearing his stained t-shirts and charming everyone with his Boston accent. [Nothing like spending the wknd with my besties .. 🎀🎀🎀🎀🎀@mmmwa @yaelgoldmanpfeffer @rotemsela1 @mayadaganpfeffer]( A post shared by Gal Gadot (@gal_gadot) on Sep 23, 2017 at 1:22pm PDT I’ve seen the phrase “date night” come up a few times with different celebrity parents on Instagram. It’s a bit corny, no? date night with Axl Jack seeing [@aladdin]( 💛💛 [pic.twitter.com/9ghA4XYf4x]( — Fergie (@Fergie) [September 24, 2017]( [The Rock](S(dxsqo055eb3s1155v45qk255))/The-Rock/Celebrity/20075) and his business partner (and ex-wife) Dany Garcia [are launching an ad agency](. They divorced in 2007 but continue to work together as Dany is credited with being the business behind the brand. [Expansion, build out and growth for our co-owned Seven Bucks Companies. Good to get some hang time in with @adage Magazine for their cover story on my co-CEO and enterprise builder @danygarciaco and myself. Just because there was no blueprint for a guy like me in Hollywood, didn’t mean it couldn’t be done. It just meant it was time to create a new blueprint. Our Seven Bucks’ never wants to just play in the game.. we want to change the way the game is played. #SevenBucksCompanies #Film #TV #Digital #Advertising 📸 by @robertascroft]( A post shared by therock (@therock) on Sep 25, 2017 at 9:17am PDT According to the [Daily Mail]( (I know, I know), [Katharine McPhee](S(dxsqo055eb3s1155v45qk255))/Katharine-McPhee/Celebrity/21397) and her “on-again/off-again” boyfriend, Elyes Gabel are “on” right now. Which makes me think maybe Erin Foster [was joking](? [#happysaturday #california #santabarbara 🐶🚴🏼 ♀️🙌🏼]( A post shared by Katharine McPhee (@katharinemcphee) on Sep 9, 2017 at 1:29pm PDT I’ve gotten so many emails and Tweets about [my post on Liam Gallagher](. One person called him “Earl Grey Supernova.” I’m mad I didn’t think of it first. Another noted a tea-spiracy – apparently if you watch the entire video (which I can’t, because of geo-blocking), he’s actually drinking turmeric mixed with honey. Some said he should have his own reality show (specifically, a cooking show). Many wanted to clarify the meaning “our kid” as Mancunian slang: some said it meant older sibling, others contend it can mean a sibling of any age; and still others maintain that it can apply to close friends or siblings. One thing we can all agree on is that in this context, “our kid” is Noel. Because Liam can’t go 10 seconds without mentioning his brother. Let’s watch the video again! (I also want to point you to Lennon Gallagher, because it feels like Twitter discovered him this weekend. He turned 18 just last week.) Liam Gallagher making tea is the best thing you'll see today. As you were. [pic.twitter.com/JaAB0p6Qr2]( — BBC Three (@bbcthree) [September 20, 2017]( [HUNTER FASHION MAGAZINE Issue 31 Photography @alangelati / Fashion @gius_cecca / Model @lennon.gallagher / Make up @gabrytrezzi #hunterfashionmagazine #hunterfashionmagazine31 #fw1718 #menswear #lennongallagher @fendi #fendi]( A post shared by HUNTER FASHION MAGAZINE (@hunterfashionmagazine) on Sep 11, 2017 at 10:25am PDT [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 7:42 PM [Side by side and holding hands!]( [Prince Harry and Meghan Markle watch Wheelchair Tennis at the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto, Canada, September 25, 2017]( “Make ‘em wait”… not very long. And not only was there not much of a wait, holy sh-t, what [Prince Harry]( and [Meghan Markle]( are giving us today in Toronto at the Invictus Games is totally not standard royal play at all. Holding hands entering the venue. LOOK! NEW - Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive hand in hand at a tennis event at [#InvictusGames]( [@InvictusToronto]( [@WeAreInvictus]( [pic.twitter.com/lv3XBW1bEl]( — 5News (@5_News) [September 25, 2017]( It was a while before Prince William and Kate held hands in public so… publicly. Because, of course, Will and Harry come from a family that observes all kinds of formalities. And there are some tight asses in England who expect that they uphold those formalities. Harry threw those formalities out when he launched his [Love Shield]( last year in defence of Meghan after the racist and gross coverage of their relationship from many British outlets. And he’s clearly doing away with proper protocol or whatever it is they call it, sending a clear message about who Meghan is and how important she is in his life. Most royal experts were not expecting this – not this early in the games, as I wrote [earlier this morning]( so as not to take away from Invictus. Something clearly