She’d love mock trial. Photo: MGM/Courtesy Everett Collection
Legally Blonde the film came out in 2001, commencing a butterfly effect that resulted in the single greatest, most-colon’d piece of art of our time: the 2008 MTV reality-competition program Legally Blonde: The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods, in which ten under-30-year-olds were subjected to physical and psychological torture in order to play Elle Woods in the musical adaptation of Legally Blonde on Broadway. And, well, it’s time for a remount. Prime Video has announced a Legally Blonde prequel series titled Elle, produced by Reese Witherspoon’s production company, Hello Sunshine. According to a press release, Elle will follow a high-school-age Elle Woods “as we learn about the life experiences that shaped her into the iconic young woman we came to know and love.” That’s incredibly vague, and we’re sad to think of a Legally Blonde property without Paulette, but we are choosing to channel our inner Elle Woods and be optimistic about the series anyway.
“I truly couldn’t be more excited about this series!” Witherspoon said in a statement. “Fans will get to know how Elle Woods navigated her world as a teenager with her distinct personality and ingenuity, in ways that only our beloved Elle could do. What could be better than that?!” Well, Reese, we actually have an answer: What could be better is a reality competition in which 20-year-olds must fight to play Elle Woods. It worked for Madonna … kind of.
GloRilla is ELLE’s digital cover star, and to get to know her better, she sat down to reveal some of her firsts. Since her single “F & F” went viral on TikTok, the rapper experienced numerous new accomplishments, like her first red carpet, first Grammy performance, and even her first big splurge. Join GloRilla as she reveals all this and more!
Actress Yara Shahidi lets ELLE in on her life as she plays a game of “Ask Me Anything.” Shahidi skips straight to the good stuff—answering her biggest fashion regret, giving an inside scoop on the hit show Black-ish, and even revealing her undeniable similarity with supermodel Gigi Hadid.
Senior News and Strategy Editor
Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she’s not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.
ELLE follows basketball star, Zia Cooke, as she gets ready for one of the biggest nights of her career. Tune in as Zia reflects on her journey so far, reveals her pre-game ritual and takes us behind the scenes of the 2023 WNBA Draft.
Kali Uchis is back for her second round of Song Association, and she definitely came ready to top her last score. Watch along as the ‘Red Moon in Venus’ artist sings her favorite hits, reveals the deeper meaning within her new album, and talks finding her purpose through music.
TWICE has now played Song Association… twice—and this girl group came ready to top their previous score. Watch as the K-pop queens sing many of their famous hits, and talk about their favorite artists, their recording process, and even the name of their next song. Will they be able to “Celebrate” their new score, or will ELLE have to “Cheer Up” this unstoppable group?
Everybody wants to be besties with actress Madelyn Cline: she’s relatable, wise beyond her years, and possesses immeasurable talent seen in fan favorites like Outer Banks and Knives Out. Get to know the It girl as she reveals what she’s talking about after sipping on one too many martinis, the pinch-me moment she experienced at a murder mystery party, and her favorite karaoke song in this round of Ask Me Anything.
Claudia Sulewski is experiencing New York Fashion Week for the first time with Tory Burch…and ELLE was there to document it all. Tune in on Getting Ready With as Claudia takes us behind the scenes, shakes the pre-show jitters and explains what’s in store for her big night. Bold looks and bright colors ahead!
And go through intimate getting ready photos from Claudia’s big day below, taken by Elias Tahan. Claudia wears Tory Burch, of course:
Photographed by Elias Tahan; hair by Anthony Campbell; makeup by Misha Shahzada; and styled by Jared Ellner.
Emily Ratajkowski has a unique approach to applying perfume that has been passed down through generations. The aromatic experience is more than just smelling good—it’s an intimate ritual that exemplifies beauty. Flower Bomb by Viktor & Rolf exudes the scent of luxury, and Emily believes the application should be treated as such. Watch as the iconic new face of Flower Bomb gives ELLE tips for finding the perfect scent, along with her green flags for fragrance.
