Grey’s Anatomy fans were shocked earlier this year when it was announced that Justin Chambers, one of the show’s original cast members, would be leaving his role in the middle of the current season. In fact, once we learned the news, his final episode had already aired.
“There’s no good time to say goodbye to a show and character that’s defined so much of my life for the past 15 years,” Chambers (a.k.a Alex Karev) said. “For some time now, however, I have hoped to diversify my acting roles and career choices. And, as I turn 50 and am blessed with my remarkable, supportive wife and five wonderful children, now is that time.”
What would become of Alex Karev? How would the show handle a pivotal character’s seemingly sudden departure? Of the original group of surgical interns we first met back in 2005, only Karev and Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) remained—along with two of their mentors, Dr. Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) and Dr. Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.). This being Grey’s Anatomy, really any plot twist was on the table, including an offscreen death, which many fans feared.
But Grey’s had a happier ending in mind, or at least some longtime fans will see it that way. We learned last week that Karev was not actually taking care of his sick mother, as he had told Meredith and his wife, Jo (Camilla Luddington). Nope, he was actually reunited with none other than his long lost love and first wife, Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl).
Scott Garfield/Getty Images
We learned all of this by way of letters Karev sent to Meredith, Bailey, and Jo. He revealed that he called Izzie when he was rallying the troops to help save Meredith’s medical license earlier this season. (After surviving cancer, Izzie left Alex heartbroken and ran off to parts unknown in season six. He eventually married Jo.) They got to talking, and Izzie told him she had used the embryos they created during her cancer battle and given birth to twins, Eli and Alexis. The couple rekindled their relationship and he moved to Kansas to be with Izzie and raise their children. ‘I’m finally exactly where I should be. I never had that before,” Karev wrote, talking about giving his children the stable childhood and family he never had.
They’re the photos currently breaking the internet: Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pittreuniting backstage at the 2020 SAG Awards. Their interaction was brief but memorable. Pitt was already backstage, having just won the prize for Best Supporting Actor, and following closely behind him was Aniston for her Best Actress in a Drama Series win. Their photos together are so sweet—not romantic, to be clear, but rather two friends seemingly catching up and congratulating each other. That’s what I think, at least.
And it’s what the photographer who took the pics, Emma McIntyre, says happened. She gave some details about Pitt and Aniston’s well-documented run-in to People magazine, and it seems like it was good (platonic) vibes only.
“[They were both backstage] doing the circuit of awards press,” she tells the publication. “Jennifer had just signed some posters for SAG and was about to walk the press line. I was running back and forth between the two backstage areas and had just taken some photos of Jennifer. I was about to leave when I saw Brad coming down the hallway and sensed there would be a photo-worthy moment.”
Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
She continues, “He called out ‘Aniston!’ and she turned around and they embraced and congratulated each other. It was a moment of two accomplished people at the top of their game, acknowledging each other’s successes and genuinely seeming happy to see one another…. The moment was really touching, and you could sense the respect between two people who have known each other 20-plus years and are both outstanding in their field.”
This is the kind of energy we all should have with our exes, TBH. Hopefully, people aren’t actually buying in to the idea Aniston and Pitt are getting back together. It’s beyond clear they’re just good friends who are happy to see the other one do well. Nothing more, nothing less.
In fact, Pitt said this himself when Entertainment Tonight asked him at the Golden Globes if he would mind running into Aniston. “I’ll run into Jen. She’s a good friend,” he said.
Meanwhile, Aniston said Pitt staying back to watch her acceptance speech at the SAGs was “sweet.”
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“We’ve all grown up together; we really have. And it just feels like a really fun night to celebrate and cheer each other on and keep working,” she told Extra TV.
On Saturday, Saturday Night Live cast member Pete Davidson posted a concerning message to his Instagram feed that began, “I really don’t want to be on this earth anymore,” before deleting it along with his account. The post—and subsequent aftermath—came in the wake of a much larger conversation (some might say feud) percolating on Twitter during the weekend that involved Drake and Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, and Davidson’s former fiancé Ariana Grande.
Following hours of coverage and concern from fans and friends, Davidson made a brief appearance on the fall finale of SNL. But a lot happened in the days leading up to Pete’s message, so here’s a brief recap to get you up to speed:
Ariana Grande Wades Into Kanye West and Drake’s Twitter Feud
On Thursday, Kanye West kicked off a Twitter clash with Drake, publicly reigniting a long-simmering feud that kicked off earlier this year. Amidst the chaos, Ariana Grande stepped in to ask the “grown men” to stop arguing so fans could enjoy she and Miley Cyrus’ new music. “Guys, i know there are grown men arguing online rn but miley and i dropping our beautiful, new songs tonight so if y’all could please jus behave for just like a few hours so the girls can shine that’d be so sick thank u,” she tweeted.
