Newsletter Tuesday, May 01, 2018

[LaineyGossip.com - Calling all smuthounds!] Tuesday, May 01, 2018 [Intro for May 1, 2018]( [Lupita Nyong'o speaks onstage at 'Time's Up' during the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival at Spring Studios on April 28, 2018 in New York City](Dear Gossips, I spent a few hours last night trying to decide about my favourite John Woo movie. And I’m still trying. A Better Tomorrow is probably the sentimental choice. It came first. And it forever established Chow Yun Fat as “Mark Gor” in Chinese pop culture. “Gor” means “big brother” and everybody either wanted to be “Mark Gor” or have a “Mark Gor” in their lives. This was my parents’ favourite film for a long time. Leslie Cheung sang the theme song and every Chinese person will tell you that all of their relatives sang that theme song at karaoke for probably the next 20 years. I played the song last night for the first time in a decade, or more, and I still know all the words. But I do love Once A Thief. My beloved Leslie Cheung was the most beautiful he’s ever been in Once A Thief. Looking back, Once A Thief, for me, is like Ferris Bueller and Ocean’s Eleven all at the same time. Then again… there’s Hard Boiled, probably the angstiest of all John Woo movies and the hospital shoot-up scene still holds up. Tony Leung’s performance in Hard Boiled was the precursor to his performance in Infernal Affairs and that film, as you know, led to The Departed. Remember that the next time you watch Leonardo DiCaprio in that role. Maybe none of this means much to you but these movies are considered masterpieces of Hong Kong cinema all starring one of our cinematic legends. And John Woo is remaking one of his own masterpieces for Hollywood – The Killer. This time starring Lupita Nyong’o. In the title role. Lupita and Chow Yun Fat. Omg will Chow Yun Fat make a cameo? SO good, right? There is NOTHING to complain about here. At all. The storyline sounds pretty much the same. Lupita will be an assassin who accidently blinds an innocent woman on a job and dedicates herself to protecting her. There’s a cop in the original who’s also looking out for the blind woman and, well, eventually The Killer and the cop team up. (Sort of like Tequila Sunrise – they came out around the same time – but without the hot sex.) I’m curious now if they’ll keep that part of the story. And if they do, it will be amazing if the cop is also a woman. I nominate Lucy Liu. Since it’ll be a while though before we get this in theatres, it’s a great time to revisit John Woo’s work or check it out for the first time if you haven’t already. You know what I really, really want to do though? I wish someone would hire me to rewrite the subtitles for the films I’ve just mentioned but in current vernacular. The subtitles from back in the day are janky and non-Chinese speakers would enjoy it so much more if they were reading dialogue that actually complimented the action. Who do I see about that job? Yours in gossip, Lainey [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 1:34 PM [It’s Gonna Be May]( [Justin Timberlake, Joey Fatone, JC Chasez, Chris Kirkpatrick, Lance Bass attend as *NSYNC is honoured with their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, April 30, 2018](I’m sorry. I had to. *NSYNC reunited yesterday and this gif has never been more relevant. Anyway, Justin Timberlake almost made it. He almost made it a full day without hijacking *NSYNC's moment. The boy band was given their star on the [Hollywood Walk of Fame]( and shockingly, the ceremony was not The Justin Show as I predicted. All five members, including the band’s [rightful frontman JC Chasez](, Chris Kirkpatrick, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Justin Timberlake were honoured by [Ellen DeGeneres]( and Carson Daly before giving their own speeches. [Justin Timberlake](’s speech was last, of course, but leading up to his turn at the mic, JT hung in the back and didn’t jump on anyone’s heads or step on anyone’s moments. The biggest moment of the ceremony came from Lance Bass, who used his acceptance speech to share heartfelt words on why he didn’t come out while he was in the band. “I thought if I had come out, *NSYNC would be over so out of fear I kept my secret and our wildest dreams were coming true and I was so incredibly thankful, and I still am. But so many nights on stage I’d see young gay fans singing their hearts out and wanted so badly to let you know that I was you. I just didn’t have the strength then but I do today and let me say loud and proud to all my LGBT brothers and sisters who embrace me and showed me the way to be who I am, thank you so much.” I can imagine that this speech meant the world to the young gay *NSYNC fans Lance was referring to. So much of the boy band culture revolves around the images we’ve all seen of the crying, screaming girls. I was that girl. I was in the crowd singing my heart out and crying my face off. The term “fanGIRL” epitomizes that 2000s boy band era. This weekend, I’m going to see a [documentary called]([I Used To Be Normal: A Boyband Fangirl Story](. It’s what I thought of when I was watching Lance’s speech – that even in the words we use to describe fandom, we can be exclusionary. Lance’s speech was a powerful reminder that fandom isn’t exclusive to straight girls and that his coming out may make it so that other boys in other bands don’t feel like their success hinges on being in the closet. As for the other speeches, Chris and Joey were extraneous as usual and [JC]( was endearing. When it came time for Justin Timberlake’s speech, I was ready for the eye-rolling. I only eye-rolled at JT’s effusive dedication to his “brothers” in *NSYNC. “I can’t put into words how much the four of you mean to me.” Remember that time they [weren’t invited to his wedding]( though? Otherwise, JT gave a short shout-out to his wife (whose name is [Jessica Biel]( but I don't think Justin knows that) and all of the band members’ moms but specifically his own mom Lynn who toured with the group while JT was a minor. By Justin Timberlake cockjacking standards, he was restrained and dare I say it…humble. Then, Justin Timberlake had to go full Justin Timberlake and make an appearance on Ellen the same day as his band’s Walk of Fame ceremony, in case anyone forgot who the real star of the group is. AS IF I just called him humble. Justin Timberlake is not on a promotional schedule right now. He’s not pushing his sh-tty album any more. He’s in the middle of his tour. The only reason he would have to do a full solo segment on Ellen (where he told [baby anecdotes]( of course) was because he couldn’t go a full day without having the focus on HIM. After JT’s solo segment, he brought out the other guys in *NSYNC as a “surprise.” You know I love to snark but if I was in that audience and Tearin’ Up My Heart started playing, I may have lost my sh-t a bit too. Sincerely. Nostalgia’s a hell of a drug. As you can see in the above clip, Justin was back to being front and center. The interview portion revealed that the guys are all on a group chat. Do you think the other four have another chat going without Justin? Where they just sh-t on all of his cockjackery? *NSYNC also played “Never Have I Ever” on Ellen (why wasn’t this the whole show, again?) and everyone’s freaking out about the fact that Justin revealed he hooked up with a Spice Girl. It’s obviously NOT Victoria Beckham, right? I mean, she’s always had good taste and plus, she met David right around the time [*NSYNC and the Spice Girls met](. My guess is Geri Halliwell. You see how easily Justin Timberlake made it about him, AGAIN? You can watch *NSYNC’s entire Walk of Fame ceremony below. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 6:05 PM [Smutty Social Media, May 1, 2018]( [Miranda Lambert](Mikhail Baryshnikov is 70 – he’s aging really well. I found an old 2014 interview in which he talked about Sex and the City and how young people choose TV over films, museums and concerts (he doesn’t frame it as a criticism, [just an observation](). Do you think he’s more recognized as Alexander Petrovsky than he is as himself? [A post shared by Katie Couric (@katiecouric)]( on Apr 30, 2018 at 8:02pm PDT These Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson cutouts are so much better than a photo booth! Great anniversary party idea. [A post shared by Rita Wilson (@ritawilson)]( on Apr 30, 2018 at 11:45am PDT Taylor Lautner was at Stagecoach, as were a lot of celebrities (like Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, who are regulars). The only crossover I could find between Coachella and Stagecoach, which happen a week apart on the same grounds, are Nick and Joe Jonas. [A post shared by Taylor Lautner (@taylorlautner)]( on Apr 28, 2018 at 11:28am PDT This [Miranda Lambert story]( isn’t going away, because her new boyfriend’s ex doesn’t want it to go away. According to “sources,” she was ghosted – for two months! – by her husband. And her sources also clarified the timeline, saying Miranda and Evan weren’t “on tour,” they only played three dates together (they started flirtatiously texting before he had even left) and he didn’t come home after that. We know this is messy, and that Miranda has never shied away from messy. But I’m curious as to why and how PEOPLE, a celebrity-friendly space, is leaning so heavily on sources from the [wife’s side of the triangle](. Usually the celebrity is the one with the microphone, controlling the narrative. Does Miranda just not give a sh-t, or did PEOPLE simply not care if they pissed her off? And how much of a heads-up did her team get, because there’s no counter sources (from her or his side) quoted in the piece. [A post shared by Miranda Lambert (@mirandalambert)]( on Apr 24, 2018 at 12:16pm PDT Sometime yesterday, Blake Lively wiped her Instagram. She didn’t delete it, she just removed all of the photos and now only follows