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Natalie Portman made her big-screen debut in Léon: The Professional when she was 12 years old. She’s 41 now, and the Oscar winner has a different perspective on making the action-thriller now than she did back then.

“It’s a movie that’s still beloved, and people come up to me about it more than almost anything I’ve ever made, and it gave me my career,” Portman told the Hollywood Reporter, “but it is definitely, when you watch it now, it definitely has some cringey, to say the least, aspects to it… It’s complicated for me.”

Portman’s pre-teen is enamored with the older Léon in the film, repeatedly professing her love for him. In one scene, a scantily-clad Portman sings Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” to Léon before dressing up as Marilyn Monroe and delivering a sultry rendition of the actress’ famous “Happy Birthday (Mr. President).” In interviews, the former child actress Maïwenn implied that the film was inspired by her relationship with [writer and director Luc Besson], which began when she was 15, the age of consent in France.

Portman was asked about the allegations against Besson, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women (a rape claim was dismissed after an investigation). “It’s devastating,” she said. Was she surprised by what she read? “Yeah, of course,” Portman replied. “I had never… Yeah.”

(Via the Hollywood Reporter and EW)

The story starts when just days ago, Taylor Swift fans stumbled across a promotional teaser for a book from the publishing imprint, Flatiron. It was for a book, but what was strange was that, despite being scheduled to release in July, there were no details about the title or author — leading many to speculate it was something big and secretive.

Over the weekend, Swift officially announced her next re-recording, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), to drop on July 7. In her announcement post, she also threw in a “Last Kiss” reference to July 9, with an “IYKYK,” and one to the Midnights track, “Dear Reader.” The book that Swifties found online is also scheduled to drop on the latter date.

To make things stranger, it had been rumored that whoever this author (or authors were) would be announcing the book on June 13 — Swift’s notable lucky number. The only real information about the memoir also was that it was 544 pages. (5+4+4 equals 13.) Oh, and there’s an audiobook component, that’s also… 13 hours long.

The last little bit of speculation was that in Swift’s “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” re-recording music video, the ending sees her reading from a book she wrote.

This alone was enough to send some Swifties to the website to buy the pop star’s potential book. A hardcover copy is currently $45. And the sales were so impactful that whatever this ends up being is currently a bestseller on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

It might not be for much longer, though. Variety confirmed that Swift is not writing a memoir, leaving fans who made the purchase either with a new book or a sudden return.

Chris Christie spent a whopping six minutes hammering Donald Trump over the recent E. Jean Carroll verdict, which found the former president liable for sexual abuse. In classic Trump style, the former president has been complaining about the verdict on social media where he actually tried to claim (in all-caps, of course) that he’s never even met Carroll.

“I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHO THIS WOMAN IS,” Trump raged on Truth Social. “THIS VERDICT IS A DISGRACE – A CONTINUATION OF THE GREATEST WITCH HUNT OF ALL TIME!”

While calling into Fox News anchor Brian Kilmeade’s radio show, Christie went to town on Trump’s nonsense excuses and blasted anyone who still believes the former president at this point.

Via Mediaite:

How many coincidences are we going to have here with Donald Trump, Brian? I mean, he must be the unluckiest S.O.B. in the world. He just has random people who he has never met before, who are able to convince a jury that he sexually abused them. I mean, this guy. It’s one person after another, one woman after another. The stories just continue to pile up.

Christie then unloaded on Trump for implicating himself with his disastrous deposition.

“Why do we keep making excuses and why don’t we listen to his own words?” Christie asked. “And his own words in a deposition said that what he said in the Access Hollywood tape about being able to assault women with impunity because you’re a star. He said I’m a star and that’s true today and it’s been true for 1,000 years.”

Despite hammering Trump’s conduct during the trial and the fact that he was easily found guilty, Christie ultimately doesn’t believe the verdict will result in the former president’s “political death.”

(Via Mediaite)

While Bridgerton fans were hoping to see season 3 of the hit Netflix series drop sometime this spring, that doesn’t seem likely at this point. Fortunately, in the meantime, they’ve gotten what might be just the next best thing: Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, a prequel/spinoff/semi-standalone story all in one.

So just how much Queen Charlotte is there for fans of horny period dramas to enjoy? There are six episodes of the approximately hour-long series, so about six hours in total. This may not seem like much, but it’s not too far off from the first two seasons of Bridgerton Proper, each of which includes just eight episodes.

Even if they’re disappointed in the truncated runtime, viewers are bowing down to the Queen. According to The Wrap, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story has already amassed more than 22 million views since it dropped less than a week ago on May 4 (hey, not everyone is a Star Wars fan). That’s enough fervor to put the series in Netflix’s Top 10 most watched English-language TV shows in a whopping 91 countries worldwide.

The prequel series flashes back and forth between two time periods: The Bridgerton era in which we first met Queen Charlotte (played by Golda Rosheuvel) — in this case, 1817, following the death of royal heir Princess Charlotte — and 1761, the year Charlotte met/married King George.

