IRS

Ad art Baby Blind Item Book Bullying celebrities Celebrity Charity Court Crazy Dog Dogs fat Friends General George Clooney Geri Halliwell gues H&M hips image interview interviews intimate IRS jennifer aniston jennifer lopez Katie Holmes Kids Kyle MacLachlan Leo DiCaprio LOL magazine Magazines Mariska Hargitay Michael Douglas model Owe photos Pissed Pregnant quote Rant real red Relationships Rosario Dawson Sad Sheryl Crow size son sur thin Tom Cruise tummy Wedding Win

People Mag writer calls out celebrities & publicists in a hilarious resignation letter

marc

Sara Hammel may be my new hero. Hammel was, up until recently, an award-winning entertainment journalist working for People Magazine. Hammel had been working for People Mag for 14 years as a freelance writer, and she had covered some really big entertainment stories, like Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’ Rome wedding. Well, after 14 years, she had enough. Enough of the celebrities, enough of their bats—t crazy publicists, and enough of the not-so-subtle changes with how People Magazine functions as an entertainment news source. So when Hammel resigned, she did so in a letter which is being called “bridge-burning” and “scorched earth.” And not only that, she made the letter public, so anyone can read it. Here you go: Dear People Magazine, I quit. It’s not me, it’s you. It’s been a wildly dysfunctional 14 years, and you’re an entirely different magazine than when we first got together. I swear half the current staff doesn’t know my name, despite my contribution to something like fifteen hundred stories in your celebrity annals, so here’s a refresher: I worked inside your London, Los Angeles and New York bureaus, covered breaking news in nine countries, and dealt with too many celebrities to remember (I know this because I was cruising through your archives recently and found my name on files I had no recollection of writing, and interviews with people I have no memory of meeting, like Ellen and Portia together, plus both leads in Nip/Tuck and that guy from Burn Notice). My first celebrity assignment for you was Spice Girl Geri Halliwell in 2002. My last was Robert De Niro in April 2016. In between, there were memorable encounters galore, including making the gorgeous and empathic Mariska Hargitay ugly-cry (turns out she cries at like every charity-related event, phew), enduring an Oscar winner’s public bullying over an intimate dinner, facing a personal crisis at Tom Cruise’s wedding in Rome, getting basically, kind of spat on by a snotty J. Lo (okay, it was like a very wet pffttt in my general direction, really obnoxious), having fun with endless lower-key celebs like Rosario Dawson and Kyle MacLachlan and Michael Douglas, observing just how stiff and awkward George Clooney is around kids, insulting Sheryl Crow’s baby, and getting groped/harrassed by an A-list [omitted] performer in New York and Paris (that’s not to be flip—it was violating as hell. I’m still pissed I didn’t jab him in the balls with my pen). This is just what the entitled stars and their bat—t crazy publicists put me and many other talented, hard-working reporters through. You people, as it turns out, are worse. Stupidly, we expect loyalty and support from you after years of service. We are naïve. Despite your nicey nice, glossy and chirpy veneer, some of us think of you more as the Leo DiCaprio of magazines, using up every beautiful model that crosses your path (“beautiful model”= “award-winning journalist” in this scenario), discarding them, and pretending you leave no wake behind you. I’m oddly surprised my tenure here is ending not with explosive hatred stoked by a cold dismissal from an insensate behemoth (i.e. you)—a fate I watched ashen-faced friends and colleagues endure before my eyes during the Los Angeles bureau’s 2008 culling—but with a slow fade-out and a final venting of my gossip-weary spleen. Then again, that’s why I’m happy being freelance. I’ve survived something like eight rounds of layoffs where talented colleagues were bitch-slapped into oblivion and, I hope, will never give their nights, weekends, relationships and sanity again to keep up with an email chain about whether Jennifer Aniston is pregnant at 47 because of those tummy photos and what kind of mom will she be, when really she just had an extra burrito at lunch; but oh, wait, the rep says it’s just a rumor so there’s no story this week after all. Read the rest in my mini-memoir. I will say, what happens after that is that my debut teen mystery, the one I spent my adult life making into a reality, but which, despite the schlock regularly featured in its pages and online, People decided to ignore—more to the point, they ignored me entirely—even after I toiled away for them for 14 years. They wouldn’t even give me a digital post that I wrote, sourced, and agreed to remove the name of my book from (LOL). That book is called The Underdogs. I’ll leave you with the kicker: As I was crafting this letter, a Tweet came through from one of your top editors, Kate Coyne, crowing about her full-page People feature promoting her brand-new book, accompanied by a colorful screenshot. “Don’t ask how, but I got in touch with someone at @people—now I’m in the new issue. So grateful!” You should be, Kate. Enjoy it while it lasts. Sincerely, Sara Hammel [Letter via the NY Post] That’s some good dirt! I want to know the identities of those two blind items: who is A) the Oscar winner who publicly bullied Hammel over an intimate dinner and B) the A-lister who groped and harassed her? I love all of the named shade too – while I love J.Lo, I have no doubt that she’s spat/phlegm’d on reporters. And I think the whole idea of Clooney being really awkward around children is HILARIOUS. Granted, I’m awkward with kids too, but I’m not George Clooney! As for the email chains about Jennifer Aniston’s burrito baby… that’s a very “how the sausage is made” story about editorial decisions, isn’t it? That People Mag reporters are email-chaining about Aniston possibly being pregnant at 47 is… sad, I think. Covers courtesy of People Magazine.

