During a TikTok Live interview with Bethenny Frankel on Saturday, January 18, Pratt, 41, said he asked Cooper, 30, to “post” a song from Superficial, the 2010 album released by Montag, 38. The alleged request comes after Montag’s album recently topped the music charts following the loss of the couple’s home to the L.A. wildfires.
“I asked [Alex] to post the song, and I texted her husband [Matt Kaplan] and I was like, ‘Hey, it would really help,’” Pratt told Frankel, 54. “I kept tagging her, messaging, and then she wrote to me, ‘We have a lot of people displaced at our house,’ and I’m like, ‘Post the song, girl.’”
Us Weekly has reached out to a representative for Cooper for comment.
Pratt continued, “Respectfully, if I keep my platform, if I keep being an A-list, rich celebrity, she’s so f—ed, because I have beef with her now. Like she’s going to be targeted.”
Pratt’s stance drew a “wow” from Frankel, who then asked Pratt how “big” his “hit list” currently is, referring to the people in Pratt’s life who have upset him. Pratt responded, “Right now, it’s only Alex Cooper.”
Alex CooperTaylor Hill/FilmMagic
Pratt, who has been married to Montag for more than 16 years after the Hills alums tied the knot in Cabo San Lucas in November 2008 before staging a second wedding in Pasadena five months later, added that Cooper’s alleged dismissal has pushed Pratt to align with Cooper’s former “Call Her Daddy” cohost Sofia Franklyn, who now hosts the “Sofia With an F” podcast.
Pratt explained to Frankel during their chat, “Now I ride with “Sofia With an F,” that’s my team now. “Sofia With an F” posted the song, did a dance.”
Fans have rallied behind Pratt and Montag after they confirmed via social media that their Pacific Palisades home burnt down on January 7. Since the devastating loss, the couple, who share two sons, Gunner, 7, and Ryker, 1, together, have posted updates and pleaded with fans to support them financially.
Superficial shot to the top music chart spot on Saturday 11, confirmed by Montag at the time. “Thank you so much to everyone. No 1 on iTunes chart, oh my gosh,” she shared via her Instagram Stories that day. “Thank you for the overwhelming love and support of my music and really rallying behind us in this devastating time and making it such a blessing.”
Celebrities including Paris Hilton and Jhené Aiko, who lost their homes in the L.A. wildfires, too, supported Montag via Pratt’s own celebratory Instagram post. “Congrats @heidimontag ,” Hilton, 43, commented, with Aiko, 36, adding, “Love this!!!!!!! @heidimontag !!!”
Model Emily Ratajkowski also cheered on Montag by sharing a TikTok video of herself listening to the song, “I’ll Do It,” off the album. “Didn’t expect this Heidi Montag song to be the soundtrack to the 2025 apocalypse but you know what f*** yeah,” Ratajkowski, 33, wrote over the clip.
Hilton, 43, took to Instagram on Sunday, January 19, to share a video of her son Phoenix, 2, snuggled up in a blanket alongside the family’s two dogs.
The clip, which zoomed in on the youngster’s face and captured her pups Diamond and Baby lazing next to him, came with the text, “Take a moment to relax with sleepy Pheeny, Diamond, and Baby,” written over it.
The mother-of-two, who also shares daughter London, 1, with husband, Carter Reum, captioned the footage with a heartfelt message. “Some sleepy Pheeny and puppy footage for your feed Through everything that’s going on around us, sometimes we need an adorable reminder to take a mindful moment for ourselves #SlivingMom,” Hilton wrote. (The term “Sliving” combines “slaying” and “living,” a word coined by Hilton.)
The post comes after Hilton confirmed via the social media platform on January 9 that she had watched her “home in Malibu burn to the ground on live TV.” Detailing the experience at the time, she wrote, “This home was where we built so many precious memories. It’s where Phoenix took his first steps and where we dreamed of building a lifetime of memories with London..”
A heartbroken Hilton mustered a remarkable perspective even then, continuing with, “While the loss is overwhelming, I’m holding onto gratitude that my family and pets are safe. My heart and prayers are going out to every family affected by these fires. To all the people who have lost their homes, their memories, and their beloved pets. My heartaches for those still in harm’s way or mourning greater losses. The devastation is unimaginable.”
Hilton has maintained a positive outlook on the L.A. wildfires devastation, which affected a string of celebrities after breaking out due to a wind storm on January 7, lending a hand to displaced animals despite her personal heartbreak.
She shared via Instagram on Monday, January 13, that she intended to foster a dog who was surrendered by his family who had lost their home in the fire. “And we’re gonna go and see if there’s any other dogs where they are still looking for their owners,” Hilton posted at the time, adding a photo of herself doting on a cat in the hope of finding its owner amid the Altadena fires.
Hilton and a host of celebrities have shared vital disaster resource information in the aftermath of the natural disaster, with the socialite adding that her own charity organisation was offering assistance. The January 13 post continued, “My nonprofit @1111Media Impact has contributed to support the shelter’s efforts, and we’re still raising funds to help displaced families and pets Every donation makes a difference in providing emergency relief, housing, and supplies. If you’re able to donate or volunteer, the Pasadena Humane Society is an incredible charity to support!”
Check the LAFD website for local wildfire alerts and click here for resources on how to help those affected.
Kim Kardashian has been candid through the years about dipping her toe back into the dating pool after divorce.
Kardashian initially tied the knot with producer Damon Thomas, with whom she was married for three years until the pair called it quits in 2003. Nearly one decade later, Kardashian got engaged to Kris Humphries in 2011 and exchanged vows later that year. Kardashian and Humphries split after 72 days of marriage, finalizing their divorce in April 2013.
Kardashian moved on with Kanye West, with whom she welcomed daughter North in 2013. The pair said “I do” in 2014 and added son Saint, daughter Chicago and son Psalm to their family in 2015, 2018 and 2019, respectively. After nearly seven years of marriage, Kardashian filed for divorce from West in 2021.
The reality star was later linked to Saturday Night Live’s Pete Davidson, with whom she dated for less than one year, before sparking romance rumors with Odell Beckham Jr. In May 2024, a source exclusively told Us Weekly that Kardashian and the NFL player were “taking a pause on seeing each other.” Months later, a separate insider exclusively told Us that Kardashian “has started dating someone new” and is “keeping it very under wraps.”
While reflecting on her relationship status during a January 2025 trailer for The Kardashians, she quipped, “I had the intention of staying single. I was fully lying to you guys. Me, not dating and not wanting love and attention? I don’t think you know me.”
