AVA PHILLIPPE POSTED ABOUT PRIDE ON INSTAGRAM

On June 1, Ava Phillippe posted about Pride on Instagram, calling back to that time in 2022 when she went viral for saying "gender is whatever."

ayn Malik has been an open book lately. It’s surprising to see, considering he’s a private person who mostly shares his thoughts through music rather than on social media. (Well, unless it’s about a UFC match.) The singer has spent the last month reflecting on the highs and lows of his career, including his time in One Direction. In a May 8 interview with Zach Sang, the Mind of Mine singer revealed he wished he appreciated that era more.

“The main thing that I always feel bad about when I look back over my life is not enjoying the band enough,” Malik said on the Zach Sang Show“I feel like I just took things too seriously. I’m grateful that I’m able to be happier now. I can actually enjoy things and own my own perspective a bit. Like, glass half full versus it being half empty. That’s my choice.”

Malik continued, adding he “didn’t understand the importance of being happy” as the band’s fame rose to new heights. He was only 17 when One Direction formed on X Factor in 2011, and later released their debut album that same year. “I had this teen angst thing going on — a chip on my shoulder. I was like, ‘It’s really cool to be moody as f*ck all the time.’ It’s not. You’re just a loser,” he said.

Zayn Malik left One Direction in March 2015.
KEVIN MAZUR/WIREIMAGE/GETTY IMAGES

After four years in 1D, Malik left the band in March 2015 to pursue his solo career. Then, a year later, the remaining members (Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Liam Payne) called it quits. Following their permanent hiatus, Malik’s interactions with his former bandmates became oddly chaotic. They were cordial one moment, then lost in a random online argument — or making shady comments about each other in interviews — the next. However, despite the inconsistent drama, the former group always seemed to reconcile.

Now that he’s at a comfortable space in his career, Malik wishes he would’ve been a “nicer person” to himself and those around him. “You should be somebody that people want to be around and enjoy being in your presence, and you should bring light to peoples’ day instead of being this f*cking negative cloud of energy,” he said.

It seems this sort of reflection will appear on Room Under the Stairshis upcoming folk-blues album that sees him juggling fatherhood — he shares 3-year-old daughter Khai with ex-girlfriend, Gigi Hadid — with finding his voice again as a singer.

 
CELEBS
Lady Gaga recently shut down pregnancy rumors by referencing a newly-crowned poet, Taylor Swift.

LADY GAGA JUST SHUT DOWN PREGNANCY RUMORS WITH A TAYLOR SWIFT LYRIC

And Taylor responded.

TOLGA AKMEN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Lady Gaga is no stranger to rumors. She leaned into that reality on Chromatica’s “Babylon,” where she vogues through her ongoing experience of people spreading fake gossip — or “babbling on” — about her personal life. Now, she’s denying rumors like a tortured poet. After a few new photos of the singer went viral on social media, fans began speculating that she’s pregnant. However, Gaga shut down the hearsay by referencing another star who’s used to the rumor mill, Taylor Swift.

On June 4, Gaga addressed the pregnancy rumors on TikTok. “Not pregnant. Just down bad cryin’ at the gym,” she wrote on the video, nodding to the chorus of Swift’s Tortured Poets Department track “Down Bad.” Gaga also used this moment to encourage fans to “register to vote at www.headcount.org” ahead of this year’s election. She later shared the same caption with a different video on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The pregnancy speculation began on June 3, when photos of Gaga attending her sister’s wedding in Maine appeared on X. According to The Sun, the singer — who was her sister’s maid of honor — also enjoyed the festivities with longtime boyfriend, Michael Polansky.

Even before Gaga posted her TikTok, fans immediately denounced the rumors on her behalf and noted that people should stop speaking on women’s bodies. Swift agreed, and left a similar comment on Gaga’s TikTok video on June 5. “Can we all agree that it’s invasive & irresponsible to comment on a woman’s body. Gaga doesn’t owe anyone an explanation & neither does any woman,” she wrote with a kiss emoji.

This isn’t the first time Gaga and Swift have publicly supported each other. In January 2023, the Fame Monster singer praised Swift for talking about her self-love journey while dealing with an eating disorder in her 2020 Miss Americana documentary.

