Dear Gossips,

Welcome back!

To a new year in gossip! A year that’s already unavoidably being shaped by the events of 2017 and the endless revelations of the Hollywood Predator Advent Calendar – but we begin with a resolution. A resolution announced yesterday, on the first day of the year, by 300 women in Hollywood who’ve come together to declare that Time’s Up. 

It’s evident, to me at least, that the women have, over the course of the last three months or so, been doing their work. The website is clear and well-organised. A structure has been put in place for donations and administration. A comprehensive support network has been established. And Time’s Up aims to not only address systemic abuse and harassment in Hollywood but in all industries, with a legal defence fund in place to assist women who work in agriculture, in custodial services, in retail, in hospitality, in warehouses and factories, in health care, in the home, and more. Already, over $13 million has been raised towards an initial goal of $15 million with many of Hollywood’s most prominent, including Shonda Rhimes, Meryl Streep, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston leading the way with donations of $500K each, and the major talent agencies contributing a million dollars or more. Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw’s Wunderkinder Foundation has gifted $2 million to Time’s Up and JJ Abrams and Katie McGrath have given $1 million. 

To learn more about Time’s Up, please visit the website and to make a donation, please click here.

Many of the 300 women who’ve participated in the initiative will be at the Golden Globes on Sunday. As you’ve heard, everyone has been encouraged to wear black to the event and that will most likely be the dominant conversation on the red carpet that night. Even the men are said to be wearing black. Which is perfect. Because they should be taking the questions too. If Hollywood is to be held accountable, and that’s one of the goals here, then how are the men going to be allies? More on this later this morning. 

This morning, NBC officially confirmed that Hoda Kotb is the new co-anchor of Today alongside Savannah Guthrie. There’s been all kinds of speculation since Matt Lauer got fired a month ago (does it feel like it’s only been a month?!) about who would replace him. NBC has decided that one of their most lucrative shows, perhaps their most lucrative show, their flagship morning property, would be led by two women. That’s not a sh-tty way to kick off the year either. PEOPLE Magazine has the exclusive in their new issue. 

Why has that cover photo been styled like it’s from 1990 though? Is it an intentional throwback to a different time, like the spoonful of sugar that accompanies the spoonful of change? Two women are co-anchoring the Today show. The Last Jedi is a woman. The Resistance’s finest pilot, a trigger-happy fly-boy was put in his place by a woman. The greatest of all time, a black woman, is back on the court. Some people are going to need a lot of sugar. 

Hello 2018. Happy New Year!

Yours in gossip,

Lainey