Year: 2022

Going into the Venice Film Festival premiere of Don’t Worry Darling, there were rumors of tension between director Olivia Wilde and the film’s star, Florence Pugh. At first, Wilde’s romance with Harry Styles was reportedly the cause of contention. However, Shia LaBeouf showing up with an armload of receipts that prove he wasn’t fired from the film added a whole new layer thanks to a video LaBeouf gave to the press that showed Wilde derogatorily referring to Pugh as “Miss Flo.” (Wilde had claimed in an interview that she fired LaBeouf to “protect” Pugh.)

Again, all of this was going down before the cast even arrived in Venice. Pugh didn’t attend the festival press conference, which left Wilde to downplay that there’s a problem between the two. (Wilde also declined to answer questions about LaBeouf.) In the background to all of this, Pugh’s hair and makeup team were wearing “Miss Flo” T-shirts and using the name in their Instagram posts. Once the cast did assemble on the red carpet, Pugh and Wilde had minimal to zero interaction. In a nutshell, things did not look great.

With the film’s release still two weeks away, Wilde is still continuing to damage control. Here’s what she told Vanity Fair in a recent interview about the alleged drama:

Pugh didn’t respond to V.F.’s requests for this piece, and her silence about the movie has generally been taken as shade aimed at its director. When I speak to Wilde in London, she tells me, “Florence is one of the most in-demand actresses in the universe. She’s on set on Dune. I gather that some people expect for her to be engaging more on social media. I didn’t hire her to post. I hired her to act. She fulfilled every single expectation I had of her. That’s all that matters to me.”

Wilde also sidestepped the messiness in Venice and blasted the media for taking the spotlight away from Pugh’s “astounding” performance in Don’t Worry Darling.

“It’s just baffling to me that the media would rather focus on baseless rumors and gossip, thereby overshadowing her profound talent,” Wilde said. “She deserves more than that. As does the movie, and everyone who worked so hard on it.”

(Via Vanity Fair)

Ted Cruz is tired of the Democrats and their hypocrisy. On Wednesday, the Texas senator appeared on Fox News, where he unloaded on Jesse Watters about California governor Gavin Newsom’s plan to ban gas-powered cars — then took it one step further when he mocked Newsom for utilizing the luxury of air conditioning during a heat wave.

“I love that Gavin Newsom was wearing his fleece, obviously in cool air conditioning, saying ‘Let them eat cake. Let them sweat. You don’t get air conditioning,’” Cruz snarled. “It’s like John Kerry, who flies his private jet all over the planet lecturing people that ‘You poor, gritty working-class with dirt under your fingernails — you need to go without an automobile. You need to turn your air conditioner off. In fact, you need to just stay home and eat worms.’”

(We wonder what all the slacker baristas are thinking?)

If Cruz had any self-awareness, one might think he was actually trolling himself. As it was hard for anyone listening to him to not think back to that time, in early 2021, when “Cancun” Ted earned his nickname by quietly jetting off to Mexico with his family while millions of his constituents — devastated by the deadly combo of a powerful ice storm and a crappy power grid — were literally freezing to death. Cruz, of course, attempted to laugh his gross insensitivity off. But the people he serves weren’t amused, nor was his poodle Snowflake, who the Cruzes he left behind.

Tegan And Sara’s forthcoming TV series High School arrives next month. They revealed the casting in March and a new trailer yesterday. Now, the Quin sisters went on Late Night With Seth Meyers to discuss it in detail.

“We hadn’t done anything like this before,” Tegan explained. “When we sold the book, I think the first part of the process was just terror because we had to write a book. Then a couple months into it, our editor was like, ‘You need a timeline and some structure.’ We decided we would just tell our story in our own voices and just have the chapters alternate and there’s a lot of embellishment on both of our parts. It’s kind of cool when you read the book because there’s stories that come from both our perspectives and they’re very different so it’s basically like going to dinner with us.”

When asked more about the embellishment, Tegan said, “Yeah, I was like, ‘She’s lying, but that makes for a better story so we should definitely do it.’”

About the cast, Sara explained, “We were talking a lot about twins in front of our cell phones and we had not yet begun the casting process. But we were talking about twins a lot and Tegan sent me Raleigh, who actually plays Tegan on the show. She sent me her TikTok and said, ‘These girls could play us on our show.’ From that moment forward, we were really advocating for them all the time. They’re not actors. They were not musicians. They did have a lot of likes on TikTok — like, millions of likes…”

“So the most important thing,” Tegan jumped in, “that people look for these days.”

They also performed “Yellow,” from their forthcoming album Crybaby. Watch them perform the song below and watch the interview above.

Crybaby is out 10/21 via Mom+Pop Music. Pre-save it here.

On Wednesday, Barack and Michelle Obama hit up their old stomping grounds when they paid a visit to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to help unveil their official White House portraits. While most agreed that Michelle’s portrait was a sight to behold, some people were slightly confused by some of the choices made for Barack’s painting — Trevor Noah among them.

“I’m not going to lie: I am not an art expert,” Noah admitted. “I don’t know the difference between Michelangelo and the other Ninja Turtles. But what is going on with the Obama portrait?”

