• Target and Kate Spade dropped a limited-edition collaboration last week.
• The line included purses, dresses, party decorations, and treats.
• Three Business Insider reporters checked out the collection in-store and online.

Target is back in the designer game.

On April 2, the retailer announced it was releasing a collection with Kate Spade, describing the collaboration as "an assortment designed to turn everyday moments into celebratory occasions."

The over 300 items in the collection are Kate Spade favorites like clothing, jewelry, party decor, and, of course, handbags. Much of it is affordable, too, with prices starting at $5.

The collection dropped on April 12, and three Business Insider reporters visited Target in person and online to check it out.

Kate Spade New York comes to Target

Several pieces from the collaboration sold out within hours of the drop.

Two reporters woke up in the wee hours of the morning to shop the collection, while one tried her luck at waiting a few days to see what was in store at her local Target.

Here's what happened:

Erin McDowell, online Target shopper

After consulting with my mother — a suburban woman in Connecticut and lifelong Kate Spade fan who wanted me to order items for her — I opened the links to every item I also wanted from the collection and set my alarm for 3 a.m. ET.

I had my heart set on purchasing four items: a beaded clutch ($30), a pink shift dress with bow detailing ($35), an adorable tote bag with a fish on it ($20), and a charm necklace ($20).

I liked how the collection blended the classic yet whimsical feel of Kate Spade's aesthetic with fun and wearable pieces. There was workwear, things you could wear to parties, cute and affordable accessories, and much more.

When I shopped the collection online from New York City, all the items I wanted were available in any size, from extra-small to Target's extended sizing range.

Once I had checked out, my package was shipped in less than a day, but it took four days for it to arrive.

Still, I was impressed by the quality of all of the items.

I ran into a few issues with the pink dress, even though I loved the bow details on the shoulders and the vibrant color.

The dress was a bit thinner than I imagined — it was almost like a silk slip-dress material rather than the thicker, starchier material I thought it would be.

I also thought the dress ran big — I'm typically a medium in Target clothes, but could have used the small in this dress. It was also a little long — I'm 5-foot-5 but like my dresses to hit about mid-thigh — but I love the style enough to warrant spending $20 on getting it tailored to be a bit shorter for the summer.

As for the accessories, I was obsessed with the quality and the price point.

The charm necklace was really fun and would add some pizzazz to any basic outfit, and I can see myself using the tote bag, which was made of sturdy canvas, all summer long for the beach, running errands, or picnics.

Amanda Krause, online and in-person Target shopper

My alarm went off at 2:50 a.m. to shop the collaboration on Target's app. It's silly, I know.

I only wanted one basic skirt: a $35 white linen piece with black polka dots and a ruffled hem.

There was no chance I'd try to buy it in-store. Last year, I visited Target the morning it launched its Diane von Furstenberg collection, and I'm still shocked by the chaos I saw. Adults were fighting over wrap dresses and tote bags.

By choosing the app, I could shop the Kate Spade collab peacefully. It took a minute for the items to become available, but by 3:03 a.m., I'd ordered the skirt I wanted and an impulse-buy dress.

Nearly 12 hours later, I made a Target run and checked out the in-store selection. It looked like a tornado had flown through the store and landed directly in the Kate Spade section.

There were no purses in sight and only a few clothing pieces to choose from. Most accessories and decor were gone, too. Unless you wanted Kate Spade candy or a $300 collaboration bike, you would've been out of luck.

That said, I liked what I saw. The few headbands and keychains left were of typical Target quality — not designer — but plastic and metal accessories I've bought from the store in the past have held up.

I also liked the skirt I ordered, which arrived two days later. Its linen was soft, comfortable, and thick enough to be opaque. The elastic waistband felt a bit cheaper, but I liked that it wasn't restrictive.

The piece doesn't exactly feel luxe, but it's better than some of the pieces from the retailer's Wild Fable collection. It reminded me more of Target's Future Collective line, which offers elevated clothes made in collaboration with influencers and designers.

Samantha Grindell, in-person Target shopper

When I visited my local Target in downtown Brooklyn on Tuesday morning, I was pleasantly surprised by how much Kate Spade merchandise was in stock.

The store seemed to be mostly sold out of the collection's handbags, but there was plenty of clothing, decor, and party items.

As I wandered through the display, I stopped to admire items like $5 martini glass-shaped party invitations, a chic $30 cake stand, and a $30 "couch potato" pillow.

Decorative trash bags and strawberry-shaped paper lanterns, which cost $10, aren't necessary purchases, but I knew they would all make a party more fun.

The clothing pieces I saw were pretty and seemed to be made with care, though the quality of most items was what I'd expect of Target over Kate Spade.

I spotted a dress with a belt loop already ripped. It wasn't a huge problem for the $40 dress, but I expected slightly higher quality from Kate Spade. (Target didn't respond to a request for comment on the quality.)

I grabbed two dresses and a matching set to try on. I thought the dresses were pretty and well-made, but I didn't like them enough to buy them. However, to my surprise, I fell in love with a $30 polka-dot babydoll top.

I haven't owned a babydoll top in over a decade, but thanks to its feminine shape and fun print, I could easily picture myself wearing it to dinner in the summer. I bought the top, leaving the matching skirt — which I later found out was the one Amanda bought — at the store because it was a bit big on my waist.

I was so surprised at myself for buying the top that I texted one of my best friends a picture, writing, "I bought a babydoll top in the year 2025."

"I GOT THE SAME TOP," she replied in all caps. I cackled as I read it, delighted I wasn't the only one enchanted by the retro style.

Overall, I thought Target's Kate Spade collaboration embodied what I love most and find most dangerous about Target.

I didn't need much of anything I saw, but it was all so cute and affordable that I was tempted to buy multiple pieces just for fun. Leaving the store with only the shirt in tow felt like a feat.

A win for Target

Over the past few years, Target has been experimenting with designer collaborations, partnering with brands like Diane von Furstenberg and Kendra Scott to offer their products at a more affordable price.

The buzzy collections have brought shoppers into Target stores and to its site, but its collaboration with Kate Spade might be its best one yet.

It felt distinctly Kate Spade but had Target's prices, making the collection appealing to the customer bases of both brands.

Target has had a rough few months, with its sales and shares dropping as the retailer rolls back DEI initiatives and price-conscious consumers look to alternatives for affordable goods. However, the collaboration is a welcome change.

The lifestyle products aren't necessities. Still, playful designs and approachable prices make the items in this collection worthwhile, even if you aren't a longtime Kate Spade fan.

Teaming up with Kate Spade was a breath of fresh air for Target, and hopefully, the retailer can recreate that magic with other collaborations down the line.

• Allie and Ryan Larsen eloped in November 2021.
• Allie Larsen loved eloping but wished she had done a few things differently that day.
• She regrets not having a small reception or hiring a videographer.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Allie Larsen, a 37-year-old who lives in Raleigh. It has been edited for length and clarity.

My husband Ryan and I met on Instagram in 2018, right before I turned 30.

I followed his sister on Instagram because we both worked for the same modeling agency a long time ago. I'd never met her, but she posted a picture with her brother. I commented, "Is your brother single?" She was like, "Actually, he is." I lived in California then, so he flew out there for a job interview, and we ended up meeting up.

We got together, and we've been inseparable ever since.

We did long distance for two years. He lived in Raleigh at the time, so I then moved to North Carolina for him.

We got engaged in August of 2021.

Eloping over a traditional wedding

Growing up, I always envisioned myself having a wedding.

I called a few venues to get some quotes and figure out their schedule, and they were booked out for a year or two. I just really didn't want to wait that long.

After thinking about it more, we decided eloping was the best avenue. I was already 34 at that point. I was just like, "I do not want to wait. I want to get married now. I've already been with you for four or five years. It took us this long to be physically together and get engaged, and I'm just ready to do the damn thing and call you mine."

We got married in November, so we were only engaged for a few months.

We eloped in Raleigh, and it worked out perfectly. One of our favorite places is the North Carolina Museum of Art. I saw on Google that people were eloping there, so I reached out to the museum. All you need is permission, and you can get married on the grounds for free. It was a beautiful fall day, and the fact that it was free was a plus.

We just had our parents, our photographer, and our officiant there.

We booked dinner at a restaurant after we got married that night, and I ordered a little cake from a local bakery. That was it.

Our parents gave us money for our wedding, and we used that to buy a beach house. We wouldn't have been able to do that if we had spent all that money on a big wedding.

I loved eloping, but I wish we had done a few things differently

I regret not getting a videographer. Right after we eloped, I saw a lot of people getting into the content creation realm for weddings, which is such a genius idea.

I didn't need a fancy video. I just would have loved to have social content I could look back on and share. My photographer took a few videos, but having someone dedicated to capturing those moments — like me putting on my dress or us doing our vows — would have been ideal.

We also didn't say our own vows. We used the officiant vows, which were great, but I think that's your opportunity to write your vows. You don't even have to do them in front of the officiant. You could do them in the morning before you get officially married.

That is your moment. No one's around. No one's listening. You don't have to get nervous. You're not on a microphone. You can just express how much you love each other.

I really wish we did that, even if we wrote something down and shared it with each other. To have that forever to give our kids would have been amazing.

I also wish I had taken more time getting ready. I did my own hair and makeup. I spent weeks before perfecting it, so I didn't feel as rushed the day of. I took a lot of time to figure out the best makeup that would look good on camera. I went to Sephora, and I felt really confident.

I took some videos of myself rushing to get ready, then threw my dress on, and my husband and I went out in the yard and took pictures with our dog.

But I wish I had taken a moment to sit there and cherish the fact that those were my last few moments as a single woman. We got ready in separate bedrooms, but I wish we had put more time and energy into getting ready together, having Champagne, and having a few quiet moments together.

I wish we had a small reception

After the wedding, we went to dinner with our parents, but I do wish we had a small reception. We planned to have one a few months later, but it never happened.

After we got married and took pictures, we went back to our house and had a charcuterie board and some Champagne before dinner. It would have been so special if we had just had our close friends in Raleigh there to celebrate.

Something I did to offset that was I still had my bachelorette party after we got married. We had our surprise elopement, and then all my best friends and I went to Palm Springs.

They weren't like, "Wait, she's already married. This is weird." All my friends were there, acting like I was about to get married. It was everything I'd ever dreamed of.

Eloping was so special

I think a lot of people plan these extravagant events, and they lose the true meaning of a wedding.

It's about celebrating your love, your journey, and just the two of you.

The thing about your wedding is you can do whatever you want. No one says you have to walk down the aisle after your bridesmaids and stand up there.

You can still feel as special and loved eloping as you would having a big wedding.

• The 2025 Coachella festival has come to a close.
• Celebrities, both those onstage and in the audience, wore bold looks to the annual festival.
• Matching sets, daring cutouts, and Western-inspired looks were popular with stars.

Although it had a rocky start, the annual Coachella festival was in full swing over the weekend.

The 2025 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival kicked off on April 11 to 13, and the second performance weekend was April 18 to 20. The headliners included Lady Gaga, Green Day, Post Malone, and Travis Scott. Stars like Charli XCX and Megan Thee Stallion were also on the lineup.

A-listers took to the stage in Indio, California, while other celebrities gathered to watch them perform.

Whether onstage or off, stars pulled out their best festival wear for the event. Some took inspiration from the desert setting for their Coachella looks, while others rocked matching sets with daring cutouts.

Check out the best looks celebrities wore to Coachella 2025.

Lady Gaga wore multiple eye-catching outfits during her performance, but her dress to open her set served multiple purposes.

Lady Gaga opened her set in a red, Victorian-style dress with padded shoulders. The bodice flowed into a drastically oversize skirt, which was actually a set piece for Gaga's performance.

It looked like a ball gown skirt, complete with ruching, but it was two stories high. As Gaga performed, the skirt opened to reveal dancers performing at different levels in cage-like structures beneath her.

Gaga eventually came out of the skirt to perform the rest of her set, but it truly looked like part of her ensemble for the show's start.

Julia Fox took inspiration from the desert colors with her look, which included a corset.

Photographed at the Revolve Festival, Fox wore a sand-toned bustier with matching chaps over semi-sheer, brown tights that seemed to flow up to her chest.

A darker brown bolero, knee-high boots, and Fox's avant-garde sunglasses completed the desert chic look.

Dylan Efron's open button-down and backward hat were relaxed and fun.

The "Traitors" winner wore his scorpion-embroidered shirt open. He paired it with striped shorts, high-top Converse, and coordinating tube socks.

Paris Hilton's custom catsuit was covered in cutouts made of crisscrossing fabric.

The black ensemble, designed by Crop It Like It's Hot, featured chain detailing on the bodice.

Hilton wore black ankle boots, wrap sunglasses, and an iridescent shrug with the statement piece.

Dove Cameron's set for her performance at NYLON House featured faux fur detailing.

Cameron wore a strapless top with an exposed seam in the center and coordinating pants to perform at NYLON House's Coachella party.

Fuzzy fabric covered the bottom of the pants, matching the detached cuffs Cameron wore on her arms.

Dwyane Wade's colorful sweater vest popped at the Revolve Festival.

Wade wore the patterned vest with black, wide-legged trousers and blue and black sneakers.

His accessories — a black cap, sunglasses, and a silver chain — made the ensemble feel complete.

Jennie performed in an all-red Western look.

Jennie took the stage at Coachella in a red crop top, cropped jacket, and micro-shorts, all covered in a red snakeskin texture.

She accessorized the look with a red cowboy hat and red-tinted sunglasses. Thigh-high, brown boots completed the ensemble.

Amelia Dimoldenberg's matching skirt and top were effortlessly cool.

The "Chicken Shop Date" host's halter top was open in the center, giving it a flirty edge.

Dimoldenberg also wore black, bedazzled shoes and reflective sunglasses.

Sparkly accessories made Keshi's all-black look pop.

The "Soft Spot" singer took the stage in a semi-sheer, black top that was open on the chest.

He wore the shirt with black, flared jeans, the bottoms of which were covered in textured embellishments. A beaded, gold belt and chains sat on his waist.

Becky G's gauzy, white set looked otherworldly.

The singer performed in a bikini-style top and wrap skirt with a thigh-high slit.

Her arm cuff featured fabric flowing like a train, just like her skirt.

Benson Boone rocked a matching set for one of his Coachella performances.

Boone took the stage in a cropped, white jacket with short sleeves and blue ribbon detailing on the bodice.

The ribbons formed tassels on the wide legs of his white trousers, which he accessorized with a belt. White and blue sneakers completed the look.

Bea Miller's netted ensemble included an asymmetrical top and miniskirt.

Miller's top had one sleeve and cut across her body, exposing a belly chain on her waist.

The textured skirt balanced out the top. The whole ensemble felt like a stylish take on mermaidcore.

Teyana Taylor's all-black look for the Revolve Festival included a Miu Miu cowboy hat.

Taylor's cropped black tee featured swirled architectural detailing on the bust and matched her low-waisted skirt, which flowed to the floor.

A belly chain and gold necklaces gave the outfit a bit of shimmer, while her Miu Miu hat made everything feel high-fashion.

Shaboozey performed in one of his iconic floral suits.

Shaboozey often wears modern spins on classic Western attire when he performs, and Coachella was no exception.

The "Tipsy" singer's white suit featured red patches and blue detailing in the shape of flowers and birds. His bolo tie and cowboy boots were patterned in the same color scheme.

Noah Cyrus joined Shaboozy onstage in a sheer lace dress.

Cyrus' gown felt like a chic spin on Western wear.

The gown's high neckline and ruffled sleeves contrasted with the sheer lace that covered it, exposing her legs and underwear.

Charli D'Amelio's black set fit the festival perfectly.

