Newsletter Friday, March 16, 2018

[LaineyGossip.com - Calling all smuthounds!] Friday, March 16, 2018 [Intro for March 16, 2018]( [Meghan Markle ](Dear Gossips, Yesterday I posted about the [possible adjectives]( the Queen might use to describe Meghan Markle when she issues her super fancy consent scroll about Harry and Meghan’s marriage – if, that is, Her Majesty will be choosing different adjectives for Meghan than the ones she used for Kate Middleton: “trusty” and “well-beloved”, like an [old shoe]( again, which I am STILL laughing about. I am also laughing at some of your suggestions. Here they are, and this almost feels like Duana’s Name Nerd column: Given the Queen’s fondness for horses, Mary thinks Meghan’s adjectives might be “horsey” so, like, “spirited” and “refreshing”. As Kathleen would say, “dead”. Julie-Anne came through with a whole list that reads like a job application: Dedicated Personable Tireless Reliable Industrious Assiduous Amicable Approachable I don’t know about “approachable”. You don’t want the monarch to be telling people that they’re free to roll up at any time on a member of her family with their arms open, looking to be hugged. That may be my own bias though. I am not a hugger. Meghan, however, is a hugger. So, point taken, Julie-Anne. Leslie’s recommendations are “forthright” and “endearing”. Forthright is GOOD. It’s exactly the kind of word I can picture Her Majesty embracing. That might be my winner so far. Endearing, on the other hand, feels a little… patronising? Like calling someone “sweetie”. It makes me crazy when someone calls me “sweetie”, especially someone 20 years younger than I am in a retail store. This happens maddeningly often. So. Forthright. Are you down with forthright? I wish Tommy Lascelles was around to weigh in on this. Tommy probably had a LOT of opinions about adjectives. More on Meghan Markle and the Queen later this morning. Have a great weekend! Yours in gossip, Lainey [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 1:01 PM [Ava DuVernay is already moving on]( [Ava DuVernay ](It was everyone’s low-key worry, right? That after A Wrinkle in Time merely whelmed, Ava DuVernay would not get the same second (third, fourth, fifth) chance that her white male peers get to go on and make another blockbuster, like, say, Zack Snyder who made a divisive Superman movie and then went on to make two more divisive Superman movies. Well worry not, because DuVernay is already moving on to her next nine-figure project, and in a fanboy sh*t-stirring twist, she’ll be making a movie for DC Films. She’ll be adapting the New Gods, which is basically the weird side of the DC universe, the legacy of legendary comic book artist Jack Kirby. At Marvel, Kirby co-created, among others, Captain America, Black Panther, the Fantastic Four, Thor, and “cosmic” characters like Ego the Living Planet, Groot, and Galactus. When he got sick of how he was treated at Marvel, Kirby packed up and went to DC, where he created the Fourth World, filled with gods and monsters and a war between the heavenly New Genesis and the hellish Apokolips. If you have retained any memory of Justice League, you might remember Apokolips as the home world of the villain, Steppenwolf. So the New Gods are not coming out of nowhere in the DC extended universe—they’ve been teasing one of the core NG characters, Darkseid, since Batman v Superman. But instead of forcing upon us another dark and gritty Snyderian take, they’ve invited DuVernay to put her spin on the New Gods. DuVernay is optimistic, hopeful, and views cinema as an instrument of inspiration. I am VERY interested to see what she does with something like New Gods, which has hundreds of characters at its disposal. The possibility is, literally, endless. But of course, she is stepping into the arena of the WORST FANS ON THE INTERNET. That is not an exaggeration. I write about movies and superheroes—I have encountered DC fanboys. My social media mute list is pretty much just DC fanboys. All are DC fans awful? No. Does the DC fandom contain the most toxic cadre of fans? Yes. You can find annoying Marvel fans for sure, but mostly they just want to correct you when you type “Dr. Strange” instead of writing out the full “Doctor Strange”. The DC fanboys, however, will call you a c*nt and hope you get raped because you aren’t showing proper deference to Batman v Superman, a movie in which the central conflict is resolved because the heroes’ moms have the same name. And now these diaper babies have to contend with [Ava DuVernay]( making a movie for DC. There was almost certainly an organized campaign to