“For me, it was important that there be an origin — that we weren’t just presenting this amazing colorblind society,” Bridgerton creator Shonda Rhimes recently told The Wrap of the decision to create a Queen Charlotte spinoff.

Beyoncé’s long-awaited Renaissance tour kicked off at Friends Arena in Solna, Sweden today (May 10), so one of the biggest questions on fans’ minds is finally being answered: What songs will Beyoncé perform?

Before the show began, fans noticed what appeared to be a setlist in the Renaissance tour book, and as photos and videos of that were shared online, it brought anticipation to a high. The book also offered plenty of photos indicating what some of the tour aesthetics would look like.

This tour could be a big one: Forbes recently reported, “Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter — also known as Queen Bey — could clear nearly $2.2 billion from her Renaissance World Tour — some $600 million more than the $1.6 billion Taylor Swift could earn from Eras. Those eyepopping estimates are based on the most optimistic assumptions of the number of fans buying tickets at their concerts and high average ticket prices of about $700.”

As of this post, the concert is ongoing. Check out the setlist for the Sweden concert so far (via Variety) below.

1. “Dangerously In Love”
2. “Flaws And All”
3. “1+1” / “I’d Rather Go Blind” / “I’m Going Down”
4. “I Care”
5. “I’m That Girl”
6. “Cozy”
7. “Alien Superstar” / “Sweet Dreams” / “Lift Off”
8. “Cuff It”
9. “Energy”
10. “Break My Soul”
11. “No Angel” (interlude)
12. “Formation”
13. “Diva”
14. “Run the World (Girls)”
15. “My Power”
16. “Black Parade”
17. “Savage” (Megan Thee Stallion remix)
18. “Partition”
19. “Church Girl”

This post is being updated.

We’re about to wrap up year three of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it’s been a weird ride, to say the least. These years have been hard, frustrating, confusing and tragic, and yet we keep on keeping on.

Except the keeping on part isn’t quite as simple as it sounds. Despite the fact that COVID-19 is still wreaking havoc, we’ve sort of collectively decided to move on, come what may. This year has been an experiment in normalcy, but one without a testable hypothesis or clear design. And it’s taken a toll. So many people are feeling tired, exhausted, worn thin (“like butter scraped over too much bread,” as Bilbo Baggins put it) these days.

But why?

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Psychologist and speaker Naomi Holdt beautifully explained what’s behind the overarching exhaustion people are feeling as we close out 2022, and it makes perfect sense.

In a post on Facebook, she wrote:

“A gentle reminder about why you are utterly exhausted…

No one I know began this year on a full tank. Given the vicious onslaught of the previous two years (let’s just call it what it was) most of us dragged ourselves across the finish line of 2021… frazzled, spent, running on aged adrenaline fumes…

We crawled into 2022 still carrying shock, trauma, grief, heaviness, disbelief… The memories of a surreal existence…

And then it began… The fastest hurricane year we could ever have imagined. Whether we have consciously processed it or not, this has been a year of more pressure, more stress, and a race to ‘catch up’ in all departments… Every. Single. One. Work, school, sports, relationships, life…

Though not intentionally aware, perhaps hopeful that the busier we are, the more readily we will forget… the more easily we will undo the emotional tangle… the more permanently we will wipe away the scarring wounds…

We can’t.

And attempts to re-create some semblance of ‘normal’ on steroids while disregarding that for almost two years our sympathetic nervous systems were on full alert, has left our collective mental health in tatters. Our children and teens are not exempt. The natural byproduct of fighting a hurricane is complete and utter exhaustion…

So before you begin questioning the absolutely depleted and wrung-dry state you are in- Pause. Breathe. Remind yourself of who you are and what you have endured. And then remind yourself of what you have overcome.

Despite it all, you’re still going. (Even on the days you stumble and find yourself face down in a pile of dirt).

Understanding brings compassion… Most of the world’s citizens are in need of a little extra TLC at the moment. Most are donning invisible ‘Handle with care’ posters around their necks and ‘Fragile’ tattoos on their bodies…

Instead of racing to the finish line of this year, tread gently.

Go slowly. Amidst the chaos, find small pockets of silence. Find compassion. Allow the healing. And most of all… Be kind. There’s no human being on earth who couldn’t use just a little bit more of the healing salve of kindness.”

Putting it like that, of course we’re exhausted. We’re like a person who thinks they’re feeling better at the end of an illness so they dive fully back into life, only to crash mid-day because their body didn’t actually have as much energy as their brain thought it did. We tried to fling ourselves into life, desperate to feel normal and make up for lost time, without taking the time to fully acknowledge the impact of the past two years or to fully recover and heal from it.

Of course, life can’t just stop, but we do need to allow some time for our bodies, minds and spirits to heal from what they’ve been through. The uncertainty, the precariousness of “normal,” the after-effects of everything that upended life as we knew it are real. The grief and trauma of those who have experienced the worst of the pandemic are real. The overwhelm of our brains and hearts as we try to process it all is real.