Scroll down to read what Kardashian has said about dating after divorce:
Kardashian opened up about her mindset when it comes to dating on a May 2023 episode of the “On Purpose With Jay Shetty” podcast. “I think I’ll always be a hopeless romantic and always want to be in love and definitely love sharing my life with someone and love creating a life with someone,” Kardashian said.
Kardashian noted that she didn’t plan to rush into another relationship because of how it will affect her children.
“I definitely will take my time, and I think there’s so many factors especially when you have kids and being mindful of people that enter in your life,” she said. “If I can look at everything that I did wrong and try to not make the same mistakes and really take my time, I think it just has to be different for me. It’s obviously such a hard place to be in because how do you go about it? There’s so many factors, but I’ll always believe in love and I’ll always want that and I think that’s such a magical part of life. But I think I’m so comfortable taking my time to not rush it.”
She added: “There’s so much going on that I’m not lonely, and I think that that is really important. I believe, like, I always believe. And I think that whatever’s meant to be will be.”
Kardashian told Scott Disick during a June 2023 episode of The Kardashians that she wanted to “sneak around a little bit.”
“There’s nothing wrong with wanting to sneak,” she said. “What is so funny is my friends wanted me to meet someone so I went to New York … [And this guy] so meets the standards.”
Manifesting Her Dream Partner
Kardashian explained what she’s looking for in a potential partner during a June 2023 episode of The Kardashians.
“[I need him to] protect me [and] fight for me. Good hygiene, and that is a given, so I should maybe take that off. [He should be] calm. No mom or dad issues. [I want someone who is] patient, supportive, genuinely happy for me [and] successful,” she shared. “[He should be] spontaneous, fun [and] my friends and family love him. [I want] someone that can be a role model for my kids — especially someone my boys can look up to.”
Kardashian noted that it’s important for her future partner to not have “heavy baggage,” adding, “I have enough. [I hope he is] taller than me and someone that loves to work out. [He should be a] motivated and independent person. Someone who is not clingy and someone with good taste.”
While appearing on a June 2023 episode of Hailey Bieber’s “Who’s In My Bathroom” YouTube series, the Kardashians star was asked if she has a current celebrity crush in a game of “Truth or Shot.”
“I almost want to take a drink because I kinda want it to come true,” Kardashian quipped, before noting that the secret man does not know how she feels. “I’m more into privacy these days.”
Not ‘Delusional’ to Think Someone Will ‘Check Every Single Box’
While reflecting on her ideal partner, Kardashian shared during a February 2024 episode of SiriusXM’s “This Life of Mine With James Corden” podcast that she’s “not so delusional to know that someone will check every single box.”
“[I’m looking for someone who is] accountable for actions,” she said. “Takes accountability, [has] good teeth, can hold their own and I don’t have to babysit [them] all the time. Just a good, genuine person that’s driven and has their own motivations in life.”
When asked whether her attempt to find her partner could result in a wedding, she replied, “I don’t know. I really don’t.”
“There’ll be moods where I’m just like, ‘You know what? I understand my life is really big and I understand it takes a really, really, really special, unique person to want to deal with that,’” she said. “I think my life is really fun and whoever comes into my life will have a really good time, but it’s a lot. I’m not lonely, so I’m good. I have my kids, I have work, I have my family, but it would be nice to share your life with someone, but when you do, it’s such a big … I don’t take that lightly.”
Chrissy Teigen has come up with a plan to change how we all interact with social media — herself included.
In a series of videos shared on Saturday, January 18, Teigen, 39, discussed the drama surrounding the recent TikTok ban.
“Let’s talk TikTok. Everyone is bummed. ‘OMG, it’s going to be shut down,’” the social media star said via Instagram. “It’s on a hiatus for now. It’s going to come back.”
In a following video, the model suggested that the government shut off social media from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. each day. “I come from the days where we had nothing and then we saw something,” she explained, referring to all social media apps in general.
“Guys, life was great,” she continued. “Life was awesome before this. I know it’s hard to see it now, but it’s doable. It’s very doable. This doesn’t have to be our lives.”
“And I say this for myself as well because — obviously — I’m on here [social media] right now doing this,” she continued. “But it doesn’t have to define us or be our whole lives.”
Teigen’s videos were posted hours after TikTok “went dark” ahead of the nationwide ban set to begin Sunday, January 19. Users in the United States who attempted to open the app were met with a message that read, “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now. A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now.”
Service was restored in the U.S. on Sunday, January 19. “In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service,” TikTok explained in a statement shared via social media.
“We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive,” the statement continued. “It’s a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship. We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States.”
The app stopped working for users in the United States a few hours before midnight on the following day. Prior to and in the few hours during the black out, numerous celebrities spoke out about the ban.
Singer Kesha jokingly reminded her followers that her hit 2010 single “Tik Tok” would always be available for them no matter what happened to the app by the same name. In a video shared via Instagram on Saturday, the singer wore a black hoodie and closed her eyes while part of her 2010 hit song played. Over the video, she wrote, “TikTok may be temporary, but TiK ToK is forever,” adding both a peace sign and black heart emoji. The song was an instant hit when it debuted, spending nine weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
(L-R) Henry Cavill and Natalie ViscusoSamir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images
Henry Cavill and girlfriend Natalie Viscuso are still flying as fast as a speeding bullet.
The Superman star and the Vertigo Entertainment executive first made headlines with their relationship in 2021 and have been each other’s biggest supporters ever since. Soon after taking their romance public, Viscuso shared her support for Cavill.
“I am so, so proud of you, Henry. You truly are the greatest man I have ever known,” she wrote via Instagram in 2021. “The Hollywood Reporter did an incredible job with this cover story – it really is a great read. SO PROUD I’m literally crying. .”
Three years later, Cavill confirmed he and Viscuso are expecting their first baby. “I’m enjoying this stage of my life very much so,” he gushed to Entertainment Tonight in April 2024. “I’m turning 41 in May and I have a real sense of approaching everything with more — more direction now.”
Keep scrolling to see Cavill and Viscuso’s complete relationship timeline:
April 2021
The couple were spotted holding hands in a London park in photos published by the Daily Mail. Days later, Cavill and Viscuso made their relationship public by posting an Instagram snap of themselves playing chess. “This is me looking quietly confident shortly before my beautiful and brilliant love Natalie, destroys me at chess,” Cavill captioned the photo.