effect the audience rating of A Wrinkle in Time, as there has been for every movie recently that features inclusive casts and progressive themes. Some of those down-voting assholes are DC fanboys. And now they have Ava DuVernay in their wheelhouse. What will they do?! I wait with baited breath, kind of hoping they just implode from the irony. This is a good step for DC Films, though. One of the main lessons of Wonder Woman is that people prefer hopeful, inspiring heroes. We’ve simply moved past the moment for dark and gritty. It’ll come back around, I’m sure, but with the real world the way it is, people are looking to movies, particularly the ones about heroes, to be uplifting. That’s a HUGE part of the success of Wonder Woman and Black Panther—those movies don’t just make you feel good, they make you feel like you can save the world, too. And that’s the kind of filmmaking Ava DuVernay is interested in, so she’s a good fit for the recalibration of DC Films. Now she’s an experienced blockbuster director, and she has actual gods and monsters at her disposal. I cannot wait to see what worlds Ava DuVernay imagines next. [Source]( [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 7:21 PM [JLO’s affirmations]( [Jennifer Lopez covers Harper's Bazaar](Jennifer Lopez covers the new issue of Harper’s Bazaar. And I like the cover and here’s what [Marilyn Denis]( pointed out to me this morning – you can see the lines on her neck. They didn’t brush them out. Why should they? The lines don’t look bad. She looks amazing. The lines are realistic. I’m not saying nothing has been brushed. But I appreciate that nobody’s trying to make a 48 year old woman look like she has a 20 year old neck. Of course Alex Rodriguez comes up. They’re in love. She’s in love. They’re not getting married…yet. He leaves notes and flowers for her all around the house and signs them “Macho 13”. She shouts him out on stage when she’s performing. It’s a LOT. But what else was it going to be? She’s [JLO](. She loves love. She says she’s found love with someone who’s at the same place in his life. Enough about him. There are other things to discuss. Like the fact that she’s not underappreciated for how successful she is as a producer. How she’s developing two new film projects to be directed by women. Her producing partner, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, talks about this in the piece. That for too long, they were hesitant to take credit for the work they were doing and showing and that they’re done with not flashing it anymore, done with not giving themselves the credit and demanding the credit. After all, here’s a woman of colour who, at the beginning of her career, was told by a director, someone who was influencing her career, that he wanted her to take off her top and show her breasts. She ended up not doing it. But the point is that almost everyone in the business – and in so many businesses – has had to go through some degree of bullsh-t like this and we’ve been hearing, reading, those memories come to the surface now, as women relate to and share with each other, as women push to end the harassment and, even if it’s not harassment, the obstruction – both personally and professionally. But a name kept coming to mind when I was reading this article: Benny Medina. And here’s why I’m conflicted. Because, yes, JLO is a hustler. And now she’s a boss. Still hustling, hustling opportunities now for more people of colour, more women of colour. She has the power to do it. She is putting her capital to use. So why should she have to own what Benny allegedly did? ([He’s denied the allegations](). I don’t want to undermine her accomplishments and somehow make it seem like she should be to blame, or is partly to blame and this is the frustration and the complication and the difficulty of these conversations. Is it fair to be dragging him into the conversation when it would reduce her shine? Or is this a better question? Given JLO’s platform, what she’s achieved, what she has planned, from a business perspective, from a brand perspective, should she continue to be managed by him? Does she need to be managed by him? Or is that an unfair question to ask too? No one is asking the question here in Harper’s Bazaar. Benny doesn’t come up. The allegations against Benny were made public in November. Since then, there hasn’t been much follow-up. I’ve not seen him show up much, if at all, on JLO’s social media, and/or in any media coverage of her in the last few months. I just did a scan of both JLO and ARod’s Instagrams. Here’s JLO with Benny on [ARod](’s Insta on September 6: [A post shared by Alex Rodriguez (@arod)]( on Sep 6, 2017 at 7:20am PDT He hasn’t turned up since. Maybe this is just a coincidence. But it’s also possible that she knows it’s not a good look. And that Benny’s being kept behind the curtain for now. Until it passes? Or, at some point, does he get taken off the stage completely? [Click here]( to read the full Harper’s Bazaar article on Jennifer Lopez and to see more photos. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 7:04 PM [Smutty Social Media, March 16, 2018]( [Justin Theroux rides his bike in New York, March 15, 2018](This is an old picture from Justin Theroux’s Instagram – I think I’ve posted it before. But I have to watch his feed now because he might be dealing with Petra Collins, Selena’s friend ([who she recently unfollowed](). My point is that I watch Justin Theroux’s social media as closely as I watch Justin Bieber’s. Is this the arty edge he’s going for? [A post shared by @justintheroux]( on Feb 25, 2018 at 6:54pm PST Bella Hadid unfollowed Zayn on Instagram (as has Bella and Gigi’s mom, Yolanda). Zayn unfollowed Gigi [a few days ago](, shortly before the breakup [was announced](. Gigi, who ended her breakup statement with, “As for the future, whatever’s meant to be will always be,” seems to be more open. To friendship or… “whatever.” Gigi may not want to engage in a social media tit-for-tat, but that’s what her sister is for. Bella has stepped in to be let it be known that Zayn’s unfollow didn’t go unnoticed. It’s a sisterly retaliation – pettiness by proxy -- and I am here for it. [A post shared by 🦋 (@bellahadid)]( on Mar 15, 2018 at 4:10pm PDT Anderson Cooper and his long-time boyfriend have split. And I know he and Andy are best friends and travel the country doing speaking engagements together but this would be an amazing power couple. I wonder what Andy’s BFF Sarah Jessica Parker thinks. [A post shared by Andy Cohen (@bravoandy)]( on Mar 4, 2018 at 12:26pm PST Sofia Richie and Lottie Moss took a private jet together and Sofia later posted a photo in Vancouver. Are they here together? And what are they doing? Photo shoot, maybe. Or filming a cameo for a TV show? Or maybe they are going to Whistler to ski – Sofia brought a couple of heavy coats and it’s not very cold here right now. [A post shared by Sofia Richie (@sofiarichie)]( on Mar 15, 2018 at 12:47pm PDT [A post shared by Sofia Richie (@sofiarichie)]( on Mar 13, 2018 at 6:53pm PDT Victoria Beckham is working on a [skin care line](. There are actually not a lot of celebrity skin care lines (Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow and Miranda Kerr come to mind) as compared to cosmetics. Skin care is complicated, and cost prohibitive, both for the manufacturer and the consumer. I’ve mentioned before I am a skin care junkie – I double cleanse, tone, apply serums, essence and moisturizer (oil or cream, depending on the season), sunscreen, masks. That’s not to mention my gadgets – I use a $9 [rubber face scrubber](sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1521213688&sr=8-5&keywords=silicone+face+scrubber&dpID=41L5bYwjZUL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch  ) (it’s so good – I prefer to the fancy electronic one), an at-home LED machine and a micro-roller on the regular. But when I want to try a product, I don’t go by celebrity advice or even reviews on e-commerce sites – I go to reddit. The threads are detailed and honest. Out of curiosity, I did a quick search for reviews of MDNA, goop and Kora skin care lines. Couldn’t find anything. [A post shared by Victoria Beckham (@victoriabeckham)]( on Mar 15, 2018 at 9:51am PDT Drew Barrymore could probably retire (or take a decade off) but she chooses to work, and the way she frames work to her daughters – as a thing that is good and necessary to their lives – is a perspective we don’t often get to hear. [A post shared by Drew Barrymore (@drewbarrymore)]( on Mar 15, 2018 at 8:58pm PDT [A post shared by Drew Barrymore (@drewbarrymore)]( on Mar 15, 2018 at 9:12pm PDT SAD! tfw u marry a guy who's a bit of an idiot with a massive bank account...only to realize he's a massive idiot with a bit of a bank account. [pic.twitter.com/gxaQR6nOb4]( — Nell Scovell (@NellSco) [March 16, 2018]( [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 5:02 PM [Photo Assumption with Scott Eastwood and John Boyega](� at-pacific-rim-premiere-in-london) [John Boyega attendJohn Boyega attends a special screening of 'Pacific Rim Uprising' at Vue West End on March 15, 2018 in London, England](Scott Eastwood and John Boyega are starring in Pacific Rim Uprising together and I thought