Terran Orbital may be close to receiving a major payment from its biggest customer, CEO Marc Bell announced internally at a company-wide meeting earlier this month. Rivada Space Networks is in the final stages of closing funding to help fund a mega-constellation to be built by Terran at a cost of $2.4 billion, revenues that currently make up the vast majority of Terran’s backlog.
While Terran is pursuing other lucrative contracts that could comprise billions in work, its $2.4 billion contract with Rivada is by far the largest it has secured so far. Earlier this quarter, Terran had to adjust its full-year financial outlook after Rivada delayed paying an incremental $180 million toward that total contract award.
The Terran chair and CEO communicated the news to staff during the December 19 meeting.
“I had dinner with [Rivada CEO] Declan Ganley last week in DC,” Bell told staff during the meeting, a recording of which was obtained by TechCrunch. “He told me they expect to close tomorrow on their funding. He showed me the documents. I saw them, I read them. He texted me this morning and maybe Thursday, Friday now. […] As long as it’s by Christmas, I’ll be happy. Nothing wrong with getting a good Christmas present.”
Rivada, a German subsidiary of U.S.-based Rivada Networks, contracted with Terran to build 300 satellites for the mega-constellation under a $2.4 billion agreement in February of this year. Rivada has a separate deal with SpaceX to launch the satellites starting in April 2025.
Of course, Christmas has come and gone and neither company has made any public announcements about the financing. TechCrunch reached out to both for comment and neither responded by press time. Bell said later in the meeting that even if Rivada closes the funding, the two entities would need to make a modification on their contract, which could delay payment terms and public announcements.
“He’s being very transparent to me and so I have no reason not to believe him,” Bell said of Ganley. “But unfortunately, he’s not the one writing the check, somebody else is writing the check to him. But if he gets a check, I have to assume we’ll get a check. But we do have to do a contract mod. So that’s the one thing that might hold us up, because we have to do a mod on the contract. […] But we’ll at least get paid on the invoice that’s owed, the $9 million invoice. But I want to get the big check, as everyone else does, because that will dramatically help our share price and everything else in our world.”
In an investor call in November, Bell said that Rivada’s funding and payment delays came as “quite a surprise” to both companies. He added that Rivada’s funding source is “a large sovereign” — presumably a sovereign wealth fund — and that the two companies expect the money to close eventually.
As of November, Terran reported a backlog of future work of $2.6 billion, of which $2.4 billion is from the Rivada contract. Even without the expected milestone payment, Bell told staff that he still expects the company to generate $130 million in revenue this year, a notable increase from the $94 million the company made in 2022.
The company is also pursing other high-value contract opportunities, including with the Space Development Agency’s constellation known as “Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture.” Terran has already built and delivered satellites for the initial tranche of the constellation, Tranche 0, and is currently building 42 satellite buses for Tranche 1 and will build an additional 32 buses for Tranche 2. Bell said the company will also be going after an additional award for a variant of the Tranche 2 satellites called Gamma, possibly as the prime contractor on that award (for the others, Terran is a subcontractor of prime winner Lockheed Martin).
“We feel very good about Gamma and how we’re going to win. We are contemplating priming Gamma as opposed to just being a sub […] But right now it is even-money odds we may be finally be a prime on these things. And that would be huge. It would change the dynamic. But I haven’t made a decision, we’re going to sit down and talk to Lockheed about it.”
Terran Orbital’s stock price has cratered since it went public via SPAC — a reverse merger with a special purpose acquisition company — in March of last year. The company debuted with a stock price of $10.96, but today the shares are trading for around $1.22.
Kyle Richards is in the best shape of her life. “I think back to when I was in my 20s and 30s, and I look better than I did then, and that’s after having four kids,” says the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star. “It’s definitely never too late.” Richards, 54, has made fitness a priority as she continues to navigate her separation from her husband of 27 years, Mauricio Umansky. (They are parents to daughters Alexia, 27, Sophia, 23, and Portia, 15; Richards also shares Farrah, 35, with ex Guraish Aldjufrie.) “When I was younger, I used to work out to lose weight,” says the former actress. “Now it’s for me — first and foremost, my mental health. The fact that it makes me look good is just a bonus.” Richards opens more about staying fit and what the future holds in Us Weekly‘s cover story.
You look fantastic. What inspired you to transform your body? I had a breast reduction [in 2022], and I wasn’t able to work out for eight weeks. At the time, I was on vacation in Europe, eating pasta and drinking wine and cocktails. By the end of the trip, I didn’t recognize myself. I had also just lost my best friend to suicide, and I wasn’t taking care of myself. And [it was] making me feel more depressed. So after we left, I said, “That’s it. I’m not going to have bad carbs — no sugar, no pasta, no bread, no alcohol. And I’m going to work out every single day.”
Did you notice a big difference? I started seeing results pretty fast. Even though I wasn’t a big drinker, removing alcohol made such a difference in my skin and how I felt.
What do you do for exercise? I’ve always worked out, but I was doing the same thing on repeat — I’d go on hikes and spin. I started including weights, hot yoga [and] running, especially when going through a hard time. It really clears my head.
Your abs are amazing! I wanted to get a tummy tuck when I had my breast reduction, and the doctor wouldn’t do it; he said we’ll talk about it [later]. I started doing a Peloton 10-minute abs thing, then 15 minutes every day.
Some people have called your new look your “revenge body.” Do you agree with that? It’s certainly not meant to be a revenge body. It’s meant to be an I-feel-good body.
“I’m very determined in what I want from my life and what my personal goals are,” says Richards in Us Weekly’s cover story.Us Weekly
You’ve been open about overcoming body struggles. Are you proud of getting to such a healthy place? As someone who [had] body image issues their whole life, it’s kind of funny that I’d be on the cover of [a diet and fitness] issue [of the magazine]. Growing up with my sisters, they were both blond and skinny, which [was] very much the look. I was brunette and curvy, and I was always trying to be thin. I started working out when I was 15, but I’ve learned to switch things up and what my body needs.
What do you do when you’re not motivated? I make the commitment every day. If I have to take a 5 A.M. flight, fine, I have to skip my workout at my house, but I can always do abs in my hotel room.
What do you eat during a typical day? Breakfast is either a protein shake with a banana or oatmeal with berries. For a snack, I like apples and peanut butter or string cheese. I eat raw nuts when I want something crunchy or a healthy popcorn. Lunch is chicken or grilled fish on salad. At night, I eat a lot of salmon, halibut, chicken paillard with arugula and lemon. I like eating at home so I know what’s going into my food.
Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky were married for more than two decades before they shocked fans with their separation in 2023. Richards was previously married to Guraish Aldjufrie, with whom she shares daughter Farrah, from 1988 to 1992. She met Umansky in 1994, and the couple exchanged vows two years later. Richards was four months […]
Would you say your diet is just as important as exercise? You have to be committed to both. If I don’t eat well, it affects my mood.
What’s your ultimate body goal? I don’t want to lose any more weight. I’m five-foot-two, and the heaviest I ever was was 132 [pounds], which I believe was after my trip to Europe. Now it’s settled at 117. [But] I need to change up my workouts because my body has become accustomed. I have this trainer — CoryG Fitness on Instagram — and he’ll email me a routine. You have to keep changing it constantly, otherwise the progress will halt.
Do you have a favorite body part? My stomach surprises me. When I’m lying down, I can see I have a six-pack. When I stand up, I have loose skin from having babies, so I won’t be posing standing up. [Laughs] My legs are also really strong. I’ve been spinning for years.
“I alternate between arms and legs and do abs every day,” Richards says of her workout routine.Courtesy of Kyle Richards/Instagram
What’s your advice for people looking to make lifestyle changes? It’s about surrounding yourself with people who will support you. My friends happen to be like me. We want to take care of our bodies and enjoy hiking and then grabbing coffee.
Are you still not drinking? I haven’t had one drop of alcohol since July 15, 2022. I don’t miss it. After two glasses of wine, I’d wake up and feel [like I was] dragging. Like, “I’m going to skip my workout today. I’m tired, and I feel like having In-N-Out.” It was a domino effect. I was never a big drinker, so you’d think, how much of a difference could it make? But it really does.
Do you think you’ll continue to abstain from alcohol? I don’t see myself drinking again. I love the way I feel and look.
Has everyone been supportive of your decision to stop drinking? When you choose to stop drinking on your own, it’s interesting how it’s met with such resistance from your peers. In the beginning, I was like, I’m just going to pretend [I’m drinking]. I would whisper to the waiter, “I’m going to order a vodka soda, and then just bring me a club soda.” But then a couple of my friends were like, “What are you doing? You drink margaritas.” It just got to the point where I was like, “Why am I having to pretend at my age?” I think about my daughters and peer pressure, and here I am, feeling like I don’t want to be pressured into this. So I stopped pretending. I was just like, “Guys, I promise you, I am still going to be fun.”
On RHOBH, some cast members talked about you going to the gym on vacation and hinted you’ve replaced alcohol with exercise… I don’t understand why doing something good for you is looked down upon. I was up at five o’clock, why wouldn’t I do something that makes me feel good and gives me energy? Maybe it’s a reflection of something they don’t like about themselves.