Viscuso wrote in a post of her own, “Just teaching my dear Henry how to play some chess…or…maybe he let me win? .”
May 2021
Cavill clapped back at critics of his relationship. “I couldn’t help but notice that there has been some social animosity of late. It’s becoming increasingly prevalent on my feed,” he wrote via Instagram at the time. “There has been lots of, let’s call it speculation for now, about my private life and professional partnerships.”
He went on to ask his followers to refrain from commenting on his personal life. “I know it can be fun to speculate, to gossip, and to dive into our own personal echo chambers on the internet, but your ‘passion’ is misplaced, and it causes harm to the people I care about most,” he added. “Even your most conservative of negative assumptions about both my personal and professional life just aren’t true.”
(L-R) Henry Cavill and Natalie ViscusoArturo Holmes/WireImage/Getty Images
The couple made their red carpet debut at New York City’s Paris Theater for the premiere of the Netflix movie Enola Holmes 2.
December 2022
Cavill revealed that he and Viscuso had begun working together on an adaptation of the tabletop game Warhammer 40,000.
“For 30 years I have dreamt of seeing a Warhammer universe in live action,” he wrote via Instagram at the time. “Now, after 22 years of experience in this industry, I finally feel that I have the skill set and experience to guide a Warhammer Cinematic Universe into life. Partnering with Natalie Viscuso at Vertigo has been a blessing beyond words, without her we might not have found the perfect home at Amazon. And having a home like Amazon will give us the freedom to be true to the massive scope of Warhammer.”
“Back in April, our French Bulldog, Meat, died,” he wrote via Instagram while introducing the pair’s new dog, Baggins. “There is no replacing Meatboi, but Natalie and I have opened a new chapter in our lives, in a few ways, and this little chap is one of them!”
April 2024
(L-R) Henry Cavill and Natalie ViscusoAlberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for 20th Century Studios
While celebrating the premiere of The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, Cavill confirmed that he and Viscuso were expecting their first baby. “I’m very excited about it,” he told Access Hollywood. “Natalie and I are both very excited. I’m sure you’ll see much more of that.”
January 2025
A source confirmed to People that Cavill and Viscuso welcomed their first baby after photos published by The Daily Mail in January 2025 showed the couple pushing a stroller in Australia. Us reached out for comment at the time.
Glenn Close has pinpointed the movie that she believes made audiences finally realize she could be more than Cruella de Vil — her 1978 film Fatal Attraction.
“I think it was the first time people realized I could be sexy,” Close, 77, said during an interview with Today’s Willie Geist on the Sunday, January 19 episode of Sunday Sitdown.
The movie stars Close as Alex Forrest, a woman who starts an affair with Dan Gallagher (Michael Douglas). She becomes steadily more and more mentally unstable as it becomes clear he’s trying to end the relationship, ultimately to her demise.
The film began as the short Diversion before it was developed into a feature-length production by writer-director James Dearden. It spent eight weeks at No. 1 in the box office and was the second-highest-grossing film in 1987, falling short of Three Men and a Baby. Fatal Attraction earned more than $157 million domestically and earned six Academy Award nominations, including for Close.
In addition to reminiscing on her storied Hollywood career, Close has recently opened up about her personal life. While appearing on The Drew Barrymore Show on Monday, January 13, the actress was asked if she’s dated since her 2015 divorce from David Shaw. (The pair were married for nine years.) Close revealed that not only has she been single the entire time, she is “very happy right now.”
After host Drew Barrymore asked if Close has tried any dating apps, she replied, “Are you crazy?” before she added, “No, I’m too shy to do that.”
Close also said she’s not especially interested in finding a relationship. “I’m not searching,” she added. “Because I’m actually, I’m not a hugely, comfortably, social person, so I don’t leap to go to a party.”
Prior to her marriage to Shaw, Close was married to James Marlas from 1984 to 1987 and Cabot Wade from 1969 to 1971. She also shares daughter, Annie Starke Albu, with ex-boyfriend John Starke.
The actress went on to star in several critically acclaimed films following Fatal Attraction, including Dangerous Liaisons, The Wife, Hillbilly Elegy, Air Force One and 101 Dalmations. She also earned an Emmy Award for the 1995 TV movie Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story.
Close has yet to win an Academy Award for acting, despite having been nominated eight times throughout her career. In 2021, she told Variety that she’s not too upset about having lost out. “It’s beyond me. I don’t know what to say about that,” she explained. I just have to keep doing what’s good. You’re fulfilled by your work, and that’s the process to me. It’s what feeds my soul, but it really is nice when other people like it. It might be cool to never get one.”
Costner marked his 70th trip around the sun on Saturday, January 18, sharing a throwback photo via Instagram Story of himself and the late singer while on the set of 1992’s Bodyguard. The pair both starred in the romantic thriller, which earned two 1993 Academy Award nominations for Best Original Song.
“This photo reminds me of how lucky I am to be getting another birthday,” the Yellowstone star wrote. “We lost such a light when we lost Whitney.”
The photo was originally shared via Houston’s Instagram, now managed by her estate, to honor Costner’s milestone birthday. “Happy birthday to Kevin Costner!” the caption read. “A behind the scenes photo from The Bodyguard with Kevin, Whitney and Ellin La Var, Whitney’s hair stylist for the film.”
Costner has previously been open about the love he still has for Houston, who died in 2012 at the age of 48. “I loved her — it’s not like this giant mystery — so I knew that she should be the one,” he said on a June 2024 episode of “Armchair Expert” podcast.
At the time, Costner, who also produced the film, recalled that Bodyguard director Mick Jackson was “afraid” of Houston, so the actor “started to guide her” on set. The actor said he had to advise the singer “not to bring an entourage” during the film’s production.
Steve Granitz/WireImage
“And I wasn’t trying to usurp my director, but I had made a promise to her, not to f—ing him,” Costner continued, noting he had promised Houston the film would perform well in theaters despite poor reception during test screenings.
“I was always gonna keep my promise to her,” he said. “[I said], ‘I’m gonna take care of you if there’s a person important to you’ — turned out to be Robyn Crawford — I said, ‘Let’s have Robyn with you.’ And that’s how we started.”
He added, “I don’t know what it was, but we had a moment, and I realized that the world had a higher idea of who we were, so I basically embraced it. I was her imaginary bodyguard.”
Since her death, the Dances with Wolves alum has spoken candidly about her legacy, and was among many friends and loved ones who spoke in her honor at her funeral service in 2012.