the press tour would go one of two ways. One, Scott Eastwood’s perma-doucheness would infiltrate John Boyega’s general perfect ray-of-sunshine-ness or two, by some miracle, John Boyega would make Scott Eastwood somewhat likeable by proxy. Neither of these things has happened. Instead, based on nothing but Photo Assumption and what we know about [Scott Eastwood](, I’m pretty sure he’s tried to bring [John Boyega]( over to his douche dark side and John isn’t having it. The force is strong with this one. Photo Assumption Exhibit A: Photo Assumption Exhibit B: If we’re playing the super reliable and totally accurate (not really) game of Photo Assumption that Lainey originated, Scott Eastwood looks like he thinks John Boyega is his new best friend while he full doucheface smiles and laughs and John looks like he's barely tolerating him, right? Scott thinks that he’s found a new CrossFit buddy and John looks like he’s politely trying to get Scott out of his personal space, right? Am I reading too much into this? I’ve looked at the full series of photos and in each one, John looks uncomfortable. He’s grinning through his discomfort. Compare those photos with this one of John Boyega and Stormzy at the Black Panther European premiere. See? Like the rest of us, John Boyega is just stomaching Scott Eastwood until his 15 minutes is over. I know it’s been a long 15 minutes. I’m still holding out hope. The final argument in my John Boyega Does Not Like Scott Eastwood theory is this: I can’t find any joint interviews with just the two of them promoting the film. In all the junket footage I’ve seen, they’re separated. When Idris Elba and Charlie Hunnam were promoting Pacific Rim, they did all the junkets together. To borrow another one of Lainey’s catchphrases – coincidence or conspiracy? To cleanse your palate from all the Scott Eastwood in this post, please enjoy this throwback interview of Idris and Charlie genuinely appearing to like each other. That handshake at the end? Scott Eastwood wishes. Now, please enjoy these photos of John Boyega being adorable in his purple suit. [Click here for the rest of the photos.](� at-pacific-rim-premiere-in-london) Posted at 4:07 PM [Constance Wu: still bangs…but where’s the trailer?!]( [Constance Wu makes promotional rounds for Fresh Off The Boat and Crazy Rich Asians in New York, March 15, 2018](Constance Wu was in New York yesterday promoting Fresh Off The Boat and, the photo agency caption says, Crazy Rich Asians. They’re starting to do early press for the movie. Kevin Kwan, the author of the book series, posted this shot on Instagram from the end of February with several members of the cast, including Constance: [A post shared by Kevin Kwan (@kevinkwanbooks)]( on Feb 27, 2018 at 9:30am PST Great. Early press is great. If Warner Bros is putting money into marketing and promotion 5 months ahead of the release, it’s an excellent sign that they’re going to support this project the way it deserves to be supported. But. But. WHERE IS THE TRAILER! By now, 5 months ahead of the release date, it’s not uncommon to have already seen a trailer. Every day I wake up hoping to see a trailer. There’s been no trailer. Which doesn’t mean anything. And of course I’d rather them take all the time they need to make sure that their first burst out of the gate is explosive to create even more anticipation for the film. This is the first major studio film with an all-Asian cast that Hollywood has produced in a long time. It’s critical (unfortunately – which is another conversation) that they don’t stumble from the get. That said, I am impatient. I want to get into this world. I want to meet these characters. If we could just get a date, you know? Just tell me when. So I can organise my life around it! In other [Constance]( news, she [wrote an essay for Porter]( last week about ... well, I think it’s about outrage culture. Constance shares a story about asking a boy to dance. And the risk it represented to her at the time. And that offering an opinion, participating in a conversation, can feel like a risk. Especially on social media. What she’s saying here is that, perhaps, although it’s certainly good to call someone out for their f-cksh-t, writing them off after calling them out might not be the answer. It’s a generous and gracious perspective from a woman who, as we’ve seen, participates, engages, and speaks up. Constance criticised Matt Damon when The Great Wall came out. She criticised the Oscars [for nominating Casey Affleck](. Her essay, I think, aims to amplify the voices that do seek change but also to make sure that people are given the opportunity