On Saturday, West responded to Grande, firing off a series of tweets letting her know that “all of this foolishness weighed on my mental health” and asking her not to “use me or this moment to promote a song.”
Grande responded, writing, “With all due respect, I don’t need to use anyone to promote anything. period. I was making a comment ab what men were doing at the time vs. women. It was a joke which i understand now was probably insensitive. I apologize if i was in any way triggering and hope u feel well today.” The tweet was later deleted.
The singer also posted two other tweets, which are also now deleted, reading “stop weaponizing mental health everyone,” and “regardless of how i feel about a situation, i can also care about their mental health.”
Pete Davidson Praises Kanye West
Davidson, who has been outspoken about his own mental health after being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, took to Instagram on Saturday to applaud West, after he’d called out Grande, for being vocal about mental health.
“Bravo Kanye West for standing up for yourself and speaking out against mental health,” Davidson wrote, per US Weekly. “I can’t explain to you enough how difficult and scary it is to be honest about stuff like this. We need people like Kanye. No one should ever point fingers at you for your bravery in speaking about mental health. I’m seriously disgusted.”
Many Grande fans saw this message as a dig at the pop star, who ended her relationship with Pete at the end of October. Many began viciously trolling him online.
Pete Davidson Posts a Highly Concerning Message to Instagram
Following the above tweets—and the bullies—Davidson posted a message written in the iPhone’s Notes app to Instagram with the following message: “I really don’t want to be on this earth anymore. I’m doing my best to stay here for you but I actually don’t know how much longer I can last. All I’ve ever tried to do was help people. Just remember I told you so.” He then deleted the post and account, causing mass concern for his well being.
Fans and fellow celebrities, including Jada Pinkett Smith, Nicki Minaj, and Megan McCain, posted messages of support for the comedian to Twitter, and many called on those near to Davidson to check in. “Pete Davidson … hang in there. There is a lot of help out here. Surrender to some love somewhere around you … today! Right now! And then … let in the help that will become available. I’m praying for you Pete. I’ve been there. It gets better,” wrote Smith.
Ariana Grande Shares Her Support for Pete Davidson
Grande also commented in a series of since-deleted Tweets to her ex-fiancé. “Man i’m so sorry i told a dumb joke,” she wrote, according to People, likely referencing the Tweet about Kanye West.
“I really didn’t mean any harm. all i want everyone to be healthy and happy. so desperately. please. my god,” she continued. “I’m downstairs and I’m not going anywhere if you need anyone or anything. I know u have everyone u need and that’s not me, but i’m here too.”
According to the New York Times, a police officer was sent to the Saturday Night Live studio to check on Davidson, and an NBC representative reportedly contacted the New York Police Department separately to say “Davidson was at work and was fine.” During Saturday night’s episode of SNL, Davidson appeared briefly to introduce Miley Cyrus as the evening’s musical guest.
That’s all we know for now, but we’ll keep this story updated as we hear more.
If you or someone you know needs support, please call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.
Courtney Conquers has been a Lady Gaga fan for 10 years—even before “Just Dance” was released—and like any dedicated Little Monster, she jumps at the chance to see her Mother in the flesh. “It’s been a decade of fangirling and networking and being crazy but not too crazy,” she tells Glamour.com. “So every once in a while, I get emails or links for opportunities.” Earlier this year, for example, she attended a taping of the Recording Academy’s Elton John tribute, at which Gaga performed “Your Song.”
Another opportunity arose in late April 2017, when Conquers and her friend Jamie (also a Gaga fan) got word that tickets to A Star Is Born filming event in L.A. were available. (Proceeds went to Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation.) In a matter of days, Conquers found herself witnessing the making of the movie’s most pivotal scene: when Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) pulls Ally (Gaga) onstage to sing “Shallow” for the first time. Here the 29-year-old Toronto native tells her story.
I run a blog called the Drag Coven with my best friend, Jamie, and we were on our way to L.A. for RuPaul’s Drag Con when a mutual friend sent us a link and was like, “Hey, I don’t know when you’re gonna be in L.A., but you guys should do it.” It was a sign-up link where, for $12 a day, you could go for two days and be in a scene of A Star Is Born.
