Newsletter Wednesday, May 11, 2016

[LaineyGossip.com - Calling all smuthounds!] Wednesday, May 11, 2016 [Intro for May 11, 2016] [Retta attends the 11th Annual Global Women's Rights Awards on May 09 2016 at the Directors Guild Of America in Los Angeles] Dear Gossips, Every few weeks or so, Duana will send me something that Retta’s posted on Twitter and, every time, it’s amazing. Which is why I could not wait to read her piece in Lenny that was published yesterday about how she, “a black girl from Jersey”, became a hardcore hockey fan. It’s a great story, not just because Retta wrote it and because Retta is funny and her observations are the best, but because it’s also an acknowledgement of excellent customer service. What Retta’s doing here is recognising someone for being great at his job – in this case, Pat, the director of digital media for the Los Angeles Kings who invited her to her first hockey game because he wanted to promote his team through her social media. Pat, clearly, was not deterred by the fact that Retta is “a black girl from Jersey” and therefore not the target demo. All that mattered to Pat, obviously, is that Retta is cool, has reach, and he’s selling a great product. He could see that all those things could meet. Too often though, marketing specialists can’t get out of their assumptions that this and that *should* go together and that and this *don’t* go together and they end up not bothering. Not being creative. And then, well, they lose out on Retta. Retta is now not just a Kings fan, she’s a fullblown full hockey fan. She was tweeting about the Caps and the Pens in overtime last night. So Pat didn’t just do his job for the LA Kings, he did his job for the National Hockey League. [Click here] to read Retta’s piece in Lenny. Oh and then, if you have time, [click here] to read an article about the “ultrasound generation” and whether or not the millennial perspective on women’s rights may have been shaped by sonograms. It might make you mad though. Yours in gossip, Lainey [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 1:31 PM [Smutty Tingles] I’ll take this over a human version ([Dlisted]) Kelly Ripa’s appealing to the MiniVan Majority ([Just Jared]) Will Cambridge didn’t apply himself at school ([Cele|bitchy]) Ryan Gosling needed a bigger size ([TooFab]) Like I said. I’m worried about Justin Bieber ([TMZ]) Making Prince happy required a bonfire – it’s like he belongs in Westeros ([The Superficial]) Mia Wasikowska in green grey sparkles ([Go Fug Yourself]) Don’t you think she’s trolling at this point? ([Pajiba]) [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 7:37 PM [Lupita on screen] [Trailer stills for Queen of Katwe] Last week Kathleen [wrote] about [Lupita Nyong’o]’s defense of her (perfectly reasonable) decision to do a Broadway play—for which she’s Tony-nominated—instead of taking more film roles after winning an Oscar. In that piece, Kathleen mentioned that it’s been two years since we’ve seen Lupita in front of a camera. We’ve heard her voice in movies like Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Jungle Book, but she herself has not been on screen. Until now—the first trailer for Queen of Katwe was released yesterday. Lupita stars as Harriet Mutesi, the mother of a chess prodigy discovered in the slums of Uganda. Queen of Katwe comes from Disney and they have the “inspirational sports tear-jerker” down to a science. It follows in the tradition of McFarland, USA and Million Dollar Arm, except without the white savior trope. And it’s directed by Mira Nair, who should be able to elevate the material beyond “standard inspirational biopic stuff”, although the trailer is pretty much only standard inspirational biopic stuff. There must be something to the story, though, to have attracted Lupita’s attention. Or maybe it was just that in Queen of Katwe Lupita gets to be on screen as herself, and not as a CG animal or a turtle penis thing with eyes. Unsurprisingly the most cynical predictions of 2014 came true and Lupita Nyong’o spent two years voicing cartoon characters before appearing in another starring role on film. In the same span, Jennifer Lawrence headlined four movies, including two different blockbuster franchises, and she earned another Oscar nomination. But Hollywood will tell you it doesn’t have a race problem. Shut the f*ck up, Hollywood. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 6:36 PM [Vanessa knew] [Vanessa Paradis attends the jury photocall during the 69th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 11, 2016 in Cannes, France] [Vanessa Paradis] is a member of the jury at Cannes this year. Here she is at a jury dinner last night and at the photo call today. Last night her ex [Johnny Depp] was in London at the Alice Through The Looking Glass premiere, considerably cleaner than he was at the photo call ([click here] for a refresher) but still doing a great job reminding her that she should regret nothing. She knew, didn’t she? She KNEW. We were all like, oh no! They’re not together anymore, one of our favourite couples… But she knew. She saw this before any of us saw it. She fore-saw it. She was the wisest. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 5:50 PM [Courteney & Johnny’s first back-together carpet] [Courteney Cox and Johnny McDaid at the 64th Annual BMI Pop Awards 2016 held at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel, May 10, 2016] The BMI Pop Awards happened last night. Johnny McDaid was there with Courteney Cox, their first official appearance together since calling off the engagement and getting back together. As we’ve seen, their reunion has been photographed a few times in the last couple of months. She’s also been to see him in London. And, given that they’re walking the carpet together at a major event, it’s a solid confirmation – not just in pictures, but with words too. [E!] asked Johnny about it and this was his response: "Just look at us. I love her. I've always loved her." And his answer to the follow-up about whether or not the wedding is back on: "Let us win an award first." With a laugh. Not that there was any doubt but there can’t be any now. Does it last this time? [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 4:59 PM [Batfleck Big Homie] [Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner] “Big Homie better grow up” is what Beyoncé sings in Sorry on Lemonade. I compared B’s Lemonade to [Jennifer Garner]’s Vanity Fair last week – [click here] for a refresher. And, well, like Jay Z, [Ben Affleck] might be hugging some ankles before the end of the summer too. As we’ve seen, Ben and Jennifer were in Paris together with their children last week. Apparently they seemed close, even tactile. [PEOPLE] says he was rubbing her back at one point. And now [PEOPLE] is coming out with an exclusive today. The headline: He wants her back. And on the cover too. It’s coming from a “source close to Garner”. And it’s PEOPLE, a magazine that isn’t in the business of pissing off celebrities. And there they are telling you that Ben Affleck’s trying to get back together with his wife after allegedly messing with the nanny – and whatever “[truths]” only he knows about: "Ben wants Jen back," a source close to Garner tells PEOPLE in this week's issue, with a second source adding, "Ben wants to get back together. He wants her back." But while the two have yet to file for divorce and have remained friendly, the source close to Garner says they haven't rekindled their romance. "Jen is not ready to take Ben back," says the source. "Ben has never been good alone and isn't now either. But he is constantly working on himself. He has made big changes." Of course he’s working on himself. That’s what he does best, Ben Affleck. Work…on HIMSELF. And for him, it would be the first step towards yet another self-engineered fall and eventually rise. He will write and direct and be the greatest Batman. He will win back his wife. He will reclaim his kingdom. And her? Well, if she’s getting back together with him she has to lead us there slowly. She has to let us get used to the idea. She has to make sure we know he’s “made big changes”. In other words, she has to sell it to us. PEOPLE Magazine is really good for that. But how do we know this wasn’t in Amazing Amy Garner’s plan all along. And a message to him all along: you see what happens when you f-ck with me? You see what happens when I forgive you? [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 4:41 PM [Drake talks Rihanna, Nicki, Kanye in new interviews] [Drake spotted out in NYC, May 9, 2016] [Drake] rarely does press. He’s not the guy who is constantly on the talk show circuit, lip-syncing with Fallon or carpool karaoke-ing with James Cordon. He doesn’t need those shows to help him go viral. He does that [all on his own]. But while Drake might not need a massive media tour, he’s also not Beyoncé, so in support of his new album Views, he did some selective interviews. Two brand new, over 60-minute long interviews were released in the past week. He sat down with [Nardwuar], aka The Human Serviette aka Canadian national treasure aka legendary hip-hop interviewer. He also gave Apple’s Beats1 radio DJ Zane Lowe an exclusive sit-down. I watched them back-to-back (pun, intended) and after spending two hours with Drake, I want more. Both interviews focus heavily on the album and music in general. For