This year’s covers saw everything from fashion fantasies and illustrative political statements to career revivals and retirement announcements; from Lizzo in Bad Binch TongTong and Beyoncé in Harris Reed atop a horse to Nicole Kidman in the now-infamous Miu Miu micro set. There were less gray gradient backdrops from Vogue and a lot more color through styling, set design and makeup (not to mention casting), perhaps signifying a shift in direction of fashion’s perspective. It’s fair to say 2022 brought the best of the best from our favorite magazines.
Browse our picks for the most memorable covers of 2022 below:
First things first: Jenna Ortega is taking the internet by storm after her showstopping performance in Netflix’s new show Wednesday, but there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to this young actress. So, ELLE decided to ask Jenna a bunch of her Firsts! Watch along to discover the first celebrity she’s ever met, her first heartbreak, and even her first impression of The Addams Family when she was just nine years old.
Lily-Rose Depp is the latest star to grace Elle’s cover (alongside her co-star, Blackpink’s Jennie Kim), promoting HBO Max’s forthcoming series “The Idol.” In the accompanying story, which has now been widely circulated, Depp shared some thoughts on being called a “nepo baby” — and let’s just say her remarks have sparked some reactions among major fashion-industry figures.
“I’m familiar. The internet seems to care a lot about that kind of stuff,” Depp tells Véronique Hyland in the interview. “People are going to have pre-conceived ideas about you or how you got there, and I can definitely say that nothing is going to get you the part except for being right for the part.”
The 23-year-old then adds: “The internet cares a lot more about who your family is than the people who are casting you in things. Maybe you get your foot in the door, but you still just have your foot in the door. There’s a lot of work that comes after that.”
The term “nepo baby” — short for “nepotism baby” — references the privilege that comes with being part of a wealthy, powerful family. In the past year, Hollywood stars like Maude Apatow and Zoë Kravitz have also been criticized for having their careers easily fed to them from a silver spoon. So have models like Kendall Jenner, Hailey Bieber and Gigi and Bella Hadid.
As is made clear by her name, Depp is the daughter of actors Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis — the latter also a longtime Chanel muse and model. After nabbing a few film roles, Depp has been seen across various magazine covers, music videos and is hounded by paparazzi. She’s now largely regarded for her modeling career, and was even selected by the late Karl Lagerfeld to be Chanel’s ambassador for its Chanel No. 5 fragrance when she was only 17 years old.
Since Depp’s cover story released on Nov. 17, some of the industry’s biggest models have responded with their own perspectives on nepotism and privilege.
Italian model Vittoria Ceretti, who has been in the industry since the age of 14, took to Instagram to share her thoughts.
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“Just want to share a thought here because I can,” she began in a now-deleted Instagram Story post. “I bumped into an interview of a so-called ‘nepo baby,’ whatever y’all call it… Yes, I get the whole ‘Im here and I work hard for it,’ but I would really love to see if you would have lasted thru the first five years of my career. Not only being rejected, because I know you have an experience with it and you can tell me your sad little story about it (even if at the end of the day you can still always go cry on your dad’s couch in your villa in Malibu).”
Ceretti, now 24, continued, “You have no fucking idea how much you have to fight to make people respect you. TAKES YEARS. you just get it by free day one.” She finished with, “I know it’s not your fault, but please, appreciate and know the place you came from.”
On Friday morning, Anok Yai also commented on the situation. The Egyptian-born Sudanese-American model recalled the difficult early days of her career on her Instagram Story. “I remember at the beginning of my career…there was this perceived notion that I had an upper hand, [but] I can tell you it was quite the opposite.”
Yai revealed that when she moved to New York, she had only college debt and $30 in her name, and it wasn’t until a photo of her during Howard University’s 2017 Homecoming went viral that her career took off. Even then, she said, she’s had to fight for every single thing.
“Just weeks into my career, my agent sat me down and told me – ‘Everyone thinks you’re rich now so you have to play the part…’ I remember barely being able to afford living in New York but having to budget out flights, hotels and cars for work; taking out loans so I could buy food, drowning in debt, seeing myself on billboards but having a few dollars to my name. I didn’t mind – I wanted to earn my stripes.”
She then added that, “I will see some of you privilege kids stress about not booking a job because of the impact of your career while there are those of us who stress because we don’t know if we’ll be able to take care of our parents this months or put our siblings through school.”