Courtesy of Kevin Costner/Instagram
“Whitney returns home today to the place where it all began,” he told mourners at the time. “And I urge us all, inside and outside, across the nation and around the world to dry our tears, suspend our sorrow — and perhaps our anger — just long enough, just long enough to remember the sweet miracle of Whitney.”
“Off you go, Whitney, off you go,” he continued. “Escorted by an army of angels to your heavenly father, and when you sing before him, don’t worry … you’ll be good enough.”
In 2022, Parton was honored with the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy for her decades of good deeds and gushed over how “proud” she was to receive the recognition. Her acts of kindness include the creation of The Dollywood Foundation and donating funds to vaccine research after the coronavirus pandemic outbreak in 2020.
“What an honor it is just to be here. I really am just honored and proud to be amongst these great people and doing all these great things to help the world, as they say,” Parton said in October 2022 while accepting the medal. “I just give from my heart. I never know what I’m going to do or why I’m going to do it. I just see a need and if I can fill it then I will.”
The Grammy winner continued: “If I can just do my small part in this world then that’s all that I ask in this world. I am very proud of the Imagination Library, so that is very dear to me. I just hope that I can continue to do good things.”
Scroll down to see some of Parton’s most charitable moments:
1988
Parton launched her non-profit organization The Dollywood Foundation in April 1988 in Sevierville, Tennessee. The goal was to increase the number of local high school graduates and decrease the dropout rate.
The “Jolene” singer also created the Buddy Program, which gave $500 to every seventh and eighth grader in the area who finished high school. The initiation was successful with the dropout rate going from 35 percent to only 6 percent, according to the foundation’s website.
Fotos International/Robert Scott/Getty Images
1991
As part of her successful theme park, Dollywood, Parton opened the Eagle Mountain Sanctuary. The space spans 30,000 square feet and is managed by the American Eagle Foundations shelters to help ensure the safety of the bald eagles.
1995
The musician expanded The Dollywood Foundation with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The program gifts children under five a book monthly to help with literacy and further learning in all areas of the country — and internationally. In 2018, Parton reached a milestone as the Imagination Library sent out its 100 millionth book.
Ron Davis/Getty Images
2000
The foundation began five scholarships of $15,000, dubbed the Dolly Parton Scholarship, to Sevier County’s high school seniors to help students continue their studies at an accredited university. “The scholarships are for students who have a dream they wish to pursue and who can successfully communicate their plan and commitment to realize their dreams,” the website reads.
Parton once again gave back to her community by helping raise $500,000 for the Sevier County Hospital by putting on a benefit concert. Dollywood and Parton’s Dixie Stampede dinner theater each pledged $250,000, totalling $1 million for the fundraiser. The funds were used to open the LeConte Medical Center, which is a hospital and cancer center, in 2010.
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
2016
Following devastating wildfires in Tennessee that tore through the Great Smoky Mountains, Parton created the My People Fund under her Dollywood Foundation umbrella. The fund distributed $1,000 per month for six months to families who lost their main residence. The foundation revealed in 2017 that more than $12 million was raised and distributed to those in need during that past year.
2017
After releasing her children’s album, I Believe in You, Patron donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital. The donation was made in honor of Parton’s niece who was treated for leukemia at the hospital.
Steve Granitz/WireImage
2020
In spring of 2020, Parton was one of many celebrities who designed a spatula for Williams-Sonoma’s collection of charitable kitchenware. Parton’s design helped earn money for the company’s annual Cook for a Cause campaign.
That same year, the actress made headlines for donating money to coronavirus vaccine research following the worldwide pandemic spike. Parton gave $1 million to assist Moderna’s vaccine research, which was reported to be 94.5 percent effective against the virus.
“I’m just happy that anything I do can help somebody else,” Parton told Today at the time. “When I donated the money to the COVID fund, I just wanted it to do good. Evidently, it is. Let’s just hope we find a cure real soon.”
2021
When Tennessee’s Humphreys County experienced unprecedented flooding and damage, Parton stepped up and raised $700,000 to get people back on their feet. Parton’s Dollywood and Pigeon Forge dinner show properties gifted a portion of the ticket sales during two October 2021 dates to benefit the United Way of Humphreys County.
Parton’s late friend Loretta Lynn was responsible for the choice in charity. “After the Sevier County wildfires in 2016, Loretta was one of the first who reached out to offer anything she could,” Parton said in a statement. “It meant so much to me that Loretta — and so many folks — were ready to give in any way they could. This was just one small way I could help Loretta’s people for all they did to help my people.”
Earlier that year, Parton revealed that she used some of the royalties from Whitney Houston’s cover of her song “I Will Always Love You” to give back to a Black neighborhood in Nashville. “It was mostly just Black families and people that lived around there,” Parton said during an August 2021 appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, sharing that she invested in an office complex in the area. “It was a whole strip mall. And I thought, ‘This is the perfect place for me to be, considering it was Whitney.’”
She continued: “I just thought, ‘This was great. I’m going to be down here with her people, who are my people as well.’ And so I just love the fact that I spent that money on a complex. And I think, ‘This is the house that Whitney built.’”
Jason Kempin/Getty Images
2022
Parton announced in February 2022 that Dollywood — through its operating partner Herschend Enterprises — would start covering 100 percent of tuition, fees and book costs for any employee who is going to college to further their education.
Four months later, the “Here You Come Again” singer donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to help the hospital’s pediatric infectious disease research.
2024
Parton personally pledged a million dollars to the Mountain Ways Foundation, which helped East Tennessee communities that were impacted by Hurricane Helene. Her donation would be matched by her companies, which included the Dollywood Foundation and Dollywood Parks and Resorts. The East Tennessee native shared that she would be making the donations in partnership with Walmart.
Kylie Kelce has bled Philadelphia green long before she fell in love with now-retired Eagles center Jason Kelce.
“You might have heard a few stories about my intense fandom on [Jason’s ‘New Heights’] podcast, but I figured the playoffs is the perfect time to share with you all of the things that happen while watching an Eagles game in my house,” Kylie, 32, said during the Thursday, January 16, episode of her “Not Gonna Lie” podcast. “Before I say anything, note I have a piece of wood to knock on throughout this segment — because that’s how superstitious I am.”
She added, “I can’t help but feel responsible if I say something that maybe can be considered a jinx [and so] when you hear knocking it’s because I have to.”
Kylie was born and raised in Philadelphia, eventually connecting with 37-year-old Jason on the dating app Tinder during her final year of college. She later said that she had no idea that he played for the Eagles when she swiped right. After getting married in 2018, they went on to welcome three daughters.
