The wildest, most delightful holiday movie you’ll watch this year isn’t on Hallmark or Netflix. No, that honor goes to Freeform’sGhosting: The Spirit of Christmas, a left-of-center rom-com about both relationship ghosting and literal ghosts. (It premiered Wednesday night, December 4, on the network.) At one point, the literal ghost is the one doing the relationship ghosting.
The movie centers on Jess (The Bold Type‘s Aisha Dee), a single twenty-something who goes on a date with the very hot and charming Ben (Kendrick Sampson). They hit things off, exchange numbers, and cutely text on their respective drives home. But then Jess dies in a car crash, unbeknownst to Ben, who assumes she’s ghosting him. It turns out she’s now an actual ghost who can’t ascend to the afterlife. The key, she realizes, is to finish whatever unfinished business she has on Earth.
There are only two people who can see Jess as a ghost: Ben, of course, and her best friend, Kara (Kimiko Glenn), who helps her figure out what this said “unfinished business” is. At first, they think it’s finding true love with Ben, so he and Jess go on some dates. (Remember, she’s a ghost, so, to the outside world, it looks like he’s talking to himself.) Eventually, they have sex during the winter solstice because, for whatever reason, that’s the only time Ben can “feel” Jess like a human. Don’t ask me. This is a movie about ghosts.
But the boning doesn’t work: Jess still can’t ascend. It’s only after she gets in a fight with Kara that she realizes her true love isn’t with Ben: It’s with, well, Kara. This isn’t a romance, though: The takeaway from [Ghosting: The Spirit of Christmas is that worthwhile friendships, like the one Kara and Jess have, reign supreme over any relationship. Tender!
There were two main takeaways from Monday night’s episode of The Bachelorette: (1) Tyler Cameron is uncomfortably attractive, and (2) Luke Parker needs to calm down. Luke, who established himself as a front-runner in the first two episodes of the season, fell into a common franchise trope this week: Man Who Can’t Deal With Other Dudes Kissing The Bachelorette Even Though That’s Literally the Show. We’ve seen this happen a million times, both on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, but Luke’s frustration over other guys’ flirting with Hannah was next-level. He acted like a spoiled child every time he saw Hannah give someone else attention, and what’s worse: He got aggressive—so much so that Hannah had to tell him to chill out.
But Luke didn’t take Hannah’s warning at first. He kept cutting into other guys’ time at the group date cocktail party and, at one point, actually waited outside the door for Hannah, who was talking to someone else. It was perplexing, to say the least, and Bachelor Nation had thoughts:
Luke Parker is obviously tuned into fans’ reactions, because he took to Instagram shortly after the episode aired and owned up to his questionable behavior.
“I just want to address the elephant in the room here really quick,” he posted alongside a photo of himself and Hannah. “First I want you all to know how hard it has been for me to watch myself this season so far. Regardless of what is aired AND IF @alabamahannah and I are together or not my behavior in all situations has been and will continue to be exposed.”
He continued, “I have learned a lot and I am continuing to learn about my flaws as a man. I’m the first to admit I am far from perfect. This journey has giving me a great opportunity to grow and mature as a man, for that I am grateful. For those of you who are on this journey with me I am grateful for your support and hope you get to learn and grow from my mistakes with me!”
ABC
I, for one, applaud him for copping to what he did in the episode. But based on this Instagram post and what we’ve seen in the Bachelorette teaser trailers, we still have a lot more Luke drama in store.
[embedded content]
The Bachelorette airs Monday nights at 8:00 P.M. ET on ABC.
Late last year, rumors started flying that Meghan Markle was a quote-unquote “difficult” duchess. Apparently, she’s been upsetting dozens of palace staff members by having the audacity to—gasp—send emails at 5:30 in the morning. This “up and at ’em West Coast energy,” as The Daily Mail put it in November, is reportedly rubbing some the wrong way—so much so, tabloids have coined the phrase “Hurricane Meghan.”
It’s obvious this narrative is a complete exaggeration. Royals expert Katie Nicholl confirmed as much to Glamour when she said, “Meghan brings a different regime to the palace. She does things differently. She’s a very intelligent, articulate, and driven woman. I think she works at a different speed than most people. She’s got an incredible work ethic. But I think it’s a case of her getting used to a new regime, and the new regime getting used to her. There’s nothing that can’t be ironed out.”
