Newsletter Monday, April 23, 2018

[LaineyGossip.com - Calling all smuthounds!] Monday, April 23, 2018 [Intro for April 23, 2018]( [Beyonce Knowles performs onstage during the 2018 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Field on April 21, 2018 in Indio, California](Dear Gossips, As you probably know by now, there was a whole new wardrobe for Beychella Weekend 2. And not just for Beyoncé but for everyone – the dancers, the band, Kelly and Michelle, and Solange too. Think about how many people were on that stage. And the fact that two performance outfits had to be created for them – for one use each. Immediately afterwards, the yellow hoodie and the pink hoodie were added to the [Beychella pop-up](é.com/) and since they’re different, it means…well… it means you have to get them both. What I really want, though, is the pink sequined sweater… …which is obviously NOT available. And won’t be. As IF we would get to wear what she wears. But what does she do with it all? I can’t see her repeating any of her outfits for the On The Run II tour. So they’re getting packed up for the Archive. The Beyoncé Archive. Where, one day, we’ll be able to see all of these costumes in glass display cases, with the best lighting and temperature control either as a travelling exhibit or… in the Beyoncé museum proper. OF COURSE there will be a Beyoncé museum. Like an actual Hive. The only question is…when?!? Because I want to be around for it. Also, when they build it, I hope there’s a wind machine room. At Graceland there’s an entire section dedicated to Elvis’s cars (and costumes too). In addition to B’s costumes then, and hairstyles, and music videos (several rooms dedicated to the music videos please, organised by album or era?), there really should be a section where it’s just a runway and the wind. And part of the experience will be that visitors get to walk down the runway with the wind. Speaking of Beyoncé and the wind, did you see this? Person who was supposed to man that fan is fired. [#Beychella]( [pic.twitter.com/T4LezJAJd1]( — Adultish Gambino (@LEBENFOUR) [April 22, 2018]( Seriously. When she’s already up there giving life to millions of people, and holding up her people, and she still has to adjust her own fan?!? The person in charge of the fans is basically a fugitive at this point. John Wick is after them. Yours in gossip, Lainey [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 12:46 PM [Show Your Work: Shawn Mendes and the Popstar Formula]( [Shawn Mendes performs at the Royal Albert Hall for a star-studded concert to celebrate the Queen's 92nd birthday on April 21, 2018 in London, England. The Queen and members of the royal family are guests of honour at the celebration, which is being billed as The Queen's Birthday Party](Shawn Mendes performed for the Queen at her birthday concert this weekend. He’s also promoting himself all over the place ahead of the release of his third album. Today it was confirmed that he’s performing at the Billboard Music Awards. [#BBMAs]( 05.20 ON NBC _User: [@ShawnMendes]( /CONFIRMED [pic.twitter.com/fyx8gT0ZI8]( — Billboard Music Awards (@BBMAs) [April 23, 2018]( Last night he was on Drop The Mic: And in June he’s doing a weeklong residency at The Late Late Show with James Corden. So Shawn Mendes will be everywhere, as is customary when an artist is promoting an album, as part of a larger formula for How To Make a Pop Superstar. On this episode of Show Your Work, Duana and I talk about who that formula has created, both recently and in the past, and whether or not that formula will work for Shawn Mendes. Next up: Jennifer Garner on Instagram, [meme-ing herself](: [A post shared by Jennifer Garner (@jennifer.garner)]( on Apr 17, 2018 at 2:43pm PDT Duana has some thoughts about this. Thoughts = RANT. But also… how is Jennifer Garner using social media to amplify her work? If so, is it effective? If so, can it be improved? And finally… We are now getting a sense of how Warner Bros is marketing Crazy Rich Asians and so far? This is very, very good work. And it’s familiar work… in a way that kinda took Duana by surprise, which was exciting for me because I can never, ever surprise her. Thanks, as always, for listening! Catch us weekly on [iTunes](, [Google Play]( and [Spotify]( and hit us up on twitter at [@laineygossip]( and [@duanaelise](. PS. Here’s the Ludacris Llama Llama thing that