What does self-care mean to you? Today [was] a self-care day. I worked out, took Portia to school and now I need to go to HomeGoods and buy ridiculous things I don’t need. That makes me feel good! And then I’ll go to bed early with a good book.
Richards and Umansky with daughters (from left) Alexia, Farrah, Sophia and Portia. “We’re trying to remind them we’re a family no matter what,” she says.Courtesy of Kyle Richards/Instagram
Have you been watching this season of RHOBH? Yes. Sometimes it gives me anxiety, and sometimes it’s OK. It was difficult shooting the season because I was going through stuff in my marriage, but our daughters didn’t know, and I didn’t feel like sharing it on camera quite yet. But I was honest with the [cast]. When they started grilling me, I was like, “Why are you acting like I haven’t been honest? I told you it’s the worst year we’ve ever had.” Did they want me to take them inside my bedroom? I don’t know what they wanted me to do. I felt like people I considered my friends hurt me.
Was there anything specific you were nervous for viewers to see? [Things] about my marriage. I didn’t know how to navigate it off-camera, let alone on-camera.
What’s your message to fans? People were upset when they heard [Mauricio and I] were having problems. I felt like we let people down. [Starts crying] Some were saying [our marriage] was a farce the whole time. But there were also sweet and supportive messages. I didn’t know so many people cared, but they’ve been in my home for 13 years watching us.
Do you feel closer to a place of happiness now? In a lot of ways, I feel happy, but I’m also still struggling because it’s all new to me. I’ve been married my whole life.
What’s your relationship with Mauricio currently? We still live in the same house and we spent [the holidays] together. I have no idea how long we’ll be like that, but we are trying to be as normal as possible in a very un-normal situation.
Is there still love there? We love each other. We go to therapy. We both want to see each other happy. I don’t know what the future looks like. That’s the hardest part because the unknown is scary.
“I was like, ‘OK, this is what I’m going to do to take charge of feeling good mentally and physically,’” Richards says of setting a wellness plan.Courtesy of Kyle Richards/Instagram
You recently ran a 10K with your friend [singer] Morgan Wade. Do you motivate each other? All my friends do. I’ve been shooting a documentary on the road with Morgan, so we’ll go to the gym together.
What’s happening with the doc? I’ll probably be shooting that for [a few] more months. It started out as a documentary and then kind of turned into something else… I better stop.
Are you and Morgan sick of all the dating rumors? I don’t even think about it anymore. It doesn’t faze me.
Do you regret putting your friendship with her on the show? In the beginning I did because even though she’s an artist and a musician, she’s not someone who wants this attention. I felt bad about that.
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kyle Richards’ close friendship with Morgan Wade has raised eyebrows amid her ongoing separation from husband Mauricio Umanksy. Richards and Umansky opened up about experiencing “a rough year” in their marriage via a joint Instagram statement in July 2023. The pair also seemingly addressed fan speculation regarding the nature […]
How did Mauricio respond to the RHOBH scene where you tattoo your initial on Morgan’s arm? He likes Morgan a lot. We’ve gone to her shows [as a] family. What they didn’t show [in that scene] was me saying, “I’m going to do a tattoo on you,” and her saying, “You can, I don’t care.” I was drawing flowers, a pumpkin, but I can’t draw to save my life, so that’s why I ended up just doing a K.
You wrote a memoir in 2011. Would you ever write another book? I’d write one about mental health and anxiety. I think I had my first panic attack when I was 12, and it got so bad during different times in my life that it was debilitating. I took Prozac, I took Lexapro, and oddly enough, I don’t take anything now even though I’m going through such a hard time. I used humor [and had other] ways of dealing with it because nobody wanted to talk about it. But when I lost my best friend, I thought, “OK, this is a mental health issue I would like to address because of what happened to her and how it affected me.”
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What did 2023 teach you? That I can handle a lot more than I ever imagined and am stronger than I realized.
What are you looking to leave behind as we go into the new year? Negativity and any stress and pain I’ve been holding on to. I want things to be a little more quiet and I want to go into 2024 happy and at peace.
Julia Roberts made some memorable appearances on the talk show circuit as she promoted her new Netflix movie,Leave the World Behind. During a December 4 stop on The View, she hilariously helped the cohosts promote hair products, and on December 5, she gushed about being a Swiftie on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Two nights later, she reenacted the viral “Name ’Em” scene from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills on Watch What Happens Live (she played Sutton Stracke, while Andy Cohen took on the role of Kyle Richards). “It’s been a while since Julia’s been so public with a press tour,” says a source. “She’s enjoyed it.”
The actress has been navigating a new normal since her twins, Hazel and Phinnaeus, 19, went off to college in the fall. While her 16-year-old son, Henry, is still at home with Roberts and her husband of 21 years, cinematographer Danny Moder, 54, the dedicated mom has more time on her hands than she’s had in nearly two decades.
“Julia’s in one of the most bittersweet times in her life right now,” says the source, noting that while nearing empty nest status has “been hard” on the star, she can’t wait to jump back into her career full-time. “Julia has long had the option to pick whatever role she wants and work with whomever she wants, so she’s been having fun with that.”
Roberts, 56, has always been a hands-on mom. “She was turning down films so that she wasn’t away from her family for huge periods of time,” says the source of how the star’s priorities shifted after welcoming kids. “Acting is my dream come true, but it is not my only dream come true,” Roberts told CBS News Sunday Morning last year. “The life that I’ve built with my husband. The life that we’ve built with our children. And that’s the best stuff, to come home at the end of the day triumphantly to them.” She took four years off before filming 2022’s Ticket to Paradise with close palGeorge Clooney. “I love being at home,” she said while promoting the rom-com. “I love being a mom.”
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
She knew seeing her children go off to college would be challenging. “I mean, it makes me a little lightheaded,” the actress said in 2022, adding that she was also beyond excited for them. “It’s really thrilling, and I wasn’t lucky enough to have a college experience. And so to see how it’s happening for them is really fascinating.” Says the source: “Julia’s [excited about] her children being able to forge their own paths and experience all that life has to offer. She sees her kids becoming their own people and going out into the world, and she’s so proud of them.”
The source says Roberts is looking forward to taking on more acting roles, going on trips with friends and traveling with Moder: “Julia and Danny have much more quality time together now because the kids are so independent.” The longtime couple is in a good place after navigating ups and downs during their two decades together. On The View, she lovingly referred to Moder as “the captain” of their family’s ship, and shared her secrets to a happy marriage: “Lots of kissing hello and goodbye is really… a critical detail to daily life.”
“She has a great relationship with her kids,” says a source of Roberts (with Henry, Hazel, Phinneaus and husband Moder).Courtesy of Daniel Moder/Instagram
“Julia and Danny had disagreements over the years,” says the source. “When things were contentious, they would take some time apart to reset, just a few days or a week so they could start to miss each other.” Adds a second source: “At the end of the day they’re a wonderful match because Danny is levelheaded and keeps Julia calm.”
Julia Roberts and her husband, Danny Moder, have been together for more than 20 years. Roberts met her now-husband in the early 2000s when she was dating Benjamin Bratt. At the time, Moder was married to Vera Steimberg. After Moder finalized his divorce from Steimberg in early 2002, he wed Roberts that July at her […]
The second source says divorce was never an option for the pair. “They had differences of opinion over where to live,” says the source, noting that Moder — an avid surfer — is “a die-hard SoCal boy,” while Roberts much prefers Northern California and San Francisco. “They’ve butted heads about that but always found a way to get through the rough times.”
Moder and Roberts “are in a great place,” says a source of the longtime couple.Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for CORE Gala
Roberts — who’s worth an estimated $250 million — has credited Moder with keeping her grounded. “We are so in sync,” she said on Ali Wentworth’s “Go Ask Ali” podcast last fall. “Our priorities… are so aligned.” Adds the second source: “Danny is a phenomenal father and a supportive spouse, but also a great talent in his own right. He doesn’t crave validation or get bent out of shape over the fact he’s married to one of the biggest movie superstars of all time.”
The actress and Moder will keep their Malibu mansion as their home base but plan to spend time at their spread in New Mexico and in Europe. “Julia and Danny like to move around,” says the second source. “They’re happier enjoying simple pleasures, and Danny’s love of culture and the outdoors has been a big positive influence on their relationship.”
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“She wanted to be surrounded by a world-class cast” for Leave the World Behind, says a source of Roberts (with, from left, costars Mahershala Ali, Myha’la and Ethan Hawke).JoJo Whilden/Netflix
Fans will see more of Roberts, too. The second source says the actress wasn’t kidding when she told Cohen she’d be down for a sequel of her 1997 smash hit My Best Friend’s Wedding: “[The movie] has always had a special place in Julia’s heart.” She’d love to reconnect with her former costars, too, especially pal Rupert Everett. “Julia wants to be part of projects that bring her joy,” adds the source, “[so] it’s important she’s working with friends.”
The actress is also keeping an eye out for book adaptations and another “home run” project like Erin Brockovich, for which she took home an Academy Award in 2001. “She’s always looking for a movie that really breaks through and makes a dent in the culture,” says the second source, noting that Roberts loved the experience of making Leave the World Behind. “The main thing that slowed Julia down after she won her Oscar was her kids,” says the source. “The next few years could see her do more acting than ever.”