Before Jason retired in 2024, Kylie would attend every home game at “the Linc” — also known as the Lincoln Financial Field.
“We usually would not bring the girls [and] would usually keep them home, except for one game a year,” Kylie, who is currently pregnant with baby No. 4, continued. “They’re not really into it, so it didn’t make sense to drag them down there, have them in a place that was loud and overstimulating. We made that decision a while ago.”
Since Jason’s retirement, Kylie has primarily watched the Eagles via the TV in their living room.
“I am a ‘yell at the TV’ type,” she quipped. “The other day I got in a lot of trouble with [my second daughter] Ellie because I was yelling while the game was on. … The girls do usually hang out in the same room but don’t necessarily watch with me when I watch football.”
Courtesy of Kylie Kelce/Instagram
Kylie’s fandom reaches new heights whenever the Eagles are in the playoffs. (The team played a divisional round against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, January 19, vying for a slot in the NFC Championship later this month against the Washington Commanders.)
“Playoff Kylie is different from Regular Season Kylie because the superstitions take over the whole day,” the pregnant mother-of-three added. “From the start of the day to when the game is on, I will not check Twitter [and] I will avoid most social media. I will not post on a game day — and that [started] when Jason was still playing — and still now.”
According to Kylie, she “has to focus” and can’t even hold a conversation that doesn’t revolve around the game.
“We have a job to do and that job is to lock in and send as much power and energy,” Kylie explained. “I’m not going to change my ways, so if you do it with conviction. … Go Birds!”
Spencer Pratt is reflecting on his and Heidi Montag’s efforts to generate income after losing their home in the Los Angeles wildfires.
“I made, like, $4,000 on TikTok this week, but on TikTok Live, where people can just give to me direct, I think maybe $20,000. So that’s phenomenal, and life-changing. That’s the power of individual supporters, people just backing you and getting behind you,” Pratt, 41, told Variety in an interview published on Friday, January 17. “And that’s the most powerful when you don’t have to rely on ads or AI and algorithms when just actual human beings just want to give. It’s unbelievable and incredible.”
When their home burned down earlier this month after the couple was forced to evacuate, Pratt began encouraging his followers on social media to stream Montag’s music. By January 12, Montag’s 2010 album Superficial was No. 1 on the iTunes U.S. album chart and the titular song ranked ahead of Rosé and Bruno Mars’ “APT.” on the iTunes U.S. singles chart.
Despite their success, Pratt said had “no idea” how much money he and Montag, 38, made from the music.
“I don’t know if it comes in checks or when, but everybody keeps telling me, ‘Don’t expect any money.’ I’m more excited about the energy and opportunities that come from it. I don’t think these streams and all these charts [make money],” Pratt said. “Based on what people are telling me, the music business is about touring, it’s about merchandise, it’s about all the things that come with it; that’s how the artists make money unless you’re doing billions of streams, which I’m still energetically [pushing]. It’s not happening yet! I’m being optimistic because truly, it’s the only way to get through all this.”
After Pratt, Montag and their sons Gunner, 6, and Ryker, 2, left the area, a pair of TikTok followers created a GoFundMe campaign on the family’s behalf. The followers have since transferred the campaign to Pratt and Montag, who stressed that they did not want to ask for contributions. Per the GoFundMe, the family has raised over $138,000 so far.
While many fans are supportive, some have criticized the couple for the campaign. Pratt and Montag, however, are not fazed by the “backlash.”
“We’re very used to negative things, so it’s pretty standard,” Pratt exclusively told Us Weekly on Wednesday, January 15. “If people want to send their own money to whoever they want, it’s the equivalent to buying a celebrity’s merch, buying their movie tickets. People can do whatever they want with their own money and, thank God, there’s people who want to support and send us whatever.”
He continued, “Nobody’s required to, and it’s not a tax. People can say whatever they want and they’re entitled to their opinion. But, all the people that are messaging, they’re asking to send money, they’re asking to do the Amazon wishlist. … These are their choices.”
Check the LAFD website for local wildfire alerts and click here for resources on how to help those affected.
Melissa Rivers is reflecting on what she lost in the Los Angeles wildfires — none of which was her late mom Joan Rivers’ heirlooms.
“The jokes and the major archival pieces, fortunately, about two and a half, three months ago were picked up for a national comedy center,” Melissa, 56, told People in an interview published on Sunday, January 19.
Melissa noted that the filing cabinet featured over 65,000 of Joan’s original jokes from the beginning of her career in 1950 until her death in 2014. (Joan died at age 81 after experiencing complications during an outpatient throat surgery.)
Melissa added that Joan’s “good stuff,” meaning her jewelry, was in a security deposit box in a bank vault. Joan’s wardrobe has been auctioned off for charity.
Melissa, who was one of the tens of thousands of locals forced to evacuate Los Angeles due to the ongoing wildfires, told CNN on January 8 that she grabbed Joan’s Emmy and a picture of her dad, Edgar Rosenberg, before leaving her home.
“That is the end of everything that belonged to my family and the history of it,” Melissa told the news organization at the time. “I grabbed my mom’s Emmy, a photo of my dad and a drawing my mother had done of me and my son. … I went for a drawing of hers, rather than a photo. I know I can find the photos, but a drawing I can’t replace.”
Christopher Polk/Getty Images for VH1
Besides the items she took before leaving her home, Melissa lost her other memories of her parents.
“I had her bathrobe and my dad’s bathrobe,” she told People. “Everybody is like, ‘What about her wardrobe?’ But I’m like, I lost the only three things of theirs that I kept in my house because they reminded me so much of them.”
Melissa explained that she and her fiancé, Steve Mitchel, lost “everything,” adding, “When we say we lost everything, well you can’t get it until you see the video. It’s not just my life, but my son Cooper’s life too. We were both only children, and just all of it is gone.”
Melissa, who welcomed son Cooper, 24, with John Endicott in 2000, said her life is inside three L.L. Bean boat totes. Melissa noted that she and her family are doing “as well as can be expected.”
“We’re all doing the best we can,” she said. “Cooper’s made of the same tough stuff I am. And we are all leaning on each other and coping.”
Now, Melissa has found temporary housing and is embracing her inherited sense of humor while she and her family navigate what’s next. “It’s my superpower,” she said of laughing during the worst times, like Joan. “I am my parents’ daughter.”
Check the LAFD website for local wildfire alerts and click here for resources on how to help those affected.