D'Amelio's ensemble felt reminiscent of a look Vanessa Hudgens might have worn to Coachella in her festival heyday.

Her crop top was trimmed in lace detailing, while her micro-shorts had embellishments on the waistline and tassels on the trim. Black boots tied it all together.

One of Megan Thee Stallion's looks for her performance at Coachella had an early 2000s feel.

During her set, Megan took the stage in a bedazzled, cropped halter top featuring the True Religion logo.

She paired the shirt with denim micro shorts and fishnet tights. Bandanas on each side of her hips completed the retro ensemble.

Tyla also performed in a set that felt reminiscent of the early 2000s.

The "Water" singer paired a green bikini top with denim micro shorts, a corset body chain, and zebra print boots.

Fans noted that the outfit was similar to the look Britney Spears wore when performing with a snake at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2001. However, in a post on X on Sunday, Tyla said Spears didn't inspire the outfit.

Ciara elevated a simple tank top with a statement plaid skirt.

Between performances with Megan Thee Stallion, Ciara appeared at YouTube's Coachella party in a white tank top and a high-waisted, plaid skirt with a ruched hem.

A black beanie, black over-the-knee boots, gold jewelry, and sunglasses made the look chic.

The detailing on Lisa's red bodysuit for her Coachella performance popped.

Fresh off her run as Mook on "The White Lotus," Lisa performed at Coachella in a series of daring outfits, including a skin-tight, red bodysuit.

The suit was covered in scaled and pointed detailing, including talon-like features on Lisa's shoulders, almost making her look like a dragon come to life.

Producer Jermaine Mitchell rocked leopard-print pants.

Mitchell also appeared at YouTube's Coachella event, arriving in patterned pants with two belts, a leather vest, and no shirt.

He leaned into the Western aesthetic with his black accessories, which included a cowboy hat, a bandana, boots, and sunglasses.

Cynthia Erivo joined Gustavo Dudamel onstage at Coachella in an ethereal dress.

Erivo's high-low dress cinched at the waist, and the bodice and miniskirt were made of ruched, black fabric.

Sheer, white lace covered her chest and formed billowing sleeves. The same fabric hemmed the skirt and formed a train in the back, showing off her thigh-high black boots in the front.

The contrasting fabrics made the outfit look both edgy and feminine.

• Sarah J. Maas published her most recent novel in January 2024.
• Maas' next novel will be the sixth installment in the "A Court of Thorns and Roses" series.
• The novel doesn't have a release date yet, but Maas has offered some clues about the book.

It's been over a year since fans of Sarah J. Maas got even a glimpse of the "A Court of Thorns and Roses" series.

Maas' magical world of Prythian briefly appeared in her 2024 novel, "House of Flame and Shadow," but the last "ACOTAR" book was released in 2021.

Still, fans of her romantasy series have reason to get excited. Maas has already confirmed her next book will be the sixth installment of the "ACOTAR" series — and she's been working on it for nearly two years.

Warning: There are some spoilers for Maas' work ahead.

Maas is working on the next 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' book

In March 2023, Bloomsbury announced Maas signed a deal for three more books with the publisher. At the time, she was already contracted for four titles, including "House of Flame and Shadow," the third installment in her "Crescent City" series.

In September 2023, Maas gave readers their first clue as to what would come next in the six books she had left under her contract, telling Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings during a "Live Talks Los Angeles" appearance that she was "drafting" the next "ACOTAR" book — and having a blast doing it.

"I will say that I've become so focused and obsessed with writing this book," she told Hobbs and Billings. "It's like that feeling of having a crush or when you're first, like, obsessed with someone, and you're just thinking about it nonstop."

Likewise, in a January 2024 interview with Today's Jenna Bush Hager, Maas said her next published work would be the sixth installment of "ACOTAR."

"I'm very, very excited about that one," Maas told Today of the coming book, though she didn't give any details about it.

Bloomsbury has not announced a release date or title for the sixth "ACOTAR" book, though Maas indicated she was working on the book in an Instagram post in April 2024.

The post features a photo of Maas taken from behind, looking at a snowy landscape.

She captioned it, "Went up North to write for a while. 🌲🏔️🌲 #ACOwhattt #draftingmodeactivated."

Every book in the "A Court of Thorns and Roses" series has an abbreviation that starts with "ACO," like "ACOTAR" or "ACOWAR," so #ACOwhattt told readers Maas was drafting the next novel in the series.

The most recent book in the series was "A Court of Silver Flames," which was released in 2021 and focused on Nesta Archeron. The first four "ACOTAR" books were told from the perspective of Feyre Archeron, while Maas seemed to move into a new era of the series by writing from her sister's perspective with "ACOSF."

To readers' delight, Nesta also appeared in "House of Flame and Shadow."

Clues about the new book in 'House of Flame and Shadow'

Maas has been tight-lipped about the contents of her coming work, but a new "ACOTAR" installment is a natural follow-up to "House of Flame and Shadow."

The novel created a multiverse between Maas' "ACOTAR," "Crescent City," and "Throne of Glass" series and offered insight into what might be happening in Prythian when a new novel begins.

In "House of Flame and Shadow," Nesta and Azriel discover the magical prison in Prythian, which lies atop what was once a powerful fae court, alongside Bryce Quinlan, the protagonist from "Crescent City."

They also learn that Rhysand's lineage traces back to the fae who ruled the prison, which would have been the Dusk Court, creating the potential for Rhys to rule two courts.

Nesta also seems to have connections to those long-forgotten fae, as she bears an eight-pointed star tattoo that matches a chamber in the prison and the design on a sword called Gwydion that had been missing from Prythian for centuries. The sword had been with Bryce's family on her planet, Midgard, where it is called the Starsword.

In "HOFAS," Bryce brought the sword to Prythian with her when she sought aid from the fae there, and she ultimately stole Gwydion's twin, a dagger called Truth-Teller, from Azriel. She uses the weapons together to bring peace to her planet, but she returns the dagger to Azriel — alongside a magical mask Nesta let her borrow — at the novel's end. In the same scene, she gifts Gwydion to Bryce.

"I think that eight-pointed star was tattooed on you for a reason. Take that sword and go figure out why," Bryce told Nesta.

It's possible Maas was setting up a continuation of Nesta's story for her next "ACOTAR" novel in the scene, which may see her continue to explore her power and connections to the Starborn fae, as they are called on Midgard.

Elain's story

Maas tied "ACOTAR" and "Crescent City" together primarily through Nesta and Azriel in "House of Flame and Shadow."

However, Maas might turn to other characters in Prythian for her next "ACOTAR" novel. For instance, Maas told Eva Chen during an appearance on "Live Talks Los Angeles" in February 2021 that she plans to write a book from the third Archeron sister's perspective — Elain.

In "A Court of Silver Flames," Elain had settled into life at the Night Court, refusing to explore her mating bond with Lucien. After breaking ties with Tamlin and the Spring Court, Lucien served as an emissary to the human lands for the Night Court, keeping his distance from Elain because being around her was painful.

Elain also seems to have an attraction to Azriel in the text, though Maas juxtaposed their bond with how ill-fitting aspects of life at the Night Court are for Elain during a visit to the Court of Nightmares in "ACOSF." Some fans think Maas set up a storyline for Elain to find a home at a different court and that Azriel will find love with Nesta's friend Gywn instead of Elain.

Maas also hasn't explored the full potential of Elain's Seer powers in the series, so she will likely write more about her abilities when Elain's novel comes around.

• "Manacled" is a popular, dark fan fiction by SenLinYu.
• The author is adapting it into a traditionally published book called "Alchemised."
• The original text is based on "Harry Potter" and "The Handmaid's Tale."

"Harry Potter" fan fiction is going mainstream in 2025.

In 2023 and 2024, fan fiction about Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger — or Dramione, as fans call the couple — went viral. Stories long beloved by the fic community reached wider audiences through social media, particularly TikTok, but few got as much attention as "Manacled," a dark romance by SenLinYu.

Following the frenzy of attention, Del Rey will publish SenLinYu's "Alchemised," which reimagines "Manacled" with original characters and a fresh plot, in September 2025.

Here's everything we know about "Alchemised" so far, from how it will differ from "Manacled" to its release date.

'Manacled' is a dark romance between Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy

Enemies-to-lovers fan fiction about Hermione, Harry Potter's precocious best friend, and Draco, the morally gray Slytherin, have been popular online for years.

However, SenLinYu's "Manacled" has a darker tone than many Dramione stories because it also draws inspiration from Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale."

It imagines an alternate universe in which Lord Voldemort killed Harry Potter, and the Death Eaters defeated the Order of the Phoenix in the battle at Hogwarts. "Manacled" diverts from the canonical "Harry Potter" plot after the events of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix."

After fighting alongside Harry in the war as a healer, Hermione is imprisoned for sixteen months and robbed of her magic through enchanted handcuffs by Dolores Umbridge, one of the most loathed characters by "Harry Potter" fans. Hermione also has magical gaps in her memory about her life during the war that even she cannot remove.

Witches who fought for the Order are forced to become surrogates for dark wizards to repopulate the magical population (à la "The Handmaid's Tale"). The Death Eaters give Hermione to Voldemort's second-in-command, known as the High Reeve, as a surrogate in the hopes that he can also help uncover her lost memories.

Hermione is horrified to discover Draco is the High Reeve, living out a waking nightmare trapped at Malfoy Manor. However, the more time they spend together, Hermione finds her repressed memories hold truths about her relationship with Draco — and her impact on the war — that she could never have imagined.

SenLinYu published "Manacled" in installments over 2018 and 2019 on the fan fiction website Archive of Our Own (Ao3). The work amassed millions of hits, becoming particularly popular in 2023 when it blew up on BookTok.

In 2025, "Manacled" was removed from Ao3 ahead of the release of "Alchemised."

'Alchemised' is a reimagined version of the fic

In a February 2024 interview with Today, SenLinYu said they wanted to turn "Manacled" into an original novel because of how viral the fan fiction had become.

"Using this opportunity to reimagine it felt like a way to leave the original version to fandom so that they could keep it, but that I could take back the rest of the story and rework it in a way where it became mine again," the author told Today.

According to the book's description, "Alchemised" follows Helena Marino, an alchemist and healer who fought in the Resistance before she was captured by the necromancers when they defeated the rebels.

Helena can't remember the months before her imprisonment, which alarms the necromancers. They send her to the High Reeve, Kaine, hoping he can uncover anything suspicious lurking in her mind. She isn't the only one with secrets, though, leading Kaine and Helena down a dangerous path.

Because "Alchemised" is an original novel, it cannot exist in the universe of "Harry Potter" or "The Handmaid's Tale" due to trademark laws.

The book's description indicates that the magical elements inspired by "Harry Potter" have been replaced with necromancy and alchemy in "Alchemised," though Helena and Kaine are in a similar position to Hermione and Draco at the start of "Manacled."

Likewise, the surrogate aspect of "Manacled" inspired by "The Handmaid's Tale" appears to have been removed from the story. However, the book's cover features a woman walking toward a mansion in a red cloak and hat, which resembles the cloaks handmaids wear in Atwood's original work.

"Alchemised" will be available for purchase on September 30, and it isn't the only Dramione fan fiction being adapted into a traditionally published novel in 2025.

On July 25, Julie Soto will release "Rose in Chains," inspired by a fan fiction she wrote called "The Auction." Brigitte Knightley will publish "The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy" in the same month. The novel takes inspiration from her beloved fic "Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love."

• On Tuesday, Meghan Markle launched her new podcast, "Confessions of a Female Founder."
• In the premiere, Meghan discussed her worries about As Ever's launch, saying she gets stuck in "3 a.m. loops."
• The Duchess of Sussex shared she was anxious about packaging at the time of the recording.

Meghan Markle is back in the podcast booth.

On Tuesday, the Duchess of Sussex launched her new podcast, "Confessions of a Female Founder." She previously hosted the "Archetypes" podcast with Spotify, though she and Prince Harry ended their relationship with the brand in 2023.

In the first episode, Meghan interviewed her close friend Whitney Wolfe Herd, the founder and CEO of Bumble.

The duo's conversation, recorded in February, focused primarily on Herd's business experience.

However, Meghan also opened up about her worries about her own company, As Ever, which launched on April 2.

As Ever anxiety

Meghan opened the podcast by sharing how "overwhelming" she finds starting a business, which was a little over a month away from launch when the episode was recorded.

"Let's be honest, launching a business, it can be so overwhelming," Meghan said. "Even with the best of teams, it'll keep you up at night because every single decision, every micro detail, in that moment, it feels monumental."

"For example, a month ago, I was absolutely consumed with packaging," she said. "Boxes, that's all I could think about. And I would sit there doing the unboxing in my head."

Meghan detailed the concerns about boxing that would run through her mind, from whether she should have tissue paper or packing peanuts in the packaging to where the label should go on the box.

"And then I'm sitting there and I'm like, 'Does any of this actually matter?'" she said. "Of course, it matters. It matters in the beginning, but how much does it matter?"

Meghan said she decided to speak to Herd to get her take on how much to focus on those details.

Launch stress

As they spoke, Herd said she felt she wasted time being stressed, leading Meghan to question how you can just stop feeling it.

"But can you turn it off?" Meghan asked. "I say this because last night, I was just — you know when your brain goes in a loop? Those 3 a.m. loops?"

She continued: "It's just like, you can't stop overthinking the thing, and 'How are you going to address that?' and 'Oh gosh, but that packaging,' and 'I want the packaging to look like this,' and 'That's not the unboxing experience I had in mind,' and 'How are we going to pivot?'"

Herd advised Meghan to spend less time worrying about problems that will not be a "defining issue in your business."

Meghan agreed, but she told Herd she struggled to get out of her own head "especially at launch" when she was struggling with the "pressure" of a "first impression."

"I try to compartmentalize and say, 'OK, all I can control is this extension of my essence and my aesthetic and what I want to share with people,'" Meghan said. Still, she said she struggles to understand she can only try her best and cannot control what other people think of her work.

Early success

Despite Meghan's anxiety, early intel indicates As Ever's launch was largely successful. Though the company hasn't released sales figures yet, its collection sold out in under an hour, and its honey sold out in just five minutes.

In fact, the biggest hiccup As Ever faced was informing some shoppers that it couldn't fulfill their honey orders because the brand ran out of stock more quickly than anticipated. It promised them first access to its next product drop as a consolation.

As Ever's success follows a solid start for the Duchess of Sussex's Netflix series "With Love, Meghan," which premiered on March 4. The show hit Netflix's top 10 after it dropped, and the streamer announced that season two of the series will air in the fall of 2025.

Overall, Meghan's pivot to lifestyle is off to a strong start, despite critics watching her every move.

A new episode of "Confessions of a Female Founder" will air on April 15.

• Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez have been a public couple since 2019.
• They've started attending public events together in recent years, especially since they got engaged.
• The couple frequently wears complementary looks on red carpets.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's relationship has been newsworthy since it became public in 2019, as their relationship came on the heels of the Amazon founder's divorce from MacKenzie Scott.

After multiple outlets reported they were engaged in May 2023, they have been attending more public events together than ever.

And as they have attended more events together, Bezos and Sánchez have developed their sense of style as a couple, often wearing subtly coordinated, chic ensembles.

Take a look at some of the couple's best looks together to date.

Lauren Sánchez and Jeff Bezos wore contrasting prints while attending a Prime Video event together.

While Bezos walked the blue carpet in a marble-esque blazer, Sánchez stood out in a sparkling black-and-red gown.

Her dress had long sleeves made from polka-dot mesh, a plunging neckline that reached her navel, and a thigh-high slit. The daring gown also had an all-over geometric print that sparkled in the light.

The couple opted for classic glam at the 2021 Baby2Baby 10-Year Gala.

