It’s Paul Mescal’s birthday and this post is from over a year ago but is making the rounds, for obvious reasons. But how cute that he let him take a picture and post it after his 12 lessons and successful test. He is praised but not perfect – there were some “minor issues.” What are the issues? Does he have trouble parallel parking? Some of us understand, Paul. 

 

Today is also Philip Seymour Hoffman’s birthday and Amy Sedaris posted this video (it’s an outtake from The Master). She was close with Philip, as was Justin Theroux, and Amy and Justin are still BFF. (In this 2003 interview, Philip spoke so highly of her.) It’s a funny clip because it is the most awkward thing that could happen in an elevator. Rami Malek is shocked. And Phil cracks and when he cracks, as the big star, it gives everyone else permission to crack. Except for Joaquin. It takes laser focus not to laugh when someone farts in an elevator. But it was such a pronounced sound and no one moved away – was it a fart machine? I need an oral history on this. 

 

The conversations and opinions about Brad Pitt online versus more traditional media versus real life are completely different. There’s a growing sentiment that he has dodged accountability for the plane incident – Sarah wrote about it and there are stats to back up the support for him. There’s a quote from an exec - “the town will rally around Brad” – that stuck out and not just in regards to his work. “The town” has and continues to rally around him, as we saw at the Golden Globes. But even beyond that, here are two small examples: Jonah Hill hyping Brad’s cashmere line and Gwyneth Paltrow did a short closet retrospective and pulled out a dress she wore with Brad. She’s had many famous dresses and she chose to namedrop him. Not a dress she wore with Ben Affleck or Chris Martin or the many, many events she’s attended over the years. Brad Pitt. He has a lot of support and the people who support him want us to know. Brad is the Goldman Sachs of celebrities: too big to fail. 

 

Now that he’s retired (LOL) why are Tom Brady sources making it a point to leak that he’s not dating? He’s free to date, it would not be scandalous or cheating. So what is he really trying to say by telling the world he’s not interested in anyone right now?

Attached - Paul Mescal celebrating his Oscar nomination with friends in London.