Lady Gaga is no stranger to activism and promoting messages of love—and in the wake of the recent string of mass shootings in the United States, the “Shallow” singer found an incredible way to show support for and directly help the cities of Dayton, Ohio; El Paso, Texas; and Gilroy, California—communities that have all experienced horrific massacres in recent weeks. On Friday (August 9), Gaga posted a heartfelt letter to the survivors of the shootings on Facebook, sharing that she will fully fund classroom project needs in those cities.
“My heart goes out to those who were taken from us too soon and to their families, loved ones, and communities who are left to grieve. Everyone has the right to laws that make them feel safe in their communities,” she wrote. “In this moment, I want to channel my confusion, frustration, and fury into hope. Hope that we are there for each other and for ourselves.”
She then directed her readers to visit the website DonorsChoose.org, a nonprofit organization that allows people to donate directly to public school classroom projects in select communities.
Gaga explained that her Born This Way Foundation is partnering up with the organization to “fully fund the next classroom project needs” in the cities of Ohio, Texas, and California. “14 classrooms in Dayton, 125 classrooms in El Paso, and 23 classrooms in Gilroy will now have access to the support they need to inspire their students to work together and bring their dreams to life,” she wrote in her message.
“Surviving and recovering from these tragedies also means prioritizing your mental health and checking in on your loved ones. If you’re struggling, please be brave and tell a trusted someone. Don’t be scared to ask for help, I beg you,” Gaga continued. “If you see a loved one struggling, please be brave and reach out, remind them it’s ok to not be ok, and listen to them. We cannot turn away from ourselves. We cannot turn away from our loved ones. We need each other. Don’t turn away.”
“In loving memory of the victims of the tragic shootings in Dayton, OH, El Paso, TX, and Gilroy, CA,” she ended the post.
Back in February, Jordyn Woods was thrust into the media spotlight when Khloé Kardashian’s now-ex-boyfriend and father of her child Tristan Thompson kissed her as she left a party at his house. Woods, who before all this was Kylie Jenner‘s best friend, took a lot of vitriol as a result: The internet blew up with memes and angry tweets, and Woods’ relationship with the Kardashian-Jenner family took a turn.
Three months have come and gone since then, and it seems as though the drama has finally come to an end. All signs point to the fact that Jordyn and Kylie, who once lived together in Jenner’s Hidden Hills, California home (as documented on the reality show Life of Kylie), are no longer as close as they once were. In fact, Woods is fully moved out of Jenner’s home.
According to TMZ, Woods swung by Jenner’s about a week and a half ago to pick up her things.
The outlet also reports that the two women are still amicable—and have been, it seems: They reportedly got lunch together in March. But they’re each doing their own thing now: Yesterday Kylie and her boyfriend Travis Scott got matching tattoos Stormi tattoos on their right arms.
And for Woods? She posted on Saturday night that she’s found a new place of her own—and she’s busy furnishing it.
I played field hockey throughout high school and was ecstatic to earn a spot on my Division One team in college. That spot turned out to be on the bench—I saw a full one minute and eighteen seconds on the field my entire time there—but I learned some invaluable lessons. The first and most important was never to fart if I was wearing one of those huge team parkas on colder game days. The parkas were so thick and absorbent that a fart would remain forever in its fibers. The second, not quite as important, but close, was that new team members must pay their dues. I’m a huge fan of newcomers paying dues. When you’re the most recent addition to a team or a job or a wedding you weren’t technically invited to, it’s so crucial to be quiet and listen. I don’t think people do that enough these days, and it bothers me. Obviously, I don’t mean that newbies should be doormats—but if you’re not fully informed or acclimated, take a minute to observe and learn.
When I joined the cast of The Office in 2009, I was the newcomer. As such, I was quiet, obedient, and I tried really hard not to fart. (Only two of those things felt easy to pull off, by the way.) This cast and crew had already created five seasons of a hit sitcom together, so they knew what they were doing. I was quite aware that I had won the lottery by landing a job on this show; my primary goal was, appropriately, not to derail the train.
I have a tendency to confuse speaking up with being rude, but the two actions are completely different.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt was a new situation for me, because I was the lead. While the actual stars of the show are its creators, Robert Carlock and Tina Fey, I was playing the title character. I had gone from being number 18 on the call sheet to number one. (A call sheet is the piece of paper that gives all cast and crew their call times for that day’s work, and cast members are all assigned a number.) We filmed the pilot of Kimmy in March 2014, and I felt that I had earned this job. I had worked on a television show for four years and paid my dues. Still, owning this feeling of entitlement and confidence was, honestly, a pretty unfamiliar sensation for me.
I once read that if you put a smile on your face even if you feel depressed, you will actually feel better. Somehow that smile sends a signal to your brain that you are feeling good, so your brain then releases happy hormones or what have you, and voilà! Look, I’m not a scientist. I might have glossed over some of the details. But my point in bringing up this example is that sometimes, pretending to feel confident in a situation where you don’t actually feel confident can be just as effective.
And so, when we started work on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, I told myself to be confident. If I didn’t understand a scene or feel comfortable with a certain line, I spoke to Robert or Tina. If I didn’t like the way my hair looked, I asked if we could do it differently. I learned that I could be assertive without being obnoxious. I have a tendency to confuse speaking up with being rude, but the two actions are completely different. It’s not bad manners to make your voice heard. It’s essential.