Bezos attended in a traditional tuxedo with thick lapels, a white button-up shirt, and a black bow tie.

Sánchez mirrored him in a black mermaid-style gown. It had thin straps, a ruffled lace neckline, and a matching black band around the waist. She accessorized with a diamond cuff on her wrist.

Their summer style has included light-colored gowns and simple suits.

At the 2022 premiere of "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power," for example, Bezos sported a gray suit comprised of a sharp blazer, pleated trousers, and a lighter-toned undershirt.

Sánchez kept things even simpler in a white asymmetrical gown from Tom Ford. The body-hugging piece had a single shoulder strap, a fitted waistline, and a skirt slit that revealed her gold sandals.

Bezos and Sánchez dazzled at another "Lord of the Rings" premiere in black and red.

Bezos posed for photographers in a black suit, which he wore with a white undershirt and satin tie.

Sánchez took the opposite approach with her outfit, wearing a vibrant red gown covered in tiny sparkles. She also wore silver sandals and a diamond bracelet.

They amped up their style for a Versace fashion show in 2023.

Sánchez showed the edgy side of her style in a minidress from the Italian designer. Its black fabric sparkled as she moved, and black belts crisscrossed over the garment.

She wore it with semi-sheer tights and pointed pumps.

Bezos, on the other hand, swapped his usual tuxedos for a sleeker suit. He wore a dark T-shirt underneath a lighter jacket and completed the outfit with shining dress shoes.

Sánchez and Bezos coordinated in black outfits again at the Vanity Fair Oscars after-party in March 2023.

Sánchez's Elie Saab gown had off-the-shoulder sleeves that created a plunging V-neckline. The form-fitting bodice was actually a bodysuit, and a semi-sheer skirt with strips of sparkly black fabric sat atop it.

Bezos kept his look simple in a black tuxedo.

The couple put a summery spin on red-carpet attire at the TIAH anniversary soirée in August 2023.

Bezos wore multiple neutral shades for the event, pairing a pale gray shirt with a taupe jacket, white pants, and taupe shoes.

In contrast, Sánchez wore a form-fitting red gown with embellished spaghetti straps and clear heels.

Sánchez and Bezos wore all-black looks to a Staud fashion show in September 2023.

Sánchez's sparkly minidress from Staud, which had a slit on one side, had a celestial theme, as it was adorned with constellations. She accessorized with silver shoes and jewelry.

Bezos paired his short-sleeve black T-shirt and pants with a chic vest.

Both had fun with texture when they attended a Dolce & Gabbana party in Milan in January.

The couple embraced the mob wife trend for the Dolce & Gabbana party, wearing coordinating looks from the designer. Bezos wore black-on-black with a velvet suit and a black button-down, which he wore with no tie.

Sánchez's dress was more daring, as the figure-hugging gown had a corset bodice and was made entirely of sheer black lace. She wore a blazer jacket with a black rosette on her shoulders, open-toe shoes, and oversize sunglasses.

The couple looked effortlessly chic at a Chanel pre-Oscars dinner in March.

Bezos wore a charcoal suit to the dinner, which he dressed down with a black T-shirt and black shoes.

Sánchez chose a long-sleeve, black dress for the event. The garment hit her at the ankle, showing off black heels, and had a plunging neckline. A choker completed her look.

Sánchez and Bezos wowed at the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscars after-party.

Both Sánchez and Bezos wore Lever Couture to Vanity Fair's party.

Bezos' black tuxedo was simple, but he added a diamond brooch to his lapel to elevate the ensemble.

Sánchez wore a red ball gown with a dramatic train. The dress was made of tulle that fell in ribbons, creating volume on the sleeves and skirt and emphasizing the plunging neckline and form-fitting bodice. Her nude shoes and diamond necklace gave the look a timeless feel.

Sánchez wore a semi-sheer dress to the White House state dinner in April.

Bezos and Sánchez attended the White House state dinner held in Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's honor on Wednesday.

While Bezos attended the dinner in a traditional black tuxedo, Sánchez wore a deep-red dress styled by Kelly Johnson. The off-the-shoulder gown featured a semi-sheer corset bodice made of lace, contrasting with the silky skirt.

Gold heels with leaf detailing and a sparkly silver bag completed Sánchez's bold look.

The couple wore coordinating black-and-white ensembles at the 2024 Met Gala.

Sánchez chose Oscar de La Renta for her Met Gala debut, wearing a strapless gown from the designer.

The black bodice had a simple sweetheart neckline, while a mosaic of fabric that created roses covered the full skirt and train.

On the red carpet, Sánchez told Vogue she thought the gown was "extremely unique and has a sense of femininity."

Bezos didn't walk the red carpet with his fiancée, but he joined her at the top of the Met steps in a classic black tuxedo.

In 2025, they stepped out at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in statement looks.

Sánchez and Bezos could have been mistaken for a bride and groom at the Beverly Hills event in March.

The Amazon founder wore a black suit, a white undershirt, a matching bowtie, and a diamond brooch. Sánchez stood beside him in a strapless white Oscar de la Renta ball gown decorated with feathers.

The outfits seemingly nodded to their coming wedding, which is said to be taking place in Italy over the summer.

They later celebrated science at the 2025 Breakthrough Prize ceremony and wore classic red-carpet attire.

Bezos kept things simple with a black tuxedo, matching bowtie, and white undershirt. Sánchez, however, brought the glamour.

She wore a red, sleeveless gown — made by John Galliano in 1994 — that was previously worn by Sophia Loren. It had an asymmetrical bodice with a low neckline, form-fitting fabric across the waist, and a skirt that flowed around her ankles.

She completed the flashy outfit with diamond earrings, a statement necklace, and a crystal-covered clutch designed by Judith Leiber to look like an astronaut.

• Lexi and Jordan Poer bought their forever home in 2017.
• Six years later, they decided to build a second home for Lexi Poer's mom on their property.
• The two homes are connected, creating a multigenerational space that gives everyone independence.

Lexi Poer, a full-time content creator, always knew she wanted her mom to live with her family.

When her dream of combining households became a reality, she wanted to ensure her mother could maintain her independence.

Poer, her husband, and her mom decided to build a second home connected to their main house, fulfilling everyone's needs as they embraced multigenerational living.

Lexi and Jordan Poer bought their forever home in 2017.

Lexi Poer, 35, and Jordan Poer, 40, bought their home in Roswell, Georgia, in 2017, intending to make it their forever home for themselves and their two daughters, Kennedy and Addie. They also have two dogs, Baby and Paris.

"We purchased the house from the original owners, and it was built in the early '70s," Lexi Poer told BI of the four-bedroom home. "Everything was well-maintained and updated as needed, but we were able to come in and spend what we call the fun money on bringing it up to date aesthetically."

They did some initial renovations on the property before moving into the house in March 2018.

Poer had always dreamed of her mom moving in with her family, and in 2023, it felt like the right time to make the move.

Poer told BI that she and her mom, Sandra Vassell, 64, have always been close. Vassell raised her as a single mom, and Poer said she was clear with her husband in the early days of their relationship that she always planned for her mom to live with them someday.

"As a child, I always imagined having a compound with several houses in a cul-de-sac so we each had our own space but lived near each other," Poer said. "My mom was just laughing, thinking I was crazy."

In 2020, Poer and her family started thinking more about having Vassell live with them, as COVID made seeing each other difficult. Shortly after, when housing prices skyrocketed, it seemed like a sign that they should consolidate into one space.

"We figured out that she would be able to sell her home for far more than she purchased it not many years before that and invest that money into our home and building her own space," Poer said. "That was the piece that made the dream a reality."

It was important to the Poers and Vassell that everyone maintained their independence.

As the Poers started thinking about creating an in-law suite for Vassell in their home, maintaining her independence was a priority.

"She very much wanted to make sure that she had all of the things she needed to live independently in her space, like somewhere to park her car and enter her home without having to come through our house, access to the outdoor space without having to enter our house, her own laundry room, her own kitchen," Poer said.

Likewise, the Poers liked entertaining friends and didn't want their social life to disrupt Vassell's routine.

They decided to build a separate house for Vassell that attaches to the main house.

Rather than building a separate guest house in a different area of their yard, the Poers and Vassell wanted the two homes to truly connect, both for curb appeal and to fit their lifestyle.

"We imagined when the girls wake up on Saturday morning, they always want to run down and go into Nana's house and watch cartoons or have breakfast with her," Poer said, as her daughters often spent weekends at their grandmother's house when she didn't live with them.

They didn't want the kids to have to think about grabbing a jacket or rain boots to run across the yard, and they also wanted their dogs to be able to wander through the spaces.

The houses form one structure, though the new addition has its own driveway and garage.

The homes connect through a walk-in pantry in the Poers' house.

The new home is connected to the main house through a walk-in pantry that Poer and her mom use.

"It's where we put the things that neither of us needs daily but both want access to, and we didn't really feel like we needed double of everything," Poer said, pointing to items like a stand mixer or Christmas china.

The space, which sits off the main house's kitchen, is lined with cabinets and counters. At the end of the hall, a door leads to Vassell's home.

The connected entrance opens to the kitchen, mirroring the big house.

Vassell's home is 1,000 square feet in total. From the exterior, the houses look like one building, though her area is completely self-sustaining.

The door connecting her house to the main home doesn't have a lock, so the Poers and Vassell can come and go from each other's homes as they please.

The kitchen features a large island and built-in cabinetry, and Vassell has her own butler's pantry in addition to the one she shares with the Poers. Her house features 16-foot vaulted ceilings that make it feel open and airy.

An open-concept floor plan makes the home feel spacious.

Vassell's living room is open-concept, and she has an exterior door that leads to a shared patio outside the house.

Because the house was customized to fit Vassell's needs, it has areas designed just for her, like a craft closet.

"She's a big crafter, so she has this dream craft closet that unfolds and can fold back up and holds all of her crafting storage," Poer said.

Vassell's house also has its own washer and dryer, so she doesn't have to share with the rest of the family.

Vassell's home has a special room for the girls.

"We call it the snug," Poer said of the 50-square-foot room, which is painted a soft pink and features a twin bed, toys, and keepsakes that belong to Poer's daughters.

"That is the girls' space within Nana's house, and that was something they requested," Poer said. "It was important for them to feel like they could still go over and have sleepovers with grandma because they love doing that."

"Long-term, it could totally be an additional storage space or an office or a little exercise space," she said. "It could be multiple purposes when the kids outgrow that space."

The bedroom is spacious, too.

A hallway leads to the bedroom suite, so it isn't right off the main living area.

"There's a bit more privacy for both the bedroom and the bathroom, and then between those, she has her large walk-in closet as well," Poer said.

The bedroom has high ceilings, adding to the spacious feel.

The Poers thought long-term when designing Vassell's bathroom.

The bathroom was designed to be wheelchair accessible, so it will work for Vassell — or the Poers — if their mobility changes.

"We truly want this home to stay in the family," Lexi said. "People don't do that nowadays. But I definitely feel like, with home prices and the way they're going, that is going to become more normal, especially when you have invested so much money into your home like we have."

"We always say, even when Nana's gone someday, my husband and I might end up moving into what is now Nana's house, and maybe one of the girls will want to take over our home," she said. "We're definitely not forcing that on them but leaving the door open to explore."

The Poers' hope that they could pass the house down to their daughters is also part of why they didn't build a separate guest house, which might have given the property a higher resale value than a connected house. They wanted to create the future that worked for them, not a potential buyer.

"We have zero desire to move again, and my husband and I would be plenty content just living in that 1000 square feet once the girls are out of the house," Poer added.

The Poers gave their home a major upgrade during the renovation, too.

While adding Vassell's home to their property, Poer and her husband also renovated the second floor of their house so it would better serve their family.

They turned their original primary bedroom into two massive his-and-hers closets and built out an additional 500 square feet that became their new primary suite and luxurious laundry room.

Poer said the original primary suite was dated, and although they had renovated it in 2017, it still didn't feel like it flowed with the rest of the house.

"It just felt like we're adding such an investment into this house that the primary suite needs to reflect that," she said. "We felt making a larger, more modern-size primary bedroom and bathroom and then larger closets made the home value more what it should be overall, especially with adding the square footage."

After the renovation, the house had five bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms.

The renovation cost $350,000 in total.

Poer said Vassell's home was built for around $200,000, and the renovations to the second floor of the main house cost around $150,000.

Although the renovation was costly, the project has saved the Poer family money day to day since they only have one household that three adults pay into.

"Sure, electricity goes up, but it doesn't double," Lexi said. "It's still not you're like you're paying two electric bills. It's just one slightly higher electric bill and the same with all utilities."

Plus, the trio has three income sources they can draw from if something breaks in Vassell's home, and Poer said they're already saving money on groceries and wasting less food. Poer also said their living arrangements save her and her mom time.

"Instead of her having to clean her house and I have to clean my house, we can have a day where we're cleaning up the house," Poer said. "Now, that takes time off of both of our plates to then be able to garden together or go to get coffee together or something like that."

Poer and her whole family are closer than ever now that they live together.

"We're able to do things more often together than we did before," Poer said, adding that it's easy for her mom to be part of little "family moments" daily.

"She's at every single sporting event because she just hops in the car with us and goes. Or if we're watching 'Harry Potter' for the first time, she's able to make popcorn and pop over," Poer said. "She's able to witness more of those core memory moments with her grandkids, and she and I are able to spend more time together when the kids are at school together."

Poer and her mom's close relationship helped make the transition to sharing a property easy. Still, she also credits their design process with ensuring the home and the in-law suite work for their whole family. She said combining households is smoothest when you balance people's independence with "the value each person brings into the whole family dynamic."

"Everyone wants to still feel like they have their home and it's their safe space, their comfort zone," she said.

Poer hopes more families in the US embrace multigenerational living.

"It's not a new concept," she said. "It's been around in so many cultures."

Poer said she is excited to see more people creating multigenerational homes, and she loves sharing her experience with it on social media to help others see how easy it can be to make it work for their families.

"I think as a society, one of our biggest things that we're going to have to get through is this culture of isolation that phones and electronics and we've created for ourselves, and what better way to do that than just having your family surround you and love on you and be your built-in community right in your house," Poer said.

• Posts about feminine energy are popular on social media.
• Creators say feminine energy can help any person trust their intuition and live authentically.
• Experts warn the message can get lost in translation when its watered down on social media.

Alexis Smith and Nadia Khaled were at a crossroads in their early 20s. Smith, 25, was reeling from an intense breakup, while Khaled, 26, needed a change after losing her job.

Then, they tapped into their feminine energy — and everything changed.

The concept of divine feminine energy, which believers feel is a force that exists in everyone and guides our emotional and creative sides, has been all over social media.

You might've seen videos of women breaking down their rituals to connect with their energy, inspirational Instagram graphics about how feminine energy can change your life, or clips of people discussing how they healed their feminine side.

Content creators like Smith and Khaled said that tapping into their feminine energy was key to creating the lives they wanted.

However, experts told Business Insider that the recent trend has some drawbacks, from reinforcing gender norms to opening the door to alt-right pipelines.

Say hello to divine feminine energy

It's tough to find an exact definition of divine feminine energy on social media. Still, it generally refers to a manifestation of creativity and emotion, complementing the action and logic that come from masculine energy, experts said.

The concept of femininity versus masculinity isn't new. It appears in different religions and psychological frameworks, like in controversial Swiss psychologist and psychiatrist Carl Jung's musings on the anima and animus, which he saw as the feminine side of men and the masculine side of women.

Author and physician Deepak Chopra also embraces the idea of the divine feminine, writing in a 2021 essay, "The adjectives that apply to the personal feminine are love, affection, forgiveness, compassion, allowing, nurturing, and creative. They need to be present in everyone's life, whether you are a man or woman, and every child needs to be exposed to them."

