Clues point to '1989 (Taylor's Version)' as next Taylor Swift re-recorded album drop
The Swifties have spoken! Fans are convinced Taylor Swift's "1989" album could be out as soon as next week as she continues her mission to rerecord her first albums, "Taylor's Version"-style, after her original masters were sold by her former label. Even though Swifties have suspected for some time that "1989" would be her next release after "Fearless," buzz began in earnest again on June 11, causing the hashtag "#1989taylorsversion" to trend on Twitter after the singer's merch site launched a new summer collection featuring pieces that read, "Taylor Swift Est. 1989." "OH MY GOD IS HAPPENING EVERYBODY STAY CALM #1989TaylorsVersion," wrote one eager fan. "Tell us that 1989 is coming without telling us that 1989 is coming …," another fan urged the singer, referencing her knack for dropping Easter egg hints about new music before it's out. Still others pointed to even more cryptic, possible hints, including a photo of Stephen Colbert taken in 1989 that Taylor included on a picture board during an appearance on the "Late Show." Because June 17 falls on a Thursday and there's a reference to being 17 in Taylor's song, "betty," some fans have also suggested the singer could announce the album release on June 17 and drop it on June 18.
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Kanye West unfollows Kim Kardashian West and her family on Twitter
As Kanye West's romance with Irina Shayk heats up, he's severed ties to the Kardashian-Jenner family, at least on social media. The rapper recently unfollowed his estranged wife, Kim Kardashian West, and all of her sisters on Twitter, multiple outlets reported June 11. While Kim, along with Kylie Jenner, Kendall Jenner, Kourtney Kardashian and even Khloe Kardashian — who called 'Ye her "brother for life" while wishing him a happy birthday on June 8 — are off the rapper and designer's following list, Kanye still follows Kylie's on-off beau, Travis Scott. Kanye's soon-to-be ex-mother-in-law, Kris Jenner, didn't make the Twitter cut, either. The only person Kanye follows on Instagram, meanwhile, is Kim, with whom he shares four children. Kim filed for divorce in February after nearly seven years of marriage. As she explained in the June 10 "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" finale, after Kim had come to realize she was lonely in the relationship. Kanye wanted to live in a different state and the two got along better that way, which made her "sad," she said, explaining that she wants a partner she can share life's "little things" with.
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Sarah Jessica Parker kicks off production on 'Sex and the City' reboot 'And Just Like That'
Sarah Jessica Parker was "thrilled … terrified" and a "wonderful jumble" of nerves as production began June 11 on the "Sex and the City" reboot, "… And Just Like That." After years of trying to make it happen, SJP joked on Instagram that it must have been "pure coincidence" that she had reason to land on the New York City street where her character Carrie Bradshaw lived. "Pure coincidence AND JUST LIKE THAT, we find ourselves on this street called Perry the night before it all begins again," Sarah Jessica captioned a shot of what looked like the doorway to Carrie's apartment at 64 Perry St. "MPK, here we go. And I'm thrilled and terrified," she added, tossing a nod to "SATC" executive producer, Michael Patrick King. The next morning, she revealed to fans that she'd arrived to her first table read for the reboot "way too early" with her "nerves all a wonderful jumble." In perfect Big Apple fashion, her co-star Kristin Davis chimed in in the comments with, "I'm coming ! Got stuck in traffic !" Cynthia Nixon also signed on to return for the project, as did Chris Noth, who played Carrie's longtime, on-off love interest Mr. Big. Kim Cattrall, rather infamously, has said she's very much done with the show and with Sarah Jessica. "… And Just Like That" is due out on HBO Max later this year.
Issa Rae says 'goodbye' to the cast and crew of 'Insecure'
Issa Rae and the cast of "Insecure" waxed nostalgic on social media on June 11 as they wrapped their final day on the set of the award-winning show. "Today is my last day shooting #InsecureHBO," Issa shared on Twitter. "Said goodbye to some of my favorite people on Earth, on and off screen, this past week. "Never imagined all the doors this would open," she continued, sharing a handful of photos of different members of the cast and crew hugging. "Forever grateful to those who paved the way for us to do us," she said. Showrunner Prentice Penny posted about the last day of shooting, too, writing, "Wrapped. Forever. #InsecureHBO Smiling face with tear Been a life changing six years. I feel blessed to inspire black culture in the same way black tv inspired me when I was a kid. So to even be remotely in that ballpark I'm thankful. See you guys for the #FabAndFinal #InsecureHBO." Kerry Washington later thanked Prentice, Issa and their team on Twitter, writing, "We're so thankful to you, the cast, the crew, and the writers for the gifts you brought to the screen. You changed the game."
Duchess Kate says she 'can't wait to meet' Prince Harry, Duchess Meghan's new daughter, Lilibet
Duchess Kate is looking forward to meeting her new niece, Lilibet, whose birth Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan announced last weekend. Kate was asked about the newest member of the royal family during a visit to a school in Cornwall, England, with First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, on June 11. "I wish her all the very best," Kate told a pool reporter. "I can't wait to meet her because haven't yet met her," she added. "So hopefully that will be soon." Asked if she'd FaceTimed with Harry, Meghan and Lilibet yet, she said she had not. Despite ongoing tensions between Harry and his family, William and Kate congratulated Harry and Meghan on social media soon after Lilibet's June 4 birth, saying they were "delighted by the happy news of the arrival of baby Lili." People previously reported Lilibet has already met her great grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, via video call. It's not clear when the royal family will meet Lilibet in-person, though. Harry is reportedly due back in England by July 1, when a new statue of Princess Diana will be unveiled at Kensington Palace. Meghan, along with Lilibet and the couple's son Archie, are not expected to join Harry for the trip.