Keke Palmercouldn’t be more excited to start creating new holiday traditions with 9-month-old son Leo.
“I love the idea of doing ornaments for every year of [Leo’s] first, second, third, fifth, whatever Christmases,” Palmer, 30, exclusively told Us Weekly while promoting her partnership with HelloFresh. “But then also the idea that it’s something that can be a namesake within our family. That’s something I’m excited for.”
Palmer shared that she first got the idea from a friend who gave her a few custom ornaments with Leo’s face printed on them.
“Maybe it can even become a tradition … each year, that you do a new custom one to mark his age and his growth and that it’s something that he can also pass down and do with his children,” she continued. “I think that that’s actually a tradition that we’ll probably continue.”
Throughout her career, Keke Palmer has proven that the sky’s the limit — and she’s only getting started. Palmer began singing in the church choir at age 5 and after moving to Los Angeles she quickly found success with acting. She rose to fame after starring on her own Nickelodeon series, True Jackson, VP, from […]
Palmer welcomed Leo with ex-boyfriend Darius Jackson in February after two years of dating. The pair have since called it quits. Palmer was granted a temporary restraining order against Jackson, 29, last month after she claimed he physically abused her “multiple times” throughout their relationship and filed for full custody of their son.
Now, Palmer is putting her focus on celebrating Leo’s major milestones as he continues to grow. “He’s been rocking back and forth, so that’s a really cool thing,” she told Us. “And he’s been kind of — not crawling, crawling, but sliding. So it’s like he’s just about to crawl. He also has a budding tooth at the bottom that’s getting ready to come. So I’m very excited about that.”
Palmer has been documenting her motherhood journey since announcing her pregnancy in December 2022. She has since been candid about the ups and downs of parenting, from finding a healthy work-life balance to shutting down critics who judge her for breast-feeding in public.
Courtesy of Keke Palmer/Instagram
“I think I carry a lot of shame sometimes when I’m in public spaces,” she shared during a September episode of her “Baby, This Is Keke Palmer” podcast. “I don’t want to make other people uncomfortable and I’ve had to really kind of come around to, like, not worrying about that.”
Being authentic about her lived experience is something Palmer is known for, whether she’s detailing her struggle with acne, slamming unrealistic body standards or opening up about her sexuality. Palmer strives to be as relatable as possible so she can inspire others to believe “success is approachable,” she told Us.
“It’s always like, in order to be successful, there’s this idea that it’s only for heartless people,” she explained. “And I think for me, it’s like, ‘No, success is for you. Success is out there for you as somebody that’s following their dreams and that’s believing themselves and that’s persistent.’”
Palmer noted that she wants others to see that everything she’s accomplished is “accessible” for them, too. “Because when people don’t feel relatable to you, then it becomes that harder, I think, for them to reach their own personal goals,” she said. “So if I’m not doing my part in making sure that they can relate to me or that they feel connected to me, so that they can feel more inspired to accomplish their goals, then I don’t think I’m really doing my job.”
Christmas pajamas, baking sweet treats and decorating trees with family … oh my! There is no right — or wrong — way to get into the holiday spirit, and many celebrities have shared their favorite traditions during the special season. Wells Adams and Sarah Hyland spent their first Christmas together as an engaged couple in […]
From nabbing a 2023 Daytime Emmy nomination for her show Password with Jimmy Fallon, to her new song, “Serious,” dropping last month along with her holiday single, “Christmas Kisses,” there’s not much Palmer can’t do. She’s a quadruple threat and a mom who is always on the go, which is exactly why she teamed up with HelloFresh.
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“With the kind of schedule that I have, it’s always good to be able to know that you can just have easy meals ready,” she said. “So when I got tapped for this amazing partnership, I was really excited because it’s a way to eat healthy, but also to make it fun and keep it exciting.”
Palmer added that now is the “best time” to sign up for HelloFresh, as customers can get free breakfast included with every order for life. “[It’s] just the perfect partnership, honestly,” she said.
To say Sasha Colby is well known for her mastery of drag is a vast understatement. Walking into the Werk Room for RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15, her fellow queens were gooped and gagged at competing against drag royalty. Formerly Miss Continental 2012, the legend stood out with fierce confidence and beauty, coupled with tight, polished performances and the ability to make us all feel like she was Mother, warm yet in command. After snatching the RuPaul’s Drag Race crown, Colby became the fourth transgender queen to win, confirming her already solidified icon status across the globe.
So what’s next for America’s Reigning Drag Superstar? Sasha Colby Hair, a line of hair extensions embodying her iconic ponytail style, which, in Sasha’s words, allows anyone to “unleash and embrace their fierce inner diva.” Yas, queen! In collaboration with Salon Xtensions, the line is available in 10 exciting colors of 28-inch ponytails, each made of a unique fiber blend for a human hair look and feel at an accessible price point ($99). “Making this ponytail not only user friendly but affordable was really important to me,” Sasha tells StyleCaster over Zoom, explaining that developing an inclusive and accessible collection was of the utmost importance. An easy, affordable way to become an honorary member of the House of Colby? Add to cart!
Below, Sasha dishes on hair, the power of transformation, and feeling snatched.
Image: Preston Meneses
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
StyleCaster: You looking stunning.
Sasha Colby: Thank you! How are you? Nice to meet you.
StyleCaster: I’m great. Congratulations on the launch. It’s such a big deal!You’re launching with the pony, your signature style. Why is that the first product, and how did you come up with the idea?
Sasha Colby: My pony has always been my signature. It’s been my activation piece for myself to like, feel activated in drag. And I love how it makes me feel pulled up and snatched, like a little kitten with a whip. It’s gotten me through 20 years of great drag, and I just thought that it would be so fun. This is more a response to a lot of the fans and people who watch the show and love the ponytail. They want to know how to do it. They want a ponytail tutorial. So all of these people and fans asking really got me thinking about, how do I make this accessible to the masses?
StyleCaster: Do you have tips for people who are new to wigs or extensions or any sort of hair?
Sasha Colby: I mean, the hair journey is a fun journey. It’s a way to really express what you’re feeling. And especially nowadays, there are so many varieties and different venues of hair choices that you can really play and be so many different characters or alter egos, just to have a little more spice in your life.
StyleCaster: Totally. I always joke when I have my gay friends over, or even my straight friends, I always bust out the wigs and we just start playing around with them.
Sasha Colby: Oh, we do that all the time! I mean, especially when you have a wall of wigs and people come to your house.
StyleCaster: And the straight boys always want to try one.
Sasha Colby: They want the longest, like, diva hair.
StyleCaster: Do you have any thoughts on the power of transformation, or the power of drag in that regard? It’s like a superpower.
StyleCaster: Absolutely. The idea of having the ponytail is an extension of what drag is, which is being able to transform yourself into whatever you need. Actually, that’s the fun thing about drag, to transform yourself into whatever you may need at that point in your life. If you feel like you’re not very confident or a little shy, putting on drag, transforming yourself, and giving yourself the confidence that you feel is exterior actually brings out what is already inside you, which is beautiful.
My pony has always been my signature … I love how it makes me feel snatched and pulled, like a little kitten with a whip.
Sasha Colby
StyleCaster: The line is very reasonably and accessibly priced. Why was that important for you?
Sasha Colby: Making this ponytail not only user friendly but affordable was really important to me. I make my own ponies. My best friend and I, we’ve kind of came down to this formula, but we use human hair. We were buying bundles, and it’s great for drag and Drag Race, but not really feasible for everyday life or the traveling drag we need. So I really wanted to make sure that the hair quality was easy. Just pull it out, brush it, shake it out, and it’s brand new.
Whereas with human hair, you’re gonna have to be a little more careful with it and prep it more. So that saves time. And that helps with a lot of people who are maybe intimidated with using a lot of tools and all of that. This could just be for them. And those are the same people that I feel that watch Drag Race and that this particular price point fits for: the younger drag queens, maybe single moms, who knows! That’s the lovely thing about this ponytail, is it can cater to everyone and I really wanted that.
StyleCaster: It comes in a variety of colors. Do you have one that you gravitate towards or is a favorite?
Sasha Colby: For myself, I have Pele on right now. This is a pony that you will get when you order your Sasha Colby ponytail. It’s 28 inches long, and it’s a nice, full pony. I definitely have my tutorials up on my Instagram and my social media so you can always check that out. It’s really easy to do. This one just matches perfect for any ginger, but I do have a bluer tone that’s more for that auburn, darker red girl. Also, a bunch of blondes, a bunch of browns, just like the basic colors right now, 10, which is an amazing selection. But stay tuned because we definitely have more colors coming for you.
Image: Preston Meneses
StyleCaster: That was my next question: What else can hair fans expect?
Sasha Colby: We can expect a lot with this ponytail line. We’re working on new colors. We’re going to have a lot more variations of colors (fun colors also), and I’m working on ombrés. So if you have darker hair, and you want to be blonde that day, it’ll make sense with the ombré pony. And also, we’re gonna have a lot more textures we’re playing [with]. So even though this is heat-safe and you can style the straight one, we’re going to have a lot of different beach layers, beach curls, big round curls, and a lot of textures for our POC girls. So we’re really excited for that.