We panicked because we were actually going to be in L.A. those days, but we had approximately T-minus 45 seconds to get the tickets for both of us—Gaga sells out like that, no matter what—and we were [on an airplane] about to take off. But we got them.
We didn’t know in what capacity we’d be involved, or where we’d stand, so we just went in the morning and got in line. We’re used to this—we’re those intense fans. The first thing they did when we walked in was make everybody put their cell phones in a locking pad. Then they filed us in, the appropriate number of people for each row. The people who got there first were closer to the front.
They [also] sectioned off a place at the front to put people who were there for fun but who kind of knew how this worked, who could hold their own. They wanted them to have followed the dress code. We were supposed to dress like we were going to a country-rock summer music festival. We were told specifically not to wear anything Lady Gaga–related, which I’d say at least a quarter of the people didn’t listen to and had to turn their shirts inside out.
“[After the filming] friends would be like, ‘I’m so excited. Can you hum the song for me?’ I’d say, ‘Actually, I can’t.'”
There was a warm-up host playing Lady Gaga trivia with the crowd [to compete for spots in the special section]. Jamie and I met up with a group of about seven [Gaga fans] we knew and got the questions right. So we ended up bumping [even closer] to the front. I doubt you’ll see us, but we were right there.
There were several hours where I definitely saw why they needed us there, but we weren’t active. Earlier in the day they had to do setups and practices with body doubles and stand-ins. They had to get the lights right.
We were there long enough that they made sure we had a meal. They gave us vouchers, which was good, because [the options were] very overpriced concert-venue foods. We all got hot dogs, a bag of chips, and a drink. But people got tired and squirrelly. There was one lady who was being particularly rude, shouting out of turn when set people were trying to concentrate. I ended up just taking her hot dog and eating it. She had it sitting under her seat, so I said, “You know what? She’s not eating that, and she’s really bugging me.” She didn’t even notice. It’s survival!
PHOTO: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Before Gaga came out, they were hyping us up by getting the crowd to sing Gaga songs. But then they were like, “OK, maybe getting you to sing Gaga songs was a mistake. What we really need from you is to pretend this is not Lady Gaga. You do not know this person. She is not the pop star you know and love. This is just some girl; you’re curious but not that enthused. Do not shout things. Do not go wild. Lady Gaga does not exist in this universe.”
We saw Gaga and Bradley do their scene probably about 18 times [over the course of both days]. They had internal mikes, but they turned the big amplifying mikes off; it wasn’t a full-on concert. People [outside the venue] were sending drones in trying to record the music—the crew caught them and explained, “We actually need you to be quite quiet, because we have to play the music so the people onstage can hear it, but soft enough that these drones won’t pick it up. You’re probably not going to hear anything.” [After the filming] friends would be like, “I’m so excited. Can you hum the song for me?” I’d say, “Actually, I can’t.”
“I slammed face-first into an absolute tree of a human being—it was Bradley Cooper!”
On the end of the first day, I went to the bathroom and whipped around the corner really fast; I slammed face-first into an absolute tree of a human being—it was Bradley Cooper! He almost knocked me on my butt. He was very tall, which I didn’t realize. (I was there for Gaga; I’m not an obsessive Bradley Cooper fan.) I was taken aback and was just like, “Oh, sorry.” And he went, “Oh, sorry.” And I said, “No, I’m sorry.” We kind of got in this sorry war, which was funny. He went, “Thank you for being there. How’s it going? Are you having fun?” And I said, “Yeah, it’s really good. I’m excited to be here.” He was like, “Oh, great, thank you.” And I went, “No, thank you.” And he went, “No, thank you.” He started laughing, and I got flustered and mumbled, “OK, I have to pee now.” I ran off, so embarrassed. He was very nice.
The second day they took us up into the higher stands to shoot again. (We’d only paid $12 for the first day, but they basically said, “Anyone who’s here today can come back tomorrow if they want to.”) You don’t end up seeing Jamie and me in the movie then, either, because there’s a flash of a spotlight [when Gaga walks past us in the scene]. It was cool because they did a couple takes and she walked by us over and over and over again. At one point she was standing, waiting for the take to start, and she kind of looked up and Jamie and I went, “Hey, girl.” She’s known Jamie longer, so she definitely recognized Jamie. I haven’t seen Gaga in a couple years, and I got a radical haircut since then, so she gave me this look. I saw both confusion and recognition. It was a very quick interaction, but very cute.