Duana references, if you’ve not seen it before: [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 7:29 PM [Miss Tina is all of us]( [Miss Tina with Katie Holmes and Beyoncé](Right up until last Thursday night, I was still trying to get tickets to Beychella Round Two. My friend, also named Kathleen, can usually get access to tickets to exclusive things. She works music festivals a lot so naively, we thought we had a shot. We were going to drain our bank accounts and fly out last minute if she came through. Anything for our Queen. We did not get tickets to Beychella. Instead, I lived Beychella Round Two vicariously through Miss Tina’s Instagram. If you are following Miss Tina (if you aren’t, fix your life), you know that she is always good for exclusive Beyoncé content. Since Beyoncé keeps her sh-t on lock, at first Miss Tina’s Instagram looked like it was going to veer into Rogue Relative territory but now, [it’s a gift]( I can’t imagine us living without. This weekend, Miss Tina gave us insight into the celebrities who were blessed enough to be present for the greatest performer of all time’s greatest performance. Miss Tina danced and sang with Octavia Spencer. [A post shared by Tina Knowles (@mstinalawson)]( on Apr 22, 2018 at 4:02am PDT She took selfies with Jennifer Hudson. [A post shared by Tina Knowles (@mstinalawson)]( on Apr 22, 2018 at 3:27pm PDT The most gossip-worthy celebrity sighting at Beychella, courtesy of Miss Tina, was Katie Holmes. [A post shared by Tina Knowles (@mstinalawson)]( on Apr 22, 2018 at 3:36pm PDT The only photo from Beychella on Miss Tina’s Instagram with Beyoncé actually in it is this photo with Katie Holmes. That’s not to say that the other celebs didn’t also hang with Beyoncé (JHud [has the receipts]( but you’ve got to be on a certain tier to get this kind of access to Queen Bey, especially after the incident known as [Who Bit Beyoncé](? Katie’s presence specifically still feels random. It’s not random. Jamie Foxx [performed at Coachella]( as a surprise guest. So, the assumption is that Katie was there because of Jamie. But as usual, they weren’t photographed together and it’s not clear if Jamie was at Beychella at all. Plus, Katie has [stanned for Beyoncé in the past](. I think that Katie Holmes would have been at Beychella with or without Jamie and that makes me like her more. Look at her, with her pass around her neck, looking like a straight up fan. I am very into this Katie Holmes. Miss Tina is still being a Proud Mom on Instagram, re-posting fan videos of Beychella like this one: [A post shared by Tina Knowles (@mstinalawson)]( on Apr 23, 2018 at 11:46am PDT Miss Tina is all of us. HOW is the correct question after Beychella. The only question is HOW? I’ve got another one for Miss Tina though: HOW did you create that? HOW? Finally, Miss Tina was living her best life this weekend with her husband Richard Lawson (obsessed with his outfit)… [A post shared by Tina Knowles (@mstinalawson)]( on Apr 22, 2018 at 12:16pm PDT … while the below video of Richard talking about “his daughter” was making the rounds on Twitter. He’s spitting straight facts (no disrespect to Cardi B). Miss Tina and Richard are card-carrying members of the BeyHive and it’s the MOST adorable. Beyoncé's daddy Richard Lawson had the set the record straight. "Aint nobody bigger than Beyoncé! Beyoncé is dominant in the universe!"👏👏👏 Richard stay out doing Beyoncé old daddy, Mathew! 😂😂😂 [pic.twitter.com/M5nmr7yT0l]( — BeyonceFukdMe (@BeyonceFukdMe) [April 22, 2018]( [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 6:44 PM [Big G & Charlotte visit Trey]( [Prince William, Duke of Cambridge arrives with Prince George and Princess Charlotte at the Lindo Wing after Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to their son at St Mary's Hospital on April 23, 2018 in London, England](Prince William, at some point, left the hospital today to pick up Big G and Charlotte, bringing them back to visit their mother and their newborn brother, Trey. As you can see, Charlotte knows her job, waving to the camera as they walked up to the door and on the steps too, just before they went inside, giving photographers a great shot. Big G, obviously, couldn’t be bothered. He’s showing us his back and with his hand trailing behind there, it almost looks like he’s about to flip his middle finger. Prince George and Princess Charlotte arrive at St Mary’s to meet their little brother. [pic.twitter.com/rfX9rsdJhU]( — Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) [April 23, 2018]( When they got inside though, can you see what he does flip? Or flick? (Thanks Moni!) 