Smith and Khaled told BI they learned about the divine feminine online and through books like "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle and podcasts such as Jay Shetty's "On Purpose."

"It comes down to really tuning into my body and what my body is calling me to do as opposed to what my brain is telling me to do," Khaled said of how feminine energy functions in her life.

She said she tries to actively tap into her feminine energy by making herself feel present in her body, whether by taking herself on a date to Barnes & Noble, doing a more in-depth skincare routine, or listening to her body when she's exhausted.

"If I am feeling really burned out, I don't push myself to go harder," Khaled said. "I take that as a sign to step back and relax, and when I'm feeling inspired to take action, that's when I start doing the initiating and leaning more into that masculine energy."

Smith, a feminine energy coach and content creator, said she thinks of feminine energy as "life force" energy and a way to get in touch with her younger, most authentic self.

Meanwhile, she said she relies on masculine energy for her work but often needs to turn that "energy off," which "takes a lot of planning and organization."

Both creators also said focusing on their feminine energy enabled them to adopt an "attract, don't chase" motto in their personal and professional lives, which they say has made them more successful.

Khaled saw her social media following explode when she started approaching content creation with this mindset, and Smith said she's been happier while dating since she embraced it.

A form of empowerment

Although Smith and Khaled use feminine energy similarly, the term holds different meanings in other settings.

Erika Evans, a sexologist and relationship therapist, discusses the idea of feminine and masculine energy with her clients from a therapeutic lens. She said tapping into those sides can help her clients grow and trust their instincts.

Evans also encourages her clients to create rituals, such as dancing, journaling, or spending time in nature, to help them tap into their feminine energy.

Jessica Maddox, an associate professor of digital media at the University of Alabama, told BI she thinks there can be "power" in divine feminine social media content that tells women to trust their instincts.

"Women are often dismissed as being too emotional or hysterical," she said. "Anything that encourages women to listen to their own feelings and trust themselves is important."

"This divine feminine trend can push back against some sexist ideas that women are just hysterical and over-emotional," she added.

Still, she also sees potential risks with the trend.

A shrinking ideal of womanhood

Divine feminine energy is pretty innocuous as a mindset or spiritual concept. However, Maddox said that as it's watered down for 20-second clips on social media, it's easy to be oversimplified or become devoid of context, so some of the message's intricacies are lost.

"That's generally the problem with social media," Maddox said. "The more and more things spread and go viral, the more divorced from their original context and meaning they become."

For instance, Maddox said she could see how someone trusting only their instincts could lead them to disregard science or believe conspiracy theories.

Likewise, Khaled and Smith told BI that it's important for everyone to connect with their feminine and masculine energies, but some divine feminine content on social media shifts from focusing on energies to giving advice on what women should do versus men. That can reinforce a traditional gender binary and exclude queer or trans people. It can also suggest that there is only one way to embody feminine or masculine energy.

Evans uses the concept to help people of all gender identities explore what feminity or masculinity means to them as individuals. But that self-exploratory conversation with an expert isn't possible on social media.

Divine feminine energy content also isn't too far removed from other popular social media trends, like manifestation content and "soft living" posts, which oppose hustle culture and prioritize self-care and overall health. In some ways, this line of thinking offers a cheat code for success in an ever-more-competitive world, telling people the problem is that they're working too hard or that the corporate world isn't suited to their needs.

Still, those posts sometimes transition to anti-work content targeted at women. Some creators have also jumped on the stay-at-home girlfriend trend or pivoted to the much-discussed tradwife content that preaches one way to be a wife or mother and emphasizes domesticity.

This ever-softer archetype of a woman is met with an increasingly aggressive ideal of a straight man, which can be a harmful dichotomy as these models seep into the real world. Self-proclaimed misogynist Andrew Tate, who has been accused of human trafficking and sexual misconduct, aptly demonstrates the real-world risks of buying into the exaggerated gender binary. (Tate has repeatedly denied the allegations against him.)

So, while the concept of divine feminine energy might feel empowering for some, it can also lead to dangerous repercussions offline when it's used to weaponize feminity.

Approaching divine feminine with nuance

Evans thinks creators could fuel a more nuanced conversation around the divine feminine by balancing feminine and masculine energy in their content.

"I would love it if creators or content producers would spend equal time on divine feminine and masculine energies and how they play together because they don't exist in a silo," she said. "The reality is when you're talking about energy, they're always going to be in contrast with one another."

Maddox said that if you want to learn more about divine feminine energy, remember that it doesn't have to resonate with others, even if it holds meaning for you.

"As long as people continue to understand that everybody has their own idea of what gender is and means to them and how they can adopt it into their own lives, I think that's OK as long as they don't expect it to apply to other people as well," she said.

Smith's simple hope for what divine feminine energy can bring to people sums up the positive potential of the trend well: "Does it feel good for your body to do?"

"If the answer is yes, that is your feminine energy," she said. "Anytime something brings your soul joy, that is your feminine energy, and never let anyone tell you what it looks like because feminine energy is unique."

• Meghan Markle's first As Ever collection sold out within an hour of its launch.
• The Duchess of Sussex's show "With Love, Meghan" was also a hit when it was released in March.
• Despite vocal criticism, Meghan's pivot to lifestyle is off to a good start.

Meghan Markle just dropped her first lifestyle collection — and it's already sold out.

After months of anticipation, the Duchess of Sussex's lifestyle venture As Ever officially launched on Wednesday. The brand's entire collection sold out within an hour of it dropping online.

As Ever's triumphant launch follows the successful debut of the duchess' Netflix series "With Love, Meghan," which was a hit with viewers despite widespread criticism from the media and some fans who called the show boring and out of touch.

Despite that, Meghan is proving her bet on her lifestyle career was worth taking.

Entering the lifestyle space

Both "With Love, Meghan" and As Ever were met with plenty of criticism. Outlets published dozens of negative articles about the series when it was released, lamenting its lack of relatability for the average viewer and criticizing Meghan's hosting tips as unnecessary.

However, that criticism seemed detached from the show's successful reality. "With Love, Meghan" hit Netflix's top 10 list the week it premiered and amassed over 2.6 million views, according to The New York Times. Netflix also already announced that season two of the show will premiere in the fall of 2025.

As Ever is on a similar path. When it was first announced, naysayers questioned Meghan's product line, saying items like flower petal sprinkles were gratuitous or assuming she would overcharge for her products. Others questioned whether Meghan had a clear vision for the brand since she changed its name from American Riviera Orchard to As Ever, despite the swap being largely due to a trademark issue.

Lo and behold, it seems the Duchess of Sussex — and Netflix, her business partner in the brand — did have a clear vision for As Ever. As Ever blends the type of California luxury you might associate with Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop or Martha Stewart with royal elegance, creating a glossy feel that clearly appeals to buyers.

Stacy Jones, the founder and CEO of Hollywood Branded, told Business Insider Meghan and Netflix are creating a brand that seemingly reflects the duchess herself.

"She's not an A-list actress. She's an A-list personality," Jones said.

"She's really pushed herself back into that influencer side of it versus that celebrity side of it where her brand requires content to be created around her, either by her or by someone else," she added. "That's what Netflix is doing."

A sold-out collection

As Ever's first collection featured items that cost $12 to $15 — aside from a $28 limited-edition honey — and they sold out within an hour of its launch. The honey was gone in just five minutes.

Thanks to standard shipping, it will be a few days before people get to try the products they ordered. And although it's unclear how much merchandise was available to begin with, the launch itself was a win for Meghan.

Jones said the gap between the vocal criticism of Meghan's lifestyle ventures and their real-life success isn't surprising.

"People like to be able to complain and be really, really loud about that," she said. "The haters are gonna hate, but she has a fan base."

Meghan has meticulously built up her base over the past decade. Many of them started out as fans of her blog, The Tig, which she ran from 2014 to 2017. They loved her recipes and hosting tips before she ever knew Prince Harry.

"She had a consumer base who are probably still fans of hers," Jones said. "There's not been a big step away from where she was before, back in the days of actresshood and 'Suits,' but she's bringing in a new level of branding."

Jones also said that Meghan's fan base has proved fiercely loyal, sticking with her through her royal controversies. That makes them a huge asset for the duchess, which she seems aware of. As she shared on Instagram, Meghan reconnected with her "OG Tig girls" ahead of As Ever's launch.

Meghan is finding a sweet spot in the lifestyle world because it blends her passions and the glamour of royal life. She's finding a way to share that with the world, and the proof is in the pudding (or rather, the jam).

• On March 26, Prince Harry resigned from Sentebale, a charity he cofounded.
• He resigned in solidarity with the board of trustees, who stepped down after the chair refused to.
• Now, the chair, Sophie Chandauka, has accused Prince Harry of bullying her.

One of Prince Harry's charitable organizations has become the center of controversy.

On March 26, Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho announced they were resigning as patrons of Sentebale, a charity they cofounded in 2006.

The pair said in their announcement that it was "devastating" they had to step down and pointed to issues with the organization's chair, Sophie Chandauka, as the reason for their resignation.

Days later, Chandauka accused Prince Harry of "harassment and bullying at scale" in a Sky News interview.

Sentebale in turmoil

When it was founded, Sentebale aimed to support children and young people living with HIV or AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana. In 2024, it expanded its mission to help young people more generally in southern Africa.

The princes confounded the organization in honor of their late mothers and have maintained a close relationship for decades. Prince Seeiso even appeared in the Netflix docuseries "Harry & Meghan" in 2022.

Harry and Seeiso have been patrons of Sentebale for nearly 20 years, with Harry frequently traveling to Africa to support the organization.

However, in recent months, tensions have been mounting between Sentebale's board and Chandauka, who was appointed chair in July 2023. Chandauka, a lawyer and biotech founder, had previously been a Sentebale board member from 2009 to 2015, according to the organization's website.

Five former Sentebale trustees said in a statement shared with Business Insider that they "made the difficult decision to unanimously resign," adding that they saw "no other path forward as the result of our loss in trust and confidence in the Chair of the board."

"Our priority has always been, and will always be, what's in the best interest of the charity, and it's desperately sad the breakdown in relationship escalated to a lawsuit by the Chair against the charity, to block us from voting her out after our request for her resignation was rejected," the trustees said. "We could not in good conscience allow Sentebale to undertake that legal and financial burden and have been left with no other option but to vacate our positions."

CBS News said the trustees asked Chandauka to resign because of "a change in Sentebale's mission." On Tuesday, the BBC also reported that financial issues led to tension at the organization.

Harry and Seeiso announced their resignation in a joint statement "in support of and solidarity with the board of trustees."

"It is devastating that the relationship between the charity's trustees and the chair of the board broke down beyond repair, creating an untenable situation," their statement said. "What's transpired is unthinkable. We are in shock that we have to do this, but we have a continued responsibility to Sentebale's beneficiaries, so we will be sharing all of our concerns with the Charity Commission as to how this came about."

"Although we may no longer be Patrons, we will always be its founders, and we will never forget what this charity is capable of achieving when it is in the right care," the princes said.

Chandauka said in a statement shared with People that she refused to step down at the board's request because "beneath all the victim narrative and fiction that has been syndicated to press is the story of a woman who dared to blow the whistle about issues of poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, misogynoir — and the coverup that ensued."

Chandauka did not respond to a request for comment from BI.

The New York Times also reported that Chandauka replaced the board with four new members following the resignations and filed a report against the former trustees with the Charity Commission, which regulates and registers charities in England and Wales, including Sentebale. Harry and Seeiso said in their statement that they also intended to file a report to the commission.

When contacted by BI for this story on Tuesday, the Charity Commission said, "We can confirm that we are aware of concerns about the governance of Sentebale. We are assessing the issues to determine the appropriate regulatory steps."

On Thursday, the Charity Commission announced it had opened a compliance case "to examine concerns raised about the charity Sentebale."

"The regulator's focus, in line with its statutory remit, will be to determine whether the charity's current and former trustees, including its chair, have fulfilled their duties and responsibilities under charity law," the Charity Commission said. "The Commission is not an adjudicator or mediator and is guided by the principle of ensuring trustees fulfill their primary duty to their charitable purpose and beneficiaries."

A source close to the trustees told BI that the board "fully expected this publicity stunt and reached their collective decision with this in mind. They remain firm in their resignation, for the good of the charity, and look forward to the adjudication of the truth."

Then, last weekend, Chandauka accused Harry of "bullying" her by going public with Sentebale's problems.

Sophie Chandauka said Prince Harry was 'bullying' her

On Sunday, Chandauka appeared on the Sky News program "Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips" to discuss Sentebale, focusing on Harry in her interview — even though Seeiso and the board members also resigned.

Chandauka said in the interview that her relationship with the prince had largely been "fantastic" but accused him of "harassment and bullying." Specifically, she said he did not inform her of his decision to resign as patron before he and Seeiso released their statement publicly.

"At some point on Tuesday, Prince Harry authorized the release of a damaging piece of news to the outside world without informing me or my country directors or my executive director," she said. "Can you imagine what that attack has done for me, on me, and the 540 individuals in the Sentebale organizations and their family?"

"That is an example of harassment and bullying at scale," Chandauka said, adding that she believes Harry activated "the Sussex machine" to publicize Sentebale's issues.

A source familiar with the events told BI that despite Chandauka's comments, Harry and Seeiso had sent their joint resignation letter to the trustees and the chair on March 10.

In the same interview, Chandauka also said she had issues with Prince Harry since she became chair and believed he had been trying to oust her for months.

She said his step back as a senior royal put Sentebale at financial risk and that his Netflix series about polo interfered with a Sentebale charity fundraiser, pointing to a venue change. However, a source close to the production said the show's involvement ultimately led to another player participating and Sentebale being featured in the docuseries.

Chandauka also said Meghan Markle's unexpected attendance became a problem at the match. Cameras filmed an awkward interaction between her and Meghan as they tried to fit onstage together during an awards ceremony, which led to negative press stories about Meghan. Chandauka told the Financial Times that Harry asked her to release a statement in support of his wife at the time, but she refused.

"I said no, we're not setting a precedent by which we become an extension of the Sussex PR machine," she told the outlet.

As of Thursday, Chandauka remains chair of Sentebale's board.

• Suzanne Collins released the fifth "Hunger Games" novel, "Sunrise on the Reaping," on March 18.
• The novel sheds new light on Haymitch Abernathy and Katniss Everdeen's relationship.
• This article contains spoilers for "The Hunger Games" series.

One of the most special bonds in Suzanne Collins' "Hunger Games" series has always been Katniss Everdeen's relationship with her mentor, Haymitch Abernathy.

Katniss doesn't have much faith in Haymitch when she first meets him in "The Hunger Games," as he is known in District 12 as a reclusive drunk. However, over the course of Collins' original trilogy, Haymitch proves to be one of Katniss' fiercest advocates, protecting her and understanding her in ways almost no one else can.

On March 18, Collins released a prequel to the series, "Sunrise on the Reaping," about young Haymitch's experience in the 50th Hunger Games. Just over a week after its release, the book sold over 1.5 million copies, and a film adaptation of the novel will be released in November 2026.

The story is full of revelations about Haymitch's past, including new insight into just how connected he and Katniss are.

This article contains spoilers for "The Hunger Games" series.

Katniss' father tied her and Haymitch together before she was even born.

Katniss' father dies in a mining explosion before the events of the original "Hunger Games" trilogy.

In "Sunrise on the Reaping," Collins reveals Katniss' father, Burdock Everdeen, was Haymitch's best friend throughout their childhoods, and their close relationship helped him be more prepared for his Hunger Games. Specifically, Burdock taught Haymitch to set snares, which helped him find food in the arena.