As for the all the unsubstantiated rumors, this is Gaga’s second time being in the center of gossip this year. In April, fans speculated that Gaga and Polansky — who’ve been dating since late 2019 — were secretly engaged. The singer hasn’t addressed the hearsay; however, considering she’s back in her Chromatica era, it would be iconic to see her respond with a TikTok lip-sync of “Babylon.”

 
...COME AGAIN?
Reese Witherspoon recently reminded Nicole Kidman (and the world) what her true first name is.

REESE WITHERSPOON'S REAL NAME IS THE SAME AS A BIG LITTLE LIES CO-STAR

Wait, Reese's name isn't Reese?!

JON KOPALOFF/GETTY IMAGES ENTERTAINMENT/GETTY IMAGES

2024 is the year of two trends: scathing diss tracks and celebrities revealing (or wanting to be addressed by) their legal name in interviews. There are plenty of actors who have stage names, yet their famous monikers sound so realistic that fans believe it’s their actual one. Enter Reese Witherspoon, who recently reminded Nicole Kidman what her true first name is and why she never used it on the set of Big Little Lies.

On June 5, Witherspoon and Kidman appeared on Vanity Fair’s Reunited series. There, the two spoke about the bond they formed on HBO’s Big Little Lies — which left off in 2019 —and their friendship with co-star Laura Dern. Throughout their chat, Kidman noticed that Witherspoon would refer to Dern exclusively by her last name, and it kept throwing her off.

“I hate how you call her Dern, though. It sounds weird. I’m always like, ‘Laura.’ And you’re like, “No, Dern. Dern. Dern,” Kidman said. Witherspoon explained her reasoning for that approach, saying: “My name’s Laura and her name’s Laura. I get confused, so I just call her Dern. We both can’t be Laura.”

For those don’t know, Witherspoon’s actual name is Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon. When she started her acting career, she adopted Reese — her mother’s maiden name — as a stage name. (Don’t worry, Kidman’s acting moniker is her real one.) Though Witherspoon’s real name has technically been public knowledge for decades, it still makes fans do a double take. One user on X, formerly known as Twitter, wrote: “I feel LIED to,” while another noted that her real name suits her.

Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern starred in HBO's 'Big Little Lies.'
JEFF KRAVITZ/FILMMAGIC, INC/GETTY IMAGES

While Kidman understood the vision, she teased that Witherspoon shouldn’t be confused since Dern doesn’t address her as “Laura.” Witherspoon playfully brushed her off, saying: “I don’t understand your point and I don’t like your tone.”

Elsewhere in the interview, the duo shared details about Season 3 of Big Little Lies. They first recalled Kidman’s slip up from 2020, where she spoiled that another season was on the horizon. Witherspoon and the other co-stars were tight-lipped about the show continuing at the time, and she joked about how Kidman’s comments increased the lingering “what-if’s.”

“I got excited,” Kidman said of her prior quotes, before confirming the third season is happening. “But we are now! We’re moving fast and furious, and Liane [Moriarty] is delivering the book. Yeah, we’re in good shape.”

Well, it seems the Monterey Five (yes, both Lauras included) are making a comeback.

 
THE LEGEND OF EMILY
'Netflix Stories: Emily in Paris' is an upcoming video game version of the show.

An Emily In Paris Video Game Is Coming To Netflix

Game of the year, incoming.

NETFLIX

Put down your selfie sticks and pick up your controllers, because Emily Cooper is transitioning from Parisian it-girl into a video game icon. In an unexpected announcement on June 4, Netflix revealed that it’s turning its hit series Emily in Paris into a video game. So, what exactly will that look like? Well, maybe don’t expect it to play like your fave Nintendo Switch or PS5 games — but at least it’ll be a fun side quest for fans of the series as they continue waiting for Season 4.

The Emily in Paris game was announced along with 13 other upcoming games based on Netflix content. It may have been the most unexpected show to pick for the video game treatment, but a few others stood out as well, such as a Selling Sunset game, a Too Hot To Handle game, and a Perfect Match game.