to find their voices eventually, even if there are some stumbles along the way. As for her hair – she wore bangs [to the Oscars]( and at the time I wondered if it was a wig, especially since, just a few days before, she’d [had it dyed pink](. In the pap shots of her that I’ve attached to this post, it still looks like a wig. Although in this picture, from her Insta, the bangs look super real. At least to me. [A post shared by Constance Wu (@constancewu)]( on Mar 9, 2018 at 10:20am PST Jordy, however, our Key Hair on The Social, who is doing my hair right now as I’m writing this, points out that the top of her head is cut off so if it’s a bang weave, you wouldn’t be able to see where it’s attached. She maintains that this is definitely an accessory. I’m now obsessed with wigs and extensions and hairpieces and all of it, ever since I did it at the Oscars. Seriously, if you’ve never tried a wig, DO IT. It’s all I think about now – what my next wig style is going to be. Last week, Jordy tried to give me [this Natalie Portman style]( with my own hair, to fake a crew cut, but it wasn’t working because she couldn’t press my hair down flat enough over the top and the back. So we’re looking for a crew cut wig now. People, friends, WIG YOURSELF. I’m trademarking that, by the way. WIG YOURSELF. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 3:16 PM [The Avengers mount up]( [Avengers: Infinity War trailer ](A new trailer—the last one?—for Avengers: Infinity War has been released, and yeah, okay, this one is working for me. I haven’t been 100% sold on the [Super Big Important Tone]( of previous trailers, and I’m starting to get [seriously irritated]( with Tony Stark, but this new trailer addresses both of those concerns. First, with Gamora—a daughter of Thanos, so she knows best—narrating about Thanos’s intention to wipe out half the universe, there finally feels like some real weight to the proceedings. We don’t know Thanos, not really. But we know Gamora, and the last Guardians of the Galaxy devoted significant screen time to the emotional fallout between Gamora and Nebula, from growing up with Thanos. We don’t have a frame of reference for Thanos himself, but we can appreciate Gamora’s dread. So that works. And then the trailer cuts in some trademark humor. I laughed out loud at Quill sassing Tony Stark, who is ripe for taking down a peg, and the last bit with Peter Parker and Doctor Strange is great. The look on Peter’s face when he says, “Oh, we’re using our made-up names,” is PERFECT. (Really, Tom Holland is a treasure in this role.) I still don’t think these trailers are 100% representing the tone—yes, it’s maybe the end of the world, but this is not going to become Gritty Central. Although I do like how this trailer operates—it actually feels epic—and those little character interactions are exactly what everyone wants out of this movie. I don’t see how it avoids being at least a little messy, with all these characters going every which way, but at this point, I don’t think it will matter. Infinity War will deliver what we’ve waited a decade to see, and a long run time (rumored to be two and a half hours-plus) and a passel of characters spread across the universe won’t detract from the overall excitement of seeing it all come together, at long last. Are you ready for it to be over? (Lainey: SHURI!!!!!!!) [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 2:22 PM [Apathetic Bond]( [Danny Boyle attends the FX Networks' 'Trust' New York Screening at Florence Gould Hall on March 14, 2018 in New York City](After approximately 97 years of waffling, the 25th Bond movie is a go. It’s slated for [November 2019](, Daniel Craig is returning—presumably with his own Scrooge McDuck vault of gold since he said if he did another Bond it would “[only be for the money](”— and now Danny Boyle confirms he is “working on a script right now”, which is not the same as having the gig in the bag, but it is closer than any other director has gotten to Bond 25. Everyone is jumping on Danny Boyle like it’s a done deal, but Boyle’s comments are more than a little hedging. What Boyle says is that his Trainspotting collaborator, John Hodge, is working on a script: “We’ve got an idea, John Hodge—the screenwriter—and I have got this idea, and John is writing it at the moment. […] And it all depends on how it turns out. […] We are working on a script which we hope they’ll like.” He goes on to say he doesn’t know when or where Bond 25 will shoot. So is Danny Boyle confirmed to direct Bond 25, or is he working on an idea that may or may not come to fruition? Like what happens if