🤣that is definitely Prince George FLICKING the back of Princess Charlotte’s head as they enter the Lindo Wing [#ROYALBABY]( [@KayBurley]( [@BuzzFeedUK]( [pic.twitter.com/OyBIlqyAJC]( — Gabrielle Catlow (@_Gabscathigh) [April 23, 2018]( Right? Of course he did. Because he’s a punk! He’s that punk older brother who will pull the chair out from under you at family dinner. Or step on your foot in check. Or flick your ear, when he thinks he’s out of view of the media, on the way upstairs to see your ma and your baby brother. But Charlotte? She’s that kid sister who will methodically and patiently plot her revenge. Wait for it, G. WAIT. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 6:23 PM [Smutty Social Media, April 23, 2018]( [Karlie Kloss on Instagram](Karlie Kloss has wished Gigi Hadid a Happy Birthday on social media. I want to look at this two ways: first, the photo (because as we know, I love to analyze celebrity birthday wishes). They are both models, so obviously it’s going to be flattering – but Karlie is looking at the camera. The emphasis could be on Gigi a little more. Overall though, a respectable choice. Second, the Taylor Swift connection. Gigi and Taylor are still tight, right? So that must mean Karlie and Taylor are OK? Or Karlie has been able to maintain some relationships separate from her. [A post shared by Karlie Kloss (@karliekloss)]( on Apr 23, 2018 at 8:17am PDT I don’t watch The Bachelor but according to everyone, this dude is the worst. Like everyone hates him. And this is Channing Tatum’s first post-divorce appearance. First off, why is Channing Tatum hanging with someone from The Bachelor? And a hated Bachelor at that. Bad omen. [A post shared by Channing Tatum (@channingtatum)]( on Apr 22, 2018 at 3:37pm PDT Is there a little bite to “no one’s writing it”? I’m sensing something. (And Bridesmaids is a perfect sequel movie… Kristen Wiig or Melissa McCarthy’s characters could get married. Or someone could get divorced and remarried.) [A post shared by Watch What Happens Live! (@bravowwhl)]( on Apr 22, 2018 at 9:08pm PDT Jane the Virgin’s season finale was on Friday and, well, I’m not over it. I don’t know when I will ever get over it. It was a Red Wedding-level shocker. [A post shared by Gina Rodriguez (@hereisgina)]( on Apr 18, 2018 at 8:06am PDT Is telling people you were at the very first Coachella the equivalent of when a person says they saw a huge band in a small club 10 years ago? [A post shared by Busy Philipps (@busyphilipps)]( on Apr 20, 2018 at 3:21pm PDT As if I needed more distraction on a Monday, all I want to do today is scroll through every Crazy Rich Asian cast member’s Instagram. F-cky f-ck. [A post shared by Michelle Yeoh (Official) (@michelleyeoh_official)]( on Apr 22, 2018 at 1:17pm PDT [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 5:44 PM [Crazy Rich Asians promises lavish romantic drama]( [Crazy Rich Asians trailer](The trailer for Crazy Rich Asians has FINALLY dropped and OH MY GOD, how much have we missed movies like this? Romantic, funny, SOAPY DRAMA, lavish settings, cars, clothes. I feel like movies like this died with the recession a decade ago, and we’re only just coming back to a place where we can revel in the excess without feeling bad about it. The Devil Wears Prada is the last movie of this type I can remember doing well (on the eve of the recession), until Fifty Shades of Grey came in with “dirty” sex and money. And now, the stage is set for Crazy Rich Asians which, to me, feels like what Fifty Shades was meant to be—beautiful people wearing beautiful clothes in beautiful locations, with all the romance, sex, and drama of Dynasty. But Fifty Shades was born of bad source material and was always a little embarrassed of itself. Crazy Rich Asians, on the other hand, comes from a GREAT book and author who, while involved in the film, never seemed to get ahead of the filmmaking process. Maybe because Kevin Kwan and Jon M Chu were on the same page, and not fighting each other over tone. I had a conversation recently about what you can tell from trailers. A fellow critic posited “nothing”. But I think you can study trailers