“What a wild couple months it’s been. Watching this love of mine put so much work in and grow into someone better and stronger is special to me,” Malea wrote via Instagram in December 2024 as he recovered from a chest injury. “It’s been a process, but I respect and admire everything about him and his mental strength. Multiple surgeries (mcl acl meniscus AND played with a torn labrum all last year) at year 9 is a hard pill to swallow.”
She added, “I’m so incredibly proud of how he handled pressure with humility, while still championing those around him. Equal parts mentally tough as physically; and that is what makes him an incredible husband and dada first and foremost, a leader, resilient, humble, disciplined, a great teammate, a mf dawg and ‘the greatest tight end in horns history.’”
At the time, Malea also gushed that Tyler is “everything.”
“I am forever in your corner today, tomorrow and always my 89,” she concluded.
Keep scrolling to revisit Tyler and Malea’s love story:
April 2021
Courtesy of Malea Higbee/Instagram
Malea posted her first photo with Tyler on April 19, sharing a snap of the twosome cuddled up on a date night. She captioned the upload with a black heart.
February 2022
Courtesy of Malea Higbee/Instagram
The next year, Malea celebrated Tyler and the Rams winning the Super Bowl in a 23-20 defeat over the Cincinnati Bengals.
“My World Champion ,” she captioned game day selfies on the field.
April 2022
Malea announced that she was pregnant with the couple’s first child.
“A new world before us,” she wrote via Instagram, sharing maternity photos at the beach. “We’re so excited to hold our little love .”
October 2022
Daughter Iyla Ty arrived in the fall.
“Incomparable love that we’re so obsessed with already,” Malea wrote via Instagram on October 28. “And if I wasn’t already the luckiest woman with you, you solidified that and more @higbeedoe. Loving our little family for a lifetime and after .”
Tyler referred to Malea and Iyla as his “forever Valentines” in a social media tribute.
December 2024
Courtesy of Malea Higbee/Instagram
At the end of Tyler’s regular NFL season, Malea revealed that she is expecting again.
“Family of four! Hearts are so full,” she wrote via Instagram, sharing photos of Iyla next to her baby bump.
January 2024
As Tyler returned from injured reserve in time for the playoffs, Malea was a fixture at the games.
“Proud of my guy, proud of LA and thankful for his health and a team that went above and beyond for him, and all of our safety this past week,” she wrote via Instagram on January 14.
Rami Malekand partner Emma Corrin intentionally keep their romance relatively private, but it appears that they are still going strong.
“That person [is] fascinating,” Malek, 43, gushed to The Guardian in a profile published on Saturday, January 18, when asked about dating Corrin, 29.
According to the outlet, Malek declined to offer details about their romance besides referring to The Crown alum as “Em” or “My Person.” The reporter then described Corrin — who uses they/them pronouns — as smart and quirky, to which Malek concurred.
“We like quirky,” Malek quipped and while flashing a reported half-smile.
Emma Corrin and Rami Malek.Arnold Jerocki/Getty Images for Miu Miu
“I’m in my mid-30s going through these, kind of, existential questions about who I am and what I’m doing here and if I’m supposed to be fulfilling some type of destiny,” Malek said during an October 2016 interview with TheWrap. “[I’m questioning] the work I’m doing or should I be a family man by now?”
He added, “I saw this guy [in Buster’s Mal Heart] who had a family and had this idea of what it was to love that family and give them everything, but also wanted a sense of freedom. … The question arose if those two things can coexist in equilibrium. If you can really have something as fierce as love and freedom at the same time or is it a paradox?”
Corrin, for their part, has been outspoken about their sexuality.
“In my mind, gender just isn’t something that feels fixed and I don’t know if it ever will be; there might always be some fluidity there for me,” Corrin told Vogue in August 2022, declining to label their sexuality. “I like people. … My first date with a girl, they were like, ‘Oh! You’re a baby queer!’ It was amazing. We actually didn’t end up seeing each other again, but she really gave me the lowdown.”
They continued, “I’m working out all this complex gender and sexuality stuff. And yet, I’m seeing a guy? That feels very juxtaposed, even if I’m very happy.””
“Hey. I just wanna say; I looked and felt like this two years ago and every step forward I have come since then is a miracle,” Halsey, 30, wrote via Instagram on Saturday, January 18. (Halsey goes by she/they pronouns.)
Halsey shared a series of recent photos, showing the singer holding up an iPhone revealing a selfie of her from two years ago. In two of the pictures taken recently, Halsey smiled and laughed as they held up the previous image.
“I’m figuring it out on my own time, thank you to everyone who has been along for the ride,” Halsey continued. “Also I’m cute as f— now, so that’s great. .”
Halsey shared in June 2024 that she was “lucky to be alive” following a secret health battle. Halsey explained that her health scare inspired new song “The End.”
“Every couple of years now, a doctor says I’m sick / Pulls out a brand new bag of tricks / and then they lay it on me,” Halsey sings. “And at first, it was my brain / then a skeleton in pain / And I don’t like to complain, but I’m saying sorry.”
She continues, “When I met you, I said I would never die / But the joke was always mine ’cause I’m racing against time / And I know it’s not the end of the world, but could you pick me up at 8? / ‘Cause my treatment starts today.”
Hours later, Halsey shared that they had been diagnosed with Lupus SLE and a rare T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder two years before. “Both of which are currently being managed or in remission; and both of which I will likely have for the duration of my life,” Halsey wrote via Instagram at the time.
She continued, “After a rocky start, I slowly got everything under control with the help of amazing doctors. After 2 years, I’m feeling better and I’m more grateful than ever to have music to turn to.”
Halsey shared that she was grateful for her fans supporting the song. “Thank you guys for the unbelievable amount of love for ‘The End’ and the support you’ve shown me since its release,” Halsey concluded. “I realize everyone is catching up with news I’ve held in for a very long time, and I wasn’t sure how much I wanted to share.”
Halsey gushed that she “can’t wait to get back where [they] belong” and perform for fans again.
TikTok is “restoring service” to users in the United States following a brief ‘blackout,’ the app announced on Sunday, January 19 via a statement shared on social media. “In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service.”
“We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive,” the statement continued. “It’s a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship. We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States.”
On Friday, January 17 the Supreme Court issued an unanimous ruling to uphold the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which banned the app nationwide.
“I join all but Part II.A of the Court’s per curiam opinion. I see no reason to assume without deciding that the Act implicates the First Amendment because our precedent leaves no doubt that it does,” wrote Justice Sonia Sotomayer in her judgment. “TikTok engages in expressive activity by ‘compiling and curating’ material on its platform.”