Noah’s questions didn’t end there:

Like, why is he standing in a white void? I don’t get it. It looks like he got his portrait taken at the DMV. Why does it look like this? He’s just like, ‘My license expired, so let’s kill two birds with one stone.’ No, because their portraits are going to hang in the White House forever. You understand that? They should look: White House!

Like, look at Michelle’s. She looks like a movie star, painted by a French artiste. Obama’s looks like they ran out of printer toner for the background.

If it seems like the Obamas’ big portrait reveals are a long time coming, that’s because they are. Traditionally, the unveiling ceremony is held during the tenure of the outgoing president’s predecessor. But, as Politico reports, Donald Trump reportedly refused to take part in this long-held tradition.

If Donald Trump Jr. weren’t so painfully unlikeable, one almost might feel sorry for the guy. While he may be his father’s namesake, Don Jr. has clearly spent all 44 of the years he has been on this planet desperately seeking his father’s approval, as evidenced by his chosen “career” path… which seems to be just stumping for his dad.

But every so often, however, Fredo will say something semi-human — reminding the world that he’s just a floundering forty-something with daddy issues. And Jimmy Kimmel may have found the most blatant video evidence of that yet.

On Wednesday night, Kimmel shared what he described as “what might be [Don Jr.’s] saddest video yet.” As the late-night host explained: “Big Don was whining about Don Jr. being investigated on possible conspiracy charges at a rally that was supposed to be for Dr. Oz this weekend. And for whatever reason, this touched Don Jr. very deeply.”

In the video, a disheveled-looking Don Jr. (is there really any other kind?) explained:

Pretty cool. Was watching the DJT rally this weekend and I got the honorable mention… It’s nice to know that [my dad] cares. You know, he’s a tough guy. He sort of treats me and anyone else around him sort of like Hillary at the debates.

It’s always nice to see… dad talking about it. It shows he cares, you know. ‘Cause there are just times we’re just in that fight. Sometimes you miss it.

This all sounds incredibly familiar…

Have many people felt the same way at times? Absolutely. Have they broadcast it for the whole world to see? Definitely not.

“Pathetic” is the only word Kimmel really had for the whole scenario. “As bad a president as Donald Trump was, as a father he might even be worse.”

You can watch Kimmel’s full segment above, beginning around the 5:10 mark.

If it weren’t for those creepy MyPillow commercials that saw him creeping through the medicine cabinet like Candyman, Mike Lindell’s sole claim to fame might be as the most unhinged member of Donald Trump’s Big Lie promo squad. As it stands, he’s known as a heroin addict-turned-pillow-magnate-turned-unhinged member of Donald Trump’s Big Lie promo squad. But his days as a home goods giant could be numbered.

According to Bring Me the News, Lindell’s last remaining MyPillow mall store — of which there were apparently more than one — has been shuttered. A photo of the store, located at the Rosedale Center in Roseville, Minnesota, being emptied of its goodies was shared on Twitter and appropriately captioned “Womp womp.”

While that store location still appears as “open” on the official MyPillow website, the photos tell a different story. The company’s official outlet store, in Shakopee, Minnesota, is still currently in operation.

Though it may come as a surprise to many that Lindell hawked his tacky goods in brick-and-mortar locations as well as on TV, it appears as if he kept his stores close to his home base in Chaska, Minnesota. However, Lindell’s growing infamy — and mounting lawsuits from the likes of Dominion Voting Systems, for helping Trump to spread lies about the 2020 presidential election being rigged — have caused major disruptions to his business. As Tommy Wiita writes for Bring Me The News:

In June, CEO Mike Lindell announced that Walmart was dropping his products from its big-box store shelves. Lindell claimed at the time that the move came despite high sales numbers and offers by him to allow Walmart to sell his products at a lower price. He claimed that he was a victim of cancel culture and blamed Walmart for the decision.

However, a Walmart spokesperson told Bring Me The News at the time that the products would still be available on its website. As of Wednesday, that still appears to be true.

Other major retailers, including Kohl’s and Bed Bath & Beyond, have also stopped shilling for Lindell following his political shenanigans. Deranged stunts like threatening a class action lawsuit against “all machines” haven’t helped Lindell.

Still, as long as there are words Lindell can stick “My” in front of, he’ll keep trying. In June, he launched his own coffee line called, yep, MyCoffee. In early July, Lindell convinced equally bonkers Rudy Giuliani to hawk his tacky Crocs sandal ripoffs. And some people have noticed that, appropriately, his line of MySlippers also make for great prison shoes. Which could eventually come in handy.

(Via Bring Me The News)

Britney Spears is having a major moment right now. She’s fresh off the release of the Elton John collaboration “Hold Me Closer,” which represents her post-conservatorship music comeback. The song, a new take on John’s “Tiny Dancer,” immediately resonated with people: On this week’s Billboard Hot 100 chart, it had the biggest debut of the week, entering the chart at No. 6. Naturally, John is pretty happy about this achievement, both for himself and for Spears.