they—MGM and Eon Productions, the stewards of 007—don’t like the script John Hodge writes? Does Boyle walk away? Hey here’s a question—does anyone actually want to make this movie? Why are we forcing this to happen? All this angst over [Daniel Craig]( or Not Daniel Craig, the director carousel, and now the “confirmed” director is basically saying, I’ve got an idea and I hope they like it. At this point, the director probably will be Danny Boyle because he has an idea and they need a director to meet that 2019 release date. (The internet tried to make [Christopher Nolan happen](, but despite being an admitted fan of the franchise, Nolan never seemed like a real candidate.) But everything about Bond 25 feels like limping across the finish line. In the IP era of filmmaking, I suppose it’s anathema to leave good IP sitting on the shelf, but maybe what Bond needs is a break. Casino Royale rebooted Bond for the gritty reboot era, so maybe now Bond needs a vacation before rebooting for a new era just beginning. The call to recast Bond as a woman, or Idris Elba, isn’t just about alleviating decades of sameness in storytelling, it’s also about repositioning Bond to reflect a new world. Once, Bond reflected the last vestiges of imperial power, now people want 007 to reflect the face of a modern, changing Britain. But instead of doing something interesting like that, we’re going back to the Daniel Craig well and hoping Danny Boyle’s kinetic style is enough to make it feel fresh. I have generally liked Craig’s run as Bond, and I am curious what a Danny Boyle Bond film looks like. I’m just not inspired by the “we will make this happen whether you want it or not” approach to Bond 25. [Source]( [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 2:11 PM [Meghan’s Mother’s Day with the Queen]( [Queen Elizabeth/Meghan Markle](Mother’s Day in North America is in May – this year it’s on the 13th. In the UK, however, Mother’s Day, or Mothering Sunday, happens on the fourth Sunday during Lent which, this year, was last Sunday, March 11. And that’s when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visited with the Queen at Windsor. I’m told that they had lunch with Her Majesty at Windsor Castle. So we have some new insight about how much facetime Meghan is getting with the Queen. On Monday, as we saw, Meghan joined Harry and other senior members of the royal family [for Commonwealth Service]( at Westminster Abbey, seen by many to be a sign of how well-embraced she’s been by the Queen herself, to be included on such a major occasion. And apparently not just for the cameras, as obviously, Meghan and Harry spent time with Her Majesty on Mother’s Day weekend – and not just for tea either but for lunch proper. It’s well-known that Windsor is the Queen’s favourite and that she’s there whenever she can be. Needless to say, the Queen doesn’t see who she doesn’t want to see. Seeing Harry on Mother’s Day is probably extra meaningful for her because of the loss of his mother. Diana died when Harry was 12-years-old. For most of his life then, the Queen would have been the “mother” in his life on Mother's Days. And now he’s sharing that with his grandmother and his future wife. Those corgis are going to be having sleepovers with Meghan at Kensington Palace soon. Also worth noting – Harry and Meghan are getting married at Windsor Castle. Harry’s comfortable there having grown up royal. Meghan, it seems, is spending more and more time there ahead of the wedding, getting familiar with the space and, it would appear, being advised by the Queen herself in that space. That’s the most insightful piece in all of this – it’s no doubt a big deal that Meghan was with the Queen on Mother’s Day but it’s also an indication that, leading up to the wedding, if the Queen is taking the time to be with Meghan, she’s likely also helping Meghan navigate this transition and setting her up for success. It’s very possible too that this is when the Queen informed both Meghan and Harry about the letter of consent [that we discussed yesterday](. And it’s during these occasions that the Queen will be drawing from to come up with her adjectives to describe Meghan when the fancy ass formal consent letter is released – if, that is, the adjectives are to be different than Kate’s “trusty” and “well-beloved” ones. And finally…for all you royal junkies, my friend Omid Scobie recently launched an all-royal weekly podcast called On Heir. Omid is one of the most reliable royal reporters in London. [Click here]( to subscribe! [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 1:45 PM [Privacy Policy]( - [Unsubscribe](