She wrapped up her post by summarizing an unfortunate reality of the modeling industry for many, writing, “What bothers me is when power players in the industry (brands, directors, editors, etc) pretend to be ignorant to that fact…I know you work hard and have your struggles like the rest of us, but goddamn if you only knew the hell we go through to stand in the same room that you were born in.”
Jennie Kim and Lily-Rose Depp cover the December Issue of Elle Jennie Kim of Blackpink and Lily-Rose Depp grace the cover of Elle in Chanel ensembles styled by Patti Wilson. Depp tells writer Véronique Hyland about growing up in the public eye, specifically recent headlines surrounding her family. “People have really wanted to define me by the men in my life, whether that’s my family members or my boyfriends, whatever. And I’m really ready to be defined for the things that I put out there,” Depp says. As for Jennie Kim, she talks with Laura Sirikul about her first acting gig, the Blackpink world tour and answers burning questions from Blinks. “It was my first time ever doing anything close to being an actor, so hopefully they like it,” the K-pop idol shares. The two are set to star in HBO’s upcoming and highly anticipated series, “The Idol.” See more images below.{Elle}
Gabriela Hearst wants you to know about nuclear fusion Chloé Creative Director Gabriela Hearst has always been environmentally conscious in her work, having been credited with the fashion industry’s first carbon-neutral runway in 2019. Nowadays, Hearst is taking her passion to the next level with her research into nuclear fusion, a cleaner (yet presently unattained) energy alternative. Heart’s Spring 2023 collection is inspired by visits to nuclear fusion labs across the country and the globe, her runway featuring physics-inflected designs and chemical patterns across clothes. Meanwhile, Hearst’s latest resort collection was aimed at spreading fusion literacy to the public, through motifs like laser-cut stars and spangled leather jackets. “What I can do is to use whatever platform I have to communicate about this energy,” the designer says. {Vanity Fair}
For JENNIE, singing, dancing, and performing with her BLACKPINK girls is easy, but deciding what three things she can’t live without is where things start to get hard. JENNIE has quickly made a name for herself in the world of fashion, and as ELLE‘s cover star, it’s only necessary we showcase her diverse skillset. On this episode of Ask Me Anything, discover the artist’s comfort food, the thing she is most proud of, and the place she calls home.
Grace Van Patten’s beauty is effortless, so finding a look to echo her vibe is a must. Luckily, Dior is an expert in Parisian chic. The look for the Dior Fashion Show consists of rock n’ roll, 90’s grunge, and a classic bold lip- staples of an outfit that will scream cool, yet comfortable. Tune in as the actress prepares for a day of runway with Dior Beauty, reveals the candy she carries in her clutch, and her secret beauty tip.
When Anne Hathaway won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 2013 for her performance in “Les Miserables”, what should have been cause for elation instead led her to be hit with a wave of online hatred.
Honoured at Elle‘s annual Women in Hollywood event on Monday night, she delivered a speech referencing how she got through the “Hathahate” experience.
“Ten years ago, I was given an opportunity to look at the language of hatred from a new perspective,” Hathaway told the audience at the event, as reported by IndieWire.
“For context — this was a language I had employed with myself since I was seven. And when your self-inflicted pain is suddenly somehow amplified back at you at, say, the full volume of the internet… It’s a thing,” she continued.
“When it happened to me, I realized that this wasn’t it. This wasn’t the spot. When what happened, happened, I realized I had no desire to have anything to do with this line of energy, on any level. I would no longer create art from this place. I would no longer hold space for it, live in fear of it, nor speak its language for any reason, to anyone, including myself,” she said.
“We don’t have enough time to discuss all the myriad causes of the violent language of hatred, and the imperative need to end it. Because there is a difference between existence and behaviour,” she added. “You can judge behaviour. You can forgive behaviour or not. But you do not have the right to judge — and especially not hate — someone for existing. And if you do, you’re not where it’s at.”
Ultimately, she explained, the experience led her to an understanding of how to un-learn hate and “re-learn love.”
“Hate seems to me to be the opposite of life; in soil that harsh, nothing can grow properly, if at all,” she concluded. “I want to say: Be happy for women. Period. Especially be happy for high-achieving women. Like, it’s not that hard.”