people named Emily Nelson (yes, she unfollowed Ryan Reynolds). Obviously this is promo for her upcoming movie with Anna Kendrick, A Simple Favor, which they [presented together at CinemaCon](. Blake’s last post was a hangman clue that read, “What happened to Emily?” She plays Emily. Not a bad marketing campaign, but as Lainey pointed out, the movie isn’t coming out until September. This stunt is to promote the upcoming trailer. So how is Blake going to promote the actual full-length movie in the fall, when there’s so much noise around TIFF and prestige drops? Maybe she will go into the witness protection program and re-emerge on opening night. [A post shared by Anna Kendrick (@annakendrick47)]( on Apr 27, 2018 at 11:53am PDT [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 5:36 PM [Coop & Gaga for Oscar?]( [Bradley Cooper at LAX, April 30, 2018](Here’s Bradley Cooper at LAX yesterday heading out of town. Last week Coop was at CinemaCon in Vegas as part of the Warner Bros presentation. They showed the trailer for A Star Is Born, his directorial debut. The reaction was [overwhelmingly positive](. Coop talked about how he and [Lady Gaga]( made a deal – he would direct the best performance possible out of her but he would also have to sing live because she hates it in movies when you know it’s not the actual people singing. And she’s right. If the trailer is any indication, their partnership will be a major success. If you recall, the studio moved the release for ASIB around a couple of times. Initially it was to be this September. Then they pushed it up to May. It will now be released in October, which is award season, which means they have a lot of confidence in it. And, given that Bradley is a WB boy, they’ll put whatever resources they have behind it should the film generate critical acclaim, likely out of the festivals – either Venice or Telluride or Toronto or New York. So… are Coop and Gaga heading to the Oscars? It’s early, obviously. I mean we’re still two weeks from Cannes. But that’s how everyone seems to be talking because the narrative is already developing. [Bradley Cooper](, over the last few years, has emerged as one of the best actors of his cohort, with multiple nominations. This is his first time in the director’s chair. And it’s a musical. He’s singing and directing and he worked on the screenplay based on an iconic Hollywood film. The Academy has permanent boners over this sort of thing. And Gaga comes with a Gaga-sized profile too. Which is also why she’ll be credited with her stage name and not Stefanie Germanotta as originally announced when they began production. OK but when do we get to see this trailer? I want to know if our reaction is going to match up to the reaction from theatre owners and journalists. Sometimes, you know, there’s a disconnect. In the meantime, check out the first A Star Is Born poster which, yeah, I’m kinda feeling here. [A post shared by Daniele Giudici (@danigaga74)]( on Apr 24, 2018 at 10:43pm PDT I’m also feeling some of the other promo shots. [A post shared by lyvdie (@lyvdie)]( on Apr 25, 2018 at 1:20am PDT There are more on that IG account that are of the same vibe. He better die at the end of this movie because people are going to shipping this movie romance and we’re not doing Twilight here for f-cks sake. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 4:56 PM [Ant-Man and the Wasp: For sure less catastrophic]( [Evangeline Lilly and Paul Rudd in second Ant-Man and the Wasp trailer](Marvel is currently dominating the box office. Avengers: Infinity War is the biggest domestic and global opening weekend ever, and will undoubtedly accrue a massive box office haul (they will definitely be blamed for some other tent pole blanking this summer, because they hogged all the money or whatever), and Black Panther is still in theaters, still sitting in the [TOP FIVE]( at the box office. Marvel’s domination is total and complete. And they’re not done! The sprinkles on their movie-cake is Ant-Man and the Wasp, which just released a second trailer. I like the look of this one WAY more than [first](. The visual gags are GREAT. I like the implication that an Ant-Man without a Wasp is a waste and the whole point is the partnership. I like [Evangeline Lilly](’s strut as the Wasp. And I really like that this trailer outlines the conflict with the villain, the Ghost, and we get a sense of what Ant-Man and the Wasp are up against. They’re not giving anything away, of course not, but at least this time I can identify the villain. Also, it will for sure be less catastrophic than Infinity War, and it’s a nice reminder that Marvel movies aren’t usually in the business of ruining your day. We have a year until Avengers 4, this is a nice way to break the tension. As usual, Marvel is out here out-strategizing everyone else. I’m not saying Ant-Man is anyone’s favorite Avenger, or that Ant-Man and the Wasp will top the cultural and thematic highs of Black