2012 Ad Alcohol Celebrity DNA Drunk Friends Gallery Hollywood Horror image IRS Jersey Shore JWoww Kids lace lean lifestyle Owe OWN power Pregnant rap Rapper real Reality Show Reality TV RIP Season 6 Snooki son Spin style sur thin TV wow

Snooki & JWoww: Return To The Jersey Shore House… With Their Kids!

celebrityabout

Snooki and JWoww have come a long way from their alcohol fueled drama in the Jersey Shore house.  For six seasons, we witnessed their ups and downs and it made for some of the best reality TV scenes ever. There was no reality show on the air quite like it, but by the time the final season rolled around, it was pretty stale.  It probably didn’t help matters that Snooki was pregnant with her first child. This changed the dynamic of the show. Snooki changed from an immature young woman into a very strong woman with a family in mind.  No one was surprised when it was announced that Jersey Shore was coming to an end in 2012. There’s only so many times you can watch the same group of people get drunk and make fun of themselves.  Snooki & JWoww’s spin-off lasted  for four seasons and it chronicled the two best friends as they navigated a more mature lifestyle.  Snooki & JWoww recently took a trip to the Jersey Shore house where it all began, but they took their kids with them.  That’s wrong on so many levels. Remember the smoosh room? Let’s hope that room has been steam cleaned.  That was the go-to place when people in the house wanted to indulge in some sexual activity, so we can only imagine the horrors that could be hiding in there.  View Slideshow: 15 Stars Whose 15 Minutes of Fame Are Already Up JWoww’s husband, Roger took to his wife’s blog to speak about their experience and made it clear that he wasn’t fond of the kids going to the house.  “For reasons unknown my wife and Nicole took our kids to the Jersey Shore house today and let them pose for a photo op in the “Smoosh Room” or as I like to call it the DNA Daycare,” Roger revealed on the blog.  It seems like Roger has finally found a sense of humor. Remember he would fly off the handle at JWoww whenever she tried to have a joke with him? Roger closed off his post with more hilarious comments about it all. “I’m in a full Haz Mat suit now waiting in the driveway to power wash my kids off and scrub them down with bleach when they get home. Child protective services will be waiting for you as well @jwoww.” “Our daughter’s face says it all.” What do you think of it all? Should the kids have visited the house? Hit the comments below! View Slideshow: Jersey Shore Cast: Where Are They Now?

abs Ad Adele Album art campaign celebrities Celebrity Coco confidence Cosmopolitan Court Dating H&M heart Hollywood image instagram IRS James Bond Joe Jonas lace Liam Hemsworth Life & Style LOL Lost magazine Miami Music OWN photos quote rap real red running Sad size son Songs style Take That tan Taylor Swift thin Tom Hiddleston TV Win