But nevertheless the “diva” rumors are persisting—and this latest one is particularly bizarre. According to The Sun, staff members at Frogmore Cottage, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s new home, have been “banned” from using the parking lot closest to the residence and instead must use the one a mile away.
Frogmore Cottage, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s new home.
Getty Images
The sources who spoke to The Sun seem to confirm a change in parking permits is happening, but here’s the kicker: It reportedly was the superintendent of the castle’s decision, not Markle’s. And yet all the tabloids reporting this story are making it seem like Markle woke up and randomly decreed, “You know what would be fun? Forcing all the staff members to walk a mile to work each day.” The headline in one article starts with “Not in Meg Back Yard,” which is apparently the acronym insiders are using to describe this change. That makes it sound like Markle is the one behind the choice.
Which is frustrating. This is a woman who bakes banana bread in her free time and says the word “wonderful” like a Disney princess. I find it hard to believe she’s changing the parking situation at Frogmore just because she and Prince Harry “don’t want to look out of their window and see cars coming and going,” as one source claims. Meghan Markle does yoga, for crying out loud. She’s calm. She’s zen. She’s doesn’t give a fuck if the chef’s 2007 Toyota Camry is parked outside her house. She’s too busy deciding which vegan paint color her new living room should be.
Getty Images
In all seriousness, there’s probably a perfectly logical reason why the parking at Frogmore Cottage is changing—and my guess is it has nothing to do with Markle being “difficult.” It’s ridiculous that ambitious and opinionated women are still getting strapped with that word in 2019. If this story is true, and the Frogmore staff does feel inconvenienced, I wouldn’t be surprised if Markle starts some kind of shuttle service to accommodate them. It’ll be a luxurious-as-hell service, too, with leather seats and TV screens playing old Suits episodes on a loop. Mark my words.
Alison Brie and Chrissy Metz have nothing but love for each other after all those bizarre rumors from last night’s Golden Globes.
Don’t know what I’m talking about? Here’s quick recap. Outlets started reporting Sunday night that Metz called Brie a “b-tch” during a Facebook Live pre-show interview on the Globes red carpet. “Do you know a girl named Alison Brie?” one of the hosts asked Metz during the chat. “Do I?” the This Is Us star responded before mumbling something inaudible that the Internet heard as “She’s such a b-tch.”
Metz quickly took to Twitter and shut this story down, though. “It’s terribly unfortunate anyone would think much less run a story that was completely fabricated,” the actress wrote. “I adore Alison and would never say a bad word about her, or anyone! I sure hope she knows my heart.”
Several responses from Brie, Metz, and people in their inner circles followed shortly after this. Below, check out a timeline of quotes and posts about this incident that prove, once and for all, there’s no bad blood between Metz and Brie:
The original statement from Metz’s rep, Cheryl McLean. “Chrissy has nothing but admiration and respect for Alison and, frankly, every fellow actor who must wade through this much-too-common attempt to create a feud among colleagues,” the statement reads, according to USA Today. “This ‘story’ is a complete fabrication and deserves no further momentum.”
Metz’s first interview about what happened. “I’m so distraught and upset,” she told People. “I don’t speak about anyone like that, I don’t speak like that. I love Alison, I follow her. … When I was walking up they said, ‘Do you know Alison,’ and I said, ‘Oh boy, do I.’ I love her.”
This Is Us director Ken Olin comes to Metz’s defense. “Folks, I’ve known @ChrissyMetz for three years and I have NEVER heard her say a mean word about anyone. Move on,” he tweeted.
Brie’s initial response. “But why?,” the GLOW actress said to Vanity Fair writer and reporter Nicole Sperling when asked about the rumor. “I know her. I saw her on the carpet and I told her how beautiful she looked.”
And, then, her sweet post about Metz on Instagram Story. “Nothing but love for @chrissymetz!!” Brie posted, alongside a photo of herself and Metz. “Rumors can’t keep us down!”
