WELCOME TO THE B-LIST, YOUR WEEKLY ROUNDUP OF CELEBRITY MESS AND POP CULTURE. THIS WEEK: THE MET GALA’S SUBTLE PROTESTS, MATTY HEALY AND TAYLOR SWIFT MIGHT BE DATING, KING CHARLES’ CORONATION, AND THE WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA IS ON STRIKE. I’M YOUR HOST, ELLA BARNES. STICK WITH ME.
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FASHION’S BIGGEST NIGHT OUT HAPPENED LAST MONDAY. KARL LAGERFELD, THE SUBJECT OF THIS YEAR’S MET GALA, TRANSFORMED CHANEL FROM FRUMPY TO MODERN. HOWEVER, HE WAS ALSO A SELF-PROCLAIMED “BIG MOUTH,” PUBLICLY SOUNDING OFF WITH FATPHOBIA. HE SPOKE AGAINST GAY MEN WHO WANT TO ADOPT CHILDREN, MIGRANTS, SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVORS, THE #METOO MOVEMENT, AND “UGLY” PEOPLE, WITHOUT APOLOGY. SOME CELEBRITIES TOOK THE RED CARPET AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROTEST THE CONTROVERSIAL FIGURE’S STATEMENTS, WITH CELEBS LIKE VIOLA DAVIS, ASHLEY GRAHAM, AND PRECIOUS LEE WEARING PINK TO PROTEST LAGERFELD’S STATEMENT PINK ISN’T A ‘FLATTERING’ COLOR ON ANYONE.
NEXT, EITHER TAYLOR SWIFT AND MATTY HEALY ARE DATING OR THEY’RE HAVING A MARVELOUS TIME TROLLING THEIR FANS. ON MAY 3, LESS THAN A MONTH AFTER NEWS BROKE THAT TAYLOR SWIFT AND JOE ALWYN HAD ENDED THEIR SIX-YEAR RELATIONSHIP, THE SUN REPORTED THAT THE 33-YEAR-OLD POP STAR HAD MOVED ON WITH THE 34-YEAR-OLD FRONTMAN OF THE 1975. THOUGH MANY FANS INITIALLY BRUSHED OFF THE CLAIM THAT THE SINGERS ARE “MADLY IN LOVE,” IT BECAME A LOT HARDER TO IGNORE WHEN HEALY FLEW ALL THE WAY FROM THE PHILIPPINES TO WATCH SWIFT PERFORM IN NASHVILLE ON MAY 5. NOT ALL FANS ARE CONVINCED THAT TAYLOR AND MATTY ARE LEGITIMATELY DATING AT ALL, THOUGH, AND THINK THEIR RECENT PUBLIC FLIRTATIONS ARE JUST PROMO FOR AN UPCOMING COLLAB—POTENTIALLY ON A VAULT TRACK FROM SPEAK NOW, TAYLOR’S VERSION.
BRITAIN’S NEWEST MONARCH HAS NOW BEEN CROWNED. THE CORONATION OF CHARLES III AND HIS WIFE, CAMILLA, AS KING AND QUEEN OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE OTHER COMMONWEALTH REALMS, TOOK PLACE ON 6 MAY 2023 AT WESTMINSTER ABBEY. CHARLES TOOK THE THRONE ON SEPTEMBER 8TH 2022, UPON THE DEATH OF HIS MOTHER, ELIZABETH II. THOUGH PRINCE HARRY WAS IN ATTENDANCE, MEGAN MARKLE WAS NOTABLY ABSENT. ALSO IN ATTENDANCE WAS FIRST LADY JILL BIDEN.
FINALLY, THE WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA, WHICH REPRESENTS 11,500 SCREENWRITERS, WENT ON STRIKE ON TUESDAY AFTER CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS WITH STUDIOS, STREAMING SERVICES, AND NETWORKS FAILED. BOTH SIDES HAVE INSISTED THAT THE OTHER NEEDS TO MAKE THE FIRST MOVE TO RESTART TALKS. NONE ARE SCHEDULED. FOR THE MOMENT, MEDIA COMPANIES HAVE TURNED TO CONTRACT RENEWAL NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE DIRECTORS GUILD OF AMERICA, WHICH START ON WEDNESDAY. THAT CONTRACT EXPIRES ON JUNE 30. THIS LIKELY GOING TO BE AN ONGOING STORY FOR MANY MONTHS.
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THAT’S ALL FOR THE B-LIST THIS WEEK. CHECK IN NEXT MONDAY TO HEAR ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS THIS WEEK IN POP CULTURE. FOR WNUR NEWS, I’M ELLA BARNES.