Netflix Stories: Emily in Paris sounds like it will be more of a visual choose-your-own-adventure tale, as the player follows in Emily’s shoes by moving to Paris for a luxurious job at a famous fashion magazine. The game’s description teases that various main characters from the show will appear to help guide the player’s journey, including Emily herself:

“Moving from the United States to Paris to accept a job at an esteemed fashion magazine, you’ll quickly find that the City of Love is full of surprises, challenges, and stunning suitors. With the help of Emily, Mindy, Alfie, and Gabriel, you’ll explore the city and find yourself in the process. Will you take every opportunity to land your dream job, and follow your heart?”
'Netflix Stories: Emily in Paris' is an upcoming video game version of the show.
NETFLIX

Netflix has been making gaming a notable focus for the last few years, first launching free mobile games for subscribers back in 2021. In the years since, it’s added more in-depth games to its streaming library that you can play from your TV or computer screen. As part of its Netflix Stories gaming series, the Emily in Paris game will join other interactive fiction selections like the streamer’s Love Is Blind game.

There isn’t a release date for the game yet, but hopefully it will arrive close to Season 4, which is premiering in two parts on Aug. 15 and Sept. 15.

 
MASTERMIND!
Taylor Swift

TAYLOR SWIFT LOW-KEY TEASED A TORTURED POETS SONG IN 2010

The inspo for this track goes wayyy back.

KEVIN MAZUR/TAS24/GETTY IMAGES ENTERTAINMENT/GETTY IMAGES

Taylor Swift’s always been an autobiographical songwriter, and it turns out, one of her latest tracks off of The Tortured Poets Department takes inspo from all the way back in 2010. On X, formerly called Twitter, an old video of Swift is going viral. In it, she low-key teased her 2024 song “But Daddy I Love Him”... a full 14 years before releasing it.

In the 2010 clip, Swift is on stage at the BMI Pop Awards, accepting her Song of the Year award for “Love Story.” At the time, she said of the Fearless track, “This song I wrote it right after my one epic teenage tantrum that I ever threw in my whole life, and I remember screaming something like, ‘But daddy, I love him!’” (BTW, the viral tweet mistakenly places this acceptance speech in 2008.)

In Swift’s song “But Daddy I Love Him,” she uses nearly the same verbiage as her 2010 speech. The lyrics go: “And now I'm running with my dress unbuttoned / Screaming ‘But Daddy, I love him!’” Her “Love Story” lyrics are a little more PG: “You were Romeo, you were throwin' pebbles / And my daddy said, ‘Stay away from Juliet’ / And I was cryin' on the staircase / Beggin' you, ‘Please don't go.’”

Taylor Swift
KEVIN WINTER/GETTY IMAGES ENTERTAINMENT/GETTY IMAGES

Swifties were quick to respond to the now-viral clip. “Just furthers the fact that BDILH is just a grown up angrier version of Love Story and instead of it being your parents it’s the public and the internet and your haters and fans,” one tweeted after seeing the video. Another wrote, “further proof that love story walked so but daddy i love him could RUNNN.”

Other fans pointed out how the 14-year-old Easter egg seemed to prove that Swift was living up to the “Mastermind” title. One reacted to the video, “Mastermind for real.

Clearly, the inspo for the TTPD track has a long history — even if Swift herself doesn’t recall the exact words she used over 10 years ago.

 
NOT AGAIN?
Nearly a year after being hit with a flying phone, Bebe Rexha is no longer tolerating fans throwing ...

BEBE REXHA KICKS FANS OUT OF CONCERT FOR THROWING STUFF AT HER

This trend is so strange.

CHRISTOPHER POLK/BILLBOARD/GETTY IMAGES

2023 was a bizarre year for concerts. Despite venue barriers, it seemed like no artist was safe from their overzealous fans throwing random stuff at them. Harry Styles was hit with chicken nuggets, a fan hurled a bag of ashes (and a roll of Brie cheese) at Pink, and Bebe Rexha was notably struck in the forehead by a phone. Now, fast forward to this summer: Rexha’s back on the road. And this time, she’s no longer tolerating fans who don’t understand live show etiquette.

During her June 1 show in Wisconsin, Rexha had multiple crowd members removed for throwing items at her. While it’s not clear what was thrown, a TikTok video showed the star standing her ground. “If you want to hit me in the face, I had them press charges to the other guy,” Rexha said on stage, recalling the phone incident from last June. “I would love to become richer.”

Rexha quickly added that she was “joking” and didn’t want to “invite” that behavior. However, the audience cheered her on for swiftly handling the situation. Late in the clip, another audience member can be seen getting escorted out of the venue. “It didn’t have to go that far,” Rexha told the crowd, apologizing for the disruption before resuming her set.