Likewise, Burdock taught Katniss to hunt with a bow and arrow, which became her weapon of choice in the arena. The knowledge he gave her about plants also helped her survive. Burdock gave both Katniss and Haymitch skills that ensured they survived the Hunger Games.

The Covey family shaped both Haymitch and Katniss.

In her first "Hunger Games" prequel, "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes," Suzanne Collins introduced readers to the Covey, traveling musicians forced to stay in District 12 after the first rebellion.

In the novel, the found family consists of three cousins, Lucy Gray Baird, Maude Ivory Baird, and Barb Azure Baird; a set of brothers, Clerk Carmine and Billy Taupe; and a wandering soul named Tam Amber.

Lucy Gray won the 10th annual Hunger Games, becoming the first tribute from District 12 to survive the arena. A young Coriolanus Snow mentored her during her Hunger Games, and they had an ill-fated love affair that led to her mysterious disappearance at the novel's end. Collins leaves "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" open-ended, as it's unclear if Snow killed her or if Lucy Gray fled to the woods.

In "Sunrise on the Reaping," Haymitch says that Burdock has Covey cousins on his mother's side, making Katniss a Covey descendant. Likewise, Haymitch's girlfriend, Lenore Dove, is a member of the next generation of the Covey, tying both Katniss and Haymitch to the family.

In fact, Haymitch wouldn't have even been in the Hunger Games if not for his love for Lenore Dove.

Katniss and Haymitch had parallel reaping experiences.

In "The Hunger Games," Katniss volunteers as a tribute after her younger sister, Primrose Everdeen, is reaped. Katniss is widely known as the first volunteer for District 12 in history — making it all the more surprising that Haymitch was not actually reaped for his Hunger Games, either.

During the reaping for the 50th Hunger Games, Woodbine, one of the male tributes from District 12, fled after his name was called. Peacekeepers responded by shooting Woodbine, and when Lenore Dove tried to help Woodbine's mother protect his body, Haymitch threw himself in front of her to stop Peacekeepers from hitting her. His interference led the Peacekeepers to select Haymitch as Woodbine's replacement.

Later, in "Catching Fire," Haymitch and Katniss became the last two people ever reaped for the Hunger Games. The tributes were reaped from the existing victors in the 75th annual Hunger Games, making Katniss the only option for female tributes and Haymitch and Peeta Mellark the options for male tributes in District 12. Haymitch's name is selected, but Peeta volunteers as tribute in his place.

Haymitch tried to protect Katniss the same way he did Lenore Dove.

For longtime "Hunger Games" fans, Haymitch's decision to jump in front of Lenore Dove on Reaping Day likely felt familiar.

He makes a similar decision in "Catching Fire" when Katniss attempts to stop a Peacekeeper from whipping her friend Gale Hawthorne. Haymitch jumps in front of Katniss and scolds the officer for cutting Katniss' face ahead of her wedding to Peeta Mellark.

The scene is eerily similar, but unlike his teen experience, Haymitch helps to de-escalate the situation with the Peacekeeper during the interaction instead of making things more tense, protecting Katniss in a way he couldn't ultimately protect Lenore Dove.

The mockingjay pin is significant to them both.

In the "Hunger Games" universe, mockingjays symbolize rebellion against the Capitol. They came to exist after jabberjays, mutts the Capitol designed to spy on rebels, mated with mockingbirds, creating a new species. Their existence highlights that the Capitol cannot control everything.

Mockingjays are also meaningful to Katniss and Haymitch specifically. Katniss wears a gold mockingjay pin that originally belonged to Haymitch's competitor, Maysilee Donner, as her token from her district during the games. In "Sunrise on the Reaping," we learn Tam Amber made the pin for Maysilee, who didn't like mockingjays until Haymitch taught her their symbolism.

She says she will wear it if she survives the games, but she isn't given the opportunity. Years later, Katniss dons it, bringing down the Capitol with the pin on her chest.

Katniss reminds Haymitch of his district partner from his Hunger Games experience.

One of Haymitch's fellow tributes from District 12 is Louella McCoy, a 13-year-old girl who wears her hair in two braids. Haymitch grew up close to Louella, who had a crush on Haymitch when she was 5 and told him he was her sweetheart.

She got over her feelings quickly, but Haymitch called her "sweetheart" for the rest of their friendship, which was cut short when she died before the Hunger Games started.

Years later, when Haymitch sees Katniss at the Hob after her father dies, she makes him think of Louella. Haymitch says of Katniss, "Tough and smart, her hair in two braids then, reminding me for all the world of Louella McCoy, my sweetheart of old."

"Hunger Games" readers will likely remember that Haymitch almost exclusively calls Katniss "sweetheart" when he becomes her mentor, and the revelations about its origin from "Sunrise on the Reaping" add new meaning to it.

They relied on many of the same people to survive the Hunger Games and fight the Capitol.

During her two experiences in a Hunger Games arena, Katniss gets support from previous victors and people employed by the Capitol. In "Sunrise on the Reaping," Collins reveals that Haymitch worked with some people who helped Katniss nearly 25 years later.

Effie Trinket is Katniss' handler in the Hunger Games, guiding her through the days before the Games and her victor's tour afterward. In "Sunrise on the Reaping," Effie supports Haymitch as both a handler and stylist when his original team fails him, and she keeps an eye on him in the years after.

Haymitch also has two mentors during his Hunger Games: Mags Flanagan from District 4 and Wiress from District 3. In addition, he develops a relationship with Beetee Latier, the mentor for District 3's tributes. Beetee and Haymitch hatch a plot to destroy the arena, which Wiress and Mags subtly help to facilitate.

The plan fails, and Snow punishes Beetee, Mags, and Wiress for their involvement. Later, he takes aim at them again in the 75th Hunger Games when they are forced to return to the arena in the Quarter Quell — where they all form an alliance with Katniss.

Haymitch and Katniss try to protect younger kids in the arena — even if it leads to defying the Capitol.

The relationship Katniss develops with Rue, a tribute from District 11 who reminds her of Prim, defines much of her experience in "The Hunger Games." The pair become allies in the Games after Rue helps Katniss recover from a tracker jacker attack, and Katniss takes Rue under her wing, feeding and protecting her. They work together until Marvel, a District 1 tribute, spears Rue. In response, Katniss murders him, and she holds Rue as she dies, singing to her.

Katniss also defies the Capitol by giving Rue a funeral sendoff. Her actions are antithetical to the Hunger Games, which force children — and the districts — to see each other as enemies. Katniss refuses to give the Capitol the narrative they want, caring for Rue even in death.

Similarly, Haymitch tries to protect two younger children in the arena: Lou Lou, a girl from District 11 who replaced Louella as a body double after her death, and Ampert, Beetee's son and a tribute from District 3. He cares for both of them when they find him during the Games. However, he is ultimately unable to save them.

When the Capitol forces Lou Lou to die slowly from a poisonous flower, Haymitch ends her suffering. He also tries to run away with her body so the Gamemakers cannot take it, openly defying the Capitol until they force him to abandon her by attacking him with mutant butterflies.

Later, the Gamemakers get revenge on Beetee by having mutant squirrels eat Ampert alive. Haymitch again tries to rebuke the Capitol in his honor, using an ax to try to tear up the arena in response to Ampert's death.

Haymitch and Katniss both see it as their duty to aid those more helpless than them in the arena, and they are both willing to rebel against the Capitol in their honor.

Katniss briefly appears in Haymitch's Hunger Games.

Katniss is named after a plant in "The Hunger Games," as are her sister, mother, and father.

Katniss the plant makes a cameo in Haymitch's arena, as he describes leaving his backpack "in a patch of katniss" in "Sunrise on the Reaping." A few pages later, he and Maysilee sit in it together.

The reference foreshadows that Katniss will be in the arena one day, particularly because Maysilee tells Haymitch while sitting in it that one of them has to win so they can "refuse to play their game." Katniss does exactly that when she wins her Hunger Games, fulfilling Maysilee's wish.

They also both work to damage the arena itself.

In the climax of "Catching Fire," Katniss breaks the arena with a massive electric shot, allowing the rebels to extract her and some other tributes to kick-start the revolution.

Katniss doesn't realize that her destruction of the arena was decades in the making or that Haymitch attempted to do the same thing during his Games, which was covered up by careful editing from the Gamemakers.

Haymitch worked with Beetee and Ampert before and during the Games, forming a plan to flood the arena by making a bomb. Haymitch did as Beetee instructed, but a generator prevented the arena from failing.

Katniss' plan was also successful because Haymitch's attempt came before hers. Haymitch, Beetee, and their other collaborators, like Plutarch Heavensbee, learned from their mistakes, ensuring Katniss could destroy the arena.

Poison threatened their partners, but Katniss was able to save Peeta.

In "The Hunger Games," Peeta has a close brush with death when he collects what he believes are harmless berries for himself and Katniss to eat. However, the berries are actually nightlock, a poisonous berry that would have killed them instantly.

Katniss prevents him from eating them, and she and Peeta later use the berries to outsmart the Capitol into letting them both be victors.

Haymitch, however, isn't so lucky when it comes to poison. After he returns to District 12, Lenore Dove finds a bag of gumdrops waiting for her in her favorite meadow just before she is reunited with Haymitch.

Unbeknownst to them both, they are poisoned gumdrops sent by President Snow. Haymitch feeds Lenore Dove two before he realizes what they are. The gumdrops kill Lenore Dove before Haymitch, offering a darker version of events to Katniss and Peeta's experience with poison.

• In "Sunrise on the Reaping," Suzanne Collins revealed that the Covey has ties to Katniss Everdeen.
• Collins introduced readers to the Covey in "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes."
• This article contains spoilers for "The Hunger Games" series.

Just a week after its release, Suzanne Collins' latest "Hunger Games" prequel is already a massive hit.

"Sunrise on the Reaping" — which follows Haymitch Abernathy's experience in the 50th Hunger Games — was released on March 18 and has already sold 1.5 million copies.

The novel is full of revelations about the Hunger Games universe, much of which centers on the Covey family, who were introduced in Collins' other "Hunger Games" prequel. Most importantly, it reveals that Katniss Everdeen has Covey ancestry.

Spoilers ahead for "The Hunger Games" series.

The Covey first appears in 'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes'

Collins released her first "Hunger Games" prequel, "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes," in May 2020.

Set 64 years before "The Hunger Games," the book follows a young Coriolanus Snow as he mentors a tribute for the 10th Hunger Games. He is assigned to the female District 12 victor, Lucy Gray Baird.

After she is reaped for the games and taken to the Capitol, Lucy Gray explains to a reporter that she is from the Covey family and isn't originally from District 12.

"My people are Covey. Musicians by trade. We just took a wrong turn one day and were obliged to stay," Lucy Gray said. She explained they were from "no district in particular" and used to "move from place to place" playing music before Peacekeepers forced them to stay in District 12 following the first rebellion.

At the start of "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes," there are six living members of the Covey family living in District 12: Billy Taupe Clade, Clerk Carmine Clade, Tam Amber, Maude Ivory Baird, Barb Azure Baird, and Lucy Gray Baird.

Billy Taupe and Clerk Carmine are brothers, and Maude Ivory, Barb Azure, and Lucy Gray are cousins. Tam Amber is not related to the rest of the Covey by blood, but the group treats each other as a found family.

By the end of the book, only four Covey members are left in District 12. Billy Taupe is murdered, and Lucy Gray is either killed by Coriolanus or disappears into the woods as she flees from him, never to be heard from again in Panem.

The Covey has blended into District 12 in 'Sunrise on the Reaping'

When Collins brings readers back to District 12 in "Sunrise on the Reaping," the Covey has further assimilated to District 12 in the 24 years since the events of "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes."

Tam Amber and Clerk Carmine are still living in the district, and they are raising their niece, Lenore Dove Baird. Lenore is Haymitch's girlfriend, and Haymitch says in the text that her mother died giving birth to her.

Any of the three Covey girls could be Lenore Dove's mother, but it's most likely Maude Ivory for a few reasons. Most importantly, at the end of the book, Haymitch sees graves for Lucy Gray and Maude Ivory when he visits Lenore Dove's resting place.

In "Sunrise on the Reaping," Lenore Dove is around 16, so she would have been born about eight years after Lucy Gray's Hunger Games. Even if she survived her final encounter with Coriolanus at the end of "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes," it's unlikely that Lucy Gray was in District 12 when Lenore Dove came into the world, as she would have run off to live out her days in the wilderness for safety.

Lucy Gray's grave is also described as "a mossy slab of stone," while Maude Ivory's is "a creamy white stone," making Maude Ivory's seem slightly newer.

Readers can infer from Lenore Dove's age and the timeline the graves suggest that Maude Ivory was Lenore Dove's mother, not Lucy Gray.

Katniss is a Covey descendant

In "Sunrise on the Reaping," Haymitch says he meets Lenore Dove through his friend Burdock Everdeen, Katniss' father.

"She wasn't one of Burdock's Everdeen cousins, but I knew he had some distant ones on his ma's side," Haymitch says of Burdock's ancestry.

Because of Muade Ivory and Lucy Gray's fates, Burdock's mother seems to be Barb Azure Baird. Barb Azure would then be Katniss' grandmother, making her a distant relative of Lucy Gray and Lenore Dove.

Collins laid the groundwork for the similarity between Katniss and the Covey girls throughout "The Hunger Games."

She has a rebellious spirit like her ancestors, and both Katniss and her father are described as having beautiful singing voices throughout the series. Haymitch reinforces singing as a trait Burdock inherited from the Covey in "Sunrise on the Reaping." He describes Burdock as having a "remarkable voice." A few pages later, he says Lenore Dove loves music: "Like all the Covey, music in her blood."

Later, at Haymitch's mother and brother's funeral, Burdock sings "The Old Therebefore," a song Lucy Gray sings when she thinks she is about to die in the Games. Music, specifically Covey music, is in Burdock's blood, too.

The Covey also inadvertently gives Katniss her Mockingjay pin

The Mockingjay token Katniss wears in her first Hunger Games becomes an important symbol throughout Collins' series.

The bird represents that the Capitol cannot control everything, as it results from the mating of Capitol Jabberjays and naturally-born Mockingbirds. Katniss embodies that spirit when she leads the rebellion against President Coriolanus Snow and his government, using the Mockingjay symbol to help inspire others to act.

Katniss' friend, Madge Undersee, gives her the pin to wear after she volunteers as a tribute to District 12. In "Catching Fire," Madge tells Katniss the pin originally belonged to her aunt, Maysilee Donner, who competed alongside Haymitch for District 12 in the 50th Hunger Games.

In "Sunrise on the Reaping," Haymitch reveals that Tam Amber originally forged it. Maysilee never wore hers, telling Tam Amber that Mockingjays were "ugly old things" to Lenore Dove's anger.

Haymitch explains the mythology surrounding Mockingjays to Maysilee while they're in the arena, giving her a new perspective on them. She says she will give the pin another try if she survives the Games. Maysilee never gets the chance to wear the pin, but a Covey girl does, bringing the moment full circle.

• Buckingham Palace confirmed King Charles III was diagnosed with cancer in January 2024. 
• The announcement came after the British monarch sought treatment for an enlarged prostate. 
• The monarch was briefly hospitalized on Thursday due to side effects from his cancer treatment.

King Charles III had a bit of a setback in his cancer treatment.

The king, who was diagnosed with cancer at the beginning of 2024 following a procedure to treat an enlarged prostate, took a trip to the hospital on Thursday due to side effects from his treatment, Buckingham Palace shared.

When his diagnosis was announced in February 2024, the palace said the king would briefly step back from public-facing duties to undergo a "schedule of regular treatments," though the palace never provided details to the public about what those treatments entailed.