[Near the end of the second day] I remember them saying, “If you absolutely have to go, exit to the left and we’ll unlock your cell phones. If you can stay, please do.” They were checking that they got everything they needed and everybody was milling around waiting; there was downtime on set. So we stayed, and Gaga went to the piano and started tinkering around. Then she suddenly started singing her own music—she just did a mini concert out of nowhere. Jamie and I, being the adoring fans we are, immediately said, “Screw the seat I’m sitting in,” and hopped to the front of the stage. She did “You and I” and “Edge of Glory” and a little bit of “Born This Way.” Bradley Cooper came out and sat on one of the speakers and was smiling at all of us; he clearly enjoyed seeing her entertaining us. It was very sweet and the smallest little Gaga concert I’d ever been to.
Then they said, “All right, that’s a wrap.” We all cheered, and Gaga and Bradley each got on the mike and said, “Thank you so much for being here.” [The crew] unlocked our cell phones, and that was it.
When we saw the scene onscreen it was very weird. It was cool seeing it up there when we’d been there to see the inner workings. We were also seeing this woman, whose career has greatly influenced us, on the big screen in a new capacity. She was so good. She was even better than I thought she was going to be.
The couple, just like Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, were treated to a royal luncheon hosted by Queen Elizabeth II herself. But according to People magazine, the evening reception held at The Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, owned by Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, is where things really got fun.
According to The Sun, a British tabloid, the park on the property was set up like a carnival, complete with a Ferris wheel, bumper cars, games, and fall-colored string lights.
The English singer Robbie Williams, who’s been friends with Princess Eugenie for many years, also hopped on stage for an impromptu performance of his hit songs and other classics. According to People, Williams’ 6-year-old daughter Theodora—who was a flower girl in the wedding—took the stage with her dad to perform a duet of “Angels.”
On top of the night’s fun activities, George Clooney and Rande Gerber’s Casamigos tequila company, which Brooksbank works for, passed out the good stuff for celebrity guests like Demi Moore, Kate Moss, and Ricky Martin, and a gourmet pizza truck provided the food. Basically, it sounds like the wedding reception of dreams.
The party reportedly will continue into tonight with another carnival-themed party, because why stop at just one? We’re still waiting on the invites, but, you know, there’s still a few hours to go.
You like drama? Stories with strong female voices? Shade in spades? Then Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings are the show for you—oh, also because they’ll directly, and significantly, affect your life. Unfortunately, this bit of must-see TV airs when most everyone’s working or watching their kids, so we’ll be here all to recap each day of these monumentally important proceedings.
Did everybody you encountered on Thursday seem a little more energized than usual? Did your boss whistle on her way to her desk? Did you spot your UPS delivery man dancing down the street with a package? Did even your dog seem to trot with a little more pride, perhaps forgoing her typical shame-eyes while she watched you pick up her poop?
That’s because all of them saw Senator Cory Booker (D—New Jersey) lean over his mic at the Kavanaugh hearings and utter two words in response to Senator John Cornyn’s (R—Texas) threat to have him expelled from the Senate for leaking committee-confidential emails.
“Bring it,” Sen. Booker said. “Bring it.”
Somehow the day managed to have a perfectly bitchy tension, kind of like when you rent a house with friends and the trip goes on one day longer than it should.
It was a hell of a kickoff—and a fitting one. Day Three, given that we watched the same people open their mouths, over and over, should have had all the thrill of a slowly deflating balloon. And if we’re honest, it wasn’t some great success. Both Democrats and Republicans spent much of the session launching valiant attempts to get Kavanaugh to promise he isn’t beholden to the president and that he wouldn’t thwart investigations into him. Kavanaugh’s response to their 600 efforts? Guys, stop! I hate labels—“yes” and “no” are so limiting. Let’s talk about something else—have I mentioned my “four greatest moments in the history of the Supreme Court?” Oh, I have, and it’s really pissing you off that I’m saying it again? Shh—gonna do it anyway!
Yet somehow the day managed to have a perfectly bitchy tension, kind of like when you rent a house with friends and the trip goes on one day longer than it should have and you’re like, Wait, I think I hate my friends. That’s where we’re at. Senator Mazie Hirono (D—Hawaii) is glaring at Kavanaugh like he’s the guy who picked the house but hasn’t paid his share yet. Senator Orrin Hatch (R—Utah) is grumbling about protestors like they’re the loud new boyfriend no one knew was coming. And Senator Sheldon Whitehouse’s (D—Rhode Island) jaw is vibrating with that brand of fury specific to no one else but him ever taking out the goddamn trash.
Here’s your rundown of the best moments from the worst vacation ever.