So let’s be gentle with one another and ourselves as we roll our harried selves into another new year. We could all use that little extra measure of grace as we strive to figure out what a true and healthy “normal” feels like.

You can follow Naomi Holdt on Facebook.

This article originally appeared on 12.23.22

We are weeks away from Arlo Parks‘ sophomore album, My Soft Machine. Ahead of the release, she has shared the video for the long-awaited collab with Phoebe Bridgers called “Pegasus.”

On the song, Parks and Bridgers sing of a special kind of happy, queer love. The two get lost in each other’s sweet harmonies while taking each other on a whirlwind of emotions.

“I spun ’round and screamed to feel elated when you hold me / And you got shy and beamed I think it’s special that you told me / I think you’re special ’cause you told me,” she sings on the song’s chorus.

In the song’s video, Parks is joined by a vibrant group of friends, as they make an escape to the desert, encapsulated by pure joy and love.

“TIis song is about the purity and rarity of true love, that feeling of solidity, of finding a real home in another human being, of wanting to be better with/for someone but being held as you are,” said Parks in an Instagram post promoting the song and its visual. “The video captures that frenetic joy and energy – the barren backdrop of the desert, finding relief and color after a long time of being alone.”

You can check out the video for “Pegasus” above.

My Soft Machine is out 5/26 via Transgressive. Find more information here.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus is letting her feelings fly on the “Seinfeld curse” that allegedly affected the cast following the show’s blockbuster run on NBC. The actress, whose career certainly isn’t cursed, as evidenced by her new movie You Hurt My Feelings and growing presence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, blasted the media for ginning up the phrase in a new interview.

“It was invented by the media,” Louis-Dreyfus told Rolling Stone. “They thought it was clever. You don’t need me to prove it wrong, it was ridiculous! It made no sense. I was amazed that it had legs, because it was so moronic. I don’t know how else to say it!”

Variety has the rundown on how the “curse” got started after the three non-Jerry Seinfeld cast members struggled to get new sitcoms off the ground, which is not exactly an uncommon occurrence in Hollywood:

The curse originated after several of the cast’s post-“Seinfeld” sitcoms bombed. Richards’ “The Michael Richards Show” only lasted eight episodes on NBC, while Alexander’s ABC sitcom “Bob Patterson” and CBS sitcom ” Listen Up!” both lasted only one season. Louis-Dreyfus’ NBC comedy “Watching Ellie” fared just a tad better by running for two seasons before being canceled for low ratings.

However, things quickly turned around for Louis-Dreyfus who found success with The New Adventures of Old Christine, which ran for five seasons on CBS and scored her an Emmy win in 2006. During her acceptance speech, she made it a point to put the “Seinfeld curse” on blast.

“I’m not somebody who really believes in curses, but curse this, baby!” Louis-Dreyfus yelled from the podium.

(Via Rolling Stone, Variety)

The next time a conservative politician tries to shut down a drag-themed event, they’ll have Charlize Theron to answer to.

The Mad Max: Fury Road actress recently voiced her support for the drag community during the Drag Isn’t Dangerous telethon. “We love you queens. We’re in your corner and we’ve got you, and I will f*ck anybody up who’s trying to f*ck with anything with you guys,” she said, according to People. “There are so many things that are hurting and, really, killing our kids, and we all know what I’m talking about right now and it ain’t no drag queen — because if you’ve ever seen a drag queen lip-sync for her life, it only makes you happier, it only make you love more, it makes you a better person.”

Theron asked viewers to “please support all the great organizations that are out there helping all of this nonsense go away like it should. All of these incredibly stupid policies. Bye! No more room for hate, only love, and love equals drag queens!”

All funds raised during the Drag Isn’t Dangerous telethon went “exclusively to nonprofits focused on LGBTQ activism as well as local charities combating harmful bills against the LGBTQIA+ communities across the nation,” including the ACLU Drag Defense Fund and Trans Justice Funding Project (Theron’s daughter is trans). You can still donate here.

(Via People)

Daft Punk might have disbanded, but the memories haven’t: Random Access Memories, that is. The album is celebrating its tenth anniversary this week — and fans have discovered an interesting way that the band is honoring the era.

By selecting certain songs from the album, some display a new message on the Spotify visualizer that reads “May 11, 10 a.m.” and displays varied coordinates. While it’s still unclear what the scavenger hunt is for, Daft Punk is inviting their listeners to try and crack the puzzle. The current locations include spots in New York City, Paris, Toyko, Santa Monica, London, Buenos Aires, and more.

A Daft Punk fan account on Twitter gathered the full list of coordinate locations. They also pointed out that on May 12, Daft Punk are dropping an anniversary edition of the album, so this is seemingly tied to that.

The scavenger hunt is also done through Snapchat, according to a statement the user found. It instructs fans to go to the location in their city at 10 a.m. local time, open the Snapchat camera, launch the “Daft Punk” special lens filter, and then “engage with the specially designed experience.”

This could also possibly include some sort of AR aspect or a chance to hear some of the updates for the anniversary edition — but only tomorrow will tell.