In June 2023, Bebe Rexha received stitches after being hit in the head by a flying cell phone.
FRAZER HARRISON/GETTY IMAGES ENTERTAINMENT/GETTY IMAGES

In June 2023, concertgoer Nicholas Malvagna struck Rexha with a phone during her show in New York. (At the time, the “My Heart Wants What It Wants” singer — who received stitches from the incident — was on her Best F’n Night of My Life tour.) He later admitted to assaulting her with the item because he “thought it would be funny.”

Shortly after, Malvagna was reportedly charged with two counts of assault in the third degree and one count of harassment in the second degree. The case had a slight update in February of this year, when Malvagna accepted an offer from the court to have his charges dismissed if he completed 40 days of community service.

At this point, Chris Crocker needs to create a “Leave Bebe Rexha Alone” video.

 
CELEBRITY
Miley Cyrus revealed there's only one way she would act in movies and TV again.

MILEY REVEALED THERE'S ONLY 1 WAY SHE'LL EVER RETURN TO ACTING

Her reason makes a lot of sense.

JEFF KRAVITZ/FILMMAGIC, INC/GETTY IMAGES

Miley Cyrus’ movie star era may be on pause right now, but she wouldn’t say no to bringing it back. Well, actually, she would say no to a lot of acting roles at the moment — she recently revealed that the only thing that could get her to act again would be a very specific type of character. After a five-year hiatus from TV and movies, here’s why Cyrus has become much more selective with the parts she plays.

Cyrus famously got her start as a child actor, making her big-screen debut in Big Fish at 10 years old, before launching into superstardom a few years later as the star of Disney Channel’s sitcom Hannah Montana. She starred in a few buzzy films throughout her teen years, like the beachy romance The Last Song and the audacious drama LOL, but her focus has mainly been on music for the past several years.

Though she’s had tiny cameos in recent movies like Drive-Away Dolls and did some voice acting in the Big Mouth spinoff Human Resources, Cyrus hasn’t had a major acting role since her 2019 episode of Black Mirror, “Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too.”

Miley Cyrus revealed there's only one way she would act in movies and TV again.
NETFLIX

So, what’s the deal with the acting hiatus? Cyrus explained in a June 3 W Magazine profile that she’s being a lot pickier when it comes to the silver screen, sharing that she would only take another project if the part met an important requirement: “I would like to act again. But the role would really need to be right, since it’s kind of hard for people to see past me and buy into a character,” Cyrus said.

“The character would either need to be an extension of myself, or someone — or something — with a personality that can conquer my own. I would need a character that is bigger than me.”

A character with a personality more compelling than Cyrus’? That’s a pretty tall order, but it makes sense considering how Cyrus’ own star power can make it difficult for moviegoers to see her as anyone other than a Grammy-winning pop star. That said, it sounds like we won’t be seeing Cyrus at the movies very soon.

 
STREAMING
Disney+'s new Hulu bundle arrived just in time for 'The Bear' Season 3.

DISNEY+'S NEW HULU BUNDLE IS JUST IN TIME FOR THE BEAR SEASON 3

This deal is actually so good.

HULU

Disney+’s library is growing way more than usual this month. A couple months back, the streamer launched a partnership with Hulu, creating a new bundle that lets subscribers watch all of Hulu’s content on Disney+. The best part is that the bundle costs so much less than getting two subscriptions, and now’s the perfect time to try it out since the highly anticipated third season of The Bear will be serving up some serious drama this month.

In addition to all of its own new original content premiering in June, Disney+ will be adding several Hulu titles that anyone with the new bundle can stream. And honestly, it’s a pretty great deal. The basic Disney+ and Hulu bundle costs $9.99 a month, which is only two dollars more than its $7.99 solo subscription fee. A standalone Hulu subscription also costs $7.99. Basically, if you’re paying for both Disney+ and Hulu right now, you’re forking over $16 a month — so getting this bundle will save you $6 each month without losing out on any content.

And June is full of new titles and throwback faves coming to Disney+ thanks to this collab. From beloved movies like Step Up to new seasons of The Bear and The Kardashians, along with the new Star Wars live-action show The Acolyte, Disney+ is about to be your go-to destination all summer long. Here’s the full lineup of shows and movies being added this month.

*Titles marked with an asterisk are only available through the Disney+ and Hulu bundle.