changed. And I wonder if had to do with some of the headlines about Meghan being kept from Harry at the opening ceremony and some snarky comments coming from a few old school British observers that Meghan wasn’t good enough to sit with Harry and this, that, and the other. As we’ve seen, Harry’s been very sensitive to any sh-t talk directed at Meghan that undermines her status where he’s concerned. This has to be interpreted as some kind of point then, non? It does seem like he’s making a point: Meghan is official. The official bonafide. And… soon to be even more official? [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 6:55 PM [Kaia Gerber arrives in Paris]( [Cindy Crawford and her daughter Kaia Gerber leave Café Flore in Paris, September 25, 2017]( You may have heard: [Kaia Gerber](, [Cindy Crawford](’s daughter, has become the new darling of the runway, after making her debut [at NY Fashion Week]( and then going on to London Fashion Week followed by Milan Fashion Week. In Milan, a few days ago, at the Versace presentation, rumoured to possibly be Donatella’s final collection for the label, and marking the 20th anniversary of Gianni’s death, Kaia “shared” the runway with her mother, who came at the end for a supermodel reunion alongside Helena Christensen, Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, and Carla Bruni, set to George Michael’s Freedom. People went bonkers. [THE SUPERS ⚡️⚡️⚡️@versace_official @donatella_versace @iamnaomicampbell @helenachristensen @claudiaschiffer @cindycrawford @carlabruniofficial #MFW #VersaceSS18 #makeupbypatmcgrath #patmcgrathlabs]( A post shared by Pat McGrath (@patmcgrathreal) on Sep 22, 2017 at 10:08am PDT [My heart!! @versace stupenda!! 🌞🔥🏆 @instylemagazine]( A post shared by Laura Brown (@laurabrown99) on Sep 22, 2017 at 9:56am PDT I’m going to be that asshole to ask … where’s Christy? And Tatiana? And, of course, Linda! Also, Karen and Stephanie: These are among some of Peter Lindbergh’s most famous photos. I will love them forever. Anyway, Cindy and Kaia are now in Paris, the final of all the fashion weeks and considered by many to be, still, the most prestigious fashion week. If they’re there, it’s likely because Kaia is walking. And I can’t imagine that she wouldn’t be walking for at least some of the majors, like Chanel and Dior and Saint Laurent and Lanvin and Louis Vuitton and, and, and, and… How long before Apple Martin ends up on the runway? She’s 13. So 3 more years. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 5:52 PM [Rosé by Rihanna?]( [Rihanna attends the 'Fenty Beauty' photocall at Callao Cinema in Madird, September 23, 2017]( My all-time favourite photos of [Rihanna]( are the ones where she has a drink in hand. There are many. There are so many photos of Rihanna leaving various establishments while still clutching half-full glasses of wine that there are entire Twitter threads dedicated to Rihanna’s signature accessory… like this one: I need to start a thread of photos of Rihanna leaving restaurants with the wine glass [pic.twitter.com/ZPSQKrOof1]( — josh edwards (@joshuedwrds) [July 27, 2016]( Rihanna has been touring around the world promoting Fenty Beauty. Last week, Lainey wrote about [the impact of Fenty Beauty’s inclusivity]( and how its success is due in large part to Rihanna putting in the work. Fenty Beauty is a massive hit. Over the weekend, while Rihanna was launching Fenty Beauty in Spain, there were rumours that she filed a new trademark to [expand her empire into skincare](. Yes, please. Since yesterday, the rumours escalated to “[Rihanna is launching her own wine!](” because of more trademark filings. Rihanna filed a new trademark for "FENTY Estates Wine and Spirits Company". This is not a drill. [pic.twitter.com/rIQZth0ZgG]( — hu$tla baby🍒 (@fentyy) [September 24, 2017]( Who are these RiRi stans keeping up to date with trademarks? I aspire to get to this level of standom. My love for Rihanna would push me to buy her brand of wine, even if I usually think celeb-run alcohol brands are inauthentic money-grabs. There is a lot of photographic evidence that Rihanna’s affection for wine is authentic. I trust her judgement. If I was out for dinner with Rihanna, I would defer to her when it came to ordering the wine. Fenty Beauty makes complete sense as a business endeavor for Rihanna, the pop star with the seemingly perfect skin. A skincare line to follow that up also makes sense. Her collab with Puma? Also, very on brand. As much as I’m on board for Rosé by Rihanna though, alcohol doesn’t exactly seem like the next logical step in the business plan. And it might not be. A few sites [have pointed out