Kim Kardashian reveals she failed the baby bar exam again
Kim Kardashian West is still struggling to pass the "baby bar" exam, a first year law student test primarily given to those studying at unaccredited law schools or via the Law Office Study Program, as Kim is doing. Kim revealed she failed her first stab at the exam in the May 27 episode of "Keeping Up With the Kardashians." It turned out she and two of her kids had tested positive for COVID-19 when she was in study-crunch time ahead of the exam. On the "KUWTK" finale on June 10, Kim learned from the attorneys she's been working with that she also failed her second attempt at the baby bar. Looking deflated, Kim admitted she was "totally bummed" about her score of 463, which is lower than the 474 she got on her first round. She needs a 560 to pass — and passing is actually pretty rare. According to California bar exam prep outfit JP Advising, only about 20 percent of students who take the baby bar pass at all. And applicants for the bar "must pass within the first three consecutive test administrations" in order to receive credit for their first year of legal study in California.
Mischa Barton reflects on the trauma of being 'sexualized' from a young age
After a quiet year of quarantine, Mischa Barton is ready to speak out about the "trauma" she experienced as a result of early fame and enduring so many sex-related "firsts" in the spotlight. In a moving essay for Harper's Bazaar, "The O.C." alum, 35, recalls the "pressure" she felt to lose her virginity after having been "sexualized" since her career began. Mischa describes everything from the impacts of doing press at age 11 for "Lawn Dogs," which tackles child molestation, to her performance in the coming-of-age film "Pups" at 13, which she reveals was where she had her first kiss –"onscreen and in real life in front of an entire crew" and eventually made her "a strange sex symbol" in Asia, despite her young age. By the time she took on the role of Marissa Cooper at 18, Mischa says she was "a teenager in an adult world," with decisions about her life being made by people much older than she was. "… After I found the courage to open up a conversation about my experiences on set as a young girl, I was shut down again right away and publicly referred to as a 'nightmare' to work with," she recalls. Meanwhile, "being a virgin" in real life while playing a "confident character who was fast and loose" made Mischa "feel like a fraud." "I knew it was important to get this thing – my virginity – that was looming over me, the elephant in the room if you will, out of the way. I started to really worry that I couldn't play this character if I didn't hurry up and mature a little," she explains, adding that she eventually went through with it. "I felt so much pressure to have sex, not just from him, but society in general." Mischa says that soon after that, when she began dating, "the press started coming for me," creating a whole new kind of trauma. "There was no relief from it, so I fought for a long time to be unfamous. But the more I shied away, the more frenzied the paparazzi became," she continues. "I was stalked. … After a while, I just couldn't go anywhere and that's when my mental health declined. The constant feeling of being hunted affected me entirely. I had a few breakdowns. But no one questioned why I was having those breakdowns. I became a target of nasty attacks when I was clearly expressing signs for needing help." The actress goes on to reveal that the stalking left her suffering from PTSD and panic attacks. She also took an ex partner to court after learning he'd secretly filmed them having sex and was selling the video. "… At least the conversation about women's rights is now ongoing," Mischa concludes. "Today there is more focus on encouraging girls to protect their own bodies and show them as they see fit from the outset." In the end, Mischa writes, "The more we talk about what we've done to generations past … the sooner we can protect our young women and learn from our mistakes as a society."
Jennifer Lopez's L.A. home targeted by fake 911 caller
Nearly six months ago, Los Angeles police began receiving 911 calls about noise disturbances at Jennifer Lopez's home. According to TMZ, every time police show up at the address, they find zero evidence of a disturbance — and yet, the calls have not abated. The singer and actress' security team has never noticed or heard anything out of the ordinary, either. TMZ's law enforcement sources say the calls started "almost immediately" after Jennifer performed at Joe Biden's inauguration, sparking cops to wonder if the caller has some political bone to pick with Jen. The calls also differ from the recent "swatting" trend — when callers send fake emergency alerts about an address to police — in that those claims tend to allege some drastic event has occurred like a death or a shooting. Jen, who's rumored to be planning a move to Los Angeles from her main home base of Miami, reportedly has her security team working with police to find the perpetrators before they waste any more of the police department's time and resources.
America Ferrera slams Kamala Harris for 'cruel' border comments
America Ferrera was stunned by the remarks Vice President Kamala Harris made in Guatemala this week regarding immigration and the U.S.-Mexico border. "I want to emphasize that the goal of our work is to help Guatemalans find hope at home," Kamala said on her first foreign trip since taking office (via The Hill). "At the same time I want to be clear to folks in this region who are thinking about making that dangerous trek to the United States Mexico border: Do not come." She repeated the last phrase multiple times during her speech. Speaking to Joy Behar on "The View" on June 10, actress and activist America, whose parents are from Honduras, said, "First and foremost, extreme disappointment and confusion at just how useless and futile a strategy that is." She continued, "I know that Vice President Harris knows the stories, too, but I have spent many years sitting in shelters, detention centers on this side of the border and on the other side of the border, with Honduran families, Mexican families, Guatemalan families, hearing the stories of the violence and the life-threatening circumstances that they're fleeing." She went on to again call Kamala's approach "a disappointment," before criticizing them as "incredibly ineffective" and "cruel." America added that after campaigning for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in 2020, "It's a slap in the face for all of the immigrant advocates who believed what they promised, which was change and compassion."