StyleCaster:You are obviously iconic for your hair and the pony. Do you have any other drag inspiration or celebrity inspirations that you look up to for hair?
Sasha Colby: Oh, celebrity hair-spirations… I love a ’90s model. I love a layered cut. That’s just like my go-to. I’m actually currently under this ponytail rocking the Rachel from Friends. Yesterday, I had my hair in a claw, half up, half down and I looked like Sarah from The Craft. So I think I’m in my ’90s era right now.
StyleCaster: You’re going on tour next year, so what can we expect?
Sasha Colby: Oh, yes, we will be going on tour. My one woman show called Stripped. We’ll be hitting 22 cities all over the continental U.S. (and Hawaii!), so I’m very excited to be performing at home. You can expect a really stripped down version of what I always show you. What Sasha Colby is. I like to say it’s a peek behind the inner workings of my mind. What inspires me, what I live for. And just sharing stories and getting to know the audience, which I think is really stripped down and what a lot of people are craving right now.
StyleCaster: Over the past few years on Drag Race, and in the drag world period, we’ve seen the boundaries being pushed—from inclusivity and identity to more avant garde performance. What is your hope for the future of drag?
Sasha Colby: That it just keeps on expanding everyone’s perceptions of what art, beauty, gender, and really, to be alive is. From being a safe haven for queer people that were kind of ostracized and we couldn’t be in everyday society, we found this, this thing called drag, to give us a sacred place. And it was very much for the queer community, but is now opening up and really expanding the perceptions of queer community and of art for cis people, straight people, heterosexual people. It’s like the new sports, you know?
StyleCaster: All my straight friends love it. My family loves it.
Sasha Colby: It’s a great a common denominator.
StyleCaster: I think we all crave having fun. And that’s what it is.
Sasha Colby: You cannot not feel like you want to be yourself or do something daring when you’re watching someone else dare.
StyleCaster: You took home the crown on your season. I was obviously rooting for you. What was it like watching your daughter, Kerri Colby, on the previous season when she competed?
Sasha Coby: Watching Kerri in Season 14 was so fun. I love her. It was so nice to watch the world fall in love with her and her personality and being like the narrator of the show. She’s just so fun to watch and so relaxing and such a star.
StyleCaster: You recently attended your first fashion week. Do you see yourself getting more involved in the world of high fashion?
Sasha Colby: I definitely feel inspired, since I was young, with high fashion and the fashion industry. Not just the beauty aspect or the models, but really fashion, the clothes. I just love learning about fashion through history. And I would love to be more in the fashion world, be a fashion girly. It’s a lot of fun. It’s like watching drag, really! When you go to these fashion weeks, everyone’s in their order. Everyone’s in their artifice. And they project who they want to be and are just these fantastical people.
StyleCaster: One final question. What else are you looking to accomplish in the future?
Sasha Colby: Oh, you know, just, sky’s the limit for me right now. I’m really excited to travel more, perform more, meet more fans, and make more connections. And also, just getting into telling more stories through my music and through acting.
1,000-Lb. Sisters star Tammy Slaton had to say an emotional goodbye to husband Caleb Willingham before leaving the weight rehab clinic where the pair met.
In Us Weekly’s exclusive first look at the TLC series’ season 5 premiere, which airs Tuesday, December 12, Caleb reads a sweet poem he wrote just for Tammy, 37, ahead of her departure from the Ohio facility.
“Sunflower, sunflower, God planted you as a seed in a field full of many, but you he meant for me,” Caleb reads. “In fields full of green, representing the life that you have breathed inside your king.”
Tammy wipes away tears as she listens to the moving ode while Caleb pauses at one point to collect himself, overcome with emotion.
“I love it,” Tammy tells Caleb after he finishes reading.
Tammy Slaton, Caleb Willingham.Courtesy of Caleb Willingham/Instagram
“You’re my sunflower,” he replies.
The pair then share a long embrace as Caleb promises he’ll join her outside the clinic soon. “I’m gonna be there. I’m coming home baby. I don’t know when and I don’t know how but I’m getting there,” he says. Tammy nods while resting her head on Caleb’s shoulder.
Tammy and Caleb tied the knot in November 2022 at the same rehab facility where they met one year prior. Both were receiving treatment at the clinic for obesity-related health issues. (Tammy underwent a successful gastric bypass surgery at the treatment center in the summer of 2022 and has since showed off her dramatic weight loss via social media.)
Viewers have watched 1000-Lb. Sisters star Tammy Slaton deal with major health problems over the years, and now they’re cheering her on in her weight loss journey. Tammy suffered numerous health crises throughout the years as her weight and partying lifestyle grew out of control. In November 2021, the reality star was put on life […]
Less than one year after the couple exchanged vows, Tammy confirmed that Caleb had died at age 40.
“Rip sweet angel you will forever be missed and loved so much,” she wrote via Instagram in July. “Thank you Caleb for showing me real love and happiness ❤️❤️.”
Two days later, Tammy said that she was going through “the stages of grief” in the wake of Caleb’s death.
“Yeah, we were having problems but I loved that man and I still do,” she said through tears in a TikTok video. “You know, he’s not in any pain anymore. I know he’s in a better place.”
Caleb shares his fears about not having enough time with Tammy in the sneak peek at 1,000-Lb. Sisters’ season premiere.
“I have the love of my life right here with me and now I’m losing it,” he tells cameras. “The biggest fear I have right now is not knowing our future. I’m happy for her, but it’s scary.”
Despite having to say goodbye, Caleb and Tammy assure each other of their love.
“I love you. I do,” Tammy says in the clip while wiping away Caleb’s tears.
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He replies: “I love you so much.”
Season 5 of 1,000-Lb. Sisters premieres on TLC Tuesday, December 12, at 9 p.m. ET.
Being the last remaining original cast member of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills not only makes Kyle Richards one of the most storied figures in reality TV history, but also an icon in every sense of the word. Jumping at the chance to chat with the Bravolebrity, I wanted to know all about how she’s turned every trial into a platform for personal growth.
Over the course of 13 chaotic seasons, the world has watched her ride high highs and low lows. Now, we’re seeing her undergo a metamorphosis. At 53, she’s glowing with the promise of a freshly-hatched butterfly, eager to spread their newfound wings. A former child star with a long acting resumé, the most meaningful role Kyle Richards ever stepped into was herself. And this year, her character arc is proof that so much of her story is just beginning.
Ever since an insider toldPeople that she and Mauricio Umansky—her husband of 27 years—had separated back in July 2023, fans have had the pleasure of watching Kyle Richards transform people’s expectations of her. Between her life-altering decision to get sober and the way she’s dabbled in getting several tiny tattoos—including matching tattoos with Morgan Wade that make rumors of their new romance all the more intriguing—it’s clear she’s entering an even more authentic era; one that prioritizes her own happiness and well-being above all.
Despite all these challenging changes, her long and legendary hair has never looked better, a fact that has allowed her to partner with Nexxus and promote the Unbreakable Care™ line that is, in and of itself, a metaphor for her strength. Designed for fine and thinning hair, its products boast keratin protein, biotin, and collagen amino acids, which are all essential for avoiding breakage and maximizing fullness. As the face of this new collection, her spirit is just as unbreakable as her hair.
Amazon
By focusing on finding joy in her fitness goals, venturing into new professional arenas, and spending time with her three daughters Farrah (35), Sophia (23), and Alexia (27), Kyle Richards has been able to exude strength while standing in the eye of a media storm. She’s also a testament to the way embracing change does not always mean having to sever ties with your past, as she’s still planning to spend Christmas with Mauricio, telling TMZ on December 5 that they’re “getting along”.
Over email, she tells StyleCaster how she’s healing from these changes and what she’s looking forward to in light of her new future. She also dishes on how she’s navigated her long history as Beverly Hills housewife, as well as who her favorite former and current cast members are:
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SC: We’ve seen you experience some tough family-oriented changes throughout all 13 seasons, what are some ways you’ve processed and coped with these changes? Any new rituals or hobbies that have helped?
KR: I find a lot of comfort in my wellness routine. I really enjoy taking care of my body—I have been alcohol free for 17 months now—eating healthy, doing my workouts, and I also love meditation. Feeling strong from the inside out has definitely helped me feel unbreakable.
SC: You’ve been undergoing a fascinating metamorphosis in recent history—what are some new things you’re currently feeling excited about in your life?
KR: I’m excited to keep challenging myself. I recently just did my first 10k and I’m planning to do more races, it was really fun. I’m also professionally challenging myself, currently producing a docuseries and that’s been exciting too.
SC: Who are you leaning on as you process all the major life changes you’ve been through this year?
KR: I have a strong group of people close to me that I can always lean on. My family unit is very strong, I’m so close with my girls and we have a lot of fun together. I also have a great group of friends. I do find surrounding yourself with positive people and influences makes a big difference.
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SC: What is your favorite thing about being a Housewife now that you’re 13 seasons deep?
