This new Halle Berry interview in Variety is interesting because I had no idea her Bond character was supposed to get a spinoff, which died after the studio got cold feet. And her quotes about Pierce Brosnan – so wholesome!

 

(I don’t know much about Bond producer Barbara Broccoli but the piece describes her as “incensed” that the studio pulled out and it seems to me that you do not want to piss off Barbara Broccoli.)

 

Cole Escola is THEE moment. Imagine getting this compliment from Melissa McCarthy? I’m feeling serious FOMO over this play, I want to get to New York to see them as Mary before it closes. Catching a hot show in its first Broadway run is a specific form of bragging rights, I feel like Duana would understand.

 

Lainey covered Bennifer this morning and I don’t regret rooting for them one bit! I’m a professional hater but wishing ill on love is like Disney-villain level stuff. And as Lainey pointed out, Ben matches JLo’s love of love: he has had several girlfriends since his divorce from Jennifer Garner (not to mention the ones he had during his marriage, which is another discussion altogether). My prediction is he will be in another relationship first.

Brandon Sklenar, who stars in It Ends With Us, decided to jump into the fray just as the story was dying down. This is a classic new-fame mistake: not reading the room. Between the Democratic National Convention and Bennifer, the excitement of this gossip was winding down. He is just prolonging it. And while I’m sure he’s very passionate about defending his coworkers, the wording rubs me in all the wrong ways. He talks about Blake Lively and Colleen Hoover being vilified – a lot of the Blake stuff is years old (like the plantation wedding) and many readers have been critical of Colleen’s plots for years.  

 

This did not start with the film. When you put out art, even popular art, you are not immune to critical analysis. Women do not owe Blake or Colleen anything – not our support or positivity or dollars – simply because they are women. They don’t speak for many DV survivors and in fact, by putting out this statement, Brandon seems to be trying to stifle the voices of the women the movie purports to represent. This is toxic positivity 101. Brandon should have sat there and ate his food.

 

Eva Longoria hung out with Jack Schlossberg backstage and this is a rom-com. In the movie, they need to be political rivals but we have to set it in a world where American politics is slightly combative but not outright scary. Like West Wing era. Fantasyland.

 

I love Jools Lebron and am so glad she’s actually getting paid for her content. What annoys me is when I see places like goop do this and not credit the creator. A tag, at MINIMUM. What’s equally annoying is that they don’t get it. Jools is demure. Gwyneth Paltrow is elitist. Two different vibes entirely. 

 

 

Halle Berry at Good Morning America, August 15, 2024
Photo credits: Instar Images

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