Ellie Kemper with Jon Hamm on the set of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Universal Television/Getty Images
At the end of Kimmy’s first season, we meet Reverend Richard, who was played by our national prince and hero Jon Hamm. I’ve mentioned this before, but Jon Hamm taught me theater in high school; he had attended our high school, and then returned to teach for a year after he graduated college. I tossed and turned the night before my scene with him. I was a wreck. There could not, in the world, be a nicer person than Jon Hamm. To me, though, he was and forever will be my teacher. Oh, he is also Don Draper. I felt intimidated. It makes sense to me that I was experiencing some, ah, anxiety.
So what happened? I showed up to work, I got a big hug from Hamm, and then I promptly flubbed my very first line. “I’m sorry,” I said, turning red and looking away. “I thought—I’m sorry.” Jon Hamm smiled. Jon Hamm didn’t mind. “I’m really nervous!” I blurted out. Jon Hamm said, “Well, you shouldn’t be.”
Jon Hamm was right. I didn’t need to be nervous! I had earned my spot. And with that, I made the decision to focus not on my nerves, but on my work. (I still flubbed some lines. He’s Don Draper, people!!! But I flubbed those lines very, very confidently.)
I will trust my instinct, I will listen to my gut, and I will be clear about what I want.
Now that the show is ending, I feel sad—but I’m so proud of the work we have done. The biggest compliment any of us receives about the show is when fans tell us it’s helped them through a difficult time. To be a part of something that helped someone is the very highest honor. Robert and Tina created a comedy that has a heart, something I feel is nearly impossible to do.
As I move forward to the next project, I’ll take a lot of lessons with me. The most important one will be to bet on myself. I will trust my instinct, I will listen to my gut, and I will be clear about what I want. After all, if I don’t bet on myself—who will? (Besides Jon Hamm, I mean. True prince.)
The Internet is focused on three things this week: Yanny, Laurel, and Thomas Markle. The first two are tied to a viral audio phenomenon, but the last is the star of some pretty intense royal wedding drama.
Thomas Markle, if you somehow don’t know, is Meghan Markle’s father. He lives in Mexico, and it’s unclear how close he is with Meghan. Some reports say they’re estranged; others contest they’re on good terms. Regardless, Thomas scored an invite to her wedding to Prince Harry, taking place this Saturday, May 19. And what’s more: He was going to walk Meghan down the aisle.
That doesn’t seem to be happening anymore, though. According to a new report from TMZ, Thomas is having heart surgery on Wednesday (May 16), and the recovery time overlaps with Meghan’s nuptials. This development, however, is just one chapter in the operatic saga that is Thomas Markle and the Royal Wedding. If you’re just now checking in to it all, don’t bounce from this page.
Below, you’ll find a timeline of everything that’s unfolded over the past week. Brace yourselves, because this story will probably give you whiplash.
May 4: Kensington Palace announces Thomas will walk Meghan down the aisle. The palace issued a statement that said, “Mr. Markle will walk his daughter down the aisle of St. George’s Chapel. Ms. Markle is delighted to have her parents by her side on this important and happy occasion.” The statement also revealed that Thomas and Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, would arrive in the U.K. the week of the wedding, allowing time for Prince Harry’s immediate family to meet them.
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May 12: The Daily Mail reports that viral photos of Thomas prepping for the wedding are fake. Last month, some photographs of Meghan’s father reading a picture book about Great Britain and looking up Prince Harry at an Internet café went viral. Turns out, those were allegedly staged. The Daily Mail published a story on Saturday (May 12) that posited Thomas worked with a paparazzi agency to set up the pics. Thomas explained to TMZ that he did this in attempt to “recast” his image after photographers “ambushed” him several times and took “unflattering” shots of him.
May 14: Thomas tells TMZ he’s decided not to attend the royal wedding. After the paparazzi photo scandal broke, Meghan’s dad reportedly spoke to TMZ directly, telling the outlet that the staged photos embarrassed him and he’s dropping out of the wedding to avoid causing Meghan or the royal family any further grief. In this interview, Thomas also mentioned he’d suffered a heart attack the previous week, but that wasn’t why he was backing out of the wedding. This was all because of the staged pics.
Later, Kensington Palace released a statement about the situation. “This is a deeply personal moment for Ms. Markle in the days before her wedding,” a palace spokesman said. “She and Prince Harry ask again for understanding and respect to be extended to Mr. Markle in this difficult situation.”
May 15: Thomas has a change of heart and says he wants to attend the wedding. In a second interview with TMZ, Thomas said Meghan had contacted him about the paparazzi photos and their pleasant chat changed his mind about ditching the wedding. “I hate the idea of missing one of the greatest moments in history and walking my daughter down the aisle,” Thomas reportedly told TMZ. His only contingency, though, was his health. He had to get the OK from his doctors to travel after his heart attack.
May 15: Thomas reveals he’s having heart surgery and can’t attend Meghan’s big day. Just a few hours after saying he wanted to go to the royal wedding, Thomas flip-flopped for a third time and said he’s out. The reason, this time, is health-related. In yet another chat with TMZ, Thomas said doctors scheduled his heart surgery for Wednesday, May 16, leaving him physically unable to fly out to London for Meghan’s nuptials.
And there you have it—for now. Truthfully, we won’t know for sure if Thomas will attend the royal wedding or not until the actual royal wedding. Lucky for us, it’s just a few days away.
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