The app stopped working for users in the United States a few hours before midnight on Saturday, January 18. Prior to and in the few hours during the black out, numerous celebrities spoke out about the ban.
Singer Kesha jokingly reminded her followers that her hit 2010 single “Tik Tok” would always be available for them no matter what happened to the app by the same name. In a video shared via Instagram on Saturday, January 18, the singer wore a black hoodie and closed her eyes while part of her 2010 hit song played. Over the video, she wrote, “TikTok may be temporary, but TiK ToK is forever,” adding both a peace sign and black heart emoji. The song was an instant hit when it debuted, spending nine weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Kylie Kelce also commented on the looming ban. “There’s something that’s been weighing on me heavily over the past few days,” Kelce said on the January 16 episode of her “Not Gonna Lie” podcast. “It looks like my favorite app, TikTok, might actually be going away for good. Hopefully, it doesn’t, and I can doom-scroll until the end of time. But, just in case, I want to properly pour one out for TikTok.”
“I think everyone loses,” Marc D’Amelio said in ABC News Studios’ IMPACT x Nightline special from May 2024. “I think small business loses. I think the politicians lose also.”
Marc and his wife, Heidi D’Amelio, are the parents to social media mavens Dixie and Charli, whose online dances went viral in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“We didn’t call ourselves the first family of TikTok,” Marc, 56, added in the ABC News special. “It’s hard to believe that many people sat and watched a video. I think the ability to turn someone who’s obscure into an overnight, famous person, I don’t think there’s any other platform like that.”
Rami Malek claimed that he was once suspected of an alleged crime because authorities allegedly believed he “fit the description.”
“I got thrown on the bonnet of an [Los Angeles Police Department] cop car because someone had robbed a liquor store and stolen a woman’s bag,” the Oscar winner, 43, alleged in a Guardian profile published on Saturday, January 18. “They said the [thief] was of Latin descent and, ‘You fit the description.’”
He added, “I remember how hot that engine was, they must have been racing over there and it was almost burning my hands. My friend, who was Caucasian, was clever enough to go, ‘Actually, sir, he’s Egyptian. Not Latin.’ I remember laughing on the cop car, thinking, ‘OK, this is a very precarious situation. I may well be going to jail for something I’ve not done.’”
Malek is Egyptian-American, whose parents immigrated from Cairo before he was born. In the Guardian profile, Malek did not offer further details about the alleged police incident or when it seemingly occurred. The LAPD has not spoken out about the reported encounter. Us Weekly has reached out for comment.
Malek, meanwhile, has allegedly faced similar incidents of mistaken identity due to his background.
“It’s difficult enough traveling. Don’t make it harder,” he told the British outlet. “I started to think, ‘What is happening?’ every time I tried to enter a country. These days, there might be a moment. Then they’ll go, ‘Nah, that’s the guy from Bohemian Rhapsody. Let him through.’”
Malek, who won an Oscar for his role in Bohemian Rhapsody as Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, grew up in L.A. with his parents and twin brother Sami. Their Middle Eastern heritage was always apparent to the siblings.
“I don’t know how you ever get over that. I’m what’s called ‘white-passing,’ but I have very distinctive features, and we definitely didn’t fit in,” Malek recalled to The Guardian. “We just had an uncanny way of sensing people. … I don’t know if it’s a blessing or a curse. Sometimes I find it detrimental. You can’t help it.”
Malek is also aware of how hard his parents worked to provide for the twins.
“The school system in Los Angeles was not great. She would handwrite these long letters in blue fountain pen explaining our situation. She’d say, ‘I’m going to give my kids every opportunity possible,’” Malek said. “I would hear stories about her being pregnant with my brother and me, and taking three buses — three different buses — to get to work and back.”
Brittany Mahomes slayed her sideline style at the Kansas City Chiefs playoff game — one week after giving birth! — due in part to a killer glam squad.
“@LauraBethArtistry and @RPArtistryKC [thanks for] bringing me back to life and making me feel human again,” Mahomes, 29, wrote via her Instagram Stories on Sunday, January 19. “Love y’all.”
Mahomes also reposted stylist Laurabeth Cabott’s photo of the look, which she set to Sexyy Red’s song “She’s Back.”
Brittany wore her hair in long, bouncy curls to husband Patrick’s Saturday, January 18, playoff game. She completed her look with blush-colored makeup.
Brittany also served serious flair with her game day ‘fit, opting for a cinched, beige puffer coat with “15” stitched on the pockets in an ode to Patrick’s jersey number. She paired the jacket with a camel-colored sweater and red trousers that matched her Miu Miu handbag.
Brittany took the eldest kids to watch Patrick’s game against the Houston Texans. The Chiefs ultimately won 23-14, securing a place in the AFC Championship.
Courtesy of laurabethartistry Laurabeth Cabott/Instagram
“These are moments I’ll have with my family for the rest of my life,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick, 29, gushed to reporters after the game. “It’s a growing family, but [I] hope we are done growing for a little while. It’s cool that I’m able to play in these big games and the Kansas City community has brought me in to be a part of their family.”
Brittany, Sterling and Bronze were accompanied in the Arrowhead Stadium stands by Patrick’s mom, Randi Mahomes.
“[My mom is] Grandi, that’s what she calls herself,” Patrick added during the press conference. “Our kids love her and she’s been an instrumental part of my entire life in taking me to those baseball games. … Those are the things that you’ll forever remember. She’s here today, and I’m sure will be ready to take care of those grandkids tonight.”
Shifting Gears star Kat Dennings reflected on her time working with Bob Saget three years after his death.
Dennings, 38, said Saget was “lovely” to work with and remembered his “protective” nature in an interview withPeople published on Saturday, January 19.
The pair worked together in 2001, when Dennings was 15 and Saget was 44. They played father-daughter duo Matt and Sarah Stewart on the show Raising Dad, which ran for one season.
“God bless him. I’m so sad that he’s gone,” Dennings continued.
“What I remember was he was very protective of me because I was a young actress and he had daughters. So he was very sweet to me and very protective and very kind,” she added. “I only remember very, very nice memories of him.”
Saget was best known for playing Danny Tanner on Full House from 1987 until 1995, and later reprised the role on Fuller House from 2016 until 2020. He also notably voiced Ted in How I Met Your Mother and hosted America’s Funniest Home Videos for nearly 200 episodes.