KR: It’s given me and my family a lot of opportunities and looking back it’s fun to see how Portia has grown up on the show. I also love the crew so much, and after being in my home for so many years, they are like family now too.
SC: Now that you’re sober, what rituals are helping you stay centered and focused on your goal of sobriety?
KR: I chose to stop alcohol because I had returned from a trip and just wanted a reset to my healthy habits, but turns out, I didn’t miss it, and still don’t. I feel so clear mentally and physically. I don’t have those days waking up feeling bad, and overall that helps with everything.
SC: Which former Housewife would you bring back to RHOBH if you could?
KR: I would bring back my sister, Kim. She was an OG like me, so that would be fun. You will see her some this season but I would love her back full time. Or Teddi, she is one of my best friends and we have a lot of fun together too!
SC: If you went on another Ultimate Girls Trip, which five Housewives from other franchises would you want to bring with her? And why?
KR: I would say Kenya Moore, we already did UGT together but we had some fun there!
Target
SC: If you were stranded on a deserted island, which 3 Nexxus products you would absolutely want to have on hand?
KR: I am loving the new Unbreakable collection! Because I have so many days where I have to style my hair and this last year I actually lightened it some, I did a little damage. The shampoo, conditioner, and root lift hair thickening spray
have helped me reverse the damage and keeps my hair looking healthy, shiny, and full!
SC: What is the most important tip you can share for maintaining healthy hair?
KR: I try to avoid over washing and using too much heat when I don’t need it. I also love a good hair masque to keep it conditioned and healthy!
SC: In what ways has getting tattoos helped you heal & reclaim your identity?
KR: It’s just been fun! I got all of them with my friends or family, and one on my birthday last year. I’m thinking about what I can get next!
Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.
A number of popular mobile password managers are inadvertently spilling user credentials due to a vulnerability in the autofill functionality of Android apps.
The vulnerability, dubbed “AutoSpill,” can expose users’ saved credentials from mobile password managers by circumventing Android’s secure autofill mechanism, according to university researchers at the IIIT Hyderabad, who discovered the vulnerability and presented their research at Black Hat Europe this week.
The researchers, Ankit Gangwal, Shubham Singh and Abhijeet Srivastava, found that when an Android app loads a login page in WebView, the pre-installed engine from Google that lets developers display web content in-app without launching a web browser, and an autofill request is generated, password managers can get “disoriented” about where they should target the user’s login information and instead expose their credentials to the underlying app’s native fields, they said.
“Let’s say you are trying to log into your favorite music app on your mobile device, and you use the option of ‘login via Google or Facebook.’ The music app will open a Google or Facebook login page inside itself via the WebView,” Gangwal explained to TechCrunch prior to their Black Hat presentation on Wednesday.
“When the password manager is invoked to autofill the credentials, ideally, it should autofill only into the Google or Facebook page that has been loaded. But we found that the autofill operation could accidentally expose the credentials to the base app.”
Gangwall notes that the ramifications of this vulnerability, particularly in a scenario where the base app is malicious, are significant. He added: “Even without phishing, any malicious app that asks you to log in via another site, like Google or Facebook, can automatically access sensitive information.”
The researchers tested the AutoSpill vulnerability using some of the most popular password managers, including 1Password, LastPass, Keeper, and Enpass, on new and up-to-date Android devices. They found that most apps were vulnerable to credential leakage, even with JavaScript injection disabled. When JavaScript injection was enabled, all the password managers were susceptible to their AutoSpill vulnerability.
Gangwal says he alerted Google and the affected password managers to the flaw.
1Password chief technology officer Pedro Canahuati told TechCrunch that the company has identified and is working on a fix for AutoSpill. “While the fix will further strengthen our security posture, 1Password’s autofill function has been designed to require the user to take explicit action,” said Canahuati. “The update will provide additional protection by preventing native fields from being filled with credentials that are only intended for Android’s WebView.”
Keeper CTO Craig Lurey said in remarks shared with TechCrunch that the company was notified about a potential vulnerability, but did not say if it had made any fixes. “We requested a video from the researcher to demonstrate the reported issue. Based upon our analysis, we determined the researcher had first installed a malicious application and subsequently, accepted a prompt by Keeper to force the association of the malicious application to a Keeper password record,” said Lurey.
Keeper said it “safeguards in place to protect users against automatically filling credentials into an untrusted application or a site that was not explicitly authorized by the user,” and recommended that the researcher submit his report to Google “since it is specifically related to the Android platform.”
Google and Enpass did not respond to TechCrunch’s questions. LastPass spokesperson Elizabeth Bassler did not comment by press time.
Gangwal tells TechCrunch that the researchers are now exploring the possibility of an attacker potentially extracting credentials from the app to WebView. The team is also investigating whether the vulnerability can be replicated on iOS.
The celebrity makeup artist and glam expert — who has worked with everyone from Gigi Hadid and Shay Mitchell to Camila Cabello and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and has his own cosmetics company — exclusively opened up to Us Weekly about his “unexpected” skincare secret: juicing.
Ta discovered the beauty benefits of juicing through his recent partnership with Pressed Juicery, which helped get him through New York Fashion Week earlier this year. “My favorite Pressed Juice is the Pressed Juicery 7-Day Simple Cleanse,” he told Us. “I love this because when I have a long week of being on set or at the office, I am not able to eat as healthy as I would like to. Starting my day with a bottle of Simple Cleanse allows my body to reset first thing in the morning.”
He continued, “Juicing is a great for clear skin because when you are putting goodness in your body, you really are renewing your skin from inside out. Simple Cleanse has 25 percent of your daily vitamin C in one bottle. What you put in your body is absolutely reflected in your skin.”
In addition to juicing, Ta dished on his favorite tips, trends and hacks.
Keep scrolling to learn more beauty advice from Ta:
What are your thoughts on TikTok giving every beauty trend a name?
“I absolutely love TikTok giving beauty trends a name because it encourages people to try new makeup products and techniques that they wouldn’t otherwise. People can then see what products/techniques work for their face, and which ones do not.”
Patrick Ta and Camila Cabello.Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images
What is your favorite makeup trend this year?
“My favorite makeup trend this year is the Strawberry Girl trend! I just launched a new Patrick Ta Beauty blush in the shade ‘She’s Wanted’ that gives you a beautiful berry effect. It looks like you’ve just come back from vacation with a natural all-over flush.”
What makeup on a client has been your favorite this year and why?
“My favorite makeup on a client this year was on Gigi Hadid for the NMACC Gala in Mumbai in April. I loved this look because I feel like it reflected the makeup that I love doing which is very bronzy. It also allowed me to travel and experience a new culture.”
Amy Sussman/Getty Images
What is your favorite makeup look to do?
“Skin and overall complexion are my favorite things to focus on when doing makeup. My preference really is doing a look where I focus on the skin and then do either a bold lip or bold eye.”
What would you say is the proper way to apply makeup? Foundation first?
“It really depends on the look. If I am doing a bold and smokey eye, I start with the eye and then do foundation. If I am doing more of a soft and natural eye, then I would start with the foundation.”
How has your own makeup technique evolved through the years?
“My makeup technique has evolved tremendously over the years. My career began at the MAC counter doing really heavy makeup and then I moved to Hollywood where I was working with models and actresses — then my technique became more natural. I then started working with more musicians/singers, which led back to bolder looks. Currently, I think my technique is now in the perfect in-between which is more everyday, red carpet makeup.”
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley andPatrick Ta.Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Moet & Chandon
For people who aren’t very familiar with doing their own makeup, what is the best way to start?
“The best way to start is to find earth tones colors that look best on you and accentuate your natural beauty. Just start from there.”
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How often should we switch out our foundation, eyeshadows, beauty brushes?
“I think a Beauty Blender or beauty blender-like sponge is the most important makeup tool to swap out if you can’t clean it, or if it has rips or tears. I think that brushes can have a longer lifetime depending on how well you take care of them.”
Zayn Malik‘s creativity is flowing endlessly in more ways than one. In and out of the music studio, Zayn is known for weaving fresh perspectives in everything he does. “I stay focused on my art. I only want to put the very best in everything I do,” he proclaims. Earlier this year, he released “Love Like This,” a drum and bass derivative track that feels like an everlasting summer and deep dives into the intoxicating feeling of love. “I guess that’s love like this / Usually, I never wanna jump like this / But I think I wanna dump my chips ’cause I cannot go back,” he sings in the hypnotic chorus.
He took the same gamble with Mixoloshe and his new non-alcoholic drink. Before taking part in the business, he surrounded himself at home with Mixoloshe’s various tropical fruity flavors and non-alcoholic spins of classic drinks like Mango Chilli Crush and Orange Old Fashions. The One Direction alum basked in the concept of combining artistry with drinks and also recalled how he shared fond memories with his friends over the drinks. “I think it’s pretty evident due to my lifestyle and how I move that I am innately grounded,” he says. “I’ve never been someone that seeks approval from anyone or wanted the extra attention that comes with being renowned. I stay grounded by keeping to myself and my close circle of friends.”