When Charles was out of the spotlight — and his daughter-in-law Kate Middleton was also undergoing cancer treatment — other members of the royal inner circle, like Prince William, faced pressure to step up.

Here's a timeline of Charles' health struggles, from his diagnosis and return to the public eye to his latest health scare.

Buckingham Palace announced Charles was undergoing a "corrective procedure" on his prostate in January 2024.

On January 17, 2024, the palace shared in a statement with Business Insider that Charles would be heading to the hospital to receive treatment for an enlarged prostate.

At the time, the palace described Charles' condition as "benign" and said the procedure he was having was "common with thousands of men each year."

When asked to provide further details about the condition and the procedure, the palace said it would not "for privacy reasons" and that more information about his coming engagements would be confirmed "in due course."

The announcement came the same day Kensington Palace announced Kate was in recovery after a "planned abdominal surgery."

Weeks later, Buckingham Palace confirmed Charles had been diagnosed with cancer.

On February 5, 2024, less than a month after the king's prostate procedure, the palace made yet another unprecedented announcement: Charles has cancer.

The palace didn't specify the form of cancer Charles was diagnosed with in the statement shared with BI. However, it said the monarch's medical team discovered the cancer while he was undergoing his prostate procedure.

It added that Charles had already begun a "schedule of regular treatments" and was under advice to step back from "public-facing duties," though he would also be continuing "State business and official paperwork as usual."

The statement concluded with the palace saying Charles was "grateful" for his medical team's "swift intervention" and was looking forward to returning to "full public duty as soon as possible."

"His Majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer," it added.

Charles kept working behind the scenes, praised the public for its well-wishes, and received support from his royal relatives — near and far.

In the months after Charles' diagnosis, the royal kept busy behind the scenes. Shortly after his condition was made public, a representative of Prince Harry told BI that he was scheduled to fly to the UK from California to see his father.

Weeks later, he was pictured meeting with then-British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and opening get-well-soon cards sent to the palace by members of the public.

In the interim, Charles also received treatment at the same clinic as Kate, whom he remained in the "closest contact with," a palace spokesperson told the BBC.

On March 28, 2024, Charles made his first public remarks post-diagnosis. In a pre-recorded audio clip shared at the Royal Maundy Service before Easter Sunday, he said it was "a great sadness" that he was unable to attend in person due to his condition and stressed the importance of extending "friendship" in times of need, Royal Central reported.

On Easter Sunday 2024, Charles was spotted alongside Camilla attending a service at St George's Chapel in Windsor. The service was smaller to reduce Charles' contact with others while undergoing treatment.

On April 26, 2024, the palace said Charles would return to public-facing duties.

After a "period of treatment and recuperation" following his cancer diagnosis, the palace said on April 26, 2024, that Charles was gearing up to return to public-facing duties "shortly."

The statement added that one of the first of several public events he was set to appear at was a visit to a cancer treatment center with Queen Camilla on April 30, 2024.

"In addition, The King and Queen will host Their Majesties The Emperor and Empress of Japan for a State Visit in June," the statement read.

As Charles approached the one-year mark following his coronation on May 6, 2023, the statement concluded by saying he and Camilla are "deeply grateful for the many kindnesses and good wishes they have received from around the world throughout the joys and challenges of the past year."

Charles opened up about experiencing side effects from cancer treatment while speaking to a British army veteran in May 2024.

On May 13, 2024, the king visited the Army Flying Museum in Hampshire, where LBC reported he spoke with a British military veteran who had undergone chemotherapy after being diagnosed with testicular cancer.

During the interaction, the individual, whom the UK news outlet identified as Aaron Mapplebeck, told Charles he lost his ability to taste as a result of the cancer treatment, a side effect that the king said he'd also experienced.

On the same day, Charles took part in a ceremony handing over his title as the Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps — a role he has held for over 30 years — to William.

The BBC reported that it was "unusual" for both the king and William to be present for the occasion, but Charles told attendees they were in good hands with his eldest son, who used to be a search-and-rescue helicopter pilot.

"I do hope you'll go from strength to strength in the future with the Prince of Wales as your new colonel-in-chief," Charles said. "The great thing is he's a very good pilot indeed. So that's encouraging."

The king briefly paused his cancer treatment in October 2024 for a trip to Australia and Samoa.

In October 2024, Charles and Camilla took an 11-day royal tour to Australia and Samoa.

Ahead of the trip, the Daily Mail reported that the king would pause cancer treatments during the overseas visit and restart his treatment course upon his return.

As the visit ended, a senior spokesperson for the palace told outlets like The Guardian and Town & Country that they were planning for Charles to take on normal travel in 2025.

"We're now working on a pretty normal-looking full overseas tour programme for next year," the spokesperson said. "Which is a high for us to end on, to know that we can be thinking in those terms, subject to signoff by doctors."

President Donald Trump said Prince William gave him an update on King Charles' health on December 9, 2024.

Trump and William met in Paris during the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral in December 2024.

After their visit, Trump told the New York Post he spoke to William about Kate and Charles' health.

"I asked him about his wife, and he said she's doing well," Trump told the outlet. "And I asked him about his father, and his father is fighting very hard, and he loves his father and he loves his wife, so it was sad."

In December 2024, a royal source said Charles would continue treatment for his cancer in 2025.

On December 20, a royal source shared with ABC News that the king's treatment was ongoing.

The unnamed source described Charles' cancer as a "managed condition" to the outlet and said that "the treatment is heading in a positive direction, and King Charles will continue with his busy schedule."

The king was briefly hospitalized because of side effects from his cancer treatment on Thursday.

On Thursday, Buckingham Palace said in a statement that King Charles briefly went to the hospital as a result of side effects from his cancer treatment.

"Following scheduled and ongoing medical treatment for cancer this morning, The King experienced temporary side effects that required a short period of observation in hospital," the statement said. "His Majesty's afternoon engagements were therefore postponed."

"His Majesty has now returned to Clarence House and as a precautionary measure, acting on medical advice, tomorrow's diary programme will also be rescheduled," the statement continued.

The statement did not specify the king's temporary side effects. While recovering at Clarence House, he missed three visits with ambassadors on Thursday and a trip to Birmingham on Friday.

"His Majesty would like to send his apologies to all those who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result," the statement also said.

King Charles was also photographed leaving Clarence House in a car on Friday, as shown above. He waved to members of the public from the vehicle.

• Suzanne Collins' "Sunrise on the Reaping" is a prequel to "The Hunger Games" about young Haymitch.
• Lionsgate greenlit a movie adaptation in 2024, almost a year before the book hit shelves.
• The studio released a teaser clip for the film on Tuesday.

The release of "Sunrise on the Reaping" by Suzanne Collins marks a new dawn in the "Hunger Games" franchise.

The book, which hit shelves on March 19 and has already sold more than 1.5 million copies worldwide, is the second prequel to Collins' immensely popular dystopian series, following the 2020 release of "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes."

"Sunrise on the Reaping" takes place several decades before the events of "The Hunger Games" trilogy and centers on a younger version of Haymitch Abernathy during his own time as a District 12 tribute fighting in the Capitol arena.

Like "Ballad," the latest installment reveals key lore about the world of Panem, and fortunately for fans, it's also getting adapted for the big screen.

Here's everything we know about the movie so far. Light spoilers ahead for "Sunrise on the Reaping."

'Sunrise on the Reaping' will be the 6th 'Hunger Games' movie

Given that the book was released only recently, you may be surprised at how quickly studio bosses greenlit an adaptation.

In actuality, Lionsgate announced that it was turning the prequel book into a feature film even before it hit shelves.

The news of the forthcoming movie was shared just hours after the world learned in June 2024 that Collins was set to publish another "Hunger Games" story.

At the time, Deadline reported that the film — styled "The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping" — would hit screens on November 20, 2026.

Francis Lawrence, the filmmaker who helmed every movie in the series except the 2012 original, was reported to be in talks to return as director. Nina Jacobson and her producing partner Brad Simpson were confirmed as returning to produce the prequel under their Color Force banner.

The film is in early production, but young Haymitch hasn't been cast yet

The day before "Sunrise on the Reaping" was published, Jacobson spoke to Variety about the coming adaptation. She told the outlet her team has "a great draft" of the script still in progress and that they had "established our locations" for production.

"We're very far along for a book that's only going to come out tomorrow," she said.

Jacobson also said that her team hadn't cast anyone in the film yet, as they did not want to risk leaking anything about "Sunrise on the Reaping" by having actors read even a snippet of the script.

She told Variety that her team would look to Woody Harrelson, who played Haymitch in the original "Hunger Games" trilogy, for some inspiration when casting its star. She hopes the actor can capture the "mischief" Harrelson brought to the role without "impersonating" him.

"You want somebody who very credibly feels like they could be a young version of this character, before the trauma and grief and rage that the fallout of the Games create," Jacobson said to Variety. "Nobody can be Woody Harrelson but Woody Harrelson."

If the film follows the book, it will have a massive cast. Haymitch's Hunger Games features double the number of tributes who compete in the games, and Collins introduces readers to a new array of characters in District 12 that have connections to the other books in the series.

The novel also includes appearances from younger versions of "Hunger Games" favorites, like Effie Trinket and Beetee, played by Elizabeth Banks and Jeffrey Wright in the original trilogy.

Likewise, the film will provide a third iteration of Coriolanus Snow, whom fans followed as a young man in the first prequel and the aging villain in the three "Hunger Games" films.

Avoiding leaks

In her conversation with Variety, Jacobson also said she and Collins' team went to great lengths to protect the book from potential leaks as they started developing the next "Hunger Games" film.

For instance, rather than sending Jacobson and Lawrence copies of the manuscript, Jacobson said she and Lawrence had to go to the home of Collins' literary agent separately to read the "one copy of the book that lived at his house."

Jacobson said the book moved her immensely, making it even more difficult to keep her thoughts on the project to herself.

"I was on the edge of my seat, crying," Jacobson said of her experience reading the book. "I just was so moved by it and so energized by it, and then could not talk to anybody except for Francis, Suzanne, and our studio partners."

A teaser clip

Two weeks after the "Sunrise on the Reaping" book was released, Lionsgate unveiled the film's logo on Instagram in a teaser clip.

The clip consisted of a series of animated illustrations, starting with a shot of a volcano. The image nods to the story's plot, as a volcanic eruption wipes out many of the tributes in Haymitch's games.

Lava from the volcano explodes in the Instagram video, forming a bird and a snake that connects through its tail. The conjoined creature has the same shape as the flint striker necklace Haymitch's girlfriend, Lenore Dove, gives him in the novel.

The striker, which is illustrated on the book's cover, plays an important role in the book, so it's a natural choice for the logo.

As the shape of the striker comes into view in the clip, "The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping" appears on the screen. Then, Woody Harrelson can be heard in a voiceover saying, "I think these games are going to be different."

Fans have been hopeful Harrelson — as well as Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson — might appear in "Sunrise on the Reaping" to play out the novel's epilogue, making his voiceover cameo even more exciting. Lionsgate has yet to reveal any casting information for the film.

"Forty-eight tributes. One victor," the caption of the post read. "The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping — in theaters November 20, 2026."

• "Sunrise on the Reaping" by Suzanne Collins was released on March 18.
• The book is about Haymitch Abernathy, but it contains details on the entire "Hunger Games" series.
• The rest of this article contains spoilers for the "Hunger Games" series.

Fans of Suzanne Collins' "Hunger Games" series got to revisit the world of Panem, as the author released the prequel "Sunrise on the Reaping" on March 18.

The novel tells the story of Haymitch Abernathy's experience in the Hunger Games, giving readers new insight into Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark's mentor.

Although it focuses on Haymitch, "Sunrise on the Reaping" is full of information about the entire "Hunger Games" series, from lore about Katniss' family to backstory on how the revolution came to be.

Here are some of the details from the novel you might have missed.

Warning: There are heavy spoilers for the entire "Hunger Games" series ahead.

The book is full of information about Katniss Everdeen's family

Although Katniss is the protagonist of the original "Hunger Games" trilogy, the books contain limited information about her extended family. Her parents' names are not even mentioned in the books.

Collins expands on the Everdeen family's history in "Sunrise on the Reaping," revealing that Katniss' father, Burdock, was one of Haymitch's best friends and that he was already dating Asterid, Katniss' mother, at the time.

Haymitch's interactions with Burdock are peppered with nods to Katniss, showing the reader how similar Katniss was to her father. For instance, Burdock takes Haymitch into the woods, where he sings and shows Haymitch how to get apples and set hunting snares. Katniss shares her father's hunting skills, singing talents, and comfortability in the woods, which ultimately helped her survive her first Hunger Games.

Katniss' parents' long-awaited names also reflect the ones they gave their children; both Asterid and Burdock are plants, just as Primrose and Katniss are.

In addition, Haymitch mentions in the text that Burdock is distant cousins with his girlfriend Lenore Dove Baird, a member of the Covey family.

The Covey appears in Collins' "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes," as they are the musically-inclined family of Lucy Gray Baird, who wins the Hunger Games and has an ultimately doomed relationship with Coriolanus Snow. Readers suspected Katniss might be related to Lucy Gray — the other female victor from District 12 — but "Sunrise on the Reaping" confirms it.

Katniss' paternal grandmother is likely Lucy Gray's cousin, Barb Azure Baird, as Haymitch sees graves for Lucy Gray and her other cousin, Maude Ivory Baird, when visiting Lenore Dove's resting place.

Katniss and Peeta's fathers share an important interaction

During the reaping for the Hunger Games, one of the boys reaped from District 12, Woodbine Chance, flees, and the Peacekeepers shoot him in response. They order everyone to the ground, and most people in the area obey, though Otho Mellark, Peeta's father, freezes.

Burdock gets Otho to lie down on the ground by punching him in the knee, saving him from being harmed by a Peacekeeper.

If Otho had died in the shooting, Peeta would never have been born, so he wouldn't have been there to fight alongside Katniss in the games and the revolution. In fact, Katniss likely wouldn't have made it to the Hunger Games without Peeta, as he saved her from starvation by giving her bread after her father died.

The small interaction between their fathers — at a pivotal moment in Haymitch's life — eventually leads to Peeta, Katniss, and Haymitch uniting decades later.

Haymitch's nickname for Katniss holds special meaning

In the original "Hunger Games" trilogy, Haymitch often refers to Katniss as "sweetheart," which she takes as a condescending nickname that later becomes a term of endearment. However, "Sunrise on the Reaping" reveals the pet name was always a form of affection for Haymitch.

Haymitch competes in the Hunger Games with three other contestants from District 12: Wyatt Callow, Maysilee Donner, and Louella McCoy.

Louella is three years younger than Haymitch, and he shares in "Sunrise on the Reaping" that he has long called her "sweetheart" as an inside joke, referencing a crush she had on him when she was just 5.

The pair were close and planned to be allies in the Hunger Games, but Louella died in a chariot collision before even reaching the arena. As Haymitch mourns her, he refers to her as "my one and only sweetheart."

In the book's epilogue, Haymitch says that Katniss reminded him of Louella in the years after her father died, as she wore her hair in braids like his old friend. He said the resemblance was so strong in his mind that "the nickname couldn't help but slip out" when he became Katniss' mentor for the Hunger Games, explaining why he called her sweetheart throughout the trilogy.

Haymitch also sits in some katniss during his games, foreshadowing her presence in an arena.

Haymitch's games offer more insight into the plot of 'Catching Fire'

"Sunrise on the Reaping" reveals Haymitch's long history with characters like Plutarch Heavensbee, Beetee Latier, Mags Flanagan, and Wiress and his efforts to break the arena in his own games. Those experiences shed light on how long Haymitch and other victors had been waiting for someone like Katniss to help them bring down the Hunger Games arena, as they do in "Catching Fire." However, small moments in the text also hold significance for "Catching Fire."