Taylor Swift ‘feels completely free to be herself’ when she’s with Hiddles

celebrityabout

At this point, I’ve lost count of how many media outlets are openly questioning Tiddles. If Tom Hiddleston and Taylor Swift wanted their new love to look authentic and realistic, they’ve done a terrible job. If their relationship is supposed to be the biggest conspiracy of the summer (nay, the year!), then they’ve succeeded. E! News keeps running pieces about how and why Tiddles is all for show. Multiple outlets keep claiming that Tom is just doing all of this to campaign for James Bond, which makes zero sense. And now there are reports that Tiddles is taking a short breather, than Taylor has flown back to America and Tom is laying low in London. But as I asked yesterday, will they reunite for the Fourth of July? Taylor loves to host big Independence Day parties and post all of the photos to social media. Speaking of social media, Taylor and Tom have been mostly absent from their social media accounts since their love-bomb. Will this holiday weekend bring the first Tiddles-on-Instagram photos? God, I hope so. I hope Hiddles gets in the swan float. PLEASE??? What else? A million bulls—t stories, honestly. The Sun claims that Tom is now “in the running” to replace Calvin Harris as the bulge of Armani underwear. That’s following Tom’s sad W Magazine editorial? Yikes. Of course, other dudes on the shortlist include Joe Jonas (??), Chris Pine and Liam Hemsworth. If Tom ends up with an Armani contract, I will laugh and laugh. Hollywood Life also claimed that Taylor is currently writing songs about how she’s never felt love like this before. A source tells Hollywood Life: “When she’s with Tom, she feels completely free to be herself and doesn’t feel like she has to hold anything back. Tom really encourages her to be as authentic and as true to herself as possible. She feels like he really values her feelings and her opinions. He’s incredibly supportive and she feels more confident within herself. She now wants to take that same confidence and apply it to her music and to her songwriting. With Tom, she feels like she can do anything, that anything is possible. She’s never felt this way before with anyone. She’s on cloud nine.” [From Hollywood Life] Of course she’s on cloud nine… for now. Soon enough, it will be all tears and accusations and real-estate-stalking. But this story brings me to another point: can Taylor Swift write music about being happy and in love, or is she like Adele in that her best songs are about being heartbroken? What does Taylor Swift’s Love Album sound like? Who even knows? As for the LOVE, the NYDN’s horoscope person analyzed Tom and Taylor’s signs and found that they’re actually well-matched. Tay’s a Sagittarian and Tom’s an Aquarian, which means “they are career focused, but what’s fabulous for these two is that they have a mutual respect for each other’s goals, and the difference they want to make in the world through their careers.” LOL. Meaning their love will last as long as it takes to mutually further their careers. Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.

abs Ad art celebrities coat Country Court Died Fashion Fight H&M hair image IRS Kate Middleton looks Lost mulberry Owe OWN Pee photos Pink politics Prince Prince Harry Prince William quote red royals Sad size son style sur tan thin TV VS Weight

Duchess Kate wears a $2900 zig-zag Missoni coat at WWI memorial

videos

Embed from Getty Images On Thursday evening, Prince Harry, Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge arrived at Thiepval memorial to the Missing in France to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Somme during World War I. Tributes were also held in London, with the Queen, Prince Philip and David Cameron all attending a service at Westminster Abbey. The younger royals got sent to France though, which is how it should be. I’ve come to expect Harry at these kind of somber military events, but the Cambridges usually don’t pull this kind of duty. I think Kate looks nice here. She wore this Missoni coat which probably retails for something like $2900, although she’s likely had it significantly altered. But I like that it’s memorial-appropriate but it’s not just solid-black. She managed to stand out but not be disrespectful. And hey, at least she wasn’t wearing hot pink. She gets bonus points from me for wearing her hair back, wearing a fascinator that didn’t look like an undercooked cinnamon bun, and for keeping her accessories very simple. She might not look like Barbie Duchess, but she looked respectful of the event. What else? Prince William made a speech and as I was skimming the text, I was like “whoa, politics!” Take a gander: “One hundred years ago tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. the British army attacked German lines across these fields. To the young men eager to fight it was known as the ‘Big Push.’ The joint British and French offensive intended to put unbearable pressure on the German army and hasten an end to the war. Most of those who went over the top that day were wartime volunteers. Some as young as 16. Some had already seen action. For others the Somme was their first experience of battle. By the end of the 1st of July the British Army had sustained almost 60,00 casualties, of whom nearly one third had died. We lost the flower of a generation. And in the years to come it sometimes seemed that with them a sense of vital optimism had disappeared forever from British life. It was, in many ways, the saddest day in the long story of our nation. “Tonight we think of them as they nerved themselves for what lay ahead. We acknowledge the failures of European governments, including our own, to prevent the catastrophe of World War. We offer our humblest respects to each man who fought in the Battle of the Somme from every corner of the British Isles and from across the Commonwealth. We honor those whose names are recorded on this memorial. More than 72,000 who have no know grave. And to those who lie buried in Commonwealth war cemeteries. And tonight we stand here with a promise to those men. We will remember you. The gift you gave your country is treasured by every one of us this day. The sacrifice you made will never, ever, be forgotten.” [From People] “We acknowledge the failures of European governments, including our own, to prevent the catastrophe of World War…” That felt pointed, right? Props to William for acknowledging the lack of leadership that caused so many young men to die in that dreadful battle. And if people want to believe he’s just making a reference to the lack of leadership 100 years ago, so be it. But maybe he’s talking about a lack of leadership today. Bregrexit! Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images Photos courtesy of Getty.