Zayn aims to exceed everyone’s expectations as the newly appointed Chief Creative Officer of the brand. Along with co-owner Kristina Roth, this new venture expands everything he deeply cares about. “I’ve always been proud of my individuality and I want to celebrate and inspire that in others. With Mixoloshe, I want to continue to drive innovation and not be afraid to break barriers. I think as a brand we’re already boldly doing that in the NA space and will continue to in the flavors, design, product, and development. This is a lifestyle, way more than just a beverage so I see huge potential as we build our community.”
The beverage is a twist on a refreshing classic. His lychee martini is coupled with incredible fizziness and the sweet and familiar notes of lychee. “It’s always been a favorite cocktail of mine,” the singer reminisces. “I used to get it at a bar and try to recreate it. I was never able to find anything close to it and wanted to make a version everyone could enjoy. It took some time testing multiple versions to get the taste right but we landed on it and it’s perfect.”
Right down to the packaging, the drink is embedded with Zayn’s identity. The intricate designs printed on the can came straight out of his own tattoos, which in turn made it “more personal” for him. “I loved how the black can make it feel powerful which speaks to the flavor to me.”
Speaking of keeping it personal, he wants to invite fans along on the ride. Ever since the start of his musical career, he has kept his supporters close to his heart. “My fans have come first in whatever I do and it will always be that way for me in any endeavor. I want to make sure they feel the love from me personally.” With the launch of the drink, lucky Zayn fans can find a golden ticket with selected packs and win a signed shirt from the creator himself.
Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission from the sale.
Jennifer Garner’s romance with boyfriend John Miller is going strong — and so is Miller’s relationship with Garner’s ex-husband, Ben Affleck.
“Ben is super down-to-earth, and so is John,” an insider exclusively reveals in the new issue of Us Weekly. “They have a mutual respect for each other and are always very friendly with one another.”
Garner and Affleck, both 51, called it quits in 2015 after 10 years of marriage. Affleck later moved on with Jennifer Lopez, whom he wed in July 2022. Garner, meanwhile, has been dating Miller since 2018.
The source adds the two couples “are all mature” and have worked hard to make “their children the focus of those relationships.”
Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, John Miller.Getty Images(2); ZUMA Press / MEGA
Garner and Affleck share daughters Violet, 17, and Seraphina, 14, and son Samuel, 11, while Miller shares two kids with ex-wife Caroline Campbell. Lopez, 54, shares twins Max and Emme, 15, with ex-husband Marc Anthony.
As the group has worked together to blend their families, Affleck and Miller have developed “a lot of mutual admiration and respect,” a second source tells Us.
Lopez and Garner, meanwhile, have cultivated their own friendship since Lopez rekindled her romance with Affleck in 2021. “Over the past year or two, they’ve definitely become close and have gotten to know each other much better,” an insider told Us in May. “Both of them are incredible mothers and always put their children’s needs first.”
ZapatA/MEGA
Garner and Miller have largely kept their romance out of the spotlight, but they’ve recently become less guarded about their relationship. Earlier this month, Garner was photographed blowing her boyfriend a kiss as they said goodbye outside her California home.
“Jen and John are in a great place,” a source tells Us in this week’s cover story. “They used to go out of their way to keep a low profile, but they’ve both become very secure with their relationship and how it’s all worked out.”
Jennifer Garner’s romance with John Miller is going strong after a brief break. The pair began dating in 2018, the same year Garner finalized her divorce from ex-husband Ben Affleck. The actors — who share kids Violet, Seraphina and Samuel — ended their 10-year marriage in 2015. Miller, meanwhile, was still legally married to ex-wife […]
While the duo aren’t currently engaged, members of their inner circle think it’s only a matter of time before they take that step. “Jen and John want to take their time to plan out the specifics as far as the type of ceremony they want, where to live and whether or not they’ll need a prenup,” the insider tells Us. “All that will come, but on their own timetable.”
For more on where Miller stands with both Garner and Affleck, watch the video above and pick up the new issue of Us Weekly, on stands now.
Iconic rapper MC Lyte has been a pioneering female force behind the mic for over three decades, and she’s now inspiring a new generation of young coders to trailblaze the next path of music industry creatives with Black Girls Code’s latest contest, “Build a Beat Challenge With Ciara.”
“Of course, when we talk about girls making beats and the technology to further their efforts in music production, that’s right up my alley!” MC Lyte tells Us Weekly exclusively. “And so it just made sense that it would be here and now.”
Black Girls Code, a nonprofit dedicated to computer science education for Black girls and gender nonconforming youth, announced the launch of the nationwide contest, “Build a Beat Challenge with Ciara,” earlier this month to spark a musical coding revolution. The contest’s mission is to empower students ages 13 to 18 to code their own song for the chance to meet Ciara via a video call and win up to $10,000 in tech prizes that will help inspire and further their dreams.
“Just leading by example and definitely being an inspiration in the genre of hip-hop,” adds MC Lyte. “When you say girls making beats, those beats can go behind any type of music for any genre. It just so happens that when we talk about hip-hop, we go back to the drum, to the kick and the snare, which is the beat and is the foundation. That’s why I wanted to be involved.”
Running through December 31, “Build a Beat Challenge with Ciara” invites young coders to join Infosys Foundation USA’s Pathfinders Online Institute to access video tutorials, designed and developed by Black Girls Code, to guide students on their coding journey. Using these newly-acquired skills, participants will craft their unique songs and remixes, blending their creativity with sounds from artists like Ciara, Alicia Keys, Common, Pharrell and more.
The winners will be selected by a panel of celebrity judges, including MC Lyte, music producer and entrepreneur Craig King, TikTok sensation The BoykinZ, Grammy Award-winning artist and producer Bosko Kante, Rock the Bells President James Cuthbert and more.
MC Lyte.Prince Williams/WireImage
When the “Cha Cha Cha” hitmaker released her debut single in 1987, MC Lyte recalls the same opportunities weren’t available to develop technology skills to take her passion for music to the next level.
“There was nothing like this when I was growing up,” MC Lyte tells Us. “I remember taking a computer course at Boys and Girls High that was going to give me a credit towards my high school diploma because I wanted to graduate early. So I spent the summer at Boys and Girls doing programming at a very basic level with IBMs. So to be here in this day, this is out of this world to be able to have something for young girls.”
She adds: “It is about finding the next and the new and trying to help them hone in on their skills or what it is that they’ll find that they like to do.”
“It just feels like it’s one of the core reasons why I’ve been in music or that I chose music,” continues MC Lyte. “I get to be creative, but it’s actually being on hand to give an explanation of why this works and why it doesn’t, and how it is that we can add more. And it gives a very hands-on feeling. And that’s what I love and I’m able [to] teach younger folks as much about the business.”
And the rap music legend is thrilled to be partnering with the “Level Up” songstress.
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“What’s interesting about Ciara is she’s really a sister girl. She’s all about sisterhood,” says MC Lyte. “And one might think because of the level of success that she’s had that she’s competitive. And I don’t get that from her at all. She wants everyone to succeed because she’s really happy with the lane that she’s created for herself and she’s certain and sure and confident and that allows her to spread the love to those who may not feel as confident and need some encouragement along the way.”
“The Build a Beat Challenge With Ciara” runs through December 31. Sign up for the contest on the Black Girls Code website.
A typical day in Nikki Garcia’s life kicks off with a gym session after dropping off 3-year-old son Matteo at school.
“Time for ‘me time’! Nothing like a sweat session when I can get it in,” the Barmageddon host, 40, exclusively shares in the latest issue of Us Weekly. “Feels hard as of late, but I cherish the days get to do it.” (Garcia shares Matteo with her husband, Artem Chigvintsev.)
After a busy day of visiting a California winery, recording a podcast episode, cooking and catching up with Chigvintsev, 41, Garcia ends the night by reading Matteo a book before bed. “It’s so cute to see what books he picks out every night,” the Total Bellas alum tells Us. “I’m so in love with my son!”
Barmageddon season 2 airs on USA Network Mondays at 11 p.m. ET. Scroll down to follow Garcia through a day in her life:
Spoiler warning for Fellow Travelers’ fifth episode, “Promise You Won’t Write.”
The epic love story of Fellow Travelers reaches a wrenching turning point in its fifth episode, now streaming on Paramount+ With Showtime. Hawkins “Hawk” Fuller (Matt Bomer) and Tim Laughlin (Jonathan Bailey), closeted political staffers working in McCarthy-Era Washington, find their passionate, at times fraught romantic affair suddenly untenable as the cultural circumstances surrounding them intensify. Hawk is compelled to commit to a romance he doesn’t believe in with Lucy Smith (Allison Williams), daughter of the senator to whom Hawk has dedicated his career, after tragedy strikes and the family breaks apart. Tim’s allegiance to Senator Joseph McCarthy (Chris Bauer) finally, firmly cracks as he sees the demagogue’s methods for what they are, just as the Lavender Scare reaches its apex.
