Newsletter Tuesday, January 24, 2017

[LaineyGossip.com - Calling all smuthounds!] Tuesday, January 24, 2017 [Intro for January 24, 2017]( [Ben Affleck heads to church with his family in Los Angeles, California on January 22, 2017]( Dear Gossips, Oscar nominations. La La Land ties All About Eve and Titanic for the most nominations of all time with 14. Which means the backlash is coming, if it hasn’t arrived already. If the nominations are any indication, the Oscars will come down to La La Land vs Moonlight. Moonlight came in strong with 8 nominations. It is an astonishing film, one of the best films that [Sarah screened at TIFF](. And it is a specific film – a quality in art that Duana has written about often and discussed too on our Show Your Work podcast, in the episode [Nut Crushers and Trojan Horses]( during a conversation about Issa Rae and Insecure. A story that is specific does mean it is exclusionary. But, to go further, a story that is specific might only feel specific because it’s not a story often told. Which reminds me of Chimamanda Ngozi’s TED Talk, one of the best talks in the history of TED Talks, [The Danger Of A Single Story](. “The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.” The presence of Moonlight this year at the Oscars, and in so many major categories, challenges the single story. I loved it so much. If you haven’t seen it, be prepared for the acting. These are extraordinary performances by an extraordinary ensemble. More on the Oscar nominations later. Now it’s time for Rats. Rats are one of the four luckiest signs of the Chinese zodiac during this Year of the Rooster with a boost from three lucky stars. The presence of two shady stars however could make you the target of rumours and backstabbing. So you are advised to watch your mouth. Don’t offer comment unless you can back it up. Otherwise you may jeopardise your good fortune. Also, Rats can be prone to distraction, to be indirect, to not take a straight route, to run around in circles. (Ben Affleck was born under the sign of the Rat. Isn’t that SO him?) This will not help you and if you continue like this, money won’t come to you easily. You may be lucky but your lack of focus might make it hard for luck to land on you. Try, this year, to stay present and be purposeful in you decisions. Rats born in 1948 should try to have more fun, relax, and enjoy your circumstances. 1960 Rats must be careful and steady otherwise you risk injury. 1972 Rats may be the luckiest of all Rats this year. But remember, a lapse in concentration and focus could derail that streak. (Again, Ben Affleck.) 1984 Rats will work hard and that hard work will pay off. Don’t overextend though. You must conserve energy where you can. And be careful of temptation as none of those rewards will matter if you get caught cheating. Also, use extra caution when you are driving. All Rats, male and female, should pay attention to reproductive health this year. In July and August, look after yourself, try to stay healthy. In August and September, be extra alert when you’re in the car and particularly conscientious about safety. In October and November, watch your back when it comes to contracts and legal documents. In November and December, focus on your body. Stay strong. And through it all, again, mind your mouth. Do not let it get you in trouble this year. Tomorrow: Pig Yours in gossip, Lainey [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 2:54 PM [Smutty Social Media, January 24, 2017]( [Laura Prepon and fiancee Ben Foster attend the 'The Hero' premiere on day 3 of the 2017 Sundance Film Festival at Library Center Theater on January 21, 2017 in Park City, Utah]( Is watching someone falling out of a chair ever not funny? Trust me, hit play. [Video is too good not to post. :45 before air last night...]( A video posted by Andy Cohen (@bravoandy) on Jan 24, 2017 at 5:08am PST I think she keeps a lookbook of what the Kardashians are doing and tells her stylists to copy it six months later. [A photo posted by Iggy Azalea (@thenewclassic)]( on Jan 24, 2017 at 6:41am PST Is this a… blood pressure selfie? [Paging doctor beat.... I'm as healthy as Basil Fawlty on a Monday afternoon after Sybil has busted me for putting money on the horses.... In other words fit as a fiddle, bring on 2017 #6'1]( A photo posted by Alex Pettyfer (@alexpettyfer) on Jan 23, 2017 at 3:28pm PST Laura Prepon and Ben Foster are having a baby – they announced [through a source](, not on social media and she hasn’t confirmed it (yet). It’s the same strategy as Bradley and Irina, the no-reveal reveal, and I’m not mad at it. [Spotlight Award. @creativecoalition So honored. #sundance2017 #charlotte #thehero ☺☺❤🎥]( A photo posted by Laura Prepon (@lauraprepon) on Jan 23, 2017 at 10:47am PST I look like [Paul Ryan when I dab](. (NSFW swears.) [Makin em dab all ovah dis muuuphukah! #Dabhand #backonmyfunnyshit #standup #comicvoodoo]( A video posted by Jamie Foxx (@iamjamiefoxx) on Jan 23, 2017 at 5:06am PST I just started following Catherine Zeta-Jones and she enjoys a good selfie. Oh and her house – if you are into décor, you will enjoy this feed. [Love waking up on a sunny morning. #SelfieSaturday]( A photo posted by Catherine Zeta-Jones (@catherinezetajones) on Jan 21, 2017 at 9:05am PST [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 8:29 PM [Hidden Figures surging]( [Janelle Monae at the Women's March on Washington on January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC]( We are [fans of Hidden Figures]( around here, and while, [as Michael Shannon puts it](, the work is the work regardless of recognition, there’s still something nice about professional validation. And today Hidden Figures got validated with three Oscar nominations: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress for [Octavia Spencer](, and Best Adapted Screenplay. [Taraji P. Henson]( got shut out of the actress race, but that’s the most competitive category this year and I don’t think it’s really a snub when you’re a semi-finalist among such stellar women doing such stellar work. There were enough truly good performances this year that we can argue forever over whom should have been included—justify your fave—and when that is the case, I don’t really go for “snubs”. It’s just too many top notch women, being top notch. Although Hidden Figures is the kind of movie that makes me wish the Oscars had an ensemble cast award. I don’t think anything can upset the La La Land train at this point, but Hidden Figures is benefitting from a New Year surge, thanks to great box office and audience enthusiasm. This was a late release, one of the last films crammed into Christmas Day release frame that didn’t even hit wide release until a couple weeks ago. It’s not like Figures had months to build word of mouth or buzz from multiple festival appearances. There was a sneak peek at TIFF with some footage shown, but the film itself only just now landed. And even with a relatively late release and a very short nomination period this year, Hidden Figures was so immediately and so enthusiastically embraced by everyone that it has been propelled to multiple Oscar nominations, all in major categories. The fear is that Figures will be seen as a fluke, as is usually the case when a movie about women is a success. But Hidden Figures isn’t a fluke, it’s part of a movement. There are stories waiting to be told, and people waiting to hear them. Here is Janelle Monae at the Women’s March on Washington on the weekend, at the Atlanta premiere of I Am Not Your Negro yesterday, and Octavia Spencer attending a SAG-AFTRA conversation yesterday in LA. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 8:06 PM [Michael Shannon’s work pays off]( [Michael Shannon]( As you know, [I love Nocturnal Animals]( and am perpetually salty that it’s not getting enough attention this award season. It only got one Oscar nomination, although at least the Academy got this right: [Michael Shannon]( was nominated for Best Supporting Actor. I’m still stung that the film itself didn’t get any attention—there are at least five technical categories where it should have been considered, including cinematography and editing—but at least Shannon’s excellent performance got singled out. It’s worth noting that the last time Michael Shannon participated in an Oscar campaign, he hustled hard for 99 Homes and got shut out (h/t to Joanna for the reminder). And he talked about the Oscars an interview late last year—[as Lainey said](, Shannon has “no f*cks to give all the f*cking time”, yet even he can admit that he wants that trophy. He’s right that “the work is the work” regardless—not getting a basket of Oscar nominations doesn’t make Nocturnal Animals a less good movie. But I can’t help but feel in a few years we’ll assess the 2016 crop of films a little differently and Nocturnal Animals will stand up when some others have fallen down, and it’s going to hold up on the strength of the work that went into the movie. Not that people don’t work hard on every movie, but Animals is designed to FEEL like work. The belabored choices, the deliberately complicated story, the stylized performances—Shannon’s in particular—this isn’t a film that is meant to feel like “oh it just all came together”. Tom Ford et al want you to feel every bit of the work they put into it. Still, Michael Shannon is going to the Oscars. Michael Shannon, who is among the very best of his peer group and doesn’t mind the hustle and isn’t precious about the work and who can always be counted on to be [A]( [Presence]( on a red carpet will be sitting in the same audience as Casey Affleck, who looks like being praised for his work is akin to someone running over his cat. Casey Affleck will win that night and Shannon probably won’t, but I bet Michael Shannon