that]( the “Fenty Estates Wine and Spirits Company” was filed by a company based in Delaware, not Rihanna’s team. Turns out fans aren’t the greatest at keeping up with trademark law. Who knew? Maybe they should stick to dedicating Twitter threads to Rihanna double-fisting appetizers at parties. Rihanna is me at a party 😂 [pic.twitter.com/zyvDj6Mh83]( — DeMarko Gage :) (@DeMarko_Gage) [September 20, 2017]( Who’s trademarking the Fenty Estates Apps and Hors d'oeuvres Company? Can I get in on that? Here’s Rihanna in Madrid, looking stupidly flawless in a pink crop top and a white midi skirt by [Ukranian designer]( Marianna Senchina. Vogue calls the brand’s designs, “uber-feminine and flouncy creations.” How does Rihanna make “uber-feminine and flouncy” also look badass and edgy? [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 5:11 PM [Angelina Jolie’s weekend screening]( [Angelina Jolie greets fans at her Q&A for 'First They Killed My Father' at Directors Guild of America Theatre in Los Angeles, September 22, 2017]( Last weekend [Angelina Jolie]( attended a Q&A after screening First They Killed My Father [for Academy members](. It was then confirmed that Cambodia had submitted FTKMF for Oscar consideration. As previously mentioned, that’s just the first step in a selection process that’s divided into several phases. She needs to make the shortlist. So here she is on Friday at another Q&A screening at the Directors Guild of America Theatre in LA. I’m curious about who’s actually going to these events. And what the attendance is. Typically at these campaign-style screenings, we’ll get reports from Variety or The Hollywood Reporter with details about whether or not it was a “packed house” or “standing room only” and reaction from anonymous audience members. I’ve not come across much of this and that may be because it’s still rather early in the season and, well, FTKMF isn’t exactly a fun film; it’s an important film, no doubt, but it’s not the kind of film you go to on a weekend where, you know, you’re ready to let loose and leave your troubles behind. Those screenings will probably come later for Angelina because if she wants to get on that Best Foreign Language Film shortlist, she has to keep pushing, keeping her film visible. And keeping visible herself as she’s always been the most effective ambassador of her own work. With the news that FTKMF is competing for Best Foreign Film Oscar, a new trailer for FTKMF has just been released. It’s now been over a week since the film started streaming on Netflix. It’ll be interesting to see how much Netflix will invest in this campaign. They certainly have the money to throw behind a serious contender. And that money is becoming more and more attractive to other Hollywood players. Do they start flexing that power the way other studios flex their influence come Oscar time? As I wrote last week, Hollywood is a town of fake friendships and favours. So while Angelina may not have the usual “friends” to show up for her the way other stars do, she may benefit from the Netflix’s considerable, and growing, clout. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 4:23 PM [Bradley’s Star moves up]( [Bradley Cooper and Irina Shayk out together in Malibu, September 24, 2017]( [Bradley Cooper](’s directorial debut, A Star Is Born, was originally scheduled for September 28, 2018. Fall film releases are typically considered to be more “serious”. And some thought that it could make the rounds during festival season, perhaps in position for an awards run. It was announced a couple of days ago though that Warner Bros has moved up the date – instead of September, A Star Is Born will come out May 18, 2018. Which… is interesting because now I’m wondering if it’s being timed for Cannes. And if that’s the case, it would totally make sense for both [Lady Gaga]( and Bradley Cooper. A big splashy premiere with Gaga on the Croisette? Maybe accompanied by a concert, or something? And Bradley’s always been well-received in France, given that he’s spent so much time there, is fluent in French, regularly gives interviews in French, and even named his daughter after the Seine. Looking at it that way, I wonder if he actually prefers Cannes and a May release. It can be difficult though for films that premiere in Cannes to sustain momentum all the way through the fall and into the awards schedule. But it’s not impossible, especially if there’s a box office behind it. That said, this is Bradley’s first time as a director. There’s going to be a lot of attention paid to whether or not he has what it takes. And I wonder too if they’re hoping that a French audience might be kinder. Here’s Bradley with [Irina Shayk]( this weekend in Malibu. Over the last year, especially while focusing on his film, Bradley’s kept a very low profile. I’m curious about how the pressure of directing for the first time, in combination with an actor’s natural narcissism and insecurity, is affecting his personal life. After all, this is perhaps his biggest career challenge to date. And no, this doesn’t mean I’ve heard anything. It’s simply an observation. We are all familiar with stories about “artistic obsession” and Bradley Cooper strikes me as 100% the type. These are not people who are easy to live with. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 3:36 PM [Harry at Meghan’s work and Meghan at Harry’s work]( [Prince Harry speaks during the opening ceremony of the 2017 Invictus Games at Air Canada Centre on September 23, 2017 in Toronto, Canada]( The Invictus Games are now underway in Toronto after the opening ceremony on Saturday where [Prince Harry]( was seated with Melania Trump and close to Prime Minster Justin Trudeau while [Meghan]( was a few rows away with her friend Markus Anderson who introduced them last year. Even still, everyone called it her first “official” appearance with Harry. It’s more like an appetiser though, non? Both Harry and Meghan would know that this is what people are waiting for, what people have been talking about. And Harry’s priority this week is to give the Invictus Games as much shine and support as possible. He probably understands better than anyone else how tricky it is to be balance his personal interest with his personal life. Because while Meghan’s presence certainly draws attention to the event, there’s also the risk of overshadowing the event, for which he would be surely criticised if coverage Meghan’s presence ended up dominating the athletes’ achievements and contributions. Which is why they likely didn’t want to give away a shot of themselves together on the first day. Having her there, in person though, was almost like a defuser, a way to slightly quell the anticipation without completely jacking attention from the games. And also, it’s just great strategy – “make ‘em wait”. Perhaps until the very end of the week? That doesn’t mean they haven’t been spending time together though. As I mentioned [in my post about Harry on Friday](, he was actually in Toronto well in advance of the start of the Invictus Games, at least since last Tuesday. And now [HELLO! reports]( that while he was in town, he stopped by the set of Suits to watch her at work: "He was super low key, met some crew and was so happy to watch his lady," a source tells HELLO!. "He's incredibly supportive of her work." The 36-year-old, who plays lawyer Rachel Zane has her love in town until 30 September for the games. "Meghan showed him around set," the insider adds. "Everyone was so excited." Amazingly no one who asked him for a selfie that day – if there even was anyone who did (isn’t there always one?) – has posted it yet. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 2:55 PM [The Mis-Conception of Nikki Reed and Ian Somerhalder]( [Nikki Reed and Ian Somerhalder at the Environmental Media Association's 27th Annual EMA Awards at Barkar Hangar on September 23, 2017 in Santa Monica, California]( This is not a hot take on Nikki Reed and Ian Somerhalder’s [podcast comments](. I didn’t listen to the podcast because I’m not interested in the details of the conception of their child. I mean if it was Brange, I would be all over it. Or Bey and Jay, of course. This was not that. It’s not the interview that interests me, but the reaction and their response to the reaction. When I first read an excerpt from the podcast, in which Nikki and Ian talked about him flushing her birth control pills down the toilet (she was present for the entire thing, and their friend was filming them), I had the same reaction as the wonderful Bobby Finger from Jezebel: “[They appear to think this is cute](”. It struck me as one of the stories newlyweds tell at a dinner party because they think it’s charming, while the rest of the guests are kicking each other under the table. It also read as very ME ME ME on Ian’s part, but maybe that’s because I’ve always felt Ian has some Justin Timberlake DNA. He’s also the guy [who was thirsty to play Christian Grey](. Remember how badly he wanted it? And this is like a scene out of Fifty Shades, kind of – Christian throws out Anastasia’s birth control, while she bites her lip. Like he can’t stop auditioning for the role. What they intended as a jokey anecdote instead turned into several variations on “Ian Somerhalder Threw Out Nikki Reed’s Birth