Ad art Ben Affleck Breakup celebrities Celebrity Cool Divorce Drunk H&M hair HBO image interview IRS Jennifer Garner Kids lace live Married Owe OWN Parenting photos quote Rant red RIP size son Split sur Take That tall thin tips Tragedy TV Vanity Fair VS Wedding Win

Jennifer Garner & Ben Affleck ‘making it work,’ not sure if they will divorce

videos

When Ben Affleck gave his kind of slurry arguably drunk sports show interview, many of you noticed that he referred to Jennifer Garner as his “wife.” He was telling the same narrative we’ve heard from him before about how Jennifer Garner made his career possible by holding down the homefront, which is nice because it shows he doesn’t take that part of their relationship for granted. I didn’t put much stock in Affleck calling Garner his wife, but it may have meaning. ET Online has a pretty long story they’re billing as an exclusive, with quotes that they’re “making it work” and the detail that their source does not know if these two will ever file for divorce. It’s carefully worded, but it hints at a reconciliation. Three weeks ago we heard that Garner was “adamant” that she would divorce Affleck. Does this mean that he’s still holding out hope or are they back together? It’s been almost one year since Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner announced their split, and Wednesday marks the 11th anniversary of their wedding. However, while the two are separated, they still remain legally married. “They still have not officially filed paperwork for a divorce,” a source tells ET, adding they “don’t know if that will ever happen…” Affleck also recently referred to Garner as “his wife” in an interview on HBO. They’re “making it work,” the source notes about the pair, and as the months have flown by, the estranged couple has settled into a new normal of co-parenting and “the year of wine,” as Garner put it in a February sit-down with Vanity Fair… Affleck didn’t travel too far following their separation. Reports swirled shortly after they pulled the plug on their longtime romance that the 43-year-old actor was still a presence at their family home. “He still lives on the property in Brentwood, California, but in separate living quarters,” another source tells ET. There are no boundaries between them when it comes to their kids. The proud parents have been seen out and about together as a family on countless occasions. So much so that it has sparked reconciliation rumors, especially after their family trip to Paris and London in May while Affleck filmed Justice League. But will it happen? A source close to Affleck tells ET, “They’re in a good place and co-parenting the best they can.” [From ET Online]] So are these two still telling the press every up and down in their relationship or did ET ask and get this kind of non-committal answer? ET had another story a couple of weeks ago saying that they were “fine.” Whatever is going on, The tipster who sent us this story also pointed to this story in the Daily Mail in which Affleck was seen visiting a “friend’s” place in LA over the weekend. (Those photos are below.) He has wet hair so he may have been going for personal training or a massage or something. People has a competing story that Ben doesn’t want the divorce but Jen is “adamant” about going through with it. It sounds just like their story from earlier in June. It was a year yesterday since they announced the divorce and then dealt with nannygate: A friend of Garner’s says that “Ben still doesn’t want the divorce” but that Garner has denied reconcilation rumors to pals. She “doesn’t seem to mind at all that [the divorce] is not finalized,” but “she seems adamant about going through with it,” the friend says. “She did have the best time in Europe with Ben and the kids,” says her friend. “She seemed to enjoy spending time with Ben again.” “They have a lot of admiration and respect for each other,” adds a source close to the couple. The couple are continuing to stay together at their family home when they’re both in L.A. as Affleck flies back and forth to London for filming. Another source close to the couple told PEOPLE recently that “nothing has changed” in the relationship: “They’re still all about putting the kids first.” [From People] So this seems to be the new normal for them. I mean this kind of tentative relationship along with competing stories in the press about whether they’re getting back together or not. As long as we’re talking about them, right? Radar reported that Jennifer’s mom and dad, who live in Charleston, WV where she grew up, have had their home destroyed by the devastating flooding there and are staying in a hotel. They state that Jen is planning a fundraiser to help, and she has also publicly asked for support for Save The Children, with whom she’s worked in the past and which is doing relief work on the ground. Incidentally, Radar claims to have an exclusive interview with Jen’s dad which “reveals how she won [Ben] back for good.” That’s what they write in the title, but all Mr. Garner says is that he is “awful proud” of Jen and “would prefer not to comment on her plans. Any news will come from her and not from us.” This is Jennifer Garner outside a business meeting. Like Ben, she also has wet hair. Credit: FameFlynet