has more fun. Here’s Michael Shannon talking about work and the magic of the Oscars: [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 6:44 PM [Not yet, Annette, not yet Amy]( [Amy Adams running errands in LA, January 23, 2017]( Remember last year when Leonardo DiCaprio was on the award circuit for The Revenant how the storyline was all what a travesty it was that he didn’t have an Oscar. Leo’s due! It’s his time! Like somehow he, Leonardo DiCaprio, LEONARDO DICAPRIO!, was hard done by. Forty years old or so. And just, you know, poor Leo, so put upon. At the time he’d had four nominations with no wins. [Annette Bening]( has four nominations and no wins. She was not nominated this year. You know who has more than that? [Amy Adams](. Amy Adams has five nominations with no wins. She was not nominated this year even though Arrival is nominated for Best Picture and Denis Villeneuve for Best Director. Have you seen Arrival? The film doesn’t stand up without her. But not yet for Annette and not yet for Amy. And I wonder, I wonder when/if either of them are nominated at some point going forward, next year or the year after, because Amy Adams’s body of work is such that whatever she does, she is in the conversation, whether or not there will be anywhere close to the amount of impatience and outrage as there was with Leo. Speaking of people who are always in the conversation – [Meryl Streep](, another nomination, her 20th, for Florence Foster Jenkins. Meryl Streep is the standard, of course she is. But let’s not pretend that her Golden Globes speech didn’t have anything to do with this and how the Academy votes – on popularity and reputation. So, if we’re on the subject of popularity… Mel Gibson. Hacksaw Ridge nominated for Best Picture. And Mel nominated for Best Director. Basically, Mel is welcome. Fully welcome. Which…sure. But Janet Jackson, a f-cking icon, flashes her tit at the Super Bowl and where’s her invitation to come back into her industry. You say different industries? I say entertainment industry. I would have preferred [Ryan Reynolds]( in here. Ryan Reynolds who wanted it so bad for Deadpool. No, Deadpool doesn’t hold up. But we’ve just established that this is a popularity contest. And by that standard, wouldn’t Ryan’s unabashed thirst and hustle be so much easier to swallow? As for Casey Affleck, let’s leave the last word to the boss, [Constance Wu](: Men who sexually harass women 4 OSCAR! Bc good acting performance matters more than humanity,human integrity!Bc poor kid rly needs the help! — Constance Wu (@ConstanceWu) [January 24, 2017]( Boys! BUY ur way out of trouble by settling out of court!Just do a good acting job,thats all that matters!bc Art isn't about humanity,right? — Constance Wu (@ConstanceWu) [January 24, 2017]( I've been counseled not to talk about this for career's sake. F my career then, I'm a woman & human first. That's what my craft is built on. — Constance Wu (@ConstanceWu) [January 24, 2017]( Attached - Amy Adams running errands in LA yesterday and Annette Bening at the Artios Awards last week. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 6:13 PM [The Icon and The Ingenue]( [Natalie Portman attends the Women's March in Los Angeles, January 21, 2017]( The most competitive category at the Oscars this year is Best Actress. It’s been this way since last fall. For several months, the race was defined as [Emma Stone]( versus [Natalie Portman](. Back in November [I wrote about their competition](, and that despite Portman’s excellent work in Jackie, Stone has an edge because she’s an “Ingénue”, a young potential first-time winner with big eyes. The Academy loves Ingénues. But the Academy also loves Icons, and Portman isn’t quite at Icon status. (Her “[persistent freaky baby quality](” is arresting her at the Ingénue phase long after she should have moved to Icon status. If she does manage to bag her second Oscar, she will be forcibly propelled to Icon status and, hopefully, will drop some of that child-woman pretension.) The race between Stone and Portman remains tight, though Stone has gotten a big boost from La La Land’s dragon horde of nominations this morning. And she’s also getting help from an unexpected quarter—Icon [Isabelle Huppert](, who snaked Portman at the Golden Globes. Huppert was nominated this morning (for Elle) alongside Portman and Stone, and Huppert has, arguably, the most momentum going into February. She’s an Icon, she’s already got one upset win, and she’s working the circuit, Letting It Be Known [that she would like an Oscar, too](. I’m not counting Portman out—she knows how to hustle—but you can feel the momentum shifting away from Jackie. It only got three nominations, and only Portman’s is in a major category. Academy voters don’t see as many movies as you might think, and a lot of them tend to vote lock-step down the line. And this year, looking down the line, there’s