Control” headlines played out on outlets including [PEOPLE]( and [US Weekly](. The thinkpiece machine went into overdrive and an international outpost of Cosmo posted a very opinionated essay, calling his behavior “controlling,” “possessive” and “unconsented.” (I’m purposely not linking to it because I think it’s misleading, but it’s easy to find on Google with those key words.) Nikki immediately clapped back with two tweets about “gossip.” WOMEN'S RIGHTS MATTER, so please don't use false narratives to highlight issues that are truly important! — Nikki Reed (@NikkiReed_I_Am) [September 22, 2017]( We should be talking about these things,but using a funny interview between married ppl &twisting it to perpetuate gossip is irresponsible — Nikki Reed (@NikkiReed_I_Am) [September 22, 2017]( After seeing the first two tweets, I figured they were going to take the “please respect my privacy, worry about more important things, and keep liking my photos on Instagram” route. I’m not into the “worry about more important things” argument from celebrities, mainly because even the most devoted gossip hounds are not “worried” about celebrities in the same way they are worried about healthcare or their mortgage or child care costs etc. I think it’s a weak deflection. She followed up those initial tweets with a heated note to the above-mentioned thinkpiece writer (considering the topic, that’s understandable). “Don’t you dare talk about consent to me." Dear writer. Here's my note to you on irresponsible journalism. [pic.twitter.com/eiS8M4y3D0]( — Nikki Reed (@NikkiReed_I_Am) [September 22, 2017]( Shots returned, right? (And one day will we figure out why Notes is the app choice for Celebrities With Something Serious to Say. When sh-t goes down, it always happens in Notes.) A few hours later they both posted this apology. A note from us... [pic.twitter.com/3WNmrGYS7M]( — Nikki Reed (@NikkiReed_I_Am) [September 23, 2017]( Broken down, it reads as an apology, an explanation, and a defense, something that is very hard to pull off. A lot of people (me included) won’t take the time to listen to the podcast, so I can see why they chose to post this – the story had snowballed into something that, come Monday, could still be generating negative headlines. PR-wise, it was a very tricky spot for them to be in because they were playing catch-up, and on a weekend. But social media doesn’t sleep. He has over 12 million followers on Instagram, she has 880k on Twitter (their chosen mediums). Instead of filtering the response through a publicist, then having that publicist track down editors (on a weekend) to get their statement out, they simply posted it. And the reason this works for them is because they are huge social media sharers with cohesive messaging. Nikki announced her pregnancy to [coincide with a clothing line](. They told everyone of their plans [to observe a 30 day newborn rule](. He is effusive [in his posts to her](. This is the space they live in. Ian and Nikki are not rolling in the work, perhaps for family planning reasons. A quick scan of their IMDb pages tells me that he’s done one project since The Vampire Diaries wrapped, and she hasn’t worked since 2016. But they get a lot of coverage, much of it generated from their socials. By releasing this statement on their own time and in their own world, they were able to take back the narrative. Because of their joint statement, the outlets (even with a bare bones weekend staff) could easily pull together a story around it. I think a Planned Parenthood donation is in their near future (she has worked with them in the past), and that should be the end of this runaway story. Altogether, they tackled an incredibly personal and emotional topic with level heads. Do I think they are sincere in that they never intended to make light of coerced conception? Yes. Do I think they are upset about being tied to stories that imply he tricked her into getting pregnant? Yes. Do I think they want to make the headlines go away? Yes. Do I think they genuinely care about women’s reproductive rights? Yes. All of these things can be true at the same time. Oh and do I still think he wants to play Christian Grey? Definitely yes. Here are Nikki and Ian at the EMA Awards on the weekend. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 1:55 PM [September 25, 2017 – Smutty Shout-Outs]( [Kevin Costner for Jane]( Jane! Happy 40th Birthday with love from your sister Sarah who asked me to “shower” you with Kevin Costner, Seth Meyers, and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau! [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 1:27 PM [Privacy Policy]( - [Unsubscribe](