Saget unexpectedly died on January 9, 2022 at the age of 65. His cause of death was later revealed to be blunt head trauma after an unwitnessed fall.
Dennings’ recent interview isn’t the first time she has addressed Saget’s death.
When news of the star’s death first broke, Dennings paid tribute on social media. She wrote on Twitter, now X: “Oh god. Bob Saget!!! The loveliest man.”
“I was his TV daughter for one season and he was always so kind and protective. So so sorry for his family,” she added.
Since working with Saget, Dennings has gone on to enjoy notable roles in TV and film. She played Max Black in the sitcom 2 Broke Girls, which ran from 2011 until 2017, before going on to star as Darcy Lewis in the Thor movies and WandaVision.
More recently, Dennings stars opposite Tim Allen in the new sitcom Shifting Gears. Speaking to Us Weekly earlier this month, Dennings said she had an “instant” connection with Allen, who plays her dad on the show.
“For some reason it worked pretty immediately — maybe because I’ve grown up watching him for so much of my life, but it just worked. It felt very organic,” she recalled.
“And as [filming has] progressed, our scenes are so funny, if I do say so myself. The arguments are my favorite scenes to play because I have no fear. There’s no fear for either of us. We just absolutely go for it and it’s so much fun.”
Becca Kufrin is adding “tattoo artist” to her resume after giving husband Thomas Jacobs some permanent ink.
In a joint video shared on Saturday, January 18, to the couple’s respective Instagram accounts, Kufrin, 34, was seen blowing air into a black glove and placing it on her hands. “Things you don’t want to see your tattoo artist doing,” Jacobs, 32, said, to which Kufrin laughed.
“I’m more nervous that Mama J’s here,” Kufrin said, as the camera panned to Jacob’s mom who sat in the room. “I’m nervous that she’s giving him a tattoo today,” Jacob’s mom said with a smile.
Kufrin proceeded to give Jacobs the tattoo, sitting in front of him as he sat in a chair with his forearm outstretched. “Your hand is shaking so much,” Jacobs told his wife, who concentrated on the ink.
A close-up shot of the tattoo revealed “9/21,” the date of their son’s birthday. (Kufrin and Jacobs welcomed son Benson in September 2023.)
Jacobs kissed Kufrin’s head before she continued. “Is that OK?” Kufrin asked, to which Jacobs quipped, “You nailed it. It’s the worst I’ve ever seen your penmanship, though, but you nailed it.”
“NO RAGRETS! Would you let your S.O give you a tattoo?” Jacobs captioned his Saturday post, adding in the comments section, “By FAR the worst I’ve ever seen your handwriting and it’s perfect.”
Kufrin, who got engaged to Arie Luyendyk Jr. on The Bachelor season 22 and Garrett Yrigoyen on The Bachelorette season 14, tried to find The One on the beaches of Mexico for Bachelor in Paradise season 7. On the spinoff show, Kufrin met The Bachelorette season 17 contestant and the pair formed a connection.
After a brief breakup on Bachelor in Paradise, Kufrin and Jacobs continued to pursue their romance outside of the show and got engaged in May 2022. The pair welcomed son Benson before tying the knot in October 2023.
Years after appearing on TV, Kufrin teased a possible return for her and Jacobs centered around home renovations.
“We’ve actually been talking to some producers for different shows,” Kufrin exclusively told Us Weekly in August 2024. “We’ve been in talks with some people about potentially doing something like that. … I think it would be fun because Thomas and I balance each other well. He likes the, ‘I’m gonna tear this up and we have to pull the walls down and rip everything out.’ And then I panic and go, ‘Let’s just go have some wine and pick up some paints.’”
The smart, strong-willed high school feminist always spoke her mind and tried to avoid what others thought about her in the process. Stiles, 43, believes she’d still be doing the same today.
When asked where she thinks Kat would be now, Stiles told Vogue, “Hopefully, a lot happier out of high school. She’s either touring in a rock band or lives in a cabin in Costa Rica, makes her own sourdough bread, and has no screens around her. And, she’s totally surfing.”
Sounds right to Us!
In the 1999 coming-of-age film, Stiles and the late Heath Ledger played star-crossed lovers Kat and Patrick Verona, respectively. The pair reluctantly fall in love with each other amid a backdrop of high school angst. Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Cameron James), Gabrielle Union (Chastity), Allison Janney (Ms. Perky), David Krumholtz (Michael Eckman), Larisa Oleynik (Bianca Stratford), Andrew Keegan (Joey Donner) and Susan May Pratt (Mandella) made up the star-studded supporting cast.
When recalling what it was like to work with Ledger — who died at age 28 on January 22, 2008, following an accidental drug overdose — Stiles said the Oscar winner was “such a bright light.”
“He was such an energetic, kind force. He was very magnetic, very charismatic, and we all had a great time working on that film,” she told Vogue. “I really am grateful that he was so kind to me. For my first experience being the lead in a big studio movie, and, particularly, in romantic situations, you have to really feel comfortable with the person that you’re acting opposite, and he very much made me comfortable.”
People are still as obsessed with their partnership and the Gil Junger-directed movie in general. Twenty-five years after its release, Stiles thinks fans still hold the film in high regard because “the writing was so good.”
“It was a really whip-smart team of female writers, Karen McCullah and Kirsten Smith, who in many ways — like Kat Stratford — didn’t bend their wit, humor and observation to trends,” Stiles told Vogue. “They were very much pioneering, and they were like, ‘This is our personality and our sense of humor and that’s what the movie is going to be,’ and that authenticity, I think, is what audiences respond to.”
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
After the success of 10 Things, Stiles went on to star in Down to You, Save the Last Dance, O, The Prince and Me, and the Bourne Identity franchise. Nowadays, she’s a busy mom of three kids, whom she shares with husband Preston J. Cook, on top of being an actress, writer and director.
She recently released her directorial debut, the rom-com Wish You Were Here, starring Isabelle Fuhrman and Mena Massoud, and based on the 2017 novel by Renée Carlino.
“I wanted to make a romantic movie that was really all about the human characters,” Stiles told Us Weeklyabout the project, which premiered on Friday, January 17.
She also admitted that being a mother was the best “training for being a director.”
“You have to be good at time management, you have to be a multitasker. You have to be present but also think 10 steps ahead. You have to be able to operate really well with sleep deprivation,” she joked.
The actress added that with both directing and parenting you must “manage people’s emotions and needs but also guide them,” concluding, “A hundred percent [it’s] the best training.”