For instance, Mags and Wiress appear in "Catching Fire," competing with Katniss. In the text, Mags is said to be weakened from a stroke, while Wiress' mind seems damaged. Katniss assumes they are both in poor health because they fought in the Hunger Games.

Mags and Wiress are Haymitch and the other District 12 tributes' mentors in "Sunrise on the Reaping," and both are physically and mentally sound when he meets them. After he wins his games, Haymitch discovers that they were both tortured because they attempted to help him break the arena, spotting Mags in a wheelchair and Wiress mumbling to herself. Their rebellious activities caused them lasting damage, not the games themselves.

A moment between Plutarch and Haymitch also allows him to protect Katniss later. When Haymitch is on his Victory Tour, Plutarch pulls him into an attic in District 11 for a private conversation, telling him, "The attic is the only spot in the entire Justice Building that isn't bugged."

In their conversation, Plutarch tells Haymitch he will keep fighting for a revolution and intends to find someone just like Haymitch to make it happen eventually, adding that it wouldn't hurt to "find" an army to fight the Capitol.

In "Catching Fire," Haymitch takes Katniss and Peeta to the same attic when visiting District 11 during their Victory Tour, allowing Katniss to confide in them about threats President Snow made against her family. Katniss also becomes the revolutionary Plutarch imagined, and the citizens of the long-forgotten District 13 are the army he finds, reflecting the conversation he and Haymitch had 25 years earlier.

Collins nods to the numbers of the Quarter Quell with the games

Haymitch is a tribute in the 50th Hunger Games, which is a Quarter Quell.

Quarter Quells have added stakes compared to a typical Hunger Games competition, though those new rules vary every 25 years. For the 50th Games, the number of children forced to compete was doubled, so four kids were reaped from each district.

The games were designed to have 48 competitors, but 50 tributes are actually competitors for them as two tributes from District 12 get replaced. Haymitch is forced into the games after Peacekeppers murdered Woodbine, and after Louella dies, she is replaced with a body double.

Haymitch's game token is a metaphor

Every child who competes in the Hunger Games can bring a token from home into the arena, though it cannot be used as a weapon.

Haymitch brings a necklace Lenore Dove made him that doubles as a flint striker, allowing him to make fire — and subtly defy the Capitol by having a weapon on hand. He uses the striker to set off a bomb during the games, though his attempt at breaking the arena doesn't work.

Collins often refers to Katniss as the "spark" that allows the fire of revolution to take hold in Panem, nodding to the theme with the title of "Catching Fire."

Haymitch walked a similar path to Katniss, and if a few things had gone differently, he may have started the fire. Instead, like his flint striker, Haymitch helped create the sparks of revolution that a generation after him turned into flame.

The mockingjay pin's origin story

Any "Hunger Games" fan knows the mockingjay pin was Katniss' token in her first games, later serving as a symbol of the revolution with which Katniss is synonymous. Mockingjays were an accidental creation in Panem, as jabberjays, which the Capitol used to spy on rebels in the first war, mated with mockingbirds to create them.

In "The Hunger Games," Madge Undersee, the mayor's daughter, gives Katniss the pin and tells her in "Catching Fire" that it originally belonged to her aunt, Maysilee Donner, who died in the 50th Hunger Games.

Haymitch reveals in "Sunrise on the Reaping" that the pin belonged to Maysilee's grandmother. Tam Amber, a member of the Covey who first appears in "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes," turned Maysilee's pin into a mockingjay as a gift for her from her father.

However, to Lenore Dove's fury, Maysilee never wore the pin and even asked Tam Amber to change its design. Before the games, she confessed to Haymitch that she thought the birds were "unnatural" because they were part-mutt.

"Some people think that's a victory in itself. Way they escaped the Capitol and survived," Haymitch told her. Maysilee told him she would reconsider wearing it if she survived the games, given the message.

Maysilee never gets to wear the pin, but Katniss does, bringing the moment full circle.

'Sunrise on the Reaping' foreshadows Katniss' nightlock stunt

In the climax of "The Hunger Games," Katniss and Peeta fight to become the final two tributes during their games, as the gamemakers promised two tributes from the same district could be co-victors. They announce the rules changed again, trying to force Katniss and Peeta to fight to the death. Instead, Katniss and Peeta agree to kill themselves with nightlock berries.

The gamemakers ultimately stop them, crowning both Katniss and Peeta victors to Snow's displeasure.

"Sunrise on the Reaping" reveals that the seconds in which it seemed like Katniss and Peeta would poison themselves were likely agonizing for Haymitch, as his girlfriend Lenore Dove died by eating poisoned gumdrops left for her by agents of the Capitol. Her death was designed to punish Haymitch for his attempts at breaking the arena.

Though he tried to make her spit them out, it was too late, and Lenore Dove died in front of him. Katniss and Peeta lived, but the incident must have given Haymitch a horrifying sense of deja vu.

In addition, Haymitch mentions during his time in the arena that he saw "red" berries with "little black dots on their skins" that are poisonous. They were likely nightlock, offering another parallel between Haymitch and Katniss' experience in the Hunger Games.

The prequel brings new meaning to a song from 'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes'

After Haymitch's mother and brother die, members of their community gather for a funeral. During the ceremony, Burdock sings "The Old Therebefore." The song's lyrics reference death, and Haymitch uses the phrase "the old therebefore" when discussing his life ending soon in the novel's epilogue.

The song offers a poignant moment for Haymitch, but it should also be familiar to fans of "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes."

In the first prequel to the series, Lucy Gray Baird sings the same song when mutant snakes swarm her. Although Lucy Gray had an affinity for snakes, she knew these were dangerous because the Capitol made them and they had killed other tributes. She likely thought she would die when she started singing the song, though she ultimately survives the encounter.

It's possible "The Old Therebefore" is a long-standing funeral dirge in District 12 or for the Covey family, which is why Burdock and Lucy Gray sing it when confronted with death. It's also possible it became a funeral song after Lucy Gray sang it during the Hunger Games, leading Burdock to sing it years later.

In addition, in the same funeral scene, the attendees raise three fingers to their lips before raising them to the sky, as Katniss does many times throughout "The Hunger Games" trilogy to honor the dead.

'Sunrise on the Reaping' clears up an element of the 'Mockingjay' epilogue

Collins wrote an epilogue to "Mockingjay," offering readers a glimpse of the life Katniss, Peeta, and Haymitch rebuild in District 12 after the war. The epilogue mostly focuses on Katniss and Peeta finding their way back to each other, but it also mentions that Haymitch raises geese, which seems somewhat random.

"Haymitch drinks until the liquor runs out, and then raises geese until the next train arrives," Katniss says in "Mockingjay." "Fortunately, the geese can take pretty good care of themselves."

However, "Sunrise on the Reaping" reveals that the geese are a way to honor Lenore Dove, who raised the birds in District 12. She also uses them as a metaphor for her love with Haymitch, telling him before he leaves for the Hunger Games, "Just like my geese, I mate for life. And then some. Forever."

In the epilogue of "Sunrise on the Reaping," Haymitch says that Katniss brought him geese eggs after he shared with her and Peeta about his long-gone love. He raises them to feel connected to her, letting them spend time in Lenore Dove's meadow.

"Lenore Dove likes it best there, and I'm content where she's content," Haymitch said of the meadow. "Like the geese, we really did mate for life."

The novel confirms a long-held fan theory about the games

"Hunger Games" fans have been suspicious for years that the Hunger Games are sometimes rigged, particularly because of the plot of "Catching Fire."

It seemed all too convenient that Katniss had to return to the arena just a year after she openly defied the Capitol, giving Snow the opportunity to eliminate her.

"Sunrise on the Reaping" gives even more credence to the theory that a rigged reaping is possible, as Haymitch's name isn't initially called. After the Peacekeepers shoot Woodbine, Haymitch is forced to be a tribute for District 12.

Nothing about the Hunger Games is fair, but Haymitch's experience makes clear that the random selection element of the competition isn't always real, as does the fact that Snow replaces Louella with a body double instead of announcing her death ahead of the games. Likewise, Snow arranged for Beetee's son, Ampert, to be reaped as punishment for Beetee's seditious acts.

After Haymitch sees that Mags and Wiress have been tortured for aiding him in his attempts to break the arena, he worries for his family, thinking, "Are they already dead? Or will Snow arrange, as he did with Beetee, for a time when I can personally witness their suffering?"

When Katniss returns to the arena in "Catching Fire," she does so along with Beetee, Wiress, and Mags, bringing Haymitch's fears to fruition.

"Sunrise on the Reaping" sends the message that rigging or illegal reaping is common practice for Snow when targeting his enemies, so it's more likely than not he orchestrated the 75th Quarter Quell specifically to kill Katniss and other tributes he saw as dangerous.

• Printemps, a French department store, is opening a location in New York City.
• I got a sneak peek at its FiDi store, which has marketed itself as "not a department store."
• The store is ideal for luxury shoppers, but I'd also head there for a drink or dinner.

In the years since e-commerce became a go-to for shoppers, traditional brick-and-mortar stores have been trying to figure out how to make their retail experiences tempting enough to get customers to leave their homes.

Printemps, the famed French department store, thinks it may have cracked the code with its new concept store in New York City.

I toured the 55,000-square-foot space in the Financial District ahead of its grand opening on Friday, getting an early look at the retailer that features not only shopping but two bars, a café, and a restaurant. It's almost like a cross between a mall and a private members' club, except it's open to the public.

I see its appeal as a shopping destination, but I think Printemps works even better as a date-night spot.

A Parisian department store in New York City

Printemps, which means spring in French, has been a staple in the French luxury shopping scene since it opened its first store in Paris in 1865. It's like France's version of Bergdorf Goodman, though with a slightly older history. Today, there are over a dozen Printemps locations in France and an international storefront in Doha, Qatar.

Now, Printemps is opening its New York store at One Wall Street in the city's Financial District. In 2023, former offices in the tower's two buildings were converted into high-end condos.

The Financial District might not be the first area in the city New Yorkers associate with high-end shopping. Still, with additions like the Oculus and its proximity to Wall Street, Printemps can help grow the retail experience in the area.

One Wall Street is also home to a New York landmark, the Red Room, which is known for its mosaic architecture created by Hildreth Meière. Printemps spotlighted the room's original design in its renovation, playing up the intricate mosaics with massive floral lamps. There's also a Red Room Bar, which sits just outside the historic space.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I walked into Printemps, but it wasn't the explosion of color and texture that greeted me. During my tour, a company representative told me that the space, designed by the Printemps team and architect Laura Gonzalez, was created so customers could spend an entire day there, giving them a place that offered a reprieve from our screen-centered world.

Printemps is divided into separate rooms, each with a playful name and a distinct vibe. The aesthetics can also be changed as new merchandise arrives.

During my tour, the first-floor Playroom had casual attire and an on-site café, the Boudoir featured high-end and vintage gowns, and the Salle de Bain was like a mini salon, designed so customers could pop in for a blowout or makeover mid-shop.

My favorite retail space was the Salon, which features women's ready-to-wear attire, an atelier that will tailor clothing for you as needed, and Salon Vert, a raw bar that offers views of the street below. As soon as I saw the space, I wanted to plop down in one of the pink bar chairs and sip on a glass of wine overlooking the street.

I loved that the clothing displays and dressing rooms were integrated throughout the store, making fashion part of the decor.

For instance, dressing rooms sit in the center of the Boudoir in circular domes, so customers don't have to walk out of the space to try on their clothes. Likewise, birdcage-style displays sit in the salon, and you can walk inside them to check out clothing.

It felt fun to wander through them, and I could easily imagine the cages being turned into stops on a runway if Printemps ever hosted a fashion show in New York. During my tour, the company said it was eager to become an events space.

Printemps is also betting on its service to draw in customers, particularly those living in One Wall Street. For example, my tour guide mentioned that if you pop in to buy something ahead of an event and want to wear it out of the store, staff will happily ship the clothing you wore into Printemps home to you.

The old-school style service you'd expect from a vintage department store seems savvy for a retailer trying to stand out.

A new date-night spot in the city

Overall, Printemps offers a chic spot for shopping and dining in FiDi.

The store isn't huge, though, so if it becomes a popular spot in the neighborhood, it could feel overly crowded on a busy Saturday.

The decor and atmosphere also feel approachable. However, Printemps is still a luxury retailer — a glance at the brand's website shows an array of high-end designers, from Loewe to Givenchy — so I can't foresee it becoming my go-to place to shop. But I can easily picture myself returning to enjoy its ambiance.

As I wandered through the store, I repeatedly thought Salon Vert would be a fun first-date spot for people who work or live in FiDi.

The combination of the decor and views outside felt romantic but relaxed, which was my favorite vibe for a first date before I met my husband. It's also close to so many offices that it would be easy for people working in the area to pop over for a post-work drink.

Plus, if your date is going well, you could wander over to the Red Room Bar or stay for dinner at Printemps' fine-dining restaurant, Maison Passerelle, which will open later this year.

I could also see myself having fun there with my friends, visiting The Beauty Corridor to stock up on makeup and skincare before returning to Salon Vert for a drink.

Whether you want to shop there or not, Printemps will be worth visiting for people passing through the Financial District.

• Suzanne Collins released "Sunrise on the Reaping," a prequel to "The Hunger Games," on Tuesday.
• Collins has published two prequels to accompany the three books in the beloved series.
• I wouldn't recommend reading the five "Hunger Games" books chronologically.

If you noticed the rustle of pages accompanied by hushed gasps as you walked by your nearest bookstore Tuesday, there's no need to panic. It was probably just the sound of "Hunger Games" fans speed-reading Suzanne Collins' latest novel, "Sunrise on the Reaping."

"Sunrise on the Reaping" is the second "Hunger Games" prequel Collins has published, as she released "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" in 2020.

As Collins expands the world of Panem, newer readers of her works are torn about how to start the series. As a longtime fan of her work, I have thoughts on the best order to read the "Hunger Games" books.

There are two prequels to 'The Hunger Games'

For those who weren't part of the original "Hunger Games" craze, the series was initially a trilogy. The first three books Collins published — "The Hunger Games" in 2008, "Catching Fire" in 2009, and "Mockingjay" in 2010 — follow Katniss Everdeen, a teenager living in the dystopian society of Panem.

In Katniss' world, two children from Panem's 12 districts are "reaped" to fight to the death against each other in a televised competition called the Hunger Games each year. Katniss volunteers to compete in the games after her younger sister's name is called in "The Hunger Games," and the trilogy follows her experience in the games against the backdrop of growing tension between the districts and the government of Panem, led by President Coriolanus Snow.

Collins' first three works feature a sweeping cast of characters, though they are all told from Katniss' perspective. She uses her prequels to focus on two characters that appear in the trilogy and offer insight into Panem outside Katniss' purview.

"The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" takes place 64 years before the events of "The Hunger Games" and stars a teenage Coriolanus Snow. In the novel, Coriolanus lives in the Capitol in the initial years after the first Panem revolution, and he becomes a mentor for a tribute from District 12 in the games named Lucy Gray Baird.

The book functions as a character study into Coriolanus, showing the reader how he became the tyrant Katniss knew decades later — and offering insight into why he has particularly negative feelings toward District 12.

Meanwhile, in "Sunrise on the Reaping," Collins takes the reader into the life of Haymitch Abernathy, Katniss and Peeta Mellark's grumpy, alcoholic mentor when they compete in the Hunger Games. Set 24 years before "The Hunger Games," the book follows Haymitch's time competing in the games for District 12, which Collins' keeps largely a mystery in the original series.