a guy who is known for his emotional vulnerability, it’s interesting to note there’s nothing super salacious or revealing in either conversation. Drake is so handsome and charming though you almost don’t realize he just gave two in-depth, hour-long interviews without giving too much away. Let’s start with Nardwuar. If you don’t know Nardwuar, the dude is famous for his quirky interviews with hip-hop greats where he pulls random facts from their past. He also gives weird, obscure gifts based on those random facts. Drake is joined in the interview by his long time producer Noah “40” Shebib. This one is really for the Toronto hip-hop nerds. My favourite thing about Drake has always been his unabashedly love for our city. He reps The 6, HARD. Aside from his love for his city, Drake talks about hilariously almost getting arrested in Jamaica with Beanie Man and Movado but the highlight for me is seeing the glimpses of the hopeless romantic Drake. Here’s what he says about his go-to, ahem, self-pleasure inspiration, Pam Grier. “I love Pam Grier. I still lust after Pam Grier to this day. I tried to find her, I tried following her on Twitter and Instagram but I don't think it's the real her.” Drake has zero chill. He also revealed why he doesn’t kiss fans anymore: “You never know how old fans are and what they’ve been up to before the show. So no, I don’t kiss fans anymore. But, you know, it’s still love.” Wait, what? Someone please explain this to me. Was Drake making out with fans on the regular? Did I miss my chance? Speaking of kissing, Drake also talks about making out with “Paige from Degrassi” or Lauren Collins (this is where I shout out Duana, a Degrassi alum, because this is what we do when we talk about her man Drake). The Zane Lowe interview was a bit more serious and addressed some of the criticism of Views but first, let’s get to the gossip. Here’s what Drake says to Lowe about his maybe official, [not-so-secret girlfriend Rihanna] and their chemistry: "I think that's what makes the records better. We're not just forcing the story...we have genuine energy between us." The quote isn’t much but he basically giggles and grins the whole time he’s talking about her. It’s so adorable I had to watch it twice. The way he smiles when he says Ri’s name and sheepishly mutters “we do well together as a team” just kills me. These two. Drake also addresses the Young Money drama with Lil Wayne, Birdman and specifically [Nicki Minaj]. To recap, Drake and Nicki’s boyfriend Meek Mill had one of the most publicized beefs in recent hip-hop history. This obviously had a negative impact on Drake and Nicki’s friendship: "I don't really talk to Nicki. [She's] another person I have a lot of love for, a lot of respect to her and the past and what we built. I understand what love is and I understand a personal situation. She dealt with me how I would expect her to—with class. I would do the same you know. There were times I was sitting there, waiting to see, you know, how deep is your love? I have respect for Nicki but unfortunately we haven't spoken." The “how deep is your love” bit makes me think Drake is a little bitter about how it all panned out but he’s so good at saying the right thing you can’t read too much into it. Nicki won’t read that quote and be upset. There’s no headline bait there. He’s good. Another highlight from the Zane Lowe interview is Drake’s revelation about collaborating with Kanye West. They were supposed to do a joint album together. Their relationship has been dissected a lot ([click here] for a recent timeline of their rivalry/friendship) but according to Drake, they’re totally cool. On Views, there’s a line, “I got a house in L.A./ Now I got a bigger pool than 'Ye” that had everyone thinking they weren’t so cool with each other. Drake chalks it up to neighbourly ribbing since Kanye lives down the street so they constantly tease each other about who has the nicer pool. So, they’re like suburban dads with too much time on their hands. I love this. I want Drake and Rihanna to quit playing games with each other’s hearts and settle down so Ye and Drizzy can open a daddy daycare. My favourite anecdote might be about how Drake will randomly find Kanye in his kitchen with his mom wanting to get to work on new music. Finally, the music. Views is a good album – great even—but this year, we’ve seen releases from Rihanna, Kendrick, Kanye and Beyoncé. All of those artists pushed themselves to be better than we’ve heard them before. They each released albums that were different, their best yet or just a straight-up masterpiece. The Fader [put it nicely]: In 2016, social justice movements are colliding with pop culture, and even if