just like any other part of pop culture. For instance, the first sign that Suicide Squad was off the rails was the vast tone differential between the first and second trailers. So what can we tell from the CRA trailer? Well it LOOKS great. This is not a cheap production (the first Fifty Shades, in contrast, felt short-changed for a billionaire Cinderella story). I LOVE that shot of Araminta stepping into the water-path at her wedding. That is a spectacular snap of the world Rachel Chu is entering. And speaking of Rachel Chu, Constance Wu and Awkwafina POP. The little bits we see of them are promising. This trailer is holding back Gemma Chan as Astrid, probably because she is the better character with the better story, but Rachel is our entry point into this world. We need to stick with Rachel for the introductions, and let her be the audience surrogate while everyone gets to know the world of ultra-wealthy Singapore. That’s a smart editing decision that indicates someone is dedicated to a proper build-up. Another pop? Nico Santos as Cousin Oliver. I love the way he says, “She can’t know I was ever here.” There are also the typical markers of a rom-com—over-the-top kissing, shirtless dudes with six packs, CHOREOGRAPHED DANCE NUMBERS, and a disapproving family member. We’ve missed this genre so much that a once-tired staple like dance numbers feels fun again, and again, it all goes to the sheer spectacle of the world of the Youngs. And then there is that disapproving family member. The strongest thing in the trailer is Michelle Yeoh and the conflict being set up between her and Wu. They’ve done a great job for the uninitiated laying out the grandeur of the setting and the jet-set style, but there is just enough family drama meat on the bone to hook you. It hints at a larger conflict that gives the movie a spine, not just fluff, and that’s the hook that gets the casual and the curious into the theater. I am weirdly relieved Warner Brothers put so much effort into a trailer meant to PLAY, and excited about what that says about Crazy Rich Asians. We’ve already had one breakthrough pop cultural moment with Black Panther, here’s hoping Crazy Rich Asians is next. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 5:33 PM [Kanye West, the embarrassment]( [Kanye West](On Friday, the last five words I wrote about Kanye West were, “[Try not to embarrass me](”. I was directly referring to his eye-roll inducing tweets masquerading as philosophy but it was also a plea for Kanye not to do something stupid like this: I love the way Candace Owens thinks — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) [April 21, 2018]( I’ll come back to Kanye and Candace Owens and why this tweet is not only embarrassing, it’s dangerous and woefully irresponsible. First, let’s focus on Kanye West. Since Kanye [re-emerged on Twitter](, I’ve been wrestling with my affinity for this artist whose music defined much of my youth, who started much-needed conversations about masculinity in hip-hop and who once stood up for the black victims of Hurricane Katrina on live television when no one else would. I’ve been wrestling with my love for the Old Kanye and my frustrations with the New Kanye, someone who is still a musical mastermind but also has clear mental health issues. I’ve written before that I hoped Kanye’s past support of Donald Trump was just [his illness talking](. I hoped that this artist I’ve loved for so long doesn’t actually support a notorious bigot and an administration that doesn’t give a sh-t about black and brown lives – or trans lives or the lives of anyone in the LBGTQ community or any lives that aren’t white, rich lives. Well, that hope seems to be lost. Kanye may still be struggling with his mental wellbeing and I do truly hope that he’s healthy and lucid, but I don’t think that can be an excuse anymore. After [Kanye]( tweeted about Candace Owens, many people voiced their concerns that he supports a right-wing commentator who has called Black Lives Matter protestors “whiny toddlers” and written op-eds called “[Black men getting shot by police isn’t about racism](.” She’s been called the Black Tomi Lahren. ([Click for a refresher]( on my thoughts on Tomi Lahren.) She’s come out hard against Colin Kaepernick and [called Jay-Z a fraud]( for his stance on mass-incarceration. Candace Owens’ views are vehemently anti-black and ignorant