The episode’s title, “Promise You Won’t Write,” comes from one of the episode’s last lines, and is drawn straight from the novel by Thomas Mallon, the loose basis for the show. It captures the longing our lovelorn heroes are left with. Tim joins the military. Hawk gets engaged to a woman. Their story ends here, for now—a choice creator Ron Nyswaner made by situating their separation in a juicy political context, against the backdrop of the downfall of McCarthy at his Senate censure hearing and a similar moment of reckoning for Roy Cohn (Will Brill), both stories of which were pulled from the public historical record. Nyswaner puts down his artistic stamp by unifying all of these tales—plus that of fictional Black journalist Marcus Hooks (Jelani Alladin) as he embarks on his own new path—under the harrowingly wide cloud of homophobia. In Fellow Travelers, as in the U.S. circa 1954, no one could escape it; its impact could be life-or-death.
In an exclusive breakdown of the end of Fellow Travelers’ time in the ‘50s, Nyswaner discusses his various storylines coming to a head at his series’s midpoint—as he gets ready to hurtle the action decades into the future.
**Vanity Fair: **This is a real narrative turning point and marks the end of the McCarthy era for the show. Why now?
Ron Nyswaner: The Army-McCarthy hearings are a very important part of the story, because it is where Joe McCarthy’s career comes to a crashing end. It just naturally seemed to fall here. I could develop the McCarthy/Cohn/Schine story through the first four episodes to this climactic point. Then it seemed, if that’s going to be that climax, it felt natural that this is where Tim sees who his hero really is—well, but not just one hero, but who both of his heroes really are. Hawk reveals himself to Tim in a way that is disturbing to him; McCarthy reveals himself to Tim in a way that is really disturbing to him. That leaves Tim, as he says—he’s lost. Then he joins the Army.
In all of the episode’s stories, this mere threat of outing informs seismic character changes, from Hawk to McCarthy to Cohn. It’s obviously a statement for the show as a whole and this era you’re working in. Can you just talk a little bit about understanding the sheer significance of that kind of threat coming to a head for characters here?
The Army-McCarthy hearings took place over weeks and weeks and weeks. The amount of transcripts are huge, but going into the research I really saw the very thing that you mentioned. You can look at the end of Joseph McCarthy’s career in those hearings as caused by homophobia. I actually think we make a good case for it.
A lot of people think of it as a moment we didn’t include, when Joseph Welch pounds his fist on the table and says, “Have you no decency, sir?” Like, at long last tapping into decency, and boom, that was it, McCarthy was over. I’m not alone, as there is a McCarthy biographer who agrees with me, but to me the moment was when the words “pixie and fairy” are introduced into the dialogue and are pointed right at McCarthy and Cohn. From the story that we’re telling, that was the natural climax of our show, because this demagogue who was the second most powerful person in the United States is brought down in flames, so to speak, by being painted with the gay brush. It destroyed his career. What I loved, and I twist it from the book, is that it was homosexuals in the show—Hawk and Tim; Tim unwittingly, Hawk wittingly—who bring down McCarthy and Cohn with homophobia. That great irony.
The Kelce family will be celebrating Thanksgiving this year without the holiday’s most iconic dish — a turkey.
“We usually just go get a ham,” Donna Kelce exclusively told Us Weekly while promoting her partnership with Ancestry®. “I’m not particularly fond of turkey.”
While Donna, 71, claimed she’s “not a good cooker,” she noted the family’s Thanksgiving menu will feature several delicious baked goods.
“I bake cinnamon rolls. They’re always my favorite, my go-to. I only can do it a couple [of] times a year ’cause they’re so sugary,” she shared. “So, we’ve got rolls, we have muffins, cookies, things like that, and I usually do that in the season.”
Donna and her ex-husband, Ed Kelce, are parents to NFL stars Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce. Jason, 36, shares three daughters — Wyatt, 4, Elliotte, 2, and Bennett, 8 months — with his wife, Kylie Kelce. Travis, 34, began datingTaylor Swift in September, though Donna did not reveal whether the Grammy winner, 33, will take part in the group’s Thanksgiving celebrations.
Outside of food, Donna told Us she and her family often spend their holidays solving puzzles and playing board games. “During Christmas, years ago, we used to [play] Mario Bros. video games,” she recalled. “We would say, ‘OK, it’s your turn. You see how far you can get,’ and then we’d do a tag team.”
Jason, Donna and Travis Kelce.Courtesy of Donna Kelce/Instagram
The holidays can be a “rough” time of year for many people, and Donna noted that’s especially true “when your kids are in sports,” as her sons are. “You’re not home a lot during the holidays,” she explained. “We would travel a lot. We would be in Florida, St. Augustine, visiting relatives, Disney [World], Marco Island and Fort Myers. [Jason and Travis’] grandparents [and] uncles, were in Florida, so we constantly went to Florida for the holidays.”
Heading into this holiday season, Donna is giving thanks for all the people who helped Jason and Travis achieve their athletic dreams while making sure the brothers stayed down-to-earth.
NFL players Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce made history in 2023 when they became the first brothers to face off against each other at the Super Bowl. When Jason, who is a center for the Philadelphia Eagles, and Travis, who is a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, cross paths on the football field, […]
“They had phenomenal coaches, fantastic teachers, great supportive families that were around us because we traveled so much [for] baseball, football — really nice individuals that are still friends to this day, for me,” Donna told Us. “And I think it was a menagerie of all those individuals with all those great qualities that rubbed off on them through all those years, and I’m just very, very happy that they got those opportunities and they turned into the men that they are.”
Courtesy of Donna Kelce/Instagram
Keeping her family’s holiday traditions alive is something Donna is excited to do through her new partnership with Ancestry®. “They’ve got the ability to be able to upload photos and recipes and things like that, which really intrigued me, and that’s why I decided to be in partnership with them,” she told Us. “And just even audio stories, too, for future generations. So, that was really important.”
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Donna also noted that the service — which uses DNA and records to track down a person’s genealogical history — helped her discover “things in my past that I wanted to know.”
Fellow Travelers marks Bomer’s first executive producer credit, and only his second producing credit to date; his first came for the latter years of White Collar, which ended nearly a decade ago. What binds those two roles, arguably his most notable onscreen thus far, is the embodiment of deception. In White Collar, a snappy procedural, Bomer played a con artist who lends his unparalleled skills in illegal maneuvering to the FBI. You believe he’s a career criminal because Bomer can sell it with a smirk.
When the show ended, Bomer was newly out in the industry and realizing his place in it was changing. If a certain kind of leading-man lane had closed to him, his collaborations with the likes of Steven Soderbergh (Magic Mike) and Ryan Murphy (The Boys in the Band) opened up a more fruitful path. “I can’t look back in anger,” he says. A project like Fellow Travelers weighs on him because of what it took even for him to nab to such a juicy part. “I want more queer actors to have opportunities to play roles like this and to be trusted with roles like this,” he says. “I’d be lying to you if I said that wasn’t in the back of my mind.”
Aside from some voice work, a cameo in the latest Magic Mike movie, and most significantly the acclaimed Murphy-produced adaptation of The Boys in the Band,Maestro is Bomer’s only movie since 2018. His first days in production took place at the music venue of Tanglewood, where the legendary conductor Leonard Bernstein, portrayed in the film by Cooper, performed and taught throughout his life. (Bomer plays the clarinetist David Oppenheim, one of Bernstein’s lovers.) In the Massachusetts woods, he was rehearsing for Cooper, also the director, while producer Steven Spielberg hung around, spontaneously filming Bomer on his own personal camera. “I thought, Oh, my God, it’s like two of my heroes in the same room. How do I do this?’” Bomer recalls. “With Bradley, I felt like I was working with Cassavetes and Orson Welles at the same time.”
Now a significant Oscar contender for Netflix, Maestro represents another breakthrough for Bomer. He filmed it just before Fellow Travelers and found watching Cooper inhabit Bernstein across different eras impact the way he approached the Showtime limited series: “Watching him jump through all the time periods, I thought, Oh, wow. Okay. You can do this.” He had to go back and forth between Fellow Travelers and reshoots of Maestro in the fall. His head was spinning.
Not that you’d ever witness the chaos on camera. In Maestro, too, Bomer is cool, collected, and commanding. He sees both Oppenheim and Travelers’ Hawk as people who “did what they had to do.” He sees himself that way, in fact. “When I was first breaking into the business, I did what I had to do to try to get roles,” he says. “And then at a certain point, I hit the fuck-it button.” Maybe so—that unburdening is evident in his rich recent work. But it’s no secret that Bomer is a master of appearances. He’s played suave liars for most of his career; he’s learned exactly what to give to the camera and when.
In an upcoming episode of Fellow Travelers, Hawk and his new bride, played by Allison Williams, prepare to have sex. Filming of the scene, as always, began with the director calling action. In character, Bomer then reached up and gently pushed Williams’s hair back. The improvised move seemed like a simple, tender, loving gesture—but its function was sneakily practical. The episode’s director, Uta Briesewitz, whispered to Nyswaner, who was beside her at the monitor, “He just cleared her profile.” Bomer knew Williams’s hair was blocking her face. He didn’t ignore it or restart to get through the take; he instead managed to fix the shot’s composition while simultaneously enhancing its mood—and all as if he weren’t doing a thing. “That’s who Matt is,” Nyswaner says. “He’s so aware.”
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Donna Kelce is arguably the most famous NFL mom in history, but more importantly, she’s a regular grandma who likes hanging out with her granddaughters.