Best 11th-hour sensation: Senator Kamala Harris (D—Calif.)
PHOTO: Chip Somodevilla
A mood.
Before we get to Day Three’s events, we need to talk about what happened at the end of Day Two—at least an hour after most of America had retreated from C-SPAN and rushed into the kinder arms of America’s Got Talent. As the eve wore on, Kavanaugh, too, looked like he was dreaming of getting home to his couch and his DVR pileup (Mentalist reruns in standard definition, I’d bet). Perhaps he was a little tired, and so he didn’t hear the bell ring when Sen. Harris took the mic. But soon enough, he realized: Night school was in session. She hammered him—watch the highlights here.
Fiercest ride-or-dies: Sen. Booker, Senator Dick Durbin (D—Illinois) and Sen. Hirono. After Sen. Booker’s “Bring it,” Sen. Hirono pointed out that she, too, leaked documents—come at her. And Sen. Durbin got all excited and said, “If there’s going to be some retribution against the gentleman from New Jersey, count me in.” Kinda love that Sen. Durbin’s rallying cry works equally well for Senate proceedings in 2018 and publick-house brawls in 1772.
Loudest dog whistle: In response to a question from Senator Ted Cruz (R—Texas), Kavanaugh used the term “abortion-inducing drugs” to refer to contraception. The language comes straight from the fiercest anti-choice advocates and is also inaccurate. Contraception is not abortion, signed millions of American women and all of our doctors.
Worst reverse age-shaming: Kavanaugh on Roe v. Wade and Brown v. Board of EducationSenator Amy Klobuchar (D—Minn.) voiced the question that’s been making heads across America hurt this week: How does Kavanaugh define the difference between precedent and settled law when it comes to Supreme Court cases? In his answer, Kavanaugh said that Brown v. Board of Education is settled law because it’s “historical”—64 years old. Sen. Klobuchar grinned. “Roe is now 45 years old,” she said. “Why isn’t that a thumbs-up settled law?” Kavanaugh didn’t have a good answer for her.
Hypocrisy slay of the day: Sen. Hirono. Sen. Hirono, once again running low on f—s, went in on Kavanaugh’s record concerning reproductive rights, making the man wish he never met the phrase “undue burden.” See, in one case Kavanaugh ruled on, he said that people who opposed birth control on religious grounds shouldn’t have to fill out a form approving their employees’ health coverage of it. That, in his estimation, was “undue burden.” The phrase came up again in Garza v. Hargan, in which Kavanaugh’s decision sought to deny an immigrant minor an abortion. Kavanaugh wanted the procedure delayed until the girl found foster parents who could talk it through with her—letting her pregnancy tick on towards the 20-week deadline for abortions under Texas law. That delay, he argued then, did not constitute “undue burden.” Sen. Hirono scoffed at the irony laid out by the two cases: “So filling out a two-page form was too much,” she said. “But it was not too much for [Jane Doe] to wait around for foster parents to be found.”
Best circus advocate: Senator Lindsay Graham (R—South Carolina).
PHOTO: Drew Angerer
Send in the clowns.
After Sen. Hatch mumbled that the proceedings had turned into “a circus,” Sen. Graham quipped, “I wanna defend circuses. Circuses are entertaining and you can take your children to them.” An excellent line, but I wasn’t surprised—the last 18 months have afforded Sen. Graham plenty of chances to defend a clown.
Guy we’re most done with: Senator John Kennedy (R—Louisiana). Of all the whining the Republicans have done this week about protestors exercising free speech, Sen. Kennedy’s has been the whiniest. After Kavanaugh himself said, in the wake of a protestor’s shouting, that the students behind him were getting a chance to learn about democracy, Sen. Kennedy—who’s a dead ringer for this choir-boy doll my grandmother used to put out at Christmas, though that’s neither here nor there—looked down at the girls and snooted of the interruption, “It’s happened over 200 times in the last three days. It’s not really how democracy’s supposed to work.” Actually, girls, it is. If democracy needs less of anything, it’s old white guys looking down from on high, telling you what to think.
The detective drama spinoff I’d most like to watch:Klobuchouse.
PHOTO: Bloomberg
Nothing but respect for my Law & Order candidate.
She—Sen. Klobuchar is the unflappable good cop, smiling with catlike calm when a suspect spits her questions back in her face. He—Sen. Whitehouse—is the keyed-up bad cop, a cross between Statler from The Muppets and that one snappish teacher from high school who, looking back, probably had some stuff going on at home. They’re good cops on their own—but together, they’re great.
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