Don't read the prequels first

The five books in the "Hunger Games" universe occur over about 65 years. The events of the prequels occur around 40 years apart, and those of the three original books take place over about 18 months, excluding the epilogue at the end of "Mockingjay."

Although they weren't released as such, the "Hunger Games" books could be read in chronological order:

• "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes"
• "Sunrise on the Reaping"
• "The Hunger Games"
• "Catching Fire"
• "Mockingjay"

However, I don't think that would offer the best reading experience.

Collins creates a vast world in "The Hunger Games," and Panem's complex government system is vital to the plot. The original trilogy does a good job of easing new fans into the universe. I think it would be a disservice to readers not to experience the careful world-building Collins does in her original books first.

I also think the prequels could confuse the reader about the significance of certain characters in the trilogy and offer some spoilers — from the extent of Snow's role in Katniss' story to Haymitch's experience in a Hunger Games Quarter Quell, which has some connections to "Catching Fire."

With all that in mind, I recommend reading the books in their publication order:

• "The Hunger Games"
• "Catching Fire"
• "Mockingjay"
• "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes"
• "Sunrise on the Reaping"

And if you plan on watching the film versions of Collins' works after reading the books, I'd follow the same order. The movie version of "Sunrise on the Reaping" will hit theaters in November 2026.

• Forever 21 filed for bankruptcy for the second time on Sunday.
• I visited a Manhattan location to see what had happened to it since I was a frequent shopper.
• I think the store lost track of its roots and hasn't found a way to attract new shoppers.

Forever 21 filed for bankruptcy — again.

Sunday's filing marked the brand's second bankruptcy, as it previously filed in 2019. The company, which is expected to shut down all of its US stores unless it finds a buyer, pointed to competitors such as Shein and Temu as part of its reason for closing.

I was a frequent flyer at Forever 21 in my late teens and early 20s during its heyday, but I'm 30 now and haven't shopped there in years.

In light of the bankruptcy news, I revisited Forever 21 to see what happened.

I visited Forever 21 after it filed for bankruptcy

Only two Forever 21s are left in Manhattan — my former go-to location at Union Square shuttered a few years ago — so I visited the 34th Street Herald Square store.

When I walked in, I couldn't miss the dozens of signs announcing the store's closing and the blowout sale it was having as a result. It was pretty quiet as I wandered through the space, though a handful of other shoppers were browsing the discounted items, too.

In my early 20s, I liked Forever 21 primarily because of its going-out clothes. My friends and I would descend on the store whenever there was a big house party or new bar we wanted to go to, as we knew we'd find plenty of affordable options for crop tops or minidresses that were perfect for a night out.

My visits to Forever 21 fell off as my social life went from being filled with big parties and nights spent dancing to intimate dinners and bar crawls, as seemed to be the case for many millennial shoppers. Gen Z didn't replace us as its prime demographic as Forever 21 might have hoped, as the generation below me prefers online retailers for fast fashion or opts to shop secondhand instead.

I still have a more party-focused night every now and then, though, so I was excited to potentially find a few new shirts or dresses for coming events when I hit up Forever 21 on Monday. I walked into the store expecting to find a plethora of cropped shirts, low-cut tanks, and tube tops, but the store seems to have changed its offerings in the years I've been away.

The front of the store displayed a few flirty dresses and bikini-style shirts, but most of the merchandise surrounding it was more general.

On the first floor alone, an entire wall was covered in graphic sweatshirts, and a corner was dedicated to athletic attire. Another room seemed to be full almost entirely of a line made in collaboration with Hello Kitty, which was set up next to floor-length, sparkly dresses that one might wear to prom.

On the second floor, I found more athletic clothes, as well as swimwear, basic tops, dresses, jeans, and even trousers.

The store's tone felt different than when I used to shop there, and though some of the sweatshirts and tees were cute, Forever 21 isn't where I'd think to buy those items.

I'm much more likely to get staples from American Eagle or Abercrombie & Fitch. Over the past few years, both have found ways to reengage millennial shoppers and attract new Gen Z customers.

I missed the going-out top

I finally found a few classic going-out tops on the top floor of Forever 21, breathing a sigh of relief when I spotted shirts I could easily picture myself wearing to a girls' night.

That newfound hope deflated once I took a closer look at the offerings. Most of the shirts I liked were available in only one or two sizes, so I couldn't try them on even if I liked them. Likewise, several pieces in the store didn't seem to be in the best condition, including a shirt with visible deodorant stains on display.

I found a few things I liked enough to try on, but they were a bust, too. I grabbed two going-out tops, an exercise shirt, and a dress in my usual size. One top was too big, while the dress and the other top were too small. The exercise shirt fit, but it was too low-cut and unsupportive for me to actually wear for a workout.

The offerings at other physical locations may be more robust than those at the store I visited. I also know Forever 21's website has more clothes in more inclusive sizes than the brick-and-mortar location where I was. (The company has said its website will remain open as it winds down its US operations.)

Still, I was bummed out that nothing I found in-store worked for me. One of the things I loved most about Forever 21 when I shopped there was how easy it was to run in and grab a top or two quickly before an event. It had so many affordable options that it was almost impossible not to find a new shirt to show off and share with your friends after wearing it.

That magic wasn't there anymore for me. Forever 21 didn't find a way to grow with millennials, nor did it charm Gen Z shoppers away from easy-to-access online retailers. If my visit was any indication, Forever 21 couldn't figure out how to be the fast-fashion destination shoppers were craving anymore.

Forever 21 didn't respond to a request for comment.

• Gianni Versace was heralded as a genius for his eponymous Versace fashion house.
• His siblings, Donatella and Santo, and niece, Allegra, took over the brand after his murder in 1997.
• Donatella served as Versace's creative director for decades, and now Prada Group is buying the brand.

The Versaces are one of the most iconic fashion families in history.

Created by Gianni Versace in 1978, the Versace brand saw a meteoric rise to fame under his leadership, blending the world of celebrity and fashion.

When he was murdered in 1997, Gianni's siblings, Donatella and Santo, and his niece, Allegra, shepherded the company into the future, leading it through ups and downs over the next thirty years, including an acquisition by Capri Holdings in 2018.

On Thursday, the Prada Group announced it was acquiring the brand for nearly $1.4 billion, less than a month after Donatella announced she was stepping down as creative director.

Here's what we know about the Versace family's journey through fame, tragedy, and resilience.

Gianni Versace was born in December 1946 in Calabria, Italy.

Gianni had three siblings: Donatella, Santo, and Fortunata. Fortunata died of tetanus when she was just 12, and Donatella was born three years after her elder sister died.

"Sudden death is frequent in my family," Donatella told The New Yorker.

Donatella also told the outlet that their mother, Francesca, was an entrepreneurial seamstress who used the little money she had to start an atelier in Calabria. Gianni grew up watching her work and designed his first dress at age 10, according to WWD.

In 1972, after he graduated from high school, Gianni moved to Milan to work under various designers, one of whom was Mario Valentino.

Today, Donatella is 69, and Santo is 80.

In 1978, Gianni started his own fashion company, Gianni Versace S.p.A.

Donatella moved to Milan to be with Gianni when he founded the company, learning from him and serving as his muse.

She also began helping with clothing design.

Gianni was known for blending the world of celebrity and fashion.

As Anna Wintour told GQ, the designer pioneered the concept of filling the front row with celebrities and industry "it" people at fashion shows. His famous friends, like Elton John and Madonna, always attended his shows.

He also paid top models such as Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, and Cindy Crawford so much that the word "supermodel" was invented just for them.

In 1994, Donatella became the head designer of Versace's Versus line.

Versus was designed to be an experimental line that challenged fashion norms at the time.

The line later saw collaborations from designers Christopher Kane and JW Anderson.

The Versace brand became synonymous with tasteful, sexy luxury wear, reaching its peak in the 1990s.

For instance, the gown Gianni designed for Elizabeth Hurley in the 1990s made her the topic of conversation, helping her acting career take off, as WWD reported.

Versace also became a lifestyle brand as it grew, selling everything from bedsheets to tableware.

Then, on July 15, 1997, Gianni was killed outside his home in Miami during the height of his success.

Gianni was 50 years old when the serial killer Andrew Cunanan shot him at his home. He left behind a massive legacy in the fashion world.

Donatella told Michael Ebert and Sven Michaelsen of Ssense that when she first heard the news that her brother had died, "the world stood still."

Although his murder was a shock, Gianni had a will prepared because he had previously been treated for a rare inner-ear cancer, according to The New Yorker.

The will left Donatella a 20% stake in the fashion company, and she became creative director of Versace.

Santo was president of the company at the time of Gianni's death and later became chairman. He received a 30% stake in the company.

Gianni left the majority of the company to Donatella's then 11-year-old daughter, Allegra Versace Beck.

Donatella told Ssense that Gianni "idolized" her daughter and called her "my little princess."

Because Allegra was so young when she inherited half the company, Donatella was in charge of her shares until she turned 18.

Gianni left Donatella's son, Daniel Beck, his art collection, which included two pieces by Picasso, according to The New Yorker.

Allegra was deeply affected by her uncle's murder.

The New York Post reported that Donatella tried to help Allegra cope with the murder by organizing counseling sessions, but Milan "fashion insiders" told the newspaper that the young girl was "never the same."

The outlet also reported that Allegra felt guilty after Gianni died, telling her mother she should have been by her uncle's side.

In 2007, while Allegra was studying at Brown University, Donatella and Paul Beck — Allegra's father — released a statement addressing their daughter's mental health. They said she had been receiving the best medical care possible for anorexia and was "responding well."

Donatella also struggled after Gianni's death.

During her early years at Versace, critics, including The New Yorker, called Donatella a mere "muse, mascot, and de-facto first lady" to Gianni while he was still alive and running the company.

Donatella said the years after Gianni's death were difficult for her, as she was constantly worried about disappointing Gianni and Versace customers.

She told Ssense that she thought she couldn't handle the pressure and turned to drugs shortly after Gianni's death, developing a cocaine addiction. She said she was in and out of a daze for the following 18 years, which made her even more self-conscious.

To protect herself, Donatella said she created an alter ego. She told Ssense that she created a version of herself that was "cold and aloof, aggressive and scary."

Donatella went to rehab for her addiction in 2004.

She told The New Yorker her children, Allegra and Daniel, along with several other close friends, including Elton John, were the reason she decided to go to rehab in 2004.

Part of Donatella's post-treatment recovery from cocaine addiction was daily morning workouts, according to the outlet.

In 2011, at 24 years old, Allegra accepted her uncle's inheritance and took her seat on Versace's board.

Before she accepted her shares, Allegra told LaRepublica in 2011 that she preferred anonymity and enjoyed living in the US, working for other designers, and attending college.

In her 2018 interview with Ssense, Donatella said her daughter was "highly intelligent and a very keen observer."

"Everyone pays rapt attention whenever she takes the floor at a board meeting — not because she owns half of the company, but because she asks the right questions," Donatella said.

Santo didn't have a passion for fashion like his siblings.

Although Santo serves as the president and co-CEO of Gianni Versace S.p.A., he told The New Yorker in 2007, "I work in fashion because Gianni was a talent."

Otherwise, he said his real passion lies in charity. He said he constantly thinks of the people who are "suffering" and in poverty.

Santo has also been an elected member of the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Republic in Calabria since 2008.

Throughout the years, people have tried to document the life of the Versace family in books and television series, but nothing succeeded until the 2018 FX series "American Crime Story."

Ryan Murphy focused on Gianni's killer in season two of his acclaimed "American Crime Story" series.

Although Donatella gave the actor Penelope Cruz her blessing to portray her, she and her whole family did not approve of the season, E! News reported.

Cruz told the outlet that she accepted the role after getting Donatella's blessing in a phone call. She revealed that Donatella said she had nothing to do with the show but that if someone was going to play her, she was glad it was Cruz.

The family stands by its denunciation of the show, saying it's an inaccurate portrayal of their brother's life and his murder. Murphy, the show's executive producer, said he thought his team was being kind to the family through the show's portrayal of them.

In 2014, the Versace family sold 20% of the company to the Blackstone Group.

Donatella told Ssense that right after Gianni was shot, companies came to her asking her to sell them Gianni Versace S.p.A., saying things like, "None of your family will ever have to work again."

But Donatella wouldn't sell. She told Ssense, "My brother would not have wanted me to sell a single office chair. To him, the company was family, and you don't sell family."

However, the family sold some of the company to Blackstone Group in 2014 to help move Gianni Versace S.p.A. forward as a business, according to The Business of Fashion. Then, in 2016, Jonathan Akeroyd stepped in as CEO to overhaul people's perception of the brand, which was not doing well.

Akeroyd proved to be a good addition to the team. Twenty years after Gianni died, Donatella managed to pull off one of the biggest comebacks in the fashion world — so much so that fashion journalists dubbed 2017 "the year of Versace."

Donatella carried on Gianni's legacy in the brand's comeback.

Donatella incorporated her brother's loudest designs, styles, and prints in the 2017 collection. She also brought out the models he featured most to close her spring 2018 line showing in Milan.

The Versace family sold its shares of the company in 2018.

While the Versace family had stayed busy by running the company from every angle — keeping it in the family — they sold all of their shares in the company to Capri Holdings, which also owns Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo, in 2018.

John Idol, the chairman and CEO of Capri Holdings, said in a statement after the group acquired Versace that the Italian fashion house "has represented the epitome of Italian fashion luxury." He went on to call the brand timeless.

Michael Kors Holdings — the company's name before the Versace acquisition — purchased Versace for over $2.1 billion.

Donatella remained Versace's chief creative officer, and Santo remained chairman and president. After the sale, the family owned the equivalent of $176 million of Capri Holdings in group stock, per Business of Fashion.

Versace continued to be a staple of the fashion industry after its acquisition, though sales have declined in recent years.

In March 2025, Donatella announced she was stepping down as Versace's creative director.

On March 13, Donatella took to Instagram to announce she would be stepping down as creative director for Versace and becoming chief brand ambassador instead. Dario Vitale will take over as creative director.

"Championing the next generation of designers has always been important to me," she wrote on her Instagram. "I am thrilled that Dario Vitale will be joining us, and excited to see Versace through new eyes. I want to thank my incredible design team and all the employees at Versace that I have had the privilege of working with for over three decades."

"It has been the greatest honor of my life to carry on my brother Gianni's legacy," Donatella said. "He was the true genius, but I hope I have some of his spirit and tenacity. In my new role as Chief Brand Ambassador, I will remain Versace's most passionate supporter. Versace is in my DNA and always in my heart."

The news came amid reports Capri Holdings was nearing a deal to sell Versace to Prada, which improved both company's stocks.

Prada Group purchased Versace from Capri Holdings for nearly $1.4 billion in April 2025.

Despite volatility in the market due to President Donald Trump's changing tariffs, the Prada Group and Capri Holdings reached an agreement regarding the sale of Versace. The Prada Group announced the acquisition — valued at 1.25 billion euros, or about $1.39 billion — in a press release shared with the public on Thursday.

The Prada Group's chairman, Patrizio Bertelli, said the company aims "to continue Versace's legacy celebrating and re-interpreting its bold and timeless aesthetic; at the same time, we will provide it with a strong platform, reinforced by years of ongoing investments and rooted in longstanding relationships."

"Our organisation is ready and well positioned to write a new page in Versace's history, drawing on the Group's values while continuing to execute with confidence and rigorous focus," Bertelli said.

"Versace has huge potential," Prada CEO Andrea Guerra said in the same press release. "The journey will be long and will require disciplined execution and patience. The evolution of a brand always needs time and constant focus."

The deal will be finalized in the second half of 2025, according to the release.