to the issues affecting black Americans. Just because Candace Owens and Kanye West are black themselves does not mean that their views are not harmful to the black community. See: Stacey Dash. Since the election of Klan President, debates across party lines in the U.S. are no longer just about politics. A new Trump administration plan wants to [cut back on health care protections for transgender people](. We know how the Trump administration feels about police brutality and immigration. This is not just politics. This is life or death. The stakes have never been higher. The backlash to Kanye’s tweet came swiftly and Kanye being Kanye hit back with a rant about “thought police.” The thought police want to suppress freedom of thought — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) [April 22, 2018]( The thought police want to suppress freedom of thought — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) [April 22, 2018]( self victimization is a disease — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) [April 22, 2018]( For f-ck’s sake. Where are Kanye’s friends? Where are the people who should be telling him to put his goddamn phone away? Last week, I got an email from a reader who loves Kanye. She wrote that she loves him because “he is authentic, even in his mistakes.” She wrote that she loves Kanye for being messy, imperfect and a work in progress. Her point was that I should basically give Kanye a break for his questionable views. Listen, I used to love Kanye for all of these things too. But how long are we going to let a grown-ass man be messy, imperfect and in progress? How long are we going to let Kanye West, a black man with one of the biggest platforms in the world, spew rhetoric that is detrimental to the safety of black kids who were just like him once, growing up in the south side of Chicago? Kanye has clearly lost touch with that kid. He’s spent his whole career chasing wealth and greatness and idolizing rich, white men. And now, this idolization looks like it has transformed into a full embrace of white supremacist views. White nationalists are always calling black people out for “self-victimization” and using bullsh-t terms like “thought police.” Kanye sounds like an alt-right troll. What is f-cking happening? A few of you tweeted me over the weekend that Kanye has always been problematic. Kanye has always had problems and I can go point for point on the issues of Kanye’s past if you want but his issues have never run this deep. He’s never gone this far. As for this “self-victimization” crap, no one is playing the victim here except for Kanye West. He wrote something on a social media platform and people responded to it, as is their right. Sure, Kanye is allowed to think whatever he wants but that doesn’t mean people can’t call him out for it, especially when those views are in line with actively homophobic and racist public figures. Sure, Kanye West is allowed to make mistakes. I think that mistakes can be a really great tool for learning but when you're an artist with the power and influence of Kanye, it's important to own those mistakes - especially when his mistakes include some very dangerous figures and rhetoric. I don't ever want Kanye to stop being Kanye, the messy, imperfect, authentic man that he is but I also can’t stand behind him as a fan when he’s standing WRONG AND STRONG (shout-out to [Traci Melchor]( for that phrase) behind the literal worst. I can’t stand behind him when it looks like he’s turning into one of those humans himself. Along with all of the problematic crap Kanye tweeted this weekend, he also joked that he’s been producing from the Sunken Place (why does he still have to be funny though? Dammit Kanye!) and revealed that he’s working on Nas’s new album as well as all of the previously announced records from Kid Cudi, Pusha T and Teyana Taylor. Throughout the years, I’ll admit that I’ve given Kanye more slack than I probably would have any other artist because of the music. This time is different. Talk to me in June but even if the new tracks are incredible, I don’t think I can let this sh-t go in the name of some dope songs. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 5:04 PM [Harry & Meghan’s busy weekend]( [Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend the Invictus Games Reception at Australia House on April 21, 2018 in London, England](Let’s start with today, because these are the freshest photos. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped out this afternoon hand in hand in London, just hours after the birth of their nephew, who I’m calling Prince Trey for now until they confirm a name. While William and Kate are dealing with Trey’s arrival and getting ready to leave the hospital, Harry and Meghan were at the 25th anniversary Stephen Lawrence memorial service. Stephen Lawrence was murdered in 1993, when he was just 18 years old, by 5 racist white men and the resulting investigation was so bullsh-t that it resulted in an inquest that [called out the police’s]( “institutional racism” and “the "collective failure of an organisation to provide a professional service … through unwitting prejudice, ignorance, thoughtlessness and racist stereotyping which disadvantage minority ethnic people". As you can appreciate, then, [Meghan](’s appearance, in particular, at the memorial today is not insignificant, especially now as many in the UK are wondering whether or not the inquest and its findings had any impact on racial violence. And, going forward, as such a prominent member of the royal family who also happens to be biracial, it will be interesting to see how Meghan uses her platform to call for justice and equality. You know what’s ironic about all of this? Check out this Daily Mail cover from back in the day: [Daily Mail Murderers Headline]( And now it’s the Daily Mail that often foments racial division, with articles about Meghan being “[straight outta Compton](” and a readership that has shown itself to be …well… pretty f-cking ignorant. Needless to say then, Meghan could be shaking up the Firm in ways big and small. How small? I wrote last week about [the shoulder thing]( and she’s going sleeveless once again today. On the weekend, she wore a green Self Portrait dress that was probably a lower V in the front than we’re used to seeing from the royals and it also featured very slim strips of see-through detail around the waist. Scandale! Can you imagine the old-timey pearl-clutchers losing their sh-t over the fact that she’s not rolling around in whatever kind of dowdy-ass outfits they would prefer? As for the blue Stella McCartney dress she wore to the Queen’s birthday concert, it’s pretty cute that she and Harry decided to match that night but what’s even cuter is that I’m told they couldn’t stop whispering through the show. The way it was described to me is that they seemed “frisky”. Hot, right? [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 4:37 PM [Avengers Family Feud]( [Actors Winston Duke, Dave Bautista, Don Cheadle, Elizabeth Olsen, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hiddleston, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, and Pom Klementieff, Benedict Cumberbatch, Chris Pratt, and Scarlett Johansson, President of Marvel Studios and Producer Kevin Feige, actors Robert Downey Jr., Zoe Saldana, Chris Hemsworth, and Letitia Wright, Actors Danai Gurira and Tom Holland, Director Anthony Russo, actor Josh Brolin, Director Joe Russo, and actors Chadwick Boseman and Paul Bettany attend the Global Press Conference at the Avengers: Infinity War Press Junket in Los Angeles, CA April 22nd, 2018 ](The world premiere of Avengers: Infinity War is happening tonight in Hollywood where most, if not all, the Avengers will assemble on the red carpet ahead of opening weekend. Most of the cast members were in LA this weekend for the press junket and press conference and other planned promotional events, including a game of Family Feud. Which I killed half an hour watching – the whole thing! – this morning. It’s been a while since I’ve watched anything unrelated to Beyoncé on YouTube that’s more than 3 minutes. But Avengers Family Feud is everything I want in Avengers – it’s that “clubhouse” thing that Sarah first described many years ago, it’s watching them interact, sassing each other, team-working against each other…and so much fun. I laughed several times. Like when British [Benedict Cumberbatch]( did not know what the f-ck was happening. Or Mackie Avenger-splaining to the Russos that they don’t know the rules of the game. Or Letitia Wright getting super competitive about the situation. And, of course, [Mark Ruffalo](, the Avenger activist, throwing in that shot at Facebook at the end. Also, how about Pom Klementieff, the