the message is complex, or messy…these big releases have opened conversations that matter about faith, technology, feminism, and black identity. In this respect, Drake is out of pace with his peers. When Zane asks about how Drake sees the world, he admits to spending a lot of time in his own bubble but says that while he doesn’t directly address social issues in his lyrics, he tries to make music that “transcends gender [and] nationality to tries to unify people.” Drake is 29. He’s young and in love with his city. This album is his love letter to Toronto. I can’t be mad at that as much as I want him to grow up a little lyrically. It’s a good thing he’s got a lot of great albums left in him. Here are the full interviews: Zane Lowe: [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 3:46 PM [In Cannes: Kristen Stewart & Blake’s silence] [Corey Stoll, Jesse Eisenberg, Blake Lively, Woody Allen, Kristen Stewart at the 69th Cannes Film Festival photo call for Café Society, May 11, 2016] Kristen Stewart, Blake Lively, Corey Stoll, and Jesse Eisenberg with Woody Allen at the photo call for Café Society in Cannes today. Let’s begin with an upliftingly gross quote from 80 year old Woody: Woody Allen: "I’m 80. I can’t believe it. I’m so youthful, agile, nimble, spry, mentally alert, that it’s astonishing." [#Cannes2016] — Ramin Setoodeh (@RaminSetoodeh) [May 11, 2016] As I mentioned when I wrote about the trailer [last week], Jesse, basically, is playing Woody. And Woody, basically, confirms it: Woody Allen: "If this was years ago, I would have played this part in the movie that Jesse Eisenberg is playing." [#Cannes2016] — Ramin Setoodeh (@RaminSetoodeh) [May 11, 2016] So the narcissist wrote a movie in which he could watch a younger man say what he’d say, do what he’d do. Surrounded by young, beautiful women, casting them in his films so that he can [mind-f-ck them with his handwritten notes]…all in the name of his art. Because the art, it just has to come out, according to Kristen Stewart: Kristen Stewart: "If you’re actually an artist who wants to tell a story, it’s a compulsion." [#Cannes2016] — Ramin Setoodeh (@RaminSetoodeh) [May 11, 2016] Woody’s compulsion then is to keep art-ing his own fantasies to the point where they’ve become the same story. The truly enlightened are supposed to be able to separate art from life. Or something. I am not truly enlightened. Or even fraudulently enlightened. So I’m not sure how I’ll be able to enjoy this film at face value. I love Kristen Stewart’s all-white Cannes 2016 debut. So much better than the MET Gala. All of it – makeup, hair, fit, everything. As for Blake Lively… Um, we didn’t hear from her. Blake Lively wasn't asked a single question at the 'Cafe Society' press conference. [#Cannes2016] — Ramin Setoodeh (@RaminSetoodeh) [May 11, 2016] [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 3:14 PM [Jenny Slate, Chris Evans…and Anna Faris?] [Chris Evans and Jenny Slate on the set of 'Gifted' filming in Atlanta, Georgia on October 9, 2015] Did you ever listen to that episode of [Anna Faris]’s Unqualified podcast featuring [Chris Evans], [Jenny Slate], and a guest appearance by Chris Pratt? I wrote about it last month – [click here] for a refresher. In that post, I commented that Chris Evans is the guy with a Scott Eastwood face to certain women and Joseph Gordon-Levitt face to other women. With Anna and Jenny, obviously, he was not the frat-bro. He was all about growing up around women and being platonic friends with women and sensitive to women and they were all about what a great, wonderful man he was and now… Chris Evans and Jenny Slate are dating? It was recently reported that Jenny and her husband had parted amicably. Now according to [US Weekly] she and Chris were on a double date with his brother back in March. They met on a film called Gifted last year. So now I have to go back and re-listen to that podcast to see if there was anything there. I definitely remember giggling. And I also remember they were very complimentary of each other. But, mostly, I think I remember Anna and how she was talking up Chris in particular, and now I wonder if she was doing it in that way that friends do when they’re trying to set people up. [Click here] for the podcast and please note there are two parts. Attached - Jenny and Chris on the set of Gifted last year. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 2:04 PM [May 11, 2016 – Smutty Shout-Outs] For Karen from Jeffrey because he said this would mean a lot to you and you’ve “given me so much”. Thank you for supporting my smut from Texas! And thank you for gossip-educating your boyfriend! Posted at 1:41 PM [Privacy Policy] - [Unsubscribe]