Panther, or the sheer pop culture bonanza that is Infinity War. But there are a few things to watch with this movie. For one, how big will the Infinity War bounce be? Ant-Man pulled in just over $500 million, and the sequel will definitely do more business than that. They’re going to get a boost from the renewed interest of casual movie-goers, it’s just a matter of how big. Which leads to the follow up—we live in a world where ANT-MAN may well out-earn the Justice League. It was one thing when Thor did it, at least he’s a main Avenger. But Ant-Man? To be beat by f*cking ANT-MAN? Do you ever really recover from that? [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 3:50 PM [Zayn and Gigi are back on]( [Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid arrive at Gigi's apartment in New York, April 30, 2018]("As for the future, whatever's meant to be will always be.” That was the last line of Gigi Hadid’s statement after she and Zayn Malik [broke up](. Then, Zayn released an embarrassing video that Lainey loves and I hope I never have to watch again [starring a Gigi lookalike](C2%A0to-act-in-let-me-music-video/49622). Zayn’s Let Me video ended with the words “to be continued.” A little over a week ago, Zayn was seen doing a walk of shame (leaving in the same clothes from the day before) [from Gigi’s apartment]( and after all those hints that they wouldn’t be able to quit each other, it wasn’t exactly a surprise. But it could have been a moment of weakness between exes. It didn’t necessarily mean that Zayn and Gig were back on. Now, we’ve got pictures of Zayn and Gigi [making out in public](. It’s full on public PDA in broad daylight. They would know people were watching. This comes not even two months after their corresponding breakup statements. Do you think they are embarrassed? If this was me, I’d be embarrassed that my breakup didn’t even last a full semester. Zayn does not look embarrassed. If we’re playing Photo Assumption™ [Zayn]( seems like the one who is more into this reconciliation. He’s leaning hard into [Gigi]( while she is literally backed up against a wall. She looks like she’s trying to suppress a small, coy smile so her flirtation may just be coming off as hesitation but it looks awkward. These are two people who were in a serious relationship and they look like they’re kissing for the first time. I am embarrassed for them. As Lainey pointed out [in her last post about Zayn](, he just parted ways with his manager and may be more inclined to rely on a familiar face during a tough time. As for Gigi, she’s the one who dropped the “whatever’s meant to be will always be.” If it’s a drama-free breakup with nothing but distance to blame and your ex comes to you, potentially in need of emotional support and wants to try again, do you give in? It looks like Gigi gave in. Yesterday, Zayn and Gigi were spotted arriving at her apartment separately, 24 hours after the kissing shots. So, they’re not just making out on sidewalks in the heat of the moment. They’re doing back-to-back hangout sessions. If you’ve ever gone back to an ex, you know that it can go from zero to 100 real quick. They were together for two years which is like twenty years when you’re their age. How long before they’re back at 100 and the problems that led to “to be continued” show up again? [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 3:18 PM [Trey’s birth certificate]( [Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge depart the Lindo Wing with their newborn son Prince Louis of Cambridge at St Mary's Hospital on April 23, 2018 in London, England](Prince Louis, who I call Trey, was born a week ago yesterday. Just making sure… you all are calling him Louis like “Lew-eeee”, right? And not “Lew-iss? This is a post about what to call people. Trey’s birth certificate has been released. It is similar to his sister’s and his brother’s. Before we get to Trey’s document, let’s revisit Big G’s: As you know, I call Catherine Cambridge “Princess Kate” and people yell at me all the time because she’s the Duchess of Cambridge. And that’s how she’s been styled. But, as I wrote [back in 2013]( when Big G was born, she’s also a Princess of the United Kingdom. And technically Meghan Markle will likely be a princess too – Her Royal Highness Princess Henry of Wales and Duchess of Somethingsomething-ford/shire/ex. Anyway, as I’ve mentioned, I hate the word “duchess” and I can’t explain why. It’s a stupid word. Also it’s a pain in the ass. Because we haven’t stopped calling Prince William “Prince William”. It’s more common to say Prince William than the Duke of Cambridge. [Prince William]( and [Princess Kate](? Way easier than Prince William and Duchess Kate. It’ll be the same with Prince Harry. When the Queen bestows the new title on Harry and Meghan, we’re not going to be calling Prince Harry “Harry, the Duke of Whatever”. He’s still going to be Prince Harry. And when he gets married it’s going to be Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan the way it’s Prince Harry and Duchess Kate. Which … automatically puts her in the inferior. I’m sticking with Princess then. Keep yelling at me. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 2:45 PM [Reese Witherspoon’s Whiskey in a Teacup]( [Reese Witherspoon's Whiskey in a Teacup](I will never knock Reese Witherspoon’s business acumen or hustle – her pivot from lukewarm rom-coms (they seriously don’t make them like they used to) to multimedia producer, actress, and dealmaker has been a resounding success. And with that, Reese has broadened her spectrum outside of Hollywood, supporting #TimesUp, March for Our Lives and being vocal about the gender pay gap. At the same time, she has grown Draper James, her down-home lifestyle brand that focuses on Southern-themed products and feminine clothing (lots of fit-and-flare dresses, no cuffed sweatpants). One of her next ventures is a book, Whiskey in a Teacup. I think it’s supposed to be a nod to a certain type of steely femininity. Pretty but gritty. When I think of Reese and whiskey, though, I think of this. Four years ago, [Reese]( was arrested for disorderly conduct (being a drunk asshole). Four years is a long time in the collective pop culture memory. Lots of celebrities have DUIs, and Reese wasn’t even driving. I’m not suggesting it should have ended her career. But now, because many of us were ignorant to the scope and the reality of the problem before, watching her get out of a car, while being clearly intoxicated, takes on a bit of a different shape. It was nighttime. She was in Atlanta and had been told not to get out of the car. She forcefully walked up to the officer while he was dealing with her husband. Why did the office treat her with professionalism and patience? It wasn’t because she was Reese Witherspoon – I truly don’t think he knew who she was. But it’s impossible to dismiss the privilege of her behaviour. And wonder what the consequences would have been if it had been… someone who didn’t look like she and Jim Toth do. That’s what I think about when she mentions whiskey and her teacup. I know that’s not her intention, because she’s in a pink dress on the cover and talks about hot rollers in the promo video (why are celebrities so intent on trying to make us think they do their own hair and makeup?). She promises lots of insight into her heritage, and how it informs her décor, family traditions, food choices – Reese is still a Tennessee girl, just living in Pacific Palisades. [A post shared by Reese Witherspoon (@reesewitherspoon)]( on Apr 30, 2018 at 11:01am PDT In a way, she has masterfully rearranged her place in the celebrity eco-system, creating a layered approach to her fans. Reese has power, and she knows that her peers know she has power, as a dealmaker. But she doesn’t necessarily need all of her fans to know, or care, what she does behind the scenes. This book seems like a project tailor-made for the Minivan Majority—those who loved her in Legally Blonde and Sweet Home Alabama, but don’t really care about film rights or producer credits. These are the ones who will cheer her when she touts Ask Her More, and don’t balk when she constantly wears her own clothing line to promote her projects. Like a good politician, Reese is continually checking in on this core, keeping them happy and making sure they don’t feel left behind. But through this book, will we really learn more about Reese? Probably not. Gwyneth has given, and continues to give, a lot of her personal life to goop. Kate Hudson’s “Pretty” series is basically completely in line with everything we know about Kate Hudson. But I don’t think that’s the point of Reese’s lifestyle site – it isn’t to “know” her, but to emulate her. She’s like a manners mentor. Reese is showing women how to be the teacup they want to see in the world. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 2:19 PM [May 1, 2018 – Smutty Shout-Outs]( [Charlie for Elizabeth](For Elizabeth who misses Charlie – thank you for your note and for sharing those details of Charlie’s last two weeks. To be honest, I almost couldn’t get through your entire email because it brought back memories of what it was like when we let go of Marcus two and a half year ago. (I find I always keep track of how long it’s been.) We had one last beautiful day with him and, like Charlie, he visited his favourite places in the house and said goodbye to all the comforts he was leaving behind. Like Charlie, he was telling us he was ready. Charlie knew. I love that he was a boss to the end. I know you’re mourning the end of a great decade. I also know that already you know that a run like that doesn’t come around too often. You were lucky to have him, as you said, but he was lucky to have you. And since we’ve already established that he was a boss, don’t forget that he would have known that too. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 1:55 PM [Privacy Policy]( - [Unsubscribe](