Metz saying she and Brie texted about the situation. She told Us Weekly she and Brie have already cleared the air. “It’s unfortunate people want to say stuff that they don’t know is true or not. Alison and I obviously are friends,” Metz said. “She knows that I would never say something like that…It’s kind of terrible. So I’m glad that … I mean, I know the truth. If you actually listen to the video, I don’t say anything. It’s actually not me speaking about that, so it’s unfortunate.”
The Facebook co-host clarifies Metz’ comments. AJ Gibson, who interviewed Metz on the carpet, tells People he believes she called Brie a “babe,” not a “b-tch.” “While interviewing Chrissy during the HFPA Presents: Globes Red Carpet LIVE pre-show and as our conversation came to its natural conclusion, we were told to wrap and toss over to our co-hosts on another portion of the carpet, who were on standby with Alison Brie,” Gibson told People in a statement. “I jokingly asked Chrissy if she knew who Alison was, as a way to transition into the ‘toss’ and she played along. She then referred to Alison as a ‘babe’ and the fun exchange ended.”
He continued, “Chrissy is an absolute sweetheart and an immensely talented and kindhearted woman. On the heels of the powerful show of solidarity via the Time’s Up movement amongst women and allies in the industry on the same Golden Globes Red Carpet just one year ago, I can’t imagine a scenario where Chrissy would want anything more than to support her female counterparts…It’s more important than ever that we ALL support and love on one another and from my position on that stage, a few feet from Chrissy, it was clear to me that she had nothing but love for Alison.”
When you’re the First Lady and you invite reporters to your home to tour your newly hung Christmas decorations, sometimes things can go awry. For instance, you might enter the White House Grand Foyer only to find your two visiting ballerinas have yet to finish their performance of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker. Cursing this departure from your planned morning itinerary, you find yourself standing there, awkwardly plotting your next move. Heaven knows crossing that dance floor would be a disaster, so you wait patiently for the dancers to finish.
For some First Ladies, they’d make the most of watching the ballerinas from a distance that can only be described as thisclose and view it with nothing but wide-eyed wonder. For the always inscrutable Melania Trump, it was a moment to stand conspicuously still, emoting absolutely nothing, as the dancers twirled through a beloved holiday classic.
Of course, Melania is known for her stoic demeanor and maybe standing in the White House entryway, stone-faced with her arms at her side, was all part of her scheduled programming. But it did make for some truly strange visuals—ones that The Hill’s Jody Kurtz naturally captured on video and shared on Twitter.
The First Lady seemed blissfully unaware of how bizarre she looked standing there and eventually even cracked a smile. And despite the somber kickoff to the White House Christmas decorations tour, Melania really is excited about the forthcoming holidays.
“The President, Barron, and I are very excited for our first Christmas in the White House,” the First Lady said in a statement. “As with many families across the country, holiday traditions are very important to us. I hope when visiting the People’s House this year, visitors will get a sense of being home for the holidays. On behalf of my husband and Barron, I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and joyous holiday season.”
In an Instagram video posted on Friday, Spears proves she’s an artist on and off the stage with a little painting video that seems a little familiar. Remember the iconic Bob Ross’ The Joy of Painting on PBS? It ran for 31 calming, delightful seasons from 1983 to 1994. Ross would walk us through the creation of masterpiece after masterpiece, always encouraging us to paint along with him and commenting on all the “happy little clouds and trees” he’d paint before our eyes. Well, Brit is following in the very quirky artist’s footsteps.
The “Piece of Me” singer posted a very funny and wonderfully bizarre video on Instagram Friday of her painting a canvas, complete with classical music. Her caption featured a beautiful plethora of emojis: “Sometimes you just gotta play!!!!!! ???????????????????”
Brit must’ve been working on this artwork for a while because the video features her in two different outfits: a striped shirt splattered with paint on the collar, and then, later in the video, a flowing white sleeveless top. Painting gets messy sometimes, you know?
We’re all here for having fun creative outlets after work (and this singer has never been one to sit still), so props to her for finding something relaxing. Maybe she and Adele can team up for a craft night: the British singer, after all, has confessed before to a secret love of making pom-poms.