On Twitter yesterday, he wrote, “Hold Me Closer is #6 on the Hot 100 (MY HIGHEST HOT 100 CHART POSITION IN 25 YEARS [starry eyes emoji]) and #1 on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs Chart!! I’m so grateful to all the fans who are loving & supporting this track – congratulations @britneyspears, you are a superstar! #HoldMeCloser.”

Spears herself has yet to publicly address the song’s Hot 100 success, but she recently wrote about “Hold Me Closer” performing well on other charts, “Thank you to my fans for making my song number one for a week now !!!”

She has, though, expressed her gratitude to John on multiple occasions, like when she wrote last month, “You can bet your bottom dollar that THIS collaboration will heighten my year by joining your brilliant hands of play. Thank you for your [generosity] and just thinking of me to join you on such a brilliant song !!! How cool is it to be a background voice ON YOUR song !!! Sir Elton I did it thanks to your genius, creative, and legendary mind !!! I am so grateful !!!”

Vladimir Putin’s angering people that he needs on his side, all after Russians began to flee the country in massive numbers over his war in Ukraine. This is the case, presumably, not only because Putin’s decision to wage a war was a unilateral and imperialistic one but also because the Russian people are dealing with an economic nightmare that’s not only created a non-McDonald’s atmosphere but also serious restrictions that are affecting Russians’ quality of life. Russian soldiers are also apparently shooting themselves to earn a ticket out of the hellish Ukraine warscape, and local Russian officials aren’t willing to keep sitting down as disaster continues to unfold.

The Daily Beast now relays word that, in St. Petersburg (Russia’s second-largest city), these officials are formally accusing Putin of treason. This is most certainly due to the war, which has already passed the six-month mark with no signs of winding down. And on Twitter, a deputy municipal councilman/lawmaker (Dmitry Palyuga) in the Smolninskoye district moved forward to announce the request (agreed upon by a majority of local deputies) for Putin to be charged with treason and removed as president.

The Current Time-posted letter received the Daily Beast translation:

“We believe that President Putin’s decision to begin the [special military operation] is harming Russia’s security and its citizens,” the letter reads. Notably, the lawmakers made no mention of Putin’s senseless motivations for the war, though they had previously sent him an open letter condemning his “historical fantasies” and demanding he stop the “bloodshed” in neighboring Ukraine.

The letter also needles Putin for demilitarizing Ukraine, only for the U.S. to step up and supply more weapons for President Zelensky and his troops. Ukraine sure isn’t giving up the fight, although the U.N. has issued dire warnings about how Russian troops have taken over a nuclear plant in Ukraine. Hopefully, those molotov-cocktail grandmas can eventually save the day for everyone.

(Via The Daily Beast)

It doesn’t take Benoit Blanc to solve the mystery of when the teaser trailer for Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is coming out. It’s today!

“Aaaand here it is! The first teaser trailer for the follow up to Knives Out, GLASS ONION!” writer and director (and The Last Jedi defender) Rian Johnson tweeted. He also included a warning: “I promise no spoilers, but if you want to come in totally cold, last chance to keep scrolling…” You can watch the teaser above.

Daniel Craig returns as the world’s foremost doughnut-loving detective from the first Knives Out, which grossed $311 million at the box office and was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars. New faces to the franchise include Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Kate Hudson, and Dave Bautista as YouTube star Duke Cody. There are unfortunately no Muppets to be found in the teaser, but there is Big Dave shooting a gun in the air while dressed in a tiny bathing suit. Which is really embarrassing, because I’m wearing the same thing.

Here’s more on what to expect:

If Knives Out was about the murderous ties of flesh and blood, Glass Onion makes a good case for being just as wary of one’s closest friends. When tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) invites some of his nearest and dearest for a getaway on his private Greek island, it soon becomes clear that all is not perfect in paradise. And when someone turns up dead, well, who better than Blanc to peel back the layers of intrigue?

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery comes out on Netflix on December 23.

Back in 2007, Eminem was hospitalized after overdosing on methadone in the midst of an addiction to prescription pills. (He’s now proudly sober.) He talked about that time in his life recently, revealing just how bad of a state he was in.

On Paul Pod, the podcast of Eminem’s longtime manager Paul Rosenberg, Em said of where he was at post-hospitalization, “It took a long time for my brain to start working again.”

Rosenberg then explained, “You literally were coming off of an overdose, and they had to sort of stabilize you with a few medications. And some of them took you a minute to adjust to — let’s just leave it at that. So, you’re learning how to rap again almost literally, right? Because it’s the first time, probably, you were creating without having substances in your body in… however many years, right?”

Em also noted he was “concerned” that he would have permanent brain damage.

Last year, Em said post-OD, he had to re-learn how to rap, saying of a leaked lyric about Chris Brown’s assault on Rihanna, “A lot of times, especially with the Relapse record, when I first started learning how to rap again, because of the drug situation that I went through and having to relearn a lot of things, that was one of those things that it was like, well, if it rhymes, say it. I think that being able to look back — I mean, that’s not even an excuse — but I’m just saying there was a phase I was going through with that Relapse record.”