an awful lot of La La Land to vote for, including that charming young Emma Stone, whom everyone likes. And if they don’t feel like voting for Stone—romantic performances don’t always get the most respect—then there is Isabelle Huppert, the Icon, who has been in so many good movies over the years and never really gotten the recognition she deserves in America. And in between is Natalie Portman, who already has an Oscar. It’s going to be a tight race, and this is a strong group of performances. (Shout out to Ruth Negga in Loving—looking forward to her red carpet steeze for the next month.) SAG will be a good indicator this weekend, as Stone and Portman go head-to-head without the draw of Huppert between them. Stone can continue bolstering her momentum with a win, or Portman can pull her own campaign back to center stage if she takes it. But there is always Huppert, standing over their shoulders. Here is Natalie Portman at the Women’s March on the weekend, Isabelle Huppert at the Critics’ Circle Film Awards, and Emma Stone being interviewed for This Morning. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 5:10 PM [Angelina’s fragrance]( [Angelina Jolie for Guerlain]( Guerlain announced yesterday that [Angelina Jolie]( will be the global “icon” of their new fragrance for women, Mon Guerlain. It’s her first beauty campaign in almost a decade – a deal with Shiseido for ads that ran only in Asia. The partnership with Guerlain started when she was directing First They Killed My Father in Cambodia last year, well before she and Brad Pitt separated. Apparently Angelina felt a connection with the brand because she associates it with her mother, who used to use Guerlain powder. Other than that, not too many more details. The fragrance will be released in March and Guerlain has confirmed that she asked for her entire fee to be donated to charity. Here’s the first image released: [Guerlain Parfumeur, the French beauty brand since 1828, is honored to announce that Angelina Jolie is the icon of its new fragrance for women. #MonGuerlain]( A photo posted by Guerlain (@guerlain) on Jan 23, 2017 at 8:07am PST Meant as a teaser, obviously. So let’s talk about the timing. Mon Guerlain is expected in March, assume mid-March since they didn’t specify exactly when that month. That’s clear of the Oscars so they’re staying out of the way of award season. And it’s right at the change of seasons, when we all can’t wait to say f-ck off to winter. Symbolically then, a new beginning? In so many ways. Can we expect then an Angelina Jolie re-emergence in March? If, that is, she promotes it? As we’ve seen over the last 15 years, no one is better at promotion and self-promotion than the Jolie. So, what’s the angle? The obvious angle is that she’s single again. And selling a fragrance is all about desirability. "We create perfumes for the women we admire," [Jacques Guerlain said](. The brand's master perfumer, Thierry Wasser, drew inspiration from Jolie to create a scent that evokes "the choices, emotions, and dreams that embody modern femininity." So they’re shaping her desirability around her work, her image as a humanitarian and philanthropist, mother, and of course a great beauty. Her desirability here is presented as aspirational, certainly, but let’s not forget that with fragrance, specifically, desire is also about good old fashioned attraction. This is a strategic way to remind us of the sensuality of Angelina Jolie. This is not the attribute she’s leaned into the last few years. But now that Brange is broken, she’s revisiting this side of her brand, subtly. There will be no overt posturing. It will be elegant and sophisticated. But the message is unmistakable: the sex symbol is on her way back. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 4:42 PM [Disney Tom Hardy]( [Tom Hardy attends the launch of Star Wars: Season Of The Force in Disneyland Paris, France]( Look! [Tom Hardy]( in mouse ears! Tom was at Disneyland, Paris today for the launch of Star Wars: Season Of The Force. Which is interesting because there are rumours that he makes a cameo in the next Star Wars, opening in December. Yesterday they revealed that the official title is Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Dun dun dun! What does it all mean? I made the mistake of asking Sarah yesterday over email. She sent me back a nerd essay that was at least 1,000 words. Or it felt that way. She’ll have more for you on this when the first trailer drops presumably during the Super Bowl, though Disney hasn’t confirmed it. Anyway, back to Tom – is his appearance here a confirmation that he will indeed show up in Episode VIII? Not unlike Daniel Craig who played a stormtrooper? A couple of weeks ago he was [asked about it]( and, obviously, wouldn’t say either way: "I don't know if I can even say that. Where did you hear that?... Ah, the internet is a glorious web of deceit and information, isn't it? It could be [misinformation] couldn't it?" I’m going to take that as a yes. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 3:38 PM [Britney’s unauthorized biopic]( [Natasha Bassett as Britney Spears]( The one thing I ask of an unauthorized [Britney Spears]( biopic is that it accurately captures how much Brit’s hair is an indicator of her state of being. Of course, there’s the head-shaving incident but aside from that pivotal moment in pop culture history, Britney’s hair has always told her story. We know this. Lifetime knows this. The trailer for Britney Ever After (obsessed with this title) dropped yesterday and it teases what looks like a glorious retrospective of the various stages of Brit’s weave devolution. It starts with the long, lush blonde Slave 4 U era Britney who wooed the world but a mere 8 seconds in, we see a glimpse of the razor. I actually panicked when I heard the sound of the blade like it was happening all over again. Next month marks the 10 year anniversary of that moment. If you thought time would help people forget about that infamous night in 2007, you thought wrong. It’s the focal point of the trailer and even though Australian actress Natasha Bassett NAILS Spears’ signature Southern twang, the eerie razor sound is the most memorable part of the 30 second clip. Seriously though, the way this woman says “wasn’t” and “you know?” exactly like Britney Spears is f-cking uncanny. Aside from the hair, it looks like Lifetime is going to tackle the other moment that will forever define Britney’s legacy – and the one that gave my ex Justin Timberlake indefinite relevance. Lainey mentioned the moment last week and [made all of our Mondays](: the dance-off. It’s the only piece of gossip I remember trying to re-enact every day at school for almost a full year. The trailer only gives the tiniest hint that Budget Britney and Budget Justin will recreate the club dance battle but of course they will. They have to. Otherwise, what is the damn point of an unauthorized Britney Spears biopic? I could watch a 6-part docuseries on that dance-off. The biggest Britney gossip moment missing from the trailer is the Vegas wedding to her childhood friend Jason Alexander. Should I be proud or ashamed that I didn’t have to Google that dude’s name just now? There is a wedding though. We should have known Brit’s relationship to K-Fed wouldn’t last when she married him as a brunette. Never trust a Britney in a busted brunette weave. Full disclosure: when Britney and Justin were together, I was at the height of my JT fixation and consequently, I never liked Kevin Federline. But K-Fed was great for gossip so naturally, I can’t wait to see it all play out again on screen. I don’t know if I’ve ever been this down to hate-watch a Lifetime biopic. Also, Federline is being played by a guy named Clayton Chitty. I’m just going to leave that there. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 3:26 PM [January 24, 2017 – Smutty Shout-Outs](�€“-Smutty-Shout-Outs) [Brockstar for Stacey]( "To my bestie Stacey, who is missing her Brockstar: no one can quite compare. His diva antics, rich and varied diet, legendary side-eye, extensive wardrobe, and stellar modelling skills were the envy of all and he will be missed so very much. He was a patient and kind big brother, an excellent little buddy, and graceful to the end xoxo" "Happy birthday to our personal Encyclopaedia Forrestica, from all of her gossipy friends. Despite how badly this year ended, there were so many great things that happened before November 8th - you saw Beyonce and Garth, sang your feeling-filled heart out at in public at Choir, Choir, Choir, and in private to Hamilton and its mixtape, got a lovely new home, had a Caymanian live-in chef for a few days, shepherded us through another successful TIFF, were a wonderful tour guide to your visiting friends (and introduced them to the wonders of Canadian bacon), and we're pretty sure you set some kind of record for most intense crying while watching the Olympics. And even though things are looking a little grim, we know you'll follow the lead of Queen B and make lemonade out of these lemons. After all, there is still a nation of pantsuited women out there ready to take up the charge, and with your intense puzzle-solving skills, we're 100% confident that you'll do Nancy Drew proud and bust the Lego thievery ring. And we know that with your memory, you will never forget that you are inimitable, you are an original. For being endlessly patient with all of our questions and inferior memories, for fussing over us when we need it, and for always being there when we need you, here are Diego Luna, PunchyFace Driver + Domhall, the Hamilton ladies, a contemplative and regretful Hiddles, and beautiful Priyanka!" [Click here for the rest of the photos.](�€“-Smutty-Shout-Outs) Posted at 3:22 PM [Privacy Policy]( - [Unsubscribe](