CLUTCHEST of all the Avengers at Family Feud? What they’re also doing here is showing off their own Avengers knowledge. Not that we shouldn’t expect for them to know their characters and everyone else’s character but they’ve provided an opportunity here for the actors to connect to the nerds…without getting super f-cking nerdy to the point that it alienates the people like me who are like, I’m into the movies, but I don’t need anyone to be quoting me the issue number of what comic book this and that and the other that the storylines come from (oh, hi Sarah). As for the big names missing from the game – the Godfather, [RDJ](, who obviously isn’t spending any of his time playing games, and the King, T’Challa, [Chadwick Boseman](, who sent Shuri, as his emissary and the future, which I fully support. And Chris Evans who wasn’t at the press conference either, likely because he was still in New York on Broadway and it makes more sense for him to take a Monday off rather than a prime time Saturday/Sunday. Can we talk about Chadwick’s gorgeous light grey leather jacket though? I am obsessed with his wardrobe. Look at the fit of these jeans. And those kicks. [A post shared by Ashley Weston (@ashleypweston)]( on Apr 22, 2018 at 4:15pm PDT RDJ, meanwhile, was wearing a leisure suit. Like what old men wear to the track. Godfather, see? His hair is longer now too. And he’s letting it puff out. How do we feel about this? [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 3:30 PM [Gwyneth’s every weekend wedding]( [Gwyneth Paltrow celebrates bridal shower with friends hosted by Monique Lhuillier](Two weeks ago, Gwyneth Paltrow and her friends were in Mexico for what was then called a bachelorette ([ugh]( trip. Last weekend, Ryan Murphy hosted an engagement party for G and Brad Falchuk [in Hollywood]( attended by major stars like Julia Roberts and Reese Witherspoon. THIS weekend it was another pre-wedding event – what looks like a bridal shower perhaps hosted by Monique Lhuillier? [A post shared by Monique Lhuillier (@moniquelhuillier)]( on Apr 22, 2018 at 3:26pm PDT [A post shared by Monique Lhuillier (@moniquelhuillier)]( on Apr 22, 2018 at 3:41pm PDT Blythe Danner was seen holding on to a Monique Lhuillier garment bag at the party [last week]( and since Monique designs wedding gowns, some people think Monique will be designing G’s wedding gown, which I’ve already said seems kinda basic but, then again, G’s wedding is bigger than she is. G’s wedding is a goop wedding. It could very well be featured in an issue of goop magazine. And if her friend, Monique, is willing to provide bonus content…? You know. When [Gwyneth]( married Chris Martin, it was super undercover. It was in a hotel room. No one was around. In her mind then, this is her first wedding. Which is why she’s drawing out every last detail, every tradition and custom. Have you ever had a friend who expected your life to revolve around their wedding? Do you think this will happen with G’s friends? In other G news, do you listen to the Esther Perel podcast? Everyone in my life has been obsessed with Esther Perel the last few months, including Duana. Duana walked into my house talking about Esther Perel when we podcasted on Friday. And Esther came up several times throughout the night. If you, like Duana and my other friends, are super into Esther Perel, how do you feel about the fact that she’s been gooped? Gwyneth and Esther interviewed each other for the [Sunday Times]( this weekend and G tells Esther about her relationship style, [per ET](: During the lengthy conversation, Perel asked Paltrow about the couples she knows who have been an inspiration to her in her current relationship with the American Horror Story producer. According to the Oscar-winning actress, nearly everyone in her circle of friends has managed to keep the spark alive in their unions -- except her. "I’m actually the only one in my life who got divorced," she shared. "This used to feel like a failure -- it took me a while to reframe that divorce isn’t a failure." According to Paltrow, she's had a long history of dating men who she knew would have a difficult time being intimate, in an unconscious attempt to shift the blame of the relationship's collapse off of herself. "In the past, I’ve been in relationships with men who had intimacy issues, so I could be, like, 'I’m fine, I’m ready to do this,' and let