Ad art celebrities Celebrity Country Court dress Fashion flattering Girls H&M image IRS lace LAX Michelle Obama obama Pee photos pippa middleton real scandal size son sur thin waist Win

Michelle Obama in a $1950 Delpozo dress in Madrid: overpriced, fug or cute?

celebrityabout

Since yesterday’s Michelle Obama fashion post was so popular, I thought you guys might enjoy another one. As I said yesterday, MObama arrived in Spain this week with her mom and her two daughters. The ladies were on a tour to support the Let Girls Learn initiative. They got a great reception in Spain, and Spain’s Queen Letizia came out to support Let Girls Learn and the Obamas. After Letizia and Michelle both made speeches, they did a photo-op stroll at Zarzuela Palace, where they were having lunch. It was a nice moment, especially because Letizia is a fashion-plate like Michelle, and because Letizia seems looser and more comfortable around FLOTUS. Letizia often comes across as rather pinched, you know? But she seemed relaxed around Michelle. I imagine most people feel relaxed around Michelle, she just seems like a nice person. Even Queen Elizabeth felt comfortable enough to put her arm around MObama. But we need to talk about the fashion! Because Michelle’s dress is bad. And overpriced. Why can’t I stop comparing Michelle to the Middleton women? Earlier this week, Michelle almost had a Middleton-esque Marilyn Moment coming off the plane. And now Michelle is acting Middleton-esque by spending WAY too much on ugly dresses. Many of you though Pippa Middleton’s little summer dress should have cost $60 instead of $1800. So what do you think about Michelle terrible Delpozo dress, which costs $1950? WAY TOO MUCH. First off, it’s just not a good dress. It makes Michelle look thick-waisted, which she isn’t at all. The empire waist is just awkward, the “wings” at the back are terrible and basically this doesn’t look like it should cost more than $100-150. If that. That being said, Delpozo is a Spanish label, and I’m sure Michelle was just trying to honor her host country. Letizia’s dress was Nina Ricci by the way. It’s a really simple and flattering look, I think. Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and Pacific Coast News.

abs Ad art celebrities Celebrity Court Exes Friends Gossip Girl H&M image IRS Marriage OWN photos pippa middleton Prince Prince William quote real red rock size skin son Split style sur Switzerland tan thin TV VS Weight

Pippa Middleton is reportedly getting a marriage proposal… in September?

celebrityabout

Last fall, Pippa Middleton and Nico Jackson finally ended their relationship after months of drama. He basically moved to Switzerland to get away from Pippa, but that still didn’t end the relationship. The relationship only ended when Pippa was seen having a “sleepover” at James Matthews’ house. Suddenly, Pippa and Nico were done and then Pippa and James Matthews were a thing. Their relationship was confirmed just days into the new year, with sources dishing that Pippa’s new boyfriend is “terribly rich” and very much into Pippa. And in 2016, we really haven’t seen that much of Pippa, lending credence to the idea that Prince William convinced Pippa to give up Pippa-Tipping and “writing” so she could focus on landing a husband who would financially support her. And now it might be happening! Per the Daily Mail’s “Diary” gossip girl: I’m loathe to spoil a surprise, but is Pippa Middleton’s boyfriend about to propose? Sources tell me that James Matthews is whisking her away to the Caribbean island of St Barts in September – where he might pop the question at his parents’ exclusive hotel, Eden Rock. A ‘save the date card’ is already circulating among close pals with the message: ‘Don’t Tell Pippa,’ while mum Carole is in on it, too. As Pippa’s brother James is now back with Donna Air, could it be a race to see who walks down the aisle first? [From The Daily Mail] To be fair, there were tons of these kinds of rumors about Pippa and Nico and her boyfriend before Nico too. It’s “the Middleton way” to publicly encourage Pippa’s boyfriends to propose by dropping hints to gossip columnists. The Middleton family did it with Kate and Prince William too, during The Waity Years. That being said, I do think Pippa has found The One. If we’re defining The One as “some guy who is terribly rich and well-connected.” Which is all she’s ever wanted! I’m hoping he does propose just so Pippa can change her storyline, you know? Embed from Getty Images Photos courtesy of Getty, WENN.