“I wish I could spend more time with them,” Kelce, 71, exclusively told Us Weekly on Tuesday, November 14, while promoting her partnership with Ancestry®. “When I’m with them, I’m in the moment. I want to do what they’re doing. I want to play what they’re playing. I want to read to them. I want to build blocks, try to be as active as I possibly can and be attentive to what they’re doing and know that I value their time and I value who they are.”
Donna is a grandmother of three thanks to her son Jason Kelce, who shares daughters Wyatt, 4, Elliotte, 2, and Bennett, 8 months, with wife Kylie Kelce. Donna — who also shares son Travis Kelce with ex-husband Ed Kelce — noted that Jason, 36, thrives as a girl dad, though he was somewhat shocked to welcome three girls in a row.
Courtesy of Kylie Kelce/Instagram
“But he loves all the girls,” Donna added. “He loves the cuddling, he loves how sweet they are, the little comments that they make, how much they love their animals and their dolls.”
As for what kind of parenting advice Donna has given Jason, she said she’s encouraged him to let his daughters follow their own interests.
Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce have an enviable sibling bond full of support, laughter and, of course, football. As the brothers have found success in the NFL, they have shared glimpses of their relationship off the field. Their family even served as inspiration for Travis’ Saturday Night Live monologue, which he hosted for the first […]
“Let your children choose what they love to do,” she explained. “Don’t try to steer them into something. Give them an opportunity to get involved in as much as you possibly can and let them decide. They will be good at whatever they love to do. It’s just the way it is. If they love to do something, they will do it over and over and over again. … Whether it’s art or sports or music or whatever they love to do, try to let them do it and try to get them help with it and support them.”
Courtesy of Donna Kelce/Instagram
Family is “really important” to Donna, which is partly why she wanted to work with Ancestry®. “I’ve been very, very pleased with the partnership with Ancestry® specifically because of some of the new tools that they have,” she told Us. “They’ve got the ability to be able to upload photos and recipes and things like that, which really intrigued me.”
Courtesy of Kylie Kelce/Instagram Jason Kelce and his wife, Kylie Kelce, are proud parents of three — and they wouldn’t have it any other way. The Philadelphia Eagles center married Kylie in April 2018 nearly three years after matching on dating app Tinder. Less than one year after their nuptials, they welcomed eldest daughter Wyatt […]
She noted that she was also excited by the idea of learning about her own past. “We wanted to hear if we had relatives that were in wars, or how they came over to the United States, and we were having trouble finding those individuals,” she explained, noting that she discovered two of her ancestors fought in the American Civil War. “This was all found out in a 179-page pension document in the National Archives. It’s amazing to me that they can look and find that stuff.”
Donna Kelce is the ultimate boy mom to sons Travis and Jason Kelce — but her newfound fame as their parent was something she didn’t see coming.
“Basically, everybody’s been very, very kind. Very respectful,” Donna, 71, exclusively told Us Weekly on Tuesday, November 14, while promoting her partnership with Ancestry®. “But every once in a while, I’ll have somebody that runs into the bathroom after me and I’m like, ‘Can we wait till we get out of here before you take my picture? I really don’t want to have a picture in the restroom.’ It’s things like that that are kind of funny, which I’m sure everybody gets that’s in the public eye.”
While Donna hasn’t let fan attention bog her down, she was shocked that some people have begun filming her without her knowledge. “I went to [see] a movie and somebody took a TikTok of me just recently and put it online, and I’m like, ‘Oh, my gosh,’” she recalled. “So it is a little unnerving at times, but it’s just, that’s a part of it. You take the good with the not so good. It is what it is.”
Donna Kelce.Peter Casey/Getty Images
Donna noted that without public supporters, her boys wouldn’t have jobs as football players. “My kids get paid by fans. That’s the gist of it. And you had better be nice to them,” she explained. “That’s all I tell them.”
Jason, 36, and Travis, 34, have both been playing in the NFL for years and have both become superstars following their head-to-head matchup in Super Bowl LVII earlier this year. Jason is the center for the Philadelphia Eagles, who were ultimately defeated by Travis’ Kansas City Chiefs in the February championship game. Travis, meanwhile, is a tight end for his team.
Donna’s fame also rose after her kids faced off in State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, which marked the first time in Super Bowl history that brothers were against one another. Once Travis began dating Taylor Swift earlier this fall, the whole family’s popularity once again grew.
Ed Kelce/Instagram; Donna Kelce/Instagram Ed Kelce and Donna Kelce may no longer be married — but they still have a great friendship. The twosome met in the late ‘70s and welcomed son Jason Kelce in 1987 followed by son Travis Kelce two years later. After 25 years of marriage, the former couple called it quits […]
“I was talking about this. You know when the commercial people come out in the orange gloves and they’re on the field? I was mentioning that when they go like this,” Donna explained in October, making a circular motion with her hand, “the commercial’s over and they can play again.”
Donna noted at the time that the public’s fascination with their family is “fairly new” and “just one of those things where, you know, obviously everybody saw me. I was in the boxes with her and it’s just another thing that’s amped up my life.” (Travis, meanwhile, jetted off to Argentina in early November to support Swift on her Eras Tour during the Chiefs bye game.)
Peyton Manning and Eli Manning and Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce are among some of football’s most acclaimed pairs of brothers to play in the NFL. Peyton was initially drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in 1998, nearly six years before little brother Eli was picked up by the San Diego Chargers. Eli was eventually traded […]
No matter who she’s sitting in the box with on Sundays, when it comes to the holidays, Donna is all about her family. Ahead of the Christmas season, Donna teamed up with Ancestry® to learn about her heritage and better share and preserve her family’s legacy.
“Family is really important to me … and football obviously is family too. But I think that I’ve been very, very pleased with the partnership with Ancestry specifically because of some of the new tools that they have,” Donna explained to Us. “They’ve got the ability to be able to upload photos and recipes and things like that, which really intrigued me and that’s why I decided to be in partnership with them.”
Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Donna revealed that among her findings on the website, she learned she has a “sprinter trait,” which she said, “makes a lot of sense.” The matriarch shared: “I was a sprinter when I was in high school and I was pretty fast. I could beat boys in middle school. That just stands to reason that my boys would be able to move quickly on the field too.”
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Learn more about what Ancestry® can offer your family ahead of the holidays at Ancestry.com.
Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater‘s whirlwind romance is moving fast and the new couple is proving that family matters when it comes to their budding relationship, a source exclusively tells Us Weekly.
“Ethan and Ariana’s relationship is going very well and they’re both very involved in each other’s lives,” the insider says, sharing, “Ethan’s met her family. And she’s met his family.”
The “Dangerous Woman” singer, 30, thinks it’s “important that anyone she’s dating meets her family,” the source notes, adding that both Grande and Slater, 31, make it a “top priority” to be “super family-driven and love that about one another.”
Following their introduction, the insider says, “Ariana’s entire family has given [Ethan] the stamp of approval.”
Nickelodeon has been home to childhood hits for decades — and kids growing up in the 2000s will never forget the network’s leading ladies. From Amanda Bynes, Emma Roberts and Keke Palmer to Jamie Lynn Spears and Miranda Cosgrove, women had a major presence on Nick from 2000 to the mid-2010s. Bynes’ comedic legacy stretched from […]
The Scream Queen alum’s inner circle “adores him and thinks that he’s a perfect match for her,” the source tells Us. In fact, Grande’s family thinks Slater is “balanced, motivated, professional, extremely respectful of her and her boundaries, and her profession,” per the insider.
The Wicked costars — who are set to play Glinda and Boq, respectively, in the two-part movie event — have “a lot in common, especially their theatrical side,” which has only added to their off-camera chemistry and connection, the source explains. “They’re a little dorky and [both] theatre geeks at heart. She loves that about him. It’s mutual,” the insider tells Us. “Their relationship is blossoming. It’s effortless with zero drama.”
The source adds that Grande and Slater are “getting super serious” after sparking a romance over the summer. “She sees herself with him for the long term,” the insider says.
While the Spamalot star continues to prioritize his role as a father, he and Grande are making plans for the future. (Slater shares a son with estranged wife Lilly Jay.)
“He always puts his family first but adores her and is very cognizant of her feelings,” the source continues, noting that Slater is “a great listener, very proactive and wants to be the best partner he can be” for Grande.
As the pair continue to grow as a couple, they’ve bonded “over the simplest things and just genuinely get along without trying,” the insider adds. “They can just be each other around one another.”
News broke in July that Grande and Slater had started dating following their respective breakups. Us confirmed in July that Grande and husband Dalton Gomez had separated months prior. The singer officially filed for divorce in September — listing February as their date of separation — and one month later the paperwork was finalized.
Slater, for his part, filed for divorce from Jay in late July. He and Grande kept their budding romance out of the spotlight as much as possible until September when they enjoyed a public outing to Disneyland.
Grande and Slater proved they are still going strong on Sunday, November 12, when they attended a showing of Gutenberg! The Musical! in the Big Apple. The couple posed for a photo backstage with stars Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad after Slater took the stage as the surprise guest playing the producer for the Broadway event that day.