myself think he’s the one with the problem," she explained. "In a way, some of the relationships were designed to keep me out of intimacy." "Now, for the first time, I feel I’m in an adult relationship that is sometimes uncomfortable, because he sort of demands a certain level of intimacy and communication that I haven’t been held to before," she added. "What came up in the first couple of years of our relationship was how incapable I was in this realm, how I feared intimacy and communication." The 45-year-old actress has been in a number of high-profile romances throughout her career, including a failed engagement to Brad Pitt and a three-year on-and-off relationship with Ben Affleck, before she began dating Martin in 2002. "If you look at life like a pie chart, the romantic slice is where all the sh-t comes out. I’ve always felt that I’m a good friend, mother, daughter, sister, boss, co-worker -- but that I was most broken in that romantic slice," she said. "I had two typical types of relationships: one where I was constantly chasing and trying to win someone over, and one where I was put off by the person’s capacity for the relationship -- and those relationships were very short-lived." "In a lot of those relationships, I wasn’t particularly in love with the person," she continued. "It was more about 'Why don’t they like me? What’s wrong with me?' I think my desire to overachieve in part comes from this pattern." Paltrow added that she often feels she had to be "extra, extra good at something in order to be worth anything." Who do you think she was “constantly chasing”? Is Chris Martin too easy? Because he was, literally, always running away from her in order to avoid being seen with her? [A post shared by Gwyneth Paltrow (@gwynethpaltrow)]( on Apr 22, 2018 at 2:02pm PDT [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 2:12 PM [The Punctual Prince]( [Catherine and Prince William](Princess Catherine went into labour this morning, right on schedule. As reported [a couple of weeks ago]( today was the due date. And today was the arrival date. Kate went into the hospital about 6 hours ago. Kensington Palace tweeted the announced 5 hours later. It’s a boy. A prince. A very punctual prince. Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 1101hrs. The baby weighs 8lbs 7oz. The Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth. Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well. — Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) [April 23, 2018]( With Big G and Charlotte, their names were confirmed two days after they were born. Probably it will the same with #3? All of this, of course, is wonderful news for the royal family. [Kate]( has fulfilled her duty, over and over and over again. And in less than a month there’s to be a wedding. In Chinese culture there’s a saying: one celebration can block three tragedies. That’s why feng shui masters recommend for those who are running a bad luck streak to be around celebrations, to go to as many celebrations as possible. The British royal family is celebrating a baby and a marriage this year. These are ideal conditions. Today is St George’s Day. So on his name day, Big G was gifted a little brother. That’s obviously how he’ll see it: MINE! Both Big G and Charlotte were apparently born late and, seeing as #3 is right on schedule, I wonder what that means about his personality. Is he the one who’ll follow the rules and maintain order and help his sister clean up their older brother’s messes? Big G was born under the sign of the Snake, of course he was. He is such a snake. Snakes are natural leaders. His new baby brother is a Dog. Dogs are loyal and honest and supportive, suited to a life of service. It’s almost as if William and Kate consulted with a Chinese astrologer in their legacy planning. Media around the world gathered outside the hospital today when news was first released that Kate was in labour. Diehard royal stans, however, have been there for days. Look at these people. Check out the dude with the doll. That scares me. "Hip Hip Hooray, it's a boy" - celebrations outside the Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington as the Duchess of Cambridge gives birth [#RoyalBaby]( [pic.twitter.com/Jh214uPInn]( — Sky News (@SkyNews) [April 23, 2018]( [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 1:10 PM [Privacy Policy]( - [Unsubscribe](